International
Alexander Chudik, M. Hashem Pesaran and Alessandro Rebucci
August 23, 2022
Experience in Europe shows that mandatory and voluntary social distancing and economic incentives to increase compliance with emergency measures were critical to bringing the COVID-19 viral reproduction number below 1indicating one infected person passed the virus to fewer than one other person. However, no single factor can account for the realized outcomes.
Among factors considered, we find that vaccine uptake was the most important in reducing effective transmission rates in 2021, though the other factors helped bring infections under control.
The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed millions of lives, brought about costly government interventions to contain it, and caused unprecedented and widespread economic disruption worldwide. The pandemic has now evolved into an endemic infectious disease amid heated debates on the pros and cons of social distancing and other containment policies, notably in China.
In our recent working paper, upon which this article is based, we examine the evolution of virus transmission rates in selected European countries since the start of the pandemic in early 2020. Although the European countries on which we focus had similar patterns of transmission at the beginning of the pandemic, they ended up with quite different outcomes.
We exploit these differences to learn about the key drivers of the effective reproduction numbers. In particular, we consider factors such as voluntary and government-mandated social distancing, economic support to comply with containment policies, vaccination uptake and virus mutations.
A common epidemiological metric to measure the spread of an infectious disease is the effective reproduction number, the R-number. It measures the new infections expected to result from one infected individual.
Over the past couple of years, this metric has been used widely in the popular press when reporting on the pandemic. An R-number above 1 implies the epidemic is expanding (since one new infection results in more than one expected secondary infection), whereas a value below 1 implies that the epidemic is contracting.
The R-number changes over time (and across countries) due to the shrinking share of susceptible individuals because of immunity following recovery (the so-called herd immunity component) or from a change in the underlying effective transmission rate, which in turn can depend on a multitude of factors mitigating viral spread.
Chart 1A shows our estimates of the R-number for Western Europe as an aggregate (red line) together with a model-implied estimate of what the R-number would have been without any contribution from the herd immunity (dotted blue line), which we broadly refer to as the effective transmission rate. This chart documents a lot of variationsix distinct waves (marked by the R-number exceeding 1)during 202021.
These estimates, however, mask often large differences in outcomes (number of new cases, hospitalizations and deaths) across countries, as shown in panels 1B (Spain) and 1C (Poland).
Downloadable chart | Chart data
Using a panel data approach, we exploit both time-series and cross-country variations in the rate of transmissions to identify the relative importance of different factors affecting the evolution the epidemic in Western Europe.
Changes to the transmission rate are governed by many factors, both biological and behavioral, such as mutations; social distancing (voluntary or mandatory); government-mandated mobility restrictions and compliance with mandated measures; and immunity changes due to vaccination.
We focus on five key factors. To proxy mandated social distancing and incentives, we use the aggregate stringency and economic support indexes compiled by the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker project for the first two factors.
To assess the potential impact of voluntary social distancing, we allow forthreshold effects (the third factor), which captures how the fear of becoming infected, stoked by news of increasing cases, influenced individual precautionary behavior. Vaccine availability and public vaccination uptake became more prominent in 2021. We proxy that development by adding the population share of vaccinated people to our panel regressions as a fourth factor.
Our sample ends in November 2021, before the onset of the dominant omicron variant. To proxy for important virus mutations during our sample period, we add the then-dominant delta variant share of the confirmed sequenced cases as our fifth factor.
We find that all determinants of the transmission rate as proxied by our variables are statistically highly significant and have the expected signs (Chart 2). Before the onset of vaccination, mandated containment policies, incentives to comply with them and voluntary changes in behavior arising from fear of infection were important in bringing down the R-number below 1 over sustained periods.
Downloadable chart | Chart data
Following the widespread use of vaccination and toward the end of our sample period in November 2021, we find that the degree of vaccine uptake is the most important contributor to the decline in the effective transmission rate.
The delta variant in the spring/summer of 2021 contributed to an increase in the R-number by about 1, which is substantial. Our country-specific estimates of the basic reproduction number (defined as the R-number in a fully susceptible population in the absence of any mitigation measures) are surprisingly similar across countries, in a tight range from 5.1 to 5.5, with a pooled estimate of 5.3. These estimates are much larger compared with earlier estimates found in the literature that range between 3.0 and 4.0.
As with most empirical research, our analysis has its limitations due largely to data issues. An elephant in the room is the accuracy of the reported number of infected cases and the measurement of mitigating factors used in our study. Infected cases are generally underreported, possibly by a factor of 2 to about 7, depending on the period and the country involved.
In our estimations, we allowed for underreporting of the number of infected cases and found that the results are robust to different assumptions on the magnitude of underreporting and its changes over time as availability of testing increased.
Our proxy variables are also imperfect measures. In addition, the availability of data and the related choice of using aggregate (country-level) data necessitate keeping regression specifications parsimonious, which means that we cannot separately examine each of the specific containment policies adopted.
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The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported more than 10,000 new COVID-19 cases and 13 new deaths related to the virus Aug. 14-20.
New cases reported: 10,052
Total cases in S.C.: 1,661,020
New deaths reported: 13
Total deaths in S.C.: 18,245
Percent of ICU beds filled (with COVID-19 and other patients): 62.2 percent
Percent positive: 21.9 percent
In South Carolina, 60.9 percent of people who are eligible for the vaccine have received at least one dose, and 52.8 percent of eligible residents are considered fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.
These numbers reflect all eligible residents in the state, including young children. The latest data from DHEC shows 22.5 percent of children ages 5-11 have at least one vaccine dose, and 2.7 percent of those under age 5 had received a dose of vaccine.
Of the 552 COVID-19 patients hospitalized as of Aug. 20, 75 were in the ICU and 32 were using ventilators.
"I would say there's never a bad time to get your booster if you're eligible. If you are over the age of 50 and you haven't gotten that second booster, you can still go ahead and get it now." said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on whether people should wait for fall booster.
Reach Tom Corwin at 843-214-6584. Follow him on Twitter at @AUG_SciMed.
Despite the emergence of the latest Omicron subvariants -- BA.2, BA.2.12.1, BA.4, and BA.5 -- Massachusetts observed no significant excess mortality this spring, researchers said.
From February to June 2022, when cases from these subvariants were highest, there were 0.1 excess deaths per 100,000 person-weeks in the state, corresponding to 134 excess deaths (95% CI -921 to 1,189), reported Jeremy Faust, MD, MS, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and editor-in-chief of MedPage Today, and colleagues.
And this was despite at least 226,857 new cases of COVID-19 during the 18-week stretch, according to their research letter in Lancet Infectious Diseases.
The level of excess mortality represents a 97.3% drop compared with the 8-week initial Omicron wave, during which there were 4.0 excess deaths per 100,000 person-weeks, or 2,239 excess deaths (95% CI 1,746-2,733), and a 92.7% drop compared with the combined 26-week Delta and Delta-to-Omicron transition periods, during which there were 1.5 excess deaths per 100,000 person-weeks, or 2,643 excess deaths (95% CI 1,192-4,094).
"We are finally in a phase now where highly immune populations can start to shoulder COVID-19 waves without the guarantee of excess mortality," Faust told MedPage Today. "Before, a COVID wave meant we knew we would have excess mortality."
However, illness from COVID-19 and associated hospitalizations continue to occur. "It's not all just about excess death," Faust noted.
Rather than the much-discussed "herd immunity," the morbidity levels being back to nearly normal shows "herd safety," he said.
"This spring, so many people walking around had a recent immune-generating event, vaccine, booster, or infection," with 80% of the Massachusetts population being fully vaccinated, he added. "So now we have something to show for that, but we don't know how long it will last."
There have been previous drops in mortality since the pandemic began. The first time there were fewer excess deaths in Massachusetts was during February to June 2021, when vaccines were being rolled out. During that time, "the mean age of newly infected people dropped precipitously and prevalence among people older than 60 years was low," Faust and co-authors wrote.
Conversely, the drop in mortality from late February to June 2022 did not correlate with infections in younger people. In fact, the mean age of newly infected people was higher, suggesting that "in our highly vaccinated state, current levels of immunity are considerable, leaving many, if not most, individuals at high risk with substantial protection against the most severe outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection," the authors noted.
For this analysis, Faust and colleagues used population data from 2014 to 2019, as well as weekly mortality data from January 2015 to February 2020 provided by the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, which was 99% complete for all study weeks. They applied seasonal autoregressive integrated moving averages to project the weekly number of expected deaths for Massachusetts for Feb. 3, 2020 to June 26, 2022.
Faust explained that other states, including but not limited to Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia, are reporting higher rates of excess mortality during the same time period. Data are currently unpublished, as they are incomplete, "but the complete numbers won't be lower," he said.
Ingrid Hein is a staff writer for MedPage Today covering infectious disease. She has been a medical reporter for more than a decade. Follow
Disclosures
Faust reported no conflicts of interest. One co-author reported multiple relationships with government sources and pharmaceutical companies.
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Medical experts weighed in on the advancement of school COVID-19 mask mandates and other pandemic-related measures for the upcoming academic year, at odds over whether the science makes sense.
Several schools have surprised parents with announcements that they'll keep pandemic-related policies in place in the case of high transmission rates. The BA.5 Omicron subvariant of the virus is surging, but current vaccines continue to offer protection against hospitalization for severe disease and death.
The Desoto, Texas, school district said its mask requirement will remain for the 2022-2023 school year because of the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Dallas County. DeSoto ISD said it won a lawsuit allowing them to enforce the use of masks despite Gov. Gov. Greg Abbotts ban on mask mandates in school.
"The district will continue to require masks to be worn at all schools, sites, activities when the community level in Milwaukee County is rated in the High category as determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)," Milwaukee Public Schools recently wrote.
FAIRFAX COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD CRITICIZED FOR BAFFLING, ANTI-SCIENCE MEMO ON MASKING
Gabby Mondelli teaches her fourth grade students at Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia, on Thursday, August 19, 2021. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/For The Washington Post via Getty Images) (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The Fairfax County School Board in Virginia sparked a firestorm by making a similar announcement in a recent email to the school community.
"FCPS requires all students to wear a face covering when indoors (except while actively eating/drinking) on school property (to include the buildings, school buses and other school provided vehicles) when the CDC COVID-19 Community Level for Fairfax County is high," the email read. "The current level for Fairfax County is medium. The Code of Virginia allows parents/legal guardians to elect for their child not to wear a face covering while on school property."
"Parents have been left discouraged, angered and confused by this fear mongering and charade,"Elizabeth McCauley of the Virginia Mavens told Fox News Digital.
Frustrated parents have the backing of experts who say the time for mandates has long expired.
"Children continue to be the most vulnerable to harsh Covid restrictions," Fox News medical contributor Nicole Saphier told Fox News Digital. "The CDC has begun moving towards risk-based recommendations yet they are not speaking out when mask and vaccine mandates are still being instituted. Adults are able to congregate in bars, concerts, airplanes and other settings without masks yet kids, who have proven over and over again to be the lowest risk for severe Covid and over 90% of which have already had Covid, are being forced to mask up."
PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS IMPLEMENTING COVID RESTRICTIONS MEET FEROCIOUS COMMUNITY PUSHBACK
Saphier suggested a better path forward - one she said won't add to the physical and mental stress already caused by mandated mask wearing.
"They are told to mask-up despite zero reputable data demonstrating clinical benefit of cloth mask wearing in the lowest risk population, most of whom have natural immunity," she continued. "What we do know is that mask wearing can have consequences, physical and emotional. Schools need to move towards risk base mitigation measures and stop enforcing universal mandates. Higher (sic) risk staff and children and really anyone who wants to should be allowed to wear a facemask, however, no one should be forced to. Another asinine policy kids are dealing with is requiring boosters for college students to return in the fall. There is no place for universal mandates, vaccines and masks, at this point of the pandemic."
Ellen Phillips virtually teaches a second grade class for students who are either at home or in a separate classroom as in-person learning resumes with restrictions in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at Rover Elementary School in Tempe, Arizona, U.S., August 17, 2020. REUTERS/Cheney Orr (REUTERS/Cheney Orr)
VIRGINIA MOM BLASTS SONS' SUSPENSIONS FOR NOT WEARING MASKS: PUNISHED FOR POLITICAL REASONS
But health experts like Dr. Gabrielle Virgo, a Silver Spring, Md., pediatrician, "strongly believe" in continued masking.
"I strongly believe in masking," Virgo told the Washington Post. "We have to be realistic. We will see another new variant. This wont be the end of it. Were not at the point where its acceptable for everybody to be taking off their masks. I tell parents: Be prepared."
Julia Raifman, an assistant professor of health law, policy and management at Boston University, says there's enough evidence to suggest the masking has helped reduce COVID rates.
"We see that each layer of COVID mitigation helps but that none is sufficient to control COVID transmission on its own, especially in surges," Raifman told Fox News Digital. "There are several studies indicating mask mandates are associated with reduced COVID transmission, as well as the logic that COVID spreads through the air and that universal mask policies help people with COVID wear masks and reduce spread.
"I think we have been on a policy pendulum where we had business and school closures at first while we learned more about the virus but then we overswung the other direction, to the point where we have no mitigation. COVID remains harmful to health, education, and the economy, mask mandates remain one of the most impactful mitigation strategies, and we should be prepared to use mask mandates to reduce the harms of new surges," she added.
SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS: 70% SEE RISE IN STUDENTS SEEKING TREATMENT SINCE COVID-19 BEGAN: STUDY
The Berkeley Unified School District announced Friday that it will require masks be worn indoors for students, staff and visitors amid a surge in COVID-19 cases. (Berkeley Unified School District)
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Stanford Medical School Professor Dr. Jay Bhattacharya challenged the belief that mask wearing slows the spread of the virus.
"My position is that there is no high quality evidence such as a randomized trial that supports the notion that child masking slows the spread of Covid," he told Fox News Digital. "The experience of Sweden and other European countries shows that schools can operate normally without mask mandates without placing teachers at any elevated risk relative to them relative to other workers in the community."
Dr. LeRoy Essig, a pulmonary disease doctor at OhioHealth Physician Group in Columbus, Ohio, also advocated against facial coverings, telling Fox News Digital that kids who are learning to speak need to see facial expressions to help in their emotional development as they're learning to form words and sounds. Masked children, he said, also have a hard time seeing their classmates' facial expressions, which he said can cause "emotional segregration."
Some schools have pushed for better ventilation systems to improve air quality, an upgrade that could in some cases delay the return to in-person learning. Bhattacharya argued against that route and was adamant that children deserve a "normal school year."
"There are many long term physical and psychological harms to children from not resuming school unburdened by such non-pharmaceutical interventions, especially now that such a large portion of the population has immunity either from recovery from prior covid infection, the vaccine or both," he said. "Ventilation (sic) upgrades may be useful in some schools, but should not be used a pretext to delay the return to normal schooling. All children deserve a normal school year and covid should not be used as a reason to not provide that for American kids."
"This year, my personal take on it is that certainly kids should be in school," Essig agreed. "I think it's been pretty well established that, trying to do remote learning the quality of education is not up to par. The truancy rates are greater. And many kids obviously don't have the same accountability at home as when they're in school. So they certainly should be in school."
Cortney O'Brien isan Editor at Fox News. Twitter: @obrienc2
Three drugs, metformin, ivermectin and fluvoxamine are of limited effectiveness at preventing either hypoxia or hospitalisation or an emergency department visit in patients with COVID-19 according to the findings of a COVID-OUT, a recent randomised, placebo-controlled trial with all three medicines.
Before the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines, research efforts were directed towards repurposing existing medicines to treat the virus. Metformin was one such drug and some work revealed how the drug has an anti-thrombotic effect and was highly effective at inhibiting platelet activation. Moreover, other in vitro work found that metformin inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation and interleukin (IL)-1 production in cultured and alveolar macrophages along with inflammasome-independent IL-6 secretion, thus attenuating lipopolysaccharide and COVID-19-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome. Taken together, these data point to a possible role for the drug in the treatment of COVID-19 and which was supported by a retrospective analysis which showed that outpatient metformin use was associated with lower mortality and a trend towards decreased admission for COVID-19. Similarly, a systematic review found that fluvoxamine showed a high probability of being associated with reduced hospitalisation in outpatients with COVID-19. Finally, a Cochrane review concluded that uncertainty remains over the efficacy and safety of ivermectin used to treat or prevent COVID-19.
In trying to gather more evidence for the effectiveness of all three drugs in COVID-19, the COVID-OUT trialists, undertook a randomised, placebo-controlled trial with all three drugs. Eligible patients were non-hospitalised individuals who were enrolled within 3 days of a positive test for the virus and within 7 days of symptom onset. In addition, individuals were either overweight or obese, making them at high risk of severe disease if infected with COVID-19. Metformin was given at a dose of 1500 mg for 14 days (after a period of dose escalation over 6 days), fluvoxamine at a dose of 50 mg twice daily and ivermectin at a dose of 390 to 470 g per kilogram per day for 3 days. The primary event was severe COVID-19 over the 14 days of the trial, defined as a composite of hypoxia (< 93% oxygen saturation), emergency department visit, hospitalisation or death. The main secondary outcomes were the individual components of the composite primary outcome.
Metformin, ivermectin, fluvoxamine and COVID-19 outcomes
A total of 1323 participants with a median age of 46 years (56% female) of whom 52% were vaccinated against COVID-19, were enrolled and randomised to one of the three treatments or placebo. The median body mass index of participants was 30.
The adjusted odds ratio for the primary event with metformin was 0.84 (95% CI 0.66 1.09, p = 0.19), 1.09 (95% CI 0.76 1.45, p = 0.78) for ivermectin and 0.94 (95% CI 0.66 1.36, p = 0.75) for fluvoxamine. There were also no significant differences for each of the three drugs based on the secondary outcomes apart from a reduction in emergency department visits for metformin (odds ratio = 0.84, 95% CI 0.35 0.94) and while this finding was statistically significant, the authors made clear that since this was pre-specified as a secondary outcome, the result warranted further trial evidence.
Participants were also asked to self-rate the severity of daily symptoms during the study and these were not reduced any faster with the three drugs compared to placebo.
The authors concluded that none of the three drugs significantly prevented the primary event compared to placebo although the effect of metformin on emergency department visits warranted further investigation.
CitationBramante CT et al. Randomized Trial of Metformin, Ivermectin, and Fluvoxamine for Covid-19 N Eng J Med 2022
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If your waistline increased during the pandemic, youre not alone. Thats coming up on This Land of Ours.
New data from USDAs Economic Research Service shows that U.S. adults ages 20 and older reported a three percent higher prevalence of obesity during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from March 13, 2020, to March 18, 2021, compared to a pre-pandemic baseline period of January 1, 2019, to March 12, 2020.
Four behaviors that can influence the risk of obesityexercise, hours of sleep, alcohol use, and cigarette smokingwere also examined to help explain the change in the adult obesity rate during the pandemic. Participation in exercise rose 4.4 percent over the period, and people slept 1.5 percent longer, both associated with reducing obesity. Meanwhile, the number of days in the period of a month in which alcohol was consumed was 2.7 percent higher, and cigarette smoking dropped by four percent.
Listen to Sabrina Halvorsons This Land of Ours program here.
Sabrina HalvorsonNational Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She is a native of Californias agriculture-rich Central Valley.
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A new and different COVID-19 vaccine is now available on the Central Coast.
Novavax is the fourth coronavirus vaccine approved for emergency use in the U.S. Its now available at health clinics in San Luis Obispo County.
All vaccines work in a similar way in that they want the body to create neutralizing antibodies, said Dr. Scott Robertson, President and CEO of Pacific Central Coast Health Centers.
The ones that were familiar with the Moderna and the Pfizer they really provide instructions to the cells of the body to make something that looks like the virus so that it can mount an immune response, said San Luis Obispo County Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein.
Public health officials say that Novavax is a more traditional vaccine and is different from messenger RNA shots offered by Pfizer and Moderna.
This one, the Novavax, is more traditional in the way its made, said Dr. Borenstein. It actually has a protein-like substance in the vaccine that is the same protein thats on the virus itself.
Novavax is a two-shot vaccine and doses can be taken three to eight weeks apart. Currently, there is no booster available.
When you look at the data and the outcomes in terms of preventing infection and preventing serious or complex illness due to COVID-19, it really seems to be just as effective as the messenger RNA vaccines, said Dr. Robertson.
Health experts say that vaccination rates have dropped across the Central Coast over the past several months.
I think a lot of that has to do with the changing nature of COVID-19. We are seeing few people hospitalized despite the fact that theres been a tremendous prevalence over the last six weeks in all of our communities, added Dr. Robertson.
SLO Countys Public Health Officer says that Novavax has been made available, in part, due to ongoing concerns among some people over messenger RNA shots.
It may be an option for people who have been holding out for something that theyre more comfortable with, said Dr. Borenstein. I expect that demand will be modest because I think most of the people who have wanted to get vaccinated have already done so.
Novavax was authorized for emergency use this week in children between the ages of 12 and 17.
The new vaccine is available by appointment and special request. Anyone interested can call San Luis Obispo County Public Health at (805) 781-5500 for assistance.
This week, Pfizer asked the FDA to authorize its updated vaccine for people 12 and older. The shots include defenses against the omicron variant.
CLEVELAND Earlier this year, the FDA asked Pfizer and Moderna to create the next generation of COVID-19 vaccines that included defenses against the omicron variant. They did just that, starting clinical trials and releasing early data showing it gave a modest boost.
Except by then, omicron's subvariants took center stage.
The FDA then asked for a new vaccine including original COVID and omicron subvariants BA.4 and 5, but this time, they wanted these shots available by September. Both Pfizer and Moderna did what was asked, except their current data is coming from animal models, and human trials are just starting.
Some experts are concerned by the lack of human data, but last yearn the FDA released guidance that said modified vaccines targeting new variants could be authorized without the need for lengthy trials. A similar policy explains why different flu vaccines are produced each year without human testing.
So why the warp speed? Well, those under age 50 still aren't permitted to get their second booster shot. Their infection protection, even if they had COVID, is waning.
We're heading into cold and flu season, and as kids head back to school and we head indoors to avoid cold weather, it's likely we'll see a bump in COVID cases. Even though the original shots still work at preventing severe disease and death, they're not strong enough to prevent a wicked COVID cold, and BA. 5 is the most contagious of all the variants.
So if updated COVID shots can be given earlier, it may hold off another COVID infection wave.
"It's going to be really important that people this fall and winter get the new shot," White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator. Dr. Ashish Jha said. "It's designed for the virus that's out there, and again, based on everything we have seen so far, all the data suggests it should be highly effective against the new variants."
The FDA says it will review the safety and effectiveness of the shots before granting emergency use approval. However, it's unclear if the independent vaccine advisory board will be part of the review.
Once approval is given, Pfizer says it can begin shipping immediately. The U.S. Government secured 105 million doses of updated Pfizer vaccine and 66 million doses of Moderna's shots.
The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of August 24, 2022, there are currently 2,627 active COVID-19 cases statewide. There have been four deaths reported since the last report, with a total of 7,257 deaths attributed to COVID-19.
DHHR has confirmed the deaths of a 90-year old male from Marion County, a 79-year old male from Taylor County, a 79-year old male from Cabell County, and an 80-year old female from Logan County.
Each death of a West Virginian is a loss if felt by all, said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. As we extend our deepest sympathies to the loved ones, we encourage all residents to recognize the continued need for COVID vaccines and boosters.
CURRENT ACTIVE CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (32), Berkeley (162), Boone (42), Braxton (14), Brooke (17), Cabell (97), Calhoun (7), Clay (3), Doddridge (3), Fayette (82), Gilmer (19), Grant (24), Greenbrier (55), Hampshire (30), Hancock (41), Hardy (38), Harrison (97), Jackson (17), Jefferson (61), Kanawha (210), Lewis (29), Lincoln (49), Logan (69), Marion (102), Marshall (46), Mason (60), McDowell (41), Mercer (123), Mineral (64), Mingo (23), Monongalia (149), Monroe (28), Morgan (23), Nicholas (49), Ohio (45), Pendleton (5), Pleasants (0), Pocahontas (17), Preston (39), Putnam (72), Raleigh (118), Randolph (42), Ritchie (12), Roane (13), Summers (17), Taylor (28), Tucker (4), Tyler (4), Upshur (54), Wayne (41), Webster (10), Wetzel (24), Wirt (3), Wood (120), Wyoming (53). To find the cumulative cases per county, please visit coronavirus.wv.gov and look on the Cumulative Summary tab which is sortable by county.
West Virginians ages 6 months and older are recommended to get vaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19. Those 5 years and older should receive a booster shot when due. Second booster shots for those age 50 and over who are 4 months or greater from their first booster are recommended, as well as for younger individuals over 12 years old with serious and chronic health conditions that lead to being considered moderately to severely immunocompromised.
Visit the WV COVID-19 Vaccination Due Date Calculator, a free, online tool that helps individuals figure out when they may be due for a COVID-19 shot, making it easier to stay up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccination. To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines, or to find a vaccine site near you, visit vaccinate.wv.gov or call 1-833-734-0965.
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) Dayton Childrens Hospital saw an increased interest in the COVID-19 vaccine before school started, and health officials want to see that momentum continue even with kids back in school.
Dayton Childrens Chief Medical Officer Dr. Adam Mezoff said the push during the summer was to make sure kids would be fully vaccinated before they returned to school.
While the initial roll out there was a small but steady interest, there was there was a definite increase over the last, say, 4 to 6 weeks, Mezoff said.
In Ohio, nearly 28% of all 5 to 11-year-olds and 50% of 12 to 17-year-olds have started at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. 1,348 covid-19 cases and 11 hospitalizations for children 17 and under were reported last week, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
Mezoff said just because kids are already back in the classroom now, its not too late to get them their first dose.
Part of the the benefit isnt just trying not to get sick, which unfortunately it may or may not be that as effective as wed like in doing that,Mezoff said. But still, the biggest part of the benefit is to try and prevent you from getting seriously ill.
Mezoff said while the COVID-19 vaccine isnt required to go to school, its especially important now that the CDC has lessened quarantine requirements if a student is exposed to the virus.
Part of that acknowledges that this is now endemic, meaning that its its with us, so how do we push forward live with this but still be sensitive to the fact that we can get sick and it may be a preventable illness, Mezoff said.
Health officials told 2NEWS the data for routine childrens vaccines is reported by school districts to the Ohio Department of Health and wont be available until October.
