The underdog coronavirus vaccines the world will need if front runners stumble Nature.com
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The underdog coronavirus vaccines the world will need if front runners stumble - Nature.com
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Nuns of the Missionaries of Charity, the order founded by Mother Teresa, wear masks and face shields as they distribute food to the poor and homeless in Kolkata, India, on August 26.
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Cemetery workers carry Wilson Gil's remains on the outskirts of Lima, Peru, on August 26. Gil died of complications related to Covid-19, according to family members.
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Workers in New Delhi prepare to cremate the body of a coronavirus victim on August 22.
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A health worker administers a Covid-19 test in the Indian village of Kusumpur on August 17.
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People gather in Little Venice on the Aegean Sea island of Mykonos, Greece, on August 16.
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Thousands of people gather for an electronic music festival at a water park in Wuhan, China, on August 15. The novel coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan late last year.
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Funeral workers in Peru's Uchumayo District bury a coffin in a massive burial ground for low-income people and unidentified victims of Covid-19.
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A man receives an injection while taking part in a vaccine trial in Hollywood, Florida, on August 13.
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Election officials sort absentee ballots in Atlanta, where there were several runoffs taking place on August 11.
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Gravediggers bury a coronavirus victim at the Pondok Ranggon cemetery in Jakarta, Indonesia, on August 10.
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Kindergarten students wear face masks and play in screened-in areas at the Wat Khlong Toey School in Bangkok, Thailand, on August 10.
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Medics wait to transport a woman with possible Covid-19 symptoms to a hospital in Austin, Texas, on August 7.
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A coronavirus victim is lowered into the ground during her funeral in New Delhi on August 7.
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Resident doctors and interns attend a rally in Seoul, South Korea, on August 7. They were protesting the government's plan to expand admissions to medical schools a policy meant to address a shortage in physicians.
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A health worker performs a Covid-19 test at a gymnasium in Navotas, Philippines, on August 6.
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A worker disinfects a public school in Brasilia, Brazil, on August 5. The local government has begun preparations for the reopening of schools in early September.
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Cemetery workers carry the coffin of a Covid-19 victim at a graveyard in Comas, Peru, on August 5.
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Elementary school students walk to class in Godley, Texas, on August 5. Three rural school districts in Johnson County were among the first in the state to head back to school for in-person classes.
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Poll worker Debra Moore sanitizes her workspace during a primary election in Detroit on August 4.
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A stylist from Grey Matter LA cuts a client's hair on a rooftop parking lot in Los Angeles on August 4.
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Paul Adamus, 7, waits at the bus stop for his first day of school in Dallas, Georgia, on August 3.
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Beds are seen at a temporary field hospital set up in Hong Kong on August 1. AsiaWorld-Expo has been converted into a makeshift hospital that can take up to 500 patients.
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Medical workers in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, showcase designs during a fashion show of personal protective equipment on August 1. The fashion show was held as a form of gratitude for all medical personnel who have been fighting Covid-19.
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A volunteer disinfects a rooftop area in Rio de Janeiro on August 1.
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Volunteer health workers disinfect a mosque prior to Eid al-Adha prayers in Kabul, Afghanistan, on July 31.
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A casket carrying the body of coronavirus victim Lola M. Simmons is placed into a hearse following her funeral service in Dallas on July 30.
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Relatives of Covid-19 patients line up to recharge oxygen cylinders in Villa Maria del Triunfo, Peru, on July 29.
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People watch the film "The Prestige" from a gondola boat in Venice, Italy, on July 28. Around the world, many films are being shown outside so that people can practice social distancing.
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A health worker tests a child for Covid-19 at a school in New Delhi on July 27.
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Portraits are taped onto seats to help theatergoers spread out in Nicosia, Cyprus, on July 27.
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The casket of a coronavirus victim is carried from a funeral home in Johannesburg on July 26.
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Worshippers of Legio Maria attend a prayer at their church in Nairobi, Kenya, on July 26. Places of worship have reopened in Kenya under strict guidelines.
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A casket containing the remains of a coronavirus victim waits to be removed from a mortuary in Soweto, South Africa, on July 24.
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Commuters wear face masks and face shields while traveling on a public bus in Lima, Peru, on July 22. Peru has mandated masks and shields on public transportation.
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Undertakers push the casket of a coronavirus victim during a funeral in Soweto, South Africa, on July 21.
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A worker measures a man's temperature before allowing him to enter La Vega market in Santiago, Chile, on July 19.
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Indigenous nurses in Santarem, Brazil, administer a Covid-19 test on Chief Domingos from the Arapium tribe on July 19.
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People watch a video projection in Avignon, France, on July 18. Since the Avignon Theatre Festival has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, the festival's organization has been projecting plays that made its history.
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Doctors from the Palestinian Ministry of Health take blood samples in Hebron, West Bank, on July 15.
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Health workers in Mumbai, India, screen residents for Covid-19 symptoms on July 14.
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Ultra-Orthodox Jews gather for a July 13 protest over lockdown measures in Jerusalem.
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Members of the Bungoma County Isolation Team stand by the coffin of Dr. Doreen Lugaliki during her funeral in Ndalu, Kenya, on July 13. Lugaliki, 39, died from complications related to the novel coronavirus.
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The boxed cremated remains of Mexicans who died from Covid-19 are covered before a service at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York on July 11. The ashes were blessed before they were repatriated to Mexico.
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Is it possible to have COVID-19 more than once within a short period of time? Two recent reports, one out of Hong Kong and one in a patient in Reno, Nevada, have many scratching their headsand wondering what the cases mean for the future of the pandemic. While the cases are interesting, Michigan Medicines Adam Lauring, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology and infectious disease, says they arent cause for panic.
Just because something happens, doesnt mean it happens a lot, he says. In fact, he explains, this could also occur just as frequently with other viruses without anyone noticing, because those viruses are not under the intense level of worldwide scrutiny that SARS-CoV2the virus behind COVID-19currently is.
The Hong Kong case, which was summarized in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, was picked up during a routine screening at the Hong Kong border, and the man did not exhibit symptoms. The Nevada reinfection case report has not yet been peer reviewed.
Reinfection is a matter of the bodys immune response and the evolution of the virus itself, notes Lauring. If these patients initial immune responses to their first infection werent robust enough, they could be susceptible to getting infected again.
SEE ALSO: Seeking Medical Care During COVID-19
What defines a strong immune response? Lauring notes that when scientists look to see how likely a person is to be protected from a virus, either because theyve already had an infection or because theyve received a vaccine, they are looking for correlates of protection.
The big thing people look for are antibodies, which you can measure in someones blood, says Lauring. We know from looking at people whove been infected with SARS CoV-2 or who are in the vaccine trials, that people tend to make a good amount of antibodies against the spike protein, which the virus uses to infect a cell and is a major target for vaccines. These individuals could have failed to make sufficient levels of antibodies or [in the asymptomatic case] their antibodies may have protected them from more severe disease.
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Antibodies are not the end all, be all, however. Antibodies do decrease over time but that doesnt mean you arent protected, Lauring says. An infection usually also triggers memory cells that lie in wait to respond when exposed to the same virus in the future. In fact, Lauring notes that some people whove recovered from SARS-CoV, which caused a global outbreak in 2003, were able to produce antibodies that recognized SARS-COV2. These examples of cross-protection, like examples of reinfection, may just be outliers.
Lauring cautions against making any broad generalizations from these individual cases, especially when it comes to what they mean for vaccination.
I think they are something to learn from, but at my core, I am no less confident about the vaccines and their potential. Even a short-term vaccine or something that prevents severe disease or protects only in the most vulnerable would still be a game changer for this pandemic.
For now, instead of worrying about reinfection, says Lauring, people should continue to concentrate on avoiding infection in the first place.
SEE ALSO: Keeping Our Patients Safe During COVID-19
Paper cited: COVID-19 re-infection by a phylogenetically distinct SARS-coronavirus-2 strain confirmed by whole genome sequencing, Clinical Infectious Diseases. DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1275
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Should We Worry About COVID-19 Reinfection? - Michigan Medicine
September 11, 2020, 7:58 PM
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As countries around the globe work toward a vaccine for COVID-19, a trade organization for the majority of the world's airlines is urging governments and stakeholders to begin preparations for what promises to be a challenging and logistically complicated mission of transporting billions of doses.
"Safely delivering COVID-19 vaccines will be the mission of the century for the global air cargo industry," said Alexandre de Juniac, director general and CEO of the International Air and Transport Association.
The group said quick and efficient transportation and distribution of any vaccine will not be possible without careful planning and that the process will be challenging given the current state of the aviation industry.
"In planning their vaccine programs, particularly in the developing world, governments must take very careful consideration of the limited air cargo capacity that is available at the moment," de Juniac said. "If borders remain closed, travel curtailed, fleets grounded and employees furloughed, the capacity to deliver lifesaving vaccines will be very much compromised."
Providing a single dose to 7.8 billion people would fill 8,000 747 cargo aircraft, according to the IATA.
A nurse prepares a shot as a study of a possible COVID-19 vaccine in Binghamton, N.Y., July 27, 2020.
Aside from the obstacles presented by the state of the industry, the IATA is also urging those involved in the transportation of the vaccine to consider other logistical challenges.
Pfizer's vaccine candidate must be stored at minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while manufacturer Moderna's vaccine candidate would need to be transported at minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit.
"While there are still many unknowns, it is clear that the scale of activity will be vast, that cold-chain facilities will be required and that delivery to every corner of the planet will be needed," the IATA said.
In the U.S., the CDC, Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense are leading the planning for distribution. The CDC has asked states to be ready to possibly receive a vaccine by as early as Nov. 1.
"We urge governments to take the lead in facilitating cooperation across the logistics chain so that the facilities, security arrangements and border processes are ready for the mammoth and complex task ahead," de Juniac said.
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Photo by CDC on Unsplash
While we can't predict how severe this flu season will be, local epidemiologists urge citizens to get their flu shots and adhere to COVID-19 public health guidelines to prevent a "twindemic."
But all of that could change in the months ahead. As the weather turns colder, experts worry the U.S. (and other parts of the world) may see a surge of COVID-19 cases combined with a severe flu season, a frightening twindemic scenario that could increase peoples risk of fatal illness and overwhelm hospitals. Others, however, predict low influenza transmission this year given the public health precautions already in place.
So how concerned should Coloradans be about whats to come? And what can we do to stay healthy this fall and winter? We posed these questionsand othersto local epidemiologists. From the best time to get a flu shot and the risks of contracting both viruses at the same time to the likelihood of another lockdown this year and more, heres what we learned:
There have been conflicting predictions about the upcoming flu season. Some experts warn of a possible twindemic if a surge of COVID-19 cases converge with a serious flu season, while others theorize that influenza wont be as severe since many people are already taking extra precautions, like staying home and frequently washing hands. How worried should Coloradans be about the coming fall and winter?Epidemics, by their very nature, are unpredictable, so we cant say what this years flu season will look like, explains May Chu, PhD, clinical professor in the department of epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. We do know, however, that the formula for this years influenza virus vaccine contains three to four different influenza strains selected based on their prevalence in the Northern Hemisphere this year. This includes strains based on the H1N1 virus, which has been around since 2009, plus two to three other variants. The good news: It looks like we are not getting surprises and new strains of influenza this year, says Chu. The caveat: That doesnt mean flu season wont be severe. Also important: Certain behavior (like social distancing and hand-washing) can reduce the transmission of influenza, but it does not predict its seriousness, she says.
With all that in mind, we still need to be concerned about influenza, warns Thomas Jaenisch, MD, PhD, infectious disease epidemiologist, clinical scientist, and associate professor at the Colorado School of Public Health at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The flu, he points out, can cause severe illness. Last year, 3,544 Coloradans were hospitalized with influenza and three children died, according to data from the CDPHE. (The state does not report adult deaths.)
How important is it to get a flu shot this year?Very. A flu vaccination not only protects you from the flu, but it also supports Colorados bigger battle against COVID-19. We all know that [coronavirus] testing supplies are limited, and that the major instrument we have to fight COVID is testing more and reducing testing turnaround times, explains Jaenisch. The more unnecessary mild episodes there are of influenza triggering people to go to their health provider and get tested, the less we can concentrate on the core business of coronavirus testing.
Getting a flu shot can also help doctors narrow down a diagnosis if you do get sick with respiratory symptoms, adds Chu. Additionally, it increases the likelihood that well have more hospital beds available for COVID-19 patients in the event of a rise in cases. Bottom line: Just get vaccinated. Even if this season might not be the most powerful or epidemic influenza season, its just the right thing to do, says Jaenisch.
So when is the best time to get a flu shot?Now through October is a good time, says Jaenisch. This follows current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, which warn that vaccination in July or August is too early, especially for older people, because of the likelihood of reduced protection later in the flu season. If, for some reason, you dont get vaccinated this month or next, its not too late. As long as flu viruses are circulating, vaccination should continue, even in January or later, states the CDC.
Where can Coloradans without health insurance get a flu shot?Nearly all local public health agencies and some Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) and Rural Health Clinics (RHC) in Colorado offer vaccines for both uninsured children and adults at no or low cost, a spokesperson with the CDPHE tells 5280 via email.
Find your local agency here. Uninsured children can also get flu shots for free through the states Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, the spokesperson sayssee participating providers here.And, CDPHE is currently compiling a list of clinics (including drive-thru options) where uninsured Coloradans can get vaccinated. Check the CDPHE website next week to learn more.
COVID-19 and the flu share many symptoms. If people start to feel sick, will there be any way to know which virus (if either) they are ill with? Clinically, you cant distinguish between the two, says Jaenisch. Loss of smell and taste might be more pronounced with COVID-19, and there might be a little bit more likelihood of other symptoms, he adds, but the only way to confirm infection is to get tested.
The CDC recently developed a test that will check for both A and B type seasonal flu viruses and SARS CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and will be used in public health laboratories.
What would you say to Coloradans who are hesitant to get a flu shot?The influenza vaccine has been proven very safe and efficacious for several decades, says Chu, and Coloradansespecially those at high risk for serious flu complications, including pregnant women, children, the elderly, and folks with chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes, and heart diseaseshouldnt hesitate to get vaccinated. The CDC recommends an annual flu shot for all people 6 months and older.
What poses a greater threat to Colorado this year: COVID-19 or the flu?Definitely COVID-19, says Janesich. Were still learning about this disease, says Chu, whereas influenza has been around for over a century and thus much more is known about flu viruses and how they behave. Also important: There is both a vaccine and an FDA-approved antiviral treatment for the fluneither of which exist for coronavirus, Chu points out.
At the same time, the flu can cause serious illness and influence our fight against COVID-19. If we dont have to deal with the added disease burden and testing burden of the flu, explains Jaenisch, we can concentrate our resources on the coronavirus.
What are the health risks of getting both COVID-19 and the flu at the same time?There isnt evidence on the topic, says Jaenisch, but theoretically and from a general medical perspective, getting simultaneously infected with COVID-19 and the flutwo respiratory viruses that target the lungswould increase the likelihood of more severe disease, he says.
Aside from getting the flu vaccination, what steps can Coloradans take this fall and winter to protect themselves from both flu and COVID-19?We should all continue following public health precautions, says Chu, like wearing a mask in public, social distancing, washing your hands frequently, and not touching your face.
What is the likelihood that Colorado will have another lockdown this fall or winter?We dont know, says Chu. Just because Colorado is faring well right now in the fight against the coronavirus doesnt mean we wont have another wave. All it takes is somebody coming in from Texas for grandmothers party, and we could start again, warns Chu. If we have lots of flare ups or flare ups go unreported, well just be back to where we were in May and June.
So until weve conquered COVID-19, we need to keep following public health guidelines. Its not a time to let your foot off the brake, says Chu.
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What Coloradans Need to Know About Flu Season & COVID-19 - 5280 | The Denver Magazine
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Many health-care companies and hospital industry groups are fighting a Trump administration policy tying extra federal coronavirus reimbursements to test results proving that patients are positive for Covid-19, saying the requirement unfairly deprives them of relief money established by Congress.
Legislation in March provided hospitals a 20% boost to the standard federal Medicare reimbursement for each patient admitted for coronavirus.
But the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services added a requirement, which took effect Sept. 1: For hospitals to receive the funding, each patient must have a documented positive Covid-19 lab test.
Health care workers prepare a COVID-19 test sample. (David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP)
7 CHARGED WITH LAUNDERING $2.1M, INCLUDING CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUNDS
CMS officials said the requirement was added to protect against fraud since the funding was increased. "As part of Medicare's longstanding standard payment policies, Medicare providers are required to accurately document and bill for services provided based on a beneficiary's diagnosis," a spokesman said.
CMS is concerned that without a lab test showing someone has Covid-19, hospitals may code them incorrectly as having the virus and erroneously receive the 20% add-on. The agency said that it will review patient records after payments are made to confirm positive test results, and those lacking results would see their payments accounted for as overpayments.
Evidence suggests that hospitals could be overreporting Covid-19-related deaths for patients with certain medical conditions, such as end-stage renal disease and chronic kidney disease, according to an Aug. 20 report to CMS by Acumen, a Burlingame, Calif., provider of data analysis to government agencies.
Industry groups including the American Hospital Association, which represents nearly 5,000 hospitals and health-care providers, argue that if anything, many Covid-19 cases go undiagnosed. They said the new requirement is significant because tests can sometimes yield false negatives, and some people with Covid-19 don't test positive if the exam is conducted 14 days after infection.
False negative rates for PCR or molecular tests -- the most widely available type of test, which searches for the virus's genetic material in a nasal swab or saliva sample -- range from 2% to as high as 37%. False positives are generally around 5% or lower, but the accuracy remains uncertain and the results vary.
CMS officials said the requirement was added to protect against fraud since the funding was increased. (iStock)
MERCK COVID-19 VACCINE BEGINS HUMAN TESTING
Patients with long-term coronavirus health problems might not have a positive Covid-19 test because they were infected in February or March, when testing was restricted to people deemed at higher risk, including seniors, people who had been exposed to Covid-19 and medical staff. Hospital groups also said the policy unfairly overrides doctors' medical diagnoses and will result in unnecessary retesting at a time when U.S. testing capacity is already strained.
"It's unbelievably wasteful," said Brian Gragnolati, president and chief executive officer of Atlantic Health System, whose hospitals in New Jersey had as many as 900 Covid-19 patients in April. "This country has a testing problem. The time it takes to get a test varies widely, and some of the tests have a false negative. This seems unbelievably burdensome, and we're getting ready for another surge this fall."
Some Republicans have raised questions recently over whether the increased funding presents an incentive for doctors to inflate Covid-19 cases.
Hospital groups and doctors counter that they are being unfairly maligned as they stretch resources to grapple with the coronavirus, and say they are losing out on money. They also raise concerns about whether there has been enough oversight of federal stimulus funding and grants to providers. HHS is distributing $175 billion to hospitals and health-care providers on the front lines of the coronavirus response.
"They require you to jump through hoops to get paid, and it's a rigidity that's unfair," said Tom Nickels, executive vice president of government relations and public policy at the AHA.
The 20% add-on payment applies to patients who are admitted to hospitals for Covid-19 treatment and who are on Medicare, a federal health insurance program for people who are 65 and older or have specific disabilities. CMS in April had indicated that documentation from a doctor was all that was required for the funding boost. Under the new requirement, a lab test must be performed either before or during the admission.
Hospital groups and doctors counter that they are being unfairly maligned as they stretch resources to grapple with the coronavirus, and say they are losing out on money. (iStock)
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The agency may conduct audits and reviews and recoup the add-on money if there is no positive test in the patient's medical record. CMS has said it would look at other medical factors in addition to a test if the test was done more than 14 days before admission, according to the agency guidance.
Some hospital leaders said they are concerned funding will be reduced during a time of historic financial pressures because of the pandemic. They also said the add-on payment still doesn't cover their costs for treating Covid-19 patients, because Medicare reimbursements trail private insurance reimbursement.
"This is not only unduly burdensome and potentially wasteful, but it also may lead to longer hospital stays, higher costs and additional discomfort for patients who are already suffering," according to an Aug. 26 letter to CMS from the hospital association.
Through May, there were a total of 101,348 discharges and total payments of $2.286 billion, for an average Medicare reimbursement of $22,556 per Covid-19 discharge, according to CMS data. For comparison purposes, the average Medicare spending in the first quarter of 2020 was $13,677 per discharge.
CMS is making other efforts aimed at ensuring accountability for taxpayer dollars, including a proposal for new reporting requirements in Medicaid, the federal-state program for low-income and disabled people. It also follows criticism from Democrats who say HHS hasn't provided enough oversight over coronavirus relief grants made to health-care providers. The HHS Office of Inspector General is auditing the distribution of grant funding.
Many patients hospitalized for Covid-19 are on Medicare because the virus has a more severe medical impact on seniors. People who are ages 65 to 74 are hospitalized at a rate five times higher than 18-to-29-year-olds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Major for-profit hospital systems have seen higher profits since the pandemic began, but hospital groups said they are especially worried about the financial impact of the virus. The AHA in May estimated that the four-month financial impact of coronavirus was $200 billion in losses for hospitals and health systems. Hospitals had to pay for personal protective equipment and saw revenues drop because elective procedures were initially postponed because of the virus.
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Hospitals oppose positive COVID-19 test requirement for more Medicare funding - Fox Business
Friday night's game between the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres at Petco Park was postponed because of a positive COVID-19 test within the Giants organization. MLB also announced Saturday's scheduled game between the two teams was also postponed.
While no official reason for the postponement was given immediately on Friday,the Padres soon after announced the positive test. The decision wasn't made until minutes before scheduled first pitch on Friday night. It's not yet known whether the positive case is a Giants player.
Here is the full announcement from the league:
Following a positive test for COVID-19 in the San Francisco Giants' organization, tonight's and tomorrow's scheduled games between the Giants and the host San Diego Padres at Petco Park have been postponed out of an abundance of caution and to allow for additional testing and contact tracing to be conducted. Major League Baseball will continue to provide updates as necessary.
Both the Giants and Padres are presently in playoff position in the National League with less than three weeks to go in the abbreviated 60-game regular season.
Earlier this season, the Marlins and Cardinals were forced to postpone several games because of COVID clusters with their respective organizations. Earlier this month, the A's were forced to postpone four games because of a positive test.
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Giants-Padres games postponed after positive COVID-19 test within Giants organization - CBS Sports
An illustration of COVID-19. Multiple vaccine trials are currently underway. (CDC)
With plans now in the works for distributing a coronavirus vaccine, there are worries that despite the high risk they face, people with developmental disabilities may not be given priority.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has the whole world waiting for a vaccine, but whenever one does become available, there wont immediately be enough of it for everyone all at once. As a result, government officials are working to establish a pecking order.
Earlier this month, a committee from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine issued a preliminary framework outlining how a COVID-19 vaccine might be allocated. The committee formed at the request of the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to issue a final report this fall, which is intended to help inform federal decision-making on a vaccine.
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The draft document included a four-phase plan for how to hand out a vaccine. Front-line health care workers would be prioritized as well as older adults living in congregate settings and people with high-risk conditions.
The proposal has disability advocates alarmed, however, because it contains no mention of when people with developmental disabilities could access a COVID-19 vaccine.
The fact that people with disabilities were not explicitly named, its disappointment, frustration, exasperation, said Shannon McCracken, vice president for government relations at the American Network of Community Options and Resources, or ANCOR, a national trade group representing disability service providers.
There are provisions for individuals living in group homes who would be in phase two. But, advocates say the plan overlooks people with developmental disabilities living in the community and in other types of congregate settings like nursing homes, developmental disability centers and psychiatric facilities unless they happen to have other high risk conditions too. These individuals wouldnt qualify for a vaccine until phases three or four, stages when it would be broadly available to children and young adults.
The draft also includes conflicting information about when group home staff would be eligible for a vaccine and it lacks details about direct support professionals working in other settings, advocates said.
Research has shown that people with developmental disabilities are at significantly higher risk of dying from COVID-19 than others.
I do think that the failure to include people with intellectual disabilities was an oversight that could cause serious harm, said Sam Crane, legal director at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. This is especially true of people with intellectual disabilities living in institutional settings, who seem not to be addressed anywhere, and also people with disabilities in community-based settings who receive in-person supports and therefore cannot isolate.
Cranes group along with ANCOR, the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services, the American Academy of Developmental Medicine & Dentistry and others scrambled to respond to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicines draft during a four-day comment period in early September, calling for the expert panel to recommend vaccine access for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in earlier phases.
In addition, a task force from the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities a coalition representing dozens of disability advocacy groups wrote to the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services this week to push that office to ensure that any vaccine allocation plan provides equal access for people with disabilities in accordance with federal civil rights laws.
Advocates said they are also reaching out to lawmakers asking them to make sure that people with developmental disabilities are not left behind.
Read more:
COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Could Leave People With Disabilities Behind - Disability Scoop
The study's goal was to estimate the impacts of a single "super-spreader" event on the spread of COVID-19. USA TODAY
The Senate failed to advancea slimmed-down coronavirus relief bill Thursday that senators on both sides had acknowledged was unlikely to muster the votes to pass the chamber.
The bill was defeated in a 52-47 vote, and one Republican, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., voted with Democrats in opposing the bill.
The estimated $300 billionproposal, dubbed theDelivering Immediate Relief to America's Families, Schools and Small Businesses Act, included bolstered unemployment benefits, funding for schools and liability protections for businesses and health care facilities. Its failureleaves little chance a stimulus bill will pass Congress before the November election.
Meanwhile, universities across the country also continue to contend with COVID-19 challenges. The University of Wyoming on Wednesday extended its fall return for the second time in a week, while the University of Wisconsin-Madison shifted to online education for two weeks.
Some significant developments:
Today's numbers:The U.S. has more than 6.3million confirmed cases and more than191,000 deaths, according toJohns Hopkins University data.Globally, there are more than 28 million cases and more than 904,000 fatalities.
What we're reading:Here's what President Donald Trump told the public about COVID-19 versus what he told veteran Washington Post journalist Bob Woodwardas early as February.
Mapping coronavirus:Track the U.S. outbreak, state by state
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Nearly three quarters of Americans say they seeDemocratic presidential nominee Joe Bidenas more caring to those affected by the coronavirus pandemic, while less than half say the same of President Donald Trump, a new survey from the Democracy Fund + UCLA Nationscape Project finds.
Also, a combined 66% of Americans say Biden is more caring to thosewho have lost their jobs, compared withTrump at 53%.
Robert Griffin, the research director for the Democracy Fund, said that Biden is likely seen more empathetic because he is seen as a "relatively compassionate person," while Trump is seen as a "no nonsense deal maker."
Rebecca Morin
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious diseases expert, offered a word of warningto Americans as summer'send approaches.
Speaking at a virtual panel with doctors from Harvard Medical School, per NBC News, Fauci said thatthe fight against the coronavirus pandemic will only get more strenuous as the year reaches its close. He also cautioned against downplaying the severity of the virus, knowing "what's ahead" if preventative measures are not met.
"We need to hunker down and get through this fall and winter, because its not going to be easy, he said, adding that we cannot"look at the rosy side of things."
Vice President Mike Pence was at the January meeting at which President Donald Trump was warned about the severity of the novel coronavirus, he told Fox News Thursday.
"I was in the Oval Office the day that the team came in and briefed the president about what we perceived was happening in China," Pence said, when asked if he had received the same briefing Trump had from National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien. "The team came in and laid the facts as we knew them on the table to the president."
The Jan. 28 briefing included a "jarring" warning that the virus would be the "biggest national security threat" of Trump's presidency, according to a new book written by Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward.
Maureen Groppe
University of Missouri students reported that they were blocked by the school's chancellor on Twitter this week after complainingabout the lack of COVID-19 precautions on campus.
After an attorney threatened a lawsuit, Chancellor Mun Choi unblocked students, according to local outlets and Twitter.
Ina lettersent to Choi, Texas lawyer and Mizzou graduate Christopher Bennett said the university's top official had violated theFirst Amendment by blocking students from seeing or interacting with his tweets and could face legal action in the U.S. District Court if he didn'tunblock every student on Twitter.
Elinor Aspegren
Riders who refuse to wear a mask while riding New York City's public-transit system will face a $50 fine starting Monday. The fine applies to anyone riding New York City subway trains, buses or the Metro North and Long Island Rail Road commuter lines.
MTA President and CEO Patrick Foye announced the fine Thursday on a conference call with Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Sarah Feinberg, interim president of the NYC Transit Authority, who said it is meant to bolster compliance with the state's mask mandate. Under Cuomo's executive order, all riders are required to wear a mask while riding public transit as a way to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Jon Campbell, New York State Team
The days are quickly counting down for thousands of pilots, flight attendants, gate agents and other airline workers who face the prospect of being laid off at the end of the month if Congress doesn't come through with a new stimulus agreement.
Why the urgency? The Department of Transportation barred airlines that accepted stimulus money from laying off employees until at least Oct. 1, when $25 billion in payroll support protection money from the CARES Act expires.
On Thursday, the Senate failed to pass a slimmed-down GOP coronavirus relief package that didn't allocate any aid for the airline industry. That leaves open the chance that airline funds could be included in a compromise measure with the House.
Chris Woodyard
Nearly 15% of cats included in a Wuhan-based study tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, providing further evidence that the virus can infect the animals.
Researchers in Wuhan sampled 102 cats from shelters, pet hospitals and COVID-19 patient households from January to March and found that 15 tested positive for antibodies, including fourabandoned cats, four cats from pet hospitals and three cats with patient owners, according to the study published this month in thejournal Emerging Microbes & Infections.
None of the cats showed symptoms or had an active infection. The three cats owned by COVID-19 patients who tested positive for antibodies had the highest level of neutralizing antibodies or ability to successfully block the infection. Two of those cats had detectable antibodies for110 days.
Researchers said that while there is no evidence of transmission from cats to humans, humans can transmit the virus to cats, and cats maytransmit the virus to other cats via respiratory droplets.
Scotland has joined England in limiting social gatherings to six people after a recent spike in coronavirus cases.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told Scottish lawmakers the new regulations will start Monday, along with England, and apply to gatherings in and out of the home.
Scotlands restriction is perhaps more onerous as it applies to a maximum of two households. In England, six individuals from six different households can meet.
Senior members of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have joined a growing list of government officials, drug makers and public health experts who pledge they wont compromise safety in the race for a coronavirus vaccine.
In a letter published Thursday in USA TODAY, eight top FDA officials and doctors affirmed the agencys commitment that all "decisions will continue to be guided by the best science"and maintain independence from political forces.
The letter comes as the agency in recent weeks has faced criticism for approving convalescent plasma therapy for emergency use as a COVID-19 treatment based on flawed analysis.
Adrianna Rodriguez
Although the nation is partially recovering from its steepest-ever recession amid the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses continue to lay off hundreds of thousands of workers as they grapple with fewer sales and depleted federal aid.
More than 857,000 Americans filed first-time applications for unemployment insurance a rough measure of layoffs last week, up about 20,000 from the previous week, the Labor Department said Thursday. The figures are not seasonally adjusted.
Over 55 million workers have filed for benefits over the past six months. While the weekly figures have trended down since peaking at 6.2 million in early spring, heres some perspective: The previous all-time high for weekly claims on a non-seasonally adjusted basis was about 1 million during a recession in 1982.
Paul Davidson
One day after releasing guidelines banning trick-or-treating and other Halloween activities, health officials in Los Angeles walked back their rules on Wednesday. They now are just "recommending that trick-or-treating not happen this year," Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said.
Halloween carnivals, festivals, live entertainment, haunted house attractions and gatherings with non-household memberseven if they are conducted outdoorsare not permitted, the updated guidance says. Online parties, car parades, drive-in movies, themed meals at outdoors restaurants and more are recommended.
In Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Wednesday that she does not"expect to see mass crowds trick-or-treating like we have in years past," adding that, "It's not safe for the children. Its not safe for the adults."
The race for a coronavirus vaccine to help end the pandemic has consumed the scientific community and created an escalating demand for an essential resource: monkeys.
Before drug companies call on human volunteers, monkeys are used in preclinical trials to test a vaccines safety and effectiveness. But with more than 100 vaccines in development around the world, there arent enough monkeys to go around.
"There is a shortage,"said Dr. Skip Bohm, associate director and chief veterinary medical officer of the Tulane National Primate Research Center. Read more.
Adrianna Rodriguez
COVID-19 may only be the beginning ofglobal pandemicsa future scenario in whichclimate change may also play a role. Arecent study in the journal Cellsaid, written by Dr. Anthony Fauci and medical historian Dr. David Morens, argues that the world has "entered a pandemic era." The studyforecasts that pandemics could become more numerous.
I dont have a crystal ball, but what we are seeing looks very much like an acceleration of pandemics, Morens toldBuzzFeed News. Causes he cited include deforestation, urban crowdingand wet markets for wild game.
Climate change has not stopped because of COVID-19,according to a United Nations report Wednesday. Emissions are heading in the direction of pre-pandemic levels following a temporary decline caused by the lockdown and economic slowdown, the reportsaid.
Doyle Rice
The U.S. government is halting its enhanced entry screening for certaininternational passengers at airportsstarting Monday,according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Thecurrent system of temperature checksand screening for COVID-19 symptomsat 15centralized airports will be dropped in favor of shifting responsibility to the individual passenger. Instead, the emphasis will be placed onpre-departure, in-flight and post-arrival health education;voluntary electronic contact information collection; andpost-arrival recommendations for self-monitoring, including staying home for 14 days if arriving from a high-risk destination.
David Oliver
President Donald Trump may have to find a new home for planned weekend campaign rallies in Reno and Las Vegas after local officials warned the eventswould violate Nevadas ban on gatherings of more than 50 people during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Reno-Tahoe Airport Authorityconfirmed it hadsent a letter to rally organizers warningthat Saturday's planned 5,000-person event may not proceedafter airport attorneys determined it would violate state and local COVID-containment directives.
"This has nothing to do with politics," airport authority CEO Daren Griffin said in a statement. "The letter we sent is about directives and safety and not political campaigns.
Earlier Wednesday, former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt, a Republican, tweeted without evidence that Trumps scheduled appearances at the Reno-Tahoe Airport and Las Vegas Cirrus Aviation were scrapped in an "outrageous"act of "partisan political retribution."Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat,latertweetedthat his office had "no involvement" in the decision.
James DeHaven, Reno Gazette Journal
Most Michigan high school sports are getting a late start this fall, and now a new executive order will make sure you see sports like you've never seen before.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive ordermandating a face covering be worn at all times by "athletes training for, practicing for, or competing in an organized sports when the athlete cannot maintain six feet of social distance, except for occasional and fleeting moments."
Swimmers are excluded from this order, but football, soccer and volleyball players are not. So, expect to see players on the field and on the sidelines wearing masks under their helmets when games begin Sept. 18.
Kirkland Crawford and Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has paused in-person classes because ofa spike in COVID-19 cases on campus. Starting Monday, classes will be held remotely. Officials canceled classes from Thursday to Saturday."Unfortunately, our positive test rate among students continues to rise far too rapidly," officials announced Wednesday in a news release.
There's also been a "sharp"increase of confirmed cases in two residence halls, and officials have asked residents to quarantine for the next two weeks.
Meanwhile, the University of Wyoming extended the pause on its fall return until Monday. Officials said Wednesday thatthe extension will allow them "to gather additional data about the prevalence of COVID-19 infection among the UW community." Last week, President Edward Seidel paused the university's fall return after seven students tested positive for the virus on Sept. 2.
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Contributing: The Associated Press
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Of the zip codes in Alpharetta, the area with the highest cases is 30022, data shows.
ALPHARETTA, Ga. Fulton County still leads the state when it comes to the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, but we wanted to take a closer look at the northern end of the county, specifically in the Alpharetta community.
Of the zip codes in Alpharetta, the area with the highest cases is 30022. That's followed behind by 30004.
Below is a chart comparing cases for the two areas:
Here's a breakdown for each zip code for the Alpharetta area:
30022
According to the latest COVID-19 data, this Alpharetta zip code has the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with 1,067.
The graph below shows that cases there remained fairly flat, until about the end of June, when cases began to pick up.
The zip code, which has a population of about 68,000, encompasses the area between Alpharetta and Johns Creek, and is bordered by parts of the Chattahoochee River.
Census data for the zip code shows that the median age for residents there is about 39 years old, with the majority of the population falling between 18-64 years old. Those 65 and older make up 9 percent of the population.
Women and men are about an equal share of the population. Most of the racial make up of the zip code is White, with the group accounting for 57 percdent of the population, followed behind Asians at 17 percent and Blacks at 14 percent.
30004
This Alpharetta zip code accounts for the second-highest number of cases in the area. It has 964 confirmed cases of the virus, according to the latest available data.
The zip code, which has a population of about 64,000, encompasses parts of Milton and northward.
According to Census data, the demographic makeup of the area is virtually the same to those who live in zip code 30022, but has a higher population of Whites, at 65%. Asians and Blacks account for 12% and 8% of the population, respectively.
30005
This zip code comes in third for the amount of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Alpharetta community, with 493.
The area has a smaller population than zip codes 30004 and 30022 at 40,056 people. Its 65 and older population is just 6 perecent.
It includes the area surrounding Lake Windward.
30009
Zip code 30009 has 398 confirmed COVID-19 cases, the fourth-highest amount in the area. The area includes Alpharetta proper, and has a population of roughly 16,000. While the population is smaller, it is also slightly older than surrounding areas, with a median age of 40. It is evenly split between men and women. According to Census data, 15 percent of the population is 65 years or older.
30023
This smallest section of the Alpharetta community has the least amount of COVID-19 cases, with less than 10 instances of the virus.
According to Census data, there are only 5,844 people who live in the small area, where 11 percent of the population is older than 65 years old.
Ciara Frisbie contributed to this report.
11Alive is focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the virus. We want to keep you informed about the latest developments while ensuring that we deliver confirmed, factual information.
We will track the most important coronavirus elements relating to Georgiaon this page. Refresh often for new information.
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