Category: Corona Virus Vaccine

The two owners of a Michigan restaurant chain reportedly wrote a letter asking other restaurateurs to continue operations regardless of whether or not state Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and state health department officials implement stricter lockdowns on indoor dining.

The Detroit Free Press reports that Joe and Rosalie Vicari, the owners of Andiamo restaurants in Detroit, penned a letter asking restaurants to fight any closures issued following the outcome of a lawsuit filed by the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association that seeks to halt the states attempts at shutting dining operations down to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

The Vicaris wrote that if they lose the lawsuit, the state will likely shut down dining operations through the end of the year.

SOUTH DAKOTA GOVERNOR REFUSES TO MANDATE MASKS DESPITE RECORD-BREAKING CORONAVIRUS SPIKE

PROJECTED US CORONAVIRUS DEATHS MORE THAN 400,000 BY MARCH

PFIZER LAUNCHES TRIAL FOR DELIVERIES OF COVID-19 VACCINE IN FOUR STATES

MODERNAS VACCINE DOESNT NEED TO BE STORED IN DEEP-FREEZE CONDITIONS

Our industry cannot survive another extended closure, the letter reportedly reads. Thousands of restaurants and tens of thousands of our employees can not survive it either. We need to band together and FIGHT BACK but we need to do this as a United Group of Michigan Restaurant Owners.

Rosalie Vicari confirmed to reporters that she and her husband authored the letter.

Part of Michigans public health restrictions include closing down indoor dining and restaurants and bars, organized and pro sports, in-person high schools, movie theaters, and other public spaces. These spaces will remain shut down for three weeks.

The Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association sued the state over the mandate, and was denied a temporary restraining order on the policy on Nov. 20.

The next hearing is scheduled for Nov. 30.

Should the group lose again, the Vicaris suggest that restaurant owners in the area gather and organize a press conference to local and national media outlets ... to announce that as a powerful, collective group, we will be reopening our restaurants on Dec. 9.

Restaurants, bars, and other eateries have borne the brunt of the economic fallout catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from Julyindicates that roughly 60 percent of restaurants shut down due to the pandemic are permanently closed due to the stop of revenue.

In Michigan alone, thousands of restaurants are on the verge of shuttering, according to Justin Winslow, the president and CEO of the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association.

"If the closure is prolonged and federal stimulus dollars are not made immediately available, upwards of 6,000 more restaurants will permanently close by spring, he reportedly wrote in a court document.

The order comes as Michigan struggles to contain its rapid COVID-19 transmission. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon said the courts current decision to uphold the states shutdown order will help save lives.

Orders similar to this one have successfully stopped COVID surges in many other countries. Thats why public health experts support the approach, and we believe these targeted and temporary steps are needed to avoid overwhelmed hospitals and death counts like we saw in the spring, Gordon said following the Nov. 20 decision. If all of us mask up and avoid indoor gatherings, we will not only save thousands of lives and protect our frontline health workers, but well also be able to enjoy indoor restaurant dining without fear.

CHILDREN ARE GAINING EXTRA WEIGHT IN THIS PANDEMIC

PFIZER CORONAVIRUS VACCINE RESULTS EXTRAORDINARY, FAUCI SAYS

NOVAVAX COVID-19 VACCINE IS ON THE FAST TRACK BY FDA

INDOOR CONCERTS MAY BE MADE SAFE FROM CORONAVIRUS SPREAD, NEW STUDY FINDS

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Michigan restaurants urged to defy governor's COVID-19 restrictions | TheHill - The Hill

My painful excursion into the world of dueling infections started on a Tuesday afternoon with a scratchy throat and a mild-yet-annoying cough. I chalked it up to fall in Kentucky, where sunny afternoons in the mid 70s can be followed by freezing temperatures at night. Im no stranger to respiratory infections, having lived for years with the triple threat of allergies, asthma, and low immunity.

On Wednesday morning, I was having coughing fits that made me dizzy. I went to see my doctor, who assured me that I almost certainly didnt have Covid-19, even though our county had been considered a red one for more than a month and the case count was climbing.

I was a bit suspicious of my doctors reassurance because I had learned that morning of a student who had tested positive for Covid-19 the week before in the high school where I am a Spanish and social studies teacher.

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As a precaution, I was tested for strep, influenza, and Covid-19. I was shocked when the nurse let me know that I had tested positive for the flu, and I left with a prescription for Tamiflu and instructions to stay home for a week.

On Thursday, I was tired and achy both mild flu-like symptoms but was able to complete all my work virtually. Aside from the occasional coughing fit, one of which brought me to my knees, I believed I just had the flu.

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The next day I got a call that I had also tested positive for Covid-19. I should have expected that news, because the night before I had lit a pumpkin-scented candle but didnt realize until later that I hadnt smelled its fragrance.

I was extremely scared. But I was also angry. I was angry at my school for not following state recommendations to keep students home and use remote learning, at my doctor for downplaying the increasing threat of the virus, at my family members and friends who brushed off my concerns, and even angry at myself for creating a false sense of security that using an N95 mask, an air purifier, and a plexiglass shield in my classroom would keep me safe.

I was angry, and still am, that the response to a worldwide pandemic has become so deeply politicized in the U.S. and that even though I took every precaution, it still wasnt enough. I began taking nebulizer treatments four times a day to keep my lungs clear and began taking zinc and vitamin D.

Over the weekend, it was difficult to know which symptoms were due to Covid-19 and which ones were due to the flu. The coughing began to slowly improve, and I had a temperature above 99.9 only once, though I experienced extreme fatigue, chills, aches, a severe headache, and diarrhea.

By Monday, the coughing had stopped and my fever was down, but I felt even worse than before. I believe that was the point where I was over the flu and Covid-19 was taking over. I slept so much that my sister dropped in on my Alexa because I didnt answer calls or texts for hours at a time. I didnt leave my bedroom except to use the bathroom and drank room-temperature orange Gatorade Zero that my mom had bought in bulk and I kept next to my bed. Trips beyond the bathroom were carefully planned for efficiency as they required all of my strength and a nap immediately after.

I watched TV, but found I couldnt focus or would fall asleep. After trying to watch the first episode of Lovecraft Country four times, I resorted to browsing TikTok or re-watching The Office as I couldnt keep up with the simplest plot. I had several rounds of severe abdominal pain and experienced a completely new sensation: small tingles that would randomly move throughout my lower and upper abdomen.

Over the next few days, I constantly checked my oxygen saturation, knowing that if it dropped below 93% I would need to go to the hospital. From a starting point of 98%, the pulse oximeter readings crept down to 93% on Wednesday, at which point I was having mild shortness of breath and chest pain when I took a full breath. That said, I was feeling a little better. My doctor ordered a chest X-ray, which I got at a hospital a three-minute drive from where I live. It was normal. I started to take oral steroids, which helped immensely.

It wasnt until Friday a full week after I first learned that I had Covid-19 plus the flu that I made the move from my bed to the couch. It felt like a momentous occasion.

During that week, I had lost 12 pounds. After a few bites of food, I would feel nauseous and completely full, and there were days when I ate nothing even though my family and friends delivered food to my porch. It took me two full days to eat one donut, taking just one or two bites at a time.

During the time when I felt the worst, anxiety compounded my physical symptoms. I wondered every time I fell asleep if I would wake up wheezing or unable to breathe. I am incredibly grateful that my respiratory symptoms were mild and that I was able to get through it without hospitalization.

The day I was diagnosed with Covid-19, the news was full of the record-breaking number of cases: more than 85,000 that day. Now, the record is nearly 140,000, and increasing by the day.

I still dont know for sure how or when or where I contracted Covid-19 or the flu, though I suspect it was at school. I havent been in a grocery store or eaten in a restaurant since March because of my low immunity and asthma. My only close contacts have been my mother and my sister, both of whom tested negative for Covid-19 and have had no symptoms. I always wear a mask and use an N95 respirator at school.

The simple fact is that we still have a lot to learn about this airborne virus: how it is transmitted, how it is best treated, what its long-term effects are, and more.

Now that Im on the other side, Im feeling better physically and am far less anxious. I take no pride in knowing that Im special: its rare to be diagnosed with both Covid-19 and the flu, especially when taking significant precautions for Covid-19 and receiving a flu shot. While I am teaching virtually for the rest of the semester and still am following public health guidance, I have a sense of relief for now. I cant wait to be back in the physical classroom with my students, and I am hoping that any immunity will last long enough until I can get vaccinated.

No one knows how long immunity to Covid-19 lasts, whether it is 90 days or a year or longer, and I am still worried about potential long-term effects. The fatigue and digestive issues lasted long after quarantine, and I have experienced worrisome chest pain.

To me, the bottom line from my experience is that all of us must be serious about protecting the people around us who need and deserve extra precautions, since protective measures are no guarantee (as I learned the hard way), especially in the face of what looks to be a serious spike in Covid-19 this winter.

Lauren Hines teaches Spanish and social studies in Kentucky.

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Dueling infections: I had the flu and Covid-19 at the same time - STAT - STAT

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) The University of Pittsburgh has five members of the Pitt Panthers football team who will not play against the Clemson Tigers due to COVID-19 protocols.

The University of Pittsburgh Department of Athletics issued a statement Saturday afternoon.

According to Pitt, none of the players traveled for todays away game.

The Panthers will play against the Tigers starting at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

Read the original post:

COVID-19 In Pittsburgh: 5 Pitt Panthers Will Not Play Against Clemson Due To Coronavirus Protocols - CBS Pittsburgh

HONG KONG First, it was travelers and university students bringing the coronavirus back to Hong Kong from Europe and the United States. Then, sea crews and bar patrons were the ones spreading infections.

In the latest wave, a large cluster appears to have started in ballroom dancing halls that are popular with older women, then progressed to other dancing venues and banquet-style restaurants.

For much of the year, every time Hong Kong beat back a surge of coronavirus cases, new problems would pop up weeks later, in other places and among other populations.

Similar patterns hold true in other parts of Asia that are still fighting day-by-day battles to keep their Covid-19 rates from spiraling out of control. And the latest waves of infection are proving harder to trace than earlier ones were just as winter forces more people indoors and raises the risks of transmission.

Japan and South Korea are experiencing some of their highest single-day tallies since the pandemic began, driven largely by diffuse clusters in the Tokyo and Seoul metropolitan areas. Although still below its peak for the year, Hong Kong is facing a surge on par with its summer wave, driven in large part by what experts call untraceable silent transmissions.

Were getting better at having a large testing capacity, and we have a lot of resources for contact tracing, but the cycle repeats, said Kwok Kin-on, an epidemiologist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Compared with the United States and Europe, much of East Asia still has the virus relatively in check. Hong Kong, with a population of around 7.5 million, has had a total of 5,947 cases and 108 deaths, a low rate for any city.

But the recent setbacks underscore the challenges that the world will continue to face until there is a widely available vaccine. As cases have soared back to alarming levels in recent weeks, South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong have had to quickly recalibrate their strategies.

Travel bubbles that were announced with great fanfare are now on hold. Weeks after reopening, schools have been shut again. Bars and restaurants are closing early or shifting to takeaway menus.

We need solidarity in this kind of situation, but as everyone knows, its not easy, said Dr. Kim Woo-joo, an infectious disease specialist at Korea University in Seoul.

Complicating their efforts is the nature of the current outbreaks. Transmission is occurring not only in crowded venues like nightclubs, but also in settings like homes and workplaces where governments have fewer options to control peoples behavior.

On Thursday, South Korea recorded more than 500 new cases for the first time in about eight months. Experts say there doesnt seem to be a single major cluster, as there was when churches and antigovernment protests drove earlier outbreaks.

Pandemic fatigue hasnt helped. Medical personnel are exhausted, young people are bored because they cant travel, and business owners are frustrated because they have to scale back or close early.

Kim Ill-soon, who owns a tea shop in a residential neighborhood of Seoul, said that her business had dropped off after the government this week barred people from dwelling inside cafes. Takeout is still an option, but for many people, chatting over tea in person is part of the draw.

Ive been busy apologizing to my customers for the last two days, she said.

In Japan, the authorities have been reporting about 2,000 infections a day. Cases are spreading rapidly in Tokyo, which reported a record 570 infections on Friday, and around Osaka, Sapporo and other cities. Compared with summer waves, which mainly affected young people, the current one has hit many people in their 40s and older.

In a sign of the countrys alarm, Japans Imperial Household Agency said on Friday that it had decided to cancel Emperor Naruhitos annual New Year event at the Imperial Palace in January the first such cancellation since 1990, when the country was mourning the death of his grandfather.

Please dont underestimate coronavirus, Dr. Toshio Nakagawa, president of the Japan Medical Association, told reporters on Wednesday in Tokyo. We cannot let Japan become like the U.S. or Europe.

The hope is that coronavirus vaccines will soon hand health officials around the globe a new weapon to beat the pandemic. But they wont be widely available until the spring at the earliest.

Until then, and as winter approaches and caseloads soar, medical officials across much of East Asia are pleading for vigilance and rethinking their pandemic policies.

In the spring and summer, the focus was mainly on fighting clusters at their source. Officials in Tokyo and Seoul, for example, responded to ones that had spread mainly from night clubs by temporarily closing down the venues. Hong Kong imposed restrictions on sea crews after a cluster was traced to cargo ships.

This time around, officials seem determined to take a more nuanced approach, apparently driven by concerns about the economic wreckage the pandemic has already caused. But doing so in face of such a pernicious pathogen can open up new challenges.

Hong Kong is rolling out a new contact-tracing app that would allow people to voluntarily scan QR codes on their smartphones when they visit a location, enabling officials to better tackle any clusters that emerge. But such apps have had limited success in South Korea, Britain and elsewhere.

It may be difficult to persuade many people to download the app unless the government provides more details about how personal information will be analyzed. The issue of data privacy is particularly sensitive in Hong Kong because the Chinese government has been tightening its grip on the territory.

Hong Kongers are the most proactive in protecting themselves and their families, but they need to see proof of how the app would benefit them and ensure their privacy, said Leung Chi-chiu, a respiratory specialist with the Hong Kong Medical Association.

The latest waves of infection have also forced governments to slow down their tentative efforts to open up.

Hong Kongers rushed to buy airline tickets to take advantage of a planned travel bubble with Singapore, even before the details were fully known. The special flights would have allowed residents in both places to avoid 14-day quarantines upon arrival.

The travel bubble was supposed to start this week. Then Hong Kongs cases spiked, and officials postponed the start to Dec. 6.

In Japan, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has scaled back a roughly $16 billion campaign designed to encourage domestic tourism during the pandemic. But he has not scrapped it entirely, saying it helps to support local economies.

For people like Noriko Hashida, who sells cosmetics in Osaka, taking a vacation last week with eight of her work colleagues was worth the risk of infection.

Ms. Hashida said that a tourism subsidy from the government allowed them to spring for a luxury hotel that would have ordinarily been out of their price range. We enjoyed it so much, she said.

Still, they decided to cancel a sightseeing tour of the island because the optics were a little awkward.

We thought that the local residents wouldnt feel comfortable seeing visitors from Osaka, where infections are spreading rapidly, she said.

Mike Ives and Tiffany May reported from Hong Kong and Makiko Inoue from Tokyo. Youmi Kim contributed reporting from Seoul, South Korea.

Read this article:

Why Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan Have to Keep Beating Back Coronavirus - The New York Times

At least three coronavirus vaccines are on the horizon, but some Americans appear hesitant to be first in line to take them.

As the likely distribution of COVID-19 vaccines draws near, researchers say its time to begin educating Americans about medical research and the vaccine, with a focus on building trust particularly in communities that experience higher levels of distrust.

A September survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that just 51% of U.S. adults said they would definitely or probably get a COVID-19 vaccine if it were available the day they took the survey.

What makes people hesitant? Theyre not sure it will work. Sometimes its about side effects. They want to know that it is indeed going to protect them, and thats a message that we need to make sure we get out there, said Kenzie Cameron, a research professor in general internal medicine and geriatrics at Northwestern Medicine. Cameron is a health services researcher with a background that includes health communication, and has studied racial and ethnic disparities in the flu vaccine.

Vaccine skepticism is highest among Black Americans a community that sees historic mistrust in the American medical system and its record of experimenting on Black people.

Dating back to the Tuskegee experiment that was supposed to be a six-month experiment and it lasted 40 years and with the Henrietta Lacks research study that happened in 1951. Because of these long-standing issues, African Americans, they do not trust, said Tonya Roberson, a community psychologist and the director of community engagement, program development and academic support at Governors State University in the college of health and human services.

They feel like the government leadership is not doing what they should do to help or to protect Americans, especially minorities, and current evidence of racial disparities in health care also cause mistrust, she said.

Among Black adults, 32% said they would definitely or probably get a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Pew Research survey in September. That figure was higher for respondents who were White (52%), Hispanic (56%) and Asian (72%).

Because mistrust in the medical system and vaccines has built over time, Cameron says rebuilding it wont happen overnight, and it should start at the individual level between patients and their nurses and physicians.

There can be very significant distrust in institutions and systems, especially when we are seeing more and more this institutional and structural racism that was there all along, she said. The trust needs to happen between individuals.

Some vaccine trials paused research earlier this fall because they hadnt enrolled enough people of color. Roberson said the danger of not having diverse participants in a trial is that the vaccine may not work on everyone.

There are environmental and genetic reasons that the vaccine drug needs to be tested on these different races so they can be accurately represented African Americans are physically different from other nationalities. Our veins are smaller and our cancer masses are more dense, Roberson said. Her background includes public health and biomedical and social science research. She has a particular expertise in culturally tailoring research methods to address health and racial inequities.

The Black community has been among the communities most impacted by COVID-19. As of Monday, Black residents in Chicago made up 18% of total confirmed coronavirus cases and 41% of total deaths, city data show.

A survey released Monday found that among Black and Latino Americans, safety and effectiveness were key in deciding to get vaccinated. The survey, which was conducted at the beginning of September, found that just 14% of Black respondents said they trust that a vaccine will be safe, and 18% said they trusted a vaccine would be effective. For Latino Americans, those figures were 34% and 40%, respectively.

The survey authors said the responses show the building trust on vaccine safety and effectiveness will be vital.

Roberson is working to educate community members in South Chicago and the south suburbs about medical research and vaccines, where concerns range from not wanting to be part of a medical experiment to not trusting government leadership the same issues of mistrust surrounding the flu vaccine, Roberson said.

Rebuilding trust requires listening to patient concerns and questions, Cameron said.

A lot of times what happens in public health and in messaging is we assume we know what you want to hear, and Im going to tell you that, Cameron said. But thats not enough. I need to find out from you what your specific concern is.

See the article here:

With Coronavirus Vaccines on The Way, Researchers Say It's Time to Build Trust - WTTW News

TheWest Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reportsas of 10:00 a.m., November 26, 2020, there have been 1,079,066 total confirmatory laboratory results receivedfor COVID-19, with 44,180 total cases and 712 deaths.

DHHRhas confirmed the deaths of a 79-yearold male from Berkeley County, a 50-year old male from Mason County, an 89-yearold female from Jefferson County, a 69-year old male from Cabell County, an 86-yearold female from Kanawha County, a 74-year old female from Putnam County, a 75-yearold male from Taylor County, an 85-year old female from Marshall County, a 57-yearold male from Raleigh County, an 81-year old female from Mineral County, a 47-yearold female from Wyoming County, a 70-year old male from Marshall County, a 98-yearold male from Cabell County, a 69-year old male from Preston County, a 57-yearold male from Jackson County, an 85-year old female from Cabell County, and a 68-yearold male from Doddridge County.

During the holiday season, we feel the lossof loved ones with a deeper pain, said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary.Each person lost to this virus is loved and remembered, not only today, butevery day.

CASESPER COUNTY: Barbour (384), Berkeley (2,945),Boone (619), Braxton (108), Brooke (596), Cabell (2,756), Calhoun (69), Clay(106), Doddridge (117), Fayette (1,094), Gilmer (199), Grant (320), Greenbrier(432), Hampshire (299), Hancock (620), Hardy (240), Harrison (1,259), Jackson(684), Jefferson (1,263), Kanawha (5,480), Lewis (238), Lincoln (407), Logan(1,028), Marion (810), Marshall (1,104), Mason (403), McDowell (602), Mercer(1,286), Mineral (1,131), Mingo (966), Monongalia (3,202), Monroe (360), Morgan(252), Nicholas (322), Ohio (1,438), Pendleton (102), Pleasants (86),Pocahontas (152), Preston (541), Putnam (1,830), Raleigh (1,492), Randolph(677), Ritchie (145), Roane (162), Summers (265), Taylor (311), Tucker (126),Tyler (134), Upshur (471), Wayne (961), Webster (61), Wetzel (390), Wirt (95),Wood (2,361), Wyoming (679).

Please note that delaysmay be experienced with the reporting of information from the local healthdepartment to DHHR. As case surveillance continues at the local healthdepartment level, it may reveal that those tested in a certain county may notbe a resident of that county, or even the state as an individual in questionmay have crossed the state border to be tested. Such is the case of Clay County in this report.

Please visit the dashboard located at http://www.coronavirus.wv.gov for more information.

Upcoming free COVID-19 testing events:

November 27, 2020

Cabell County

9:00 AM 1:00 PM, Cabell-Huntington Health Department, 703 Seventh Avenue,Huntington, WV

November 28, 2020

Jackson County

9:00 AM 1:00 PM, Jackson County Health Department, 504 Church Street South,Ripley, WV

November 30, 2020

BerkeleyCounty

12:00 PM 4:00 PM, Martinsburg High School, 701 South Queen Street,Martinsburg, WV

4:30 PM 8:00 PM, Dorothy McCormack Building, 2000 Foundation Way,Martinsburg, WV

Boone County

10:00 AM 3:00 PM, Boone County Health Department, 213 Kenmore Drive,Danville, WV

Hampshire County

1:00 PM 6:00 PM, Hampshire High School, 157 Trojan Way, Romney, WV

Jefferson County

9:00 AM 1:00 PM, Jefferson County Health Department, Front Parking Lot,1948 Wiltshire Road, Kearneysville, WV

2:30 PM 6:30 PM, Shepherd University, Parking Lot beside Wellness Center,164 University Drive, Shepherdstown, WV

Marshall County

10:00 AM 3:00 PM, Marshall County Health Department, 513 6thStreet, Moundsville, WV

Ohio County

11:00 AM 4:00 PM, Valley Grove Volunteer Fire Department, 355 Fire HouseLane, Valley Grove, WV

11:00 AM 4:00 PM, Warwood Fire Station 9, 1301 Richland Avenue, Wheeling,WV

11:00 AM 4:00 PM, Wheeling Island Fire Station 5, 11 North Wabash Street,Wheeling, WV

Wirt County

Wood County

WyomingCounty

11:00 AM 3:00 PM, Old Board of Education, 19 Park Street,Pineville, WV

Please visit https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/pages/testing.aspx for more testing locations including the new locator map. Newsites are added daily.

Read more from the original source:

COVID-19 Daily Update 11-26-2020 - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

The Covid-19 vaccines, which are up to 95% effective, have the potential to save millions of lives in the UK and many more around the world.

Yet creating the vaccines is just the first step. We now need to produce them as quickly as possible, work out the logistics of distribution and administration and most importantly ensure as many people as possible take them. And as the history of vaccines shows, that is not as easy as some might assume. You only have to look at the fall in uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine after it was falsely linked with autism.

Despite the Covid vaccines being reported as safe, a recent YouGov survey found that 21% of adults are unlikely to take a vaccine, and a further 12% are unsure. That means a third of the country arent confident they will take the vaccine though reasons vary from a minority of anti-vaxxers, to a larger group of people who are hesitant and want to wait and see if its safe, or think they are too low risk to need it.

This resistance could potentially increase as confirmation bias our tendency to search out and engage with content that affirms what we already believe and polarising social media algorithms cause people to become more entrenched in their views. It is therefore vital to plan ahead of the rollout in order to ensure as many people as possible take the vaccine. Behavioural science can provide useful guidance.

Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, we need to handle the anti-vaxxers the right way. Though, instinctively, many of us would want to tell them theyre wrong, this is not the way to proceed. We must avoid avoid directly confronting anti-vaxxers like this, or dismissing them as crazy or stupid.

Its a human instinct that, if our strongest beliefs are directly challenged, we can end up believing them more firmly whats known as the backfire effect. We often have a defence mechanism that leads us to actively search out information that shows we are right. In this case if people are pushed too hard and feel judged, theyll look for reasons to avoid taking the vaccine.

This knowledge of the backfire effect should impact all of us, not just those directly connected to the rollout. We shouldnt post on social media about how idiotic people who dont take the vaccine are. It wont help. Nor should there be public broadcasts from government ministers disparaging anti-vaccine views. And it means ensuring doctors have a non-judgmental approach when they talk to patients who arent sure about taking them.

If we are talking to someone whos uncertain about the vaccine we should try to be empathetic, actively listen, and focus on the benefits of taking it. And rather than contradicting them, we should suggest places where they can find out additional information. If people feel respected and trusted they are more likely to listen; and if they can find out on their own, then they will have time to process and engage with it without feeling defensive.

And there are broader behavioural science tactics that the government can use to improve the uptake of vaccines, including making it seem like the default and showing it to be a social norm. This means using language that inherently assumes everyone will take the vaccines, making people feel they are actively opting out, rather than opting in.

So health secretary Matt Hancock and other politicians should highlight the extent to which people are taking vaccines; making it a positive social norm. Newspapers should have headlines about high take-up rates, and the positive benefits this will have for society. It is this type of positive story we should be actively sharing and discussing, rather than looking for people to judge negatively.

This will work most effectively when people see those they feel a connection with following the rules. This means, where possible, that messaging aimed at young people following guidelines should be targeted towards young people, and the same applies to aiming messages at people in a certain social group or geographical region. We instinctively want to copy those we feel closest to, and are less likely to disregard the behaviour of those we feel are in our in-group.

Finally, the government and GPs should make it easy for people to get the vaccine. In a 1965 study, students at Yale University were given information about the need for tetanus inoculations. Initially, 3% of the group got the vaccine. But when provided with a map and specific instructions on where to get it, 28% of the students got inoculations. We shouldnt underestimate how important it is to allow people to go when they arent working, and to provide clear directions or support for travel, and easy lines of communication to clarify uncertainties; these things have a bigger impact than is often assumed.

Hopefully, utilising a range of smart behavioural science insights will drive vaccine uptake. Thats vital, because a draconian system of enforcement could embed deeper polarisation and resistance at a time when we need cohesion and agreement more than ever.

Will Hanmer-Lloyd is head of behavioural planning at the consultancy Behave

See original here:

Here's how to tackle the Covid-19 anti-vaxxers - The Guardian

On Thanksgiving, the US marked its 24th day in a row with more than 100,000 new cases. Hospitalizations Thursday hit a new high -- for the 17th consecutive day -- with now more than 90,400 Covid-19 patients nationwide, according to the COVID Tracking Project. More than 1,200 deaths were reported.

The country's death toll since the pandemic's start is now more than 263,000. And nearly another 60,000 could lose their lives over the next three weeks, according to an ensemble forecast published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week.

One expert told CNN Wednesday night the number of daily deaths will likely double in the next ten days.

"So, we'll be seeing close to 4,000 deaths a day, which is how you get another 60,000 deaths in only about 20 days," Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a professor of medicine at George Washington University, said.

"In a week, more likely two weeks, we will see a surge upon a surge," Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University, said Wednesday. "We're in for a tough time."

In other words, projections for the coming weeks are grim. But that doesn't mean it's too late to begin turning things around.

"It we all got together, wore the masks and did the social distancing, we could bend this curve within two or three weeks," Schaffner said. "We would see actually transmission go down even before we get to the vaccines."

What it would take to turn the tide

While a possible vaccine candidate could soon get the green light, widespread effects of a vaccine are still months away. But Americans have valuable tools that can help in the meantime.

They are the public safety measures that have been touted by officials for months -- face masks, social distancing, avoiding crowds and practicing good hygiene like regular hand washing.

Meanwhile, in West Virginia, Gov. Jim Justice has pleaded with residents in the past weeks to wear a face covering, saying masks are "really the only bullet in the gun."

"If you're inconvenienced, if you don't believe in it, please wear it ... what's the downside," Justice said in a news conference this week. "Look, we're not one to take anybody's rights. My good lord, I get it wholeheartedly, we don't want to do that in any way. But you gotta help me."

It's the kind of message that needs to be echoed by local leaders across the country, Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of tropical medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN Thursday morning.

"Keep saying it every day and hope that some people actually start to believe it. That's our only hope at this point. We've got to limit those surges and we need those local leaders to really step up, so this is absolutely vital," he said.

It's the only option that could help keep more people alive until a vaccine, he said.

"It's a matter of keeping your mother, your father, your brother, your sister alive between now and then," Hotez added. "If we could just get those messages out."

Florida extends ban on cities imposing mask mandates

But in many parts of the US, masks remain a point of contention.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis extended an order this week that bans local municipalities from issuing fines for violations of pandemic-related mandates -- like mask mandates -- or limiting restaurant capacity without justification.

"It's deeply frustrating that @GovRonDeSantis continues to block local actions and make it harder for local leaders to keep our communities safe," Cava wrote.

"I'm asking the governor to work with local mayors so we can bring our local knowledge to the table," Cava added. "We need to work together to create policies that will protect all our families and our economy in this moment of crisis.

In the past week, Florida has reported more than 56,400 new infections and more than 520 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

CNN has reached out to DeSantis's office for comment.

Only 1 in 8 US Covid-19 cases may have been counted

In total, more than 12.8 million Americans have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic's start. But a new study suggests that could only be a small fraction of the true number of infections in the US.

Only about one in eight -- or 13% --- all of Covid-19 infections in the country were recognized and reported through the end of September, researchers at the CDC estimate. That means as many as 53 million people in the US could have been infected from February through September -- yet during that time, only about 7 million confirmed cases of symptomatic Covid-19 were reported nationally, the researchers noted.

To estimate the number of Covid-19 cases that may have been missed since the beginning of the pandemic, the researchers used a model to adjust the reported numbers of symptomatic cases in the US. They considered what's known about detecting cases, asymptomatic infections, patients seeking care or not and the risk of false negative test results.

The study's limitations included that the availability and use of testing has changed over time and their findings serve only as estimates.

While the numbers may seem large, the researchers wrote that, still "this indicates that approximately 84% of the US population has not yet been infected and thus most of the country remains at risk, despite already high rates of hospitalization."

CNN's Ben Tinker, Evan Simko-Bednarski, Jacqueline Howard, Melissa Alonso, Amanda Watts and Lauren Mascarenhas contributed to this report.

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Nearly 60,000 Americans could die of Covid-19 in the next three weeks. There are ways to turn things around, experts say - CNN

Indiana could received its first supply of coronavirus vaccine soon, federal health officials say. However, there are still many questions about the vaccine. Wochit

LAFAYETTE With promises of a COVID-19 vaccine on the horizon, Tippecanoe County health officials said this week they were making plans for distribution, lining up freezers for specialized storage and determining who would get the first doses.

We have a lot to line up, Dr. Jeremy Adler, Tippecanoe Countys health officer, said Wednesday. Were looking forward to a vaccine, no question. But its going to be a massive undertaking.

Indiana is girding to receive its first doses of a coronavirus vaccine some time next month, Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box said Wednesday.

Pfizer, the company which makes the vaccine, has submitted an application to the Food and Drug Administration for approval, and the government agency is expected to review it in early December, Box said.

A shot is prepared as part of a possible COVID-19 vaccine developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc. in Binghamton N.Y.(Photo: Hans Pennink)

Hospitals and health care workers should be prepared to receive the first doses of the vaccine soon after, Box said.

On Wednesday, Adler said Tippecanoe County would rely on Indiana State Department of Health guidance to decide who, beyond frontline health care workers, will get the first shots once what he called a small allotment of the vaccine arrives later in December.

For the rest of the population, the hope is that sometime later in the winter or in the spring well be able to receive enough vaccine to vaccinate the rest of our population, Adler said. Its, of course, a big, big task.

More: COVID-19 nurses in Lafayette stretched to new limits: Endurance is definitely what we need

Adler referenced the county health departments effort to vaccinate roughly 900 Purdue students after a 2016 mumps scare on campus. He said that operation included bringing in volunteer staff, including medical retirees and some from Purdues School of Nursing, to manage the makeshift vaccine clinic at the universitys Co-Rec.

With COVID, Adler said, were talking an entirely different scope.

Box warned that the vaccine will not be a "get out of jail free card." People will need to continue wearing masks, socially distancing, washing their hands and staying home if ill for the foreseeable future.

More: COVID-19: Greater Lafayette stores prepare for new restrictions ahead of Thanksgiving, Black Friday shopping days

Studies have found the Pfizer vaccine to be about 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 infections. A competitor developed by Moderna, which is expected to receive approval by early next year, has shown similar results.

Both vaccines will require two doses spaced either 21 or 28 days apart, Box said. One dose will not confer immunity.

Because the Pfizer vaccine must be stored in an ultra-cold freezer, at first it will likely only be available at five pilot hospital sites around the state, state health officials have said. Those are Community Hospital in Munster, Clark Memorial Hospital in Jeffersonville, Deaconess in Evansville, Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, and Parkview Health in Fort Wayne.

Jeff Houston, Tippecanoe County emergency management coordinator, said the county has lined up use of ultra-cold freezer space through Purdue. Khala Hochstedler said the county health department has freezers that can handle some of COVID-19 vaccine where vaccines for shingles, measles, mumps, and rubella, and chickenpox. Houston said vaccines also will be able to be stored in boxes theyre shipped in by packing it with dry ice to keep it at the proper temperature.

Wednesday Box warned that some people who receive the vaccine may experience side effects such as fever, headache or muscle aches in the days following the shot. These are considered normal and temporary.

"We can be very thankful that we do have vaccines that are showing this kind of efficacy and this kind of safety," Box said.

However, until the vaccine is widely available, the state must get beyond the high number of coronavirus cases it has been seeing on a daily basis, Box said. And short of a vaccine, the only way to do that is to follow the public health advice and wear your mask, social distance and wash your hands.

Reach Dave Bangert at 765-420-5258 or at dbangert@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @davebangert. Contact IndyStar reporter Shari Rudavsky at shari.rudavsky@indystar.com. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter: @srudavsky.

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COVID-19 vaccine: Who will be first when Tippecanoe Co.'s initial doses arrive in December? - Journal & Courier

The companies said that out of 170 cases of Covid-19, 162 were in the placebo group, and eight were in the vaccine group. Out of 10 cases of severe Covid-19, nine had received a placebo.

Pfizer and BioNTech said that the vaccines efficacy was consistent across age, race and ethnicity. The most common serious adverse event was fatigue, with 3.7 percent of volunteers reporting tiredness after they took the second dose. Two percent of volunteers reported a headache after the second dose. Older adults reported fewer and milder side effects, the companies said.

Its pretty amazing, said Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at Yale University. She said the results in people over 65 were the most promising. We know from the influenza vaccine that its very difficult to achieve protection in this age group with vaccines, she said, so 94 percent efficacy in that group is really remarkable.

Federal health officials have said the first doses of the vaccines will most likely go to groups like health care workers who are at high risk for exposure, as well as to people who are most vulnerable to the disease, such as older people.

Confused by the all technical terms used to describe how vaccines work and are investigated?Let us help:

Dr. Saad B. Omer, the director of the Yale Institute for Global Health, said the results showing the vaccines protected people from severe disease was also good news, because with such limited availability initially, the first goal will be not to stop transmission of the disease, but to prevent people from becoming extremely ill. So that is very reassuring, he said.

He called on Pfizer to quickly release a more detailed analysis of the data beyond the initial news release so that scientists could more thoroughly evaluate the results. The companies have said they plan to submit the results for review in a scientific journal, a process that can take weeks or months. These are not normal times, this is a pandemic, and major policy is being made, Dr. Omer said. Its always better to make policy on scientific data, not a press release.

In addition to the results of its clinical trial, Pfizer said it was ready to submit to the F.D.A. two months of safety data that the agency had recommended, as well as detailed manufacturing records showing the company can consistently produce high-quality batches of its product. The F.D.A. will review the data and ask an outside panel of vaccine experts to weigh in on the application, a process that could take weeks.

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New Pfizer Results: Coronavirus Vaccine Is Safe and 95% Effective - The New York Times