BOSTON (SHNS) Bay Staters may have become accustomed over the past two years to warm weather overlapping with a period of waning COVID-19 impact, but this time around, cases and hospitalizations are continuing to rise as the days grow longer.
With a variant and subvariant circulating, most measurements of the viruss impact in Massachusetts have climbed to levels last observed in February on the tail end of the winter surge.
The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, which tracks COVID in wastewater at the Deer Island Treatment Plant,has been reporting rising levels of the virus.
Cases continue to pop up in the State House, which is open to visitors regardless of vaccination or test status and House and Senate lawmakers and staff are subject to a vaccine mandate. Legislative leaders are continuing to operate in a mask-optional mode, with lawmakers allowed to participate in sessions remotely.
Aides to Gov. Charlie Baker at 11:40 a.m. Tuesday cleared Gov. Charlie Bakers schedule of his two public events and released a statement saying he was not feeling well.
Governor Baker is not feeling well and will not be attending public events in person today. The Governor is attending meetings virtually today and has tested negative for COVID-19, Baker spokesman Terry MacCormack said in a statement at about noon.
While the public health landscape is vastly different than this time last year or even during the omicron-fueled peak in January, medical experts are once again urging renewed caution.
Despite the warmer weather and our collective hope for a reprieve of some sort, it is important to acknowledge that COVID-19 is still with us, and we need to continue to utilize the proven public health measures and tools at our disposal to prevent infection and disease spread, Mass. Medical Society President Dr. Carole Allen said on Monday. Public health data reveal that positive cases in Massachusetts communities and in our schools have been climbing over recent weeks, fueled by Omicron variant BA.2 and the subvariant BA.2 12.1. It is impossible to predict whether the case numbers will continue to rise, but we know there are measures we can all take to minimize COVID-19s impact.
The Department of Public Health on Monday reported a total of 10,789 positive confirmed tests over the course of Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Thursday, the seven-day average of new cases per day hit 3,751, the highest since Feb. 2 but still well below the wintertime peak of more than 23,000.
Massachusetts hospitals counted 739 COVID patients as of Friday, more than three and a half times as many as the 200 recorded on April 6 but much lower than the Jan. 14 high of 3,306.
Widespread vaccinations and the availability of treatments have reduced the threat COVID-19 poses. Nearly 80 percent of the Massachusetts population is fully vaccinated, according to the latest Centers for Disease Controldata, more than half of whom have also received booster doses.
Allen urged eligible Bay Staters who have not yet received the shots or boosters to do so and for anyone who tests positive to report the result to their physician so doctors can weigh deploying treatment such as the antiviral Paxlovid.
We urge those who are at high risk to limit their exposure to others, Allen said. We know doing so can be a tough decision to make when planning for graduations, parties, vacation, and other seasonal events. We recommend masking for those who gather indoors or in large groups, regardless of individual risk level.
The physicians of Massachusetts want everyone to have a healthy summer, which means taking those extra steps to protect individual health and the health of others, she added.
The specter of the virus continues to hang over the public sector.
On Monday, House officials announced another two individuals who were last in the State House on Thursday had tested positive. That marks the ninth exposure notification from House or Senate leaders since April 25, collectively reflecting at least 27 cases.
U.S. District Court for Massachusetts Chief Judge Dennis Saylor IV on Monday also issued another round of extensions to policies allowing for remote judicial operations. His latest orders, effective Tuesday, allow forsome criminal proceedingsandfelony pleas and sentencingto be conducted via videoconference or teleconference for another 60 days in cases where a defendant consents.
In the order concerning felony pleas and sentences, Saylor wrote that those court proceedings cannot be conducted in person in the District of Massachusetts without seriously jeopardizing public health and safety.
The latest trends come as the country surpasses yet another grim toll: on Monday, the nationwide confirmed death toll from COVID-19 hit 1 million. As The New York Times noted in asweeping analysis, thats more Americans dead from the virus in less than three years than in two decades of car crashes or on battlefields in all of the countrys wars combined.
Biden administration experts will convene another press conference this week to discuss the U.S. governments response. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha and CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky plan to speak to reporters at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.
The White House announced Monday that Americans can now order a third round of at-home tests on COVIDTests.gov, with eight at-home tests available for each household.
HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) In April, Dr. Anthony Fauci claimed the U.S. was out of the pandemic phase but said caution was still needed. Now local health experts say the possibility of getting the virus is not impossible and are urging the public to be safe.
For the past two years, the pandemic has drastically affected everyones life. Last week the White House marked one million covid deaths in America. Physician Advisor with Valley Baptist, Dr. Christopher Romero says how weve made our way out of the worst but the virus isnt going away any time soon.
We are currently at a low level of covid 19 infection and spread according to the CDC. However, Dr. Romero goes on to say, some organizations have predicted models of what they see the infection spread will look like in the community. Some of these models are forecasting a small spike during this month in May and June and then it is going back down and then another significant wave in the Winter.
Romero along with Dr. Sohail Rao with DHR Health agrees that due to multiple vaccines people are able to fight covid.
More and more data are coming out that suggest that perhaps we will be needing these vaccinations on a yearly or a bi-annual bias, said Dr. Rao.
Although a lot of people in the community are vaccinated the virus will still remain a threat in the future.
Those who are not vaccinated, those who are immunocompromised, or those who have other commonalities are the ones who are going to be more vulnerable, said Dr. Rao.
Dr. Romero says if someone does become infected with COVID-19 they shouldnt ignore it.
Truly speaking with their health care provider, Now we have treatment options that are available at a lot of pharmacies in our area that are proven to keep people out of the hospital, said Dr. Romero.
Both doctors say they dont believe covid 19 cases and mortality rates will be as high as they were at the beginning of the pandemic. However, they both agree the greatest way to make that true is for everyone to get vaccinated.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV2) infection is reported to cause pulmonary vascular dysfunction with immunothrombosis, pulmonary embolism, endotheliitis, and neoangiogenesis of larger vessels in patients. These further lead to increased pulmonary vascular resistance, dead space and shunt, as well as right ventricular (RV) dysfunction, which can be improved by therapies that modulate endothelial function.
Inhalation of nitric oxide (NO) has been identified to have anti-inflammatory, pulmonary vasodilating, along with potential antiviral properties. Previous studies have reported sildenafil which is a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor to increase endogenous NO and is also tolerated by patients with lung fibrosis. However, it can worsen shunt in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Sildenafil (Viagra) is a medication used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension.
A new study published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia aimed to determine whether sildenafil could improve gaseous exchange in patients with COVID-19 ARDS with pulmonary hypertension, RV dysfunction, or both.
Study:Use of sildenafil in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonitis. Image Credit:Angelo DAmico / Shutterstock
Sildenafil was administered to 25 patients with COVID-19 pneumonitis and moderate to severe ARDS. Oxygenation and carbon dioxide (CO2) clearance were assessed in the patients immediately prior, 24 h, 48 h, and 5 days after sildenafil administration for the calculation of the P: F ratio (PaO2:FiO2), ventilatory ratio, dead space fraction, and oxygenation index.
Norepinephrine equivalents (NE) and the vasoactive-inotropic score (VIS) were used to calculate the vasoactive drug dose. Initially, sildenafil was administered at 12.5 mg three times a day, increasing to 25 mg if it was well tolerated. Finally, the patients underwent baseline and follow-up CT scanning and detailed echocardiographic assessment.
The results indicated that out of the 25 patients, 10 were on venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) and 11 were prone. Pulmonary hypertension, RV dysfunction, or both were detected at baseline in all patients. One patient was removed from sildenafil before ICU discharge, while 24 continued it for 12.7 days at 25 mg three times a day.
The results reported an increase in NE and VIS 24 hours following initiation of sildenafil therapy. The dose of norepinephrine was increased in 14 patients, decreased in 10 patients, and remained unchanged for one patient. HR and MAP were found to be stable 24 h after sildenafil. Moreover, the P: F ratio was observed to increase in non-ECMO patients 24 h after sildenafil while dead space and ventilatory ratios remained unchanged.
Pulmonary embolism was detected in 17 patients in baseline CT scans, while a reduction in pulmonary artery (PA) volume and the right atrial area was observed in follow-up CT scans. A decrease in brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and hs-troponin was observed from before sildenafil to a 1 to 2-day time point for troponin or a 1 to 7-day time point for BNP. Additionally, pulmonary vascular resistance was reported to decrease, and LV cardiac output was reported to increase during the follow-up period.
Nine patients (four ECMO recipients) died in the ICU, a 36% mortality rate.. After the last follow-up, 12 out of 13 patients had normal echocardiography, four had mild parenchymal changes, and one was observed to have a persistent perfusion defect.
Therefore, the current study determines that sildenafil is safe in carefully selected COVID-19 ARDS patients. No deterioration in oxygenation, hemodynamics, or dead space was observed. Moreover, sildenafil also did not deteriorate gaseous exchange. However, the role of sildenafil in the longer-term improvement in lung impairment is yet to be seen.
Spike in Camden County COVID-19 cases could lead to another indoor mask mandate
FOX 29's Jeff Cole is in Camden County talking to health officials about the rising COVID-19 cases and their potential plan to reinstate a mask mandate.
BLACKWOOD, N.J. - Camden Countys Health Department is considering asking county leadership to reimpose an indoor mask mandate as the B-2 variant of COVID-19 is on the rise.
County Health Official Dr. Paschal Nwako says a mask mandate is "something that the health department is thinking about recommending a few days from now," as the case count has tripled in the last two weeks with weekly averages now at 178 positive tests.
Dr. Nwako also said he believes the rise in COVID-19 cases is an outgrowth of a jump in cases in North Jersey, which have now moved to South Jersey.
RELATED: FDA approves Pfizer COVID-19 booster for children ages 5 to 11
Stan Levonchuck of Stratford, New Jersey, went to Blackwood's vaccine site to get his shots because he fears that he could bring home the virus to his wife who is battling ALS.
"I watch the news, and it seems like the numbers are going up," said Levonchuck. "They recommend getting another shot, so I'm here."
On Tuesday, the FDA approved the Pfizer COVID-19 booster vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 and Camden County says that it's ready to vaccinate children once the CDC backs the FDA's recommendation.
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Even with the newly-approved booster shot for children, Levonchucksays he is concerned that we are moving backwards in the fight against COVID-19.
"I hope we're not going backwards, but in some ways, what it seems like is that maybe we are. I think people are real loose on the restrictions. They want you to wear a mask and people aren't wearing masks," he says.
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A COVID Memorial Project installation in September, 2020 marked 200,000 lives lost in the COVID-19 pandemic. The official death toll in the U.S. is on the cusp of a million. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption
A COVID Memorial Project installation in September, 2020 marked 200,000 lives lost in the COVID-19 pandemic. The official death toll in the U.S. is on the cusp of a million.
Any hour now, the U.S. is expected to officially mark one million lives lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. Health correspondent Allison Aubrey shares how this misinformation first entered the parenting world--and how some are fighting back.
You can follow Emily on Twitter at @EmilyKwong1234 and Allison at @AubreyNPR. Email Short Wave at ShortWave@NPR.org.
Further reading:
This story was edited for radio by Jane Greenhalgh and for Short Wave by Gisele Grayson, our senior supervising editor. Margaret Cirino checked the facts and produced the episode.
Should I wear amask?
The use of amask is advisedto protect others even if you have no symptoms.
After masks are worn, they must be used and disposed of properly to ensure their effectiveness and to avoid any increased risk of transmitting the virus.
The use of a mask alone is not enough to stop infections and must be combined with frequent hand washing with soap and maintaining physical distance.
COVID-19 is a new virus, and we are still learning about how it affects children and pregnant women. We know people of any age can be infected and transmit the virus. However, older people and/or those with pre-existing medical conditions seem more likely to develop severe illness. Cold, mild cough, fever, and body pain are the common symptoms of infection. We have also noted that other symptoms such as pain in the abdomen, loose motions, and vomiting are also present in children.
Clinical features or symptoms affecting children and adolescents, possibly associated with COVID-19, can include but are not limited to: fever, headache, body pain, tiredness, cough, breathlessness, poor feeding, loss of taste or smell (in a child more than eight years old), rash, red or pink eyes, swollen and/or red lips, tongue, hands, feet, gastrointestinal problems (diarrhoea, vomiting).
Seek medical attention. If advised by the doctor, then get your child tested for COVID-19. If advised by a doctor isolate/stay home.
Be watchful for danger signs and if any of these signs are present, seek urgent medical advice at your nearest hospital.
Indrawing of chestGrunting soundsThe child looks pale or bluePeripheries feel coldSunken eyeballs and dry mouthNot passed urine for more than 3- 4 hours (for children less than 5 years of age)Refusing to feedLooks drowsy or lethargicAbnormal body movementSevere diarrhea, vomiting or abdominal pain.
Step 1:Wet hands with running water
Step 2: Apply enough soap to cover wet hands
Step 3: Scrub all surfaces of the hands including back of hands, between fingers and under nails for at least 20 seconds
Step 4: Rinse thoroughly with running water
Step 5: Dry hands with a clean cloth or single-use towel
Wash your hands often, especially before eating; after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; and going to the bathroom.
If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water, if hands are visibly dirty.
Anyone planning a trip overseas should always check the travel advisory for their destination country for any restrictions on entry, quarantine requirements on entry, or other relevant travel advice.
In addition to taking standard travel precautions, and in order to avoid being quarantined or denied re-entry into your home country, you are also advised to check the latest COVID-19 update on the International Air Transport Association website, which includes a list of countries and restriction measures.
While traveling, all parents should follow standard hygiene measures for themselves and their children: Wash hands frequently or use an alcohol-based sanitizer with at least 60 per cent alcohol, practice good respiratory hygiene (cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze and immediately dispose of the used tissue) and avoid close contact with anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
In addition, it is recommended that parents always carry a hand sanitizer, pack of disposable tissues, and disinfecting wipes.
Additional recommendations include: Clean your seat, armrest, touchscreen, etc. with a disinfecting wipe once inside an aircraft or other vehicle. Also use a disinfecting wipe to clean key surfaces, doorknobs, remote controls, etc at the hotel or other accommodation where you and your children are staying.
At this time, there is not enough evidence to determine whether the virus is transmitted from a mother to her baby during pregnancy, or the potential impact this may have on the baby. This is currently being investigated. Pregnant women should continue to follow appropriate precautions to protect themselves from exposure to the virus, and seek medical care early, if experiencing symptoms, such as fever, cough or difficulty breathing.
Is it safe for a mother to breastfeed if she is infected with coronavirus?
All mothers in affected and at-risk areas who have symptoms of fever, cough or difficulty breathing, should seek medical care early, and follow instructions from a health care provider.
Considering the benefits of breastfeeding and the insignificant role of breastmilk in the transmission of other respiratory viruses, the mother can continue breastfeeding, while applying all the necessary precautions.
For symptomatic mothers well enough to breastfeed, this includes wearing a mask when near a child (including during feeding), washing hands before and after contact with the child (including feeding), and cleaning/disinfecting contaminated surfaces as should be done in all cases where anyone with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 interacts with others, including children.
If a mother is too ill, she should be encouraged to express milk and give it to the child via a clean cup and/or spoon all while following the same infection prevention methods.
A firefighter from the Marins-Pompiers of Marseille (Marseille Naval Fire Battalion) administers a nasal swab to a child at a testing site for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Marseille, France, September 17, 2020. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
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May 16 (Reuters) - The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review.
SARS-CoV-2 could be at root of mysterious hepatitis in kids
A chain of events possibly triggered by unrecognized infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus could be causing the mysterious cases of severe hepatitis reported in hundreds of young children around the world, researchers suggest.
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Children with COVID-19 are at significantly increased risk for liver dysfunction afterward, according to a report posted on Saturday on medRxiv ahead of peer review. But most of the children with acute hepatitis - which is generally rare in that age group - do not report a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. Instead, the majority have been found to be infected with an adenovirus called 41F, which is not known to attack the liver. It is possible that the affected children, many of whom are too young to be vaccinated, may have had mild or asymptomatic COVID infections that went unnoticed, a separate team of researchers suggest in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology. If that were true, they theorize, then lingering particles of the coronavirus in the gastrointestinal tract in these children could be priming the immune system to over-react to adenovirus-41F with high amounts of inflammatory proteins that ultimately damage the liver.
"We suggest that children with acute hepatitis be investigated for SARS-CoV-2 persistence in stool" and for other signals that the liver damage is happening because the spike protein of the coronavirus is a "superantigen" that over-sensitizes the immune system, they said.
Face-down position unhelpful for awake patients
For hospitalized COVID-19 patients who are breathing on their own but with supplemental oxygen, lying face down might not help prevent them from eventually needing mechanical ventilation, according to a new study.
In the study, 400 patients were randomly assigned to usual care or to standard care plus intermittently lying on their stomach, a position known to improve the course of illness in sedated patients on mechanical ventilators. Over the next 30 days, 34.1% in the prone-positioning group and 40.5% in the usual-care group needed to be intubated and put on a ventilator, a difference that was not statistically significant. There might have been a reduction in the risk for intubation with prone positioning among some of the patients, researchers said on Monday in JAMA, but they could not confirm it statistically from their data. The average duration of prone positioning per day was roughly five hours, less than the target of eight to 10 hours per day.
"Long hours of awake prone positioning are challenging and highly influenced by patient comfort and preference," the researchers said. "The most common reason for interruption of prone positioning was patient request, which might have been related to overall subjective improvement or related to discomfort from prone positioning."
Click for a Reuters graphic on vaccines in development.
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Reporting by Nancy Lapid and Megan Brooks; Editing by Bill Berkrot
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Mike Stucka USA TODAY NETWORK| The Shelby Star
New coronavirus cases leaped in North Carolina in the week ending Sunday, rising 31.3% as 18,479 cases were reported. The previous week had 14,071 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
North Carolina ranked 21st 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 increased 21.4% from the week before, with 605,127 cases reported. With 3.15% of the country's population, North Carolina had 3.05% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 47 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
North Carolina reported more than 1,100 backlogged deaths on May 4 following a death certificate review. The state plans more reviews monthly. They will skew week-to-week comparisons significantly.
Cleveland County reported 73 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 62 cases and 22 deaths. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 29,743 cases and 387 deaths.
Within North Carolina, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Swain County with 371 cases per 100,000 per week; Hyde County with 365; and Durham County with 363. 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 Wake County, with 3,744 cases; Mecklenburg County, with 2,364 cases; and Guilford County, with 1,268. Weekly case counts rose in 76 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Wake, Mecklenburg and Durham counties.
>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases
North Carolina ranked 14th among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 84.3% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 77.7%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are the most used in the United States, require two doses administered a few weeks apart.
In the week ending Wednesday, North Carolina reported administering another 76,417 vaccine doses, including 23,214 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 79,974 vaccine doses, including 21,125 first doses. In all, North Carolina reported it has administered 16,750,134 total doses.
Across North Carolina, cases fell in 23 counties, with the best declines in Cumberland County, with 529 cases from 797 a week earlier; in Alexander County, with 14 cases from 33; and in Jackson County, with 115 cases from 134.
It's back: After 2-year hiatus, the 7th Inning Stretch Festival will return to Shelby
Related: 3 things to know about Cleveland County's population increase
In North Carolina, 11 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 1,172 people were reported dead.
A total of 2,691,805 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 24,588 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 82,468,606 people have tested positive and 999,602 people have died.
>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, May 15.
Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
Hospitals in 45 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 29 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 41 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.
Courtesy Image An illustration of the coronavirus provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
ALPENA COVID-19 is spreading faster in Northeast Michigan and putting more people in the hospital than it has in several weeks.
Public health officials say 113 Northeast Michiganders contracted COVID-19 in the past week, the largest number of newly infected residents in a single week since mid-February. And MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena reported eight COVID-19 patients in its care, the most since early March.
Its too soon to say whether the virus will again become more deadly. Public health officials say only one Northeast Michigander died this week after contracting COVID-19, but a rise in death counts has in the past lagged a rise in infections as those who contract the disease get worse over time.
The chart below shows the number of newly infected Northeast Michiganders reported by local health departments each week. NOTE: The health departments have occasionally adjusted numbers downward as data is reviewed, meaning new cases sometimes show as a negative number. The story continues below the graphic.
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still considered Alpena, Presque Isle, Montmorency, and Alcona counties as areas of medium risk for coronavirus spread. That means the CDC recommends those at most risk of serious illness such as the elderly talk to their doctors about whether they should wear a facemask in public, but the CDC doesnt recommend masking for the general population.
The CDC had for weeks considered the region an area of low risk for COVID-19 spread as public health officials reported low counts of new infections, deaths, and hospitalizations.
However, weekly new infections have been significantly higher since mid-April. Several Up North counties near Northeast Michigan are now considered areas of high risk.
The chart below shows the number of COVID-19 patients admitted at MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena each week. The story continues below the graphic.
The number of new infections is likely higher, as public health officials dont track at-home test results. The figure includes both confirmed infections and those treated as infected but not tested, such as family members of confirmed infected people.
The chart below shows the number of new COVID-19-related deaths reported each week by local public health departments. The story continues below the graphic.
Meanwhile, the state says about 59% of Northeast Michiganders 5 and older have received a complete initial round of coronavirus vaccine, and about 37% of adults had received a booster dose.
The chart below shows the number of Northeast Michiganders 5 and older fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The story continues below the graphic.
Since the pandemics start in mid-March 2020, public health officials have reported 11,511 infections among Northeast Michiganders, and 291 related deaths.
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