Category: Covid-19

New research indicates COVID-19 is making us dumber and leading to measurable cognitive decline.

The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that even a mild infection with the virus leads to a fall in intelligence and it is worse if you have long-COVID or are hospitalised.

Researchers at Imperial College London tested the cognitive ability of nearly 113,000 people who had previously had COVID-19. They found that those who had been infected had significant deficits in the ability to remember, reason and plan.

Lead author Dr Adam Hampshire said the group with the largest cognitive deficit was on average people who were in intensive care.

"They showed a difference of around about minus nine IQ points. People who have ongoing persistent symptoms, that is the ones who may have long COVID, they perform at about minus six IQ points and that's enough that it could have affected your daily function," he said.

Seven IQ points was equivalent to aging 10 years.

People who had been infected and no longer had symptoms also scored slightly lower than people who had never been infected, by the equivalent of three IQ points.

New Zealand epidemiologist, Professor Michael Baker, said those with COVID-19 have often talked about a feeling of brain fog.

"Some people describe it, yeah, as crippling brain fog and the fact that they do not feel that they can remember things very well or actually handle complex thought processes," he said.

Prof Baker said after four years we were seeing evidence mounting and the case getting stronger, not weaker, that this was a virus that affected the brain severely, along with being a vascular disease.

He said most people were affected because they've now had the virus.

"We're all getting, unfortunately, a little less intelligent at a whole population level. That is devastating not just for us as people but also in terms of productivity and many other things," Prof Baker said.

It could be brain damage that we can't get back with experts saying we will need to follow COVID-19 for many more years to know if there is any return to normal brain function, and warned that if you've had brain loss symptoms for more than a year then it's likely to be permanent.

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New research shows COVID-19 making us dumber with significant drops in IQ scores - Newshub

A high-poweredintervention by 23 former national Presidents, 22 former Prime Ministers, a former UN General Secretary and 3 NobelLaureates is being made today to pressfor an urgent agreement from international negotiators on a Pandemic Accord, under the Constitution of the World Health Organizaion,to bolster the worlds collective preparedness and response to future pandemics.

Former UN General Secretary Ban-ki Moon,New Zealands former Prime Minister Helen Cark, former UK Prime Ministers Gordon Brown andTony Blair, former Malawi President Joyce Banda, former Peru President Franciso Sagasti,and 3 former Presidents of the UN General Assembly are amongst 100+ global leaders, from all continents and fields of politics, economics and health management who todayissued a joint open letter urgingaccelerated progressin current negotiations to reach the worlds first ever multi-lateral agreement onpandemic preparedness and prevention.

A pandemicaccord is critical to safeguard our collective future. Only a strong global pact on pandemics can protect future generationsfrom a repeat of the COVID-19 crisis, which led to millions of deaths and caused widespread social and economic devastation, owing not least to insufficient international collaboration, the leaders write in their joint letter.

In the throes of the COVID-19 disaster which, officially, claimed 7 million lives and wiped $2 trillion from the world economy, inter-governmentalnegotiations to reach international agreement on future pandemic non-proliferation were begun in December 2021 between 194 of the worlds 196 nations. Nations set themselves the deadline of May 2024 by which they should reach agreement on what would be theworlds first ever Pandemic Accord.

TheNinth round of Pandemic Accord negotiationsare underway this week and next. Signatories of todays open letter hope their combined influence willencourage all 194 nations to maintain the courage of their Covid-years conviction and make their own collectiveambition of an international pandemic protocol a reality bythe intended May deadline to enable ratification by the World HealthAssemblyat its May 2024 Annual General Assembly.

And they urge negotiators to redouble their efforts to meet the imminent deadline and not let their efforts be blown off courseby malicious misinformation campaigning against the WHO, the international organisation which would be tasked with implementing the new health accord.

Taking a swipe at those who wrongly believe national sovereignty may be undermined by this major international step forward for publichealth the signatories say there is no time to waste and they call on the leaders of the 194 nations taking part in the current negotiations to redouble their efforts to complete the accord by the May deadline.

The letter, hosted on the website of The Office of Gordon and Sarah Brown states, Countries are doing this not because of some dictumfrom the WHO like the negotiations, participation in any instrument would be entirely voluntary but because they need what the accord can and must offer. In fact, a pandemic accord would deliver vast and universally shared benefits, including greater capacityto detect new and dangerous pathogens, access to information about pathogens detected elsewhere in the world, and timely and equitable delivery of tests, treatments, vaccines, and other lifesaving tools.

As countries enter what should be the final stages of the negotiations, governments must work to refute and debunk false claims aboutthe accord. At the same time, negotiators must ensure that the agreement lives up to its promise to prevent and mitigate pandemic-related risks. This requires, for example, provisions aimed at ensuring that when another pandemic threat does arise, all relevantresponses from reporting the identification of risky pathogens to delivering tools like tests and vaccines on an equitable basis are implemented quickly and effectively. As the COVID-19 pandemic showed, collaboration between the public and private sectorsfocused on advancing the public good is also essential.

A new pandemic threat will emerge; there is no excuse not to be ready for it. It is thus imperative to build an effective, multisectoral,and multilateral approach to pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. Given the unpredictable nature of public-health risks, a global strategy must embody a spirit of openness and inclusiveness. There is no time to waste, which is why we are callingon all national leaders to redouble their efforts to complete the accord by the May deadline.

Beyond protecting countless lives and livelihoods, the timely delivery of a global pandemic accord would send a powerful message:even in our fractured and fragmented world, international cooperation can still deliver global solutions to global problems.

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Call for urgent agreement on international deal to prepare for and prevent future pandemics - World Health Organization (WHO)

Manitoba First Person

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Souradet Shaw - for CBC News

Posted: 8 Hours Ago

This First Person column is the experience of Souradet Shaw, a Winnipeg epidemiologist.For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ .

My sister Jin died three days before the first known case of COVID-19 was identified in Canada.

Being an infectious disease epidemiologist, I had read reports of a novel respiratory disease emerging from China in early December of 2019. But weeks later, in early January 2020as I walked into the Toronto hospital to see Jin for the last time, the chaos of what was happening in China had not yet reached our shores.

Jin greeted me from her wheelchair, smaller and frailer than the last time I saw her.

We stayed up and reminisced, tracing our family's journey from southern China to Southeast Asia to North America. My mom, two of my sisters and I arrived as refugees in Winnipeg in 1979. After a few years we were reunited with my two oldest sisters. One of them was Jin.

She trained as a nurse in Taipei and would spend the rest of her life in hospitals in Manitoba and Ontario, working in labour and deliveryuntil her cancer diagnosis.

I am grateful for the time I had with herduring her final days of life. I am grateful that we spent our afternoons watching terrible soap operas in Mandarin, and hearing her laughter as I pretended to know what the characters were saying.

I am grateful that she recognized me when I reached out one last time to stroke her hair, before she closed her eyes and succumbed to the blackness of her sleep.

There is a strange cadence at the end of a loved one's journey with cancer: the flurry of activity as everyone adapts to new realities; the routines that are learned and adopted; and then, eventually, an almost impossible nothingnessas you look for the traces of someone who is no longer there, at an empty bed and rooms full of half-filled pill containers.

Jin died on Jan. 22. I flew home to Winnipeg the same night. I moved through Pearson airport like a ghost, tethered to the earth by sorrow and the still-fresh memories of my sister's death.

During the pandemic, I started a faculty position at the University of Manitoba. InJanuary of this year, I found myself in Kenya to visit some of my university's projects in East Africa. It was the fourth anniversary of Jin's death, and four years since COVID-19 had also changed the world as we know it.

It was here that I found myself thinking of Jin. This was my fifth work trip to Kenya, and I am certain Jin would have been delighted to hear about my travels. About things as mundane as the mangoesand how they compared with the ones in Taiwan, where we went to inter our father after he died of malaria.

After an intense week of work I found myselfwalking along a beach on the Kenyan coast.

The sky was aquamarine, and I watched families playing in the water, next to aged dhows (fishing vessels) and wooden boats withglass-bottoms. I saw the beach vendors take shelter from the sunbeneath palm treeson ancient, bleached branches washed up against the shore. I sat down in the white sands and dipped my toes in the Indian Ocean, breathing in its saltiness and its cadence.

I thought of my dead sister, and of us on a beach in Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan, 30 years ago and 10,000 kilometres away. I looked for my sister in the clouds, in the water, in the smiles of families bursting with laughter.I gazed across the blue of the Indian Ocean and I thought about the push and pull of grief, and how it advances and recedes like waves.

I thought of how beautiful it was that my sister's face was one of the first things that thousands of babies saw as they entered the world. I thought about how Jin's friends would visit her after their 12-hour overnight shiftsto provide comfort and care in her final days.

And I thought of how humbling it was that these women could so effortlessly shift from welcoming a newborn life to caring for a dying friend. I thought about grace and the sacrifices you make for the people you love.

The tide came in on its interminable cadence, and warm water washed over my feet. I dusted the sand off my legs and got up to leave.The faint contours of my feet remained, only to be washed away by the next wave.

This column is part ofCBC's Opinion section.For more information about this section, please read this editor's blogand our FAQ.

Souradet Shaw is a first generation Canadian and refugee from Laos. He is an infectious diseases epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Manitoba and holds a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Program Science and Global Public Health, with research projects in Canada and sub-Saharan Africa.

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My sister Jin died just before the pandemic. 4 years later, her memory lives on. - CBC.ca

President Joe Biden didnt pull punches during a recent fundraising stop, mocking former President Donald Trumps false 2020 suggestion that household cleaning products like bleach might be a remedy to COVID-19.

Just a few days ago, [Donald Trump] asked a famous question in one of his rallies: Are you better off today than you were four years ago? Biden reportedly told a crowd of supporters during a Thursday fundraising stop in Houston, Texas. Well, Donald, Im glad you asked that question, man. I hope everyone in the country takes a moment to think back to what it was like in March of 2020.

Biden was referring to the onslaught of COVID-19 infections sweeping the country at that time. As millions of Americans got sick and thousands more died, Trump routinely downplayed the severity of the virus and floated combating the virus using sunlight and disinfectant.

And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute one minute and is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside, or almost a cleaning? Trump said during an April 2020 press briefing. Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it would be interesting to check that.

The statement caused the makers of household cleaning products Lysol and Dettol to issue a statement reminding people not to ingest dangerous cleaning products.

At his Houston fundraiser, Biden took the opportunity to insult Trumps past remarks.

Remember when he said inject bleach? Biden asked, according to reporters at the event. I think he mustve done it.

Trump himself contracted COVID-19 in October 2020 and was hospitalized for three days. In an attempt to show his supporters he was healthy, Trump took a drive in his presidential vehicle with Secret Service members while he was still sick with the virus.

Nearly 900 Secret Service agents were ultimately infected with the virus between March 2020 and March 2021. More than half were in the division directly responsible for protecting the president and vice president.

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Biden Mocks Trump's Suggestion Of Using Disinfectant To Treat COVID-19 - Yahoo! Voices

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IGTP's Biostatistics team

Credit: IGTP

TheBiostatistics Unit, a recent addition to the technologies and services offered by Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), consists of a team of statisticians and mathematicians who conduct and support biomedical research. They have recently published two notable articles. The first paper, appearing inScientific Reports, reveals the role of socioeconomic inequalities and vaccination in the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The second, published inBMC Medical Research Methodology, introduces REDCapDM, a new R package designed to enhance efficiency and reliability in the management of research data collected through the popular REDCap platform.

A new scientific study, published inScientific Reportsby researchers Pau Satorra and Cristian Teb, sheds light on the evolution and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in Catalonia. Using spatio-temporal Bayesian models, the analysis reveals how the incidence of the virus and hospitalizations varied among different basic health areas (ABS) over time, highlighting key factors that may have influenced these trends.

The findings indicate that urban areas experienced a higher incidence of cases and hospitalisations compared to rural areas, suggesting an association with population density and living conditions in these areas. This underscores the need for specific public health strategies in densely populated urban environments.

The study also points out the impact of socioeconomic inequality on the effects of the pandemic. ABS with higher levels of socioeconomic deprivation have suffered higher hospitalisation rates, highlighting how socioeconomic conditions can exacerbate the effects of a global health crisis.

One of the most significant findings is the protective effect at the ABS level of complete vaccination against the virus, demonstrating the vital importance of vaccination campaigns in combating the pandemic.Full vaccination coverage has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of cases and hospitalizations, reaffirming the public health message about vaccination as a key tool for controlling the spread and impact of the virus.

For this research, open data provided by the Generalitat de Catalunya was used, underlining the importance of access to reliable and transparent information for advancing epidemiological research. The discoveries of this study not only contribute to a better understanding of COVID-19 dynamics at the local level but also highlight the critical importance of vaccination intervention and attention to socioeconomic inequalities as key components in an effective response to the pandemic.

"The use of Bayesian hierarchical modeling was very useful in describing the spatial, temporal, and spatio-temporal trends of the COVID-19 epidemic in Catalonia", says Pau Satorra, the first author of the article."We showed that urban basic health areas had a higher risk of COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations compared to rural areas, while socioeconomic deprivation of the area was a risk factor for hospitalisations. Additionally, it was demonstrated that complete vaccination coverage of the basic health area also had a protective effect on the risk of COVID cases and hospitalisations per area".

In this second article, led by Joo Carmezim and Pau Satorra, IGTP's Biostatistics Unit developed REDCapDM, a new R package aimed at facilitating data management for REDCap projects, a web application for creating and managing databases and online surveys. REDCap is widely used in clinical research for its flexibility and security features. However, managing REDCap data through R can be complex, often requiring programming work to maximise its efficiency. The REDCapDM package responds to this need, providing specific functions for importing, transforming, identifying discrepancies, and managing data.

Using REDCapDM, researchers can optimize the clinical data management process while ensuring the quality and reliability of the information analyzed. This tool is of particular interest to data scientists and clinical data managers working with REDCap and R, offering a comprehensive solution for research data management tasks.

The implementation of REDCapDM in R, version 4.3.0, and its availability through the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN) opens new doors for efficient data management in clinical studies. This package not only simplifies the import and processing of data from REDCap to R but also enhances the data validation process, essential for generating quality data in research.

The development of REDCapDM marks a step forward in automating and improving data management in clinical research, providing researchers with robust tools for data analysis and validation.With ongoing support from the R community and integration with other packages and tools, REDCapDM is set to become a valuable resource for the global clinical research community.

The implementation of REDCapDM in R version 4.3.0, its availability through CRAN and Github ensures open access to this tool and transparency, which are essential for the progress of scientific research. This project, available for all operating systems and under the GNU General Public License Version 2, demonstrates the positive impact of open collaboration and the use of open-source technologies in advancing medical research.

An R package is a collection of functions, data, and documentation developed to extend the functionalities of the R statistical software. Packages allow users to add new analysis techniques, statistical methods, graphics, data import and export capabilities, and more to their R working environment. These packages are created by the R user and researcher community with the goal of sharing solutions and facilitating work on specific projects or in particular research areas.

Scientific Reports

Data/statistical analysis

People

Bayesian spatio-temporal analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic in Catalonia

20-Feb-2024

C.T. has received fees for speaker lectures and talks from Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Gedeon Richter, outside the submitted work.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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A boost to biomedical research with statistical tools: from COVID-19 analysis to data management with REDCapDM - EurekAlert

Health Second Opinion

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Posted: 11 Hours Ago Last Updated: 5 Hours Ago

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This story is part of CBC Health's Second Opinion, a weeklyanalysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven't subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here .

In Canada, measles was once a disease of the past. But it's increasingly becoming a health threat of the present, after backsliding vaccination rates allowed the virus to creep back into circulation.

Canada officially eliminated measles nearly three decades ago, but for years, medical experts warned it was poised to make a comeback and disruptions to routine childhood immunization efforts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic may have sped that up.

Now, after tens of thousands of cases in Europe, and close to100 recentinfections across Canada and the U.S., health officials are on high alert.

There are warnings about travel abroad, calls for people to ensure their families are up-to-date on the measles vaccine, and fresh reminders that the virus is highly contagious and capable of causing pneumonia, brain inflammation, and even death.

"A lot of people are worried," said Dr. Alykhan Abdulla, a family physician in Ottawa. "Measles hasn't really been around in our society for a long time."

So how should Canadians navigate the latest guidance around measles vaccination, and who's actually protected? And if you've already had at least one measles shot, are you now set for life?

If you or your child has never had a combined measles,mumpsand rubella (MMR) vaccine and never had a prior measles infection the official guidance is simple: Get vaccinated.

But after that, it gets a little more complicated.

For Canadian children, the typical schedule is now two doses, both administered before they enterschool. The first MMR dose should be given when a child is 12 to 15 months of age and the second dose at 18 months,or any time after that, but no later than around school entry, notes the Canadian immunization guide.

As for adults, if you were born after the two-dose MMR vaccine became routine, youprobably had both rounds as a child.

Some adults might've only had one dose, however. That includes people born before 1970, who were likely exposed to the virus, given how widely measles used to circulate and federal guidance assumes those individuals have natural immunity.

However, the same guidance suggests anyone who's at a higher risk of being exposed like health-care workers, military personneland international travellers should get an MMR vaccine, regardless of their year of birth.

Confused yet?

What if you don't have your immunization record, or can't remember if you had a measles infection in childhood? Experts suggest simply getting an MMR dose, to be safe.

"If there's any concern about whether you've been vaccinated, it's actually cheaper and easier just to get vaccinated again," said McMaster University associate professor and immunologist Dawn Bowdish.

More than 50 countries are reporting "large and disruptive" measles outbreaks, World Health Organization officials warned this week.

So if you or a family member hasn't been vaccinated against measles before travelling, there's a higher risk of catching it, medical experts warn, making it even more important to be up-to-date on your shots.

That's because measles is capable of lingering in the air for up to two hours (yes, hours) after someone infected enters a space.

Infants under the age of one are "particularly vulnerable" to a measles infection, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC),since their routine shots typically start at 12 months of age.

In a statement, PHAC told CBC News the current advice for people travelling internationally is as follows:

WATCH |How to protect yourself against measles:

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If you need an MMR shot, medical experts suggest speaking to your primary care provider such as a family doctor or nurse practitioner if you have one or reaching out to your local community health centre or public health team.

Travel clinics are also an option to quickly get a shot before a trip, though private businesses can charge $75 or more for a dose.

Still, it's not always easy.

Despite the guidance around staying up-to-date on measles vaccinations, multiple Canadians told CBC News that some doctors and pharmacies are either short on supply, or simply discouragingpatients from getting another round because they're either deemed too young or too old to need one.

"I think we're all adjusting to this reality of measles resurgence from abroad," said Shelly Bolotin, director of the Centre for Vaccine Preventable Diseases at the University of Toronto. "And perhaps that is why different people are in different places."

If you do need a dose, there are two MMR vaccines being used in Canada right now, from drug makers Merck and GSK.

Shortage notices have also been posted for both brands' shots, but Health Canada said the companies have assured they'll be able to "fully meet demand" for public immunization programs, including routine childhood vaccines.

GSK told CBC News the "temporary" shortage for its Priorix vaccine is linked to an increase in demand in the Canadian private market, adding it continues to meet the demand in the public sector. Merck Canada said it is working with provincial and federal health authorities to provide a consistent supply "in a timely manner."

What's unclear to Canadian health-care teams is whether an ongoing spike in demand will further complicate vaccination efforts.

"We have to be judicious, we have a resource that is limited," said Abdulla, in Ottawa. "And we have to be thoughtful in the way that we use [the available supply]."

Family physician Dr. Allan Grill, in Markham, Ont., said his team is currently distributing measles vaccines on an as-needed basis.

"You can imagine how overwhelmed family medicine would get if we decided all of a sudden to just focus all of our attention on everybody's measles vaccine status."

Meanwhile, Andrew Sisnett, president of Summit Health, a travel vaccine provider, said the companyrarely doled out MMR shots before this year. Yet demand recently shot up, and he'shaving issues ordering more.

"There are concerns that, from a private-sector perspective, that we're not going to be able to procure enough."

WATCH | Measles is spreading in some Canadian communities:

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If you've had a prior measles infection, there's a silver lining.

Peer-reviewed research from a team including Bolotinstressed that immunity from measles is thought to be life-long.

The study cited evidence from Denmark'sremote Faroe Islands, located in the North Atlantic, which experienced a measles outbreak in 1781. The next outbreak in 1846 spared all those older than 65 as in, all the people who would have been infected exactly 65 years earlier.

"This early observation remains some of the best evidence of life-long immunity to measles," the team wrote.

That'sbecause of how the measles virus operates, Bowdish said.

"Unlike RSV, or influenza or other respiratory infections ...it actually infects our immune cells," she said. "And then it hijacks those immune cells to travel to our lymph nodes, where there's millions and millions more immune cells to infect."

A serious infection like that requires a serious immune response, Bowdish said. It's a bit like your body fighting a major war, giving it deep, lasting memories of how to fend off that attacker if it ever invades again.

So, is the same thing true for getting a full set of MMR shots?

To some extent, yes.

The measles vaccine contains small amounts of live virus, making itone of the most protective shots available, Bolotin said, with two doses showing 97 per cent efficacy (how well it does in an ideal and controlled environment) in studies, and 94 per cent effectiveness(real-world performance) in field estimates.

"It's actually a mini infection in your body. And so it creates something very, very similar to what you would see if you're infected."

There can be instances where immunity after the shots does wane over time, both Bowdish and Bolotin agreed, and various global studies have documented occasional breakthrough infections.Even so, evidence suggests the shots still protect against serious illness and help curb transmission.

"For most vaccines, what we do is we modify or minimize the severity of infections as opposed to preventing them 100 per cent," said Bowdish.

"But the measles vaccine is a different case, where it really does seem to prevent infections from getting started in most people, most of the time."

Lauren Pelley Senior Health & Medical Reporter

Lauren Pelley covers health and medical science for CBC News, including the global spread of infectious diseases, Canadian health policy, pandemic preparedness, and the crucial intersection between human health and climate change. Two-time RNAO Media Award winner for in-depth health reporting in 2020 and 2022. Contact her at: lauren.pelley@cbc.ca

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What to know about the measles vaccine from who should get one, to how long immunity lasts - CBC.ca

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) Three years after COVID-19 vaccines became widely available in the United States, Louisiana continues to debate policies related to inoculation mandates, including civil liabilities if a workplace mandates vaccines or not and a bill that would prohibit schools from requiring students to receive the vaccine.

The ongoing debates, which are often marred by anti-vaccination rhetoric, come on the cusp of relaxed guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and COVID-19 no longer beingthe public health menaceit once was. This legislative session, Louisiana lawmakers conversations on COVID-19 vaccines have broadened to also apply to experimental or emergency use vaccinations for fear of future pandemics.

Louisianas GOP-controlled House passed a bill Wednesday that protects businesses from being sued because they dont mandate experimental or emergency use vaccines including COVID-19 shots.

Under the proposed legislation, if a person believes they got sick from contact at a business, they would be unable to file a lawsuit against the business.

Rep. Danny McCormick, who authored the measure, said the bill would do away with any frivolous lawsuits. The Republican added that it would be difficult to directly pinpoint, before a judge, where or from whom a person contracted COVID-19. Opponents of the bill, such as Democratic Rep. Denise Marcelle, said while that is true, McCormicks bill wouldnt give people the chance to even reach that point.

The legislation passed mainly along party lines and now heads to the Senate.

In a narrow vote, the House rejected another bill that would allow people who suffer from vaccine injuries to sue their school or employer if they are required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of employment.

Louisiana GOP Rep. Mike Echols, who authored the bill, said he knows of several constituents who died or were maimed and injured by the COVID-19 vaccine. Across the country, conspiracy theorists and anti-vaccine activists haveincorrectly and baselessly blamedthe injuries and deaths of hundreds of children, teens, athletes and celebrities on COVID-19 shots. Deaths caused by vaccination are extremely rare, and rigorous study and evidence from hundreds of millions of administered shots have provenCOVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.

The bill received an influential note of disapproval from a powerful lobbying organization that represents business industry interests, describing the measure as harmful to the long-established purpose of workers compensation throughout the country.

The bill failed 51-50, but Rep. Echols said he plans to bring the measure back in another attempt of passage.

This session, the GOP-dominated legislature will also take up a measure that would prohibit schools from requiring students to get COVID-19 vaccines.

A nearly identical bill easily won legislative approval last year, but was vetoed by then-Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat. Since then, conservative Gov. Jeff Landry has taken office.

In his veto message, Edwards said the bill is unnecessary as the vaccine is not mandated by the state. In addition, Edwards said the measure seeks to undermine public confidence in COVID-19 vaccines.

Arguments in Louisianas capitol echo those from statehouses throughout the country since COVID-19 vaccines became widely used in 2021. Vaccines have helped to dramatically reduce instances of serious disease and death from COVID-19.

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Louisiana debates civil liability over COVID-19 vaccine mandates, or the lack thereof - KTVE - myarklamiss.com

Spring break is here and while its a fun time, being the first proper vacation many of us have this calendar year, it also comes with the risk of getting sick. With everyone traveling to and from various places across the country, and many clustering in popular spots such as beaches, spring break is rife for the spread of viruses.

In fact, wastewater analysis shows several viruses such as norovirus and influenza (the flu) increasing in prevalence as we head into spring. Dont let the presence of viruses keep you from enjoying your spring break vacation, however. Instead, read tips to help keep you from getting sick, no matter whats floating around.

No matter what virus your dealing with, the CDC advises to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly.Thoroughly washing your hands means lathering them with soap for 20 seconds (or about the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday) and rinsing with warm water.

The CDC notes that hand sanitizer is not effective at killing norovirus, thus it can't be used as a substitute for hand washing. It can be used, however, in conjunction to curb the spread of other germs.

Softsoap Liquid Hand Soap

Wash your hands.

Where washing your hands isnt possible, the CDCrecommends using hand that's comprised of at least 60% alcohol. Note that, there isnt a way to get around washing your hands when dealing with norovirus, as its less effective against this particular virus.

Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer Refreshing Gel

Use hand sanitizer.

Wearing a mask remains the most effective way to curb the spread of respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19, RSV, and influenza. KN95 and N95 masks are the gold standard when it comes to effectiveness, as they filter up to 95% of the particles responsible for airborne illnessessuch as COVID-19 and influenza.

MAGID N95 Respirator Masks

Wear a mask.

Another way to combat the spread of germs responsible for illness is by making sure surfaces are rid of germs. Usingdisinfectant wipesis a convenient way to make sure the surfaces you touch will be clean. If you're traveling, consider wiping down your airplane seat, tray table, and other high-contact surfaces.

Lysol Disinfectant Handi-Pack Wipes

Disinfect high-contact surfaces.

You may have heard horror stories about drinking local water when traveling. To give you peace of mind (and peace of stomach) to travel with confidence during spring break trip, we recommend using LifeStraw to filter your water. Its a straw-shaped filter that protects against bacteria, viruses, parasites, microplastics, dirt, and sand.

LifeStraw Personal Water Filter

Filter your water with confidence.

Staying hydrated can both help your immune system stave off sickness and add make symptoms less excruciating if you do get sick. Plus, using a water bottle has the added benefit of avoiding using faucets that may have been used by sick individuals. We recommend using our favorite water bottle, the Owala Freesip, which is spill-proof and keeps water cool for up to 24 hours.

Owala FreeSip Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle

Stay hydrated during spring break.

As the saying goes, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, so its important to acknowledge that despite your preventive measures you, still can get sick. Seeing as nearly all the viruses you should be worried about are associated with fevers (which the CDC defines as temperature of 100.4F or higher), you should pack a thermometer for your spring break trip. Thebest thermometeryou can buy is the Femometer thermometer. It gives accurate results quickly, has a silent mode and conveniently warns of high temperatures.

Femometer Forehead Thermometer

Monitor your symptoms.

If you happen to come down with something, you can rule out COVID and two strains in one fell swoop with this combination test kit by Pfizer. We tested it ourselves and it's just as easy to use as a standard COVID test, but can give you more information.

LUCIRA by Pfizer COVID-19 & Flu Home Test

Rule out COVID and two strains of the flu in one fell swoop.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.

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Spring break 2024: ways to prevent COVID, norovirus during travel - Reviewed

(file image) Photo: 123rf.com / Composite Image - RNZ

There have been 4666 new cases of Covid-19 reported in the past week, and 20 further deaths attributed to the virus.

Of the new cases, 3865 were probable cases and 3012 were reinfections.

There were 55 cases in hospital.

The number of cases in intensive care units was not available on the Ministry of Health's website.

The seven-day rolling average of new cases was 667 per day.

Last Monday, 4803 new cases and 24 deaths attributed to the virus were reported for the previous week, with 171 cases in hospital.

Earlier this month, Health NZ said it no longer recommended that asymptomatic household contacts of people with Covid-19 should test daily.

A new Covid-19 vaccine, which could fight newer strains of the virus, would be available from 7 March.

Health NZ also confirmed earlier this year free RATs would be available until at least the end of June.

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Covid-19 update: 4666 new cases, 20 further deaths - RNZ

In spring 2020, France shut down schools and businesses as the world faced a mysterious new illness Covid-19. The first of three lockdowns was imposed but why did people accept strict limits on movement in a country that is so used to protests and debates?

Issued on: 22/03/2024 - 18:20Modified: 22/03/2024 - 18:33

3 min

Starting 17 March 2020, people in France were not allowed to circulate freely for 55 days.

After shuttering schools, restaurants and other businesses, the French government imposed its firststrict lockdownto contain the spread of Covid.

The population was required to present certificates whenever they left home. They were permitted a maximum of one hour outside for shopping or exercising, and only those working essential jobs could travel further than a kilometre.

And for the most part, people followed the rules.

Nicolas Moriot, a historian who has co-writtena book about the lockdown, describes it as an act of mass obedience.

Listen to this story on the Spotlight on France podcast:

Based on a survey of 16,000 people, he found that 80 percent of people stuck to lockdown rulesnot necessarily to avoid Covid, but because they were put off by the potential for run-ins with the police and a 135 fine for off-limits outings.

A quarter of those surveyed said they followed restrictions on movement but not health recommendations, like staying a metre apart and washing hands.

So you cannot say their fear of the virus was very high, Moriot concludes.

He compares France with northern European countries, which closed businesses but did not impose full lockdowns. Frances reaction, he says, comes from its history of reacting to societal issues with security measures.

You can say that its a question of habit for the government to put in place things like certificates and restrictions on public freedom, he said.

While debate in France emerged over health passes, vaccines and later lockdown measures, very few people protested initial restrictions in the spring of 2020 which Mariot attributes to the fact that there was little opportunity to organise, or even exchange.

Associations, unions and political parties were shut down, as well as social and athletic gatherings. All that was completely cancelled. And this is the way French people shape their political opposition, he explains.

As a result, individual citizens found themselves alone. We were in a direct relationship with the state, and I think that played a fundamental role in the fact that there was not much opposition.

Four years later, it is clear that lockdowns impacted mental health, notably for young people and students. Studies showedan increase in depression and anxiety during the first lockdown, growing with subsequent lockdowns and restrictions.

But there has been little reflection about lockdowns and their longer-term impacts on society, with relatively few questions about the measures themselves and the powers they gave to the state.

Police carried out 21 million checks during the first lockdown and issued 1.1 million fines.

Moriot is surprised that no one has questioned these penalties.

What happened to them? Did people pay them? We know nothing, he said.

In May 2023, the Spanish Supreme Court ruled that their Covid lockdown was unconstitutional and annulled the 1.2 million fines handed out.

Though France's constitutional courtruled on the vaccine passes used to access public venues later in the pandemic judging that they were constitutional so long as it was temporarythey were never asked to pronounce on the lockdown and the fines.

French lawmakers questioned ministers in parliamentary committees,but focused more on mask availability than the lockdown itself.

There was no public discussion or debate or questioning, said Moriot. Its surprising and quite worrying for the future.

More on this story on the Spotlight on Francepodcast, episode 108.

See the rest here:

Four years on, what has France learned from its first Covid lockdown? - RFI English