Category: Corona Virus

Those were down from the previous weeks figures of 113 cases, 19 hospitalizations and three patients admitted to ICU in the Interior.

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The data from the BCCDC showed the Interior and the Vancouver Island Health authorities had the highest number of preliminary COVID deaths in the latest reporting week with 10 each, followed by six in Fraser Health.

The Interior had the second highest number of cases, between Fraser Healths 113 and Vancouver Coastal Healths 62 cases.

Local hospitalizations and critical care admissions were well below Fraser Healths 49 and 11, respectively, which were the highest figures in the province.

B.C., as a whole, recorded 349 COVID-19 cases, 116 hospital admissions, including 19 into ICU, and 31 deaths linked to the virus between Nov. 26 and Dec. 2.

Cases, and both hospital and ICU admissions were down from the previous weeks figures of 382, 116 and 19, though deaths were up from the 23 the week prior.

Read the original post:

COVID deaths rise in Interior while cases & hospitalizations fall - Vernon Matters

This week, Boris Johnson gave evidence at the UKs official Covid Inquiry. Heres the 21 things we discovered about his time as prime minister during the pandemic, and the 21 things he claimed not to remember.

And here are the 21 things that Boris Johnson said he didnt, or couldnt, remember:

Excerpt from:

42 things we learned at the Covid Inquiry this week - Tortoise - Tortoise Media

December 07, 2023 -COVID-19 surges in 2020 led to increased occupancy in inpatient settings and intensive care units (ICUs) and declining surgical occupancy rates, creating unstable financial conditions for hospitals, a study published in JAMA Health Forum found.

Researchers used data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases from 2019 and 2020 for 45 states to determine how occupancy fluctuations due to COVID-19 impacted hospitals.

The study evaluated inpatient occupancy at 3,960 hospitals in 45 states (393,580 hospital-weeks) and ICU occupancy at 2,703 hospitals in 33 states (268,416 hospital-weeks).

Instances with low COVID-19 admission rates (less than one weekly admission per 100 beds) or relatively low rates (between one and four weekly admissions per 100 beds) accounted for nearly two-thirds of hospital-weeks in 2020. Periods with relatively high (between 10 and 14 weekly admissions) or high (15 or more weekly admissions) admission rates accounted for less than one-fifth of hospital-weeks.

Most periods of high COVID-19 admissions lasted less than a month. In the first half of the pandemic, periods with low COVID-19 admissions were common at 30.5 percent of hospital-weeks, while periods with high COVID-19 admissions were not at 6.1 percent of hospital-weeks. In the second half of the year, a smaller share of hospital-weeks had low COVID-19 admissions at 12.3 percent, while 9.2 percent of hospital-weeks had high COVID-19 admission rates.

During weeks with low COVID-19 admissions, inpatient occupancy declined by 9.3 percentage points per 100 beds (12.7 percent) relative to the mean. The decrease was more pronounced in the first half of 2020 (11.6 percentage points) compared to the second half (5.2 percentage points).

The percentage-point decrease in admissions was 10.3 in other metropolitan counties, 9.2 in large urban counties, and 5.6 in rural counties.

During weeks with high COVID-19 admissions, inpatient occupancy grew by 5.8 percentage points per 100 beds (7.9 percent). The increase was steeper in the second half of the year at 9.1 percentage points or 12.6 percent. Inpatient occupancy increased by 4.5 percentage points (5.8 percent) in large metropolitan hospitals and 10.0 percentage points (27.4 percent) in rural hospitals.

Similarly, ICU occupancy decreased by 5.4 percent during weeks with low COVID-19 admissions and increased by 67.8 percent during weeks with high COVID-19 admissions.

Other service lines, including maternal, mental health and substance use disorders, injury, and surgical service lines, saw different occupancy changes during the pandemic. The most significant decreases in occupancy occurred during weeks with high COVID-19 admissions, ranging from a 1.1 percentage point decrease for maternal patients to 8.5 percentage points for surgical patients.

During weeks with low COVID-19 admissions in the first half of 2020, occupancy decreases ranged from 0.6 percentage points for maternal patients to 3.7 percentage points for surgical patients. In the second half of the year, surgical occupancy decreases ranged from 1.2 percentage points during weeks with low COVID-19 admissions to 2.3 percentage points in weeks with high COVID-19 admissions.

The significant increases in ICU occupancy likely strained ICU staff, which may have reduced care quality and increased in-hospital mortality, researchers said. The decrease in occupancy for surgeries, injuries, and deliveries likely reflected patients deferring care, which may have also contributed to increased mortality.

Additionally, low occupancy rates led to financial losses for hospitals, including reduced operating margins, net patient revenues, and net operating income outside of COVID-19 relief funds. Fluctuating occupancy rates also created challenges, as these changes led to increased reliance on travel nursing, which is more expensive for hospitals.

Originally posted here:

COVID-19 Surges Led to Fluctuating Occupancy Rates at Hospitals - RevCycleIntelligence.com

Masking is still an important tool for preventing the spread of COVID-19. Consider local COVID-19 case rates, your own risk factors, and your own comfort level with potential exposure to the virus to determine when and where to wear a mask.

On this page:

Here are 3 reasons you might wear a mask:

Masks are recommended for everyone in indoor public settings when many in the community may currently have COVID-19 and be infectious to others. For detailed COVID-19 data, including county-level information, visit the CDCs COVID Data Tracker.

Your local area may require masks in certain settings. Check your areas COVID-19 website.

When cases are on the rise or your risk is higher, increase your protection by upgrading your mask.

Best protection:

Good protection:

When wearing a mask, make sure it fits to your face closely, does not have gaps, and has good filtration.

The following individuals should not wear masks:

Learn more:

For information on masking in the workplace, please refer to:

View post:

Mask Wearing in the Community - Coronavirus COVID-19 Response - COVID-19.CA.gov

This post was updated on December 4th, 2023 at 01:33 PM

COVID-19 cases and test positivity rates continue to change in our state. Here is the most recent information by county according to theCDC.

If you are sick, or are coughing or sneezing and need to visit a hospital or your doctors office, please wear a mask. People may also want to consider wearing a mask in the community, especially if they have a weakened immune system or are over 60 years old.

Please call the clinic or schedule a video appointment if any of these apply to you:

Use this free tool from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

CDCs COVID-19 Symptom Checker

Scientists continue to identify new variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. This is not uncommon as respiratory viruses can change often. Studies have shown that vaccines remain effective against variants.

The best way to protect yourself and others from new versions of COVID-19 is to get vaccinated, continue wearing a mask, social distancing and wash your hands often.

Receive weekly updates: Sign up for the UCHealth e-newsletter

At-home COVID-19 tests, also known as rapid antigen tests, are convenient and accessible, and now, U.S. households can once again order four free tests. But be careful. The test results can be wrong. Learn when and how to use the tests.

Everyone in the U.S. except young babies can get the new 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine this fall, and most private insurance plans along with Medicaid and Medicare will cover the vaccine atno cost to patients.

The study is part of the RECOVER initiative, research that aims to understand and address the lingering effects of COVID-19 infections.

The studies, which are part of the RECOVER initiative, target a host of symptoms that are most troubling for patients enduring long-term health effects after COVID-19.

COVID-19 can exacerbate underlying heart conditions, but long COVID symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath also affect young, previously healthy people.

Powerfully aromatic and flavorful foods like ginger, peppermint and peanut butter can help you get your sense of smell and taste back. So can strongly-scented essential oil.

Theres no proven cure or treatment for COVID-19. Some drugs may help; chloroquine, the antimalarial medication, may or may not.

Zinc is no coronavirus magic bullet, but it could help. Studies have shown zinc lozenges to be effective in shortening the misery phase of the common cold.

The CDC is updating information about COVID-19 on its website.

Patients who have general questions can call the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment at CO-Help at 303.389.1967or 1.877.462.2911 or email [emailprotected]. Answers are available in English and Spanish (Espaol), Mandarin and more.

Read more from the original source:

COVID-19 / coronavirus Recent Updates - UCHealth Today

Respiratory illness activity is elevated or increasing across most areas of the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In total, 15 states plus New York City are experiencing "high" or "very high" levels of respiratory illness activity, defined as people going to the doctor with symptoms from any respiratory disease including flu, COVID, RSV and the common cold.

COVID-19 and flu hospitalizations appear to be trending upward while RSV hospitalizations appear to be to be stable, the data shows.

Weekly COVID-19 hospitalizations have reached levels not seen since the end of February with 22,513 recorded the week ending Dec. 2. However, they remain lower than rates seen at the same time last year.

COVID-19 hospitalization rates are elevated for infants and young children and highest among senior citizens, meaning serious illness is mainly affecting the oldest and youngest Americans.

COVID-19 deaths are currently stable, but experts have previously warned that because deaths are a lagging indicator, the number of fatalities due to the virus could rise over the next few weeks.

The CDC is actively tracking a rising variant known as JN.1, a descendant of the BA.2.86 omicron subvariant, according to an update posted by the federal agency on Friday.

Currently, JN.1 makes up an estimated 21% of cases. While some scientists believe it may be more transmissible due to its continued growth, there is currently no evidence it is more severe than previous variants.

Meanwhile, flu activity continues to increase with the southeast and south-central areas of the U.S. reporting the highest levels of activity, according to the CDC. Modeling from the federal health agency estimates flu infections are growing or likely growing in 34 states, declining or likely decline in one state, and stable or uncertain in four states.

Flu hospitalizations are also increasing, yet the number of new admissions remains low at 5,753 admitted the week ending Dec. 2, an increase from 4,268 the previous week, data shows.

The CDC estimates that there have been at least 2.6 million illnesses, 26,000 hospitalizations, and 1,600 deaths from flu so far this season.

Meanwhile, RSV weekly hospitalization rates have very slightly declined to 2.4 per 100,000 for the week ending Dec. 2 from 2.5 per 100,000 the previous week. RSV hospitalizations remain elevated among young children under 4 and are increasing in older adults over 65.

It comes as the White House urged the makers of RSV immunizations this week that protect infants and toddlers to speed up production to increase access.

The monoclonal antibody shots, which are a bit different than a vaccine but still provide protection, have been in high demand and short supply.

Meanwhile, hospitals in some areas of the U.S., such as in Washington state, are reinstating masking.

At Northwest Healthcare Response Network in western Washington, officials said RSV cases hit a threshold required updating rules on masking throughout its partner hospitals, according to local ABC News affiliate KOMO News.

Additionally, Mary Bridge Children's Hospital in Tacoma reached the RSV threshold earlier this week and the flu threshold on Thursday, officials told KOMO News.

When it comes to vaccinations, data showed much higher uptake for the flu vaccine than for the COVID-19 or RSV vaccine.

As of Dec. 2, 40.8% of adults and 41.6% of children have received the annual flu shot, CDC data shows. Comparatively, 17.2% of adults and 7.7% of children have received the updated COVID-19 vaccine and just 15.9% of adults aged 60 and older have received the new RSV vaccine.

Dr. Philip Huang, director of Dallas County Health and Human Services, advised people to follow the same mitigation measures they have for previous seasons.

"Everything that we're hearing about it is not any new virus or new pathogen, it is the common things that we see every season that perhaps coming together," he said. "The preventive things are all the same, you know, stay home if you're sick, wash your hands, cough into your sleeve, don't rub your eyes, nose and mouth, get up to date on the vaccinations."

Huang said he might advise wearing a mask if you're around someone who is at a higher risk of severe illness or if you're in a crowded area with poor ventilation.

View original post here:

15 states seeing 'high' or 'very high' levels of respiratory illness: CDC - ABC News

The Home Test to Treat program now offers free testing, telehealth and treatment for both COVID-19 and flu to eligible adults nationwide, the National Institutes of Health announced. It began in January as a pilot programfor COVID-19. Any adult with a current positive test for COVID-19 or flu can enroll to receive free telehealth care and prescribed medications delivered to their home. Adults who do not have COVID-19 or flu also may enroll to receive free at-home tests that detect both viruses if they are uninsured or enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Affairs health care system or Indian Health Services. To register, visit Home Test to Treat.

Read the original:

NIH test-to-treat telehealth program goes national, covers both COVID-19 and flu | AHA News - American Hospital Association

LONDON -- Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in sometimes angry testimony to Britains inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic, on Thursday defended himself against suggestions that his indifference and failure to heed the advice of scientists led to thousands of unnecessary deaths.

In a second day of sworn testimony, Johnson rejected claims that he was prepared to let older people die to protect the economy and that he was too slow to order a second national lockdown as infection rates began to rise in the autumn of 2020.

Johnson, who left parliament after he was found to have misled lawmakers about lockdown-breaking parties during his premiership, said he learned about the horrors of COVID-19 firsthand when he was hospitalized with the disease in March 2020. In the intensive care unit, Johnson said he was surrounded not by elderly people but by middle-aged men like himself.

I knew from that experience what an appalling disease this is. I had absolutely no personal doubt about that from March onwards, he said. To say that I didnt care about the suffering that was being inflicted on the country is simply not right.

Johnsons testimony was an opportunity for the former prime minister to tell his side of the story 17 months after he was forced to resign following a series of scandals, including revelations about boozy parties in his Downing Street offices at a time when the country was under lockdown.

The families of COVID-19 victims have criticized his government for being slow to create an effective testing system, discharging hospital patients with the virus to care homes and dithering about restrictions on personal interactions all of which contributed to a higher death toll in Britain than most European countries.

The inquiry, which began public hearings earlier this year and is expected to run through 2027, is designed to uncover the lessons of COVID-19 to help officials better respond to future pandemics.

During his first day of testimony on Wednesday, Johnson apologized for mistakes made during the early days of the pandemic but maintained that he got the big decisions right, most importantly investing in the development of vaccines that ultimately provided a way out of the pandemic.

On Thursday, an unusually polite and deferential Johnson downplayed the sometimes crude and bombastic language contained in WhatsApp messages, diaries and government documents provided to the inquiry by other witnesses.

In one exchange, Johnson shook his head and said No, no, no as he was confronted with a series of diary entries by his chief scientific adviser that indicated he had argued in favor of letting the virus spread rapidly to increase immunity to COVID-19 rather than imposing further restrictions on the people of Britain.

Johnson said he was simply pushing scientists to explain why such a strategy wouldnt work as the government debated whether to impose a second national lockdown in the autumn of 2020 when infection rates were rising and vaccines werent yet available. The former prime minister said critics should look at his public statements and actions, rather than peoples jottings from meetings that I have been in when they assess the governments response to the pandemic.

I think, frankly, it does not do justice to what we did our thoughts, our feelings, my thoughts, my feelings to say that we were remotely reconciled to fatalities across the country, or that I believed that it was acceptable to let it rip, a frustrated Johnson said under questioning from the inquirys chief legal counsel, Hugo Keith.

Johnson defended his efforts to balance public health measures against the need to protect the economy, in particular the governments Eat Out to Help Out program, which supported the hospitality industry by subsidizing restaurant meals after the first lockdown ended in the summer of 2020.

Leading scientists have testified that they werent included in discussions about the program and that it was obvious it would increase the spread of COVID-19. Johnson said he had no reason to question the restaurant initiative.

I must emphasize, it was not at the time presented to me as something that would add to the budget of risk, he said.

But as infection rates began to rise, the government was once again faced with the question of whether to impose another lockdown that would save lives but drastically curtail personal freedoms.

Johnsons government implemented a series of less draconian measures including a 10 p.m. curfew, work from home advice and regionally targeted restrictions in September and October of 2020 before it finally imposed a second national lockdown on Oct. 31.

His remarks came after weeks of testimony by other ministers, including former Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who said they sought to raise the alarm inside the government about the threat posed by COVID-19. Hancock argued that thousands of lives could have been saved by starting the first national lockdown a few weeks earlier than the eventual date of March 23, 2020.

The United Kingdom went on to have one of Europes longest and strictest lockdowns, as well as one of the continents highest COVID-19 death tolls, with the virus recorded as a cause of death for more than 232,000 people.

Among Western European nations, only Italy recorded a higher excess death rate than Britain during the pandemic, according to data presented to the inquiry.

Families of the bereaved expressed hostility afterward, unmoved by his apologies. After Johnson testified, protesters outside shouted murderer and shame on you as left the building and into his awaiting car.

Read this article:

Former UK leader Boris Johnson returns for second day of COVID-19 inquiry testimony - ABC News

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported Friday that 44 Illinois counties are at an elevated level for COVID-19 hospitalizations according to the CDCs national COVID-19 data tracker.

An elevated level of COVID-19 hospitalizations is defined by the CDC as 10.0-19.9 new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 people per week. Twelve Illinois counties are at a high level, which means that county is averaging more than 20 new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 people per week.

In northern Illinois, the counties at an elevated level are: Lee, Ogle, Whiteside, Carroll, Boone, Winnebago, Stephenson, Jo Daviess, Marshall and Kankakee counties. The 12 counties in the state at a high level are: Knox, Warren, McDonough, Schuyler, Brown, Pike, Morgan, Cass, Menard, Logan, Sangamon and Christian.

Statewide, there were 1,039 new COVID-19 hospitalizations reported, an increase of 20% over the previous week.

Data also show that broad acute respiratory hospitalizations are increasing across Illinois including COVID-19, flu and RSV. IDPH officials, according to a news release, are especially concerned about pediatric ICU (PICU) capacity which is limited in many areas of the state.

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. IDPH is closely working with our health partners to educate the public, monitor our hospital capacity, and develop effective mitigation strategies as we experience this surge. One of those strategies is our new Infectious Disease Surveillance Report, an easy to use, interactive dashboard that provides vital information to keep our residents safe.

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. These tools include COVID-19 testing (especially if visiting someone at risk for severe disease); enhanced ventilation; good hand hygiene; staying home and seeking treatment if sick; masking in crowded places; AND getting the COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccines for which you or your loved ones are eligible. 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. And parents and caregivers: please also protect those young children given the limited pediatric ICU capacity in many areas of the state.

IDPH is also encouraging all healthcare settings to consider masking in patient care areas especially if caring for those with weakened immune systems as both RSV and COVID-19 are rising. Per CDC recommendations, universal masking should be considered facility-wide or, based on a facility risk assessment, targeted toward higher risk areas (e.g., emergency departments, urgent care) or patient populations during periods of higher levels of community COVID-19 or other respiratory virus transmission.

For Paxlovid, a COVID-19 treatment, the Paxcess Patient Support Program will provide free government funded supplies to those who have Medicaid/Medicare or are uninsured through a voucher system which takes five minute to enroll in. For those with commercial insurance, they will provide a $1,500 co-pay assistance card for those who self-attest they do not have full medication coverage. This should cover the current cost of a full course of Paxlovid, with no limits on the number of times the prescription could be filled in a year, but no sooner than 90 days from the last refill, given low risk of reinfection within 90 days.

See the article here:

IDPH: 44 counties at 'elevated' COVID-19 level; hospitalizations up 20% in the past week - Shaw Local News Network

Boris Johnson has acknowledged his government got some things wrong in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has acknowledged his government got some things wrong in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as he gave evidence at a public inquiry into his handling of the global health crisis.

In the first of two days in the witness box on Wednesday, Johnson apologised for the pain and the loss and the suffering caused to the families of the victims.

Testifying under oath, Johnson acknowledged that we underestimated the scale and the pace of the challenge when reports of a new virus began to emerge from China in early 2020.

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The former prime minister has faced a barrage of criticism from former aides for alleged indecisiveness and a lack of scientific understanding during the pandemic.

Johnson forced from office last year over lockdown-breaching parties held in Downing Street during the pandemic accepted that mistakes had unquestionably been made but repeatedly insisted he and officials did their level best.

I understand the feeling of the victims and their families and Im deeply sorry for the pain and the loss and the suffering to those victims and their families, he said.

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Johnson, 59, was briefly interrupted as a protester was ordered from the inquiry room after refusing to sit down during the apology.

Several others were also later removed.

Inevitably we got some things wrong, Johnson continued, adding he took personal responsibility for all the decisions made.

At the time I felt we were doing our best in very difficult circumstances.

Ex-Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the inquiry last week that he had tried to raise the alarm inside the government, saying thousands of lives could have been saved by putting the country under lockdown a few weeks earlier than the eventual date of March 23, 2020.

Britain went on to have one of Europes longest and strictest lockdowns, as well as one of the continents highest COVID-19 death tolls, with the coronavirus recorded as a cause of death for more than 232,000 people.

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Grilled by inquiry lawyer Hugo Keith, Johnson acknowledged that he did not attend any of the governments five crisis meetings on the new virus in February 2020, and only once or twice looked at meeting minutes from the governments scientific advisory group. He said he relied on distilled advice from his science and medicine advisers.

Johnsons understanding of specialist advice was doubted last month by his former chief scientific officer, Patrick Vallance, who said he was frequently bamboozled by data.

The ex-leader has also denied claims he said he would rather let the bodies pile high than impose another lockdown.

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His former top aide Dominic Cummings and communications chief Lee Cain both criticised their ex-boss when they gave evidence at the inquiry.

Cummings, who has faced his own criticism for writing expletive-filled WhatsApp messages, said Johnson circulated a video to his scientific advisers of a guy blowing a special hairdryer up his nose to kill Covid.

Cain said COVID-19 was the wrong crisis for his ex-bosss skillset, adding that he became exhausted by his alleged indecision in dealing with the crisis.

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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was Johnsons finance minister during the pandemic, is due to be questioned at the inquiry in the coming weeks.

Johnson arrived around three hours early for the proceedings, with some suggesting he was eager to avoid relatives of the COVID-19 bereaved, who gathered outside later in the morning.

Johnson whose lengthy written submission to the inquiry will be published later on Wednesday insisted the overwhelming priority of his government had been protecting the National Health Service (NHS) and saving lives.

Rebutting evidence that Britain fared worse than its European neighbours, he argued every country struggled with a new pandemic while noting the UK had an extremely elderly population and is one of the continents most densely populated countries.

Johnson, who was treated in intensive care for COVID-19 early on in the pandemic, has reportedly spent weeks with his lawyers, reviewing thousands of pages of evidence ahead of his testimony.

His grilling began with questions about a failure to provide about 5,000 WhatsApp messages on his phone from late January 2020 to June 2020.

I dont know the exact reason, he claimed, adding the app had somehow automatically erased its chat history from that period.

Asked if he had initiated a so-called factory reset, Johnson said: I dont remember any such thing.

See the original post here:

Former UK PM Boris Johnson says his govt underestimated COVID-19 threat - Al Jazeera English