Category: Corona Virus

Omicron variant BA.2.86first detected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Augustappears to be picking up steam in the U.S., the agency announced Monday.

The most recent variant proportions data from the CDC show BA.2.86 (dubbed Pirola) making up just under 9% of cases in the U.S.a threefold increase since two weeks ago when the variant made up 3% of cases. However, these are rough calculations; the CDC estimates that BA.2.86 could make up between 5% and 15% of all cases, currently.

Despite BA.2.86s increase, the CDC said that the variant does not appear to be driving increases in infections or hospitalizations in the U.S. and that current tests, treatments, and vaccines are all expected to be effective against the variant.

In addition to BA.2.86, the CDC noted that cases of another variantJN.1are also expected to rise, though its still accounting for less than 1% of cases currently. However, both variants are still considered a low public health risk.

Heres what we know so far about BA.2.86, why its causing an increase in COVID cases, and how to best protect yourself during the holiday season.

Carol Yepes/Getty Images

All viruses mutate or change in order to survive, including COVID-19, and viruses with these changes are called variants.

BA.2.86 appears to have descended from BA.2, known commonly as stealth Omicron, which was the dominant variant in the U.S. in early- to mid-2022.

You can think of [BA.2.86] as a grandchild of Omicron, William Schaffner, MD, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, toldHealth.

Compared to previous variants, BA.2.86 has a large number of mutationsmore than 30 mutations that differentiate it from BA.2, and more than 35 mutations than XBB.1.5, another Omicron variant.

These mutations raised concerns among scientists since they could make BA.2.86 better able to evade previous immunity from vaccines or prior infection. Its because of this that the CDC warned BA.2.86 might be better at causing breakthrough infections, or new cases in people whove already had COVID or been vaccinated.

Despite these mutations, BA.2.86 seems to be relatively similar to existing variants in real-world situations.

This virus is a milder variant, but it looks to be just as contagious as [other Omicron variants], said Schaffner. Its infectiousness is about the same, its transmissibility, its contagiousness, and its severity is about the samenamely, it has not produced an increase in severe infections.

As far as symptoms of BA.2.86 go, the CDC said its not currently possible to know if the variant produces symptoms different from other variants. However, symptoms of COVID-19 tend to be similar regardless of variant and often include fever or chills, cough, fatigue, muscle or body aches, and headache.

Regardless of which variants are dominant, its important that people be extra cautious around the holidays when theres more opportunity to spread COVID and other respiratory viruses.

COVID hasnt disappeared, its still with us, said Schaffner. People may not need to change their behavior or lifestyles, however, the emergence of BA.2.86 is another reminder to be prepared for COVID, especially over the next couple months.

Because BA.2.86 is so similar to other Omicron variants, the updated COVID vaccines and available treatments are expected to be effective against it.

If you havent been vaccinatedand so many people have not yettheres still time to get vaccinated, said Schaffner. And while youre at it, get your flu shot, too.

This is true for everyone, but especially for those who are at an increased risk, such as older people or those with chronic underlying conditions, he added.

Please be updated with your vaccines and if youre out in those group activities, think about getting your mask out again, being a little bit extra careful, he said.

Whether its a religious gathering, family party, or other wintertime event, these are occasions that [COVID] loves, because that will facilitate the transmission of the virus, said Schaffner.

See the rest here:

CDC Warns of BA.2.86 'Pirola' Variant Rising in US - Health.com

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations both increased last week. There were also 6 fatalities reported by the Vermont Department of Health last week, for a pandemic total of 1,067, as of November 25 (the most recent data available). Fatalities have been running at about five per week during the fall, mostly among the very elderly.

The Vermont Department of Health reported November 29, 2023, that COVID-19 hospitalizations were up 11 to a statewide total of 47 last week. COVID-19 activity remains in the "Low" range, according to the VDH. Reported cases last week were 290, up 32 for the week. Cases were over 300 in late September.

VDH reported 15 COVID-related deaths in March, 20 in April, 10 in May, 10 in June (these are fewest since the summer of 2021), 11 in July, 15 in August, 17 in September, 25 in October and 12 so far in November (there were 33 in October 2022 and 47 in October 2021 and zero in October 2020, which was the last month since the beginning of the pandemic to record no COVID-related fatalities).

Of the total deaths to date, 856 have been of Vermonters 70 or older. There have been 3 deaths of Vermonters under 30 since the beginning of the pandemic.

CDC states that already an estimated 97% of Americans have some level of immunity, from either vaccination or infection or both, which they said will help keep down new transmission and lessen serious outcomes.

(see data below)

Report Timeframe: November 19 to November 25, 2023

The hospitalizations dataset contains day-level data reported from all Vermont hospitals each Tuesday. Reported numbers are subject to correction.

The number of reportable COVID-19 cases is still available in this report, below. Laboratory-confirmed and diagnosed COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 outbreaks must still be reported to the Vermont Department of Health. There were 6 outbreaks last week, 1 at schools, and 5 at long-term care facilities (LTC).

Vermont Department of Health recommendations: Preventing COVID-19 (healthvermont.gov)

Vermont has the second lowest fatality rate in the US (123.1 per 100K; Hawaii 101.4/100K). Mississippi (434.4/100K) and Oklahoma (431.2/100K) have the highest rates. The US average is 289.5/100K (CDC data).

There has been a total of 1,156,484 COVID-related deaths to date in the US (CDC) and 6,985,278 globally (WHO).

Following an analysis of COVID-19 data, the VDH reported in early January a cumulative 86 additional COVID-associated deaths that occurred over the course of the pandemic but had not been previously reported. Most of those deaths occurred in 2022.

COVID-19 Update for the United States

Early Indicators

Test Positivity

% Test Positivity

10.0%

(November 19 to November 25, 2023)

Trend in % Test Positivity

+1.2% in most recent week

Emergency Department Visits

% Diagnosed as COVID-19

1.7%

(November 19 to November 25, 2023)

Trend in % Emergency Department Visits

+10.6% in most recent week

These early indicators represent a portion of national COVID-19 tests and emergency department visits. Wastewater information also provides early indicators of spread.

Severity Indicators

Hospitalizations

Hospital Admissions

19,444

(November 19 to November 25, 2023)

Trend in Hospital Admissions

+10% in most recent week

Deaths

% of All Deaths in U.S. Due to COVID-19

2.5%

(November 19 to November 25, 2023)

Trend in % COVID-19 Deaths

No change in most recent week

Total Hospitalizations

6,522,156

CDC | Test Positivity data through: November 25, 2023; Emergency Department Visit data through: November 25, 2023; Hospitalization data through: November 25, 2023; Death data through: November 25, 2023. Posted: December 4, 2023 3:55 PM ET

The Delta variant took off in August 2021, which resulted in the heaviest number of deaths before vaccines and their boosters helped alleviate serious COVID cases. Multiple Omicron variants are now circulating and appear more virulent than previous variants, but perhaps not more dangerous, according to the CDC.

AP April 5, 2023: WHO downgrades COVID pandemic, says it's no longer a global health emergency

Walk-in vaccination clinics run by the state closed on January 31, 2023. Learn more

Vermonters are reminded that all state COVID testing sites were closed as of June 25, 2022. PCR and take-home tests are available through doctors' offices, pharmacies and via mail from the federal government. The federal government officially ended its pandemic response as of May 11, 2023. See more information BELOW or here: https://www.healthvermont.gov/covid-19/testing.

Starting May 11, 2023, the CDC and Vermont Department of Health will no longer use the COVID-19 Community Level to measure COVID-19 activity in the U.S. and Vermont. Instead, Vermont's statewide COVID-19 level will be measured by the rate of COVID-19 in people being admitted to the hospital, per 100,000 residents.

Focusing on hospitalization data is a better estimate of how COVID-19 is impacting the community now that reported COVID-19 cases represent a smaller proportion of actual infections. This also allows us to compare Vermonts hospitalization levels with other parts of the country.

The Delta variant caused a surge in COVID-related fatalities last fall and into the winter.

The highest concentration of deaths was from September 2021 through February 2022. Overall, December 2020 and January 2022 were the worst months with 72 fatalities each.

The US confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on January 20, 2020.

Vermonters ages 6 months and older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines. Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the safer way to build protection from serious illnesseven for those who have already had COVID-19. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines (CDC)

COVID-19 vaccines are free and widely available. Anyone can get vaccinated in Vermont, including those who live in another state, are non-U.S. citizens, or who have no insurance. See Vermont's current vaccine rates

Know your rights when getting free vaccines.

You are considered up-to-date if you are over the age of 6 years old and have received a bivalent (updated) COVID-19 vaccine.Learn more about kid vaccines

If you are unable or choose not to get a recommended bivalent mRNA vaccine, you will be up to date if you received the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine doses approved for your age group.

Find more on recommended doses from CDC

COVID Vaccine Information for Health Care Professionals

More on COVID-19 Vaccines (CDC)

Recommended COVID Vaccine Doses (CDC)

Find a COVID-19 vaccine near you.

Image

Use Vaccines.gov to find a location near you, then call or visit the location's website to make an appointment.

Vaccines.gov

Everyone 6 months of age and older is eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccination.Most children are also now eligible for a bivalent dose that offers increased protection against the original strain and omicron variants.

See more on recommended vaccine doses by age group (CDC)

Resources for parents and caregivers

Confident Care for Kids

Tips for Helping Kids Feel Ready for Any Vaccine (Vermont Family Network)

#factsheet

What Families with Children Should Know About COVID-19 Vaccines (translated)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWcqHOgQIVg&t=5s

Conversations About COVID-19 Vaccines for Children with Vermont Pediatricians (American Academy of Pediatrics)

If you cannot get vaccines through any of the options above, our local health offices

offer immunization clinics by appointment.

Need a ride? If you do not have transportation to get a free COVID-19 vaccine or booster, please contact your local public transportation provider or callVermont Public Transportation Association (VPTA)

at 833-387-7200.

English language learners, or immigrant or refugee community members, who would like to learn about more about vaccine clinics can contact theAssociation of Africans Living in Vermont

(AALV) at 802-985-3106.

If you lost your vaccine card or your information is wrong:

Recommendations for keeping your vaccination card and record up to date

Find more COVID-19 translations

COVID-19 resources for people who are deaf and hard of hearing

Report your COVID-19 test results

Read the original:

VDH: COVID cases and hospitalizations increase, 6 deaths - Vermont Biz

COVID-19 activity has increased by about 50 percent since October, according toDr. Ryan Westergaard of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

Dr. Westergaard joinedWPR's "Morning Edition" host Alex Crowe to chat more about how we can stay healthy this winter season.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Alex Crowe:How are things looking as far as COVID cases across the state right now?

Dr. Ryan Westergaard: COVID activity has increased a bit. Overall, it's still at a level that's lower than the worst days of the pandemic back in 2021 and 2022.

There are three main sources of information that we look at to get a sense for how much COVID is going around in Wisconsin. These are the number of people who are hospitalized with COVID, the percentage of COVID tests that are performed in laboratories that are positive, and the level of COVID virus that's detected in samples taken from wastewater treatment facilities.All three of these indicators are saying that COVID activity has increased by about 50 percent since October.

AC: We know that COVID is obviously on the rise looking at that data. Do we have any data to show other respiratory illnesses? We're heading into this cold and flu season. What are some things people can do to reduce their chances of getting sick?

RW:I'm glad you brought up the term "cold and flu season." That's traditionally how we've referred to late fall and early winter, as cold and flu season. We're encouraging people to think of it now as respiratory virus season, because if someone comes down with cold-like symptoms, it's almost certainly due to a virus.The big three viruses in particular those being influenza, COVID-19 and RSV are the most important in terms of severe disease.

Also, we have new tools that have not been available in previous seasons to protect against severe disease. Updated flu and COVID shots are widely available in pharmacies. Now is the ideal time to get vaccinated if you haven't had them yet this fall.

Stay informed with WPR's email newsletter.

AC: When someone thought they had COVID, a few years ago, if they had the sniffles, that was stay home, test, make sure you don't infect anybody else. Now it seems like there's more of a shift in culture back to where it was before 2020. They're going to power through and maybe go to work.

Ifsomeone does have something that they're not sure if it's COVID or not, what's the best course of action to go about trying to make sure they can keep others safe?

RW:I'm glad you brought that up as well, particularly around the idea of home tests, because there had been a pause on the availability of free COVID tests earlier this year. Since Nov. 20, the U.S. government has resumed the program where every household in the country can sign up online and get four or more rapid COVID tests delivered to them for free in the mail. To do this, you go to covid.gov/tests.

I'd say it still is important if someone gets a sniffle to know whether it's COVID. Because while these days, most people have some level of immune protection, it can still make vulnerable people very sick.So going to work and going to gatherings people might feel up to it, but knowing that you have COVID is an important thing. Because there may be vulnerable people there who could get very sick from COVID.

So it is different than it was in the past. Fortunately, we have new tools to help people know whether they have COVID and also medications to prevent people from requiring hospitalization if they do test positive.

People should enjoy gathering for the holidays. I'd say that these days, it's very difficult to completely avoid being exposed to a respiratory virus. Being up to date with COVID and flu vaccines is the best strategy that we've got to minimize the chances of becoming seriously ill if and when we do.

AC:Is there anything else that we should be aware of as we head into not only gathering for Christmas and New Year's, but then that bitter cold that's going to force us indoors for a few months after?

RW:There's one specific point that I'd like to emphasize just because people don't know about it very much. There is a new vaccine for RSV that can be given to pregnant people. It's calledAbrysvo. It's recommended to be given after 32 weeks of pregnancy, to protect newborns from developing RSV disease and keeping them out of the hospital. RSV is a virus that can be very serious for young infants. It's actually the No. 1 reason that little babies get admitted to the hospital. So knowing that there's other tools like this new maternal vaccine is good for folks.

View original post here:

Since October, COVID-19 activity has increased by about 50 percent in Wisconsin - Wisconsin Public Radio

Researchers in New Zealand have discovered two new coronavirus lineages in bats, with infection rates reaching over 60 percent in some species.

Many of the diseases that plague the modern worldthink AIDS and COVID-19are thought to have originated from animal reservoirs. Bats in particular are a rich source of these so-called zoonotic diseases, thanks to their immune system's unique ability to ward off symptoms from viruses that would have a human in the ICU.

Studying the viruses present in bat populations is therefore essential to prepare ourselves for future pandemics. But so far, our efforts have largely been focused in small regions or on specific species. In particular, bats in tropical regions like Southeast Asia and Western Africa have been extensively explored, but the bats in temperate regions, like New Zealand, have been less well studied.

"Bats from temperate countries have some peculiar physiology, such as torpor (a decrease in body temperature and metabolism), which could increase their ability to be infected by viruses," Pablo Tortosa, a researcher in infectious and tropical diseases at the University of La Reunion, on the French Indian Ocean island of the same name, told Newsweek.

"The insularity of New Zealand is also interesting from an evolutionary standpointthese bats and their viruses have been out of contact of other bat populations for millions of years, so that provides an ideal framework to study the long-time evolution of viruses, including coronaviruses."

SARS-CoV-2 (the virus behind the COVID-19 pandemic) is just one of many coronavirus lineages, which can be classed into four groups: Alphacoronaviruses, Betacoronaviruses, Gammacoronaviruses and Deltacoronaviruses. Don't let the Greek letters confuse youall of the different strains of SARS-CoV-2 come from one lineage of betacoronavirus.

"All coronaviruses that have led to major human epidemicse.g. SARS and MERSare betacoronaviruses," Tortosa said.

There are, however, several alphacoronaviruses which can also infect humans, although these have not led to such large-scale epidemics.

To learn more about the coronavirus lineages present in New Zealand's bats, Tortosa and his team screened for the presence of coronavirus lineages in two local bat species: the lesser short-tailed bat and the long-tailed bat. In their analysis, published in the New Zealand Journal of Ecology, the team discovered two new distinct alphacoronavirus lineages hosted by these New Zealand bats.

The prevalence of coronaviruses in the lesser short-tailed bat was fairly low, but in the long-tailed bats, over 60 percent of the sampled individuals were infected.

"Other surveys we have been doing in tropical bat species show that the prevalence of coronaviruses (and that of other pathogens) are extremely dynamic, strongly seasonal," Tortosa said. "It seems that [childbirth] and, for some species, aggregation before [childbirth], strongly enhance transmission. This could be the case here as bats were sampled following the reproduction season, which could correspond to an infection peak. Ideally, we should follow up the prevalence through the whole season."

The coronavirus lineages are also closely related to coronaviruses found in an Australian sister species to the long-tailed bat. "Our data strongly suggest that long-tailed bats colonized New Zealand from Australia a few million years ago, and analyzing sequence data from Australasian bat coronaviruses can let us know how fast do these viruses evolve," Tortosa said.

More work is needed to understand the evolution and seasonal dynamics of these viruses, but this study clearly highlights the need for a more nature-focused approach on public health.

Is there a health issue that's worrying you? Do you have a question about coronaviruses? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Original post:

Two New Coronavirus Lineages Discovered in Bats - Newsweek

This holiday season, more than 55 million Americans are expected to travel for Thanksgiving alone, with nearly 5 million taking to the skies next week. US air travel has returned to pre-pandemic levels, and US airports are anticipating the highest number of Thanksgiving travelers since 2005. Masks are a rare sight not only in airports and on airplanes, but virtually everywhere else. But due, in part, to scientific advances and the structural, cultural, and societal changes that followed the emergence of COVID-19, we have a number of tools available to protect people from respiratory viruses. The outlook on respiratory disease this holiday season may be brighter than it has been in recent years.

Updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines are a good match, and RSV vaccines are an option to those at high risk.

For the first time in US history, three vaccines have been approved for all three major fall and winter respiratory virusesSARS-CoV-2, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. The updated COVID-19 vaccine is a good match for the currently circulating strains. The flu vaccine, updated every year, is also a good match for this years circulating strains.

The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get the updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines. Adults aged 60 and older with risk factors for severe RSV disease (such as heart disease or diabetes), as well as pregnant people between 32 and 36 weeks, have the option to receive the RSV vaccine. Two injectable monoclonal antibodies can also protect infants from severe RSV disease.

Uptake of all three vaccines is increasinga good sign for the upcoming holiday travel season. But for those who still need to do so, it is not too late to get vaccinated. For more information on the COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccines, see our September 27th blog post.

Free COVID-19 test kits are available once again to order by mail.

On September 25, 2023, the federal government resumed delivery of free COVID-19 test kits to US households. If you havent already, you can order four free at-home tests through the United States Postal Service here ahead of the holiday season. COVID-19 at-home antigen tests are around 80% accurate. Testing can be used to help protect at-risk family and friends from COVID-19 exposure over the holidays. The CDC has posted updated guidelines on self-testing when symptomatic or after a recent exposure. Remember that a negative result (or not taking a test!) does not rule out COVID-19. If you have any COVID- or flu-like symptoms, regardless of whether you take a test or what the result was, precautions such as increased hand washing, mask wearing, and staying home while sick, can help to slow or stop transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses.

Masks still have utility, and they are generally more accepted in Western culture now.

Mask use has been on the decline in the United States since the fall of 2021 (purple line), but as of 2022, a notable proportion of the US population (37%) still reports wearing a mask outside the home at least sometimes. Most Americans agree that COVID-19 changed their lives forever and that pandemic-related shutdowns in early 2020 were necessary to save lives. Could we be experiencing a cultural shift in the way masks and other disease control strategies are viewed in this country? (Source: Ipsos, 2022)

Despite widespread politicization, the COVID-19 pandemic sparked awareness and acceptance in many parts of the country of mask use as a tool to prevent infection and slow transmission. While mask wearing has long been commonplace in parts of Asia, it was uncommon in the United States up until the pandemic. But today, those wearing a mask in many public places around the country are less likely to get a strange look compared to before the pandemic. Even though mask use has been on the decline since the fall of 2021, 37% of Americans reported wearing a mask outside the home at least sometimes as of September 2022. Some people are choosing to wear a mask in certain situations, such as on public transportation or while sick.

I traveled to Europe in September of this year and wore a mask on crowded trains, buses, and cable cars, says Emma Wu, a Senior Professional Research Assistant at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and a member of the Rocky Mountain COVID Data team. I actually got COVID near the end of my trip and wore one on the whole plane ride home. While it probably wasnt perfect, Im confident that doing so reduced the risk of infecting those sitting around me.

Simply being aware that masks are still a valuable tool can make all the difference this holiday seasonafter all, SARS-CoV-2 is not the only respiratory virus to be concerned about in the fall and winter, and mask wearing has been associated with a decreased risk of respiratory illness in general. Visit the CDC guidelines to see recommendations on mask use for general purposes, after exposure, and while sick.

Hybrid and remote work regimens could allow for timing of travel during less busy days.

While air travel this Thanksgiving is still predicted to set records, another cultural and societal shift has taken placethe rise of hybrid and remote work. Workplace building occupancy is down significantly since the pre-pandemic peak in early 2020, with hybrid and remote work likely to become a permanent practice for many organizations moving forward. Some following a hybrid or remote work regimen could have the option of traveling the week before a massive surge in holiday travel, and staying at their destination a little longer while they wait for holiday travel to abate. If the option is available, avoiding travel on peak days may reduce the potential of being exposed to or getting infected with SARS-CoV-2 or other respiratory viruses. It remains unclear whether we will see this in action this holiday season or next, but this change opens the door to an option never before available to many working Americans.

Enjoy this holiday season, but dont forget everything weve learned.

Hospitalizations are on the rise in the metropolitan areas of the Rocky Mountain West. (Source, Rocky Mountain COVID Data, 2023)

While the worst is likely behind us, it is important to remember that the COVID-19 is still ongoing, and that the respiratory viruses present challenges each fall and winter, especially now that we have three viruses to contend with. With COVID-19 hospitalizations on the rise in the metropolitan areas of the Rocky Mountain West, and an increase in flu and RSV rates, now is the time to remember all the lessons learned and strategies deployed, and enjoy our holidays with more tools than ever before.

Stay knowledgeable, and happy holidays,

The Team at Rocky Mountain COVID Data

(Emma Wu, Talia Quandelacy, Beth Carlton, Bailey Fosdick, and Irina Kasarskis)

More:

Lessons Learned from Three Pandemic Years as the 2023 Holiday Travel Season Kicks Off - University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Several key COVID-19 trends that authorities track are now accelerating around the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday. It's the first major nationwide uptick in the spread of the virus seen in months.

The largest increases are in the Midwest and the Mid-Atlantic, the agency said in its weekly report updated Friday, though virtually all regions of the country are now seeing accelerations.

Data reported by the agency from emergency rooms and wastewater sampling have tracked some of the steepest increases so far this season in the region spanning Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

click to expand

Rates of infections of nursing home residents across this Midwestern region have also soared in recent weeks, higher than in most other parts of the country, approaching levels not seen since the peak of last winter's COVID-19 wave.

"Remember we had a late summer wave of COVID. We came down from that. We are going back up again, which we expect again, after a lot of travel and gathering at Thanksgiving," CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said Thursday at a House committee hearing.

Close to 2 million Americans are now living in counties deemed to have "high" levels of COVID-19 hospitalizations, where the CDC urges masking in public and other precautions to curb the threat posed by the virus.

Around 1 in 10 Americans are now in communities with "medium" levels of hospitalizations, where the agency counsels some additional precautions for at-risk Americans.

Cohen said the agency has also been tracking other respiratory illnesses accelerating in recent weeks ahead of COVID-19's rise, in line with previous fall and winter virus seasons.

Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is now "near peak" in many southern states that first saw cases and hospitalizations rise in young children earlier this year.

In an updated report this week, the CDC's disease forecasters said RSV hospitalizations were at levels worse than pre-pandemic seasons, but likely on track to reach a "lower and later peak" than last year.

Flu trends have also been accelerating nationwide, the agency said, with more expected increases into December. However, data from emergency rooms suggest influenza has yet to eclipse COVID-19 levels overall.

"Even though those are both going up and we're at the peak of RSV, COVID is still the respiratory virus that is putting the most number of folks in the hospital and taking their lives," said Cohen.

Officials say they have also been keeping tabs on reports of other causes of pneumonia-like illness in kids this year, like the common mycoplasma bacteria that has shared the blame for China's recent surge in pediatric hospitalizations. Health authorities have also reported seeing mycoplasma pneumonia in the mix among cases of sick children in Ohio.

Several countries abroad have also seen steeper increases of the bacterial infections in kids this season, which experts said had largely disappeared around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Denmark recently warned it was reaching epidemic levels of mycoplasma.

Cohen said Friday in a briefing with reporters that U.S. trends suggested respiratory illnesses in children were not "atypical" so far.

Health officials in Ohio had also not seen unusual strain on their hospitals, she said, and most children in the outbreaks were "recovering at home."

"We are seeing COVID and flu and RSV as well as some pneumonia, but nothing outside the typical of what we would see," Cohen said, citing data analyzed by the agency from testing laboratories and emergency rooms around the country.

Weekly counts of emergency room visits for influenza which, in a CDC study before the pandemic, had ranked among the most common causes of pneumonia have surged among school-age kids nationwide in recent months.

In the opposite of what is seen in adults, rates of influenza in emergency room visits for children remain multiple times higher than for COVID-19.

"At this time, what we are seeing is quite typical of this moment in the winter respiratory virus season," Cohen said.

Alexander Tin is a digital reporter for CBS News based in the Washington, D.C. bureau. He covers the Biden administration's public health agencies, including the federal response to infectious disease outbreaks like COVID-19.

Read more:

COVID-19 now increasing again, especially in Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, CDC says - CBS News

December 1, 2023

The composer Leonard Bernstein was a virtuoso who spent his entire career using music as a way to bring humanity together.

Bernstein, who died in 1990, was a composer, conductor, educator and humanitarian, according to Jamie Bernstein, his daughter. She gave a talk titled Leonard Bernstein: Citizen Artist sponsored by the School of Music, Dance and Theatre at Arizona State University on Thursday.

The last category was the underpinning for everything else Leonard Bernstein did as a musician, she said of his humanitarian work.

He used his platform to work for civil rights, fight discrimination, protest the Vietnam War and advocate for peace.

Mostly, he exuded love for everyone.

If he could have hugged every person in the world, he would have, she said. Writing music was his hug.

Bernstein is the subject of the recently released movie Maestro. Bradley Cooper directed, co-wrote and stars in the movie, which looks at the life of Bernstein and his wife, pianist and actress Felicia Montealegre.

Jamie Bernstein said her father, born of Jewish immigrants from Ukraine, was classically trained but was influenced by pop music and jazz on the radio and by the liturgical music he heard at the synagogue. Later he discovered blues, Caribbean music and Broadway musicals.

He retained every kind of music he heard, and they all wove together to create a unique compositional fabric, she said.

Throughout her talk, she played video clips and a scene from her fathers 1944 Broadway show On the Town, showing how he incorporated big band jazz influences. Overall, Leonard Bernstein wrote six Broadway musicals, three ballets, three symphonies, two movie scores and many other works. He won seven Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, 16 Grammy Awards and an Academy Award nomination.

In 1957, he wrote the blockbuster Broadway show West Side Story and also became music director for the New York Philharmonic, she said.

He was a score-reading prodigy, Jamie Bernstein said. He had an uncanny ability to intuit what a composer intended.

He particularly connected with the music of Gustav Mahler. He conducted Mahler's Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection," in a televised tribute to President John F. Kennedy two days after the assassination in November 1963.

At the New York Philharmonic, Bernstein initiated blind auditions in a bid to diversify the orchestra members. He hired the orchestras first Black violist, Sanford Allen, in 1962.

Jamie Bernstein said her father was a lifelong learner and teacher, always absorbing new ideas and communicating with his audience.

One of his biggest legacies is the Young Peoples Concerts, the weekly Saturday afternoon performances in Lincoln Center that were televised on CBS from 1958 until the 1970s.

Leonard Bernstein singlehandedly introduced more human beings to the joy of symphonic music than probably anyone else in history," she said.

The program was wildly popular because he wasnt stuffy.

He made it fun. He didnt talk down to listeners, and his joy was palpable, she said.

He particularly loved listening to pop music in the car with his kids and would sometimes incorporate those songs into his Young Peoples Concerts. She showed a hilarious clip in which Bernstein uses the song You Really Got Me by The Kinks to demonstrate the mixolydian scale.

Who can resist that? she said. Leonard Bernstein was the opposite of a snob.

His entire life, Bernstein used music to fight oppression and advance progressive causes. His efforts caught the attention of the FBI, which amassed an 800-page dossier on him over many years. She related one horrifying incident from 1970, when her mother hosted a fundraiser for some members of the Black Panthers who had been unjustly jailed. It was a private event, with no press invited. But the journalist Tom Wolfe snuck into the party.

Tom Wolfe observed every detail and cast it all in a mean-spirited, satirical light, she said. His scathing magazine article later became the book Radical Chic.

Its hard to convey how much damage this snarky little piece of writing generated for our family, she said. The Bernsteins lost friends, were shunned by family members and received piles of hate mail. Members of the Jewish Defense League picketed outside their apartment building.

Years later, upon reviewing his FBI dossier, Bernstein discovered that it was the FBI who wrote the hate mail and planted the picketers to sow discord between Black and Jewish people.

Bernstein was devoted to anti-war causes. He wrote a song called So Pretty, which was sung by Barbra Streisand at a protest against the Vietnam War. Less than a year before he died, Bernstein conducted Beethovens Symphony No. 9 on Christmas Day 1989 in a newly unified Berlin, weeks after the Berlin Wall fell.

One of Bernsteins greatest compositions is Mass: A Theater Piece for Singers, Players and Dancers, which he wrote for the inauguration of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1971. The work, performed in 2018 at ASUThe production, performed in honor of the centennial of Bernsteins birth, included the ASU Symphony Orchestra and Choirs, ASU Music Theatre and Opera, and dancers and designers from the School of Film, Dance and Theatre, as well as the Phoenix Boys Choir., combines orchestra, chorus, Broadway singers, a rock band, a blues band, a marching band, dancers and kazoos.

This piece explores the collective crisis of faith above all, the crisis of faith in ourselves as a community. If anything, that crisis has grown in our new century, she said.

Another signature work that endures is the song Somewhere from West Side Story.

Somewhere is a global anthem for peace and understanding, she said, noting that it was sung by Diana Ross on the Ed Sullivan Show after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.

Jamie Bernstein, author of the 2019 memoir Famous Father Girl, is pleased that her fathers work and music will be appreciated by a wider audience through the movie Maestro.

Its got tons of Bernstein music in the score, and that alone is so thrilling for my brother and my sister and me, to hear our dads music going out in the world in this giant, fun new way, she said.

She urged the music students in the audience to take their music with them out into the world, like her father did.

Im sure you all have this experience not just in concert halls, but in schools, hospitals, veterans centers, senior centers, prisons, protest marches anywhere that music can do its magic of connecting, comforting, delighting and healing.

This was exactly how Leonard Bernstein understood music, and his lifelong service through music offers an ideal model for todays young musicians.

Top photo: Jamie Bernstein, daughter of Leonard Bernstein, gave a talk about her father's life at Katzin Concert Hall on the ASU Tempe campus Thursday, Nov. 30. Photo by Abigail Wilt/The School of Music, Dance and Theatre

More:

Coronavirus unhinged: A path to prevention | ASU News - ASU News Now

As the winter months approach, the fear of COVID-19 and other illnesses increase along with.

The Michigan Coronavirus Dashboardvia Bridge Michigan states that there has been a 23 percent increase in hospitalizations during the week of Nov. 28 compared to the week prior. The week before claimed at 26 percent increase.

Mohamed Adawee, thedirector of infection prevention and epidemiology at Sparrow Hospital, said respiratory infections increase through winter, so seeing an increase in cases or hospitalizations is generally normal for the time of year.

When discussing the increase in COVID cases and hospitalizations, Michael Brown, an MSU physician, professor and chair of emergency medicine, said the increase now "is due to one of the lowest lows we had over the summer.

Brown said he has not seen a pattern with COVID-19 as he has seen with other respiratory infections, so he doesnt get too surprised when there are highs and lows at certain times.

COVID hasn't had that pattern,"Brown said. "We could see a new peak in the spring or summer."

However, Brown explained that numbers this winter could be misrepresented.

Brown said the popularity of at-home tests enables the idea that the true number of those inflicted by COVID-19 isnext to impossible to predict now."

Adawee also agreed that during increased times of vulnerability to the virus, at-home tests allow many positive cases to go unreported creating skewed statistics.

Brown added how MSU surveillances COVID-19 instances.

He discussed that hospitalization statistics are one way to track the risk, but another way is the surveillance of the waste water. This process is sponsored by the CDC and Michigan Department of Health and Services and it is the monitorization of COVID particles in the waste water, as those infected can shed the virus with the use of wastewater.

Treatment plants in Ingham and Eaton County make up the data in this area, providing data from the wastewater to analyze overall community health.

Brown also discussed ways to protect others during a time period of increased risk of infection.

If I am feeling ill, I should protect those around me by wearing a mask and testing myself for COVID, Brown said.

Adawee and Brown both gave recommendations for what to be aware of and how to stay safe during peaks in COVID. They both recommended keeping up with current COVID vaccinations.

Adawee also recommended individuals with respiratory infections to practice basic infection prevention practices.

We need to as a community protect (those with immune deficiencies) from ending up being in the hospital, Brown said.

Brown said that a community can do this by wearing a mask in public places and staying away from large events when experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.

Share and discuss Hospitals are seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases: How does it affect Michigan? on social media.

View original post here:

Hospitals are seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases: How does it affect Michigan? - The State News

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday (December 6) gave his most explicit apology for his government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking at the United Kingdom's public COVID-19 inquiry, he said that his government had been too complacent and "vastly underestimated" the risks posed by the deadly virus.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

However, his attempts to apologise were met by heckling from demonstrators, who lost their loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CNN, citing the UK's PA Media news agency, reports that as Johnson began to say his apologies, four people holding signs "the dead can't hear your apologies" stood up.

Also read |Boris Johnson says 'deeply sorry' to families of Covid victims at inquiry into Britain's handling of pandemic

One of them, Kathryn Butcher, who lost her sister-in-law Myrna Saunders to Covid, told the UK news agency: "We didn't want his apology. When he tried to apologise, we stood up. We didn't block anybody. We were told to sit down."

Videos of people heckling him as he left the courtroom are circulating on social media, where people can be heard shouting at him.

Overcome with emotions as he gave evidence, Johnson described 2020 as a "tragic, tragic year".

He said that at first, COVID-19 appeared as a "cloud on the horizon" and not the "typhoon" that killed more than 230,000 people in Britain.

As per the ex-prime minister, initially, he had trouble believing the forecast of fatalities, especially given previous scares like the swine flu pandemic and mad cow disease.

However, he admitted that he had only read minutes of the government's key scientific advisory groups on multiple occasions.

Also read |After cyberattacks, explosive report now highlights radioactive leak from UKs Sellafield nuclear site

Despite that, he denied that he was indecisive, and said there were constant, conflicting arguments between ministers and officials about Covid response. He also said that senior ministers were more reluctant than him to impose restrictions on public movement.

"Can I say that I understand the feelings of the victims and their families, and I am deeply sorry for the pain and the loss and the suffering," he said.

Dismissing the apologies, Aamer Anwar, the solicitor representing some bereaved families, said that Boris Johnson oversaw "a deadly culture of impunity, incompetence". He also alleged that the former PM treated people like "toxic waste".

(With inputs from agencies)

Original post:

Boris Johnson`s apologies over COVID-19 pandemic handling met with signs of `dead can`t hear`. Watch! - WION

A former Connecticut representative reported to federal prison Monday in California.

Michael DiMassa,who represented the city of West Haven, was sentenced to 27 months in prison last May for stealing more than $1.2 million from the city. Most of that money was coronavirus relief aid, which DiMassa used to fund his gambling addiction.

DiMassa was ordered to report to authorities on Sept. 7. But a federal judge delayed the prison sentence on July 7 due to the birth of DiMassa's child.

DiMassa's wife, Lauren DiMassa, was also convicted for her role in the fraud case. She was sentenced to six months in federal prison and was released in October.

In addition to the 27 month sentence, MIchael DiMassa was also sentenced to five years of supervised release and ordered to pay almost $866,000 in restitution.

Connecticut Publics Kelsey Hubbard Rollinson, Eddy Martinez, Patrick Skahill and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Read the original here:

Former CT lawmaker reports to federal prison following theft of coronavirus relief funds - Connecticut Public