Category Archives: Corona Virus

There are continued concerns that California could see a resurgence of COVID-19 over the coming weeks and months.

What that might look like, and how severe it may ultimately turn out to be, remains an open question.

Officials and experts largely agree that California is unlikely to see a surge that reaches the grim heights of last winters which overloaded hospitals with COVID-19 patients and killed tens of thousands statewide largely because many residents are already vaccinated.

But a spike in cases during the winter months, when temperatures fall and a packed holiday calendar might tempt residents to travel and mingle without taking appropriate precautions, is still a real possibility.

With cases ticking up in most parts of the state, we cannot let our guard down, and we cannot underestimate this deadly virus, Dr. Toms Aragn, director of the California Department of Public Health and the states public health officer, said in a statement Monday.

Heres a breakdown of where we are.

Health officials have been warning about a potential new rise in COVID-19 cases in California as seniors who got their shots last winter and havent received a booster shot may start to see their immunity wane, leaving them exposed to greater risk for infection and hospitalization, and as people gather indoors more with cooling weather and approaching holidays.

Demand for booster shots has fallen below expectations in California. And each infected Californian is increasingly spreading the coronavirus to more people.

As of Saturday, computer models estimated that every infected Californian was spreading the virus on average to 0.96 other people. If that number rises above 1, that will set the stage for further growth of the pandemic.

Officials are hopeful that strict vaccination requirements in some of Californias most populated areas will help slow the spread of cases in the winter. In Los Angeles, a new city rule generally requiring patrons to show proof of full vaccination to enter venues such as indoor restaurants, gyms, movie theaters, and hair and nail salons went into effect Monday but wont be enforced until after Thanksgiving.

Statewide, infections and COVID-19 hospitalizations have plateaued following months of decline.

But in some areas with lower vaccination rates, hospitalizations for COVID-19 have risen significantly since mid-October: by 35% in San Bernardino County and 27% in Fresno County. Even in Orange County, where vaccination rates are relatively high, COVID-19 hospitalizations are up by 29% over the same time period.

The San Joaquin Valley is reporting the states highest rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations; for every 100,000 residents, the region has 25 people hospitalized with COVID-19, compared with 15 per 100,000 in rural Northern California, 14 in the greater Sacramento area, eight in Southern California and four in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Some experts say a rate of five or greater is concerning.

In Southern California, San Bernardino and Riverside counties are reporting the worst hospitalization rates per 100,000 residents: 15 and 10, respectively. San Diego County is at eight, Orange County seven, L.A. County six and Ventura County four.

On Nov. 8, 2020, California reported a seven-day average of 6,200 new coronavirus cases a day. One month later, the state was reporting 26,000 new cases a day. In early January, the number jumped to more than 45,000. Daily reported caseloads didnt consistently fall back below 10,000 until mid-February.

Current case rates are roughly the same as last year at this time. For the seven-day period that ended Monday, California was reporting 5,720 new coronavirus cases a day, according to data compiled by The Times.

Nearly 62% of Californians are fully vaccinated.

However, there are millions of residents statewide who have less protection against the coronavirus. Given the evidence that vaccine immunity can wane over time, officials stress that its important for everyone eligible particularly those who are at high risk of severe COVID-19 symptoms to get a booster shot.

Unvaccinated Californians continue to be disproportionately affected by the pandemic, state data show. Unvaccinated individuals are roughly seven times more likely to get COVID-19, 10 times more likely to require hospitalization and 17 times more likely to die than those who are vaccinated.

The biggest concentration of coronavirus cases has expanded from Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming and is spreading farther south, through Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona.

States with low vaccination rates, such as Wyoming, where only 44.5% of residents are fully vaccinated, are seeing among the nations highest case rates, as are several states with vaccination rates similar to Californias 61.9%, such as Colorado at 62.1%, New Mexico at 62.6% and Minnesota at 61.6%, said Dr. George Rutherford, a UC San Francisco epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert.

Even in highly vaccinated places like New Hampshire and Vermont, you can see how these northernmost tiers of counties are starting to develop outbreaks and more transmission, as is Alaska, Rutherford said recently at a UC San Francisco forum.

Thats why Colorado, New Mexico and Minnesota could be warning signs of Californias future, Rutherford said. Those three states have weekly coronavirus case rates that are triple what California is reporting now. Wyomings is more than 3 times worse than Californias.

Rutherford said that relatively speaking, L.A., Orange and Ventura counties are doing well. But he warned that San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino counties have a fairly high level of cases.

These factors all suggest that unvaccinated people should get their shots, including children ages 5 to 11 who just became eligible last week, Rutherford said.

People who have recovered from COVID-19 still need to get immunized, too. A study published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said COVID-19 survivors who remained unvaccinated were five times more likely to get a new coronavirus infection compared with fully vaccinated people who had never been infected.

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Should California worry about another winter COVID-19 surge? - Los Angeles Times

Twenty months into the pandemic, and the COVID ward at the Royal Preston Hospital is getting busy again.

Admissions have almost doubled over the past month.

So who are the patients ending up on Ward 23 - dubbed the COVID ward?

They are young and unvaccinated, but they are also beginning to be those who have not had their booster jabs.

We met Michael Croft, 73, who welled up as he described the terror of being told he needed to go to ICU.

He has had both jabs but had not booked a booster as the letter arrived the day he was admitted to hospital.

"It's frightening," Mr Croft told us. "To be really honest, I didn't realise how serious it was on ground level because until you've been in here, you don't know."

In the next bed, we met Adam McBride, 37, who was admitted three weeks ago after his breathing rapidly deteriorated.

Mr McBride, who is unvaccinated, said he had meant to book a jab but had not got around to it. He spent his 37th birthday in intensive care.

"I don't know if I was on my deathbed but I certainly felt like it," he said, before adding that if the vaccine reduces the chance of going through "what I've been through" then it needs to be taken.

Dr Mohammed Munavvar, who has been running the COVID ward at the Royal Preston since the start of the pandemic, said he knows what the virus can do - but he also knows what the vaccines can do.

He explained: "In the group of patients who deteriorate and require critical care admission, the vast majority still are unvaccinated or have received only a single dose of the vaccine."

Dr Munavvar also said he is seeing more patients who have been fully vaccinated but whose condition is much less severe and their stays shorter. That's why he says the boosters are vital.

Another problem became apparent during our visit: COVID is having a huge impact on patients with other serious respiratory illnesses, such as pneumonia or lung cancer, who need hospital treatment.

We saw a bay with six beds lying almost empty because someone had unexpectedly tested positive which meant no non-COVID patients could be allowed in.

You could hear the frustration in Dr Munavvar's voice as he said: "We're helpless. We can't do anything. Our hands are tied and we can't bring them in."

What's more, waiting times for outpatient appointments are much longer because there are over three thousand discharged COVID patients needing check-ups.

Meanwhile, the pandemic is taking a significant toll on staff.

Ward manager Rebecca Tuson told us: "You know, we've had staff who've suffered with PTSD in the trust who still aren't back at work as a result of that. They've seen some horrific, horrific deaths."

Elsewhere in the hospital there is another plea - this time from the maternity and neonatal teams, who are worried vaccination rates among pregnant women are low.

We met nurse Emma Fenwick who miscarried at the start of the pandemic but said she did not think twice when getting the vaccine. She is now 37 weeks pregnant and is due any day.

Ms Fenwick told us: "As a mum, you always want to do the right thing to protect your baby. You think, I don't want anything in my body. I don't want anything to hurt my baby.

"But when you read the right information, look at the evidence, you find out it's a lot safer and you're a lot more protected with the vaccine."

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The nurse leader for the neonatal unit, Jo Connolly, said she has seen first-hand the "heartbreaking" impact of COVID on pregnant women.

"Some of the women who get COVID are getting severe symptoms that require hospitalisation and can be at risk of having premature babies," she said.

Those new mums are also unable to be with their baby for the first few days, she added.

The hospital is under pressure and on top of COVID, there is the threat of flu in the coming weeks.

Staff remain stoic but they are worn out and worried about what this winter will bring.

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COVID-19: Patients in this coronavirus ward have almost doubled in a month. Who are the people ending up there? - Sky News

With coronavirus cases nationally plateauing at a relatively high level, experts have warned of the possibility of a winter surge for multiple reasons, including people gathering indoors because of cooler weather, holdouts refusing to get vaccines, and immunity from the shots waning.

Coronavirus outbreaks in Massachusetts have recently made headlines, including one that forced the closure of Bostons Curley K-8 School and one that hit the Essex County jail in Middleton.

The latest numbers are a reminder that its not over till its over, said Dr. Howard Koh, a former assistant US secretary of health and human services and Massachusetts public health commissioner.

These state trends are disconcerting, but not surprising, as national declines in COVID cases have stalled in recent weeks. We need to be extra vigilant and careful as the winter season approaches. We must push the states vaccination rates even higher, resist suggestions to drop mask requirements too early and eliminate disparities, Koh, who is now a professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said in an e-mail.

Dr. Sabrina Assoumou, an infectious disease physician at Boston Medical Center and an assistant professor at the Boston University School of Medicine, said, We definitely need to pay attention to the new numbers.

We sort of knew this was going to happen, as colder weather causes people to spend more time indoors which is when COVID tends to be transmitting more efficiently, she said.

We should use it as a warning sign to double down on those measures we know have worked, she said.

The best way we can address this, she said, is vaccinating as many people as possible so we can stop transmission in the community. Vaccination is still our best way out of this pandemic.

She said the recent authorization of COVID-19 vaccines for children 5 to 11, a cohort that numbers 515,000 in Massachusetts, would be a major help in combating the pandemic. We now have a new group of people who are eligible. Lets use that and lets vaccinate them. She said its also important to push up the number of teenagers 12 to 17 who have been vaccinated.

She also said, We need to decide whether this is a time to encourage more masking in indoor public spaces. Its probably time to think about that.

Other key measures to address the pandemic include improving ventilation and the use of rapid at-home testing, she said.

Society has tools to address the pandemic and these numbers are reminding us that we really need to use them as best we can, she said.

Were watching case numbers closely, as most northern states (like ours) are showing an increase. Much of this is due to cases rising rapidly in children, teens, and young adults, who both have lower rates of vaccination and are more likely to engage in activities that facilitate spread of the virus. This is especially true with colder weather bringing people indoors, said Dr. Paul Sax, clinical director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Womens Hospital.

I do think this is a real increase, and we always worry about the vulnerable populations when cases start going up, he said in an e-mail.

Massachusetts is a national leader in vaccinations and experts say that if cases rise here, the number of people who get severely ill and die will likely be lower than in other less-vaccinated places.

We are probably in one of the regions of the country which has the least cause for anxiety, said William Hanage, an epidemiology professor at Harvards Chan School.

But he said people should be sure to get their vaccinations and booster shots. The pandemic is not over. People should behave responsibly, he said.

He also warned, Its really important to note that the Delta variant will find you. Youre not going to be able to dodge Delta. What you want to do is make sure you have the best preparation.

Martin Finucane can be reached at martin.finucane@globe.com.

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The pandemic is not over: In a worrisome trend, COVID-19 cases are rising again in Mass. - The Boston Globe

People in Singapore mask up to take a mass rapid transit train on Friday. Singapore has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. As of Sunday, 85% of its population was fully vaccinated. Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

People in Singapore mask up to take a mass rapid transit train on Friday. Singapore has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. As of Sunday, 85% of its population was fully vaccinated.

Singapore's government has been covering the medical bills of COVID-19 patients throughout the pandemic. But it says unvaccinated people will soon be on their own.

Those who are "unvaccinated by choice" will have to start paying for their own COVID-19 treatment starting Dec. 8, the Ministry of Health announced on Monday, citing the strain they are putting on the nation's health care system.

"Currently, unvaccinated persons make up a sizeable majority of those who require intensive inpatient care, and disproportionately contribute to the strain on our healthcare resources," it said in a statement.

Until now, the government has been covering the cost of COVID-19 care for all Singaporeans, permanent residents and long-term pass holders, excluding those who tested positive after returning from overseas travel.

"This was to avoid financial considerations adding to public uncertainty and concern when COVID-19 was an emergent and unfamiliar disease," it explained, adding that this system will continue to apply to "the majority who are vaccinated ... until the COVID-19 situation is more stable."

The policy change means the government will start charging all unvaccinated COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals and designated "COVID-19 Treatment Facilities" on or after Dec. 8. Those patients can still use their regular health care financing arrangements to pay their bills where applicable.

There are a few exceptions. People who aren't eligible for vaccination like children under 12 and people with medical exemptions will still have their medical bills covered by the government. And people who are partially vaccinated won't be charged until Dec. 31, to give them time to complete the full series.

Specifically, starting on Jan. 1, the government will only foot the bill for those Singaporeans (including permanent residents and long-term pass holders) who are fully vaccinated and have not recently traveled.

"Our hospitals really much prefer not to have to bill these patients at all, but we have to send this important signal, to urge everyone to get vaccinated if you are eligible," Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Monday.

Singapore has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. As of Sunday, 85% of its population was fully vaccinated, and 18% had received booster shots, according to health ministry data.

The health minister credited the hard work of vaccination teams with reducing the number of unvaccinated seniors from 175,000 in early August to below 64,000.

"If not for this reduction, our hospitals and ICUs today would have been already overwhelmed," he added.

Singapore had 1,725 recorded hospitalizations as of Monday, with an intensive care unit utilization rate of 68.5%. The health ministry also looked at the difference in cases between those who are fully vaccinated and those who are partially or not at all vaccinated.

Over the last seven days, it said, the number of critically ill cases who were fully vaccinated and not fully vaccinated were at 0.5 and 5.2 per 100,000 population, respectively. Over that same period, the number of fully vaccinated and not fully vaccinated cases who died were 0.1 and 0.9 per 100,000 population, respectively. Those numbers were considerably larger for seniors.

Singapore has seen a surge in cases over the last few months and decided in October to abandon its "zero COVID strategy" in favor of learning to coexist with the virus.

Officials said on Oct. 20 that they would extend their plan for another month, with a midpoint review. Their Monday announcement about COVID-19 medical coverage also said that the growth in new cases had slowed and that certain restrictions have been eased as a result.

For example, it will allow up to five fully vaccinated people from the same household to eat together at a dining establishment and take steps to simplify travel protocols.

The government also said it would "pilot the resumption of more activities" like sports, meetings and conferences for those who are fully vaccinated, subject to additional rapid testing requirements.

Unvaccinated people are not offered those same options.

"As for individuals who do not want to take any of the vaccines, we will need to have Safe Management Measures which differentiate between the vaccinated and unvaccinated," the health ministry explained. "This is in order to protect the unvaccinated, and also to preserve our healthcare capacity."

This story originally appeared on the Morning Edition live blog.

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Singapore will stop covering the medical bills of unvaccinated COVID-19 patients - NPR

COVID testing fees to be imposed on unvaccinated college students

Unvaccinated college students will now have to pay Covid-19 testing fees at some schools.

Staff Video, USA TODAY

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Because of the Veterans Day holiday, Lane County Public Health didn't publish COVD-19-related information Thursday.

As of Tuesday, 254,996people in Lane County, 66.86% of the total population, had received first or second vaccine doses with 521,016 first and second doses administered in Lane County,according to the Oregon Health Authority.

New coronavirus infectionsare rising again in most states for the first time in two months, and deaths are rising in about half of U.S. states, a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins University data reveals.

In the week ending Wednesday, case counts were higher in 29 states than they were the week before. A month ago, cases were rising in just 12 states.

The states now reporting rising cases are primarily in the North, which had fared far better in the late summer as the delta variant clobbered the South. Vermont, an early leader in vaccinations, is now seeing record case numbers. Florida, which has suffered the most deaths of any state since July 1 22,600 now reports the lowest daily per-capita case count of any state.

The highly contagious delta variant began dominating even after highly effective, safe and free vaccines became widely available to all adults. Health officials are now encouraging booster shots and newly authorized vaccines for children.

Mike Stucka

Also in the news:

Colorado will expand hospital capacity and staffing amid a coronavirus surge in hospitalizations that could break records, Gov. Jared Polis said.

Coronavirus deaths across Europe jumped 10% in the first week of November from the previous week, while new cases rose 7%, the World Health Organization reported. Globally, deaths fell 4% while new cases edged up 1%.

A Veteran's Day parade dubbed the nation's first returned to the streets ofBirmingham, Alabama, on Thursday after 2020 was onlinebecause of the pandemic. The Veterans Administration credits Birmingham with having the first celebration to use the term Veterans Day in its title after World War II veteran Raymond Weeks organized National Veterans Day in 1947.

Stonecrest, Georgia, Mayor Jason Larypleaded not guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud and other charges related to ascheme to steal federal coronavirus relief funds. Defense lawyer Dwight Thomas, however, said Lary wont fight the charges.

Today's numbers:The U.S. has recorded more than 46 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than759,000 deaths,accordingtoJohns Hopkins Universitydata. Global totals: More than 251.5 million cases and 5 million deaths. More than 194 million Americans58% of the populationare fully vaccinated,according to theCDC.

What we're reading:If youre taking your child to get vaccinated against COVID-19 soon, experts say some approaches can make it easier.

Keep refreshing this page for the latest news. Want more?Sign up forUSA TODAY's Coronavirus Watch newsletterto receive updates directly to your inbox, andjoin ourFacebook group.

The coronavirusstruck the NFL's Minnesota Vikings this week, including a vaccinated player who was admitted to an emergency room, head coach Mike Zimmer said Wednesday.Zimmer, who said the situation was "scary," said the player was hospitalizedinstable condition. ESPNandNFL Networkreported thatthe player was offensive lineman Dakota Dozier, who was placed on the team'sreserve/COVID-19 list last Friday. The Vikings have placed several players on the league's COVID list in recent days; NFL policy does not require vaccinated players to be quarantined.

"It's serious stuff," Zimmer, who has been outspoken in urging players to get vaccinated,said Wednesday. "Like, 29 guys are getting tested because of close contact, including myself."

Analis Bailey

Universities that adopted COVID-19 vaccine mandates this fall have seen widespread compliance even though many schools made it easy to get out of the shots by granting exemptions to nearly any student who requested one.Facing pockets of resistance and scattered lawsuits, colleges have tread carefully as forcing students to get the vaccine when they have a religious or medical objection could put schools into tricky legal territory. For some, there are added concerns that taking a hard line could lead to a drop in enrollment.

Still, universities with mandates report much higher vaccination rates than communities around them, even in places with high vaccine hesitancy. Most of the nations largest public universities arent seeing large numbers of student exemption requests, according to an analysis by The Associated Press. At the same time, those colleges have approved the vast majority in some cases all of the requests.

At Virginia Tech University, where 95% of students are now vaccinated, the school granted all of the 1,600 exemption requests from students as long as they agreed to weekly testing.

A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Gov. Greg Abbott'sexecutive orderthat bansschools from imposing mask mandates cannot be enforced because it violates federal law by putting students with disabilities at greater risk.U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel also blocked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton frombringing legal action against school districts that require students, teachers and staff to wear face coverings as a pandemic safety measure.The evidence, Yeakel wrote, shows that wearing masks can decrease the risk of spreading COVID-19a particularly useful strategy for children with disabilities who can be at higher risk of contracting respiratory disease and from suffering more severe symptoms.

"Because GA-38 precludes mask requirements in schools, (students with disabilities) are either forced out of in-person learning altogether or must take on unnecessarily greater health and safety risks than their nondisabled peers," Yeakel wrote.

Tom Melsheimer, a Dallas lawyer who represented the students and their families, praised the ruling.

"Going forward, school districts all over the state will be free to follow sound medical science and common sense to protect the most vulnerable among us. Who can reasonably object to such a result?"Melsheimer said.

Chuck Lindell, Austin American-Statesman

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Lane County COVID-19 update, Nov. 11: New infections on the rise in most states - The Register-Guard

An obstetrician gynecologist and a biochemist at the Miller School of Medicine have devised a new therapeutic to stop COVID-19 from overpowering patients who are struggling to survive.

Two University of Miami researchers have uncovered a novel treatment that could stop COVID-19 in its tracks and help those suffering from the disease to recover.

A therapeutic called Spikenet, created by Miller School of Medicine obstetrician gynecologist Dr. Michael Paidas and assistant research professor Arumugam Jayakumar, works by blocking the novel coronavirus from entering cells in the body, where it typically replicates and spreads.

Even with more vaccines available, the cases and death rates of COVID-19 have still skyrocketed, and new variants continue to emerge. So, the vaccine and treatments we have now are not enough, said Paidas, a maternal fetal specialist who chairs the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences. Doctors need some other options when a patient already has COVID-19, and we are desperate for this sort of therapeutic.

Early in the pandemic, Paidas and Jayakumar were interested in finding a way to stop the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, from affecting pregnant women. They began by using advanced computer imaging to model how the virus enters the body and focused on how the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein attaches to the outside of each human cell in a process called binding.

Soon after, Paidas recalled an experience working with another virus, which helped him realize that it could be possible to prevent the entire binding process from starting. More specifically, the researchers saw that they might be able to create a small peptideor a string of amino acidsthat would attach to the spike protein protruding from the virus outer membrane. This peptide could then effectively create a net to blanket the spike protein, thwarting the SARS-CoV-2 virus from ever entering human cells. Because of this visual, they named the therapeutic, Spikenet.

When we saw the spike proteins structure, we realized that we could create a small protein to exquisitely bind to it, said Jayakumar, an experienced biochemist and neuroscientist.

Our thought was if you can stop the spike protein from binding, its like preventing the key from going into the lock, so you cant open the door. And if we could prevent the virus from entering the cells, the ball game would be over, Paidas added.

Within weeks, the pair crafted a peptide recipe that they believed would attach to the spike protein like superglue to prevent the virus from binding and entering human cells. They then utilized an animal model of a virus that mirrors SARS-CoV-2which Paidas and Jayakumar also developedand treated some of the infected rodents with Spikenet. They gave just three doses of Spikenet to the animals, over a period of six days. But the results were promising80 percent of the rodents that received Spikenet survived their bout of COVID-19.

At a clinical level, whats really important is treatment of COVID-19 during the first few days when you get sick. Because if you dont turn the corner right away, its a downward spiral and its often hard to recover, Paidas said. Yet in our first animal model, we saw significant survivorship early on.

Then, Paidas and Jayakumar went a step further. They sent Spikenet to Northern Arizona University, which has a Biosafety Level 3 laboratory, something that is unavailable in Florida. There, the peptide was given as a treatment to mice infected with live SARS-CoV-2 virus. The health of most of the 20 mice who received Spikenet improved significantly. They are still analyzing the data but are elated by the initial results.

Along with survival rates, the duo discovered other benefits of Spikenet. For example, it reduces inflammation and oxidative stress levels in rodents who received the treatment. In addition, Paidas said they looked at the rodents water channelsor aquaporins, which regulate water in the bodyand noted that these also improved with the Spikenet treatment. These are major hurdles for patients suffering with severe COVID-19, whose lungs often fill up with fluid, Paidas pointed out.

In addition, Spikenet could offer production advantages, according to the researchers. While the most common treatments for COVID-19 available today are dexamethasone, a common steroid; Remdesivir, an antiviral limited to hospitalized patients; and Regeneron, a combination of two different monoclonal antibodies that must be infused in a patient shortly after the onset of COVID-19, Spikenet may be easier to mass produce because it can be created quickly in a lab. It can also be modified for variants. Paidas and Jayakumar anticipate that Spikenet would be an injectable treatment but explained that it could potentially take other forms in the futurelike Mercks new COVID-19 pill, molnupiravir, an investigational drug given orally, or Pfizers new oral drug, Paxlovid.

We are talking about a small peptide thats easy to make, and it has all these other positive effects that are important for treating this disease and possibly others, Paidas said.

And while the project began as a way to simply help patients, the journey to create a solution for those who are infected with COVID-19 has become personal. Not only did Paidas lose his father to COVID-19, along with a beloved University obstetrician gynecologist in his department, Jayakumar has lost eight relatives to the illness.

We will develop Spikenet for everyone, but I especially want a treatment for pregnant moms, Paidas said. We hope that this will be one part of the armamentarium to treat this disease.

In the meantime, Paidas acknowledged that the duo is working on starting some dosing studies with animals and publishing a paper about their work with Spikenet. He hopes that they can quickly find a private company to help them begin testing Spikenet in humans battling COVID-19.

We have such a positive signal that we are meeting with pharmaceutical companies to make sure we have the most expeditious route to humans, and we hope to be in clinical trials in a range of months, Paidas said.

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Researchers develop a 'net' to prevent the coronavirus from entering cells - University of Miami

by: ECU News Services, Emily Cervarich

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) Researchers at East Carolina Universitys Brody School of Medicine have found a new way to detect the virus that causes COVID-19 by testing the air passing through building ventilation systems.

The study could lead to earlier detection of the virus, improved quarantine protocols, reduced transmission and fewer outbreaks.

Two people spearheaded the effort. Dr. Sinan Sousan is an assistant professor in Brodys Department of Public Health and Research Faculty at North Carolina Agromedicine Institute who is also an expert of environmental and occupational airborne exposure. Dr. Rachel Roper is a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology with an extensive background studying coronaviruses. Together, they have been working to learn whether SARS-CoV-2 could be detected through the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in student dorms.

The team collected a total of 248 air samples from two large student dormitories as well as an isolation suite housing COVID-positive students during the 2021 spring semester.

Roper and Sousan recently published their findings in The American Journal of Infection Control, representing a possible quantum leap when it comes to early detection of COVID-19 before an individual even tests positive.

The challenge was to collect enough virus and have it concentrated enough. And also to keep it intact until we got it into the lab because we couldnt detect the RNA if it was already degraded and then we had to extract it enough in a compatible way so it would work in the PCR. So we were really excited we were able to get it to work, Roper said.

The professors told 9OYS there is still further research to be done to better utilize this study on larger scales. They believe their findings could be used in hotels, prisons, dorms and other larger buildings for surveillance to test for COVID and other air spread viruses.

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East Carolina University researchers discover new way to detect coronavirus through building ventilation systems - WAVY.com

The number of active cases in North Dakota has been slowly increasing throughout the week.

Cass County, which encompasses Fargo, had the most known active cases on Wednesday with 886 cases. Burleigh County, which includes Bismarck, had 533 active cases, and Ward County, which includes Minot, had 362.

The state's 14-day rolling average positivity rate was 7.05% as of Wednesday, Nov. 10.

Three children under 12 years of age were hospitalized due to COVID-19 as of Thursday.

As of Wednesday, there were seven available staffed ICU beds statewide, according to a Department of Health database.

Thursday's two additional COVID-19 deaths reported were residents of Williams and Burleigh County.

FIRST DOSE ADMINISTERED: 383,590 (57.4% of population ages 12 and up)

FULL VACCINE COVERAGE*: 360,823 (54% of population ages 12 and up)

North Dakota has administered more than 80,000 third doses of COVID-19 vaccine, the majority of which are booster doses.

The North Dakota Department of Health reports the state's vaccination rate for all residents eligible, which includes now children ages 5 to 11. The one dose vaccination rate for all North Dakotans above 5 years old is 51.5%, which is lower than the state's 12 and up rate because few children have been vaccinated so far.

Nearly 3% of the more than 82,000 children ages 5 to 11 have received their first dose of the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine since it became available last week.

The Department of Health encourages individuals to get information about vaccines at http://www.health.nd.gov/covidvaccinelocator.

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

Readers can reach reporter Michelle Griffith, a Report for America corps member, at mgriffith@forumcomm.com.

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North Dakota reports an increase in active COVID-19 cases and 2 additional deaths - Grand Forks Herald

(WXYZ) With kids back and school and cold & flu season setting in, there's a lot going around, and parents know it.

Related: State expecting a rise in RSV cases among kids; here's what to look out for & how to stay safe

What, what's going around is changing from community to community and also changes as we move through the year.

At Shelby Pediatrics in Shelby Township, they say Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and the common cold are two of the three issues bugging kids in Macomb County. RSV is a common childhood ailment. Most kids have had it by the age of two, but it can send children to the hospital.

The third issue bugging kids is an uptick in COVID-19, which they say may be tied to Halloween activities.

At Bloom Pediatrics in Birmingham, they're also seeing an uptick in RSV and COVID-19.

We're also seeing a lot of Coxsackievirus A-16, commonly known as hand, foot and mouth disease," Dr. Anna Groebe from Bloom Pediatrics said.

Groebe says hand, foot and mouth is a common virus that spreads easily from child to child through surfaces and respiratory droplets.

Symptoms include fever and other flu-like symptoms, three to six days after a child catches the virus.

"It does present with often low-grade fevers and headache, meaning the child's tire just doesn't feel good. Very commonly sore throat," she said.

That may start one or two days after the fever begins, along with painful mouth sores. These sores usually start as small red spots, often in the back of their mouth, that blister and can become painful.

Then there is the namesake rash that can appear anywhere on the body, including the palm of the hands and the soles of the feet.

"Some of the smaller children will refuse to bear weight on their feet, or if they're of crawling age, they won't want to crawl because their hands are painful," Groebe said.

The good news is that hand, foot and mouth usually goes away on its own and the rash only lasts a couple of days. It rarely leave scars.

Fluid in the blister and the resulting scab that forms as the blister heals may contain the virus that causes hand, foot, and mouth disease. Keep blisters or scabs clean and avoid touching them.

We also checked in with Universal Pediatrics in Midtown Detroit. They're also seeing a lot of common cold symptoms, RSV and a lot of hand, foot and mouth.

Again, the disease usually goes away on its own, but you'll want to see your healthcare provider if your child is not drinking enough to stay hydrated, their fever lasts longer than 3 days, your child has a weakened immune system, or your child is very young, especially younger than 6 months

Otherwise, just try to make sure your child is as comfortable as possible.

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RSV, COVID-19 & hand, foot, and mouth disease: Here's what local pediatricians say is going around - WXYZ

Questions, answers and commentsWhy is it that in Ipswich I am seeing people in shops, both customers and staff) without masks? Have the rules changed?

-Nigel

Morning Nigel! Basically, yes. Now that Queensland has hit 80 per cent first-dose vaccinations, the government's mask mandate is over. You're advised to still wear masks in places where you can't social distance, and they're mandatory in airports and on planes, but it means you can go to the supermarket, cafe or gym and not worry about wearing one.

-Chris

Good morning, Chris! Well, the US and Israel are now jumping on board that particular train, so barring any surprising results, it's likely a matter of time. Pfizer has submitted a partial application to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), whichwill review all the information and make a decision about whether to approve the vaccine for use in this age group.

Barring any issues, TGA head John Skerritt expects a decision will be made by the end of November, and ATAGIwill then advise the government on the timing of the rollout.

-Teresa H

Lovely.

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COVID live updates: All the COVID-19 news you need to know in the one spot - ABC News