Category: Covid-19

The Biden Administration is sounding the alarm for the urgent need for Congress to provide funding for the nations COVID-19 response and is underscoring the severe consequences of their inaction: Fewer vaccines, treatments, and tests for the American people, and fewer shots in arms around the world.

Over the past 15 months, the Biden Administration has used the resources Congress provided to mobilize a comprehensive COVID-19 response. As a result, the United States has made tremendous progress in our fight against the virussaving over 2 million American lives, safely reopening our schools, creating jobs at a record pace, returning to more normal routines, and averting $900 billion in health care costs.

In March, the President laid out a comprehensive National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan to keep America moving forward safely, by ensuring that lifesaving tools like vaccines and treatments remain free and widely available to Americans, by preparing for potential surges and new variants, and by getting more shots in arms around the world. Executing this plan remains essential to sustaining the progress we have made and saving more lives. There has been an uptick in cases in parts of the country and, while cases will continue to fluctuate, this virus has proven itself to be unpredictable. Without funding, the United States will be unprepared for whatever comes next.

COVID-19 isnt waiting on Congress to negotiate. Other countries will not wait. Time is of the essence. Congress must act urgently to help save more American lives and ensure we remain prepared.

Congressional inaction on additional COVID-19 response funding means:

Fewer Vaccines for Americans:

Fewer Treatments for Americans:

Fewer Tests for Americans:

Fewer Shots in Arms Around the World:

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Read more here:

Fact Sheet: Biden Administration Underscores Urgent Need for Additional COVID-19 Response Funding and the Severe Consequences of Congressional...

By Anchorage Daily News

Updated: 18 hours ago Published: 20 hours ago

The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services on Wednesday reported 1,479 cases of COVID-19 in Alaska over a seven-day period. That averages around 211 cases per day. This data does not include at-home tests, which do not get reported to the state and have grown in popularity this year.

By Wednesday, there were 32 COVID-positive patients hospitalized statewide, 12 more than last week. Less than 3% of Alaskas hospital patients were COVID-positive, including one person on a ventilator.

The state reported four more deaths linked to the virus. In total, 1,219 COVID-19 deaths among Alaska residents and 33 among nonresidents have been reported since March 2020. Many of the deaths reported by the state in recent weeks occurred weeks to months earlier.

The regions with the highest case rates this week were the Northwest Arctic Borough, Nome, the Dillingham area, Sitka and Petersburg all at more than 400 cases per 100,000 people, which is quite a lot of COVID activity, state officials said in a Wednesday briefing. That data represents reported cases and not at-home tests, but regional levels still provide a sense of larger case trends, officials say.

Alaskas seven-day new case rate per 100,000 people fell from fourth-highest in the nation last week to fifth highest this week, according to a CDC tracker.

According to Alaskas coronavirus variant dashboard, the vast majority 91% of the most recently sequenced viruses from specimens collected late in March were the BA.2 stealth omicron subvariant. BA.2 appears to be more transmissible than other variants but not more virulent or better at evading immune responses conferred by vaccination or prior infection.

As of Wednesday, 64.8% of eligible Alaskans as well as military personnel had completed their primary vaccine series. That number has been very slowly ticking up in recent weeks.

The FDA approved another Pfizer or Moderna booster shot for those 50 and older, as well as for certain younger individuals with severely compromised immune systems, if its been at least four months since their last vaccination. Information about getting a vaccine shot or booster in Alaska is available at covidvax.alaska.gov.

The state health department now updates all of its COVID-19 data on Wednesdays only instead of updating most dashboards three times a week.

Here is the original post:

Alaska reports an increase in COVID-19 cases and rising hospitalizations - Anchorage Daily News

A rapidly spreading variant and close, indoor quarters are likely factors that have led to cruise ship passengers testing positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks, according to the CDC.

A spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said most cases have not been severe.

The vast majority of cases did not have severe outcomes, with only one COVID-19 hospitalization reported in the outbreak on the Ruby Princess, which is still under investigation, said CDC spokesman Nick Spinelli.

And avid cruisers arent likely to give up the ocean-going travel freedom they lost for so many months during the pandemic.

A robust 2022 cruise schedule remains unchanged at the Port of Los Angeles, a port spokesman said.

Dr. Anissa Davis, Long Beachs city health officer, said that while shes keeping a close eye on cases, protocols regarding cruise ships dont appear set to change.

Right now cases continue to be relatively low but are rising, Davis said in a written statement. We are concerned about every COVID-19 case in the city, including those on area cruise ships. As of now, no protocols regarding cruise ships are set to change, but we continue to watch the situation closely.

She urged people to practice prevention strategies, including getting vaccinated and boosted when eligible, wearing well-fitting masks where crowds gather indoors, and staying home and getting tested if having symptoms.

CBS News reported on Wednesday, April 26, that the Ruby Princess docked at the Port of San Francisco after a trip to Hawaii with 143 passengers who had tested positive, according to information provided by that citys health department to the news outlet.

Earlier this month, the Grand Princess returned to the Port of Los Angeles from a Hawaii trip with passengers who also tested positive.

The two ships are among 53 cruise ships currently sailing under the CDCs orange category which means 0.3% of passengers and/or crew members have tested positive.

The news follows the much-anticipated resumption of cruising after the industry was shut down for 15 months during the pandemic.

At the Port of Los Angeles, an expected 200 sailings are scheduled throughout 2022, the most since 2008.

The industry is seen as one that will be increasingly important locally, with each ship call bringing in more than $1 million in economic activity, according to the Port of L.A.

Cruises out of the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach resumed last summer with a set of protocols and vaccine requirements.

The CDC dropped its COVID-19 risk advisory for cruise ship travel in March, but still urges passengers to determine their own health risks before taking a cruise.

Cruise travel is not a zero-risk activity, said the CDCs Spinelli in a written comment. COVID-19, like other illnesses, can spread quickly in group settings like cruise ships because of close indoor proximity and extensive social interactions among passengers on board.

Most of the cruises are categorized as highly vaccinated by the CDCs classification, meaning more than 95% of the passengers are vaccinated, with crew vaccination rates at 100%.

Kathy Julian of Ventura, one of the passengers on board the Grand Princess for the trip to Hawaii, said she and her travel mates only learned later that the ship had already been put into the liners orange category.

We hadnt checked the CDC Dashboard before our cruise or we probably would have canceled, she said.

She tested positive after she returned home.

Its certainly my choice to go cruising and I realize the risk involved, but it still seemed like there was a blatant lack of concern, she said, adding that masking on board was practiced loosely. All the way down the chain, things should have been done.

A spokeswoman for Princess Cruises said ships continue operating in accordance with the CDC guidelines and were not at liberty to disclose case counts.

Long Beach resident Tina Tessina and her husband, Richard, were also on the Grand Princess Hawaii voyage and tested positive. But, she said, the Princess crew was prompt in arranging a well-appointed quarantine cabin with a balcony on the 12th deck, where others were also separately quarantined.

As for how the virus could have spread onboard, Tessina said there were stops along the way where groups disembarked to enjoy dinner out and other land-based activities before getting back on the ship. She also said someone may have tested negative when they got onboard initially but still may have already been exposed.

Its never going to be perfect, Tessina, 78, a psychotherapist and writer, said, adding she and her husband, 79, were careful about masking. Both had their fourth shots before the trip.

Still, she said, they were out and about during the trip.And masking onboard the ship wasnt strictly practiced.

People arent necessarily smart about it, Tessina said. They dont think of the consequences.

But, she added, even when being careful, the virus can spread, especially in a social atmosphere like a cruise ship.

Her case was mild, she said. Her husband took a little longer to rebound, but both recovered without complications.

There were some minor things that could have been executed better, she said.

We had very nice (quarantine) accommodations, Tessina said. The only problem was there was no information (provided) on what to do.

Tessina, a seasoned cruiser, said she asked for instructions and those were then provided. But, she added, others on the deck werent apparently offered the instructions automatically.

Passengers had to make their own beds and change out their own towels while in quarantine.

The meal ordering app on the TVs in the rooms, Tessina said, also could be hard for some passengers to navigate.

Princess, she said, didnt handle everything perfectly, but they did a pretty good job.

It was the first time she and her husband, a ballroom dance instructor, were able to take a cruise since 2020, Tessina said and theyre game for more. They usually take four cruises a year and have been around the world.

Im not happy I got COVID, but Im not blaming the ship, Tessina said. I could have gotten it on shore. I think if Id needed a lot of care I would have gotten it and sometimes you get better medical care on a ship than on land.

Still, it all comes as a reminder that some risk remains.

Theres always a risk, Tessina said. But I feel like Im in more danger in the grocery store where there are a lot of people not wearing masks.

Read more from the original source:

Cruise industry weathers COVID-19 holdovers as virus lingers - Daily Breeze

Talk show host Tamron Hall is entering May sweeps with a COVID-19 diagnosis.

I wanted to share the news with you that I have tested positive for COVID-19, Hall informed her Tamron Hall Show staffers Tuesday in an email obtained by Page Six.

I am following CDC guidelines, staying home and taking every precaution to ensure everyones safety, she wrote.

Just days before, Hall, 51, was posting Instagram videos with Elmo and Cookie Monster to celebrate her son Moses 3rd birthday. The family also welcomed a new dog, Exodus, whom they gifted the toddler for his b-day.

But, not to worry.

Thankfully, Moses and my entire family have all tested negative, Hall continued in her email.

I am devastated to say the least, but I know we will get through this, she wrote.

Hall was expected to co-host City Harvests 2022 gala with Benjamin Bratt earlier this week but was forced to pull out after the diagnosis. She has also been taping her Emmy Award-winning talk show from home all week.

The staff has been rushing wardrobe and equipment from the studio at ABC to her home, an insider tells us.

Full House alum Dave Coulier was booked to sit down with Hall in the studio for his first daytime interview since posting his sobriety photo in March. The interview has now been moved to Skype, were told.

The show also booked Dancing With the Stars pro Cheryl Burke for her first interview since announcing her divorce from Mrs. Doubtfire star Matthew Lawrence in February, and were told a big Mothers Day show was in the works as well.

Theyre scrambling to save their big Mothers Day show. Tamrons showing no symptoms, and they hope shell be back in person for the Mothers Day show, the source shares. They are moving mountains to make it happen.

Follow this link:

Tamron Hall tests positive for COVID-19 ahead of big Mother's Day show - Page Six

CNN

The United States is certainly, right now, in this country, out of the pandemic phase, Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Bidens chief medical adviser and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on PBSs NewsHour on Tuesday.

Namely, we dont have 900,000 new infections a day and tens and tens and tens of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths. We are at a low level right now. So if youre saying, are we out of the pandemic phase in this country? We are, he said.

On Wednesday, Fauci told CNN that his comments had been mischaracterized by some to mean that the pandemic is over, which is not what I said.

Were not over the pandemic. Dont let anybody get the misinterpretation that the pandemic is over, but what we are in is a different phase of the pandemic, he said. A phase thats a transition phase, hopefully headed toward more of a control where you can actually get back to some form of normality without total disruption of society, economically, socially, school-wise, etc.

Fauci noted that, in fact, Covid-19 cases are trending up again, though its not anywhere near the rise we saw over the winter with the Omicron wave.

So what we need to do is continue to be vigilant, to follow the CDC guidelines, to do the kinds of things that protect you: Get vaccinated, if youre not vaccinated; get boosted if youre eligible for a boost. If you do get infected, be aware that there is availability of antivirals.

Faucis comments on PBS drew attention on the same day the Biden administration announced that he would not be attending the annual White House Correspondents Dinner after considering his individual risk.

Each of us, in our own personal way, has to make an assessment of what risk youre willing to accept about getting infected, Fauci told CNN. In general, the risk is low, but I made a personal assessment. Im 81 years old, and if I get infected, I have a much higher risk.

Covid-19 cases in the US have tumbled dramatically over the past couple of months as the Omicron wave receded.

But daily cases are still two times higher than they were for most of last summer.

New cases are ticking back up in most states, and hospitalizations have started to rise over the past week.

Fewer people are dying of Covid-19 now than during most of the pandemic, but with more than 400 deaths a day, the past two months of Covid-19 have been more deadly than most recent flu seasons.

Fauci said that although the coronavirus wont be eradicated, the level of virus in society could be kept very low if people are intermittently vaccinated, possibly every year.

Currently, local health officials on the ground across the US are still working to get more people fully vaccinated and boosted against Covid-19.

According to Fauci, the Covid-19 situation in the United States also doesnt necessarily reflect whats happening in the rest of the world.

Pandemic means a widespread, throughout the world infection that spreads rapidly among people, Fauci said. So if you look at the global situation, there is no doubt this pandemic is still ongoing.

The European Commission said Wednesday that the Covid-19 pandemic is not over and that vigilance and preparedness remain essential as it published a set of proposals to help European countries manage the current phase and prepare for the next one.

The commission called on the 27 countries in the European Union to strengthen their surveillance, healthcare systems, and overall pandemic preparedness as well as step up vaccination and boosting and continue targeted testing and sequencing to accurately estimate variant circulation and detect new variants.

European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said Wednesday that between 60% and 80% of the US population is estimated to have had Covid-19.

How we prepare today for the next phase will determine the cause of the pandemic in the coming months and years, she said.

In the US, shifting out of the pandemic is not language that Lori Tremmel Freeman, chief executive officer of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, has heard in conversations within local health departments, she said Wednesday.

But there has been a subtle shift on the ground with local health officials now returning some focus to non-Covid areas such as maternal health, childhood immunizations, tuberculosis and HIV.

I think there are subtle shifts being made at the local level health departments to normalize the pandemic response in a way that allows them to get back to the core work of their public health departments, Freeman said. But those words that were used about the pandemic ending are not well-circulated in the public health area right now.

Link:

The US is in 'transition phase' of pandemic, Fauci says - CNN

Young woman wearing protective face mask, she sitting in bus transportation in the city.

With approximately one million American lives lost to Covid-19, the impact of the pandemic has been significant, often heartbreaking.

New data released today show just how significant the mental health impact of the pandemic has beenand for whom.

According to a new report from the COVID States Project, nearly half (49%) of respondents reported symptoms of depression, with 26% reporting moderate symptoms or worse, the level at which follow-up care would typically be recommended in a clinical setting.

This latest surveyconducted between March 2 and April 4, 2022 with more than 22,000 people across all 50 states and Washington, D.Cis part of a series of nationwide surveys about the publics attitudes and behavior relating to Covid-19.

This survey, like others in the series, included a standard depression screening tool. The latest findings suggest substantially higher rates of moderate or severe depressive symptoms compared to the pre-pandemic rate of approximately 8%.

One silver lining: Prior waves of the survey showed even higher rates of depression, peaking in December 2020.

Not only are the overall rates of depression concerning, but some of the demographic differences are stark.

Rates of depression varied dramatically by age. Fully half of young adults aged 18 to 24 reported moderate or severe symptoms of depression and another 23% reported mild symptoms. In contrast, 22% of middle-aged people between 45 and 64 had moderate or higher depressive symptoms and 9% of people 65 and older fell into this category. Before the pandemic, researchers note, levels of depression tended to be consistent across age groups.

These are scary high numbers, and it's not surprising that mental health services are overwhelmed, said Katherine Ognyanova, PhD, associate professor at the Rutgers University School of Communication and Information and one of the studys authors. Teaching in college, we get to see first-hand how many of our students are struggling and how difficult it can be for them to find help. There are very long wait times for counseling and psychiatric services at universities. As instructors, we encounter an unusually high number of students facing challenges that we are not fully equipped to help them tackle.

Gender and racial differences also emerged.

More than half (52%) of women reported depressive symptoms, including 28% who reported moderate or worse symptoms. By comparison, 46% of men had symptoms, including 24% with moderate or severe symptoms.

Hispanic respondents and respondents identified as other race had the highest rates of depression55% and 61%, respectively. Nearly one-third (31%) of Hispanic respondents had moderate or severe symptoms.

White and Black respondents reported similar rates of depressive symptoms and reported similar severity of symptoms; 26% of white respondents and 28% of Black respondents reported moderate or severe symptoms. Asian respondents were the least likely to report depression, with 56% reporting no symptoms and 23% reporting moderate or severe symptoms.

Regional differences were also evident. Minnesota and Connecticut had the lowest rates of depression at 20% while Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and New Mexico had the highest at 32%.

The survey findings also reveal a substantial difference in rates of depression by political affiliation. Throughout the survey series, researchers note, respondents who identify as Democrats have consistently reported higher levels of depression compared to those who identify as Republicans.

We had anticipated that this might reverse with the change in administration from Trump to Biden. But it really did not move by much, said Matthew A. Baum, Marvin Kalb Professor of Global Communications and professor of public policy at Harvard University and the John F. Kennedy School of Government and another of the studys authors.

Baum explained that Democrats have been more concerned about the pandemic than Republicans and more likely to isolate, social distance, and mask.

All of these measures are, of course, challenging on many levels and presumably could be associated with more depression, he said. Additionally, Democrats express greater alarm over the state of U.S. political institutions, which represents another source of stress.

In young people, the gap between Democrats and Republicans is 14% compared with just 2% to 4% among older adults.

I think that while social isolation is difficult for everyone, it is especially difficult for young people and took place at a time when one of the primary vehicles for delivering mental health carecolleges and universitiesbecame unavailable, Baum said. It would be unsurprising to discover that the generational and political factors interact, such that young Democrats are most likely to become depressed.

Independents generally tracked with Democrats through March 2021 but since then, Independents have become the group most likely to report depression. In the current survey, approximately one-third of Independents report moderate or severe symptoms compared to 26% of Democrats and 20% of Republicans.

This phenomenon is harder to explain, according to Baum. He suggests that because Independents tend to be less ideological or politically engaged, they may be particularly sensitive to economic stresses, such as inflation. In turn, that could factor into higher rates of depression.

Not literally everyonebut it is increasingly common for Americans to report knowing someone who has died of Covid-19.

According to the new data, 40% of Americans know at least one person who has died of Covid-19. Nearly one in ten (7%) know three or more people who have died.

These deaths hit close to home for many. Of respondents who know at least one person who died from Covid-19, 15% lost a family member and 18% lost a friend.

Black and Hispanic respondents, as well as people living in the South, were more likely than others to report knowing someone who died of Covid-19. Regional differences generally reflect the per capita death rates in those states, according to the report.

Though just knowing someone who died did not appear to affect rates of depression, losing a loved one did. Among the people who lost a family member, nearly one-third reported depression compared to 26% of people who didnt know anyone who died.

Every time we put out a mental health report, I'm once again surprised to see how bad things look, Ognyanova said. It will likely take quite some time before we are able to assess the long-term consequences, or see if the numbers may bounce back to pre-pandemic times.

The author is married to one of the researchers who produced this report.

Read this article:

50% Of Young Adults Report Symptoms Of Depression, New Covid-19 Survey Shows - Forbes

Good morning, Mission, and welcome to Virus Village, your (somewhat regular) Covid-19 data dump.

Recorded infections and positivity rates are rapidly rising, while hospitalizatons rise slowly. R Number estimates confirm increasing circulation of the virus, but wastewater monitoring suggests it might be in retreat.

Welcome to Omincron, episode 2. In this episode, though recorded infections are rising expert celebrities celebrate the pandemics demise (or to be more precise the end of the pandemic phase). Yes, its all good. And if you dont agree (as is your prescribed right in America), you can always wear an N95. Exciting isnt it?

The celebrities did not note that increased transmission led to more covid deaths in 2021 despite The Vaccine and less severe variants, or that 15 percent of Februrary 2022 covid deaths were boosted.

With the future of covid now a matter of personal choice and individual risk analysis, public health agencies such as San Francisco Department of Public Health can get back to . . .

Speaking of risk analysis, a reader sent in this review of the evidence for airline transmission.

The CDC and friends have made a big deal recently about the prevalence of antibodies in American bodies. In the UK, 70 percent of the population has been infected between April 2020 and Februrary 2022. What are the consequences?

Instead of haughtily dismissing Chinas zero covid policies, expert celebrities might show some humility and learn what they (and we) can about the virus which is a killer, although many if not most of those infected display no symptoms at all. This is just one of the enduring mysteries of the virus. What is happening in China now, involving millions of people in a real world setting can never be replicated in this country, and would seem far more informative than computer models. Yes, the work is burdensome, labor intensive and time consuming (not to mention screwing up global supply chains), but it may help to supply the key to understanding and controlling the virus. Thanks to the Chinese people.

Asymptomatic covid may just be a positive test, but do aysmptomatics transmit? Check out the replies in the thread.

Not only do expert celebrities dismiss China, but they never bother to ask whats going on in Cuba, where five vaccines have been developed with interesting reported results like a minimal omicron surge. I understand those vaccines are not of the highest proprietary and profitable technology so how good can they really be?

The White House has unveiled its latest un-funded covid plan. Looks good, though there is some question about Paxlavoid in pharmacies. Unfortunately, the last point (providing vaccines for the world) is pure propaganda, which undermines the credibility of the plan.

For those who missed it, or could not figure it out from the Chronicles report, Cal/OSHA has revised its covid workplace rules. No mention of whether the rules will be enforced.

To end on a cheery note, readers have alerted me that former national covid co-ordinator Dr. Deborah Birx has published a book on her time in the Trump White House. You may think it odd that someone would publicize her silence while her boss lied to the nation and subverted public health at every turn. However, like many before her, Dr. Birx leveraged her public service and TV persona to cash in as the chief medical and scientific adviser for ActivePure Technology, an air filtration company,a global health fellow at the George W. Bush Institute and a board member of the biopharmaceutical company Innoviva. Congrats Doc.

Scroll down for todays covid numbers.

Over the past week, hospitalizations have rose 54 percent (which represents 8 patients) On April 23, DPH reports there were 34 covid hospitalizations,or about3.9 covid hospitalizations per 100,000 residents (based on an 874,000 population). Covid patients in ICU went up but then dropped back to 2. On April 26, the California Department of Public Health reports 26 covid patients in SF hospitals and 2 ICU patients.

The latest report from the federal Department of Health and Human Services shows Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital with 4 covid patients and 7 ICU beds available, while across the Mission, CPMC had 1 covid patient and 6 ICU beds available. Of 38 reported covid patients in the City,21 were at either SFGH or UCSF, with at least 79 ICU beds available among reporting hospitals (which does not include the Veterans Administration or Laguna Honda). The California DPH currently reports 97 ICU beds available in San Francisco.

The numbers look very similar to last week. Between Feb. 21 and April 22, DPH recorded 421 new infections among Mission residents or 72 new infections per 10,000 residents. During that period, Mission Bay had the highest rate at 143 new infections per 10,000 residents. Of 38 neighborhoods, 7 had rates above 100 per 10,000 residents, with 4 in the east and southeast sectors of the City. Treasure Island had the lowest rate (uncalculated because too low). Outside of Treasure Island, Lakeshore, the only neighborhood in the City with less than 50 percent of its population vaccinated, had the lowest recorded rate 51 per 10,000 residents. The apparent ongoing anomaly with Lakeshore has yet to be explained.

DPH reports on April 12, the 7-day average of daily new infections recorded in the City rose to 181 or approximately 20.6 new infections per 100,000 residents (based on an 874,000 population), representing a 33.1 percent rise from last week. According to DPH, the 7-day average infection rate among vaccinated residents was 19.5 per 100,000 fully vaccinated residents and 37.8 per 100,000 unvaccinated residents. It is unclear whether fully vaccinated means 2, 3 or 4 doses. The latest report from the New York Times says the 7-day average number on April 26 was 250 a 97 percent rise over the past two weeks. For those interested in wastewater monitoring, see here.

As of April 22, DPH reports 1,104 recorded infections in April among the Citys White population, or 31.4 percent of Aprils recorded infections so far; Asians 970 infections or 27.6 percent; Latinxs 351 infections or 10 percent; Blacks 105 infections or 3 percent; Multi-racials 17 infections or .5 percent; Pacific Islanders 13 infections or .4 percent; and Native Americans have recorded 4 new infectons or .1 percent of the Citys infections so far in April.

The 7-day rolling Citywide average positivity rate rose over 25 percent during the past week, while average daily testing rose less than 3 percent. As of April 22, Whites have had an April positivity rate of 6 percent, Asians 5.6 percent, Pacific Islanders 5.2 percent, Latinxs 4.9 percent, Multi-racials 4.7 percent, Blacks 3.1 percent, and Native Americans have had an April positivity rate of 4.3 percent.

As of April 26, DPH estimates over 90 percent of the Citys Latinx, Asian, Native American and Pacific Islander populations, 82 percent of the Black population and 78 percent of the White population have received 2 doses of The Vaccine. No figures are available for Multi-racials.

As of April 26, 77 percent of Whites and Asians who have been vaccinated, have been boosted, while 61 percent of vaccinated Blacks, 58 percent of vaccinated Latinxs and Native Americans and 56 percent of vaccinated Pacific Islanders have also received a booster.

For information on where to get vaccinated in and around the Mission, visit ourVaccination Page.

Four new covid-related deaths, 2 more in April, have been reported, bringing the total since the beginning of the year to 163. DPH wont say how many were vaccinated. Nor does it provide information on the race/ethnicity or socio-economic status of those who have recently died. According to DPH COVID-19 deaths are suspected to be associated with COVID-19. This means COVID-19 is listed as a cause of death or significant condition on the death certificate. Using a phrase like suspected to be associated with indicates the difficulty in determining a covid death. The fog gets denser as DPH continues to report, as it has for months, only 21 of the deaths are known to have had no underlying conditions, or comorbidities.

The lack of data has made R Number estimates very uncertain. Covid R Estimation on April 22 estimated the San Francisco R Number at 1.59 while estimating the California R Number at 1.47 on April 25. The ensemble, as of April 24, estimates the San Francisco R Number at 1.16 while estimating the California R Number at .98. Only one model in the ensemble has SF under 1.

As of April 22, DPH reports 2 recorded infections this month so far in nursing homes (Skilled Nursing Facilities), and 0 new deaths.

In Single Room Occupancy hotels (SROs) there have been 30 recorded infections and 0 deaths so far this month.

Among the unhoused, DPH reports 36 April infections. During the course of the pandemic, DPH reports only 13 covid deaths among the unhoused.

Read this article:

Covid-19 Tracker: Is this what endemic looks like? - Mission Local

Small businesses in Detroit, if you'redealing with such issues aslack of access to capital, inflation costs, COVID-19 preparationand recruiting and retaining labor, take note.

Registration is now open for thenext Small Business Workshop virtual serieshosted by business consulting firm The LEE Group inpartnership with presenting sponsor Fifth Third Bank.

The first of four sessionskicks off at 10 a.m. May 11.Weekly sessionscontinue May 18, May 25 and June 1.

The theme of this year's series, which is its eighth, is The Future is Now: The Roadmap to Recovery.

We know that several businesses are still shutting down, said Mark Lee, president and CEO of The LEE Group. So recovery to me, quite candidly, is slowing down the closure rate and focusing on business stability and sustainability. Lets flatten that curve, get businesses to remain open and then, ultimately, focus on business growth.

Otherevent partners whose leaders are expectedto be featured during the seriesincludeBuild Institute, Comcast Business, the Detroit Development Fund, Michigan Women Forward, Tanner Friedman, State Farm agent Cindy Fletcher, and more. They will take on such topics ashow to open a business during this time, the challenges that female entrepreneurs face and how to create an efficient communications plan, among other topics.

Build Institute, a nonprofit business incubator based in Detroit, is expected to host a master class during the seriesthat looks at building a financial plan for uncertain times that will allow for sustainability.

Regina Ann Campbell, president and CEO of Build Institute, said entrepreneurs were used to making a business plan with an outlook of five years, but now, they need to make plans in real time.

We want to inspire them to turn their minds to an abundant mindset versus scarcity, and that has a lot to do with how they think about money and how money matters, said Campbell. She said she wants people to leave her presentationknowing how to apply the financial solutions that she willpresent. We definitely want them to take some time to review and reflect some of the information that we've given them.

In addition tosupportingentrepreneurs in their idea process through educational resources, access to capital and support through connections, Build Institute, works with domain registrar and web hosting company GoDaddy toget websites created for their entrepreneurs.

More: Students learning words through music are earning prizes from the Detroit Pistons

More: Mayor Mike Duggan OKs Detroit City Council's amended budget

Build Institute also has a pilot program at 1620 Michigan Ave., Suite 120, where entrepreneurs can host pop-up shops. In this space, entrepreneurs learn about business insights like price strategy, sales scheduling, merchandising and other operational resources.

What I'm hoping for businesses is for them to come back out into the world as the pandemic eases, Campbell said. We particularly have resources that are focused on helping strengthen under-resourced and underservedso Black, Latinx and women-owned,micro businesses in the communityso that they can get the educational resources because it's out here. Detroit has a strong ecosystem.

Last year, the serieswas organized around the theme of Reemerging from the Abyss. Many of the partners from the seventh conference are returning to give their expertise.

We were still in the throes of a novel virus, and the tools still were not in place, Lee said about planning for the series last year.

Yes, vaccines were coming out, but they were just introduced and there was still confusion," he said."There were a lot of businesses still somewhat on lockdown because there were a lot of restrictions and businesses were operating at 50% capacity. So there were unique challenges 12 months ago.

Other topics to be addressed

Finding money.Access to capital has been a major focus in Detroit for programs like the Detroits Motor City Match program, TechTowns capital program, ProsperUs Detroits microlending program and many others. New programs have started this year, such as the Motor City Contractor Fund, which is specifically designed for minority contractors in Detroit.

For the last two years, a lot of small businesses have burned through their capital in order to remain open, Lee said. Therefore, they have limited resources to focus on the future.

Reopening as COVID procedures ease.The easing of restrictions affects businesses, Lee said, so the discussion on this topic will look at the comfortability of customers returning to businesses after experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic, and what protocol adjustments need to be made to ensure those customers feel safe.

About 200 people are expected to participate in the seriesthis year.

To register, go to leegroupinnovation.com.

Contact staff writer Chanel Stitt on Twitter: @ByChanelStitt.Become a subscriberor gift a subscription.

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Virtual small business conference to offer expertise on COVID-19 recovery solutions - Detroit Free Press

Editors Note: Kent Sepkowitz is a physician and infectious disease expert at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion on CNN.

CNN

Last week, I got sick from Covid-19. Like most vaccinated, boosted people who become infected, I had a lousy three or four days but never felt dangerously ill just bored and tired and faintly embarrassed to have finally caught it.

In the ruminations one falls into from a little fever and too much stale indoor air, I thought at length about flatten the curve, the old term that was the cri de guerre in the pandemics first months.

Those early days were frightening. We had no readily available rapid diagnostic test, poor understanding of how the virus that causes Covid-19 typically spreads, no appreciation of the viruss ability to twist and turn to evade immune detection, no vaccines and no treatments. Then, the best way to prevent spread was to prevent human contact thus the notion of flattening the (pandemic) curve to slow transmission of the virus so the health care system wasnt overwhelmed.

Although the ensuing political theatrics added to the difficulty of the task, complete curve flattening for a protracted period was never realistic. That was the beauty of the idea: Curve flattening was not about extinguishing the outbreak but rather introducing a way to stall the widening catastrophe and buy time till scientists could get ahead of the problem.

For a moment, the idea caught on and dominated advice from public health experts, forward-looking politicians and TED Talk types with excellent graphics. Indeed, the before-and-after look of curve flattening made a great visual that, in its apparent simplicity, hid just how onerous the task would be. The work of flattening was sold as patriotic and even heroic, concepts that parts of the US quickly came to define quite differently.

The idea faded suddenly, both because it didnt work that well in most places and because medical treatments for the disease emerged.

I never much liked the flatten the curve campaign: It seemed more about sloganeering rah-rah, even corny words for their own sake to try to maintain a sense of control over what was not at all controllable (then or now). Plus, people were going to stay home, not out of civic duty but rather old-school fear, still the most potent motivator of any behavior.

As a guy who has lived a pretty dull life since I caught the infection, I am realizing that we actually carried out was the original game plan: We flattened the curve.

Despite distractions, miscalculations, lies, bad studies and worse observations, we have pretty good tools in hand, a poorly controlled but no longer overwhelmingly lethal infection that continues to squirm out of our grip just when we think we have it, and rising rates of immunity, although not exactly enough protection to enter the fairy-tale land of herd immunity. Life has changed from a gripping daily fear of dying to an annoyance over the possibility of being uncomfortable for a week or two assuming one is vaccinated.

So here we are in the post-flattened world, where variants will continue to flare, death rates will spike after each flare and people always will find someone else to blame.

Which raises the issue now what? It is clear that vaccine-induced immunity from the current crop of vaccines has saved countless lives and with wider acceptance would save many more. But as built, this generation of vaccines is unable to control a pandemic characterized by a whack-a-mole supply of new variants.

It is also clear that the antivirals are pretty good but not so easy to take, with the preferred medication, Paxlovid, having complicated interactions with other drugs (a particular issue for those 65 and older who typically are on multiple medications). Also, drug resistance may emerge eventually, as we have seen from drugs to treat viral infections such as influenza, HIV and hepatitis B.

We also know that immunity triggered by infection is only good, not great. Indeed, my adult son has come down with a second Omicron illness only four months after his first. He is less sick but sick despite youth, his previous recent infection, three messenger RNA vaccinations and a proper respect for how to avoid infection.

Surely, there will be more and better vaccines soon and more, better pills and more, better approaches. We will be awash with options. Necessity has once again proven to be the mother of invention.

But until then, heres the best plan forward. Until the new and improved products are here, lets get vaccinated and wear a mask when we need to, take our medication if we are infected, keep funding the public health Covid-19 control framework and all work together for a simple, single goal. Lets all flatten the curve! Because stalling and kicking the rock down the road a little longer turns out to be a pretty good approach to managing this monstrous pandemic.

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Opinion: What I realized after catching Covid-19 - CNN

Colorados COVID-19 cases rose for a fifth consecutive week and hospitalizations are up slightly, but the virus is still circulating at relatively low levels in the state compared with other points of the pandemic.

The state confirmed 4,511 new cases during the week ending Sunday a 25% jump from the previous weeks 3,619 cases, according to data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Hospitalizations of people with COVID-19 in Colorado also ticked up for the second straight week, rising to 103 people from 88 a 17% increase. The state is only publicly updating hospitalization numbers once a week, though, making it harder to observe trends.

Those numbers are still far below the peak of the omicron variants surge in January, when more than 1,600 people were hospitalized with the virus in mid-January.

The percentage of COVID-19 tests coming back positive rose to an average of 5.54% over the last seven days, up from 4.98% a week ago another indicator that the virus is spreading slightly more in the community. State officials tend to start getting concerned when that positivity rate rises above 5%.

Even with the slight increases across the board, virus numbers are still relatively low in the state, said Beth Carlton, an associate professor of environmental and occupational health at the Colorado School of Public Health.

Only one Colorado county Pitkin is above low levels of COVID-19 community transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

We may continue to see an increase, but I dont expect this to be the type of wave weve seen in the past thats disrupted all manner of things, Carlton said.

Public health officials are keeping an eye on the BA.2.12.1 subvariant that has emerged in Colorado and elsewhere and appears to be growing as a proportion of total infections. But theres still much more to learn about the subvariant and how it compares to previous iterations of the virus, Carlton said.

Should people be dramatically changing their behavior right now? Probably not, she said.

The states public health department also announced Wednesday that it would be updating the way its data is reported to reduce confusion. National and third-party reporting sites, such as the New York Times COVID-19 tracker, had been showingmuch higher case data for Colorado since they couldnt distinguish between new cases and older cases that were just now being entered into the system.

The state is making this change in response to Colorado residents expressing continued frustration and confusion when comparing local reports with national ones, even though the source data is the same, public health officials wrote in a news release.

Denver Post reporter Jessica Seaman contributed to this report.

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Colorados COVID-19 numbers on the rise, but still relatively low - Boulder Daily Camera