Category: Corona Virus

The latest mutations of coronavirus are dodging the RT-PCR tests with many people testing negative despite having symptoms of coronavirus. But at the same time, further investigations related to lungs show that they have contracted the virus. Seeing the current trend of failed RT-PCR tests, doctors have taken the help of many other effective testing procedures D-Dimer, CRP, Interleukin-6 among others when reports of patients with symptoms come negative, said Dr Shuchin Bajaj, founder-director, Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals.

These tests are beneficial for monitoring the patients progression to Covid-19 related cytokine storm and help in timely medical intervention to reduce fatality. We believe that the virus is now forming a colony in the lungs leaving the throat and nose, which are very dangerous signs. The latest wave has also led to the new and rare symptoms such as blood clotting, in which case, the-above mentioned tests are required, Dr Bajaj said.

What is D-Dimer?

D-Dimer is one of the fibrin degradation products. So when a body part is damaged or is bleeding from somewhere, the body tries to stop the bleeding by clumping together the cells there to make a network. That network is formed from a protein called fibrin. So vibrating starts together at the bleeding site and makes a blood clot. That blood clot is due to the crises crossing of fibrin. When the healing is done, or when the body thinks that the cloud is no longer necessary, it starts to degrade that clot and starts breaking down the fibrin. When the fibrin breaks down, it forms fibrin degradation products or FDPs. And one of the FDP is D-Dimer.

Why do we need D-Dimer during COVID?

The test shows the presence of clots in the body when COVID becomes serious. We get a lot of clots in the body in the lung especially, because of which reason the lungs cannot breathe. The blood flow is hampered due to clotting. So, the body tries to break down these clots. D dimer is detectable for up to eight hours after formation until the time the kidney clears it out.

What does the high or low level of D-Dimer mean?

A higher level of D dimer in the body shows that there is a lot of clot presence in the body which can be a dangerous sign when affected with COVID. So we use D-Dimer to assess for severity of COVID disease and if the patient is going to need oxygen in the future, because the higher their D-dimer, higher is the number of clots in the lungs and the higher the chances that they will need oxygen.

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COVID-19: What is the D-Dimer test recommended for coronavirus patients? - The Indian Express

2. The immune response is robust

Scientists testing vaccine efficacy often focus on antibodies and their ability to block the virus from infecting cells. In lab experiments, they mix blood from people who have been infected or vaccinated with cells in a dish to see if antibodies in the blood can neutralize the virus. These experiments are easy to perform. But antibodies are a very narrow slice of what the immune response might be in the body, says Jennifer Dowd, an epidemiologist and demographer at the University of Oxford.

Immune cells called T cells also help keep infections in check. These cells cant neutralize the virus, but they can seek out infected cells and destroy them. That helps protect against severe disease. And data from people whove had covid-19 suggests that T-cell response should provide ample protection against most of the SARS-CoV-2 variants.

A vaccine that can block infection is wonderful. But the most important thing is to keep people out of the hospital and out of the ground, says Friedrich. And theres good evidence that the current vaccines do exactly that.In South Africa, one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccineprovided 85% protectionagainst covid-19-related hospitalizations and deaths. At the time, 95% of cases were caused by the B.1.351 variant.In Israel, where B.1.1.7 has become the dominant strain, two doses of Pfizer offered 97% protection against symptomatic covid-19 and hospitalizations linked to covid-19.

Once the virus enters a cell, it begins to replicate. The more copies it makes, the greater the likelihood that random errors, or mutations, will crop up. Most of these copying errors are inconsequential. A handful, however, might give the virus a leg up. For example,a spike-protein mutation known as D614G appears to help transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Another,E484K, might help the virus evade the bodys antibody response. If the viruses carrying these advantageous mutations get transmitted from one person to the next, they can start to outcompete the viruses that lack them, a process known as natural selection. Thats how the B.1.1.7 variant, which is more transmissible, became the predominant strain in the US.

In the case of SARS-CoV-2, the mutations that improve the virus keep popping up in different parts of the globe, a phenomenon known as convergent evolution. We are seeing the same combinations evolving over and over and over again, says Vaughn Cooper, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Pittsburgh. Imagine a game of Tetris, Cooper writes ina recent story for Scientific American.A limited number of building blocks can be assembled in different ways, in different combinations, to achieve the same winning structures.

Cooper and some other researchers see this evidence of convergent evolution as a hopeful sign: the virus may be running out of new ways to adapt to the current environment. Its actually a small deck of cards right now, he says. If we can control infections, that deck of cards is going to remain small.

Eventually, the current vaccines will become less effective. Thats to be expected, Chandran says. But he expects that to happen gradually: There will be time for next-generation vaccines. Moderna has already begun testing the efficacy of a booster shot aimed at protecting against B.1.351 (first identified in South Africa). Last week the companyreleased the initial results. A third dose of the current covid-19 shot or a B.1.351-specific booster increased protection against the variants first identified in South Africa and Brazil. But the new variant-specific booster prompted a bigger immune response against B.1.351 than the third dose of the original shot.

Thats a relief for a couple of reasons. First, it demonstrates that variant-specific boosters can work. I think the feasibility of these RNA-based vaccines to produce boosters is the achievement of our lifetime, Cooper says.

Continued here:

Five reasons why you dont need to panic about coronavirus variants - MIT Technology Review

Biden announced on Monday his administration will be sending 20 million coronavirus vaccines abroad by the end of June. This is in addition to the 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine (not currently approved in the United States) the administration is also sending abroad. We will work with COVAXthe international organization that's set upand other partners to ensure that the vaccines are delivered in a way that is equitable and that follows the science and the public health data, said the president. Because we have done so much here, because of the power of American companies, research and manufacturing, we can continue to do more to help the rest of the world. This is a rapidly changing world, and it's a mistake to bet against democracies. Here are some of the other recent headlines you might have missed.

Biden will sign a presidential memorandum on Tuesday to expand legal access for low income and underserved populations whose long-term challenges in getting access have only increased during the public health and economic crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, said a fact-sheet from the White House. The Biden administration will re-establish the White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable, which was initially created in 2015.

Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is stepping down from her role this summer, Politico reported on Monday. She has been a career scientist at the agency for over 30 years and last year sounded the alarm about the coronavirus as some Trump officials tried to downplay it. But she had clashed with CDC Director Rochelle Walensky in recent months, a person familiar with the matter said, according to the report. Another senior health official said Schuchat was in the running to become the agencys director under the Biden administration before the position went to Walensky. This is the second top CDC career official in recent weeks to announce a departure.

On Monday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency released updated COVID-19 Pandemic Operational Guidance: All-Hazards Incident Response and Recovery to help emergency managers plan for disaster response and recovery while following public health guidance. While the country has made significant progress, the pandemic is not over, said the report. FEMA encourages emergency managers to apply lessons learned from the pandemic and other disasters to anticipate new operational challenges while protecting the health and safety of all disaster survivors and the disaster workforce.

The National Museum of American History will reopen on May 21 after being closed for six months. It will be open with reduced hours and health and safety measures for visitors and staff are in place, including requiring all visitors to reserve a free timed-entry pass and to wear a face covering for the duration of their visit, said a press release from the Smithsonian.

The Transportation Security Administration screened 1,734,541 people at airport checkpoints on Monday, which was the highest throughput volume on a Monday since the pandemic started, Lisa Farbstein, TSA spokesperson, tweeted on Tuesday. Remember, the federal mask mandate remains in effect so if you travel, please wear a mask, she added.

Addressing the staff at the Copenhagen Embassy on Monday on Monday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke about the lessons learned during the pandemic. Im a dad with two very small kids, and I think I have a new appreciation, myself, for how important it is to try to be there, if possible, for dinner or when your kids are up in the morning and having breakfast, he said. And one of the things Im taking away from this is we may have, even after COVID, new ways of thinking about how we get the work-life balance right and how we can build in more flexibility to all of our jobs so that we can do that.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency inspector general released its semi-annual report on Tuesday, which IG Laura Wertheimer said shows the broad scope of our oversight responsibilities and the extensive efforts we have undertaken...despite the pandemic.

Todays GovExec Daily podcast episode is about coronavirus and other types of government oversight.

Help us understand the situation better. Are you a federal employee, contractor or military member with information, concerns, etc. about how your agency is handling the coronavirus? Email us at newstips@govexec.com.

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Coronavirus Roundup: Top CDC Career Official to Step Down; Another Smithsonian Museum Will Reopen - GovExec.com

Both of these were all-time highs in Ipsos polling.

What's the point: The Covid-19 pandemic has been horrible. Hundreds are still dying daily because of the coronavirus. Things are still not back to normal.

But if we're looking at the data, it's pretty clear that there are a lot of reasons for optimism.

These new vaccinations come on top of the polling data gains previously discussed. The US seems to be moving slowly forward in our vaccination campaign.

As long as we keep up with anywhere close to the same number of adults getting vaccinated a day, we should reach Biden's goal and then some.

It's important to keep in mind that the increase in vaccinations is coming at a time when other metrics look good as well.

But we shouldn't just be looking at a person's physical state to understand their well being. Their mental state is important too. The news there is also good.

A lower share of the population (14%) than since the pandemic began said their emotional well being was worse this week than last week, according to the Ipsos poll. And for the first time in the pandemic era, more people said mental health had improved than gotten worse in the last week.

Part of the reason our mental health may be improving is that Americans are going out and gathering with friends more than they have at any other point in the pandemic. The fact that Americans are doing less social distancing and yet illness rates are falling is also perhaps the ultimate sign that America's vaccination campaign is working.

The Ipsos poll found that more Americans visited friends in the last week (59%), which is the highest of the pandemic. The percentage of Americans in the last week wearing a mask at all times outside (58%) is at its lowest level since last June, before mask wearing was commonplace. The fact that we're still seeing case declines with lower mask wearing is a very good sign. Recent masking declines have been driven by vaccinated people being more willing to unmask when going out.

All of this data demonstrates why it's so important that we keep up the vaccination campaign. If we do so, we'll be able to safely do more and more of the activities we enjoy.

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US is getting better and better news on the coronavirus - CNN

More than a dozen researchers have published a letter in a top scientific journal calling for further investigations into the origins of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

In the letter, published Thursday (May 13) in the journal Science, the authors say that two theories that the virus was accidentally released from a lab or that it spilled over naturally from animals "both remain viable."

"Knowing how COVID-19 emerged is critical for informing global strategies to mitigate the risk of future outbreaks," they wrote.

Related: 14 coronavirus myths busted by science

The authors, who include 18 prominent scientists, are not the first in the scientific community to call for more investigation into the new coronavirus's origins. But many previous statements on the issue have clearly favored one theory over the other, while the authors of the new letter tried to remain neutral, arguing that current evidence is not strong enough to favor either theory, according to The New York Times.

"Most of the discussion you hear about SARS-CoV-2 origins at this point is coming from, I think, the relatively small number of people who feel very certain about their views," Jesse Bloom, lead author of the letter and associate professor at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, who studies virus evolution, told the Times. "Anybody who's making statements with a high level of certainty about this is just outstripping what's possible to do with the available evidence."

Other authors of the letter include Dr. David Relman, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University; Ralph Baric, a professor of epidemiology and microbiology at the University of North Carolina who has spent decades studying coronaviruses; and Marc Lipsitch, a professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who uses mathematical modeling to study infectious disease transmission.

The origins of SARS-CoV-2 have been hotly debated since the pandemic began, and some experts have said we may never know exactly where the virus came from, Live Science previously reported.

In March 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) released the results of a months-long investigation into the origins of SARS-CoV-2, conducted in partnership with Chinese scientists. The report concluded that a spillover from wildlife through an intermediate host was the "likely to very likely pathway" for the original transmission into humans, while introduction through a lab accident was "extremely unlikely."

However, many countries soon criticized the report for a lack of transparency and incomplete data, according to CNN. The U.S. and 13 other governments have since released a statement expressing concern about the WHO findings.

The new letter notes that in the WHO report, "the two theories were not given balanced consideration" and that "there were no findings in clear support of either a natural spillover or a lab accident."

"A proper investigation should be transparent, objective, data-driven, inclusive of broad expertise, subject to independent oversight and responsibly managed to minimize the impact of conflicts of interest," the authors of the Science letter said.

Some experts not involved with the letter said they support the need for further investigation on the virus's origins, but they disagreed that the two hypotheses currently have equal evidence supporting them.

"There is more evidence (both genomic and historical precedent) that this was the result of zoonotic emergence rather than a laboratory accident," Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at University of Saskatchewan's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization in Canada, told the Times.

Originally published on Live Science.

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Prominent scientists call for more investigation into origins of coronavirus - Livescience.com

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Texas Reports Zero Coronavirus Deaths For The First Time Since The Pandemic Began - Forbes

It was able to bind to not only SARS-CoV-2 but also to coronaviruses that circulate in animals, said Kevin Saunders, director of research at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute. What this vaccine does, it takes a small part of the virus, the part of the virus that attaches to the cells, and it presents multiple copies of that to the immune system.

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On the horizon: Duke Human Vaccine Institute working on universal coronavirus shot - WECT

CHICAGO Another 71 Illinoisans were reported dead from coronavirus during the weekend.

Though COVID-19 continues to kill dozens of people, new cases, positivity rates and hospitalizations have declined in recent weeks.

That means officials are looking at how to open up with an eye at a full reopening in mid-June. The state and city moved into the Bridge Phrase on Friday, easing up on some business restrictions.

Some of the rule changes under the Bridge Phase:

Read the full rules under the Bridge Phrasehere.

Officials are rushing to vaccinate as many people as possible in Chicago and across the state, as vaccines have been shown to greatly reduce the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19. But vaccine demand has fallen sharply.

There could be an uptick in vaccinations now that everyone 12 and older is eligible to get the shots in Illinois, though. City-, county- and state-run sites are administering the shots to people in that age group.

The majority of Chicagoans and Illinoisans are not fully vaccinated, though: Only about 4.8 million people or 37.6 percent of the states 12.7 million people have gotten all their COVID-19 vaccination shots.

Officials are looking at ways to make it easier to get the shots and ease peoples concerns.

The state is helping community groups host vaccine events. Health departments are bringing vaccinations to workplaces, including Downtown office buildings. The city has said itll bring vaccine vans to festivals and other events.

People getting vaccinated is still the best bet for ending the pandemic, reopening businesses and having the world return to normal, officials have said. More people getting vaccinated also means there are fewer chances for variants of COVID-19 to develop and spread, which would endanger people and pose a threat to reopening efforts.

The quickest way for life to return to normal is for more people to get vaccinated, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, head of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said at a news conference last week.

The state is requesting fewer vaccine doses from the federal government due to the drop in demand, Gov. JB Pritzker said.

Theres still a high risk for spreading COVID-19 among unvaccinated people.

And people continue to get sick and die from COVID-19. Officials have urged people to take precautions like wearing a mask, staying socially distant and getting vaccinated to ensure theres not another surge and people can stay safe.

RELATED:Heres How You Can Get Vaccinated Against Coronavirus In Chicago

The weekends coronavirus victims included 30 people from Cook County, including a man in his 20s and four people in their 40s.

At least 22,439 people have died from COVID-19 in Illinois, and another 2,356 deaths are probably related to the virus, according to the state.

The state reported 2,761 cases over the weekend. That brings the total number of confirmed cases in Illinois up to 1,366,268.

RELATED: A Year Of Loss: COVID-19 Has Killed More Than 4,500 Chicagoans. For These Families, Life Will Never Be The Same

Across Illinois, 66,728 vaccine doses are being administered per day, based on a seven-day rolling average. Illinois and Chicago have administered at least 10,375,588 vaccine doses of the 12,893,335 provided to them.

City data shows 2,242,967 doses of vaccine have been administered to Chicagoans in the city, and 2,392,697 doses have been administered in the city overall. About 48 percent of all Chicagoans have gotten at least one shot, while 37.5 percent have completed their vaccination. Among Chicagoans 65 and older, about 68.6 percent have gotten at least one dose, while 59 percent have finished their vaccination.

Illinois seven-day positivity fell to 2.4 percent Sunday with 52,013 tests reported. It was at 2.5 percent Friday. The figure represents the percentage of people testing positive among recent tests.

Illinois seven-day test positivity rate, which measures the percentage of tests that were positive, fell to 2.9 percent Sunday. It was at 3.1 percent Friday.

As of Saturday night, 1,581 people were hospitalized with coronavirus in Illinois, including 404 people in the ICU and 218 people using ventilators.

In Chicago, 18 deaths and 517 confirmed cases were reported since Friday. There have been at least 5,281 deaths from COVID-19 in Chicago and 281,427 confirmed cases, according to state data.

The city is seeing an average of seven deaths per day, increased from six per day the week prior.

An average of 323 confirmed cases are being reported per day, a 29 percent decrease from the previous week. At the same time, testing has fallen 9 percent since a week ago.

The citys seven-day positivity rate is at 3.4 percent, down from 4.2 percent the week before.

Block Club Chicagos coronavirus coverage is free for all readers. Block Club is an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom.

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Coronavirus Kills 71 More Illinoisans And 2,761 Cases Reported Over Weekend - Block Club Chicago

U System of Georgia Adjusts Mask Policy

May 17, 6:20 a.m. The University System of Georgia has adjusted its mask policy, WSBTV News reported.

In the fall, fully vaccinated employees and students will not be required to wear a mask while in class or at other activities.

Those who have not been vaccinated are "strongly encouraged" to continue wearing their masks inside.

-- Scott Jaschik

U of Rochester Develops App to Show Vaccine Status

May 14, 6:18 a.m. The University of Rochester has developed an app for students to demonstrate their confirmed vaccination status.

Students must supply the information to the university and then receive a green check mark to show.

The app is ready for use at commencement events.

-- Scott Jaschik

Penn State's Faculty Senate Calls for Mandatory Vaccines

May 13, 6:10 a.m. The Faculty Senate of Pennsylvania State University has voted -- 113 to 31 -- to require students and employees to be vaccinated by the fall, WTAJ News reported.

The vote is not binding on the administration. Provost Nicholas Jones said officials are currently working on incentives to get vaccinated.

So for students, were looking at opportunities to provide discounts at Penn State Eats and the bookstore. Were looking for drawings for resident hall students for free housing, upgraded meal plans, pizza parties, concert tickets, gift cards. For commuter students, drawings for meal plans, pizza parties, bakery gift boxes, snack boxes, concert tickets, gift cards, he said.

-- Scott Jaschik

U of Richmond Eases Restrictions

May 12, 6:16 a.m. The University of Richmond is moving from orange to yellow in its restrictions on campus Saturday, WRIC News reported.

Among the rules changes:

-- Scott Jaschik

UMass Faces Threat Over Suspension of Maskless Students

May 11, 6:13 a.m. The parents of three University of Massachusetts at Amherst students who were suspended for attending a party without face masks in March are threatening the university with lawyers, The Boston Herald reported.

The students lost $16,000 in tuition and can't return for two semesters. The students were caught when someone shared a picture of them with administrators.

Its ugly to start this culture of ratting. The picture is all they have and their heels are dug in deep, one of the fathers said. The UMass administration is so uninterested in compassion or reaching a reasonable solution, he added. This has been a nightmare.

A university spokesman said, "During the weekend of March6-7, more than 10 UMass Amherst students were suspended for participation at large and small parties. This was during a time when the campus was operating at elevated risk during the pandemic and had just emerged from severe high risk restrictions due to a surge in positive COVID-19 cases."

-- Scott Jaschik

Michigan Faculty Petition for Mandatory Vaccines

May 11, 5:59 a.m. Hundreds of University of Michigan faculty members have signed a petition calling the university's vaccine plan nonsensical, MLive reported.

The university is requiring only students living on campus -- about one-third of students -- to be vaccinated. For the remainder, the university is only recommending vaccination.

Michigan should require vaccines of all students and faculty members, the petition says. Vaccines will also allow on-campus students and faculty to resume more fully the in-person interactions that are critical to academic success. We call for this mandate to go in effect now to give students, their families and our employees ample time to make plans to be vaccinated prior to the start of the fall term, says the petition.

Rick Fitzgerald, a spokesman for the university, said the petition has not yet been presented to the university. Encouragement may be more effective than a mandate to achieve the goal of maximizing vaccinations against COVID-19 in the months ahead, he said.

-- Scott Jaschik

Florida State Changes Face Mask Guidance

May 10, 6:12 a.m. Florida State University has changed its guidance on face masks. It now "recommends," but no longer requires, them to be worn indoors.

"This represents a shift from the previous face-covering requirement and reflects our substantial efforts to vaccinate the university community, along with a low number of COVID-19 cases on campus," the university announced.

-- Scott Jaschik

Rowan Offers Incentives to Get Vaccinated

May 7, 6:15 a.m. Rowan University has announced a vaccine requirement for students who live or study on campus, and some incentives for getting the vaccine, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Our message today is simple. We believe the path to normalcy is through widespread vaccination and we want our entire community to commit to reaching the goal of widespread vaccination, Rowan president Ali A. Houshmand said in a letter. If we work together, we can reach this goal and offer the Rowan University experience that our students and employees deserve.

Full-time students who provide proof of vaccination will receive a $500 credit on course registration. Students who live on campus will receive a $500 housing credit.

-- Scott Jaschik

Nova Southeastern Drops Vaccine Requirement

May 6, 9:06 a.m. Nova Southeastern University announced on April1 that it would require vaccines for all students and employees this fall.

But shortly after that announcement, Florida passed a law prohibiting such requirements. The university said it would study the law. Now the university is reversing its position.

"Therefore, we are NOT requiring vaccinations for NSU students, faculty, and staff, as was announced back on April1, before the legislation was passed. Nonetheless, with additional safeguards in place, NSU has its best opportunity to return to normalcy this fall," said a letter Wednesday from George L. HanburyII, president of the university.

-- Scott Jaschik

Harvard Will Require Student Vaccinations

May 6, 6:13 a.m. Harvard University announced Wednesday that it will require all students who will be on campus this fall to be vaccinated.

"To reach the high levels of vaccination needed to protect our community, Harvard will require COVID vaccination for all students who will be on campus this fall. As with existing student requirements for other vaccines, exceptions will be provided only for medical or religious reasons. Students should plan to be fully vaccinated before returning to campus for the fall semester, meaning that at least two weeks have passed since the final dose of an FDA-authorized or approved vaccine," said a letter from university leaders.

-- Scott Jaschik

Oregon Disappointed by Parties

May 5, 6:15 a.m. University of Oregon students held large backyard parties where hundreds of students -- without masks -- gathered this weekend, The Register-Guard reported.

The university responded on Twitter: "We are disappointed to see the photo of large gathering of young people at what appears to be an off-campus party involving UO students from over the weekend. The university has worked very hard to educate students about the serious COVID-19 health risks of gathering in groups without masks. This behavior is not representative of the majority of UO students, who we have seen work diligently to follow health guidelines."

Lane County, where the university is located, experienced more COVID-19 cases and elevated its risk level to "extreme."

-- Scott Jaschik

Methodist University Requires COVID-19 Test to Attend Graduation

May 4, 6:10 a.m. Methodist University, in North Carolina, is requiring seniors to be tested for COVID-19 to attend graduation.

President Stanley T. Wearden posted a message on Twitter that said the university had a "legal and a moral obligation" to require the testing. If students test negative for COVID-19 this week, they will receive tickets to attend.

After a successful effort to minimize COVID-19, the university is seeing a "recent spike in cases" following two weekends of off-campus parties "that failed to follow health and safety protocols."

-- Scott Jaschik

Saint Vincent College Shelters in Place

May 3, 6:15 a.m. Citing "a significant increase in the number of positive COVID-19 cases on campus," including asymptomatic cases, Saint Vincent College, in Pennsylvania, ordered all classes on Thursday afternoon and Friday to be held remotely.

Students were ordered to stay in their dormitory rooms.

"During the next two days, symptomatic and surveillance testing will take place throughout campus. The results of this testing will dictate the length that this mandate remains in place. Again, it is imperative that we act now to avoid any further spread and keep our campus community safe," said an email to the campus from the Reverend Paul R. Taylor, president of the college.

-- Scott Jaschik

Illinois Will Let Vaccinated Students Skip Testing

April 30, 6:16 a.m. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will let students who are completely vaccinated by August 23 skip the testing against COVID-19 currently required.

Chancellor Robert J. Jones wrote to students that this is "a science-based recommendation." He defined complete vaccination as two weeks after a student has received the final dose.

He added: "Please note that we anticipate that all other COVID-19 guidelines will be in place, including wearing face coverings and practicing social distancing. We will continue to monitor COVID-19 on our campus and be prepared to pivot our approach if necessary. In the future, if we believe the science indicates that vaccinated individuals should continue testing, we will shift and mandate testing even for vaccinated individuals."

-- Scott Jaschik

More Vaccine Requirements

April 29, 6:17 a.m. More colleges are requiring students (and on some campuses, employees, too) to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Among the colleges: Carleton College, Mary Baldwin University, Washington State University and Washington University in St. Louis.

-- Scott Jaschik

More Colleges Will Require Vaccinations

April 28, 6:16 a.m. More colleges are requiring students to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by the fall.

Among them are Hamilton College, Pacific Lutheran University, the University of Portland, Willamette University and Virginia Wesleyan University.

In Colorado, Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat, expressed support for the idea.

"Vaccines are the gateway to ending this pandemic," Polis said during a news conference. "That is why I expect that most higher education institutions will provide parents and students the peace of mind they want by making vaccines a requirement for next fall, and students want to get vaccinated so they can enjoy the full college experience."

-- Scott Jaschik

Colleges in Northeastern Iowa Won't Require Vaccines

April 27, 6:19 a.m. Colleges in northeastern Iowa do not plan to require their students to be vaccinated against COVID-19, The Telegraph Herald reported

Loras College president Jim Collins said the college is encouraging students to get the vaccines. If you do mandate, then you also risk the potential for lawsuits, he said.

That is a personal health decision, said Kathy Nacos-Burds, vice president of learning and student success at Northeast Iowa Community College. Our role in our college is to educate people and get them to the best resources.

-- Scott Jaschik

Maryland Requires Vaccines for All, Michigan for Students Who Live on Campus

April 26, 6:11 a.m. The University System of Maryland will require all students, faculty members and other employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by the fall.

"Im convinced that the risk of doing too little to contain COVID on campus this fall is far greater than the risk of doing too much," said Jay A. Perman, chancellor of the 12-campus system.

The University of Michigan will require vaccines for students who plan to live on campus in the fall.

-- Scott Jaschik

U of California and Cal State Systems to Require Vaccines for All

April 23, 6:20 a.m. The University of California and California State University systems are planning to require all students, faculty members and other employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the fall.

Receiving a vaccine for the virus that causes COVID-19 is a key step people can take to protect themselves, their friends and family, and our campus communities while helping bring the pandemic to an end, said Michael V. Drake, president of the University of California.

Together, the CSU and UC enroll and employ more than one million students and employees across 33 major university campuses, so this is the most comprehensive and consequential university plan for COVID-19 vaccines in the country, said Cal State chancellor Joseph I. Castro.

-- Scott Jaschik

Wayne State to Pay Students $10 to Be Vaccinated

April 22, 6:25 a.m. Wayne State University will pay students $10 if they provide proof of vaccination by May10, The Detroit Free Press reported.

President M. Roy Wilson said he hoped the money would provide an "extra incentive" to get vaccinated.

Colleges are debating the ethics of payments to students for getting vaccinated.

-- Scott Jaschik

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Live Updates: Latest News on Coronavirus and Higher Education - 6 min ago - Inside Higher Ed

J.K. Rowling has donated 1 million to help fight coronavirus in India.

The 'Harry Potter' author's Volant Charitable Trust have handed over the sum between two UK-based charities involved in relief work and the money was generated thanks to sales of the 55-year-old writer's latest children's book, 'The Ickabog'.

The author wrote on Twitter: A huge thank you to everyone who bought a copy of The Ickabog. As a result, my charitable trust continues to be able to support those worst affected by the pandemic #COVIDIndia. (sic)"

Humanitarian relief organisation Khalsa Aid said they were "delighted and humbled" to receive a donation.

They tweeted: "Wow! We are delighted & humbled to have received a generous, six-figure donation from @jk_rowling charitable trust, The Volant Charitable Trust (https://volanttrust.org) for our Covid Relief work in India. We are humbled by the support for our humanitarian work. #COVIDIndia (sic)"

The British Asian Trust also received an "incredible contribution" from the Volant Charitable Trust.

They tweeted: "Were delighted to have received a generous, six-figure donation from J.K. Rowlings charitable trust, The Volant Charitable Trust [https://volanttrust.org] for our Oxygen For India Emergency Appeal.

"Thank you so much to The Volant Charitable Trust for an incredible contribution helping us save lives in #India @jk_rowling (sic)"

In response to the British Asian Trust's post, Rowling wrote: "Those who followed the childrens illustration competition for the Ickabog will remember how many superb entries we had from India. Im so happy my trust (thanks to the book buyers!) is able to do this #OxygenForIndia (sic)"

According to the Sunday Times newspaper, it is believed both charities received around 500,000 from the author's organisation.

Last month, J.K. admitted she was "flabbergasted" by those who had bought copies of the book, even though the story had already been published for free, because it meant her charity could help out a lot of people affected by the global health crisis.

She posted: "Thanks to the generosity of everyone who bought a copy of The Ickabog, my charitable trust has now sent out millions of pounds to those affected by the pandemic. Given that the story had already been put out for free, I'm flabbergasted. You're incredible."

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JK Rowling makes donation to fight coronavirus in India - Inside NoVA