Category: Corona Virus

Illinois health officials on Friday reported 18,735 new COVID-19 cases in the past week, along with 236additional deaths and over 159,000 new vaccine doses administered.

In all, 1,630,864 cases of coronavirus have been reported in the state since the pandemic began, according to the latest data from the Illinois Department of Public Health. The additional deaths reported this week bring the state to 25,017 confirmed COVID fatalities.

The state has administered 842,141 tests since last Friday, officials said, bringing the total to more than 32 million tests conducted during the pandemic.

The states seven-day positivity rate on all tests dropped to 2.2% from last week 2.7% and 4.4% the week before, officials said. The rolling average seven-day positivity rate for cases as a percentage of total tests also dropped to 2.8% from 3.7% last week and 4.1% the week before.

Over the past seven days, a total of 159,278doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been administered to Illinois residents. The latest figures brought the states average down to 22,754 daily vaccination doses over the last week, per IDPH data.

More than 14.5 million vaccine doses have been administered in Illinois since vaccinations began in December. More than 64% of adult residents in the state are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with more than 81% receiving at least one dose.

As of midnight Thursday, 1,833 patients were hospitalized due to COVID in the state. Of those patients, 447are in ICU beds, and 236are on ventilators.

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Coronavirus in Illinois: 18,735 New COVID Cases, 236 Deaths, 159K Vaccinations in the Past Week - NBC Chicago

Newer variants of the coronavirus like Alpha and Delta are highly contagious, infecting far more people than the original virus. Two new studies offer a possible explanation: The virus is evolving to spread more efficiently through air.

The realization that the coronavirus is airborne indoors transformed efforts to contain the pandemic last year, igniting fiery debates about masks, social distancing and ventilation in public spaces.

Most researchers now agree that the coronavirus is mostly transmitted through large droplets that quickly sink to the floor and through much smaller ones, called aerosols, that can float over longer distances indoors and settle directly into the lungs, where the virus is most harmful.

The new studies dont fundamentally change that view. But the findings signal the need for better masks in some situations, and indicate that the virus is changing in ways that make it more formidable.

This is not an Armageddon scenario, said Vincent Munster, a virologist at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who led one of the new studies. It is like a modification of the virus to more efficient transmission, which is something I think we all kind of expected, and we now see it happening in real time.

Dr. Munsters team showed that small aerosols traveled much longer distances than larger droplets and the Alpha variant was much more likely to cause new infections via aerosol transmission. The second study found that people infected with Alpha exhaled about 43 times more virus into tiny aerosols than those infected with older variants.

The studies compared the Alpha variant with the original virus or other older variants. But the results may also explain why the Delta variant is so contagious and why it displaced all other versions of the virus.

It really indicates that the virus is evolving to become more efficient at transmitting through the air, said Linsey Marr, an expert in airborne viruses at Virginia Tech who was not involved in either study. I wouldnt be surprised if, with Delta, that factor were even higher.

The ultratransmissibility of the variants may come down to a mix of factors. It may be that lower doses of the variants are required for infection, or that the variants replicate faster, or that more of the variant virus is exhaled into aerosols or all three.

The Alpha variant proved to be twice as transmissible as the original virus, and the Delta variant has mutations that turbocharged its contagiousness even more. As the virus continues to change, newer variants may turn out to be even more transmissible, experts said.

But the tools at our disposal all still work well to halt the spread. Even loosefitting cloth and surgical masks block about half of the fine aerosols containing virus, according to the study of people infected with variants, published this month in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Still, at least in some crowded spaces, people may want to consider switching to more protective masks, said Don Milton, an aerosol expert at the University of Maryland who led the research.

Given that it seems to be evolving towards generating aerosols better, then we need better containment and better personal protection, Dr. Milton said of the virus. We are recommending people move to tighter-fitting masks.

Oct. 1, 2021, 6:48 p.m. ET

To compare how different variants spread through the air, his team asked participants with mild or asymptomatic infections to recite the alphabet, sing Happy Birthday loudly or shout out the University of Maryland slogan, Go Terps!

People infected with the Alpha variant had copious amounts of virus in their nose and throat, much more than those infected with the original virus. But even after adjusting for that difference, those infected with the variant released about 18 times as much virus into the smallest aerosols.

But the researchers examined only four people infected with Alpha, and 45 with older variants. That could skew the observed differences between the variants, said Seema Lakdawala, a respiratory virus expert at the University of Pittsburgh, who was not involved in either new study.

Infected people can pass the virus along to many, many others or to none at all. How much virus they expel may depend on where in the respiratory tract it is replicating, the nature of the mucus in its environment, and what other microbes it may hitch a ride with.

The State of Vaccine Mandates in the U.S.

We have really no idea why some individuals are superspreaders and others are not, Dr. Lakdawala said. Theres a lot of heterogeneity between individuals.

Data from a greater number of participants would be more convincing, but the two studies together do suggest that enhanced transport through aerosols at least partly contributes to the variants contagiousness, she said.

Dr. Munsters study did not involve people at all, but Syrian hamsters. Using the animals allowed the team to control the experimental conditions tightly and focus only on the movement of aerosols, Dr. Munster said.

The researchers separated pairs of hamsters with tubes of different lengths that allowed airflow but no physical contact. They looked at how well the different variants traveled from infected donor hamsters to uninfected sentinel hamsters.

When the cages were more than two meters apart, only the smallest aerosols particles smaller than 5 microns were shown to infect the sentinel hamsters. And the team found, as expected, that the Alpha variant outcompeted the original virus in infecting the sentinel hamsters.

The results were posted on bioRxiv, a website that features papers before they have been published in a scientific journal.

The researchers are now testing the Delta variant and expect to find that it is even more efficient, Dr. Munster said.

Together, the new findings underscore the importance of masks for vaccinated people, especially in crowded spaces, experts said. Although people with breakthrough infections after vaccination are much less likely to spread the virus than unvaccinated people, the contagiousness of the variants raises the probability.

With billions of people worldwide vaccinated, and billions still unvaccinated, the virus may still change in unexpected ways, Dr. Munster said: There might be additional evolutionary pressures, shaping the evolutionary direction of this virus.

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Is the Coronavirus Getting Better at Airborne Transmission? - The New York Times

Whether youre in need of a COVID-19 test or vaccine, the city of Corpus Christi has got you covered.

Next week, free COVID-19 testing will be offered at the Christus Spohn Hospital Memorial site on Monday Oct. 4 and Wednesday Oct. 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

If you want to get yourself a little protection and spend less time getting tested, COVID-19 vaccinations are available to those 12 and older. Minors 12-17 can receive their first and second dose of the Pfizer shot with written parental consent. Those 18 and older can receive either the Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson&Johnson shot.

Booster shots are also available to those over 65, those 18 and older with high risk of severe COVID-19 symptoms, and those whose job exposure to COVID-19 puts them at a higher risk for complications. You can find out if you are eligible here.

Now lets say youre infected with the coronavirus right now. Regeneron Infusion Therapy is available to those who qualify. To receive the monoclonal treatment, you have to be at least 12-years-old, weigh at least 88 pounds, have a doctors referral, and fall into one or more of the following groups:

If you think you may fall into one of the above categories, call your doctor to get a referral. If you dont have a primary care doctor, you can call (800) 742-5990, and the staff will evaluate if you qualify.

The Regeneron Infusion Clinic is located at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds in Robstown. Its open seven days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. If you dont have an appointment, walk-ins are welcome at 8:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.

All testing, vaccinations, and infusion therapies are free.

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COVID-19 testing, vaccinations, and Regeneron Infusion Therapy next week - KRIS Corpus Christi News

To hug or not to hug? Experts say it depends on where you've been and your personal tolerance for risk. Malaka Gharib/ NPR hide caption

To hug or not to hug? Experts say it depends on where you've been and your personal tolerance for risk.

Each week, we answer frequently asked questions about life during the coronavirus crisis. If you have a question you'd like us to consider for a future post, email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the subject line: "Weekly Coronavirus Questions." See an archive of our FAQs here.

I'm vaccinated. Is it safe to hug others who aren't in my bubble if they're vaccinated, too? What about shaking hands with a stranger, say, at work. I'm eager to get back to the way it was ... but slightly nervous.

You must remember this A kiss is just a kiss A sigh is just a sigh The fundamental things apply As time goes by

The lyrics of As Time Goes By are pretty famous yet no longer hold true. A kiss, even a kiss on the cheek, in the time of a pandemic makes people nervous. Early on in this global health crisis, French President Emmanuel Macron suggested curtailing the country's beloved cheek kiss to avoid spreading COVID-19.

Now we're in a new era the vaccine era. It's not an equitable era in terms of vaccine rates. But people are getting their shots around the world.

The French have reportedly begun cheek kissing again although not everyone feels comfortable resuming this venerable tradition.

And kissing isn't the only person-to-person contact that has come in for a pandemic rethink. There's hugging and handshaking, too.

In Nigeria, says Dr. Ifeanyi Nsofor, "most Nigerians have moved on as far as COVID-19 is concerned. Both the vaccinated and unvaccinated hug and shake hands freely. A few people still fist bump though."

He says he'll hug a friend who is vaccinated but otherwise prefers a fist bump.

So the question looms: For those who've been vaccinated, how up close and personal can you get?

The answer depends on various points.

First, let's consider how you catch COVID. "The data itself hasn't changed," says Dr. Jill Weatherhead, assistant professor of adult and pediatric infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine. "This virus is transmitted through respiratory and aerosol droplets. So we know closer contact with infected individuals will increase your risk of becoming infected."

But vaccination does offer protection. A vaccinated person who's infected will breathe out far fewer particles with pathogens and has greater barriers against getting infected. "Although, as we've learned with delta variant breakthrough transmission, infection is still possible in the vaccinated although much less likely," Weatherhead notes.

Then there's the matter of how much time goes by during a close contact with someone. We've all heard from public health agencies that the longer you're exposed to somebody who might be contagious, the greater the risk that you'll get infected. A lot of people talk about 15 minutes of close contact putting you at risk either a chunk of time or 15 minutes spread out.

That's a bit simplistic, says Seema Lakdawala, an associate professor at the Center for Vaccine Research at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Even less than 5 minutes of close exposure in a packed indoor room might be all it takes to catch COVID. "If the person is extremely infectious, being up close to them indoors is very high risk," says Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious disease doctor at Stanford University. "Hugging is as close as you can get."

By contrast, if you're outdoors, where airflow disperses those particles of pathogens, 15 minutes or more of contact might not be risky.

So that brings us back to the question: to hug or not to hug?

"I am a hugger by nature," says Lakdawala. "If I know the other person is fully vaccinated and I'm fully vaccinated, I'll give them a hug. I'm OK with that level of risk." She'd generally wear a mask, although says she'd hug her sister with no mask. Knowing her sister's routine, she says, "I am willing to take on her level of risk."

But she would take circumstances into consideration. "In a crowded bar, no," she says. Too many risks you're inside, you're up close with lots of other people as well. "Outdoors, I'm OK."

A greater risk than a hug would be "sitting in an enclosed space with somebody you don't know," adds Charlotte Baker, assistant professor of epidemiology at Virginia Tech.

Baker, who is immunocompromised, is OK with hugging, too, with a couple of provisos: "As long as people are masked up, and I know where you've been, I don't really have a problem with hugging."

As for the "where you've been" point if the hugger or huggee say, was on a 6-hour flight the day before or very recently attended an indoor concert that might make you reconsider or make sure that you and the person you're hugging are wearing masks.

Then there are people outside your close family/friend "bubble" who you might want to hug but may have jobs in fields that expose them to lots of potentially contagious folks, such as health care, education or the service industry. "Their risk for getting COVID is different than mine. I don't think I'd walk up and just hug them," says Baker. "That would be a circumstance where I don't know your risk, and you don't know mine."

To sum up: The new reality is to share your personal status and preferences.

"I think most people at this point ask first because everybody has a different tolerance level," says Weatherhead. "If you are the hugger, ask if people are comfortable: 'I'm vaccinated and would love to give you a hug.' "

That would have been really weird pre-pandemic to ask "are you vaccinated against, say, the flu" before hugging (or cheek kissing or shaking the hand of a stranger). Now, she suggests, it is part of the new normal: "It's not an unreasonable or awkward thing to state anymore."

And that kind of open dialogue is important before hugging a kid, too.

"Ask the parent," says Baker. "And the parent should likewise ask any person the kid wants to give a hug to."

It's important to consider precautions when hugging children as well as adults, Baker adds: washing hands before and after, staying away from anyone who's been sick or exposed to a COVID patient.

The relationship of the adult and the child is also something to consider in weighing risks: "I would definitely rate grandparent hugs over neighbors."

Here's a rundown of potential risks from other up-close-and-personal interactions. In every case it's your own tolerance of risk and other personal details that will inform a decision.

The cheek kiss: Being vaccinated offers protection, and the cheek kiss is fleeting. "Unless you took your hand and wiped your cheek and wiped your mouth," says Weatherhead, you'd likely be at very low risk of any infection.

The air kiss: "You're blowing air in someone's face," says Lakdawala. "I think a hug is less risky than an air kiss," says Lakdawala. Blowing a kiss from across an uncrowded room doesn't concern her. But "if you're a foot away from somebody and [want to] blow them a kiss, why not give them a hug," she says.

The handshake: Getting germs on your hands doesn't make you catch COVID-19. But the risk isn't zero. Say the person you're shaking hands with is a stranger you're meeting at work. It is possible the person has been infected and shows no symptoms. Maybe they sneezed or coughed on their hand. Then you touch their hand. And ... you bring your hand to your face, because all of us touch our faces far more often than we think.

One solution is to hand sanitize after a handshake. So that little bottle of hand sanitizer you may have carried early on in the pandemic is still a useful item for your purse or pocket.

Another solution: Give up handshakes! "I don't handshake anymore," says Lakdawala. "People touch their faces way too much to adjust their glasses or mask." If someone sticks out their hand she'll say something like, "Oh yeah, we're going to elbow bump or fist bump because it's COVID time."

The elbow bump or fist bump. An elbow bump is pretty, pretty low risk, especially if you're not breathing in each other's faces while bumping. So the other person would have to have pathogens ON THEIR ELBOW OR FIST and you'd have to pick up those germs ON YOUR ELBOW OR FIST and then BRING YOUR ELBOW OR FIST to your eyes, nose or mouth to become infected. Unless you're a professional contortionist, this seems like the unlikeliest of scenarios to catch a virus. Ifeanyi Nsofor, the fist-bump loving Nigerian physician, is definitely onto something!

P.S. If you're just an extraordinarily cautious or vulnerable soul, there's always the air hug!

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Can a vaccinated person hug another vaccinated person without risk? : Goats and Soda - NPR

PIKE COUNTY, Ky. (WTVQ) The Coronavirus has claimed the life of another educator.

This time in Pike County, she was a substitute in the public school system.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports 46-year old Kimberly Williamson got sick in August, spent 25 days on a ventilator before dying this week.

The report said she was a mother of two, had one grandchild with another on the way and she was engaged to be married.

She was a substitute instructional assistant and custodian.

She primarily worked at Feds Creek Elementary, according to the report.

She and her brother, whos a bus driver for the school system both got the virus around the same time, he was vaccinated and survived and she was not vaccinated, according to the newspaper.

The educators group, Kentucky 120 United, said at least 49 public school employees in the state have died from the virus since the pandemic hit.

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Coronavirus claims the life of another educator - ABC 36 News - WTVQ

Twomore Mainers have died as health officials on Friday reported another 738coronavirus cases across the state.

Fridays report brings the total number of coronavirus cases in Maine to 90,727,according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Thats up from 89,989 on Thursday.

Of those, 64,782have been confirmed positive, while 25,945were classified as probable cases, the Maine CDC reported.

Two men in their 80s and 70s from Penobscot and Waldo counties have succumbed to the virus, bringing the statewide death toll to 1,024.

The number of coronavirus cases diagnosed in the past 14 days statewide is 7,405. 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 up from 7,382 on Thursday.

The new case rate statewide Friday was 5.51 cases per 10,000 residents, and the total case rate statewide was 677.87.

Maines seven-day average for new coronavirus cases is 593.4, up from 589.4 the day before, up from 465.4 a week ago and up from 260.3 a month ago. That average peaked on Jan. 14 at 625.3.

The most cases have been detected in Mainers younger than 20, while Mainers over 80 years old make up the majority of deaths. More cases and deaths have been recorded in women than men.

So far, 2,503 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point with COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. Of those, 211 are currently hospitalized, with 67 in critical care and 27 on a ventilator. Overall, 41 out of 336 critical care beds and 191 out of 302 ventilators are available.

The total statewide hospitalization rate on Friday was 18.70 patients per 10,000 residents.

Cases have been reported in Androscoggin (9,747), Aroostook (3,333), Cumberland (20,217), Franklin (1,878), Hancock (2,284), Kennebec (8,540), Knox (1,655), Lincoln (1,599), Oxford (4,470), Penobscot (10,519), Piscataquis (1,146), Sagadahoc (1,761), Somerset (3,634), Waldo (2,084), Washington (1,466) and York (16,392) counties. Information about where an additional two cases were reported wasnt immediately available.

An additional 2,382 vaccine doses were administered in the previous 24 hours. As of Friday, 873,722 Mainers are fully vaccinated, or about 73.8 percent of eligible Mainers, according to the Maine CDC.

New Hampshire reported 548 new cases on Friday and two deaths. Vermont reported 224 new cases and no deaths, while Massachusetts reported 1,632 new cases and 27 deaths.

As of Friday morning, the coronavirus had sickened 43,481,064 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 698,301 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.

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2 more Mainers have died and another 738 coronavirus cases reported across the state - Bangor Daily News

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COVID-19 numbers moving in right direction, but Austin health leaders will be patient to downgrade stages - KXAN.com

Coronavirus: L.A. County reported 1,535 new cases and 28 more deaths, Sept. 30  The Daily Breeze

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Coronavirus: L.A. County reported 1,535 new cases and 28 more deaths, Sept. 30 - The Daily Breeze

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) There were 456 new total COVID-19 cases reported on Friday, bringing the states total case count to 145,474, up from Thursday (145,018).

Active cases are now at 7,325, down from Thursday (7,388).

The death toll from COVID-19 is now at 2,145. The three deaths are two men and one woman in the following age ranges: 60-69 (2) and 80+ (1). New deaths were reported in Codington, Corson and Pennington Counties.

Current hospitalizations are at 213, down from Thursday (214). Total hospitalizations are now at 7,444, up from Thursday (7,411).

Total recovered cases are now at 136,004, up from Thursday (135,488). The latest seven-day PCR test positivity rate for the state is 13.9% for Sept. 23 through Sept. 29.

The DOH currently reports total tests each day. There have been 1,503,163 total tests reported as of Friday, up 2,152 from 1,501,011 total tests reported Thursday.

Of South Dakotas 66 counties, 59 are listed as having high community spread. High community spread is 100 cases or greater per 100,000 or a 10% or greater PCR test positivity rate.

There were more than 150 confirmed cases of the Delta variant added on Friday. The total is now at 491 Delta variant cases (B.1.617.2, AY.1-AY.3) detected in South Dakota through sentinel monitoring.

There have been 172 cases of the B.1.1.7 (Alpha variant), three cases of P.1. (Gamma variant) and two cases of the B.1.351 (Beta variant).

As of Friday, 64.27% of the population 12-years-old and above has received at least one dose while 58.69% have completed the vaccination series.

There have been 439,079 doses of the Pfizer vaccine administered, 317,471 of the Moderna vaccine and 28,140 doses of the Janssen vaccine.

There have been 152,997 persons who have completed two doses of Moderna, an increase of 101 over the previous report. Theres been 209,392 persons have received doses of Pfizer, up 354 people.

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COVID-19 in South Dakota: 456 total new cases; Death toll rises to 2,145; Active cases at 7,325 - KELOLAND.com

CLEVELAND The number of businesses, organizations and events requiring a COVID-19 vaccination or negative test result is growing. So too, is the demand for results in 72 hours, creating a flood of tests at local labs.

News 5 Cleveland spoke with two local labs, both of which issued statements on how theyre adjusting to the increased demand to get results on time. However, even with this safety measure in place, local doctors still have some concerns.

In the last four months, libraries across Northeast Ohio started handing out free rapid COVID-19 tests from the state.

For months, pharmacies have sold at-home COVID-19 testing kits and due to the demand, places like CVS are limiting how many you can buy at a time.

As much as we can keep COVID cases down, life will just be easier for everyone, said Dr. Claudia Hoyen, an infectious disease specialist at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Childrens Hospital.

In September alone, testing kits were flying off the shelves in thousands as more venues and even schools started requiring them.

Those places include Playhouse Square, Severance Hall, The House of Blues, The Grog Shop, Beachland Ballroom, Happy Dog, Music Box and others.

Beginning Monday, October 4th, both artists and fans at local Live Nation venues will have to be fully vaccinated or show a negative test.

I would hope that if somebody is required to have a test to attend something that after they've had the test, they would ensure that they're doing the right thing in terms of masking so that the chances of them staying negative up until that time are important, said Hoyen.

Quest Diagnostics sent News 5 a statement saying they have performed over 57 million COVID-19 tests since it started services in 2020 and it continues to provide most results within one day.

Meanwhile, Labcorp responded to News 5s inquiry saying in part, despite declines in testing early this year, it did not reduce testing capacity. Labcorp can perform 300,000 tests per day with a one to two-day turnaround.

Hoyen worries receiving delayed test results could lead to further spread if a patient turns out to be positive and didnt know it.

People who are not vaccinated are going to be better transmitters than people that who are vaccinated, Hoyen said. But we do know that even people who are vaccinated can spread.

Download the News 5 app for free to easily access local coronavirus coverage, and to receive timely and limited news alerts on major COVID-19 developments. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.

See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.

Vaccinating Ohio - Find the latest news on the COVID-19 vaccines, Ohio's phased vaccination process, a map of vaccination clinics around the state, and links to sign up for a vaccination appointment through Ohio's online portal.

See data visualizations showing the impact of coronavirus in Ohio, including county-by-county maps, charts showing the spread of the disease, and more.

Rebound Northeast Ohio News 5's initiative to help people through the financial impact of the coronavirus by offering one place to go for information on everything available to help and how to access it. We're providing resources on:

Getting Back to Work - Learn about the latest job openings, how to file for benefits and succeed in the job market.

Making Ends Meet - Find help on topics from rent to food to new belt-tightening techniques.

Managing the Stress - Feeling isolated or frustrated? Learn ways to connect with people virtually, get counseling or manage your stress.

Doing What's Right - Keep track of the way people are spending your tax dollars and treating your community.

We're Open! Northeast Ohio is place created by News 5 to open us up to new ways of thinking, new ways of gathering and new ways of supporting each other.

View a map of COVID-19 testing locations here.

Visit Ohio's Coronavirus website for the latest updates from the Ohio Department of Health.

View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.

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Demand increasing for COVID-19 tests as more venues require results within 72 hours - News 5 Cleveland