Category Archives: Covid-19

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) The growth of COVID-19 was higher this August than last year in terms of infecting more South Dakota residents and putting them in the hospital.

South Dakota gained about 162 new active cases of COVID-19 a day during August.

The state department of health reported 657 active cases on Aug. 4 and 5,035 active cases on Aug 31. Specifically for the 24-day period between Aug. 4 and Aug. 31, the state gained about 168 cases per day.

Daily hospitalizations grew by 5 1/2 times as much from 39 daily active hospitalizations on Aug. 4 to 216 on Aug. 31.

Despite the availability of vaccinations and experiencing a surge in COVID-19 in the fall of 2020, South Dakota seems poised to do it all over again for the fall of 2021.

The numbers have increased faster this past August than in August of 2020. The 2021 peak could be sooner than the November peak of 2020.

The state had 13,509 total cases on Aug. 31, 2020. There were 167 deaths, 2,730 active cases, 76 active cases in the hospital. The total number of people in the hospital had reached 1,082 while recoveries were at 10,612. The deaths increased by 31 from 136 on Aug. 4 to 167 on Aug. 31.

The state had 216 active cases in the hospital on Aug. 31, 2021. Deaths increased by 19 in August 2021 from 2,050 on Aug. 4 to 2,069 on Aug. 31.

Total hospitalizations increased by 183 in August of 2020. Total hospitalizations increased by 311 in August of 2021.

The total cases increased by about 6,600 from Aug. 4, 2021, to Aug. 31.

The state had 2,730 active cases on Aug. 31, 2020. There were 2,800 more the next year for a total of 5,035 active cases on Aug. 31, 2021.

There were more than 13,000 active cases each day of November of 2020 with many days hovering around 16,000.

In 76 days, from Aug. 31 to Nov. 15, 2020, grew by 16,630 active daily cases to 19,360 on Nov. 15, 2020.

COVID-19 could spread quicker this year compared to last year, according to health experts. The Delta variant is more easily transmitted than the 2020 strain, many individuals older than 12 and under 40 are still unvaccinated, and schools are open without mask mandates or even strongly encouraging masking.

Sixty-percent of the states 12 and older population, who are eligible for vaccination, have at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. About 56% are fully vaccinated.

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Is August the start of another peak COVID-19 season? - KELOLAND.com

If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and are at high risk for developing severe COVID-19, you may be eligible for monoclonal antibody treatment, which might prevent you from becoming sicker.

Antibodies are part of our natural defense against viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. But they take time for the body to make. Antibodies designed to attack COVID-19 have been developed, and in several studies have been shown to reduce the risk of progressing to severe COVID-19 and hospitalization when given early to people who test positive for COVID-19. This therapy is given as an infusion through an IV at one of the UNC Health infusion centers.

The criteria for patients to be considered for Monoclonal Antibody infusion therapy are:

Monoclonal antibody therapy needs to be given as soon as possible after symptoms start to workideally within 4 days and no longer than seven days.

To find out if you are at high risk and eligible for COVID 19 Monoclonal Antibody infusion therapy, please call the UNC COVID Help Line at 888-850-2684, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., 7 days a week.

Providers outside of UNC Health can also call the Help Line for information about whether patients meet detailed criteria and can be referred to a UNC Health clinic for monoclonal antibody treatment. UNC Health providers should check the intranet resources for treatment criteria and referral information.

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Monoclonal antibody infusion therapy for COVID-19 | UNC-Chapel Hill - UNC Chapell Hill

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San Antonio Zoo to vaccinate its animals against COVID-19 very soon - KXAN.com

As the coronavirus continues to surge across the United States, hospitals are again filling up with ill COVID-19 patients. And the vast majority of those patients are unvaccinated, as two new charts help make exceedingly clear.

One of those charts shows that from January 24 to July 24, vaccinated individuals were hospitalized with COVID-19 at a much lower cumulative rate than unvaccinated individuals. And the difference in rates between the two groups has only grown over time. By late July, a total of about 26 adults per 100,000 vaccinated people had been hospitalized for COVID-19. Thats compared with about 431 hospitalized people for every 100,000 unvaccinated individuals a rate roughly 17 times as high as for those who were vaccinated. The datacome from 13 states, including California, Georgia and Utah.

That trend held when the researchers charted hospitalization rates on a weekly basis too. From January to July, weekly hospitalization rates among unvaccinated people were six to 31 times as high as those in vaccinated people, the researchers report August 29 at medRxiv.org.

The accumulation of hospitalizations in each group over time, which that first chart shows, illustrates the risk of developing severe COVID-19 overall. And its message is clear: If youre vaccinated during this pandemic, your risk of hospitalization is much, much lower than if youre not vaccinated. The weekly rate, on the other hand, is a bit like the speedometer on a car providing a glimpse of whats happening week by week as the coronavirus spreads. Its message is also clear: The risk of a vaccinated person becoming hospitalized remains low at any given time, while the risk for unvaccinated people can fluctuate, probably as a result of community transmission.

The findings, along with other recent research out of Los Angeles County, remind us that if you are not yet vaccinated, you are among those highest at risk, Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said August 24 in a White House news briefing. Please do not underestimate the risk of serious consequences of this virus.

As of August 26, more than 100,000 people are hospitalized for COVID-19 in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services a level not seen since January amid the winter surge.

A separate study, described August 24 in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, that focused on Los Angeles County also showed that while COVID-19 vaccines dont always stop infections, the shots still prevent people from landing in the hospital. Thats even with the spread of the highly contagious delta variant, which has raised concerns among public health officials because some vaccinated people who get infected can transmit the coronavirus to others (SN: 7/30/21).

On July 25, when the delta variant was prevalent in the county, unvaccinated people were nearly 30 times as likely to be hospitalized as vaccinated people, the researchers found. Only one vaccinated person for every 100,000 people was hospitalized for COVID-19. Among unvaccinated people, there were around 29 hospitalizations per 100,000 individuals. In that same study, unvaccinated people were five times as likely to be infected as vaccinated people.

While the vaccines dont protect against infection as well as they do against severe disease, the shots are keeping people off ventilators and from dying, Kathryn Edwards, an infectious disease pediatrician at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, said August 26 in a news briefing sponsored by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. We cannot lose the forest for the trees.

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These charts show that COVID-19 vaccines are doing their job - Science News Magazine

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A new report released by the Social Security Administration on Tuesday reveals new estimates of just how much the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the program's already ailing trust funds.

The results show the funds from which the program pays benefits have been "significantly affected" by both the pandemic and the ensuing recession of 2020.

Now, the fund that pays retirement and survivor benefits known as the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund will be able to pay full benefits as scheduled only until 2033. That is one year earlier than last year's projections.

At that time, the program will only be able to pay 76% of those scheduled benefits.

The Disability Insurance Trust Fund, meanwhile, will be able to pay benefits until 2057 eight years sooner than last year's estimates. At that time, Social Security will be able to pay 91% of those benefits.

Combined, both trust funds are estimated to be able to pay full benefits as scheduled until 2034, one year earlier than last year's projections, at which point 78% of benefits will be payable.

Notably, last year's projections did not take the effects of Covid-19 into account.

Though the depletion dates have been bumped up sooner, benefits will still be paid once those dates are reached.

In addition, though the cost-of-living adjustment for next year was projected to be 3.1%, that increase will likely be closer to 6% due to recent increases in the Consumer Price Index, senior administration officials said. That is in line with recent estimates.

That would be the highest increase in decades, due to recent price increases in areas like cars and energy. The COLA for this year was 1.3%.

While this report is the first to show the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on Social Security, the full effect of persistent inflation likely will not be known until next year's report, said Shai Akabas, director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

A sustained inflation rate of more than 2% could have a meaningful impact on the program's finances, he said.

Here's a look at more retirement news.

The Aug. 31 release date of the annual Social Security trustees report is also the latest in at least 25 years, Akabas noted. Typically, the report comes out in April, though it has been released later than that in the past.

"It's concerning from that standpoint of wanting to make sure we're keeping a close eye on the program's finances," Akabas said.

While the report's results point to the need to fix the program either through increased taxes, benefit cuts or a combination of both it is unlikely to spur lawmakers to act immediately, Akabas said.

That's because the estimates for the program are not as dire as projected in the immediate aftermath of the onset of Covid-19 last year. Prior to the economic recovery, the Bipartisan Policy Center had projected the trust fund used to pay retirement benefits could run out as soon as 2029 to 2033.

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Social Securitys funds have been significantly affected by Covid-19. Heres how that could impact your benefits - CNBC

PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) Nine soldiers with the South Dakota National Guard are helping Monument Health with COVID-19 testing in the western part of the state.

The soldiers were activated to Belle Fourche, Custer, Rapid City, Spearfish and Sturgis.

The soldiers are activated under FEMA Title 32, so their efforts will be federally funded.

In a statement, Governor Kristi Noem says she spoke with all three South Dakota hospital systems to ask what they needed as cases start to rise again.

Monument shared a need for help with testing efforts.

Testing efforts help us to identify and isolate cases to slow the spread of the virus, Noem said in the email.

The members began their work Tuesday morning.

Testing volume in August was 115 percent higher than it was in July, according to Emily Leech, Director of the Monument Health Laboratory Services.

The health care system says that in the last seven days, 2,856 COVID-19 PCR tests were completed and 844 were positive for a positivity rate of 29.6 percent.

Leech says assistance from the National Guard will allow Monument Health to test more patients and fully utilize testing equipment.

The latest update from the state health department said the Rapid City hospital was at 100 percent capacity.

A month ago, the Monument Health system had fewer than 10 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. As of Monday, Aug. 30, the number had increased to 110.

Dan Daly with Monument Health says as of Tuesday, the health care system has 108 COVID-19 patients. He says that is more than the 104 patients treated when COVID-19 peaked in November 2020 in South Dakota.

A Monument spokesman tells us they are not turning anyone away. He says if someone needs a bed, they will find one.

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South Dakota National Guard activated to help with COVID-19 testing efforts - KELOLAND.com

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) As COVID-19 cases spike, testing is jumping just as quickly. This is causing a slow down in New Mexicans getting results.The New Mexico Department of Health is looking at ways to speed up the process. The amount of tests being done is way up compared to last year and even month to month. Mandatory COVID testing for employees and a surge in cases has people waiting days to get their results.

When my son had to get tested because he came into contact with somebody and that took forever. It was about five days to wait for him to get it. and I was like pacing, like please hurry you know I dont want him to have anything but luckily we were good, said Evita Sinclaire.

NMDOH says they are working on expanding testing services at the public health offices. The department is trying to balance getting people vaccinated and getting people tested.

In the last two weeks, more than 172,000 tests were done in New Mexico. That compared to less than 80,000 over the same two-week period in 2020. In the last 30 days, the state conducted more than 312,000 tests. That is 175,000 more than the previous 30 days.

In some cases tests are sent out of state, slowing down the ability for people to get their tests quicker. According to NMDOH, other in-state lab services are ramping up their testing turnaround again.

We do need to be patient and recognize with so many people testing you know we can only work so fast collectively in the health world to be able to get those test results back, you know expect to wait a few days, says David Morgan, a spokesperson with NMDOH.

If you are required to get weekly COVID tests for work the health department is recommending people use Vault testing. This allows people to have COVID tests delivered to your home every week.

The other concern is Balloon Fiesta starting the first weekend in October. The department says there are efforts underway to determine a temporary alternate site away from Balloon Fiesta Park for COVID testing.

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State looking at ways to speed up the COVID-19 testing process - KRQE News 13

What if the stated goal is simply, Kids need to be in school, period. Considering the devastating costs of having children out of school last year, including dramatic and quantifiable learning loss in math and reading, this is a very reasonable and defensible goal. How might that then drive policy? Setting that goal would mean deploying more tools to keep children in school, like using rapid antigen tests and allowing kids who test negative to go to in-person class rather than mass quarantining hundreds or thousands of children who had close contact to people with the virus, as is happening now. Or, we accept that there will be more cases in children, recognizing that disease severity for a vast majority of kids is low.

Another hard question that is most likely also causing confusion and disagreement is how we define severe disease in children. Children can get Covid, but their death and hospitalization rates are much lower than for adults. The inflammatory syndrome MIS-C is rare. Long Covid has gained wide attention, but recent studies have shown that rates are low among children and not dissimilar to effects caused by other viral illnesses.

Were not being cavalier by raising these points. Consider that in Britain the government doesnt require masks for children in schools, and its not clear it will advise kids to get vaccinated, either. Britain has experts, as we do, and they are looking at the same scientific data we are; they most assuredly care about childrens health the same way we do, and yet, they have come to a different policy decision. Schools were prioritized over other activities, and the risks of transmission without masks were considered acceptable.

This reveals the crux of the problem in the United States. Its not just the C.D.C., but everyone including us public health experts who is not always connecting our advice or policy recommendations to clear goals. The conflict is not about masks or boosters, its about the often unstated objective and how a mask mandate or a boosters for all approach may or may not get us there.

We use schools as the example here, but much of the same applies to broader societal questions over mass gatherings, live entertainment and returning to offices. There are questions around how vaccinated people should live their lives if the vaccines reduce the likelihood of spread but dont absolutely and completely prevent breakthrough infections and transmission, which was never going to be the case.

If the goal is zero spread, which we think is not realistic, then the country would need to keep many of the most restrictive measures in place an approach that has serious public health consequences of its own. If the goal is to minimize severe disease, some states with high vaccination rates might already be there. Low-vaccination states would still have work to do before loosening restrictions. Treating the country as a whole just doesnt make sense right now because of the widespread differences in vaccination rates.

The emergence of the Delta variant has, understandably, caused many Americans to step back and use caution. But the same questions will be there when we emerge from this Delta surge, whether in a few weeks or next spring. We shouldnt let ourselves off the hook with easy decisions today. At some point, the country needs to have an honest conversation with itself about what our goals really are.

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Opinion | The Hard Covid-19 Questions Were Not Asking - The New York Times

More to Read: COVID-19 Travel Advisory // FAQ on Seattle Street Safety

Yes, Seattle is OPEN. Thanks to increased vaccination rates, Washington state businesses were permitted to reopen at full capacity as of June 30. Seattle, the first major American city to fully vaccinate 70% of residents 12 and older, is safely welcoming back visitors.

Travelers to Seattleand all destinationsshould continue to observe the health recommendations of national and local public health officials, as they plan to travel, while in transit, and while visiting any destination. Travelers to Seattle should know that Visit Seattle is in close contact with regional public health officials and elected officials, as well as with national travel associations, and will actively communicate with visitors as the situation changes.

Washington State has reinstated a statewide indoor mask mandate to all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, effective Monday, August 23. This includes all indoor public settings like grocery, retail, theaters, and entertainment establishments. Exemptions to the mask requirement are limited to office spaces not easily accessible to the public and small, private indoor gatherings where everyone is vaccinated.

Please note: Businesses have the right to set their own rules and regulations for the health and safety of their customers and staff. We kindly ask visitors to determine and adhere to the individual guidelines of each business in Seattle and King County.

While there are no state or county-level mandates for vaccination IDs, business owners do have the right to enact health policies to protect their staff and customers. In addition to the statewide indoor mask mandate, a growing number of bars, restaurants, performing arts venues and events have started requiring proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test from their customers before entering. We kindly ask visitors to determine and adhere to the individual guidelines of each business in Seattle and King County.

With the exception of large indoor events (with more than 10,000 simultaneous participants), Washington state has lifted all social distancing guidelines, however reinstated a statewide mask mandate as of August 23, 2021. For details, please reference the states Washington Ready plan.

Seattle and King County continue to follow CDC guidelines, so please be aware of these while planning travel.

Washingtonians and others who may be visiting Washington from outside the state are expected to comply with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) current COVID-19 travel advisory guidance. This guidance recommends travelers delay travel until they are fully vaccinated, at which point they can travel safely within the United States.

If not vaccinated, travelers are expected to follow CDCs recommendations for unvaccinated people, which includes testing before and after travel, wearing a mask, continuing to socially distance and maintain good hand hygiene.

Detailed guidance for domestic and international travelers is available on the CDC website.

Please note that global travel restrictions for international visitors to the United States:

For the latest flight and airport information, refer to the SEA Airport travel advisory or contact your airline directly.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) has implemented extensive new cleaning procedures to support the health and safety of travelers. Some of these measures include:

Airlines are also implementing their own stringent cleaning and safety measures. Here are two examples:

SEA Airport has provided the following resources to travelers:

As Seattle reopens, we encourage visitors and locals to be aware that all sectors of the hospitality industry are experiencing staffing shortages, and kindly ask for understanding and patience with businesses and staff. While businesses are now permitted to operate at full capacity, some may continue at limited capacity or remain closed until they are more properly staffed.

Hotels are eager to welcome visitors and implemented a wide array of cleaning and social distancing policies to keep guests and staff safe and comfortable. Some amenities, dining, and other services may be limited, so please check with your hotel on their current status before traveling.

Meeting Venues in Washington State are allowed to operate at full capacity, with the exception of large indoor gatherings.

Large indoor events are defined as any event with more than 10,000 simultaneous participants located in an indoors enclosed space. Large indoor events are restricted to 75% capacity, unless vaccination verification is occurring. If vaccination verification is occurring prior to entry and the venue requires all attendees be vaccinated, there are no capacity restrictions. Vaccinated sections, however, are not permitted as a way to exceed 75% capacityallattendees must be vaccinated. No physical distancing requirements apply and attendees must follow the current masking requirements.

Restaurants may operate at full capacity.

Museums may operate at full capacity.

Retailers may operate at full capacity.

Outdoor recreation including parks, trails, and beaches is allowed with no restrictions. Camping is available where open.

Resources and updates for some popular Seattle attractions:

Additional detailed guidance and information is available on the governors website.

As businesses reopen in the Seattle area, they are held to cleanliness protocols as outlined by King County Public Health. Many, however, are going to even further measures to help ensure the health & safety of guests and employees. Please check with individual businesses for details on their policies.

Absolutely. As with everything, please check the status of specific parks before you visit.

Official Park Websites:

Additional Resources:

Click to learn more about #RecreateResponsibly guidelines

Washington State Convention Center is actively pursuing Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR accreditation on outbreak prevention, response and recovery. Please read their Safety First Overviewfor details.

Yes! The first cruise ships arrived in Elliott Bay on June 29 to prepare for a late 2021 season with departures as early as July 24. For further details on this evolving situation, please monitor official updates from the Port of Seattle.

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FAQs on COVID-19 | Visit Seattle

SYDNEY, Aug 30 (Reuters) - As Australia's COVID-19 deaths exceed 1,000, a grim toll but modest by global standards, a country that has used relentless lockdowns now faces perhaps its biggest health policy challenge of the pandemic - how to reopen.

The highly infectious Delta variant has breached the country's fortress-style controls and entrenched itself deep enough in Sydney, Australia's biggest city, and with a foothold in Melbourne, that authorities have dispensed with plans to eliminate it.

Instead, they plan to ramp up Australia's lagging vaccination effort and live with COVID-19, an approach that would help struggling businesses but which is opposed by states determined to crush the disease.

Australia reported four fatalities on Monday, taking the total death toll from COVID-19 to 1,003, according to government data. It has logged an average of two to three deaths a day recently, the data shows.

But while deaths are creeping higher, infections are surging to successive record highs above 1,200 a day. With more than half the population in lockdown, even those areas with little or no infections are affected.

The exuberance that accompanied Australia's early suppression success has since been replaced with community frustration at a delayed vaccine programme that has only recently picked up pace.

Just over 33% of those aged 16 and older have received two vaccine doses, well below most comparable nations, according to a Reuters tracker.

As the weary nation reopens, authorities hope to avoid the soaring infections and rising death experienced in countries such as Britain and the United States - which recently posted more than 1,000 deaths in a single day.

The lesson for Australia is that mask-wearing should not be discarded as restrictions ease and that classrooms should be better ventilated to protect students from the airborne virus, said epidemiologist Raina MacIntyre.

"Wearing a mask is a small price to pay to get that additional layer of control," said MacIntyre, head of the Biosecurity Research Program at the Kirby Institute, UNSW Medicine. "We'll need a vaccines-plus strategy as well as ventilation."

PUSHBACK AGAINST LIVE-WITH-IT PLAN

Australia plans to start easing restrictions once 70% of those aged 16 and over are fully vaccinated, expected late in the year. After 80% comes a gradual reopening of international travel, according to the government-backed plan modelled by the Melbourne-based Doherty Institute.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants Australia to treat COVID-19 like the flu as vaccination rates rise. "That is our goal, to live with this virus, not to live in fear of it," he said last week.

But some largely infection-free states, including Queensland and Western Australia, are pushing back as they watch health services at the centre of the Delta outbreak in the Sydney area come under stress.

There are 840 people in hospital being treated for COVID-19 in the epicentre, with 137 in intensive care and48 requiring ventilation.

Mark McGowan, premier of Western Australia, said his iron ore-exporting state wanted to continue to "crush and kill" the virus, with lockdowns when necessary.

The outbreaks and lockdowns are devastating tourism operators, said Daniel Gschwind, chief executive of the Queensland Tourism Industry Council.

"We are not in lockdown and that's great, but tourism is like a pipeline," he said. "It doesn't matter where that pipeline is broken. If you sit at the end of the pipeline nothing is coming through."

The Australian economy, which rebounded swiftly in the pandemic's early stages, is set to contract sharply this quarter, threatening to push the country back into recession if the decline persists for the rest of the year.

In the Group of 20 big economies, Australia is the last to mark 1,000 COVID-19 deaths. Among major Asia-Pacific economies, four New Zealand, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore have well below 1,000 fatalities, with New Zealand having the lowest at just 26.

Australia's rising case count means it will try to reopen under a cloud of infections when, up until the Delta strain, it was largely virus-free.

Delta's high infectiousness, short incubation, and asymptomatic spread, meant it spread quickly after being first detected in Sydney in June. Caseloads are higher for younger people, who have had limited or no access to vaccines.

Reporting by Jonathan Barrett; Additional reporting by Jill Gralow and Roshan Abraham; Editing by William Mallard

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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A weary Australia plans reopening as COVID-19 death toll hits 1000 - Reuters