Category: Corona Virus

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Study published in Antiviral Research supports promise of Scinai Immunotherapeutics’ coronavirus NanoAb as … – BioSpace

December 13, 2023

Data backs use of Scinai's aerosolized NanoAbs as a platform for the treatment of hyperinflammatory viral diseases, addressing significant medical needs

JERUSALEM, Dec. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --Scinai Immunotherapeutics Ltd. (Nasdaq: SCNI), a biopharmaceutical company focused on development of inflammation and immunology (I&I) biological products,is pleased to announce the publication following peer-review of an article titled "Nanobodies to multiple spike variants and inhalation of nanobody-containing aerosols neutralize SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture and hamsters" in the prestigious scientific journal Antiviral Research.

The article discusses a new generation of anti-SARS-CoV-2 NanoAbs, also known as nanobodies or VHH antibodies, developed in a research collaboration between the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences (MPI-NAT), the University Medical Center Gttingen (UMG), and Scinai Immunotherapeutics, and exclusively licensed to Scinai. These NanoAbs are alpacaderived recombinant variable domain of heavy-chain-only antibodies.

The Antiviral Research paper covers several aspects of the NanoAbs, including their structure, mechanism of action, neutralization of a wide range of SARS-CoV-2 variants including Omicron, production in yeast, and formulation into aerosols. Moreover, the paper describes in vivo studies indicating that "exposing hamsters to these aerosols, before or even 24h after infection with SARS-CoV-2, significantly reduced virus load, weight loss and pathogenicity," concluding that these results show the great potential of aerosolized NanoAbs for the prevention and treatment of coronavirus infections.

Dr. Tamar Ben-Yedidia, Scinai's Chief Scientist, is a co-author of the paper together with Professor Dirk Grlich, Director at the MPI-NAT, Professor Matthias Dobbelstein at UMG, and others. Ben-Yedidiacommented, "These results are a striking proof-of-concept for the use of inhaled NanoAbs for the treatment of hyperinflammatory respiratory viral diseases. We are proud that our first NanoAb development project has been published in the prestigious peer-reviewed scientific journal Antiviral Research, as it validates our R&D strategy by clearly demonstrating our NanoAbs' potential superiority to existing therapies in several ways, including innate stability leading to more convenient routes of administration such as inhalation. While COVID-19 has dropped from the headlines, it continues to circulate and cause illness. We strongly believe that convenient self-administered treatments and prophylactics form the future of respiratory viral disease pharmaceuticals, andthe data in this paper demonstrates the exciting potential of our NanoAbs to fill this vital role. Indeed, we are currently actively marketing this COVID-19 project for partnering with either pharma companies or governmental health agencies."

"Our next pipeline project is an anti-IL-17 NanoAb for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as plaque psoriasis and psoriasis arthritis. Recent preclinical results have been promising, and I look forward to sharing more results soon," Ben-Yedidia concluded.

Amir Reichman, CEO of Scinai, added "The publication of this prestigious journal article comes at an auspicious time for our company. Scinai continues to make great strides forward, consistent with our previously announced plans. The publication validates the high level of innovative science being conducted both by our partners and in-house, as well as our decision to work with Max Planck and UMG to generate a pipeline of these versatile relatively small molecule biologics. In addition, Scinai Bioservices, our boutique CDMO business unit, now has several customers, strong interest from other potential clients, and financial support of the Israeli Innovation Authority via a competitive grant as we announced last month."

The Antiviral Researchpaper is available online athttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166354223002565. It is currently undergoing copyediting and typesetting and will soon be updated with the final version at this same link.

About Scinai's NanoAbs:

Scinai's NanoAbs are alpacaderived recombinant variable domain of heavy-chain-only antibodies and are also known as nanobodies or VHH antibodies. The Company's pipeline of NanoAbs is being discovered by and licensed out of the prestigious Max Planck Society and the University Medical Center Gttingen (UMG), both in Germany. By leveraging their unique attributes, Scinai's NanoAbs are designed to overcome limitations of existing antibody therapies to create therapeutics that address large and underserved patient populations. Scinai believes that its NanoAbs exhibit potential for several distinct advantages over current leading monoclonal antibody treatments, such as broader safety, effectiveness at very low doses, more convenient routes of administration such as inhalation and intra-dermal injection, and efficient manufacturing and supply chain.

Scinai's development pipeline includes two fully licensed NanoAbs, an anti-SARS-COV-2 NanoAb and an anti-IL-17 NanoAb for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS). In addition, Scinai holds a five-year research collaboration agreement with Max Planck and UMG to discover and characterize additional NanoAbs aimed at molecular targets such as IL-13, IL-4, IL-4Ra and TSLP for the treatment of asthma and atopic dermatitis and Ang-2 and VEGF for the treatment of age-related wet macular degeneration. Scinai holds an exclusive option for an exclusive license for each of the NanoAbs discovered through this research collaboration. The pipeline approach affords Scinai considerable flexibility with respect to partnering and spinning out assets, opening enhanced potential to generate income through license fees, milestone payments and royalties, in return for participation in associated R&D costs.

About Scinai Immunotherapeutics:

Scinai Immunotherapeutics Ltd. (Nasdaq: SCNI) is a biopharmaceutical company with two complementary business units, one focused on in-house development of inflammation and immunology (I&I) biological products beginning with an innovative, de-risked, pipeline of nanosized VHH antibodies (NanoAbs) targeting diseases with large unmet medical needs, and the other a boutique CDMO providing services to help biotech companies efficiently bring their products to market by leveraging Scinai's drug development and GMP and non-GMP manufacturing capabilities for pre-clinical and clinical studies. Company website: http://www.scinai.com.

Company Contact

Joshua Phillipson | +972 8 930 2529 | joshua.phillipson@scinai.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "expect," "believe," "intend," "plan," "continue," "may," "will," "anticipate," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release regarding strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenue, projected expenses, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, the effect of the article titled"Nanobodies to multiple spike variants and inhalation of nanobody-containing aerosols neutralize SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture and hamsters" in the scientific journal Antiviral Research. These forward-looking statements reflect management's current views with respect to certain current and future events and are subject to various risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause the results to differ materially from those expected by the management of Scinai Immunotherapeutics Ltd. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risk that the Company's financial health will not be positively impacted by the amendment of the finance contract; the risk that the Company will not remain listed on Nasdaq; the risk that the Company will not be successful in becoming an end-to-end provider of CDMO services at high international standards; the risk that Scinai may not be able to secure additional capital on attractive terms, if at all; the risk that the therapeutic and commercial potential of NanoAbs will not be met; the risk of a delay in the preclinical and clinical trials data for NanoAbs, if any; the risk that our business strategy may not be successful; the risk that the European Investment Bank (EIB) may accelerate the financial facility under its finance contract with Scinai; Scinai's ability to acquire rights to additional product opportunities; Scinai's ability to enter into collaborations on terms acceptable to Scinai or at all; timing of receipt of regulatory approval of Scinai's manufacturing facility in Jerusalem, if at all or when required; the risk that the manufacturing facility will not be able to be used for a wide variety of applications and other vaccine and treatment technologies; and the risk that drug development involves a lengthy and expensive process with uncertain outcomes. More detailed information about the risks and uncertainties affecting the Company is contained under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on April 17, 2023, and the Company's subsequent filings with the SEC. Scinai undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement for any reason.

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Study published in Antiviral Research supports promise of Scinai Immunotherapeutics' coronavirus NanoAb as ... - BioSpace

Nealy 50% of African COVID-19 survivors suffer lingering symptoms that could have economic consequences – Business Insider Africa

December 13, 2023

Studies have suggested that around 1020% of people who are infected with SARS-CoV-2 will go on to develop such symptoms, although many of these studies have been conducted in higher-income countries.

However, in low-income countries, many of which are in Africa, the scale of the burden is less clear because of a significant number of asymptomatic or undisclosed infections, and difficulties in accessing testing.

"Low- and middle-income countries do not generally have social safety nets, and the impact of chronic sequelae on the workforce and on families' livelihoods remain a concern. In these countries, health care systems need to also establish post-acute care services where physical, cognitive, and mental health disabilities will be recognised," Luisa Frallonardo, the research lead said.

Frallonardo and colleagues pooled the results of 25 studies from African countries that have reported on the incidence of various types of Long COVID symptoms, including a total of 29,213 participants.

The research found the incidence of any Long COVID symptoms was 48.6% with symptoms more common in older individuals and people who had been hospitalised. The researchers did not find that women were any more likely than men to report ongoing symptoms.

"Long COVID poses a significant burden in Africa, particularly concerning psychiatric conditions. The study recommends identifying at-risk people and defining treatment strategies and recommendations for African long-COVID patients," Frallonardo said.

Fatigue was the most reported symptom, affecting 35.4% of study participants. Frequently debilitating, this is often the first reason patients seek medical assistance, the researchers said.

Also, up to a quarter of patients experienced mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or anxiety.

Cognitive impairment, difficulty concentrating and headaches affected 1015% of participants, while 18% of them reported shortness of breath, and 11% experienced heart palpitations.

The researchers urged for additional studies to comprehend the long-term impact on quality of life and workforce activity, as well as the development of optimal therapeutic and prevention strategies for individuals in Africa.

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Nealy 50% of African COVID-19 survivors suffer lingering symptoms that could have economic consequences - Business Insider Africa

As Holidays Approach, Hospitalizations for COVID-19, Flu Are Rising in Illinois. Public Health Officials Ask Residents to … – WTTW News

December 13, 2023

(WTTW News)

With the holidays just around the corner, hospitalizations for COVID-19, flu and RSV are increasing in Illinois, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Forty-four counties in the state were at an elevated level for COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to CDC data for the week ending Nov. 25. Cook County remains at a low level for COVID-19 hospitalizations.

Statewide, there were 1,039 new COVID-19 hospitalizations reported, an increase of 20% over the previous week, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

As we anticipated, we are seeing an increase in respiratory viruses including COVID-19, flu and RSV - both in Illinois and across the nation, IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a news release.

Officials are asking residents to take precautions to reduce the spread of respiratory illness. These include:

These tools are especially critical for those most at risk for severe disease including those who are over 65, immunocompromised or have chronic medical conditions, according to IDPH. State public health officials said they are also especially concerned about pediatric ICU capacity, which is limited in many areas of the state.

Vohra recommended in a news release that holiday hosts enhance the safety of guests by providing proper indoor ventilation, encouraging good hand hygiene and reminding guests to cover coughs and sneezes.

Further, if someone is feeling symptoms of a respiratory virus such as coughing, sneezing, sore throat, a runny nose or fever its best to get tested and stay home to prevent the spread of illness.

During this critical period with hospitalizations rising, I encourage all of our residents to use the tools available to keep yourself and your families healthy and protected, Vohra said.

Contact Eunice Alpasan:@eunicealpasan| 773-509-5362 |[emailprotected]

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As Holidays Approach, Hospitalizations for COVID-19, Flu Are Rising in Illinois. Public Health Officials Ask Residents to ... - WTTW News

Opinion | Reporting on Long Covid Taught Me to Be a Better Journalist – The New York Times

December 13, 2023

In the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, when many people who are now still sick were first infected, the common wisdom was that the coronavirus either sent you to an intensive care unit or, more commonly, caused mild symptoms that resolved after two weeks. But when my sister-in-law got infected in March 2020, she was still burning with fever after three weeks, then six, then more. In this newspaper and elsewhere, young and formerly healthy people shared stories about surviving but not recovering. When I interviewed scientists and clinicians about these lingering symptoms in May, most expressed surprise. Thats unusual, one said.

It wasnt. By May 2020, affected patients had already formed support groups thousands strong, coined terms like long Covid and long-hauler and even conducted research on their own communities. Even that March, people with similar illnesses like myalgic encephalomyelitis (also known as chronic fatigue syndrome or M.E./C.F.S.) had warned that the new pathogen would trigger a wave of disability. They knew then what is clear now: People infected by Covid can be pummeled by months or years of debilitating symptoms, including extreme fatigue, cognitive impairment, chest pain, shortness of breath and postexertional malaise a state in which existing symptoms worsen after even minor physical or mental exertion.

I wrote about long Covid in June 2020. In the following days, I got more than 100 emails from people who thought they were going mad or had been told as much and felt validated to see their reality reflected. That story was the first of an octet; those responses were the vanguards of thousands more.

Long-haulers have told me that through those pieces, they better understood what was happening to them, found community and medical care, and felt the relief of recognition at a time when friends, family members and health care professionals brushed off their ordeal as imaginary. As a science writer, I have written about many topics throughout my career. None have affected me more than long Covid. None have more profoundly changed my view about what journalism can achieve and how it can do so.

Covering long Covid solidified my view that science is not the objective, neutral force it is often misconstrued as. It is instead a human endeavor, relentlessly buffeted by our culture, values and politics. As energy-depleting illnesses that disproportionately affect women, long Covid and M.E./C.F.S. are easily belittled by a sexist society that trivializes womens pain, and a capitalist one that values people according to their productivity. Societal dismissal leads to scientific neglect, and a lack of research becomes fodder for further skepticism. I understood these dynamics only after interviewing social scientists, disability scholars and patients themselves, whose voices are often absent or minimized in the media. Like the pandemic writ large, long Covid is not just a health problem. It is a social one, and must also be understood as such.

Dismissal and gaslighting youre just depressed, its in your head are among the worst aspects of long Covid, and can be as crushing as the physical suffering. Theyre hard to fight because the symptoms can be so beyond the realm of everyday experience as to seem unbelievable, and because those same symptoms can sap energy and occlude mental acuity. Journalism, then, can be a conduit for empathy, putting words to the indescribable and clarifying the unfathomable for people too sick to do it themselves.

Many long-haulers have told me that theyve used my work to finally get through to skeptical loved ones, employers and doctors a use that, navely, I didnt previously consider. I had always imagined that the testing ground for my writing was the minds of my readers, who would learn something new or perhaps even change what and how they think. But this one-step model is woefully incomplete because we are a social species. Journalism doesnt stop with first-generation readers but cascades through their networks. Done well, it can make those networks stronger.

After my most recent piece, which explained how severe the fatigue of long Covid and M.E./C.F.S. can be, one long-hauler told me that her sister said, I did not understand how sick you really felt. Even healthy people started writing in: A 25-year-old reader who has spent her life watching her mother wrestling with M.E./C.F.S. said that until reading that piece, I truly didnt get it (or maybe didnt believe her). People who had been sick for years or even decades said it was the first time they had seen their lives accurately, fully and compassionately reflected in the press.

This is a damning indictment of my profession, my prepandemic self included. I am far from the only journalist covering this topic but clearly there arent enough of us. How could so many people feel so thoroughly unrepresented by an industry that purports to give voice to the voiceless?

In covering conditions like long Covid and M.E./C.F.S., many journalistic norms and biases work against us. Our love of iconoclasts privileges the voices of skeptics, who can profess to be canceled by patient groups, over the voices of patients who are actually suffering. Our fondness for novelty leaves us prone to ignoring chronic conditions that are, by definition, not new. Normalized aspects of our work like tight deadlines and phone interviews can be harmful to the people we most need to hear from.

We cannot afford those weaknesses. Around the world, tens of millions of people are suffering from long Covid. Some might recover but most long-haulers dont fully return to their previous base line. At the same time, the pool of newly sick people will continue to grow since our leaders have rushed us back to an era of unrestrained airborne pathogens and lax public health policies an era that had already cost millions of M.E./C.F.S. sufferers dearly long before Covid arrived.

In this status quo, people are expected to ignore the threat of infection, pay through the nose if they get sick and face stigma and ridicule if they become disabled. Journalism can and should repudiate that bargain. We are not neutral actors, reporting on the world at a remove; we also create that world through our choices, and we must do so with purpose, care and compassion.

Interviewing long-haulers isnt benign. At minimum, I might be asking them to relive their worst experiences to a stranger. Worse, many, if not most, long-haulers experience postexertional malaise, in which minor physical or mental exertion can trigger a loss of energy so profound that Ive described it as the annihilation of possibility. An hourlong call could wreck someone for days.

Knowing this, I started telling people upfront that they could end and reschedule the interview at the slightest inkling that their health might suffer and some did pull that rip cord. I set long deadlines, knowing that I was working on what disability scholars have called crip time. While I usually insist that phone interviews yield better results, I happily sent written questions to long-haulers who struggled with real-time spoken conversations. Good journalists maintain a healthy distance from their sources, but this professional standard can morph into callousness: Staying independent can easily become, I behave how I want and you deal with it. With long Covid, I bend to accommodate my sources needs, not the other way around.

I bring as much curiosity and empathy as I can to interviews. Im not fishing for quotes or dramatic details of horrible symptoms. I want to know how long-haulers feel, including the nuances and minutiae of their lives. I check my own thoughts on the fly, running my interpretations past my sources in real time to check if my understanding and assumptions are correct. I do this iteratively, asking them if they have had the same or similar experiences of the previous sources Ive interviewed, to identify points of commonality or contention; everyone is wrong about something, and being empathetic doesnt mean abandoning rigor.

This approach reveals sides to the illness that are easily missed. For many long-haulers, fatigue differs from everyday tiredness more severe, multifaceted, harder to push through and not cured by sleep. Postexertional malaise is different again: Every symptom burns more fiercely; fatigue is accompanied by flulike, poisoned sensations; and ones batteries arent just drained but missing entirely. These states are all too easily conflated, and their differences became clear to me only after many interviews and much careful listening.

I also center long-haulers in my reporting, treating them as active protagonists of their own stories instead of passive beneficiaries of medical aid. I want readers to empathize, not gawk. The patient-centric approach is sometimes dismissed as advocacy, which is positioned as antithetical to journalism. In fact, its simply good journalistic practice to give weight to the most knowledgeable sources.

Long-haulers saw and predicted the rise of long Covid before credentialed academics did. Many are patient experts who have read the scientific literature on long Covid and M.E./C.F.S. more deeply than many doctors because they are highly motivated to do so. Others are meta-experts who thoroughly understand the communitys desires, needs, history and rifts, and can distinguish reliable voices from grifters. They should be front and center of every story, not merely fodder for anecdotal ledes. Before the pandemic, I mostly interviewed academics with advanced degrees and institutional affiliations. Long Covid taught me to also seek expertise from actual experience, instead of mere credentials. (This is now especially easy to do because large databases of sources have been compiled.)

Those new attitudes and approaches also informed other articles that I wrote about immunocompromised people, burned-out health care and public health workers and people grieving loved ones who died of Covid. Those pieces, about people who had borne the brunt of the pandemic and were still suffering amid the rush to normal, gave me a sense of purpose amid deepening tragedy.

As the pandemic wore on, many grim outcomes I warned about came to pass, and most societal changes I hoped for did not. I watched two successive administrations make avoidable mistakes, and then make them anew with each successive surge or variant. I witnessed almost every publication that I once held in esteem become complicit in normalizing a level of death once billed as incalculable. It was galling, crushing work that wrecked my faith in journalism and its institutions. But the solace that many long-haulers drew from my pieces gave me solace in turn. It convinced me that there is still a point to this horrible work, a purpose in bearing witness to suffering and a reason to continue shouting into the abyss. Sometimes, even if just slightly, the abyss brightens.

I do not mean to be self-congratulatory. The long Covid crisis is far from resolved. Long-haulers need more than confirmation of their pain: They need well-funded and well-conducted research, social support, workplace accommodations and cures. But there is much we can do while waiting for and pushing toward those outcomes.

In his poem Why Bother? Sean Thomas Dougherty wrote, Because right now, there is someone/out there with/a wound in the exact shape/of your words. Those words are ours to provide, those wounds ours to plaster. Contrary to the widespread notion that speaking truth to power means being antagonistic and cold, journalists can, instead, act as a care-taking profession one that soothes and nurtures. And we are among the only professions that can do so at a scale commensurate with the scope of the crises before us. We can make people who feel invisible feel seen. We can make everyone else look.

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Opinion | Reporting on Long Covid Taught Me to Be a Better Journalist - The New York Times

How long are you contagious with COVID? Here’s what to know if you test positive – NBC Chicago

December 13, 2023

With COVID cases and other respiratory viruses on the rise, you might know someone who has recently tested positive or wondered how long a person is contagious.

The answer depends on several factors.

As of Friday, 44 counties in Illinois were at an elevated level for COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to the state's Department of Public Health. In all, 39 counties were at a medium level and five were under the "high" alert as the state saw a 20% increase in hospitalizations within the last week, according to data from theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.

So how long could you spread the virus if you test positive?

The CDC's guidelines for isolating have not changed since May.

Regardless of vaccination status,those who test positive should isolate from others for at least five days and isolate from others in your home, the CDC reports. You should also isolateif you are sick and suspect that you have COVID-19 but do not yet havetestresults, the guidelines state.

To calculate the number of days you should isolate, the CDC has a guide:

If you had no symptoms:

If you had symptoms:

If you had no symptoms, you can end your isolation after day five, but for those who experience symptoms, that line might be different, the CDC notes.

Those who have mild symptoms can end isolation after day five if they are fever-free for 24 hours, without using fever-reducing medication, but those with more moderate or severe illnesses will need to wait until day 10.

Those who have mild symptoms that are not improving should also wait until those symptoms are improving and they are fever-free for 24 hours.

Others with more severe illness may also want to consult with their doctor before ending isolation and could need a viral test to end their isolation period.

Despite ending isolation, those who test positive should continue to avoid people and mask through at least day 11, according to the CDC guidelines.

Before determining your isolation time, you'll need to take a COVID test.

Those who have symptoms are urged to get tested as soon as possible, though officials continue to caution that a negative at-home test may not be as reliable as a positive one.

"If your antigen test is negative, take another antigen test after 48 hoursortake a PCR test as soon as you can," according to the CDC's website.

Those who don't have symptoms but may have been exposed should wait five days after exposure to take a test, according to the CDC guidance.

While many Americans may have unused tests in their homes, it's important to check the expiration dates, experts say.

The Food and Drug Administration has extended the expiration dates of many popular at-home test products, which means some such kits may still be safe to use, CNBC reports. You can check expiration dates for each brand using a page on the FDA'swebsite.

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How long are you contagious with COVID? Here's what to know if you test positive - NBC Chicago

Health officials predict end-of-year COVID-19 wave – ABC Action News Tampa Bay

December 13, 2023

TAMPA, Fla. Health officials are predicting an incoming COVID-19 surge.

The bad news is that test positively is up, hospitalizations are up, and emergency department is up, visits, I mean, said Dr. Jill Roberts, associate professor for the USF College of Public Health.

The CDCs latest models show an upcoming rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations going through the end of the year.

This comes as a new variant, JN.1, is picking up steam and spreading quickly.

The CDC has reported more than a 25% increase in deaths this past week.

While numbers are going up, officials said its been worse in past years.

Were not where we were with delta and things like that; this is an omicron spin-off strain, relatively mild, said Roberts.

Of course for people who are at risk, people who have other underlying conditions, and people who are like me who are older than 65, are definitely at a greater risk of hospitalization, said public health expert and researcher Dr. Tom Unnasch.

Health officials believe the uptick theyre seeing right now started after Thanksgiving and will get worse as gatherings and traveling continue through the holiday season.

A whole lot of people reported getting sick following their Thanksgiving vacations, and then, of course, those people then spread it to their contacts, and so you kind of see this thing go on, said Roberts.

Once that starts, it doesnt stop because you just get everyone that was traveling spread it to new people and on and on and on, she added.

Experts expect in the next few weeks well see one of the biggest waves weve seen this year.

A lot of this is driven by the amount of contact, close contact that people have with one another. Lets face it: this time of the year, people are going to parties, people are going to concerts, people are getting together with large family groupings for the holidays, and all of those things together give a pretty good chance for these viruses to jump around, said Unnasch.

Officials expect numbers to peak at the end of the month, going into January.

I think were going to see over the next several years or so that this going to be just one more of those season things thats going to be coming around, said Unnasch.

Flu goes up this time of the year all the time, colds go up this time of the year all the time, and COVID is just going to follow that same pattern. This is going to be with us for the rest of humanitys life on this planet, Im afraid, he added.

Doctors encourage people to get tested before seeing older family members and people who are immunocompromised this holiday season.

Im not overly surprised to see us peaking up at this time. I just dont see a scenario where it goes back down real quick because we keep doing the behaviors we were doing that caused peak, said Roberts.

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Health officials predict end-of-year COVID-19 wave - ABC Action News Tampa Bay

Covid Inquiry live: PM to face claims Eat Out to Help Out scheme spread coronavirus – The Independent

December 10, 2023

Boris Johnson shown all the times he said 'let Covid rip' in uncomfortable inquiry moment

Rishi Sunak is next up to be questioned on his actions during the Covid-19 pandemic when he appears before the inquiry on Monday.

The prime minister, who was chancellor during the pandemic, will respond to claims that his Eat Out to Help Out scheme spread the disease.

The plan formed part of Mr Sunaks summer economic update in July 2020, and provided 50% off the cost of food and non-alcoholic drinks.

WhatsApp messages shown to the Covid-19 Inquiry have revealed that government advisers referred to Mr Sunak as Dr Death during the pandemic, because of concerns about the impact of his push to keep economic activity going.

Professor Sir Chris Whitty, Englands chief medical officer, is said to have privately referred to the scheme to boost the restaurant industry as eat out to help out the virus.

The PM is the latest member of the Covid-19 cabinet to face the inquiry. Last week, former prime minister Boris Johnson defended his actions and hit out at dramatic representations of the Partygate revelations.

While the current prime minister, Rishi Sunak, is set to face the Covid-19 Inquiry on Monday, the former prime minister gave his evidence last week.

Boris Johnson delivered two days of highly-charged Covid testimony, forcing him to face up to his administrations failings during the crisis.

He stuck to his guns on lockdowns, describing the decision to impose a national lockdown in March 2020 as probably timely, adding: I do not believe it should have been made earlier.

However, he admitted the possibility that earlier interventions could have been introduced.

Mr Johnson did also admit in his statement that his tiered local lockdown system was a failure and admitted to not remember any specific consideration being given to the question of testing hospital patients before they were discharged to care homes in March 2020.

The former prime minister did however defend the decision for him to not chair the Cobra meetings held at the start of the pandemic.

Boris Johnson faced two days of questioning at Covid-19 inquiry (UK Covid-19 Inquiry/PA)

(PA Media)

Athena Stavrou10 December 2023 21:10

Rishi Sunak is set to face the Covid inquiry tomorrow, but he has been mentioned in the hearing multiple times since it began several weeks ago.

In one of the most explosive claims heard at the inquiry so far, the now prime minister, who was chancellor at the time, allegedly believed it was time to just let people die and thats okay in the autumn of 2020.

The accusation, made by former chief of staff Dominic Cummings, was documented in Sir Patrick Vallances diary and was heard by the inquiry on November 20.

WhatsApp messages shown to the Covid-19 Inquiry also revealed that government advisers referred to Mr Sunak as Dr Death during the pandemic, because of concerns about the impact of his push to keep economic activity going.

Athena Stavrou10 December 2023 20:10

The prime minister is due to face the Covid-19 Inquiry tomorrow and respond to claims that his economic policies spread the disease further.

These are some of the key questions he will most likely have to answer:

- Did he seek medical or expert advice on Eat Out to Help out?

- Why was 800m was spent on East Out to Help Out which lasted just over a month, but just 385m was spent on the self-isolation support scheme in total throughout its 18-month existence?

- Was there a trade-off between public health and the economy?

- Why wasnt more done for those required to self-isolate under government rules?

(PA Archive)

Athena Stavrou10 December 2023 19:10

Rishi Sunak is set to face the Covid-19 inquiry on Monday and respond to claims his Eat Out to Help Out scheme spread the disease.

The prime minister was chancellor at the time of the crisis and has been referred to as Dr Death in Whatsapp messages seen by the inquiry between government advisers.

The plan formed part of Mr Sunaks summer economic update in July 2020, and provided 50% off the cost of food and non-alcoholic drinks.

Professor Sir Chris Whitty, Englands chief medical officer, is said to have privately referred to the scheme to boost the restaurant industry as eat out to help out the virus.

(PA Archive)

Athena Stavrou10 December 2023 18:10

Prof Edmunds told the inquiry on Thursday the Dr Death reference could well be about the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, which was devised by then-chancellor Mr Sunak and deployed a month earlier in a bid to kickstart the restaurant industry following lockdown.

The announcement that Mr Sunak will face a whole day of questioning on Monday came as former prime minister Boris Johnson began his second day of questioning.

Baroness Halletts inquiry has heard that scientists and then-health secretary Matt Hancock were left out of discussions around the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, which offered discounted meals in summer 2020 to help the hospitality trade after lockdown measures were lifted.

Mr Hancock told the inquiry he was not told about the scheme until the day it was announced and argued very strongly against the possibility of extending it at the end of August 2020.

The inquiry has also heard that former Government chief scientific adviser Professor Sir Patrick Vallance, Englands chief medical officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty and their former deputies Dame Angela and Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam were also not told about the scheme.

Rishi Sunak during Thursdays emergency press press conference in Downing Street

(PA)

Sam Rkaina8 December 2023 07:00

Rishi Sunak will be questioned about his actions during the Covid-19 pandemic when he appears before the hearing on Monday.

The Prime Minister was chancellor during the crisis and is likely to be questioned about the impact of his policies such as the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.

Government advisers referred to Mr Sunak as Dr Death during the pandemic, WhatsApp messages shown to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry have revealed, because of concerns about the impact of his push to keep economic activity going.

The correspondence between epidemiologist Professor John Edmunds and Professor Dame Angela McLean now chief scientific adviser to the Government took place during a meeting in September 2020.

Dame Angela messaged Prof Edmunds, referring to Dr Death the Chancellor, the inquiry was told.

Sam Rkaina8 December 2023 06:00

Boris Johnson was jeered as he left the Covid-19 inquiry after two days of giving evidence.

Protesters outside shouted murderer and shame on you as he left Dorland House in west London to his awaiting car.

(Getty Images)

Sam Rkaina8 December 2023 05:00

Boris Johnson appears to talk down the clock on questions about Covids impact on minorities

Sam Rkaina8 December 2023 04:00

Boris Johnson referred to his own Governments facemask policy as f***** up in the summer of 2020, the Covid-19 Inquiry has heard.

It also emerged the former prime minister would bullshit no surrender ideas from his ministers and then come to regret it later.

Mr Johnson was being questioned on Thursday about his u-turn on policies around facemasks in secondary schools in August 2020.

At the time, then-education secretary Gavin Williamson had insisted measures being adopted by schools to limit the spread of coronavirus meant masks were not required.

However, the Government revised its recommendations following updated guidance from the World Health Organisation (WHO), which said: Children aged 12 and over should wear a mask under the same conditions as adults.

A statement from the Department for Education on August 25 2020 said that nationwide, while the government is not recommending face coverings are necessary, schools will have the discretion to require face coverings in communal areas if they believe that is right in their particular circumstances.

Sam Rkaina8 December 2023 03:00

Gasps as Boris Johnson snaps at Covid inquiry lawyer over death toll figures

Sam Rkaina8 December 2023 02:02

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Covid Inquiry live: PM to face claims Eat Out to Help Out scheme spread coronavirus - The Independent

IDPH says COVID-19 hospitalizations are on the rise in parts of Illinois – NBC Chicago

December 10, 2023

The Chicago Department of Public Health is trying to help people get vaccinated through one of its last city college clinics, with COVID cases on the rise in nearly half of the state's counties.

Chicago-area residents are certainly noticing that cases of COVID-19 and R.S.V are popping up, and doctors say they're feeling the impacts in clinics and hospitals too.

Its definitely spreading like wildfire all throughout, said Dr. Juanita Mora, national spokesperson for the American Lung Association.

Mora added that vaccines are still the first line of defense, with the shots available for COVID, RSV and a flu shot.

Making sure everyone in the family, 6 months and older has received a flu shot," Dr. Mora said. "A Covid-19 vaccine, remember this is going to be an annual vaccine...

Mora says that residents should be staying home when theyre sick, washing their hands more often and ventilating spaces where gatherings are taking place.

We make sure that a window gets open, that the air purifiers are on as well, so that way we keep the ventilation going on," she said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are monitoring COVID hospitalizations.

The data for the week ending on Nov. 25 stated there are 39 counties in Illinois at a medium level of hospitalizations, and five counties at a high level.

That is a 20% increase from the previous week, according to the C.D.C.

The closest to Chicago at the medium threshold is Kankakee County, while all other counties in the region are still at "low" levels.

In order to prepare for a possible uptick, the Illinois Department of Public Health launched its own respiratory disease dashboard, but the simplest ways to stay safe are still the ones that carried through the pandemic.

Make sure to mask up on the train, on the plane, etcetera, so that way when you get home and you kiss Grandma, youll be infection free," Mora said.

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IDPH says COVID-19 hospitalizations are on the rise in parts of Illinois - NBC Chicago

Health leaders: Workplaces need to prioritize COVID-19, flu, RSV prevention – Detroit Free Press

December 10, 2023

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Health leaders: Workplaces need to prioritize COVID-19, flu, RSV prevention - Detroit Free Press

COVID-19, flu and RSV cases mounting, state health officials say – Daily Herald

December 10, 2023

As the December holidays take off, public health experts advise Illinoisans to be vigilant against COVID-19 with cases rising along with other respiratory diseases.

"As we anticipated, we are seeing an increase in respiratory viruses -- including COVID-19, flu and RSV -- both in Illinois and across the nation," Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said Friday.

New hospitalizations for COVID-19 spiked by 1,225 people or 22.3% as of Dec. 2 compared to the previous week, according to the latest U.S. Centers for Disease Control data.

Flu and RSV are also increasing across the state, the IDPH reported.

The agency also announced it was launching an infectious respiratory disease dashboard with information about hospitalizations, lab test positivity and other metrics. The dashboard is available at dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/respiratory-disease/surveillance/respiratory-disease-report.

COVID-19 hospitalizations in the Chicago metro region remain low. Of Illinois' 102 counties, 41 are at medium levels for patients and 10 counties in west-central Illinois are seeing high hospitalizations. They comprise Brown, Cass, Christian, Knox, Logan, McDonough, Menard, Sangamon, Schuyler and Warren counties.

With multiple gatherings under way for Hanukkah and stretching through Christmas and New Year's, officials recommend testing for COVID-19 if celebrating with older family members, washing hands, providing robust ventilation at home parties, masking in crowds and staying home if you're feeling sick.

Vohra also urged residents to get vaccinated for COVID-19, flu and RSV.

Meanwhile, officials reported COVID-19 outbreaks at a number of state-run developmental centers serving individuals with severe intellectual or developmental needs.

As of Wednesday, "there were 58 residents, out of approximately 1,650 total, and 35 staff, out of approximately 3,500 total, who have tested positive for COVID-19 since Nov. 20," the IDPH said.

The state has seven developmental centers including sites in Waukegan and Park Forest. The Ann Kiley Center in Waukegan reported 40 COVID-19 cases with 30 residents and 10 staff members testing positive.

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COVID-19, flu and RSV cases mounting, state health officials say - Daily Herald

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