Category: Covid-19

Concerns about getting the vaccine to medically underserved communities have been present since before the first vaccine was proven to be effective. As the first doses were produced, they went first to frontline health care workers, then to residents 70 and older.

But with a use it or lose it warning from the state accompanying each batch, the earlyemphasis has been on getting the vaccine delivered fast, and not wasting a drop. Public health officials said that drove providers, particularly hospitals, to use it on the patients they knew and could contact quickly, who were disproportionately white.

Its important to get the vaccine administered as quickly as possible, said Liane Jollon of San Juan Basin Public Health.It's equally, if not more important to [ensure] that we get it in the right arms to achieve the [equity] goals of vaccinations.

As supplies increase, and public awareness campaigns begin, the hope is that a more diverse population will be reached and sign up for shots.

CPR News reporter Claire Cleveland contributed to this report.

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Black And Latino Coloradans Are Being Missed In The COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout - Colorado Public Radio

Jeff Blashill interview,Jan. 22, 2021. Detroit Free Press

For the third time this season, the Detroit Red Wings are faced with salvaging a series.

They lost their first game at Chicago, falling 4-1 Friday at United Center. The teams play again Sunday afternoon. The Wings had to make do without several key players because of the pandemic, leaving them wondering if they will face a temporary shutdown.

Well were five guys down, coach Jeff Blashill said Friday night. The other team with five guys down is Carolina, and they postponed their games. So, that is where we are at. Certainly, it does not help chemistry, but again we are just trying to control what we can control.

Chicago Blackhawks' Connor Murphy and Detroit Red Wings' Vladislav Namestnikov battle for the puck along the boards at the United Center on Jan. 22, 2021 in Chicago.(Photo: Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images)

The performance was a letdown after a four-game homes stand that left the Wings feeling good about themselves as they came back to win against the Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets. But the Blackhawks built a 3-0 lead before Dylan Larkin scored a goal set up by Marc Staal and Frans Nielsen, and now the Wings are left to hope they can split the series come Sundays matinee.

You never know when you wake up what the roster is going to be like, Larkin said. This is the reality of our situation right how.

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The Wings made do with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Among those who made their season debuts were Darren Helm, Alex Biega and Christian Djoos.

Goaltender Thomas Greiss made 24 saves on 27 shots.

Two of the Blackhawks goals came during power plays. The Wings had been doing well killing penalties until Friday and most damningly went zero for five on man advantages after finally scoring on a power play during their fourth game of the season.

More: How Detroit Red Wings will stay busy on lonely road trips during COVID-19 pandemic

More: How Bobby Ryan is quickly proving his value to the Detroit Red Wings

The Wings were without second-line center Robby Fabbri, who entered COVID protocol Jan. 11. Top-six winger Filip Zadina also missed the game because of being in pandemic protocol.

Two of the Blackhawks goals came during power plays. The Wings had been doing well killing penalties until Friday and most damningly went zero for five on man advances after finally scoring on a power play during their fourth game of the season.

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: TheDetroit Red Wings is available fromAmazon,Barnes & Noble andTriumph Books.Personalized copies available via her e-mail.

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Detroit Red Wings may have to postpone games due to COVID-19 - Detroit Free Press

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Fridays case count continues a trend of declining infection numbers following a peak in November and early December that prompted concerns about hospital capacity.

As of Friday, there were 48 people with COVID-19 in hospitals throughout the state and another three patients suspected to have the virus. Seven of these patients were on ventilators. Hospitalizations are now less than a third of where they were during the peak in November and December.

Alaskas death rate per capita is still among the lowest in the country, though the states size and vulnerable health care system complicate national comparisons.

Vaccines first arrived in the state in December and by Friday at least 72,899 people nearly 10% of the states population had received the first dose, according to the states vaccine monitoring dashboard. At least 16,186 people had received the second dose. Alaska has currently vaccinated more residents per capita than any other state, according to a national tracker.

Health care workers and nursing home staff and residents were the first group to receive the vaccinations. Early this month, the state opened up the vaccines to adults older than 65, although appointment slots are limited and have filled quickly.

For more information about vaccination appointments, visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322 and leave a message. A recording says calls will be returned in the order theyre received within 48 hours, but some users have reported longer delays.

Of the 262 cases reported in Alaska residents Friday, there were 102 in Anchorage plus two in Chugiak and six in Eagle River; one in Anchor Point; three in Kenai; one in Sterling; six in Kodiak; one in Healy; 26 in Fairbanks plus six in North Pole; one in Big Lake; 11 in Palmer; one in Sutton-Alpine; 23 in Wasilla; three in Nome; two in Juneau; three in Ketchikan; five in Unalaska; and nine in Bethel.

Among communities with populations under 1,000 people not named to protect privacy, there was one in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area; three in the Fairbanks North Star Borough; three in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area; two in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area; one in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough; two in the Nome Census Area; one in the North Slope Borough; 18 in the Northwest Arctic Borough; two in Yakutat plus Hoonah-Angoon; two in the Aleutians East Borough; eight in the Bethel Census Area; one in Bristol Bay plus Lake and Peninsula; four in the Dillingham Census Area; and two in the Kusilvak Census Area.

Twenty-eight nonresidents in the state also tested positive for the virus, including two in Anchorage, one in Seward, two in Wasilla, one in Prudhoe Bay, 18 in the Aleutians East Borough, and four in Unalaska.

While people might get tested more than once, each case reported by the state health department represents only one person.

The states data doesnt specify whether people testing positive for COVID-19 have symptoms. More than half of the nations infections are transmitted from asymptomatic people, according to CDC estimates.

Over the past week, 3.45% of all tests completed statewide came back positive.

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Tracking COVID-19 in Alaska: 290 infections and no deaths reported Friday - Anchorage Daily News

A newly designated hub, one hospital gave out their very first COVID-19 vaccinations Friday morning, which many waited hours on the phone to get.

HOUSTON Friday, the City of Houston received 9,000 new doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, but those hundreds of new appointments filled up in just minutes.

But some people are going to great lengths -- and distances -- to get that first dose.

We couldnt wait to get here to do it," Jodie Mitchell said.

Jodie and Donna Mitchell crossed county lines Friday to get their COVID-19 vaccine in Liberty County.

Shes very sick, and I have to hide in my house, and I'm sick of it," they said. You have no idea how much stress is off.

They came in from New Caney, but some drove farther than that.

We had somebody that drove from Dallas today," said Cassie Kavanaugh, Chief Nursing Officer for Emergency Hospital Systems. Were instructed to give it to anybody across the state of Texas, and so thats what we did.

Friday was a good day for Texas Emergency Hospital.

It has been absolutely amazing," said Patti Foster, Chief Operations Officer for Texas Emergency Hospital. The genuine happiness that they have to get this vaccine has just been so touching to all of our staff.

A newly designated hub, the hospital gave out their very first COVID-19 vaccinations Friday morning, which many, like Jodie and Donna Mitchell, waited hours on the phone to get.

Just started hitting the dial button, and I finally got in. And wonderful people," Jodie Mitchell said.

But the high demand for that first dose will likely stick around.

That demand, I think, is going to last a while," said Dr. Daivd Lakey, Chief Medical Officer with the University of Texas System.

Dr. Lakey has crunched the numbers, the demand versus supply, and he expects those outside the 1B category wont get vaccinated until May or even June.

I think we have to be realistic with it, that if you arent over the age of 65, and you dont have health conditions, its probably going to be in the summer before its available," Dr. David Lakey said.

He hopes new vaccines will speed up that timeline, but for now, many say the waiting, the watching and the driving is worth it.

Just that freedom of OK, were safe, Jodie Mitchell said.

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'We had somebody that drove from Dallas today' | Texans drive hours for COVID-19 vaccine - KHOU.com

TAMPA (WFLA) Johnson & Johnsonhopes to have enough COVID-19 vaccines for 100 million Americans by April as the government ramp up nationwide inoculation efforts, a company official says.

The drug maker is Going all out with its production while it awaits results from a large-scale clinical trial that could allow the shot to be approved for emergency use in the coming weeks, according to Dr. Mark McClellan who spoke to CNBC this week.

During remarks at the White House on Thursday, the governments top infectious disease doctor Anthony Fauci said that Johnson & Johnson would have enough data on its vaccine to begin analysis within a week or two.

ABOUT THE 3RD VACCINE

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that in the U.S. 10.6 million people have received the first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. More than 39 million doses have been distributed as of January 22.

J&J expects to release data late this month from the Phase 3 trial of its single-dose coronavirus vaccine, which was shown togenerate an immune response to COVID-19in an early-stage study.

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Johnson & Johnson aims to have 100 million one-dose COVID-19 vaccines by spring - WFLA

The governor is eligible for the vaccine under Phase 1B of the state's vaccine rollout.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and his wife Trudi each received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Friday.

The governor is eligible under Phase 1B of the state's vaccine rollout, which lowered the age threshold from 70 to 65 on Monday. Inslee is 69.

The Inslees got their first doses at an assisted living facility in Olympia, administered by Sea Mar Community Health. They received the Moderna vaccine, according to the Associated Press.

"It's a scientific miracle that we have this safe, comfortable, efficacious vaccine so quickly," Inslee said after getting the vaccine. "It's just an incredible event and I feel very, very fortunate to live at a time with scientific geniuses, and people here at Sea Mar, who are doing such good work."

Inslee continued, "I couldn't be more thrilled, personally, but for the whole state."

Inslee's wife Trudi received the vaccine first. After both of them had been inoculated, the governor said, "I gotta tell you what, this is the most precious thing in life to me, is Trudi, and I would not have her getting this vaccine if it wasn't totally safe."

Trudi added, "And keep wearing masks and washing hands and keeping distance."

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) announced Thursday that all Washington nursing home residents who opted in have now received their first dose.

DOH tweeted, "AMAZING NEWS! We finished giving the first round of #CovidVaccine to all residents in nursing homes across WA today! Still working on the rest of long-term care, but this is a major milestone. Shout-out to the many pharmacies helping us protect the most vulnerable Washingtonians."

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Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and wife Trudi receive COVID-19 vaccine - KING5.com

President Biden, joined by Vice President Harris and Dr. Anthony Fauci, signs executive actions as part of his administration's COVID-19 response on Thursday. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

President Biden, joined by Vice President Harris and Dr. Anthony Fauci, signs executive actions as part of his administration's COVID-19 response on Thursday.

Updated at 3:36 p.m. ET

President Biden signed a series of orders and directives on his second day in office to take charge of stopping the spread of the coronavirus steps that he and his advisers say will start to boost testing, vaccinations, supplies and treatments.

Accelerating the sluggish federal response to COVID-19 is Biden's top priority, and he has promised 100 million vaccinations in his first 100 days.

"While the vaccine provides so much hope, the rollout has been a dismal failure thus far. So I understand the despair and frustration of so many Americans and how they're feeling," Biden said in remarks shortly before signing the stack of executive actions.

"We didn't get into this mess overnight, and it's going to take months for us to turn things around. But let me be equally clear: We will get through this. We will defeat this pandemic. And to a nation waiting for action, let me be clearest on this point: Help is on the way."

The president is also pushing Congress for another $1.9 trillion in relief, a package that would include direct payments to Americans, support for small businesses and a huge boost in funding for vaccines and testing.

The pandemic relief effort is a means to advance the strategy his team has developed, starting with the 10 executive orders and directives, his COVID-19 response coordinator, Jeff Zients, told reporters.

"Last week you heard the president lay out his vaccine strategy," Zients said, adding that on Thursday, Biden will advance "the road map to guide America out of this public health crisis."

One of the orders directs agencies to use the Defense Production Act to address critical shortfalls in 12 categories of items needed for testing, treating and vaccinating people for COVID-19 vaccines, N95 masks, gowns, gloves, test supplies and kits, lab analysis machines, therapeutic drugs and other supplies and will work to spur production of the items in the United States.

"This is a wartime undertaking," Biden said on Thursday.

"We're in a national emergency, and it's time we treated it like one."

Biden also signed a memo to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency to fully reimburse states for vaccination and testing supplies and for the costs of National Guard deployments associated with the pandemic. Biden plans to establish the COVID-19 Pandemic Testing Board to boost testing.

Other orders and directives are to:

Biden also plans to support the global response to the pandemic and will join the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility and other multilateral initiatives.

Original post:

COVID-19 Executive Orders Are Biden's Top Priority On Day 2 : President Biden Takes Office - NPR

January 20, 2021Clinical Contributors to this Story

Thomas Bader, M.D. contributes to topics such as Medical Quality.

Are you one of the millions of Americans that have been sick with COVID-19 in the past year, or have you had a positive COVID-19 test result without experiencing symptoms? If so, you may be wondering whether or not you should get a COVID-19 vaccine once it becomes available to you.

When youre eligible, you should get the COVID-19 vaccine, according to leading health experts, since it offers you protection from catching the virus again.

People shouldnt have a false sense of security that theyre immune to COVID-19 just because theyve recovered from the disease, says Thomas Bader, M.D., vice president of medical quality at Hackensack MeridianHealth.

Dr. Bader has answered common questions about the COVID-19 vaccine that you may have if youve already experienced illness:

Its unknown how long any COVID-19 antibodies that are in your system may protect you from the virus, or how high the levels in your system would need to be to offer you protection. There have been some reports of people that have been reinfected with COVID-19, which indicates that the natural immunity wears off over time. Also, its possible to get a false positive result on an antibody test, which may lead you to believe that you have COVID-19 antibodies when you actually dont.

Yes, to some extent. Both mRNA vaccines were found to be about 95% effective at protecting against COVID-19. The vaccines train your bodys immune system to identify a spike protein on the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 and fight it off, should it enter your system. You should expect to experience the full effects of the vaccines immunity potential about two weeks after you receive the second dose of the vaccine. Even if you do get an infection after vaccination, the vaccine will likely prevent the more severe forms of Covid.

If youre actively sick with COVID-19, or if youve just recovered, hold off for a while before getting vaccinated. Experts recommend that you wait until you are fully recovered from your infection and are no longer in isolation before you receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

Given the limited vaccine supply and your natural immunity following your COVID infection, you may wish to wait up to 90 days for the vaccine (so that others who have no immunity can receive their vaccine now). However, you are not required to wait 90 days.

Before and after you receive a COVID-19 vaccine, follow the recommended safety guidelines to lower your chances of contracting the virus. It may be possible to become ill if youre exposed to COVID-19 after any antibodies in your system wear off and before the vaccine takes full effect, about two weeks after your second injection. Be sure to:

The material provided through HealthU is intended to be used as general information only and should not replace the advice of your physician. Always consult your physician for individual care.

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Recovered from COVID-19? Why You Still Need a Vaccine - COVID-19, Health Topics - Hackensack Meridian Health

President Biden plans to sign a series of orders and directives on his second day in office to take charge of stopping the spread of the coronavirus, steps that his advisers say will start to boost testing, vaccinations, supplies and treatments.

Accelerating the sluggish federal response to COVID-19 is Bidens top priority, and he has promised 100 million vaccinations in his first 100 days. He is also pushing Congress for another $1.9 trillion in relief, a package that would include direct payments to Americans, support for small businesses, and a huge boost in funding for vaccines and testing.

Biden will push to advance the strategy his team has developed, starting with 10 executive orders and directives, his COVID response coordinator Jeff Zients told reporters.

Last week you heard the president lay out his vaccine strategy, Zients said, adding that on Thursday, Biden will advance the road map to guide America out of this public health crisis.

One of the orders will direct agencies to use the Defense Production Act to address critical shortfalls in 12 categories of items needed for testing, treating and vaccinating people for COVID-19: vaccines, N95 masks, gowns, gloves, test supplies and kits, lab analysis machines, therapeutic drugs and other supplies and will work to spur production of the items in America.

Where we can produce more, we will where we need to use the Defense Production Act to help more be made, Tim Manning, Bidens COVID-19 supply coordinator, told reporters.

Well be doing a complete inventory of what we have on hand, whats needed across America to respond to this pandemic and what we can do to fill those gaps, said Manning, a former deputy administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Biden plans to sign a memo to direct FEMA to fully reimburse states for vaccination and testing supplies, and for the costs of National Guard deployments associated with the pandemic, officials told reporters. Biden plans to establish the COVID-19 Pandemic Testing Board to boost testing.

Other orders and directives are planned to:

Biden also plans to support the global response to the pandemic, and will join the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility and other multilateral initiatives.

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On Day 2, Biden To Focus On COVID-19 Strategy With 10 Executive Actions | 90.1 FM WABE - WABE 90.1 FM

Influenza, usually raging throughout the Northern Hemisphere this time of year, has become virtually invisible.

It is a small bright spot amid Covid-19, although the number of people saved from a flu death pales next to the number dying from the new pandemic. It also presents questions that doctors around the globe will likely be wrestling with for years: If flu can be nearly wiped out this season, why not every season? Which steps help the most to stop the flu from spreading?

This is an extremely puzzling phenomenon. Were in a historic, unbelievable situation, said Norio Sugaya, a pediatrician who serves on a World Health Organization influenza committee.

The WHO says the measures people and governments are taking to prevent the spread of Covid-19, such as wearing masks and limiting public gatherings, have probably helped keep the flu in check. Increased flu vaccination rates may also be contributing, it says.

Another hypothesis holds that the broad spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, in countries like the U.S. may play a role in blocking the flu by lifting peoples immunity against other viruses. One study in the spring of 2020 in New York City found that people testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 were far less likely to be carrying other common viruses such as influenza viruses. Still, research into that hypothesis is just beginning.

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Covid-19 Has Nearly Wiped Out the FluHow Do We Keep It From Coming Back? - The Wall Street Journal