Category Archives: Corona Virus

FROM SELLING TOBACCO, RESTOCKING YOUR SUPPLY OF COVID 19 TESTS BEGINNING ON MONDAY, HOUSEHOLDS HERE CAN ORDER FOR FREE KITS THROUGH A FEDERAL WEBSITE HERE I MEAN IN THE UNITED STATES. HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, DR. KRISTIN MOFFAT, AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST AT BOSTON CHILDRENS HOSPITAL, GREAT TO SEE YOU, DOCTOR. GOOD TO SEE YOU, TOO. YEAH. HI, DR. MOFFAT. YOU KNOW, ITS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE SOME OF US HAVE EVEN LOOKED AT OUR STOCKPILE OF TESTS AT HOME. RIGHT. PROBABLY IN THE CLOSET. WHAT ARE THE CHANCES THAT THEYRE ALL EXPIRED? YEAH, ITS A REALLY GOOD POINT TO BRING UP. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THEY ARE EXPIRED, SO EVERYBODY SHOULD CHECK THE EXPIRATION DATE ON THEIR COVID TESTS. BUT DONT THROW THEM OUT IF YOU SEE THAT THE DATE SHOWS THAT ITS EXPIRED BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE DIFFERENT BRANDS WERE DOING SORT OF POST DISTRIBUTION TESTING TO SEE IF THEY WERE STILL EFFECTIVE BEYOND THE EXPIRATION DATES. AND INDEED, A LOT OF THESE EXPIRATION DATES HAVE BEEN EXTENDED BY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 6 AND 10 MONTHS. SO THERE IS AN FDA WEBSITE THAT LISTS THESE EXPIRATION DATE EXTENSIONS BY BRAND. SO I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND CHECKING THAT OUT BEFORE YOU TOSS ANY TESTS. I ACTUALLY DID THAT AND THEYRE ALL EXPIRED. SO THATS THAT IS ITS GREAT ADVICE. SO LETS TALK ABOUT THESE NEW ROUNDS OF FREE TESTS THE WEBSITE TO ORDER THEM COVID TESTS.GOV. IT OPENS ON MONDAY. WHY WHY IS THIS BEING OFFERED NOW? YEAH, I THINK ITS GREAT THAT THIS IS BEING OFFERED. AGAIN, IF YOU MAY REMEMBER, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN INSURANCE DID COVER THIS OR THESE WERE BEING OFFERED AT NO COST AND THEYRE EXPENSIVE. WHEN WE GO AND BUY THESE OUT OF POCKET DRUGSTORE, THEYRE NOT CHEAP CASES ARE RISING RIGHT NOW. HOSPITALIZATIONS HAVE BEEN RISING. AND ITS CONCEIVABLE IN THE COMING MONTHS AS PEOPLE SPEND MORE TIME TOGETHER INDOORS WITH HOLIDAYS COMING UP TOGETHER IN THE COMING MONTHS, TRANSMISSION COULD INCREASE EVEN MORE. AND IT REMAINS TRUE THAT TESTING FOR COVID, IF YOUVE GOT SYMPTOMS OF COVID AND ISOLATING IF YOURE POSITIVE, IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF KEEPING ANOTHER SURGE FROM HAPPENING. SO I THINK ITS A GREAT MOVE TO MAKE THESE AVAILABLE AGAIN, AT NO COST SO THAT EVERYBODY WHO WANTS THEM HAS ACCESS TO THEM. I THINK ITS ALSO IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT WEVE GOT TREATMENTS AVAILABLE NOW LIKE PAXLOVID, THAT WE DIDNT HAVE AVAILABLE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND TREATMENTS LIKE THAT ARE MOST EFFECTIVE IF THEYRE STARTED AS SOON AS SOMEBODY KNOWS THAT THEY HAVE AN INFECTION DUE TO COVID. SO BEING ABLE TO HAVE TESTS AT HOME AND CONFIRM THAT YOUR SYMPTOMS ARE DUE TO COVID, ITS REALLY HELPFUL IN A LOT OF WAYS. OKAY. AND OF COURSE, THE VIRUS, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS KEEPS CHANGING BECAUSE THATS WHAT VIRUSES DO. THIS ONE HAS CHANGED A LOT OVER THE YEARS. ANY CONCERNS ABOUT NEW VARIANTS DOWN THE ROAD OR TESTING OF ANY OF THAT? YEAH, ITS A GREAT QUESTION. IT ALWAYS WOULD BE OF CONCERN. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE TESTS WE HAVE, IF THEYRE NEGATIVE, CAN WE TRUST THEM? AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE FDA AND OTHER AGENCIES ARE REGULARLY AND SYSTEMATICALLY DOING FOR ALL OF THE AUTHORIZED TESTS. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME INSTANCES OF TESTS THAT ARE NOT THE ONES AS BROADLY AVAILABLE WHERE THEIR PERFORMANCE HAS BEEN DECREASED WITH SOME OF THE VARIANTS. BUT ITS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THIS CONTINUES TO BE MONITORED. FOR THE MOST PART, THE ONES THAT REMAIN BROADLY AVAILABLE HAVE NOT EXHIBITED ANY DECREASED PERFORMANCE WITH VARIANTS THAT HAVE EMERGED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO BE EVALUATED. ALL RIGHT, DR. MOFFITT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPENDING SOME TIME WITH US.

More free home COVID-19 tests available for order from US government

Updated: 2:15 PM EST Nov 20, 2023

U.S. households are now eligible to order an additional four at-home COVID-19 tests free of cost through the government.As of Monday, residential households in the U.S. can submit an order through Covidtests.gov for four individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests. Orders will start to ship on Nov. 27, according to USPS. People without an internet connection can call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) to request tests.The U.S. government had suspended the rapid test distribution program earlier in May, then reopened it in September. Residents who havent placed an order since the program reopened can place two orders, which will provide eight tests in total, according to USPS.COVID-19 rapid tests can be taken at home and can be used regardless of whether someone has symptoms. The tests should work through the end of the year; some of the dates on the tests may show that they are expired, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has extended those dates.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people test if they have any COVID-19-like symptoms including a sore throat, runny nose, loss of smell or taste, or a fever. People may also want to test before they are going to be a part of a large event, like a concert or a conference, particularly if people are not up-to-date on their vaccines. Antivirals are available to treat COVID-19 and flu, and testing can help determine which medication is needed.COVID-19 hospital admissions and emergency department visits are once again on the rise after a few weeks of downturn, according to the CDC. For the week ending Nov. 11, the percentage of COVID-related emergency department visits was 1.4%, or just over 16,200 people similar to rates seen throughout this month and last month.Overall, outpatient visits for flu-like illness are lower than they were at this time last year but higher than in the previous four seasons. CDC forecasting suggests that this respiratory virus season will result in about the same number of hospitalizations as last season.Seasonal flu activity is also increasing in most parts of the country with flu-like activity labeled as high in New Mexico, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and South Carolina, according to the CDC. There have been at least 780,000 illnesses, 8,000 hospitalizations, and 490 deaths from flu so far this season, the agency estimates.More than a third of adults and nearly a third of children have gotten their flu shot this year, CDC data shows. About 14% of adults and 5% of children have gotten the new COVID-19 vaccine while 14% of older adults ages 60 and up have gotten the new RSV vaccine.

U.S. households are now eligible to order an additional four at-home COVID-19 tests free of cost through the government.

As of Monday, residential households in the U.S. can submit an order through Covidtests.gov for four individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests. Orders will start to ship on Nov. 27, according to USPS. People without an internet connection can call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) to request tests.

The U.S. government had suspended the rapid test distribution program earlier in May, then reopened it in September. Residents who havent placed an order since the program reopened can place two orders, which will provide eight tests in total, according to USPS.

COVID-19 rapid tests can be taken at home and can be used regardless of whether someone has symptoms. The tests should work through the end of the year; some of the dates on the tests may show that they are expired, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has extended those dates.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people test if they have any COVID-19-like symptoms including a sore throat, runny nose, loss of smell or taste, or a fever. People may also want to test before they are going to be a part of a large event, like a concert or a conference, particularly if people are not up-to-date on their vaccines. Antivirals are available to treat COVID-19 and flu, and testing can help determine which medication is needed.

COVID-19 hospital admissions and emergency department visits are once again on the rise after a few weeks of downturn, according to the CDC. For the week ending Nov. 11, the percentage of COVID-related emergency department visits was 1.4%, or just over 16,200 people similar to rates seen throughout this month and last month.

Overall, outpatient visits for flu-like illness are lower than they were at this time last year but higher than in the previous four seasons. CDC forecasting suggests that this respiratory virus season will result in about the same number of hospitalizations as last season.

Seasonal flu activity is also increasing in most parts of the country with flu-like activity labeled as high in New Mexico, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and South Carolina, according to the CDC. There have been at least 780,000 illnesses, 8,000 hospitalizations, and 490 deaths from flu so far this season, the agency estimates.

More than a third of adults and nearly a third of children have gotten their flu shot this year, CDC data shows. About 14% of adults and 5% of children have gotten the new COVID-19 vaccine while 14% of older adults ages 60 and up have gotten the new RSV vaccine.

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More free home COVID-19 tests available from US government - WCVB Boston

People 65 and older constituted nearly 63 percent of U.S. hospitalizations for covid-19, with the rate increasing with age, through the first eight months of 2023, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC found that people in that age group also represented more than half of the admissions to intensive care units in that period and nearly 90 percent of deaths among those hospitalized because of covid.

The hospitalization number reflects an increase from preceding months (March 2020 through December 2022), when about 46 percent of those hospitalized because of covid were 65 or older.

The report found that most older people hospitalized from January through August this year had at least one underlying health condition, and most had two or more. Most common were diabetes, kidney disorders, coronary artery disease, heart failure and obesity.

The report also noted that more than 75 percent of older adults who had been hospitalized with covid this year had not gotten the bivalent vaccine, which protects against the original coronavirus as well as subsequent variants and had been recommended last year for everyone 5 and older. This year, everyone 6 months and older is being urged to keep their coronavirus vaccinations up to date because the virus that causes covid-19 changes frequently.

The risk of contracting covid has been shown to increase with age, which has made older people with covid more likely to get very sick, need a ventilator to breathe and require hospitalization, often in an ICU.

Health experts stress that vaccination reduces the odds of hospitalization, long covid (symptoms or conditions that develop or linger after the initial infection) and dying. But it also protects others by limiting spread of the disease.

This article is part of The Posts Big Number series, which takes a brief look at the statistical aspect of health issues. Additional information and relevant research are available through the hyperlinks.

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Seniors made up 63 percent of covid hospitalizations earlier this year - The Washington Post

New Zealands fifth Covid-19 wave appears to be driving a larger spike in cases than our last bump in April. Photo / 123RF

New Zealands fifth Covid-19 wave appears to be driving the largest spike in infections seen all year, an epidemiologist says - and offers a glimpse of our long-term future with the coronavirus.

Health officials yesterday announced 7881 new reported Covid-19 cases over the week to Sunday, of which 1474 were probable cases that was up from 5947 and 1047 respectively on the week before.

Hospitalisation numbers, too, had ticked upward, from 284 to 349 week-on-week, as had virus detected in wastewater surveillance.

ESR data showed a national average of 5.06 million copies of the virus detected per person, per day in wastewater at November 12 double what was detected just a month before.

Of the indicators that are now the most valid wastewater and hospitalisations both have been at their highest levels since January, if you take their peak values, Otago University epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker said.

Looking at hospitalisations in particular, it seems to be a bigger peak than what we saw in the fourth wave. This may be showing us what we can expect in the long term, which is peaks and troughs.

Modellers still didnt see this wave reaching the height of the one that took off around this time in 2022 - when case numbers reached the mid-8000s and weekly hospitalisations nearly topped 600 as it was growing off a much lower base.

There was also nothing to suggest any game-changing new subvariant was helping build any wave the size of 2022s largest ones, in what was now a highly-exposed and highly-vaccinated population.

The latest ESR sampling showed a mix of Omicron subvariants albeit with the EG.5 or Eris type and its relatives now making up more than half of genomes sequenced - still driving spread.

It remained to be seen whether infection rates would keep rising as Christmas neared - with wastewater detections having taken a slight dip.

It looks like were seeing the wave perhaps peaking in some parts of New Zealand, but rising in others - so theres now a bit of regional variation, Baker said.

But the overall pattern is really clear. Were in a large wave and we need to respond to it.

Longer term, Baker said a national approach was needed to manage these peak periods.

Thats because a lot of people are getting sick, are going to hospital and putting pressure on the system and unfortunately, deaths are going up too.

The 20 further deaths reported from last week added to a total 3522 since the beginning of the pandemic.

We have already invested extensively in all these surveillance systems, so now I think we need to act on the information that theyre giving us.

He singled out several priority areas he felt required addressing, including promoting boosters; supporting to help people self-isolate, and consistent policy for ventilation standards and mask use in healthcare settings.

Last week, Baker and colleagues called on the Government to set up a dedicated centre for disease control like that in the US, and now being established in Australia - to better prepare for future pandemics.

Jamie Morton is a specialist in science and environmental reporting. He joined the Herald in 2011 and writes about everything from conservation and climate change to natural hazards and new technology.

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Fifth Covid-19 wave sees biggest bump in virus detection since ... - New Zealand Herald

Key Takeaways

The latest KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor survey suggests the lack of public concern about getting sick from COVID-19 may be why many people have not gotten the latest vaccine and why half of the public are not planning on taking precautions to limit the spread of the virus during the coming months.

The November KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor investigates uptake for the new, updated COVID-19 vaccine, which has been recommended by the CDC for people ages 6 months and older. Two months after the vaccine became available, about half of adults say they have gotten or will get the shot, but another half say they wont get the latest shot and a third seem steadfast in that decision.

One in five (20%) adults now say they have received the new, updated COVID-19 vaccine that became available in September. An additional one in four adults say they will definitely get (13%) or probably get (15%) the updated shot. Consistent with demographic differences across other COVID-related behaviors, uptake is highest among those ages 65 and older (34%) and Democrats (32%). This is meaningful given that those ages 65 and older are more vulnerable to COVID-19, as theyre more likely to get seriously sick and experience complications that could result in hospitalization. This is in comparison to smaller shares of younger adults ages 18-29 (18%), Republicans (12%) and independents (16%) who report getting the latest vaccine. Similar shares across racial and ethnic groups report having gotten the updated vaccine, including 26% of Black adults, 20% of Hispanic adults, and 19% of White adults. However, when combining the shares who have gotten the shot and those who intend to get it, Black adults (59%) and Hispanic adults (59%) both outpace White adults (42%).

Uptake of the newest vaccine matches closely to uptake of the updated bivalent booster measured in December 2022, just after the updated bivalent COVID-19 booster had become available for use. About two in ten adults said they had received the booster dose (22%).

One in three (34%) adults say they will definitely not get the new COVID-19 vaccine, and another 17% say they will probably not get the vaccine. The share who say they probably or definitely wont get the new COVID-19 vaccination has remained unchanged from the September COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor, which was fielded immediately prior to when the vaccine became available.

Majorities of those who have never received any COVID-19 vaccine (94%), Republicans (77%), independents (59%), those who live in rural areas (65%), White adults (58%), and those under the age of 65 (55%) continue to say they will not get the updated COVID-19 vaccine.

The survey finds that partisanship is continuing to play an outsized role in vaccine attitudes. While nearly six in ten White adults say they do not plan to get the new vaccine, this increases to eight in ten among White adults who self-identify as Republicans. This is more than twice the share of White adults who are Democrats (29%) who say they will either definitely not or probably not get the vaccine. In fact, three in ten (31%) White adults who are Democrats have already gotten the new vaccine, compared to 11% of their Republican counterparts.

Most adults (79%) say they have heard at least a little about the updated COVID-19 vaccine, with one in five (22%) saying they have heard a lot. A small share (21%) say they have heard nothing at all about the updated vaccine.

Awareness is high across demographic groups, including the vast majority (92%) of adults ages 65 and older who have heard at least a little about the updated vaccine compared to a somewhat smaller share, but still a majority, of younger adults, including six in ten of those ages 18 to 29. Larger shares of Democrats are also more aware of the vaccine, with 86% who have heard at least a little compared to three-quarters (74%) of Republicans.

With most people aware of the latest vaccine, many, including large shares of previously vaccinated adults, have not yet received the updated shot and some dont plan to. About six in ten (58%) adults are previously vaccinated and have yet to get the updated vaccine. This group is roughly divided between people who say they will get the vaccine and those who say they are not planning to get the latest shot. The latest COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor survey explores why this group of previously vaccinated people have not gotten the latest dose.

Around half of adults (47%) have both previously received a COVID-19 vaccine and also say they will get or have already gotten the updated vaccine. On the other hand, one in five (20%) adults are previously unvaccinated and say they will not get the updated vaccine. That leaves three in ten (31%) who have previously been vaccinated but now say they will not get the updated shot.

More than four in ten Republicans (43%) and one in three independents (35%) say they are previously vaccinated but wont get the updated shot, compared to 19% of Democrats. A larger share of White adults (34%) also report being previously vaccinated but not planning on getting the latest shot compared to Black adults (20%). Around a quarter of Hispanic adults (26%) are previously vaccinated but now do not plan to get the latest vaccine.

In 2021, KFF surveys examining initial vaccine rollout found that concerns about vaccine safety were the driving reason why people didnt get vaccine. Even as those concerns dissipated among most of the public, a small share of the public remained steadfast and never received a COVID-19 vaccine. Yet, subsequent booster never reached the same uptake levels as seen in the initial vaccine rollout. And as the country enters its fourth year of COVID-19 concerns, it appears this trend continues.

When asked about a series of reasons that could explain why people are not getting the latest vaccine, not being worried about getting COVID-19 tops the list. About half (52%) of those who were previously vaccinated say lack of worry about COVID-19 is at least a minor reason why they havent gotten the vaccine, including a quarter who say it is a major reason. Getting vaccinated may also not be a priority for some with around four in ten (37%) saying being too busy is at least a minor reason why they have not gotten it yet, and another third saying they are waiting to get it a later date. Experiences from previous doses may also be keeping people from getting the new vaccine with about a quarter saying that bad side effects from a previous COVID-19 vaccine dose is a reason why they have not gotten the new vaccine.

Small shares say there are other barriers to getting the vaccine including 16% who say they cannot take the time off work and 13% who say they havent been able to get an appointment. One in ten (11%) say their doctor told them to wait or to not to get the updated vaccine.

Among Hispanic adults who were previously vaccinated but have not gotten the new shot, about half (55%) say they arent worried about getting COVID-19, they are too busy (51%), or they are waiting to get it at a later date (48%). In addition, a third (35%) of Hispanic adults as well as a quarter (22%) of Black adults cite not being able to take time off work, compared to just one in ten (9%) White adults.

Democrats top reasons for not getting the updated COVID-19 vaccine suggests there will likely still be additional uptake in this group, while Republicans top reasons may indicate more resistance to the latest vaccine. Among those who were previously vaccinated but havent gotten the new shot, half of Democrats (49%) say being too busy is a major or minor reason they havent gotten the updated vaccine yet, compared to 22% of Republicans and 35% of independents. On the other hand, two-thirds of Republicans (66%) and more than half of independents (57%) say not being worried about getting COVID is at least a minor reason why they have not gotten the updated vaccine, compared to a third of Democrats (35%).

With fall and winter holidays coming up, the possibility of a further wave of COVID-19 infections is looming with increased indoor gatherings and time with friends and family. Yet, most of the public is not worried about spreading or catching COVID-19 over the coming months. About three in ten adults are worried they will spread COVID-19 to people close to them (31%) or they will get seriously sick from COVID-19 (28%), and about a quarter (26%) are worried they will get COVID-19 over the holidays. A larger share of the public is worried about increased hospitalizations, with almost half (46%) saying they are very or somewhat worried that there will be an increase in hospitalizations in the U.S. this winter.

Older adults are not more worried than younger adults about the spread of COVID-19 this holiday season except for concerns about increases in cases and hospitalizations. Around half (53%) of adults ages 65 and older say they are worried that there will be an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations this winter, compared to smaller shares (44%) of those under the age of 65.

Around the same share say they are very or somewhat worried about an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations this winter as were in December of last year when there was a similar uptick in COVID-19 cases.

In addition to not being worried about COVID-19 during the upcoming holidays, the public is divided on precautions, with half of adults saying they arent planning to take any of the precautions asked about in the survey, while the other half report they plan to take at least one precaution this fall and winter. The most common precautions people said they planned to take were avoiding large gatherings (35%) or wearing a mask in crowded places (30%). Smaller shares say they are avoiding travel this fall and winter as a precaution against COVID-19 (25%), avoiding dining indoors at restaurants (19%), or taking a COVID-19 test before visiting with friends or family (18%).

The share who say they plan to take precautions to limit the spread of COVID is similar to the share of the public who said they were taking precautions because of the tripledemic back in January of this year. Back then, about half (46%) of adults said the news of COVID-19, RSV, and the flu spreading that winter had made them more likely to take a precaution, including three in ten (31%) who said they were more likely to wear a mask in public and a quarter (26%) who were more likely to avoid large gatherings.

While four in ten (39%) White adults say they will take at least one precaution, majorities of Black adults (72%) and Hispanic adults (68%) report they are planning to take any of the precautions mentioned.

Similarly, partisanship and previous vaccine uptake continue to be strong predictors of whether people plan to take precautions to limit the spread of the virus. Two thirds (66%) of Democrats and half (48%) of independents say they plan to take at least one precaution, compared to three in ten (29%) Republicans who say the same. Just over half (53%) of vaccinated adults say they are taking any of the precautions, compared to four in ten (39%) unvaccinated adults.

Similar shares of younger and older adults report that they will be taking at least one precaution during the fall and winter. However, four in ten (41%) adults ages 65 and older say they plan to avoid large gatherings, compared to a third (33%) of those under the age of 65. While younger adults are less likely to say they will avoid large gatherings, larger shares of younger adults say they will take a test for COVID-19 before spending time with friends of family, with 21% who say so (including 25% of those ages 18-29), compared to one in ten (10%) of those ages 65 and older.

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KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor November 2023: With COVID ... - KFF

Concern is rising about the Covid-19 variant EG.5. This week, it became the dominant variant in the United States, and the World Health Organization classified EG.5 as a variant of interest, meaning it has genetic changes that give it an advantage and its prevalence is growing. So how worried should people be about it?

While severe illness in older adults and people with underlying conditions is always a concern, as is long Covid in anyone who gets infected, experts say EG.5 does not pose a substantial threat or at least no more of one than any of the other major variants currently circulating.

Its a concern that its increasing, but it doesnt look like something thats vastly different from whats already been circulating in the U.S. for the past three to four months, said Andrew Pekosz, a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. So I think thats what tempers my concern about this variant, at this point in time.

Even the W.H.O. stated in its announcement that, based on the available evidence, the public health risk posed by EG.5 is evaluated as low at the global level.

The variant was identified in China in February 2023 and was first detected in the United States in April. It is a descendant of the Omicron variant XBB.1.9.2 and has one notable mutation that helps it to evade antibodies developed by the immune system in response to earlier variants and vaccines. That advantage may be why EG.5 has become the dominant strain worldwide, and it could be one reason Covid cases have started to rise again.

That mutation may mean that more people are susceptible because the virus can escape a little bit more of that immunity, Dr. Pekosz said.

But EG.5, which has also been called Eris, does not appear to have any new capacities when it comes to its contagiousness, its symptoms or its likelihood of causing severe illness. Diagnostic tests and treatments such as Paxlovid continue to be effective against it, Dr. Pekosz said.

Dr. Eric Topol, executive vice president of Scripps Research in La Jolla, Calif., said he isnt overly worried about the variant; however, he would feel better if the new vaccine formulation, which is expected to be rolled out in the fall, was already available. The updated booster was developed based on another variant that is genetically similar to EG.5. It is expected to provide better protection against EG.5 than last years shot, which targeted the original coronavirus strain and a much earlier Omicron variant that is only distantly related.

My main concern is for the people at high risk, Dr. Topol said. The vaccines that theyve had are too far removed from where the virus is right now and where its going.

Experts are more apprehensive about other emerging variants that carry the same immune evading mutation as EG.5, plus another mutation that makes the virus more transmissible. Scientists have nicknamed the combination of these mutations FLip, because they both flip the positions of two amino acids, labeled F and L. While these FLip variants make up only a small proportion of Covid cases currently, they could trigger a greater increase in infections in the coming months.

Im generally very concerned about the overall rate of evolution for SARS-CoV-2, said Trevor Bedford, a professor in the vaccine and infectious disease division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. No single variant has been that impactful, but the overall accumulation of these mutations is having significant impact.

Despite the growing number of mutations, it is highly unlikely these new variants will cause a surge akin to the one that occurred in the winter of 2022 with the first Omicron variant, Dr. Topol said. Its nothing like what weve been through with Omicron in terms of how much more transmissible these variants are, he said. But there will be more reinfections.

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What to Know About the New Dominant Covid Variant - The New York Times

An uptick in Covid-19 cases and the fast-approaching new school year have many people wondering when they should get their next booster. The short answer, according to experts: not quite yet youll be a lot better off if you wait another month or two.

In June, an advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration recommended that the next Covid vaccine formulation target the Omicron XBB.1.5 variant.

Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax are now working to update, test and mass-produce their vaccines, which will then need to be officially authorized by the F.D.A. Experts estimate that shots will be available to the public by late September or early October.

For most people right now, it seems to me waiting makes more sense, said Dr. Paul Sax, the clinical director of the division of infectious diseases at Brigham and Womens Hospital.

There are two main reasons to hold out for the updated vaccine. First, it will be a better match for the variants that are currently circulating.

The majority of the coronavirus strains infecting people right now are either descended from, or related to, XBB.1.5, so the decision to target that variant with the vaccine was about as good as you could imagine for the moment, said Trevor Bedford, a professor in the vaccine and infectious disease division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

The vaccine will most likely also provide some protection against EG.5, which recently became the dominant variant in the United States, accounting for about 17 percent of current cases. EG.5 is descended from another XBB variant and has a few additional mutations, so antibodies produced by the updated vaccine may not be quite as effective against it. But the new booster is still a better fit for EG.5 than last years booster, which targeted both the original Covid strain and the BA.5 Omicron variant neither of which appear to be circulating anymore.

Dr. David Boulware, a professor of medicine specializing in infectious diseases at the University of Minnesota Medical School, added that because the new vaccine is a better match for the current variants, he is somewhat optimistic that it will help prevent not only severe disease but also infection.

Once youre boosting with the variant that is closest to whats actually circulating, you will most likely regain some protection against infection, he said.

The second reason to wait a month or two for the new vaccine is that it will increase the odds that your defenses against the virus will be strongest when cases are expected to peak, historically between December and February. Antibodies wane over time, and protection is highest during the first three months following an infection or vaccination.

Case numbers are increasing now, but theyre not at exceptionally high levels, Dr. Sax said. I cant imagine, though, that they wont go up again in November, December or January, as they did every single year in the past three years.

If youve had Covid recently, experts suggest waiting a few additional months before getting the new shot. Your antibodies are already elevated because of the infection, and so the vaccine wont provide you with much additional benefit during this time.

In case you need a little extra motivation to get the new booster, vaccination is the only proven way to shorten a case of Covid, Dr. Boulware said. In a study published last year, he found that people who got Covid within six months of receiving a shot had less severe disease and shorter duration of illness.

If youre worried about catching Covid in the meantime, use the behavioral protections youve employed throughout the pandemic: Avoid big crowds; wear a high-quality, well-fitting N95, KN95 or KF94 mask when youre in indoor public settings; and try to make sure rooms are well-ventilated even opening a window can help.

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Should You Get Another Covid Booster Now, or Wait Until the Fall? - The New York Times

aerosol: (adj. aerosolized) A tiny solid or liquid particle suspended in air or as a gas. Aerosols can be natural, such as fog or gas from volcanic eruptions, or artificial, such as smoke from burning fossil fuels.

antibodies: Any of a large number of proteins that the body produces from B cells and releases into the blood supplyas part of its immune response. Theproduction of antibodies is triggered whenthe body encounters an antigen, some foreign material. Antibodies then lock onto antigens as a first step in disabling the germs or other foreign substances that were the source of those antigens.

commercial: An adjective for something that is ready for sale or already being sold. Commercial goods are those caught or produced for others, and not solely for personal consumption.

coronavirus: A family of viruses named for the crown-like spikes on their surface (corona means crown in Latin). Coronaviruses cause the common cold. The family also includes viruses that cause far more serious infections, including SARS and COVID-19.

COVID-19: A name given to the disease that erupted into a massive global pandemic in 2020. It first emerged in 2019 and is caused by a new coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2. Symptoms can include pneumonia, trouble breathing, feeling too tired to walk more than a few steps, fever, headaches, low blood-oxygen levels, blood clots and brain fog.

cyclone: A strong, rotating vortex, usually madeof wind. Natural examples includea tornado or hurricane.

electricity: A flow of charge, usually from the movement of negatively charged particles, called electrons.

electrode: A device that conducts electricity and is used to make contact with non-metal part of an electrical circuit, or that contacts something through which an electrical signal moves. (in electronics)Part of a semiconductor device (such as a transistor) that either releases or collects electronsor holes, or that can controltheir movement.

electron: A negatively charged particle, usually found orbiting the outer regions of an atom; also, the carrier of electricity within solids.

filter: (n.) Something that allows some materials to pass through but not others, based on their size or some other feature. (v.) The process of screening some things out on the basis of traits such as size, density, electric charge. (adj. filtration)

flu: Short for influenza. A highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory passages causing fever and severe aching. It often occurs as an epidemic.

HEPA: An acronym for high-efficiency particulate air. It's a term for a type of pleated air filter (usually made of cloth). It can theoretically remove at least 99.97 percent of airborne particles that are at least 0.3 microns in diameter. That includes most bacteria, dust, mold and pollen. Any particles that are larger or smaller may be trapped even more efficiently. Such filters are often used on vacuums, ventilation systems and as covers to protect the nose and mouth.

immune system: The collection of cells and their responses that help the body fight off infections and deal with foreign substances that may provoke allergies.

infection: A disease that can spread from one organism to another. Its usually caused by some type of microbe.

link: A connection between two people or things.

liquid: A material that flows freely but keeps a constant volume, like water or oil.

nasal: Having to do with the nose.

particle: A minute amount of something.

PCR: An acronym for polymerase chain reaction. It's a biochemical process that repeatedly copies a particular sequence of DNA.

protein: A compound made from one or more long chains of amino acids. Proteins are an essential part of all living organisms. They form the basis of living cells, muscle and tissues; they also do the work inside of cells. Antibodies, hemoglobin and enzymes are all examples of proteins. Medicines frequently work by latching onto proteins.

SARS-CoV-2: A coronavirus that emerged in Wuhan, China, in late December 2019. It would go on to cause widespread and sometimes lethal disease throughout China and many other nations. Its name reflects its close similarity to the original coronavirus known as SARS (for severe acute respiratory syndrome). That SARS virus sparked a global outbreak of disease in 2003.

system: A network of parts that together work to achieve some function. For instance, the blood, vessels and heart are primary components of the human body's circulatory system. Similarly, trains, platforms, tracks, roadway signals and overpasses are among the potential components of a nation's railway system. System can even be applied to the processes or ideas that are part of some method or ordered set of procedures for getting a task done.

virus: Tiny infectious particles consisting of genetic material (RNA or DNA) surrounded by protein. Viruses can reproduce only by injecting their genetic material into the cells of living creatures. Although scientists frequently refer to viruses as live or dead, in fact many scientists argue that no virus is truly alive. It doesnt eat like animals do, or make its own food the way plants do. It must hijack the cellular machinery of a living cell in order to survive.

voltage: A force associated with an electric current that is measured in units known as volts. Power companies use high voltage to move electric power over long distances.

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A 'mini cyclone' helps detect coronavirus in the air - Science News Explores

Overview

TheInfection prevention and control in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): a living guidelineconsolidates technical guidance developed and published during the COVID-19 pandemic into evidence-informedrecommendations for infection prevention and control (IPC). Thisliving guidelineis available both online and PDF.

This version of the living guideline (version 5.0)includes the following seven revised statements for the prevention, identification and management of SARS-CoV-2infections among health and care workers:

Understanding the updated section

Prevention of infections in the health care setting includes a multi-pronged and multi-factorial approach that includes IPC and occupational health and safety measures and adherence to Public Health and Social Measures in the community by the health workforce. The underlying infection prevention and control strategy of this section is the notion that early identification of symptomatic cases, testing and quarantining/isolating health and care workers decreases the risk of nosocomial infection to patients and to other health and care workers.

Version 5.0 of the living guideline supersedes the previous guidance on thePrevention, identification and management of health worker infection in the context of COVID-19issued in October 2020.

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Infection prevention and control in the context of coronavirus ... - World Health Organization

Participants and surveys of residual symptoms

Higashiosaka City Medical Center is the central public hospital of Higashi-Osaka City, a city in the Kinki region of Japan, with a total population of approximately 500,000. This hospital is a tertiary medical center in Osaka Prefecture offering treatment for COVID-19. All patients were diagnosed with COVID-19 by positive nasopharyngeal swab polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In general, patients admitted to our hospital were either elderly or at a high risk of severe respiratory failure; however, patients who required tracheal intubation were transferred to other hospitals that provided intensive care for COVID-19 respiratory failure. After receiving acute medication for COVID-19, they were discharged or transferred to rehabilitation hospitals, long-term care hospitals, or intensive care hospitals for tracheal intubation management for severe respiratory failure.

We surveyed post-COVID syndrome by sending questionnaires. Questionnaires were mailed to patients at least 5 months after admission. Responses to the question, Do you feel foggy or unfocused 1 month after onset of COVID-19? and Do you feel foggy or unfocused 3 months after onset of COVID-19? were categorized as 0=never, 1=rarely, 2=occasionally, 3=frequently, or 4=always. This study included patients admitted to our hospital between October 10, 2020, and October 31, 2021. The participants were categorized into three groups according to their admission date: third wave, October 10, 2020, to February 28, 2021 (surveyed on May 10, 2022); fourth wave, March 1, 2021, to June 20, 2021 (surveyed on May 10, 2022); and fifth wave, June 21, 2021, to October 31, 2021 (surveyed on March 25, 2022). Questionnaires were not sent to patients who died at our hospital. Questionnaires were sent to 1061 patients, 404 of whom responded. We included 253 patients 1 month after onset of COVID-19 in the analysis, excluding those hospitalized for 1 day, who had no data on ferritin, C-reactive protein (CRP), or white blood cell counts, and those who left the Brain Fog question blank (Fig.1). We included 229 patients when the data 3 months after the onset was used, which was fewer than 1 month as more patients left the Brain Fog question blank.

The following data were collected from the medical records, namely, age, sex, days in the hospital, length of hospitalization, tracheal intubation or not, peak white blood cell count, red blood cell count, platelet count, and levels of albumin, creatinine, Na, K, peak CRP, D-dimer, procalcitonin, HbA1c and treatment.

The questionnaire was used to obtain Brain Fog scores 1 month after COVID-19 infection onset (No symptoms:0, few:1, sometimes:2, frequently:3, always:4). Patient characteristics and ferritin levels were compared in the presence and absence of any Brain Fog. Unless otherwise specified, categorical variables were tested using a Chi-Squared test and continuous MannWhitney U or Students t test. Furthermore, the peak ferritin level of each Brain Fog-point group was analyzed using Linear Regression.

Propensity score analyses were conducted to exclude confounders as far as possible. Some variables (Model 1; age, sex, Model 2; age, sex, CRP, and WBC, Model 3; age, sex, CRP, WBC, length of hospitalization, intubation, and maximal oxygen dose, Model 4; age, sex, CRP, WBC, length of hospitalization, intubation, maximal oxygen dose, D-dimer, creatinine, sodium, potassium, albumin, red blood cell count, platelet counts, and procalcitonin values, Model5; age, sex, CRP, WBC, length of hospitalization, intubation, maximal oxygen dose, D-dimer, creatinine, sodium, potassium, albumin, red blood cell count, platelet counts, and procalcitonin values, remdesivir, steroid therapy, antibody cocktail therapy) were regressed by Logistic Regression using the presence of Brain Fog as a predictor. Each patient propensity score was calculated as the probability of being classified into one specified group. The variables of each model were selected for the following reason, Model 1; basic social background, Model 2; inflammation-related parameters, Model 3; factors used for the determination of severity, Model 4: factors including maker of bacterial inflammation, Model 5: factors including treatment. Following greedy pair matching, each group of patients was matched using the nearest propensity scores, and we compared the two groups using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

Finally, the contribution of ferritin levels to the difference among patients with and without Brain Fog was tested between each COVID-19 phase using a permutation test. Specifically, the ferritin values of individuals with Brain Fog and those without Brain Fog were randomly permuted within each phase, and the median difference values of those with Brain Fog and those without brain fog were calculated based on 5000 samples. Then, a one-sided p value was calculated as the proportion of sampled values where the true median difference was located. All analyses were performed using Python 3 (Python Software Foundation, Wilmington, DE, USA).

This study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki on Research Involving Human Subjects. All methods were performed according to the relevant guidelines and regulations and observational studies. The Ethics Committee of Higashiosaka City Medical Center approved the study design and protocol and waived the need for the requirement of Informed Consent because of the retrospective nature of the study.

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Serum ferritin level during hospitalization is associated with Brain ... - Nature.com

BOSTON A Rhode Island man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme to obtain and misuse COVID-19-related unemployment assistance.

Dquintz Alexander, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to three years in prison and three years of supervised release. Alexander was also ordered to pay forfeiture of $318,281. In April 2023, Alexander pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy, five counts of wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) created a temporary federal unemployment insurance program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). PUA, administered by the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance, provides unemployment insurance benefits for individuals who are not eligible for other types of unemployment benefits (e.g., the self-employed, independent contractors or gig economy workers).

From April to June 2020, Alexander conspired with his co-worker, Norman Higgs, to submit fraudulent PUA claims using stolen identifying information of other individuals. The PUA payments were directed into bank accounts controlled by Alexander and Higgs. In total, accounts controlled by Alexander and Higgs received over half a million dollars in fraudulent PUA payments. While the majority of the funds were frozen by banks or recovered through the efforts of law enforcement, Alexander and Higgs were able to use over $200,000 of the funds for their personal benefit, including to pay off credit card debt and to fund digital currency and online retail brokerage accounts. On August 2, 2023, Higgs was sentenced for his role in the scheme.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations-Labor Racketeering and Fraud made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Departments response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justices National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

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Rhode Island Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Theft and ... - Department of Justice