By the numbers

Q3 revenue: $4.64B

0.7% year-over-year increase on a reported basis

Base revenue: $4.57B

6% year-over-year increase

COVID-19 testing revenue: $76M

75% year-over-year decrease

Q3 trends: Becton Dickinsons third quarter revenue was relatively flat compared to 2021 as growth in its base business was offset by a 75% year-over-year drop in COVID-19 testing sales. CEO Tom Polen said on a Thursday earnings call that the company was affected by many of the same challenges the industry is managing inflation, supply chain constraints, healthcare staff shortages and rising labor costs, China slowdown but its base business was still able to grow over last years quarter.

Stifel analysts wrote in a Thursday note that BDs $4.64 billion in revenue last quarter beat the investment firms estimate by about $170 million driven in part by incremental Covid testing sales, but also strong all-around performance from nearly every other business line.

COVID-19 testing: While coronavirus testing revenue declined year over year by about $224 million last quarter, sales still beat analyst expectations, according to J.P. Morgan. The analysts wrote in a Thursday note that BDs $76 million of sales came in ahead by about $44 million. The company expects stronger COVID-19 sales for the full year, increasing its forecast by about $50 million to a total of $500 million.

Still, the testing demand slowdown is expected to continue for the remainder of its fiscal year and into 2023. CFO Christopher DelOrefice said that the COVID-19 testing revenue will drop to $25 million next quarter, and the business in BDs fiscal year 2023 will be significantly below 2022. DelOrefice said that approximately $25 million in quarterly sales is likely to be where future quarters fall. So far this year, COVID-19 testing revenue totals about $475 million.

2022 revenue forecast: BD increased its full-year revenue forecast to a range of $18.75 billion to $18.83 billion compared to $18.5 billion to $18.7 billion previously announced. The base business forecast was increased by $215 million at the midpoint.

The companys stock price was up over 2% to $250.15 Thursday morning.

China recovery: Polen told investors that a slowdown in China due to restrictions put in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus continued into BDs third quarter, but the market rebounded faster than expected, with a strong recovery in June. Beyond the recovery of hospital patient flow, we initiated several actions to continue manufacturing and keep warehousing largely operational by working closely with our stakeholders in China, Polen said.

2023 trends: DelOrefice said that macroeconomic challenges are expected to continue in its fiscal year 2023, which typically begins in October. But the CFO added that the economic challenges are not expected to get worse next year and some may improve in the second half, such as the current complexity and challenges with the supply chain.

Follow this link:

BD's base business growth in Q3 offset by drop in COVID-19 testing - MedTech Dive

Good evening. Were Corinne Purtill and Karen Kaplan, and its Tuesday, Aug. 2. Heres the latest on whats happening with the coronavirus in California and beyond.

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Perhaps nothing has come to symbolize this pandemic as succinctly as the humble face mask.

Be it pleated blue polypropylene, colorful fabric or the bulbous shell of an N95, its an accessory you probably never wore in public before the coronavirus arrived, and odds are you cant wait to be rid of it.

In the early weeks of the COVID-19 era, when new infections were rising like crazy, we were asked to don face masks to flatten the curve. As schools began to welcome students back to campus, masks were an essential accessory to make communal learning safe. After scientists began to recognize that the coronavirus spread mainly through the air, masking was deemed necessary to protect those who were older or medically vulnerable.

Despite all these virtues, the mask has also been vilified as a symbol of unthinking obedience to authority and a tool to muzzle children and stifle dissent.

Its been a wordless signal of community resolve, and a noisy touchstone of struggle against government strictures, our colleague Melissa Healy writes.

Even people who have worn them when asked over the last 2 years are running out of patience for the face coverings. They havent made the coronavirus go away yet, and with each new variant more transmissible than the last, it seems unlikely they ever will.

Isnt the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?

Regardless, Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer had planned to reinstate L.A.s indoor mask mandate if the county met the criteria set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for having a high COVID-19 community level and maintained that status for two weeks. She later hinted that she might press pause on the unpopular mandate if there were sustained decreases in cases, or the rate of hospital admissions moves closer to the threshold of medium.

In the end, Ferrer didnt have to decide whether to follow through with her original plan.

When the latest figures came out Thursday, the countys level had dropped to medium. Using its own data, the county calculated new weekly coronavirus-positive hospital admissions as 9.7 for every 100,000 residents just under the threshold to trigger the mask mandate. The CDC calculated a rate of 10.7, but Ferrer said the federal agencys data were older than the countys.

The news was celebrated by people like Michael Matteo Rossi. The 35-year-old filmmaker from Los Feliz wore his mask without complaint for more than two years. But even hes hit his limit. He told Healy that his mask was lost somewhere in his car, and he hopes he doesnt have to dig it out.

Fed-up folks like Rossi werent the only ones pleased that they could continue going about their lives mask-free. Some medical and public health professionals have softened their support for mask mandates as well.

The reason for their change of heart is not that masks (if used properly) have become less effective at preventing coronavirus transmission. Its that the value of widespread masking just isnt what it used to be.

Thats due to progress in other parts of the pandemic fight. With COVID-19 vaccines and past infections, the U.S. population has substantial coronavirus immunity. Those who get sick anyway have an array of effective treatments at their disposal. It also looks like infections caused by Omicron subvariants arent as dangerous as ones caused by earlier coronavirus strains.

Put that all together and the potential benefit of a mask mandate isnt substantial enough to justify the inconvenience, public backlash and other costs that come with it, said Dr. Jeffrey Duchin, chief health officer of Seattle and King County.

The threat has decreased, Duchin said. And for that reason, taking steps that are seen as inconvenient or costly or philosophically objectionable is less palatable and less desirable.

Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease doctor who conducts public health research at UC San Francisco, agrees with that assessment though she can understand why some health officials are still inclined toward mask mandates.

When new infections rise, that feels scary to a public health officer, she said, and a mask mandate feels like something they can do.

But just because you can do something doesnt mean you should, she added.

Were in a very different place in the pandemic, Gandhi said. At this point, I do not think that widespread masking is necessary.

California cases and deaths as of 4:20 p.m. Tuesday:

Track Californias coronavirus spread and vaccination efforts including the latest numbers and how they break down with our graphics.

Box fans, four high-quality filters and duct tape. Those are the components of a Corsi-Rosenthal box, an inexpensive DIY device that pulls coronavirus and other contaminants from indoor air as effectively as many commercial air filters do, at a fraction of the cost.

Researchers have found that changing the air in an indoor space just five times an hour can cut the risk of COVID transmission in half, The Times Emily Alpert Reyes reports. One study in Italy saw that benefit grow to an 80% reduction in COVID transmission in schools when indoor air was changed six times an hour.

Yet indoor air quality is often neglected. A June report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that most U.S. public schools had not made any major investments to improve indoor air quality since the pandemic began. When asked what steps theyd taken to improve ventilation in their classrooms, most schools reported simply opening windows or moving indoor activities outside. Fewer than 40% said they had replaced or upgraded their HVAC systems.

But theres no need to wait until the next major capital improvement project to start cleaning up indoor air, engineers say. Theres no time, either.

There are things we could be doing immediately and not waiting to spend millions of dollars to retrofit ventilation systems, said UC Davis College of Engineering dean Richard L. Corsi, who helped develop the low-cost air filters that now bear his name.

It doesnt help that the definition of clean indoor air is nebulous. Theres no federal standard or guidelines for what constitutes a well-ventilated room. The Environmental Protection Agency only has regulatory authority over the air we breathe outside buildings, not in them.

That has left many institutions to manage air on their own. In Los Angeles, the county Department of Public Health told Reyes it had connected schools with state grants to improve their ventilation systems and provided diagrams on the best places to put fans in school gyms. The county has also distributed HEPA air purifiers to more than 100 shelters for homeless people and other interim housing sites.

Some residents are taking the challenge up themselves. Reyes interviewed Alex LeVine, a cannabis company executive who has tricked out his own Studio City house with homemade air filters that pull contaminants from the air and, in one case, pulse colored lights in time to Phil Collins In the Air Tonight.

Who says filtration cant be fun?

See the latest on Californias vaccination progress with our tracker.

The hyper-transmissible Omicron variants have sent case numbers skyrocketing in recent months.

But health officials fear that they are also a harbinger of a devastating number of long COVID cases, our colleagues Rong-Gong Lin II and Luke Money report.

Thus far in the pandemic, infection with COVID has appeared to offer a grace period of protection against subsequent infections. But the most recent variants appear to have altered that timeline, speeding up the rate at which people can become reinfected. Thats particularly worrisome, as each individual infection carries the risk not only for acute illness but also the possibility of developing long COVID.

Reinfection absolutely adds risk, said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis and chief of research and development at the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System.

Al-Aly is the lead author of a preprint study on U.S. veterans that found that the risk of developing heart or lung disease, blood clotting issues and other serious health problems including death rose with each subsequent infection.

The additive risk is really not trivial, not insignificant, Al-Aly said. Its really substantial.

One of the most troubling risks of repeated infection is long COVID, in which symptoms persist for months or even years after the initial infection. Part of the maddening quality of the condition is that there are no clear indicators of who is most at risk. The condition has plagued people of all ages, including those whose initial COVID infections were mild or asymptomatic.

Its repercussions are already being felt in California. As Lin and Money have reported, an estimated 1 in 13 adults nationwide and 1 in 14 in California had current long COVID symptoms in early July, according to data collected by the Census Bureau and analyzed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That study defined the condition as having symptoms lasting three months or longer that werent experienced prior to infection.

Dr. Anne Foster, vice president and chief clinical strategy officer for the University of California Health system, has a different name for it: a mass disabling event.

The good news is that most long COVID will resolve, lets say, after a year, Foster said. But theres going to be some smaller subset that will have lifelong disability and impact to their health.

A study from USC published last month found that 23% of people who had coronavirus infections between March 2020 and March 2021 were still reporting symptoms up to 12 weeks later.

The most common lingering symptoms reported in that study were headache, nasal congestion, abdominal pain, fatigue and diarrhea. But many long COVID sufferers describe severe ongoing heart, respiratory and neurological problems that in some cases have made it impossible to return to normal life.

Hannah Davis, a co-founder of the Patient-Led Research Collaborative, was diagnosed with COVID in March 2020 and still has difficulty driving, reading and walking, she told the U.S. House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis during a recent hearing.

Long COVID, she said, has already impacted our workforce. Many people with long COVID cant work or need reduced hours and struggle to apply for disability benefits. The financial impact is devastating and cannot be overstated.

And finally: Just three days after testing negative and getting the all-clear to leave isolation, President Biden tested positive for the coronavirus once again on Saturday.

Biden, 79, first tested positive for the virus on July 21. He was treated with the antiviral drug Paxlovid, and was cleared to exit isolation July 27 after receiving negative tests. But rebound infections like Bidens are not unheard of, particularly among patients treated with Paxlovid, an antiviral recommended for patients at risk of developing more severe disease. Most rebound cases dont merit additional treatment, the CDC advised in May. The White House says Biden does not have further symptoms, and will resume working from home.

Im feeling fine, everythings good, Biden said in a video posted to Twitter, gesturing to his nearby dog. Commander and I got a little work to do.

Todays question comes from readers who want to know: Should I wait to get a booster until the one that targets Omicron comes out?

Considering how many people are becoming infected despite being fully vaccinated and even boosted, its no wonder this question keeps coming up. After all, the CDC estimates that 85.5% of the coronaviruses on the loose in the U.S. right now are of the BA.5 variety, and another 11.8% are BA.4 types. Those are the two subvariants that the new crop of boosters will be designed to recognize, along with the original coronavirus strain.

The Food and Drug Administration expects the updated shots to be ready this fall, but if you are eligible to get a booster right now, the advice of experts is unequivocal: Dont wait.

Definitely get it now! Paula Cannon, a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at USCs Keck School of Medicine, told our colleague Jon Healey. The other vaccine experts he spoke to emphatically agreed with Cannons assessment.

Everyone who is at least 5 years old is eligible for one or two booster shots, depending on their age and the state of their immune system. Yet fewer than half of Americans who are booster-eligible have gotten even one extra shot, according to the CDC.

More than 17,600 Californians have been getting infected each day over the last week, including more than 5,600 per day in Los Angeles County alone. Those numbers are all the reason you need to get up to date on your vaccinations, said Dr. Otto Yang, an infectious diseases expert at UCLAs David Geffen School of Medicine.

Here are two more: The booster you can get right away remains extremely good at keeping people from getting extremely ill or dying, he said. Plus, its not clear that the Omicron-specific shots will offer a huge advantage.

Data from the companies developing the shots show that targeted boosters were only modestly better than the current ones in terms of antibody activity against Omicron, Yang told Healey.

And who knows whether BA.5 and BA.4 will still be dominant by the time the new shots are ready?

We could be looking at a completely new variant by then, Cannon said. So rather than trying to second-guess anything, we should stick with what we know, which is that boosters work well now, to top up peoples immunity.

We want to hear from you. Email us your coronavirus questions, and well do our best to answer them. Wondering if your questions already been answered? Check out our archive here.

(Rachel Bluth / Kaiser Health News)

My body, my choice. For the last half a century, this slogan has been associated with the fight for abortion access. Yet since the outbreak of the pandemic, and the proliferation of public health measures to control the virus spread, this former rallying cry for reproductive rights has been increasingly co-opted by opponents of mask and vaccine mandates.

The sign above (carried by Steve Bova of Maryland) was one of many on display at an April anti-vaccine mandate rally in downtown Los Angeles. Women say they can have an abortion because its their body, said Tom Blodget, a retired Spanish-language teacher from Chico who wore a T-shirt bearing the slogan. Blodget opposes abortion, he said. But if thats a valid thing for a lot of people, why should I have to take an injection of some concoction?

The enthusiasm with which vaccine and mask opponents have embraced the expression has led many reproductive rights advocates to distance themselves from it. In the wake of the June 24 Supreme Court decision that reversed the federal right to abortion, advocates for reproductive rights have retooled their language, opting for terms like Bans off our bodies and Say abortion, said Jodi Hicks, president of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California.

In this moment, Hicks said, to co-opt that messaging and distract from the work that were doing and using it to spread misinformation is frustrating, and its disappointing.

Rachel Bluth of Kaiser Health News has more on the story here.

Resources

Need a vaccine? Heres where to go: City of Los Angeles | Los Angeles County | Kern County | Orange County | Riverside County | San Bernardino County | San Diego County | San Luis Obispo County | Santa Barbara County | Ventura County

Practice social distancing using these tips, and wear a mask or two.

Watch for symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and loss of taste or smell. Heres what to look for and when.

Need to get a test? Testing in California is free, and you can find a site online or call (833) 422-4255.

Americans are hurting in various ways. We have advice for helping kids cope, as well as resources for people experiencing domestic abuse.

Weve answered hundreds of readers questions. Explore them in our archive here.

For our most up-to-date coverage, visit our homepage and our Health section, get our breaking news alerts, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

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Coronavirus Today: Experts are taking a softer stance on masking; it's a different pandemic - Los Angeles Times

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. When schools across the United States shut down during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in March 2020, guidance was made to ensure students would be able to return to their classrooms once again in the fall through a multitude of safety measures. This year, those recommendations could look different and less stringent, according to media reports.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expected to update its guidance for coronavirus control in the community, including in schools, in the coming days, sources told CNN.

Additionally, education news site Chalkbeat reported that New York City plans to do away with its weekly school-based coronavirus PCR testing, though a City Hall spokesperson said plans for the fall havent been finalized.

CDC GUIDANCE

CNN obtained a preview of the plans that showed the updated recommendations by the CDC are expected to ease quarantine recommendations for people exposed to the virus and de-emphasize six feet for social distancing. Regular screening testing for COVID-19 in schools will also be de-emphasized. Instead, the agency said it may be more useful to base testing on coronavirus community levels.

The CDC may also remove a recommendation that students exposed to COVID-19 take regular tests to stay in the classroom called test to stay. According to CNN, this was a way to keep unvaccinated students exposed to the coronavirus, but without symptoms, in the classroom instead of quarantining at home.

This was a program implemented in New York City public schools in December 2021. Whenever there was a positive case in a classroom, each child would take home two at-home test kits over the course of seven days. Those who tested negative and were asymptomatic were able to go back to school, causing less disruption to their education.

The changes could be publicly released as early as next week. However, they are still under deliberation and arent finalized, according to CNN.

The CDC told the media outlet in a statement that it is always evaluating its guidance as science changes, adding it will update the public as changes occur.

In schools and other locations, the agency wont recommend six feet of social distancing instead emphasizing which kinds of settings are riskier, like poorly ventilated areas and crowds.

Quarantine requirements are likely to be eased for unvaccinated people, or those not up to date on coronavirus vaccines. Currently, people not up to date on the vaccine stay home for at least five days after close contact with a positive person. Going forward, CNN reported they wont have to stay home, but should wear a face mask and test at least five days after exposure.

NO MORE TESTING IN NYC SCHOOLS?

Chalkbeat reported that New York City is planning to end its in-school weekly coronavirus testing.

In February, the city updated its testing policy that required schools to test the larger of either 10% of the schools student enrollment in grades 1-12, up to a cap of 250 students; or 20% of the schools unvaccinated student population. The change, the DOE said at the time, allowed schools with a high number of vaccinated students to test a larger group every week.

However, a source with knowledge of the program told Chalkbeat that the city plans to discontinue on-site PCR testing.

A City Hall spokesperson said the citys plans for the fall havent been finalized, but didnt dispute that the city is moving away from in-school PCR testing, Chalkbeat reported. The spokesperson told the media outlet that the city will communicate its plan with families when there is an actual decision.

The city hasnt yet shared what coronavirus safety measures will be in place when school starts next month, or what the testing strategies will look like.

Read more:

2022-2023 school year: Will coronavirus protocols change? Will there be weekly testing for NYC students? - SILive.com

Independent Newsmedia

The Arizona Department of Health Services on Aug. 3 reported the number of coronavirus cases in Apache Junction, east Mesa, Gold Canyon and Queen Valley is 19,555 in ZIP codes 85118, 85119 and 85120.

That is an increase of 114 from a week ago when cases stood at 19,441.

More than 90% of cases were mapped to the address of the patients residence. If the patients address was unknown the case was mapped to the address of the provider followed by the address of the reporting facility, according to the ADHS.

85118 ZIP code:

85119 ZIP code:

85120 ZIP code:

Common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, breathing trouble, sore throat, muscle pain and loss of taste or smell. Most people develop only mild symptoms. But some people, usually those with other medical complications, develop more severe symptoms, including pneumonia.

To see full numbers across the state, click here.

See more stories at yourvalley.net/covid-19.

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114 coronavirus cases reported in a week in Apache Junction, Gold Canyon area - Daily Independent

Editors note: Coronavirus cases remain in flux. Health officials advise delaying travel if youre not fully vaccinated and caught up on boosters. This article was last updated on August 3.

If youre planning to travel to Mexico, heres what youll need to know and expect if you want to visit during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mexico is open to travelers. You do not need to provide a negative result of a PCR test or proof of vaccination to enter. You might be subject to a health screening before entering.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has lifted its requirement for travelers to test negative for Covid-19 before entering the United States. This eases passage back to the United States for American citizens, who constitute a big block of Mexicos tourists.

Youll find incredible food, sensational beaches, charming towns and historical remains in Mexico.

While the beach resorts around Cancun attract the bulk of visitors, those who want more than a fly and flop go for Mexico Citys cultural heft, the coastline of Baja California and traditional towns such as Oaxaca.

Mexico has had some of the worlds loosest border restrictions since the pandemic with anyone allowed to travel by air for business or leisure.

The land border between Mexico and the United States has been reopened to nonessential travel since November 8, 2021.

Since March 2022, travelers to the country no longer need to fill out a health declaration form.

There is no need to take a test before departure or undertake any form of quarantine. Those concerned they might have symptoms should ask for the Sanidad Internacional health organization.

Some Mexican states or cities might have tighter restrictions than the country at large based on local conditions. Tourists may want to inquire with their hotels or resorts about any local directives before committing to plans. You can also use this directory of phone numbers for individual states.

Mexico has had almost 6.78 million cases of Covid-19 and almost 328,000 deaths as of August 3.

As of August 3, Mexico had administered roughly 209.7 million doses of vaccine, or 165 doses per 100 people. For comparison, the United States has administered about 181 doses per 100 people and Canada has given 228 doses per 100 people.

As of August 3, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had Mexico at Level 3 (high) for Covid-19 risk.

Many hotels and lodging groups offer on-site Covid-19 testing for travelers returning to places that require them. Check with your hotel about on-site testing before you travel.

Visitors are likely to find situations differ depending on where in the country they travel, with local restrictions varying. See the Local Resources section of the US Embassy website for specific information.

Mexico uses a four-color traffic-light system to assess the health safety of each state and set certain restrictions in movement if conditions warrant it. Red is the highest level of caution, and green allows all activities. You can check the current status of the states you plan to visit by clicking here.

Sanidad Internacional

Covid-19 government page

US Embassy in Mexico

US State Department travel advisories for Mexican states

Joe Yogerst took two trips to Mexico one to sun-soaked Tulum and another to the big city of Guadalajara exposing contrasting attitudes and approaches to Covid-19. Find out which place put safety first.

Ever wondered what it was like to move to Mexico in a pandemic? Kim Kessler did. So did this adventurous couple, who booked an Airbnb together for several months despite being virtual strangers.

If youre not ready yet to take the plunge, youll find inspiration with the prettiest towns in the country and an insiders guide to tequila.

Aerial remote-sensing of a large region of Mexico has revealed hundreds of ancient Mesoamerican ceremonial centers. See for yourself what they found. And a post-conquest Aztec altar was recently uncovered in Mexico City.

The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

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Travel to Mexico during Covid-19: What you need to know before you go - The Mercury News

Mahalo for supporting Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Enjoy this free story!

The Hawaii Department of Health today reported 3,689 new COVID-19 infections over the past week, lower than reported the previous week, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 329,633.

The states seven-day average of new cases also fell to 528, down from 573 reported on July 27. DOHs daily average reflects new cases per day from July 23 to 29, which is an earlier set of days than the new infections count.

DOH also reported 21 more deaths, bringing the states coronavirus-related death toll to 1,592.

By island, there were 2,503 new infections reported on Oahu, 468 on Hawaii island, 462 on Maui, 146 on Kauai, 12 on Molokai, and two on Lanai. Another 96 infections were reported for out-of-state Hawaii residents.

Actual numbers are estimated to be at least five to six times higher since these figures do not include home test kit results.

The states average positivity rate, meanwhile, declined to 13.8% compared to 15.7% reported the previous week, representing tests performed between July 16 to Aug. 1.

There are 147 patients with COVID in Hawaii hospitals today, according to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agencys dashboard. Of the 147, 19 are in intensive care and four on ventilators.

The Healthcare Association of Hawaii reported a 7-day rolling over of 135 patients with COVID in hospitals over the past week, and an average of 23 new COVID admissions per day.

Continued here:

Hawaii Department of Health reports 3,689 new infections, 21 coronavirus-related deaths - Honolulu Star-Advertiser

The U.S. Department of Health is rolling out its "We Can Do This" COVID-19 education campaign ahead of the schoolyear, hoping to increase the vaccination rate among children by educating parents in trusted spaces, and the library is becoming a critical location in the effort.

Dr. Cameron Webb, a senior advisor on the White Houses COVID-19 team, was a special guest for Thursdays story time at Hyattsville's Library. He shared more than a book with families.

Back-to-school is right around the corner, so we want families, we want everybody to have their best protection, he said.

While vaccination rates for children 6 months to 5 years old are the lowest of any age group with 3% vaccinated, Webb hopes parents will step up before little ones reenter school and day care.

We want to make sure that everybody has that protection against COVID-19, but its coming at a time where a lot of people are processing how they look at the pandemic differently.

In Hyattsville, one of the most diverse communities in Prince George's County, it was clear early on that the approach to accessing the vaccine had to be different.

We were the community that was hardest struck in the region, yet we were the last to receive testing and the last to receive vaccines, Prince Georges County Council member Deni Taveras said.

Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information

The county's libraries stepped in to help improve access.

We would receive a phone call, and a customer would say, Im an undocumented immigrant. Im having trouble getting through to the vaccine clinic. Theyre telling me I cant get a vaccine, Prince George's County Memorial Library System acting co-CEO Nicholas A. Brown said. And we would tell them exactly what to say. Get on the phone with the vaccine provider to clarify what the policies are. And it was that level of library-to-family connection that helped people get to these resources really quickly.

Thursdays clinic reminded how libraries have pivoted, becoming more than just a place to check out books.

They have a such a nice space for children, so I think it's really great that they tied those two together to offer the vaccine to the community while having children's events here, mother Jillian Campbell said.

Parents said they are adjusting to the new reality and the back-to-school list is changing.

School is starting September or Aug. 22, and he needs to get vaccinated, so we are really, really glad that its being offered over here, mother Grace Burrell said.

It was only a one-day clinic, but the public library is open to share information on where to find other clinics like it by calling local branches during library business hours.

The American Library Association is working alongside the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to launch similar campaigns around the country.

See the article here:

Libraries Help Educate About COVID-19 Vaccination Ahead of Schoolyear - NBC4 Washington

Avery County Government would like to share that Avery County Emergency Management and the Health Department are working with local officials, Cannon Hospital, Avery County School System, 911 Communications, EMS Ambulance Services, and fire and rescue to ensure and protect the health and well-being of Avery County citizens.

For the latest updates click here for the NCDHHS state web site, for information.

Health officials continue to encourage good respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene. These are the best preventive measures for this virus. These include covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands frequently with soap and water, staying home when you feel sick or when you have a fever and cleaning surfaces with sanitizing cleaners.

The Avery Health department began vaccines on 1/12/2021 9993 first doses administered as of April 22,2022 9362 (53.0%) fully vaccinated Avery citizens as of of April 22,2022

The County of Avery's top priority is and always will be the safety and security of the county while providing the best service available. While it has been necessary to make some changes to the county's services please know that we will resume all regular services as soon as possible.Update 6/29/2021Declaration Of A Local State Of Emergency - This is an update of the original Emergency Ordinance

Update 5/14/2021Today, Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. shared an update on the states COVID-19 progress. Following yesterdays guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that fully vaccinated individuals can safely do most activities without wearing a mask or the need to social distance from others, the state will remove its indoor mask mandate for most settings. Additionally, the state will lift all mass gathering limits and social distancing requirements. These changes are now in effect as of 1:30 PM today.Click Here for the FAQ Document

Update 5/14/2021 Avery County governmental offices are now open, except the senior center they will resume regular services soon.Senior Center Schedule

The Avery County Senior Center has opened for inside meal service on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.Seating and activity's will be limited numbers so please call ahead for details. We will continue offering Drive-Thru Meal Service at the Center on Mondays and Fridaysy.; Clients can drive to the side door of the dining area and pick up a hot meal. Clients must be registered to receive meal, and are asked to call and RSVP (not required) to help with headcount. Home delivered meals will continue as scheduled. For more information, call 828-733-8220

Filing For Unemployment Insurance Benefits Due To COVID-19

This is a link to an adobe document from the office of NC Senator Thom Tillis.Reboot Your Small Business During COVID-19Avery County Chamber Of Commerce Disaster Relief InformationNew website available from VISIT NC and others to assist in the re-opening of hospitality type business and industry for North Carolina. Please share with any and all. Spread the word!!https://countonmenc.org/ [countonmenc.org]NC COVID-19 Rapid Recovery for Small Business WebsiteNew Grant Program Accepting Applications to Help Businesses and Nonprofits Hurt by COVID-19

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Corona Virus Update - Avery County

Coronavirus - Delaware's Coronavirus Official Website

COVID-19 vaccines for ages 6 months 5 years authorized. Learn more, including where to get your child vaccinated. More Info

95%

1,842,274

2,984

24.1 per 10,000 people

231

7-day Average

103

14.2%

7-day Average

View data by county: New Castle | Kent | Sussex

We know what it takes to keep from getting seriously ill or hospitalized from COVID-19. If you follow these proven strategies, you can stay one step ahead.

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A study suggests people who catch covid-19 at least twice have double the risk of dying from any cause and are three times as likely to be hospitalised in the next six months, compared with people who test positive just once

By Michael Le Page

A person waits at a drive-in covid-19 PCR test site in Miami, Florida, in May

Daniel A. Varela/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

You have been vaccinated and recently had covid-19, so you dont have to worry about catching it again, right? Wrong. A large study suggests that every time a person is reinfected, they have additional health risks, both during their immediate illness and in the months afterwards.

Every reinfection is like rolling the dice again, says Ziyad Al-Aly at VA St. Louis Health Care System in Missouri. A second infection is still bad for you.

These findings

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Covid-19: What are the risks of catching the virus multiple times? - New Scientist

AUSTIN (KXAN) COVID-19 metrics, including hospitalizations, are starting to trend upward again in Austin-Travis County. The local health authority attributed the uptick to the BA.4 and BA.5 offshoots of the omicron variant in a Travis County commissioners court meeting Tuesday.

Those mutations are starting to show up in both wastewater and in variant surveillance locally, according to the health authoritys report. They could be more severe than previous mutations.

With each mutation, it [COVID-19} is becoming adept at evading our immune systems defenses and that is why these two particular variants are starting to become more predominant. Dr. Desmar Walkes said.

As of Monday, Walkes reported there are nearly 100 people in area hospitals with COVID-19, 18 of those people are in intensive care units. Roughly half of the people hospitalized are there primarily for COVID-19.

More people that are requiring oxygen and starting to require life support, Walkes said, noting that research done on BA.4 and BA.5 shows the mutations may impact lung tissue more than previous mutations. She also said for people who had COVID-19 during the winter omicron surge, reinfection with BA.4 and BA.5 could be more severe.

With each subsequent infection, there is an increase in the impact, Walkes said. Reinfection is not benign.

Travis County is presently in the medium level of risk based on the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions risk tracker. Under that level, APH is recommending people at high risk, and people who live with someone who is high risk, wear a mask in public.

For people who had COVID-19 during the original omicron surge, immunity is likely waning. The UT COVID-19 Modeling Consortium talked about that when case numbers started to trend upwards earlier this month.

Its been four or five months after the first omicron wave, where we had so many infections, and so we expect that there will be many people losing immunity at a rapid speed, said Anass Bouchnita, a postdoctoral fellow with the consortium.

People who previously had COVID-19 may also be at greater risk of getting seriously sick if they do catch COVID-19 again, Walkes explained. Staying up-to-date on vaccinations are still the best protection against the virus, she said.

We are still seeing good coverage and protection that is offered to people who are vaccinated from severe illness, hospitalization and death. We are still recommending vaccinations and boosters for those who are eligible, Walkes said.

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COVID-19 mutations spreading in Austin-Travis County, reinfections may be more severe - KXAN.com

Continuing their rapid march across the United States, the Omicron subvariants known as BA.4 and BA.5 have together become dominant among new coronavirus cases, according to new estimates on Tuesday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As of the week ending Saturday, BA.4 made up 15.7 percent of new cases, and BA.5 was 36.6 percent, accounting for about 52 percent of new cases in the United States, numbers that experts said should rise in the weeks to come.

The statistics, released Tuesday morning, are based on modeling and can be revised as more data comes in, which happened in late December, when the agencys estimates missed the mark.

In the less than six months since BA.4 and BA.5 were first detected in South Africa, the two subvariants appeared in the United States to be overtaking two earlier Omicron subvariants, including BA.2, which was the prevailing version for a time earlier this spring. The other, BA.2.12.1, was dominant alone as of the week ending June 18, according to C.D.C. estimates. Over the winter, the form of Omicron that first emerged in the United States sent case counts soaring. Before that, the Delta variant had been dominant in the United States since early summer.

BA.4 and BA.5 exhibit the qualities of escape artists, able to elude some of the antibodies produced after coronavirus vaccinations and infections, including infections caused by some earlier versions of Omicron. That may explain why these subvariants have spread even faster than others in the Omicron family. But there is not yet much evidence that they cause more severe disease.

The BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants have been detected throughout the world, and they fueled a surge of cases in South Africa in the spring, despite widespread pre-existing immunity to the virus. The wave was not as high as South Africas earlier waves, and deaths did not rise as sharply. Just last week, South Africa repealed its rules that required masks in indoor public spaces.

In recent weeks, more than 100,000 new coronavirus cases have been reported each day on average in the United States, according to a New York Times database, a figure that captures only a portion of the true number. Many infections go uncounted in official reports. Some scientists estimate that the current wave of cases is the second-largest of the pandemic.

As of Monday, hospitalizations in the United States were up 6 percent in the last two weeks, to an average of more than 31,000 each day, according to federal data. New deaths have stayed below 400 per day on average, data from state and local health agencies show. That is a fraction of the thousands seen daily during the winter Omicron peak.

But in my mind, 250 deaths a day is still too many, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the C.D.C. director, said last week in Aspen, Colo. The deaths that were seeing are generally among people who are either elderly, frail, many comorbidities, whove had a lot of vaccine shots or people who are unvaccinated.

Many Americans with risk factors have said that they feel ignored and abandoned as their governments and neighbors have sought a return to normal.

As always, the spread of the virus is a regional affair. In the Northeast and Midwest, known cases have been declining for weeks, while in the South and West, cases are increasing.

Across the nation, public health rules continue to be lifted, including the ending on Saturday of an indoor mask mandate for Alameda County, the San Francisco Bay Areas second-most populous county. In New York City, Broadway theaters save for one are retiring their mask requirements beginning Friday. Even the longstanding requirement to test for the coronavirus before flying to the United States from abroad was dropped this month.

While the recent availability of vaccines for children ages 6 months to 5 years was a welcome development for many parents and day care centers, experts do not expect the availability of pediatric doses to change the overall trajectory of the pandemic in the United States.

The natural waning of vaccine protection against infection over time, along with the immune evasiveness of BA.4 and BA.5, might explain why these subvariants have been able to spread quickly. It has also lent urgency to the development of Omicron-targeted boosters. While vaccine manufacturers have raced to develop these, they are based on other versions of Omicron, and it was not yet clear how well they could protect against infection with BA.4 and BA.5.

Preliminary evidence from laboratory research suggests that unvaccinated people who were infected with the version of Omicron, known as BA.1, might be easily reinfected by BA.4 or BA.5. Vaccinated people are likely to fare somewhat better, the study suggests.

But as the virus evolves, no one can tell whether retooled vaccines could become outdated by the time they become available.

What we dont know is whats going to happen with a new vaccine in the fall, Dr. Walensky said while in Aspen. I do think were going to need more vaccines.

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The Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 have together become dominant in the U.S., the C.D.C. estimates. - The New York Times

Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious disease physician at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS the original vaccines against the COVID-19 virus did a terrific job keeping people out of the hospital and preventing death, but he said moving forward better vaccines need to be developed.

The current vaccines offer only mild benefit, in terms of infection, against those new variants, said Poland. So, the idea is, and both Moderna and Pfizer both plan no doing this, to devise vaccines that cover the Omicron variant.

Poland told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS the goal is to possibly have an updated COVID vaccine by early fall by using part of the original vaccine and the vaccine that was used during the Omicron surge.

But, Poland said the ultimate goal is to develop a so-called Pan-Corona Vaccine which would offer better protection against all of the variants that have emerged with the virus.

The idea that we, and others are working on, is a Pan-Corona virus vaccine. Or, if you will, a universal Corona virus vaccine, said Poland. Thats still a ways off, but thats the goal.

Dr. Peter Bornstein, with St. Paul Infectious Disease Associates, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS he agrees with the push by the Food and Drug Administration to come up with a more effective vaccine.

We definitely need better vaccines. How much the virus itself will keep mutating, and have immunological escape from the vaccines, we just dont know yet, said Bornstein.

The FDA met Tuesday to discuss the future of new COVID vaccines, but did not yet offer any recommendations.

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'Better vaccines' needed to cover COVID variants, infectious disease experts say - KSTP

AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) COVID-19 cases are rising across the Amarillo area, Texas, and the nation.

The city of Amarillo is seeing more than 800 more active cases than we had this time last month.

Dr. Rodney Young, Regional Chair of Family & Community Medicine at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center said what is causing the rise in new cases is a new subvariant.

It started with the Omicron, then with the BA.2 and now there is a subvariant of BA.2, said Dr. Young.

He said cases are likely to continue to rise as July 4th draws near and families gather.

When you have occasions to gather, that is the way it spreads very easily person to person, said Dr. Young.

Dr. Young added as cases do continue to rise, an upside is that they have not seen a rise in hospitalization the way they did in the earlier stages of the pandemic.

He said patients with the subvariant are not presenting with severe COVID-19 symptoms, some are presenting with a little cough, runny nose, and watery eyes.

A number of the cases that we are diagnosing now that werent COVID a few weeks ago, tend to be folks they are feeling like they are having flares in allergy symptoms or cold type symptoms, said Dr. Young.

Dr. Young said that those who are vaccinated and who get subvariant COVID illnesses are less likely to get less severe forms of the illness or experience long covid.

Dr. Young added the virus is here to stay and it will always be a part of the disease landscape to some extent and added what the medical community hopes to happen is that it moves from a pandemic to an endemic.

Some years or some times are worse than others, but hopefully there is enough immunity around and enough measures that we can take to help mitigate the spread within a community, said Dr. Young.

Dr. Young said he doesnt have an exact answer to when that could happen, but he said its possible we could be seeing the early stages of that now.

Dr. Young reiterates that the best way to keep yourself protected from these rising cases is social distancing, good hygiene practices, and getting boosted if you havent done so already.

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Coronavirus cases on the rise once again - KAMR - MyHighPlains.com

The Omicron BA.2.12.1 subvariant is now the dominant COVID-19 variant in the US, responsible for 58% of recorded new coronavirus cases in the last week alone. "I'm in Connecticut, and it's like 80% of all sequences that we see right now," says Anne Hahn, PhD., postdoctoral researcher at the Yale School of Public Health. Here are the five most dangerous spots to catch COVID-19, according to experts. Read on to find out moreand to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss Already Had COVID? These Symptoms May "Never Go Away".

Indoor gatherings such as weddings and parties are still dangerous, warns the World Health Organization. "In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no 'zero risk' when it comes to any kind of gathering especially events that bring groups of people together," says the WHO. "Regardless of the size of the event, you are at risk from COVID-19 whenever you get together with people. The virus that causes COVID-19 spreads easily indoors, especially in poorly ventilated settings."

Planning a family cruise this summer? The CDC has lifted its warning on cruise ship travel, but virus experts are still recommending caution. "This means to prepare for the cruise, all four of you should be fully vaccinated and boosted," says Jessica Justman, infectious diseases specialist and epidemiologist at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center, who recommends travelers make sure their ship has opted into the CDC's Covid-19 Program for Cruise Ships. "I suggest completing all booster doses a few weeks, and at least one week, before the trip starts. I would also be interested in how many inpatient beds and medical personnel are on the cruise and compare that to the number of passengers. One might confirm that the cruise follows guidelines such as the cruise ship health care guidelines from the American College of Emergency Physicians."

Buffets are risky due to close contact with both customers and staff. "While common utensils theoretically could lead to transmission of COVID from hand to spoon to hand, we actually don't have any good examples in clusters of COVID illnesses that surfaces really matter as much as people all standing close to each other does," says Benjamin Chapman, Ph.D., professor and food safety specialist in the department of Agricultural and Human Sciences at North Carolina State University. "Managing social distancing and line-ups is really the hardest part. Or in situations where staff will serve patrons from a buffet, the staff and patron interaction is the riskiest part."

Indoor gyms are still highly problematic in terms of catching the virus, experts warn. "If you're not willing to get COVID don't go," says Dr. Michael Klompas, a hospital epidemiologist and infectious disease physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital. "At a time like now, when there's a lot of COVID around, it is a high risk proposition."6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Social distancing is practically impossible in airports, with people standing next to each other in check in and security lines and sitting close together on planes. "Avoid common-touch surfaces, hand hygiene wherever possible, masks, distancing, controlled-boarding procedures, try to avoid face-to-face contact with other customers, try to avoid being unmasked in flight, for meal and drink services, apart from when really necessary," says David Powell, physician and medical adviser to the International Air Transport Association. "The greatest protection you can give yourself is to be vaccinated and boosted."

Follow the public health fundamentals and help end this pandemic, no matter where you liveget vaccinated or boosted ASAP; if you live in an area with low vaccination rates, wear an N95 face mask, don't travel, social distance, avoid large crowds, don't go indoors with people you're not sheltering with (especially in bars), practice good hand hygiene, and to protect your life and the lives of others, don't visit any of these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.

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The 5 Most Dangerous Spots You Can Catch Coronavirus Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

COVINGTON, Ky.Just months ago, the parking lot at Gravity Diagnostics in Covington was filled as people waited hours to get tested for COVID-19. Now, the site is shutting down as fewer people look for in-person tests.

Kelly Theurer stopped by the site one day before closing to get tested and say goodbye.

"I'm terribly sad," Theurer said. "I've been coming here since they set up shop in this parking lot. I travel a lot for work ... and it's literally the only place in the Tri-State where I can come, drive-thru, get a quick test and get the results back really fast."

Jeff Wellens, director of field services for Gravity Diagnostics, said they are closing because their partnership with the city is ending and the number of people getting tested continues to decrease.

"Last January, we were hitting about 2,000 a day and that was sustained for a good number of weeks after the holiday and at the present time we are just under about 10% of that now about 200 tests a day between the site here and the Florence Mall," Wellens said.

Ashley Auciello with the Health Collaborative said the overall number of tests in the Tri-State has dropped. Dr. Stephen Feagins, medical director for Hamilton County Public Health, said that doesn't mean the positivity rate is lower than before.

"Right now, it feels like things are kind of normal, but yet the positive rate for Southwest Ohio was like 1.6% this week last year, and it's almost 12% this week this year," Feagins said.

Feagins said that number is partly because testing is less frequent, but noted COVID has not become endemic.

"Endemic really isn't that term because endemic really means that you can predict when the flu season is going to start, you know kinda what's it going to be like, you know when you need to vaccinate for the flu each year," Feagins said. "You're not sure about that with COVID yet."

Theurer said she isn't sure where she'll go to get tested in the future. Aucielle recommended visiting TestAndProtectCincy.com to find COVID testing locations.

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Gravity Diagnostics closes COVID-19 testing sites as fewer in the Tri-State get tested - WCPO 9 Cincinnati

Bill Gates, who has donated millions to pandemic relief efforts, tested positive for the coronavirus, he said on Tuesday.

Mr. Gates, 66, said on Twitter that he was isolating with mild symptoms and that he was vaccinated and boosted. It was not clear if this was the first time he had tested positive for the coronavirus. He also said that he would participate virtually in a meeting on Tuesday with people from his foundation.

In recent months, Mr. Gates, a co-founder of Microsoft and one of the richest men in the world, has focused his considerable resources on the pandemic. He published a book last week called How to Prevent the Next Pandemic, in which he explains how countries could pull off a coordinated effort to avert pandemics and eliminate all respiratory diseases.

He has been outspoken about how the global health authorities should respond to the pandemic and distribute vaccines. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said it has donated millions to organizations including Gavi and the World Health Organization to fund testing, treatments and vaccine distribution. (The Gateses divorced last year, but both expressed continued commitment to the foundation.)

In January, Mr. Gates said on Twitter that once Omicron goes through a country, the virus could be treated more like seasonal flu.

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Bill Gates Tests Positive for Coronavirus - The New York Times

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 517.3 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths has now passed 6.25 million. More than 11.65 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.

The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has urged those purchasing COVID-19 vaccines to place orders with South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare.

The European Union's drug regulator says it hopes to approve COVID-19 variant-adapted vaccines by September.

Major US airlines, businesses and travel groups have urged the US government to abandon COVID-19 pre-departure testing requirements for vaccinated international passengers traveling to the US.

It comes as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended travelers continue to wear masks on airplanes, trains and in airports.

Colombia will offer a second COVID-19 vaccine booster shot to those aged 50 and over, the government announced last week.

Infection with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 can significantly improve the immune system's ability to protect against other variants, but only in people who have been vaccinated, South African researchers have found.

The first World Trade Organization meeting to discuss a draft agreement to temporarily waive intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines went "very well", its chair said on 6 May, although some members voiced reservations.

China is setting up thousands of permanent PCR testing stations, with 9,000 completed in Shanghai alone already.

Daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases per million people in selected countries.

Image: Our World in Data

The COVID Response Alliance to Social Entrepreneurs - soon to continue its work as the Global Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship - was launched in April 2020 in response to the devastating effects of the pandemic. Co-founded by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship together with Ashoka, Echoing Green, GHR Foundation, Skoll Foundation, and Yunus Social Business.

The Alliance provides a trusted community for the worlds leading corporations, investors, governments, intermediaries, academics, and media who share a commitment to social entrepreneurship and innovation.

Since its inception, it has since grown to become the largest multi-stakeholder coalition in the social enterprise sector: its 90+ members collectively support over 100,000 social entrepreneurs across the world. These entrepreneurs, in turn, have a direct or indirect impact on the lives of an estimated 2 billion people.

Together, they work to (i) mobilize support for social entrepreneurs and their agendas; (ii) take action on urgent global agendas using the power of social entrepreneurship, and (iii) share insights from the sector so that social entrepreneurs can flourish and lead the way in shaping an inclusive, just and sustainable world.

The Alliance works closely together with member organizations Echoing Green and GHR Foundation, as well as the Centre for the New Economy and Society on the roll out of its 2022 roadmap (soon to be announced).

New WHO estimates suggest that the full death toll associated directly or indirectly with the COVID-19 pandemic (the "excess mortality") between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021 was approximately 14.9 million.

These sobering data not only point to the impact of the pandemic but also to the need for all countries to invest in more resilient health systems that can sustain essential health services during crises, including stronger health information systems, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. WHO is committed to working with all countries to strengthen their health information systems to generate better data for better decisions and better outcomes."

Excess mortality is calculated as the difference between the number of deaths that have occurred and the number that would be expected in the absence of the pandemic based on data from earlier years.

COVID-19 cases in the Americas have continued to rise, notably in Central and North America, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on 4 May.

The Americas reported more than 616,000 new cases in the week beginning 25 April, while the death toll was down by less than 1% in the same comparison to 4,200, the organization said.

PAHO's director, Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, called for stronger measures to tackle the pandemic as cases and hospitalizations rise.

"COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are rising in far too many places, which should prompt us to strengthen our measures to combat the virus, including surveillance and preparedness," Etienne told a news conference.

"We must reach those who remain unvaccinated with the full COVID-19 vaccine primary series, and ensure access to boosters, especially to the most vulnerable," she added.

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Joe Myers, Writer, Formative Content

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic - World Economic Forum

More than half of people hospitalised with Covid-19 still have at least one symptom two years after they were first infected, according to the longest follow-up study of its kind.

While physical and mental health generally improve over time, the analysis suggests that coronavirus patients discharged from hospital still tend to experience poorer health and quality of life than the general population. The research was published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

Our findings indicate that for a certain proportion of hospitalised Covid-19 survivors, while they may have cleared the initial infection, more than two years is needed to recover fully, said the lead author, Prof Bin Cao, of the in China.

Until now, the long-term health effects of Covid-19 have remained largely unknown, as the longest follow-up studies to date have spanned about a year. The absence of pre-Covid-19 health status data and comparisons with the general population in most studies also made it difficult to determine how well patients with Covid-19 have recovered.

For the new study, researchers sought to analyse the long-term health outcomes of hospitalised Covid-19 survivors, as well as specific health impacts of long Covid. They evaluated the health of 1,192 participants with acute Covid-19 treated at Jin Yin-tan Hospital in Wuhan, China, between 7 January and 29 May 2020, at six months, 12 months and two years. The average age was 57 at discharge.

Assessments involved a six-minute walking test, laboratory tests, and questionnaires on symptoms, mental health, health-related quality of life, whether they had returned to work and healthcare use after discharge. Health outcomes at two years were determined using an age, sex and comorbidities-matched control group of people in the general population with no history of Covid-19 infection.

Six months after initially falling ill, 68% of the patients reported at least one long Covid symptom. Two years after infection, more than half 55% still reported symptoms. Fatigue or muscle weakness were those most often reported. Regardless of the severity of their initial illness, two years later, one in 10 patients 11% had not returned to work.

Two years after initially falling ill, the patients were in poorer health than the general population, with 31% reporting fatigue or muscle weakness and 31% reporting sleep difficulties. The proportion of non-Covid-19 participants reporting these symptoms was 5% and 14% respectively. The Covid-19 patients were also more likely to report a number of other symptoms including joint pain, palpitations, dizziness and headaches. In quality of life questionnaires, Covid-19 survivors also more often reported pain or discomfort and anxiety or depression than non-Covid-19 participants.

The authors acknowledged limitations to their study. Being a single-centre study from early in the pandemic, the findings may not directly extend to the long-term health outcomes of patients infected with subsequent variants, the Lancet Respiratory Medicine said. Like most Covid-19 follow-up studies, there is also the potential for information bias when analysing self-reported health outcomes.

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Ongoing follow-up of Covid-19 survivors, particularly those with symptoms of long Covid, is essential to understand the longer course of the illness, as is further exploration of the benefits of rehabilitation programmes for recovery, said Cao. There is a clear need to provide continued support to a significant proportion of people whove had Covid-19, and to understand how vaccines, emerging treatments and variants affect long-term health outcomes.

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Half of Covid-hospitalised still symptomatic two years on, study finds - The Guardian

COVID-19 can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, which can be difficult to distinguish from other ailments like food poisoning or the stomach bug.

Gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or even gas can develop with a wide range of conditions, infections, or even chronic disorders.

This article will focus on gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea and sulfur-smelling burps, and when to suspect COVID-19 or something else as the cause.

Every year, about 48 million people in the United States experience some level of food poisoning. Some cases may go almost unnoticed, but about 128,000 U.S. people are hospitalized for food poisoning every year, and about 3,000 die.

The symptoms and severity of food poisoning can depend on what type of food poisoning you have and how much of the affected food you consumed. Common symptoms of food poisoning include:

These symptoms can develop within hours or days after you consume an affected food or drink. In most cases, you can ride out a case of food poisoning at home. Its best to focus on drinking plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.

The stomach flu is a collection of symptoms rather than an actual diagnosis in most cases. The stomach flu is not actually a type of influenza at all. Its a generic name given to gastroenteritis, which is inflammation that occurs in the stomach or intestines for a variety of reasons.

Bacteria, parasites, and even some chemicals can cause gastroenteritis, but viruses are one of the most common culprits. The onset of gastroenteritis symptoms can depend on the cause and even the type of virus.

Other viruses can also cause gastroenteritis, including coronaviruses, but these are less common.

Symptoms of gastroenteritis usually include things like:

There are many causes of stomach infections. The coronavirus is just one type of virus that can cause viral gastroenteritis.

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses, and there are several forms, including the one that causes COVID-19 infections. There are also several variations and mutations of the virus that causes COVID-19, and some types affect your gastrointestinal system in different ways.

Some of the more common gastrointestinal symptoms associated with COVID-19 infection may be overlooked before other symptoms like fever and respiratory symptoms because theyre so common to a number of stomach issues.

However, about 5 to 10 percent of people who get COVID-19 end up with some form of digestive symptom.

Stomach and digestive symptoms that have been linked to COVID-19 infections include:

Diarrhea is the most common gastrointestinal symptom associated with COVID-19 infections. Theres debate as to whether or not the appearance of digestive problems signals more or less severe cases of infection.

Sulfur burps is the name given to burps that have a very particular smell, like that of rotten eggs. Burps can happen any time but may occur more when you are having other gastrointestinal problems.

In most cases, the types of food youre eating and how youre eating them can cause sulfur burps. Avoiding foods that create a lot of gas and taking time to eat more slowly can help reduce sulfur burps.

Theres really no cure for diarrhea, and managing this symptom usually depends on the cause. If you have a chronic condition that causes diarrhea, treatment is more complex.

In most cases of diarrhea caused by certain types of foods or simple stomach bugs, there are over-the-counter medications that can help you manage your bowels.

However, the biggest concern is to avoid dehydration caused by diarrhea by drinking fluids. Most cases of diarrhea resolve in about 2 days.

Sulfur burps and diarrhea can appear with many types of stomach problems, including pancreatic cancer. Your pancreas makes chemicals called enzymes that help you digest food. When you have cancer, the production of these enzymes can be affected.

Any changes in digestion can lead to problems like diarrhea and increased gas production. Talk with a doctor if you are experiencing these symptoms repeatedly or for long periods of time.

Long-haul COVID-19 and the symptoms associated with this chronic, post-infection condition are still being researched. But there are a number of symptoms that have been linked to the severe inflammation COVID-19 causes throughout the body.

If you experience gastrointestinal symptoms after a COVID-19 infection, talk with a doctor about treatment strategies and ways to reduce inflammation in your digestive tract.

Stomach problems like smelly burps, nausea, and diarrhea are linked to all kinds of conditions, infections, and diseases.

The key to knowing the cause of your symptoms and how to treat them is to pay attention to other symptoms or changes that occur alongside your gastrointestinal problems.

For most acute infections, the key to treating gastrointestinal symptoms is to drink plenty of water and to rest. If your symptoms get worse after a few days, talk with a doctor about other possible causes and treatments.

Continued here:

Sulfur Burps and Diarrhea: Is It COVID-19 or Something Else? - Healthline