Category: Corona Virus Vaccine

BRANDON, Fla. (WFLA) Stephanie Scolaro says her father was larger than life, a man who never met a stranger a man who decided at a young age to devote his life to helping others.

Thats the kind of person Dr. Sam Scolaro was.

In fact, when he introduced himself, Stephanie says, He was just Sam. No doctor this or that. Hed say, Hi, Im Sam Scolaro. He was just Sam.

At 75-years-old, the longtime Tampa Bay area physician still treated patients every day knowing he was in a high-risk group with his age, but he said he knew his patients were counting on him.

The man woke up happy. Every day, with a smile on his face, his daughter explained. I mean, he was happy all the time.

Even amid the pandemic, Dr. Scolaro preferred seeing his patients face to face as he wore head-to-toe personal protective equipment. He appreciated telemedicine but ultimately wanted to be able to look his patients in the eye.

I want to see their faces, he told his daughter. Maybe I would miss something if they were just on the television monitor. If I see them face to face, I will know how to help them, to treat them. I want them to be healthy.

It was his passion, with a simple goal to make sure his patients got better, never knowing he would soon be facing similar circumstances after testing positive for COVID-19 in late June, on the very day he and wife celebrated 53 years of marriage.

This larger-than-life beloved physician would spend five weeks hospitalized, fighting for his life.

Stephanie says there were signs of hope along the way where hed often rally. Then, the complications would come back stronger and even more severe.

Thats what so scary about this, we dont fully know what it does to the body. And, if youre immune-compromised, while youre trying to get better and fight the virus, theres other things going on with your body.

Dr. Scolaros eldest daughter, Stephanie, who worked with him side by side in his practice for 30 years, says she feels lost without him. It is, by far, she says the most difficult thing shes been through, even more so than going through breast cancer.

He was her rock, she says, the entire time, along with her mother and family members.

To lose her hero, Stephanie tells 8 On Your Side, feels like an ache in her heart that will never heal.

I dont think Ill ever be the same, she said with tears in her eyes. I feel like a broken compass. I saved all his voicemails. I still have all his voicemails saved.

Stephanie and her family say they are unable to hold a public memorial since he died from coronavirus complications. Family members say theyve been inundated with kind words and prayers from countless people who knew Dr. Scolaro.

His patients, family members say, were so important to him.

He said that when he was 20-years-old, and he finally decided he would be a doctor, he made a promise to God that he would serve his patients until the day he died. And, literally, thats what he did. He was thinking about all of his patients and trying to get better so he could get back to serving them, Stephanie told us.

Dr. Scolaro worked right up until the point he tested positive for COVID-19, after battling for more than a month from complications due to COVID-19, doctors wanted to try one final treatment last Thursday and decided to transfer him to another local hospital.

But, it was too late. Stephanie says her family got the call on Friday.

You could tell it was his time, we knew, she explained. He would not want to, if he came out of it, he was in multi-organ failure. He would not have been himself if he came out of it.

Born and raised in Ybor City, Dr. Scolaro fell in love with Tampa Bay at an early age and never left. He married his sweetheart, had two daughters and watched his grandchildren grow up which brought him endless happiness.

He was a man who dedicated his lifes work to healing, telling his family he hopes the medical community will continue doing during this pandemic and beyond.

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Beloved Tampa Bay doctor dies from COVID-19 complications, said he just wanted to get back to his patients - WFLA

In March, during a public meeting with President Donald Trump and pharma executives, Kim touted Inovios innovative, 21st-century platform that enabled it to whip up its vaccine candidate in a mere three hours. Soon after, an analyst who is shorting Inovios stock accused the firm of serial stock promotion. And soon after that, two separate groups of shareholders filed lawsuits in federal court in Pennsylvania, accusing Kim and Inovio of exaggerated claims and financial improprieties.

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Inovio shares update on COVID-19 vaccine, and its financial outlook - The Philadelphia Inquirer

When she arrived at PowerBack, Alexander, 61, could stand for only three seconds before her legs buckled and she collapsed in a chair. On this August day, with Tran near for support, she walked to the stairs, climbed one at a time as instructed and returned to the chair. That was enough to make Alexanders heart rate shoot to 135 beats per minute, what many people would see after a jog. Normal is 60 to 100, Tran said. Her blood oxygen, meanwhile, had plummeted to 80. Anything below 90 is too low.

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The road to recovery after serious COVID-19 is long. Some may never be the same. - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Anna Del Priore, left, dancing at Brighton Gardens, an assisted living facility in New Jersey. At age 107, Del Priore has now beat the coronavirus and Spanish Flu.(Photo: Courtesy of Brighton Gardens of Middletown)

ASBURY PARK, N.J. Back in May, Darlene Jasmine got the phone call no one wants to receive: Her grandmother had come down with COVID-19.

At age 107.

I thought, Oh my God, this is it, Jasmine said. This is the thing thats going to take her down.

Didnt happen. Anna Del Priore who is one month shy of turning 108, was born the year the Titanic sank andsurvived a case of the Spanish Flu a century ago beat the coronavirus. Not only that, shes still on her feet, walking and evendancingto the delight of the staff at Brighton Gardens, an assisted living facility in New Jersey.

People dont believe me, said Laura Halle, who is Del Priores health care coordinator at Brighton Gardens. Its really been amazing to watch her journey.

Del Priore was born in Brooklyn to deaf parents who taught sign language. She was a seamstress, and her late husband, Frank, was a professional tango dancer.

She always danced, always loved music, said Jasmine, 66. As soon as she hears music, her foot starts tapping.

At around 6 years old, Anna contracted the Spanish flu during the influenza pandemic of 1918, Brighton Gardens administrators confirmed. As with COVID-19, the Spanish flu attacked the respiratory system, although at a far deadlier rate.

Anna Del Priore dancing with her husband Frank in an undated photo.(Photo: Courtesy of the Del Priore family)

Maybe that has something to do with her recovering? said Jasmine, who noted that Annas younger sister, 105-year-old Helen Guzzone of Queens, New York,also survived both illnesses.

After Anna fell ill with COVID-19, Jasmine said, She had a fever, didnt eat much, but she didnt need a respirator. They didnt have to send her to the hospital.

NowDel Priore has resumed her normal activities, including swimming and sewing.

I feel good, Del Priore said. I thank God Im alive.

Jasmine called it a miracle but added that a lifetime of healthy choices probably helped.

Anna Del Priore(Photo: Courtesy of Brighton Gardens of Middletown)

Shes constantly moving, Jasmine said. We always walked in Brooklyn to the grocery store, to the bakery. Every night she would make a homemade meal from scratch. All Mediterranean food olive oil, vegetables, fruits, nuts. Its like the old peasant food that now they charge you so much for.

Del Priore has no plans to slow down.

You keep living, she said. Dancing makes you feel good. I want to keep my health.

Anna Del Priore on her 107th birthday last September.(Photo: Courtesy of Brighton Gardens of Middletown)

According to a gerontology site that tracks such things, two 108-year-old Americans are confirmed to have survived the coronavirus and seven other Americans age107 or older have done so. Around the world, the oldest confirmed person to beat the illness was a 113-year-old woman in Spain.

Suffice it to say, Anna Del Priore is not counting the days.

Shes a month shy of 108 and she gets up, combs her hair, walks and dances, said Halle, her health care coordinator. For the rest of my life, Ill be able to say I met and loved someone whos made it this far and stayed healthy.

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She beat the Spanish flu, and now 107-year-old New Jersey woman beat COVID-19 - USA TODAY

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOTV)-When Jordan Gallagher began working at Mercy Health, he knew it was his calling from God. However he had no idea that a world-wide pandemic would take over hospitals across the country in 2020. Gallagher works in the ICU taking care of patients during COVID-19, and he knows that bringing the calm in the chaos is what hes called to do.

As we continue our in-depth special, Heroes Among Us, Gallagher sits down with Jordan Carson to talk about what its been like to work at Mercy Health during these times, the team that gives him hope, and his faith and family that gives him strength. Click the video above to watch the full story.

The Heroes Among Us campaign will benefit four participating hospitals includingSaint Marys (Mercy Health),Metro Health,Spectrum HealthandMary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital.

Join us in celebrating the heroes behind the masks, as we speak to the doctors and nurses working on the front lines, and some of the patients whove survived the COVID-19 virus. Watch the impactful stories each Tuesday throughout the month of August, oneightWestat 11AM on WOOD TV8.

Plus, the half-hour special broadcast, Heroes Among Us, September 7, at 7PM on WOOD TV8.

Heroes Among Us is underwritten and fully funded byCareLinc Medical Equipment and Supply.

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Bringing faith to the forefront: COVID-19 stories from behind the masks at Mercy Health - WOODTV.com

Posted: Aug 11, 2020 / 12:03 PM EDT / Updated: Aug 11, 2020 / 12:03 PM EDT

The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported as of August 11th that there are 828 new positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 120,281.

According to the department, the number of tests administered within the last 7 days between August 4 and August 10 is 151,455 with 5,298 positive cases. There were 21,755 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m., August 10. These results represent the total number of tests administered.

The department also reported 35 new deaths, bringing the statewide total to 7,352 deaths.

The mitigation efforts in place now are essential as the new school year approaches and we work to ensure our children can get back to learning, Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. Wearing a mask, practicing social distancing and following the requirements set forth in the orders for bars and restaurants, gatherings and telework will help keep our case counts low. Together, as Pennsylvanians, we each have a part to play in working to ensure that cases of COVID-19 remain low.

According to the department, mask-wearing is required in all businesses and whenever leaving home and consistent mask-wearing is critical to preventing the spread of COVID-19.

The department is seeing significant increases in the number of COVID-19 cases among younger age groups, particularly 19 to 24-year-olds. An alert was sent to healthcare providers about the changing COVID-19 case demographics, as there are more cases in younger age groups than in those 50-64 and 65+.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 20,086 resident cases of COVID-19, and 4,166 cases among employees, for a total of 24,252. Out of Pennsylvanias total deaths, 4,983 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities.

8,693 of Pennsylvanias total cases are in health care workers.

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Department of Health: 828 new positive cases of COVID-19; 35 new deaths - YourErie

Here are the latest COVID-19 updates, closures and postponements in Central Texas for Tuesday, Aug. 11.

AUSTIN, Texas KVUE is keeping you updated with the latest coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, news in the Austin area.

Scroll down for the top headlines and latest updates in KVUE's Aug. 11 live blog.

12:30 p.m. Austin Public Health releases a statement on return to work guidance:

We have been informed that many employers are asking employees that have tested positive for COVID-19 to provide proof of multiple negative tests before allowing those employees to return to work. This practice is not currently recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nor Austin Public Health (APH) since individuals with mild or moderate COVID-19 remain infectious no longer than 10 days after symptom onset. Requiring re-testing places unnecessary financial burden on the employee.

APH echoesrecommendations from the CDCon guidance for individuals who have had COVID-19 on returning to work. Current health guidelines require individuals stay home at least 10 days following the onset of COVID-19 symptoms and at least one day following the resolution of fever with improvement of other symptoms.

The focus of the free tests provided by APH and partner organizations is to identify new infections and limit the spread of the disease, not to re-test individuals who have had the virus and recovered. It is resource-intensive and inefficient to re-test individuals who have already tested positive.

We understand that employees and their employers want their workplaces to be safe and do not want to risk transmission by asymptomatic individuals. Following the CDC/APH guidelines will allow everyone to work in a safe environment while also ensuring that COVID-19 tests are still available for those who need it most.

Additional guidance for employers and employees related to COVID-19 can be found inthese letters, which are available in both English and Spanish.

11:30 a.m. Gov. Abbott will hold two press conferences to give COVID-19 updates for the state. One will be at noon in Beaumont and the other will be at 2:45 p.m. in Victoria.

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Coronavirus updates in Central Texas: APH does not recommend proof of multiple negative tests before returning to wok - KVUE.com

Reports from the Department of Health this morning indicate two more deaths due to COVID-19 have occurred in Henry County just as the total number of globals cases exceeds 20 million. The new school year began yesterday for Martinsville and Henry County while Patrick County schools begin their school year today. All students in all three school districts will remain at home learning remotely. Martinsville Superintendent Zeb Talley described the first virtual day a success, but not without glitches. Talley will present the status of the school system under the pandemic to Martinsville City Council at their meeting tonight. This morning there were 14 new cases reported in Pittsylvania County, 5 in Henry County, 4 in Danville, 3 in Martinsville, 3 in Patrick County and no new cases in Franklin County.The Virginia Department of Health reportsthis morning reported there have been 101,745 cases and 2,344 deaths statewide. Some 8,458 people have been hospitalized. Henry County has had 596 cases, with 66 hospitalizations and 9 deaths. Martinsville has had 215 cases, with 35 hospitalizations and 3 deaths. Patrick County has had 161 cases including 34 hospitalizations and 4 deaths. Franklin County has had 175 cases, 7 hospitalizations and 1 death. Danville has reported 415 cases, and Pittsylvania County has had 507.Johns Hopkins University's real-time mapshowed 20,119,511 cases worldwide and 737,126 deaths. In the U.S. there are 5,095,163. There have been163,473 deaths in the U.S. due to COVID-19.

(188) updates to this series since 4 hrs ago

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Martinsville-region COVID-19/coronavirus daily update from state, nation and world: Aug. 11 - Martinsville Bulletin

by: Rosie Nguyen, KTVX and Nexstar Media Wire

NAVAJO NATION (KTVX) Just three months ago, the Navajo Nation experienced one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the country. Now, its a vastly different scene on the reservation as they hit a new milestone and the daily case count continues to decline.

After Navajo Nation reported its first case of COVID-19 on March 17, the daily case count rose quickly and reached its peak of 240 on May 14.The reservation houses more than 300,000 residents of the nations largest Native American tribe. But the area faces social and economic disparities that put its population at a higher risk for COVID-19.

Residents have said in the past five months that Navajo Nation is a food desert, meaning that tribal members often have to drive long distances to buy groceries and stock up on food. In some areas, access to water and the internet is limited or even non-existent.

Health officials expressed concern about the areas hospital capacity and relied on nearby hospitals to take on their overflow, which is no longer a possibility given the recent spikes in cases in nearby states. In April, Navajo Nation was in the top three largest COVID-19 hot spots in the U.S., trailing only New York and New Jersey.

Tribal leaders acted swiftly, enacting a 57-hour weekend curfew that mandated residents stay home and visitors pass through.Leaders joined volunteers multiple times a week at food distribution centers to make sure residents had enough food and water during the weekend.

The messaging from leadership was clear: Wear your masks, wash your hands and maintain social distancing at all times.Employees with the Health Department even went door to door for their public health campaign.By mid-May, the daily case count started going down and has stayed down ever since.

Were very excited. We have a decrease in positive cases. Good job to Dineh (Navajo people). You all have done an outstanding job out there, said Navajo Nation Vice President Myron Lizer.

For the first time this past weekend, tribal leaders shortened the 57-hour weekend curfew to 32 hours.

Its almost like a reward, right? Lets treat it as that, kind of like when youre dieting. You have a little cheat day. You have a little sweet and its good for just one time and then you go back to the regimen that provides results, said Lizer.

RELATED:Navajo Nation reissues weekend curfew as neighboring states experience spikes in COVID-19 cases

President Jonathan Nez encouraged residents not to become complacent and to use extra hours relieved from curfew to prepare for a possible second wave in the winter.

What I mean by preparing is hauling wood, getting supplies to our family members, and starting to stock up because theres so much uncertainty right now, said Nez.

On Monday, officials celebrated a new milestone of 45 consecutive days with less than 100 daily new cases of COVID-19 and 10 straight days with less than 40.

However, tribal leaders said Navajo Nation is not in the clear just yet. Nez emphasized that COVID-19 cases are surging in surrounding states, causing concern for residents who normally travel to areas that are now hotspots for groceries and supplies.

We will overcome COVID-19. We are all resilient, all five-finger beings. In Navajo Blaashlaii it means five-fingered beings. Were all in this together, Nez said in June. It affects us on the Navajo Nation, it affects those of the Navajo Nation and vice versa.

Nez and Lizer hold town hall meetings every Tuesday morning and Thursday evening on Facebook with updates on the reservations COVID-19 status.

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How Navajo Nation curbed one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the country - WETM - MyTwinTiers.com

In an article published Friday in JAMA,FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, Marks and Anand Shah, FDA's deputy commissioner for medical and scientific affairs, pledged "unequivocally" to review vaccines "according to the established legal and regulatory standards for medical products." In an opinion article in The Washington Post on Wednesday, Hahn said, "I have repeatedly said that all FDA decisions have been, and will continue to be, based solely on good science and data." He also said he has been repeatedly asked whether there has been any inappropriate pressure on the FDA, but he didn't answer that question in the article. In June, in testimony to a House committee, he said he hadn't felt political pressure to make any specific decision.

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FDA ramps up effort to persuade public that coronavirus vaccine decisions will be based on science, not politi - The Philadelphia Inquirer