Category: Covid-19

5.8 million children in the U.S. Other estimates are much lower. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post) Denver Post via Getty Images

Long Covid may affect 5.8 million children in the U.S., according to an article published on Wednesday in the journal Pediatrics. Thats a large number. Its also a number that stands in contrast to other published estimates of pediatric long Covid. So, whos right?

Lets begin by exploring how the authors of this article arrived at their number. As with any estimate, they started with a few basic assumptions. They assumed that 20% of Covid-19 cases occur in children and that the prevalence of long Covid, or postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2, in children is 10-20%.

According to data provided by KFF, the cumulative number of Covid-19 cases in the U.S. at the end of January 2024 was approximately 105 million. If 20% of those cases occurred in children and 20% of those children developed long Covid, then about 4.2 million children in the U.S. should be affected. Thats reasonably close to the number cited by the authors.

However, its unclear how the authors determined that 10-20% of children with Covid-19 will develop long Covid. They state that experts, reviewed the literature for relevant pediatric studies and summarized the findings. Thats all we really know. They list 98 articles that were reviewed. Presumably, their careful review of these articles led the authors to determine that the prevalence is 10-20%. But we dont have any information about why these articles were selected and, conversely, why other articles may not have been selected.

So, what have other researchers concluded? The numbers vary wildly. Dr. Suchitra Rao, the corresponding author of the current report, noted that these disparate estimates can arise from different populations being evaluated, different definitions of PASC/long Covid, and variability in study design.

Indeed, several studies have estimated that the prevalence of long Covid in children is relatively low. For example, data published by the CDC suggests that the prevalence of long Covid in children is 1.3%. This figure was obtained from a survey of roughly 7,500 people and differs substantially from the 10-20% rate used by the authors of the present article. If the prevalence is 1.3%, then the number of children affected by long Covid may be closer to half a million, a much smaller number. Interestingly, even some authors of the current paper previously concluded in an article published in JAMA Pediatrics that, PASC in children appears to be low.

When asked about the CDC data, Dr. Rao commented that the CDC study, used a more specific definition, of long Covid, which probably led to their lower prevalence estimate. Thats a valid point. Without a standard definition, its hard to compare the results.

It's worth noting that the article in Pediatrics is a review and not a study. According to the journal website, review articles provide an overview of a topic. The article also is not a systematic review or a meta-analysis. For these types of publications, authors must clearly state criteria for including and excluding literature being evaluated. The reader, then, can more critically evaluate the information.

Long Covid remains one of the more vexing aspects of Covid-19. Numerous symptoms affecting various organ systems have been reported. Researchers still cant predict who is at risk of developing these debilitating sequelae. And clinicians still cannot provide relief. The presence of long Covid in children is a significant public health problem that must be addressed. The extent of the problem, however, remains unknown.

A Professor of Biology at Davidson College, David Wessner teaches courses about introductory biology, microbiology, and HIV/AIDS. His research interests include viral pathogenesis. He recently co-authored Microbiology, a textbook for undergraduate biology majors, and The Cartoon Guide to Biology. He also co-curated Re/Presenting HIV/AIDS, an exhibition that featured artistic works related to HIV. Prior to joining the faculty at Davidson, David conducted research at the Navy Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He earned his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from Harvard University and his B.A. in Biology from Franklin and Marshall College.

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Researchers Estimate Long Covid May Affect 5.8 Million Children. Are They Right? - Forbes

New Delhi: The 17th Lok Sabha, which reshaped Indias legislative framework through landmark laws, celebrated 75 years of Independence, shifted to a new building and withstood the Covid-19 pandemic, completed its last session on Saturday.

During its five-year course, the 17th Lok Sabha abrogated Article 370, passed the long-pending womens reservation bill, banned triple talaq and replaced British-era criminal laws with a new set of codes and brought Indias first data privacy laws. It also witnessed Indias growth as the fifth largest economy and the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

The productivity of the 17th Lok Sabha stood at 97% highest in the last five Lok Sabhas and the Rajya Sabha worked for 137% of its time in the budget session. Rajya Sabha authorities didnt provide data for the past five years. Altercations between the government and the Congress-led Opposition, which has formed a fragile INDIA alliance, also peaked, leading to an unprecedented suspension of 146 Opposition MPs from the two Houses in six days during the last winter session.

In his valedictory speech, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced, Out of 543 members of the 17th Lok Sabha, 540 members participated in discussions held in the House. Women MPs saw maximum representation in the 17th Lok Sabha.

A total of 274 sittings were held during the 17th Lok Sabha which lasted for a total of 1,354 hours. The House sat late for more than 345 hours and completed its business. The House lost a total of 387 hours to disruptions. The overall productivity of the 17th Lok Sabha has been around 97%, which is the highest in the last 5 Lok Sabhas, he added.

On September 19, the Indian Parliament shifted, for the first time, out of its British-era building to the new Parliament building, which is seen as a symbol of self-reliance.

In the Rajya Sabha, chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar referred to the Presidents speech on January 31 and said, As highlighted by the Honble President in her address, Bharat is making phenomenal progress in all walks of life. We are in Amrit Kaal of our Republic. As Members of the Upper House, we have to ensure exemplary standards of conduct. We need to be a source of inspiration as Bharat steadfastly surges towards a Viksit Rashtra and a global leader. We are in an era of immense possibilities. Let us vigorously contribute for continual, incremental rise of Bharat. I have no doubt that this sentiment is shared by every Member of this House and the people at large.

Read more: In PM Modi's last address to 17th Lok Sabha, Article 370, Sengol, Ram Mandir mentioned

Dhankhar, whose House often faced Opposition-led disruptions, reminded the lawmakers that as members of the Upper House, we have to ensure exemplary standards of conduct. We need to be a source of inspiration as Bharat steadfastly surges towards a Viksit Rashtra and a global leader. Let us vigorously contribute for continual, incremental rise of Bharat.

The 17th Lok Sabha had to skip one sessionthe monsoon session of 2020due to Covid but held a special session in September this year during which the long-pending women reservation bill (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam) got cleared by both Houses with an overwhelming majority.

Birla said the 17th Lok Sabha, which held its first meeting on June 17, 2019, has been historic in various ways.

Read more: Amit Shah says CAA will be implemented before 2024 Lok Sabha elections

Of 543 members of the House, 540 members participated in discussions. Women MPs saw maximum representation in the 17th Lok Sabha and the House also witnessed their active participation in the proceedings.

Birla added that 222 laws were passed in the 17th Lok Sabha while 202 bills were introduced and 11 bills were withdrawn by the government. The three agriculture reform bills, that resulted in massive protests by farmers, were among the bills withdrawn.

Saubhadra Chatterji is Deputy Political Editor at the Hindustan Times. He writes on both politics and policies.

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Covid proceedings, new House and key bills marked the 17th Lok Sabha - Hindustan Times

Such a change which would bring Victoria in line with other states has been backed by experts, but the state government insists the existing vaccine settings are in the best interest of healthcare workers and patients.

Melbourne midwife Naomi, left, and her husband Josh. Justin McManus

Melbourne midwife Naomi, who asked for her surname not to be published for privacy reasons, told The Sunday Age that she had been unable to return to her work in the public hospital system for more than two years as a result of the rules.

The mother of four believes she had a reaction to her first two COVID vaccines the second of which she had shortly after her son was born that caused her milk supply to drop and an early return of her menstrual cycle.

There was the impact on me, and then there was the impact on my son, she said.

Naomis claims, however, did not reach the threshold to qualify for a medical exemption and she is not willing to risk a third shot while she is still breastfeeding.

Naomi who has tested positive for COVID twice since the pandemic began and her husband Josh said they supported Victorias coronavirus rules at the height of the pandemic and were pro-vaccine.

However, they question the evidence behind the continuing three-dose mandates.

I am triple [vaccinated], our eldest child is double and we remain supportive of the measures taken, Josh said.

For us, this is now an argument of policy, or specifically, policy review.

In another universe, Naomi could have had a booster in March 2022, and still be working today, even though any effect of this booster would have long worn off.

Naomi said that being able to work in a hospital environment again would mean higher pay and child-friendly shifts.

Cost of living has really impacted us. I cant even put into words the stress its put us under, she said.

In Victoria, all hospital, aged care and ambulance workers have had to be fully vaccinated including a booster .

NSW mandates a primary vaccination course for healthcare workers usually two doses but a booster is only strongly recommended based on expert advice. Queensland Health .

Leading vaccine uptake expert Professor Julie Leask, from the University of Sydney, told The Sunday Age that the case for ongoing COVID vaccine mandates was weak.

Leask said vaccines remained good at reducing the likelihood of developing a severe illness from the virus, but they were now not so good at stopping people getting COVID altogether or passing it onto others an attribute that would usually be required to support compulsory vaccination.

Rarely can you mandate something for an individuals benefit. It may be justifiable to mandate something for the benefit of protecting others, Leask said.

Given that we are now in a situation where most people have immunity from both initial vaccines and from COVID itself, and vaccinated people can still transmit COVID, it is very difficult to justify ongoing vaccination requirements for COVID-19.

While vaccinations had proved effective at stopping people from catching earlier versions of COVID entirely, new variants had chipped away at vaccines ability to stop the virus from spreading.

Leask said it was important to review vaccination policies regularly, and that if a maternity unit wanted to help protect pregnant women visiting the service from COVID, the best form of protection was for pregnant women to have their own vaccinations, if recommended.

Unvaccinated pregnant women are at higher risk of falling severely ill with COVID, and the vaccines are safe during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, according to Australian government advice.

The chance of a single midwife getting a booster and reducing the risk of patients getting COVID is just a drop in the ocean, Leask said. To me, its very hard to justify a requirement for the third dose given where we are at now with COVID.

Professor Catherine Bennett, a panellist for Australias COVID-19 inquiry, supports vaccine mandates in sensitive healthcare settings but says the program should be similar to the flu vaccine, which is given ahead of the expected wave of cases.

She said this could mean that COVID booster shots would not be required for workers who have had COVID in the past six months, making them still eligible to work as they would have some immunity from prior infection.

In Victoria, .

Australia has been grappling with a shortage of midwives. The Andrews government has been trying to attract new midwives and nurses, promising for graduates and to study in the field.

Thousands of nurses will be trained at university for free in a major $270 Victorian Government scheme to boost staffing ranks.

Its frustrating that she cant go back even now, and help a system that would love to have her back, Josh said.

Naomi said she was considering moving interstate given her accreditation will soon expire unless she returns to midwifery.

Bennett isnt convinced, however, that vaccine mandates are still appropriate for firefighters, believing vaccines in this group now offered more of an individual benefit than community benefit.

But she said other things could still be done to help COVID spreading among fire crews, such as rapid antigen testing.

Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said she has been asking how many healthcare workers recruited from overseas had had their booster shot since late last year, and was still awaiting a response.

Crozier has also told parliament it is completely ludicrous that unvaccinated firefighters can visit loved ones in hospital and fly internationally but not return to work at Fire Rescue Victoria.

A government spokeswoman said vaccination requirements for healthcare workers were routinely reviewed by the health department to reflect contemporary epidemiology.

Any change to this policy would only be considered following extensive consultation with health experts, health services, healthcare workers and unions, the spokeswoman said.

Another government spokeswoman said that firefighters often had to attend sensitive settings.

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This midwife is double COVID-vaxxed but shes still banned from returning to work - The Age

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has left an indelible mark on various aspects of daily life globally, with its ripple effects reaching far into areas of health and well-being. A recent study has illuminated a concerning consequence of the virus and its prolonged aftermath, known as long COVID, on the sexual health of women.

The researchers investigated the relationship between COVID-19, long COVID, and sexual dysfunction in women, offering new insight into the pandemics far-reaching implications.

The research was led by Amelia M. Stanton, an assistant professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences in the College of Arts & Sciences at Boston University.

If youre sick with COVID, youre probably less interested in sex and maybe your body is less prepared to have sex, said Professor Stanton. But what might be surprising to some folks is that long COVID symptoms really may have a physiological and psychological impact on sexual well-being for women.

While previous research has examined the effect of the pandemic on peoples sex lives, Professor Stanton said this is the first study to highlight the impact of long COVID on sexual health in women.

The researchers surveyed over 2,000 women while using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) to measure sexual function across various dimensions, including desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain.

The FSFI, an established measure in the field of sexual health research, revealed stark differences in the sexual well-being of women based on their COVID-19 infection status. Specifically, those who had contracted COVID-19 reported lower levels of desire, arousal, lubrication, and satisfaction compared to their counterparts who had not been infected.

More alarmingly, women suffering from long COVID were found to experience significant impairments across multiple aspects of sexual function, with their average FSFI scores falling within the dysfunctional range. This is a clear indication of the profound impact of long COVID on sexual health.

Long COVID, characterized by a host of cognitive and physical symptoms persisting weeks or months after the initial viral infection, has been a focal point of concern for both patients and healthcare providers.

Professor Stantons research sheds light on the physiological and psychological toll of long COVID on womens sexual well-being. Until now, this topic has been relatively underexplored.

The findings not only highlight the broad spectrum of long COVIDs effects but also underscore the necessity of integrating sexual health into the broader conversation on post-COVID recovery and care.

I hope its validating. If women type in sex long COVID, something will come up now, said Professor Stanton, who is also a clinical health psychologist at The Fenway Institute. Sex, sexuality, and sexual function are still relatively taboo subjects. But this offers something patients can bring to their providers and say, This is going on for me, and maybe create an open dialogue around sex.

The BU study also contributes to a growing body of literature examining the impact of COVID-19 on various aspects of human health and well-being.

Prior research from BU dispelled myths surrounding COVID-19 vaccination and fertility, finding no significant effect on fertility or the chances of pregnancy.

Looking ahead, Professor Stanton plans to expand the scope of her research to include a more diverse range of sexual and gender identities.

Through her work with BUs Sexual, Reproductive, and Mental Health Disparities Program, Professor Stanton aims to design interventions and improve communication strategies for discussing sexual health in clinical settings.

I always encourage providers to initiate conversations about sex, said Stanton. If they have someone whos coming in for long COVID, maybe ask, How are you doing sexually? Asking that one question could open the door for people to say, You know, Ive been ashamed to say that this is going on, and I really need help.

Any way we can iterate to folks that there is hope and there are strategies your symptoms are meaningful and relevant, and theyre important to talk about.

The study is published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

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The COVID-19 pandemic marked the first time in the history of pandemics where self-testing was used as an essential component of a widespread public infection control and prevention strategy. Nearly four years into the pandemic, a study sheds light on the diagnostic accuracy and impact of the SARS-CoV-2 antigen-detection rapid diagnostic tests used for COVID-19 self-testing.

The study, led by Dr. Nitika Pant Pai at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center (RI-MUHC) and published this week in the journal PLOS Global Public Health, suggests that the value of self-testing lies in the rapid identification and isolation of highly contagious individuals and that some aspects of the self-testing strategy can improve self-test performance, like clear instructions for use and result interpretation, and adequate pretest training.

"Overall, the results of our study are impressive. Evidence shows that self-testing is an effective tool to prevent transmission of SARS-COV-2 and suggests that it helped control outbreaks and limit transmission, and allowed work to continue during the pandemic.

"In the future, public health agencies and governments should not hesitate to invest in accurate, rapid, portable and perhaps digitally enhanced self-testing strategies, like apps, websites and video-based instructions, not only for respiratory viruses but also for non-respiratory pathogens," says Dr. Pant Pai, senior author of the study, Scientist in the Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program at the Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation of the RI-MUHC and Associate Professor of Medicine at McGill University.

The study consists of a living systematic review, i.e., it will be updated in one year, and a meta-analysis of 70 studieswith pooled data from 25 countriesthat have evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of rapid tests for COVID-19. The authors analyzed the data according to a number of different variables, such as sampling site, symptomatic status, supervised/unsupervised self-testing method and the presence/absence of digital support.

The researchers also examined the feasibility, acceptability and impact of self-testing, as well as people's preferences and motivations, and key facilitators and barriers to the adoption of the self-testing strategy.

According to the study findings, rapid tests for COVID-19 have a very high specificity (the capacity to detect negative cases/healthy individuals), with a true negative proportion consistently above 98%. Most false negative test results reported in the study occurred when the person was less contagious and outside the transmissibility window.

Test sensitivity (the ability to detect positive cases/infected individuals) differed from subgroup to subgroup, depending on the variable studied, and was consistently low in asymptomatic individuals (the test missed picking infection in them) but high in symptomatic (the test did not miss picking up infection).

Highest sensitivities, or highest true positive proportions, were observed within groups of people who:

Further, the researchers found that users had a strong preference for COVID self-tests and were willing to use them, but their interest in repeated or daily use was low.

Most importantly, impact outcomes were many: self-testing strategies not only led to fewer school closures and workday savings for essential workers, they also prevented further transmission of infection among health care workers, facilitated the continuation of work at health laboratory sites and allowed social activities to continue with a lower risk of infection. These findings highlight their significant public health impact.

Finally, the authors highlight that pre-training sessions, detailed self-test instructions in layman language and special testing kits designed for low-literacy, rural, peri-urban and senior populations could further improve self-test performance and uptake by such populations.

"Equitable access to COVID-19 self-testing will empower individuals and dismantle barriers, paving the way to a healthier and more inclusive society. The high impact of rapid, point-of-care, digitally supported self-tests in the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need for increased research in such innovative diagnostic approaches," says Apoorva Anand, first author of the study and trainee of Dr. Pant Pai at the RI-MUHC.

"COVID self-tests have helped democratize the access to self-testing and normalize the conversation about their use in homes, workplaces, offices and gatherings. Self-testing strategy is now here to stay, not just during pandemics, but as a strategy to control other infectious and non-infectious diseases and conditions.

"We must provide high-quality self-tests to maintain public confidence in the self-testing process and encourage individuals and communities to use them proactively for their own benefit," adds Dr. Pant Pai, who is recognized as a global diagnostic expert on self-tests and point-of-care testing technologies.

More information: Apoorva Anand et al, Self-tests for COVID-19: What is the evidence? A living systematic review and meta-analysis (20202023), PLOS Global Public Health (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002336

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COVID-19 rapid tests: How good are they? - Medical Xpress

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Saudi Healthcare Students' General Practices Applied to Protect Against COVID-19 and Their Beliefs Regarding the ... - Cureus

NEW YORK (AP) The flu virus is hanging on in the U.S., intensifying in some areas of the country after weeks of an apparent national decline.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released Friday showed a continued national drop in flu hospitalizations, but other indicators were up including the number of states with high or very high levels for respiratory illnesses.

Nationally, we can say weve peaked, but on a regional level it varies, said the CDCs Alicia Budd. A couple of regions havent peaked yet.

Patient traffic has eased a bit in the Southeast and parts of the West Coast, but flu-like illnesses seem to be proliferating in the Midwest and have even rebounded a bit in some places. Last week, reports were at high levels in 23 states up from 18 the week before, CDC officials said.

Flu generally peaks in the U.S. between December and February. National data suggests this seasons peak came around late December, but a second surge is always possible. Thats happened in other flu seasons, with the second peak often but not always lower than the first, Budd said.

So far, the season has been relatively typical, Budd said. According to CDC estimates, since the beginning of October, there have been at least 22 million illnesses, 250,000 hospitalizations, and 15,000 deaths from flu. The agency said 74 children have died of flu.

COVID-19 illnesses seem to have peaked at around he same time as flu. CDC data indicates coronavirus-caused hospitalizations havent hit the same levels they did at the same point during the last three winters. COVID-19 is putting more people in the hospital than flu, CDC data shows.

The national trends have played out in Chapel Hill, said Dr. David Weber, an infectious diseases expert at the University of North Carolina.

Weber is also medical director of infection prevention at UNC Medical Center, where about a month ago more than 1O0 of the hospitals 1,000 beds were filled with people with COVID-19, flu or the respiratory virus RSV.

Thats not as bad as some previous winters at one point during the pandemic, 250 beds were filled with COVID-19 patients. But it was bad enough that the hospital had to declare a capacity emergency so that it could temporarily bring some additional beds into use, Weber said.

Now, about 35 beds are filled with patients suffering from one of those viruses, most of them COVID-19, he added.

I think in general its been a pretty typical year, he said, adding that whats normal has changed to include COVID-19, making everything a little busier than it was before the pandemic.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Flu hangs on in US, fading in some areas and intensifying in others - The Associated Press

Derry Oliver, right, holds daughter Dessie, 2, while her other daughter, also named Derry, swings during a visit to a playground near their home, Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, in New York. During the COVID-19 pandemic the younger Derry Oliver embraced therapy as she struggled with the isolation of remote learning, even as her mother pushed back. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

NEW YORK (AP) Derry Oliver was in fifth grade when she first talked to her mom about seeing a therapist.

She was living in Georgia with her uncle and grandparents while her mom was in New York scoping out jobs and apartments ahead of moving the family. It was a rough year apart. Oliver, now 17, was feeling depressed. A school staffer raised the idea of a therapist.

Olivers mom, also named Derry Oliver, questioned the schools assessment and didnt give consent for therapy. Youre so young, the mom recalled thinking. Theres nothing wrong with you. These are growing pains.

The issue boiled over again during the COVID-19 pandemic when the younger Oliver, struggling with the isolation of remote learning, reached out to her Brooklyn high school for help. School-based mental health professionals like social workers can provide some counseling without parent permission. But in New York, referring a student to more intensive therapy almost always requires a parents agreement. In Olivers case, that led to more conflict.

It was very emotional for both of us because I understood her frustrations and fears, the younger Oliver recalled. But at the same time its sometimes best for your child to be able to access this rather than hold it away from them.

As schools across the country respond to a youth mental health crisis accelerated by the pandemic, many are confronting the thorny legal, ethical, and practical challenges of getting parents on board with treatment. The issue has become politicized, with some states looking to streamline access as conservative politicians elsewhere propose further restrictions, accusing schools of trying to indoctrinate students and cut out parents.

Differing perspectives on mental health arent new for parents and kids, but more conflicts are emerging as young people get more comfortable talking openly about mental health and treatment becomes more readily available. Schools have invested pandemic relief money in hiring more mental health specialists as well as telehealth and online counseling to reach as many students as possible.

Its this disconnect, said Chelsea Trout, a social worker at a charter school in Brooklyn. The kids are all on TikTok or the internet and understand therapy speak and that this is something that could be helpful for their mental health and are interested in, but dont have the explicit buy-in from their parents.

Research suggests that having to obtain parental permission can be a significant barrier to teens accessing treatment.

Access to therapy can be critical, particularly for LGBTQ+ youth, who are significantly more likely than their peers to attempt suicide, and whose parents may not know about or approve of their sexual orientations or gender identities. Jessica Chock-Goldman, a social worker at Bard Early College High School in Manhattan, said shes seen many cases where mental health issues turn severe in part because teens didnt get earlier access to therapy.

A lot of kids would be hospitalized because of suicidal ideations or intent because the preventative work didnt come into fruition, she said.

The question of when young people can consent to mental health treatment is getting increasing attention from policymakers. States like California and Colorado have recently lowered the age of consent for treatment to 12. But in some states like North Carolina, the issue has been swept up into larger political debates about parents input on curriculum and the rights of transgender students.

Theres also a huge obstacle outside the law: Therapy is rarely free, and paying for it or submitting insurance claims often requires parental support.

Teens in New York can consent to therapy starting at age 16, and a provision allows doctors to authorize treatment for younger children if they deem it in their best interest. But there are caveats: The consent laws only apply in outpatient settings licensed by the state, and they dont extend to the prescription of medications.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently announced a partnership with the platform Talkspace to provide free online counseling to all city teens, through a program known as NYC Teenspace. It doesnt ask for insurance, but parental consent is required, except in the case of special circumstances, according to the programs website.

For Oliver and her mom, years of conversations have yielded some progress, but not as much access to therapy as the younger Oliver wants.

Several years ago, the Olivers agreed on a compromise. They found a Black female therapist, which was important to both of them as a Black family. The elder Oliver has felt the sting of being called aggressive for expressing normal emotions as a Black woman, and has had negative experiences with therapists and depression medication, which she said made her feel like a zombie.

The elder Oliver agreed her daughter could start therapy as long as she sat in on the sessions. But the therapist changed jobs after about a month, and Oliver hasnt seen another therapist since.

It has to be someone trustworthy, the elder Oliver said of a potential therapist for her daughter.

Trout, the school social worker at the Brooklyn charter school, said shes encountered a number of parents who, like Oliver, dont trust the schools recommendations, and wonder why their child would need therapy if theyre succeeding academically and socially.

If were thinking about predominantly Black and brown communities, if your interactions with social workers or mental health services or anything in that realm thus far have not been positive, she said, how could you trust them with your kids?

Statistics show a racial divide. In 2021, 14% of white children reported seeing a therapist at some point during that year, compared to 9% of Black children, 8% of Hispanic kids, and only 3% of Asian American children, according to a survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Without access to therapy, the younger Oliver has sought advice about managing her emotions through friends, school social workers, and the internet. But shes convinced she could do a lot more with consistent professional help.

Oliver has already gotten into a number of colleges to her moms enormous pride and is weighing her options for next year.

One thing shes considering: how much access they offer to therapists.

___

This story has been corrected to reflect that Derry was living in Georgia with her uncle and grandparents, and not her brother.

___

The Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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Schools are trying to get more students therapy. Not all parents are on board - KFOR Oklahoma City

The nation's respiratory virus activity last week remained elevated, and flu levels rose in some regions of the country, partly due to a slight rise in influenza B activity, which is sometimes seen in the latter half of the flu season.

In its respiratory virus snapshot today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said COVID-19 indicators declined last week, with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) levels continuing to decline in many areas.

The CDC said flu activity rose in the Central and Midwestern regions, mainly due to increasing detections of influenza B. And though flu test positivity remained stable nationally last week, it is increasing in the Middle Atlantic, Midwest, and Central parts of the country.

The percentage of outpatient visits for flulike illness remained steady, at 4.4%, and is still above the baselines for all 10 of the CDC's regions. Clinic visits for flu rose in young people ages 5 to 24 and remained stable for infants and toddlers, as well as for seniors.

Of viruses tested at public health labs, 76.1% were influenza A and 23.9% were influenza B. And of subtyped influenza A viruses, 67.5% were the 2009 H1N1 strain and 32.5% were H3N2.

Hospitalizations for flu decreased and were highest in seniors, followed by adults ages 50 to 64 and children ages 0 to 4.

Flu-related deaths trended downward overall, but the CDC reported 8 more pediatric flu deaths, raising the season's total to 74. The latest deaths occurred between the week ending December 23 and the week ending February 3. Seven were linked to influenza A, and, of 4 subtyped samples, 3 were H1N1 and the other was H3N2. One of the deaths was due to influenza B.

In its latest COVID-19 data update today, the CDC said its two main severity indicatorshospitalizations and deathsboth declined last week. Down 10% compared to the previous week, hospitalizations remain elevated in seniors and infants under 12 months of age. Deaths declined by 6.1%.

Early indicators also trended downward. Emergency department (ED) visits were down 10.8% and were highest in infants younger than 12 months and seniors. Test positivity declined by 0.6% and is at 10% nationally, with the level higher in parts of the Northeast and the South.

Wastewater levels nationally remain high but declining, according to CDC tracking. Biobot wastewater tracking shows an upward trend for the Northeast and level trends for other parts of the country.

RSV markers continue to decline in many areas. Hospitalizations are decreasing in young children but are still elevated in older adults, the CDC said.

ED visits and test positivity for RSV are also trending downward.

In its background information, the CDC said RSV activity typically occurs during late fall, winter, and early spring and that outbreak timing can vary by region and even among communities in the same region.

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NEW YORK (AP) A Brooklyn woman who pleaded guilty to fraud in connection with various pandemic-era relief schemes was sentenced Thursday to three years of probation and $650,000 in penalties.

Prosecutors said Chanette Lewis, 32, carried out some of the schemes by leveraging her job at a call center, part of a New York program meant to provide health care workers with isolation rooms in hotels. They said she provided free hotel rooms to people she knew werent eligible health care workers or COVID-19 patients, including herself.

During the pandemic, this defendant exploited a COVID-19 safe-lodging program for her personal profit; today she faces the consequences of her criminal conduct. I thank New York City Emergency Management for reporting this matter, New York Department of Investigation Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber said in a statement.

Its the latest example of how people are believed to have stolen an estimated $280 billion in government aid during the pandemic across the U.S., including New York. The sentencing Thursday was part of a larger case involving $400,000 of fraud in the hotel program.

Lewis admitted to defrauding the emergency programs, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York said in a statement, and she separately forged legal documents purporting to come from judges, prosecutors and doctors to get 30 people into public housing or into larger public housing apartments.

Using stolen personal information from real health care workers, she and three co-defendants were accused of securing the hotel rooms and then advertising them on Facebook to rent out, according to the Department of Investigation Statement. Co-defendants in the case have admitted to getting unemployment benefits in multiple states, along with fraudulent small business loans.

The Associated Press left phone and email messages with a lawyer involved in a plea deal in the case. It wasnt immediately clear if that was Lewis current attorney; requests to prosecutors and investigators for updated contact info were not immediately answered.

Lewis was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to forfeit $290,000 and pay another $360,000 in penalties. Her co-defendants received lesser sentences, or have yet to be sentenced.

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New York woman sentenced to probation and fines in COVID aid fraud schemes - The Associated Press