Daily Archives: July 12, 2021

People who are vaccinated against influenza may be partly protected against some of the severe effects of coronavirus, and be less likely to need emergency care, according to a major study.

The analysis of nearly 75,000 Covid patients found significant reductions in stroke, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and sepsis, and fewer admissions to emergency departments and intensive care units, among those who had been given the flu jab.

While the flu vaccine did not reduce Covid deaths in the study, previous research suggests the jab may provide some protection against coronavirus by boosting the innate immune system the bodys general defences that are not targeted against a particular pathogen.

Another explanation is possible: patients who had the flu vaccine may have been in better general health than those who went without, and while the researchers tried to take this into account, such adjustments are not easy.

We detected an association that appears to show flu vaccination offers some protection against severe Covid-19 disease, said Devinder Singh, a senior author on the study and professor of clinical surgery at the University of Miami.

If the findings are backed up by further studies, they may be most valuable to countries that have not been able to compete with wealthier nations for Covid vaccines, and where the burden of flu and coronavirus combined threaten to overstretch health services.

Its very important to emphasise that we absolutely recommend the Covid-19 vaccine, and in no way suggest the flu vaccine is a substitute to the proper Covid-19 vaccine, Prof Singh said.

The researchers compared the electronic health records of 37,377 Covid patients from the UK, the US and elsewhere, who had received flu jabs with those from the same number of Covid patients who had not been vaccinated against flu. The patients in the two groups were closely matched for age, sex, ethnicity, health problems including diabetes and lung disease, and lifestyle factors such as diet and whether or not they smoked.

The scientists analysed how often the patients suffered any of 15 potentially serious health effects ranging from blood clots and heart attacks to kidney and respiratory failure in the four months following their Covid diagnosis.

The findings, presented at an online meeting of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, suggest the flu vaccine may protect against some medical problems caused by Covid. According to the study, Covid patients who were not vaccinated against the flu were 45% to 58% more likely to have a stroke, about 40% more likely to develop DVT, and 36% to 45% more likely to have sepsis. They were also more likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit and to have more frequent visits to hospital emergency departments.

It could be that the flu vaccine stimulates the immune system non-specifically and has that benefit, but you always wonder whether these associations are causal, or whether theres a common factor, like social deprivation which might explain why they go hand in hand, said Prof Peter Openshaw, a member of the governments New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag). People who manage to get a flu vaccine may have better health in other ways.

The best way to protect yourself from Covid is to get a Covid vaccine, he added.

Following interim advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the NHS is preparing to offer Covid booster shots alongside annual flu vaccinations from September. Ministers are particularly concerned that influenza, which was almost nonexistent last season, will bounce back dangerously in the winter ahead, just as Covid cases are peaking again.

One of the big risks that I and others were worried about is in a bad flu season, you could see 20,000 people dying, the vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi told The Andrew Marr Show on the BBC.

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Flu jab may reduce severe effects of Covid, suggests study - The Guardian

For 28-year-old Londoner Dan Mountford, baking had always been a hobby.

But a year ago, at the height of the Covid pandemic, he quit his job as a science teacher to pursue this passion.

I wanted to do something that I am really passionate about and since I began working as a baker I take enormous satisfaction in coming to work every day, knowing Ill be doing something I am genuinely interested in, he said.

Mountford is one of the more than three-quarters of people in the UK who say the coronavirus pandemic has made them re-evaluate the most important aspects of their lives.

More than a third of the 2,000 people surveyed for the thinktank Global Future said they had thought about changing jobs, while a separate third had looked at moving house. One in 10 people said they had looked at moving abroad and just under one in 10 had considered breaking up with their partner or starting a new relationship.

Mountford said the change was about doing something he really enjoyed.

Theres zero bureaucracy, I dont have to answer any emails, he said. Theres none of that kind of stuff that I was frustrated about with teaching.

I was fed up with the pressure put on teachers and the bureaucratic elements of the job, and since Ive left, Ive seen this pattern still affecting people in the profession.

His decision came at a cost, though. He now gets up very early in the morning, works weekends and unsociable hours and took a considerable pay cut.

Some people were shocked that I decided to take such a large cut in salary, but others understand the importance of me doing something I love and support the decision, he said.

Though lots of people will be dreaming about a drastic move, unlike Mountford, the poll found 80% of people had done little or nothing to achieve change, partly as a result of social and economic obstacles.

Two in five of those surveyed claimed money concerns were preventing them making changes and 31% cited a lack of opportunity. Young people aged 18 to 25 were most likely to be upset if they could not make changes in their life after lockdown.

Despite this, 40% of people said they would miss at least one element of lockdown life.

Gurnek Bains, a cultural psychologist, founder of Global Future and author of the report How Covid Changed Our Minds, said the pandemic had been a wake-up call for many people and he urged the government and employers to put in place structures to help people make changes to their daily lives

The pandemic forced us to confront the big questions about what we do, where we live and who we love, said Bains.

The problem is that the British people have changed, but Britain has not. Structural barriers continue to restrain our freedom to act on our dreams.

There is a risk of a dangerous rift between peoples desires and realities. As many people remain immobilised by socioeconomic barriers, we could face a dangerous tidal wave of dissatisfaction just as lockdown lifts.

We particularly need to support young people whose lives have been most acutely affected by the pandemic, and who are boldly asking these existential questions.

Separate polling from Aviva found almost half of employees had become less career-focused as a result of the pandemic, up from a third in August 2020.

The insurers research over 18 months found that 44% of people said they were unable to switch off from work as many employers are seen to encourage an always-on, ever-present culture.

More than a third felt their work-life balance had improved during the pandemic, yet one in five had been negatively affected.

The research also exposes the gender divisions behind many peoples pandemic experience, as women are more concerned about burnout and less likely to feel that hard work entitles them to take me time back during office hours.

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Over three-quarters of Britons re-evaluate their lives during Covid - The Guardian

More than 72% of Illinois adults have received at least one vaccine dose and 57% are fully vaccinated

SPRINGFIELD The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,945 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 53 additional deaths since reporting last Friday, July 2, 2021. More than 72% of Illinois adults have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and 57% of Illinois adults are fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,395,497 cases, including 23,297 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Since reporting on Friday, July 2, 2021, laboratories have reported 195,694 specimens for a total of 26,064,549. As of last night, 430 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 91 patients were in the ICU and 35 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.

The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from July 2-8, 2021 is 1.5%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from July 2-8, 2021 is 1.7%.

A total of 12,768,842 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 17,239 doses. Since reporting on Friday, July 2, 2021, 120,675 doses were reported administered in Illinois.

*All data are provisional and will change. Additional information and COVID-19 data can be found at http://www.dph.illinois.gov/covid19.

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Public Health Officials Announce 2,945 New Cases of Coronavirus Disease Over the Past Week | IDPH - IDPH

The coronavirus pandemic is not over. The trending Twitter hashtag #CovidisNotOver and fresh waves of outbreaks around the world have sent a strong message.

With increasingly transmissible COVID-19 variants including the delta and delta plus variants and the newer lambda variant becoming more prevalent and faltering vaccination campaigns, many places around the world are experiencing renewed outbreaks, reported the Deseret News.

Even previous pandemic success stories have begun to falter.

Currently, these are the top five worst outbreaks in the world.

Last week, the Southern African country of Namibia recorded the highest average rate of infections in the world, reported The Telegraph. Almost half of Namibias total COVID-19 cases have come in the last two months.

Mohammed Patel, a local paramedic, spoke to CNN about the straining health care system.

Delta has caused a whole lot of chaos, a whole lot of patients are suffering, their oxygen levels are dropping drastically daily there are patients that are suffering and there is no space in hospital, there is no ventilators available, Patel said. Its complete chaos.

According to Dr. Yakub Essack, the medical coordinator of a charity called Gift of Givers, the situation in Namibia is unlike any emergency situation hes ever dealt with.

In Thailand, coronavirus cases and deaths have more than doubled this week compared to last week, said Newsweek. Friday, the country reported more than 9,000 new cases and 72 new deaths, per Yahoo News. The health care system has begun to buckle under the increased demand.

The archipelago nation has now imposed a partial lockdown, but the restrictions are too little too late, said Newsweek. Cases are expected to continue rising.

Over the last two weeks, COVID-19 cases in Tunisia have increased by 138% to hit all-time highs, according to Our World in Data. Friday, Tunisia reported 9,823 new cases and 134 new deaths Thursday, per WHO data.

We are in a catastrophic situation, Nisaf Ben Alaya, a Tunisia health ministry spokesperson, said, per Al Jazeera. The health system collapsed.

The country has reimposed a total lockdown across most of the country and a partial lockdown on the capital, according to Al Jazeera. So far, only 4% of the population has received a coronavirus vaccination.

By absolute numbers, Indonesias outbreak is large and deadly. Previously called a coronavirus time bomb, the worlds fourth most populous country is being devastated by the current surge in cases, reported the Deseret News.

Hospitals have begun running low on or completely out of necessary oxygen. Some hospitals have temporarily closed or turned patients away due to staff and supply shortages, said The Guardian. One hospital even began using the front yard to treat emergency patients while using the building to isolate COVID-19 patients.

Thursday, Brazil reported the highest number of new COVID-19 cases and new deaths in the world, per WHO data. The country currently has the second-highest death toll in the world after the U.S., but experts predict that fatalities in Brazil will soon surpass the U.S., said BBC.

Professor Pedro Hallal, an epidemiologist leading the largest COVID-19 research study in Brazil, spoke to BBC about the outbreaks.

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COVID outbreaks: Where are the worst COVID-19 surges in the world? - Deseret News