A study conducted by the UK Health Security Agency has recently estimated the rate of hospitalization and death due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among unvaccinated persons residing in England. The study finds that a significant number of hospitalizations and deaths may happen if these unvaccinated populations become infected with the omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.
About 80% of the adult population in the UK have received at least two doses of the COVID-19 vaccines as of early 2022. In addition, about 67% of the population have received the third booster dose. Despite high vaccine coverage, a small but significant proportion of the UK population remains unvaccinated because of a lack of access or hesitancy to vaccination.
People's hesitancy to receive COVID-19 vaccines is associated with various factors, including uncertainty about vaccine safety and efficacy, disbelief in government policies, and socio-cultural and religious beliefs. In addition, misinformation spread by anti-vaccination campaigns strongly discourages people from receiving COVID-19 vaccines.
In the current study, the scientists estimated the mortality rate in 2021 among unvaccinated people in Englandwho have access to the COVID-19 vaccine but are hesitant to receive it. In addition, they have predicted the rates of hospitalization and mortality in the unvaccinated English population under two hypothetical situations. In one situation, they have assumed that no further vaccination has been done and unvaccinated people have become infected with SARS-CoV-2. In the other situation, they have assumed that most vaccine-resistant people have received full vaccination.
The study has focused on any deaths that occurred within 60 days of COVID-19 diagnosis. The analysis has been done by considering vaccination rates in five age groups, including 15-24 years, 25-44 years, 45-64 years, 65-74 years, and >75 years.
The mortality rate was calculated by considering the time when 90% of the two-dose vaccination administered by December 2021 was achieved. The analysis revealed that about 3500 deaths occurred in 2021 among unvaccinated people who had access to COVID-19 vaccination but refused to receive it because of vaccine hesitancy.
The study further estimated the number of deaths per day per million people in the vaccinated and unvaccinated populations to adjust for the significant size variation between vaccinated and unvaccinated populations. The findings revealed that the death rate is 2-8 times higher in the unvaccinated population compared to that in the vaccinated population.
The prediction analysis was conducted by considering that all of the remaining unvaccinated population in the UK got infected with SARS-CoV-2. The findings revealed that about 29,600 hospitalizations and 11,700 deaths could occur in the future if vaccine-hesitant people remain unvaccinated and contract SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially omicron infection.
Furthermore, the analysis predicted that the number of hospitalizations and deaths could be reduced to 19,500 and 5,300, respectively, if most vaccine-resistant people receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
The study findings highlight that hesitancy to COVID-19 vaccination can significantly increase the rate of COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths in England. Importantly, the study predicts that the observed severity of COVID-19 could be reduced significantly if the majority of unvaccinated people, who are resistant to COVID-19 vaccination, agree to receive full vaccination.
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.
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But while some countries of the region have the highest coverage in the world, others lag behind.
Washington D.C. 20 April 2022 (PAHO) Over two-thirds of people in Latin America and the Caribbean have now received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine while some countries have yet to reach even half of their populations, said the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Carissa F. Etienne, urging those who have not yet done so to get vaccinated and ensure their loved ones are also protected.
COVID-19 vaccines work and are very safe, the Director said in a media briefing today. They are protecting most people in our region from the worst consequences of COVID-19 infection.
Thanking the efforts of healthcare workers, scientists, policymakers and individuals, Dr. Etienne highlighted that 14 countries and territories of the region have already reached the WHO goal of vaccinating 70% of their populations ahead of the June 30th target, and a further eight countries have reached over 60% coverage.
Dr. Etienne highlighted that as of this month, PAHOs Revolving Fund has delivered more than 141 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in partnership with COVAX and with the support of donors.
However, while there are now sufficient supplies of COVID-19 vaccine to meet demand everywhere in the Americas, some countries continue to lag behind.
In the Caribbean, less than 30% of people have received their first vaccine in Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and St. Lucia, and in Latin America, Guatemala, Guyana and Paraguay have yet to reach 50% coverage.
PAHO is now working with countries to provide technical assistance to vaccination campaigns, as well as planning and communications support to help close the gaps.
But individuals also have a role to play, urged the Director. Vaccination is a family affair, and its up to all of us to make sure our loved ones are protected, she said.
If you or a family member have not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19, talk to your healthcare provider about your questions and doubts, she added.
Dr. Etienne also urged countries to integrate their COVID-19 vaccination efforts into routine immunization campaigns. This will enable pregnant women to get their COVID vaccine alongside their flu shot and tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccines, and will also allow parents to get their shot while their children get protected against diseases like measles and polio.
Similarly, the emergency infrastructure that was set up to get COVID-19 vaccines into arms as quickly as possible should also be leveraged to improve routine vaccination uptake, making it more convenient and accessible for families to catch up on all their shots at once, said the Director.
The COVID vaccination effort has shown us that success is possible when countries and people work together to embrace vaccines, she said.
Ahead of Vaccination Week in the Americas, which begins April 23, Dr. Etienne also called on countries to step up efforts to reach at least 70% of their populations with COVID-19 vaccines.
Elderly people, those with preexisting conditions, health care workers and pregnant women should be the primary focus of these campaigns as they are most at risk of hospitalization and death due to COVID.
Lets use our knowledge and perseverance to protect as many people, and save as many lives as possible, she said.
Turning to the COVID-19 situation in the region, while the number of COVID-19 infections reported in the Americas dropped by 2.3% this week and continue to decline, cases did increase by 11.2% in North America and have also spiked in the Caribbean.
The number of deaths has decreased by 15.2% (to 4,797), showing that vaccines are working well to protect people from hospitalization and death, Dr. Etienne noted.
Posted on: April 19, 2022; Updated on: April 19, 2022By Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti, prakash@mailbox.sc.edu
As mRNA vaccines used in the U.S. against COVID-19 have been successful at preventing hospitalization and death, the vaccines have failed to provide long-term protective immunity to prevent breakthrough infections. School of Medicine Columbia professors Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti write for The Conversation on the COVID-19 booster and retooling existing vaccines to increase the duration of protection.
With yet another COVID-19 booster available for vulnerable populations in the U.S., many people find themselves wondering what the end game will be.
The mRNA vaccines currently used in the U.S. against COVID-19 have been highly successful at preventing hospitalization and death. The Commonwealth Fund recently reported that in the U.S. alone, the vaccines have prevented over 2 million people from dying and over 17 million from hospitalization.
However, the vaccines have failed to provide long-term protective immunity to prevent breakthrough infections cases of COVID-19 infection that occur in people who are fully vaccinated.
Because of this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently endorsed a second booster shot for individuals 50 years of age and older and people who are immunocompromised. Other countries including Israel, the U.K. and South Korea have also approved a second booster.
However, it has become increasingly clear that the second booster does not provide long-lasting protection against breakthrough infections. As a result, it will be necessary to retool the existing vaccines to increase the duration of protection in order to help bring the pandemic to an end.
As immunologists studying immune response to infections and other threats, we are trying to better understand the vaccine booster-induced immunity against COVID-19.
Its a bit of a medical mystery: Why are mRNA vaccines so successful in preventing the serious form of COVID-19 but not so great at protecting against breakthrough infections? Understanding this concept is critical for stopping new infections and controlling the pandemic.
COVID-19 infection is unique in that the majority of people who get it recover with mild to moderate symptoms, while a small percentage get the severe disease that can lead to hospitalization and death.
Understanding how our immune system works during the mild versus severe forms of COVID-19 is also important to the process of developing more targeted vaccines.
When people are first exposed to SARS-CoV-2 the virus that causes COVID-19 or to a vaccine against COVID-19, the immune system activates two key types of immune cells, called B and T cells. The B cells produce Y-shaped protein molecules called antibodies. The antibodies bind to the protruding spike protein on the surface of the virus. This blocks the virus from entering a cell and ultimately prevents it from causing an infection.
However, if not enough antibodies are produced, the virus can escape and infect the host cells. When this happens, the immune system activates what are known as killer T cells. These cells can recognize virus-infected cells immediately after infection and destroy them, thereby preventing the virus from replicating and causing widespread infection.
Thus, there is increasing evidence that antibodies may help prevent breakthrough infections while the killer T cells provide protection against the severe form of the disease.
The B cells and T cells are unique in that after they mount an initial immune response, they get converted into memory cells. Unlike antibodies, memory cells can stay in a persons body for several decades and can mount a rapid response when they encounter the same infectious agent. It is because of such memory cells that some vaccines against diseases such as smallpox provide protection for decades.
But with certain vaccines, such as hepatitis, it is necessary to give multiple doses of a vaccine to boost the immune response. This is because the first or second dose is not sufficient to induce robust antibodies or to sustain the memory B and T cell response.
This boosting, or amplifying of the immune response, helps to increase the number of B cells and T cells that can respond to the infectious agent. Boosting also triggers the memory response, thereby providing prolonged immunity against reinfection.
While the third dose or first booster of COVID-19 vaccines was highly effective in preventing the severe form of COVID-19, the protection afforded against infection lasted for less than four to six months.
That diminished protection even after the third dose is what led the CDC to endorse the fourth shot of COVID-19 vaccine called the second booster for people who are immunocompromised and those aged 50 and older.
However, a recent preliminary study from Israel that has not yet been peer-reviewed showed that the second booster did not further boost the immune response but merely restored the waning immune response seen during the third dose. Also, the second booster provided little extra protection against COVID-19 when compared to the initial three doses.
So while the second booster certainly provides a small benefit to the most vulnerable people by extending immune protection by a few months, there has been considerable confusion over what the availability of the fourth shot means for the general population.
In addition to the inability of the current COVID-19 vaccines to provide long-term immunity, some researchers believe that frequent or constant exposure to foreign molecules found in an infectious agent may cause immune exhaustion.
Such a phenomenon has been widely reported with HIV infection and cancer. In those cases, because the T cells see the foreign molecules all the time, they can get worn down and fail to rid the body of the cancer or HIV.
Evidence also suggests that in severe cases of COVID-19, the killer T cells may be exhibiting immune exhaustion and therefore be unable to mount a strong immune response. Whether repeated COVID-19 vaccine boosters can cause similar T cell exhaustion is a possibility that needs further study.
Another reason why the mRNA vaccines have failed to induce sustained antibody and memory response may be related to ingredients called adjuvants. Traditional vaccines such as those for diphtheria and tetanus use adjuvants to boost the immune response. These are compounds that activate the innate immunity that consists of cells known as macrophages. These are specialized cells that help the T cells and B cells, ultimately inducing a stronger antibody response.
Because mRNA-based vaccines are a relatively new class of vaccines, they do not include the traditional adjuvants. The current mRNA vaccines used in the U.S. rely on small balls of fat called lipid nanoparticles to deliver the mRNA. These lipid molecules can act as adjuvants, but how precisely these molecules affect the long-term immune response remains to be seen. And whether the current COVID-19 vaccines failure to trigger strong long-lived antibody response is related to the adjuvants in the existing formulations remains to be explored.
While the current vaccines are highly effective in preventing severe disease, the next phase of vaccine development will need to focus on how to trigger a long-lived antibody response that would last for at least a year, making it likely that COVID-19 vaccines will become an annual shot.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Topics: Faculty, Research, Health Sciences, COVID-19, Medicine (Columbia)
Apr 20, 2022 12:57 PM EDT
COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) If you still havent gotten your coronavirus vaccine or booster dose, the Richland County Library has you covered.
The library will host a vaccine clinic Thursday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at its St. Andrews location on Broad River Road. Officials say Cooperative Health will offer the Moderna vaccine for those 18 and up, as well as booster shots for those eligible.
Appointments are encouraged, but organizers say walk-ins are welcome. To schedule an appointment, call 803-722-1822.
The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of April 20, 2022, there are currently 459 active COVID-19 cases statewide. There have been 3 deaths reported since the last report, with a total of 6,807 deaths attributed to COVID-19.
DHHR has confirmed the deaths of a 62-year old female from Braxton County, a 66-year old female from Wyoming County, and a 73-year old male from Kanawha County.
We are deeply saddened to report the deaths of three more West Virginians due to COVID-19, said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. I urge all eligible residents to get vaccinated or boosted to help save lives.
CURRENT ACTIVE CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (3), Berkeley (33), Boone (8), Braxton (3), Brooke (4), Cabell (23), Calhoun (2), Clay (0), Doddridge (0), Fayette (10), Gilmer (1), Grant (3), Greenbrier (13), Hampshire (6), Hancock (4), Hardy (1), Harrison (12), Jackson (1), Jefferson (20), Kanawha (32), Lewis (3), Lincoln (6), Logan (10), Marion (15), Marshall (18), Mason (6), McDowell (3), Mercer (19), Mineral (9), Mingo (1), Monongalia (37), Monroe (2), Morgan (2), Nicholas (4), Ohio (16), Pendleton (2), Pleasants (0), Pocahontas (0), Preston (12), Putnam (25), Raleigh (20), Randolph (14), Ritchie (1), Roane (2), Summers (1), Taylor (9), Tucker (1), Tyler (1), Upshur (5), Wayne (5), Webster (0), Wetzel (1), Wirt (0), Wood (18), Wyoming (12). To find the cumulative cases per county, please visit www.coronavirus.wv.gov and look on the Cumulative Summary tab which is sortable by county.
Delays may be experienced with the reporting of information from the local health department to DHHR. As case surveillance continues at the local health department level, it may reveal that those tested in a certain county may not be a resident of that county, or even the state as an individual in question may have crossed the state border to be tested. Please visit www.coronavirus.wv.gov for more detailed information.
West Virginians ages 5 years and older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination; after the primary series, first booster shots are recommended for those 12 and older. Second booster shots for those age 50 and over that are 4 months or greater from their first booster have been authorized by FDA and recommended by CDC, as well as for younger individuals over 12 years old with serious and chronic health conditions that lead to being considered moderately to severely immunocompromised. To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines, or to find a vaccine site near you, visit vaccinate.wv.gov or call 1-833-734-0965.
Free pop-up COVID-19 testing is available today in Barbour, Berkeley, Braxton, Cabell, Clay, Doddridge, Fayette, Gilmer, Greenbrier, Jefferson, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Marion, Mason, Mineral, Mingo, Morgan, Nicholas, Ohio, Putnam, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie, Taylor, Tyler/Wetzel, Upshur, Wayne, and Wood counties.
Barbour County
8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Community Market, 107 South Main Street (across the street from Walgreens), Philippi, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVBBC)
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Junior Volunteer Fire Department, 331 Row Avenue, Junior, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)
Berkeley County
8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Airborne Church, 172 Creative Place, Martinsburg, WV
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM, Shenandoah Community Health, 99 Tavern Road, Martinsburg, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 891 Auto Parts Place, Martinsburg, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)
Braxton County
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Braxton County Memorial Hospital (parking lot), 100 Hoylman Drive, Gassaway, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=Braxton)
Cabell County
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Marshall University Campus (parking lot), 1801 6th Avenue, Huntington, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Cabell-Huntington Health Department (parking lot), 703 Seventh Avenue, Huntington, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)
Clay County
8:30 AM - 3:00 PM, Clay County Health Department, 452 Main Street, Clay, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVClayCounty)
Doddridge County
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Doddridge County Health Department, 60 Pennsylvania Street, West Union, WV
Fayette County
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Fayette County Health Department, 5495 Maple Lane, Fayetteville, WV
Gilmer County
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Minnie Hamilton Health System (parking lot), 921 Mineral Road, Glenville, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMHCT11)
Greenbrier County
9:30 AM - 3:00 PM, State Fair of WV, 891 Maplewood Avenue, Lewisburg, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVGBC)
Jefferson County
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Hollywood Casino, 750 Hollywood Drive, Charles Town, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)
Lewis County
8:30 AM - 3:00 PM, City Parking Lot, 95 West Second Street, Weston, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMavLewis1)
Lincoln County
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Lincoln County Health Department, 8008 Court Avenue, Hamlin, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)
Logan County
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Old 84 Lumber Building, 100 Recovery Road, Peach Creek, WV
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Town of Man Fire Department, Administration Building, 110 North Bridge Street, Man, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)
Marion County
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Dunbar School Foundation, 101 High Street, Fairmont, WV
Mason County
8:30 AM - 3:00 PM, Krodel Park, 1186 Charleston Road, Point Pleasant, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMavCOUNTY12)
Mineral County
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Mineral County Health Department, 541 Harley O. Staggers Drive, Keyser, WV
Mingo County
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Chattaroy Volunteer Fire Department, 8 Firefighter Avenue, Chattaroy, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMGC)
Morgan County
8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, The Blue (of First United Methodist Church), 440 Fearnow Road, Berkeley Springs, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMavMorgan1)
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM, War Memorial Hospital, 1 Health Way, Berkeley Springs, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)
Nicholas County
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM, Summersville Regional Medical Center, 400 Fairview Heights Road, Summersville, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVNL)
Ohio County
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM, Ohio Valley Medical Center (back parking lot at the top of 22nd Street), 2000 Eoff Street, Wheeling, WV (optional pre-registration: https://roxbylabs.dendisoftware.com/patient_registration/)
Putnam County
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Putnam County Health Department (behind Liberty Square), 316 Putnam Village Drive, Hurricane, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)
Raleigh County
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Beckley-Raleigh County Health Department, 1602 Harper Road, Beckley, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=MavBeckleyRaleigh)
Randolph County
8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Davis Health Center, 812 Gorman Avenue, Elkins, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVRDC)
Ritchie County
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Ritchie Regional, 135 South Penn Avenue, Harrisville, WV
Taylor County
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Grafton-Taylor Health Department, 718 West Main Street (parking lot at Operations Trailer), Grafton, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)
Tyler/Wetzel Counties
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Sistersville Volunteer Fire Department, 121 Maple Lane, Sistersville, WV
Upshur County
8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Buckhannon Fire Department (parking lot), 22 South Florida Street, Buckhannon, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVUSC)
Wayne County
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Wayne County Health Department, 217 Kenova Avenue, Wayne, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)
Wood County
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Vienna Baptist Church, 3401 Grand Central Avenue, Vienna, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMavWood1)
Please check with the testing site, DHHRs social media pages and the COVID-19 website https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/pages/testing.aspx for any last minute cancellations, and to find other free testing opportunities across West Virginia.
CNN
Although a federal judge struck down the Biden administrations mask mandate for public transportation Monday, some experts say you dont want to throw out your mask just yet. No matter the form of public transportation planes, trains, trams, subways, buses or even rideshares good ventilation can help reduce the spread of Covid-19, but masks work best.
You cant engineer your way out of a problem like this, said Krystal Pollitt, an assistant professor of epidemiology and assistant professor in chemical and environmental engineering at the Yale Institute for Global Health.
Someone infected with Covid-19 releases aerosols that contain the coronavirus when they talk, laugh or simply exhale. If the person isnt wearing a mask to block those aerosols, they can hang in the air and be inhaled by other people nearby.
Outdoors, viral particles may disperse with even a light wind. But indoors, where there is no wind, particles tend to concentrate and hang around. Good ventilation can help break up the concentration of viral particles, but it cant do everything.
Ventilation is great, but we know if we are outside, the risks are lower. Being able to re-create the same amount of airflow that you would have with just your natural wind patterns in a confined indoor space thats heavily occupied is incredibly hard to do, Pollitt said. Outside of putting yourself into, say, a wind tunnel, which obviously wouldnt be comfortable for many reasons or energy-wise, we have to think about whats realistic.
On public transportation of any kind, a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system sucks in air from outside, treats it and pushes it into the cabin or car. Its a closed-loop system that can pull a little bit of fresh air.
A bus or subway car can have 10 to 18 air exchanges per hour on the low side, according to Jim Alosi, a former Massachusetts secretary of transportation who is now a lecturer on transportation policy planning at MITs Department of Urban Studies and Planning; on the high side, it might have 40 to 50.
Everything depends on the age of the equipment, Alosi said. Older systems are not as efficient as newer ones.
Ventilated air that is well-mixed has good circulation and is relatively safe, said Varghese Mathai, an assistant professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst who has done studies on how the coronavirus spreads in an environment.
But when ventilation is not as good, the air is not so well-mixed, and there can be zones inside a room with a higher concentration of particles.
One cant really predict where these zones are not well-mixed in a room. Really, its a multidimensional problem, and its not easy to predict in a not-so-well-mixed room how safe it is to stay for an extended duration of time, Mathai said.
And if the transportation system wants maximum efficiency to cool or heat the air in a cabin, it can shut off the air intake and use whats already inside, explained Aly Tawfik, director of the Fresno State Transportation Institute and an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Geomatics Engineering at California State University, Fresno.
Buses have filters, just like the ones inside our vehicles, Tawfik said. But they are not designed for viruses like the coronavirus or the flu virus.
In May 2020, Tawfik and his team did an experiment to see how a virus could spread through buses with a typical ventilation system.
Using nontoxic colored candles and steam, they simulated how air flowed in a variety of buses. They found that HVAC systems are extremely efficient and hold cool or the warm air inside a bus a lot longer than some may expect.
When the team introduced smoke, they saw that it spread in seconds and filled the whole cabin. Even when they opened the doors and introduced fresh air into the HVAC systems, the smoke lingered for minutes. The researchers think the virus behaves like the smoke did and could linger even after an infected person has left a bus.
These were unpleasant findings, because it means that opening the doors and windows doesnt help much, Tawfik said. The systems were designed to treat air fast and keep it inside the cabin for a long period of time.
With another experiment, the team tried to see if they could treat the air to make it safer. They tested the buses with three viruses that were similar to the coronavirus.
Cooling the air mitigated an average of about 80% of the viruses, and heating was at about 90%.
That does not necessarily mean that its safe, because this 10% is still millions of viruses, Tawfik said. For one thing, its not clear how much of the virus virus it takes to infect someone.
HEPA filters mitigated about 94% of the viruses. Ionizers were a little less efficient, but photocatalytic oxidation and UV lights were better. UV lights in the HVAC system removed about 99% of the viruses.
Northern Californias BART system and New Yorks Metro system are among those that have introduced some of these technologies during the pandemic.
People can catch Covid-19 on planes, especially when an infected person isnt wearing a mask, studies have shown, but a planes air system is much stronger than one on a bus or train.
Airplanes use HEPA filters that can capture about 99% of particles in the air. They also have better air circulation when flying. Air is typically fed in through the top of the cabin, extracted by floor vents, fed through those filters and eventually sent back into the cabin.
Planes bring in air in a top-to-bottom direction about 20 to 30 times per hour, creating a 50-50 mix of outside and recirculated air and reducing the potential spread of the virus. So the risk of getting sick is low, the experts say.
However, people are usually on planes a lot longer than they may be on a subway or on a bus, and more time in a crowded plane can increase someones exposure.
When a plane is parked, it does not have that superior circulation.
Airplane systems are a little similar to bus systems when they are on the ground, Tawfik said. Thats why youll notice the temperature isnt as well-regulated then, and its also when there isnt the same amount of fresh air circulating. Its then dealing with the same challenges.
Uber and Lyft have dropped their mask mandates, and many taxi companies have stopped requiring masks.
Infection in a car is certainly possible, studies show.
You can always wear a mask, and some experts suggest opening car windows and keeping talk to a minimum. Keep in mind that shorter rides are also better than longer ones.
Alosi said there are things that transportation systems could do to mitigate some of the risk. Trains and buses could run more often so there arent as many people on board, for instance.
He says it could help to require people to show proof of vaccination if they want to get on a train or plane. That probably wouldnt work with subways or buses, though, nor would it fly politically.
Alosi thinks public transportation has been unfairly stigmatized. If youre not up in arms about people being unmasked in the grocery store, you should chill out about public transit, he said.
Even before masks were mandatory on public transportation, studies have found, mass transit systems dont seem to be major drivers of viral spread.
And although its not mandatory, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends that people wear masks in indoor public transportation settings.
When you spend significant duration indoors, you obviously inhale, and if you have co-occupants who are potentially infected, you can inhale these tiny droplets that can get you sick, Mathai said.
Ventilation absolutely helps, he said, but protecting yourself can take multiple tools of mitigation. Masks really reduce the momentum of these released aerosol droplets.
A mask can even protect you when others arent wearing them.
Just wearing a mask is a such a simple solution to increasing the level of safety, Pollitt said. Putting one on, its an easy thing to do.
An unvaccinated teenager who tested positive for the COVID-19 Delta variant last year was re-infected with the Omicron variant in as little as 23 days, according to a case study that looked at potential limitations of "infection-induced" immunity from COVID-19.
The study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed 10 people who reported "early re-infections," or those who tested positive for the Omicron variant within 90 days of testing positive for the Delta variant. Delta was the dominant strain in the U.S. until Omicron took over in December 2021.
Among the 10 people studied - five from Vermont, three from Wisconsin, one from Washington state and one from Rhode Island - the shortest time between infections was the teenager in Washington with 23 days. The longest was 87 days.
RELATED: Moderna hopes to offer updated COVID-19 booster for latest variant this fall
Eight of the people studied were younger than 18, and only one had received a full series of COVID-19 vaccines. They werent eligible for a booster at the time of re-infection. No other patient was up-to-date on recommended COVID vaccines.
The CDC says vaccinations provide additional protection against COVID-19, even if youve been infected before.
The agency warns that the findings "might not be generalized to the U.S. population," and the data is limited to the transition period when Omicron surpassed Delta as the dominant U.S. strain.
"Nonetheless, this study highlights potential limits of infection-induced immunity against novel variants," the study concludes. "Although the epidemiology of COVID-19 might change as new variants emerge, vaccination remains the safest strategy."
RELATED: Federal transportation mask mandate struck down: What now?
The study was published about a week before a Florida judge ended the sweeping federal mask mandate on planes, trains and in transit hubs, the last of major pandemic rules at the federal level. The Justice Department said it wont appeal the judges ruling unless the CDC believes the requirement is still necessary.
Passengers on a Delta Airlines flight clapped as the captain announced that they were no longer required to wear face masks on board on April 18, 2022. Credit: Leticia Elisea via Storyful
As of Tuesday, the CDC had not made a determination.
New reported U.S. cases of COVID-19 are relatively low compared with the past two years, but they have increased lately and are likely an undercount. Hospitalizations are nearly flat and deaths are still declining, according to the Associated Press.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. People 50 and older were found to be at increased risk of developing shingles after a COVID-19 diagnosis, a new study found, marking the first time a large analysis has connected the painful infection to the disease which has now persisted for more than two years.
Researchers used a database to track nearly 400,000 people 50 and older who were infected for the first time between the first days of the pandemic and the early months of 2021 and compared findings against a cohort of nearly 1.6 million people who were not diagnosed with the disease.
The study, published in the journal Open Form Infectious Diseases, found those who tested positive for COVID-19 were 15% more likely to develop shingles, known as herpes zoster, compared to the control group. That risk was even more pronounced 21% higher for hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
People vaccinated against shingles and COVID-19 were not included in the study. The research was conducted prior to the emergence of the virulent omicron variant, and it is unclear if the newer strain is associated with differing levels of shingles diagnoses.
We found that during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, 50-year-old individuals with a first-time COVID-19 diagnosis had a significantly higher risk of developing HZ (herpes zoster) than those never diagnosed with COVID-19, the study authors wrote.
Shingles is an infection that often manifests as a painful rash in a single stripe on one side of the body. It can also cause a rash on one side of the face, potentially affecting vision, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The rash includes blisters that scab over in about a week before clearing over the span of two weeks to a full month. Around one in three people in the United States develop shingles, the CDC said.
Anyone who previously had chicken pox has the potential to get shingles, especially later in life as the immune system weakens. That is because the virus that causes chicken pox, varicella zoster, lays dormant in the body after an initial infection and can reemerge later in life and cause shingles.
Researchers in the latest study said their findings suggested COVID-19 infection may trigger reactivation of the chicken pox virus, prompting shingles to form.
Previous studies hypothesized COVID-19s ability to disrupt the bodys T-cells, the part of the immune system that fights infections, is the reason for the diseases ability to cause higher rates of shingles infections.
A separate Brazilian study found a 35% increase in shingles diagnoses in the first months of the pandemic compared to the same periods in 2017 to 2019.
The scientists involved in the latest study said health professionals should consider that COVID-19 may be a risk factor for shingles, adding that maintaining recommended shingles vaccination among the 50 and older age group could blunt the impact of the overall increase in new infections.
Norwegian health authorities say they are open to giving people aged 80 and above a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine but see no cause for a general recommendation for that age category to get a fourth shot
ByThe Associated Press
April 20, 2022, 1:14 PM
1 min read
COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Norwegian health authorities said Wednesday they are open to giving people aged 80 and above a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, but see no cause for a general recommendation for that age category to get a fourth shot.
Geir Bukholm, assistant director at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, said the agency believes this can be assessed and chosen by the individual.
However, the agency urged more people with severely weakened immune systems to take a booster shot of the vaccine.
The agency said the updated assessment was in line with guidelines by the European Infection Control Agency and the European Medicines Agency.
In neighboring Sweden, authorities this month recommended a fourth vaccine dose for people 65 and over and for those living in nursing homes or getting home care, down from an earlier recommendation for people 80 and older. The recommendation also includes fourth shots for those aged 1864 with moderate to severe immune deficiency.
Follow all of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
