Category: Covid-19

A midwife who helped an upstate clinic hand out thousands of COVID vaccine cards to people who never took the vaccine pleaded guilty to a federal fraud charge in Brooklyn Monday.

Kathleen Breault, 66, admitted to her role in the vaccine scheme, which the feds say was run out of Sage-Femme Midwifery in Albany in 2021 and 2022, at a time when mandates required government and many private-sector employees to get the shot.

Breault and the clinics owner, Kelly McDermott, both certified nurse midwives, conspired to give out more than 2,600 vaccine cards to the unvaccinated, and destroyed vials of the vaccine as part of the scheme, the feds alleged in a 2023 indictment. McDermotts case is still pending.

My plea is guilty, Breault told Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Rachel. I gave vaccine cards to people who did not get medical vaccines.

Based on federal guidelines, she could face 10 to 16 months in prison when shes sentenced on Sept. 18. She must also pay more than $37,500 in restitution. The charge she pleaded to, conspiracy to defraud the United States, carries a maximum five-year prison term.

Breault and McDermott conspired to enroll Sage-Femme as an authorized COVID-19 vaccine administration site, which meant they could get genuine vaccine cards from the state Health Department, according to the feds.

They then solicited people who were looking to skip the vaccine but get their cards, and even held vaccination clinic days at Sage-Femme, the feds said. But instead of injecting the vaccines they received, they destroyed the doses and logged their patients into the states immunization database anyway, according to the feds.

Prosecutors referred to Sage-Femme as a small midwife practice, with locations in Albany, Sharon Springs and Saratoga, but said the fraud scheme turned it into one of the busiest Johnson & Johnson vaccination sites in the state.

The indictment identifies two patients who got cards without vaccines, and states that Breault herself didnt take the vaccine but still got a card from a licensed practical nurse working at Sage-Femme.

In an October affidavit, Breault described herself as a scapegoat for deep and abiding public rejection of the vaccine mandates and said she acted out of her conscience. She was seeking to have the charge against her dismissed.

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Upstate N.Y. midwife pleads guilty to giving COVID-19 vaccine cards to the unvaccinated - New York Daily News

Santa Cruz County is experiencing a rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, but the summer spike has arrived a few weeks ahead of time. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune file)

SANTA CRUZ In keeping with trends from previous years, COVID-19 cases are rising alongside the summer season heat in Santa Cruz County.

In fact, according to local health officials, the virus appears to be spiking even a little ahead of schedule.

According to Santa Cruz County Health Officer Lisa Hernandez, local data indicates that we are seeing a rise again and were projected to see that continue when were looking at the wastewater modeling in particular.

It seems like this might be a little earlier than what we saw last year, she added.

Though the early rise came as a surprise, the downstream impacts have not. Hernandez said the average number of patients in the county hospitalized with COVID is currently around five but has topped out at 10 in recent weeks. These figures are concerning, according to Hernandez, although not the worst weve seen, but definitely its trending up.

The number of COVID-related deaths across the county has also persisted, with a total of 20 since the beginning of the year. A spokesperson with the countys public health division said information such as age, gender and location for the decedents wasnt readily available.

Every death is a concern and a loss to the community and to the family, said Hernandez. Were not seeing alarming numbers of deaths like we had seen in the past and wed see less if people got vaccinated. Thats really helpful.

Hernandez said factors responsible for the recent uptick in cases are likely the same as previous spikes people are mixing indoors more because of graduations, celebrations and hot weather. That, plus new variants continue to crop up.

The ever-evolving virus churned out JN.1, derived from the omicron subvariant according to Hernandez, and it became dominant last winter. Most recently, JN.1 produced a new subtype of its own known as KP.2. Similar to previous variants, JN.1 and KP.2 have evolved to evade immunity and cases have risen as a result.

The COVID landscape is also changing as national health officials are readying themselves to update the vaccines recipe in time for a fall rollout. But the virus is moving so fast that it has experts debating which strain would be most efficient to target.

Advisers with the Food and Drug Administration decided earlier this month that the fall vaccine update should target the JN.1 lineage, or family, as opposed to attacking KP.2 directly, according to a report from the Associated Press.

Having a vaccine thats the trunk of the tree rather than the branches makes sense to me, Dr. Melinda Wharton from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Amid a dramatic increase of COVID cases last summer, particularly within the countys nursing home facilities, Hernandez issued an order that required all people, including staff and visitors, to wear a face mask while indoors at skilled nursing facilities across the county.

Thats not something were considering at this point, Hernandez recently told the Sentinel. However, were always monitoring the community, especially in settings where were worried about the most vulnerable.

Last falls COVID vaccine targeted a completely different section of the coronavirus family tree, and CDC data shows only about 22.5% of adults and 14% of children received it. But even though public concern about COVID-19 has waned, it remains deadlier than the flu, according to a recent analysis of Veterans Affairs hospitalizations this past winter.

The state experienced 3,559 COVID-19-coded deaths from Oct. 1 last year to June 8 this year, according to the California Department of Public Health. Influenza caused 656 deaths statewide during that same period.

Hernandez stressed that the countys vaccine uptake has room to grow. According to statistics from the state, about 62,000 county residents, or 22.6%, are up to date with their COVID vaccination compared to 14.7% statewide. Those 65 and older are far outpacing all other age demographics across the county, with 26,963 having received a recent dose or more than 52% of the total population.

Hernandez recommended that those who are eligible for a COVID vaccination especially community members 65 years and older or immunocompromised but havent yet received one should get it as soon as possible, as those individuals are likely to still have enough of a gap to get the updated dose in the fall.

If you get the vaccine now, in four months when the new formulation is available you can get that one, said Hernandez.

Aside from vaccine protection, Hernandez recommended a return to the health care hygiene basics that she, anecdotally, has noticed local residents straying from a bit in recent weeks. This includes a recommendation that residents mask up or stay home if theyre not feeling well.

Even when I go shopping, Ive seen less and less of that in the community, said Hernandez. We dont want to forget the importance of staying home when youre sick, masking if youre ill or not feeling well and getting vaccinated.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Excerpt from:

Summer COVID spike arrives early in Santa Cruz County - Santa Cruz Sentinel

Tao Geoghegan Hart and Giulio Ciccone have been hit by COVID-19 and flu, forcing them to miss vital training in the final weeks before the Tour de France.

The Briton and Italian are part of a multi-faceted Lidl-Trek team that also includes Mads Pedersen but their illness could now impact their hopes and ambitions at the Tour de France.

Ciccone missed the Giro dItalia after a serious saddle sore and surgery forced him off the bike for much of the spring. He won the polka-dot mountains jersey at the 2023 Tour de France and was expected to target stage victories this year.

He impressed at the Critrium du Dauphin but then fell ill on his return home.

It was not a return home as I hoped, Ciccone wrote on social media on Monday. The flu got me and I haven't trained since Friday. I hope to get better soon and recover in time for the Italian national championships.

Geoghegan Hart moved to Lidl-Trek for 2024 after his recovery from a complex femur fracture at the 2023 Giro dItalia. The Tour de France was supposed to be a test of his Grand Tour ability after making gradual build-up via a series of stage races. However, he was hit from behind in the mass Dauphin crash on stage 5 and eventually abandoned the French race before stage 7.

He returned to his home in Andorra and was looking forward to the simple things in life, such as making his own meals as he recovered and trained for the Tour de France. However, he tested positive for COVID-19 and revealed he was super sick last week.

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I always say I miss buying fresh groceries and cooking. Even the simple decision of actually choosing what to have for lunch and dinner. This week has seen plenty of time for that, with zero bike riding and five days of Covid positive, Geoghegan Hart revealed on social media, posting photographs of his meals.

I thought those days were long gone but unfortunately Ive been super sick. Take care everyone. And make sure you eat all the colours of the rainbow.

Lidl-Trek has still to confirm its final Tour de France squad and ambitions but riders are expected to travel for the Grand Depart next Tuesday. The 2024 Tour de France starts on Saturday, June 29 with a hilly road stage from Florence to Rimini.

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Tao Geoghegan Hart and Giulio Ciccone hit by COVID-19 and flu before Tour de France - Cyclingnews

The National Institutes of Health recommends that people unvaccinated against COVID who are at high risk for getting a severe case take the drug Paxlovid (a combination of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir) within five days of the appearance of mild to moderate symptoms. The drug is taken twice daily for five days. But is Paxlovid helpful if you are fully vaccinated and also at high risk for severe COVID symptoms? What if you are healthy but unvaccinated? A study published April 3, 2024, in The New England Journal of Medicine explored these questions. Researchers enrolled 1,300 people who had mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms. To be eligible for the study, participants needed either to be vaccinated (fully or partially) and have at least one risk factor for more severe COVID symptoms, or else have never been vaccinated but have no risk factors. Unvaccinated people at high risk were excluded.

About half of the people were randomly chosen to receive Paxlovid every 12 hours for five days. The others received a placebo. The researchers found no significant difference in symptom relief or progression of disease between the Paxlovid and placebo groups. These results, combined with the findings of other studies, suggest many people with mild or moderate COVID symptoms don't immediately need to start taking Paxlovid. However, people ages 65 and older, anyone with a chronic condition (especially heart or lung disease), those who have an impaired immune system, and those whose COVID symptoms get worse over 24 hours should call their doctor for advice.

As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.

No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

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More guidance on using the COVID-19 drug Paxlovid - Harvard Health

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Dr. Anthony Fauci spent over five decades in public service, including 38 years as the country's top infectious disease expert. His new memoir is "On Call: A Doctor's Journey in Public Service." He joined "CBS Mornings" to discuss his life in public service and the pivotal role he played in the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Dr. Anthony Fauci talks decades-long career, pivotal role in the COVID-19 pandemic - CBS News

Midwife pleads guilty to destroying 2,600 COVID-19 vaccines and issuing fraudulent cards

by The Associated Press

FILE - A nurse practitioner holds a COVID-19 vaccine card at a New York Health and Hospitals vaccine clinic in the Brooklyn borough of New York on Jan. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle, File)

NEW YORK (AP)

An upstate New York midwife pleaded guilty on Monday to federal fraud charges for her role in giving out thousands of COVID-19 immunization cards to people who never received the vaccine, prosecutors said.

Kathleen Breault, 66, of Cambridge, admitted in Brooklyn federal court that she destroyed more than 2,600 coronavirus vaccines and issued a corresponding number of fraudulent vaccination record cards while working at Sage-Femme Midwifery from 2021 to 2022.

The Albany facility was an authorized site for COVID-19 vaccine administration at a time when many government agencies and private companies were requiring their workers to be immunized against the virus.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace's office said Breault and her co-conspirators also made over 2,600 false entries into a state database that tracked COVID-19 vaccine distribution.

Among those who were issued the fraudulent immunization records were minors ineligible at the time to be vaccinated, as well as Canadian citizens who were not present in the country when they were purportedly vaccinated, according to prosecutors.

Breault agreed to repay more than $37,000 in restitution for the destroyed vaccines and faces a maximum of five years in prison at her sentencing, Peace's office said.

Breault's lawyer said Monday that his client acted out of a sense of profound concern about the impacts of the vaccination requirements.

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Midwife pleads guilty to destroying 2,600 COVID-19 vaccines and issuing fraudulent cards - KATU

The federal corruption trial of Sen. Bob Menendez is expected to resume Tuesday following a delay due to a COVID-19 issue.

Testimony was expected to resume Monday in New York federal court -- but the case remains on hold as a co-defendant recovers from the illness. This is the third day the trial was delayed.

Last week, the prosecution's key witness, Jose Uribe, took the stand. Uribe admitted to bribing Menendez and the senators wife, Nadine Menendez.

U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger testified on June 12 that Menendez sought to discuss the prosecution of a New Jersey real estate developer with him before recommending him to the post after Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election.

The senator has denied any wrongdoing.

The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.

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Corruption trial of Sen. Menendez expected to resume Tuesday following COVID-19 issue - News 12 New Jersey

NEW YORK An upstate New York midwife pleaded guilty on Monday to federal fraud charges for her role in giving out thousands of COVID-19 immunization cards to people who never received the vaccine, prosecutors said.

Kathleen Breault, 66, of Cambridge, admitted in Brooklyn federal court that she destroyed more than 2,600 coronavirus vaccines and issued a corresponding number of fraudulent vaccination record cards while working at Sage-Femme Midwifery from 2021 to 2022.

The Albany facility was an authorized site for COVID-19 vaccine administration at a time when many government agencies and private companies were requiring their workers to be immunized against the virus.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace's office said Breault and her co-conspirators also made over 2,600 false entries into a state database that tracked COVID-19 vaccine distribution.

Among those who were issued the fraudulent immunization records were minors ineligible at the time to be vaccinated, as well as Canadian citizens who were not present in the country when they were purportedly vaccinated, according to prosecutors.

Breault agreed to repay more than $37,000 in restitution for the destroyed vaccines and faces a maximum of five years in prison at her sentencing, Peace's office said.

Breault's lawyer said Monday that his client acted out of a sense of profound concern about the impacts of the vaccination requirements.

She believes that her actions were justified by moral necessity though she knows that she violated the law by defrauding the government, Michael Sussman said in an emailed statement.

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New York midwife pleads guilty to destroying 2,600 COVID-19 vaccines and issuing fraudulent cards - Newsday

image:

Peter Thomas

Credit: Case Western Reserve University

CLEVELANDSince 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant challenges to global public health, infecting millions and claiming numerous lives. While widespread vaccination efforts have alleviated the immediate threat, lingering questions persist about the long-term effects of the virus on those infected.

An interdisciplinary team of scientists has made a significant breakthrough to understand how the body adapts to COVID-19 infection, potentially offering crucial insights into managing the complex disease. Led by Christopher Wilson, professor of medicine at Loma Linda University, the collaborative effort involved researchers from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

One puzzling phenomenon observed during the pandemic is the occurrence of silent hypoxemia, in which COVID-19 patients have dangerously low oxygen levels in their bloodstream without experiencing the typical symptoms of oxygen deprivation. This paradoxical effect, also known as "happy hypoxia," prompted researchers to investigate further.

By leveraging a mathematical model of breathing dynamics, developed in collaboration with Peter Thomas, professor of mathematics in CWRUs College of Arts and Sciences, researchers simulated the conditions leading to silent hypoxemia.

Their findings, published in the journal Biological Cybernetics, suggest a potential link between elevated levels of hemoglobin in the bloodstream and the body's response to COVID-19 infection.

I'm intrigued by the potential of this research to shed light on the enigmatic phenomenon of silent hypoxemia in COVID-19 patients, Thomas said. This research underscores the critical role of mathematical modeling in uncovering novel insights that could ultimately inform clinical practice and improve patient outcomes.

The key research finding in the model was that one could produce sustained hypoxia without otherwise compromising breathing by increasing the parameter representing the hematocritthe concentration of hemoglobin in the bloodstream.

Hemoglobin is a special molecule that helps red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.In communities living at high altitudessuch as the Tibetan Plateau or the Andes Mountainsmany people have higher-than-average hemoglobin levels in their blood.

Although COVID-19 can affect many parts of the body, it mainly attacks the respiratory system, making it difficult to breathe and causing blood clots in the lung.

In our research endeavors, we've unearthed a pivotal insight: the imperative for critical care physicians to vigilantly track hemoglobin levels in COVID-19 patients, Thomas said. This underscores the necessity to disseminate such crucial data within the research communityan action presently overlooked.

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Case Western Reserve University is one of the country's leading private research institutions. Located in Cleveland, we offer a unique combination of forward-thinking educational opportunities in an inspiring cultural setting. Our leading-edge faculty engage in teaching and research in a collaborative, hands-on environment. Our nationally recognized programs include arts and sciences, dental medicine, engineering, law, management, medicine, nursing and social work. About 6,200 undergraduate and 6,100 graduate students comprise our student body. Visitcase.eduto see how Case Western Reserve thinks beyond the possible.

Biological Cybernetics

Data/statistical analysis

Not applicable

COVID-19 and silent hypoxemia in a minimal closed-loop model of the respiratory rhythm generator

17-Jun-2024

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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CWRU researcher, interdisciplinary team discover breakthrough on body's adaptation to COVID-19 - EurekAlert

Overview

SARS-CoV-2 PCR percent positivity, as detected in integrated sentinel surveillance as part of the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) and reported to FluNet was 6.3% from 80 countries during the week ending 26 May 2024 compared 7.1% from 87 countries from the previous week.

KP.2 and KP.3, both descendent lineages of JN.1 and variants under monitoring (VUMs) continue to show increasing prevalence globally. They accounted for 22.7% and 22.4% of sequences in week 21 compared to 14.6% and 13.0% in week 18, respectively. Globally, JN.1 is the most reported variant of interest (VOI) (now reported by 132 countries), accounting for 47.1% of sequences in week 21 and having declined from a prevalence of 56.0% in week 18.

Globally, the number of new cases decreased by 11% during the past 28-day period of 29 April to 26 May 2024 compared to the previous 28-day period (1 to 28 April 2024), with over one hundred and twenty-nine thousand new cases reported. The number of new deaths decreased by 36% as compared to the previous 28-day period, with over 1800 new fatalities reported. As of 26 May 2024, over 775 million confirmed cases and more than seven million deaths have been reported globally.

During the period from 29 April to 26 May 2024, COVID-19 new hospitalizations and admissions to an intensive care unit (ICU) both recorded an overall decrease of 57% and 38% with over 14 000 and more than 400 admissions, respectively, from countries consistently reporting.

WHO published the latest COVID-19 Vaccination Insights Report for quarter one (Jan-Mar) 2024. Globally, 9.8 million individuals received a dose of COVID-19 vaccine across 73 reporting Member States (MS). containing 22% of the global population. Among older adults, 4.9 million individuals received a dose across the 60 MS reporting on uptake in this group, corresponding to an uptake rate of 0.42% so far this year.

In this edition, we include:

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COVID-19 epidemiological update 17 June 2024 - World Health Organization (WHO)