Category Archives: Corona Virus

DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) Scientists fully believe that there will be another virus that threatens the health of everyone on Earth, just as COVID-19 has. Whats different today is that people will not be sitting idly by waiting for it to happen.

What we did not learn from the original SARS epidemic in 2003 and the other coronavirus epidemic called MERS in 2011, 2012 was that we should have gone on as a field and developed vaccines and put them on the shelf so that if theres another coronavirus epidemic, like with COVID, we would be prepared, said Dr. Barton Haynes, the director of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute.

In May, DHVI announced it had developed a vaccine that can combat future SARS-related viruses.

It is also active against a number of animal viruses that have the capacity, we believe, maybe in the future, to jump to humans and cause an outbreak, Haynes said.

Now, with help of a $17.5 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, they are moving on to the next generation of pan-coronavirus vaccines that can even potentially help fight the common cold.

But, how can these vaccines be effective if it isnt known what the next virus is? Haynes said to look at it like plug-and-play.

Where one can swap in different pieces of different coronaviruses and adapt it as the need arises.

The team is also comprised of Ralph Baric, Ph.D., professor in the departments of epidemiology, microbiology, and immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Bette Korber, Ph.D., of the Los Alamos National Laboratory; Drew Weissman, M.D., Ph.D., professor in vaccine research at the University of Pennsylvania; and a co-creator of the mRNA vaccine technology used in current COVID-19 vaccines and Sampa Santra, Ph.D., of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

DHVI has also received large federal contracts or grants to research, develop and test vaccines for HIV and influenza.

Continue reading here:

Scientists believe another pandemic will come. Theyre not waiting idly for it to happen - WNCT

A laboratory technician uses a pipette device to process samples to test for the novel coronavirus Covid-19, at Biogroup Laboratory's lab in west London on January 21, 2021.

JUSTIN TALLIS | AFP | Getty Images

LONDON A newly-discovered mutation of the delta variant is being investigated in the U.K. amid worries that it could make the virus even more transmissible and undermine Covid-19 vaccines further.

Still, there are many unknowns surrounding this descendent or subtype of the delta variant formally known as AY.4.2 which some are dubbing the new "delta plus" variant.

U.K. government health officials have said it's too early to tell whether the mutation poses a greater risk to public health than the delta variant, which itself is significantly more infectious than the original Covid-19 strain (and its successor, the alpha variant).

But they have stated that they are monitoring the mutation very closely: it now accounts for 6% of U.K. Covid cases that have been genetically sequenced at a time when infections in the country are rising rapidly.

Here's what we know, and don't know, about the variant:

Viruses constantly mutate and the coronavirus that emerged in China in late 2019 has gone through multiple minor variations that have made it virus more infectious and effective at spreading. This was first seen with the alpha variant (first sequenced in the U.K.) that went on to spread globally before it was usurped by the even more transmissible delta variant that was first discovered in India.

Delta, which was dubbed a "variant of concern" by the World Health Organization in May, remains globally dominant.

But last Friday,the U.K.'s Health Security Agency issued a report in which it said "a delta sublineage newly designated as AY.4.2 is noted to be expanding in England." The agency said it was monitoring the subtype, which includes mutations to the spike protein (A222V and Y145H) that the coronavirus uses to enter our cells.

AY.4.2 is being identified in an increasing number of U.K. Covid cases, with some suggesting it could be a factor in the country's growing health crisis that has prompted some doctors to call for Covid restrictions to be reimposed.

Read more: UK doctors call for urgent return of Covid restrictions as experts monitor new mutation

"This sublineage is currently increasing in frequency," the U.K.'s Health Security Agency said last week, noting that "in the week beginning 27 September 2021 (the last week with complete sequencing data), this sublineage accounted for approximately 6% of all sequences generated, on an increasing trajectory. This estimate may be imprecise ... Further assessment is underway."

Read more: The UK has one of the highest Covid infection rates in the world right now: Heres why

The U.K. is currently seeing a prolonged and worrying spike in Covid cases, reporting between 40,000-50,000 new infections per day in the last week, prompting experts to question why the U.K. is so vulnerable to Covid right now.

The delta subtype is reported to be 10-15% more transmissiblethan the standard delta variant, but it is too early to say for certain whether it has been causing a spike in cases in the U.K.

It's worth remembering that although AY.4.2 is being monitored, it has not been classified as a "variant under investigation" or a "variant of concern" by the WHO that is, it has not been identified as having genetic changes that are expected to affect virus characteristics such as transmissibility, disease severity, immune escape, diagnostic or therapeutic escape.

It also has not been confirmed that it causes significant community transmission or multiple Covid-19 clusters.

Still, that status could change following further monitoring and if it continues to be sequenced in an increasing number of cases.

A wife adjusts her husband's mask before entering a shop in Hampshire, England, UK

Peter Titmuss | Collection Mix: Subjects | Getty Images

Finding a potentially more transmissible variant matters because it could cause more Covid cases among the unvaccinated.

A large part of the world remains unvaccinated (only2.8%of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, according to Our World in Data) while developed countries are seeing more and more "breakthrough" cases as immunity to Covid wanes around six months after being fully vaccinated.

A more infectious variant could undermine vaccine efficacy even further, although there is no indicated that is the case yet with the AY.4.2 subtype.

Health officials are remaining calm about the delta subtype, for now, noting that it's crucial to keep an eye on the mutation but not to panic.

Commenting on "delta plus" on Wednesday, U.S. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky noted that "in particular the AY.4.2 variant has drawn some attention in recent days." She added that: "we have, on occasion, identified this sub lineage here in the United States, but not with recent increase frequency or clustering, to date."

As well as the U.S., Israel said it had confirmed a case of the AY.4.2 variant in an 11 year-old boy entering the country at Ben Gurion airport. On Thursday, Russia also said it had registered some isolated cases of the AY.4.2 variant. It's unknown to what extent, if any, the subtype has been found in mainland Europe.

The U.K. prime minister's official spokesman called for calm on Tuesday, tellingSky Newsthat "[AY.4.2] is something we're keeping a very close eye on," but stressing that there was currently no evidence to suggest that this variant is more easily spread.

"There's no evidence for that, but as you would expect, we're monitoring it closely and won't hesitate to take action if necessary," he added.

U.K. government officials are very reluctant to reimpose Covid restrictions, despite calls from health professionals to do so as British hospitals face being overwhelmed by demand as winter approaches.

Health care workers transport a patient at the Royal London Hospital, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in London, Britain, January 26, 2021.

Hannah McKay | Reuters

Andrew Pollard, head of the Oxford Vaccine Group, which helped to developed the AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine, said on Wednesday that the delta subvariant won't change Covid picture.

"Discovery of new variants is of course important to monitor, but it doesn't indicate that that new variant is going to be the next one to replace delta," Pollard told BBC radio, Reuters reported.

"Indeed even if it does, delta is incredibly good at transmitting in a vaccinated population and a new one may be a bit better but it's unlikely to change the picture dramatically from where we are today."

Meanwhile, professor of immunology at Imperial College London, Danny Altmann, told CNBC Monday that the subtype "needs to be monitored and, so far as possible, carefully controlled."

"Because delta has now been the dominant mutant in several regions for some six months and not been displaced by any other variants, the hope has been that delta perhaps represented [the] peak mutation performance achievable by the virus. AY.4 may be starting to raise doubts about this assertion," he warned.

Go here to read the rest:

The delta variant has a mutation that's worrying experts: Here's what we know so far - CNBC

The man who spearheaded Australia's post-COVID-19 economic task force has been charged with breaching Western Australia's coronavirusborder restrictions during a private helicopter flight from Queensland.

Police alleged NevillePower and a 36-year-old manfailed to complete G2G passes before flying into WA on October 9.

Mr Power, 63, was the head of the National COVID-19 Commission Advisory Board and isthe former chief executive of Fortescue Metals Group.

He is the current chairman of Perth Airport and the Royal Flying Doctor's Service.

Police alleged that Mr Power and the other man left Queensland on September 8 and flew in the helicopter to Exmouth.

They say the helicopter stopped to refuel in Carnarvon and Geraldton before arriving at Perth's Jandakot Airport on October 9.

The Breach Investigation Team interviewed the men the following day.

They were directed to self-quarantine for 14 days and returned negative COVID-19 test results.

Mr Power and the 36-year-old man, from Henley Brook, were each charged with three counts of failing to comply with a direction.

The company that owns the helicopter is facing the same charge.

The two men are due to appear in the Perth Magistrates Court on November 15.

The maximum penalty for failing to comply with a direction under WA's Emergency management Act is imprisonment for 12 months or a fine of $50,000.

Loading form...

Original post:

Former COVID-19 advisor Neville Power charged with breaching Western Australia's coronavirus restrictions - ABC News

It looks like all of those COVID-19 memes helped us cope with our lives in a pandemic, according to a new study.

Researchers from Pennsylvania State University and the University of California, Santa Barbara, recently studied the impact of memes on how we dealt with the pandemic.

The study which was published in the Psychology of Popular Media journal found that those who viewed memes had higher levels of humor and positive feelings during the pandemic.

Per a news release, the study surveyed 748 people online in December 2020. The respondents ranged from 18 to 88 years old, with an average age of 41.8, and were mostly white (72.2%), female (54.7%) and without a college degree (63.5%).

Each of the respondents was shown some memes about the pandemic. They were asked to rate the memes on cuteness, hilarity and how emotional they made respondents feel.

They were also asked to explain what the memes made them think about COVID-19.

Those who looked at memes about the pandemic felt less stress than those who did not view the pandemic memes, according to the studys news release,

They also felt more capable of coping with the COVID-19 crisis and were better at processing information, NPR wrote about the study. And they were also less likely to be stressed about the pandemic than those who didnt view memes related to COVID-19 at all.

The researchers said the study indicates that memes can help us deal with overly stressful situations and cope with ongoing problems.

We found that viewing just three memes can help people cope with the stress of living during a global pandemic, said lead author Jessica Gall Myrick, a professor at Pennsylvania State University, per the news release.

She added, This suggests that not all media are uniformly bad for mental health and people should stop and take stock of what type of media they are consuming. If we are all more conscious of how our behaviors, including time spent scrolling, affect our emotional states, then we will better be able to use social media to help us when we need it and to take a break from it when we need that instead.

Read more:

COVID memes: Did they help us in the coronavirus pandemic? - Deseret News

A Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster trial released last Thursday revealed some pretty spectacular data: It had a relative vaccine efficacy of 95.6% against the disease when compared with those who did not receive a booster during the period when the highly contagious Delta variant has been the prevalent strain.

In Israel, where nearly 3.9 million people have gotten the third shot, cases have declined from an average of more than 6,500 a day in September to around 1,600 in October.

The Pfizer trial shows that the booster shot will increase this groups protection against infection by 20 times, said Eran Segal, a computational biologist at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot who has been advising the government. Yes, three shots versus two means 20 times more protection.

Moreover, in most countries, including the United States, if boosters are approved at all, they are only available to limited parts of the population, such as the elderly or people at the highest risk for contracting the virus or developing severe disease.

So if COVID boosters are so effective, why isnt everyone getting one?

The Pfizer trial included more than 10,000 participants over the age of 16, divided into two groups: third shot and placebo. The median time between the second and third dose was 11 months. Within an average of 2.5 months after receiving the booster, only five people developed symptomatic COVID-19. Some 109 people who did not receive the booster got COVID.

We believe boosters have a critical role to play in addressing the ongoing public health threat of this pandemic, said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla. We look forward to sharing these data with health authorities and working together to determine how they can be used to support the rollout of booster doses around the world.

BUT HEBREW University of Jerusalem epidemiologist and public health physician Prof. Hagai Levine said Israel should not be so quick to push its magic bullet solution on other countries, which need to make the right decisions for themselves based on both culture and their epidemiological situation.

I would not copy and paste our experience in other countries, he said, adding that Israel should be humbler. The pandemic fluctuates. This wave is decreasing in other countries without the booster shot. Giving the booster to everyone is not necessarily key.

The devil is in the details, explained Prof. Nadav Davidovitch, director of Ben-Gurion University of the Negevs School of Public Health and head of the Israeli Association of Public Health Physicians.

While Israel managed to inoculate 6.2 million Israelis with at least one dose of the vaccine, many other countries are still struggling to administer the first shot. In some places, even where vaccines are readily available, there could be fragmented healthcare systems, which means there is an uneven distribution that might need to be rectified before third shots can be considered.

Also, Israel vaccinated people much earlier than some other countries, which means it was the first to have data showing that the vaccines begin to wane between four and six months after the second shot data that has now been replicated in other countries, including the US.

In Israel, we have the unique situation: that a very large proportion of the population was vaccinated at the same time, so the impact of waning also comes at the same time, making the need for the booster shot much stronger, Levine said.

In other countries, vaccine campaigns took longer and therefore waning across the community will also take more time.

FINALLY, there is still an issue of side effects, Davidovitch said. Although preliminary studies show the side effects of the booster are quite rare and generally not worse than the second dose, there is not necessarily enough data to be sure yet, and therefore this could also serve as a barrier to mass booster shots in some countries, he said.

Levine said while the Israeli Association of Public Health Physicians did not oppose allowing the booster shot for everyone in Israel when the decision was made, there was not necessarily proof that it was needed for everyone.

Israel was in a rush to get the booster shots started as the infection rate rose, he said. As such, the country did not use serological tests as a consideration before administering the booster to make a more informed decision about which parts of the population might need the third shot more than others.

If countries have more time and their epidemiological situation is different, they may consider using serological testing as a tool, Levine said. They may also be able to have a more tailored approach to the booster shot.

For example, while the vulnerable population the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions clearly requires a booster, he said, younger, healthier people may not need the shot.

How many people died in Israel from COVID-19 who are young, healthy and received two Pfizer doses? Levine asked. Very, very few.

The need to give a booster shot to people under 18 has not been proven yet, which is why the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency are waiting for more data, he said.

My take is that if you do not need [the booster], wait, said Prof. Cyrille Cohen, head of the immunology lab at Bar-Ilan University.

He admitted that boosters are a little bit of a game of chicken and egg. If a country needs it, it should start administering the booster. But if not, it should wait until it is necessary so that it can buy itself more time. After all, there is no indication of how long the third dose will last.

In the United Kingdom, for example, with Delta mutation AY4.2, no restrictions and early vaccination, it seems the booster should have been rolled out earlier.

They waited too long, Cohen said.

Will all countries eventually need the shot?

It is likely, Davidovitch said.

I am confident that each country that does not give the booster is going to see a resurgence of cases, he concluded.

See the original post:

If COVID boosters are so effective, why isnt everyone getting one? - The Jerusalem Post

For Immediate Release: October 20, 2021

Espaol

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took action to expand the use of a booster dose for COVID-19 vaccines in eligible populations. The agency is amending the emergency use authorizations (EUA) for COVID-19 vaccines to allow for the use of a single booster dose as follows:

Todays actions demonstrate our commitment to public health in proactively fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. As the pandemic continues to impact the country, science has shown that vaccination continues to be the safest and most effective way to prevent COVID-19, including the most serious consequences of the disease, such as hospitalization and death. The available data suggest waning immunity in some populations who are fully vaccinated. The availability of these authorized boosters is important for continued protection against COVID-19 disease.

The amendments to the emergency use authorizations to include a single booster dose in eligible populations are based on the available data and information and follows the input from the members of our advisory committee who were supportive of the use of a booster dose of these vaccines in eligible populations, said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDAs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. We are also taking action today to include the use of mix and match boosters to address this public health need. We will work to accrue additional data as quickly as possible to further assess the benefits and risks of the use of booster doses in additional populations and plan to update the healthcare community and public with our determination in the coming weeks.

Authorization of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Dose

To support the authorization for emergency use of a single booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, the FDA analyzed immune response data from 149 participants 18 years of age and older from the original clinical studies who received a booster dose at least 6 months after their second dose and compared it to the immune responses of 1,055 study participants after completing their two-dose series. The antibody response of the 149 participants against SARS-CoV-2 virus 29 days after a booster dose of the vaccine demonstrated a booster response.

The FDA also evaluated an additional analysis from Moderna comparing the rates of COVID-19 accrued during the Delta variant surge during July and August 2021, which suggest that there is a waning of vaccine effectiveness over time.

Safety was evaluated in 171 participants 18 years of age and older who were followed for an average of approximately six months. The most commonly reported side effects by the clinical trial participants who received the booster dose of the vaccine were pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle and/or joint pain, chills, swollen lymph nodes in same arm as the injection, nausea and vomiting, and fever. Of note, swollen lymph nodes in the underarm were observed more frequently following the booster dose than after the primary two-dose series.

Ongoing analyses from the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) safety surveillance systems have identified increased risks of inflammatory heart conditions, myocarditis and pericarditis, following vaccination with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, particularly following the second dose. Typically, onset of symptoms has been a few days following vaccination. The observed risk is higher among males under 40 years of age, particularly males 18 through 24, than among females and older males.

The Moderna COVID-19 single booster dose is half of the dose that is administered for a primary series dose and is administered at least six months after completion of a primary series of the vaccine.

Authorization of Janssen (Johnson and Johnson) COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Dose

The authorization for emergency use of a single booster dose of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine is based on the FDAs evaluation of immune response data in 39 participants from a clinical trial including 24 participants who were 18 through 55 years of age and 15 participants who were 65 years of age and older. The study participants received a booster dose approximately 2 months after their first dose, and the results demonstrated a booster response.

Overall, approximately 9,000 clinical trial participants have received two doses of Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine administered at least two months apart and of these, approximately 2,700 have had at least two months of safety follow-up after the booster dose. Janssens safety analyses from these studies have not identified new safety concerns.

Earlier analyses from the FDA and CDC safety surveillance systems suggest an increased risk of a serious and rare type of blood clot in combination with low blood platelets following administration of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. This serious condition is called thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). People who developed TTS after receiving the vaccine had symptoms that began about one to two weeks after vaccination. Reporting of TTS has been highest in females ages 18 through 49 years. In addition, safety surveillance suggests an increased risk of a specific serious neurological disorder called Guillain Barr syndrome, within 42 days following receipt of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine.

Authorization of Mix and Match Booster Dose

Today, the FDA is also authorizing the use of heterologous (or mix and match) booster dose for currently available (i.e., FDA-authorized or approved) COVID-19 vaccines. Following a presentation of clinical trial data from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committees discussion of information submitted for consideration, along with the agencys evaluation of the available data, the FDA has determined that the known and potential benefits of the use of a single heterologous booster dose outweigh the known and potential risks of their use in eligible populations.

A single booster dose of any of the available COVID-19 vaccines may be administered as a heterologous booster dose following completion of primary vaccination with a different available COVID-19 vaccine. The eligible population(s) and dosing interval for a heterologous booster dose are the same as those authorized for a booster dose of the vaccine used for primary vaccination.

For example, Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine recipients 18 years of age and older may receive a single booster dose of Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine, Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (half dose) or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine at least two months after receiving their Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine primary vaccination.

In another example, Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine recipients falling into one of the authorized categories for boosters (65 years of age and older, 18 through 64 years of age at high-risk of severe COVID-19, and 18 through 64 years of age with frequent institutional or occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2) may receive a booster dose of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (half dose), Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine at least six months after completing their primary vaccination.

The agency recognizes that health care providers and COVID-19 vaccine recipients will have questions about booster doses. The individual fact sheets for each available vaccine provide relevant information for health care providers and the vaccine recipients. The agency encourages health care providers to also follow the recommendations that will be provided by the CDC following a meeting of their Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and formal recommendations signed by the CDC director.

###

Boilerplate

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nations food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

Visit link:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Takes Additional Actions on the Use of a Booster Dose for COVID-19 Vaccines - FDA.gov

by: CHRISTINA LARSON, Associated Press

Will new variants of the coronavirus keep emerging? (AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin)

WASHINGTON (AP) Can new variants of the coronavirus keep emerging?

Yes, as long as the virus that caused the pandemic keeps infecting people. But that doesnt mean new variants will keep emerging as regularly, or that theyll be more dangerous.

With more than half the world still not vaccinated, the virus will likely keep finding people to infect and replicating inside them for several months or years to come. And each time a virus makes a copy of itself, a small mutation could occur. Those changes could help the virus survive, becoming new variants.

But that doesnt mean the virus will keep evolving in the same way since it emerged in late 2019.

When a virus infects a new species, it needs to adapt to the new host to spread more widely, says Andrew Read, a virus expert at Pennsylvania State University.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the delta variant is twice as contagious as earlier versions of the virus. And while it could still mutate to become more infectious, it probably wont double its transmission rate again, says Dr. Adam Lauring, a virus and infectious disease expert at the University of Michigan.

Weve seen a stage of rapid evolution for the virus. Its been harvesting the low-hanging fruit, but theres not an infinite number of things it can do, Lauring says.

Its possible that the virus could become more deadly, but there isnt an evolutionary reason for that to happen. Extremely sick people are also less likely to socialize and spread the virus to others.

Experts are watching to see whether emerging variants could be better at evading the protection people develop from vaccination and infections. As more people get the shots, the virus would have to be able to spread through people who have some immunity for it to survive, says Dr. Joshua Schiffer, a virus expert at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

The virus could take on a mutation that makes the immune response less effective, he says.

If that happens, scientists may recommend that vaccine formulas be updated periodically, just as annual flu shots are.

___

The AP is answering your questions about the coronavirus in this series. Submit them at: FactCheck@AP.org. Read more here:

Is the delta variant of the coronavirus worse for kids?

Do the COVID-19 vaccines affect my chances of pregnancy?

Am I fully vaccinated without a COVID-19 vaccine booster?

See the article here:

Can new variants of the coronavirus keep emerging? - KRQE News 13

The public health and economic effects of the pandemic continue to affect the well-being of many Americans. The American Rescue Plan included funding not only to address the public health crisis of the pandemic, but also to provide economic support to many low-income people struggling to make ends meet. Millions have lost jobs or income since the start of the pandemic, making it difficult to pay expenses including basic needs like food and housing. These challenges will ultimately affect peoples health and well-being, as they influence social determinants of health. This brief provides an overview of social determinants of health and a look at how adults are faring across an array of measures as of September 2021 when a portion of the population remained unvaccinated, and hospitalizations and deaths due to the delta variant are surging in some areas even as they wane in others.

Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. They include factors like socioeconomic status, education, neighborhood and physical environment, employment, and social support networks, as well as access to health care (Figure 1).

Though health care is essential to health, research shows that health outcomes are driven by an array of factors, including underlying genetics, health behaviors, social and environmental factors, and financial distress and all of its implications. While there is currently no consensus in the research on the magnitude of the relative contributions of each of these factors to health, studies suggest that health behaviors and social and economic factors are the primary drivers of health outcomes, and social and economic factors can shape individuals health behaviors. There is extensive research that concludes that addressing social determinants of health is important for improving health outcomes and reducing health disparities. Prior to the pandemic there were a variety of initiatives to address social determinants of health both in health and non-health sectors. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated already existing health disparities for a broad range of populations, but specifically for people of color.

Across a wide range of metrics, large shares of people are experiencing hardship. The Census Bureaus Household Pulse Survey was designed to quickly and efficiently collect and compile data about how peoples lives have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. For this analysis we looked at a range of measures over the course of the pandemic. Unfortunately, the Household Pulse Survey does not provide pre-pandemic measures for comparison. While we have tracked data over time and there have been fluctuations at various points since March 2020, patterns of hardship remain largely consistent, and changes in measures do not necessarily follow economic indicators or pandemic trends. Data for the most recent period, September 1 September 13, show that (Figure 2):

Black and Hispanic adults fare worse than White adults across nearly all measures, with large differences in some measures. In September 2021, nearly seven in ten of Black and Hispanic adults (66.4% and 69.2%, respectively) reported difficulty paying household expenditures compared to 43.6% of White adults; 12.9% of Black adults and 10.6% of Hispanic adults reported no confidence in their ability to make next months housing payment compared to 4.1% of White adults; and 14.9% of Black adults and 14.2% of Hispanic adults reported food insufficiency in the household compared to 6.3% of White adults. Furthermore, around a quarter of Black and Hispanic adults reported living in a household that experienced a loss of employment income in the last four weeks (24.9% and 27.2%, respectively) compared to 13.1% of White adults.

While variation across age and gender was not as stark, younger adults (ages 18 to 44) fared worse on many measures compared to older adults. For example, higher shares of younger adults reported symptoms of anxiety and depression as well as difficulty paying for usual household expenses. In addition, higher shares of women reported symptoms of depression or anxiety and difficulty paying usual household expenses in the past seven days compared to men.

Across most measures, adults with children in their household fared worse compared to overall adults. For example, 22.0% of adults with children in the household experienced loss of employment income in the household in the last four weeks compared to 17.4% of adults overall, and six in ten (59.7%) adults with children in the household reported difficulty paying for household expenses in the past week compared to the overall population of 50.9%. Adults in households with children were also more likely to report food insufficiency, symptoms of depression or anxiety, and no confidence in ability to make next months housing payment than the general population.

Patterns of hardship over time indicate both effects of the pandemic and related policies as well as longstanding disparities in social determinants of health. Data indicate the shares of people experiencing hardships peaked in December 2020 but have otherwise remained largely stable (Figure 2). Trends across all measures have improved since December 2020, reaching lows during the pandemic in March and April 2021, likely reflecting the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccines and new federal funding available during that period. However, differences in rates of hardship among certain populations has remained largely stable throughout the pandemic and to some extent reflect longstanding disparities that existed even before the pandemic. Still, understanding these disparities in the context of heightened levels of need over the past year highlights these differences and who may benefit most from government assistance.

The American Rescue Plan provides $1.9 trillion in funding to address the ongoing health and economic effects of the pandemic. Some of the provisions that provide key economic support for individuals include direct stimulus payments to individuals, an extension of federal unemployment insurance payments, a child tax credit of up to $300 per child per month from July through the end of the year, additional funding to address food insecurity, emergency rental assistance, and emergency housing vouchers. This federal support may have contributed to some improvements in metrics, but hardship is also affected by the trajectory of the pandemic (including a surge in cases and deaths due to the delta variant and any changes in vaccination rates). Looking ahead, the effects of some temporary federal support and the pandemic are likely to continue to be factors in future data releases; however, additional and extended federal support being debated in Congress that may seek to address underlying economic issues beyond the pandemic has the potential to change long-standing patterns of hardship across different demographic groups.

See more here:

Tracking Social Determinants of Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Kaiser Family Foundation

by: Dr. Mary Gillis, D.Ed.

Posted: Oct 21, 2021 / 07:49 PM EST / Updated: Oct 21, 2021 / 07:50 PM EST

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) Once again, the country is facing a double threat: the coronavirus and influenza.

Health authorities are saying the flu could hit extra hard this season. Layer that on top of the emergence of delta-plus, and doctors say vaccination against both viruses is essential.

Say a person is planning on getting both, which one should take priority and how long should a person wait between vaccines? News 8 turned to Dr. Amy Beth Kressel, infectious disease specialist at Eskenazi Health, for the answer.

Right now, you can get your flu and COVID-19 vaccines together, Kressel said. The advice is get it in different arms. So, yes you can get them together and it will save time. In general, we do recommend people do get their flu vaccine by the end of October.

Kressel says to get the shots in separate arms to avoid added injection site soreness, which is a common side effect after most vaccinations.

Go here to see the original:

Doctor says it's OK to receive flu and COVID-19 vaccines at same time - WISHTV.com

WASHINGTON (AP) Can new variants of the coronavirus keep emerging?

Yes, as long as the virus that caused the pandemic keeps infecting people. But that doesnt mean new variants will keep emerging as regularly, or that theyll be more dangerous.

With more than half the world still not vaccinated, the virus will likely keep finding people to infect and replicating inside them for several months or years to come. And each time a virus makes a copy of itself, a small mutation could occur. Those changes could help the virus survive, becoming new variants.

But that doesnt mean the virus will keep evolving in the same way since it emerged in late 2019.

When a virus infects a new species, it needs to adapt to the new host to spread more widely, says Andrew Read, a virus expert at Pennsylvania State University.

According to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, the delta variant is twice as contagious as earlier versions of the virus. And while it could still mutate to become more infectious, it probably wont double its transmission rate again, says Dr. Adam Lauring, a virus and infectious disease expert at the University of Michigan.

Weve seen a stage of rapid evolution for the virus. Its been harvesting the low-hanging fruit, but theres not an infinite number of things it can do, Lauring says.

Its possible that the virus could become more deadly, but there isnt an evolutionary reason for that to happen. Extremely sick people are also less likely to socialize and spread the virus to others.

Experts are watching to see whether emerging variants could be better at evading the protection people develop from vaccination and infections. As more people get the shots, the virus would have to be able to spread through people who have some immunity for it to survive, says Dr. Joshua Schiffer, a virus expert at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

The virus could take on a mutation that makes the immune response less effective, he says.

If that happens, scientists may recommend that vaccine formulas be updated periodically, just as annual flu shots are.

View post:

Will new variants of the coronavirus keep appearing? - KXAN.com