The United States has so far made significant progress in vaccinating adults and a new milestone was achieved Tuesday.
More than 164 million people -- 49.5% of the total US population -- has received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, CDC data shows. More than 131 million people, or 39.5% of the total US population, are fully vaccinated, CDC data shows.
But many experts have identified young Americans as a critical age group for inoculation success -- the key to getting the pandemic under control in the country.
Even mild illness can result in life-disrupting impacts
Children accounted for nearly 20% of the new cases reported late last week. More than 3.9 million children have tested positive since the start of the pandemic as of May 20.
Depending on the state, children made up between 6% and 19.5% of those who were tested for Covid-19 -- and 5.2% to 34.4% of children tested were positive for the coronavirus.
Children represented 1.3% to 3.2% of total reported hospitalizations for Covid-19, based on the information provided by 24 states and New York City. Only 0.1% to 1.9% of all cases of Covid-19 in children required hospitalization.
Nine states reported zero child deaths among the 43 states that provided data on Covid-19 mortality.
For young Americans who feel hesitant or even unmotivated to get vaccinated, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned that even mild Covid-19 illness can result in life-disrupting impacts.re
"There's a syndrome that is referred to as long Covid, which means that you get a syndrome following the clearing of the virus where it could be for months," the director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases said Monday at a town hall, adding that possible persisting symptoms include profound fatigue, muscle aches, temperature dysregulation and an inability to focus.
About 1 in 5 people between ages 18 and 34 who are infected with Covid-19 reported lingering symptoms beyond two or three weeks, according to a study last year by the CDC.
And adolescents and children still deserve protection against their risk -- however small -- of contracting a serious illness, Fauci said.
National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins said Tuesday that the pandemic has been a significant challenge for children's mental health.
"People sort of shrug and say, 'well, you know, kids are resilient,' but wait a minute, this is really an incredible unprecedented challenge to their life experience," Collins told the House Appropriations committee.
Earlier research has shown that even otherwise healthy children have had some developmental setbacks and delays during the pandemic.
Protecting students returning for school in the fall
Protection for school-aged adolescents has increasingly come into focus as officials look ahead to the new school year.
Although a vaccine for younger children likely won't be available by the time school starts in the fall, Fauci told the House Appropriations committee on Tuesday that it should be safe for children of all ages to go back to in-person class then.
Given the percentage of teachers vaccinated already now and into the fall, "there should be no reason not to get children of any age back to in-person school by the time we get to the fall term," Fauci added. Several NIH leaders appeared before the committee to discuss the agency's proposed budget.
A vaccine for younger children likely won't be available until late fall, early winter, Fauci said.
"I don't have children that young, but I would not be concerned when we get to the fall," Fauci said.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said children should be back in school full-time in-person statewide in September. His statement came after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that there will be no remote option for the city's public schools in the fall.
Currently, only students 12 years old and older are eligible for vaccines, though studies are underway on vaccinating younger children.
When New York City does open its public schools on September 13, students will still have to wear face masks and adhere to social distancing guidelines, NYC Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter said Monday.
"We would never take any risks with our most important assets ... our children," Porter said, adding that every school will be equipped with social and emotional support resources for students.
In California, the Los Angeles Unified School District announced that school campuses will reopen for in-person learning five days a week in the fall. Superintendent Austin Beutner recognized that not all families in the district will be ready to send their students back by then.
"We expect the vast majority of students, teachers and staff to be at school every day, but recognize that we must provide the online opportunity for those who need it," he said.
Understanding the origin of the virus could help mitigate another pandemic
Understanding how coronavirus developed could have an impact on officials' ability to respond to future pandemics, but debate around its origin has grown.
After a US intelligence report found that several researchers at China's Wuhan Institute of Virology fell ill in November 2019, a former commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration said on Monday that there is "growing circumstantial evidence" that Covid-19 may have come from a lab.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on Monday rejected the report and accused the US of "hyping up the lab leak theory."
"Through field visits and in-depth visits in China, the experts unanimously agreed that the allegation of lab leaking is extremely unlikely," Zhao said.
"I think the challenge right now is that the side of the ledger that supports the thesis that this came from a zoonotic source, from an animal source, hasn't budged," Dr. Scott Gottlieb said on CNBC's "Squawk Box." "And the side of the ledger that suggests this could have come out of a lab has been continuing to grow,"
Whether the virus derived from an animal or a lab, it is important for health experts to know, CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen said.
"We need to understand what the origin is, if there is in fact an intermediary animal between bats and humans we need to understand because there may be a reservoir of disease we should be looking for," Wen said. "If this is indeed a lab leak, we should also understand for the purposes of securing lab safety protocols."
Among the unanswered questions are how seriously the researchers fell ill, when they got sick and if the virus was already circulating before then, Wen said.
The Chinese government has not been transparent on this issue, she said, but it is important the global community get down to the bottom of it.
"This is not the last pandemic that we are going to see and understanding the origin of this will help us to prevent something like this from happening in the future," she said.
CNN's Ryan Prior, Christina Maxouris, Holly Yan Jacqueline Howard, Lauren del Valle and Laura Ly contributed to this report.
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Croup is an infection of the upper airways that most commonly affects young children. Its also possible for adults to get croup, but this is rare.
Some of the characteristic symptoms of croup include a barking cough and stridor, which is a harsh sound that happens when a child breathes in. Other cold-like symptoms may also be present.
Several different types of viruses can cause croup. Recently, symptoms of croup have been reported in children with COVID-19.
You may be wondering how you can tell if your childs croup symptoms are caused by the novel coronavirus or another viral infection. Below, well compare croup and COVID-19, how theyre treated, and when to see a medical professional.
Now lets break down the differences between croup and COVID-19 and what you can expect from each illness.
Croup is most often caused by a viral infection. Parainfluenza viruses are the most common cause of croup, but influenza viruses, adenoviruses, enteroviruses, and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can cause it as well.
The first symptoms of croup are very similar to those of other upper respiratory infections, such as the common cold. They include:
In the next day or so, the characteristic barking cough appears. Some children may develop stridor, a harsh sound thats made when they breathe in. Stridor can also happen with rapid, shallow breathing and nostril flaring. These symptoms are often worse at night.
Its possible for croup to happen without cold-like symptoms. This is called spasmodic croup and is also commonly caused by viruses. Children with spasmodic croup often have croup symptoms that recur periodically.
The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, causes the viral infection COVID-19. Generally speaking, fewer instances of COVID-19 have been observed in children compared with adults.
Many of the symptoms of COVID-19 in children are similar to those in adults and can include:
A 2020 review of 10 studies that described 2,914 children with COVID-19 found that the most commonly reported symptoms were cough, fever, and sore throat.
As in adults, children who have contracted SARS-CoV-2 may not have symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that as many as half of children who contract the novel coronavirus may be asymptomatic.
Recently, there have been reports of children presenting to the hospital with symptoms of croup testing positive for COVID-19. These include:
Theres overlap between the symptoms of croup and the common COVID-19 symptoms in children. Because of this, you may be curious about how you can tell if your childs symptoms are due to COVID-19 or another cause of croup.
Some things you can consider are:
The only way to be sure whether your child has COVID-19 is to have them get a COVID-19 test. To do this, you can reach out to your childs doctor or seek out a COVID-19 testing site in your area.
Croup is most often treated at home with supportive care. This includes things like:
Your childs doctor may prescribe a medication called dexamethasone to help treat croup. This is a steroid medication that reduces inflammation, helping to open the airways.
When croup is severe, treatment in a hospital may be necessary. Both dexamethasone and nebulized epinephrine are given. If a child is dehydrated, they may also receive intravenous (IV) fluids.
If croup symptoms are caused by COVID-19, supportive care will also be used. Most cases of mild or moderate COVID-19 in both children and adults can be treated at home.
According to the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasnt yet approved any drugs to treat COVID-19 in children. However, the following treatments may be used for children with severe COVID-19:
The chart below can help you compare the potential symptoms of croup with COVID-19 and other common childhood illnesses.
As you can see, many of these illnesses have a significant overlap in symptoms. If you ever have questions or concerns about symptoms that your child is experiencing, dont hesitate to speak with their doctor.
Theres also some overlap in the serious symptoms of both croup and COVID-19. Its important to seek prompt medical attention or call 911 if you notice any of the following symptoms:
If you suspect that your child has COVID-19, be sure to let staff know when you arrive at the doctors office or hospital.
Croup is a common respiratory infection in children. Its symptoms include a barking cough, fever, and sore throat. Some children may also have stridor when they breathe in.
Three of the most common COVID-19 symptoms in children are fever, cough, and sore throat. In some cases, COVID-19 can present with symptoms of croup. The only way to be sure whats causing a childs symptoms is a COVID-19 test.
Most children with either croup or COVID-19 can recover at home. However, its important to seek emergency medical attention for symptoms like stridor, difficulty breathing, and decreased alertness.
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Croup vs. COVID-19: Is There a Way to Tell the Difference? - Healthline
Updated at 4:55 p.m.
Ask us about COVID-19: What questions do you have about the coronavirus and vaccines?
Acting Health Secretary Cheryl Bettigole spoke Tuesday about the good, the bad, and the ugly of how Philadelphia has reckoned with the pandemic over the past year.
In terms of the good, she cited the citys massive mobilization.
The idea that we were able to give this many doses in this short amount of time and get to a place in just a few months with 280 vaccine sites this is just a monster, Bettigole said.
When the department envisioned what a pandemic response might look like, we didnt envision a vaccine that would require ultra-low freezer temperatures, or some of the other restrictions that this vaccine has required, or keeping people six feet apart unmasked and so on. So, just the massive mobilization and the collaboration with partners across the city, ordinary Philadelphians stepping up to help really is just amazing. And, you know, we call our city the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection for a reason.
Discussing what the city couldve done better, Bettigole pointed to the importance of drilling down on data from the beginning.
I think there are things that we didnt necessarily anticipate and things we didnt necessarily see early on without that ability to break data down, Bettigole said.
Thats changed these days, she said, the city has teams of people focused on breaking data down according to census tracts, and identifying small-scale neighborhoods that are most in need of clinics.
That level of use of data is something that weve learned from this pandemic and something that [if] had we had early on, I think we mightve been able to avoid some of our early disparities, she said. I think it is a really critical piece of where we go next, because, I hate to say this, but you know, this might not be our only pandemic and we have to be ready.
It was a similar learning curve experienced across the country, though Bettigole said those disparities shouldnt have been a surprise.
We know whos going to be worst-hit in any bad health event, right? Its not rocket science its going to hit our Black residents. Its going to hit our Latino residents. Its going to hit our immigrants. We know this, Bettigole said. And so figuring out how do we go right there from the beginning to make sure were reaching the people who are most at risk? I think is something that we have all learned from this and, and well take forward.
Those vulnerabilities, she added, reflect a larger social and public health problem that will continue beyond the pandemic.
Racism is not unique to the COVID-19 pandemic impact, Bettigole said. We see it in diabetes rates. We see it in where cigarettes are marketed in our neighborhoods. You know, its the same story.
So what were seeing is not a surprise. Its the result of multiple systems that long, long, long predate this pandemic, but its sort of a perfect storm aimed at those neighborhoods. And we can anticipate that, and we can target our response based on knowing that.
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Pa. coronavirus update: Kids 12+ and people who've had COVID-19 urged to get vaccine - WHYY
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) The coronavirus pandemic isnt the only issue disproportionately affecting the African American community.
Many families are struggling after loved ones have been victims of violence and in some cases, they were killed by local law enforcement.
Now, theres a plan to create a safety net for those who suffer.
Former Christopher Newport University assistant football coach Kendal Rivers was diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 25, 2021.
He died on Easter Sunday.
We have been sad every day my brother was 28 years old very young, said Kenny Rivers.
His son, Kyrie, tearfully added a fond memory of his uncle.
He used to play with us and train football with us, said Kyrie.
On Jan. 9, 18-year-old Xzavier Hill was shot and killed by Virginia State Police in Goochland. The killing was ruled justified.
His mothers twin sister, LaTonya Snow, who lives in Virginia Beach, remains in denial that the child she was with the day he was born will never smile or tell her another joke.
I have a hard time believing they took Xzavier Im still kind of in disbelief, aid Snow.
Hills mother, LaToya Benton has participated in a number of protests in Goochland related to her sons death.
On March 27, 25-year-old Donovon Lynch was shot and killed by a Virginia Beach police officer. The use of deadly force remains under investigation.
We have faith God is going to provide for us. The truth will prevail, said his father Wayne Lynch.
If you are impacted by bullet, violence, trauma, or COVID-19, help is on the way.
Hampton Roads resident Cameron Bertrand himself a victim of gun violence and his business partner Ashlee Fallin are creating a nine-week grief support program to wrap arms around those who are crying out for help.
The inspiration for the initiative came on the day Donovon Lynch was laid to rest.
On that same day, I found out my teammate Kendal had passed away. So these are things hit back to back to back with so much trauma. I had to kneel down and ask God why is this happening there has to be a way, a solution, to deal with all these things, said Bertrand, a Christopher Newport University graduate.
The grief support program will be free for those in need and funded by contributions, and grants. Organizers hope to begin providing services in late June.
For more information contact Violence Intervention & Prevention LLC at Begreaterthanvip@gmail.com.
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Grief caused by two pandemics: The coronavirus and violence - WAVY.com
COVID Q&A: What to do if you lose your coronavirus vaccine card and how to be more careful next time The Mercury News
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Dive Brief:
Lilly's response to COVID-19 has been among the industry's most successful. The company created, tested and won emergency clearances for two antibody drugs, as well as proving another of its other medicines can help treat the disease, too.
The Indianapolis drugmaker's single antibody, bamlanivimab, was the first treatment of its kind when the FDA cleared it for emergency use in November after the company proved it could help keep infected patients out of the hospital. Authorization of Lilly's two-drug combination followed in February, and the agency has sanctioned the company's anti-inflammatory drug baricitinib for use in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Those results have boosted Lilly's business. The company earned $810 million from its COVID-19 antibody drugs last quarter and $871 million in the three months to end 2020. While the first quarter total was lower than what analysts expected, Lilly's revenues have outpaced those of Regeneron, which booked $262 million in the first quarter for its COVID-19 antibody treatment.
Demand for antibody drugs could be ebbing in the U.S., however. Lilly has already forecasted lower use of its antibody drugs in 2021 due in part to the broad availability of vaccines. Mutations to the original coronavirus strain, meanwhile, have given rise to variants that may be less susceptible to antibody treatment.
The U.S. government stopped distributing bamlanivimab in March after the drug was found to be significantly less potent against multiple variants of concern. The FDA revoked its clearance for bamlanivimab just a month later, although Lilly had set that process in motion believing its dual antibody treatment could perform better.
Unlike bamlanivimab, the two-drug combination can latch onto the coronavirus in more than one place. That strategy is meant to account for viral mutations and the possibility the coronavirus could eventually evade treatment. Lilly has said its combination regimen can neutralize emerging variants better than bamlanivimab alone. Regeneron, by comparison, started with a dual antibody regimen rather than pursue a monotherapy approach.
Lilly and Regeneron's combination regimens have performed differently against key variants, most notably ones first detected in South Africa and Brazil, known respectively as B.1.351 and P.1. Lilly's drug is "unlikely to be effective" against both variants, according to the fact sheet on its authorization. That's become problematic of late, as P.1 is circulating at "persistently elevated" levels of more than 20% in Illinois and, more recently, over 10% in Massachusetts, according to the ASPE.
The U.S. government, as a result, has stopped distributing the combination in both states and is recommending providers choose Regeneron's drug, which is "likely to retain activity" against P.1, the ASPE wrote.
In an emailed statement to BioPharma Dive, Lilly noted the prevalence of variants of concern vary "by state and can change rapidly." A variant that originated in California and about a month ago was dominant in a few states, for example, has declined in prevalence in recent weeks.
Lab tests indicate the combination regimen "maintains its neutralizing effect against the vast majority of COVID-19 cases seen across the country today," Lilly's spokesperson wrote, including the so-called B.1.1.7 variant that makes up about 70% of U.S. cases. The combination reduced hospitalizations and death by 87% in high-risk COVID-19 patients in a Phase 3 trial carried out in the U.S. as new strains were emerging, the spokesperson noted.
The spokesperson didn't indicate whether Lilly would consider withdrawing the combination, should variants of concern spread further.
"As variants continue to evolve and their patterns of transmission and prevalence shift, we will continue our work with governments and regulators worldwide to assure that the right antibodies are available to the right patients, in the right places, and at the right time," the spokesperson said.
Excerpt from:
Coronavirus variants threaten to undermine another Lilly COVID-19 drug - BioPharma Dive
All data and statistics are based on publicly available data at the time of publication. Some information may be out of date. Visit our coronavirus hub and follow our live updates page for the most recent information on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Early in the pandemic, it became clear that males are more susceptible than females to severe COVID-19 and have a higher risk of death from the disease.
Among the proposed reasons are higher rates of smoking among males and a greater reluctance to wear a mask, but there may be a more fundamental, biological explanation.
SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes COVID-19, exploits two membrane receptors called ACE2 and TMPRSS2 to break into its host cells.
Research suggests that androgens that is, male sex hormones increase the production of these receptors in the cells that line the airways of the lungs, which may make it easier for the virus to infect lung tissue in males.
Other lines of evidence that implicate male sex hormones include the observation that male pattern baldness, which is caused by high circulating levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), is associated with severe COVID-19 in males.
Intriguingly, clinical trials suggest that drugs for treating prostate conditions and male hair loss, which reduce the production of DHT or block the hormones receptors, may speed the recovery of people with COVID-19.
Leading endocrinologists from Spain, Turkey, and Italy have reviewed the latest evidence on male hormones and several other hormone-related risk factors for COVID-19 in a position statement for the European Society of Endocrinology.
The statement updates a previous statement that the society published in March 2020, early in the pandemic.
The authors write that physicians should exercise caution when prescribing testosterone in particular, androgen replacement therapy for male hypogonadism in older patients.
They also review the evidence and issue advice for a range of other endocrine conditions, including vitamin D insufficiency, diabetes, obesity, adrenal insufficiency, and issues related to the pituitary and thyroid glands.
We need to be aware of the endocrine consequences of COVID-19 for patients with a known endocrine condition, such as diabetes, obesity, or adrenal insufficiency, but also for people without a known condition, says first author Manuel Puig-Domingo, M.D., Ph.D., from the Universitat Autnoma de Barcelona in Spain.
Vitamin D insufficiency, for example, is very common, and the knowledge that this condition has emerged frequently in the hospitalized COVID-19 population and may negatively impact outcomes should not be taken lightly.
Despite its name, vitamin D is not a vitamin, but a hormone precursor.
After adjusting for known risk factors, low levels of the vitamin are more prevalent in people hospitalized with COVID-19 than in the general population.
Some studies have also found that low vitamin D levels are associated with more severe disease and mortality.
The authors recommend that healthcare professionals ensure that their patients have adequate vitamin D levels in particular, older adults with diabetes or obesity.
They observe that home confinement during lockdowns, especially for older adults, may have contributed to worsening levels of vitamin D deficiency in some countries.
The endocrinologists note that a large body of published evidence suggests that diabetes, poor management of blood glucose, and obesity are strong risk factors for worse outcomes and mortality in COVID-19.
Active vigilance and testing in outpatient endocrine clinics, as well as early hospitalization for COVID-19 is recommended, they write.
They add that treatment with metformin for type 2 diabetes and statins for high cholesterol are associated with less severe disease and lower risk of death, so these should not be stopped upon admission to the hospital.
Beta cells in the pancreas, which produce insulin, may be particularly vulnerable to damage by the virus because they express an abundance of ACE2 receptors.
This may partly explain new cases of diabetes following severe COVID-19.
The experts say:
Mortality in type 1 or type 2 diabetes has consistently increased during the year of pandemic and evidence is emerging that a bidirectional relationship between diabetes and COVID-19 may exist, both in terms of worsening existing conditions and new onset of diabetes.
Alongside diabetes, obesity has emerged as a major risk factor for COVID-19.
The authors write in their paper:
Weight management, blood pressure, and blood glucose control have always been important to improve cardiometabolic health and prevent severe health consequences in obesity, but the risk of severe COVID-19 is now another important reason to focus on these issues.
They caution that lockdown measures, by influencing diet, levels of physical activity, stress, and sleep, may lead to weight gain.
Thus, people with obesity should be encouraged to increase physical activity and gain healthy eating habits, develop strategies to reduce stress and optimize sleep during pandemic, they write.
In addition to the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on the pancreas, they write that there is evidence that the virus may directly damage the adrenal, pituitary, and thyroid glands.
They review the latest evidence and provide clinical advice for the treatment of conditions related to each of these endocrine organs.
Finally, the endocrinologists emphasize that clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines demonstrated similar efficacy and safety in patients with stable diabetes and obesity, compared with healthy subjects.
They recommend that vaccination should not be handled differently in patients with stable endocrine diseases such as autoimmune thyroiditis, Graves disease, Addison disease, pituitary adenomas, type 1 and 2 diabetes, and obesity.
However, they note that the treatment of patients with conditions such as Addison disease, in which the adrenal glands do not produce enough hormones, may require adjustment to address potential side effects of vaccines, such as fever.
For live updates on the latest developments regarding the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, click here.
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Medical News Today COVID-19 and hormones: What is the link? - Medical News Today
Infections are soaring. So are deaths. Whole cities are under lockdown. And the government seems powerless to help.
India is in the grip of a coronavirus crisis. Experts agree that the spread is probably even worse than the official statistics suggest. In many parts of the country, hospital beds, supplemental oxygen and other vital supplies are running short.
As Western countries roll out mass vaccination campaigns, only about 3 percent of Indias population is fully inoculated. Though conditions are slowly improving in New Delhi and Mumbai, the virus appears to be spreading largely unchecked through the rest of the country.
The New York Times asked readers in India to describe their lives in the midst of the pandemic with words and photos. They wrote about fear and loss, anxiety and boredom. Some wrote about their anger at the stumbling response by Indias government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But they also wrote about family and friends who have helped them cope, and efforts they have made to help neighbors and strangers alike.
You cant leave it to the citizens to bear the brunt of a health care system thats crumbling.
A lot of people my age have been helping people find resources like hospital beds, oxygen cylinders, medication, etc., through social media by verifying whatever leads are floating around on the internet and sending them to whoever needs them. Ive been working with one such group. I realize that it is a necessary job in these times, but its also incredibly draining. It is the sign of a completely broken system that teenagers have to band together and work themselves to exhaustion trying to answer all these desperate pleas all over Twitter. And its getting harder to do by the day as things worsen because resources get exhausted very quickly. Most of the time we just end up calling a lot of numbers and get no response, and when we do its usually people saying theres nothing they can do for us. Its heartbreaking when people around are just suffering and dying and theres so little you can do to help. Were all terrified and burnt out and this is a very unsustainable system of getting people access to health care. You cant leave it to the citizens to bear the brunt of a health care system thats crumbling. Arunima Tiwari, New Delhi
I miss spontaneity. I hate that I now have to plan everything out and even when I do, the plans feel like they can just disappear. Im trying not to focus on what could have been. Instead, Im determined to stay focused on what I can do. I have reactivated my long-dormant social media accounts to amplify what I can, and I now volunteer at a response center that offers assistance to Covid-positive patients. I dont have a choice but to help because elected authorities have made it loud and clear that they arent going to. Anindita Nayak, Bangalore
Its hard to imagine this is actually real and happening.
Life in Delhi at the moment feels like youre having an out-of-body experience. Its hard to imagine this is actually real and happening. Every social media feed, every WhatsApp group is full of requests from people looking for oxygen, hospital beds, critical lifesaving medicines. The worst part: Theres almost nothing you can do to help anyone immediately. It takes hours of verifying, calling, begging for help to actually find some solutions, if that even happens. By that time, you feel almost too scared to call back and find out if help is still needed for fear of hearing the inevitable that the person has died without getting adequate care. Indians are dying not because of Covid but because theyre not receiving treatment and care. Shweta Bahri, Delhi
Both my parents got Covid. I lost my mother yesterday. Father is on ventilator support. The reason I lost my mother is because she didnt get treatment. I live in Bangalore, and there is no way you can get a bed in any hospital. The help line numbers never work. If they do, then they just take details or transfer your call with no help. Being completely helpless, I took my mother to a hospital that Im not sure is even legitimate. They just wanted money from me. They did not have trained staff. Oxygen was always in short supply. I felt helpless that I could not take her anywhere. I knew that if I kept her there she would not survive. I had to bring my father there, and his condition deteriorated due to lack of oxygen. I managed to take him to a different hospital, but it was too late. Now he is on a ventilator. Paresh Patil, Bangalore
Rahul Patil died on May 17, Paresh Patil said, after this submission was received.
It has been challenging, but I maintain a mood log throughout the day and encourage my family to do the same. I also post a mood meter on social media so people can reply with how they are feeling using an emoji and we can talk about it. I also help my parents with their medicines, food, oximeter and temperature readings. Since both have different sets of medications, its really important we keep a record of the medicines along with a chart of the vitals. My extended family has been very helpful during this time. They remain connected through calls and texts and remind us not to lose faith. Rachita Ramya, Delhi
Since I have been going to work every day, I have not really experienced the lockdown in terms of staying inside. But it has been a very stressful year when it comes to working. When the lockdown lifted last year, people immediately rushed into the bank where I work. It has been very difficult and almost impossible here, in a rural part of India, to make people understand the importance of masks and social distancing.
The government has done little to make people aware of the situation. Also, the lockdowns initially were more of a television ratings stunt rather than a precautionary measure. A lot of workers in banks have died on duty, and some have been denied leave even when they were sick. The precautionary measures on paper are nowhere close to reality. In the past few months, we played dumb to something which we clearly saw coming. Shweta Beniwal, Kolar
Understand the Covid Crisis in India
As I type this out, four doors lay ajar or wide open in my home. Three of us have now developed Covid symptoms. My old dad has been taking care of cooking, cleaning, medicating and sanitizing all day. My dad sleeps in fits through the day and night, interrupted by calls for food, tea, hoarse coughing, and groans of pain and frustration. How do I cope? Each night, as a 21-year-old, lying wide-awake the weather is unbearably hot, and my fever rarely subsides I make up positive scenarios in my mind. Getting a job and earning enough to secure my familys well-being in this cruel dog-eat-dog world. Being more bold, less hesitant, in fighting people who didnt see the warning signs of a corrupt, inept distribution of resources. Slapping each of those complacent idiots who voted into power a ruthless demagogue who wins elections by stoking fear and resentment but is a dud when it comes to long-term policymaking, tough decision-making and leadership. Harmandeep Khera, Chandigarh
Since sending his submission, Mr. Khera said, he and his family have recovered.
Many friends have been infected, and we call each other every day to share a joke and to stay positive and make plans to meet in the future. Still frightening, but we are coping. I also try to help people overcome disinformation and keep telling people that most of us who are infected will recover. I ask people to avoid panic buying and seeking unvalidated cures. Since last year I have exercised regularly and continue to do so even while infected and isolated. I am also a pistol shooter for my state of Maharashtra, so mental conditioning has been an important part of my training. I meditate for 10 minutes each day to stay positive. Raj Khalid, Mumbai
It is very frightening. Half of the people I know have been tested positive or have been previously infected. We havent stepped out of the house for the past two weeks, and it has taken a greater toll on our physical and mental health. The only rule is to avoid contact. If you want to keep your close ones safe, then you need to keep them away for a while. My mother is an essential worker, and I have seen her doing grocery shopping for many needy people who are quarantined. Its something Im proud of. In times like these, we need to hold on to humanity and have faith in whatever you believe in. Being an atheist, I have faith in science and myself. Akash Helia, Mumbai
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What It's Like to Be in India's Covid-19 Crisis - The New York Times
BISMARCK Following are the North Dakota Department of Health COVID-19 case rates, deaths, hospitalizations and vaccinations as of Tuesday, May 25. Because all data is preliminary, some numbers and totals may change from one day to the next.
North Dakota's active case count decreased by 12 on Tuesday. Burleigh County, which includes Bismarck, leads the state with 89 active cases, while Cass County, which includes Fargo, has 79 active cases. The two-week rolling average positivity rate is 3.6%.
FIRST DOSE ADMINISTERED: 290,251 (48.6% of population)
COMPLETED SERIES (2 doses): 268,837 (45% of population)
North Dakota's once rapidly climbing vaccination rate has slowed as hesitancy toward the shot persists, particularly in the western part of the state and among younger residents. The percent of North Dakotans who have received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine has inched up by just 2 points over the last month. The health department urges residents 12 and older to get vaccinated and seek information at http://www.health.nd.gov/covidvaccinelocator.
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Readers can reach reporter Adam Willis, a Report for America corps member, at awillis@forumcomm.com.
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