Category: Corona Virus

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Active cases and hospitalizations from COVID-19 in Arkansas are continuing to see a steady decline Friday, as testing numbers were also down due to winter weather.

The new figures from the Arkansas Department of Health show that active cases dropped by 5,287 to 44,477. Overall, the state saw 1,507 new cases of COVID-19 reported in the past 24 hours, bringing the pandemic total to 791,730 cases.

The ADH data shows that Arkansas hospitals continue to see a declining level of patients with the virus, with 50 fewer patients over the last day to bring the current count to 1,555. There were slight dips in patients needing enhanced care, with the number of COVID-19 patients in ICUs dipping by 16 to 448 and the number of ventilators falling by five to 225.

There were an additional 29 deaths added to the states tally, moving the total number to 9,762 since the beginning of the pandemic.

Vaccination efforts saw 3,364 doses reported as being given in the past day, with the number of Arkansans with full immunity from the virus climbed to 1,549,401, with another 371,640 having partial immunity. Arkansans seeking a third dose rose to 524,827

Visit link:

COVID-19 in Arkansas: Decline continues for active cases and hospitalizations - KARK

A man wearing a face mask walks past a "Now Hiring" sign in front of a store on Jan. 13, in Arlington, Va. The labor market is showing resilience despite a recent spike in omicron-related coronavirus infections. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

A man wearing a face mask walks past a "Now Hiring" sign in front of a store on Jan. 13, in Arlington, Va. The labor market is showing resilience despite a recent spike in omicron-related coronavirus infections.

The U.S. job market came through January in much better shape than expected despite a winter wave of coronavirus infections.

Employers added 467,000 jobs last month, according to a new tally from the Labor Department, far outpacing even the most optimistic forecasts. The gains came despite a surge in COVID-19 cases tied to the omicron variant.

"Omicron, Schmomicron," economist Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomics wrote in a research note. "This is a much stronger report than expected."

Revised figures also show job gains in November and December were significantly larger than initially reported. That suggests the economy had more momentum coming into the new year and weathered the latest pandemic punch with far less pain than expected.

The positive jobs report was welcome news for the Biden administration, which had been bracing for less favorable numbers.

"America is back to work," President Biden told reporters at the White House Friday. "Our country is taking everything that COVID has to throw at us and we've come back stronger."

The unemployment rate inched up to 4% in January from 3.9% the month before, but only because nearly 1.4 million people entered the job market.

The share of people working or looking for work increased, spelling possible relief on the horizon for employers who have struggled at times to fill job vacancies.

"As it becomes safer and fewer people are sick, they can participate more fully in the labor market and we will see that return," said Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute.

The monthly job count was conducted around the second week of January, just as omicron cases were nearing their peak. Daily infections at the time were nearly seven times as high as they were when jobs were tallied in December.

The omicron wave likely did discourage some employers from hiring last month, and kept some workers on the sidelines. But the fallout was much less than expected.

"We have an economy that is learning to continue to function even in the face of a wave such as omicron," said White House economic adviser Cecelia Rouse.

The 467,000 jobs added in January represents only a modest slowdown from December, when employers added more than half a million jobs. And the spike in omicron infections, while severe, has already begun to recede.

Daily infections dropped below 500,000 this week after peaking above 800,000 two weeks earlier.

Employers are keen to hire even more workers. The Labor Department counted nearly 11 million open jobs at the end of December. Surveys by the payroll processing company ADP show a large share of employers plan to add workers over the next six months.

"All of this data suggests that the recovery from omicron could be swift as the spread is contained," said Nela Richardson, ADP's chief economist.

But the labor market's outlook will still depend on the progress of the pandemic.

Changes in the public health outlook can easily sway demand for workers especially at businesses such restaurants that rely heavily on in-person contact with customers. Restaurants and bars added 108,000 jobs last month.

A worker rings up an order at Frankie's Pizza on Jan. 12 in Miami, Fl. The labor market is getting healthier, but much will depend on the progress of the pandemic, which can easily sway demand for workers especially at businesses that rely on in-person contact with customers. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

A worker rings up an order at Frankie's Pizza on Jan. 12 in Miami, Fl. The labor market is getting healthier, but much will depend on the progress of the pandemic, which can easily sway demand for workers especially at businesses that rely on in-person contact with customers.

Tight job market leads to higher wages and prices

The economic recovery has been hobbled at times by a shortage of available workers. When the coronavirus first hit the U.S. almost two years ago, millions of people stopped working or looking for work. As the pandemic has dragged on, some would-be workers have been slow to return.

"There is a pool of people out there who could come back into the labor force, but it's not happening very quickly," Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell told reporters last week.

Employers have been offering higher wages and better benefits as they compete for scare workers. Private sector wages in January were up 5.7% from a year ago, while employees in some sectors saw wage gains as high as 13%.

Millions of workers have also been quitting their jobs, often in search of better opportunities elsewhere. Labor shortages and increased turnover have contributed to rising wages and higher prices.

That's one reason the Fed is now planning to raise interest rates in an effort to regain control over inflation. Consumer prices in December were up 7% from a year ago the sharpest increase in nearly 40 years.

Here is the original post:

Employers added 467,000 jobs in January even as omicron spread - NPR

The U.S. Army is developing a vaccine capable of protecting against multiple coronaviruses, but Dr. Fauci said it will be years before one is potentially available.

The discovery of the COVID-19 virus in 2020 prompted a global race for an effective vaccine. Scientists have now developed several vaccines to fight COVID-19. While the vaccines authorized for use in the United States still significantly reduce rates of hospitalization and death, concerns of vaccine efficacy have grown as variants such as omicron appear to evade some vaccine protections.

At a White House press briefing on Jan. 26, Dr. Anthony Fauci said that now there is an urgent need for a universal vaccine that could protect people from multiple COVID-19 variants, as well as other coronaviruses such as SARS. And some news outlets tweeted that the Army was developing a universal coronavirus vaccine.

THE QUESTION

Is the Army working on a universal vaccine that would protect people from multiple coronaviruses?

THE SOURCES

THE ANSWER

Yes, researchers at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research are working to develop a universal vaccine that would protect people against multiple COVID-19 variants and other coronaviruses. But the vaccine likely wont be available to the general public for several years.

WHAT WE FOUND

According to a U.S. Army press release, researchers at the The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research began work on the universal coronavirus vaccine in early 2020, when they were given the first DNA sequencing of the COVID-19 virus.

This vaccine would protect against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 and may provide broad protection against variants associated with the alpha strain. It would also provide protection against other coronaviruses like SARS-origin viruses. The development of this vaccine could provide researchers with the tools they need to prevent another pandemic, the release said, by acting as the first line of defense against variants of concern and similar viruses that could emerge in the future.

DefenseOne reported the Army-developed vaccine uses a soccer ball-shaped protein with 24 faces for its vaccine, which allows scientists to attach the spikes of multiple coronavirus strains on different faces of the protein. This would allow the virus to attack multiple coronaviruses at the same time, because different strains could be built into the vaccine.

The first phase of clinical trials in humans began in April 2021. Prior to that, primates were used as test subjects. According to results of the animal testing phase, the antibody responses exceed those observed for other major vaccines and rapidly protects against respiratory infection and disease in the upper and lower airways and lung tissue of nonhuman primates.

The initial vaccine trials did not include the omicron variant, because the omicron variant did not exist at the time. The delta variant was included in initial testing.

Even though the Army is working on developing a universal coronavirus vaccine, that doesnt mean it will be available to the general public any time soon, if at all. For now, its still in the development and research phase in the U.S.

Dr. David Morens, senior advisor to the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told VERIFY to make a universal vaccine is a challenge because if you try to broaden the recipe to add different viruses or variants, like the Army is working to do, your chance of success diminishes."

To make a mostly-universal or fully-universal vaccine is at the moment beyond our technical capacities for any virus group I know of, but that doesnt mean that basic science research wont in the future give us clues to go further, Morens said.

Its not only a question of mutations and bat emergences, its the whole question of breadth of coverage. How do you get a vaccine to do a hundred different jobs when it is barely possible to get it to do one? How do you get the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback to play all 22+ positions on the team at the same level? Morens added.

During a White House press briefing, Fauci also said it could be years before the vaccine would be available in the U.S.

I dont want anyone to think that pan-coronavirus vaccines are literally around the corner in a month or two. Its going to take years to develop in an incremental fashion. Some of these are already in phase one clinical trials. Dont forget, however, that our current vaccine regimens do provide strong protection, particularly when used with a booster, against severe coronavirus disease and death, Fauci said. So, do not wait to receive your primary vaccine regimen. And if you are vaccine [vaccinated], please get your booster if you are eligible.

The Armys universal coronavirus vaccine effort is not the only universal vaccine in development. Scientists are also working on a universal flu vaccine, which, according to the National Academy of Sciences, could be available within the next ten years.

The VERIFY team works to separate fact from fiction so that you can understand what is true and false. Please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter, text alerts and our YouTube channel. You can also follow us on Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Learn More

Text: 202-410-8808

See the article here:

Yes, the Army is working on a universal coronavirus vaccine - 12news.com KPNX

Video

transcript

transcript

We are now starting to see a very worrying increase in disease in most regions of the world. We are concerned that a narrative has taken hold in some countries that because of vaccines and because of Omicrons high transmissibility and lower severity, preventing transmission is no longer possible and no longer necessary. Nothing could be further from the truth. More transmission means more disease. We are not calling for any country to return to so-called lockdown. But we are calling on all countries to protect their people using every tool in the toolkit not vaccines alone. Its premature for any country, either to surrender or to declare victory. This virus is dangerous, and it continues to evolve before our very eyes.

Nightclubs in Denmark are reopening, and the government no longer considers Covid a socially critical disease. Norway is dropping its coronavirus test requirements for fully vaccinated travelers. France is ending its outdoor mask mandate. Unvaccinated Austrians are no longer confined to their homes.

In several European nations, pandemic protocols are being eased as public support for them has waned and the approach shifts instead to treating the virus as endemic, or a manageable part of life. Now some parts of the United States, where the Omicron wave has crested, are heading in that direction, with several state leaders saying it is time to be realistic about pandemic fatigue.

Were not going to manage this to zero, Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey, a Democrat, said on Sunday on the NBC News program Meet the Press. We have to learn how to live with this, he said.

Norways easing of restrictions may be the most drastic. There is no longer a limit there on how many people can gather at events, either indoors or outdoors. At movie theaters, churches and elementary schools, social distancing rules are gone. Restaurants can once again serve drinks past 11 p.m. Colleges and universities are being urged to strive for full in-person instruction. And working from home is no longer required.

As of Tuesday, fully vaccinated travelers entering Norway are exempted from testing requirements, easing a rule that has been integral to international travel since the pandemic began. (Travelers who are not fully vaccinated still face testing requirements.) Norway also shortened its minimum isolation period to four days for people who test positive but show no symptoms.

Also on Wednesday:

France eased outdoor mask rules and capacity limits for concert halls, stadiums and other events.

Switzerland said it would relax its remote work and quarantine edicts, effective Thursday.

The prime minister of the Czech Republic said the country would end its testing requirements for schools and workplaces on Feb. 18.

Finland said earlier in the week that it intended to lift all its restrictions this month, and England is expected to roll back restrictions soon as well.

Several Asian governments are moving to ease rules for arriving international travelers:

On Tuesday, Thailand resumed allowing fully vaccinated travelers into the country without quarantine, after a five-week suspension.

The Philippines said it would reopen to tourists from most countries on Feb. 10, and no longer require fully vaccinated travelers to quarantine in a government facility.

Hong Kong is reducing its quarantine period for international travelers to 14 days, down from 21, effective Saturday.

Indonesia will open the tourist island of Bali to all international travelers on Friday.

But public health leaders at the World Health Organization have urged caution about relaxing restrictions too hastily. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the W.H.O.s director general, said at a Tuesday news conference that it was premature for any country either to surrender, or to declare victory over the virus.

Were concerned that a narrative has taken hold in some countries that because of vaccines, and because of Omicrons high transmissibility and lower severity, preventing transmission is no longer possible, and no longer necessary, Dr. Tedros said. Nothing could be further from the truth.

.

In the United States, indoor mask mandates have recently expired in several cities, including Denver, Hartford and San Francisco. New York States mask requirement is effective through Feb. 10, and it is unclear whether it will be extended; Gov. Kathy Hochul has said no decision has been made.

Before Omicrons arrival, Seema Lakdawala, a respiratory virus expert at the University of Pittsburgh, estimated that masks could come off by February. Now, she said, she is surprised that more states havent put new mask mandates in place.

Im not sure anywhere at the moment is in a place that there is sufficient decrease in cases, at least in the U.S., to warrant taking off mask mandates, Dr. Lakdawala said, adding that she was hopeful weve turned a corner, but wanted to see more weeks of the virus trending down.

The U.S. has recently been averaging about 424,000 new cases a day, a figure that is falling but remains far higher than in any earlier surge in the pandemic, according to a New York Times database. Nationwide, about 140,000 patients are hospitalized with the virus, another figure that remains higher than in any previous surge. The nation is averaging more than 2,600 deaths a day, fewer than the peak last winter but still rising.

An earlier version of this report incorrectly included Baltimore in a group of cities where indoor mask mandates have ended. A mask mandate ended in Baltimore County, not the city of Baltimore.

Read the original:

Vaccines, Omicron News and Covid-19 Cases: Live Updates - The New York Times

Exposure to a single nasal droplet is sufficient to become infected with Covid-19, according to a landmark trial in which healthy volunteers were intentionally given a dose of the virus.

The trial, the first to have monitored people during the entire course of infection, also found that people typically develop symptoms very quickly on average, within two days of encountering the virus and are most infectious five days into the infection.

The study was carried out using a strain of the virus before the emergence of the Alpha, Delta and Omicron variants.

The trials chief investigator, Prof Christopher Chiu, of Imperial College London, said: Our study reveals some very interesting clinical insights, particularly around the short incubation period of the virus, extremely high viral shedding from the nose, as well as the utility of lateral flow tests, with potential implications for public health.

The findings, published on Springer Natures pre-print server, and which have not yet been peer-reviewed, detail the outcomes in 36 healthy, young participants with no immunity to the virus. The volunteers were monitored at a specialist unit at the Royal Free hospital in London, and experienced no severe symptoms.

The study found that the infection first appears in the throat and that infectious virus peaks about five days into infection, by which point the nose has a much higher viral load than the throat. The study also suggested that lateral flow tests are a reassuringly reliable indicator of whether infectious virus is present. Swabbing the nose and throat makes it more likely to detect infections during the first few days, the work suggests.

We found that overall, lateral flow tests correlate very well with the presence of infectious virus, said Chiu. Even though in the first day or two they may be less sensitive, if you use them correctly and repeatedly, and act on them if they read positive, this will have a major impact on interrupting viral spread.

The study also revealed that of the 18 people who became infected, all had similar viral loads regardless of whether they developed symptoms, underlining the role of asymptomatic transmission.

Prof Wendy Barclay, the head of the department of infectious disease at Imperial College London, said: A lot of people could be walking around shedding virus and not realising. Its really marked with this virus.

Intriguingly, some of those who did not meet the threshold for being infected also had very low levels of virus detectable in their noses and throats, suggesting that they may have experienced a very short-lived infection that was seen off by immune activity in the lining of the nose and throat.

The team are expected to publish further findings giving a unique window into the earliest phase of the immune response, during the first hours and days after encountering the virus.

The team say the trial paves the way for future challenge studies that could help accelerate the development of the next generation of vaccines and antiviral drugs. Phase 3 studies have become increasingly difficult to plan due to the erratic levels of transmission in the population. Challenge studies are far quicker and require far fewer participants to establish efficacy.

Prof Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, the deputy chief medical officer for England, said: Scientifically, these studies offer real advantage because the timing of exposure to the virus is always known exactly, therefore things like the interval between exposure and the profile of virus shedding can be accurately described.

This important study has provided further key data on Covid-19 and how it spreads, which is invaluable in learning more about this novel virus, so we can fine-tune our response.

Excerpt from:

Exposure to one nasal droplet enough for Covid infection study - The Guardian

For Immediate Release: February 01, 2022

Espaol

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is announcing a virtual meeting of its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) on Feb. 15 to discuss the request for emergency use authorization (EUA) of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for use in children 6 months through 4 years of age.

Having a safe and effective vaccine available for children in this age group is a priority for the agency and were committed to a timely review of the data, which the agency asked Pfizer to submit in light of the recent Omicron surge. Furthermore, children are not small adults. Because theyre still growing and developing, its critical that these vaccines are evaluated in well-designed and well-conducted clinical trials, said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. "In the meantime, the best way to protect children, including when they are at school or daycare, is to practice social distancing and masking in accordance with public health recommendations, and for their family members and caretakers to get vaccinated or receive a booster dose when eligible.The FDA authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for use in children 5 through 11 years of age in October 2021 and recently authorized the use of a single booster dose in individuals 12 through 15 years of age and older. As of Dec. 19, 2021, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 8.7 million COVID-19 vaccinations have been given to kids 5 through 11 years of age, which is about one-third of the approximately 24 million U.S. kids this age in the U.S. There are approximately 18 million children less than 5 years of age in the U.S.

The need for a safe and effective vaccine for our youngest children is significant, particularly given the rapid spread of the omicron variant, the notable rise in the number of hospitalizations in young children with severe disease, and the possibility that future variants could cause severe disease in those who are unvaccinated, said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDAs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. As we have done for other COVID-19 vaccine authorizations, this meeting will help ensure that the public has a clear understanding of the data and information the FDA will evaluate as it considers whether to authorize the vaccine. We are committed to a transparent process, which will include input from our external advisors.

The FDA intends to make background material available to the public, including the meeting agenda and committee roster, no later than two business days before the meeting.

In general, advisory committees include a Chair, members with scientific, medical and public health expertise and a consumer and industry representative.

The FDA intends to livestream the VRBPAC meeting on the agencys YouTube channel; the meeting will also be webcast from the FDA website.

###

Boilerplate

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nations food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

02/01/2022

Here is the original post:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Advisory Committee Meeting to Discuss Request for Authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for Children 6...

Omicron is coming off it's peak in the US, but continues to spread and the Delta variant is still being detected. Can you get both strains at the same time?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. The CDC states as of Dec. 20, Omicron has been detected in most states, with the spread of omicron and the delta variant still being detected in the United States. And some want to know if they can be infected with both strains at the same time?

THE QUESTION:

Can you be infected with the omicron and delta coronavirus at the same time?

OUR SOURCES:

THE ANSWER:

Yes, you can be infected with omicron and delta coronavirus variants at the same time.

WHAT WE FOUND:

We took this question to Dr. Karla Robinson and Dr. Payal Kohli and both agree you can be infected with both strains.

"It rarely happens, but scientifically, it is possible, and there have been few case reports of multiple strains in one individual at the same time," Robinson said.

"Although it is incredibly rare, those that can get both delta and Omicron infection at the same time," Kohli added.

In fact, the study by the Molecular Microbiology Laboratory shows evidence of co-infections of multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19.

"So the way these viruses mutate, they are essentially almost different viruses, so it is possible to become infected with multiple stains at the same time or multiple viruses at the same time," Robinson said.

This is true for other viruses as well. TheMicrobiology Textbooksays one-way a virus can mutate is when two different strains co-infect the same host cell.

"Its sort of like getting influenza A and influenza B so two different strains of the same virus can certainly coinfect the same host," Kohli said.

Both Robinson and Kohli say more research needs to be done on whether a co-infection creates more severe symptoms.

Contact Meghan Bragg atmbragg@wcnc.comand follow her onFacebook,TwitterandInstagram.

VERIFYis dedicated to helping the public distinguish between true and false information. The VERIFY team, with help from questions submitted by the audience, tracks the spread of stories or claims that need clarification or correction. Have something you wantVERIFIED? Text usat704-329-3600or visit/verify.

Read the original post:

Yes, you can be infected with omicron and delta coronavirus variants at the same time - WCNC.com

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 378.5 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths has now passed 5.67 million. More than 10.08 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.

More than half of Tokyo's hospital beds set aside for COVID-19 patients were occupied on Tuesday, a level that officials have previously flagged as a criterion for requesting a state of emergency. The capital and most of Japan are now under curbs to contain record coronavirus cases driven by the contagious Omicron variant.

The COVID-19 situation at the Beijing Winter Olympics is within the "expected controllable range", despite increasing positive cases being detected, a senior official at China's Olympics Pandemic Prevention and Control Office said on Tuesday. The Organizing Committee has reported 200 COVID cases since 23 January.

The British government said on Monday it planned to revoke mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for health workers in England after warnings that an already-stretched service could face crippling staff shortages. Health minister Sajid Javid said the government would launch a consulation into whether the policy announced in November was still needed.

Russia reported a record daily number of COVID-19 cases on Tuesday as the Omicron variant of coronavirus spread across the country, authorities said. New daily cases jumped to 125,836, up from 124,070 a day earlier. The government coronavirus task force also reported 663 deaths in the past 24 hours.

The US Food and Drug Administration on Monday gave full approval to Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for people age 18 and older, making it the second fully approved vaccine for the virus. The Moderna vaccine has been authorized for emergency use in the United States since December 2020.

South Africa no longer requires those who test positive for COVID-19 without symptoms to isolate and has also reduced the isolation period for those with symptoms by three days, as the country exits its fourth wave of the coronavirus, a government statement said on Monday.

Indonesia's holiday island of Bali will start welcoming back travellers from all countries later this week, officials said on Monday, more than three months after announcing it was open to selected nationalities.

Daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases per million people in selected countries.

Image: Our World in Data

The study, which analyzed coronavirus infections in more than 8,500 Danish households between December and January, found that people infected with the BA.2 subvariant were roughly 33% more likely to infect others, compared to those infected with BA.1.

Worldwide, the "original" BA.1 subvariant accounts for more than 98% of Omicron cases, but its close cousin BA.2 has quickly become the dominant strain in Denmark, dethroning BA.1 in the second week of January.

The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, was conducted by researchers at Statens Serum Institut (SSI), Copenhagen University, Statistics Denmark and Technical University of Denmark.

BA.2 cases have also been registered in the United States, Britain, Sweden and Norway, but to a much lesser extent than in Denmark, where it accounts for roughly 82% of cases.

The first global pandemic in more than 100 years, COVID-19 has spread throughout the world at an unprecedented speed. At the time of writing, 4.5 million cases have been confirmed and more than 300,000 people have died due to the virus.

As countries seek to recover, some of the more long-term economic, business, environmental, societal and technological challenges and opportunities are just beginning to become visible.

To help all stakeholders communities, governments, businesses and individuals understand the emerging risks and follow-on effects generated by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Marsh and McLennan and Zurich Insurance Group, has launched its COVID-19 Risks Outlook: A Preliminary Mapping and its Implications - a companion for decision-makers, building on the Forums annual Global Risks Report.

Companies are invited to join the Forums work to help manage the identified emerging risks of COVID-19 across industries to shape a better future. Read the full COVID-19 Risks Outlook: A Preliminary Mapping and its Implications report here, and our impact story with further information.

Discarded syringes, used test kits and old vaccine bottles from the COVID-19 pandemic have piled up to create tens of thousands of tonnes of medical waste, threatening human health and the environment, a World Health Organization report said on Tuesday.

The material, a portion of which could be infectious since coronavirus can survive on surfaces, potentially exposes health workers to burns, needle-stick injuries and disease-causing germs, the report said.

Communities close to poorly managed landfills can also be affected through contaminated air from burning waste, poor water quality or disease-carrying pests, it added.

The report calls for reform and investment including through the reduction in the use of packaging that has caused a rush for plastic and the use of protective gear made from reusable and recyclable materials.

It estimates that some 87,000 tonnes of personal protective equipment (PPE), or the equivalent of the weight of several hundred blue whales, has been ordered via a UN portal up until November 2021 - most of which is thought to have ended up as waste.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Original post:

COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 1 February - World Economic Forum

In this Dec. 2021 file photo, Kor'dae Delpeche, 6, of East Hartford, points to which arm she would like her shot as sister K'hloee Delpeche, 5, left, looks on at UConn Health's COVID-19 Vaccine Program at Global Communications Academy in Hartford. Free vaccines were offered to Hartford school-aged children 5 and older. (Jessica Hill / Special to the Courant)

Original post:

Daily coronavirus updates: Connecticuts number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 falls by more than 1,000 over three weeks - Hartford Courant

An annual gay ski week in Park City is scheduled to return in February, a year after the 2021 event was canceled out of concern for the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The Elevation: Utah plans to hold the gathering after the cancellation in 2021 are another signal of the Park City areas continuing economic comeback from the broad shutdowns of nearly two years ago. The event is not among the largest or most lucrative on Park Citys calendar, but the intentions to hold Elevation: Utah again in 2022 are more evidence of resiliency in the ski industry and in the wider tourism segment of the Park City-area economy.

Organizers describe the event as the 12th annual Elevation: Utah. It is slated to run from Feb. 23 until Feb. 27. The Park Record was unable to contact the organizers. It was not known early in the week how many skiers and snowboarders are expected to travel to Park City.

The event prior to the pandemic typically drew between 1,000 and 1,500 people. The organizers in 2021 predicted the attendance would drop to between 400 and 600 people with there being widespread worries at the time about the sickness. Elevation: Utah was ultimately canceled last year amid a surge in coronavirus cases across the U.S. The organizers expressed concern that the gathering could have led to a cluster of cases and further transmission.

Elevation: Utah involves skiing and snowboarding in the daytime followed by apres ski events and parties at night. The schedule includes a drag show and a flashback apres ski event.

Last years cancellation of the formal events was devastating, but in 2022, we are back bigger and better than ever! the organizers said online.

The event website indicates the Elevation: Utah events are expected to be sold out. It also says proof of vaccination is required for people to attend the events. A brief policy regarding measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus is included on the website. It reads: It is important to remember that neither Elevation nor the venues where we operate our events are responsible for local, city or state COVID policies and regulations. Elevation and our venues will abide by current local and government regulations for entry to bars/restaurants and public events in effect at the time and date the event is being held.

The website addresses the pandemic in regards to refunds, saying, If an event is cancelled or postponed due to a government order related to COVID in 2022, your ticket or pass will be refunded or honored at a future event and that Elevation: Utah-goers warrant that you already understand the risks associated with attending a public event in 2022 and local vaccination requirements before purchasing a ticket.

The gay ski week in Park City is one of three in North America under the Elevation moniker. The others are in Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in California and Mont Tremblant Ski Resort in Canada. The California event is set in March while the one in Canada is next scheduled to occur sometime in 2023, according to the organizers, who indicate Elevation: Tremblant is planning to return to Tremblant in 2023.

There is usually little evidence of the gay ski week in Park City. Several Main Street businesses sometimes display pride flags to mark the dates of the event, though.

View post:

Park City gay ski week scheduled to return after coronavirus-forced cancellation in 2021 - The Park Record