Category Archives: Covid-19

Back in February of 2021, mental-health educator and wellness coach Minaa B. wrote about the concept and importance of community care in an op-ed for Well+Good: "The idea of community care, essentially, is to use our power, privilege, and resources to better the people who are both in and out of our scope of reach."

There's no denying that the world looks a bit different a year and a half after she penned the piece: Airlines have lifted mask mandates and COVID-19 testing requirements for international and domestic flights, and almost every state in the country has relaxed its pandemic restrictions. But as the United States continues racing to conditions of pre-pandemic lifeeven as the number of infections continues to growthe definition of community care remains the same, and the way in which folks practice it is perhaps more important than ever. In a time when it feels that the government has more or less wiped its hands of COVID-19 as a public health issue, the honor and burden of community care falls back on individualsmeaning, you, me, each one of us. But, how?

Community-oriented care comes in many forms. While the idea and practice is prevalent across the world, the concept of public healththe American government's answer to community carestarted in the early 1900s. Since the idea found its way to American soil, the average American lifespan has increased 30 years25 of which are attributed to public-health advancements including vaccinations, safer workplaces, family planning, and cleaner drinking water.

Of course, community care has also stemmed from local, grassroots movements: The Hispanic Federation assembled after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico. Food banks have played a crucial role in feeding millions in the last few years. And, more recently, Well+Good Changemaker and Liberate Abortion leader Sharmin Hossain is leading an abortion caravan through Jackson, Mississippi, to teach people how to self-manage abortions in a time whenRoe v. Wadeis likely to be overturned. Such efforts are less quantifiable than those enacted by the government; nevertheless, they are and will continue to be vitalespecially as we navigate what community care looks like as it pertains to COVID-19.

That is, how do we practice community care in a time when public health is politically divisive; when only 67 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (and vaccination acceptance overall is on the decline)? And whendespite the fact that one million Americans have now died of COVID-19 and others live with long COVIDgetting folks to take the virus seriously remains a challenge?

I asked Isaac P. Dapkins, MD, chief medical officer at the Family Health Centers at NYU Langone, who has worked at the intersection of medicine and community care for about six years, for his thoughts. Since the start of the pandemic, he says that he and his team have spoken a lot about how doctors can orient their work toward community careand one strategy in particular has stood out to him.

When New York City became the epicenter of the pandemic in March of 2020, Dr. Dapkins saw the impact COVID-19 had on the community where he practices: Sunset Park, Brooklyn. "When we had the highest rate of infection, I think the worst part was that, if you got COVID, it really meant that you were putting your family at risk. Whether it was your older parents or your children," he says.

Folks who lived in multi-generational householdsspecifically Black people, Hispanic people, and people of Asian descentstood the greatest chance of passing a COVID-19 infection onto one or several loved ones. This risk came to define how Dr. Dapkins spoke to people about community care.

"For example, I had a woman who was in her early fifties, who was adamantly against vaccination, and she had issues that would make her at risk. I was able to connect with her about getting a vaccine by talking to her about how she would protect her motherwhom she was really worried would get sick," says Dr. Dapkins. Ultimately, he was able to convince the woman to get the vaccine for the health and safety of her family.

"The way to communicate with people is to find common ground, things that people share value-wise." Isaac P. Dapkins, MD, chief medical officer at the Family Health Centers, NYU Langone

Although not all of us are doctors, Dr. Dapkins believes that the future of community care will hinge on getting really good at talking to those we love about how their actions inform the health of their closest communities. "Doctors are really focused on communicating with individual people about their risk [for COVID-19], and I don't believe that's a very effective way to change people's minds. The way to communicate with people is to find common ground, things that people share value-wise," he says.

I know what you're thinking: Finding common ground is a difficult ask. Try as we might to use our power, privilege, and resources to connect with those who have decided the pandemic is over, and these conversations can feel like banging your hands against a brick wall. But if we stop trying, what then?

"If you're out on the street, and there's a little kid who looks like they're going to run out into the road, most people are going to stop the kid. I think there's some nugget of opportunity in that community-care conversation," says Dr. Dapkins. "Would you let a little kid run out into the street and get hit by a car? When you start to frame it in an emotional way for people that's real and doesn't have to do with sort of dry numbers and risk, it at least facilitates the conversation."

Besides having these difficult conversations, another way to practice community care right now is leading by example. If you're someone who, for instance, is fully vaccinated but still prefers to wear a mask in public spaces, wear your mask on the plane. Make it clear that you want to social distance at the supermarket. Require people to show proof of vaccination at your wedding.

The reverse is also true: Your respect and adherence to your family and friends' preferred COVID-19 safety measures is a form of community care. "Again, it's really about trying to encourage people to accept what others want to do about reducing their risk rather than focusing on what your perceived risk is," says Dr. Dapkins.

Infection rates and COVID-19-related deaths stats are importantthere's no arguing that. But when it comes to community care, human empathy may be the key to showing up for your peopleespecially when the government has decided to move on.

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What Happens to Community Care When the Government Decides Its Every Person for Themselves in the Face of COVID-19? - Well+Good

1. In patients with mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), sotrovimab reduced the risk of disease progression.

2. Sotrovimab was associated with no significant adverse events in high-risk patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19.

Evidence Rating Level: 1 (Excellent)

Study Rundown: Several vaccines have been approved for the prevention of COVID-19. Although, many individuals are still infected on a daily basis globally and require intervention to reduce associated morbidity and mortality. Sotrovimab is an engineered human monoclonal antibody that neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 and multiple other sarbecoviruses. It has been proposed that sotrovimab can be used in high-risk patients infected with COVID-19 to neutralize the virus and prevent disease progression early in the course of infection. However, there is a paucity of data on the efficacy and safety of sotrovimab use in high-risk ambulatory patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. The present study found that sotrovimab was an effective therapeutic agent for outpatients with COVID-19, resulting in a reduced risk of disease progression. This study was limited by a low number of hospitalizations in the sotrovimab group. Accordingly, it is unclear which patient or disease characteristics might be associated with sotrovimab treatment failure. Additionally, there was no analysis of baseline autologous antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 to measure immune response and status. Nevertheless, the findings are significant as they demonstrate that sotrovimab can potentially serve as a new therapeutic drug for high-risk patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 to slow disease progression.

Click to read the study in NEJM.

Relevant Reading: Early Treatment with Sotrovimab for COVID-19

In-Depth [randomized control trial]: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at 37 trial sites in the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Spain. Patients who were 18 years of age or older with a positive result on PCR or antigen SARS-CoV-2 testing and COVID-19 symptoms within the previous five days were eligible for the study. Patients who already had severe COVID-19, defined as shortness of breath at rest or use of supplemental oxygen, were excluded from the study. Study participants were then randomly assigned to receive either a single 500mg infusion of sotrovimab or an equal volume of saline placebo. The primary outcome was measured as the percentage of patients who were hospitalized for more than 24 hours or who died from any cause up to day 29 after randomization. Outcomes in the primary analysis were assessed via group-sequential design with two interim analyses to assess both futility due to lack of efficacy and efficacy. Based on the analysis, 1% of patients in the sotrovimab group and 7% of patients in the placebo group had disease progression leading to hospitalization or death (relative risk reduction, 85%; 97.24% Confidence Interval, 44 to 96). Within the placebo group, five of these patients were admitted to the ICU, including one who died by day 29. Regarding the safety profile of sotrovimab, 17% of patients reported adverse events in the sotrovimab group while 19% of patients in the placebo reported adverse events. Serious adverse events were also less common with sotrovimab than with placebo, occurring in 2% of patients in the sotrovimab group and in 6% of patients in the placebo group. Overall, this study demonstrates that sotrovimab reduced the risk of disease progression among high-risk patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and offers a new therapeutic agent to potentially reduce the progression of COVID-19.

Image: PD

2022 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. All rights reserved. No works may be reproduced without expressed written consent from 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. Inquire about licensing here. No article should be construed as medical advice and is not intended as such by the authors or by 2 Minute Medicine, Inc.

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Sotrovimab reduces the severity of COVID-19 progression - 2 Minute Medicine

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 538.9 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths has now passed 6.31 million. More than 11.99 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends COVID-19 vaccines for children as young as six months, allowing a nationwide rollout to start imminently. The move came after a panel of advisers to the institution voted to recommend COVID-19 vaccines for children of that age.

People infected with the earliest version of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus first identified in South Africa in November may be vulnerable to reinfection with later versions of Omicron even if they have been vaccinated and boosted, new findings suggest.

Macau, the world's biggest gambling hub, began its second day of mass COVID-19 testing on Monday after dozens of locally transmitted cases were discovered over the weekend, with most businesses shut but casinos remaining open.

North Korea has recorded another 18,820 new fever cases amid its first official COVID-19 outbreak, state news agency KCNA said on Monday, as daily reported infections continued to drop and no new deaths were reported.

The European Medicines Agency has launched a rolling review of a variant-adapted COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, as cases of new Omicron sub-variants are on the rise. Clinical trial data will be added to the rolling submission, which is designed to speed up any approval, BioNTech and Pfizer said in a joint statement.

The Swiss parliament has refused to fully finance the government's plan to buy COVID-19 vaccines in 2023. It means the government could initially procure only 3.5 million additional vaccine doses each from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech instead of seven million each for 2023 it announced in March.

US healthcare giant Pfizer has agreed to buy an 8.1% stake in French vaccines company Valneva. The French company is working on a COVID-19 vaccine.

Daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases per million people in selected countries

Image: Our World in Data

The odds of developing long COVID after infection were 20% to 50% lower during the Omicron wave in the UK compared to Delta, researchers at King's College London found, using data from the ZOE COVID Symptom study app. The figure varied depending on the patient's age and the timing of their last vaccination.

Long COVID, which includes prolonged symptoms ranging from fatigue to "brain fog", can be debilitating and continue for weeks or months. It is increasingly being recognized as a public health problem, and researchers have been racing to find out whether Omicron presents as big a risk of long COVID as previously dominant variants.

The study from King's is believed to be the first academic research to show Omicron does not present as great a risk of long COVID, but that does not mean long COVID patient numbers are dropping, the team said.

While the risk of long COVID was lower during Omicron, more people were infected, so the absolute number now suffering is higher. The UK's Office for National Statistics said in May that 438,000 people in the country have long COVID after Omicron infection, representing 24% of all long COVID patients.

The G20 group of major economies aims to raise $1.5 billion this year for a fund set up to better prepare for future pandemics, the health minister of current G20 president Indonesia has said.

G20 countries have provisionally agreed to set up a multi-billion-dollar fund that health officials have said will finance efforts such as surveillance, research and better access to vaccination for lower-to-middle income countries.

Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said in an interview that the United States, European Union, Indonesia, Singapore and Germany have pledged about $1.1 billion to the fund so far.

"If we can get by the end of this year $1.5 billion of fresh funding, we will be very, very happy," he told Reuters, adding that he hopes the group can raise another $1.5 billion next year.

The World Bank, which will house the fund, and the World Health Organization, which is advising, estimate that the annual funding gap for pandemic preparedness is $10.5 billion.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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COVID-19: Top stories about the pandemic in mid-June 2022 - World Economic Forum

Mike Stucka USA TODAY NETWORK| Plaquemine Post South

Louisiana reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 6,649 new cases. That's down 16.1% from the previous week's tally of 7,921 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Louisiana ranked 38th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 0.7% from the week before, with 730,572 cases reported. With 1.4% of the country's population, Louisiana had 0.91% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 15 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Iberville Parish reported 52 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 202 cases and minus one death. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 8,989 cases and 152 deaths.

Across Louisiana, cases fell in 34 parishes, with the best declines in Bossier Parish, with 292 cases from 644 a week earlier; in Jefferson Parish, with 659 cases from 928; and in Orleans Parish, with 612 cases from 831.

>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases

Within Louisiana, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in St. James Parish with 280 cases per 100,000 per week; De Soto Parish with 240; and Bossier Parish with 230. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

Adding the most new cases overall were East Baton Rouge Parish, with 727 cases; Jefferson Parish, with 659 cases; and Orleans Parish, with 612. Weekly case counts rose in 26 parishes from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Rapides, Lafayette and Ouachita parishes.

In Louisiana, 17 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 15 people were reported dead.

A total of 1,210,760 people in Louisiana have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 17,373 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 86,246,101 people have tested positive and 1,013,413 people have died.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, June 19.

Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

Hospitals in 29 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 25 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 31 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.

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Iberville Parish reported 52 additional COVID-19 cases this week - Post South

Mike Stucka USA TODAY NETWORK| Bluffton Today

New coronavirus cases increased 9.4% in South Carolina in the week ending Sunday as the state added 10,348 cases. The previous week had 9,456 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

South Carolina ranked 17th among the states where the coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 0.7% from the week before, with 730,572 cases reported.

With 1.55% of the country's population, South Carolina had 1.42% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 15 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Beaufort County reported 292 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 343 cases and two deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 44,887 cases and 383 deaths.

Jasper County reported 35 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 29 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 6,054 cases and 93 deaths.

Within South Carolina, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Dorchester County with 351 cases per 100,000 per week; Richland County with 305; and Charleston County with 297. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

Adding the most new cases overall were Richland County, with 1,270 cases; Charleston County, with 1,222 cases; and Greenville County, with 889. Weekly case counts rose in 32 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Richland, Charleston and Dorchester counties.

>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases

Across South Carolina, cases fell in 13 counties, with the best declines in Lexington County, with 644 cases from 701 a week earlier; in Beaufort County, with 292 cases from 343; and in Greenwood County, with 32 cases from 69.

In South Carolina, 25 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 63 people were reported dead.

A total of 1,524,771 people in South Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 17,995 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 86,246,101 people have tested positive and 1,013,413 people have died.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, June 19.

Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

Hospitals in 29 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 25 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 31 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.

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292 new COVID-19 cases last week in Beaufort County, 35 in Jasper County - Bluffton Today

Mike Stucka USA TODAY NETWORK| Hillsdale Daily News

Michigan reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 15,578 new cases. That's down 15.6% from the previous week's tally of 18,453 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Michigan ranked 37th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 0.7% from the week before, with 730,572 cases reported. With 3% of the country's population, Michigan had 2.13% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 15 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Hillsdale County reported 67 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 49 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 10,770 cases and 204 deaths.

Across Michigan, cases fell in 56 counties, with the best declines in Wayne County, with 2,903 cases from 3,631 a week earlier; in Oakland County, with 2,441 cases from 2,934; and in Macomb County, with 1,454 cases from 1,711.

>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases

Within Michigan, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Keweenaw County with 284 cases per 100,000 per week; Washtenaw County with 275; and Iron County with 235. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

Adding the most new cases overall were Wayne County, with 2,903 cases; Oakland County, with 2,441 cases; and Macomb County, with 1,454. Weekly case counts rose in 23 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Cass, Hillsdale and Berrien counties.

In Michigan, 137 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 131 people were reported dead.

A total of 2,581,397 people in Michigan have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 36,675 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 86,246,101 people have tested positive and 1,013,413 people have died.

Note: In the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus data, cases and deaths for the Michigan Department of Corrections and the Federal Correctional Institution separately from Michigan counties.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, June 19.

Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

Hospitals in 29 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 25 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 31 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.

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Hillsdale County reported 67 additional COVID-19 cases this week - The Hillsdale Daily News

People with diabetes are prone to a number of complications from this condition. But one of the newest pandemic era developments seems to show a link between diabetes and more severe illness from those with COVID-19.

A particular enzyme thats often overactive in people with diabetes is angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). It may be at least partly to blame for this predisposition to severe COVID-19 symptoms, as well as other non-COVID-19 complications.

This article explores the relationship between diabetes and ACE2 and how it relates to COVID-19.

ACE2 is a substance in your body that helps regulate several critical functions. Amino acids (peptides) are the chemicals that help build proteins in your body, and in general, these ACE peptides are major players in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) that regulates how the body controls things such as:

An imbalance of these enzymes and peptides can contribute to the development of a number of conditions, such as high blood pressure, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease.

According to a 2011 study, people with diabetes particularly those with diabetes-related kidney disease often have overactive or early expression of ACE2 enzymes. The amplification of these enzymes can lead to complications alone, but that complication risk increases when combined with a virus that binds to these same receptors as these enzymes.

Diabetes is associated with increased complications with all kinds of conditions, and COVID-19 is no exception.

Several studies have highlighted the increased risk of infection, severe illness, and even death in people with diabetes who have COVID-19.

The reason for this increase may be becoming clearer.

Researchers found that in China, 20 percent of people hospitalized with COVID-19 also had diabetes as their most common comorbidity. That research also shows that a third of the people who died from their COVID-19 also lived with diabetes. Another study linked diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer to two-thirds of COVID-19 deaths in Italy.

Many theories exist on why a diabetes diagnosis appears to make COVID-19 illness worse. Two leading theories are that worsened illness is:

However, the real answer may have more to do with the types of cells that the SARS-CoV-2 virus targets in the first place, leading to COVID-19.

In many people with diabetes, ACE2 levels are increased, or these enzymes are more active. The virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, is particularly attracted to these ACE sites because the spiked proteins that coat the virus attach to the body at ACE2 receptor sites.

In people with elevated ACE activity, this means there are more host sites for the virus to attach to once it enters your body.

COVID-19 is known to cause severe lung, heart, and even kidney complications, and developing research reveals that this may be in part due to how active ACE2 cells are in these tissues in people who are infected with the virus. ACE2 levels have been found to be abnormally high in people with severe COVID-19, particularly in the lung tissues of people who died from COVID-19.

While this all isnt yet fully understood, it appears that the elevated expression of ACE2 in people with diabetes may set the stage for additional problems once the COVID-19 virus is introduced.

Early overexpression of ACE2 may contribute to the development of some forms of diabetes, as well as the appearance of diabetes-related complications.

The ACE2 enzyme and the peptides it helps to control contribute to:

A lack of balance in these areas is believed to contribute to many of the microvascular changes that occur in people with diabetes, including loss of kidney function and nerve damage (neuropathy).

Our bodies depend on balance to function properly, and any time even the smallest components of our system are disrupted, problems can arise. People with diabetes already face a number of complications, but now it appears that some of the chemical imbalances that can contribute to diabetes complications can also increase the risk and severity of a SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Talk with a doctor or healthcare professional about how to control your blood glucose and protect yourself from all sorts of infections including SARS-CoV-2 infection if you have diabetes.

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Diabetes and COVID-19: What To Know About ACE2 - Healthline

In an ideal world, COVID-19 would be a thing of the past, and another pandemic would be a distant possibility. Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world, and there is no way to predict when the next dangerous COVID-19 variant or pandemic will emerge. Case in point: monkeypox. We need to be ready. Given the risks to the U.S. of another variant or pandemic, it is in the nations best interest to accelerate our research and development today. As members of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, we know all too well the importance of being prepared for biological threats. We lived through an anthrax attack that changed our understanding of the steps needed to be prepared for future threats and have been examining our nations ability to defend against biological threats for seven years. One thing is clear: Preparedness requires significant and sustained investment in research and development.

This lesson has never been clearer than today. There may be no breathing room between Omicron and now its BA.2 subvariant and the next dangerous COVID-19 variant, or between COVID-19 and the next pandemic. In fact, they may occur simultaneously. If the United States does not treat these threats as certainties and invest proactively in research and development, we will continuously play catch-up. Waiting for disaster to strike before taking action once again will leave our country open to needless deaths and disability, necessitate enormous sums of emergency spending, and result in economic chaos disastrous to Americans and businesses small and large across the nation. In our country alone, the pandemic has taken more than 1 million lives. Globally, the death toll to date is 6.12 million. And up to 23 million Americans infected with SARS-CoV-2 have experienced Long COVID, which can result in debilitating symptoms as serious as heart or kidney failure that persist long after the infection subsides.

As devastating as COVID-19 has been for our nation and the world, the next pandemic could be even worse. What is certain is that the risk of pandemics is growing. According to a study by the Duke University Global Health Institute, Based on the increasing rate at which novel pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 have broken loose in human populations in the past 50 years the probability of novel disease outbreaks will likely grow three-fold in the next few decades.

Inaction in the face of this clear threat poses a grave national security risk to our country. Congress must immediately take steps to prioritize research and development. Important progress has been made toward a vaccine effective against numerous COVID-19 variants. With further work, this vaccine would not only be effective against present and future COVID-19 variants but would also offer protection against future threats from the larger viral family to which COVID-19 belongs. In our recent report, Athena Agenda: Advancing the Apollo Program for Biodefense, we urged Congress to go even further and develop at least one vaccine candidate for each of the 26 viral families that infect humans. Congress should also invest in research to develop important new treatments to mitigate symptoms and prevent severe disease outcomes from COVID-19 and other high-priority viruses, as well as develop needle-free methods for delivering vaccines and other medicines, among other technology priorities.

The president and members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have an opportunity to come together in the coming weeks to reinvigorate research and development to address COVID-19, eliminate dangerous gaps in what we know about other pandemic threats, and develop preemptive, diagnostic, and treatment countermeasures. With $10 billion every year for ten years, an Apollo Program for Biodefense could eliminate the threat of pandemics entirely.

The last two years have proven that tremendous scientific achievements are possible given sufficient funding and prioritization. Our nation has the power to prevent further human suffering and economic chaos. Now is the time to act, before we find ourselves yet again at the mercy of another natural, manmade, or accidental biological disaster.

Daschle served in the Senate from 1987 to 2005 and as Senate majority leader from 2001 to 2003. Ridge served as governor of Pennsylvania and Homeland Security secretary. Both serve on the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense.

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Out-innovating the next COVID-19 variant and the next pandemic - The Hill

The latest updates in the coronavirus pandemic for Monday, June 20, 2022.

INDIANAPOLIS Here are Monday's latest updates on the coronaviruspandemic, including the latest news on COVID-19 vaccinations and testing in Indiana.

Registrations for the vaccineare now open for Hoosiers 5 and older through the Indiana State Department of Health. This story will be updated over the course of the day with more news on the COVID-19 pandemic.

US opens COVID vaccine to little kids; shots begin this week

U.S. health officials have opened COVID-19 vaccines for infants, toddlers and preschoolers the last group without the shots.

The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the decision Saturday, hours after an advisory panel voted unanimously that coronavirus vaccines should made available to children as young as 6 months.

The Biden administration has been gearing up for the start of the shots early this week.

Millions of doses have been ordered for distribution to doctors, hospitals and community health clinics around the country.

CDC map shows Dubois at 'high risk,' 20 other Indiana counties at 'medium' risk

On Monday, June 20, 2022, Dubois County was listed on the CDC data map as having a "high" community risk of spreading COVID-19, while 20 other counties (Benton, Blackford, Carroll, Clark, Clinton, Crawford, Delaware, Elkhart, Floyd, Fountain, Harrison, Kosciusko, Lawrence, Orange, Randolph, Scott, Shelby, Tippecanoe, Washington and White) were listed as "medium" risks.

Latest US, world numbers

There have been more than 86.24 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of 6 a.m. ET Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 1.013 million deaths recorded in the U.S.

Worldwide, there have been more than 538.97 million confirmed coronavirus cases with more than 6.318 million deaths and more than 11.6 billion vaccine doses administered.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness like pneumonia, or death.

White House offering additional 8 free COVID-19 tests to public

The government website for people to request free COVID-19 at-home tests from the U.S. government is now accepting a third round of orders.

The White House recently announced that U.S. households can request an additional eight free at-home tests to be shipped by the U.S. Postal Service.

President Joe Biden committed in January to making 1 billion tests available to the public free of charge, including 500 million available through covidtests.gov. But just 350 million of the amount available for ordering online have been shipped to date to addresses across the continental U.S., its territories and overseas military bases, the White House said.

People who have difficulty getting online or need help placing an order can call 1-800-232-0233 for assistance.

The third round brings to 16 the total number of free tests available to each U.S. household since the program started earlier this year. Households were eligible to receive four tests during each of two earlier rounds of ordering through the website.

2nd COVID-19 booster shot available to Hoosiers 50 and up

The Indiana Department of Health announced that Hoosiers age 50 and older, as well as those 12 and older with weakened immune systems, are now eligible to receive a second mRNA COVID-19 booster shot at least four months after their first booster dose.

The Centers for Disease Control and Preventionrecommended the extra shot as an option but stopped short of urging that those eligible rush out and get it right away.

The IDOH is advising vaccine providers to begin administering second boosters of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines to people who qualify.

The CDC also says that adults who received a primary vaccine and booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least four months ago may now receive a second booster dose of either mRNA vaccine.

You can find a vaccine location at ourshot.in.gov or by calling Indiana 211 (866-211-9966). Appointments are recommended, but many sites do accept walk-ins.

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Indiana coronavirus updates: US opens COVID vaccine to little kids; shots begin this week - WTHR

There were more positive COVID-19 cases in the Watertown School District during the 2021-22 school year than the previous year.

That's something members of the Watertown School Board learned recently during their June meeting.

In conjunction with the American Rescue Plan, we had a Safe Return to School Plan for 2021-22. It was probably much less strict than the 2021 plan, said Superintendent Jeff Danielsen.

He explained that part of theplan was that masks were optional. Changes were also made to how the school handled positive cases and close contacts.

We only kept COVID positives home, Danielsen said, not close contacts.

During the 2021-22 school year, Watertown schools saw647 COVID-19 cases, of which 525 were in students.

Compared to a total of 575 last year, we had more positives this year, Danielsen said.

There were times when the district struggled to keep classrooms staffed because there were 122 COVID-19 cases among teachers.

We saw a couple of big spikes this year, said Danielsen. In September, we had 14 staff and 96 students. Our big month was in January. We had 58 COVID-positive staff members and 250 students.

Watertown schools had to depend on their substitute teacher pool, and Danielsen said the district is again seeking substitute teacher applicants.

I want to thank the principals and staff members for helping to keep the school running. There was a lot of coverage to be done with our substitute pool, said Danielsen. We feel our year went fairly well with the reduced options this year.

Next years Safe Return to School plan will be ready closer to the start of school. The district is waiting for guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Controland the state.

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Watertown schools saw higher COVID-19 cases this year - Watertown Public Opinion