On July 5, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that two new subvariants of omicron, BA.4 and BA.5, have become the dominant strains of the COVID-19 coronavirus in all parts of the United States.
BA.5 currently makes up 54 percent of new cases, with its sister subvariant, BA.4, accounting for about 16 percent of recent infections.
In Europe, BA.4 and BA.5 are driving a summertime COVID-19 surge. Analysis of data by The New York Times showed that infections climbed to 57 cases a day per 100,000 people (as of July 6) from 33 cases a day per 100,000 people just two weeks earlier.
In a media briefing on July 6, Dr. Michael Ryan, MPH, the executive director of the World Health Organizations Health Emergencies Program, said that many European countries have seen a rise in hospitalizations but not an increase in intensive care admissions.
BA.4 and BA.5 have proven to be especially adept at eluding protective antibodies from vaccination or prior infection.
In an interview with Nexstar Media Wire, Peter Chin-Hong, MD, a infectious-disease expert at the University of California in San Francisco, said, The superpower of BA.4 and BA.5 is, if you had omicron in January, youre still going to be susceptible to getting BA.4 and BA.5. Its the escape artist of COVID, the Houdini, because the spike protein looks so different, even [compared] to BA.1. The front guards the antibodies are not recognizing it.
A study published in the journal Nature on July 5, based on lab studies headed by a team at Columbia University in New York City, indicated that BA.4 and BA.5 are four times more resistant to antibodies from three vaccine doses than BA.2, a previous version of omicron that was dominant in the United States in April.
Our study suggests that as these highly transmissible subvariants continue to expand around the globe, they will lead to more breakthrough infections in people who are vaccinated and boosted with currently available mRNA vaccines, said the studys lead author, David Ho, MD, the director of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center at Columbia University, in a press release.
William Schaffner, MD, an infectious-disease specialist and a professor of preventive medicine and health policy at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, views the spread of BA.4 and BA.5 as a glass half-empty, glass half-full situation.
Yes, the BA.4 and BA.5 variants are not as well covered by the current vaccines, but the current vaccines do continue to provide substantial protection against serious disease caused by these variants, says Dr. Schaffner. The vaccines continue to keep people out of the hospital.
Older, unvaccinated people may be at risk of serious illness from the new subvariants. In Nevada the week ending July 8, hospitalizations in Clark County rose for the second week in a row, according to the states department of health and human services, with unvaccinated people who are 70 and up accounting for the majority of admissions.
Based on data from the Zoe COVID Symptom Study (in which people report symptoms via phone app), the most common signs of coronavirus infection in England (where BA.4 and BA.5 also dominate) are runny nose, sore throat, headache, persistent cough, and fatigue. Under a third of study respondents indicated that they had a fever.
The CDC regularly updates county-by-county information showing where COVID-19 transmission is highest. (A COVID-19 County Check tool on the website allows you to plug in details about your location to check the status in the area where you live.)
If you live in an area of substantial or high transmission, the CDC urges you to wear a mask in indoor public places if you are 2 or older. In areas with high numbers of COVID-19 cases, you should consider wearing a mask in crowded outdoor settings and for activities requiring close contact with others who are not fully vaccinated.
If you live in a high-transmission zone, the CDC also encourages you to stay six feet apart from people not in your household. The health agency reminds the public that even people without symptoms can spread the virus.
People in high-risk groups need to take extra precautions. These groups include everyone age 65 and older; those younger than 65 who have any underlying illness, such as heart or lung disease or diabetes; and anyone who is immunocompromised.
Dr. Ho said the development of new vaccine boosters aimed at BA.4 and BA.5 offers hope to improve protection against infection and severe disease. Updated formulations are expected to be ready this fall.
Looking further into the future, scientists will need to continually develop new vaccines and treatments that can anticipate the ongoing evolution of the virus.
Now that we have entered the COVID endemic phase, well have to learn how to live with this mutating virus,says Schaffner. There are lessons to be learned from how we cope with influenza. Our public health surveillance system will have to keep up with the changes in the COVID virus as it already does with influenza, and then our vaccines will be updated, again as we do with influenza. It would not surprise me if we will be getting annual COVID vaccinations along with our annual flu shots.
New York City will receive another approximately 14,500 monkeypox vaccine doses from the federal government this week.
New appointments will go online for eligible New Yorkers on Tuesday at 1:00 PM for vaccinations at the Departments Central Harlem, Chelsea and Corona Sexual Health Clinics.
July 11, 2022 The Health Department today announced that more JYNNEOS monkeypox vaccine doses are coming to New York City. The next allocation of vaccine, totaling more than 14,500 doses, is expected to arrive later this week from the federal government. The Health Department will announce in the coming days how this allocation will be distributed, prioritizing fast and equitable delivery to New Yorkers. In addition, the city will open the remaining approximately 2,500 appointments from last weeks 6,000-dose allocation at New York Citys temporary vaccine clinics located at the Central Harlem Sexual Health Clinic (2238 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan), the Chelsea Sexual Health Clinic (303 Ninth Avenue in Manhattan) and the Corona Sexual Health Clinic (34-33 Junction Boulevard, Queens). These appointments are comprised of 1,250 appointments that can be booked online as well as 1,250 appointments through direct referrals from providers for higher-risk and more vulnerable New Yorkers. Appointments will open at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 12, with a scheduling link available through the Department of Health and Mental Hygienes website at: nyc.gov/health/monkeypox.
"I commend New Yorkers for taking charge of their health and getting vaccinated," said Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. "We know that vaccine supply continues to be scarce, and appointments may be difficult to get. But were working with community-based organizations to ensure an equitable approach and were working with federal partners to secure even more vaccine soon. As we scale up vaccination, we encourage New Yorkers to exercise some caution. Stay home if you feel sick, and especially if you develop a rash or sores that may be monkeypox, and follow some basic preventive measures."
Including the appointments opening on July 12, almost 7,000 doses of monkeypox vaccines will have become available to New Yorkers since June 23. This includes 1,000 appointments that opened on June 23. Since July 6, another 2,400 appointments were booked through the web portal. Another 1,650 total appointments are being distributed through direct referrals from providers and community-based partners, including 1,250 new referrals this week. Tomorrow, the remaining 1,250 appointments will open online to be booked through the web portal. Finally, the city is distributing 620 doses for people suspected or confirmed with monkeypox, identified by the Health Department through its contact tracing effort.
New Yorkers can now also sign up for text notifications to receive alerts about monkeypox in NYC, including appointment releases, by texting MONKEYPOX to 692692 or MONKEYPOXESP for alerts in Spanish. Message and data rates may apply.
The monkeypox outbreak is growing in New York City, and the risk of exposure through sex and other close physical contact is increasing. Anyone can get and spread monkeypox. The current cases are primarily spreading among social networks of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, so this community is currently at greater risk of exposure. Due to limited supply of the JYNNEOS vaccine nationally, eligibility during this phase is restricted to those at highest risk of a recent exposure based on national and local cases. Currently, this is gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men and transgender, gender non-conforming, or gender non-binary persons ages 18 and older who have had multiple or anonymous sex partners in the last 14 days. More appointments will go online when more vaccine is allotted to New York City by the federal government.
The monkeypox virus is most often spread through direct contact with a rash or sores of someone who has the virus. It can also spread through contact with clothing, bedding, and other items used by a person with monkeypox, or from respiratory droplets that can be passed in prolonged close contact. Transmission can occur during sex or other close physical contact. It is not yet known if monkeypox can spread through saliva, semen or vaginal fluids.
The most common symptom is a rash or sores that can look like pimples or blisters. These may be all over the body or just in certain parts, such as the face, hands, or feet, or around or inside the mouth, genitals or anus. Before or at the same time the rash or sores appear, some people have flu-like symptoms, such as fever, swollen lymph nodes, headache, and tiredness. In some cases, monkeypox can cause severe illness. A person is contagious until all sores have healed, and a new layer of skin has formed, which can take two to four weeks.
To reduce the chance of getting or spreading monkeypox, do not engage in sex or other close physical contact (such as touching, massage, or kissing) if you or your partners are sick and especially if you or they have a new or unexpected rash or sores anywhere on the body. Avoid gatherings and direct contact with others if you are unwell or have a rash or sores. Wash your hands, sex toys and bedding before and after sex or other intimate activities. As more New Yorkers are diagnosed with monkeypox, it is crucial to seek care as soon as you notice a rash or sores. If you dont have a health care provider, visit the NYC Health Map or call 311 to be connected to care. People who receive the vaccine should continue to take these precautions to prevent transmission of monkeypox.
The JYNNEOSTM vaccine has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the prevention of monkeypox in people ages 18 and older. The vaccine is given as two doses, at least four weeks apart.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Patrick Gallahue / Michael Lanza PressOffice@health.nyc.gov
Macau has closed all its casinos for the first time in more than two years and other cities in China have imposed more curbs asthey try to contain Omicron-fuelled outbreaks of the coronavirus.
Macaus more than 30 casinos will shut for at least a week, with residents told to stay home for all but essential trips.
Police will monitor flows of people outside and stringent punishments will be imposed on those who disobey, said the government, which is following mainland Chinas strict zero COVID approach.
Macau has recorded about 1,500 cases since mid-June, with some 19,000 people in mandatory quarantine.
More than 30 zones have been deemed high risk and have been locked down, with no one allowed to enter or exit for at least five days.
Many casinos had already been operating with minimal staffing for the past three weeks, but this is the first time they have been completely closed since February 2020.
The restrictions in Macau come as multiple cities on the mainland began adopting new curbs to control the spread of COVID-19.
In Shanghai, residents were bracing for another mass testing campaign after a case of the BA.5 sub-variant was found.
In the central province of Henan, the town of Qinyang has almost completely locked down its nearly 700,000 residents from Sunday, with one person from each household allowed out every two days to get groceries.
In some areas, people have been told not to leave home at all.
Four major districts in the northwestern city of Lanzhou, in Gansu province, and the southern cities of Danzhou and Haikou in Hainan province, are under temporary curbs for several days, with entertainment and cultural spaces closed.
The city of Nanchang in southern Jiangxi province, with 6.3 million residents, shut some entertainment venues on Saturday, although the duration of the curbs was not specified.
In the northwestern province of Qinghai, the city of Xining kicked off a mass testing campaign on Monday after one person tested positive on Sunday.
Several major districts in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou also began mass tests on Monday
Meanwhile, nearby Hong Kong said it was considering adding real-name registration to its COVID-19 contact tracing app to ensure people who had the virus or had been ordered to undergo testing did not continue to move about the city.
Hong Kongs new health minister, Lo Chung-mau, said the change would protect the freedoms of those without the virus.
Everyone agrees that those who have COVID-19 should actually not go out and harm the rest of the population, Lo told a television programme on Sunday. If we give COVID-19 positive people freedom and let them roam the surrounding areas, those without COVID-19 will have their freedoms affected.
The health code system is used in the mainland and Macau and has three levels: red, yellow and green. Only those whose app is green are allowed to enter places like restaurants.
Strict curbs have fuelled frustration among residents in the mainland as well as both Chinese territories.
Residents in Macau have already been tested six times for the coronavirus since mid-June and are expected to do rapid antigen tests daily. As part of the new measures, they will be required to take part in mass COVID-19 tests four times this week.
More than 90 percent of the territorys 600,000 people are fully vaccinated against the virus.
WIMBLEDON, England With the final match looming, this years edition of Wimbledon has already proven many points.
Rafael Nadal can play top-level tennis with a zombie foot and a tear in an abdominal muscle, but only for so long. Iga Swiatek is beatable, at least on grass. With the Moscow-born, Kazakhstan-representing Elena Rybakina making the womens singles final, barring Russian players does not necessarily make a competition free of Russian players.
But perhaps most surprisingly, after 27 months of tournament cancellations, spectator-free events, constant testing and bubblelike environments, tennis may have finally moved past Covid-19.
For nearly two years, longer than just about every other major sport, tennis struggled to coexist with the pandemic.
Last November, when the N.F.L. the N.B.A., the Premier League and most other sports organizations had resumed a life that largely resembled 2019, tennis players were still living with restrictions on their movements, conducting online video news conferences, and having cotton swabs stuck up their noses at tournaments.
A month later Novak Djokovic, then the No. 1 mens singles player, contracted a second case of Covid just in time to secure, he thought, special entry into Australia to play the Australian Open, even though he was unvaccinated against Covid-19 and the country was still largely restricted to people who had been vaccinated. Australian officials ended up deporting him because they said he might encourage other people not to get vaccinated, a drama that dominated the run-up to the tournament and its first days.
The episode crystallized how tennis, with its kinetic international schedule, had been subjected to the will and whims of local governments, with rules and restrictions shifting sometimes weekly. The frequent travel and communal locker rooms made the players something like sitting ducks, always one nasal swab away from being locked in a hotel room for 10 days, sometimes far from home, regardless of how careful they might have been.
Tennis, unlike other sports that surged ahead of health and medical guidelines to keep their coffers filled, has had to reflect where society at large has been at every stage of the pandemic. Its major organizers canceled or postponed everything in the spring and early summer of 2020, though Djokovic held an exhibition tournament that ended up being something of a superspreader event.
The 2020 U.S. Open took place on schedule in late summer without spectators. To be at the usually bustling Billie Jean King National Tennis Center those weeks in New York was something like being on the surface of the moon. A rescheduled French Open followed in the chill of a Paris fall with just a few hundred fans allowed. Australia largely subjected players to a 14-day quarantine before they could take part in the 2021 Australian Open.
As vaccinations proliferated later in the year, crowds returned but players usually had to live in bubbles, unable to move about the cities they inhabited until the summer events in the U.S. But as the delta variant spread, the bubbles returned. Then came Australia and Djokovics vaccine confrontation, just as disputes over mandates were heating up elsewhere.
In recent months though, as public attitudes toward the pandemic shifted, mask mandates were lifted and travel restrictions were eased, even tennis has seemingly moved on, even if the virus has not done the same.
There was no mandatory testing for Wimbledon or the French Open. People are confused about what they must do if they get the sniffles or a sore throat, and tennis players are no different. Many players said they were not sure exactly what the rules were from tournament to tournament for those who started not to feel well. While two widely known players, Matteo Berrettini and Marin Cilic, withdrew after testing positive, without a requirement to take a test, they, and any other player, could have opted not to take a test and played through whatever symptoms they were experiencing.
So many rules, Rafael Nadal said. For some people some rules are fine; for the others rules are not fine. If there are some rules, we need to follow the rules. If not, the world is a mess.
After nearly two years of bubble life though, hard-edge complaints about a dont-ask-dont-tell approach and safety mandates were virtually nonexistent.
Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia, whose country had some of the strictest pandemic-related policies, said she remained cautious, especially at the bigger events, but she had reached the point where she needed to find a balance between safety and sanity.
I just try to take care of myself as much as I can where Im still not completely isolating myself, where its not fun to live, said Tomljanovic, who lost to Rybakina in the quarterfinals.
Paula Badosa, the Spanish star, said she has stopped worrying about the virus.
I had all type of Covids possible, said Badosa, who first tested positive in Australia in January 2021 and has had it twice more. I had vaccination, as well. So in my case, if I have it again, it will be very bad luck.
Officials with the mens and womens tours said regardless of infection levels, their organizations had no intention of resuming regular testing or restricting player movements. They said they will follow the lead of local officials.
With testing, quarantine and isolation requirements having all but disappeared, or merely existing as recommendations, tennis finally seems to have entered a stage of pandemic apathy, much like a lot of society, Omicron and its subvariants be damned.
There is, of course, one major exception to all of this, and that is Djokovic, whose refusal to be vaccinated unique among the top 100 players on the mens tour will seemingly prevent him from playing in the U.S. Open.
U.S. rules require all foreigners entering the country to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Djokovic has said he believes that individuals should be allowed to choose whether to do so without pressure from governments.
Also, because he was deported from Australia, Djokovic would need a special exemption to return to the country to compete in the Australian Open in January. He has won the mens singles title there a record nine times.
Unless the rules change, he may not play in another Grand Slam tournament until the French Open next May, something he said he was well aware of but would not shift his thinking about whether to take the vaccine.
In other words, Covid really isnt done playing games with tennis.
Coronavirus cases are rising in the U.S. again.
Eighteen states reported more cases in the week of June 30-July 7 than in the week before, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins University data.
Although the increase in cases doesnt approach the meteoric levels of previous waves, health experts said what's recorded is likely an undercount because of underreported test results.
Read more from reporter Adrianna Rodriguez here.
It's Monday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from theUSA TODAY Network. Here's more news to know:
See our COVID-19 resource guide here. See total reported cases and deaths here. On vaccinations: About 78% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and about 67% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
Cady Stanton, USA TODAY Nation NOW reporter, @cady_stanton
Mike Stucka USA TODAY NETWORK| Henderson Gleaner
New coronavirus cases leaped in Kentucky in the week ending Sunday, rising 24.6% as 9,704 cases were reported. The previous week had 7,786 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Kentucky ranked 22nd among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 4.6% from the week before, with 750,600 cases reported. With 1.34% of the country's population, Kentucky had 1.29% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 24 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
The Fourth of July holiday disrupted who got tested, when people got tested and when both test results and deaths were reported. This may significantly skew week-to-week comparisons.
Henderson County reported 84 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 69 cases and two deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 14,474 cases and 173 deaths.
Union County reported 17 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 25 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 4,436 cases and 57 deaths.
Webster County reported 26 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 13 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 4,049 cases and 50 deaths.
Within Kentucky, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Breathitt County with 554 cases per 100,000 per week; Lyon County with 463; and Washington County with 455. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.
Adding the most new cases overall were Jefferson County, with 1,625 cases; Fayette County, with 780 cases; and Hardin County, with 370. Weekly case counts rose in 59 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Daviess, Woodford and Pulaski counties.
>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases
Across Kentucky, cases fell in 58 counties, with the best declines in Jefferson County, with 1,625 cases from 2,063 a week earlier; in Bullitt County, with 156 cases from 312; and in Calloway County, with 118 cases from 204.
In Kentucky, 44 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 39 people were reported dead.
A total of 1,414,766 people in Kentucky have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 16,216 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 88,593,875 people have tested positive and 1,020,861 people have died.
>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, July 10. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
Hospitals in 39 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 35 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 42 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.
The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.
Mike Stucka USA TODAY NETWORK| Plaquemine Post South
New coronavirus cases leaped in Louisiana in the week ending Sunday, rising 11.2% as 15,535 cases were reported. The previous week had 13,968 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Louisiana ranked second among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 4.6% from the week before, with 750,600 cases reported. With 1.4% of the country's population, Louisiana had 2.07% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 24 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
John Hopkins University has been collecting data from Louisiana on an erratic schedule, skewing week-to-week comparisons.
The Fourth of July holiday disrupted who got tested, when people got tested and when both test results and deaths were reported. This may significantly skew week-to-week comparisons.
Iberville Parish reported 132 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 123 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 9,936 cases and 152 deaths.
Within Louisiana, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in East Carroll Parish with 670 cases per 100,000 per week; West Carroll Parish with 600; and Bossier Parish with 564. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.
Adding the most new cases overall were East Baton Rouge Parish, with 1,402 cases; Caddo Parish, with 1,069 cases; and Jefferson Parish, with 1,069. Weekly case counts rose in 45 parishes from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in East Baton Rouge, Ouachita and Orleans parishes.
>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases
Across Louisiana, cases fell in 19 parishes, with the best declines in Richland Parish, with 95 cases from 160 a week earlier; in Caddo Parish, with 1,069 cases from 1,122; and in St. Mary Parish, with 125 cases from 164.
In Louisiana, 13 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 26 people were reported dead.
A total of 1,326,364 people in Louisiana have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 17,431 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 88,593,875 people have tested positive and 1,020,861 people have died.
>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, July 10. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
Hospitals in 39 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 35 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 42 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.
The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.
A new study posted tothe medRxiv* preprint serverinvestigated the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on mental health, the important health determinants, and disparities resulting from such effects. To fully understand these effects, the researchers designed a pan- Canadian population-based prospective COVID-19:HEalth and Social Inequities across Neighbourhoods(COHESION) cohort.
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly diminished several social factors, including possibilities of access to resources that promote health and wellbeing and in-person social contacts. Patient safety efforts to curb transmission have halted economic activity, resulting in huge unemployment and income losses, limiting people's daily mobility and opportunity for face-to-face social communication. COVID-19 restrictions such as lockdown, confinement, and physical separation lessen social interactions, raise a sense of isolation and emotional distress, and reduce levels of social engagement. These factors have significantly impacted the wellbeing and mental health of global populations.
According to evidence from Canada, certain populations, including adolescents, older individuals, women, and racialized communities, are disproportionately at risk for social isolation, domestic violence, and anxiety. Restrictive measures impede daily movement and physical activity, and lower activity zones have been associated with depressive symptoms and sleep problems. Additionally, dwindling outdoor spaces and legislative restrictions limit regular commute; hence, residential living circumstances have gained an increasingly vital role.
Studies have demonstrated that the prevalence of COVID-19 is higher among priority communities struggling under substandard social and environmental conditions. Urban sprawl and living in poor housing facilities affect mental health and wellbeing. Furthermore, continued proximity to home surroundings during lockdowns exacerbates these effects.
Economic distress, associated with wage abatement and job insecurity, has significantly contributed to Canadians' mental health burdenand is also linked to housing instability and food insecurity. As a result, harmful health behaviors such as alcoholism or drug abuse are on the rise and have been related to worsening mental health outcomes.
In the face of these circumstances, there is a growing need to comprehend the relationships between factors like living conditions and neighborhood and behavioral patterns, for example transportation, interpersonal interactions, sleep, and mental wellbeing dynamics specifically, the unanticipated long-term ramifications of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and mitigation measures. Furthermore, the impacts are likely to differ among demographic groupings, for instance according to gender, age, racialized communities, or deprivation level.
This study entailed COHESION Study; the COHESION Project is a two-phase, pan-Canadian, population-based, prospective cohort study. COHESION Phase 1 took place between May 2020 and September 2021. During this time, the COHESION research platform gathered monthly data related to COVID-19, including infection and vaccination status, beliefs and attitudes pertaining to pandemic-related measures, and information on participants' health and wellbeing, sleep, boredom, adaptability, drug use, living standards, interpersonal relationships, events, and transportation. COHESION Phase 2 began in May 2022. All Phase 1 participants were invited to join in Phase 2, and an additional 10,000 people were recruited.
The present study reported that COHESION was unique in incorporating the Visualization and Evaluation of Route Itineraries, Travel Destinations, Activity Spaces, and Social Interactions (VERITAS-Social) questionnaire into the baseline, as well as follow-up surveys of the two phases. It was modified for COHESION to identify a probable list of up to twenty tasks.
Veritas-Social is an interactive questionnaire based on a map that collects a person's social network and activity locations. It is adapted from the VERITAS tool, which provides information on places and activities.
Phase 2 of COHESION would continue to implement the survey method at the health region level, based on Census data from 2016 (i.e., age composition, gender, income, educational attainment, and ethnicity). Researchers gathered geo-target respondents based on sampling quotas.
The Phase 1 COHESION Study involves 1,268 participants who are mostly from Ontario (47%) and Quebec (33%), of the age-range 48 16 years old, and are mostly women and White, having a university degree (63%) and living in large urban areas.
The first year of follow-up demonstrated considerable temporal fluctuations in standardized measures of wellbeing, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and psychological distress, as indicated by the monthly prospective questionnaires.
Significant temporal fluctuations in standardized indices of wellbeing, anxiety, depressed mood, loneliness, and emotional stress were observed during the first year of follow-up. At baseline, 72%, 14%, and 18% of subjects indicated a monthly usage of alcohol, cigarettes and/or vaping, and cannabis, respectively.
Therefore, throughout the study, wellbeing dropped in waves, although sleep duration remained unchanged. However, loneliness levels remained higher during all follow-up waves compared to the pre-pandemic era. Moreover, fluctuations in mental health indices were detected throughout the follow-up period. Depression and emotional stress indices were much lower during the festive season.
The study emphasizes the significance of monitoring and evaluating the unforeseen consequences of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and health equity. Effective and modified public health policies and programs are warranted, for instance pedestrianizing streets, extending access to parks, improving housing conditions and neighborhoods, providing permanent supportive housing, and implementing neighborhood greening programs.
The study presents a complete picture of how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health and wellbeing of the Canadian population. Flexible infrastructure can address the local needs of the population and could enable better recuperation from the impacts of the ongoing pandemic.
medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
For a study, researchers sought to summarise the existing research on the psychological effects of the 2019 coronavirus illness (COVID-19) on people with allergy conditions and highlight any areas that still require further study. Case studies, published guidelines from expert groups specializing in allergic diseases, mixed-method studies documenting patient and caregiver experiences, and original publications and abstracts employing online and telephone surveys were included. Risk factors for unfavorable psychological outcomes in people with asthma and other chronic respiratory illnesses include asthma severity, female sex, and a history of anxiety and depression. It was probably because of the perception of a high risk of serious illness from COVID-19. According to one study, individuals with allergic rhinitis scored significantly higher on anxiety and depression than healthy controls (P<.001). Parents and other caregivers during COVID-19 were most affected psychologically by food allergies. The psychological toll on parents of children with asthma was also significant. Patients with asthma experienced significant psychological effects from COVID-19. Little information has been published on the effects of COVID-19 on patients with allergic rhinitis and food allergies. It was crucial that doctors were aware of the potential link between mental illness and chronic allergic diseases and referred these patients, and their caregivers, to the appropriate resources while continuing to manage their allergic disease as COVID-19 research continues to advance and the literature captures later stages of the pandemic.
Source sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1081120621013107
In a recent study published in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, researchers explored intent and belief in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in the Netherlands.
The COVID-19 vaccines have played an indispensable role in curbing the infections and mortality caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, the efficacy of the vaccines is majorly dependent on the high and equal distribution of vaccine uptake in a population.
In the present study, the researchers employed mental models to explore the beliefs underlying and intentions toward COVID-19 vaccination.
The team conducted a survey between 12 March and 22 March 2021 when 1.5 million out of 17.5 million Netherlands residents were either partly or fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 infections. The online survey was sent to 6810 individuals aged 18 years and above. The sample chosen for the survey was deemed as representative of the general Dutch population according to demographic characteristics.
Vaccination intention was assessed as follows. All the participants who were not vaccinated despite receiving an invitation for COVID-19 vaccination were asked Do you want to get vaccinated against the coronavirus? while the respondents who reported that they did not receive an invitation for COVID-19 vaccination were questioned If you are invited for a COVID-19 vaccination, do you then want to get vaccinated? The participants were required to answer the questions on a 5-point Likert scale wherein the points indicated 1. Certainly not; 2. Probably not; 3. Dont know; 4 Probably yes; 5. Certainly yes.
The beliefs pertaining to COVID-19 and vaccination were assessed by identifying major elements present in the mental models underlying the vaccination intentions. The beliefs were analyzed with the question: We would like to know what you think about the coronavirus/vaccination against the coronavirus. For each statement, indicate to what extent it aligns with what you think. I think . This question was followed by a total of 25 statements which were scored based on the 5-point Likert scale which could be classified into seven elements of mental modes of a person: (1) beliefs related to COVID-19 risk to oneself and ones loved ones, (2) safety of COVID-19 vaccination, (3) effectiveness of vaccination, (4) social benefits related to the vaccination, (5) alternatives to vaccination, (6) social norms associated with vaccination behavior, and (7) accessibility of vaccination.
The team also assessed the extent to which the beliefs were responsible for the variation in vaccination intentions and identified the specific beliefs that determined vaccination intentions. This was achieved by performing a regression analysis using Random Forest (RF), a machine learning method that facilitated regression and classification according to an ensemble of decision trees.
A total of four types of outputs were taken into account after the RF analysis: (1) variable importance ranking (VIR) which ranked control and independent variables, (2) particle dependence which indicated the extent and the direction of association between the dependent and independent variables, (3) cumulative variance explained which represented the variance after the addition of an independent variable to the VIR, and (4) total variance explained.
The study results showed that 62.5% of the unvaccinated participants answered that they would certainly receive COVID-19 vaccination and 17.8% reported that they would probably want to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. However, 7.1% of the participants reported that they did not know yet if they would get vaccinated, 5.9% would probably not want to receive the vaccine, while 6.8% revealed that they certainly would not get vaccinated against COVID-19. The team noted that the average response with respect to vaccination intention was 4.2.
Statistical analysis showed that all 25 beliefs were substantially associated with vaccination intentions. Correlations between COVID-19 vaccination and the related beliefs regarding COVID-19 had moderate to strong associations between different risk perception beliefs related to COVID-19. Moreover, the team observed strong associations between COVID-19 vaccination and beliefs related to the safety of COVID-19 vaccination.
Furthermore, 27.7% of the participants indicated that they did not believe that the adverse effects associated with the COVID-19 vaccination were well-researched while 28.3% opined that the COVID-19 vaccines were developed too quickly. With respect to vaccine effectiveness, while the participants believed that the vaccines would effectively protect them against COVID-19, they were unsure if the vaccine would be effective only for a short duration.
Overall, the study findings showed that beliefs associated with COVID-19 explained the wide variation in COVID-19 vaccination intentions.
