Category: Corona Virus

Page 391«..1020..390391392393..400410..»

COVID-19 reached Tennessee two years ago today – WKRN News 2

March 6, 2022

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Saturday marks two years since the Tennessee Department of Health announced the first COVID-19 case in Tennessee.

Health officials confirmed the first case in Tennessee on March 5, 2020. The patient was a 44-year-old man from Williamson County who had traveled out of state on a nonstop round-trip flight between Boston, Massachusetts and Nashville International Airport.

The announcement came just one day after Governor Bill Lee announced the creation of the coronavirus task force.

Since the first case of COVID-19 was reported, there have been more than 2 million cases of COVID-19 in Tennessee and more than 24,000 deaths, according to data provided by the Tennessee Health Department.

Tennessee Department of Healths Dashboard shows that 9,216,645 vaccines have been given out in Tennessee. Currently, 52.7 percent of the Volunteer States population is fully vaccinated.

With COVID-19 mandates and restrictions slowly declining, many Tennesseans may think the days of worrying about COVID-19 are over. However, some health professionals warn not so fast.

Dr. Britt Maxwell, an internal medicine specialist at Ascension Saint Thomas West in Nashville, says although numbers are showing a downward trend, the future of COVID-19 still remains uncertain.

No one really knows what the future is going to bring at this point, said Dr. Maxwell. We would love to think that what we are seeing now means the end of the pandemic and that we could move forward, but what weve learned is that coronavirus has surprises for us all.

Data presented by the Tennessee Department of Healths County Data Snapshot shows Shelby County accounts for the most COVID-19 cases in Tennessee with 11.5 percent of COVID-19 cases statewide. Pickett County accounts for the least COVID-19 cases in Tennessee with 0.1 percent of COVID-19 cases statewide.

See more here:

COVID-19 reached Tennessee two years ago today - WKRN News 2

A Strong Jobs Report Shows How the U.S. Economy Has Learned to Live with the Coronavirus – The New Yorker

March 6, 2022

Two years after the first wave of COVID-19 prompted an unprecedented shutdown of offices, factories, and schools, it looks like the U.S. economy is finally moving beyond the coronavirus. Last month, employers added close to seven hundred thousand jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to Fridays monthly employment report. The over-all unemployment rate dipped to 3.8 per centthe lowest level since the onset of the pandemic. Economists had been expecting positive news, owing to the decline in the Omicron wave, but the report was far stronger than expected. Hiring was healthy across a broad range of industries, and the labor force expanded by more than three hundred thousand people, as more Americans returned to work.

As always, it is important to note that month-to-month job figures bounce around quite a bit. But the February report showed that the economy has displayed sustained strength: the employment figures for December and January were revised upward, and the updated figures show that the economy has created almost 1.75 million jobs over the past three months. Thats close to six hundred thousand a monthroughly three times the rate before the pandemic. Since November, the employment-to-population ratio, which is a broad measure of the labor markets strength, has risen by six-tenths of a percentage point to 59.9%, the highest since the pandemic began. That, too, is a positive signespecially during a period when the Omicron wave spread across the country.

The recent job gains have been largest in some of the sectors that the pandemic hit hardest, including travel, leisure, and hospitality. In February alone, bars and restaurants added 124,000 jobs; over the past three months, they have added more than three hundred thousand jobs. Strength in hiring has spread to other parts of the economy as well. Last month, manufacturing added 36,000 positions; retail added 37,000; construction added 60,000; health care added 64,000; professional and business servicesa broad category that includes temp agencies, management consulting, and technical servicesadded an impressive 95,000.

From a human perspective, one particularly positive development is that the number of people who have been out of work for six months or more continues to fall. The long-term unemployed are often the ones who suffer the most from economic downturns, partly because the chances of finding a new job drop the longer you are out of work. During the first year of the pandemic, the number of long-term unemployed rose to more than four million. That figure has now dropped by about sixty per centto 1.7 million.

Despite these gains, the labor market hasnt fully recovered from the unprecedented contraction at the start of the pandemic. In February of 2020, the total number of Americans employed outside the farming sector was 152.5 million; two months later, that figure had fallen to 130.5 million. Last month, it climbed back to 150.4 million. These figures indicate that much of the economic damage that the pandemic wreaked has been repaired, but also that there is still plenty of scope for further job gains in the months and years ahead. According to the Harvard economists Jason Furman and Wilson Powell III, the economy would need to add about another 3.5 million jobs to catch up with the pre-pandemic projections. Its not clear yet what impact the war in Ukraine, and its economic fallout, will have on the global economy. But the jobs report confirms that the U.S. economy started the year with a great deal of momentum.

The one bleak element of the report was that average hourly earnings barely rose in February, which means that, during this period of high inflation, workers real wages fell as earnings lagged behind rising prices. Its not clear yet whether this is a statistical blip or a more lasting trend. Over the past year, average hourly earnings have increased by 5.1 per cent, as employers in many industries have been forced to raise wages to attract workers. On the upside, the slowdown in wage growth suggests that the recent surge in inflation isnt producing a wage-price spiral, which should ease the fears of inflation hawks whose panicked calls for drastic interest-rate hikes could inadvertently spark a recession.

Over-all, though, the jobs report was very positive, and President Biden could hardly be blamed for crowing about it. (Todays report shows that my plan to build an economy from the bottom up and the middle out is working to get America back to work, he said in a statement.) To be sure, we dont know what the future may bring in terms of new variants of the coronavirus. The fact that the Omicron variant proved somewhat less deadly than previous variants, especially to the vaccinated, undoubtedly helped to mitigate its impact on the economy. But it is also true that the measures developed to mitigate the pandemic, including vaccinations, testing, and remote workingand also the large-scale financial support that Congress provided in 2020 and 2021have greatly enhanced the economys ability to coexist with the virus. After all weve been through in the past two years, that is a very encouraging development indeed.

View original post here:

A Strong Jobs Report Shows How the U.S. Economy Has Learned to Live with the Coronavirus - The New Yorker

COVID-19 was confirmed two years ago in Minnesota. Heres how it grew and where it hit hardest. – St. Paul Pioneer Press

March 6, 2022

After two years, a flood of illness and incalculable losses, is the coronavirus pandemic finally over?

No. But that doesnt mean we are not in a much better place, said Jan Malcolm, state health commissioner, who has guided Minnesota through the last two years of the pandemic. The state reported its first COVID-19 infection March 6, 2020.

We have to stay prepared, Malcolm added. We should be at a point where COVID doesnt dominate everything.

That can already be seen in new guidance from officials doing away with mask and vaccine requirements at bars and restaurants.

While the current picture looks good, Malcolm noted theres still a lot of risk for people who are vulnerable.

When we say back to normal, thats not true for everyone, she said. We are in a way better place. A lot has changed for the good.

Heres a detailed look at how far weve come since that first case was diagnosed, what the long-term impact has been and what to expect next.

Diagnosing coronavirus infections quickly, easily and accurately was one of the first big challenges of the pandemic and it remains an intermittent frustration two years in.

At first, it was nearly impossible to get a test and the initial kits sent to states by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention didnt work.

Gov. Tim Walzs Minnesota moonshot, including a partnership with the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota, gave the state strong testing capacity by summer 2020. By that fall, as one of the worst surges in cases of the pandemic was taking hold, a new lab in Oakdale was shipping saliva tests to peoples front doors.

Minnesota has now administered almost 19 million COVID-19 tests, roughly three tests for each of the states 5.7 million residents. At its peak, the state was processing more than 60,000 tests per day.

Almost 1.4 million residents have tested positive for COVID-19 about a quarter of the states population. More than 98 percent of them recovered enough they no longer need to be isolated, while 61,000 have gotten sick multiple times.

For much of 2021, getting tested was easy and there were a growing number of options. Then, when the omicron variant hit, cases soared and tests were once again nearly impossible to find.

Early stumbles on testing by the federal government and the relative free-for-all between the states for accurate methods and supplies encouraged unusual players to come to the field. GS Labs was one of them it was spun off of a testosterone replacement clinic in Omaha, Neb.

If the government hadnt stumbled, there would be no GS Labs, said Dr. Darin Jackson, the labs medical director. We filled a void.

GS Labs provides rapid antigen tests for most people and follows up with genetic tests for symptomatic patients who need them. It has eight locations in the Twin Cities and about 25 testing sites across the U.S.

Minnesota, like much of the U.S., has experienced an ebb and flow of infections that has been hard to predict. Cases hit the most vulnerable early on, then were widespread when the weather got colder and the delta variant brought months of high case rates.

Finally, the omicron-driven surge hit quickly and drove rates to unprecedented heights. Jackson says his labs were testing 10,000 people a day right around Christmas. That type of sudden and renewed demand is proof that quick, easy and accurate tests will likely be needed for a while.

Thats the million-dollar question, Jackson said. I dont think it will be going away any time soon.

Ensuring everyone with COVID-19 who needed a hospital bed was able to get one was the key medical aim of the states early response and it never really changed. But the way those patients were cared for has been dynamic throughout the pandemic.

The early concerns were about space and equipment. Ventilators and protective gear were in short supply. There was talk of triage hospitals in empty buildings or public spaces like the Mall of America.

It never came to that, but hospitals have been full for much of the pandemic with more than 60,000 needing treatment. Once prepared, doctors and nurses were able to handle an influx of cases in the fall of 2020.

Then, vaccines helped lessen the demand until the delta variant began driving up cases again. From summer 2021 until the end of the year, hospitals were hit with an unprecedented number of patients.

The first six months was running fast, said Rahul Koranne, president and CEO of the Minnesota Hospital Association. The last year and a half has been nothing but exhaustion and crisis upon crisis.

The lasting shortages have been staffing. Thousands of nurses and other care providers have left their jobs during the pandemic because of burnout, fear of infection and exhaustion.

Calli Pettigrew, a nurse at Childrens Hospital in St. Paul, says the pandemic had a catastrophic impact on her and her colleagues. Early on, she was furloughed to help the hospital save money, and when she came back six months later, many of her colleagues had left and there were staffing shortages.

The past two years has felt like being crushed from all sides, she said. It is unsustainable. Im so tired of being called a hero. I just want to be treated like a human being.

Pettigrew said systemic reforms to better protect nurses and patients are desperately needed.

If more nurses decide to leave the bedside, our system will crumble, she said.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development estimates there are 40,000 open medical jobs in the state. Nationally, about one in five medical workers has quit and another one in three is considering it.

To fill the gap, Walz had to call in the Minnesota National Guard, get help from the U.S. Department of Defense and spend $40 million on temporary medical workers.

Nevertheless, hospital capacity remains strained in parts of Minnesota even as COVID-19 cases have fallen. Many are filled with patients who delayed care for other conditions during the pandemic.

About 38 percent of the states hospitals still dont have any available intensive care beds.

Koranne says hospitals and state leaders must do more to address staffing shortages or there could be dire consequences.

It could mean a Minnesotanshows up in an emergency room and we dont have the staff to care for them, he said.

Koranne says the pandemic left the states hospitals in dire financial shape. That makes it more challenging for institutions to rebalance how they provide care when they need to respond to COVID-19 outbreaks.

Minnesotas hospitals went from tight 1.4 percent margins prior to the pandemic to losing more than $3 billion in the early months of the pandemic. We are really worried about next year, he said.

From the start, Minnesotas elderly and vulnerable adults have been hit hardest by the pandemic. More than 81 percent of 12,183 deaths have been people 65 or older and about 46 percent of fatalities were residents of nursing homes or long-term care.

The majority of those who died in Minnesota had pre-existing health conditions that put them at higher risk. After vaccines became widely available, health officials say the average age of those who died began to trend younger because of fatalities among the unvaccinated.

But overall the young were least likely to have a fatal outcome with COVID-19. Just 110 Minnesotans under the age of 35 died of COVID-19, less than 1 percent of all the states deaths.

Minnesota has a team that investigates every fatality and COVID-19 has to be a cause of death to be included in the states tally. In addition to the confirmed COVID-19 deaths, there are 190 others that are suspected to have been caused by the coronavirus, but the person never had a positive test.

For much of the pandemic, Minnesota had one of the nations highest rates of deaths in long-term care. At its worst point, there were more than 700 long-term care facilities with cases among residents or staff.

Kristine Sundberg, executive director of Elder Voice Family Advocates, says it was a travesty that Minnesota didnt have a licensure system for assisted living until August 2021. She believes better oversight at the start of the pandemic could have saved lives.

Sundberg noted that isolation was also a killer for many vulnerable patients because it prevented families from monitoring the care being given.

In other incidents, people died of outright loneliness. Social isolation and failure to thrive were listed on several Minnesota death certificates at the height of the pandemic.

Long-term care facilities have defended their actions during the outbreak. The industry has long suffered from staffing shortages and the pandemic created many other unprecedented challenges.

Cases and deaths among long-term care residents dropped dramatically once vaccines became available and facilities had the staff and supplies to control the spread of the virus.

The three vaccines that won emergency approval less than a year into the pandemic were a game changer. Shots from Pfizer and Moderna tapped an emerging technology that uses mRNA genetic material.

Remarkable, said Malcolm. The scientific progress that has been made in two years is nothing short of breathtaking.

Minnesota administered 5.5 million doses of vaccine in the first six months they were available. By summer 2021, demand waned considerably. A lot of the hesitancy was driven by misinformation being spread on social media about vaccine effectiveness and safety.

To encourage more residents to get the jab, Walz offered incentives like cash, event tickets and even opportunities for college scholarships.

Through January, Minnesota spent more than $10 million on vaccine incentives. About 66 percent of the states 5.7 million residents have completed their initial series of vaccines.

Unfortunately, that may not be enough. Research of patients receiving care through veterans hospitals found vaccine protection waned considerably after six months.

To restore protection, boosters are recommended for anyone 12 and older. More than 2.1 million boosters have been administered so far.

Vaccine makers are creating variant-specific versions of their shots in order to try to keep up with the evolving SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the illness COVID-19. Health experts believe a seasonal shot, much like those already manufactured for influenza, may be needed to keep the coronavirus in check.

The arrival of variants, specifically the delta strain that became dominant last summer, upended the pandemic fight. While some variants were not of consequence, delta and later omicron were much more contagious and vaccines did little to prevent infections.

But health officials say the shots still protect against severe illness and death.

Nonetheless, breakthrough infections climbed dramatically during the delta wave. Omicron drove them even higher.

Since widespread vaccination began in January 2021, there have been more than 367,000 COVID cases in people who were fully vaccinated, roughly 37 percent of the almost 996,000 cases diagnosed during that time.

Of those, 9,836 were hospitalized and 1,777 died.

Furthermore, when the highly-contagious omicron variant hit the state in December and January, the majority of infections, close to 60 percent, were in people who were vaccinated.

Laura Kirk and her family in Southwest Minneapolis were among them. After a Christmas celebration, where everyone who was eligible was vaccinated and most had a booster, 12 of the 16 attendees eventually tested positive. Luckily, no one had a severe illness.

It made it clear that omicron presented a whole new ballgame, said Kirk, who is a professor of nursing at the University of Minnesota. I think our experiences, while it was awful and sobering, it also demonstrated how truly effective these vaccines are.

The coronavirus pandemic led to unprecedented restrictions on nearly every aspect of life in order to slow the virus spread.

In March 2020, Gov. Walz issued a peacetime state of emergency that was in place for more than a year. It didnt end until summer 2021 when lawmakers included it in a deal for the current two-year state budget.

Under the emergency, Walz was able to close businesses and schools and require people to stay home except for necessary trips. It was controversial from the start and Minnesota Republican lawmakers tried repeatedly to end it.

Even after the statewide restrictions ended, many local communities and schools kept coronavirus mitigation measures in place.

That lead to ruckuses at school board meetings, like one in the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan district on Feb. 14 where residents chanted for the masks requirement to be lifted and shouted down school board members.

It has been a challenging two years for everyone, Superintendent Mary Kreger said at a follow-up meeting Tuesday when the board voted to follow new CDC guidance and end mask requirements. Understandably, people are exhausted.

With unprecedented restrictions also came a flood of state and federal aid to offset the impact on the economy. More than $72 billion has come to Minnesota through a series of aid packages since the pandemic began, according to recent testimony by Minnesota Management and Budget officials to the state Senate finance committee.

Much of that, more than $52 billion, was various types of economic assistance sent to workers and businesses through stimulus payments, enhanced unemployment and aid to businesses to keep employees on the payroll. For context, the states latest two-year budget is about $52 billion.

More than $7 billion was sent to Minnesota state and local governments in flexible funds that could be used for a variety of programs. Another $3.4 billion was earmarked for education, $4 billion was for human service programs and $1 billion was for housing aid.

Minnesota will be dealing with the impact of the pandemic for years, if not decades, to come. One of the most persistent and mysterious impacts is those who were sickened with COVID-19 and never fully recovered.

The so-called long-haulers, or those with long COVID, can experience symptoms for months after they normally would have expected to recover. The most common are brain fog, fatigue, shortness of breath, as well as joint and muscle pain.

Dr. Greg Vanichkachorn, director of Mayo Clinics COVID-19 Activity Rehabilitation Program, says its hard to know how many people have long COVID, but estimates suggest it could be almost 30 percent of those who were infected. Most of those who experience lasting impacts after infection were not seriously ill in the first place.

There are still a lot of questions about what causes long COVID, but some clues are beginning to emerge as the condition is studied at Mayo and elsewhere. How the immune system reacts to a coronavirus infection is a key focus of research.

We think a lot of the symptoms come from that robust immune inflammatory response, Vanichkachorn said. Theres also been some studies showing perhaps pieces of the virus still floating around in the body that could be causing this immune effect.

The good news is that many long-haulers eventually recover, Vanichkachorn says. But it is important that anyone suffering from prolonged symptoms contact their health care provider.

The big takeaway is that its not rare, he said. Outside of acute illness, just helping people survive, the long-COVID scenario is the one I am worried about most.

As Minnesotans prepare for what they hope will be a new normal in the months ahead, it is clear the state has been dramatically changed by the pandemic. Everything from child care to schools, shopping to work, housing to health care is different in ways large and small.

Commissioner Malcolm says thats a good reason not to discount the SARS-CoV-2 virus going forward. New variants are bound to emerge, and some of them may require an aggressive response.

This virus is unpredictable and still evolving, Malcolm said. We have to keep the tools in the toolbox and be ready to use them. This virus has surprised us multiple times and it should keep us humble.

See more here:

COVID-19 was confirmed two years ago in Minnesota. Heres how it grew and where it hit hardest. - St. Paul Pioneer Press

26 more Mainers have died and another 447 coronavirus cases reported across the state – Bangor Daily News

March 6, 2022

Twenty-six more Mainers have died and another 447 coronavirus cases reported across the state, Maine health officials said Friday.

Fridays report brings the total number of coronavirus cases in Maine to 230,720,according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Thats up from 230,273 on Friday.

Of those, 167,059have been confirmed positive, while 63,661were classified as probable cases, the Maine CDC reported.

Eleven men and 15 women have succumbed to the virus, bringing the statewide death toll to 2,135.

Four were from Androscoggin County, two from Aroostook County, two from Cumberland County, three from Kennebec County, two from Knox County, one from Lincoln County, one from Oxford County, four from Penobscot County, one from Piscataquis County, two from Somerset County, two from Waldo County and two from York County.

The number of coronavirus cases diagnosed in the past 14 days statewide is16,950. This is an estimation of the current number of active cases in the state, as the Maine CDC is no longer tracking recoveries for all patients. Thats down from 23,514 on Friday.

The new case rate statewide Friday was 3.34cases per 10,000 residents, and the total case rate statewide was 1,723.84.

The most cases have been detected in Mainers younger than 20, while Mainers over 80 years old account for the largest portion of deaths. More cases have been recorded in women and more deaths in men.

So far, 4,401Mainers have been hospitalized at some point with COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus.

Of those, 154 are currently hospitalized, with 33 in critical care and 12 on a ventilator. Overall, 56 out of 352 critical care beds and 257 out of 328 ventilators are available

The total statewide hospitalization rate on Saturday was 32.88patients per 10,000 residents.

Cases have been reported in Androscoggin (22,186), Aroostook (12,050), Cumberland (47,414), Franklin (5,572), Hancock (7,088), Kennebec (22,195), Knox (5,739), Lincoln (5,031), Oxford (10,918), Penobscot (26,711), Piscataquis (2,910), Sagadahoc (4,902), Somerset (9,333), Waldo (5,877), Washington (4,133) and York (38,634) counties. Information about where an additional 27 cases were reported wasnt immediately available.

An additional 698 vaccine doses were administered in the previous 24 hours. As of Saturday, 989,196 Mainers are fully vaccinated, or about 77.24 percent of eligible Mainers, according to the Maine CDC.

As of Saturday morning, the coronavirus had sickened 79,251,010 people in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as caused 958,170 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.

More articles from the BDN

Go here to see the original:

26 more Mainers have died and another 447 coronavirus cases reported across the state - Bangor Daily News

Active coronavirus cases up by 35 on Friday | News | wyomingnews.com – Wyoming Tribune

March 6, 2022

Country

United States of AmericaUS Virgin IslandsUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsCanadaMexico, United Mexican StatesBahamas, Commonwealth of theCuba, Republic ofDominican RepublicHaiti, Republic ofJamaicaAfghanistanAlbania, People's Socialist Republic ofAlgeria, People's Democratic Republic ofAmerican SamoaAndorra, Principality ofAngola, Republic ofAnguillaAntarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S)Antigua and BarbudaArgentina, Argentine RepublicArmeniaArubaAustralia, Commonwealth ofAustria, Republic ofAzerbaijan, Republic ofBahrain, Kingdom ofBangladesh, People's Republic ofBarbadosBelarusBelgium, Kingdom ofBelizeBenin, People's Republic ofBermudaBhutan, Kingdom ofBolivia, Republic ofBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswana, Republic ofBouvet Island (Bouvetoya)Brazil, Federative Republic ofBritish Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago)British Virgin IslandsBrunei DarussalamBulgaria, People's Republic ofBurkina FasoBurundi, Republic ofCambodia, Kingdom ofCameroon, United Republic ofCape Verde, Republic ofCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChad, Republic ofChile, Republic ofChina, People's Republic ofChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombia, Republic ofComoros, Union of theCongo, Democratic Republic ofCongo, People's Republic ofCook IslandsCosta Rica, Republic ofCote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of theCyprus, Republic ofCzech RepublicDenmark, Kingdom ofDjibouti, Republic ofDominica, Commonwealth ofEcuador, Republic ofEgypt, Arab Republic ofEl Salvador, Republic ofEquatorial Guinea, Republic ofEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFaeroe IslandsFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Fiji, Republic of the Fiji IslandsFinland, Republic ofFrance, French RepublicFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabon, Gabonese RepublicGambia, Republic of theGeorgiaGermanyGhana, Republic ofGibraltarGreece, Hellenic RepublicGreenlandGrenadaGuadaloupeGuamGuatemala, Republic ofGuinea, RevolutionaryPeople's Rep'c ofGuinea-Bissau, Republic ofGuyana, Republic ofHeard and McDonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)Honduras, Republic ofHong Kong, Special Administrative Region of ChinaHrvatska (Croatia)Hungary, Hungarian People's RepublicIceland, Republic ofIndia, Republic ofIndonesia, Republic ofIran, Islamic Republic ofIraq, Republic ofIrelandIsrael, State ofItaly, Italian RepublicJapanJordan, Hashemite Kingdom ofKazakhstan, Republic ofKenya, Republic ofKiribati, Republic ofKorea, Democratic People's Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwait, State ofKyrgyz RepublicLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanon, Lebanese RepublicLesotho, Kingdom ofLiberia, Republic ofLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtenstein, Principality ofLithuaniaLuxembourg, Grand Duchy ofMacao, Special Administrative Region of ChinaMacedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascar, Republic ofMalawi, Republic ofMalaysiaMaldives, Republic ofMali, Republic ofMalta, Republic ofMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritania, Islamic Republic ofMauritiusMayotteMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldova, Republic ofMonaco, Principality ofMongolia, Mongolian People's RepublicMontserratMorocco, Kingdom ofMozambique, People's Republic ofMyanmarNamibiaNauru, Republic ofNepal, Kingdom ofNetherlands AntillesNetherlands, Kingdom of theNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaragua, Republic ofNiger, Republic of theNigeria, Federal Republic ofNiue, Republic ofNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorway, Kingdom ofOman, Sultanate ofPakistan, Islamic Republic ofPalauPalestinian Territory, OccupiedPanama, Republic ofPapua New GuineaParaguay, Republic ofPeru, Republic ofPhilippines, Republic of thePitcairn IslandPoland, Polish People's RepublicPortugal, Portuguese RepublicPuerto RicoQatar, State ofReunionRomania, Socialist Republic ofRussian FederationRwanda, Rwandese RepublicSamoa, Independent State ofSan Marino, Republic ofSao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic ofSaudi Arabia, Kingdom ofSenegal, Republic ofSerbia and MontenegroSeychelles, Republic ofSierra Leone, Republic ofSingapore, Republic ofSlovakia (Slovak Republic)SloveniaSolomon IslandsSomalia, Somali RepublicSouth Africa, Republic ofSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSpain, Spanish StateSri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic ofSt. HelenaSt. Kitts and NevisSt. LuciaSt. Pierre and MiquelonSt. Vincent and the GrenadinesSudan, Democratic Republic of theSuriname, Republic ofSvalbard & Jan Mayen IslandsSwaziland, Kingdom ofSweden, Kingdom ofSwitzerland, Swiss ConfederationSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwan, Province of ChinaTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailand, Kingdom ofTimor-Leste, Democratic Republic ofTogo, Togolese RepublicTokelau (Tokelau Islands)Tonga, Kingdom ofTrinidad and Tobago, Republic ofTunisia, Republic ofTurkey, Republic ofTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUganda, Republic ofUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom of Great Britain & N. IrelandUruguay, Eastern Republic ofUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofViet Nam, Socialist Republic ofWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambia, Republic ofZimbabwe

See the original post here:

Active coronavirus cases up by 35 on Friday | News | wyomingnews.com - Wyoming Tribune

Cameron County reports 5 coronavirus-related deaths and 124 positive cases in the last two days – KRGV

March 6, 2022

Cameron County reported a total of five coronavirus-related deaths and 124 positive cases of COVID-19 in the last two days.

On Thursday, the county reported 81 total cases, 56 of which were confirmed by PCR tested. The county also reported four people who died due to the virus, none of whom were fully vaccinated, the county reported.

On Friday, the county reported 43 cases of COVID-19, 28 of which were confirmed based on PCR testing. The county also reported a Brownsville man in his 60s who was not vaccinated against the disease died from the virus.

Since the pandemic began, 2,192 people have died due to the coronavirus in Cameron County.

Vaccination efforts continue across Cameron County; currently, 84.91% of the population, five years and older, is fully vaccinated.

Continued here:

Cameron County reports 5 coronavirus-related deaths and 124 positive cases in the last two days - KRGV

Bidens New Covid Plan: Preparing for New Variants and Avoiding Shutdowns – The New York Times

March 4, 2022

Although Paxlovid pills have been relatively scarce since they were authorized late last year, Mr. Biden said in his speech on Tuesday that Pfizer is working overtime to get us one million pills this month and more than double that next month.

There is an average of about 60,000 new U.S. cases a day, according to a New York Times database. That is far less than the daily average of 800,000 in January, at the peak of the winter surge fueled by Omicron. But it is still much higher than the daily caseload last June, before Delta drove a summer surge.

Even as the White House asserts that things are getting better and new federal guidelines suggest 70 percent of Americans can stop wearing masks for now, large groups of people remain at risk. Children under 5 are not yet eligible for vaccines. On Monday, New York State health officials released data showing that Pfizer-BioNTechs vaccine is much less effective in preventing infection in 5- to 11-year-olds than in adolescents or adults.

And an estimated seven million Americans have weak immune systems, illnesses or other disabilities that make them more vulnerable to severe Covid. The White House announced last week that it was taking several steps to make masks and tests more accessible to those groups.

But Gregg Gonsalves, an epidemiologist at Yale University, said that with mask mandates dropping around the country, the administration and in particular the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which relaxed its mask guidance last week had put too much of a burden on vulnerable Americans to protect themselves.

One mask mandate that will not be dropped at least not for the next few weeks is the one Mr. Biden imposed on airplanes, trains and other forms of travel. Jeffrey D. Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said that it would remain in effect until at least March 18, but that the C.D.C. is reviewing it.

In his State of the Union address, Mr. Biden called on Congress to provide new funding for the administration to stockpile more tests, masks and pills. And he said that Americans who ordered free at-home tests from a government website, covidtests.gov, would be able to order more next week.

I cannot promise a new variant wont come, Mr. Biden said. But I can promise you well do everything within our power to be ready if it does.

Excerpt from:

Bidens New Covid Plan: Preparing for New Variants and Avoiding Shutdowns - The New York Times

Heres how the coronavirus steals the sense of smell. – The New York Times

March 4, 2022

Few of Covid-19s peculiarities have piqued as much interest as anosmia, the abrupt loss of smell that has become a well-known hallmark of the disease. Covid patients lose this sense even without a stuffy nose; the loss can make food taste like cardboard and coffee smell noxious, occasionally persisting after other symptoms have resolved.

Scientists are now beginning to unravel the biological mechanisms, which have been something of a mystery: The neurons that detect odors lack the receptors that the coronavirus uses to enter cells, prompting a long debate about whether they can be infected at all.

Insights gleaned from new research could shed new light on how the coronavirus might affect other types of brain cells, leading to conditions like brain fog, and possibly help explain the biological mechanisms behind long Covid symptoms that linger for weeks or months after the initial infection.

The new work, along with earlier studies, settles the debate over whether the coronavirus infects the nerve cells that detect odors: It does not. But the virus does attack other supporting cells that line the nasal cavity, the researchers found.

The infected cells shed virus and die, while immune cells flood the region to fight the virus. The subsequent inflammation wreaks havoc on smell receptors, proteins on the surface of the nerve cells in the nose that detect and transmit information about odors.

The process alters the sophisticated organization of genes in those neurons, essentially short-circuiting them, the researchers reported.

See the article here:

Heres how the coronavirus steals the sense of smell. - The New York Times

FDA issues warning about another coronavirus at-home test – SILive.com

March 4, 2022

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning people to not use certain Flowflex coronavirus (COVID-19) rapid tests, because there is a risk of false results.

The FDA said people should avoid using the Acon Laboratories test named Flowflex SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test (Self-Testing) that is packaged in a dark blue box, as it has not been authorized, cleared, or approved by the FDA for distribution or use in the United States.

The agency hasnt received reports of injuries, adverse health consequences, or death associated with the use of this rapid at-home test.

If you have a Flowflex COVID-19 rapid test, you should compare the packaging to the photo above, and shouldnt use it if its in a dark blue box.

The unauthorized test uses a nasal swab sample to detect proteins, called antigens, from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The unauthorized test has a dark blue box with white lettering and symbols in the lower right corner of the box, including the letters CE.

It is important to note that the Acon Laboratories Flowflex COVID-19 Antigen Home Test, in white packaging, was authorized by the FDA in October 2021 and can continue to be used.

Here is a list of at-home tests authorized by the FDA.

A false-negative antigen test result means that the test says the person doesnt have COVID-19, but they actually do have the virus. A false-negative result may lead to delayed diagnosis or inappropriate treatment, which may cause people harm -- including serious illness and death. It can also lead to further spread of COVID-19.

A false-positive antigen test result means that the test says the person has COVID-19 but they actually do not have it. This may lead to a delay in both the correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment for the actual cause of a persons illness, which could be another life-threatening disease that is not COVID-19.

ACON Laboratories Inc. has initiated a recall for all unauthorized Flowflex SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Tests tests that were distributed in the United States.

Talk to your health-care provider if you think you were tested with the rapid test and you have concerns about your results. Consider retesting using an authorized test if you suspect an inaccurate result.

If you think you had a problem with a COVID-19 test, the FDA encourages you to report the problem through the MedWatch Voluntary Reporting Form.

OTHER PROBLEMATIC RAPID TESTS

Last month, a South Korean company recalled a coronavirus rapid test kit because it was illegally imported into the United States. SD Biosensor Inc. recalled its Standard Q COVID-19 Ag Home Test that is not authorized, cleared, or approved by the FDA for distribution or use in the United States.

While there is no known distribution of these tests directly to consumers, the company is issuing the recall out of an abundance of caution.

In January, the FDA said to stop using the Empowered Diagnostics CovClear COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test and ImmunoPass COVID-19 Neutralizing Antibody Rapid Test.

These tests were distributed with labeling that indicates they are authorized by the FDA but the agency said neither test has been authorized, cleared, or approved for distribution or use in the United States.

The agency said its concerned about the potentially higher risk of false results when using unauthorized tests.

Therefore, Empowered Diagnostics is recalling the CovClear COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test and the ImmunoPass COVID-19 Neutralizing Antibody Rapid Test. The FDA identified this as a Class I recall, the most serious type of recall.

FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.

View original post here:

FDA issues warning about another coronavirus at-home test - SILive.com

California coronavirus updates: Some of Nevada’s school districts have lowered the bar for substitute teacher hiring during states of emergency -…

March 4, 2022

Find an updated count of COVID-19 cases in California and by county on our tracker here.

Some of Nevadas school districts have lowered the bar for substitute teacher hiring during states of emergency

As demand for COVID-19 vaccines drop, states scramble to figure out what to do with soon-to-expire doses

Pfizers COVID-19 pill treatment takes months to produce

California man allegedly stole $1 million in COVID-19 tests

Pfizers COVID-19 vaccines protect young kids against omicron, report shows

9:43 a.m.: Some of Nevadas school districts have lowered the bar for substitute teacher hiring during states of emergency

In a move prompted by the pandemic, the state has cleared the way for Nevadas largest school districts to hire substitute teachers with only a high school diploma during states of emergency.

According to the Associated Press, the Legislative Commission on Monday unanimously approved a permanent rule change covering school districts with over 9,000 students attending district schools or public charter schools within a districts geographic boundaries.

The covered districts include Las Vegas, Clark and Washoe counties.

The new permanent regulation replaces a temporary measure that expired Nov. 1. It was put in place during the pandemic because of Clark Countys severe staffing shortage.

9:39 a.m.: As demand for COVID-19 vaccines drop, states scramble to figure out what to do with soon-to-expire doses

As demand to get COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. collapses in many areas, states are scrambling to use stockpiles of doses before they expire.

Millions of doses have already gone to waste across the nation, as reported by the Associated Press.

From the least vaccinated states like Indiana and North Dakota to some of the most vaccinated states like New Jersey and Vermont, public health departments are shuffling doses around their states in hopes of finding providers that can use them.

In California, the percentage of wasted doses is only about 1.8%, but in a state thats received 84 million doses and administered more than 71 million of them, that's about 1.4 million wasted doses.

All this comes only about a year after the vaccines were released, and people such as hospital board members, their trustees and donors jumped the line to get early access before those deemed a higher priority.

9:34 a.m.: Pfizers COVID-19 pill treatment takes months to produce

Pfizers new COVID-19 treatment came with a catch when it debuted late last year it can take months to make tablets.

According to the Associated Press, company leaders said they have since expanded production and expect big gains in the next several months. That could help if another wave of cases develops later this year.

The drugmaker uses more than 20 different sites in over 10 countries to produce Paxlovid, however making the complex drug involves chemical reactions that need time to develop. Pfizer said it has reduced production time from nearly nine months to about seven.

9:56 a.m.: California man allegedly stole $1 million in COVID-19 tests

Authorities say they are seeking a Southern California warehouse manager who is accused of stealing more than $1 million worth of COVID-19 tests from his employers clinic.

Santa Ana police say 33-year-old Carlitos Peralta had access to his employers shipping and delivery system, according to the Associated Press.

His employer has seven warehouses nationwide that are used to store and ship COVDI-19 tests to customers, including clinics, pop-up testing sites, schools, and hotels.

Police say Peralta diverted nearly 100 separate shipments from multiple warehouses to his home.

The police department asked the public on Thursday to contact the agency with information about his whereabouts.

9:51 a.m.: Pfizers COVID-19 vaccines protect young kids against omicron, report shows

A new government report shows Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine gave children 5 and older strong protection against hospitalization and death even during the omicron surge.

As reported by the Associated Press, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the new data on Tuesday.

A day earlier, a study from New York raised the question of whether the vaccine is less effective in children ages 5 to 11, especially against milder infections, particularly since younger kids get an even smaller dose than teens.

However, CDC data from additional states doesnt suggest any age-related issues with the vaccine. While vaccines are generally less effective against omicron, they still protect against severe outcomes.

9:40 a.m.: Los Angeles County set to drop indoor mask mandate this week

Los Angeles County is set to lift its indoor mask mandate this week as coronavirus case rates and hospitalizations plummet, according to the Associated Press.

Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said Tuesday that California's most populous county would likely issue a revised health order that would take effect Friday and along with new state guidelines.

Ferrer told the county's Board of Supervisors that it would still be recommended but not required for vaccinated and unvaccinated residents to wear face coverings in public indoor settings.

9:41 a.m.: Sacramento County public health officer to virtually attend State of the Union

Sacramento County Public Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye will be a virtual guest, due to safety protocols, at tonights State of the Union address.

Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) made the announcement Monday night. The address will cover some of the achievements of the Biden presidency, from the economy to the government's COVID-19 response.

I am thrilled to have Dr. Olivia Kasirye join as my virtual guest and thank her for her guidance, vigilance and service for the Sacramento community, Matsui said in a press release.

Kasirye said that shes worked together with Matusi to provide the people of the Sacramento region with timely and accurate information and the resources they need to stay safe during the battle with COVID-19.

CapRadio will broadcast the speech live at 6 p.m. You can also watch it live on our website.

9:06 a.m.: US Treasury Department says overwhelming amount of federal rental assistance during pandemic went to low-income tenants

The U.S. Treasury Department has concluded that more than 80% of the billions of dollars in federal rental assistance went to low-income tenants during the pandemic.

According to the Associated Press, the Treasury also found that the largest percentage of tenants receiving pandemic aid were Black households, in which many were led by women.

In the fourth quarter of 2021, the Treasury also found that more than 40% of tenants getting help were Black and 20% were Latino, while two-thirds were woman-headed households.

Lawmakers approved $6.5 billion in Emergency Rental Assistance last year, and through 2021, the government body said more than $25 billion has been spent or allocated, representing 3.8 million payments to households.

Find older coronavirus updates on our previous blog page here

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Read more:

California coronavirus updates: Some of Nevada's school districts have lowered the bar for substitute teacher hiring during states of emergency -...

Page 391«..1020..390391392393..400410..»