Viva la Fiesta!

If the absence of Old Spanish Days festivities is not enough to throw you off, Im really going to confuse you with this weeks Best of Bill column. Or maybe confuse you more than I usually do.

Longtime readers know my weekly column is a compilation of and my commentary on Noozhawks Top 5 most-read stories of the previous seven days, as tracked by our Google Analytics. This week, by the way, we had an audience of 165,653 readers, thank you very much.

Our top story is a very cool one, and Im excited to share why. But its our third most-read story that actually is our most important one, given the ongoing catastrophe that is taking such a massive toll on almost every aspect of our lives.

So Im going to invoke the rarely used Publishers Prerogative and start the Top 5 with No. 3 before introducing No. 1. Consider the number crunching a warmup for Major League Baseballs 2020 playoff schedule scheme.

Making sense of Santa Barbara Countys inconsistent, nontransparent and often mystifying reporting of its COVID-19 data has been an enduring frustration in Noozhawks coverage of the coronavirus crisis.

So it really was no surprise to us when Dr. Van Do-Reynoso, director of the county Public Health Department, announced July 31 that her agency had underreported the number of COVID-19 deaths by 28.

Thats right, 28 dead county residents more than two dozen of our neighbors were simply never entered into the system.

As our Josh Molina first reported, the mistake was discovered when the county Vital Records Office noticed a discrepancy between the number of death certificates issued and the deaths reported on the countys own website.

Unfortunately, we have a serious data problem, Second District Supervisor Gregg Hart, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, said in an understatement.

For the past month, the Public Health Department has underreported the number of COVID-19 deaths in Santa Barbara County.

Thats not the half of it.

Noozhawks news team keeps a very detailed daily spreadsheet of all the public COVID-19 data were tracking, but its exceedingly difficult to reconcile largely because of the county.

Over the last few months, our editors and reporters have been much more insistent and unyielding with officials about county reporting irregularities. To their credit, senior county officials have been reaching out to our team about ways they can better communicate and deliver what we need to provide you with a complete picture of what our community is up against.

Talk about two steps forward, one step back.

This week, our editors noticed the county had reported an average of 430 COVID-19 tests a day over the last few days, well below the normal total, so they pressed for more details about that specifically. For good measure, they tossed in additional questions to try to get a better sense of how well the testing system is working something they do on a regular basis.

Well let you know when we find out the answers to those simple questions but, at this stage of a pandemic that started more than six months ago, the fact that such basic information is not readily available is as alarming as it is unacceptable.

The county also is withholding the date of the latest coronavirus death, with an absurd explanation that officials are exploring whether such information can even be released under HIPAA regulations.

Let me be clear: There is no reason for the county to be hiding behind the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 over a date of death.

Public agencies release basic death information every single day, as you know from reading our reporting on fatal car crashes. There may be aspects of a death that are caught up in privacy or other issues, but not the fact that a guy died on a Tuesday.

I tell you this to illustrate just how challenging it can be for the news media to do its basic job our constitutional right of keeping you informed, which is your constitutional right to know. This involves you as much as it does Noozhawk.

In the absence of a widespread vaccine, what appears to be the most effective defense against COVID-19 is entirely, and scarily, up to you and me. As I wrote in last weeks Best of Bill column, that means wearing masks responsibly, keeping our distance, washing our hands, and staying home if were compromised or feeling sick.

But if that responsibility is going to fall to us, Santa Barbara Countys erratic hoarding of coronavirus information has got to stop. It needs to start sharing everything it knows so we, the public, can make fully informed decisions on how best to protect ourselves and others.

As with a lifting fog, there have been glimpses of what Santa Barbara County officials can do if they choose to. Sunshine benefits everyone.

To help you better understand the blizzard of numbers and the processes involved with compiling them, Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli put together two useful guides that already have been a big hit with readers:

Noozhawks Guide to Understanding Santa Barbara County Public Health COVID-19 Data

Noozhawk FAQs on the Coronavirus and Santa Barbara Countys Public Health Response

If not for Noozhawk, frankly, I dont know what youd do. But you can help us by becoming a member of our Hawks Club.

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Each August, the Earth drifts through a debris cloud left behind by the passing Comet Swift-Tuttle. As bits of pebbles and even dust particles some no larger than a grain of sand slam into the atmosphere, they burn up in bright streaks and even fireballs, creating a spectacular display known as the Perseid meteor shower.

As our astronomy columnist, Dennis Mammana, reported Aug. 2, the peak of this years celestial extravaganza will be late Aug. 11 and the early morning hours of Aug. 12 when up to 100 visible meteors per hour are likely to appear weather and light permitting, of course.

Dennis lives in the stargazing-advantageous Anza-Borrego Desert in the San Diego County backcountry, but Santa Barbara County is not that far behind when it comes to dark skies. And no special equipment or skills are needed; just look up.

While Dennis has always been one of Noozhawks most popular columnists, the traffic on his Aug. 2 column was out of this world. Its already claimed the No. 2 spot in our 2020 most-read analytics with 66,000-plus reads and counting.

Although the Perseids come around just once a year, you can read Dennis astronomical insights each week when we post a new column on Sunday afternoons. And dont worry, theres plenty of space for what hes writing about.

My friend, Brian Goebel, is not an epidemiologist, or a physician or a public health official. But he is a public policy professional with a passion for data analysis.

Noozhawk readers have come to trust him as hes consistently written correctly, accurately and matter-of-factly about coronavirus trends and tendencies. Hes done that by focusing on a few key data points, running the modeling and explaining his work. In the old days, I think that was called SCIENCE.

Brians Aug. 2 column outlined how California had again flattened the hospitalization curve after an extended spike in cases. But he made three bonus points that merit more consideration if were going to move forward with our lives and livelihoods.

Most important, sensible public health measures i.e. masks and social distancing and precision-based business closures all work. Theyre also preferable to a threatened second statewide stay-at-home order, which would be increasingly problematic and far less likely to be followed six months into the pandemics sweeping upheaval.

Second, based on the latest run of data, which essentially covered June and July, the numbers indicate that much greater economic activity is possible as we learn to co-exist with the ever-present contagion.

Finally, its time to re-evaluate and revise testing protocols to more precisely measure COVID-19s community spread.

According to the state Department of Public Health, the current protocols were developed to facilitate medical evaluation of persons with symptoms of COVID-19 as well as efforts by public health agencies and essential employers to prevent and control the spread.

Brian argues that there should be more testing of a larger cross-section of the statewide population, not less, because the current limited testing data are not as accurate a measure of community transmission. He goes deeper into the details than Im going to here, but please do read his column for more information.

The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department reported 215 new coronavirus infections on Aug. 1, a significant increase after a week of steady declines.

Our Tom Bolton reported that local COVID-19 hospitalizations rose to 87 from 85 that day, but the number of intensive-care unit patients decreased to 26 from 28.

As of Aug. 6, the number of confirmed cases in the county stood at 6,652 with 68 deaths, a 98.97 percent survivability rate.

In a development rich in irony, a Florida cannabis corporation that is publicly traded on the Canadian stock exchange has acquired a controlling interest in one of Santa Barbaras three retail marijuana dispensaries.

As our Josh Molina reported Aug. 2, Boca Raton, Florida-based Jushi bought the multimillion-dollar controlling interest in the operating license from Golden State Greens, which itself is headquartered in San Diego. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Jushi is moving full speed ahead on building out the new Beyond / Hello dispensary at 3516 State St., across from Loreto Plaza. A late September opening is expected.

Santa Barbara is a perfect example of what we are looking for in acquisition in the California market, Michael Perlman, executive vice president of investor relations & treasury, told Josh. The population is affluent.

He seemed to imply that Santa Barbaras other two dispensaries locally owned Coastal Dispensary and Farmacy target tourists.

We want to be known in the Santa Barbara market as the company that is focused on the local people, giving them a differentiated shopping experience both online and in stores, Perlman said.

Time will tell but Im with City Councilwoman Kristen Sneddon, who found out from Josh that the hard-fought license issued by the City of Santa Barbara had changed ownership.

Its really important that the integrity of the scoring process is impartial and it favors local vendors, she said. I am not a fan of the expansion of this industry. It is important that we prioritize local vendors.

This was not my expectation.

What was our most-read story this time last year? Young Girl Injured by Horse During Santa Barbaras Fiesta Parade.

This video is surreal: Lebanese Bride Still Shaken after Beirut Blast Cuts Short Wedding Video.

@kyles_kitchen was my big outing this past week in my Instagram feed. Officially, I was there to help come up with a fall game plan for Noozhawks partnership with the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table, but the Spicy Chicken Avo Burger made my highlight reel. And, yes, its a #bestofbillrecommendation.

While browsing in an antique shop, Noozhawk reader Steve Baker stumbled on old Kodachrome footage of Santa Barbaras Fiesta Parade. Since we have no El Desfile Histrico this year, enjoy his cleaned-up version from the mid-1940s. HT to Charley Pavlosky.

(Steve Baker video)

Noozhawk is proud to be the go-to source of news for locals like yourself. You trust and rely on us to provide timely, relevant and thorough coverage of the issues that shape Santa Barbara County.

And we get up early and stay up late excited to report whats going on in our community so we can keep you informed and engaged.

While most of Noozhawks revenue comes from advertising and sponsorships, we believe that reader contributions are a vital source of support financially and fundamentally. We believe that if we ask our readers to contribute what you think were worth, we can build a sustainable business model for local news.

If you value dependable local reporting, will you support Noozhawk today?

Your loyalty membership helps us continue to provide you with unmatched local news and in-depth reporting on the issues that you care about.

Please note that personal contributions to Noozhawk are not deductible as charitable donations.

Thank you for your support.

Bill Macfadyen is Noozhawks founder and publisher. Contact him at [emailprotected], follow him on Twitter: @noozhawk and Instagram: @bill.macfadyen, or click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.

Here is the original post:

Bill Macfadyen: Santa Barbara Countys Big COVID-19 Error Isnt the Only Hole In Its Reporting - Noozhawk

David Ho, MD, does not mince words on the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

In fact, the world-leading virologist begun a discussion with HCPLive on the matter with as frank an assessment as there could be: the US is in a disastrous situation right now.

The country is doing very poorly, Ho, an HIV/AIDS pioneer researcher and founding director of the Columbia University Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, said. What were confronting here in the US is what we would have expected in a developing country, not a rich and strong nation.

These are among the opening statements Ho had on Lungcast, the new monthly respiratory health podcast from HCPLive and the American Lung Association (ALA). As the shows very first guest, Ho set a stage for addressing COVID-19 in both public health and scientific parametersby first stressing its burden and reach thus far.

As he stressed, despite the US making up about 4% of the worlds population, approximately one-quarter of all COVID-19 cases and mortality apiece are from US citizens.

Though Hoalong with Lungcast host and ALA chief medical officer Al Rizzo, MDspent the majority of the episode discussing strategies to resolve COVID-19, he also presented a quartet of reasons that explain just how the US failed in its initial response, leading to this current disastrous situation.

When asked for perspective on the regulatory and advisory infrastructures in place for COVID-19 responsefrom the World Health Organization (WHO) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Ho offered lesser criticism than the agencies have heard in recent months.

That said, he did point to early failures in facilitating, regulating, and distributing effective SARS-Cov-2 assays at the very initial US spread. He estimated the US lost about 1-2 months in progress from use of inaccurate testing kits alone.

The issue continues todayin both inadequate testing use, and limited supply of reliable assays. As such, the country is still reactive to what its true burden of infection is.

This also hinders the US capability in establishing proactive measures of data collection, including contact tracing, a practice Ho praised regions of western Europe in executing early on.

Contact tracing is indeed a very necessary practice to work ahead of the virusto actually set strategies that will definitely reduce its spread and isolate strains from the public. But the country is nowhere near position where it could be done feasibly.

At 70,000 cases per day, its pointless, Ho said.

A portion of the US population, as well some key legislators, emphasized the vitality of the economy as a key issue when stay-at-home orders and business closures were enforced at the beginning of the pandemic.

This issue was mostly unique to the USat least in its severity of rhetoric. What was lost in these mixed priorities, or was potentially harmed due to their presence, was the matter of comprehensive public health response.

Ho stressed the need for a politically-based message and commitment toward bringing the virus under control.

He understood the significance of a reopened and mostly returned society for the sake of the countrys economic health, but, there is not going to be economic health without public health.

Unlike most countries with better control of new daily COVID-19 cases, the US has been susceptible to great, regional spikes which have continually and sharply raised the national wave.

Already, theres been 2 different peaks in the first US COVID-19 waveand descents from both waves have not been substantial enough to warrant progress toward reduced social distancing responses.

As Ho explained, its like pushing a rock up a hillmistakes could mean restarting the entire process.

For every week we slip, it would take 4-6 weeks to regain position, he explained.

Overall, I dont think were very good at prevention, Ho said.

From influenza (flu) vaccination dissent, to public health response among non-viral crisesskyrocketing obesity and diabetes rates, among other metrics of overall healththe US has continually failed at reducing disease threats.

The issue is one that expands beyond having effective prophylaxes and access to preventive care; it reaches community health and clinical outreach to at-risk populations. Failed healthcare prevention is an indictment of resourcing, education, research, pharmacological development, and prioritization.

Overcoming that failure is not simple, but very necessary. The earliest opportunity the US will get will be in vaccine candidateswill they seek preventive care?

It requires a lot of persistence and tenacity, Ho said. For the entire public to buy into that is going to be a struggle, but one we must take on.

See the original post here:

The 4 Mistakes Made by the US in COVID-19 Response - MD Magazine

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Broadway Oyster Bar temporarily closed after employee tests positive for COVID-19 - KMOV.com

Spencer Rollyson was admitted to the AdventHealth East Orlando ICU after suffering from heart failure, septic shock and acute respiratory failure. Florida Today

After 21-year-old Canaveral Groves resident Spencer Rollyson bounced back from mild COVID-19 symptoms in May, he didnt think the virus was a big deal I thought it was still a joke.

But mysteriously, two weeks after testing negative for the coronavirus and returning to work, Rollyson started suffering from an array of symptoms: fever, chills, nausea, severe headaches, abdominal and chest pain.

His fever eventually reached 103.4 degrees and Rollyson fell unconscious in the middle of a June 15 telehealth appointment. His mother drove him to AdventHealth East Orlando, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit and placed on a ventilator.

Doctors diagnosed Rollyson with multi-organ failure withheart failure, acute respiratory failure, and severe sepsis with septic shock.

"I thought I was going to die. I was literally sitting in the hospital like, Im going to die,' " Rollyson recalled.

I thought for sure I was gone, he said.

Coronavirus: Which are the deadliest Florida counties for COVID-19?

Coronavirus victims: Searchable Florida Medical Examiners COVID-19 database

Spencer Rollyson was admitted to the intensive care unit and placed on a ventilator at AdventHealth East Orlando.(Photo: Courtesy photo)

Facebook: Coronavirus questions, answers and info in Brevard

Instead, Rollyson survived, returning home to recover after a five-day stay. He said he is now taking two blood-pressure medications and one of his doctors advised him to avoid a high heart rate over the next year to reduce his risk of cardiac arrest. He will return to the hospital Wednesday for anelectrocardiogram checkup.

Rollyson recounted his harrowing hospital experience in a Facebook warning tofriends and relatives whoare not taking the coronavirus seriously:

"Two weeks after I tested negative for the virus is when I went into the ICU and was on the verge of death. Ihad heart failure, respiratory failure and many other things. I was put on a breathing machine because I was not able to breathe on my own,"Rollyson wrote.

"Please take this virus seriously. I had no prior health issues and it almost (took) my life. Be safe!" he wrote.

Canaveral Groves resident Spencer Rollyson recounted his brush with death and posted his hospital diagnosis in a Facebook warning.(Photo: FLORIDA TODAY)

Long-term complications of the coronavirus remain unknown, said Dr. Luis Junco, AdventHealth East Orlando infectious disease medical director. He said links between COVID-19 and Rollyson's health crisis are unclear.

This virus can weaken the immune system, so you become more vulnerable or susceptible to acquire new infections after you get this virus. So thats a possibility in this case, he said.

Junco said Rollyson was suffering from pneumonia and inflammation of the heart and intestines when he was admitted to the hospital. He said Rollyson received a spectrum of antibiotics and recovered relatively quickly.

Spencer is young, so we usually dont see that kind of complications, Junco said.

Saturday, Boston Red Sox officials announced that 27-year-old pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez was out for the season after he developed myocarditis an inflammation of the heart muscle after he recovered from COVID-19.

Two German studiespublished last week found heart abnormalities in COVID-19 patients months after they had recovered from the disease, USA Today reported.

And the National Kidney Foundation warns that COVID-19 will likely result in ahigher number of Americans with chronic kidney disease.

Meagan and Spencer Rollyson, who are both 21, had mild COVID-19 symptoms in May. Spencer later suffered life-threatening health issues that sent him to the AdventHealth East Orlando intensive care unit.(Photo: TIM SHORTT/FLORIDA TODAY)

COVID-19: Hurricane director warns Floridians to prepare for busy storm season, virus

COVID-19 masks:They generate polarizing debates in cities, towns across Brevard

Rollysongraduated from Edgewood Jr./Sr. High on Merritt Island in 2016. He manages Green Acres Lawn Service Group, his fathers business.

In January, he married his wife, Meagan,21, a 2017 Melbourne High graduate. Sheworks at Flying J Travel Center in West Cocoa, and she is enrolled in the dental assisting program at Eastern Florida State College. She also tested positive for COVID-19 in May, and she had mild symptoms.

Im still young, and I have a lot of friends that are still not taking it seriously," Spencer Rollyson said.

"Im married. I run my dads business. So I dont have a lot of time to go out and be partying and all that. I basically work all day and go home. And I still got it," he said.

"I didnt take this seriously at all but look what happened to me, he said.

Canaveral Groves resident Spencer Rollyson, 21, suffered mild coronavirus symptoms in May. But life-threatening conditions later sent him to the AdventHealth East Orlando ICU, where he was placed on a ventilator.(Photo: TIM SHORTT/FLORIDA TODAY)

Among Florida residents,20.7% of confirmed COVID-19 cases (106,347 out of512,421) have beenpeople age 24 or younger, the Florida Department of Health reports. But these younger folksonly account for 0.2% of coronavirus deaths among Florida residents (23 out of 7,927).

Researchers know relatively little about thereturn to baseline health for people who become mildly ill with COVID-19, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released two weeks ago.

According to a survey of coronavirussurvivors in 13 states, one in five people ages 18 to 34 with no chronic medical conditions had not returned to their usual state of health two to three weeks after testing positive.

Rollyson's mother, Amy, works as an AdventHealth transcription supervisor. She said theday her sonwas admitted to the hospital was "just terrifying because she was not allowed inside, perCOVID-19 policy.

I was sitting in my vehicle in the parking lot for nine hours, not knowing what was going on. And that was very hard, and very scary, Amy Rollyson said.

I cant even sit in a room with him, or try to bring him any comfort, or see what hes going through. So that was the hardest part of it, just feeling useless, she said.

Amy Rollyson said many people mistakenly believe the coronavirus only impacts older folks.

There are many young people who have died, or who have almost died. That statistic may be low in comparison to our population. That does not make it any less significant when its your child, or your friend, or your sibling," she said.

That is still a person that somebody loves and cares about, and does not want to lose.

Reporter Jim Waymer contributed to this story.

Rick Neale is the South Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY.Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @RickNeale1.To subscribe: https://cm.floridatoday.com/specialoffer/

Read or Share this story: https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2020/08/07/brevard-21-year-old-recovers-mild-covid-19-then-he-nearly-died/5426553002/

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Brevard 21-year-old recovers from mild COVID-19 then his organs started shutting down - Florida Today

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. employment growth slowed considerably in July, underscoring an urgent need for additional government aid as a resurgence of COVID-19 infections threatens to snuff out the nascent economic recovery.

FILE PHOTO: Hundreds of people line up outside a Kentucky Career Center hoping to find assistance with their unemployment claim in Frankfort, Kentucky, U.S. June 18, 2020. REUTERS/Bryan Woolston/File Photo

The Labor Departments closely watched employment report on Friday came as Democratic leaders in Congress and top aides to President Donald Trump struggled to negotiate a fiscal package. Trump, who lags former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic Party nominee, in polls ahead of the Nov. 3 election, threatened to bypass Congress with an executive order.

The jobs recovery is on very shaky ground and without seat belts for the unemployed provided by additional fiscal stimulus the economy could be in for a very bumpy ride, said Chris Rupkey, chief economist at MUFG in New York. There cannot be sustainable economic growth if the country has to carry on with the crushing weight of massive unemployment.

Nonfarm payrolls increased by 1.763 million jobs last month after a record rise of 4.791 million in June. Excluding government employment which was artificially boosted by a seasonal quirk related to local and state government education, and temporary hiring for the 2020 Census, payrolls rose 1.462 million, stepping down from 4.737 million in June.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 1.6 million jobs were added in July. While the number exceeded expectations, the economy has regained only 9.3 million of 22 million jobs lost between February and April.

Blacks continued to experience high unemployment. Racial inequality is a dominant theme in Novembers election.

Economists believe July was probably the last month of employment gains related to the rehiring of workers after the reopening of businesses. A $600 weekly unemployment benefit supplement, which made up 20% of personal income, expired last Friday. Thousands of businesses have exhausted loans offered by the government to help with wages, which economists estimate saved around 1.3 million jobs at the programs peak.

Bankruptcies are accelerating, especially in the retail sector. Coronavirus infections have soared across the country, forcing authorities in some of the worst-affected areas in the West and South to either shut down businesses again or pause reopenings, sending workers back home. The West and South account more than a third of the nations employment. Demand for services has been hardest hit by the respiratory illness.

The initial bounce from widespread re-openings is now behind us, said Sarah House, a senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities in Charlotte, North Carolina. Further improvement will occur in fits and starts and depends on the course of the virus.

Slowing employment growth challenges the U.S. stock markets expectation of a V-shaped recovery. The S&P 500 index is up nearly 50% from its March trough. Economists see a U or W-shaped recovery.

Stocks on Wall Street were trading lower. The dollar rose against a basket of currencies. U.S. Treasury prices fell.

The economy, which entered recession in February, suffered its biggest blow since the Great Depression in the second quarter, with gross domestic product dropping at its steepest pace in at least 73 years.

Job growth slowed across all sectors last month. The leisure and hospitality industry hired 592,000 workers, accounting for about a third of nonfarm payrolls. The bulk of the jobs were at restaurants and bars. Retail employment rose by 258,000 jobs, with almost half of the gain in clothing and accessories stores.

Professional and business services added 170,000 jobs, concentrated in the temporary help services.

Government employment increased by 301,000. The model that the government uses to strip out seasonal fluctuations from the data normally anticipates education workers to drop off payrolls in July. This, however, happened earlier because of the pandemic, leading to a big gain in July.

The unemployment rate fell to 10.2% from 11.1% in June. It was again biased downward by people misclassifying themselves as being employed but absent from work. Without this error, the jobless rate would have been about 11.2%. About 62,000 people dropped out the labor force last month, contributing to the drop in the reported unemployment rate.

Joblessness fell across all demographic groups, but remained high for Blacks, with the unemployment rate dipping to 14.6% from 15.4% in June. The unemployment rate for Hispanics dropped to 12.9% from 14.5%. The jobless rate for whites declined 9.2% from 10.1%.

Women, who have borne the brunt of the job losses because of child care issues, saw their unemployment rate fall to 10.5% from 11.2% mostly as they withdrew from the labor force.

The U.S. economy was marked by intergenerational, racial, and gender inequality before the pandemic, and todays report does nothing to alter that reality, said Nicole Goldin,nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.

There were more part-time workers. The number of people on temporary layoff fell, but permanent job losers were little changed at 2.9 million. Average hourly earnings increased 0.2% in July after a drop of 1.3% in June. The workweek shortened to an average of 34.5 hours from 34.6 hours.

Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Chris Reese, Paul Simao and David Gregorio

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Slowing U.S. job growth, rising COVID-19 raise doubts on the recovery's strength - Reuters

(CBS News)

President Donald Trump isfacing criticismafter falsely claiming that children are almost immune to the coronavirus, asschoolsnationwide continue to grapple with when and how to reopen. While experts generally believe that children under 10 years old are less susceptible to thecoronavirusthan teens or adults, theres evidence that they can still catch it.

Doctors also are still learning about the ability of people under 18 to spread the virus to others who may be more vulnerable, Dr. Ron Elfenbein, an emergency care physician in Maryland, said on CBSN Thursday.

The science is constantly evolving, he said. More data is coming out on a daily basis, so its very confusing.

About 339,000 children in the United States were reported to have the coronavirus through July 30, making up 8.8% of all cases,according to a reportby the American Academy of Pediatrics. Elfenbein said children under 10 years old seem less likely to get sick.

Science sort of has shown us that kids under 10 really dont get it very often, in fact, very rarely get it at all, and if they do get it, theyre asymptomatic, he said.

But there are a growing number of examples of young children who did catch the virus. Astudypublished last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention documented the case of a summer camp in Georgia wheremore than 200 kids tested positivefor the coronavirus after a teenage staff member was diagnosed in June. Out of 100 kids between the ages of 6 and 10 who were tested, 51 were positive, the study found.

In the next-oldest age group, 11 to 17 years old, 180 out of the 409 kids tested had positive results. Overall, 260 out of the 344 campers and staff who were tested had the virus. There were more than 600 people at the camp.

The camp required all trainees, staff members and campers to provide documentation of a negative coronavirus test within 12 days before starting camp. It also required staff towear masks, but did not require campers to do so, the CDC said.

The researchers said they planned to follow up and see if the children ended up spreading the virus to other members of their households.

In several communities around the country, cases ofchildren testing positivefor COVID-19 havealready disruptedthe beginning of the school year, forcing classmates and teachers into quarantine.

Though the kids overall have a lower risk of becoming seriously ill from the virus, some haveended up hospitalizedwithsevere complications. TheCDC reportsat least 45 children age 14 and under have died from COVID-related causes since the pandemic began.

Mr. Trump made the claim about children and immunity in an interview with Fox News Wednesday, and it was shared on his Facebook page and his campaigns Twitter account. The social media companies said the video violated their policies on COVID-19 misinformation, andthe posts were removed.

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What doctors know about the risk of COVID-19 for kids: 'The science is constantly evolving' - Wink News

By Lisa Maracani, Amnesty International's Researcher on Human Rights Defenders

COVID-19 has presented a set of huge new challenges which require governments to listen to advice, be open to criticism and scrutiny from experts, and consult those most affected in order to find solutions that minimize harm. States need to learn quickly from mistakes, adapt, innovate, and provide flexible and differentiated responses to the vast problems arising from the pandemic. This can only be achieved when diverse opinions and debate are allowed, and when different sectors of society are listened to and encouraged to participate. As the WHO says, a crucial way to fight COVID-19, is to inform, empower and listen to communities.

At a time of great crisis, what we would expect to see is governments bringing people together, fostering solidarity, and striving to protect those most at risk. Indeed, amid the shock of the first few weeks of the pandemic, many of us dared to hope that this huge upheaval might be an opportunity to create a more just, inclusive and caring world, and an environmentally friendly future.

What we have seen instead is many states lashing out at those whom they perceive as critics. Instead of unifying society, thin-skinned authorities in places like Nicaragua, Poland, or Tunisia, have ignored, criminalized, or suppressed information and critical voices. Other leaders have used this calamity to further their power and crack down on civic space, including in Hungary, the Philippines, Thailand, Azerbaijan or Zimbabwe. As the Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression recently put it:

People have suffered because some governments would rather protect themselves from criticism than allow people to share information, learn about the outbreak, know what officials are or are not doing to protect them.

This is reflected in the abundant documentation of abuses against human rights defenders that we have seen and denounced in the last few months. In our briefing Daring to stand up for human rights in a pandemic we have put together dozens and dozens of individual cases - likely to be just the tip of the iceberg - of people paying a high price for their work defending human rights.

They include whistleblowers in the health sector, community activists, and journalists and bloggers sharing information and raising questions about the handling of the pandemic. Indigenous communities have been left without adequate health care and under siege from those encroaching on their lands; and at-risk activists have been left without protection and made into easy targets for attackers.

Women and LGBTI activists have faced increased gender-based violence and discrimination, and imprisoned human rights defenders and dissidents suffer additional punishment as they continue to be held in overcrowded, unsanitary prisons where they are exposed to the virus.

There are so many individual stories of human rights defenders under attack. One that stands out for me as it epitomizes state contempt for them, is that of Atena Daemi, a woman human rights defender in Iran, imprisoned for her anti-death penalty activism. After four years in prison and being subjected to torture and other ill-treatment, including the denial of medical care, in June, she was sentenced to two additional years and 74 lashes on trumped up charges designed to keep her in detention for her human rights activism.

The pandemic has deepened pre-existing inequalities and poverty, humanitarian crises and the impact of discrimination and racism in every society. It is likely that this will encourage more people than ever to mobilize for their rights. And indeed we have seen movements coming together to defend human rights and protest peacefully, stepping up and playing different roles in their own communities.

This has included providing information on how to protect ourselves from COVID-19 when information is lacking or contradictory, and denouncing the lack of adequate prevention measures and health services. More and more human rights defenders are involved in delivering humanitarian aid and advocating for groups that are marginalized and discriminated against, fighting government pushbacks on human rights under the cover of emergency legislation, and continuing with their long standing human rights work. States could learn a great deal from their resilience, adaptability, determination and innovation.

This is why human rights defenders are important actors in the fight against the pandemic, and why states should see them as allies, not enemies. Without all the individuals and collectives who defend human rights worldwide, it will be almost impossible to tackle COVID-19 and save as many lives and livelihoods as possible.

As well as being a state obligation, is in the interest of states and society at large to recognize, protect and enable human rights defenders to carry out their crucial work. Only then can we mitigate the harshest impacts of the crisis, and ensure those most at risk are not left behind in the process.

Link:

Human rights activists are allies in fighting COVID-19 why are they under attack? - Amnesty International

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) The Tennessee Department of Health reported 117,087 confirmed cases and 1,695 probable cases of COVID-19 in the state on Friday, an increase of 2,432 total cases since Thursday.

The health department also announced 1,167 confirmed deaths, 5,190 hospitalizations, and 79,357 recoveries. More than 1.6 million coronavirus tests have been administered.

On Thursday, TDH reported 114,801 confirmed cases and 1,147 confirmed deaths.

The total COVID-19 case count for Tennessee is now 118,782 as of Aug. 7, 2020 including 1,206 deaths, 5,190 hospitalizations and 79,357 recovered. For additional data, including the weekly cluster report, go to https://t.co/Psc3HfgZ8j. pic.twitter.com/7RPCFakcYW

One new death was reported Friday in Carter County, bringing the countys total fatalities to six.

TDH reported 220 new cases in our area: 69 in Washington County, 38 in Sullivan County, 33 in Johnson County, 29 in Greene County, 24 in Carter County, 19 in Hawkins County, and eight in Unicoi County.

Almost set a record in NETN today 220 new cases reported today. (record is currently 229 set last Saturday)

One new hospitalization reported in Greene County.

One more person has died in Carter County. pic.twitter.com/3850cwEa4y

Twenty-six new recoveries were reported: 11 in Washington County, seven in Sullivan County, four in Carter County, and two each in Greene and Hawkins counties.

There are currently 2,481 active cases in Northeast Tennessee, up from 2,288 active cases on Thursday.

The following data was reported in local counties:

Carter 497 cases / 6 deaths / 121 recoveriesGreene 447 cases / 7 deaths / 145 recoveriesHawkins 435 cases / 7 deaths / 103 recoveriesJohnson 258 cases / 42 recoveriesSullivan 933 cases / 12 deaths / 601 recoveriesUnicoi 156 cases / 65 recoveriesWashington 1,200 cases / 2 deaths / 334 recoveries

Active cases by county:

Carter 370Greene 295Hawkins 325Johnson 216Sullivan 320Unicoi 91Washington 864

Continuing coverage of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

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TDH reports one new death, 220 new cases of COVID-19 in Northeast Tennessee - WJHL-TV News Channel 11

Today, that decision appears to have paid off.

This turn around has caught the attention of health experts, who have praised Arizona as an example of a state that successfully reimplemented mitigation efforts as cases rose.

"We saw in Arizona, which was a good example, they went up (in cases) and they started to really clamp down and do things right. And the cases came right down," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN's John Berman on Thursday morning.

The state and its governor, Doug Ducey, were praised on Wednesday by President Donald Trump and Dr. Deborah Birx in the Oval Office, where Ducey credited the downward trend to Arizonans wearing masks, physically distancing, washing hands and staying home if sick.

"They've really done a great job putting these pieces together and really creating that path forward," Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said. She pointed to the improvement in Arizona as a model that could work for other states.

Of course, while things are improving, the state -- like the rest of the country -- is not in the clear.

Arizona reported nearly 1,400 cases on Thursday, bringing the statewide total to more than 183,000. And the number of deaths continues to climb, with more than 4,000 total deaths as of Thursday.

"This is not a victory lap," Ducey said last week after discussing the state's downward trend. "This is not a celebration. If anything, it's evidence that the decisions and the sacrifice that Arizonans are making are working."

How Arizona did it

"We did take some further steps," Ducey said on Wednesday. "We were in the unhappy but responsible position of dispersing large crowds, so bars and nightclubs and gyms all closed temporarily," he said.

"But upon putting those steps out there, we've seen improvement every week, week-over-week for four weeks," he said.

On May 8, retail stores, barbershops and salons were allowed to resume in-person business with some guidelines. A few days later, on May 11, restaurants were allowed to resume dine-in service. That day, the state had a total of 11,383 cases of Covid-19.

Then things went downhill from there. Cases rose throughout the month of June, totaling 79,228 on June 30 -- up from 20,129 on June 1. The state was forced to try and rectify the situation before it spun out of control.

"The Covid-19 crisis didn't hit Arizona until later," Ducey explained. "We had a very difficult June, we've had a much better July."

At the time, Ducey warned his state it would take time for the restrictions to be reflected in the state's Covid-19 numbers.

In early July, the state was paid a visit by members of the White House coronavirus task force, including Birx and Vice President Mike Pence. A few days later, on July 9, Ducey took another step back, limiting indoor dining to 50% capacity before things started looking up.

The average of new daily cases over a seven-day period began steadily declining each week, something the governor touted in his visit to the Oval Office on Wednesday.

Despite the improvement, Ducey recognizes that the Grand Canyon State was not out of the woods.

"Like I said, no celebration, no victory lap," he said. "We're going to stay the course, stay vigilant and keep our guard up. But we have a path forward in Arizona."

See the rest here:

New Covid-19 cases are declining in Arizona, once a hot spot. Here's how the state is turning things around - CNN

While reports of new coronavirus cases continued apace on Friday, a flood of 215 recoveries took the state's active cases down to 1,053. This marks the first time that recoveries have outweighed new cases in the last week and the most significant drop in active cases since early June.

The burst of recoveries comes as Bismarck and Mandan announced a revamped approach to the pandemic in an effort to address a resilient hotspot in North Dakota's capital region. At a meeting of the Burleigh-Morton COVID-19 Task Force on Friday, Bismarck Mayor Steve Bakken stressed the importance of containing the virus in Burleigh and Morton while saying that he would like to avoid delaying the reopening of local businesses.

Also at the meeting, Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health Director Renae Moch said that there is no single source for the high levels of transmission in Bismarck and Mandan but noted that the outbreak is most widespread among young people. Moch reportedd 86 active cases of the virus among 20-29 year-olds in Burleigh and Morton counties, the most of any 10-year age demographic.

Burleigh County continues to report the highest number of active cases of any county, adding 25 new cases on Friday. And while the county's active case count dropped to 260, it is still reporting more than double the number of active cases in Cass County, which has the second-highest county total. Combined, the neighboring Burleigh and Morton counties account for nearly a third of North Dakota's active cases.

Of the new cases reported Friday:

Forty-four are from the Burleigh-Morton County region, which encompasses neighboring cities Bismarck and Mandan.

Twenty-seven of the new cases came from Cass County, which includes Fargo and West Fargo.

These high numbers of new cases in Stark and Williams counties suggest a resurgent outbreak in western North Dakota.

A Benson County man in his 40s, reported Friday as having underlying health conditions, also died from the virus, marking North Dakota's seventh death in as many days and pushing the state's coronavirus death toll to 110. Benson County, which encompasses part of the Spirit Lake Reservation, has suffered a small spike in coronavirus cases lately, with the county reporting 54 active cases Friday.

About 2.6% of the 5,773 test results announced Friday came back positive, but 5.3% of residents tested for the first time received a positive result. North Dakota does not regularly report a seven-day rolling average for positivity rate as many other states do, but Forum News Service calculated the rate to be 4.9% for tests taken on previously untested residents.

All counties in North Dakota have reported cases of COVID-19, but some currently have zero active cases.

A total of 7,327 North Dakota residents have tested positive, but 6,164 have recovered.

The state has announced the results of 346,669 tests, and many residents have been tested more than once.

As a public service, weve opened this article to everyone regardless of subscription status. If this coverage is important to you, please consider supporting local journalism by clicking on the subscribe button in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage.

Readers can reach reporter Adam Willis, a Report for America corps member, at awillis@forumcomm.com.

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North Dakota sees big day for COVID-19 recoveries as Bismarck and Mandan revamp response team - Grand Forks Herald

Due to seven postponed games, the Cardinals were about to start a stretch of 55 games in 52 days. This postponement makes their schedule entirely uncertain.

Players converged on Busch Stadium from either traveling with the team from Milwuakee or joining the team out of the alternate-site camp in Springfield, Mo. The Cardinals added four players from the alternate-site camp Wednesday to the workouts. All of them had previously undergone regular testing and received negative tests before traveling to join the big-league roster.

On Friday, Major League Baseball and the players' union released the updated information on the ongoing testing of players and staff during the regular season. The leagues call this "monitoring testing."

There have been 13,043 test samples collected in the past week, and of that group 13 have tested positive. That includes seven players and six staff members. The Cardinals are the majority of those positive tests.

On four of the last seven days MLB has not had a new positive, and the Cardinals had three consecutive days of that.

During the regular season, a total of 71 new positives have been revealed from 53,826 samples. That number includes 49 players. Nineteen of the 30 major-league clubs have had at least one positive test during the regular season. The two outbreaks have been with the Marlins and Cardinals.

More here:

Renewed concern grips Cardinals as another player tests positive for COVID-19; game vs. Cubs postponed - STLtoday.com

Photo by Matt Hoffman

Above: Coronavirus testing at the San Diego county lab, Feb. 28, 2020.

San Diego County health officials Thursday reported 263 new COVID-19 infections and five additional fatalities, raising the county's totals to 31,127 cases and 583 deaths.

The three men and two women died between July 23 and Aug. 4 and ranged in age from 57 to 87. All had underlying medical conditions, according to the health department.

The county reported 11,106 tests Thursday, 2% of which returned positive. The 14-day running average is 4.9%. The state's target is fewer than 8% testing positive.

Of the total positive cases in the county, 2,681 or 8.6% required hospitalization and 674 or 2.2% were admitted to an intensive care unit. Officials estimate more than 24,000 people have recovered from the virus.

County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said Wednesday that the state had reported issues with private labs and reporting, meaning some additional cases might be retroactively added to both local and statewide case totals in the coming weeks.

The rate of the population testing positive has dropped to 105.7 per 100,000. The state's goal is to be below 100 per 100,000. One week ago, the rate was 134.4 per 100,000 in the county.

The number of people hospitalized due to COVID-19 also continues to trend downward, with 392 in regional hospitals as of Thursday, including 125 in intensive care units.

The percentage of people testing positive for the illness who have been contacted by a county contact tracer in the first 48 hours has increased from 7% on July 18 to 73%. The county's target for this metric is more than 90%, but 70% is good enough to get it out of the "failed" trigger category.

A half-dozen additional community outbreaks were reported Wednesday, bringing the number of community outbreaks in the county in the past week to 31. The latest outbreaks were reported in a preschool, a restaurant, two healthcare settings and two businesses.

There have been 170 community outbreaks reported since stay-at-home orders in March. In skilled nursing facilities, 145 deaths have been linked to 59 outbreaks.

A community outbreak is considered to have occurred if three or more people from different households contract COVID-19 from one location.

Officials say declining case numbers and other important metrics show positive trends, leading some lawmakers to begin looking at ways to move forward with further reopening of the economy.

The Board of Supervisors over the past three days opened county-owned parks for worship and fitness activities; approved spending $48 million in federal pandemic-related funding to help child care providers, testing in schools and meals for senior citizens; added a pilot walk-up testing program at the San Ysidro Port of Entry for essential workers and U.S. citizens; and approved a plan that adds 22 members to a "safe reopening compliance team" to crack down on businesses refusing to follow public health orders.

The compliance team will focus on three types of violators, starting with the most blatant cases such as those who host mass gatherings. The next level of enforcement would focus on businesses or groups that have experienced community outbreaks. Lastly, the team will check on less serious violations reported to them by concerned individuals, including businesses not requiring social distancing protocols or mask-wearing.

A compliance call center has been established so county residents can submit complaints of violations. The number is 858-694-2900.

Of the total hospitalized during the pandemic due to the illness, 71% have been 50 or older. But county residents ages 20-29 have accounted for 25.5% percent of COVID- 19 cases, the highest of any age group, according to county data. That age group is also least likely to take precautionary measures to avoid spreading the illness, officials said.

"Some San Diegans think they're not going to get sick and therefore are not following the public health guidance," said Dr. Wilma Wooten, the county's public health officer. "What they don't realize is that they could get infected and pass the virus to others who are vulnerable."

The age group with the second-highest number of infections residents ages 30-39 represent 18.9% of the county's COVID-19 cases.

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SD County Reports 263 New COVID-19 Cases, Five Deaths And Six New Outbreaks - KPBS

Our society is, in so many ways, at a tipping point. Theres so much that we need to do right now, and theres one thing we need most of all, and thats voices of conviction, voices of reason to help guide us through these difficult times, Bacow said.

Williams said the field of public health has had a profound and positive effect on the lives of Americans over the past century but wondered whether the evidence suggests that in this case, it somehow failed.

Our goals are enormous, and our struggles at times are heavy, yet when public health works, our impact extends far and wide and becomes deeply embedded in our culture and our history, Williams said. Has public health failed or have those in education, government, and policy failed public health? Believe me, there are no simple answers, but we do know this: We are in the middle of one of the worst public health crises this country has ever seen, and many factors that got us to this point must change.

In his comments, Fauci avoided responses and phrasing that blamed any single individual or small group of individuals for missteps, but he was firm in his contention that basic public health measures are enough, if universally observed and applied, to send the coronavirus into retreat.

The NIAID director was asked how the U.S., the most powerful nation in the world, ended up faring so poorly in its battle with the pandemic, racking up the highest numbers of cases and deaths. Fauci said that the critical point came after the initial springtime peak. Nations in Europe kept their lockdown measures in place until infections fell to very low levels, allowing them to shift resources to detecting and tracing cases that inevitably accompanied reopening. In the U.S., he said, new daily cases were still at about 20,000 a week when states began reopening, and relatively soon thereafter the numbers began rising again, recently hitting a peak over 70,000.

If you wanted to get control over it, it would be nice if everybody was singing the same tune.

Anthony Fauci

In addition, he said, state reopening plans proceeded at different paces. Some states reopened slowly, similar to the pace of European nations, while others went much faster. Another variable, he said, was the extent to which residents of different states adhered to reopening guidelines, with some following recommendations while others ignored the restrictions, sometimes in notably large groups.

If you wanted to get control over it, it would be nice if everybody was singing the same tune, Fauci said. But what has happened is we have a situation where we say, Open up in a measured, prudent way, and you get some that do it fine, and then you see the pictures of people at bars with no masks and not social distancing.

Many of those flouting precautions, Fauci said, wrongly believe that their behavior endangers only themselves. He said they dont understand that not only can they get sick, but they can also transmit the virus to people who are more vulnerable.

And, while it is true that the virus does seem to hit the young less hard than older adults, going into bars is still a gamble, he said. Despite overall trends, many younger people have gotten sick and even died of the virus.

As long as you have any member of society, any demographic group, who is not seriously trying to get to the endgame of suppressing this, it will continue to smolder and smolder and smolder, Fauci said. And that will be the reason why weve plateaued at an unacceptable level.

Fauci said his abiding faith in the American spirit makes him cautiously hopeful that people who have resisted complying will ultimately do whats needed to avoid more drastic measures that would worsen the economic harm being felt nationwide.

The more we give a consistent message, the more people will realize what we should do, Fauci said.

During the hourlong event, Fauci addressed a number of other topics, including his optimism about vaccine prospects by the end of the year, the importance of ensuring equitable treatment and vaccination in communities of color, as well as his concern about the distrust of science and the anger directed at experts. Fauci said he has continued to receive harassment and death threats against himself and his family and has had to hire security guards.

Looking ahead, Fauci said the one certainty is that this pandemic will be followed by another, and we should prepare for it. Since this is the third coronavirus pandemic after SARS and MERS it would behoove us not only to continue to invest in public health infrastructure after COVID-19 fades, but also to begin searching for a universal coronavirus vaccine.

Shame on us if were not prepared for the next coronavirus pandemic, Fauci said.

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There are 5 easy steps to tame COVID-19, says Fauci - Harvard Gazette

Free COVID-19 testing at sites sponsored by the federal government will end next week. Testing is available at Cajun Field at the University of Louisiana, the Lake Charles Civic Center and the Rapides Parish Exhibition Center in Alexandria. These sites are supported locally by the Louisiana National Guard and the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH).

Limited number of tests remain

Louisiana launched the surge testing initiative last month with 60,000 tests made available by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. About 3,000 tests are still available, according to LDH. The average turnaround time for results has been 3.5 days much quicker than at most other COVID-19 testing sites.

These sites use the laboratory eTrueNorth to conduct the tests and provide results. Pre-registration is NOT required but encouraged by going towww.DoINeedaCOVID19test.com.

People must provide a telephone number and email address to be tested. An ID is NOT required.

Test results will be provided by email notification and on the eTrueNorth portal. If someone tests positive, they will also be contacted by phone. There is no phone number to call for results. Results will only be provided by email and in the portal.

Who can be tested?

With a limited number of tests remaining, people who have COVID-19 symptoms or anyone who has been exposed to someone with the virus are encouraged to get tested. However, testing is available to everyone.

LDH testing coordinator Kimberly Hood said the sites have been designed to support communities identified as COVID-19 hotspots. She encourages students and teachers who are returning to school in these regions to get tested.

With the school year starting for some students, this is the perfect opportunity for any student or teacher who is concerned that they might have the virus to get a test, she said. With a three-day turnaround, people can get their results in time to make the best decision about returning to the classroom.

Test site locations

Lafayette:Cajun Field, University of Louisiana at2351 W. Congress St.Friday, August 7;Saturday, August 8; Monday, August 10; andTuesday, August 118 a.m. 4 p.m. each day

Lake Charles:Lake CharlesCivic Center at900 N. Lakeshore DriveFriday, August 7; andMonday to Friday, August 10-148 a.m. 2 p.m. each day

Alexandria:Exhibition Hall at 5600 Coliseum Blvd.Friday, August 7;Saturday, August 8; and Monday to Friday, August 10-148 a.m. 4 p.m. each day

Symptoms of COVID-19

Local contact information

For more information about the test sites in specific regions, contact the Office of Public Health medical director listed below.

Lafayette:Dr. Tina Stefanski, 337-262-5311 ortina.stefanski@la.gov

Lake Charles:Dr. Lacey Cavanaugh, 337-475-3203 orlacey.cavanaugh@la.gov

Alexandria:Dr. David Holcombe, 318-487-5262 ordavid.holcombe@la.gov

Save the number 877-766-2130 in your phone

Anyone who receives a call from 877-766-2130 is urged to answer, as the call is from a contact tracer who will keep an individual's information private. Personal information is used to quickly identify anyone a COVID-positive individual may have been in close contact with to help contain the spread of the coronavirus. Everyone called by a contact tracer is advised to watch themselves for signs of illness for 14 days from when they first came in contact with the COVID-19 person.

If a resource need is identified through the contact tracing interview, the case is flagged for follow-up from a resource coordinator social worker who can connect individuals with resources including medication, masks, food assistance and even help locating alternative housing.

Contact tracers employed by LDH will only ask you for your first and last name and your date of birth to confirm that you are the person they intended to call. They will not ask for any financial information, social security numbers or health insurance information. If someone claiming to be employed by LDH does ask for that, immediately hang up and call877-766-2130to be connected with LDH's contact tracers.

Read more here:

Free COVID-19 testing with quick turnaround times to end soon - Louisiana Department of Health - Louisiana.gov

Although the delineations arent always clear-cut, the immune systems responses to pathogens can be roughly grouped into three categories: type 1, which is directed against viruses and certain bacteria that infiltrate our cells; type 2, which fights parasites like worms that dont invade cells; and type 3, which goes after fungi and bacteria that can survive outside of cells. Each branch uses different cytokines to rouse different subsets of molecular fighters.

Updated August 6, 2020

People with moderate cases of Covid-19 take what seems like the most sensible approach, concentrating on type 1 responses, Dr. Iwasakis team found. Patients struggling to recover, on the other hand, seem to be pouring an unusual number of resources into type 2 and type 3 responses, which is kind of wacky, Dr. Iwasaki said. As far as we know, there is no parasite involved.

Its almost as if the immune system is struggling to pick a lane, Dr. Wherry said.

This disorientation also seems to extend into the realm of B cells and T cells two types of immune fighters that usually need to stay in conversation to coordinate their attacks. Certain types of T cells, for instance, are crucial for coaxing B cells into manufacturing disease-fighting antibodies.

Last month, Dr. Wherry and his colleagues published a paper in Science finding that, in many patients with severe Covid-19, the virus had somehow driven a wedge between these two close-knit cellular communities. Its too soon to tell for sure, but perhaps something about the coronavirus is preventing B and T cells from talking to each other, he said.

These studies suggest that treating bad cases of Covid-19 might require an immunological reset drugs that could, in theory, restore the balance in the body and resurrect lines of communication between bamboozled cells. Such therapies could even be focused on specific subsets of patients whose bodies are responding bizarrely to the virus, Dr. Blish said: the ones who have deranged cytokines from the beginning.

But thats easier said than done. The challenge here is trying to blunt the response, without completely suppressing it, and getting the right types of responses, Dr. August said. Its hard to fine-tune that.

Timing is also crucial. Dose a patient too early with a drug that tempers immune signaling, and they may not respond strongly enough; give it too late, and the worst of the damage may have already been done. The same goes for treatments intended to shore up the initial immune response against the coronavirus, like interferon-based therapies, Dr. Blish said. These could stamp out the pathogen if given shortly after infection or run roughshod over the body if administered after too long of a delay.

See the article here:

Scientists Uncover Biological Signatures of the Worst Covid-19 Cases - The New York Times

With Hawaii facing a surge in COVID-19 cases, the states effort to trace close contacts of someone who has tested positive has been overwhelmed a situation that a number of state and local officials warned about months ago when the virus was still under control.

Nearly three months after state and local officials called for the Hawaii Department of Health to hire hundreds of additional public health contact tracers to help target and contain community spread of the COVID-19 virus, the states epidemiologist told a state Senate panel Thursday that the department still has only 105 contact tracers actively working.

And that isnt enough, said State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Park.

State Epidemiologist Sarah Park on Thursday said contact tracing is n0t a panacea for controlling the spread of COVID-19.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

To be effective at keeping cases confined to small clusters, contact tracers generally need to reach all potentially infected people in a day or two. Now, with the state facing a surge of more than 100 new cases a day, it takes three to four days for the workers to track down all of the people those infected with the virus have been in close contact with, Park said.

Its exactly the situation that officials such as Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell raised alarms about back in early May, when Hawaii was reporting only a few new cases per day and was preparing to reopen the economy.

At the time, officials such as Caldwell pointed to criteria published by theNational Association of County and City Health Officials, saying the state needed to hire a small army of contact tracers to get ahead of a possible surge in cases that could happen once businesses started reopening and restrictions on gatherings relaxed.

According to those standards, a locale with a population the size of Hawaii would need about 420 contact tracers during a pandemic. Although Park pushed back at the time by saying the department could bring on trained contact tracers quickly if they were needed, advocates like Caldwell warned that if the department waited until there was be a surge, it would be too late.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell months ago called on the Hawaii Department of Health to stand up a team of hundreds of contact tracers.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

And thats exactly what appears to have happened.

Hawaii House Speaker Scott Saiki said it was predictable.

We said months ago that we needed to be prepared, said Saiki, who co-chairs the House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness. We knew there would be a surge some time over the summer, and we knew that we needed to be prepared.

Contact tracing is essentially epidemiological detective work that entails a public health worker tracking down, usually by phone, all of the people who might have been exposed to an infectious person over a two-week period. The standard for a so-called close contact is someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes.

The idea is that if close contacts can be tracked down quickly, they can be isolated into clusters and keep the disease from spreading widely in the community. Contact tracing is so central to Hawaiis plan for responding to the virus and to safely opening the economy and businesses that it was designated one of four pillars of the states response plan, along with screening, testing and isolating those who were sick.

But during Thursdays testimony before the Senate Special Committee on COVID-19, Park downplayed the importance of contact tracing, saying that some states no longer even do it. Park ultimately blamed the public for the surge in cases. She cited beach and house parties and other gatherings that people should have known not to engage in as causes for the surge in cases that quickly overwhelmed the system.

What we could not have predicted, quite frankly, is how badly our community would behave, she said.

After months of hearing health officials and others talk up the importance of contact tracing, some senators were taken aback by Parks apparent change of position. Park at one point got into a heated discussion with Sen. Donna Mercado Kim, a former Hawaii Senate President and Honolulu City Councilwoman known for asking tough questions.

After Park accused Kim of mischaracterizing Parks earlier remarks, Kim said she was merely holding Park accountable for earlier statements.

Were not saying and I have never believed that contact tracing is the panacea, Kim said.

After the meeting, Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz said he was shocked by Parks apparent backpedaling on contact tracing. He said that months ago, when some people were calling for more aggressive testing, health department officials were pointing to contact tracing as the key.

When people were pushing testing, she said it was all about these other things, Dela Cruz said.

He said that Parks reactive response was symptomatic of the administration of Gov. David Ige, which he said does not act unless there is overwhelming public pressure.

House Speaker Scott Saiki, center, said that at some point the Department of Health will be responsible for the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

While Park downplayed the importance of contact tracing, she did acknowledge that the surge in cases had pointed to the need for more contact tracers. And she noted some of the challenges that tracers face, chiefly that some people dont want to share personal information with government officials because of the fear of a stigma or concern that a relative could suffer financially if forced to quarantine.

Were dealing with people, she said. Were not dealing with robots.

She also said contract tracers simply could not trace contacts of all the people infected at mass gatherings.

Park said the department has another 198 trained contact tracers who are not working and plans to bring on board 30 to 40 more contact tracers next week. She said the department lacks managerial capacity and physical space to bring them aboard faster.

While Park blamed the public for the diseases surge, Saiki, the House Speaker, blamed the department for not sharing more information to let the public know how the disease was spreading.

On Thurdsay, he wrote a letter to Department of Health Director Bruce Anderson asking for information so the public could know what activities not to do. Saiki said the department could avoid violating privacy by not reporting names or other identifying information.

The narrative could be very simple, e.g., the asymptomatic, unmasked individual attended a graduation party at Lanikai Beach on Memorial Day with approximately 25 other unmasked individuals, 12 of whom subsequently tested positive possibly as a result of attending the event, Saiki wrote.

In an interview, Saiki reiterated that members of his committee had warned that the state needed more contact tracers. And he said the public has a right to know how the disease is spreading.

The health department needs to be careful because at some point it will be responsible for creating this surge, he said.

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COVID-19 Has Overwhelmed One Essential Strategy To Control The Virus - Honolulu Civil Beat

Two days after Matthew Irvins death, his coronavirus test came back negative. Irvins stepfather said no one he was around has tested positive either.

MCMINNVILLE, Ore. The Oregon Health Authority reported the youngest COVID-19-related death last week: a 26-year-old man from Yamhill County. His family told KGW his name was Matthew Irvin, a father of three. But after his coronavirus test came back negative his family said they're looking for answers.

To lose a son so suddenly, at such a young age, has left a hole too massive to comprehend. Michael Laheyne, Irvin's stepfather, said Irvin was starting to move up in his job and progressing in life.

"It was hard, really hard," Laheyne said. "It's just like it was yesterday still. My heart hurts."

He leaves behind a baby girl, two sons, and a whole family who loved him.

"Matthew was a good father. And it's sad that his kids won't be able to have that father figure in their life," Laheyne said. "He had a great smile. You know, he was a real outdoorsy guy. Really into the faith of Jesus Christ."

Laheyne said Irvin's death in early July also leaves a lot of unanswered questions. Irvin first felt sick the Monday after the Fourth of July. He came down with a high fever, nausea, diarrhea and had terrible stomach pain. He went to an emergency room in McMinville the next day where doctors told him he had COVID-19-like symptoms. Laheyne said they tested Irvin and sent him home.

"Then, Thursday morning he called and said, 'Mom, I feel like I'm dying,'" Laheyne remembered.

Just hours later, early in the morning on July 10, he died.

Laheyne said a sheriff's deputy and medical examiner came out to investigate and determined he likely died from COVID-19.

"We requested an autopsy at that time but we were denied. The medical examiner said there's no reason to do an autopsy because it was related to COVID, he was pretty sure," Laheyne told said.

KGW reached out to the Yamhill County Medical Examiner's Office to better understand the justification behind why they didn't perform an autopsy on Irvin, but they aren't commenting at this time.

Two days after his passing, his coronavirus test came back negative. So far, Laheyne said no one he was around has tested positive either. The family hired a pathologist who couldn't reach a definitive answer, so they sent tissue samples off to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"We just want the truth. We want to know exactly what happened to him. Twenty-six years old, healthy as an ox. Supposedly got COVID and he's gone in, well, three days. There's just something wrong with that," Laheyne said.

Now, a month after he passed, they have to wait even longer for confirmation -- and some form of closure.

"The outcome of that is going to change the world right there," Laheyne said.

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) included Irvin in their death toll. The public health agency wouldn't give specifics on his death but said it determines COVID-19-related deaths based on the following:

Irvin's death certificate listed COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or as a significant condition that contributed to his death.

"It's just got me puzzled, that's all," Laheyne said.

Although they're not yet certain it killed him, Irvin's family wants people to realize how serious this virus is. Laheyne said the more he shares his son's story, the better he feels because he is reaching people and hopefully getting through to them.

"You can be a healthy person with no underlying conditions and if you get it - if he had it, I mean, you could go that quick," Laheyne said. "I just want people to know that this virus is no joke, it's no joke. If you get it and say, for instance, you test positive, dont go out and about just because you have no symptoms. Stay home."

If a silver lining exists it's that the family has grown closer through this.

"I'm sorry, Matt, that it had to take this to have that happen but we'll see you soon, I'm sure," Laheyne said.

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A 26-year-old Oregon man died after testing negative for COVID-19. Now his family wants answers - KGW.com

They gathered on a summer weekend in the small northwestern Minnesota town of Lake Park to pay their respects to 78-year-old Francis Perreault and share their grief and memories of the good times.

They hugged. They cried. They held hands and prayed and honored a man who was described by his daughter as wonderful.

Yet despite wearing masks and taking precautions, 30 family members became infected with COVID-19 within weeks of the mid-July services at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, and five became so sick they were hospitalized.

We tried to do everything right, but of course when youre grieving, you let your guard down, said Stephanie Schindler, Perreaults daughter. One of my friends that got sick was wearing a mask the whole time. But of course when youre crying, youre going to be rubbing your face.

Schindler said the attendees did a good job observing precautions during the services, but discipline broke down afterward as people cried, hugged and held hands to pray. Even amid a pandemic, the natural human instinct to comfort one another is strong.

I think its part of the process of coming to terms with things, Schindler said. Its closure for the living and support for each other.

Painful as it may be, its probably a good idea not to have such family gatherings during the pandemic, said Doug Schultz, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Health.

All of us at the department, from the leadership down to the individuals working the front lines, understand peoples need to have gatherings like funerals and weddings and graduation parties, Schultz said. As the governor has said, it pains us all to see that its probably not a good idea to have those gatherings. And it pains us to see Minnesotans not having these important rites of passage. But COVID-19 is still very much with us. The pandemic is still very much with us. And so gatherings like these do pose a risk.

Perreault suffered from Parkinsons disease and several strokes, so his death didnt come as a shock to the family, Schindler said Thursday.

We were at peace with that. But then this aftermath happened, and that has been harder for us to come to terms with, she said. Im kind of overwhelmed.

Schindler said several of those hospitalized have since been released, though she couldnt give an exact update on all involved. But the illnesses have brought home the reality that COVID-19 is a threat even in sparsely populated settings in rural Minnesota, she said.

I think in a rural area, you have to be aware that if you have people coming from out of state or even interstate places different from your own home you are going to share that space and the germs are gonna fly, she said. I just have to caution people about please be careful. Even in this rural area, there is still COVID.

Among Minnesotas 87 counties, Becker County is in the middle of the pack for COVID-19 infections, with a rate of 45 per 10,000 residents. The statewide rate is 109 cases per 10,000 residents, according to data released Thursday by the Health Department.

As Schindler talked about the virus, she reflected on her father.

He was very trustworthy, constant in the family, believer in Jesus, she said. He was a hard worker believed you just keep going.

Thats what family members will have to do now as they cope with their loss and the health troubles that followed.

Whats done is done. We have to go forward, we have to grieve, Schindler said. We have to pray for each other and raise each other up with support.

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Grieving Minnesota family overwhelmed after funeral leads to COVID-19 outbreak - Minneapolis Star Tribune

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The Wisconsin Center in downtown Milwaukee.(Photo: Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Three positive cases of COVID-19 were detected this week among workers who wanted access to the Wisconsin Center, site of the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

But convention organizers said those positive tests didn't trigger Wednesday's announcement that speakers, including Joe Biden, would not be traveling to Milwaukee.

A convention spokesperson said Thursday: "Ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone involved with the convention is our top priority. In consultation with public health officials and experts, the Democratic National Convention Committee has implemented stringent health and safety protocols including daily testing for anyone accessing the convention complex and contact tracing."

The news about the positive tests was first reported by The Daily Beast.

Daily testing for the novel coronavirus began last week during the build-out for the Aug. 17-20 convention. The tests were part of stringent health protocols being put in place for the event that is taking place in the middle of a pandemic.

The testing system was set up three weeks before the convention. The aim was to make sure the system worked and to screen workers who were required to be on the site.

Organizers sought to identify cases early before people entered the site and were around others.

Under the protocol, anyone who needed to access the Wisconsin Center needed to test negative 24 hours before entry.

Last week, there were two "equivocal test results" that indicated the potential presence of the virus. But follow-up testing showed those were false positives.

This week, three positive cases were detected and the cases were reported to the Milwaukee Health Department. Those who tested positive were given instructions to self-isolate.

"It demonstrated the system was working," said a source familiar with the matter.

A representative of the Wisconsin Center District said staff there "followed the guidelines set forth by our client regarding daily health screens."

"The Wisconsin Center has followed all of the guidelines established for everyone entering the building," the statement said. "Ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone involved with the convention is the top priority of the client and the venue alike."

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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3 cases of COVID-19 detected among workers who sought access to Wisconsin Center ahead of 2020 DNC - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. employment growth likely slowed significantly in July amid a resurgence in new COVID-19 infections, which would provide the clearest evidence yet that the economys recovery from the recession caused by the pandemic was faltering.

FILE PHOTO: Hundreds of people line up outside the Kentucky Career Center, over two hours prior to its opening, to find assistance with their unemployment claims, in Frankfort, Kentucky, U.S. June 18, 2020. REUTERS/Bryan Woolston

The Labor Departments closely watched employment report on Friday could pile pressure on the White House and Congress to speed up negotiations on another aid package. Talks have been dragging over differences on major issues including the size of a government benefit for tens of millions of unemployed workers.

A $600 weekly unemployment benefit supplement expired last Friday, while thousands of businesses have burned through loans offered by the government to help with wages.

A labor market relapse would be more bad news for President Donald Trump, who is lagging in opinion polls behind former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic Party nominee for the Nov. 3 election.

The steam has gone out of the engine and the economy is beginning to slow, said Sung Won Sohn, a finance and economics professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. The loss of momentum will continue and my concern is that the combination of the virus resurgence and lack of action by Congress could really push employment into negative territory.

According to a Reuters survey of economists, nonfarm payrolls likely increased by 1.58 million jobs in July, which would be a sharp step-down from the record 4.8 million in June. That would leave payrolls 13.1 million below their pre-pandemic level. Employment peaked at 152.5 million in February.

The economy, which entered into recession in February, suffered its biggest blow since the Great Depression in the second quarter, with gross domestic product dropping at its steepest pace in at least 73 years.

There is, however, a risk of an outright decline in payrolls in July. Reports this week showed a sharp slowdown in hiring by private employers in July and continued decreases in employment at manufacturing and services industries.

Data from Homebase, a payroll scheduling and tracking company, showed a slowdown and modest reversal in employment since mid-June. The Census Bureaus Household Pulse Survey suggested at least 6 million job losses from mid-June to the week ending July 18, when the government surveyed employers and households for last months employment report.

The implied job losses were in areas hardest hit by a surge in coronavirus infections. Cases of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus, soared across the country last month, forcing authorities in some of the worst affected areas in the West and South to either shut down businesses again or pause reopenings, sending workers back home. Demand for goods and services has suffered.

This should not be a shock, said Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute in Washington. Economic recovery depends entirely on success in managing the spread of the virus, and this management has failed spectacularly since early June.

The anticipated pullback in hiring would challenge the U.S. stock market's expectation of a V-shaped recovery. The S&P 500 index .SPX is up nearly 50% from its March trough. As COVID-19 cases spiral higher, and Republicans and Democrats bicker over another stimulus package, economists see a W-shaped recovery.

Economists estimate the Paycheck Protection Program that gave businesses loans that can be partially forgiven if used for employee pay saved around 1.3 million jobs at its peak. The extra $600 weekly unemployment checks made up 20% of personal income and helped to boost consumer spending in May and June.

The second phase of the recovery will be much more challenging, said James Knightley, chief international economist at ING in New York. We should be braced for weaker employment and spending numbers in the absence of a new broad and substantial fiscal package.

Average hourly earnings are forecast to fall 0.5% in July after a drop of 1.2% in June, with most of the job gains skewed towards lower-wage industries. The workweek is seen falling to an average of 34.4 hours from 34.5 hours in June.

The unemployment rate is expected to have dropped to 10.5% from 11.1% in June. But the measurement of the jobless rate has been biased downward by people misclassifying themselves as being employed but absent from work. At least 31.3 million people were receiving unemployment checks in mid-July.

Economists expect state and local government payrolls will account for more than half of the employment gains in July, but this should not be viewed as a sign of strength.

The model that the government uses to strip out seasonal fluctuations from the data normally anticipates education workers to drop off payrolls in July. This, however, happened earlier because of the pandemic, which threw off the model.

Many of the education-related layoffs that typically occur in July probably came earlier this year, so the July reading for government payrolls could be artificially strong, said JimOSullivan, chief U.S. macro strategist at TD Securities in New York.

Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Paul Simao

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U.S. job growth forecast to slow sharply in July as COVID-19 cases soar - Reuters