WISCONSIN (WQOW) - The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) updated its immunization requirements for children in child care centers and schools Monday.
According to a press release from the DHS, meningitis vaccination is now required. Another change is that a chickenpox infection must be documented by a qualified medical professional.
"For decades, both varicella (chicken pox) and meningitis vaccines have been recommended as safe and effective for children by medical experts, and this update to our state requirements improves how we can protect children as well as their entire schools and communities from these vaccine-preventable illnesses," said DHS Secretary-designee Kirsten Johnson. "When parents make the choice to keep their child up to date on vaccinations, it not only protects their own child, but also protects other children, their families, and the people who live and work in our schools and communities."
No changes were made to existing exemption options for medical, religious, or philosophical reasons.
Vaccination rates in schools has dropped in Wisconsin. This school year, 89.2% of school-age students met the minimum immunization requirements. That's down 0.7% from the previous school year.
"Every day in schools and child care centers across the state kids are playing, learning together, and growing togetherjust as they should. This also creates a higher chance for illnesses to spread. Vaccines safeguard each child who is vaccinated - and the more children who are vaccinated, the more protected an entire school and community is," said State Health Officer Paula Tran. "To keep kids healthy and fully participating in school activities and after school events, DHS encourages parents and caregivers to talk to their pediatricians and make sure their children are up to date on immunizations."
DHS will now work with child care centers and schools to support implementation of these updated requirements.
These changes were initially effective in Wisconsin on February 1, 2023. However, they were paused in March 2023 when some of the requirements were suspended by the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules. That suspension expired on April 15, 2024, making these school and child care immunization requirements now fully in effect.
Have a story idea? Let us knowhere
Distributed via the CDC Health Alert Network May 20 2024, 10:30 AM ET CDCHAN-00508
Summary The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to alert healthcare providers to cases of meningococcal disease linked to Umrah travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Umrah is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, that can be performed any time in the year; the Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage this year taking place June 1419, 2024. Since April 2024, 12 cases of meningococcal disease linked to KSA travel for Umrah have been reported to national public health agencies in the United States (5 cases), France (4 cases), and the United Kingdom (3 cases). Two cases were in children aged 18 years, four cases were in adults aged 1844 years, four cases were in adults aged 4564 years, and two cases were in adults aged 65 years or older. Ten cases were in patients who traveled to KSA, and two were in patients who had close contact with travelers to KSA. Ten cases were caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W (NmW), one U.S. case was caused by serogroup C (NmC), and the serogroup is unknown for one U.S. case. Of nine patients with known vaccination status, all were unvaccinated. The isolates from the one U.S. NmC case and two NmW cases (one U.S., one France) were resistant to ciprofloxacin; based on whole-genome sequencing, the remaining eight NmW isolates were all sensitive to penicillin and ciprofloxacin.
In the United States, quadrivalent meningococcal (MenACWY) conjugate vaccination is routinely recommended for adolescents, and also recommended for travelers to countries where meningococcal disease is hyperendemic or epidemic, including a booster dose of MenACWY if the last dose was administered 35 or more years previously (depending on the age at most recent dose received). In addition, all Hajj and Umrah pilgrims aged one year and older are required by KSA to receive quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine. Healthcare providers should work with their patients considering travel to perform Hajj or Umrah to ensure that those aged one year or older have received a MenACWY conjugate vaccine within the last 5 years administered at least 10 days prior to arrival in KSA. Healthcare providers should also maintain increased suspicion for meningococcal disease in anyone presenting with symptoms of meningococcal disease after recent travel to KSA for Hajj or Umrah pilgrimage. U.S. health departments and healthcare providers should preferentially consider using rifampin, ceftriaxone, or azithromycin instead of ciprofloxacin for chemoprophylaxis of close contacts of meningococcal disease cases associated with travel to KSA.
Background Meningococcal disease, caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis, is a rare but severe illness with a case-fatality rate of 1015%, even with appropriate antibiotic treatment. Meningococcal disease often presents as meningitis with symptoms that may include fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, photophobia, or altered mental status. Meningococcal disease may also present as a meningococcal bloodstream infection with symptoms that may include fever, chills, fatigue, vomiting, cold hands and feet, severe aches and pains, rapid breathing, diarrhea, or, in later stages, a petechial or dark purple rash (purpura fulminans). While initial symptoms of meningococcal disease can at first be nonspecific, they worsen rapidly and can become life-threatening within hours. Survivors may experience long-term effects such as deafness or amputations of the extremities. Immediate antibiotic treatment for meningococcal disease is critical. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures are indicated for patients with suspected meningococcal disease. Healthcare providers should not wait for diagnostic testing or receipt of laboratory results before initiating treatment for suspected cases of meningococcal disease.
Meningococcal disease outbreaks have occurred previously in conjunction with mass gatherings including the Hajj pilgrimage. The most recent global outbreak of meningococcal disease associated with travel to KSA for Hajj was in 20002001 and was primarily caused by NmW. Since 2002, KSA has required that all travelers aged one year or older performing Hajj or Umrah provide documentation of either a) a MenACWY polysaccharide vaccine (MPSV4 is no longer available in the United States) within the last 3 years administered at least 10 days prior to arrival or b) a MenACWY conjugate vaccine within the last 5 years administered at least 10 days prior to arrival. This requirement aligns with ACIP recommendations for revaccination of U.S. travelers to endemic areas who received their last dose 35 or more years previously (depending on the age at most recent dose received). Nevertheless, meningococcal vaccination coverage among Umrah travelers is known to be incomplete.
Close contacts of people with meningococcal disease should receive antibiotic chemoprophylaxis as soon as possible after exposure, regardless of immunization status, ideally less than 24 hours after the index patient is identified. Ciprofloxacin, rifampin, and ceftriaxone are the first-line antibiotics recommended for use as chemoprophylaxis. However, ciprofloxacin-resistant strains of N. meningitidis have been emerging in the United States and globally. CDC recently released implementation guidance for the preferential use of other recommended prophylaxis antibiotics in areas with multiple cases caused by ciprofloxacin-resistant strains. Health departments should discontinue using ciprofloxacin as prophylaxis for close contacts when, in a catchment area during a rolling 12-month period, both a) 2 invasive meningococcal disease cases caused by ciprofloxacin-resistant strains have been reported, and b) cases caused by ciprofloxacin-resistant strains account for 20% of all reported invasive meningococcal disease cases. Though a catchment area is defined as a single contiguous area that contains all counties reporting ciprofloxacin-resistant cases, in this circumstance, it is more appropriate to determine the catchment population based on travel history rather than geographic location at the time of diagnosis. Among the 11 global cases associated with travel to KSA that have antimicrobial sensitivity results available, 3 cases (27%) were caused by ciprofloxacin-resistant strains. Rifampin, ceftriaxone, or azithromycin should be preferentially considered instead of ciprofloxacin as prophylaxis for close contacts in the United States of meningococcal disease cases associated with travel to KSA.
Recommendations for Healthcare Providers
Recommendations for Health Departments
Recommendations for the Public
For More Information
Healthcare Providers
Health Departments
Public
References
By Padraig Collins For Daily Mail Australia 03:18 21 May 2024, updated 03:41 21 May 2024
A triple hit of flu, Covid and respiratory syncytial virus - combined with falling vaccination rates - is leaving huge numbers of people sick across Australia.
The number of flu cases fell during the pandemic because of lockdowns and measures such as the widespread use of facemasks.
But this has led to lower immunity and increased susceptibility to the flu, with3,696 hospital admissions and 379 deaths from influenza in Australia last year.
The trend is continuing this year, with more than 2,000 people falling ill with the flu in the week up to May 11 in NSW, a 16 per cent increase on the same time last year.
Covid cases are also increasing, while respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is at high levels too. RSV is one of the major causes of lung infection in adults and children and can lead to more serious illnesses such as pneumonia or bronchiolitis.
Click here to resize this module
'We are now officially entering the influenza season, with cases expected to surge rapidly in the next six to eight weeks, so now is the time to book in for a flu vaccine to protect yourself and your loved ones,' NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said.
'This is a timely reminder for parents, as we are already seeing an increase in the number of young children becoming sick with the virus.
'The flu vaccine is readily available and free for those at higher risk of severe illness, including children aged six months to under five years.'
Holly Seale, an associate professor in the School of Population Health at UNSW, also warned of the falling number of vaccinations.
'While we're still relatively early in the 2024 flu season, only seven per cent of children under five have received their flu shot this year so far,' Dr Seale said.
'Although young children are a particular concern, flu vaccination rates appear to be lagging for the population as a whole.
'Reports indicate that from March 1 to April 28, 16 per cent fewer people were vaccinated against the flu compared with the same period last year.'
In 2023, reported flu cases were highest in children aged five to nine, followed by those aged zero to four.
The same pattern is being repeated this flu season, Dr Seale wrote.
'While kids are more likely to catch and spread the flu, they're also at greater risk of getting very sick from it. This particularly applies to children under five,' she said.
'The flu vaccine isn't perfect it may not prevent infections entirely but it's definitely our best chance of protection.
'Research has shown influenza-related visits to the GP were more than halved in vaccinated children compared with unvaccinated children.'
She said vaccination prevents a severe response to the flu and reduces transmission in schools and communities, but some common misconceptions are preventing some parents from getting their children, or themselves, vaccinated.
'Some parents report concerns about the vaccine, including the old dogma that it can cause the flu,' she said.
'The flu vaccine can't give you the flu because it doesn't contain live virus. Unfortunately, that myth is really sticky.'
Dr Seale pointed out that it's not just children who are at a higher risk from the flu, and that adults aged 65 and over are also more vulnerable.
But despite being eligible for a free vaccine, the uptake among over 65s has been slow so far this flu season.
'For this group, we usually get around 65per cent vaccinated. So far this year, around 35per cent of over-65s have received their flu vaccine,' she said.
The flu vaccine is also free for pregnant women and anyone who has a medical condition such as heart disease, chronic lung disease, diabetes or kidney disease.
Past studies have found flu vaccine coverage for pregnant women varies around the country from 39per cent to 76per cent, meaning that in some areas up to 60per cent of pregnant women are not getting vaccinated.
Dr Chant said that with Covid still present in the community, vaccinations are a priority, with virus activity increasing from low to moderate levels.
'With all three viruses (flu, Covid and RSV) in circulation, we also want to remind the community that symptomatic people should stay at home, and wear a mask if they do need to go out,' she said.
'They should avoid visiting high-risk settings like hospitals, aged and disability care facilities.'
Traditionally, flu season has run from April to October with a peak in August. However, since 2022, the flu season started earlier in March and peaked in June.
Flu cases are reported all year but are more common during winter, which is why it's called the flu season.
It is believed there is a 'flu season' because in winter people spend more time indoors and in close contact with each other.
Up until April 30, there were 35,580 flu notifications. This is well up from the same period in 2023, which had 32,480 notifications.
While the flu can be mild, it can also cause serious illness in otherwise healthy people, leading to hospitalisation and sometimes death.
In 2023, there were 252,296 reported flu cases, but the overall case numbers were probably far higher.
There were 3,696 hospital admissions due to influenza, with 256 of those admitted to ICU.
There were 376 influenza-associated deaths in Australia in 2023.
Source: Hudson Institute of Medical Research
A large outbreak of pertussis (more commonly known as whooping cough) has been ongoing in the UK since the beginning of 2024. There have been 2,793 confirmed cases so far this year.
Sadly, five infant deaths due to whooping cough have been confirmed, with unconfirmed reports that a sixth infant may have died in the last week of the bacterial infection.
This is a stark reminder that whooping cough is a very nasty infection. While the symptoms are usually mild in healthy older children and adults, it can be lethal for babies.
Globally, there are an estimated 24 million cases of whooping cough each year and around 160,000 deaths.
Whooping cough is caused by a bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. Pertussis often begins like most other respiratory infections, with typical symptoms including a runny nose and a fever. The distinctive "whoop" cough may only appear after a week or so of illness though it does not occur in all cases. As such, confirming cases of whooping cough may require a laboratory test.
Whooping cough is very infectious. On average, a single case of pertussis can transmit infection on to around 15-17 other people. This infection rate is similar to measles and higher than the COVID variants.
The reason whooping cough is so infectious is in part due to pertussis having a very long infectious period of up to five weeks where infected people can pass the bacteria on to others. Prompt treatment can greatly reduce transmission antibiotics shown to reduce contagiousness just five days after starting treatment.
But prior to treatment, there are plenty of opportunities for transmission to occur and for an outbreak to be maintained. Both confirmed and asymptomatic cases can be responsible for onward transmission of whooping cough.
One slightly curious aspect of whooping cough is that there are big outbreaks typically every few years. The last sizeable outbreak in the UK was in 2016 with almost 6000 confirmed cases. The reasons for these cycles are not fully understood, but a key factor is probably waning immunity at the population level.
The immunity from the pertussis vaccine is initially very protective, but it does decline a few years after the initial vaccination. This is why a consistently high vaccine uptake across the population is vital.
The vaccine is very safe and effective. Vaccinating young children and pregnant women some of the most vulnerable groups within the population is particularly crucial for preventing infection and illness.
Children who are fully vaccinated are 84 percent less likely to get a confirmed whooping cough infection compared to those who weren't vaccinated. Vaccines not only prevent young children from becoming unwell vaccines also lower the risk of children transmitting the infection onto young siblings, family members and friends.
Immunization during pregnancy is also particularly important as the antibodies the mother gets from the vaccine protects the newborn in their first few weeks of life before the baby is themselves old enough to receive their first pertussis vaccine dose. A dose during pregnancy prevents around 78 percent of pertussis cases in newborn babies.
But vaccine coverage has dropped in recent years. Maternal vaccine uptake was 70 percent in 2017, but only 58 percent in 2023.
The percentage of children vaccinated by their first birthday dropped slightly from around 93% just prior to the pandemic to 92 percent in 2022-2023. A similar drop (from 85 percent to 83 percent) is seen with the booster dose children can have prior to their fifth birthday. This drop in coverage may be contributing to the current outbreak.
While one publication has suggested the outbreak is probably a "surge fueled by lockdown", there's no evidence to support this assertion.
This kind of messaging isn't helpful as it doesn't raise awareness or educate the public on the things they can do to prevent the spread of whooping cough. Given that people's health-related behavior can be significantly impacted by the news they read, high-profile media sources have a responsibility to report accurate information.
The sheer extent of the pandemic may have affected access to healthcare and vaccination rates, resulting in a drop of the population-wide immunity needed to prevent severe outbreaks. Geographical variations in vaccine uptake might also be a contributing factor though, at the time of writing, there isn't any data available on case numbers by UK region.
To control the current outbreak, widespread use of antibiotics to treat or prevent pertussis infections will probably be used. If anyone suspects they have whooping cough, they should speak to their doctor as soon as possible not only because of the severity of the illness, but because prompt treatment reduces person's infectious period.
While UK guidance does not routinely recommend a pertussis vaccine in adults, an extra dose is known to be safe and effective. This may be advised for people who have come in close contact with someone who has whooping cough. It may also be important for people who could be vulnerable to a severe infection such as the elderly.
Ultimately, whooping cough is an infection that can be prevented by vaccines. The grim news of infant fatalities in the UK reminds us all that there are very good reasons why immunization is recommended. And, in the longer-term, outbreaks can be minimized in both the number of cases and the severity of cases by maintaining a high vaccine coverage.
Access to vaccination, as well as accurate information about the small risks and significant benefits, is going to be key in bringing the outbreak under control.
Michael Head, Senior Research Fellow in Global Health, University of Southampton
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
May 20, 2024, 02:14 PM ET
The New York Yankees placed reliever Ian Hamilton on the seven-day COVID-19 injured list on Monday.
The move is retroactive to Sunday for the right-hander, who is tied for second on the team with 19 appearances.
Hamilton, 28, has no decisions and a 3.18 ERA with six holds and 19 strikeouts in 22 innings.
The Yankees added left-hander Clayton Andrews to the active roster and designated right-hander Colby White for assignment in corresponding moves.
Andrews, 27, made his major league debut last season with the Milwaukee Brewers. He is 0-2 with a 6.60 ERA in 12 relief appearances at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
White, 25, was claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays on May 9 and has yet to make his MLB debut. He is 0-2 with an 18.36 ERA in 11 games (one start) this season between Triple-A Durham and Double-A Somerset.
The New York Yankees have placed a player on the COVID-19 injured list.
On Monday, the Yankees announced a series of roster moves that included placing right-handed pitcher Ian Hamilton on the 7-day COVID-19 injured list, retroactive to May 19. They also selected left-handed pitcher Clayton Andrews to the active roster and designated right-handed pitcher Colby White for assignment.
This is the first time the Yankees have used the COVID-19 IL since 2022. The COVID-19 IL was implemented in 2020, when the Coronavirus was rampant and MLB needed a way for players to be placed on an injured list that followed the timeline of the CDC guidelines. Players were forced to be out for a minimum of seven days, and that still stands today.
In Aug. 2023, the Boston Red Sox placed left-handed pitcher Brennan Bernardino on the COVID-19 IL. Hamilton is the first player placed on the COVID-19 IL by any MLB team since then.
Hamilton, 28, has been one of the Yankees' better relievers this season, sporting a 3.18 ERA in 22.2 innings pitched. He's picking up where he left off in 2023, when he had a 2.64 ERA in 58 innings pitched.
Hamilton has been struggling as of late, though, as he has a 5.06 ERA over the last two weeks of play. He will now be out for a minimum of seven days, meaning his first potential return date is May 26.
Hamilton was drafted in the 11th round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox. He bounced around a handful of teams before signing as a free agent with the Yankees in Jan. 2023.
In his place, the left-handed Andrews will get an opportunity. Andrews has a career 27.00 ERA in four appearances at the MLB level with the Milwaukee Brewers. He has a 6.60 ERA in 12 appearances at Triple-A this season.
Hamilton has been one of the many reasons the Yankees enter Monday with the tied-for-best bullpen ERA in baseball at 2.49. The Yankees have enjoyed incredible success from a handful of relievers, including the best closer in baseball up to this point.
Right-handed pitcher Clay Holmes, the team's closer, has yet to allow an earned run in 20 innings, and has 13 saves. Alongside him have been some standout performances such as right-handed pitcher Nick Burdi (1.04 ERA in 8.2 innings), right-handed pitcher Luke Weaver (2.25 ERA in 28 innings), and left-handed pitcher Victor Gonzlez (2.63 ERA in 13.2 innings).
The Yankees enter Monday's series opener against the Seattle Mariners with the best record in the American League at 33-15. They'll look to continue this success without Hamilton for at least the next week.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Gerrit Cole will take another significant step in his recovery from elbow inflammation on Tuesday.
The reigning Cy Young winner is scheduled to face live hitters for the first time since being shut down midway through spring training. Aaron Boone wasnt sure who would hit against Cole or what his exact plans were, but the manager called the development an important one after the Yankees ace threw a two-up bullpen over the weekend.
We just want to continue to progress and continue to stack good days, Boone said Monday before the Yankees series opener against the Mariners, and thats another step along the way of getting out there on the bump and facing hitters.
Boone added that Cole recovered well after his two-up, 40-pitch bullpen on Saturday. The right-hander had trouble recovering after outings early in spring training, but that hasnt been an issue since Cole began throwing on April 8.
Cole, on the 60-day injured list, is eligible to return at the end of this month, but that is not going to happen given where hes at in his recovery. The Yankees have said that he will need a full spring training-type routine, which typically consists of five starts.
The Yankees lost a member of their bullpen on Monday when they placed Ian Hamilton on the seven-day COVID-19 injured list.
The move is retroactive to May 19. Its also the first time the Yankees have used the COVID-19 IL since 2022.
Boone said that he first learned Hamilton wasnt feeling well before Sundays game against the White Sox. The Yankees sent him home before first pitch.
With the right-handed Hamilton on the shelf, the Yankees added left-hander Clayton Andrews to the active roster. The team also designated Colby White, a righty, for assignment.
A key component in the Yankees bullpen, Hamilton has a 3.18 ERA over 22.2 innings in his second season with the team. He had been a bit off lately, allowing three earned runs in his last five games.
A multi-inning weapon, Hamilton has logged more than three outs in eight of his 19 appearances.
Hamiltons absence comes with Tommy Kahnle nearing his return. The right-hander, who had his throwing program delayed in spring training, is expected back on Wednesday.
In the meantime, Andrews will get a chance despite recording a 6.60 ERA over 15 innings at Triple-A. The 5-6, 160-pound reliever was acquired from the Brewers in February.
Good stuff, Boone said of Andrews. Obviously, its a different slot down there. But life on the fastball, and then he can spin it, too. But really, its the fastball with ride with a really good changeup. So well use him where we see fit. Hopefully he gets in there and he can do the job.
Andrews appeared in four games for Milwaukee last season. The 27-year-old allowed 10 earned runs.
Boone said that he expects DJ LeMahieu (nondisplaced foot fracture) to get the bulk of playing time at third base when he returns, though the Yankees will ease him in a little bit. Oswaldo Cabrera and Jon Berti have been manning the hot corner with LeMahieu out.
LeMahieu could also give Anthony Rizzo some rest by playing first base.
First base is always in the mix for DJ, but well see how it plays out, Boone said. I dont expect to rest Rizz that much, but therell be some matchups where it makes some sense.
With the minor leagues off on Monday, LeMahieu was getting work in at Yankee Stadium before the opener against Seattle. The plan is for him to play in back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday before potentially playing in three straight over the weekend. From there, its possible he joins the Yankees on their West Coast road trip.
SHOULD WE BE WORRIED ABOUT KP.1 AND KP.2?
Globally there has not been a large number of hospitalisations. The mortality rate has also remained low.
Dr Leong said that there will be a minor uptick in cases in Singapore over the next few weeks due to the KP.1 and KP.2 variants.
He added, however, that this increase will be relatively minor compared to JN.1", as prior infection from JN.1 will confer significant protective benefit to KP.1 and KP.2.
The danger is that repeat infections could raise the risk of developing long-COVID, said Dr Fikadu Tafesse, a virologist at Oregon Health & Science University.
And there is no cure for long-COVID, Dr Leong noted. "It is a black hole of unknowns," he said, adding that people should get vaccinated to avoid the risk of long-term illness.
According to Dr Tambyah, MOH data suggests that COVID-19 numbers are already plateauing. "Things might change with the school holiday travel but I doubt it would change much," he said.
Against JN.1, the current vaccines designed around Omicron XBB.1.5 do generate some cross-reactive antibodies, said Professor Pekosz.
Studies have not been done with some of the newer variants, he noted, adding thatthose are likely to be "a little less cross-reactive".
Dr Leong provided a similar view.
We know that the XBB1.5 vaccine was about 50 per cent effective against the JN.1. We suspect that the current vaccine will be less effective in preventing infections with KP.1 and KP.2, he told CNA.
"The chief reason is the presence of the FLiRT mutations. The F amino acid became L and the R became a T. This allowed the virus to evade the existing immunity against COVID."
It has also been several months since many people received their last dose of the vaccine, and that immunity wanes over time.
Scientists say vaccination remains the best bet, especially against severe illness.
We firmly believe that it (the vaccine) is still effective against preventing severe disease such as hospitalisation and death, Dr Leong said.
Singapore's Health Ministry said that during the peak month of the previous JN.1 wave in December 2023, the incidence rate of COVID-19 hospitalisations and intensive care admissions among seniors aged 60 and above was 25 per cent higher in those who had not kept their vaccination updated compared to those who had.
The US CDC said the agency was continuing to monitor how vaccines perform against KP.2.
Governing bodies like the WHO and the US Food and Drug Administration are also expected to recommend a formulation for updated COVID-19 vaccines that will roll out in early fall.
New COVID-19 variants are likely to crop up after a decision is made, but Professor Pekosz said the goal remains to select a formulation that will match the circulating variants as closely as possible.
Dr Leong saidCOVID-19 test kits are able to detect the KP.1 and KP.2 variants.
"The COVID-19 test kit tests against the N protein. But the mutation of KP variants is mainly due to the spike protein," he explained.
"In fact, the N protein has been consistently stable with only minor mutations since the beginning."
Professor Pekosz said testing - whether at home or in a health care setting - will make sure people know what they are infected with, which can better guide a treatment plan.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
President Biden appeared to claim he was vice president during the coronavirus pandemic and that former President Barack Obama had dispatched him to Detroit to help with the response.
In comments first reported by the New York Post, Biden addressed an NAACP campaign event in Michigan Sunday night, where he repeatedly railed against his presumptive Republican opponent, former President Trump, while offering an aside about the contagion which began in 2019 while the latter was in office.
"When I was vice president, things were kind of bad during the pandemic," Biden said near the beginning of his remarks.
"And, what happened was Barack said to me: Go to Detroit help fix it."
BIDEN BIZARRELY ENDS CONNECTICUT SPEECH WITH GOD SAVE THE QUEEN, MAN
Going on to reference Detroit Democratic Mayor Mike Duggan, who was seated to Biden's right, the president continued, "Well, the poor mayor he's spent more time with me than he ever thought he's going to have to."
Duggan then rose and shook Biden's hand.
The pandemic, numbered COVID-19 due to global health officials having deemed it an outbreak in 2019, transpired in the latter years of Trump's term, not Obama's. Biden succeeded Trump during the denouement of the pandemic.
Elsewhere in the speech, Biden referenced working with civil rights activists in his youth, and quipped that Detroit helped "put food on" his family's table, as his father, Joseph Biden Sr., was in the automobile business.
BIDEN DROPS EMBARRASSING GAFFES DAYS AFTER LIBERAL MEDIA HYPES SOTU PERFORMANCE
Reserving much of his remarks to criticize Trump, Biden claimed at one juncture that "MAGA Republicans" want to engage in book-banning and other endeavors he described as extremist.
"All that progress is at risk. Trump is trying to make the country forget just how dark things were when he was president," Biden said.
"We will never forget him lying about how serious the pandemic was, telling Americans just inject bleach I think that's what he did. I think that's why he's so screwy."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
In another jab, Biden warned against his predecessor potentially nominating more justices to the Supreme Court: "Do you think he'll put anybody [there] who has a brain?"
"It's clear when he lost in 2020, and I mean this sincerely: something snapped in Trump. He just can't accept he lost That's why Jan. 6 happened."
A mid-April Fox News Poll in Michigan found 46% of registered voters there support Biden, while 49% support Trump. Trump gained two percentage points in that survey over a similar one conducted in February. Two years prior, Biden led Trump by eight percentage points in the Great Lakes State.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response by press time.
COVID-19 infections are now likely growing in at least 12 states and the District of Columbia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated Friday, as health authorities are watching for signs the virus might be starting to accelerate again after a springtime lull.
Based on data analyzed by the agency from emergency department visits, CDC modeling suggests COVID-19 infections are increasing in Alaska, Arizona, California, Washington D.C., Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas and Washington state.
The uptick comes as nearly all parts of the country remain at "low" or "minimal" levels of so-called "respiratory illness activity" under the CDC's benchmarks, similar to previous years' slowdowns in COVID-19's spread over the spring and early summer.
An average of 0.3% of emergency room patients through May 10 were diagnosed with COVID-19 nationwide, far below last summer's peak at nearly 3% in late August. Reported COVID-19 cases in nursing homes also remain close to record lows nationwide.
Preliminary data from the CDC's COVID-19 wastewater surveillance also estimates that levels of the virus remain "minimal" nationwide, though virus levels appear to be trending up in sewersheds from the West.
The dominant strains of the virus circulating at the moment are known as KP.2 and KP.1.1, informally nicknamed the "FLiRT" variants. Health officials have said the two strains are closely related to the JN.1 variant from this past winter's wave, apart from two minor changes that might be enabling them to spread.
A CDC spokesperson said on May 10 that the agency does not think the variants are "causing an increase in infections as transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is low."
"Based on current data there are no indicators that KP.2 would cause more severe illness than other strains. CDC will continue to monitor community transmission of the virus and how vaccines perform against this strain," the spokesperson had said.
Alexander Tin is a digital reporter for CBS News based in the Washington, D.C. bureau. He covers the Biden administration's public health agencies, including the federal response to infectious disease outbreaks like COVID-19.
