Category Archives: Corona Virus

Introduction

The coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. and the changes in the daily lives of Americans that ensued have taken a toll on peoples mental health and created new barriers for those seeking mental health care. Stress and worry about contracting the virus, coupled with job losses, loss of childcare, as well as the devastating loss of loved ones due to COVID-19 are just a few ways in which the pandemic may be having an effect on mental health. Previous KFF analysis of the Census Bureaus Household Pulse Survey from earlier this year shows the economic downturn has led to mental health issues and increased substance abuse in the U.S.. The analysis also found school closures and lack of childcare had an even larger impact on parents with children in their home under the age of 18 who either have transitioned to working from home during the pandemic or have been required to go into work throughout the pandemic. This analysis from the March KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor finds that those hardest hit by the mental health impacts of the coronavirus pandemic have been younger people and women, including mothers.

In the first few months of the coronavirus pandemic, the share of U.S. adults who said worry and stress related to the coronavirus was having a negative impact on their mental health increased from about one-third (32%) in March 2020 to roughly half (53%) in July 2020. With the end of the pandemic in sight as millions of Americans are getting vaccinated against the disease, the mental health impact seems to have leveled off. The March 2021 KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor finds that about half of adults (47%) continue to report negative mental health impacts related to worry or stress from the pandemic.

Younger adults and women, including mothers with children under 18 years old in their households, are among the most likely to report that stress and worry related to coronavirus has had a negative impact on their mental health. Nearly half of Black adults (49%), White adults (48%), and about four in ten Hispanic adults (43%) say the coronavirus has had a negative impact on their mental health, including three in ten Black adults (31%) and one-fourth of White (23%) and Hispanic (25%) adults who say it has had a major impact. Smaller shares of adults ages 65 and older and men (including fathers with children in the home) say they have experienced mental health impact from the coronavirus. It is notable that some previous studies have shown that men, older adults, and Black adults may be less likely to report mental health difficulty and more likely to face challenges accessing mental health care.

More than half of women overall (55%) report a negative impact on their mental health related to the coronavirus pandemic, compared to about four in ten men (38%) who report the same. While a larger share of women across age groups under age 65 report a negative impact on their mental health, the youngest group of men and women are most likely to report negative mental health impacts, compared to their older counterparts. Nearly seven in ten women ages 18 to 29 (69%) report a negative impact on their mental health.

Direct experience with COVID-19 has a role in reported mental health impacts of the pandemic. The March 2021 KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor finds one in four (24%) U.S. adults report having a close friend or family member who has died of complications related to COVID-19. An additional 12% say they have someone less directly connected to them who has died, and about six in ten (63%) say they do not know anyone who has died of COVID-19.

Among those with the closest connections to a COVID-19 related death (having a close friend or family member who died), three in ten say stress related to coronavirus has had a major impact on their mental health. Smaller shares of those who do not know anyone who has died from complications related to COVID-19 say their mental health has been impacted in a major way (23%). Half of those who know someone close who has died, or indirectly, say their mental health has been impacted in at least a minor way (53% each), while more than four in ten who have not had a personal experience with knowing someone who has died say the same (44%).

One potential contributor to negative mental health impacts may be the fear of contracting COVID-19 or having a family member get sick from the disease. When asked how worried they are they or someone in their family will get sick from COVID-19, some of the same groups that are most likely to report negative mental health impacts are also the most likely to report being worried, including women, and younger adults.

A relationship between worry and self-reported mental health impacts is also evident. Among those who say they are either very worried or somewhat worried they or a family member will get sick from coronavirus, six in ten (61%) say worry or stress has had a negative impact on their mental health. This is compared to two-thirds of those who say they are either not too worried or not at all worried about their family getting sick who say that stress has not negatively impacted their mental health regarding the pandemic.

Many adults who reported worsened mental health due the pandemic also report forgoing mental health treatment. About one third (32%) of those who reported a negative impact on their mental health (representing 15% of all adults) say there was a time in the past year where they thought they might need mental health services or medication but did not get them. Nearly half of mothers (46%) who report a negative mental health impact due to the pandemic (27% of all mothers) say they did not get mental health care that they needed. In addition, about one in five adults under age 50, Black adults and women say they have experienced worsened mental health due to the pandemic and have not gotten mental health services or medication they thought they might need.

Access to providers and affordability appear to be the biggest barriers for those who felt they needed mental health care because of the pandemic but did not receive them. One in four adults who did not get the mental health care say the main reason why was because they could not find a provider (24%) or could not afford the cost (23%). An additional one in five (18%) say they were too busy or could not get the time off work to receive treatment. One in ten say they had problems with insurance covering their treatment while 5% said they were afraid or embarrassed to seek treatment.

Read the original post:

Mental Health Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Update - Kaiser Family Foundation

State officials report 217 fully vaccinated Washingtonians have tested positive for COVID-19 as of April 3. That's about 0.01% of fully vaccinated people.

SEATTLE The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has identified more than 100 additional breakthrough COVID-19 cases among fully vaccinated people.

A breakthrough case is when a person tests positive for COVID-19 at least two weeks after their final dose of the vaccine.

As of April 3, there were 217 breakthrough cases reported in Washington, according to DOH. This is more than double the number of breakthrough cases DOH reported two weeks ago when the state said it had seen 102 breakthrough cases through March 30.

DOH is investigating three additional suspected deaths related to breakthrough cases. A total of five people are suspected to have died after contracting COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated, most of whom the department said are between 67 and 94 years old and had multiple underlying health conditions. Four were long-term care residents.

Most breakthrough cases in Washington reported mild or no symptoms, according to DOH. However, among the cases where hospitalization data was available, 12% of patients were hospitalized. DOH said it is still gathering information from about half of the cases.

Since DOH first reported breakthrough cases last month, the agency says the median age of the cases has shifted younger with more people in the 40- to 59-year-old range becoming infected after vaccination.

The Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines reduced the risk of getting COVID-19 in vaccinated people by up to 95%, according to the studies. However, the vaccines are not 100% effective, and DOH said a small number of vaccinated people could still get sick.

As of April 10, about 22% of Washingtonians, or roughly 1.7 million people, were fully vaccinated for COVID-19, according to DOH data. That means the breakthrough cases represent about 0.01% of vaccinated people in Washington.

Breakthrough cases were reported in 24 Washington counties.

More here:

More breakthrough COVID-19 cases reported among vaccinated people in Washington - KING5.com

(NEXSTAR) Many public health officials have encouraged people to take a walk outside during the pandemic, and now theres scientific research that suggests they may have been onto something.

A new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has found that physical inactivity is linked to worse COVID-19 outcomes.

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The study asked 48,440who had COVID to report their daily exercise. The study found that those who exercised regularly were less likely to have a severe COVID infection and to require hospitalization or ICU admission.

The U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines call for adults to engage in at least 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous physical activity. Exercise is associated with positive health comes, including improved health and well-being.

The study further asserts the benefits of regular physical activity, which according to previous studies, has decreased for much of the population during the pandemic, with many gyms closed and as experts recommend avoiding others and staying home as much as possible.

In the USA, education about the benefits of [physical activity] and advice to maintain or increase [physical activity] during the pandemic has been essentially absent, the study notes.

The study authors advocate regular exercise as a protective behavior for COVID-19, and encourage public health officials to advise doing so.

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Physical inactivity associated with higher COVID-19 risks, study says - KHON2

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Coronavirus hospitalizations have dropped sharply among older Ohioans, the same people who most likely have been vaccinated.

Admissions for those at least 70 years old declined 70% over the last 45 days to 858, in comparison to 2,898 COVID-19 hospital admissions during the previous 45 days, cleveland.com found in an analysis of Ohio Department of Health reports through Sunday.

This is the age group most extensively vaccinated to date, with more than 75% receiving at least one vaccine and all doses complete for more than 65% of these people.

While during the last 45-day period there were fewer hospitalizations overall, regardless of age, the drop was much smaller for younger age groups - those where vaccinations are not nearly as extensive.

This ties into a point Gov. Mike DeWine has repeatedly raised as more variants of coronavirus work their way into Ohio, increasing case numbers and hospitalizations lately to some extent.

We can still turn this around if more people continue to get vaccinated, DeWine said last week. We are in a race. Its a life and death race.

The focus at first was on vaccinating older Ohioans because they accounted for the lions share of the most serious cases. Recently, vaccinations opened for anyone age 16 and up.

The hospital numbers show a clear trend. While hospital admissions are down 70% for those age 70 and up, admissions are down just:

* 14% for Ohioans in their 20s, from 185 during the first 45-day period to 160 over the last 45 days. This group is 10% fully vaccinated.

* 16% for those in their 30s, from 261 to 219. This group is 14% fully vaccinated.

* 36% for those in their 40s, from 464 to 297. This group is 17% fully vaccinated.

* 37% for those in their 50s, from 842 to 534. This group is 25% fully vaccinated.

* 53% for those in their 60s, from 1,437 to 672. About half of this group is fully vaccinated - 41% age 60 to 64, and 58% age 65 to 69.

The Ohio Department of Health reported two weeks ago that it knew of only 34 fully vaccinated people who had been infected, resulting in just five hospitalizations and zero deaths by that point.

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

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Read more from the original source:

Coronavirus hospitalizations plunge among Ohios most vaccinated age groups - cleveland.com

DETROIT The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 731,131 as of Friday, including 16,426 deaths, state officials report.

Fridays update includes a total of 7,834 new cases and 26 additional deaths. On Thursday, the state reported 723,297 total cases and 16,400 deaths.

Testing has been steady around 35,000 diagnostic tests reported per day on average, with the 7-day positive rate above 16% as of Thursday, the highest weve ever recorded. The state has reported an up-tick in hospitalizations over the last several weeks, now at its highest point since mid-December.

NEW: 13 takeaways from Whitmers COVID update: Alarming trends, voluntary restrictions, vaccine timeline

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Michigans 7-day moving average for daily cases was 6,429 on Thursday -- the highest since December. The 7-day death average was 39 on Thursday, slightly higher than the last two weeks. The states fatality rate is 2.3%. The state also reports active cases, which were listed at 129,800 on Wednesday. More than 577,000 have recovered in Michigan.

Michigan has reported more than 5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered as of Wednesday, with 38% of residents having received at least one dose.

More: CDC: Restrictions needed to slow Michigan virus surge, specifically in indoor youth sports

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According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 30.9 million cases have been reported in the U.S., with more than 559,000 deaths reported from the virus.

Worldwide, more than 133 million people have been confirmed infected and more than 2.8 million have died. More than 75 million have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University. The true numbers are certainly much higher, because of limited testing, different ways nations count the dead and deliberate under-reporting by some governments.

Michigan COVID-19 vaccinations: How to find appointments, info on phases

Coronavirus headlines:

VIEW: Tracking Michigan COVID-19 vaccine doses

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VIEW: Tracking coronavirus cases, outbreaks in Michigan schools

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the state health department are asking residents to follow certain voluntary COVID-19 restrictions, such as avoiding indoor dining, suspending sports and returning to remote learning.

On Friday, Whitmer and Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, spoke about the alarming COVID-19 trends in Michigan.

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I am quite concerned with what we are seeing in our data, Khaldun said We are on track to potentially see a surge in cases thats even greater than the one we saw in the fall.

The city of Detroit is launching eight neighborhood COVID-19 vaccination sites, adding to an expansion at TCF Center, to combat surging cases and hospitalizations in the city.

Detroits vaccination rate, 21% as of Monday, is far below neighboring areas and overall state average, which is 35%. The city is expanding options for residents with an urgent message: Get vaccinated.

Next week, the city will be offering eight additional locations throughout the week, in addition to its Community Saturdays and other outreach programs, to provide Detroiters with the opportunity to get vaccinated in a convenient and familiar location close to home.

Read here.

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All Michigan residents age 16 and up became eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on April 5, nearly a month before the May 1 date pledged by President Joe Biden.

People age 16 to 49 with certain medical conditions or disabilities will qualify starting March 22, when 50- to 64-year-olds can begin getting shots under a previous announcement. Two days later, March 24, a federally selected regional mass vaccination site will open at Detroits Ford Field to administer an additional 6,000 doses a day for two months.

Learn more here.

MORE: Michigans updated COVID-19 vaccination schedule: Who is eligible and when

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The COVID-19 variant detected in Brazil has been identified in Bay County. That variant is known as the P1 strain and it is more contagious and more than 50% able to reinfect.

The person infected in Bay County and the people theyve been in contact with will need to quarantine for 14 days. Its unclear what effect, if any, it will have on those, including seniors, who have already been vaccinated as there isnt enough research to know exactly.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer released a statement Tuesday after White House officials announced that there will increase COVID-19 vaccine doses available for Michigan starting next week.

According to a press release, next weeks shipment will increase by 66,020 bringing the total number of doses to 620,040 -- a weekly record for the state. Officials said the allocation includes 147,800 doses of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

This comes after Whitmer recently requested for more vaccines as the state is seeing a rise in COVID numbers.

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The CDC said that Michigan is leading the country in new cases of COVID-19 per population.

On Tuesday, officials reported 5,177 new COVID cases and 48 additional deaths, including 20 from a Vital Records review. On Monday, the state reported 660,771 total cases and 16,034 deaths.

Local 4s Dr. Frank McGeorge said hes seen a very clear increase in COVID patients at the hospital where he works.

Many of them need to be hospitalized. I would honestly say, this feels worse to me here in Southeast Michigan than it was during the wave that started in November. Now, the most concerning trend is the number of middle-aged people with severe COVID, McGeorge said.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced that the first case of the COVID-19 variant B.1.351 has been identified in a child in Jackson County.

The health department did not say how the boy was infected but a case investigation is underway to determine close contacts and if there are additional cases associated.

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This new variant was originally detected in South Africa in October 2020 and shares some mutations with the B117 variant. The first case of the B117 variant -- originally detected in the United Kingdom -- was identified in Washtenaw County.

Michigan COVID-19 daily reported cases since March 15:

March 15 -- 1,572 new cases

March 16 -- 2,048 new cases

March 17 -- 3,164 new cases

March 18 -- 2,629 new cases

March 19 -- 3,730 new cases

March 20 -- 2,660 new cases

March 21 -- 2,400 new cases

March 22 -- 2,401 new cases

March 23 -- 3,579 new cases

March 24 -- 4,454 new cases

March 25 -- 5,224 new cases

March 26 -- 5,030 new cases

March 27 -- 4,670 new cases

March 28 -- 4,101 new cases

March 29 -- 4,101 new cases

March 30 -- 5,177 new cases

March 31 -- 6,311 new cases

April 1 -- 6,036 new cases

April 2 -- 5,498 new cases

April 3 -- 8,413 new cases

April 4 -- 5,146 new cases

April 5 -- 5,147 new cases

April 6 -- 4,964 new cases

April 7 -- 8,015 new cases

April 8 -- 7,819 new cases

April 9 -- 7,834 new cases

Michigan COVID-19 daily reported deaths since March 15:

March 15 -- 5 new deaths

March 16 -- 27 new deaths (6 from vital records)

March 17 -- 0 new deaths

March 18 -- 25 new deaths (24 from vital records)

March 19 -- 15 new deaths

March 20 -- 47 new deaths -- (39 from vital records)

March 21 -- 3 new deaths

March 22 -- 3 new deaths

March 23 -- 16 new deaths (8 from vital records)

March 24 -- 16 new deaths

March 25 -- 49 new deaths (30 from vital records)

March 26 -- 20 new deaths

March 27 -- 22 new deaths

March 28 -- 4 new deaths

March 29 -- 4 new deaths

March 30 -- 48 new deaths (20 from vital records)

March 31 -- 10 new deaths

April 1 -- 49 new deaths (33 from vital records)

April 2 -- 20 new deaths

April 3 -- 57 new deaths (51 from vital records)

April 4 -- 11 new deaths

April 5 -- 10 new deaths

April 6 -- 58 new deaths (16 from vital records)

April 7 -- 30 new deaths

April 8 -- 73 new deaths (43 from vital records)

April 9 -- 26 new deaths

Coronavirus resources:

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Coronavirus in Michigan: Heres what to know April 10, 2021 - WDIV ClickOnDetroit

Children have been largely spared during the pandemic, mainly because the coronavirus has a harder time binding to receptors in their cells compared to those of adults.

Now theres growing concern about whether the B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom could be causing more infections in children.

Lab studies suggest the B.1.1.7 variant has a mutation that makes it easier for the virus to latch onto our cells and cause an infection which could be why more kids seem to be getting the disease.

But the lab studies dont tell the full story, experts say, and its important to look at other factors at play.

The B.1.1.7 variant doesnt appear to cause more severe illness in kids, and even in the United Kingdom, the vast majority of young people who contract the variant experience mild symptoms.

Its unclear how readily young people spread COVID-19 to others, but experts agree that adults who spend time or live with kids who run a risk of exposure should be prioritized for vaccination.

Childrens sinuses are underdeveloped, and they have fewer ACE-2 receptors (the site where the coronavirus binds to our cells) than adults.

Experts widely believe this is why kids have been protected from severe COVID-19.

According to Dr. Jay Levy, a virologist and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, lab studies suggest that the B.1.1.7 variant can attach with more strength to the ACE-2 receptors than the earlier renditions of the virus.

If this is a virus that attaches with much more robust nature, then it can have less attachment sites and still infect, Levy said.

This theory could explain the uptick in cases amongst younger people, but other factors are likely at play.

More people have been visiting nonessential businesses and traveling between states in recent weeks.

COVID-19 may now be more widespread in communities that have lower vaccination rates and low population immunity.

Even if more children test positive than they did in previous waves, it could simply be because certain areas have a higher prevalence of SARS-CoV-2, as research from the United Kingdom suggests.

If children do have a higher chance of getting contracting the B.1.1.7 variant, Levy says its important to ask whether theyre now experiencing severe illness or symptoms of a common cold.

Recent data shows that B.1.1.7 hasnt changed the pediatric hospitalization rate and that severe COVID-19 remains rare in kids.

The pediatric hospitalizations rate was 1.9 per 100,000 of hospitalizations on January 1, 2021 and 1.4 per 100,000 of hospitalizations on April 1, 2021, per data sourced from the HHS Protect Public Data Hub.

There is no evidence in those under 18 that youre seeing increased severity of disease, said Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious diseases specialist and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

A variant thats easier to contract would naturally lead to more cases and ultimately more deaths but the clinical course in illness caused by B.1.1.7 doesnt appear to be different.

I dont see it being more virulent, said Levy, noting that its unknown how many kids who get COVID-19 get really sick.

If kids experience a milder infection like the common cold, its unclear if and how they might transmit the virus to others, says Levy.

Could a kids mild infection spread and cause a severe illness in an at-risk adult?

Its possible, but we dont know that, Levy said. Its also entirely possible that childrens immune systems may be robust enough to control the virus and prevent a lot of mutations from spreading.

One thing is clear: Quick vaccination of adults who are around children is crucial.

Those people whom [kids] go home to should be vaccinated, Gandhi said.

States have prioritized vaccination for those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, according to Gandhi.

We have to protect the vulnerable, especially if children are out more and they live with the vulnerable, explained Gandhi.

Were well on our way. The CDC shows that 77 percent of seniors 65 and older have been vaccinated, and states have been directed to expand eligibility to all adults by April 19.

K-12 educators in every state are eligible to get the shot, and over 80 percent of teachers and staff have received a vaccine dose.

Both Israel and the United Kingdom were hit hard by the B.1.1.7 variant, but when they ramped up vaccinations, COVID-19 cases plummeted.

The United States isnt there yet, with only 25 percent of the adult population fully vaccinated.

We will be there by fall when the schools open, Gandhi said.

Children have been largely spared during the pandemic, mainly because the coronavirus has a harder time binding to receptors in their cells compared to those of adults.

Concern is growing that kids can contract the B.1.1.7 variant more easily, but theres no evidence to suggest the variant causes more severe symptoms in kids. Quickly vaccinating adults who are around and live with kids is crucial.

More here:

What to Know About COVID-19, Variants, and Children - Healthline

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

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

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

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

Appling 1885 64

Atkinson 775 16

Baldwin 3802 110

Barrow 8469 127

Bartow 10964 204

Ben Hill 1482 58

Berrien 1048 30

Bleckley 796 34

Brantley 907 31

Bulloch 5177 63

Carroll 7322 130

Catoosa 5461 61

Charlton 1046 23

Chatham 19772 401

Chattahoochee 3135 12

Chattooga 2196 60

Cherokee 21875 294

Clarke 12536 133

Clayton 22726 419

Coffee 4217 137

Colquitt 3478 74

Columbia 10837 159

Coweta 8476 192

Crawford 520 17

DeKalb 56033 892

Decatur 2120 54

Dougherty 5427 275

Douglas 11601 169

Effingham 3716 63

Emanuel 1720 53

Fayette 6474 147

Forsyth 17420 172

Franklin 2310 41

Fulton 79576 1229

Gordon 6419 100

Gwinnett 84372 1028

Habersham 4614 146

Haralson 1696 34

Henry 18542 284

Houston 9831 186

Jackson 8373 134

Jeff Davis 1285 37

Jefferson 1562 59

Laurens 3660 142

Liberty 3295 59

Lowndes 7637 136

Lumpkin 2739 61

Madison 2698 45

McDuffie 1634 41

McIntosh 676 14

Meriwether 1488 68

Mitchell 1507 73

Montgomery 708 21

Muscogee 13849 380

Newton 7268 210

Non-GA Resident/Unknown State 23193 460

Oglethorpe 1174 28

Paulding 10495 162

Pickens 2480 58

Randolph 464 32

Richmond 19399 396

Rockdale 5844 147

Seminole 739 17

Spalding 3923 152

Stephens 2944 76

Taliaferro 100 3

Tattnall 1828 45

Thomas 3504 112

Treutlen 622 23

Unknown 2422 12

Walton 7883 229

Washington 1595 58

Whitfield 14671 225

Wilkinson 725 28

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These are the latest COVID numbers for April 10, 2021 - 11Alive.com WXIA

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Pediatricians and family doctors are getting a flood of calls from parents about the coronavirus, which began even before Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced the state is asking local health departments to partner with schools to vaccinate 16- and 17-year-olds.

Its definitely been a pretty dramatic split, Dr. Amy Edwards, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at University Hospitals, said. There are some parents who are hounding me on a daily basis ... and then theres the other half that are basically saying No way, its scary, Ill get it myself as a parent, but I just dont feel comfortable having my kids get it.

The vaccine opened to Ohioans 16 and older on March 29, so some parents have already worked with doctors to get the vaccine for their 16- and 17-year-olds. Since the governor announced on Monday that health departments should work with schools to administer the vaccine to students, schools are now interpreting how that guidance applies and discussing future plans. The Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio, which coordinated vaccination efforts for the majority of Cuyahoga County school staff, is working with the Board of Health this week to determine next steps.

Parents must sign a permission slip for 16- and 17-year-olds to get the vaccine, DeWine said. The vaccine is voluntary.

While seven out of 10 people in an Axios/Ipsos poll said theyve already gotten or are likely to get the vaccine, about 48 percent said theyre not likely to get their children under 18 vaccinated as soon as shots become available. When cleveland.com posted a story about DeWines announcement on Monday, there were more than 100 Facebook comments. Some were excited about the announcement, noting they are eager to get their younger children vaccinated. Some balked at the idea of their child getting the vaccine at all, while others said theyd make an individual decision but were wary of the state interfering.

Only one vaccine -- Pfizer -- is currently approved for use for 16- and 17-year-olds. Recent trial results for Pfizer are showing that the vaccine could be safe and effective for children as young as 12, and the company is asking for FDA permission to offer the vaccine to ages 12-15.

I think that probably the concerns that I hear from parents in terms of the COVID vaccine does mirror some of the questions that I hear around other childhood vaccinations, Dr. Kimberly Giuliano, a Cleveland Clinic pediatrician, said. I think what is a little bit different in terms of the COVID vaccine, and the questions that parents have is just the the fact that this is so much newer, and the perception that perhaps the process has been more rushed in an attempt to get the vaccine out to folks, and then people being worried or concerned that perhaps it wasnt studied as robustly as other vaccines have been. And thats not the case.

When Svetlana Pundik, a neurology professor, saw that Senders Pediatrics was enrolling patients in Pfizer vaccine trials, she didnt fit in the age categories. But eventually her son, 14-year-old Daniel Lust, did. Daniel said he was initially hesitant to get the vaccine -- it involved getting his blood drawn, something he pointed out doesnt appeal to people -- but hes glad he participated.

In hindsight, it really feels like that it was something thats important and meaningful, he said.

Children have generally been less likely to show symptoms or experience severe outcomes from the vaccine, but Giuliano said vaccinating children will be key. She added the pandemic had a significant impact on childhood socialization, especially when children were learning remotely, which can take a toll on mental health.

In order to achieve herd immunity, 70 to 90% of the population needs to have either had the disease or had the vaccine, Giuliano said. Children under the age of 18 make up greater than 20% of the U.S. population, so vaccinating children is going to be a really important part of ending the pandemic.

Cleveland.com and the Plain Dealer interviewed pediatricians on the top concerns parents have about the coronavirus vaccine. Here are the answers to the most commonly-asked questions.

Q: Its a new vaccine -- is it safe? Are there going to be long term effects?

A: Pfizer uses messenger RNA instead of actual parts of the virus, which teaches the body how to produce a protein piece from the virus so the body can learn to fight it. Dr. Shelly Senders, of Senders Pediatrics, describes the vaccine using the metaphor of Snapchat, the popular messaging app. On Snapchat, the messages disappear once being opened.

Just like with Snapchat theres no reference to (the virus) after 48 to 72 hours, Senders said. And thats what adds a measure of safety that is a little bit different than your standard vaccine, where there is a foreign protein in your body.

Essentially, the cell forgets the instructions on how to make the virus. Edwards compares the vaccine to taking a single dose of Tylenol. One dose of medicine -- or two in the case of Pfizer and Moderna -- would be unlikely to show side effects 20 or 30 years down the line when the medicine is out of the system. A vaccine dose would be more likely to show side effects within the first four to eight weeks.

The vaccines only in your arm for a couple of days and then its basically gone -- it doesnt exist any more, Edwards said.

Because of other vaccines, though not mRNA vaccines, having delayed effects, the FDA required companies developing the vaccine to follow trial participants for a minimum of eight weeks, according to the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. In notes from clinical trials for all three vaccines published on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, mild to moderate side effects would show up within seven days.

Q: It seems like this vaccine has been rushed. How can you accept a vaccine that has been rushed?

A: Coronavirus vaccines were developed and approved under emergency authorization from the federal Food and Drug Administration. The approval process has caused some alarm since other vaccines have been developed over longer periods.

For these trials, data is collected and then sent to be scrubbed, where inconsistencies, duplicates and errors are screened and corrected. Then the data is put into a format where it can be analyzed. This is where the process accelerated, Senders said.

Theyre putting the money into collecting data in real time, rather than having delays in the collection of data, Senders said.

Instead of there being a months-long wait for data, communication about it happened over days.

There were several other factors in how the vaccines were developed so quickly. Experts told Healthline that there were immense resources and widespread public and private support for developing vaccines. The viruss rapid spread also made it easier to see how vaccines worked versus the placebo.

Daniel doesnt know whether he got the placebo or the real vaccine, but experienced mild soreness in his arm. He then had to log his symptoms on a phone for several weeks, something he said didnt get in the way of his life or school.

Theres a sense of security that comes with it, he said.

Senders said those who received the placebo in the trial will eventually get the vaccine. Researchers do antibody tests on participants to see how the vaccine works, but these kind of trials can also give clues to whether the vaccine makes people asymptomatic or whether it prevents the virus. This is determined through nasal swabs to test for the virus.

Q: Can this cause infertility?

A: One of the highly-discussed long term effects patients are concerned about is whether the vaccine could cause infertility. Experts trace the spread of this idea back to social media, where there was a claim that a protein in the coronaviruss surface spike is the same as one necessary for the placenta to grow. This post then said the body would learn to fight that protein because of the vaccine.

Numerous experts have debunked this claim and groups, including the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, now address this as part of educating people on the vaccine.

Q: Why do children need to get the vaccine if they arent getting as sick?

A: Children are a part of getting to herd immunity, and there are some severe outcomes for children who contract the coronavirus, though its not as common.

Besides children sometimes experiencing symptoms and requiring ventilation or other intensive care, there is a rare condition in children called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome which the CDC is investigating in relation to COVID-19. Its still not known what causes it, but the condition often appears in children who have the virus or have been exposed.

There have been about 166 children in Ohio treated for this condition.

Continue reading here:

Teenagers and the coronavirus vaccine: What parents are asking - cleveland.com

Across the South Asian nation, from the wealthiest and also the worst-hit state of Maharashtra to its most populous, Uttar Pradesh, reports are emerging of hospital beds running short and immunization centers turning away people as they run out of vaccines. India reported more than 145,000 new infections Saturday, and with over 13 million virus cases lags behind only the U.S. and Brazil.

Maharashtras Health Minister Rajesh Tope warned the state had three days worth of shots in stocks and vaccination centers across the state were being forced to shut down. On Friday he announced a strict weekend lockdown to try and contain the outbreak. The state capital, Mumbai, has currently used up all but 3% of its intensive care hospital beds.

Indias capital New Delhi -- which is operating under a nightly curfew -- reported more than 8,500 new infections on Friday, the highest so far in this year, with health care workers some of the worst affected. At Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, one of the citys top institutions, 37 doctors had been infected with Covid-19 with mostly mild symptoms, two people at the hospital said, asking not to be identified because the information wasnt public.

Its going to be a horrible next two months," said Shuchin Bajaj, a director at the Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals, which runs 14 hospitals across north India. The impact is ten times what it was last year. This time it seems to be affecting younger patients."

In Lucknow, Uttar Pradeshs capital, as many as 40 doctors at the state-run in King Georges Medical University College have been infected, according to two people with knowledge of the situation.

The twelve-fold jump in Indias daily new infections, from some 11,000 in early February, comes as five Indian states are in the middle of elections and northern Uttarakhand is holding the monthlong Kumbh Mela, a pilgrimage that is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of devotees to the banks of the Ganges river.

In West Bengal, political leaders and campaigners are holding roadshows and rallies drawing thousands of people each day -- many without masks or social distancing -- to woo 73 million voters in the eight-phase election that will end on April 29. A new round of voting began on Saturday.

The second wave is bigger and nastier than the first wave, but we have lost our coordinates to politics," said Kunal Sarkar, a cardiologist at the Medica Super Specialty Hospital in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. Politicians are happy gathering votes as the pandemic is on the rise."

Struggling Hospitals

A state-run Mumbai hospital had run out of ICU and oxygen beds, a doctor who asked not to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the information said.

There were also reports of shortages of Remdesivir, a broad spectrum anti-viral medication used to treat Covid-19, Bajaj said, adding that getting supplies of the drug was becoming difficult at his hospitals.

Punjabs vaccine stock will last another five days, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Saturday, urging the federal government to augment the supply. Peoples anger against the federal government over its contentious new agriculture laws, which has seen thousands of farmers protesting at Delhis borders since November, was impacting the vaccination drive," his government said in a statement.

Rajasthan has also insufficient doses that may lead to the suspension of the vaccination drive in some districts starting Saturday, Ashok Gehlot, the chief minister, said on Twitter Friday.

The country sent out more than 64 million shots between mid-January and March, 10.5 million as grants or aid and another 18 million for the WHO-led Covax initiative.

India has administered a total of 98 million doses to 3.6% of its population, of which 6% have received one dose and only about 0.9% have received the two shots required, according to the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker. This is well below the countrys target of immunizing 300 million people by August.

The only good news that we know now what needs to be done," said Bajaj. We know what the warning signs are. Were not experimenting with patients."

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Indias hospitals swamped by second coronavirus wave as shots run low - Mint

From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been concerns that survivors may have an increased risk of neurological and mental health conditions.

Initially, these concerns were based on past experience with other coronaviruses, but suspected cases linked with COVID-19 soon followed.

There was also early evidence that the illness can affect the central nervous system.

Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment.

In November 2020, an observational study from scientists at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom, reported that survivors had a greater risk of developing mood and anxiety disorders in the 3 months after receiving a COVID-19 diagnosis.

The same researchers have now used the health records of more than 236,000 patients in the U.S. to estimate the risks of developing neurological and psychiatric conditions in the 6 months after a COVID-19 diagnosis.

Participants had received COVID-19 diagnoses between January 20 and December 13, 2020.

The researchers estimate that the overall incidence of neurological or mental health diagnoses was 34%.

In the 6 months after their COVID-19 diagnoses, 13% of the participants received their first diagnosis of a neurological or psychiatric condition.

The most common diagnoses were anxiety disorders, in 17% of all the participants, mood disorders, in 14%, substance misuse disorders, in 7%, and insomnia, in 5%.

The incidence of neurological disorders was lower 2.1% of all the participants experienced an ischemic stroke, 0.7% developed dementia, and 0.6% developed a brain hemorrhage.

This new study has been published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Those who experienced more severe COVID-19 had a greater risk of mental health and neurological diagnoses.

Participants who experienced delirium, which is a sudden state of confusion, or encephalopathy, which is brain disease or damage, during their illnesses had the highest overall risk, at 62%, during the following 6 months.

Prof. Paul Harrison, the senior author of the study, says that the results confirm the high rates of mental health diagnoses after COVID-19.

He emphasized that while the incidence of neurological disorders was much lower than that of mental health conditions, this risk was still significant, particularly among people with severe COVID-19.

Prof. Harrison believes that resources to cope with the extra demands on primary and secondary care services should be provided.

Although the individual risks for most disorders are small, the effect across the whole population may be substantial for health and social care systems due to the scale of the pandemic, and [] many of these conditions are chronic, he adds.

The researchers analyzed data from the health records of 236,379 people with diagnosed COVID-19 in the TriNetX database.

They compared outcomes for this group with those of 105,579 people with influenza and 236,038 people with any respiratory tract infection diagnosed between January and December 2020. The latter two groups acted as controls.

To account for underlying health risks, the team matched the people in each group in terms of characteristics such as age, sex, ethnicity, and other ongoing health conditions.

The odds of having a diagnosis of a neurological or mental health condition were 44% higher after COVID-19 than after the flu. These odds were 16% higher after COVID-19 than after another respiratory tract infection.

Meanwhile, there was no clear evidence of more diagnoses of Parkinsonism or Guillain-Barr syndrome after COVID-19 than after the flu or other respiratory tract infections.

We now need to see what happens beyond 6 months, says Dr. Maxime Taquet, the lead author of the research paper.

The study cannot reveal the mechanisms involved but does point to the need for urgent research to identify these, with a view to preventing or treating them, he adds.

Dr. Musa Sami, a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Nottingham, in the U.K., who was not involved in the research, agrees that the causes of the increased risk of neurological and mental health conditions were unclear.

He told the Science Media Centre, in London:

What we do not fully understand at the moment is the mechanism by which COVID-19 has this effect psychological stress, longer stays in hospital, and characteristics of the illness itself may play a part.

The authors of the present research acknowledge that studies like theirs, which are based on electronic health records, have some inherent weaknesses.

For example, the records may be incomplete, the diagnoses were not validated, and there was insufficient information about participants lifestyles and socioeconomic statuses.

In addition, the authors note that the flu and other respiratory tract infections are seasonal, so most occurred earlier in 2020 than the COVID-19 infections.

This may have led to an underestimation of the additional risks, as the majority of COVID-19 infections occurred when access to regular health services was limited by the pandemic.

In addition, some people in the control groups may have had undiagnosed COVID-19, which would also lead to an underestimation of the additional risks.

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COVID-19: Study finds link with brain, mental health conditions - Medical News Today