Category: Corona Virus

A team of University of Texas at Austin researchers has resumed testing Austins wastewater for signals of COVID-19 after the Texas Division of Emergency Management gave new funding for the project.

Although Austins risk-based COVID-19 guidelines have now been eliminated, Mary Jo Kirisits of the Cockrell School of Engineering said that continuing to monitor the wastewater will give the city advance knowledge of any spikes in cases, which is beneficial as fewer people are getting tested or reporting positive results.

People are going to get complacent and let their guard down, said Kirisits, a professor in the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering. Testing wastewater as a normal course of action will give the city lead time in making important decisions like when to provide more resources such as testing sites and vaccine hubs.

The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is a fecal-shed virus. Knowing that, Kirisits and a team of researchers began taking samples from the citys two largest wastewater treatment plants starting in summer 2020 with the goal of being able to track spikes of cases in Austin before they showed up in diagnostic testing.

Although wastewater monitoring generally indicated spikes in clinical cases a few days before they occurred, the testing did not give the two-week lead time desired. This might change as cases wane and fewer COVID-19 tests are administered.

The only way to get that two-week advance notice is when the cases are so low you can spot a difference, said Kerry Kinney, a professor in the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering. It will be interesting doing monitoring going forward to see when cases rise. At this point, we havent gotten out of the pandemic to monitor for its resurgence.

Initial funding for the project was provided by the Cockrell School and two research grand challenges at UT Austin Planet Texas 2050 and Whole CommunitiesWhole Health. However, when that money ran out in the fall of 2021, further testing was put on hold.

Despite this, Kirisits still went out to the treatment plants most days during the winter, collecting samples to be sure that when they did receive additional funding, they would be able to record the surge in omicron cases that happened around the holidays.

The Texas Division of Emergency Management has awarded the team a $150,000 grant to resume its work.

Sampling is currently ongoing at the Walnut Creek and South Austin Regional wastewater treatment plants. The specimens will be sent to Biota Technology for sequencing and variant calling, which means that the percentage of SARS-CoV-2 in each variant class will be determined. Since the variants have some differences in associated symptoms and some variants are more contagious than others, this will allow residents and health care providers to know what to look for and when to test.

The research team also plans to deploy 3D-printed sampling devices at several sites on the UT Austin campus to be able to tell whether specific buildings or residence halls are seeing spikes. These devices can be dropped into maintenance holes for sampling over a specific period to monitor for the virus in certain locations. These devices are inexpensive to make and do not require a power source during deployment, which makes them convenient for sampling.

Kirisits said wastewater is also useful for tracking other pathogens and disease markers, including for diabetes, so ongoing research is a crucial tool for public health.

There are so many things we can track in wastewater, and we should be doing that, she said. Once you have those samples, you might as well interrogate for multiple markers associated with human disease.

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Wastewater Testing for COVID-19 Resumes in Austin - UT News - University of Texas

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers analyzed the inhibition of stress granules (SG) formation in cells infected by the human common cold coronavirus HCOV-OC43 (HCoV-HCOV-OC43) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Host cells possess several mechanisms to detect viral infections and trigger immune defense reactions for suppressing viral replication and transmission. One such antiviral mechanism is the formation of SGs in response to viral infections.

SGs are condensates of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and proteins that cause sequestration of cellular factors and viral components essential for viral replication. However, viruses have evolved mechanisms to prevent the formation of SGs in the host. Despite the increasing interest in deciphering the role of SGs in viral replication, SG inhibition mechanisms for host protection are unclear.

In the present study, researchers investigated the ability of HCoV-HCOV-OC43 and SARS-CoV-2 to inhibit SG formation.

To assess SG dynamics during CoV infections, human embryonic kidney 158 (HEK)293A cells were infected with HCOV-OC43 and examined for the formation of SGs by immunofluorescence staining for T-cell internal antigen-related (TIAR) protein. After one to two days of infection, negligible SG formation was detected.

Thus, the team analyzed if HCOV-OC43 inhibited the formation of SGs, for which mock-infected and virus-infected cells were treated with sodium arsenite after a day of infection. Arsenite was used due to its ability to induce SG formation and eIF2 (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2) phosphorylation. While SG induction was observed in all the mock-infected cells, <50% of the cells infected by HCOV-OC43 demonstrated SG formation. Next, the magnitude of eIF2 phosphorylation in the HCOV-OC43-infected cells was assessed, and HCOV-OC43 efficiently inhibited eIF2 phosphorylation at 12 hours per infection (hpi) and 48 hpi.

To verify the applicability to other cell lines, the analyses were repeated in human colon cancer (HCT-8) and the bronchial epithelial (BEAS-2B) cell lines. SG formation and eIF2 phosphorylation were suppressed among the HCT-8 cells after two days of infection, reflecting slower viral replication in the cells in comparison to 293A. After one day of infection, substantially low levels of HCOV-OC43 nucleocapsid (N) protein were found in the HCT-8 cells. As observed in the 293A cells, the infected BEAS-2B cells demonstrated inhibition of SG formation and eIF2 phosphorylation within a day of infection. This indicated that the phenotypes were not restricted to entirely transformed cells and that the 293A model was appropriate for analyzing the inhibition of SG formation.

Nucleating proteins such as the Ras-GTPase-activating protein SH3-domain-binding protein 1 (G3BP1), G3BP2, T-cell internal antigen 1 (TIA-1), and (TIAR) drive condensation of SG. To assess the significance of G3BP1 in CoV replication, cells that overexpressed the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-tagged G3BP1 were infected by HCoV-HCOV-OC43. In the study, ribopuromycylation assays and western blot analysis were also performed.

In the study, SG formation was not observed in the HCoV-HCOV-OC43- and SARS-CoV-2-infected cells. Both viruses inhibited the formation of SGs induced by exogenous stress, such as treatment with sodium arsenite and eIF2 phosphorylation.

Further, in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells, a steep decline in G3BP1 levels was observed. Ectopic overexpression of N and non-structural protein 1 (Nsp1) by both viruses inhibited the formation of SGs and arsenite-induced eIF2 phosphorylation. Of note, Nsp1 of the highly pathogenic SARS-CoV-2 alone was adequate to reduce G3BP1 levels. This reduction depended on the depletion of messenger RNA (mRNA) in the cytoplasm, mediated by Nsp1 and TIAR. In the immunostaining analysis, a substantial reduction in the EGFP-expressing infected cells compared to controls was observed.

The study findings showed that both the viruses depend on the Nsp1 and N proteins for suppressing SG formation. Both HCOV-OC43 and SARS-CoV-2 dedicate >1 gene product each for SG inhibition. This indicates that viral disarming of SG responses is vital to generating a productive CoV infection.

While N proteins of SARS-CoV-2 and HCOV-OC43 act independently from eIF2 phosphorylation and downstream of translation arrest, Nsp1 proteins inhibit SG formation by suppressing eIF2 phosphorylation upstream of SG nucleation. Additionally, SARS-CoV-2 and not HCOV-OC43 infection depletes G3BP1 and disrupts the TIAR-mediated nucleocytoplasmic shuttling, contributing to SG inhibition with higher potency. Therefore, SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1-mediated host shutoff contributes, at least partially, to G3BP1 depletion and TIAR nuclear accumulation. G3BP1 overexpression significantly reduced HCOV-OC43 infection, indicative of the antiviral property of G3BP1 in CoV infections.

Overall, the study findings showed that HCoV-HCOV-OC43 and SARS-CoV-2 each contribute >1 gene product for the inhibition of SG formation, underpinning the importance of viral disarming of SG responses for generating productive infections. Both viruses efficiently inhibited SG formation, and the inhibition was mediated by Nsp1 and N proteins.

The findings highlight the antiviral property of G3BP1 and the presence of several mechanisms for SG suppression that are conserved between HCoV-HCOV-OC43 and SARS-CoV-2. SG formation may be an essential antiviral mechanism for host defense targeted by CoVs for efficient viral replication. Therefore, elucidating the SG inhibition mechanisms could reveal probable targets for anti-CoV therapies to inhibit viral replication by SG inhibition.

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.

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Study investigates stress granule formation during infection with the human common cold coronavirus and SARS-CoV-2 - News-Medical.Net

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) WHO Thailand Situation Report 234 - 4 May 2022 - Thailand  ReliefWeb

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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) WHO Thailand Situation Report 234 - 4 May 2022 - Thailand - ReliefWeb

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spread worldwide,causing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, with over 512million cases and over 6.2 million deaths so far.

The often-unpredictable severity of the illness has defied attempts to predict COVID-19 outcomes, driving much research to identify factors that can mitigate the clinical manifestations of the infection.

A new study discusses the role of dietary factors in this area, concluding,

Optimal nutrition status remains an effective strategy for supporting and preserving a strong immune response that is ready to protect against infections.

Infection with this novel coronavirus leads to an intense immune response in a subset of people, who rapidly show evidence of hyper-inflammation on a systemic scale, causing rapid deterioration of the clinical condition. This is mediated by the detection of COVID-19 by macrophages and dendritic antigen-presenting cells that present the viral antigen peptides to CD4 T cells. This results in their switching to Th1 or Th2 cells, secreting antiviral gamma-interferons (IFN-) or eliciting an adaptive humoral response, respectively.

The Th1/Th2 balance is essential to viral clearance and clinical resolution, as well as the return of the body systems to normal. Dysregulation of this immune response can cause exhaustion of the T cells and heightened inflammatory cascades (the so-called cytokine storm), causing severe disease. The mechanism of such critical disease is vascular damage because of the immune response, causing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and a high incidence of death.

The role of nutrition has been suggested by many earlier studies, and is relevant in the light of the reduced access to some foods because of case isolation, contact quarantine and lockdown restrictions. The current paper, published online in the journal Nutrients, reviews the state of current knowledge in this area.

The consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, that are rich in anti-oxidants in the form of plant polyphenols, promotes the suppression of inflammatory reactions and oxidative stress. Fish is another source of antioxidants in the shape of vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce cell membrane lipid oxidation and proinflammatory mediator concentrations.

The Mediterranean diet is thus associated with an adiponectin-mediated increase in insulin sensitivity and decrease in systemic inflammation, reduced blood pressure and better arterial compliance, with lower levels of blood glucose, cholesterol and other dangerous lipids. Inflammatory biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 are also reduced.

Even more significantly, a Mediterranean diet reduced the risk of rhinitis, asthma and respiratory impairment, even producing an anti-oxidant effect in children with asthma who were exposed to atmospheric pollution. Studies have shown that this diet was associated with fewer deaths from COVID-19 in a dose-dependent manner, after compensating for factors like the socioeconomic status, housing and life satisfaction.

In contrast, the Western diet is high in refined sugar and saturated fats, and is associated with systemic inflammation. This is probably because of the activation of innate immune cells via the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) which eventually dampens the innate and adaptive immune response via chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. The outcome is an immunocompromised state that makes the individual more prone to infections, as well as damage to multiple organs over time.

In fact, the Western diet is linked to higher numbers of macrophages in the lungs and increased airway inflammation, which acts with the impaired immune response to predispose to COVID-19 and other viral infections.

Several dietary constituents and supplements are found to be useful in improving COVID-19 outcomes. For instance, vitamin A levels are higher in those who recover from the infection. Vitamin D is an immunomodulator, strengthening the innate immune response while preventing dysregulated T cell responses. High levels of this vitamin may lead to improved physical fitness.

Regular supplementation of vitamin D has been linked to better outcomes from COVID-19, though the evidence is weak overall. Seasonal efficacy also appears to be a possibility, and further research will be needed.

Antioxidant activity exerted by vitamins C and E could protect against cardiovascular damage by free radicals and reactive oxygen species while reducing systemic inflammation via its suppressive effect on pro-inflammatory cytokines. This could not just modulate the immune response but also fortify the lung epithelium against injury. While these have been shown to be safe and well-tolerated, more evidence will be needed to support their routine supplementation in COVID-19 patients.

Glutathione is the primary antioxidant defense mechanism in cells, inhibiting inflammatory signaling mediated by NF-B activation. This molecule is found at high levels in the lung fluid, protecting the epithelium against oxidative damage. Its deficiency is linked to a higher incidence of viral infections with more severe symptoms and worse outcomes.

Here again, promising early results need to be supported by larger studies before the therapeutic dosage can be arrived at.

Zinc and other trace elements are also linked to improved innate and acquired immune responses. For instance, zinc may strengthen the airway epithelial barrier, while its deficiency may predispose to viral infection by damaging the barrier. Zinc also promotes immune cell growth, maturation, and activation, while its immunomodulatory effects are valuable in preventing hyperinflammation.

In addition, zinc has antiviral effects, preventing viral replication as an anti-fusion factor and inhibiting important viral lifecycle functions. Zinc levels have been associated with a potential improvement in COVID-19 outcomes, though its existence as a part of the diet may make it difficult to determine therapeutic levels. Other studies have shown the potential efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids in this condition.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) makes use of herbal therapies and has been used to treat illnesses and infectious outbreaks. This is attributable to its antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. Multiple preparations are available, some of which have been adapted to treat COVID-19.

Probiotics are live microbes that form part of the diet, regulating the immune response by acting on interleukins and natural killer cells, as well as the differentiation of T cells. The interconnection between the gut and the lungs makes it important to understand how these microbes affect the immune response.

At present, there is some evidence that probiotics are useful in upper respiratory infections, but more research is required to validate their efficacy and safety in immunocompromised patients.

The findings of this review paper indicate the role of nutrients in preventing and managing COVID-19. The superior health profile of the Mediterranean dietand the powerful benefits of multiple dietary supplements such as antioxidants, vitamin D, and probiotics, in terms of their immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects, make it important to understand how supplementation with these molecules can help improve COVID-19 outcomes.

Further research in this field is necessary, along with a better insight into the action of TCM, to take advantage of these nutrients in developing a nutritional program that can help build up a strong immune responseto prevent and clear infectious agents rapidly and effectively.

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Effects of diet on COVID-19 outcomes - News-Medical.Net

Efficacy and Safety of the RBD-DimerBased Covid-19 Vaccine ZF2001 in Adults | NEJM  nejm.org

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Efficacy and Safety of the RBD-DimerBased Covid-19 Vaccine ZF2001 in Adults | NEJM - nejm.org

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers investigated the outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment with paxlovid.

Treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in its early phases is currently achieved by administering convalescent plasma and biclonal or monoclonal antibodies intravenously. However, there is no orally available treatment method present to prevent disease severity in high-risk patients.

In the present study, the team assessed the impact of paxlovid treatment on SARS-CoV-2 disease outcomes and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU).

The team used retrospective and observational data from the Maccabi healthcare services (MHS) database to identify SARS-CoV-2 patients between 1 June 2021 and 28 February 2022. The data obtained from the MHS database included information regarding the patients demographics, comorbidities based on ICD-9 codes, the status of immunocompromise, dates of SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and formal antigen tests, medications, history of hospitalization, and death. Information regarding COVID-19 symptoms was collected via a questionnaire provided to the participants.

The study involved patients who had at least one SARS-CoV-2-positive reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) test or a positive rapid antigen test during the period of identification. These eligible patients were divided into the following cohorts: (1) pre-paxlovid period: patients who tested positive between 1 June 2021 and 30 November 2021 when the dominant variant in Israel was SARS-CoV-2 Delta and paxlovid was not available for treatment and (2) paxlovid period: patients who tested SARS-CoV-2 positive between 2 January and 28 February 2022 when paxlovid was available for treatment in Israel. This category was further sub-classified into (a) paxlovid-treated: SARS-CoV-2 patients who received paxlovid treatment and (b) paxlovid-untreated: SARS-CoV-2 patients who were offered paxlovid treatment but declined. A total of 20,284 patients from the pre-paxlovid period and 10,030 from the paxlovid period were eligible for paxlovid treatment

The index date for patients from the paxlovid treated group was the date when paxlovid was first dispensed, while that for the paxlovid untreated patients was the date the paxlovid treatment was declined. For patients belonging to the pre-paxlovid period, the index date was the average number of days from the date of the first COVID-19 positive test to the date of the paxlovid administration. The resulting number of days was added to the date of the first positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test or the formal antigen test of the patients from the pre-paxlovid period.

Patients eligible for paxlovid treatment were either aged 70 years and above irrespective of their risk score, aged between 50 to 69 years and had a risk score of two points or more, or aged between 12 to 49 years and had a risk score of four points or more. The COVID-19 risk score point system combined the age and disease characteristics to yield a numerical score ranging from zero to four, where four represented the highest risk of disease progression to severe COVID-19.

Almost 10% of the paxlovid-treated, 25.9% of the paxlovid untreated, and 22.9% of the pre-paxlovid period patients were unvaccinated, while most of the participants had no history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The mean time duration from the first SARS-CoV-2-positive test to paxlovid treatment was 1.8 days.

A COVID-19 hospital risk score of four was observed in 87.2% of the untreated group, 69% of the paxlovid-treated group, and 64.7% of the pre-paxlovid period group. Additionally, a minimum of one COVID-19 symptom was reported by 74% of the treated, 64% of the untreated, and 81% of the pre-paxlovid period cohorts. Notably, fever and cough were observed in 27.7% and 45% of the paxlovid untreated group, 35.5% and 56.4% of the paxlovid treated group, and 80.6% and 45% of the pre-paxlovid period group, respectively. Moreover, anosmia was reported by 17.8% of the pre-paxlovid, 3% of the paxlovid-treated, and 2.7% of the paxlovid untreated groups.

Notably, the patients from the paxlovid period were more likely to be older than those in the pre-paxlovid period. The number of patients aged 70 years and above was higher in the paxlovid-treated and the paxlovid-untreated groups than those in the pre-paxlovid period group.

Overall, the study findings showed that paxlovid sufficiently lowered the risk of COVID-19 disease severity. The study also highlighted the potential comparability among patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and supported further analyses by recognizing key aspects for future comparative studies.

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.

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Outcomes of COVID-19 treatment with Paxlovid - News-Medical.Net

Since nearly the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, hospital officials noticed that overweight patients were at higher risk of severe Covid-19 and death. Now, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the pandemic has worsened obesity, a public health problem that has been on the rise for the past three decades. The situation, according to a report presented on Tuesday, is already reaching epidemic levels in Europe.

A person is considered overweight when their body mass index (BMI) is between 25 and 30, and obese, when it is above 30. These conditions are characterized by an excess of fat in the body. People living with these conditions are much more likely to also suffer from respiratory, cardiovascular and liver problems, as well as musculoskeletal and psychological ailments.

The report found that about 60% of adults and a third of children in Europe are overweight or obese. More worrying still, is that there are no signs that the upward trend will change. Not a single country in Europe is on track to stop the rise in obesity by 2025, the document showed.

According to the report, 62% of adults in Spain are overweight or obese, placing it ninth on the list of 53 countries studied. This percentage rises to almost 70% among men and drops to just over half among women. The data corresponds to 2016, although experts and the report itself argue that the situation has worsened since then.

The document cites a recent investigation into the impact of the pandemic on obesity levels, which was published last September in the medical journal International Journal of Obesity. This paper by researchers at Leipzig Childrens Hospital in Germany found substantial weight gain across all weight and age groups during the pandemic. The study concluded that restrictions on mobility and other measures such as the closure of schools exacerbated the problem of obesity.

Research in recent years has shown the large number of variables that influence obesity. Some are linked with the same factors, such as food consumption and family history, while others concern endocrine disruptors that are found in many everyday products. The development of the condition is also influenced by educational policies, urban planning and issues such as advertising.

It is a disease in which extremely complex mechanisms are involved, by which the body develops ways to spend less energy and thus save it. The image of sufferers being people who eat too much and move too little is insultingly simple. The disease has a genetic basis, but many other factors are involved that will make the genes express themselves in one way or another, explained Albert Goday, the head of the endocrinology department at Del Mar Hospital in Barcelona, Spain.

For this reason, the WHO report proposes a global approach to address the problem with measures such as raising taxes and restricting the sale of less healthy foods and beverages; applying subsidies to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables; developing wide-ranging education campaigns; promoting healthier lifestyle habits at school and the workplace; and making cities more pedestrian-friendly.

Obesity is a global problem that has not stopped rising in the last 30 years, said Goday. If there is a response that tries to be global it is this WHO report.

Read more:

Coronavirus health crisis has worsened another epidemic: Obesity - EL PAS in English

As COVID-19 testing continues to recede in Florida, it is far behind other states in tracking the virus with promising technology that relies on wastewater.

The Florida Department of Health received more than $1.2 million from the federal government last summer to build a statewide system to detect the virus in wastewater. Eight months later, the state wont say whether such a program exists.

The department did not respond to repeated questions from the Tampa Bay Times about what Florida is doing with the money.

Without a state wastewater testing network, 12 of Floridas 67 counties turned to outside help to track the virus. Pinellas Countys program is funded by the federal government. Others, such as in Hillsborough, are paid for by a private company.

But that patchwork approach has limitations.

On April 15, testing in Pinellas and five other counties ended when federal funding expired. Data collected by the six counties went dark just as the states average daily infections jumped 80 percent in two weeks.

This is our best early warning sign, said University of Miami microbiologist Helena Solo-Garbiele. But without it: We lose our ability to detect surges.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says testing will resume, it took three months to restart after the last interruption of funding.

Colorado, however, wasnt affected. It took advantage of the same federal grant that Florida received to build its network and now tests 60 percent of the states population. That system still functions as infections rise across the U.S.

The strength of wastewater surveillance is that it doesnt rely on human behavior: No one has to decide to get tested for COVID-19. Nor is anyone prevented from being tested by factors beyond their control.

Infected individuals shed the SARS-CoV-2 virus in their waste, sending virus particles into sewage water. Researchers can determine in real-time whether infections are spreading through a community by sampling its wastewater.

It doesnt matter if you get tested or not, if youre symptomatic or asymptomatic, Solo-Gabriele said. If you poop, youre in the sample.

That helps health officials quickly detect viral surges because at this point in the pandemic, she said, the official case count is likely missing a lot of infections. Every day, the CDC reports the number of positive COVID-19 cases detected across the country, but that count includes only test results that are reported to state and federal health agencies.

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As public testing sites disappear, Floridians have turned to at-home tests the results of which are not reported to health officials or have foregone testing altogether, Solo-Gabriele said. That makes CDC data less reliable. In the past month, Florida recorded the fewest test results since June 2020.

The limitation of wastewater tracking is that it cannot reveal exactly how many infections are in a community at a given time. Public health officials still need data from testing sites, hospitals and other facilities to find that out and to calculate positivity rates.

But public health officials can use wastewater tracking to gain a holistic understanding of the pandemic and react to rapidly changing conditions, said Edwin Oh, a microbiologist at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

The more important question here is: What is the trend over the last two or three weeks? he said. If we start seeing those trends (rise), we will definitely start seeing cases showing up in the hospital soon after.

Nevada started analyzing sewage in February 2020, when clinical tests were still scarce. Health officials detected COVID-19 in wastewater basically at the same time that we had our first confirmed case, Oh said.

When omicron hit the state in December, he said, the variant was identified using wastewater data. Researchers tracked its spread from high-tourist areas around Las Vegas to the rest of the state by looking at where the variant appeared in sewage water.

But for tracking to work, health officials have to use the data to deploy testing and vaccination resources quickly enough. That didnt happen in Nevada, Oh said.

Weve been fighting each surge as a sort of catch-up game, he said. The next time this happens, hopefully public health organizations are a little bit more prepared (and) a little bit more ready to believe in the data.

Two Pinellas treatment plants may be the countys best early-warning system to track the growing BA.2 wave and the ones that will come later.

Tucked away in a residential neighborhood between St. Petersburg and Pinellas Park, the South Cross Bayou water plant is one of two county utilities that monitor residents infection levels. The other is the William E. Dunn Water Reclamation Facility in Palm Harbor.

South Cross Bayou serves about 220,000 residents. The William E. Dunn plant serves about 82,000. Together they cover almost a third of Pinellas nearly 1 million residents. Earlier this month, Times reporters toured the South Cross Bayou plant. More than 20 million gallons of raw sewage that is flushed, rinsed and poured down Pinellas drains flows daily through the plants pipes.

For every 1,000 gallons of sewage, about one teaspoon is sucked up by the plants sampling equipment and deposited into a refrigerated plastic jug atop a beige building on the plants outskirts. Twice a week, samples from that jug are decanted into small bottles and shipped to a lab.

Youre looking at 200,000 people in one shot, said Pinellas County microbiologist Bina Nayak, gesturing toward the murky gray liquid accumulating in the jug. Can you imagine testing 200,000 people versus just one wastewater sample?

Nayak was coordinating research projects for Pinellas County Utilities when she heard about the CDCs wastewater testing. She urged county officials to join.

We had to step up to the plate, Nayak said, for the sake of the community, our customers, and the public health agencies that would use the data.

In total, 11 Florida wastewater plants serving portions of six counties are part of the CDC program. That means wastewater surveillance only tests 1 out of every 5 Floridians.

On April 15, the last date that data was available, viral levels at the two Pinellas plants were the highest since early March.

During the tour of the South Cross Bayou plant, Nayak climbed the two-story metal staircase to the top of the headworks building where samples are collected. She weaved through a maze of tubes and instruments, toward a metal box that holds the sampling equipment.

Beneath her, a 20-foot metal screen removed leaves, diapers and other non-processables from the 300 gallons of raw sewage that rushed past each second. Every time the screen cycled through the muck, the machinery burped up a dizzying bouquet of odors.

It smells like gold to me, Nayak joked, adjusting her neon blue hardhat in the unseasonably muggy April heat. There is so much good data in there, as long as you actually use it.

The federal program that funds testing in Pinellas County was meant to be temporary while states built their own capability, said Amy Kirby, a CDC microbiologist who leads the surveillance system.

Researchers have been looking for pathogens like polio and influenza in wastewater for years, Kirby said, but the effort to build the infrastructure has never been worth the return on investment until COVID-19 came along.

The pandemic left state and local health agencies scrambling to roll out testing as quickly as possible. So now theres this patchwork of programs and funding, she said, and not all the wastewater surveillance activities in the U.S. are linked to the national system.

One of the largest players in the private testing market is Biobot Analytics, an MIT start-up that wants to market the technology.

Last year the company raised $20 million. It already has contracts with more than 700 municipalities in all 50 states, according to the Boston Globe, including Hillsborough County. But Biobot does not report that data to the CDC. Instead the company shares the data on its website, using its methodology.

Biobot, which collects data from six Florida counties, said its up to local governments to share COVID-19 data with the CDC.

The company started collecting Hillsboroughs data in June 2021. A county spokesperson said they havent received any reports from Biobot.

The amount of coronavirus detected in Hillsboroughs wastewater has doubled in the past month, according to Biobots website. Its an estimate based on the countys Northwest Regional Water Reclamation Facility and the city of Tampas Howard F. Curren facility.

Its unclear if Biobots data-sharing policy will affect the nations wastewater surveillance program. The company took over the federal program on April 15, when it was awarded a $10.2 million contract to oversee the next year of testing.

That contract covers 500 utility providers across the country, according to the CDC. But Biobot and the CDC say the company wont share COVID-19 data from the 700 utilities not covered by the contract.

The federal government hoped to avoid this jumble of programs by enlisting state agencies to oversee their own surveillance systems, Kirby said. In August 2021, Florida and 32 other states received federal money to establish their own testing, according to the CDC. So far 14 states have done it.

Colorado used $9.4 million of that funding to increase staffing and capacity through July 2023. Officials hope to expand statewide.

Colorados Department of Health and Environment reports up-to-date data on its website and shares it with the CDC. By contrast, Floridas Department of Health does not collect, test, report or share wastewater data.

Edwin Oh, the Nevada microbiologist, said tracking will become more important as the country dedicates fewer resources to future COVID-19 waves.

The need for contact tracing is really going away for many public health organizations and testing sites are harder and harder to find, he said. And thats exactly why I truly believe that wastewater surveillance will be here to stay.

Tampa Bay: The Times can help you find the free, public COVID-19 testing sites in the bay area.

Florida: The Department of Health has a website that lists testing sites in the state. Some information may be out of date.

The U.S.: The Department of Health and Human Services has a website that can help you find a testing site.

The COVID-19 vaccine for ages 5 and up and booster shots for eligible recipients are being administered at doctors offices, clinics, pharmacies, grocery stores and public vaccination sites. Many allow appointments to be booked online. Heres how to find a site near you:

Find a site: Visit vaccines.gov to find vaccination sites in your ZIP code.

More help: Call the National COVID-19 Vaccination Assistance Hotline.

Phone: 800-232-0233. Help is available in English, Spanish and other languages.

TTY: 888-720-7489

Disability Information and Access Line: Call 888-677-1199 or email DIAL@n4a.org.

OMICRON VARIANT: Omicron changed what we know about COVID. Heres the latest on how the infectious COVID-19 variant affects masks, vaccines, boosters and quarantining.

KIDS AND VACCINES: Got questions about vaccinating your kid? Here are some answers.

BOOSTER SHOTS: Confused about which COVID booster to get? This guide will help.

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Tracking COVID in wastewater is the future but not in Florida - Tampa Bay Times

Army 1st Lt. Mark Bashaw, an entomologist, was found guilty in a court-martial Friday of failing to follow orders meant to prevent the spread of coronavirus at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. Col. Robert Cohen, the judge in the case, did not issue punishment. (Facebook)

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An Army lieutenant was convicted in a court-martial for failing to comply with orders related to coronavirus prevention efforts in his units offices at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., according to base officials.

However, the judge in the case declined to punish 1st Lt. Mark Bashaw for his actions.

The court-martial concluded Friday in Col. Robert Cohens courtroom within the 1st Judicial Circuit, according to the Armys online court records. Bashaw pleaded not guilty.

The charges stem from Bashaws actions on Nov. 30 when he failed to obey orders meant to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which violates Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, said Amburr Reese, a spokeswoman for the base.

The charge, issued Jan. 12, carried three counts, two of which were combined during the court-martial, the Army said. Bashaw, an entomologist, was wrongfully present at his place of duty after failing to submit a negative coronavirus test or submitting to a test prior to reporting to work. He then wrongfully remained at his place of duty. He also wrongfully failed to obey an order to wear a mask indoors.

At that time, Bashaw knew the captain in command of Army Public Health Center Headquarters Company had issued an order to telework until providing a negative coronavirus test, according to a summary of Bashaws charge sheet.

"After a careful consideration of the evidence, a military judge exercised lawful authority not to adjudge punishment for 1st Lt. Mark Bashaw, Reese said. Receiving no punishment at a court-martial is not without precedent.

It was unclear Wednesday whether Bashaw has been vaccinated against the coronavirus.

He joined the Army in 2019 after having previously served in the Air Force, according to his official service record. His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Meritorious Unit Award and the Air Force National Service Medal.

His Air Force records were not immediately available.

The conviction will be included in Bashaws military record, which is reviewed during promotions and job placements.

Reese said the federal conviction alone carries lifelong collateral consequences, including social consequences and difficulty in obtaining future employment, as criminal convictions are generally public information and frequently reported in federal and state criminal and licensing databases.

Aberdeen Proving Ground is located northeast of Baltimore and has about 21,000 military, civilian and contract employees, according to the base website.

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Army lieutenant convicted in court-martial but not punished for refusing coronavirus prevention orders - Stars and Stripes

Healthcare has begun to undergo significant changes in the twenty-first century. A cultural revolution known as digital health has occurred because of a rise in the number of patients with chronic diseases, more access to new technologies, medical information, and peer support via the Internet.Patients' and medical professionals' roles have shifted because of this.

The passive patient, who only seeks medical help when a symptom emerges, is evolving into a proactive, empowered patient who wants to be involved in their own treatment. They have access to technology and information, are specialists in their field of health or illness management, and can collect data using electronic equipment.

Instead of being the key-holders to the ivory tower of medicine, the function of a burnt-out physicianis evolving into that of an e-physician, who guides their patients through the jungle of digital information.

In a recent study posted on the preprint server JMIR*, the researcher analyzed the impact that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had on the adoption of digital health. When COVID-19 emerged, the use of digital health strategiesexploded. Even though telemedical applications and services, health sensors, 3D printing, protective clothing, and at-home laboratory tests became part of everyday care in a matter of weeks in March and April of 2020, it was a necessity not a choice.

In less than a month, telemedicine in Catalonia replaced face-to-face primary care consultations. Early in March of 2020, they had roughly 18,000 telemedical and 150,000 face-to-face visits; four weeks later, the number of telemedical visits had risen to over 100,000, while the number of face-to-face visits had dropped to 21,000. (4). Consultationson telemedicine services like PlushCare and Amwell surged by 70% and 158 percent, respectively, in the United States.

Remote testing was the next major disruptor after remote care. Waiting in line for a biological sample put peopleindanger of contracting the virus. At-home lab testing was prioritized whenever possible. COVID-19 antigen and antibody testing, as well as companies offering direct-to-consumer blood test samples and analysis, have all surfaced on the market. Many tests, ranging from food allergies to genetic studies, are now being collected at patients' homes.

Disinfectant robots began wandering hospital floors, lowering infection risks for patients. When conventional manufacturing or availability is limited and health institutions are overburdened, DIY organizations around the world began making 3D printed products such as medical equipment, protectors, and nearly anything else needed.

Artificial intelligence has also risen to the frontline. BlueDot, a Canadian start-up, was the first to report on a possible epidemic in Wuhan. To discover public health trends and threats, it utilized a machine-learning algorithm to filter through news reports, airline booking data, and reports of animal disease outbreaks.

A.I. has also been used to arrange supply chains, sort out ventilators in a country, find new medicine combinations that could help sick patients via network science; analyze, monitor, screen, and triage COVID patients; and help hospital infrastructure in resource allocation. Researchers at MIT even built a speech analyzer based on artificial intelligence to identify asymptomatic COVID-19 patients using cough recordings on their smartphones.

Although digital health investments had been progressively increasing year after year even before the pandemic, 2020 set a new high. According to Mercom Capital Group, venture capital funding increased by 66% to a record $14.8 billion raised globally. The leading investment goal, of course, was telemedicine, which received $4.3 billion in venture capital funding in 2020.

The adoption rate of digital health has reached new heights. This optimism, however, is not reflected in clinical reality. Worldwide, healthcare is overburdened; physicians quickly burn out under the strain, patients with chronic illnesses go untreated, therapies are delayed, and medical professionals do their best to keep the system running.

JMIR Preprints publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.

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The impact of COVID-19 on digital health adoption - News-Medical.Net