Category: Corona Virus

Coronavirus delta variant. (File/Getty)

(StudyFinds) One protein which scientists say sends out the do not eat me signal to the human immune system may be responsible for people having more severe cases of COVID-19. Researchers from the University of Kent have discovered that higher levels of this protein on the surface of infected cells may be blocking the immune system from doing its job.

Although many patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, will only develop mild symptoms, others will experience severe and life-threatening reactions. COVID-19 is already responsible fornearly 700,000 deathsin the United States. The new findings reveal that the protein CD47 may play a major role in these deaths.

CD47 sends out a signal that prevents the immune systems defenses from accidentally destroying healthy cells. However, researchers found that when SARS-CoV-2 infects human cells, more CD47 appears on the cell surface. The team adds this is likely keeping the immune system from recognizing the infected cells as a threat. Without the immune system attacking these cells, the virus can continue to replicate and lead to more severe symptoms.

Study authors add that specific risk factors for severe COVID-19 infections like old ageand pre-existing conditions such as diabetes also show a link to higher CD47protein levels. High CD47 levels contribute to high blood pressure as well another risk factor forsevere COVID complications.

Researchers note that therapeutics which target CD47 are already in development. Their findings may help to improve their effectiveness during theCOVID-19 pandemic.

This is exciting. We may have identified a major factor associated with severe COVID-19. This is a huge step in combatting the disease and we can now look forward to further progress in the design of therapeutics, says Professor Martin Michaelis in themedia release.

These additional insights into the disease processes underlying COVID-19 may help us to design better therapies, as well as appreciation for the importance of the breadth of research being conducted. Through this avenue, we have achieved a major breakthrough and exemplified that the fight against the disease continues, adds Professor Jindrich Cinatl from Goethe University-Frankfurt.

The study appears in the journalCurrent Issues in Molecular Biology.

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Severity of COVID-19 illness may depend on levels of one protein - WFLA

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 230.6 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths stands at more than 4.72 million. More than 6.03 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.

More than half of Australia's adult population are now fully vaccincated against COVID-19, in a milestone towards the easing of restrictions.

The European Medicines Agency hopes to decide in early October whether to endorse a third booster dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

Viet Nam has pushed backed the reopening of the resort island of Phu Quoc to foreign visitors until November. It comes as insufficient vaccine supplies mean they failed to hit targets to vaccinating locals.

South Korea has recorded its highest ever number of confirmed daily COVID-19 cases - 2,434.

Novavax and its partner, the Serum Institute of India, have applied to the World Health Organization for emergency use listing of Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine.

Yemen has received its third batch of COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX global vaccine-sharing scheme.

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

Image: Our World in Data

A World Health Organization panel has recommended the use of Regeneron and Roche's COVID-19 antibody cocktail for patients at high risk of hospitalization and those severely ill with no natural antibodies.

The treatment has already been granted US emergency use authorization. It's currently under review in Europe, while Britain approved it last month.

While acknowledging costs associated with the treatment, the WHO panel said that given the recorded benefits of the therapy, "the recommendations should provide a stimulus to engage all possible mechanisms to improve global access to the intervention and associated testing".

In a separate statement, the WHO called on Regeneron to lower prices and distribute the treatment equitably worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The agency also urged the firms to transfer tech to help make biosimilars.

Each of our Top 50 social enterprise last mile responders and multi-stakeholder initiatives is working across four priority areas of need: Prevention and protection; COVID-19 treatment and relief; inclusive vaccine access; and securing livelihoods. The list was curated jointly with regional hosts Catalyst 2030s NASE and Aavishkaar Group. Their profiles can be found on http://www.wef.ch/lastmiletop50india.

Top Last Mile Partnership Initiatives to collaborate with:

Sweden is considering giving a third booster dose of COVID-19 vaccines to more of its population over concerns about waning protection from two shots.

Sweden has vaccinated 83% of the population aged over 16 with one dose and 76% with two doses. The country's public health agency recently identified some 40,000 people in need of a third dose, but said on Thursday more could soon be eligible.

"There are signals from abroad that indicate the protection from the vaccination is fading after some time, especially in those who are older," Public Health Agency official Sara Byfors told a news conference. "It is important to meet that with a third dose."

Written by

Joe Myers, Writer, Formative Content

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

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COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 24 September - World Economic Forum

In total, Pennsylvania recorded 33,421 cases during the week, 9,117 of which were in children, and 7,944 of those were in school age children. There are 12.8 million people in the state, 2.8 million of which are children and 18-year-olds, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and Morning Call analysis. There are 2.11 million children age 5 through 18.

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MAP: Pennsylvania counties where coronavirus impacts children the most - The Morning Call

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Need a COVID-19 vaccine? Heres where you can go Sunday in Austin-Travis County - KXAN.com

A stack of COVID-19 vaccination record cards from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They provide proof that you've had your shot but aren't exactly wallet size at 4 by 3 inches. Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle (Pa.) via Getty Images) hide caption

A stack of COVID-19 vaccination record cards from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They provide proof that you've had your shot but aren't exactly wallet size at 4 by 3 inches.

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 hearing of more and more activities that will require proof of vaccination: eating out, going to a concert, flying internationally and likely at some point domestically in the U.S. Do I really need to carry around that awkwardly sized paper proof-of-vaccine card?

That flimsy 4-by-3-inch piece of paper is currently the best proof we have of vaccination, says Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and that's problematic.

"At the moment, you should carry the original vaccination card," says Frieden, who is now the CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, a nonprofit that focuses on public health. "That's not a good thing because a) you could lose it and b) if you're immunocompromised, you're essentially telling people that because you got a third dose, so it's revealing health information." And then, he adds, there's the possibility that unvaccinated people will just get fake cards. (Indeed, NPR reported on sales of blank cards on Amazon.com, even though using one is a crime.)

Frieden and others are advocating for national guidelines for a more secure, accurate and flexible system to prove you're vaccinated.

"The frank truth is, mandates and vaccine passports have become a political third rail, and the administration is understandably reluctant to take action in this area," he says. "But the result is that mandates will be harder to enforce and less secure."

So if you don't want to tote your paper card everywhere, what are the options? Depending on where you live, you might be able to go digital at least, if you stay close to home.

New York, for example, uses an app called Excelsior Pass.

But when Frieden pulled up his Excelsior Pass recently, he noticed it had just expired, six months after his second dose. To extend it, he had to download an upgrade to the app. Also, downloading information on the spot can pose security and privacy issues, just like a credit card, "where some Big Brother knows about the customer, the shopkeeper and the transaction," points out Ramesh Raskar, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab associate professor not to mention hassles. Many users complain the app gets stuck on a blank blue screen.

And there is no guarantee that other states will be able or willing to use the app from your home state. Most current credential systems can only be verified by the apps in the state by which they're issued. So unless you happen to be traveling to a state that uses the same one, it probably won't get you far.

"A lot has to happen for everything to go right," Raskar says.

This includes your phone not dying as you're waiting in line.

"Technical issues such as a dead or lost phone are always concerns," says Henry Wu, director of Emory TravelWell Center and an associate professor of infectious diseases at the Emory University School of Medicine. And that's not the only potential digital flaw. "Even if you are enrolled in one of the digital vaccine certificate or passport systems, I would still always carry the original card during travel since no [digital] vaccine passport system is universally recognized," he says.

Some states, such as Hawaii, have apps designated for visitors to show proof of vaccination more easily while they're in the state, but others have banned vaccination verification apps altogether, considering them government overreach. Alabama's governor, for example, signed legislation in May that bans the use of digital vaccine credentials. Here's a state-by-state rundown of digital options compiled by PC Magazine.

An easier, cheaper and more secure electronic option would be for states to send residents a QR code that links to their vaccine status, says Raskar, who is also the founder of PathCheck Foundation, which creates software for vaccine credentials and exposure notifications apps. Israel, India, Brazil and China all use QR-based systems. QR codes use encrypted signatures, or electronic fingerprints, so they can't be copied and used for other names (although if someone stole your driver's license as well, they could presumably use your QR code).

You can store a QR code where you wish: literally on a piece of paper, as a photo on your phone, even within a fancy app.

However, that QR code technology can so far only be used within the city, state or country issuing it. Now that the U.S. has said it will allow vaccinated people from other countries to fly in, that proof will likely have to be in hard copy format for the time being. Check with your airline before traveling: Some accept apps that store a copy of your vaccine card.

"I do see a complicated challenge ahead of us, with documents from around the world to verify, and no current national digital vaccine passport standard that could help facilitate the process before travelers depart," Emory's Wu says. "I'm not sure we have even decided which vaccines we will accept as of yet." (And that's been a point of controversy elsewhere: The European Union, which does recognize a digital vaccine passport, only accepts certain vaccines.)

There's another possibility for Americans traveling abroad. If you have an International Certificate for Vaccination and Prophylaxis (ICVP, or "yellow card," a World Health Organization travel document), Wu suggests asking your vaccination provider to add your COVID-19 shots. "When traveling overseas you might encounter officials who are not familiar with our documents, so being able to prove your status in multiple ways can be very helpful," he says.

The bottom line: Don't lose that card (though, if you do, rest assured that your state retains the official record). Getting a replacement might not be easy, depending on the state. Also, instead of laminating it, consider a plastic sleeve vaccine holder: That way, it'll be easier to update if you get another shot.

Sheila Mulrooney Eldred is a freelance health journalist in Minneapolis. She's written about COVID-19 for many publications, including Medscape, Kaiser Health News, The New York Times and The Washington Post. More at sheilaeldred.pressfolios.com. On Twitter: @milepostmedia.

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Is There An App That'll Let You Prove That You've Had A COVID Vaccine? : Goats and Soda - NPR

As some players and teams around the league grapple with coronavirus vaccines and city legislation that could affect play, the Oklahoma City Thunder will be better able to manage their end.

General manager Sam Presti said on Friday that every player on the team is vaccinated.

Last season, the Thunder remained relatively healthy in regards to COVID-19. A couple of games were postponed due to outbreaks on opposing teams, but none due to OKC cases or outbreaks.

Presti said he recognizes there will be continued difficulties around the league with COVID-19 and its delta variant.

The disruptions in my opinion are going to come by way of the fact that the NBA isnt testing players or staff members, he said. Organizationally, were going to be surveillance testing our staff. Were not going to be doing it every day, but we are going to be testing basketball staff so we try to avoid some outbreaks.

The Thunder will require fans entering Paycom Center to either be vaccinated or show proof of a negative coronavirus test within 72 hours of the game.

The Athletics Shams Charania reported 90% of NBA players are fully vaccinated and the percentage has risen as training camp approached.

While the NBA does not mandate vaccines for players, some cities requirements would prevent unvaccinated athletes from playing. For instance, the San Francisco Department of Public Health ordered that anyone aged 12 and older must be vaccinated to attend large indoor gatherings.

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Presti: Every Thunder player has received the coronavirus vaccination - OKC Thunder Wire

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) Early in the pandemic, Dr. Nehemiah Thrash diagnosed Riverside Healths first COVID-19 patient. The elderly woman did not survive.

Eighteen months later, Thrash, a hospitalist at Riverside Doctors Hospital Williamsburg says the novel coronavirus is writing its own rules.

Its been a drastic change in every way that we see, said Thrash. This past week I had an 84-year-old patient who came in just because he felt weak ended up having the coronavirus but because he was vaccinated he went home in 36 hours. But I have patients in their 50s who have been in my hospital for over a month now and on a ventilator for 20 days.

Doctors around the country say most patients who are hospitalized are battling the delta variant and they are unvaccinated.

Thrash says half of his patients are COVID-19 cases and todays patients are younger and sicker than the patients of 2020.

Those patients [patients of the past] kind of reminded me of my parents or grandparents Now we are seeing patients in the 40s and 50s. Im seeing my peers in front of me, Thrash said.

Thrash added the nation is seeing in real-time the making of modern medicine.

Theres conflict over when booster shots should be administered, which segment of the population should be vaccinated, and whether, for example, someone who received the Pfizer doses should get Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster doses, he said.

Thrash says the mixed messaging will cause some confusion but the public health community must effectively spread the word that the vaccine is safe and effective.

In Virginia, 62.1% of the white population has received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine but in the Black community, the rate is 58.4%.

This is not just the community this is my family these are my friends these are even some of my colleagues to them I would just say lets keep talking, Thrash said.

And for those who think the vaccine will make them sick?

I have treated more complications from Tylenol or acetaminophen than I have for this vaccine so lets continue the conversation, said Thrash.

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Riverside Williamsburg doctor says the coronavirus is writing its own rules - WAVY.com

Alaska, once a leader in vaccinating its citizens, is now in the throes of its worst coronavirus surge of the pandemic, as the Delta variant rips through the state, swamping hospitals with patients.

As of Tuesday, the state was averaging 117 new cases a day for every 100,000 people, more than any other in the nation, according to recent data trends collected by The New York Times. That figure has shot up by 42 percent in the last two weeks, and by more than twentyfold since early July.

On Wednesday, the state said it had activated crisis standards of care, giving hospitals legal protections for triage decisions that force them to give some patients substandard care. The state also announced an $87 million contract to bring in hundreds of temporary health care workers.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, said that while hospitals were strained, he did not see a need to implement restrictions aimed at curbing transmission. Still, he encouraged people who had not yet received a vaccination to seriously consider it.

We have the tools available to us for individuals to be able to take care of themselves, Mr. Dunleavy said. While the state led the nation in vaccinations early in the year, it has been lagging in recent months, with under half of its population fully vaccinated, compared with 55 percent nationally, according to federal data.

Jared Kosin, the head of the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association, called the surge crippling in an interview on Tuesday. He added that hospitals were full, and health care workers were emotionally depleted. Patients are being kept waiting for care in their cars outside overwhelmed emergency rooms.

There is growing anxiety in outlying communities that depend on transferring seriously ill patients to hospitals in Anchorage, Mr. Kosin said. Transfers are getting harder to arrange and are often delayed, he said.

We are all wondering where this goes, and whether that transfer will be available, even tomorrow, Mr. Kosin said.

Critically ill people in rural areas, where many Alaska Natives reside, often have to be taken by plane to a hospital that can provide the treatment they need, said Dr. Philippe Amstislavski, an associate professor of public health at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Unlike in the lower 48, you dont have that ability to move people quickly, because of the distances and remoteness, said Dr. Amstislavski, who was formerly the public health manager for the Interior Region of Alaska, focusing on rural and predominantly Alaska Native communities.

UnderstandVaccine and Mask Mandates in the U.S.

Mr. Kosin said that if hospitalizations rise much further, hospitals and clinics around the state could be forced to apply crisis standards of care and more extreme triage decisions. That is the worst-case scenario we could be heading to, he said.

Alaska Natives, who have historically suffered from health disparities in the state, are disproportionately struggling during the latest virus wave, Dr. Amstislavski said.

Dr. Anne Zink, Alaskas chief medical officer, said several factors may be contributing to the surge, including summer tourists bringing in and spreading the virus.

Were hoping that as the snow falls and we have less people visiting, those numbers will settle down, Dr. Zink said in an interview Tuesday night.

On the other hand, she noted that cooling weather drives residents indoors, where the virus spreads more readily.

The states Canadian neighbors to the east, Yukon and British Columbia, have not suffered such severe outbreaks, Dr. Amstislavski said, possibly because of that countrys stricter travel restrictions and less strained health care system.

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Coronavirus Surges in Alaska, Swamping the State's Hospitals - The New York Times

COLUMBUS (WCMH) Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff announced the Ohio Vax-to-School program at a press conference Thursday.

The incentive program is for all vaccinated Ohioans ages 12 to 25. They can enter a drawing for one of five $100,000 scholarships. There are also 50 scholarships of $10,000 available.

The Ohio Lottery will release further details in the coming week. Funds come from existing COVID-19 relief dollars.

As of Thursday, Sept. 23, a total of 1,373,275 (+7,475) cases have been reported since the start of the pandemic, leading to 71,301 (+300) hospitalizations and 9,326 (+24) ICU admissions.A total of 6,262,492 Ohioans 53.58% of the states population has started the vaccination process. Thats an increase of 8,711 from the previous day.

The 21-day case average for Ohio is now over 6,500, as some Ohio intensive care units arerunning out of beds.

DeWine expressed concern over increasing hospitalizations among Ohioans 49 and younger, with nearly 400 the week of Sept. 5, and the vast majority of patients were unvaccinated. He said that in August, on average two people younger than 50 died of COVID-19 every day.

DeWine spoke with medical officials from around the state, who said in addition to COVID-19 patients filling hospitals that they are starting to see staffing issues, making caring for those patients difficult.

The Department of Health reported 125 deaths, Tuesday, bringing the total to 21,596. The state is updating the number only after death certificates have been processed, usually twice a week.

Ohio recorded9,019coronavirus cases Sept. 10, the most during the Delta wave. It was the highest one-day total since Jan. 8 (9,535).

Just 17 days in the entire pandemic has Ohio seen 9,000 cases, and only 10 days have seen more than 10,000. The states highest one-day total was set on Nov. 23 with 11,885 cases.

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Coronavirus in Ohio Thursday update: nearly 7,500 new cases, 300 new hospitalizations - NBC4 WCMH-TV

For many fully vaccinated Americans, the Delta surge spoiled what shouldve been a glorious summer. Those who had cast their masks aside months ago were asked to dust them off. Many are still taking no chances. Some have even returned to all the same precautions they took before getting their shots, including avoiding the company of other fully vaccinated people.

Among this last group, a common refrain Ive heard to justify their renewed vigilance is that vaccinated people are just as likely to spread the coronavirus.

This misunderstanding, born out of confusing statements from public-health authorities and misleading media headlines, is a shame. It is resulting in unnecessary fear among vaccinated people, all the while undermining the publics understanding of the importanceand effectivenessof getting vaccinated.

So let me make one thing clear: Vaccinated people are not as likely to spread the coronavirus as the unvaccinated. Even in the United States, where more than half of the population is fully vaccinated, the unvaccinated are responsible for the overwhelming majority of transmission.

Read: Post-vax COVID is a new disease

I understand why people are confused. In April, after months of public-health experts cautiously promoting the merits of vaccination, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky cited new real-world data of the shots effectiveness to jubilantly proclaim that vaccinated people do not carry the virus. The CDC later walked back her comment, but headlines such as Its Official: Vaccinated People Dont Transmit COVID-19 had already given many the impression that in addition to their remarkable protection against infection with the coronavirus, the shots also prevented them from passing the illness on to others.

Scientists and researchers objected, warning that there werent enough data to support such a proclamation. Their concerns were prescient. As Delta first took hold early this summer and then quickly spread, our collective relief turned into dejection.

An outbreak in Provincetown, Massachusettsin which 74 percent of the 469 cases were in the fully vaccinatedforced the CDC to update its mask guidance and issue a sad and sobering warning: Vaccinated people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant can be just as contagious as unvaccinated people.

In the aftermath of the Provincetown announcement, many who had gotten their shots were confused about what the news meant for them, especially when headlines seemed to imply that vaccinated individuals are as likely to contract and transmit COVID-19 as the unvaccinated. But this framing missed the single most important factor in spreading the coronavirus: To spread the coronavirus, you have to have the coronavirus. And vaccinated people are far less likely to have the coronavirusperiod. If this was mentioned at all, it was treated as an afterthought.

Despite concern about waning immunity, vaccines provide the best protection against infection. And if someone isnt infected, they cant spread the coronavirus. Its truly that simple. Additionally, for those instances of a vaccinated person getting a breakthrough case, yes, they can be as infectious as an unvaccinated person. But they are likely contagious for a shorter period of time when compared with the unvaccinated, and they may harbor less infectious virus overall.

Thats why getting more people their shots is crucial for controlling the spread of the coronavirus: Every vaccinated person helps limit the viruss ability to hide, replicate, and propagate.

Among the unvaccinated, the virus travels unhindered on a highway with multiple off-ramps and refueling stations. In the vaccinated, it gets lost in a maze of dead-end streets and cul-de-sacs. Every so often, it pieces together an escape route, but in most scenarios, it finds itself cut off, and its journey ends. It can go no further.

This is borne out by recent data from New York City that show that more than 96 percent of cases are among the unvaccinated. Only 0.33 percent of fully vaccinated New Yorkers have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

To highlight what this means in the real world, imagine two weddings with 100 guests, one where everyone is unvaccinated and another where all the guests are vaccinated.

In the unvaccinated wedding group, the likelihood that at least one of the guests has COVID-19 is high. Similarly, everyone present is more susceptible, and the virus will likely infect many others, given the increased transmissibility of the Delta variant.

At the wedding with exclusively vaccinated attendees, however, the likelihood that anyone present has COVID-19 is minuscule. Even if someone present is infected, the likelihood that the other guests will contract the virus is similarly low, given the protection afforded by their shots.

This is exactly why vaccine mandates are so importantand why going to events that exclude unvaccinated people is much, much safer than those that are open to all. Everyone knows that the vaccines help protect each individual who gets their shots. But when more people get vaccinated, this helps keep everyone else (including children and others ineligible for vaccination) safe as well.

Its worth acknowledging that even though the vaccines are our best protectionand still do what we need them to do very welltheyre not perfect. Vaccinated individuals can experience breakthrough infections, and when they do, they can potentially infect others. Some may also develop long COVID, although thankfully the shots dramatically lower this risk too. These reasons are exactly why, in many circumstances, mitigation measures such as masking and mandates still make sense to help limit the spread, even for the vaccinated.

As an emergency-medicine physician, Ive seen firsthand the vaccines dramatic role in reducing severe outcomes from a virus that flooded my emergency room early in the pandemic. And as a member of one of the first groups vaccinated in the rollout, I was kept safe by the shots while I cared for patients, and they prevented me from bringing the virus home to my family.

Craig Spencer: Relax, America: the vaccines are still working

But ultimately, a COVID-19 diagnosis in someone close to me is what highlighted why the assertion that the vaccinated are as likely to spread the coronavirus as the unvaccinated is so wrong.

Recently my cousin contacted me when her daughter tested positive for COVID-19. Her daughter fell ill just weeks before her 12th birthday, when she wouldve been eligible for a vaccine. My fully vaccinated cousin spent nearly every moment at her sidealways indoors and usually unmaskedyet never fell ill herself.

The vaccine seems to be working. Its magic! she texted me. Before getting her shots, she would have almost certainly been infected, and likely passed it on to others. But the vaccine broke the chain of transmission. My cousin never spread her daughters COVID-19 to anyone because she never caught it.

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The Vaccinated Aren't Just as Likely to Spread COVID - The Atlantic