Category: Covid-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, children and adolescents had reduced physical activity, underscoring the need to boost their access to resources related to such activity. This is the conclusion reached by a review paper appearing in JAMA Pediatrics.

Numerous physical distancing measures were put in place during the pandemic to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, said Kimberley D. Lakes, a professor of clinical psychiatry and neuroscience in the UC Riverside School of Medicine and a coauthor on the review paper. This negatively affected child and adolescent physical activity levels.

Lakes and her colleagues reviewed 126 articles published in English in 2020-2021, using sources such as PubMed, PsycInfo, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, and MEDLINE. Their meta-analysis included 22 studies that met their full inclusion criteria.

They found a decrease of 17 minutes per day or 20% in childrens moderate-to-vigorous physical activity from pre-pandemic to during the COVID-19 pandemic. The reduction was larger for physical activity at higher intensities. The reductions during the pandemic were also larger in regions at higher latitudes.

Childrens movement behaviors should be at the forefront of pandemic recovery efforts, Lakes said. There is an urgent need for public health initiatives to revive young peoples interest in physical activity during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. This is particularly important given the well-known physical and mental health benefits of physical activity.

To address the need for creating lasting physical activity behavior change, the authors call for public health campaigns to be child-centered, targeting a variety of physical activity modalities and incorporating families and the wider community.

In addition to Lakes, the investigative team included Ross D. Neville, Giampiero Tarantino, and Rosemary Beck of University College Dublin, Ireland; Will G. Hopkins of Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia; Catherine E. Draper of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; and Sheri Madigan of the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Lakes, a psychologist, provides mentorship for Neville, a sports scientist; they have a number of ongoing research collaborations examining the mental health benefits of exercise, inclusive approaches to sport and physical activity, and the impact of sport and exercise programs on youth development.

The review paper is titled Global Changes in Child and Adolescent Physical Activity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

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Children and adolescents were 20% less physically active during COVID-19 pandemic - University of California, Riverside

Public health messages that promote COVID-19 vaccine rates may have less influence on vaccination decisions than the signals people receive from their own family and friends.

Therefore, the most promising public health interventions to promote COVID-19 vaccine uptake should seek ways to leverage social norms among close ties, according to the findings of a new study in theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

One of the takeaways is the importance of peoples perceptions of the intentions of the people around them, says lead author Nathaniel Rabb, a project manager at the Policy Lab at Brown University.

It lends further credence to the idea about changing disclosure norms. Its likely given other survey data weve seen that in groups where vaccination is less common, people read the norms andtalk about itless, even if they are vaccinated. Its almost taboo.

The research team posits theres a feedback loop that needs to be disrupted, Rabb says.

It will certainly need a very different public health policy approach than putting up a billboard with how many people in your state got vaccinated, or berating people into doing it, or telling them theyre at terrible risk of peril, Rabb says.

Its going to require a long-game strategy. In our results, it seems like you have to break these taboos about talking about itand thats not trivial.

Researchers based their findings on surveys of Rhode Island respondents and the general US population in 2020 during the first year of the pandemic, and again in March 2021 once vaccines were becoming available to segments of the general population. They collected and analyzed the data in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Health.

Participants answered questions about theirintentionsto get vaccinated and how many people they believe would get vaccinated among various groupsincluding their family and friends, neighbors, people in their city and state, and among Democrats, Republicans, and independents.

Willingness to vaccinate depended on the perceived extent to which others would vaccinate. The strongest relationship was between vaccination intentions and social norms for respondents friends and family. It weakened as the reference group expanded to people in ones neighborhood, city, and state.

The strength of the relationship goes down as the groups become more heterogeneous, Rabb notes.

The findings can help inform public health policy as well as provide a jumping-off point to explore ways to disrupt the pattern the data illuminated.

In the paper, we struggle with the implication mightily and walk through the options, Rabb says. Touting vaccination rates at the city or state level is unlikely to change anyones mind. But touting them at the friend and family level may not feel plausible or believable. The challenge is figuring out how to normalize it at the friend and family leveland that challenge puts a public health authority in a bind.

Additional coauthors are from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Boston University, and Brown. The study is part of an ongoing partnership between the Policy Lab and the Rhode Island Department of Health related to COVID-19 response.

Source:Brown University

Original StudyDOI: 10.1073/pnas.2118770119

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Family and Friends May Beat Stats in COVID-19 Vax Persuasion - GovExec.com

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported nearly 16,600 new COVID-19 cases and nine new deaths related to the virus July 17-23.

New cases reported:16,570

Total cases in S.C.: 1,605,165

New deaths reported: nine

Total deaths in S.C.: 18,192

Percent of ICU beds filled (with COVID-19 and other patients):63.8percent

Percent positive:25.7percent

In South Carolina, 60.6 percent of people who are eligible for the vaccine have received at least one dose, and 52.6 percent of eligible residents are considered fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

These numbers reflect all eligible residents in South Carolina, including young children. The latest data from DHEC shows 21.8 percent of children ages 5-11 have at least one vaccine doseand 1.6 percent of those under age 5 have received a shot.

Of the 538 COVID-19 patients hospitalized as of July 23, 77 were in the ICU and 23 were using ventilators.

At a White House conference July 26 on the future of COVID-19 vaccines, some companies said they were looking to develop a couple of painless options: one that could deliver COVID-19 vaccine intranasally, through the nose, and one that has developed a patch with microneedles that could be applied and peeled off to deliver a vaccine dose through the skin.

Reach Tom Corwin at 843-214-6584. Follow him on Twitter at @AUG_SciMed.

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SC sees nearly 16600 new cases of COVID-19 and 9 deaths - Charleston Post Courier

FARMINGTON Healthy Community Coalition is hosting six adult COVID-19 mobile walk-in vaccine clinics in Franklin County in August. Vaccines are provided at no cost and all are welcome.

Those age 18 and older are eligible to receive the vaccines.

Those attending can be administered their choice of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine and can get their first or second dose in a series, first booster dose, or second booster for those ages 50 and older, according to a news release.

The schedule is as follows:

East Wilton Village: 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Aug. 3, Western Maine Community Action, 20 Church St. Salem Township: 1-2:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11, United Methodist Economic Ministry Food Bank, 1458 Salem Road. Phillips: 3-5:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 11, Edmunds Market, 1185 Rangeley Road. Stratton Village/Eustis: 2-5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18, Fotters Market, 157 Main St. Strong: 4:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 23, Faith Works Community Outreach, 44 N. Main St. New Vineyard: 3-5:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26, Maine Wood Turning, 1687 New Vineyard Road.

People over the age of 50 can now get a second booster dose 4 months after their first booster dose.

Individuals should bring their COVID-19 vaccination card with them. Those with health insurance are asked to bring their cards with them also, but insurance is not mandatory.

For additional information visit,fchn.org/hcc-covid

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Walk-in COVID-19 mobile vaccination clinics to be held in six towns in Franklin County - Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel

State officials are looking for ways to retain teachers and make education a more lucrative career choice.

In March, Gov. Greg Abbott announced the formation of the Teacher Vacancy Task Force, made up of teachers and school administrators, to make recommendations on how to make the profession better.

The task force has met twice so far, Oeser said. Members of the task force have been split up into groups to tackle concerns such as educator preparation, pay, staffing and improving the teacher experience.

The task force will meet again in August with a more defined plan and will have a final report in February, Oeser said.

Before then, the State Board for Educator Certification, which sets the standards for teacher certifications, will continue to hold talks about the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment, know as edTPA, a more rigorous teacher certification exam developed by Stanford University.

Teachers now take a multiple-choice certification test called the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities exam. Critics say the test is easy and not a true measure of what a teacher can do in the classroom.

On the other hand, the edTPA requires prospective teachers to film themselves teaching, submit lesson plans and reflect on how they help their students grow academically. The edTPA exam has been on a pilot run for the last three years in about 40 educator preparation programs across the state.

The State Board of Education, a partisan elected board that sets curriculum standards for the state, initially rejected the exam after concerns were brought up. Teacher groups had been against the test, and it was scrapped in some states where it had been adopted.

But the SBOE did not want to forgo the test altogether and instead sent it back to SBEC to see if that group can iron out the kinks or if there are other test options on the table. SBEC had a workshop on edTPA on Thursday and will return with options and feedback for its September meeting.

For the TEA, SBEC and some educators, edTPA is a way to better support and retain new teachers because it allows teacher preparation programs and hiring school officials to see where teachers are lacking and how school administrators can better support them.

School districts are also looking for ways to get and keep teachers in the classroom.

Bigger districts like the Houston ISD are able to provide raises and monetary incentives to its employees. Houston, the largest district in the state, has raised the starting salary for teachers to $61,500 for this school year, up from $56,869 in the 2021-22 school year.

As of July 5, there were approximately 854 openings for certified teachers in the district. The number isnt significantly different from previous years, but it speaks to the hiring gaps that the state is seeing.

Weve attracted hundreds more candidates for teaching positions this year than last year. At the same time, HISD is not immune to the national impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on teachers and other educators, the district said in a statement.

Smaller districts that cant compete with bigger districts salary increases have instead tried to lure teachers with four-day school weeks. Some rural districts have been losing teachers to other schools that are switching to the shorter week model.

Anybody that had eyes or ears knew that this impending teacher shortage was coming, and our view was it was only going to get worse for the foreseeable future, said Chico ISD Superintendent Randy Brawner. You cant just go out and throw money at your problems. You have to think outside the box and think creatively.

Disclosure: The University of Houston and Texas AFT have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

When you join us at The Texas Tribune Festival Sept. 22-24 in downtown Austin, youll hear from changemakers who are driving innovation, lawmakers who are taking charge with new policies, industry leaders who are pushing Texas forward and so many others. See the growing speaker list and buy tickets.

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The teacher shortage in Texas, explained - The Texas Tribune

(NewMediaWire) - July 26, 2022 - DALLAS People who reported smoking or vaping prior to their hospitalization for COVID-19 were more likely than their counterparts who did not smoke or vape to experience severe complications, including death, from the SARS-CoV-2 infection. The findings are from a new study based on data from the American Heart Association's COVID-19 CVD Registry and published in PLOS ONE, a peer-reviewed, open access scientific journal published by the Public Library of Science.

Researchers examined data on people over 18 years of age who were hospitalized with COVID-19 in 107 registry-participating hospitals across the nation between January 2020 to March 2021. Smoking status was self-reported and people were classified as smoking if they reported currently using either traditional, combustible cigarettes or e-cigarette products, with no distinction between the two and no information on duration of smoking or former smoking status. For the final analysis, records were selected for 4,086 people with a 1:2 ratio of people who smoked (1,362) to people who did not smoke (2,724), with the two groups matched for no statistically significant difference in age, sex, race, medical history or medication.

The study findings indicate smoking or vaping are associated with more severe COVID-19 independent of age, sex, race or medical history:

People who reported smoking were 45% more likely to die and 39% more likely to receive mechanical ventilation when compared with those who did not smoke.

Although the excessive risk due to smoking was independent of medical history and medication use, smoking was a stronger risk factor for death in people between 18-59 years of age and those who were white or had obesity.

"In general, people who smoke or vape tend to have a higher prevalence of other health conditions and risk factors that could play a role in how they are impacted by COVID-19. However, the robust and significant increase in the risk of severe COVID-19 seen in our study, independent of medical history and medication use and particularly among young individuals, underscores the urgent need for extensive public health interventions such as anti-smoking campaigns and increased access to cessation therapy, especially in the age of COVID," said the study's senior author, Aruni Bhatnagar, Ph.D., FAHA, a professor of medicine, biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky. "These findings provide the clearest evidence to date that people who smoke or vape have a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 and dying as a result of SARS-CoV-2 infection."

Story continues

Bhatnagar is co-director of the American Heart Association's Tobacco Center for Regulatory Science which supported the study in part with funding from the U. S. National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration research grants.

"We established the COVID-19 CVD Registry early on in the pandemic to better understand the link between COVID-19 and cardiovascular disease, specifically, to identify increased risk to help inform the diagnosis and care of people who are at highest risk for complications," said Sandeep R. Das, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., FAHA, co-chair of the steering committee for the American Heart Association(R) COVID-19 CVD Registry Powered by Get With The Guidelines(R) and director for Quality and Value in the Cardiology Division at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. "The findings of this study deliver on that goal and provide invaluable information individuals and their health care teams."

The American Heart Association launched the registry in 2020 to gather data specific to all patients hospitalized with COVID-19 as part of the Get With The Guidelines(R) quality improvement program. Registry participation was offered at no cost to all U.S. hospitals caring for adults with active COVID-19 and with the infrastructure to support accurate data collection. More than 160 hospitals provided data on more than 79,000 patient records between 2020 and June 2022.

The American Heart Association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific Association programs and events. The Association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and biotech companies, device manufacturers and health insurance providers and the Association's overall financial information are available here.

Additional Resources:

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public's health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

###

For Media Inquiries: 214-706-1173

Cathy Lewis: cathy.lewis@heart.org; 214-706-1324

Michelle Rosenfeld: michelle.rosenfeld@heart.org; 214-706-1099

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and stroke.org

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Smoking, vaping linked to higher risk of severe COVID-19 complications, including death - Yahoo Finance

Here's a quick wrap of each Australian jurisdiction's latest COVID-19 statistics for Wednesday, July 27.

You can get a more detailed, visual breakdown through theABC's Charting the Spread story here.

You can jump to the COVID-19 information you want to read by clicking below.

There have been16,173 new casesof COVID-19 recorded in New South Wales and a further 20 deaths.

There are now2,275people in hospitalwith COVID in the state, and56in intensive care.

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The state has recorded another 32 deaths from COVID-19.

There are 872 people in hospital with COVID, with 33 in intensive care and 11 requiring ventilation.

Victoria recorded 12,653 new cases in the past 24 hours.

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Four people have died with COVID-19 in Tasmania.

There are 170 people in hospital with the virus, and three in intensive care.

There were 1,313 new cases reported in the past 24 hours.

Another 1,104 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the ACT.

There are 141 people in hospital with COVID, and one person is in intensive care.

There have been no deaths reported.

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The state has recorded 19 deaths in the past 24 hours.

There have been 8,209 new cases reported, and there are 1,023 people in hospital with the virus.

There are 26 patients being treated in intensive care.

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There have been three deaths reported in Western Australia.

The state has recorded 5,422 new cases of COVID-19 in the past day, and there are 442 people in hospital.

There are 17 people in intensive care.

The state has recorded 4,197 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

There are 365 people in hospital with COVID, and eight in ICU. There are no patients on a ventilator.

Four people with COVID-19 have died in the past day.

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The NThas recorded another deathfrom COVID-19.

There are 76 people in hospital with the virus, including one in intensive care.

The territory recorded 491 new cases in the past 24 hours.

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The latest COVID-19 case numbers from around the states and territories - ABC News

ASHTABULA In an ongoing effort to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, a network across Ohio continues to study samples of wastewater to look for the presence of fragments from the virus.

An upward trend of viral gene copies has been detected in the Ashtabula sewer shed, which serves the city of Ashtabula and parts of Saybrook and Ashtabula townships.

The waste water testing showed a sustained increase from June 28 to July 17.

We have not seen elevated levels since April, City Manager Jim Timonere said. This sustained increase in viral load demonstrates that there may be community increased transmission and citizens are cautioned to follow safe COVID-19 protocols.

Residents should be on alert and remain vigilant in their efforts to social distance, wear face coverings and adhere to prevention efforts such as frequent hand-washing and sanitizing, he said.

This emerging information is being used by the Ashtabula City and the Ashtabula County health departments in conjunction with community case numbers and other COVID-19 related data to further inform decisions as officials respond to the pandemic.

The health departments have alerted healthcare providers, nursing homes and other shared-living facilities to be prepared for a potential increase in cases, said Christine Hill, commissioner of the Ashtabula City Health Department.

Our department continues to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to help folks keep up to date on their vaccination, Hill said. Vaccination is still the best protection against COVID-19.

The increase of COVID-19 cases in communities is typically tracked by testing people with symptoms, an indicator that lags behind the actual spread of the disease.

However, research has shown that non-infectious RNA (ribonucleic acid) from the virus that cause COVID-19 can be detected in wastewater as many as three to seven days before those infections lead to increases in case counts or hospitalizations.

The Ohio Department of Health reports a medium community level in Ashtabula County, meaning the ODH recommends residents wear a mask if you have symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19. You may choose to wear a mask at any time as an additional precaution to protect yourself and others. If you are at high risk for severe illness, consider wearing a mask indoors in public and taking additional precautions.

More than 2 million Ohioans have contracted COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, according to the ODH.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

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Elevated levels of COVID-19 detected in Ashtabula's wastewater - The Star Beacon

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) Micronesias first outbreak of COVID-19 grew in one week to more than 1,000 cases by Tuesday, causing alarm in the Pacific island nation.

Last week, Micronesia likely became the final nation in the world with a population of more than 100,000 to experience an outbreak of the disease, after avoiding it for 2 1/2 years thanks to its geographic isolation and border controls.

Health officials said cases were rapidly increasing. It reported 140 new cases Monday, bringing the total to 1,261, a figure which includes some cases caught at the border before the outbreak.

Eight people have been hospitalized and one older man has died, officials said.

Many top lawmakers and senior officials have caught the disease, including Vice President Yosiwo George, who has been hospitalized, officials said. They said the vice presidents condition was improving.

Camille Movick, whose family owns Fusion Restaurant in Pohnpei State, told The Associated Press that a lot of people have been posting on Facebook asking, for instance, that others stay away from their homes.

Initially there was quite a bit of panic and worry with most people, she said.

She said her restaurant remained open although business was slow because many people were afraid to dine in. She said some other restaurants had closed their dining rooms and were only offering takeaway services.

Movick said authorities had issued a directive that all people must wear masks in public even outdoors and that they faced fines of $1,000 for noncompliance.

She said one positive outcome was the outbreak had prompted many previously unvaccinated people to get their shots.

She said many people suspected the virus might have been circulating before the first community case was confirmed last week because health authorities werent routinely testing patients for the disease.

Last year, Micronesia became one of the few countries to impose a broad mandate requiring all eligible citizens get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

The government threatened to withhold federal funds from any individuals or business owners who didnt follow the rules. Health officials said this week that 75% of people aged 5 and over were fully vaccinated.

Movick said many parts of society were continuing to function as before, including many people who were working from their offices.

Were hoping things get back to normal soon, Movick said. Just like in other countries, over time, theyve gotten over it, and lifted the restrictions.

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Micronesia's first COVID-19 outbreak balloons, causing alarm - The Associated Press

As 'Covid-19 refugees' go back home, rent increases expected to return to normal - South Florida Business Journal  The Business Journals

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As 'Covid-19 refugees' go back home, rent increases expected to return to normal - South Florida Business Journal - The Business Journals