Category Archives: Covid-19

Introduction

In his State of the Union address earlier this year, President Joe Biden spoke of a new moment where the coronavirus will be more manageable and the need for masks less frequent. States have moved toward this transition as positive cases, hospitalization, and deaths began to drop. In the first week of March, governors inMississippi, Texas,Alabama, Arizona, West Virginia and Connecticut announced significant loosening of statewide pandemic restrictions like mask mandates and indoor capacity limits. These states joined several others in loosening statewide coronavirus restrictions much earlier in the year.

As we transition toward directly battling COVID-19 to the next phase in the process, we must note that living with the virus means something much different for those struggling with the symptoms of long COVID-19. Long COVID-19 is associated with chronic symptoms like fatigue, cognitive problems, and respiratory challenges that can linger for months after the initial coronavirus infection has passed. Long-haulers, or people who experience prolonged symptoms more than three or four weeks after infection could need several months to recover.

It is important to recognize that experiencing longer-term challenges with COVID is rather pervasive and affects not only those with severe cases, but those with relatively mild symptoms as well as Americans who are generally healthy, not just those with underlying conditions. In fact, our colleagues here at Brookings have estimated that 31 million working-age Americansmore than one in sevenmay have experienced, or be experiencing, lingering COVID-19 symptoms.

The persistence of these symptoms and their ability to limit major life activities creates new considerations for immediate and long-term policy solutions. The COVID-19 pandemic increases the need to protect vulnerable communities based on current knowledge and predictions of the extension of disparate health conditions.

Similar to all other health outcomes associated with the pandemic, there are significant racial inequalities associated with long COVID-19 as vast inequalities in underlying conditions make the severity of longer-term cases more pronounced for racial and ethnic minorities. This blog post summarizes a few considerations about the racial differences among COVID-19 patients with longer-term symptoms and identifies policy solutions to help address these challenges.

The glaring racial inequalities in COVID-19 outcomes have been well documented by Brookings and a wide range of other scholars and think tanks. It is clear that Native Americans, African Americans, and Latinos have all experienced higher rates of coronavirus infection, hospitalization and casualties throughout the pandemic.

However, our knowledge of how race impacts long-term challenges with COVID-19 is unfortunately pretty limited. A key report focused on the State of Black America and COVID-19 has identified that Black Americans have not been sufficiently included in long COVID-19 trials, treatment programs and registries. There is unfortunately limited research on other racial and ethnic minorities as well.

It has now become clear that access to a primary care physician and adequate health care coverage as well as appropriate disability coverage will be crucial to the ways in which Americans navigate long COVID-19.

First, primary care doctors will be key to patients with long COVID-19, as many patients require comprehensive assessment to exclude serious complications that might be associated with their symptoms. A primary care clinician who knows the patient and his or her life circumstances is in an optimal position to coordinate and personalize the recovery plan and understand the barriers the patient may face along the way. Ideally patients with difficult cases would have access to holistic clinical intervention and followup.

Unfortunately, there is a significant gap in access to a primary care physicians for Americans from diverse backgrounds. TheAfrican American Research Collaborative/Commonwealth Fund American COVID-19 Vaccine Pollis an extensive, diverse national survey with measures of access to primary care physician. According to the survey, 82% of white Americans reporting having a primary care doctor while only 74% of Black, 69% of Latino, and 72% of Native Americans have access to a doctor they see regularly for care.

Second, people with long COVID-19 will need adequate health coverage to manage both the financial and health components of care management. Unfortunately, racial inequalities in access to health insurance are vast, particularly for Latinos. This is a direct consequence of the several jobs held by people of color lacking sufficient healthcare benefits. Additionally, states in which Medicaid has not been expanded complicate the way in which people of color are able to manage long COVID-19.

It is important to note that long COVID-19, particularly in vulnerable groups, may be complicated by other longterm conditions, notably diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and chronic mental health conditions.[1] Racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to experience all of these conditions which strongly suggests that we should anticipate more complex and challenging cases for all non-white groups.

One of the other health issues associated with long-haulers is insomnia, a condition that can last months and possibly longer among Americans with long-term challenges due to COVID-19. Like most chronic health conditions, challenges with insomnia are greater among racial and ethnic minorities already, particularly for those who have high levels of perceived discrimination. Given the correlation between lack of quality sleep and a wide range of other health conditions, this may generate even greater racial inequalities in health outcomes down the line. The challenges with sleeping are likely to be exasperated by a host of underlying forces that impact sleep, including sub-par housing conditions.

The long-term effects of COVID-19 have not been realized. Our health systems and structures and the policies that regulate them will need major overhauling to be flexible enough to manage the impending social and health implications of long COVID-19. In closing, while we all enjoy the ability to feel more comfortable with expanded social interaction, and the ability to not have to wear our masks as often when we leave our homes, we must recognize that those struggling with the symptoms of long COVID-19 are far from being able to return to normalcy.

Finally, people suffering from the persistence of symptoms are eligible for disability services according to the Department of Health and Human Services. The physical impairment due to long COVID-19 can affect walking, standing, speaking, breathing, and many other physical functions that may limit ones role in their ability to manage daily activities with their families, and in their current jobs. Because long COVID-19 can be experienced by youth and young adults, there is additional guidance on how primary, secondary, and post-secondary schools should evaluate, assess, and make academic adjustments for those in school and higher education settings.

In this post we identify the gaping racial inequalities not only associated with long COVID-19 cases, but in the resources needed to properly manage a lingering case. In future posts we will summarize the policy solutions needed to help address the challenges raised in this blog, as well as the economic consequences associated with long COVID-19 for communities of color who are already being squeezed by inflation and a slower recovery from the economic downturn.

[1] See for example: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32419765/

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Living with COVID-19 will not be easy for many Americans suffering from long COVID-19, particularly those from diverse communities - Brookings...

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of June 22, 2022, there are currently 1,882 active COVID-19 cases statewide. There have been no deaths reported since the last report, with a total of 7,018 deaths attributed to COVID-19.

CURRENT ACTIVE CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (18), Berkeley (109), Boone (24), Braxton (10), Brooke (18), Cabell (89), Calhoun (15), Clay (5), Doddridge (1), Fayette (37), Gilmer (12), Grant (21), Greenbrier (39), Hampshire (8), Hancock (23), Hardy (21), Harrison (91), Jackson (16), Jefferson (81), Kanawha (148), Lewis (31), Lincoln (14), Logan (36), Marion (87), Marshall (37), Mason (41), McDowell (28), Mercer (78), Mineral (31), Mingo (15), Monongalia (113), Monroe (26), Morgan (10), Nicholas (24), Ohio (29), Pendleton (2), Pleasants (7), Pocahontas (5), Preston (16), Putnam (57), Raleigh (90), Randolph (18), Ritchie (6), Roane (53), Summers (14), Taylor (16), Tucker (3), Tyler (5), Upshur (30), Wayne (22), Webster (8), Wetzel (24), Wirt (5), Wood (82), Wyoming (33). To find the cumulative cases per county, please visit coronavirus.wv.gov and look on the Cumulative Summary tab which is sortable by county.

West Virginians ages 6 months and older are recommended to get vaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19. Those 5 years and older should receive a booster shot when due. Second booster shots for those age 50 and over who are 4 months or greater from their first booster are recommended, as well as for younger individuals over 12 years old with serious and chronic health conditions that lead to being considered moderately to severely immunocompromised.

Visit the WV COVID-19 Vaccination Due Date Calculator, a free, online tool that helps individuals figure out when they may be due for a COVID-19 shot, making it easier to stay up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccination. To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines, or to find a vaccine site near you, visit vaccinate.wv.gov or call 1-833-734-0965.

To locate COVID-19 testing near you, please visit https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/pages/testing.aspx.

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COVID-19 Daily Update 6-22-2022 - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

Asst. Prof. Huanhuan Joyce Chen of Pritzker Molecular Engineering led a new study showing that the type of macrophages present in a persons body might determine how likely they are to develop severe inflammation in response to COVID-19. Credit: Photo by John Zich

University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering researchers point to macrophages.

When a virus makes its way into a persons body, one of the immune systems first responders is a set of pathogen-removal cells called macrophages. But macrophages are diverse; they dont all target viruses in the same way.

Scientists at the University of Chicagos Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering have discovered that the type of macrophages present in a persons body might determine how likely they are to develop severe inflammation in response to COVID-19. Their study was published recently in the journal Nature Communications.

Clinicians know that COVID-19 can cause a spectrum of disease severity from mild to severe symptoms. Why some people, and not others, develop very severe disease has been a mystery, said Asst. Prof. Huanhuan Joyce Chen, who led the research with Qizhou Lian of the University of Hong Kong. This is the first time anyone has linked the variation in symptoms to macrophages.

Studying the cellular and molecular effects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been challenging for researchers who usually turn to model organisms to mimic human diseases, because mice, rats, and many other animals dont develop the same COVID-19 symptoms as people. Thats why, shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic began, Joyce Chen Lab harnessed human stem cells to study the virus.

The new findings from the Joyce Chen Lab could inform the prevention or treatment of severe COVID-19 in the most at-risk patients. Above, Asst. Prof. Chen works with postdoctoral researchers Abhimanyu Thakur (left) and Kui Zhang (right). Credit: Photo by John Zich

As reported previously in Nature, Chen and her colleagues grew stem cells into functioning mini-lungs and colonscalled lung and colon organoidsto probe the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on those organs and screen drugs to treat the virus.

In the new study, the researchers first analyzed lung biopsies from COVID-19 patients and discovered that they had especially high levels of macrophages. To better understand the role of macrophages during a COVID-19 infection, Chens team developed an approach that could exploit the same line of human stem cells to become both lung cells and macrophages simultaneously. The fact that they arose from the same initial stem cells was important to prevent the immune cells from attacking the lung cells.

This model system provides a perfect way to decode, step by step, how these three componentsthe immune system, the lungs, and the virusinteract, said Chen.

When Chens lab infected the stem cell-derived lungs and macrophages with SARS-CoV-2, they found that not all macrophages responded in the same way. One subset, dubbed M2 macrophages, eliminate the virus by physically engulfing virus and virus-infected cells in a process known as phagocytosis, while releasing anti-inflammatory molecules.

M1 macrophages behaved in an opposite way: these cells released a plethora of inflammatory chemical signals that not only fight SARS-CoV-2, but cause a more widespread immune response. These same inflammatory factors have been shown to be present in the blood of people with severe COVID-19 symptoms.

Asst. Prof. Chen, here working with graduate student Jingwen Xu, examined the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on lung and colon organoids in a previous study. Credit: Photo by John Zich

Our results suggest that people who already have M1 macrophages activated in the lungs when infected with COVID-19 might be more likely to develop very severe inflammation from the virus, said Chen.

Elderly people and those with certain conditions like hypertension or diabetesalready known to be prone to more severe COVID-19 symptomsmay have higher levels of the M1 macrophages, she added.

Her team went on to show that antibodiessimilar to those already used clinically to treat COVID-19helped M2 macrophages clear the SARS-CoV-2 virus. More work is needed to show whether the observations hold true in humans, but the findings could help inform the prevention or treatment of severe COVID-19 in the most at-risk patients. And Chen is already thinking ahead to her next experiments with the stem cell-derived organoids.

This model system is useful for decoding the molecular mechanisms behind not only COVID-19, but other infectious diseases, said Chen.

In the future, her group hopes to make more complex mini-organs that include not only lung and immune cells, but blood vessels, nerves, and other supporting cell types.

Reference: Differential effects of macrophage subtypes on SARS-CoV-2 infection in a human pluripotent stem cell-derived model by Qizhou Lian, Kui Zhang, Zhao Zhang, Fuyu Duan, Liyan Guo, Weiren Luo, Bobo Wing-Yee Mok, Abhimanyu Thakur, Xiaoshan Ke, Pedram Motallebnejad, Vlad Nicolaescu, Jonathan Chen, Chui Yan Ma, Xiaoya Zhou, Shuo Han, Teng Han, Wei Zhang, Adrian Y. Tan, Tuo Zhang, Xing Wang, Dong Xu, Jenny Xiang, Aimin Xu, Can Liao, Fang-Ping Huang, Ya-Wen Chen, Jie Na, Glenn Randall, Hung-fat Tse, Zhiwei Chen, Yin Chen and Huanhuan Joyce Chen, 19 April 2022, Nature Communications.DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29731-5

Funding: National Institute of Health, Cancer Research Foundation Young Investigator Award, Janet D. Rowley Discovery Fund, Hong Kong Health and Medical Research Fund, Guangzhou Women and Childrens Medical Centre, Shenzhen Science and Technology Program, Tsinghua University Spring Breeze Fund, the National Key R&D Program of China and the National Natural Science Grant of China.

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Hunting for the Immune Cells That Lead to Severe COVID-19 - SciTechDaily

People, wearing protective face masks, walk below the arcades of the Rue de Rivoli in Paris, France, February 11, 2022. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier

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PARIS, June 22 (Reuters) - France is facing a new wave of COVID-19 infections fuelled by new variants of the disease, French vaccination chief Alain Fischer said on Wednesday, as daily new cases reached an almost two-month peak the day before at more than 95,000.

Speaking on France 2 television, he said there was no doubt there was once again an upsurge of the pandemic in the country, adding he was personally in favour of reinstating mandatory face mask wearing on public transport.

"The question is: 'what intensity does this wave have?'" Fischer said.

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Other European countries, especially Portugal, are also seeing an increase, due two new Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, which, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, are likely to become dominant in the region. read more

The variants do not appear to carry a higher risk of severe disease than other forms of Omicron but as they are somewhat more infectious than the latter, it could lead to an increase in hospitalisations and deaths, the ECDC said. read more

There is traditionally a two-week delay between cases and hospitalisation trends and then a similar delay regarding COVID-deaths.

New infections have been steadily rising since the end of May in France, with the seven-day moving average of daily new cases almost tripling between the May 27 figure of 17,705 and Tuesday's 50,402.

That total is nonetheless still seven times lower than the 366,179 record reached at the start of the year.

The number of people hospitalised for the disease fell to a six-month low of 13,876 on Saturday but it has increased by 458 over the last three days, at 14,334, an almost three-week high.

France's COVID death toll rose by 56 over 24 hours on Tuesday, to reach 149,162.

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Reporting by Myriam Rivet and Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by William Maclean

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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France is facing a new COVID-19 wave - French vaccination chief - Reuters

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The Impact of COVID-19 on Science Education - Public Policy Institute of California

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) Spinning and floating in the breeze, thousands of pieces of paper tied to clear lines grace the trees outside the building that hosts the Lake Effect Church and Sudanese Grace Episcopal Church in northwest Grand Rapids.

They are weathergrams, a Japanese form of art that typically features haikus on paper left to weather outside. Instead of poetry, these paper strips feature the names of people who died from COVID-19 or suicide during the pandemic.

Artist Donna Kemper came up with the idea for the installation and did the calligraphy for many of the weathergrams herself.

Social media has been so toxic, and there have been so many people who have denied that there is even a pandemic. There have just been so many unkind things posted, she said. I just spent time in prayer and said, What can I do?'

Kemper wanted to represent each person who has died from COVID-19 and came up with the idea of the weathergrams.

People say youll get over grief, but you dont. It changes and it weathers, but it will always be with you. The concept was to remember each person lost because they represent a family, friends, a community. Our nation is grieving and hasnt really had a chance to address that.

Kemper still has people calling her, asking if the installation is up because they want to add names to it. Other artists have submitted many of the strips of paper as well.

The U.S. reached the milestone earlier this year of a million deaths due to COVID-19. Although Kemper does not have a million pieces of paper, she does have nearly 2,000.

To see it actually up and twirling in the wind, its even better than I imagined. Im hoping that people will reconsider the idea that this hasnt been a big deal that visually seeing each piece of paper will affect people by seeing something more visual, rather than just statistics and numbers.

Jack Systema is the pastor at Lake Effect Church and helped Kemper install the strings of paper outside. His congregations share the building with the Sudanese Grace Episcopal Church congregation.

The Rev. Zacharia Char leads that church and has also supported the project.

I feel this is really good. This can be a special prayer that can involve everybody to walk around and have a moment of silence or a moment of prayer about someone we lost. The million people that we lost here in America, said Char.

The installation is outside the church building at 1550 Oswego St. NW in Grand Rapids.

Kemper and the pastors will hold a prayer service to dedicate the installation at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. It is open to the public.

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GR artist honors COVID-19 victims with weathergram installation - WOODTV.com

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) A pair of researchers at East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine have discovered that new nanotechnology may have therapeutic benefits in the treatment of SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The ECU patented technology is called SNAT, standing for Smart Nano-Enabled Antiviral Therapy.

Researchers Dr. Lok Pokhrel, assistant professor of toxicology in Brodys Public Health Department, and Dr. Shaw Akula, a virologist and associate professor in Brodys Department of Microbiology and Immunology, used hamsters to test the ability of SNAT to inhibit infection caused by COVID-19. After 14 days, results showed that SNAT reduced the virus in oral swabs, reversed bodily weight loss and improved lung function in the hamsters compared to those who had not been infected with the virus.

Pokhrel and Akula wanted to create a treatment that is more accessible in areas or countries with poor infrastructure.

The current vaccinations as well as therapeutics, theyre either administered intravenously or they are oral pills against COVID-19, right. And the delivery or the treatment of those options require healthcare facilities, which were overwhelmed during the pandemic. So we wanted to find an alternative solution, in which case people can get the medication like an inhaler or nebulizer over the counter and treat them at home.

Compared to other current treatments on the market, their drug is easier to maintain. It doesnt need refrigeration or special storage, it can be stored for up to three years at room temperature, which is a big deal for treatment options in countries like Africa or Asia, according to the researchers.

They also say its highly safe to lung cells, skin cells and it is also non-irritating to the eyes.

SNAT is currently in its preclinical stage. The next step in phases one and two of clinical trials is to test the effectiveness in humans. Pokhrel and Akula say the technology is adaptable, allowing other researchers to test new viruses for any future epidemic or pandemic.

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North Carolina researchers find potential COVID-19 treatment with new nanotechnology - WBTW

As Novavax clears a key step on the path to FDA authorization, researchers with the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases hold hope for a COVID-19 vaccine that can address vaccine inequity and demand.

Dr. Cindy Gay, associate professor of infectious diseases in the infectious diseases division in the School of Medicine, led the phase 3 Novavax study at Carolina and is co-chair for the overall study. She answers questions about the vaccine in a new UNC Health video.

There are different ways to design a vaccine. The Moderna and Pfizer mRNA vaccines use a strategy whereby the vaccine delivers an instruction code that gets delivered inside our cells. Then, our own cells are instructed to make a piece of the virus to elicit an immune response which provides protection against COVID-19 illness.

Novavax is a protein-based vaccine using a much more traditional vaccine platform. Several vaccines approved for infections have been using this platform for decades. With this strategy, the vaccine itself delivers the piece of the COVID-19 virus that we want to elicit the immune response to. Its the same spike protein that is eliciting a response with the other COVID-19 vaccines, but in this case, its being delivered directly in the vaccine.

The Novavax vaccine was 90.4% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 illness. The data submitted to the FDA covers an early period in the study, including when the delta variant was circulating and when the omicron variant had yet to emerge.

However, Novavax looked at immune responses to the omicron variant and, more importantly, neutralizing responses. The Novavax vaccine did elicit immune responses to the omicron variant, but it provided less protection compared to the initial Wuhan strain and the other variants, as weve seen with all of the currently available COVID-19 vaccines. Studies also looked at responses after a booster dose, provided in this phase 3 study. Results showed substantial increases in response, including to the omicron variant.

UNC was a site for the phase 3 study of the Novavax vaccine through the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases. This is a two-year study, and we are continuing to follow participants for safety monitoring and additional immunological testing. In addition, UNC was a site for the enrollment of adolescents on the study, from age 12 to 17, and we continue to follow them as well.

Given where we are with vaccination rates in the U.S., its most likely that Novavax, if approved for emergency use authorization, would be used as a booster dose. However, emergency use authorization submission and approval would be for an initial or primary series. Many of us are hopeful that individuals who remain unvaccinated and concerned about newer mRNA vaccines will be willing to try this more traditional approach to a vaccine. Its already been approved in several other countries, including the European Union, and cleared by the World Health Organization. There have been no safety issues with the phase 3 study in the U.S. and Mexico, or in a large U.K. study.

One key advantage is that Novavax does not have to be frozen. In many ways, this will make it a much more accessible vaccine once it becomes widely available, as transportation and access to freezers can be an issue with other COVID-19 vaccines. The logistics and storage required to deliver the Novavax vaccine to rural settings and low resource countries would be much easier, making this is an important vaccine for getting more individuals vaccinated while addressing vaccine inequity.

Learn how the built-in infrastructure of Carolinas Clinical Trials Unit in the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases brought COVID-19 vaccine trials to UNC-Chapel Hill, starting with Moderna.

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New Novavax COVID-19 vaccine could address inequity and demand - The Well : The Well - The Well

When the first wave of COVID-19 reached England, the national lockdown led to school closures with very little warning for pupils, teachers and parents. Childrens homes became their classrooms.

We carried out research into primary school teachers experiences of remote learning during the first and second COVID lockdowns. This involved an online survey of 271 teachers from schools across England and interviews with teachers from 24 schools in June and July 2020. We then conducted follow-up interviews with 14 of the teachers in April 2021, after the second period of school closures.

In particular, we looked at the relationship between teachers and parents. School closures resulted in a dramatic shift in the role that parents were required to play in their childrens learning. Teachers expectations of parents shifted from supporting learning at home, based on what children were doing at school, to being integrally involved in schooling at home.

Our research sheds light on the obstacles that parents and teachers faced, but also the effective strategies that teachers used to get parents involved with their childrens learning.

School closures exacerbated the digital divide between families who had good access to technology and digital skills, and those who did not. Disadvantaged children and families were less likely to have sufficient technology and internet access for remote learning, compared with their more affluent counterparts. Some parents and children only had internet access through a smartphone rather than a tablet or computer, which was often impractical for remote learning.

The UK government set up a scheme to allocate digital devices to families who needed them, but the teachers we spoke to told us that attempts to provide devices to families were not always effective. Schools often had very few devices available compared with the number of pupils in need, and teachers also reported that devices quickly became damaged.

In some cases, parents were unwilling to take laptops home for example, one teacher commented:

We had about 29 (laptops). In the end most families didnt want one. We actually gave out about four of the 29 possibly because if youve got a computer, then you need to be doing the learning.

For some families, additional barriers such as work commitments and other children at home prevented them engaging in home learning.

During the first lockdown, the teachers we spoke to wanted to prioritise the wellbeing of families and children, rather than adding to the pressure families were facing with demands for schooling at home. As one teacher noted, We have said to families, just having experiences like cooking at home or gardening, these are all equally as valuable. Another told us:

I sent out [letters] about parents not putting themselves under pressure about the amount and quality of work their child should be submitting each week. I had quite a number of emails from some parents saying: Oh my goodness, you dont know how much that letter meant to me when I read it. Ive been putting myself under so much pressure. I was really worried about this.

The mood had shifted by the second period of school closures. When we interviewed teachers again, government requirements for remote and in-person teaching during school closures had increased considerably. One teacher explained:

The government told us that we had to do exactly what we would have been doing in class. And we had to provide four hours of good-quality teaching and learning every day. Thats what people could expect.

This created stress for teachers in providing sufficient materials, and for parents in keeping up with the learning, particularly as more parents were back working in the second period of closures.

Teachers told us they worked with parents to build their digital skills and increase their confidence when helping their children with schoolwork. This included running online workshops and providing short videos to introduce parents to key concepts and teaching methods.

Greater communication between teachers and parents during the school closures also led to stronger relationships. One deputy headteacher observed:

Getting to know the parents at a deeper level we actually sort of moved further on in the relationships, and trust really helped I think we built more (trust).

Gaining insight into childrens home lives also allowed schools to provide additional support where it was needed most. One teacher told us their school sent out hampers of food and other essential items to families.

Technology can provide valuable opportunities for connecting parents with their childrens schooling. However, unless there are greater efforts to tackle the digital divide, increasing use of technology will put the most vulnerable children at a greater disadvantage. Overall, the experiences of the teachers we spoke to during lockdown show that parents and teachers can play a mutually supportive role in childrens education, in the pandemic and beyond.

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How teachers supported children and parents through COVID-19 school closures - The Conversation

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has tested positive for COVID-19, the Sheriffs Department said Tuesday evening, June 21.

Villanueva is experiencing mild symptoms and in good spirits, said Deputy Brenda Serna, spokeswoman for the Sheriffs Department.

The agency declined to immediately provide further information about the diagnosis.

Villanueva, running for re-election, likely will face former Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna in the November general election.

The latest results show Villanueva leading in the primary election race, with 452,802 votes (30.7%); vs. Lunas 381,959 votes (25.9%).

Villanueva has been vocal about his opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates for county employees, saying mandates led to an increase in deputies and personnel retiring early, resigning or otherwise taking leave from the department. Villanueva himself was vaccinated against COVID-19 and promoted the vaccines effectiveness, but acknowledged that many in his department disagreed with the mandate.

As of Tuesday morning, 5,115 Sheriffs Department employees had tested positive for COVID-19, according to statistics posted by the agency.

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LA County Sheriff Villanueva tests positive for COVID-19; is said to be in good spirits - LA Daily News