Category: Covid-19

A COVID-19 outbreak at the Washington police department has six officers out sick.

According to Chief Robert Wilson, some of the officers are vaccinated and some are not.

They range from having a sinus cold to severe headaches, and it feels like they got beat up. But nothing major as of right now, Wilson said.

Wilson said the first positive case came on Saturday, with three more following Sunday and two, Monday.

They all did come down with (COVID-19) at about the same time. Were just looking at standard CDC protocols for quarantine and bringing them back to work, said Washington Mayor Scott Putnam.

Wilson said they are currently unaware of the outbreaks origin.

I have no idea how it got in here. We do not know, Wilson said.

The six officers will be off the job for 10 days, and then will need a negative COVID test to return to work, according to Wilson.

At the station, we are wearing masks and social distancing, Wilson said.

Wilson added that officers are wiping down their stations and avoiding contact with their coworkers during shift changes, and that they will only have one person to a car on patrols.

Wilson said he has not been tested for COVID-19.

The outbreak will create a strain on the department as they try to contend with a staffing shortage. The police department includes 30 officers.

The guys are working overtime to cover the open shifts so we can maintain the status in the community, Wilson said.

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Six Washington police officers out with COVID-19 | Local News | observer-reporter.com - Observer-Reporter

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) - The Internal Revenue Service announced its tax inflation adjustment for 2022 this week.

The good news is that income thresholds are getting a boost. The standard deduction for married couples filing jointly for tax year 2022 rises to $25,900, up $800 from the prior year. For single taxpayers and married individuals filing separately, the standard deduction rises to $12,950 for 2022, up $400, and for heads of households, the standard deduction will be $19,400 for tax year 2022, up $600.

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What should you do if youve been exposed to COVID-19 and youre vaccinated? - RochesterFirst

A personal message to a person who died of COVID-19 is written on a small flag that is part of 'In America: Remember,' a public art installation commemorating all the Americans who have died of the coronavirus near the Washington Monument on Sept. 17 in Washington, D.C. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

A personal message to a person who died of COVID-19 is written on a small flag that is part of 'In America: Remember,' a public art installation commemorating all the Americans who have died of the coronavirus near the Washington Monument on Sept. 17 in Washington, D.C.

COVID-19 has claimed the lives of millions since the pandemic began, and the death toll has continued to rise this year. Over the holidays, those absences will be deeply felt. That's why this holiday season, NPR's All Things Considered is inviting you to share memories of your lost loved ones with us, so that we might honor them with a remembrance.

If there's someone a family member, friend, colleague or community member who has died from the coronavirus this year and won't be at your table, please tell us about them using the form below. We encourage you to share as many details as you can.

An NPR producer may contact you for an upcoming remembrance on-air or online.

Your submission will be governed by our general Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. As the Privacy Policy says, we want you to be aware that there may be circumstances in which the exemptions provided under law for journalistic activities or freedom of expression may override privacy rights you might otherwise have.

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Remembering those who have died from COVID-19 in 2021 - NPR

Nov 11 (Reuters) - The Nov. 11 story headlined "EU lists rare spinal condition as side-effect of J&J COVID-19 shot" is withdrawn. The story was based on a European Medicines Agency statement from Oct. 6 and was issued inadvertently. The UPDATE 1 and first version of the story are both withdrawn. There will be no substitute story.

STORY_NUMBER: L4N2S22S9

STORY_DATE: 11/11/2021

STORY_TIME: 1539 GMT

Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Aby Jose Koilparambil; Editing by Arun Koyyur

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Story containing dated news about EU update on J&J COVID-19 vaccine withdrawn - Reuters

COVID-19 claims 750K U.S. lives, deadliest event in nation's history

The U.S. has surpassed 750,000 COVID-19 deaths, which is more than the populations of Vermont, Wyoming or Alaska.

STAFF VIDEO, USA TODAY

As Vermont reports higher than ever COVID-19 case rates, state health officials have been trying to understand why.

How can a state that did so well during the first part of the pandemic even garnering national recognition be doing so much worsenow?

"There is not one simple answer," said Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine during a news conference Tuesday. "But, there are clearly factors that have come together to create the situation that we're in now."

Slowing the spread is critical right now to prevent Vermont's hospitals from being overwhelmed with people sick with the virus, Levine said. He encouraged Vermonters to take the same preventative steps that have been preached throughout the pandemic: wearing masks, practicing physical distancing, staying home when sick and getting vaccinated.

"There's not one single solution to stop it," Levine said. "We do need to live with it, taking the simple and common sense actions for protecting one another as much as we can."

Positive cases have been climbing in Vermont in recent weeksdespite the state's having one of the highest vaccination rates against the virus in the U.S. Cases rose last year around this time as well as people spent more time indoors, but the state still enjoyed one of the lowest case rates in the country then.

Cases in Vermont have increased by about 55% over the last 14 days, according to a modeling report by Financial Regulation Commissioner Mike Pieciak. Some recent days have seen daily cases spike above 400 the highest Vermont has seen since the beginning of the pandemic.

More: VT mask mandate not coming back as Gov. Scott won't reimpose state of emergency

Over the past week, Vermont had the 12th highest rate of new cases inU.S., according to Pieciak's report.

Unvaccinated Vermonters are still the people getting sick and being hospitalized at the highest rates.Infection rates among people in their 20s and children have also contributed to the most recent surge, Levine said.

Levine cited a few reasons for the increased positive case rate.

The highly contagious delta variant is still one of the main factors affecting cases in Vermont, as it has been for most of the year, Levine said. The variant has even been able to spread among vaccinated people.

"An infected person can spread the virus to five people or more, far faster than the original strain," Levine said. "This means it can spread faster than we can trace and alert contacts."

The state's early success during the pandemic has also turned out to be one of the factors in its downfall this year, Levine said. There were fewer Vermonters who got sickearly in the pandemic, but this also meant that fewer residents were able to build up any level of immunity from having the virus.

Studies estimate that 3% or less of Vermonters had any immunity to COVID-19 before the delta variant hit, Levine said.

Vermont'ssuccess in vaccinating its residents quickly, starting with the oldest Vermonters,means immunity among the highest-risk people in the state is likely waning now, Levine said.

"As one of the oldest states, the percentage of Vermonters in this situation is higher than most other parts of the country," Levine said.

Finally, Vermonters are also traveling more and hosting visitors, often taking part in indoor activities, more frequentlythan they would have at this time last year. They are also wearing masks less often. These behavioral changes have also contributed to the current situation, Levine said.

"I know for many of us it can be frustrating to see Vermont looking so different from how we once did during the pandemic, but even after all this time, the virus is not something we have absolute control over," Levine said.

Contact Elizabeth Murray at 802-310-8585or emurray@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LizMurrayBFP.

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Highly-vaccinated Vermont has more COVID-19 cases than ever. Why is this happening? - Burlington Free Press

When a COVID-19 test returns a false-positive result meaning a person does not have a SARS-CoV-2 infection, yet the test is positive this disrupts that persons life unnecessarily.

However, a false negative when someone does have an infection, but the test is negative is more detrimental. This is because treatment is mistakenly deferred, and the individual may infect others as they continue to participate in their regular daily activities.

A new study from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, suggests that the time of day at which a person takes an RT-PCR COVID-19 test may affect the likelihood of an inaccurate result.

The study found that the participants were up to twice as likely to receive an accurate positive result if they got tested in the middle of the day and not at night.

Principal investigator Dr. Carl Johnson tells Vanderbilt University Research News, Taking a COVID-19 test at the optimal time of day improves test sensitivity and will help us to be accurate in diagnosing people who may be infected but asymptomatic.

The study findings suggest that the human bodys daily clock its circadian rhythm influences the behavior of the SARS-CoV-2 virus throughout each 24-hour cycle. Other research regarding viral and bacterial infections has supported this hypothesis.

The study appears in the Journal of Biological Rhythms.

The authors of the study analyzed a data set of 86,342 clinical tests that were administered at around 130 clinics between March and August 2020. The clinics were affiliated with a regional healthcare network in the southeastern United States. Both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals underwent testing.

The highest number of positive results were from tests administered in midafternoon, at around 2 p.m.

This indicates that it is at this time of day that viral shedding, which is the release of infected particles into the blood and mucus, is most active.

Dr. Johnson told Medical News Today in an email, The reason why were implicating shedding is that the highest amount of free viral particles in the mucus, [blood, or both] should occur right after the viral particles burst out of the host cells (i.e., are shed) and before they infect new host cells.

During shedding, a person with a SARS-CoV-2 infection even if they are asymptomatic is most likely to transmit the virus when talking, exhaling, and eating near other people.

The analyzed data also indicate that an individuals viral load becomes lower after 8 p.m. This means that a positive result from a test taken at that time of day is more likely to be a false positive.

Because the circadian clock regulates the immune system, immunity functions better or worse at different times of day. This is a likely reason why [SARS-CoV-2] viral shedding could be rhythmic. Perhaps the virus sheds at a time of day when the immune system is least able to deal with it. But this is merely a prediction at this stage no hard evidence on this point yet.

Dr. Carl Johnson

The researchers adjusted the results for age, sex, race, location of testing, month, day of the week, and other factors we eliminated the potential confounders that we could think of, said Dr. Johnson.

The analysis revealed a 1.7-fold variation in the likelihood of a positive result over a 24-hour period.

The authors of the study hope that its insights will lead to more accurate test results when one considers the circadian cycle of SARS-CoV-2.

They also cite potential policy implications of their findings if additional testing confirms their insights.

First, understanding the 1.7-fold variation in tests sensitivity over the course of a day can help clinics optimize test collection time, result interpretation, and patient counseling.

Second, knowing the time of day when shedding is most active can help those who deliver care devise patient-visit schedules that will minimize the risk of spreading the virus.

For live updates on the latest developments regarding the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, click here.

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COVID-19 tests may be more accurate in the afternoon - Medical News Today

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 250.9 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths has now passed 5.06 million. More than 7.34 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.

The United States government is set to buy another $1 billion worth of the COVID-19 pill made by Merck and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, the companies announced yesterday.

AstraZeneca is creating a separate division for vaccines and antibody therapies, the drugmaker said on Tuesday, to focus on its COVID-19 shot and the development of coronavirus treatments.

Moderna has applied for European authorization of its COVID-19 vaccine in children aged 6-11 years, weeks after it delayed a similar filing in the United States.

Guinea will begin vaccinating children aged 12-17 against COVID-19 with a consignment of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines on Wednesday, the health ministry said. Most African countries have been reliant on the COVAX vaccine sharing initiative for doses, and have inoculated only a small fraction of their populations.

Canada has authorized a booster dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people aged 18 and above.

Vietnam will by the end of this month have sufficient vaccines to cover its population against COVID-19, a deputy prime minister said on Wednesday.

Russian authorities have said that last week's nationwide workplace shutdowns have helped turn the tide of surging COVID-19 cases, but the country reported its largest one-day death toll of the pandemic so far on Tuesday.

A group of hospitals in the southern Dutch province of Limburg on Tuesday called for the government to take new measures to stem rising COVID-19 cases, saying they have no space or staff to handle more coronavirus patients.

Daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases per million people in selected countries

Image: Our World in Data

The World Health Organization is warning of a syringe shortage next year, which could impact not just COVID-19 vaccinations, but also routine immunisations and undermine needle safety.

The WHO said the shortage could run to between one and two billion. National health authorities should plan their needs well in advance to avoid the "hoarding, panic buying and type of situation" seen early in the pandemic with the lack of personal protective equipment, WHO expert Lisa Hedman said.

"We could have a global shortage of immunisation syringes that could in turn lead to serious problems such as slowing down immunisation efforts as well as safety concerns," she told a U.N. briefing.

Health workers in England will be required to get a COVID-19 vaccine by 1 April, health minister Sajid Javid announced yesterday. He made it a mandatory condition of employment for those on the frontline of the National Health Service.

Javid said he had to balance the benefit to patients and colleagues with concern that workers might decide to leave their jobs rather than get the shots. He said workplace pressures were one reason the measure would not come in until the spring.

"All those working in the NHS and social care will have to be vaccinated. We must avoid preventable harm and protect patients in the NHS, protect colleagues in the NHS and of course protect the NHS itself," Javid told parliament. "We intend the enforcement of this condition to start on the 1st of April."

The COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship is a coalition of 85 global leaders, hosted by the World Economic Forum. Its mission: Join hands in support of social entrepreneurs everywhere as vital first responders to the pandemic and as pioneers of a green, inclusive economic reality.

Its COVID Social Enterprise Action Agenda, outlines 25 concrete recommendations for key stakeholder groups, including funders and philanthropists, investors, government institutions, support organizations, and corporations. In January of 2021, its members launched its 2021 Roadmap through which its members will roll out an ambitious set of 21 action projects in 10 areas of work. Including corporate access and policy change in support of a social economy.

For more information see the Alliance website or its impact story here.

Written by

Joe Myers, Writer, Formative Content

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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COVID-19: Top news stories about the coronavirus pandemic on 10 November | World Economic Forum - World Economic Forum

FILE In this Aug. 31, 2021 file photo a R.N. holds the hand of a COVID-19 patient in the Medical Intensive care unit (MICU) at St. Lukes Boise Medical Center in Boise, Idaho. (AP Photo/Kyle Gree, File)

(The Hill) A Texas government study found that unvaccinated people were 20 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than the fully vaccinated throughout most of September, providing further evidence backing the vaccines.

The research, published by the Texas Department of State Health Services on Monday, determined that 81.3 percent of COVID-19-related deaths between Sept. 4 and Oct. 1 occurred among unvaccinated people. In comparison, 5 percent of these fatalities occurred among the partially vaccinated, and 13.7 percent involved fully vaccinated patients.

In that time period, unvaccinated individuals in their 40s were 55 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than others who were the same age and fully vaccinated. Among those aged 75 and older, the unvaccinated were 12 times more likely to die.

Unvaccinated people were also 13 times more likely to contract COVID-19 than those who were fully vaccinated. More than 7 in 10 infected people were unvaccinated, compared to 19.3 percent who were partially vaccinated and 8.4 percent who were fully vaccinated.

The analysis of electronic lab reports, death certificates and the state immunization registry extended from Jan. 15 to Oct. 1 and concluded Texans were four to five times more likely to contract COVID-19 or die from the virus amid the spread of the highly transmissible delta variant than they were previously.

In thatfull-time period, unvaccinated people were 45 times more likely to get infected and 40 times more likely to suffer a COVID-19-related death. Approximately 85 percent of those who contracted or died from COVID-19 were unvaccinated.

The data out of Texas aligns with previous research that proves the vaccines effectiveness against the virus, including from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Data from the CDC released last month showed unvaccinated individuals were 11 times more likely to die from COVID-19 and six times more likely to test positive for the virus than the fully vaccinated.

With about 66.5 percent of its total state population having had at least one dose, Texas appears to be in line with the national rate of 67.5 percent.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) banned all COVID-19 vaccine mandates of any entity in Texas last month.The governorissued the executive order after the Biden administration announced a rule for businesses with at least 100 employees to require vaccinations or regular testing for their employees.

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Unvaccinated 20 times more likely to die from COVID-19: Texas study - WKBN.com

CDC: Definition of 'fully vaccinated' may change

The director of the C.D.C said Friday there may be a need to "update our definition of fully vaccinated in the future" as more people receive a booster shot. (Oct. 22)

AP

Last month, astate health official said any adult who wants a COVID-19 booster shot can get one, but what does that mean and how do you sign up?

People 18 and older who received initial vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna can get a booster so long as their second dosedates back at least six months. Those who got a Johnson & Johnson vaccine can get a booster after two months.

Mask mandate:To remain 'probably several weeks beyond' minimum

The Indiana State Department of Health initially told the Herald-Times that it supports the administration of boosters to individuals who attest to meeting guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which are:

The guidelines cover nearly 97% of the 18-and-older population in Indiana, said Megan Wade-Taxter, media relations coordinator for the Indiana State Department of Health.

But Wade-Taxter also told The Herald-Times via email, Anyone who is at least 18 years old and is six months or more out from completing their Pfizer or Moderna vaccine series or two months out from the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and wants a booster can get one.

COVID Guide: What you need to know about COVID testing sites and vaccinations in Monroe County

However, signing up for a booster can prove challenging. National providers, including Walgreens and CVS provide boosters only with appointments, which can be scheduled at ourshot.in.gov or the providers' websites. To be able to schedule a booster, patients have to fill out an online form, which generally includes checking boxes that show the patient qualifies for the booster under CDC guidelines.

Walgreens, for example, allows patients to select that they are at an increased risk of COVID-19 exposure and transmission due to their work environment, based on individual benefit and risk. But if patients who want a booster check the box none of the above, they get the message, Patient ineligible.

The CVS website allows patients to schedule a booster if eligible, provides a link to the CDC guidelines and tells patients, By selecting this, youre confirming the guidelines apply to you.

Walmart requires patients to fill out a form that also lists eligibility guidelines, and their category of high-risk patients includes current and former smokers.

To be sure, some of the language here is vague. How exactly does one determine individual benefit and risk or what constitutes a high-risk setting?

Children eligible: Monroe County readies for COVID-19 vaccination of children ages 5 to 11

Penny Caudill, administrator of the Monroe County Health Department, said her priority remains getting people vaccinated who have received no shots at all. Thats about 43% of eligible adults.

Caudill said she has been fully vaccinated and will get her booster when she is eligible.

She said she would not want to get a booster before other people have received their first dose, and while she said that she is not aware of any shortages of vaccines, she said time and staffing is probably where the shortage is.

Boris Ladwig is the city government reporter for The Herald-Times. Contact him at bladwig@heraldt.com.

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Confused about whether you can/should get a COVID-19 booster? You're not alone. - The Herald-Times

A child reacts while receiving a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at Smoketown Family Wellness Center in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S., November 8, 2021. REUTERS/Jon Cherry/File Photo

WASHINGTON, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Over 900,000 U.S. children aged 5-11 are expected to have received their first COVID-19 vaccine shot by the end of Wednesday, White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said, as the governmentramped up vaccinations of younger children.

The United States on Wednesday began administering Pfizer/BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 5 to 11, the latest group to become eligible for the shots that provide protection against the illness to recipients and those around them.

"While our program is just fully up and running this week, by the end of the day today, we estimate that over 900,000 kids aged five through 11 will have already gotten their first shot," Zients said during a briefing with reporters.

The figure comes from a White House analysis of available data from pharmaceutical partners, some states, and localities, Zients said, adding the CDC has not yet collected the full tally.

COVID-19 is the largest vaccine-preventable killer of children in that age group, with 66 children dying from it over the past year, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at the same briefing.

The seven-day average of total COVID-19 cases in the U.S. was flat at about 73,300 over the past week, she said, with the hospitalization rate also flat at 5,000 a day. The seven-day average of daily deaths fell 11% to around 1,000 per day.

Reporting by Susan Heavey, Alexandra Alper, and Ahmed Aboulenein; Editing by Nick Zieminski and David Gregorio

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Over 900000 U.S. kids to get first COVID-19 shot by end of Wed -White House - Reuters