Category: Covid-19

GregHausske,49, died on Jan. 22, 2021.

June 5, 2021, 2:01 PM

6 min read

COVID-19 has taken the lives of more than 594,000 Americans and counting.

Each week ABC News is spotlighting several Americans who have lost their lives to COVID-19.This week, we're highlighting a new mom, a beloved father of five, and a dedicated math teacher.

Veronica Bernal died onJan. 25,2021, less than one month after giving birth to twins,ABC affiliateKNXV-TV reported.

The babies, Manuel Jr. and Mariyah Mia,were born on Jan. 6, healthy and free of COVID-19, KNXV reported.

When Bernal tested positive for COVID-19 in December, doctors recommended that the twins be born eight weeks early, her boyfriend,Manuel Medina,told KNXV.

Bernal also leaves behind her son, Christopher, who was born last year, KNXV reported.

"They will know who she is," Medina said. "They will remember her."

GregHausske,49, died on Jan. 22, 2021, exactly two months after he was hospitalized with COVID-19,his wife, Rosie Hausske, told ABC News.

An educator for nearly 20 years, Greg Hausske taught health and physical education at Wilson Middle School in Yakima, Washington.

Greg and Rosie Hausske had been together for 15 years and raised their blended family of five children, ages 27 to 17.

"He was an advocate for everybody -- always had a joke, always had a smile," she said.

Until contracting COVID-19, Hausskewalked and ran six miles a day and "was in perfect shape," Rosie Hausske said.

Greg Hausske and one of his daughters were planning a seven day, 100-mile hike, she said.

"He was an incredible husband, father, teacher," she said."He was truly one of a kind."

Greg Hausske of Yakima, Wash., pictured in an undated photo with his wife Rosie Hausske, died from COVID-19 on Jan. 22, 2021.

Greg Hausske of Yakima, Wash., pictured in an undated photo with his wife Rosie Hausske, died from COVID-19 on Jan. 22, 2021.

Mary Laurenzano, a beloved math teacher atBennett Middle School in Maryland, died on March 22, 2021, the school said.

She started teaching at the school in 2004, The Salisbury Daily Times reported.

The school said in a statement, "As we begin to process this loss, we want to take the time to remember Ms. Laurenzano for the exceptional person she was and the influence she had on so many."

The school released a 2018 video showingLaurenzano's interview as a teacher of the year semifinalist. In the interview, Laurenzano said, "I love that everyday is different. What they bring to the table asfar as their knowledge and understanding, and helping them work through what they don't understand, and helping them build their toolbox so they're successful."

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Father of 5 dies after 2 months in hospital battling COVID-19 - ABC News

Abstract

A new high-throughput screening technique detected autoantibodies in COVID-19 patients specific for many different immunomodulatory extracellular and cell surface proteins, several of which were associated with disease severity and clinical outcomes.

Several different dysfunctional immune responses have been associated with COVID-19, including the presence of anti-type I interferon autoantibodies. In order to broadly characterize autoantibodies in patients with COVID-19, Wang et al. used a new high-throughput multiplexed detection technology they developed called Rapid Extracellular Antigen Profiling (REAP), in which serum IgG is panned against a genetically-barcoded library of 2770 human extracellular proteins displayed on yeast cells and binding is quantified by a sequencing readout. The investigators screened 172 patients with COVID-19, 22 SARS-CoV-2infected healthcare workers (HCWs) with mild or asymptomatic infection, and 30 uninfected HCWs. They discovered that the patients with COVID-19 had a greater number of autoantibody reactivities compared with controls, and the highest scoring was in patients with severe disease. Based on longitudinal REAP scoring of patients, it appeared that some of the autoantibodies were preexisting before infection, whereas others were newly acquired. Strikingly, autoantibodies specific for cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, complement components, and cell surface proteins were elevated in patients with severe disease, including anti-type I interferons. In vitro functional assays showed that some of these autoantibodies could inhibit the activity of the cytokines or chemokines that they bound, or enhance FcR-dependent phagocytosis, and autoantibodies specific for different blood leukocyte surface proteins were associated with decreased frequency of the cell types expressing those proteins.

Using SARS-CoV-2infected human ACE2 transgenic mice, Wang et al. showed that blocking antibodies to several of the cytokine targets of the COVD-19associated autoantibodies, including type 1 interferon, IL-18 receptor, IL-1, IL-21, and GM-CSF, exacerbated disease. Other autoantibodies against various tissue antigens were associated with different clinical features and disease severity.

This study demonstrates the power of a new autoantibody screening technology and expands on previous studies by showing that many different immunomodulatory autoantibodies are associated with severe COVID-19 disease. Further work will be needed to sort out the relative role of preexisting versus post-infection induced autoantibodies in disease pathogenesis. Also of interest will be the analysis of autoantibodies associated with other viral infections.

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Anti-body antibodies in COVID-19 - Science

Today, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) released theCOVID-19 Handbook Volume 3: Strategies for Safe Operation and Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education Students, Faculty, and Staffto provide additional strategies for higher education institutions (IHEs) and communities as they work to reopen for in-person instruction safely and equitably. The Department worked with public health officials and partners across the Biden-Harris Administration to ensure that the Handbook provides actionable strategies IHEs can use to implementCDC guidanceto prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The Handbook also provides strategies on how higher education institutions can utilize funds from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and previous relief bills to meet the needs of all students, boost vaccination rates on campus, and address inequities exacerbated by the pandemic, among other topics covered.

"Many of our nation's postsecondary students have experienced the toughest year in their educational careers," said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. "We must deploy every resource to bear to make sure all higher education students can reengage with their school communities, continue their education, and graduate ready to pursue their dreams. With the American Rescue Plan and key resources like Volume 3 of the COVID-19 Handbook, institutions of higher education will be able to not only protect the safety of students, educators, and staff, but also support those students who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic."

Today's release is part of the Administration's broader effort to provide schools and communities with the resources and support they need to return to in-person learning safely and quickly. Volume 3 of the COVID-19 Handbook addresses several priority areas of interest to the higher education community, with an eye towards both a response and a recovery that leaves our nation's students and institutions of higher education stronger than before the pandemic began. Areas include:

Volume 3 of the Handbook incorporated feedback from IHEs and over 40 organizations representing stakeholders and institutions across 15 listening sessions, and was developed in response to some of the most pressing questions the Department heard from colleges, students, families, educators, and others impacted by the pandemic. The Handbook incorporates a diversity of perspectives, experiences, and challenges facing our nation's postsecondary students, ranging from the full-time, on-campus recent high school graduate; to the older returning student seeking re-training through online, part-time programming while balancing work and parenting duties; to the middle-aged immigrant seeking English language skills, job training, and a high school equivalency with on-ramps into postsecondary education.

Under the ARP, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA), approximately $76 billion in Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding (HEERF) has been made available to IHEs to support students and IHEs impacted by the pandemic.

Earlier this year, the Department of Education released Volume 1 and Volume 2 of the COVID-19 Handbook, both of which focused on strategies to support the safe reopening of K-12 schools and address the impacts of COVID-19 on K-12 students, educators, and communities. The Department also launched the "Safer Schools and Campuses Best Practices Clearinghouse," which highlights lessons learned and best practices that can help IHEs identify opportunities to best use ARP and other relief funds to support students, faculty, and staff impacted by the pandemic, particularly those in underserved communities and those hardest hit by the pandemic. The Clearinghouse also provides resources and guidance for institutions as they work to reengage with students who have temporarily opted out of postsecondary education.

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US Department of Education Releases COVID-19 Handbook Volume 3: Strategies for Safe Operation and Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on Higher...

In a war, you know who you're fighting against. But in this war, the enemy has been an invisible, deadly virus, striking at will -- taking someone's last breath with it.

What can you say to console a grieving son? I approached Madhur with the intent to offer my condolences but failed miserably. Even if I wanted to document his story, this wasn't the time or place. Holding back my tears, I asked Madhur if I could sit next to him. We sat at two ends of the bench, in complete silence. Almost five minutes later, Madhur said, "This has been the toughest thing I've ever done."

His father, who was being treated for Covid-19, had been discharged from hospital the day before. His twin was still in medical care, and didn't get to say his final goodbye before their mother died of the virus.

It's been a dark time for India. Indians have been infected at an alarming rate, and have unexpectedly lost loved ones to Covid-19. Even shutting our doors and windows hasn't helped. People -- young and old, including children who have strictly been following Covid protocols -- have fallen prey to the virus.

News of family and friends being infected had already started coming in. Colleagues had lost relatives. This time, the impact of the virus was too close to home.

While my video journalist and I put on our personal protective equipment and face shields in the parking lot of the crematorium, scores of ambulances lined up with grieving families in tow. Bodies on biers, covered in white sheets and bound by rope, were pulled out and taken into the crematorium.

Hindus believe in burning the bodies of their loved ones. Logs are stacked, the body is placed on top and set on fire. Later, families collect the remains and immerse them in a holy river.

An uncomfortable silence enveloped the length and breadth of this final resting place, shattered intermittently by wails of relatives, some in PPE suits, others in masks and face shields. It was 10 a.m. on this day. Most of them had probably stayed up all night -- this time grieving for a loved one.

The crematorium was divided into two sections, one for non-Covid bodies and the other for those who died from the virus. The waiting for the Covid section was much longer. A queue to get a token number stretched longer by the hour.

Five funeral pyres had already been set ablaze. Within an hour, raging fires enveloped the entire enclosure.

Another young man in his late 30s was standing near a burning pyre. His uncle had died of the virus. Speaking to me, Neeraj Pal said they tried calling his phone three days back. There was no response. Worried, they called the hospital to ask after him. It was then they were told that he was no more.

"If we hadn't called the hospital, we would have been informed much later about his death," said Pal.

A middle-aged woman slumped into the front seat of her car. Her husband's lifeless body, rolled up in white cloth, was sitting up on the backseat. Beating her chest, she told me her husband was gasping for breath until the very end. They rushed him to four hospitals, but none took him, she said. He died at home.

"People are not dying of the virus, they're dying because there are no beds, no oxygen to keep them alive," she told me.

The most unforgettable image was of children at the crematorium, some as young as four. Many had lost a parent to the virus. This overstretched crematorium would be the last memory they'd have of their loved ones.

According to the Indian government, 577 children lost their parents in a span of 55 days during the second wave.

Almost 40 minutes later, more than a dozen cars rushed in. They had patients in the backseat, breathless and in distress. Relatives rushed to the ward, requesting oxygen cylinders, but the hospital didn't have any to spare. An old woman in a wheelchair, a frail old man gasping for breath while his son implored for a hospital bed, another waiting in an ambulance -- all eventually turned away.

Helpless guards at the ward entrance kept repeating these words in Hindi: "There's no bed, no oxygen. Try another hospital."

A young woman was breathing in the last liter of oxygen from a cylinder, while her family pleaded with hospital authorities for more. Seeing our camera and mic, her relative walked up to me. "You're from the media, help us," she said. "They'll listen to you. I just need one bed for my sister."

I wanted to help. I ran to the ward. I spoke to a doctor. But I failed -- the hospital had exceeded its capacity to accommodate patients.

Sitting in the porch was a woman in a PPE suit. Sonika Babbar had accompanied her sick father and brother to the hospital, brought there by ambulances as her father's oxygen levels fell. "There are no beds available," Babbar said. "Patients are lying on the floor inside the ward."

India reported more than 350,000 cases of Covid-19 that day, April 26.

When I went on air on Becky Anderson's show "Connect The World" the next evening to share what I'd seen, I couldn't hold back my tears. It wasn't easy to set aside my emotions and speak only as a reporter. These were my fellow countrymen.

Deep down, I constantly feared for my family.

Days later, I checked in with Babbar to inquire after her father and brother. Her message is still in my inbox. It reads, "He (the father) expired on May 8."

On April 30, news of a former colleague and news anchor succumbing to cardiac arrest while recovering from Covid-19 hit me hard. Memories of us getting ready for our shows in the make-up room and talking politics came rushing back. He is survived by his wife, two young daughters and elderly parents.

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The darkest days of my life: Reporting on India's brutal second Covid wave - CNN

The WestVirginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reportsas of June 4, 2021, there have been 2,939,109 total confirmatory laboratory resultsreceived for COVID-19, with 162,232 total cases and 2,813 deaths.

DHHRhas confirmed the deaths of a75-year old male from Mercer County, a 66-year old male from Monongalia County,a 54-year old male from Nicholas County, a 40-year old female from KanawhaCounty, 62-year old male from Taylor County, and a 93-year old male fromBarbour County.

Withsummer around the corner, vaccination is the key to a return to normal timeswith family and friends, said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. Maketime today to schedule a COVID vaccine.

CASES PERCOUNTY: Barbour(1,503), Berkeley (12,732), Boone (2,149), Braxton (989), Brooke (2,232),Cabell (8,819), Calhoun (372), Clay (539), Doddridge (628), Fayette (3,524),Gilmer (874), Grant (1,296), Greenbrier (2,863), Hampshire (1,910), Hancock(2,839), Hardy (1,557), Harrison (6,052), Jackson (2,213), Jefferson (4,759), Kanawha(15,368), Lewis (1,270), Lincoln (1,559), Logan (3,229), Marion (4,579),Marshall (3,522), Mason (2,037), McDowell (1,602), Mercer (5,076), Mineral(2,948), Mingo (2,702), Monongalia (9,358), Monroe (1,187), Morgan (1,223),Nicholas (1,862), Ohio (4,291), Pendleton (721), Pleasants (959), Pocahontas(680), Preston (2,937), Putnam (5,293), Raleigh (6,987), Randolph (2,800),Ritchie (753), Roane (651), Summers (847), Taylor (1,256), Tucker (547), Tyler(738), Upshur (1,942), Wayne (3,167), Webster (533), Wetzel (1,378), Wirt(451), Wood (7,902), Wyoming (2,027).

Delays may be experienced with the reportingof information from the local health department to DHHR. As case surveillancecontinues at the local health department level, it may reveal that those testedin a certain county may not be a resident of that county, or even the state asan individual in question may have crossed the state border to be tested. Such is the case of Boone, Grant, Mason,Morgan, and Wayne counties in this report. Please visit http://www.coronavirus.wv.gov for more detailed information.

West Virginians 12years and older are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.Tolearn more about the vaccine, or to find a vaccine site near you, visit vaccinate.wv.gov or call 1-833-734-0965.

Free pop-up COVID-19 testing is available todayin Barbour, Berkeley, Grant, Jefferson, Lincoln, Logan, Marshall, Mineral,Monongalia, Morgan, and Wayne counties.

Barbour County

9:00 AM 11:00 AM, Barbour County HealthDepartment, 109 Wabash Avenue, Philippi, WV

1:00 PM 5:00 PM, Junior Volunteer FireDepartment, 331 Row Avenue, Junior, WV

BerkeleyCounty10:00 AM 5:00 PM, 891 Auto Parts Place, Martinsburg, WV10:00 AM 5:00 PM, Ambrose Park, 25404 Mall Drive, Martinsburg, WV

Grant County

11:00 AM 3:00 PM, Viking Memorial FieldParking Lot, 157-109 Rig Street, Petersburg, WV (optionalpre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

JeffersonCounty

10:00 AM 6:00 PM, Hollywood Casino, 750 HollywoodDrive, Charles Town, WV

12:00 PM 5:00 PM, Shepherd University Wellness CenterParking Lot, 164 University Drive, Shepherdstown, WV

LincolnCounty

9:00AM 3:00 PM, Lincoln County Health Department, 8008 Court Avenue, Hamlin, WV (optional pre-registration:https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

Logan County

12:00 PM 5:00 PM, Old 84 Lumber Building,100 Recovery Road, Peach Creek, WV

Marshall County

12:00 PM 6:00 PM, Benwood City Building,430 Main Street, Benwood, WV (optionalpre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

MineralCounty

10:00AM 6:00 PM, Mineral County Health Department, 541 Harley O. Staggers Drive,Keyser, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

Monongalia County

9:00 AM 12:00 PM, WVU Recreation Center,Lower Level, 2001 Rec Center Drive, Morgantown, WV

Morgan County

11:00 AM 4:00 PM, Valley Health WarMemorial Hospital, 1 Health Way, Berkeley Springs, WV

WayneCounty

10:00AM 2:00 PM, Wayne Community Center, 11580 Rt. 152, Wayne, WV

Foradditional free COVID-19 testing opportunities across the state, please visit https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/pages/testing.aspx.

Originally posted here:

WV DHHR: COVID-19 Daily Update 6-4-2021 - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

Vermont Business Magazine The state is lining up many walk-in vaccination clinics in an effort to get to 80 percent of eligible Vermonters vaccinated as quickly as possible. Doing so will eliminate the remaining COVID restrictions. Governor Scott visited Thunder Road today to welcome walk-ins at a clinic there before the race. An additional 7,878 individuals remain to be vaccinated. On June 3, 2021, an additional 348 individuals were vaccinated. To reopen June 11 about 1,000 Vermonters will need to be vaccinated daily; to reopen June 8 about 1,500 Vermonters daily; and to reopen June 7 about 2,000 daily. Also, the VDH today is reporting only 12 new cases of COVID-19, however, the state suffered its first death in more than two weeks. Fatalities now stand at 256 statewide.

June 4, 2021

New or updated information is in red and bold

Starting next week, the Vermont COVID-19 Update will be issued on Tuesdays and Thursdays

The next Update will be June 8

This update is available online at healthvermont.gov/covid19

Click the See the Daily Update button

With dozens of new walk-in clinics available this weekend, now is the perfect time to keep yourself safe and healthy for the summer (and beyond!) by getting vaccinated.

There are hundreds of clinics around the state. You can even get your vaccine in many of the places you might already be going to this weekend including Jazz Fest in Burlington, Capital City Farmers Market in Montpelier, the Wilmington Antique and Flea Market, and many state parks.

State offers dozens of new weekend walk-in vaccination clinics

So, if you know someone who is not vaccinated, invite them to go with you, or help spread the word. Getting vaccinated is free and easy! Get more details on these clinics and more by visiting healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine.

Most pharmacies around the state are also offering walk-in vaccinations. Ask your local pharmacist today or simply walk into a CVS, Hannaford Food and Drug, Walmart, Walgreens, Price Chopper/Market 32, Rite Aid, Shaws Supermarket, or Costco.

As a trusted messenger to your family and friends, you can play a role in their decision to vaccinate. Here are tips on how to talk about the vaccine.

Summertime heat is expected this weekend and into early next week with high temperatures in the 80s and 90s.

During hot weather, your bodys temperature control systems can have a hard time keeping up, and your temperature can get dangerously high. So, whether you plan or work or play outdoors, its important to start slowly, drink more fluids than usual and take extra breaks in the shade or cool indoor locations.

Read our press release for what you can do to Stay Cool, Stay Hydrated, Stay Informed

With temperatures rising, many Vermonters will be seeking out the sweet relief of a cooling dip at their local swimming hole.

While swimming holes offer wonderful recreational opportunities, swimming at an unmanaged location comes with risks.

Heavy rainfalls can create potentially dangerous conditions in swim holes, streams, rivers, and waterfalls. These conditions of high water or strong undercurrents can linger several days after a storm. Stay aware of rapidly changing weather conditions. Check the weather forecast and watch for signs of change such as sudden storm clouds and high winds.

Take care to avoid what you cant see: Be aware of and avoid drop-offs and hidden underwater obstacles in natural water sites. Do not dive into water, and always enter water feet-first.

Early June surface water temperatures on Lake Champlain and other bodies of water are typically only in the lower 50s, and immersion in cold water whether on purpose or by accident can become life threatening very quickly.

If you are on the water, ALWAYS wear a life vest. If you accidentally end up in the water, wearing one will keep you afloat, allowing more time for rescuers to arrive.

Good decision-making, and a little bit of planning, can often avert a tragedy.

See our tips for safely enjoying Vermonts waters this summer!

As COVID-19 activity decreases in Vermont and the Health Department streamlines its COVID-19 data reporting, the Vermont Dashboard will now be updated Monday through Friday only. Data from Saturday and Sunday will be included when the dashboard is updated on Mondays.

This newsletter the COVID-19 Daily Update moves to twice weekly starting next week. The COVID-19 Update will be issued on Tuesdays and Thursdays, beginning on June 8.

You can still find all the information you need on our website, healthvermont.gov, including:

You can also sign up for the COVID-19 Weekly Email Update, access news releases on our website, and stay up to date on social media @healthvermont.

Members of the media will continue to be informed through news releases and can continue to send COVID-related inquiries to CV19media@vermont.gov.

Thank you for staying informed throughout this response!

As of 12 p.m. on June 4, 2021

Note: This data is used to measure progress toward the Vermont Forward goal of 80% of eligible Vermonters vaccinated. When that point is reached, state COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted. Data is reported by the CDC and adjusted for duplicate reporting.

Description

Number

Percent of eligible Vermonters (12+) with at least one vaccine dose

78.6%

Number of Vermonters needed to reach goal

7,878

An additional 7,878 individuals remain to be vaccinated. On June 3, 2021, an additional 348 individuals were vaccinated.

Find Health Department vaccine data, including vaccination rates by county, age, sex, race and ethnicity, at the COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard:

healthvermont.gov/covid19-vaccine-data.

As of 12 p.m. on June 4, 2021

Data is updated daily.

Description

Number

New cases

12

(24,252 total)

Currently hospitalized

1

Hospitalized in ICU

0

Hospitalized under investigation

0

Percent Positive (7-day average)

0.8%

People tested

395,047

Total tests

1,701,291

Total people recovered

23,256

Deaths

256

Find more data on COVID-19 Activity at:healthvermont.gov/currentactivity.

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VDH COVID-19 Update: State pushing vaccinations, walk-ins added, one more death for 256 - Vermont Biz

The Regeneron Pharmaceuticals company logo is seen on a building at the company's Westchester campus in Tarrytown, New York, U.S. September 17, 2020. Picture taken September 17, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

The U.S. health regulator authorized a lower dose of Regeneron Pharmaceutical's COVID-19 antibody cocktail that can be given by injection, a move that could ease logistical challenges stemming from administering a higher dose intravenously.

The therapy, REGEN-COV, and a similar treatment developed by rival Eli Lilly (LLY.N) were being given through one-time infusion and required patients to be isolated.

Regeneron had been working on a lower dose of its cocktail that can be given subcutaneously to address the challenges that have weighed on demand for antibody drugs.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had in November authorized a 2,400 mg dose of REGEN-COV, administered as a single dose directly injected to a vein for non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

The agency has now lowered it to 1,200 mg and allowed the administration of casirivimab and imdevimab by injecting under the skin when intravenous infusion is not possible and would lead to treatment delay, Regeneron said on Friday. (https://bit.ly/34Lt0TQ)

The therapy belongs to a class of drugs called monoclonal antibodies, which mimic natural antibodies the body produces to fight off the infection.

Eli Lilly's antibody combination received U.S. emergency use authorization in February, while an antibody drug by Vir Biotechnology Inc (VIR.O) and GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK.L), which is also administered through intravenous infusion, was granted authorization late last month. read more

Regeneron said it expects to submit an application for full approval of REGEN-COV in non-hospitalized patients later this summer.

The drugmaker expects to deliver at least 1 million doses of the therapy to the U.S. government in the second quarter and said the government may accept additional doses of up to 1.25 million doses through September.

Regeneron is also developing the cocktail as a preventive medicine. read more

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Link:

U.S. authorizes Regeneron's COVID-19 antibody therapy for injection - Reuters

Miami, FL U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a statement after reports emerged that unelected bureaucrats in the U.S. State Department and elsewhere allegedly worked to hinder efforts by the Trump Administration to investigate the origins of COVID-19.

It is outrageous that people within our government worked to obstruct and censor the investigation into the origins of COVID-19, especially with regard to whether the virus emerged because of American-funded research at Chinas Wuhan Institute of Virology, Rubio said. Unelected bureaucrats need more oversight to ensure they are acting in the best interests of the American people. It is indefensible that, next week, the Senate will push forward with investing $200 billion into federal research and development without critical safeguards to ensure it doesnt end up stolen or misused to catastrophic ends by Beijing, in part because of the poor judgment of bureaucrats such as these.

A recent article in Vanity Fair reported that American officials seeking greater transparency about COVID-19s origins were explicitly told not to investigate the Wuhan Institute Virologys gain-of-function research, as doing so would cast unwelcome light on U.S. government funding of it, and that the more general investigation was hindered at every step.

More:

Rubio Slams Bureaucrats Who Obstructed COVID-19 Origin Investigation, Calls for More Guardrails on American R&D - Senator Marco Rubio

Rising incidence of mucormycosis in patients with COVID-19: another challenge for India amidst the second wave?  The Lancet

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Rising incidence of mucormycosis in patients with COVID-19: another challenge for India amidst the second wave? - The Lancet

Officials reported Thursday that about 2% of the people diagnosed with COVID-19 in Oregon in May were completely vaccinated -- meaning an overwhelming 98% of those sickened by the coronavirus either were unvaccinated or were only partially vaccinated.

A total of 398 Oregonians whod received their full recommended courses of vaccines were infected with the virus from May 3 to May 31, the Oregon Health Authority announced Thursday, in its monthly report. Officials identified them as breakthrough cases. Twelve of them died, according to rough numbers provided by the state.

That compares to about 15,700 Oregonians who were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated when they were infected in May. Approximately 115 of them died, according to rough figures provided by the state.

Officials say about 91% of people whove died in Oregon from COVID-19 werent vaccinated or were partially vaccinated. Although the vaccines arent 100% effective even in fully vaccinated individuals, officials say they are highly successful at preventing infection and dramatically decreasing the chances of hospitalization or death.

In all, officials have identified 1,009 breakthrough cases and 20 deaths among these Oregonians since the state started tracking this data in February.

The average age of a person who was infected after completing their recommended doses of vaccine was 51. The average age of those who died was 75, officials said.

But Oregon officials caution that some of the people counted as breakthrough cases were counted as such even though enough time hadnt passed for the vaccines to reach their maximum effectiveness.

People arent considered fully vaccinated until at least 14 days have passed since finishing their one-dose courses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two-dose courses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has defined a breakthrough case as someone who tests positive after 14 or more days have passed since receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or receiving their second shots of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

That means a person could have been exposed and infected before the vaccines had time to provide maximum protection.

In other COVID-19 news Thursday: Oregon reported 267 new known cases of COVID-19, dropping the seven-day rolling average of new infections to below 300 for the first time since the beginning of spring break in March.

The state on Thursday also reported seven new COVID-19 deaths.

Vaccines: Oregon reported 20,401 new vaccinations administered, including 8,812 doses on Wednesday and 11,589 on previous days.

Where the new cases are by county: Baker (2), Benton (1), Clackamas (18), Columbia (3), Coos (1), Crook (3), Curry (1), Deschutes (19), Douglas (36), Gilliam (7), Hood River (2), Jackson (19), Josephine (3), Klamath (2), Lane (21), Linn (15), Malheur (6), Marion (25), Multnomah (48), Polk (1), Sherman (1), Tillamook (2), Umatilla (15), Union (4), Wasco (1), Washington (9) and Yamhill (2).

Who died: A 76-year-old Lane County man who tested positive April 24 died May 27 at his residence.

A 57-year-old Coos County woman who tested positive April 28 died Wednesday at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend.

A 70-year-old Marion County woman tested positive on May 13 and died Tuesday at Salem Hospital.

An 87-year-old Multnomah County man tested positive on April 9 and died May 2 at his residence.

A 70-year-old Polk County man who tested positive May 18 died Wednesday at Salem Hospital. He had no underlying conditions.

A 70-year-old Polk County man who tested positive April 14 died Tuesday at Salem Hospital.

A 61-year-old Washington County man tested positive March 22 and died May 18 at Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center.

Six of these seven people had underlying medical conditions.

Hospitalizations: The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 increased by 1 Thursday, to 228. There were 63 COVID-19 patients in intensive care, a decrease of two from the previous day.

Since it began: The state has reported 202,247 confirmed or presumed infections and 2,683 deaths during the pandemic. That places Oregon at the third lowest rate of infections and fifth lowest rate of deaths among the 50 states. For the past week, however, Oregon has continued to struggle with higher than average numbers, ranking seventh highest in new cases per capita and 16th highest in deaths per capita.

So far, Oregon has reported 3,996,364 vaccine doses administered. Thats 1,877,344 people -- or nearly 45% -- fully vaccinated and 377,930 people -- or nearly 9% -- partially vaccinated across all age groups, including children. That adds up to more than 53% of residents whove received at least one shot.

To see more data and trends, visit https://projects.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/

-- Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee

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2% of Oregons COVID-19 infections are breakthrough cases in vaccinated people - OregonLive