Category: Corona Virus

JOHANNESBURGEarlier this year, doctors and epidemiologists in South Africas economic capital were bracing for the worst. A new coronavirus strainwassurging across the country, thousands of holidaymakersweredue to return from Covid-19 hot spots, and one in three coronavirus testswascoming back positive.

Then something unexpected happened:Covid-19 cases started dropping.

Since mid-January, confirmedCovid-19 infections in South Africa have fallen from a record of nearly 22,000 a day to around 1,000, without a large-scale vaccination campaign or stringent lockdown. Fewer than 5% ofCovid-19 tests are finding traces of the virus, a sign that health agencies are missing fewer cases. The government has lifted most of its remaining virus restrictions for the country of 60 million people.

The cause of this steep decline in cases remains somewhat of a mystery. As in other countries that have at some point experienced surprising drops inCovid-19 casessuch as India, Pakistan and some parts of Brazilepidemiologists and virologists are piecing together different explanations for why the outbreak in South Africa isnt following patterns set elsewhere.

Those range from important population groups reaching sufficient levels of immunity to slow down transmission, to people sticking more closely to social-distancing rules, such as wearing masks and voluntarily reducing contacts, when deaths were mounting before the decline.

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South Africas Drop in Covid-19 Cases Adds to Questions About Waves of Infections - The Wall Street Journal

Macchialina, a well-loved Italian restaurant on Miami Beach, closed for a few days this month after a staff member tested positive for the virus. But the restaurant has been able to operate through most of the pandemic thanks to Floridas early reopening (and an outdoor courtyard).

During the worst of the pandemic, Macchialina laid off 25 employees. Business is still down but we cant complain, said Michael Pirolo, the executive chef and owner. His brother had to permanently shutter his Brooklyn restaurant last April thanks to the long lockdown there.

We kind of get this bad rap around the world for not following the rules, because were open, Jacqueline Pirolo, his sister and managing partner, said of Florida. But for the most part, our clientele that comes to dine with us follows all the rules. Weve been able to open and to do this safely, and thats kind of the middle ground.

Rolando Aedo, the chief operating officer for the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, said about half of restaurant workers and 90 percent of hotel workers were laid off last year, a loss of about 150,000 jobs practically overnight. Now the volume of reservations on the OpenTable app is at about 97 percent of what it was just before the pandemic hit Florida, he said. Hotel occupancy is down nearly 20 percent, which is better than what industry watchers expected.

Hotels are busily booking rooms on Miami Beach, despite the citys efforts to dissuade spring breakers from coming.

Unfortunately, were getting too many people looking to get loose, Mayor Dan Gelber said. Letting loose is precisely what we dont want.

At sunset recently, couples and small groups strolled down Ocean Drive, flitting in and out of sidewalk restaurants. Nightclubs like Mangos Tropical Cafe, a South Beach staple, remain closed. Garage parking costs a whopping $20, part of a spring break price hike.

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Id Much Rather Be in Florida - The New York Times

by: Addy Bink, Nexstar Media Wire

A resident wearing mask walks her dogs in Beijing. Pet cats and dogs cannot pass the new coronavirus on to humans, but they can test positive for low levels of the pathogen if they catch it from their owners. Thats the conclusion of Hong Kongs Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department after a dog in quarantine tested weak positive for the virus. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

(KTVX) Hundreds of thousands of Americans have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last year, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says they are not alone. According to a new report, nearly 100 pet dogs and cats are said to have contracted the virus, mostly after close contact with an infected person.

Treat pets as you would other human family members do not let pets interact with people outside the household, the CDC advises.

The CDC says infected pets might get sick or they might not have any symptoms, adding that of those that have gotten sick, most were only mildly ill and then fully recovered.

The risk of animals spreading COVID-19 to people is considered to be low, based on the limited information available, the CDC says.

The CDC recommends pet owners limit their pets interaction with people outside their household to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading to their animals. The CDC offers these additional tips to keep you and your pets safe:

The CDC added that there is no evidence that the virus can spread to people from their pets skin, fur or hair. According to the CDC, you should not wipe or bathe your pet with chemical disinfectants, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or other products like hand sanitizer, counter-cleaning wipes, or other industrial or surface cleaners.

If you have questions about appropriate products for bathing or cleaning your pet, the CDC says to contact your veterinarian.

The CDC added that if you are sick with COVID-19, either suspected or confirmed by a test, you should restrict contact with your pets and other animals, just as you would with people.

If you are sick with COVID-19, and your pet becomes sick, the CDC advises that you do not take your pet to the veterinary clinic yourself. Instead, contact your veterinarian and let them know you have been sick with COVID-19. Some clinics may offer telemedicine consultations or other plans for seeing sick pets.

At this time, the CDC says there has been no evidence that animals are playing a significant role in the spread of COVID-19, but because all animals can carry germs that can make you and other people sick, the CDC says it is always a good idea to practice healthy habits around pets and other animals.

According to the World Organisation for Animal Health, the infection of animals with SARS-CoV-2 the virus that causes COVID-19 has implications for animal and human health, animal welfare, wildlife conservation and biomedical research.

The latest findings show that poultry and cattle are not susceptible to COVID-19 infection.

Utah is one of a number of states that have seen their mink populations affected by COVID-19.

In mid-December, a wild mink living in the area of an infected Utah farm tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Officials say this is the first free-ranging, native wild animal confirmed with SARS-CoV-2, to the best of their knowledge.

Utahs state veterinarian Dr. Dean Taylor said in November thatdata does not suggest mink are a threat to people. Thousands of mink on Utah farms havealready died because of the virus.

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Nearly 100 pet dogs and cats have contracted COVID-19. Heres how to protect your pets - WFLA

The CDC is reporting they have identified nearly 4,900 cases of the Coronavirus variant in the US.

The vast majority of cases, around 4,700 cases are of the UK variant, known as B117.

That variant which is more contagious than the most common strain of COVID-19 in the US, has been found in 48 states.

Twenty-four states have reported cases of the South African variant, but there have only been 143 confirmed cases in patient to date.

Brazil's P1 variant has been identified in ten states with a total of just 25 cases so far.

The CDC admits the numbers do not represent the total number of cases in the US just those found by analyzing positive samples.

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Nearly 4,900 cases of Coronavirus variants have been found in the US - KTIV

CONCORD The White House victory lap campaign to celebrate the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package comes to New Hampshire on Wednesday when first lady Jill Biden is scheduled to make a taxpayer-paid trip to Concord, according to administration officials.

The dates and states the first lady will visit were released Friday with more details to follow, officials said.

In the wake of President Joe Bidens nationwide address last Thursday, the administration is loosening restrictions on domestic travel because of the risk of COIVID-19.

Biden on Tuesday will travel to Delaware County, a suburb of Philadelphia that played a huge role in his upset win over former President Donald Trump in that state.

Vice President Kamala Harris will make her first trip Monday to Nevada, another of the states Trump won in 2016 but narrowly lost four years later.

A day later, Harris will be in Colorado, where Democrats also won and flipped a U.S. Senate seat critical to them taking over the upper chamber last November.

On Nov. 3, Biden beat Trump, 53% to 46% in New Hampshire. In 2016, Trump lost here by 1% to Hillary Clinton.

White House officials said plans are for a group of 400 mayors and governors, both Democrats and Republicans, to help lead the cheering section for the COVID-19 relief plan in the coming weeks.

But not Sununu

Gov. Chris Sununu, a three-term Republican, is not on that list. He was critical of the latest package, saying it contained too much spending unrelated to COVID-19.

Sununu also had urged the states two Democratic senators to oppose the bill because it rewarded states like California, New York and New Jersey with higher federal grant amounts because those states had higher unemployment rates than the national average.

New Hampshire, at 3.6%, is back among the 10 states in the nation with the lowest jobless rates.

Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan joined all other Senate Democrats to pass the COVID-19 relief package without a single GOP vote in Congress.

Sununu said last Thursday his staff was still digging in on how much would go to New Hampshire from this bill.

There are a number of pots of money. It looks like $966 million is coming to the state as state revenue replacement, Sununu said.

Cities and towns along with counties will share another $450 million, a first in federal relief for communities.

Every community is going to get a very big check, Sununu said.

The previous CARES Act last March gave money to communities, but only those with at least 500,000 residents, which left out all of New Hampshire and northern New England.

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First lady to bring COVID-19 relief victory lap to NH - The Union Leader

This might more appropriately be titled, Vaccine Chronicles, as the hunt for an open appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine has consumed my family for two months.

Vaccine hesitancy remains a challenge among a segment of the African American community individuals in my immediate family included based on the Tuskegee Experiment and Americas past history of racism within its health care system.

But another segment of the African American community has frantically grasped, with the rest of the world, for this lifeline that promises a return to some normalcy.

Every day, my family texts and emails about which members are eligible in the vaccines phased rollout.

Every day, weve shared with each other the latest distribution venue offered by the state, Cook County or city of Chicago.

Every day, there is the surfing of designated websites and calling of phone numbers, each of us armed with every family members pertinent information, as we fight through the busy phone lines and constant online response of No Appointments Available.

Phase 1A, of course, began Dec. 15, 2020, encompassing health care workers, nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

Phase 1B, targeting those 65 and older, non-health care residential settings, and frontline essential workers, opened Jan. 25.

Phase 1B Plus opened statewide Feb. 25 targeting individuals with underlying health conditions. But in Chicago, the larger population with underlying health conditions, and non-frontline essential workers, wont be looped in until Phase 1C opens March 29.

Like so many families nationwide, mine was pummeled by the invisible and highly contagious coronavirus outbreak, declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

Our 94-year-old matriarch, my mother, has essentially been a shut-in, the pandemic dictating limited contact with her seven children, and no contact at all with grandchildren who are potential asymptomatic spreaders.

My millennial son in Texas caught COVID in July, triggering three weeks of hell for his father and I, who could only worry and pray in Chicago with his grandparents, aunts and uncles. As with most COVID victims his age, he came through unscathed.

Four months later, another family member caught COVID, their descent into inability to breathe, hospitalization and ultimately being placed on a ventilator, sending our family into a traumatized tailspin. They survived.

Another family member in that persons home also caught COVID, causing again a collective holding of breath. They weathered the illness without hospitalization.

A third family member who caught COVID via this cohort also ended up hospitalized, was successfully treated and came home.

Traumatized by this COVID-19 journey, getting our family vaccinated has been priority one since December, though akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.

One sibling, a doctor, got theirs in Phase 1A.

Phase 1B looped in Mom; myself as caregiver for a medically fragile son; a family member who is caregiver for another disabled relative; and two siblings who are frontline essential workers. Like many in Chicago, Cook County and statewide, we began searching for appointments immediately.

Day after day, no appointments on the list of city vaccine sites expanding over time.

Week after week, no appointments on the growing list of Cook County vaccine sites.

No appointments through Walgreens, Osco or other national pharmacies.

Until, finally, the web surfing, phone calling and putting family names on lists paid off.

Mom and I and one essential worker sibling were blessed to get appointments at Mt. Sinai Hospital one of four hospitals on the citys list. The other essential worker sibling was blessed to get one at Rush University Medical Center.

The family member who is also a caregiver was blessed to get one at North Riverside Health Center in suburban North Riverside.

Another sibling got one through a Loretto Hospital pop-up vaccine event for all ages held at Amundsen Park on the West Side on Saturday where my special-needs son, who resides between my home and his fathers home in West Side Austin, also got vaccinated.

We have a sibling with underlying conditions who initially did not trust the vaccine but has come around. We continue web surfing for that last appointment.

One of my siblings, and one other family member, have no interest in a vaccine whatsoever.

So be it. For those still searching, dont give up. It took weeks of web surfing and phone calls for our family to get this far.

The question I get most: Side effects? Theyve run the gamut.

Mom, who we were most worried about, experienced none at all. Me? My arm was beyond sore that night and the next day, with accompanying fatigue and cold symptoms diminishing over four days. A siblings arm was so painful the next day they couldnt move, chills and severe fatigue gluing her to the couch. The symptoms diminished over two days.

As I visited Mom this weekend, the two of us sitting in her living room watching Mass on TV, eating and laughing maskless, per CDC guidelines I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the stress of the hunt for an appointment and the minimal side effects were all worth it.

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Finally! The hunt for COVID-19 vaccine appointments obsessed my family for weeks - Chicago Sun-Times

Oregon reported fewer coronavirus cases last week than at any point since September, capping a months-long decline in the states battle to tame coronavirus spread.

The Oregon Health Authority recorded 1,729 confirmed or presumed infections for the week ending Sunday, March 7, down an impressive 35% from the previous week.

Oregon hadnt been that low since cracking just below 2,000 weekly cases in late September.

Unfortunately, cases arent continuing their downward trajectory.

The state appears on track to surpass last weeks low when the current weeks numbers are released. Cases are rising something state officials acknowledged was possible with relaxed business restrictions and more contagious variants of the virus circulating.

Last week, ZIP codes in southern Oregon and along the coast once again recorded the most new cases.

The Oregonian/OregonLive is monitoring state coronavirus data, reporting by ZIP code the areas with the greatest weekly changes. Our analysis also highlights the areas with the most new cases in relation to population.

(Click here for an interactive map).

Heres a brief summary of the communities that added the most cases for the week ending Sunday, March 7:

97501 Medford

This Jackson County ZIP code added 58 cases, raising its tally to 2,507. Thats the eighth most in Oregon and 44th most per capita since the start of the pandemic.

97303 Salem

This Marion County ZIP code added 48 cases, raising its tally to 2,008. Thats the 14th most in Oregon and 62nd most per capita since the start of the pandemic.

97526 Grants Pass

This Josephine County ZIP code added 46 cases, raising its tally to 1,057. Thats the 53rd most in Oregon and 164th most per capita since the start of the pandemic.

97504 Medford

This Jackson County ZIP code added 45 cases, raising its tally to 2,098. Thats the 13th most in Oregon and 74th most per capita since the start of the pandemic.

97420 Coos Bay

This Coos County ZIP code added 41 cases, raising its tally to 742. Thats the 77th most in Oregon and 196th most per capita since the start of the pandemic.

97123 Hillsboro

This Washington County ZIP code added 40 cases, raising its tally to 2,573. Thats the seventh most in Oregon and 50th most per capita since the start of the pandemic.

97124 Hillsboro

This Washington County ZIP code added 37 cases, raising its tally to 1,830. Thats the 17th most in Oregon and 129th most per capita since the start of the pandemic.

97527 Grants Pass

This Josephine County ZIP code added 35 cases, raising its tally to 1,022. Thats the 57th most in Oregon and 182nd most per capita since the start of the pandemic.

97128 McMinnville

This Yamhill County ZIP code added 33 cases, raising its tally to 1,789. Thats the 18th most in Oregon and 65th most per capita since the start of the pandemic.

97030 Gresham

This Multnomah County ZIP code added 32 cases, raising its tally to 2,304. Thats the 11th most in Oregon and 34th most per capita since the start of the pandemic.

Heres a brief summary of the communities with at least 20 new cases that added the most new cases per capita for the week ending Sunday, March 7:

97420 Coos Bay

This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 15 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, down by about a third from the previous week.

The Coos County ZIP code added 41 new cases, increasing its total to 742.

97459 North Bend

This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 15 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, down by about a quarter from the previous week.

The Coos County ZIP code added 20 new cases, increasing its total to 350.

97470 Roseburg

This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 15 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, more than double from the previous week.

The Douglas County ZIP code added 29 new cases, increasing its total to 527.

97526 Grants Pass

This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 13 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, up nearly double from the previous week.

The Josephine County ZIP code added 46 new cases, increasing its total to 1,057.

97501 Medford

This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 13 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, down from the previous week.

The Jackson County ZIP code added 58 new cases, increasing its total to 2,507.

97303 Salem

This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 12 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, up from the previous week.

The Marion County ZIP code added 48 new cases, increasing its total to 2,008.

97502 Central Point

This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 10 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, up slightly from the previous week.

The Jackson County ZIP code added 30 new cases, increasing its total to 1,195.

97527 Grants Pass

This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 10 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, up slightly from the previous week.

The Josephine County ZIP code added 35 new cases, increasing its total to 1,022.

97504 Medford

This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of nine per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, down by about a third from the previous week.

The Jackson County ZIP code added 45 new cases, increasing its total to 2,098.

97128 McMinnville

This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of nine per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, up from the previous week.

The Yamhill County ZIP code added 33 new cases, increasing its total to 1,789.

-- Brad Schmidt; bschmidt@oregonian.com; 503-294-7628; @_brad_schmidt

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Oregons 10 ZIP codes with the most new coronavirus cases - OregonLive

The Department of Health reported that 143,144 Vermonters, or 26.1 percent of all those over the age of 16, have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Saturday.

According to the state, 76,300 people have completed their vaccination, and 66,800 have received a first dose.

In Bennington County, 28.1 percent of residents have received vaccine, and in Windham County, 23.8.

So far, the state has received 271,900 doses of vaccine, 80.7 percent percent of which have been administered.

The state does not update its vaccine dashboard on Sunday or Monday.

Vermont will return to grouping segments of the population eligible for vaccines by age after the current group people with preexisting conditions is vaccinated.

Gov. Phil Scott said at his twice-weekly virus briefing on Friday that he expects to be able to announce this coming week a timeline for the remaining age bands, depending on what the state learns from the federal government about vaccine supplies. He said he hopes to outline the states exit strategy from the pandemic by the first week of April.

The last age group eligible for vaccines was Vermonters 65 and older, in addition to educators and those with certain medical conditions.

I appreciate everyones patience and I know all of us want to get to normal, he said. He added that state Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine and others have said that March is a critical month as the state completes vaccinations for the most vulnerable.

So we must continue to all we can to help ourselves by wearing a mask, keeping our distance, washing our hands and avoiding crowds when possible, he said.

Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine has received his first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Levine was vaccinated Friday at the University of Vermont Medical Center vaccination clinic held at the Essex fairgrounds, the state Health Department said.

Before receiving the shot, Levine reflected on what it means during the governors twice-weekly virus briefing.

Like many of you, I look forward to spending time with family and friends, to seeing my out-of-state son and his wife, and my daughter and her husband and hugging my granddaughter. And yes, hugging will be in order and will be the doctors order for all of you who follow in my footsteps.

He said while hes somewhat grateful for Zoom that allowed him to see his granddaughter, it has not come even close for missing seeing her grow from a five-month-old baby to a year-and-a-half (old) toddler.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., will hold a statewide virtual town hall meeting with Vermont students this Monday, March 15 at 7:30 p.m. Among the participants are Carson Gordon of Mount Anthony Union High School, and Iva Armour-Jones of Brattleboro Union High School.

The virtual event, Coping During COVID: How Students are Handling the Challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic, will focus on how students have experienced the social, emotional, and mental health challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sanders said, I want to hear directly from Vermonts young people. This past year has been terrible for so many of us, and theres no doubt that our students are struggling. They may not be able to go to school, theyre dealing with remote and hybrid learning. They cant see their friends, and of course, some lost loved ones to this terrible virus. We cannot ignore their pain and we also owe it to them to listen to their ideas for how we move forward. I want to hear directly from these students and together discuss what can be done to boldly address their needs.

A panel of Vermont high school students will join Sanders for a discussion, followed by a question and answer session with the student attendees. Students will have an opportunity to speak about the issues that matter most to them, and ask questions about Sanders plans to help young people. A number of experts from Vermont will also join the event to provide resources and answer students questions.

Two Vermonters died of COVID-19 over the past two days, the Vermont Department of Health reported. The states death toll is now 214.

Thirty Vermonters were hospitalized with the disease as of Sunday, and one of those patients was in intensive care.

The health department reported 71 new cases of COVID-19 in Vermont on Saturday, and 175 on Sunday, for a total of 246. The new cumulative total was reported as 16,890, which is 267 higher than the total reported Friday.

All but one of Vermonts 14 counties reported new cases over the past two days. Chittenden County had 67; Orleans County had 43; Franklin County had 36; Bennington, Lamoille and Rutland counties each had 18; Addison County had 13; Washington County had nine; Caledonia, Windham and Windsor counties each had seven; Essex County had two; and Orange County had one. Grand Isle County had no new cases.

According to Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development figures, Bennington County has 43.90 active cases per 10,000 residents, above the statewide average of 35.80 cases per 10,000. Windham County is well under the state average, with 20.19 cases per 10,000.

Bennington County has reported 116 new cases over the past two weeks, and Windham County has reported 52. Chittenden County, Vermonts largest county, has had 458 over the same period.

Bennington County continues to have the highest infection rate of COVID-19 in Vermont, at 437.5 cases per 10,000 residents since the beginning of the pandemic. Chittenden County is second, at 323.7, while the rate in Windham County is 236.7.

So far, 342,066 people have been tested. The reported statewide seven-day average for positive tests has dipped to 1.3 percent.

The number of Vermonters reported to have recovered from COVID-19 rose by 228 since Friday, to 14,121.

Numbers for monitoring are no longer reported on the dashboard. The health department said it is continuing to internally track travelers and contacts monitored, and people who have completed monitoring.

The statistics supplied by the Vermont Department of Health at midday each day are accurate as of the end of the previous day. The information is preliminary and subject to change.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has received his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine and and is urging residents to sign up for their shots when they become eligible.

The 67-year-old received his second dose on Friday at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford. He was administered his initial shot on Feb. 16.

I view receiving the COVID-19 vaccine as part of my obligation to protect myself, members of my administration, and my family, Lamont said in a statement. As we continue our vaccine rollout, I continue to urge all of our residents to receive their vaccination once they are eligible. These vaccines are safe, effective, and they will help us get back to normal.

Currently, people age 55 and older are eligible to make vaccination appointments in Connecticut. The age threshold changes on March 22, when people 45 years and older can sign up for a shot. Lamont has said he expects Connecticut will be able to meet President Joe Bidens call to make all adults eligible for COVID-19 vaccines by May 1. During an event on Friday, Lamont said he hopes to speed up the states current age-based rollout.

Give us a few days to get back to you, but I think were going to try and accelerate along the way, Lamont said during a news conference at a Danbury vaccination clinic.

More than 36,000 people have tested positive for the virus in Maine, including 206 cases announced Saturday. One new death was announced, bringing the total to 724.

The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Maine has risen over the past two weeks from 152 new cases per day on Feb. 25 to 172 new cases per day on March 11.

The University of New Hampshire is helping public health officials better understand how variations of the coronavirus are circulating in the public.

The university recently started genomic sequencing of the virus from samples submitted to its testing lab and samples provided by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Sequencing of the first several hundred samples were completed last week, and the variant first detected in the United Kingdom was found in two samples. That variant first showed up in New Hampshire last month. Patient information in such cases is forwarded to the state for further action if necessary.

More than 78,000 people have tested positive for the virus in New Hampshire, including 256 cases announced Saturday. Four new deaths were announced, bringing the total to 1,199.

The latest federal coronavirus relief package will be a lifeline for working parents, U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said Saturday.

Whitehouse, a Democrat, said the bill will send $93 million to Rhode Island child care centers.

Parents of young children have had to navigate the impossible situation of balancing full-time jobs with reduced options for child care during the pandemic, Whitehouse said in a statement. The burden has disproportionately fallen on women, many of whom have had no choice but to step back from their careers.

The funding is expected to include $36 million for child care block grants, $57 million for child care stabilization grants and $3 million for Rhode Island Head Start programs.

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Vaccine reaches 26.1% of Vermonters | Coronavirus | benningtonbanner.com - Bennington Banner

by: Emily Cervarich, Nexstar Media Wire

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) An increasing number of patients are now suffering from a strange condition after recovering from COVID-19. Its called parosmia, and its leaving patients with a foul smell.

Parosmia is a condition that distorts a persons sense of smell. The condition can cause one to lose the intensity of his or her smell. But more frequently, it can cause one to experience an overpowering rancid scent. It can happen either around smells that are normally pleasant or around nothing at all.

Danielle Meskunas is a mom to 11-year-old Lorelai. Danielle said her daughter had COVID back in November and like so many others, lost her sense of taste and smell. By late January, Danielle said her child started to regain her ability to smell. But, by early February, something odd started happening.

She could smell a little bit, but things didnt smell like she thought they should. She was basically saying things smelled like rotten food, like something that had been sitting in the fridge.

Meskunas took her daughter to specialists, like an ear, nose and throat doctor (ENT) and a neurologist, who oftentimes, she said, were unsure what was going on and could offer little help. One thing they did find out was it could be a life-lasting condition.

Thankfully our primary care doctor had heard of parosmia, and he said, I think this is what this is. He told us this is essentially nerve damage due to COVID and there wasnt a lot we could do. This condition can go on for months, on the bottom end of it, or it could last forever.

Nexstar affiliate 9OYS spoke with Dr. Thomas Gallaher, a medical director of infectious diseases and infection prevention. He works at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, North Carolina and at UNC Lenoir in Kinston, North Carolina.

Two-thirds of up to 80% of people [with COVID] will lose their taste or smell, but it will eventually go away. Most people do get better, but some have this long COVID.

Gallaher said he and other colleagues have seen more patients coming in with this condition, but right now they dont know enough about it. Gallaher said he and other medical professionals have been taking this pandemic one step at a time, first focusing on deaths and how to slow the spread, then on treating acute symptoms.

Now that more people are recovering in mass numbers, he said the next step is research on lingering symptoms caused by the virus.

Meskunas and her daughter have found some comfort in online support groups for other sufferers. Meskunas said this could be a lifelong battle for her daughter, all because of COVID. While not life-threatening, it is life-changing for the Meskunas family, and what doctors say is a growing number of others.

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Parosmia is the rancid-smelling aftermath of COVID-19 that has many concerned - WAVY.com

Find out which groups are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, the phase you fall under, where you can get vaccinated, and answers to frequently asked questions.

Questions about the vaccine? Contact the Division of Public Health Vaccine Call Center at 1-833-643-1715. The call center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Or email Vaccine@delaware.gov

General questions about coronavirus? Call 2-1-1 or for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, please text your ZIP code to 898-211. For those with specific health-related questions, email us at DPHCall@delaware.gov.

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Coronavirus - Delaware's Coronavirus Official Website