Category: Covid-19

One of Act deputy leader Brooke van Veldens early ministerial tasks will be to fill a vacancy at the Royal Commission into the Covid-19 response after one of its three commissioners quit.

And who she appoints might inform how she broadens the commissions terms of reference, which Act has previously criticised as too narrow.

Commissioner and former National Party minister Hekia Parata finished up earlier this month for personal reasons, and it falls on van Velden, as the new Internal Affairs Minister, to replace her.

Van Velden can also widen the terms of reference; the Inquiries Act says that the appointing minister may amend the terms of reference by notice in the Gazette.

She told the Herald in a statement: Im aware of Hekia Paratas departure from the Covid-19 Inquiry. I will be seeking advice from officials and taking papers regarding the inquiry to Cabinet in due course. It is a matter that is being taken seriously.

Act has previously said it was wrong for the Government to set the terms of reference, calling for six weeks of public submissions followed by a new set of terms based on those submissions.

Two months ago Act leader David Seymour said the Royal Commission should cover, among other things, how the response affected education, business and mental health, whether other policies would have been more cost-effective in improving the lives of New Zealanders, and whether it was sensible to restructure the health system in the middle of a pandemic.

The Act-National coalition agreement committed to broaden the terms of reference of the Royal Commission into the Covid-19 response, subject to public consultation.

Its unclear whether this could be done in a way that also fulfills the specific commitment for an inquiry in the NZ First-National coalition agreement, or whether that would require a separate inquiry.

The NZ First-National coalition agreement commits to an independent inquiry conducted publicly with local and international experts, into how the Covid pandemic was handled in New Zealand, including covering use of multiple lockdowns; vaccine procurement and efficacy; the social and economic impacts on both regional and national levels; whether the decisions made, and steps taken, where justified [sic].

Several issues are currently outside the scope of the inquiry including vaccine efficacy, the health system reforms, the effect of the Reserve Banks decisions on economic inequality, and particular clinical decisions made by clinicians or by public health authorities.

Currently the aim of the Royal Commission is to learn the lessons from New Zealands response that could be applied in preparation for a future pandemic. Public consultation was meant to start this month, with a report delivered in September 2024.

A commission spokesperson said the commission was aware of the Covid inquiry references in the coalition agreements.

We recognise the Government can seek to widen our Terms of Reference, and we welcome the opportunity to work with the new Government on this as required.

All Covid restrictions have been lifted but the virus continues to impact the country, with the current surge in infections being the biggest this year.

Parata told the Herald the election and political debate around the terms of reference for the Covid-19 inquiry had nothing to do with her resignation; she had advised the Government back in July that she intended to step down after about a year on the inquiry, once it was set up.

Commission chair and epidemiologist Professor Tony Blakely thanked Parata for her outstanding contribution, having completed all duties of the role.

Parata said she wanted to focus her time and attention on issues close to home, having worked on the Ministerial Inquiry into Land Use into the impacts of slash and sediment from Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle in Tairwhiti and Wairoa.

She was now preparing a briefing on Tairwhiti for the new government.

I have been quietly advocating that Tairwhiti is the climate change canary for our country. The Landcare scientists said we have about 10 years to take action or we could see the wholesale collapse of our hills, mountains and water catchments.

Ngati Porou would be rendered landless. So I have been making it my business to advocate for our region.

She said the region would be the first to fail because of climate change, and if action was taken it could become a template for other regions in climate adaptation measures, and how to keep industries such as forestry going at the same time.

Derek Cheng is a senior journalist who started at the Herald in 2004. He has worked several stints in the press gallery and is a former deputy political editor.

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Fate of Covid-19 response inquiry falls to Acts Brooke van Velden ... - New Zealand Herald

WASHINGTON (AP) Americans can order morefree COVID-19 testsonline for home delivery.

The U.S. government is offering to send another round of four at-home virus tests ahead of the typical surge in cases during the winter holiday season.

Anyone who did not order a batch of four COVID-19 tests in September can secure up to eight of them this time around starting Monday atCOVIDtests.gov. The U.S. Postal Service will deliver them for free.

The government is mailing out the coronavirus tests as thethe flu seasonkicks off and a spike inRSV caseshas been reported in some spots around the country. Hospitalizations for COVID-19, which haskilled more than 1 million peoplein the United States, were on the rise this fall but have stayed steady in recent weeks. Immunity from previous vaccinations and infections has kept case counts lower compared with other years.

The new release of free COVID-19 nasal swab tests also comes ahead of the first winter since the pandemic started that insurers are no longer required to cover the cost of them. On average, at-home tests now cost $11 out of pocket, according to an analysis by the nonprofit health research firm KFF.

The Food and Drug Administration also approvedupdated COVID-19 vaccinesin September in the hopes of revving up protection for Americans this winter. The shots target an omicron descendant named XBB.1.5, replacing older vaccines that targeted the original coronavirus strain and a much earlier omicron version. Shots are recommended for everyone age 6 months or older, butuptake has been slow.

U.S. taxpayers have spent tens of billions of dollars to develop COVID-19 tests, vaccines and treatments in the three years sincethe pandemic started.

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More free COVID-19 tests from the government are available for home delivery through the mail - The Columbian

A Texas A&M University survey of US parents finds that 41% already had or would vaccinate their children against COVID-19, 63% against influenza, and 71% against respiratory syncytial virus(RSV) this fall and winter.

The study, published late last week in Vaccine, involved 5,035 parents of children younger than 18 years surveyed on September 27 and 28, 2023.

In total, 40.9% of respondents said they had or would vaccinate their children against COVID-19, while 63.3% said they would do so against flu, and 71.1% said their children would receive the RSV vaccine.

Predictors of intent to vaccinate included concerns about diseases (average marginal effects [AME] for COVID-19, 0.064; AME for flu, 0.060; and AME for RSV 0.048), as well as trust in health institutions (AME for COVID-19, 0.023; AME for flu, 0.010; AME for RSV, 0.028). Parents who had previously vaccinated their children were also more likely to pursue vaccination (AME for COVID-19, 0.176; AME for flu, 0.438; and AME for COVID-19, 0.194).

Relative to men, women were less likely to say they would vaccinate their children against COVID-19 and flu (AME for COVID-19, 0.076; AME for flu, 0.047). Respondents who indicated that vaccines were important were more likely to pursue vaccination for COVID-19 and RSV (AME, 0.097 and 0.072, respectively).

Worries about a link between vaccination and autismwhich studies have disprovenwere statistically significant for only COVID-19 (AME, -0.030). Relative to political conservatives, liberals were more likely to vaccinate against COVID-19 (AME, 0.076).

The large number of unvaccinated children will likely lead to large numbers of excessive disease in children.

Compared with Democrats, Republications were less inclined to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 (AME, -0.060), and Democrats had higher odds of seeking RSV vaccination (AME, 0.151). The most common reasons for vaccine hesitancy were doubts about safety and the need for vaccination and a lack of information.

"The large number of unvaccinated children will likely lead to large numbers of excessive disease in children," the authors wrote.

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HHS launches another round of free COVID tests - University of Minnesota Twin Cities

A new minimally invasive procedure may restore COVID-related impaired sense of smell, suggests a small study to be presented at next week's Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting in Chicago.

Researchers at Jefferson Health in Philadelphia performed computed tomography (CT)-guided stellate ganglion block (SGB) in 54 patients who had long-term parosmia (impaired sense of smell that can lead to a distaste for once-like foods and drinks). The average patient age was 46 years, and 74% were women.

The stellate ganglia, part of the autonomic nervous system, are nerves located on the sides of the neck that deliver signals to the head, neck, arms, and parts of the upper chest.

SGB takes less than 10 minutes and doesn't require sedation or intravenous pain management. The procedure has been used with different degrees of success to treat conditions such as cluster headaches, phantom limb pain, Raynaud's and Meniere's syndromes, chest pain, and abnormal heart rhythms.

"While promising treatments for anosmia [loss of smell] have evolved, parosmia is often refractory [not responsive] to pharmaceutical and topical therapies, leading to mood disorders, weight loss, and decreased quality of life," the researchers wrote, adding that up to 60% of COVID-19 survivors have parosmia for months or years after infection.

Parosmia, in turn, can lead to phantosmia, a condition in which patients detect pleasant or unpleasant smells that aren't there, they said.

An ear, nose, and throat (ENT) olfactory subspecialist referred patients to the study who had COVID-related parosmia for at least 6 months that didn't respond to medications. Using CT guidance, the researchers injected a local anesthetic and an anti-inflammatory drug into the stellate ganglia on the side of the neck, depending on whether the patient was right- or left-handed.

The patients were later surveyed about their olfactory symptoms. Of the 37 patients (65%) for whom follow-up was obtained, 22 (59%) said their sense of smell had improved by 1 week after SGB.

Eighteen of 22 patients (82%) reported progressive improvement and a significant increase in average reported improvement at 1 month. By 3 months, patients with symptom relief reported an average of 49% improvement (range, 10% to 100%).

SGB shows promise for patients with long term post-COVID parosmia, and CT provides ideal efficiency and guidance.

Twenty-six participants returned for an injection on the opposite side of the neck at least 6 weeks after the initial procedure. Among them, all 8 participants who didn't report symptom relief after the first injection said their sense of smell improved at least somewhat after the second procedure, and 12 of 14 (86%) who reported some symptom relief after the first injection reported greater improvement.

Overall, 76 of 80 patients (95%) were diagnosed as having Horner's syndrome, or a disrupted nerve pathway in one side of the brain affecting the eye and face. The syndrome resolved in all affected patients within 30 minutes after SGB. There were no reports of complications or adverse events.

"SGB shows promise for patients with long term post-COVID parosmia, and CT provides ideal efficiency and guidance," the authors wrote. "For patients with improvement post SGB, and [sic] 2nd contralateral treatment may provide additional benefit."

In an RSNA news release, lead author Adam Zoga, MD, MBA, said that the team was impressed with the success of SGB in these patients. "Other treatments have failed to date," he said. "This injection is working."

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10-minute procedure may repair distorted sense of smell in COVID survivors - University of Minnesota Twin Cities

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) An additional $2 million has been allocated to help Springfield residents who were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of approximately 19,000 applications, over 7,100 households have been approved for assistance. Due to the high demand, Mayor Domenic Sarno has added an additional $2 million from the American Rescue Plan Act funds to the citys direct assistance for households account.

Applications for the ARPA Household Direct Assistance Program closed onJanuary 15th. Those who were approved were sent an eligibility letter from Public Partnership, LLC followed by a Money Network Debit Card within 7-10 business days.

A total of $12 million has been allocated to help Springfield residents who were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those eligible had to provide proof of residency and show documentation that the household was receiving some form of programed assistance, such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), unemployment benefits, etc.

Public Partnership, LLC reviewed all applications and noted that over 1,000 applications have been flagged as either fraudulent or duplicate requests.

Mayor Sarno states, Originally my administration had allocated $10 million into our Direct Assistance for Household applications, however, due to the high volume of completed and eligible applications, I am allocating an additional $2 million to process and award as many eligible household applications that meet the award and federal criteria as possible. This now brings the total amount allocated into our Direct Household Assistance to $12 million. I want to thank everyone for their continued patience, as we continue to have our third party, Public Partnership, LLC (PPL) carefully review and process all of the applications received. To guard against potential fraud, which we have already flagged over 1,000 applications that do not meet the federal requirements, we have asked PPL to thoroughly review all applications and submitted materials to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria and to make sure that only our Springfield residents that meet the requirements are approved.

WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 providing local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Follow 22News on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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More money added to Springfield residents COVID relief funds - WWLP.com

The Health and Disability Commissioner has found a former Christchurch GP issued more than 280 COVID-19 vaccine exemptions for supposed medical conditions that in some cases didn't exist.

Dr Jonie Girouard was first exposed during a Newshub investigation back in 2021.

Now, a new investigation has found she also misrepresented the COVID-19 vaccine to paying patients.

This is what Newshub caught on camera during the height of the pandemic - Dr Jonie Girouard holding court in her Christchurch clinic.

"You're here because you're not crazy about being vaccinated? Right, well you're in the right spot!" she was filmed saying.

On offer? $80 exemptions, which weren't legally binding, supposedly issued on medical grounds.

"Instead, what we're trying to do is give a medical certificate saying that you've been assessed and it's not appropriate for you to receive the current vaccine," she said on camera.

Back in 2021, our hidden camera revealed how easy it was - a few questions, and minimal tests.

The commissioner's report reveals Dr Girouard issued 282 medical certificates to patients regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.

The problem? They stated the vaccine was unsuitable for the holder based on medical conditions when there were no medical conditions.

Dr Girouard was also meant to be vaccinated to see patients - but she wasn't.

The report reveals more. Dr Girouard failed to provide evidence-based information about the vaccine to patients.

"I mean, really, this is horrible, horrible medicine," she was filmed saying.

Dr Girouard is deregistered and left New Zealand. The Health and Disability Commissioner says her competence should be reviewed if she ever returns here to practice.

Originally posted here:

Anti-vax doctor issued COVID-19 vaccine exemptions for conditions that didn't exist - Newshub

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Mobile phone data reveals spatiotemporal recreational patterns in conservation areas during the COVID pandemic ... - Nature.com

WABASH VALLEY (WTHI) - It's the holiday season, and you know what that means! COVID-19 tests.

Well, the holidays mean much more than that, but many of us will be near a lot of different people: family, work holiday parties, or standing in line at the store.

It's the holiday season, and you know what that means! COVID-19 tests.

The federal government offers four free at-home COVID-19 tests, and you won't need to pay for shipping.

The sign-up page is through the US Postal Service right here.

You can also call 800-232-0233.

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Worried about Covid-19 this holiday season? The federal gov will send you four free at-home tests - WTHITV.com

app.com wants to ensure the best experience for all of our readers, so we built our site to take advantage of the latest technology, making it faster and easier to use.

Unfortunately, your browser is not supported. Please download one of these browsers for the best experience on app.com

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More free COVID-19 test kits available through USPS starting Nov. 20 - Asbury Park Press

FROM SELLING TOBACCO, RESTOCKING YOUR SUPPLY OF COVID 19 TESTS BEGINNING ON MONDAY, HOUSEHOLDS HERE CAN ORDER FOR FREE KITS THROUGH A FEDERAL WEBSITE HERE I MEAN IN THE UNITED STATES. HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, DR. KRISTIN MOFFAT, AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST AT BOSTON CHILDRENS HOSPITAL, GREAT TO SEE YOU, DOCTOR. GOOD TO SEE YOU, TOO. YEAH. HI, DR. MOFFAT. YOU KNOW, ITS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE SOME OF US HAVE EVEN LOOKED AT OUR STOCKPILE OF TESTS AT HOME. RIGHT. PROBABLY IN THE CLOSET. WHAT ARE THE CHANCES THAT THEYRE ALL EXPIRED? YEAH, ITS A REALLY GOOD POINT TO BRING UP. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THEY ARE EXPIRED, SO EVERYBODY SHOULD CHECK THE EXPIRATION DATE ON THEIR COVID TESTS. BUT DONT THROW THEM OUT IF YOU SEE THAT THE DATE SHOWS THAT ITS EXPIRED BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE DIFFERENT BRANDS WERE DOING SORT OF POST DISTRIBUTION TESTING TO SEE IF THEY WERE STILL EFFECTIVE BEYOND THE EXPIRATION DATES. AND INDEED, A LOT OF THESE EXPIRATION DATES HAVE BEEN EXTENDED BY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 6 AND 10 MONTHS. SO THERE IS AN FDA WEBSITE THAT LISTS THESE EXPIRATION DATE EXTENSIONS BY BRAND. SO I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND CHECKING THAT OUT BEFORE YOU TOSS ANY TESTS. I ACTUALLY DID THAT AND THEYRE ALL EXPIRED. SO THATS THAT IS ITS GREAT ADVICE. SO LETS TALK ABOUT THESE NEW ROUNDS OF FREE TESTS THE WEBSITE TO ORDER THEM COVID TESTS.GOV. IT OPENS ON MONDAY. WHY WHY IS THIS BEING OFFERED NOW? YEAH, I THINK ITS GREAT THAT THIS IS BEING OFFERED. AGAIN, IF YOU MAY REMEMBER, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN INSURANCE DID COVER THIS OR THESE WERE BEING OFFERED AT NO COST AND THEYRE EXPENSIVE. WHEN WE GO AND BUY THESE OUT OF POCKET DRUGSTORE, THEYRE NOT CHEAP CASES ARE RISING RIGHT NOW. HOSPITALIZATIONS HAVE BEEN RISING. AND ITS CONCEIVABLE IN THE COMING MONTHS AS PEOPLE SPEND MORE TIME TOGETHER INDOORS WITH HOLIDAYS COMING UP TOGETHER IN THE COMING MONTHS, TRANSMISSION COULD INCREASE EVEN MORE. AND IT REMAINS TRUE THAT TESTING FOR COVID, IF YOUVE GOT SYMPTOMS OF COVID AND ISOLATING IF YOURE POSITIVE, IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF KEEPING ANOTHER SURGE FROM HAPPENING. SO I THINK ITS A GREAT MOVE TO MAKE THESE AVAILABLE AGAIN, AT NO COST SO THAT EVERYBODY WHO WANTS THEM HAS ACCESS TO THEM. I THINK ITS ALSO IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT WEVE GOT TREATMENTS AVAILABLE NOW LIKE PAXLOVID, THAT WE DIDNT HAVE AVAILABLE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND TREATMENTS LIKE THAT ARE MOST EFFECTIVE IF THEYRE STARTED AS SOON AS SOMEBODY KNOWS THAT THEY HAVE AN INFECTION DUE TO COVID. SO BEING ABLE TO HAVE TESTS AT HOME AND CONFIRM THAT YOUR SYMPTOMS ARE DUE TO COVID, ITS REALLY HELPFUL IN A LOT OF WAYS. OKAY. AND OF COURSE, THE VIRUS, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS KEEPS CHANGING BECAUSE THATS WHAT VIRUSES DO. THIS ONE HAS CHANGED A LOT OVER THE YEARS. ANY CONCERNS ABOUT NEW VARIANTS DOWN THE ROAD OR TESTING OF ANY OF THAT? YEAH, ITS A GREAT QUESTION. IT ALWAYS WOULD BE OF CONCERN. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE TESTS WE HAVE, IF THEYRE NEGATIVE, CAN WE TRUST THEM? AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE FDA AND OTHER AGENCIES ARE REGULARLY AND SYSTEMATICALLY DOING FOR ALL OF THE AUTHORIZED TESTS. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME INSTANCES OF TESTS THAT ARE NOT THE ONES AS BROADLY AVAILABLE WHERE THEIR PERFORMANCE HAS BEEN DECREASED WITH SOME OF THE VARIANTS. BUT ITS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THIS CONTINUES TO BE MONITORED. FOR THE MOST PART, THE ONES THAT REMAIN BROADLY AVAILABLE HAVE NOT EXHIBITED ANY DECREASED PERFORMANCE WITH VARIANTS THAT HAVE EMERGED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO BE EVALUATED. ALL RIGHT, DR. MOFFITT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPENDING SOME TIME WITH US.

More free home COVID-19 tests available for order from US government

Updated: 1:15 PM CST Nov 20, 2023

U.S. households are now eligible to order an additional four at-home COVID-19 tests free of cost through the government.As of Monday, residential households in the U.S. can submit an order through Covidtests.gov for four individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests. Orders will start to ship on Nov. 27, according to USPS. People without an internet connection can call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) to request tests.The U.S. government had suspended the rapid test distribution program earlier in May, then reopened it in September. Residents who havent placed an order since the program reopened can place two orders, which will provide eight tests in total, according to USPS.COVID-19 rapid tests can be taken at home and can be used regardless of whether someone has symptoms. The tests should work through the end of the year; some of the dates on the tests may show that they are expired, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has extended those dates.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people test if they have any COVID-19-like symptoms including a sore throat, runny nose, loss of smell or taste, or a fever. People may also want to test before they are going to be a part of a large event, like a concert or a conference, particularly if people are not up-to-date on their vaccines. Antivirals are available to treat COVID-19 and flu, and testing can help determine which medication is needed.COVID-19 hospital admissions and emergency department visits are once again on the rise after a few weeks of downturn, according to the CDC. For the week ending Nov. 11, the percentage of COVID-related emergency department visits was 1.4%, or just over 16,200 people similar to rates seen throughout this month and last month.Overall, outpatient visits for flu-like illness are lower than they were at this time last year but higher than in the previous four seasons. CDC forecasting suggests that this respiratory virus season will result in about the same number of hospitalizations as last season.Seasonal flu activity is also increasing in most parts of the country with flu-like activity labeled as high in New Mexico, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and South Carolina, according to the CDC. There have been at least 780,000 illnesses, 8,000 hospitalizations, and 490 deaths from flu so far this season, the agency estimates.More than a third of adults and nearly a third of children have gotten their flu shot this year, CDC data shows. About 14% of adults and 5% of children have gotten the new COVID-19 vaccine while 14% of older adults ages 60 and up have gotten the new RSV vaccine.

U.S. households are now eligible to order an additional four at-home COVID-19 tests free of cost through the government.

As of Monday, residential households in the U.S. can submit an order through Covidtests.gov for four individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests. Orders will start to ship on Nov. 27, according to USPS. People without an internet connection can call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) to request tests.

The U.S. government had suspended the rapid test distribution program earlier in May, then reopened it in September. Residents who havent placed an order since the program reopened can place two orders, which will provide eight tests in total, according to USPS.

COVID-19 rapid tests can be taken at home and can be used regardless of whether someone has symptoms. The tests should work through the end of the year; some of the dates on the tests may show that they are expired, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has extended those dates.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people test if they have any COVID-19-like symptoms including a sore throat, runny nose, loss of smell or taste, or a fever. People may also want to test before they are going to be a part of a large event, like a concert or a conference, particularly if people are not up-to-date on their vaccines. Antivirals are available to treat COVID-19 and flu, and testing can help determine which medication is needed.

COVID-19 hospital admissions and emergency department visits are once again on the rise after a few weeks of downturn, according to the CDC. For the week ending Nov. 11, the percentage of COVID-related emergency department visits was 1.4%, or just over 16,200 people similar to rates seen throughout this month and last month.

Overall, outpatient visits for flu-like illness are lower than they were at this time last year but higher than in the previous four seasons. CDC forecasting suggests that this respiratory virus season will result in about the same number of hospitalizations as last season.

Seasonal flu activity is also increasing in most parts of the country with flu-like activity labeled as high in New Mexico, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and South Carolina, according to the CDC. There have been at least 780,000 illnesses, 8,000 hospitalizations, and 490 deaths from flu so far this season, the agency estimates.

More than a third of adults and nearly a third of children have gotten their flu shot this year, CDC data shows. About 14% of adults and 5% of children have gotten the new COVID-19 vaccine while 14% of older adults ages 60 and up have gotten the new RSV vaccine.

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