Covid-19 vaccines have rapidly altered our relationship with SARS-CoV-2, turning a dangerous infection into something akin to the common cold for many vaccinated people who contract it. But while these vaccines are great at protecting against severe illness and death, they cannot stop vaccinated people from contracting the virus and experiencing mild symptoms.
If we want to prevent mild Covid infections, were going to need vaccines that protect us where infections start: in the mucus membranes of the nose, mouth, and throat. And for that, were likely going to need intranasal vaccines.
A number of research groups and companies are working on Covid-19 vaccines that would be delivered intranasally, but the development process is tricky. Watch the explainer above to learn more.
The latest Covid-19 case surge is expanding beyond the Northeast, with places from the Midwest to Florida and California under rising pressure.
Fueled by highly contagious versions of the Omicron variant, the tide is posing a test of how much new infections matter in a changing pandemic. Though built-up immunity in the population has kept more people out of hospitals, federal health officials on Wednesday urged people in hot spots to take precautions, from booster shots to pre-gathering tests and masks, to limit the virus spread.
Oregons chief disease specialist threaded a fine line Wednesday between cautioning Oregonians to protect themselves amid a surge in coronavirus infections while not ordering or even recommending statewide measures to prevent infection.
The current bump in identified COVID-19 infections, with a daily average of more than 1,400 reported cases per day, may be reaching its peak, Dr. Dean Sidelinger said at a now-monthly COVID-19 media update Wednesday. But the sustained growth in cases and hospitalizations means the pandemic is not yet over.
If youre in a gathering of people outside your home, sooner or later you will be exposed to the virus, Sidelinger said. The risk of exposure and infection exists in every Oregon community.
Deals on N95, KN95 face masks with free shipping
In the more than two years since the pandemic began, Oregon has reported an average daily case load higher than 1,400 for only about four months. And underscoring how widespread the disease is likely to be, the epidemiologist said most cases now are not reported to the state, because some people get their results through an at-home test, which doesnt have to be reported, or simply dont get tested at all.
Everyone in a county where the federally-determined risk level is medium should consider wearing a mask, Sidelinger said. Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties are at that risk level, as are Deschutes, Columbia and Benton counties. He also encouraged people who are unvaccinated, older, immunocompromised, at risk of severe disease or who live with anyone in those categories, to wear a mask.
The key marker of the severity of the current pandemic bump, hospitalizations, remains far below the peaks reached in either the omicron or delta waves. Thats expected to remain true through the peak, projected to hit 321 occupied beds by June 10. Hospitalizations approached 1,200 at the height of the delta wave. As of Tuesday, 255 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, according to Oregon Health Authority data.
OHA is optimistic that the overall number of Oregons hospitalized patients with COVID-19 will not exceed our hospital systems ability to care for them, Sidelinger said.
As for what happens after this wave is over, Sidelinger said he expects Oregon wont see sustained case growth through the summer thanks to immunity from recent infections and vaccinations and because people will be spending time outdoors.
But if new variants develop in Oregon, in other states or countries that come to Oregon, that could change as we move inside in the fall, Sidelinger said.
Fedor Zarkhin
Heres where you can restock your N95 and KN95 face masks: Deals with free shipping
You can now get more free COVID-19 tests from the government with the click of a button
Need to stock up on COVID tests for the summer? Where to buy a COVID-19 test online and how to find BinaxNow, iHealth, more at-home kits for sale with fast shipping
Xavier Becerra, the U.S. secretary of health and human services, tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday, his department said, hours after the White House announced that Ashley Biden, the daughter of President Biden and the first lady, Jill Biden, had tested positive.
Neither is considered a close contact to Mr. Biden, according to the administration. A close contact is someone who has been less than six feet away from an infected person for at least 15 minutes over a 24-hour period, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions guidelines.
Ms. Biden, 40, was scheduled to travel with Dr. Biden to Ecuador on Wednesday afternoon but will no longer make the trip with her mother. Earlier this month, Ms. Biden was to accompany Dr. Biden on her trip to Eastern Europe to visit Ukrainian refugees, but on the night of the trip, the White House said that Ms. Biden had been in close contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus and would stay behind.
Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said Wednesday that Mr. Biden had not seen his daughter in several days.
Mr. Becerra tested positive for the virus Wednesday morning in Berlin, where he was to participate in meetings for Group of 7 health ministers, Sarah Lovenheim, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement.
Mr. Becerra is fully vaccinated and boosted and is experiencing mild symptoms, the statement said. He will continue to work in isolation.
Mr. Becerra was last at the White House on Thursday and is not considered a close contact to Mr. Biden, according to Ms. Lovenheim. The White House requires masks and social distancing when officials meet with the president.
Ms. Biden and Mr. Becerra are among a handful of prominent people in the presidents orbit who have recently tested positive for the coronavirus, renewing concern about Mr. Bidens potential exposure, though none have been considered close contacts. Susan Rice, the White House domestic policy adviser, tested positive last week.
More than two years after the pandemic began, hundreds of thousands of Covid cases are still reported around the world every day.
With the advent of new variants, the Symptoms of covid disease It also evolved.
Initially, for example, the UK National Health Service (NHS), and the British SUS considered fever, cough, loss or change of smell or taste as the main symptoms that could indicate illness.
Now, recently updated NHS guidelines say we should watch for symptoms including sore throat, stuffy or runny nose, and Headache.
But what about some of the less obvious signs and symptoms? From skin lesions to hearing loss, new studies are increasingly showing us that the symptoms of Covid disease are not limited to a cold or flu Normal.
Skin problems associated with Covid are not uncommon. In fact, a British study published in 2021 found that one in five patients had only a rash and no other symptoms.
Covid-19 can affect the skin in several ways. Some people may have maculopapular rash (flat, raised spots), while others may have hives (raised, itchy spots).
So-called Covid toes are characterized by red, swollen or ulcerated skin lesions on the toes. These symptoms are more common in adolescents or young adults with mild or no symptoms.
Most skin lesions caused by the Covid virus tend to disappear after a few days or in some cases a few weeks without the need for any specific treatment.
However, if the skin itches or hurts severely, it is advisable to see a doctor who may recommend applying the cream.
During infection, including SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes covid-19), our body naturally tries to express that it is exposed to an unusual amount of stress.
Covid nails include changes such as:
Data on how many people have these nail problems is limited, but it is estimated that they can affect 1% to 2% of Covid patients.
Covid nails tend to appear in the days or weeks after infection, as the nails grow back. While it may be painful at first, most nails tend to return to normal within a few weeks.
While these changes could be indicative of Covid disease, they could be caused by different things. For example, Poes lines could be the result of chemotherapy or another infection.
Hair loss is perhaps an underestimated symptom of Covid-19, often occurring a month or more after an acute infection.
In a study of nearly 6000 people who were infected with the new Corona VirusHair loss was the most common post-coronavirus symptom, reported by 48% of participants.
Hair loss has been particularly prevalent among people with severe Covid and white women.
It is believed that the reason for this is that the hair feels pressure on the body, which leads to excessive shedding.
In fact, hair loss can also be caused by other stressful events such as childbirth. The good news is that over time your hair will grow naturally.
As with other viral infections such as flu its the measlesCOVID-19 has been found to affect cells of the inner ear, with hearing loss or tinnitus (a persistent ringing sensation in the ear) sometimes after infection.
In a study of 560 participants, hearing loss was reported in 3.1% of patients with covid-19, while tinnitus occurred in 4.5% of cases.
Another study, with 30 people diagnosed with covid-19 and 30 people without the disease, none of whom had pre-existing hearing problems, researchers found that covid-19 is associated with damage to the inner ear, which leads to hearing problems at longer frequencies . .
Although for most patients this resolves on its own, cases of permanent hearing loss associated with Covid have been reported.
We dont understand exactly what causes these symptoms, but we do know that the most important role is played by a process called inflammation.
Inflammation is our bodys natural defense mechanism against pathogens. SARS-CoV-2 in this case. It involves the production of cytokines (also called cytokines), which are proteins important in controlling the activity of immune cells.
Overproduction of these proteins, as part of the inflammation caused by Covid infection, can cause sensory deficits, which may explain why some people develop hearing loss and tinnitus.
It can also modify the networks of capillaries, which are very small blood vessels that supply blood to organs, including the ears, skin, and nails.
The symptoms we describe here are not unique to Covid infection. However, if you notice any of these symptoms, you should get tested for coronavirus, especially if you are in an area where the virus is common.
You may also want to call your doctor, especially if your symptoms get worse or cause you severe discomfort. At the same time, rest assured that most of these symptoms will likely improve over time.
* Vasilius Vasilo is Professor of Cardiology, Rano Baral is a Visiting Research Fellow (FY2 Academic Institution), and Vasiliki Tsambasian is a Clinical Fellow in Cardiology at the University of East Anglia, UK.
This article was originally published on the academic news site The Conversation and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. Read the Spanish version here.
With the latest round of COVID test kits from the government set to arrive in the mail as early as this week, how can you get yours?
The first shipments are already being sent to homes across the U.S.
Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic across Illinois today:
The first shipment in the latest round of at-home COVID test kits being sent to homes across the U.S. from the government are starting to arrive in mailboxes Thursday.
Test kits will be shipped for free to residences, according to the United States Postal Service. Those tests will come in two separate packages, with four test kits in each package, the USPS says.
You can now sign up to receive 8 free, at-home rapid antigen COVID tests in the mail, the federal government recently announced.
In previous rounds of test distributions residents could only claim up to four at-home COVID test kits per household.
Test kits will be shipped for free to residences, according to the United States Postal Service. Those tests will come in two separate packages, with four test kits in each package, the USPS says.
Here's how to sign upand get yours mailed to your home.
Chicago could soon reach a high alert level for COVID, but that doesn't necessarily mean mask mandates will return right away, the city's top doctor said Tuesday.
While masks are "strongly recommended" across the city with cases spiking, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said she's watching a different metric to determine if mandates will return.
Read more here.
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise around the United States, Chicago's top doctor says she expects the city could soon reach a "high" community level.
"Unfortunately that is the direction that we're heading," Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said in a Facebook Live Tuesday, calling it a "point of concern."
Read more here.
COVID cases and hospitalizations are continuing to climb in Illinois, with the state now averaging more than 6,000 new probable and confirmed COVID-19 cases per day.
It's the first time in more than three months Illinois has seen the daily rate that high.
The good news is, COVID testing across Chicago and at Illinois remains free at many sites. And, the federal government is now offering residents double the number of free COVID rapid antigen tests during its newest round of kit availability, according to anupdate by the United States Postal Service.
If you're experiencing symptoms, or you believe you've been exposed, here's where you can find free COVID testing near you in Chicago and Illinois, for adults and kids.
The federal government is now offering residents double the number of free COVID rapid antigen tests during its newest round of kit availability, according to an update by the United States Postal Service.
Whereas in previous rounds of test distributions residents could only claim up to four per household, residents can now request up to eight of the tests, which will be shipped for free to their residences.
According to the government, each order may contain eight rapid antigen COVID-19 tests. Those tests will come in two separate packages, with four test kits in each package, according to the USPS website.
Here's how to get yours.
If you test positive for COVID, how long could that last?
According to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, some people who contract COVID-19 can have detectable virus for up to three months, but that doesn't mean they are contagious.
When it comes to testing, however, the PCR tests are more likely to continue picking up the virus following infection.
Read more here.
For the first time in more than three months, Illinois is averaging more than 6,000 new probable and confirmed COVID-19 cases per day, with hospitalizations also beginning to climb across the state.
According to the latest data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, the state is averaging 6,065 new cases of COVID per day over the last week. That marks the first time the state has eclipsed the 6,000-case barrier since Feb. 9, when Illinois was still descending from the heights of its omicron-driven surge over the winter.
In the last seven days, the states daily average of new COVID cases has gone up by 17.7%, according to IDPH officials. In the last month, cases have increased by 174%.
On Monday, Illinois officials reported 5,447 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, with zero new fatalities reported.
You can find more data here.
The Food and Drug Administration has authorized a first-of-its-kind at-home testing kit that will allow individuals to collect samples and have them tested for a variety of respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19 and influenza.
According to a press release issued Monday, the FDA gave authorization to Labcorps Seasonal Respiratory Virus RT-PCR DTC test.
Those tests, available without a prescription, can be used by individuals with symptoms of respiratory viral infection, according to the FDA.
The tests allow an individual to self-collect a nasal swab at home, similar to that of an at-home COVID-19 test. Instead of getting the results in the home, those samples can be sent to Labcorp for testing.
The tests can identify and differentiate between a variety of illnesses, including influenza A and B, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19, according to the FDA.
COVID-19 cases have been on the rise across Chicago and the city's top doctor said the trend will likely continue in coming weeks, sparking questions from concerned residents.
Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, says thatthe city's positivity rate has soared to nearly 5% in recent weeks, and she expects metrics to continue to rise in the coming days.
Read more here.
With nearly every Chicago-area county having reached the "medium community level" for COVID-19 and one Chicago suburb reaching "high" transmission levels, per guidance set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, what does that mean for you?
So what does that mean and what does it take to reach each level?
Here's a look at the guidelines.
As more test positive for the coronavirus across the Chicago area, many are turning to questions over treating the virus with the new antiviral COVID-19 pill.
Pfizer's Paxlovid pill has been used in several recent high-profile cases, including Vice President Kamala Harris.
But as more doctors prescribe Pfizer's powerful COVID pill, new questions are emerging about its performance, including why a small number of patients appear to relapse after taking the drug.
Here's what we know so far.
COVID-19 cases have been on the rise across Chicago and the city's top doctor said the trend will likely continue in coming weeks, sparking questions from concerned residents.
Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, says thatthe city's positivity rate has soared to nearly 5% in recent weeks, and she expects metrics to continue to rise in the coming days.
"In this wave...it's likely that we'll have even more cases before we see it turn around," she said. "And the last thing we want to do is to have people really see the hospitalization numbers going up significantly."
For those who contract COVID, there may be lingering questions. Here's the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
With new, more contagious variants of COVID-19 spreading across the U.S. and nearly all of the Chicago area rising to a higher alert level, many are wondering what to do if they experience symptoms or test positive for the virus.
If you were exposed, when could symptoms start, how long are you contagious, how long should you quarantine for and when is the best time test?
Read more here.
The waste water levels have now rebounded to where they were in late January.
Andrew Lover, an assistant professor of epidemiology in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said in an e-mail that statewide were seeing quite a lot of virus in wastewater, noting results of testing not just by the MWRA in Suffolk County but in five other counties around the state.
The increases come as the states COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have been gradually rising for weeks, and the CDC has warned that most of the state is seeing high levels of the virus. The CDC recommends that when virus levels are high, people should mask in indoor public spaces.
With both waste water and case numbers rising, I think its pretty clear at this point that we are in a wave, Matthew Fox, a professor of epidemiology and global health at the Boston University School of Public Health, said in an e-mail.
The surge were seeing is real and ongoing, said Lover.
Fox said people should not panic because we know what to do. For anyone not vaccinated or boosted, go out and get your vaccine. For the rest of us, its time to consider masking again indoors, keeping in mind that this is a time-limited measure just until the wave subsides.
Federal health officials warned Wednesday that cases are increasing nationally and could get worse over the coming months, as the wave spreads out from the Northeast and Midwest.
Worried about the rising COVID-19 metrics, a coalition of Massachusetts public health leaders, infectious disease doctors, and community organizers on Wednesday called on the Baker administration to reinstitute mask mandates in public schools and on transportation. The group also urged the states Department of Public Health to issue an immediate advisory recommending use of masks inside public spaces and for people to avoid large gatherings until the current COVID surge subsides.
Governor Charlie Baker indicated he was not planning to reinstate a broad-based mask mandate. We believe that the best thing to do at this point is to make clear to people that vaccines work, he said Wednesday. There are treatments that now work as well. He pointed out that Massachusetts still requires masks in long-term care and in other health facilities.
Experts have raised concerns that the arrival of the Omicron subvariants BA.2 and now BA.2.12.1, are breathing new life into the pandemic at a time that the public is trying to return to normal after more than two years of pandemic disruption.
Some models have offered hope that the current Massachusetts wave could crest in the coming weeks. Experts think that would happen for a variety of reasons, including the immune protection people have gotten from vaccinations and previous infections.
How much protection people have gotten from being infected during the original Omicron wave earlier this year is a key question that has yet to be answered. Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said at a briefing Wednesday, If it generated a lot of population immunity, then were going to see fewer infections into the summer, fall, and winter. If it generated only a modest amount of immunity, were going to see more infections.
Early this year, the Eastern Massachusetts waste water levels dropped precipitously from their Omicron peak. They bottomed out in early March, then began rising again. The rise was interrupted by a dip last month, but the levels have now more than bounced back.
The numbers remain at much lower levels than they were when the Omicron surge hit the region during the winter. The number of confirmed reported daily COVID-19 deaths has been in the single digits for weeks, only edging back over 10 in recent days.
Waste water from 43 communities, including Boston, converges at the MWRAs Deer Island plant on Boston Harbor for treatment before being piped miles into the ocean. The water is tested for traces of the deadly virus. The MWRA reports numbers for both the southern and northern regions of its system. The testing determines the number of SARS-CoV-2 RNA copies per milliliter of waste water.
In the northern MWRA region, the seven-day average was 1,273 RNA copies/mL as of Wednesday. Thats up from a low of 101 on March 9. The levels peaked at 8,644 on Jan. 5.
In the southern region, the seven-day average was 1,332 RNA copies/mL on Wednesday, up from a low of 92 copies/mL on March 1. But its a far cry from the high of 11,446 RNA copies/mL reached on Jan. 3.
Kay Lazar of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Material from prior Globe stories was used in this report.
Martin Finucane can be reached at martin.finucane@globe.com. Christina Prignano can be reached at christina.prignano@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @cprignano.
Another 175 new COVID-19 infections were reported Tuesday in the San Antonio area.
SAN ANTONIO Bexar County health officials indicated the local risk for COVID-19 spread remained at "low" but "worsening" Tuesday as hospitalizations rise and May sees a slight increase in new infections.
Another 175 cases were reported Tuesday, and May has brought an average of 182 new diagnoses a day so far; that's almost twice as many as the average of 96 new daily cases for the San Antonio area in April.
Meanwhile, local coronavirus hospitalizations have jumped in recent days. There were 90 patients hospitalized with symptoms Tuesday, up from 71 on Friday. Of those 90 patients, 22 are in intensive care and nine are using ventilators.
No new deaths have been reported since last week, however. Nearly 543,000 Bexar County residents have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
How Bexar County is trending
Vaccine Progress in Bexar County
The following numbers are provided by San Antonio Metro Health. A full breakdown can be found here.
The CDC states that "when a high percentage of the community is immune to a disease (through vaccination and/or prior illness)," that community will have reached herd immunity, "making the spread of this disease from person to person unlikely."
The City of San Antonio breaks down the vaccination rates by zip code on Metro Health's Vaccination Statistics page.
Coronavirus in Texas
The total number of coronavirus cases in the state since the pandemic began grew by 3,215 on Tuesday, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. That total includes 2,180 new confirmed cases and 1,035 new probable cases. More details can be found on this page.
Tuesday's figures bring the total number of Texans diagnosed with COVID-19 to more than 6.79 million.
An additional 10 Texans have died from virus complications, meanwhile, raising the statewide death toll to 86,723.
Coronavirus symptoms
The symptoms of coronavirus can be similar to the flu or a bad cold. Symptoms include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Most healthy people will have mild symptoms. A study of more than 72,000 patients by the Centers for Disease Control in China showed 80 percent of the cases there were mild.
But infections can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death, according to the World Health Organization. Older people with underlying health conditions are most at risk.
Experts determined there was consistent evidence these conditions increase a person's risk, regardless of age:
Human coronaviruses are usually spread...
Help stop the spread of coronavirus
Find a Testing Location
City officials recommend getting a COVID-19 test if you experience fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea.
Here's a Testing Sites Locatorto help you find the testing location closest to you in San Antonio.
Latest Coronavirus Headlines
A worker in a protective suit walks on a closed bridge during lockdown, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Shanghai, China, May 18, 2022. REUTERS/Aly Song
Register
May 19 (Reuters) - More Shanghai residents were given the freedom to go out to shop for groceries for the first time in nearly two months. Moreover, a deputy mayor said the financial hub will start to allow more businesses in zero-COVID areas to resume normal operations from the beginning of June. read more
* Eikon users, see COVID-19: MacroVitals https://apac1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/cms/?navid=1592404098 for a case tracker and summary of news.
* Britain's vaccine advisers said that an anticipated autumn COVID booster campaign would be aimed at people over age 65, care home residents, frontline health and social care workers and all adults in a clinical risk group. read more
Register
* The European health regulator endorsed the use of AstraZeneca's (AZN.L) vaccine, Vaxzevria, as a booster. read more
* China has removed some COVID-19 test requirements for people flying in from countries such as Britain and the United States and shortened the pre-departure quarantine for some inbound travellers, as it fine-tunes measures to cope with the Omicron variant. read more
* North Korea's first confirmed outbreak spread after a massive military parade in Pyongyang in April, the South's Newsis news agency said on Wednesday, citing lawmakers briefed by the South's spy agency. read more
* North Korea is ramping up production of drugs and medical supplies including sterilisers and thermometers, state media KCNA said. read more
* India has supplied COVID-19 vaccines to Cambodia and Thailand under an initiative of the Quad group of countries, New Delhi said, though not the Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) shot as originally planned. read more
* Several outbreaks of monkeypox in Africa have been contained during the COVID pandemic while the world's attention was elsewhere, and outbreaks in Europe and the United States are a concern, Africa's top public health agency said. read more
* The U.S. Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) said reports of heart inflammation linked to the Pfizer (PFE.N)/BioNTech (22UAy.DE) vaccine have been much lower in 5- to 11-year-old boys than in adolescents and young men. read more
* The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will act as soon as possible on Moderna Inc's (MRNA.O) application seeking approval of its COVID-19 vaccine for children under age 5, the agency's chief told lawmakers. read more
* The World Health Organization issued an emergency use listing for the single-dose COVID-19 vaccine from China-based CanSino Biologics (6185.HK). read more
* The question of COVID-19 vaccine patents was not discussed at a meeting of the health ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) countries in Berlin, German Health Ministers Karl Lauterbach said. read more
* Dalian and Singapore iron ore futures fell on Thursday, hit by worries about COVID-19 curbs in China, but Beijing's assurance that there is still policy space to cope with challenges facing the world's top steel producer calmed traders.
* A sharp slowdown in China's economy caused by its strict zero-COVID rules and Beijing's shift away from a traditional reliance on external demand have cast doubts over how much the country will contribute to future global trade and investment. read more
* Roughly half of Taiwanese companies that had previously suspended work in China due to COVID-19 control measures have resumed production as curbs ease, the island's economy minister said. read more
Register
Compiled by Dina Kartit; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Lisa Shumaker
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Gov. Charlie Baker touted Massachusetts high vaccination rate including among vulnerable residents at greater risk of developing serious coronavirus-related complications as he again resisted calls Thursday to reinstate COVID-19 safeguards to tamp down the commonwealths rising caseload.
More than 80% of adult residents are vaccinated against COVID, with around half of that demographic also boosted, Baker said during a press conference in Boston following a National Governors Association event focused on computer science education.
Meanwhile, the vaccination rate among seniors exceeds 95%, Baker said.
COVID is a very transmissible virus, and each new strain appears to be as transmissible or more so than the one before, Baker said. But I think at this point in time, for most people especially those who are vaccinated their experience with COVID is something akin to the flu. And I think thats an important piece to remember and remind people.
Bakers comments Thursday came two days after he abruptly canceled public events. A spokesman said the governor had tested negative for COVID but was not feeling well. Baker resumed in-person events Wednesday after testing negative for the virus in the morning.
Baker said officials are closely monitoring rising coronavirus-related hospitalizations, though that figure is lower compared to last year.
The vast majority of Massachusetts is experiencing high COVID-transmission levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Based on federal guidance, people living in Berkshire, Franklin, Worcester, Middlesex, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Plymouth, Barnstable and Dukes counties should resume wearing masks indoors.
Yet at Thursdays event at the Hotel Commonwealth in Kenmore Square, there was scant masking during an indoor panel discussion. Masks are also no longer required on public transit, such as the MBTA.
Baker said stricter coronavirus protocols are still required at settings like senior care facilities and primary care operations that serve vulnerable populations.
Certainly we welcome people who believe they need to wear masks to protect themselves to protect others that they may live with or work with, Baker said, as he urged Bay Staters to get vaccinated and boosted. But at this point in time, we pay a lot more attention to the vulnerable population. The vast majority of the population here in Massachusetts is vaccinated.
Related Content:
