Daily Archives: April 2, 2021

MinnPost provides updates on coronavirus in Minnesota Sunday through Friday. The information is published following a press phone call with members of the Walz administration or after the release of daily COVID-19 figures by the Minnesota Department of Health.

Here are the latest updates from April 1, 2021:

Twelve more Minnesotans have died of COVID-19, the Minnesota Department of Health said Thursday, for a total of 6,860.

Of the people whose deaths were announced Thursday, five were in their 80s, two were in their 70s, four were in their 60s and one was in their 40s. Four of the 12 people whose deaths announced Thursday were residents of long-term care facilities.

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MDH also said Thursday there have been 521,667 total cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota. That number is up 2,138 from the total announced on Wednesday and is based on 43,117 new tests. The seven-day positive case positivity rate, which lags by a week, is 5.4 percent. That rate has been increasing for weeks and is above a 5-percent threshold state officials consider a concerning sign of disease spread.

As of Tuesday, the most recent day of data available, 1,682,545 Minnesotans, or 30.2 percent of the population, have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Thats up 24,369 from data reported the day prior. For tips on scheduling a vaccine appointment, consult the Minnesota Vaccine Hunters Facebook group, Vaccine Spotters Minnesota site or sign up for Vaccine Spotters alert notifications on Twitter. Fairview is now vaccinating anyone 50+, those with certain disabilities or health conditions and communities of color. More information can be found here.

Hospitalizations continue to rise. The most recent data available show 105 Minnesotans are hospitalized in intensive care with COVID-19, which is up from 102 in data reported Wednesday and up from 93 last Thursday. Data show 330 people are in the hospital with COVID-19 not in intensive care, up from 309 reported on Wednesday and 239 reported the week prior. The last time Minnesota had more than 100 people in the ICU with COVID-19 was late January, and the hospitalization levels are similar to last September, when a deadly surge in the virus was starting.

You can find more information about Minnesotas current ICU usage and capacity here.

More information on cases can be found here.

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Minnesota health officials continue to report new cases of more contagious COVID-19 variants in the state.

While MDH and its partners dont check every sample for evidence its a variant, they have been increasing surveillance and targeting clusters of cases or instances where people have traveled to measure spread of the variants. The B117 variant is believed to be 50 percent more contagious and resulted in a death rate 64 percent higher than other COVID-19 strains.

State Epidemiologist Dr. Ruth Lynfield told reporters Thursday the state has found 943 cases of the COVID-19 variant known as B117, which was first identified in the U.K. This is up from 479 cases last Tuesday.

Lynfield said that in 2,600 COVID-19 positive samples at one testing lab between March 22 and March 27, between 54-66 percent were found to be B117. In roughly 1,800 positive samples between March 16 and 20, about 50-65 percent were found to be caused by B117.

Among the 943 identified cases of B117, Lynfield said 36 people have been hospitalized and four people have died.

The state has identified 214 cases of variant first identified in California, which is also thought to be more contagious. Of those cases, four people have been hospitalized and two have died.

Health officials believe the 15 million ruined Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses at a Baltimore plant wont immediately affect Minnesotas allocation of the vaccine, said Kris Ehresmann, MDHs infectious disease director.

The state has been expecting an increase in J&J doses over the next several weeks. The vaccine is manufactured elsewhere in addition to the Baltimore plant. At this point, it would seem that it will not affect Minnesotas doses but we are waiting for final confirmation from CDC, Ehresmann said.

Lynfield told reporters that people infected with COVID-19 should ask their doctor if theyre a good fit to use monoclonal antibodies as a treatment. The drug, which is given via intravenous infusion, has been shown in studies to reduce hospitalizations among people at high risk of a severe case of COVID-19.

Lynfield said Minnesota has a supply of more than 9,000 doses and can infuse more than 2,000 people each week. It must be administered within 10 days of when symptoms of COVID-19 begin. The earlier the better.

Not all health care providers have antibody treatments, however. Patients or health care providers can get a referral to where they can get antibody treatments through the states Minnesota Resource Allocation Platform. People need to complete a screening questionnaire on the site.

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Current health guidance says that people who are vaccinated should still not attend large gatherings with unvaccinated people, even though theyre at less risk of severe disease.

Ehresmann said that guidance is because health officials did not know if fully vaccinated people could still be carriers of the disease while not developing symptoms, and may spread the disease to others who arent protected by vaccines yet.

New CDC research suggests vaccinated people arent asymptomatic carriers. Ultimately, Ehresmann said she expects guidance to change accordingly. But she said until there is a larger body of data and evidence, the rules around masking and distancing should still be followed as a safety net to protect others.

Some variants of COVID-19 are also thought to better evade immunity given through vaccination.

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Today on MinnPost

MDHs coronavirus website: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/index.html

MDHs phone line for COVID-19 questions, Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m: 651-297-1304

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Coronavirus in Minnesota: 12 more deaths; hospitalizations on the rise - MinnPost

Here's the latest COVID-19 case, death and hospitalization data from the state.

ATLANTA We're breaking down the trends and relaying information from across the state of Georgia as it comes in, bringing perspective to the data and context to the trends.

Visit the 11Alive coronavirus page for comprehensive coverage, find out what you need to know about Georgia specifically, learn more about the symptoms, and keep tabs on the cases around the world.

State and federal officials with the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are continually monitoring the spread of the virus. They are also working hand-in-hand with the World Health Organization to track the spread around the world and to stop it.

Appling 1879 63

Atkinson 767 16

Baldwin 3786 109

Barrow 8401 126

Bartow 10867 201

Ben Hill 1480 58

Berrien 1042 29

Bleckley 791 33

Brantley 899 30

Bulloch 5156 62

Carroll 7241 129

Catoosa 5385 61

Charlton 1044 23

Chatham 19506 394

Chattahoochee 2965 12

Chattooga 2174 60

Cherokee 21619 287

Clarke 12436 128

Clayton 22371 410

Coffee 4199 132

Colquitt 3466 73

Columbia 10764 157

Coweta 8409 181

Crawford 519 16

DeKalb 55219 873

Decatur 2106 54

Dougherty 5391 272

Douglas 11450 169

Effingham 3666 62

Emanuel 1713 51

Fayette 6423 142

Forsyth 17168 167

Franklin 2303 41

Fulton 78562 1193

Gwinnett 83585 1004

Habersham 4588 144

Haralson 1676 34

Henry 18283 272

Houston 9758 185

Jackson 8319 131

Jeff Davis 1275 37

Jefferson 1556 58

Laurens 3641 141

Liberty 3117 59

Lowndes 7582 136

Lumpkin 2718 61

Madison 2680 44

McDuffie 1620 39

McIntosh 668 14

Meriwether 1473 67

Mitchell 1498 73

Montgomery 707 20

Muscogee 13680 370

Newton 7191 207

Non-GA Resident/Unknown State 23707 445

Oglethorpe 1165 27

Paulding 10372 160

Pickens 2448 58

Randolph 463 32

Richmond 19207 389

Rockdale 5778 144

Seminole 731 17

Spalding 3861 147

Stephens 2932 75

Taliaferro 100 3

Tattnall 1824 42

Thomas 3487 112

Treutlen 622 22

Unknown 2462 11

Walton 7811 226

Washington 1599 56

Whitfield 14572 223

Wilkinson 723 27

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These are the latest COVID numbers in Georgia for April 1, 2021 - 11Alive.com WXIA

AUSTIN, Texas A highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 variant was unknowingly spreading for months in the United States by October 2020, according to a new study from researchers with The University of Texas at AustinCOVID-19 Modeling Consortium. Scientists first discovered it in early December in the United Kingdom, where the highly contagious and more lethal variant is thought to have originated. The journalEmerging Infectious Diseases, whichhas published an early-release version of the study, provides evidence that the coronavirus variant B117 (501Y) had spread across the globe undetected for months when scientists discovered it.

By the time we learned about the U.K. variant in December, it was already silently spreading across the globe, said Lauren Ancel Meyers, the director of the COVID-19 Modeling Consortium at The University of Texas at Austin and a professor of integrative biology. We estimate that the B117 variant probably arrived in the U.S. by October of 2020, two months before we knew it existed.

Analyzing data from 15 countries, researchers estimated the chance that travelers from the U.K. introduced the variant into 15 countries between Sept. 22 and Dec. 7, 2020. They found that the virus variant had almost certainly arrived in all 15 countries by mid-November. In the U.S., the variant probably had arrived by mid-October.

This study highlights the importance of laboratory surveillance, Meyers said. Rapid and extensive sequencing of virus samples is critical for early detection and tracking of new variants of concern.

In conjunction with the papers publication, consortium members developed a new tool that decision-makers anywhere in the United States can use in planning for genetic sequencing that helps to detect the presence of variants. To help the U.S. expand national surveillance of variants, the new onlinecalculatorindicates the number of virus samples that must be sequenced in order to detect new variants when they first emerge. For example, if the goal is to detect an emerging variant by the time it is causing 1 out of every 1,000 new COVID-19 infections, approximately 3,000 SARS-CoV-2 positive specimens per week need to be sequenced.

Health officials are looking for better ways to manage the unpredictability of this virus and future variants, said Spencer Woody, a postdoctoral fellow at the UT COVID-19 Modeling Consortium. Our newcalculatordetermines how many positive SARS-CoV-2 specimens must be sequenced to ensure that new threats are identified as soon as they start spreading.

He explained that the calculator has a second feature. It also helps labs figure out how quickly they will detect new variants, given their current sequencing capacity.

We created this tool to support federal, state and local health officials in building credible early warning systems for this and future pandemic threats, Meyers said.

More detailed information on the calculator ishere.

In addition to Meyers, authors of the Emerging Infectious Disease paper are Zhanwei Du, Bingyi Yang, Sheikh Taslim Ali, Tim K. Tsang, Songwei Shan, Peng Wu, Eric H.Y. Lau and Benjamin J. Cowling of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control in Hong Kong and Lin Wang of the University of Cambridge.

The research was funded by Hong Kongs Health and Medical Research Fund, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Meyersholds the Denton A. Cooley Centennial Professorship at The University of Texas at Austin.

Link:

Undetected Coronavirus Variant Was in at Least 15 Countries Before its Discovery - UT News - UT News | The University of Texas at Austin

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Fifty-one Ohio counties remain on red alert for concern of coronavirus spread, the state announced Thursday, as the case rate overall in Ohio has been increasing this spring after a sharp decline through most of the winter.

There were 167.1 known new cases per 100,000 people over the last two weeks, up from the rate of 146.9 per 100,000 reported a week ago, and moving away from Gov. Mike DeWines stated goal of 50 before he will lift his health orders that range from mandated masks in public to limited crowds at entertainment venues.

The rate is based on when people noticed symptoms, not when their cases were reported by the state, which could be days or weeks later. And it excludes incarcerated individuals.

We have in fact seen an increase in COVID-19 activity in Ohio that mirrors what we have seen nationally, said Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, chief medical officer for the Ohio Department of Health, noting that new strains of the virus have accounted for 80% of Ohios new cases. Here in Ohio variant activity continues to rise.

Vanderhoff noted a sharper increase in new cases along the northern border with Michigan, which has encountered one the nations sharpest increases.

What we have to do is stay on defense by wearing a mask, DeWine said. The other thing is the vaccinations.

The state reported close to 3.5 million Ohioans have received at least their first dose, with all doses completed for about 2 million.

This is a race, DeWine said in encouraging people to get vaccinated. We cannot vaccinate fast enough.

But while the case rate statewide has increased, the number of counties on red alert has declined. A week ago 55 counties were listed on red alert in the states coronavirus advisory system. This compared with 66, 76, 80 and 84 red alert counties the previous four weeks.

Among the red counties are Cuyahoga and each of the six adjacent counties in Greater Cleveland.

Level 3 red alert, according to the health department, means there remains a public emergency for increased exposure and spread, and that people should exercise a high degree of caution. The alert system takes into account more than just new case rates, but also trends in hospitalizations, doctor visits and emergency room visits related to COVID-19.

But for the last several weeks the focus has moved away from the alert map and to the Thursday updates for new cases over the previous two weeks. This is because DeWine on March 4 announced he would condition removal of his health orders to the rate dropping to 50 cases per 100,000.

At the time of his announcement, rates were going down sharply. But they have reversed. The last two updates to the rate, reported each Thursday, mark the only week-to-week increases this year.

Ohio was last below 50 per 100,000 in June. The rate was a record high of 845.5 in mid-December.

Ohio's coronavirus case rate per 100,000 residents, excluding incarcerated individuals, as reported by the Ohio Department of Health. The latest report released on Thursday, April 1, was based on data available through Wednesday, March 31.Rich Exner, cleveland.com

Level 2 orange alert (32 counties): Adams, Allen, Ashtabula, Auglaize, Brown, Columbiana, Coshocton, Darke, Fayette, Fulton, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Hocking, Jackson, Knox, Lawrence, Logan, Meigs, Monroe, Morrow, Noble, Paulding, Preble, Putnam, Scioto, Shelby, Tuscarawas, Van Wert, Vinton, Wayne and Williams.

Level 1 yellow alert (5): Carroll, Clinton, Holmes, Mercer and Morgan.

Case rates by county range from 18.2 per 100,000 in Holmes County to 317 per 100,000 in Clark County. Just four counties are below the target rate of 50 per 100,000 - Homes, Mercer (36.4), Morgan (41.4) and Carroll (44.6).

In Greater Cleveland, the case rate is highest in Summit County:

* Cuyahoga: 194.3 per 100,000 this week versus 167, 162 and 190.6 in the updates each of the previous three weeks.

* Geauga: 123.9 versus 106.8, 122.8 and 147.4 the last three weeks.

* Lake: 136.9 versus, 126, 149.5 and 160.8.

* Lorain: 198.8 versus 148.5, 143 and 159.1.

* Medina County: 178 versus 190.8, 206.4 and 189.7.

* Portage County: 211.1 versus 186.5, 164.3 and 155.7.

* Summit County: 267.3 versus 219, 203.7 and 184.3.

Heres a closer look at the advisory system introduced in early July. Alert levels are determined by the number of warning benchmarks met. But once a county reaches red alert, it does not drop unless its rate of new cases also drops below 100 per 100,000 over two weeks.

* 1. New cases - Alert triggered when there are 50 new cases per cases 100,000 residents over the last two weeks.

* 2. Increase in new cases - Alert triggered by an increase in cases for five straight days at any point over the last three weeks. This is based on the date of onset of symptoms, not when the cases are reported.

* 3. Non-congregate living cases - Alert triggered when at least 50% of the new cases in one of the last three weeks have occurred in outside congregate living spaces such as nursing homes and prisons.

* 4. Emergency rooms - Alert triggered when there is an increase in visits for COVID-like symptoms or a diagnosis for five straight days at any point in the last three weeks.

* 5. Doctor visits - Alert triggered when there is an increase in out-patient visits resulting in confirmed cases or suspected diagnosis for COVID-19 for five straight days at any point in the last three weeks.

* 6. Hospitalizations - Alert triggered when there is an increase in new COVID-19 patients for five straight days at any point over the last three weeks. This is based on the county or residence, not the location of the hospital.

* 7. Intensive Care Unit occupancy - Alert triggered when ICU occupancy in a region exceeds 80% of total ICU beds and at least 20% of the beds are being used for coronavirus patients for at least three days in the last week.

Rich Exner, data analysis editor for cleveland.com, writes about numbers on a variety of topics. Follow on Twitter @RichExner. See other data-related stories at cleveland.com/datacentral.

Previous stories

How close is your ZIP code to reaching the goal of 50 coronavirus cases per 100,000, set by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine?

How do 2021 births and deaths factor into payments under the third stimulus package? - Thats Rich! Q&A

Decline in Ohio nursing home coronavirus cases levels off

See trends, update, including the percent vaccinated by county

Continued here:

Fewer Ohio counties on red alert for coronavirus, but statewide case rate is increasing, health department re - cleveland.com

The number of people being vaccinated against COVID-19 is increasing every day in the United States. On average, more than 2.8 million people are being vaccinated against the disease every day.

While vaccines are a vital part of the path out of this pandemic, theyre not fail-proof. In rare cases, officials are reporting breakthrough infections.

In these rare cases, people can still develop COVID-19 despite vaccination.

But experts say these rare cases are expected as more people get vaccinated, and they may ultimately help officials stamp out the coronavirus.

A breakthrough case is when someone develops an illness despite already being fully vaccinated.

This isnt a reason to avoid getting vaccinated. Theres no vaccine that can provide 100 percent immunity against any disease.

Experts say these rare breakthrough COVID-19 cases will give experts a way to determine the extent to which COVID-19 vaccines work and what coronavirus variants may be causing these cases despite vaccination.

I dont think we need to be overly concerned as of yet, said Dr. William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

We should know that these vaccines are not perfect, and under ideal circumstances they provide up to 95 percent chance of protection. Not everyone, particularly those that are frail and partly immunocompromised, may not even get 95 percent protection, he said.

Additionally, while a COVID-19 vaccine isnt completely protective against symptoms, experts stress the vaccine is extremely effective at preventing the most serious complications that lead to hospitalization and death.

In clinical trials, people given COVID-19 vaccines were not hospitalized even in rare cases of developing the disease.

Fully vaccinated people have some immunity against COVID-19, particularly against the strain of the coronavirus the vaccine was made for.

And while COVID-19 vaccines have some protection against several of these variants, it doesnt give full immunity particularly in people who may be immunocompromised.

Most people will mount a strong immunologic response. But individuals who are highly immunocompromised may have a more blunted response, and these individuals need to remain careful even if they are vaccinated, said Dr. David Hirschwerk, attending physician in the department of infectious diseases at Northwell Health in Manhasset, New York.

All of this is expected.

People who are immunocompromised dont always mount the strongest response to vaccines.

And even people who arent immunocompromised can still be vulnerable to breakthrough cases.

Experts say researching these breakthrough cases will be key in understanding the real-world effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and the likelihood a coronavirus variant may be able to evade vaccine protection.

Scientists can study any trends and predictors of which individuals may be less protected from vaccination, Hirschwerk said.

Researchers will be studying which groups of people get these breakthrough cases, how frequently they occur, where they occur, and the genetic sequencing of breakthrough variants to figure out how to best fight back against COVID-19.

Schaffner pointed out that by studying breakthrough cases, scientists can monitor for troubling signs of rising variants.

By understanding variants we are able to understand how commonly these phenomena are occurring, Schaffner said of breakthrough cases. And if they are preferentially being caused by variants, we may need a booster dose that protects against those strains.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is continuing to assess how COVID-19 vaccines are working in real-world conditions.

Experts will also closely watch what happens when vaccinated people develop COVID-19 and what their symptoms are like.

The majority of these will very likely be of people with mild to moderate symptoms, Hirschwerk told Healthline.

Breakthrough infections are an expected outcome in any vaccination process. No vaccines is 100 percent fail-proof.

These breakthrough cases arent a reason to panic. Instead, experts say they show why we still need to practice mask wearing, handwashing, and physical distancing measures while scientists learn how and why these cases are occurring.

And most importantly, these breakthrough cases shouldnt deter the public from getting vaccines, as they do work.

COVID-19 vaccines remain extremely effective in preventing severe and life threatening cases of COVID-19.

Rajiv Bahl, MD, MBA, MS, is an emergency medicine physician and health writer. You can find him at http://www.RajivBahlMD.com.

Originally posted here:

Rare 'Breakthrough' Cases of COVID-19 Occurring in Vaccinated People - Healthline

KINGSTON, N.Y. Ulster County reported Thursday a steep decline in active COVID-19 cases while saying its most recent positivity rate soared past 8%.

Ulster also said Thursday that there were two more COVID-19 related deaths, bringing that total to 245 since the pandemic began in March 2020.

Editors note: In the interest of public safety, critical coronavirus coverage is being provided free to all readers. Support reporting like thiswith a subscription to the Freeman.

According to its online dashboard, Ulster reported 1,788 active cases of COVID-19, down 90 from 1,878 cases reported on Tuesday.

The Ulster total is still higher than its recent low of 1,488, reached on March 1, but also below its peak of 2,622, set on Jan. 30.

Ulster County reported Thursday that 98 of its residents were diagnosed with COVID-19 among the most recent 1,197 to be tested, a positivity rate of 8.2%.

Ulster reported on Thursday it has had 13,179 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 11,146 recoveries since March 2020.

According to the state COVID-19 vaccine tracker, 35.5% of Ulster residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine. The tracker says that 32,311 have completed with vaccination series and 63,331 have gotten at least one shot.

Dr.Neal Smoller, owner of Village Apothecary in Woodstock , NY gives out vaccinations at Best Buy in Town Of Ulster, New York.

Dutchess County said Thursday that its active COVID-19 cases saw the largest decrease this week from 1,405 reported on Wednesday to 1,361, down by 44.

Dutchess has been experiencing a weekslong rise in its number of active COVID-19 cases. The number peaked at 2,576 on Jan. 16 and then fell to 713 by Feb. 15 before starting a steady increase.

Meanwhile, Dutchess also reported Thursday that there were no additional deaths, with the total remaining at 425 since the pandemic began in March 2020.

The county also reported Thursday that 62 residents were hospitalized with COVID-19, up by three reported the day before.

Dutchess has had 26,044 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the local outbreak began. Its latest seven-day average of positive test results is 4.34%.

The vaccine tracker says 31.9% of Dutchess County residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. It says that 48,928 people have completed the vaccination process while93,658 people have got at least one dose.

Nursing Homes

The state reported Thursday a COVID-19 related death of a resident at the Golden Hill Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Kingston. The resident died outside the nursing home, the state said.

There have been 21 COVID-related deaths of residents at the Golden Hill facility since the beginning of the pandemic and 10 facility residents have died elsewhere, according to state numbers.

In all, Ulster County has had 88 nursing home residents die in facilities and 34 who have lost their lives from the disease elsewhere.

For local coverage related to the coronavirus, go to bit.ly/DFCOVID19. To check vaccination eligibility in Ulster County and sign up, go to vaccinateulster.com.

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Coronavirus: Ulster active cases drop but county reports two more deaths and rise in rate of new cases - The Daily Freeman

Maine airport officials say passengers may soon be required to show proof they've been vaccinated to travel by plane.

BANGOR, Maine More Mainers are traveling again, especially by air.

Travel at the Portland International Jetport is down 50-60 percent from this time two years ago. Traffic at the Bangor Internal Airport was down to about 65 percent in February compared to the same month last year. Despite this, traffic is steadily picking up.

According to the Transportation Security Administration, 1.5 million Americans traveled on a plane this past Sunday alone. This is the busiest travel day for the country's airports sinceMarch 12, 2020, when more than 1.7 million people were screened.

A lot of people are coming in, theyll sit at my desk and the first thing theyll say is, were vaccinated. Were ready to travel,' said Mary Ellen Lessard, travel agent at AAA Northern New England.

Lessard added, many folks are looking for a getaway to Maine and state parks around the country.

"I think people are just housebound and they want to get out. One of the important things too is all the airlines are removing their reissue fees. If [passengers] need to change [their flight] they can do so without a hefty fee, said Lessard.

Although there is no official mandate for showing proof youve received a COVID-19 vaccine to travel here in the state, that might change.

There are a lot of conversations happening within the industry on how do we streamline this so that a customer can enter their information once and have it work for all airlines, said Portland International Jetport assistant director Zachary Sundquist.

Airport officials are also stressing the importance of keeping up to date on travel restrictions.

Were directing people to the CDC and their travel alerts, and also to the particular state [passengers are] going to to get the information because it does change on a fairly regular basis," said Aimee Tibeaude, Bangor International Airport marketing and business development manager.

Tibeaude also wants folks to remember that real ID compliance for Mainers starts in October. Those planning to fly that month or anytime after will need a real ID or passport.

More:

More Mainers are booking flights as the coronavirus rages on - NewsCenterMaine.com WCSH-WLBZ