Where COVID-19 rates are rising the fastest in Pa. and N.J.; U.S. vaccine rollout outpacing most of the world The Philadelphia Inquirer
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SAN ANTONIO -- After spending 10 days quarantining in Connecticut due to a positive COVID-19 test, UConn coach Geno Auriemma will fly to San Antonio on Wednesday to join the Huskies for the Sweet 16 and beyond.
Auriemma tested positive on March 14, causing him to miss the Huskies' opening two tournament games, wins over 16-seed High Point on Sunday and 8-seed Syracuse on Tuesday. After testing positive, Auriemma said he was experiencing no symptoms. He received both doses of the vaccine in the past month.
With Auriemma away from the team, associate head coach Chris Dailey -- who has been with Auriemma for 36 years -- has been handling head coaching duties.
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"This was a tough game because I didn't want to be in a position where I cost our players an opportunity to keep playing," Dailey said after Tuesday's win. "And he was actually really calming when I was talking to him. I think we were both anxious and I know everybody is going to be really happy to have him here tomorrow."
Dailey continued with a laugh, "I say that now, but he gets here at noon I think. At 5, I might regret saying that. But right now I'm looking forward to having him here."
Auriemma spent the opening games watching from his home and celebrated his 67th birthday on Tuesday, with the team calling him on Zoom earlier in the afternoon to sing him "Happy Birthday."
"It was definitely fun. We miss him a lot," forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa said. "We're thankful he'll be able to come up with us tomorrow and we're really excited to see him."
Star guard Paige Bueckers said before the game against Syracuse a perfect birthday present would be a win, which would allow Auriemma to rejoin the team for the tournament. And the freshman delivered, scoring 20 points with 4 assists in a dominant 83-47 win over Syracuse helping UConn advance to its 27th straight Sweet 16.
The Huskies will next face No. 5 seed Iowa and their own freshman phenom, Caitlin Clark.
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UConn's Geno Auriemma to rejoin team Wednesday after positive COVID-19 test - ESPN
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) No new deaths were reported by theSouth Dakota Department of Health, as active cases of COVID-19 decrease on Tuesday.
According to the latest update, 128 new total coronavirus cases were announced bringing the states total case count to 116,100, up from Monday (115,972).
The death toll remains at 1,923.
There are 70 current hospitalizations as of Tuesday, compared to 62 on Monday. Total hospitalizations are at 6,881.
Active cases are now at 2,240, down from Monday (2,244).
Total recovered cases are now at 111,937, from Monday (111,805).
Total persons negative is now at 322,309, up from Monday (321,938).
There were 499 new persons tested on Tuesday. Tuesdays new person-tested positivity rate is 25.6%.
The latest seven-day all test positivity rate reported by the DOH is 9.2%. The latest one-day PCR test positivity rate is 12.7%.
According to the DOH, 177,382 doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been administered, 4,883 of the Janssen vaccine and 168,768 of the Moderna vaccine have been administered to a total number of 219,400 persons.
There have been 62,613 persons who have completed two doses of Moderna and 69,012 who have received two doses of Pfizer, according to the DOH. Theres been 4,883 persons who have received the Janssen vaccine.
When combining state and federal vaccine distribution, the state estimated 37.43% of the population has received at least one dose and 23.39% have received both doses.
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Here's what you need to know about COVID-19 vaccines in Washington state on Wednesday, March 24.
27M COVID vaccine doses to be shipped next week, White House says
The White House says 27 million doses of coronavirus vaccines will be distributed next week, more than three times the number when President Joe Biden took office just over two months ago.
Coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients informed governors on their weekly conference call that 23 million doses of Pfizer and Moderna and about 4 million of Johnson & Johnsons single-dose vaccine will be shipped next week.
How to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Washington
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released an online portal to check your eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine. Use the Phase Finder tool to input personal information like age, health conditions and essential worker status to determine if it's your turn.
As of March 17, Washington is in Phase 1B, tier 2 of vaccination. This group includes:
If you are eligible, find a list of vaccine providers on the DOH website and information on how to make an appointment.
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What you need to know about COVID-19 vaccines in Washington Wednesday - KING5.com
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) last year released specific advice on how healthcare organizations should defend themselves against cyber-attacks in light of the increased digital traffic associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The advisory, which was jointly written with the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), highlights the need for advanced security measures as advanced persistent threat (APT) groups target healthcare and essential services involved in national and international COVID-19 responses.
The report identifies the key methods APTs use to perform COVID-19-related cyber-attacks, predominantly highlighting the vulnerability of pharmaceutical and research organizations and other entities with access to sensitive COVID-19 data, particularly through malicious campaigns known as password spraying. The advisory also lays out some suggestions of how healthcare organizations could mitigate these threats. These seek to minimize the risk of password compromising attacks by enforcing stricter institutional password security through, for instance, comprehensive security software, password screening and adding multi-factor authentication (MFA) to login credentials.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a slew of attacks by cyber-criminals exploiting the amplified sense of uncertainty and fear associated with the disease. The reasons for these attacks have run the gamut: commercial gain, espionage, poaching bulk personal information, response manipulation through misinformation and theft of intellectual property, to name a few. Given the primacy of the pandemic, cyber-criminals will likely be interested in gathering COVID-19-specific information, leaving organizations such as the NHS, integral to the pandemic response, particularly vulnerable to attack.
Password Spraying
One particularly effective and much used line of attack has been through password spraying. Password spraying is the process in which cyber-attackers use a list of commonly used passwords to try and infiltrate end user accounts. Once one account has been successfully hacked, attackers are able to access linked accounts where certain credentials are shared or attempt to infiltrate other users accounts laterally, creating a knock-on compromising effect.
Password spraying is particularly effective in large-scale organizations as there is a high chance that, within a large set of accounts, some users will use predictable, easy-to-crack passwords. In a recent research study, NCSC found that 75% of participating organizations had accounts using the 1000 most commonly-found passwords amongst their ranks.
This position is also reflected in the case of the Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, which took the initiative against potential threats of cyber-attack even before the pandemic by implementing a Breached Password Protection solution which enabled the NHS Trust to block weak passwords for Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation, while enjoying the added benefit of multiple policies and clear end user feedback. Head of ICT Andre de Araujo, who was in charge of the move, highlighted the vulnerable position the Trust was in going into the change: We ran a script to look for hashes that could be cracked. We had hundreds of users with passwords that included the day of the week, month or even the word password, often with a number at the end or an exclamation point. It was interesting to see how many people follow the same patterns, resulting in easy-to-guess passwords.
Threat Mitigation
A key recommendation given by the NCSC to protect against password spraying is to ensure that there is good institutional policy in place to mitigate the threat of infiltration. Although suggesting available pragmatic guidance to employees on how to choose good, secure passwords, there is a strong emphasis on the implementation of security frameworks that block the adoption of high-probability passwords in the first place, as well as offering up solutions such as MFA and protective monitoring software.
These policy frameworks may include disallowed lists, such as the pwned password list collated by the NCSC which is integrated into the Specops Password Policy, password expiration or the implementation of passphrases, which are proven to be more resilient against brute force spraying attacks.
Speaking on the significance of shoring up healthcare organizations against attack, Paul Chichester, director of operations of NCSC, noted the importance of a collaborative cybersecurity effort against APT actors and malicious cyber-actors: Protecting the healthcare sector is the NCSCs first and foremost priority at this time, and were working closely with the NHS to keep their systems safe. By prioritizing any requests for support from health organizations and remaining in close contact with industries involved in the coronavirus response, we can inform them of any malicious activity and take the necessary steps to help them defend against it. However, we cant do this alone, and we recommend healthcare policy makers and researchers take our actionable steps to defend themselves from password spraying campaigns.
Specops Software is working with multiple NHS Trusts and Healthcare organizations to strengthen their cyber-defense and requirements for achieving Cyber Essentials accreditation. Through world class password security and user authentication solutions, Specops solutions and support reduce costs for the IT department, burden on the helpdesk and ensure your first line of defense is protected against the growing threat of cyber-attack.
Specops is currently offering a FREE solution to identify password vulnerabilities in Active Directory, which is an essential first step in your situational analysis against topics discussed in this article.
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#COVID19, Password Spraying and the NHS - Infosecurity Magazine
We were struggling mightily with trying to line up adequate diagnostic testing, and even to get accurate diagnostic testing, Marrazzo said. People were being told that they had to stay home from work. And we were arranging places for people who had to come into the hospital or to stay, people were afraid to go home to their families, if they had spent the night for example, in the intensive care unit or the emergency department.
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With the arrival of spring and after an exhausting year of COVID-19 restrictions, Americans are eager to return to some sense of normalcy.
However, many health experts are urging patience, warning a possible fourth surge may be on the horizon, with over a dozen states exhibiting early signs of increasing case numbers.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, raised the alarm this week, expressing his concern that we may be reopening faster than we should.
"There were times when we thought things were getting under control and then it exploded again," Fauci said. "So although we are going in the right direction, we've got to keep our foot on the pedal with regard to public health measures."
Over the last week, more than a dozen states have seen increases in their daily case averages. Parts of the upper Midwest have been exhibiting particularly concerning trends, including in Michigan, where cases have been on the rise since late February.
Experts and officials fear that a combination of loosening restrictions and spread of the U.K. variant might be causing the rise in Michigan -- a potentially troubling sign for other areas as mass vaccination rolls out.
'Real concern' in Michigan
The Great Lake State currently has the country's fourth-highest average of new COVID-19 cases per capita, with New Jersey leading the country. For the past three weeks, the daily case average has doubled. In the last week alone, the states average has increased by 53%.
In this Jan. 18, 2021, file photo, Jim Cory, the owner of Jimmys Roadhouse converses with his customers at his restaurant in Newaygo, Mich.
The seven-day average is now over 2,500 new cases a day, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and on Wednesday, Michigan reported a total of 3,164 new cases, its highest single-day case total since early January.
In comparison, California, with approximately four times the population of Michigan, has recorded only 415 more cases than Michigan this week.
Despite several months of declining trends, we are still at high levels of community transmission and with [the U.K.] variant that is known to be more transmissible, there is a real concern that you could rapidly get into a situation of exponential growth in cases that threatens to overwhelm healthcare systems again, explained Josh Petrie, a research assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan's School of Public Health.
Michigan has experienced a steady increase in hospitalizations over since late February and 1,000 people are currently hospitalized, Dr. Sarah Lyon-Callo, director of the MDHHS Bureau of Epidemiology and Population Health, said during a press conference Wednesday -- a 45% increase since Feb. 25.
By contrast, the seven-day average of hospitalizations is down 8.4% nationally this week, and 73% from the peak in January, according to CDC data.
In the last week, hospital admissions in Michigan have increased by 24%, according to the CDC, and the PolicyLab at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia reports that emergency department visits and hospitalizations are increasing in Michigan.
Wayne and Genesee counties (home to Detroit and Flint) and Macomb County have viral reproduction numbers over 1.3, indicating substantial transmission, and the organizations models project a potential doubling in case incidence in these counties during the next 3-4 weeks.
Although there continues to be a decline in the number of deaths in the state, Lyon-Callo warned that deaths are a lagging indicator. Therefore, that the numbers of COVID-related fatalities could rise in the next few weeks.
Emergence of U.K. variant
The rising metrics may be related to the emergence of a more contagious coronavirus strain, Callo-Lyon said.
In this Dec. 16, 2020, file photo, a man lifts his drink with friends at the bar at Alibi Drinkery in Lakeville, Minn.
According to the CDC, Michigan currently ranks second in the nation for the most reported cases of the B.1.1.7 variant first discovered in the U.K., with over 725 confirmed cases in 31 counties.
This variant is very communicable, Dr. Nigel Paneth, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics and pediatrics at Michigan State University, told ABC News. It may be a bit more likely to cause severe disease, but does appear to be preventable by the current vaccines.
The variant is found in the more densely populated areas of the state, with more than half the B.1.1.7 variants identified stemming from an outbreak within the Michigan Department of Corrections, according to the state health department.
In addition to the B.1.1.7 variant driving increased transmission, there is a confluence of factors which may be driving the rising metrics, Dr. Tara Smith, Professor of Epidemiology at the Kent State University College of Public Health, told ABC News, beginning with loosening restrictions on eating, entertainment venues, and other businesses, by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's administration in the past few weeks.
I believe we are also seeing COVID fatigue, along with, in our state, some modest relaxation of the public health guidelines, said Paneth. There is clearly an unfortunate trend now for the general public to relax distancing measures and for authorities to relax public health restrictions. This is a real concern in light of the continued evolution of new strains of the COVID virus.
Further, with more children back in school, and participating in sports programs, school-related COVID-19 cases are increasing in the state, according to state data.
"The largest number of outbreaks are in K-12 school settings at 162, with 54 new outbreaks reported this week," said Callo-Lyon. Children ages 10-19 now have the highest COVID-19 case rate in Michigan, a rate that "is increasing faster than that of other age groups."
Nationally, however, new child cases declined for the eighth consecutive week, according to a weekly report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association.
However, she said, these new cases are associated with extracurriculars such as sports, and not being in a classroom. As a result, Michigan will begin mandating testing among high school student-athletes.
A nurse looks over the observation area as seniors wait after receiving their coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccinations at Second Ebenezer Church in Detroit, Feb. 27, 2021.
The classroom environment itself has not been a strong signal for outbreaks. It tends to be more those the activities associated with schools, and including sports but not limited to sports, Callo-Lyon added.
'Grit our teeth'
The outbreaks come as the state prepares to open its largest mass vaccination site at Ford Field in Detroit, which is set to officially open on March 24.
"It is time for us to grit our teeth and keep doing the work we need to do until the last second of this event plays out. If we want to get back to normal...we all need to get vaccinated, encourage our loved ones and friends and co-workers and neighbors to do so, Whitmer said on Thursday.
The state is vaccinating at a rate of 90,000 people a day, according to state officials, but so far, less than 25% of the state population has received at least the first dose of the vaccines.
The percentage is lower for cities like Detroit, falling to 15.1%. Earlier this month, the city of Detroit faced criticism for choosing to forgo an allocation of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan had said that intention, for as long as possible was to stick with the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, as they were the best. However, the mayors office later retracted his comments, and said the city is excited to have three highly effective vaccines to offer its residents.
Experts agree that the key to avoid a possible resurgence will be to not only vaccinate as many Americans as quickly possible, but also to continue to follow proper mitigation efforts.
Getting as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible will be helpful for reducing the impact of a resurgence. However, my worry is that it takes about a month and a half to get both doses and develop full immunity. Transmission happens much faster than that, said Petrie. So continuing to mask, social distance, and avoid unnecessary community contact will be important until we can get a much larger proportion of the population fully vaccinated.
We all need to still be careful and realize we're not yet out of the woods, concluded Smith.
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COVID-19 is increasing in Michigan. Why it may be a warning. - ABC News
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Will spring break travel lead to rise in COVID-19 cases in schools? - KXAN.com
Hearing loss and other auditory problems may be strongly associated with coronavirus, new research suggests.
Researchers found 56 studies that identified an association between COVID-19 and auditory and vestibular problems. The vestibular system includes the parts of the inner ear and brain that process the sensory information involved with controlling balance and eye movements.
They pooled data from 24 of the studies to estimate that the prevalence of hearing loss was 7.6 per cent, tinnitus was 14.8 per cent and vertigo was 7.2 per cent.
Their data primarily used self-reported questionnaires or medical records to obtain COVID-19-related symptoms, rather than the more scientifically reliable hearing tests. However, the team who followed up their review carried out a year ago described the quality of the studies as fair.
There is an urgent need for a carefully conducted clinical and diagnostic study to understand the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the auditory system, said Kevin Munro, professor of audiology at The University of Manchester and Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) hearing health lead.
It is also well-known that viruses such as measles, mumps and meningitis can cause hearing loss, little is understood about the auditory effects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Though this review provides further evidence for an association, the studies we looked at were of varying quality so more work needs to be done.
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Prof Munro is leading a year-long UK study to investigate the possible long-term impact of coronavirus on hearing among people who have been previously treated in hospital for the virus.
His team hopes to accurately estimate the number and severity of COVID-19-related hearing disorders in the UK, and discover what parts of the auditory system might be affected.
The new study, published in the International Journal of Audiology, was funded by the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre.
Its hypothetically possible, but parcels pose a very small risk.
A US study found that the coronavirus can survive for up to 24 hours on cardboard (and paper is likely to be similar). So for the parcel to be contaminated, someone with COVID-19 would have had to touch or cough on your parcel within the past day.
The chances of this are low, but common sense advice would be to wash your hands with soap and water after opening the parcel, and then again after youve disposed of the packaging especially if you or anyone else in your household is in one of the vulnerable groups.
The same study found that the virus can survive for up to three days on hard, shiny surfaces such as plastic and stainless steel which is why door handles are particularly good vectors for the virus. So, if you receive anything packaged in plastic, such as takeaway deliveries, make sure to wash your hands after touching it, and especially before eating.
We dont yet know how long the virus can survive on smartphone screens, but its likely to be up to three days. This means that you should ideally clean your phone with disinfectant wipes (Apple recommends 70 per cent isopropyl alcohol wipes), at least once a day.
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COVID-19 may be linked to hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo - BBC Focus Magazine
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WREX) More Illinois residents are now eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine.
Check out how many people have received the vaccine in your region with our COVID-19 Tracker
Starting today, March 22, higher education staff, government workers and media members are eligible to receive the vaccine.
Next Monday, March 29, even more residents will be able to receive the vaccine, including restaurant workers.
READ MORE: Additional essential workers in Illinois eligible for vaccine on Monday
Heres a look at who is eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine in Illinois:
You must sign-up to receive the vaccine and walk-ins will not be accepted.
To register, go to http://www.wchd.org or call 815-319-6705 for assistance over the phone.
As more vaccine becomes available in the coming weeks and months, we will continue to make sure we are reaching people who are at greater risk of exposure to the virus or from suffering severe illness due to COVID-19,said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. While we will continue to prioritize individuals who are 65 years and older, as well as health care workers and individuals with underlying medical conditions, we want to maintain our momentum going forward and continue to increase our march towards herd immunity.
The state also announced a modified reopening plan last week.
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More Illinoisans able to receive COVID-19 vaccine today, here's who's eligible - WSIL TV
