Category: Covid-19

A nurses fills up syringes for patients as they receive their coronavirus disease (COVID-19) booster vaccination during a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination clinic in Southfield, Michigan, U.S., September 29, 2021. REUTERS/Emily Elconin

Nov 1 (Reuters) - The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that have yet to be certified by peer review.

Heart attack patients with COVID-19 have lower survival rate

The odds of surviving a heart attack are significantly lower when a person also has COVID-19, even though such patients tend to be generally younger than typical heart patients, a new study found. The researchers reviewed data on more than 80,000 people who had heart attacks in the United States in 2019 or 2020. Most of them - about 76,000 - had heart attacks at home or at work, or in some other community setting. In this group, 15.2% of those with COVID-19 later died in the hospital, compared to 11.2% of heart attack patients without COVID-19. Among the roughly 4,000 patients who were already hospitalized when the heart attack occurred, 78.5% of those with COVID-19 died, compared to 46.1% of those without COVID-19, according to a report published on Friday in JAMA. Overall, the COVID-19 heart attack patients were more likely to have gone into cardiac arrest - when the heart stops beating - and less likely to undergo procedures to reopen clogged heart arteries, the researchers found. They said more research is needed to understand why a diagnosis of COVID-19 increases the risk for death in patients having heart attacks.

Early Israeli data support Pfizer booster

Early data on the efficacy of a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and partner BioNTech SE announced by the Israeli Health Ministry and now published in a peer-reviewed journal suggest a sharp reduction in risk of severe infections soon after administration. Pfizer has said that its vaccine's efficacy wanes over time. From late July through late September, when the Delta variant was predominant, researchers tracked more than 1.4 million people who had received two doses of the vaccine at least five months earlier, half of whom had also gotten a third dose at least a week before being enrolled in the study. As reported on Friday in The Lancet, those who received the booster had a 93% lower risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization, a 92% lower risk of severe illness, and 81% lower risk of COVID-19-related death. The average age in the study was 52. Both groups - boosted and unboosted - had similar lifestyles and health status. As it was not a randomized controlled trial, the data cannot prove cause and effect. And how long any extra protection lasts is not yet clear, given that no one was tracked for more than two months, and half were tracked for less than two weeks.

Click for a Reuters graphic on vaccines in development.

Reporting by Nancy Lapid; Editing by Bill Berkrot

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Heart attack patients with COVID-19 have lower survival rate; Israeli data supports use of Pfizer booster - Reuters

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- There were five newly reported COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon over the weekend, raising the states death toll to 4,377, Oregon Health Authority reported Monday.

Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported 2,569 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. Monday, bringing the state total to 367,610.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 540, which is 11 more than Sunday. There are 114 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is four more than Sunday.

There are 65 available adult ICU beds out of 690 total (9% availability) and 355 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,101 (9% availability).

St. Charles Bend reported 66 COVID-19 patients as of early Monday, six of whom were in the ICU, with three on ventilators. None of the six ICU patients were fully vaccinated, the hospital reported, while 48 of the 66 total patients were not fully vaccinated.

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

Note: Please do not visit an emergency department for COVID-19 testing, unless you require emergency care for your symptoms.

Emergency departments in Oregon are under significant strain. You canfind a test here.

If you have a medical condition that doesnt require emergency care, contact your provider. An urgent care center may also help you get the care you need and will save emergency departments from added strain.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Vaccinations in Oregon

OHA reported Monday that 10,364 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry on Sunday. Of this total, 2,759 were administered on Sunday: 398 were initial doses, 218 were second doses and 2,129 were third doses and booster doses. The remaining 7,605 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Sunday.

The seven-day running average is now 15,236 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered 3,305,040 doses of Pfizer Comirnaty, 2,012,076 doses of Moderna and 228,725 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of Monday, 2,820,379 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,615,092 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

Updated vaccination data are provided on Oregons COVID-19data dashboardsand have been updated Monday.

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported Monday are in the following counties: Baker (8), Benton (48), Clackamas (235), Clatsop (8), Columbia (29), Coos (33), Crook (25), Curry (1), Deschutes (262), Douglas (68), Grant (6), Harney (2), Hood River (12), Jackson (146), Jefferson (36), Josephine (74), Klamath (51), Lake (2), Lane (195), Lincoln (23), Linn (151), Malheur (8), Marion (290), Morrow (9), Multnomah (420), Polk (40), Sherman (1), Tillamook (10), Umatilla (23), Union (22), Wallowa (4), Wasco (10), Washington (270) and Yamhill (47).

Oregon reported 1,240 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Oct. 29, 771 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Oct. 30, and 558 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Oct. 31.

Oregons 4,373rd COVID-19 related death is a 95-year-old man from Umatilla County who tested positive on Aug. 31 and died on Oct.19 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregons 4,374th COVID-19 related death is a 62-year-old woman from Lane County who tested positive on Oct. 14 and died on Oct. 28 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregons 4,375th COVID-19 related death is a 67-year-old woman from Josephine County who tested positive on Oct. 22 and died on Oct. 29 at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregons 4,376th COVID-19 related death is a 56-year-old man from Jackson County who tested positive on Oct. 18 and died on Oct. 28 at Providence Medford Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregons 4,377th COVID-19 related death is a 69-year-old man from Harney County who tested positive on Oct. 4 and died on Oct. 25 at St. Charles Bend. He had underlying conditions.

Correction:Oregons 4,371st COVID-19 related death is a 74-year-old woman from Klamath County who tested positive on Sept. 24 and died on Oct. 27 at Sky Lakes Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit OHA's web page (EnglishorSpanish), which has a breakdown of distribution and other information.

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Oregon reports 5 more COVID-19 related deaths over the weekend, 2569 new cases - KTVZ

Mathematical model from Penn State shows an alternative to business shutdowns and stay-at-home orders that are unsustainable over time.

COVID-19 testing capacity could reduce reliance on costly preventative interventions, such as distancing and shutdowns, results of a mathematical model by Penn State shows.

The global spread of SARS-CoV-2 and the strategies used to manage it have come at significant societal costs; for example, shutdowns of non-essential businesses and stay-at-home orders are powerful tools to control the pandemic spread of the virus, but are unsustainable over time, Katriona Shea, professor in biological sciences at Penn State University, said in a statement.

Understanding the efficacy of combined public health interventions is a key first step in identifying cost-effective ways to manage the pandemic, especially in areas where there is low vaccine uptake and as we continue to see new, and potentially more dangerous, variants of the virus emerge.

The study results show that high test administration, more intense non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), and short testing delays all decrease SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The results also show that when testing delays are long, an additional 5% of the population each day yields, at most, a 1.5% decrease in the minimally sufficient NPI intensity required to achieve the same level of pandemic control.

When tests are rapid, a 5% increase in test administration yields a 12.6% decrease in NPI intensity.

The lowest NPI levels are possible only when many tests are administered and test delays are short. Reducing reliance on NPIs is highly dependent on the ability of a testing program to identify and isolate unreported, asymptomatic infections, Emily Howerton, a graduate student in biology at Penn State University, said in the statement.

Investigators designed the model to support government and public health officials in implementing testing and isolation programs to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and reduce the costly interventions.

The model measured the public health outcomes in a variety of scenarios, including testing isolation, and NPIs, such as distancing, masking, and lockdowns.

The test system comprises 3 parts: test administration, test delays, and test sensitivity.

Investigators modeled the number of tests that were administered each day, defining testing delays as the average time to receive tests results after the test was administered and test sensitivity as the percent of actively infected individuals correctly identified.

They also used NPI intensity to model the decrease of transmitting by a certain amount.

The results were published in PLOS Computational Biology.

Reference

More strategic COVID-19 testing could prevent distancing and shutdowns. EurekAlert. News release. October 28, 2021. Accessed November 1, 2021. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/933121

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COVID-19 Testing Capacity Reduces Costly Preventative Interventions - Pharmacy Times

Alaska over the weekend reported three more COVID-19 deaths and 1,547 new cases of the virus.

On Saturday, the state reported 625 cases, plus 564 on Sunday and 358 on Monday, according to data from the Department of Health and Social Services. Alaska recently been in the midst of a case plateau with case rates still high though not increasing and instead staying relatively level from day to day with some see-sawing, health officials say.

The deaths announced Monday included an Anchorage woman in her 80s or older, an Anchorage man in his 70s and a Fairbanks man in his 60s. Since the start of the pandemic in early 2020, 702 Alaskans and 26 non-residents have died of COVID-19.

By Monday, 190 people were hospitalized for the virus, which follows a week in which COVID-19 hospitalizations rose to record levels with 236 hospitalized COVID-19 patients midweek.

But its too early to say whether the decrease is encouraging, said Jared Kosin, president and CEO of the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association. Last week there were extremely high COVID-19 case counts at hospitals on the Kenai Peninsula, Matanuska-Susitna Borough and in Anchorage, Kosin said.

It continues to be extremely challenging to operate in this environment, he said.

The state is in its darkest days of the pandemic, Kosin said, and the numbers wont be encouraging until hospitalizations sink to more consistent lows.

Data from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention showed Alaska with the highest case rate in the nation Monday. For the past seven days, Alaska had 623.5 cases per 100,000 people, more than four times the national rate.

Other largely rural western states like Montana and Wyoming have also led the nation in high case rates. On Monday, the two states followed Alaska in the national ranking, with 494 and 475.5 cases per 100,000 people respectively.

The portion of COVID-19 tests returning positive results was trending down by Monday, with 8.53% of tests positive based on a seven-day rolling average.

Excerpt from:

COVID-19 continues to strain Alaska hospitals, while state reports 3 deaths and more than 1,500 new cases over weekend - Anchorage Daily News

(WJW) The Biden administration will release details this week on new guidelines that will require companies that employ 100 people to require COVID-19 vaccinations or regular COVID testing.

The plan would also require those companies to provide paid time off to get vaccinated and paid sick leave for any side effects.

According to WhiteHouse.gov, the Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is developing a rule to ensure employers have either a fully vaccinated workforce or implement a program that would require any unvaccinated employees to produce a negative test result at least on a weekly basis.

The Biden administration says the new policy will impact over 80 million workers.

Heres a statement from the Department of Labor, from CNBC:

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been working expeditiously to develop an emergency temporary standard thatcovers employers with 100 or more employees, firm- or company-wide, and provides options for compliance. Covered employers must develop, implement, and enforce a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, unless they adopt a policy requiring employees to choose either to get vaccinated or to undergo regular COVID-19 testing and wear a face covering at work. The ETS also requires employers to provide paidtime to workers to get vaccinated and paidsickleave to recover from any side effects.On November 1, the Office of Management and Budget completed its regulatory review of the emergency temporary standard. The Federal Register will publish the emergency temporary standard in the coming days.

The Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) of the rule allows OSHA to issue the rule with emergency authority if the Labor secretary believes workers face grave danger in the workplace, according to CNBC.

Most Republican state attorney generals, including Ohios Dave Yost, have signed a letter to the president threatening legal action if the administration moves forward with the new guideline.

The new rule is expected to be published this week.

This is separate from President Joe Bidens executive order requiring federal contractors to be fully vaccinated.

That rule has made headlines because of its impact on airlines.

The administration does allow federal contractors to decide what to do with employees who choose not to be vaccinated, allowing some groups to develop their own policy for unvaccinated employees.

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New Biden rule will require most employees to get vaccinated or tested - WJW FOX 8 News Cleveland

Popular longtime Cobb school bus driver dies of COVID-19   The Atlanta Journal Constitution

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Popular longtime Cobb school bus driver dies of COVID-19 - The Atlanta Journal Constitution

Walking outside the Dr. Marcelino Vlez Santana Regional Hospital in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic's capital, de la Nuez told CNN he's still in shock.

"My wife contracted Covid-19 10 days ago. She had a high fever. She also had very severe muscle pains which caused her to have contractions. Our baby girl died. When we went to get a sonogram, it was already too late," he said.

His wife is still recovering in the hospital's intensive care unit. The de la Nuez family is one of many dealing with yet another wave of infections in this Caribbean nation of nearly 11 million. Last week at the same hospital, 17 of 18 beds in the ICU were occupied and there was only one ventilator left.

Until recently, the Dominican Republican seemed to be heading toward normality. September saw a record number of tourists visit the Caribbean nation, and more than 2 million students in the public education system returned to in-person classes for the first time in more than a year. On October 11, the country's nationwide state of emergency was lifted.

But was it too soon?

Just as students returned to classes, Covid-19 cases began trending upward, data published by Johns Hopkins University (JHU) shows.

Less than two weeks later, Carissa Etienne, director of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), announced that while the Covid-19 trend in most of Latin America and the Caribbean was downward, new cases had increased by over 40% in the Dominican Republic.

New variants, schools and vaccination rates

Dr. Jorge Marte, director of the Center for Diagnosis, Advanced Medicine and Telemedicine (CEDIMAT), one of the main hospitals in Santo Domingo, points to the spread of new variants and the reopening of schools as significant factors in the country's surging case numbers.

But those measures could only go so far, according to Marte, who says that despite the introduction of booster shots, the country's overall vaccination campaign has been insufficient.

Less than 50% of the total Dominican population has been fully vaccinated, according to JHU. The government had aimed to vaccinate 70% of the country's eligible population with at least two doses.

"We have yet to vaccinate the population target we set for ourselves," says Marte, who also serves as a presidential health adviser.

Dominican Health Minister Daniel Rivera has described the virus' resurgence as a crisis of the unvaccinated, who are taxing health resources and occupying ICU beds.

"Out of the last 31 people who died, 29 of them were not vaccinated at all. And the only person who was vaccinated and died was a 68-year-old patient," Rivera said during a press conference last week.

Dr. Indira Jimnez, who's in charge of the Covid-19 unit at Francisco Moscoso Cuello Hospital, told CNN that 90% of the infected patients arriving at her hospital were unvaccinated or had only received one shot.

"There has been a very noticeable increase in the number of infected patients. Those who are being admitted in the intensive care unit are coming to us already in critical condition," Jimnez said. On Friday, there were no available ventilators in her hospital at all.

Death rates are still far lower than in the earlier days of the pandemic, however. Eighteen people died of Covid-19 the last week, compared to 165 deaths in the first week of February -- the peak for Covid-19 fatalities in the Dominican Republic so far.

Recently Marte says he has also noticed a new factor in Covid-19 hospitalizations.

In fact, the Dominican Republic was the first country in Latin America to approve booster shots, starting with its health care workers in July. It was not the only country in the region to start supplementing its Sinovac campaign however.

"What I can tell you with very objective data is that there's an enormous difference between those who have received two Sinovac doses versus the ones who have added a Pfizer booster shot to those two Sinovac shots," Marte said.

"In the whole country there's not a single individual who has received a Pfizer booster shot and ended up hospitalized."

Marte also said that out of 17,000 Covid-19 patients seen at his hospital, only five contracted the virus after getting the Pfizer booster shot. One was an 86-year-old patient, and another was a 78-year-old suffering from diabetes and cancer. None of those five ultimately required admittance, he said.

Read more:

What's behind the Dominican Republic's new surge in Covid-19 cases? - CNN

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz (ABC4)- On Saturday, health agencies within the Navajo Nation, including the Navajo Department of Health, the Navajo Epidemiology Center, and the Navajo Area Indian Health Service, published their most recent COVID-19 figures.

The Navajo health agencies report a total of 105 new COVID-19 cases for the Navajo Nation and no recent deaths. The death count is currently at 1,484. So far, 362,397 COVID-19 tests have been administered and 34,377 individuals have recovered. The case count is now at 36,653, including 40 delayed reported cases.

On Friday, the state of Arizona reported 3,691 new cases, Utah reported 1,810 cases, and NewMexico reported 1,055 new cases.

The Navajo Nation issued a Health Advisory Notice for 48 communities on Monday, Oct. 25. Officials believe there is an uncontrolled spread of the virus which is causing more people to become infected. The advisory will be in effect until there is a decline in the number of cases.

Tribe officials also recommend individuals with the following conditions to take precautions to protect themselves:

Older Adults Cancer Chronic kidney disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Heart conditions Immunocompromised state Obesity and severe obesity Pregnancy Sickle cell disease Smoking Type 2 diabetes mellitus

They also recommended the following safety measures:

Get vaccinated. Wear a mask in public. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are notavailable, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. Avoid touching the face, nose, and eyes with unwashed hands. Clean and disinfect vehicle, home, workspace, and other common areas on a regular basis. Social distance keep 6 feet between oneself and others. Limit gatherings with individuals outside ones immediate household.

Navajo Nation president Jonathan Nez says added precautions will be needed, especially since it is Halloween weekend.

Please be very careful, wear protective masks, and practice social distancing, Nez said. We cannot afford to have another surge in new COVID-19 cases due to Halloween activities.

Nez also asked parents to ensure their children are safe by taking precautions and adhering to the guidance of health experts. Vice President Myron Lizer repeated the same message.

For those who celebrate Halloween, we want you to be safe and reduce the chances of spreading COVID-19 by taking proper precautions, Lizer said. We do not want more of our people getting the virus and losing lives.

Health care facilities across the Navajo Nation continue to administer COVID-19 vaccines. Residents who would like to get vaccinated should schedule an appointment with their health care provider.

For more information on prevention tips and other COVID-19 resources, visit the Navajo Department of Healths COVID-19 website here. For COVID-19 related questions and information, call (928) 871-7014.

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Navajo Nation reports 105 new Covid-19 cases and no new deaths - ABC 4

Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine highly effective in kids 5-11, company says

Pfizer says its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic infections in kids 5-11, based on clinical trial data released Oct. 22, 2021.

A new study out of Israel offers more insight into COVID-19 breakthrough cases, showing that many cases occur in people with lower levels of antibodies.

A breakthrough case is defined as someone who has been infected with the coronavirus despite being fully vaccinated.

Israels findings were reported in The New England Journal of Medicine.

RELATED: White House outlines plans to increase COVID-19 testing in schools

Antibodies are Y-shaped proteins than bind to one's foreign invaders, like viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites.

Researchers studied 1, 497 fully vaccinated health care workers at Sheba Medical Center out of 11,453 fully vaccinated workers. All had been vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

They were tested for breakthrough infections from December 19, 2020, to April 28, 2021, due to a known exposure with someone who had COVID-19 or possible symptoms of the virus.

Thirty-nine workers had a confirmed breakthrough case, bringing the infection rate to 0.4%, Many had mild to no symptoms and none required hospitalization. The most common symptoms included respiratory congestion, muscle aches (myalgia), and loss of smell or taste. Most didnt develop a fever. Some reported having long COVID-19 symptoms such as prolonged loss of smell, persistent cough, weakness, and fatigue.

Vice President Kamala Harris rolled up a sleeve on Saturday and took a third shot of the Moderna vaccine. She previously achieved full vaccination after receiving her first dose on Dec. 29 and her second on Jan. 26.

The average age of workers with breakthrough cases was 42 and only one person was known to have a weakened immune system.

RELATED: FDA authorizes Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11

According to the study, 22 out of the 39 breakthrough cases provided results from an antibody test taken the week before their COVID-19 diagnosis. The results showed that those with a breakthrough infection had consistently lower levels of antibodies circulating in their bloodstream. On the other hand, those with high levels of antibodies were associated with greater protection and lower infectivity.

But researchers pointed out theyre not sure if waning immunity from the vaccine was also a factor in the infections. They also noted that the study was conducted before the more-transmissible delta variant sparked a surge in cases.

"Overall, these findings provide more reassurance that these vaccines are extremely effective," Dr. Francis Collins said in a National Institutes of Health blog. "Breakthrough infections, while they can and do occur, are a relatively uncommon event."

This story was reported from Los Angeles.

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COVID-19 breakthrough cases occur mostly in those with low antibody levels, Israeli study shows - FOX 7 Austin

While his journey as a young father has been marked byheartache, Eric Robison is learninghow to make it workwith the support of the Fort Smith community.

Robisonfirst met with his future wife, Emily, on Facebook in 2017. Helivedin Houston, and she lived in Poteau, Oklahoma.

We talked for four weeks and then I drove in the middle of the night to pick her up and she never left after that, said Eric, 23.

Emily said she had been hurt too much in the past and they were makingitlast or it was not happening.

The couple met in August and were married by October.They moved to Fort Smith in 2020.

This year would have been their four-year anniversary.

Emily was admitted to Mercy Hospital in August while 28 weeks pregnant with their daughter, Carmen.

After spending three days on a breathing machine andnot improving,Eric was told to Facetime his wife and tell her it wouldlikely bethe last time they talked for a while.

"I Facetimed her and told her I loved her,"Eric said. "She started crying and asked if I was giving up on her. I was like, 'No'and promised her she would come back to me."

It was the last time Eric spoke to his wife.She died Sept. 20 of complications from COVID-19.

Emily Robison was 22.

Emily wanted a childalmost theentire time they had been together. Eric was always reluctant for them to get pregnant because of Emilys asthma.

"I was like this could end terribly, I could be a single dad,"Eric said. "I knew from the beginning I could be a single dad.Thatsalways been a worry of mine, and its happening, so."

Carmen was born Aug. 25 after an emergency cesarean section.Emily improved slightly after giving birth, but her health took a turn for the worse shortly after.

Handling the death of his wife and figuring out how to go forward for his daughter has not been easy.

"Its like sitting on your arm, and making it go numb, and the numbing never going away,"Eric said. "Youre trying to focuson what to do but youre so numb and your vision is always like blurry."

While he figures out his new normal, the community has rallied around the father and daughter, with the help of a local nursewho made it her mission to help the young family.

AshleeSchwartz had just started her shift when noticed a 22-year-old woman listed as one of thepositive COVID-19 patients in Mercys ICU.

Schwartz was struck by her young age. When she went to check on the woman, she found Emily in critical condition and in a medicallyinduced coma.

Later, Schwartz saw Eric staringemptilyinto Emilys room.

"Especially as an ICU nurse, the reality of life with this virus is any patients story could very well be our own story someday and I just thought tomyself, 'What if this was me sitting in a chair staring into my husbands room.'"

After learning the couple really only had clothes, she got Eric's permission to start a baby registry for Carmen.Schwartz later created aGoFundMe page for father and daughter.

The "Pay it Forward"fundraiser has raised nearly$25,000 since Oct. 3.

Eric saidit'slike his life has been sped up in recent weeks as his story has gone viral.

Hestalkedwith local,nationaland internationalnews outlets. He had to make his Facebook private and has more than 500 unread messages.

"I remember asking (Ashlee), 'Where do I go from here?'"Eric said. "'What do I do? What do you do afteryouvelost your wife? Is there a right way to do something,is there a wrong way?'"

Eric said the registry and GoFundMe have helped tremendously and gave him time to mourn without worrying if Carmen will have what she needs.

"To see our home literally overflowing with gifts for Carmen is beyond heartwarming,"Schwartz said. "Nearly all the items on the 'PayItForward'baby registries are gifted. My heart filled with so much joy and excitement seeing UPS/Fedexdeliver gifts daily for the past month and opening each box to see what gift arrived. I can only imagine how excited Emily would be if shewashere."

Life is still weird, Eric said.

"Three months ago Emily and I were at Eufala swimming, her being pregnant," Eric said. "Now she's gone. I'm on national TV time flies by so fast."

Through everything that's happened, Carmen, who has grown from around 2 pounds to more than 6, has been the bright spot for Eric.She's starting to recognize the world around her. After more than two months in the hospital, Carmen is set to go home Nov. 1.

Emily had chubby cheeks, which Eric loved about her. Carmen has the same cheeks.

"She looks just like her mom," Eric said. "She's identical to her mother."

Abbi Ross is the city reporter at the Southwest Times Record.She can be reached at aross@swtimes or on Twitter at @__AbbiRoss

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Fort Smith rallies around man whose wife died of COVID-19 weeks after giving birth - Times Record