U.S. health officials stop shipments of the monoclonal antibody sotrovimab to certain states, Novavax's protein-based vaccine is being tested as a booster in two new clinical trials, and more in this week's roundup of Covid-19 news.
(Precision Vaccinations)
A new study published by Wisconsin-based Epic Research quantifies how specific comorbidities could affect the risk of breakthrough COVID-19 cases, defined as getting an infection after being 'fullyvaccinated.'
Published on March 31, 2022, these Epic researchers used medical records to find pregnant womenare 1.91 times as likely to have a breakthrough infection.
And individuals with a solid organ transplant are 1.83 times as likely, and people withan immune system deficiency are 1.63 times as possible.
However, thisstudy did not find that cancer increased the risk of breakthrough infections.
These data come from Cosmos, a HIPAA-defined Limited Data Set of more than 140 million patientsfrom 161 Epic organizations, including 960 hospitals and 20,814 clinics, serving patients in all 50 states.
Two Epic teams completed this study, each composed of a clinician and research scientists who worked independently.
This study'sfindings support the U.S. CDC's recommendation that patients with high-risk comorbidity may need enhanced infection prevention control beyond vaccination to minimize the risk of future infection.
The CDCrecently stated, 'even if you are fully vaccinated andlive in an area with a highCOVID-19 Community Level infection rate, you will be better protected if you wear a mask in indoor public places.'
And, 'people who areimmunocompromisedmay not always build adequate levels of protection after an initial 3-dose primary mRNA COVID-19 vaccine series.'
Moreover, 'havingcertain underlying medical conditions and other factors, including age, can further increase the risk of getting very sick from COVID-19 during or at least 42 days following pregnancy.
As of February 19, 2022, the CDC's data dashboard presents COVID-19 vaccination among pregnant womenaged 18-49 years overall, by race/ethnicity, and when the women were vaccinated.
Note: The Epic study and CDC information were edited for clarity and manually curated for mobile readers.
A complaint initially filed in the Tennessee state court in February was removed to the federal counterpart on Thursday. The plaintiff sued his former employer, Tyson Foods, Inc. over their alleged violation of Tennessee COVID-19 laws. Specifically, he claims he was discharged from his job with Tyson over their misconception of him as unvaccinated and as retaliation for requesting workers compensation benefits.
In 2008, the plaintiff was hired by the defendant to work at their chicken processing factory in Union City, Tennessee. Throughout the fourteen years of his employment, the plaintiff contends he had no disciplinary action taken towards him.
The plaintiff received his first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccination in April 2021 and his second dose just one month later. In the fall 2021, Tyson required all of their employees to provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccination, the complaint said. According to the complaint, the plaintiff had lost his vaccination card and immediately began to contact hospital, clinic, and state officials so that he could obtain the proper records.
The plaintiff said he was terminated on November 29, 2021, for not taking the vaccine. The termination occurred despite the plaintiff obtaining numerous records verifying his vaccination status and also [receiving] a replacement card from the State of Tennessee.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff showed the records to Tyson upon receiving notice of his termination, at which point he was reinstated but kept on unpaid suspension. After weeks of unpaid suspension, Tyson informed him that he was once again terminated for not taking the COVID-19 vaccination. The plaintiff said he asserted that he was vaccinated and had the corresponding proof.;Tyson then stated that the reason for his termination was gross misconduct.
The plaintiff maintains that the real reasons for his termination from Tyson were because of the defendants false perception that he was unvaccinated and as retaliation because he filed for workers compensation due to an arm and hand injury.
The plaintiff is seeking injunctive relief, damages, and any other relief deemed necessary by the court.
The plaintiff is represented by Spragins Barnett & Cobb, PLC.
HOUSTON, TX U.S.Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) this week introduced theGIVE LIFE Act(Dosss Bill) with Sen. Grassley (R-IA) and theEnding Discrimination in COVID-19 Treatments Act. Dosss Bill is named after a teenage Texan who was denied a kidney transplant because he had not been vaccinated against COVID-19. Both of these bills would ensure that Americans are not discriminated against while trying to access critical, life-saving care.
The GIVE LIFE Act would prohibit denying an individual from donating or receiving an organ because of their COVID-19 vaccination status, and from the number of COVID-19 cases in a region being used as a factor in determining eligibility to donate or receive an organ transplant.The GIVE LIFE Act would also prevent Medicare and Medicaid providers from denying services to individuals based on their COVID-19 vaccination status.
The Ending Discrimination in COVID-19 Treatments Act would mandate the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to require that providers receiving monoclonal antibodies do not engage in discriminatory practices such as considering someones race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, vaccination status, veteran status, political ideology, or speech when allocating theantibodies. There have been reports that states across the country are using race and ethnicity as a factor in determining whether someone is eligible to receive monoclonal antibodies which are critical, life-saving therapies that aide in the recovery from COVID-19.
Upon introducing these bills, Sen. Cruz said:
No American should be denied a life-saving drug or organ because of their race, ethnicity, or COVID-19 vaccine status. That is wrong. Unfortunately, were seeing this kind of discrimination. My bills would prohibit the federal government from enabling this discrimination, so that every American has access to the care and treatment they needregardless of their COVID-19 vaccination status or any other contrived criteria.
Jon Schweppe, Director of Policy and Government Affairs at the American Principles Project said:
"COVID-19 has taken far too many American liveswe certainly shouldn't let it take America's soul. But a number of haughty eliteshave decided that they should be granted a license to discriminate against those who they view as lesser for not obeying the vaccine edicts of Anthony Fauci and Big Pharma. Everyone should get the vaccine, but if they don't want it, they shouldn't have to get it, and they certainly shouldn't face any sort of punitive treatment. The idea that medical professionals should be allowed to say who lives and who dies based on whether someone got the vaccine is not only un-American and discriminatory, but it would seem to violate the Hippocratic oath. We should be better than this. TheGIVE LIFE Act would safeguard access to life-saving treatment forall Americansit will save lives. American Principles Project is proud to endorse it."
Adam Brandon, President of FreedomWorks said:
The decision to take the COVID-19 vaccine belongs solely with the individual. It is beyond reprehensible for any person to be denied medical care based on their COVID-19 vaccination status.
Sen. Ted Cruz's GIVE LIFE Act will protect medical freedom while ensuring access to life-saving organ transplants. The COVID-19 regulatory madness must stop. We thank Senator Cruz for continuing to protect Americans medical freedom from the entrenched public health establishment.
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The World Health Organization said Wednesday that it expects the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic to significantly reduce over the next 12 monthseven as the virus continues to evolveas populations develop sustained immunity against severe disease and death.
Outbreaks will likely become progressively less severe, the agency said, though periodic boosting may be required if immunity wanes significantly.
The...
For much of the pandemic, these places were held up as Covid-19 success stories, as stringent border rules helped them avoid high cases and deaths -- even as the pandemic took hold around the world.
Now, they're among a number of places across Asia Pacific battling unprecedented outbreaks.
While the surge in cases can partly be explained by the highly contagious Omicron variant breaking through the region's defenses, that's not the whole story.
In some places, rising case numbers are a symptom of living with Covid as governments accept that trying to eradicate the virus is an unrealistic pursuit. In other places, skyrocketing cases are being blamed on a lack of planning by authorities caught off guard, despite two years of warning.
Asia's highest ever peak
Many of the places reporting the most cases per capita in the Asia-Pacific region -- which spans eastern and southern Asia and Oceania -- were previously seen as success stories.
Those include South Korea, New Zealand, Vietnam, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Of those, two countries that have both been easing restrictions are driving the Asian case numbers -- South Korea and Vietnam.
"(The Korean government) relaxed the current measures and social distancing even though the number of Covid cases were getting higher and higher," he said.
Abhishek Rimal, the regional emergency health coordinator for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said Lunar New Year, which was celebrated at the start of the year in both countries, could have also contributed to the outbreaks.
Another factor, he said, was that both Vietnam and South Korea also have large testing capacities, which could also explain why they are finding more cases than other countries.
"They are testing, that is why they are getting it," he said.
The countries now experiencing large numbers of cases all closed their borders at the start of the pandemic, leaving them largely shut off from the world. When Covid broke through, they used tracing, tracking and social distancing measures to bring outbreaks under control.
In the past few months, most have begun to shift toward a new approach: living with the virus.
After years of banning most foreign nationals, all of the places -- apart from Hong Kong -- eased border restrictions and relaxed rules for citizens.
The reasons behind that differ from place to place.
"We are more than two years into the pandemic ... and people are really looking at going back to their normal life," Rimal said.
But people in Hong Kong and China are still waiting to move forward with their lives. In both places, governments have maintained strict border rules -- and people still live with social distancing measures and the threat of snap Covid lockdowns.
Vaccines are key
Even with soaring cases, some authorities across Asia Pacific don't seem rattled for a simple reason: vaccines.
Besides the tiny Pacific island countries Tonga and the Cook Islands, New Zealand and South Korea are reporting the highest cases per capita in the region -- but their death tolls remain relatively low.
South Korean authorities have pushed the same message.
"The number of confirmed cases continues to increase significantly, but the severity and fatality rate, and the medical system's responsiveness, are considered manageable," said health official Son Young-rae in a briefing on March 23. "(We) believe that once the peak of this Omicron wave passes, we'll be able to convert to a system that is closer to a normal life."
Both South Korea and New Zealand have high vaccine rates -- but crucially, they have vaccinated their elderly, who are most vulnerable to severe illness and death from the virus.
And so far, that's meant that while these countries have seen an increase in fatalities as their cases rise, they've still been able to keep death rates relatively low.
It's a similar situation in New Zealand -- while the country had one of the highest reported Covid cases per capita over the past week, when it comes to deaths per capita for the past week, it doesn't even make the top 20 worldwide.
Again, the region's outlier is Hong Kong.
The virus was able to rip through elderly homes, where vaccination rates were low.
The question over whether stringent measures are worth it is also playing out in mainland China, which is facing is biggest outbreak since the one recorded in Wuhan at the start of the pandemic.
And like Hong Kong, vaccinations among the elderly are lagging, raising concerns the city's deadly outbreak may foreshadow a deadly wave across the border.
CNN's Yoonjung Seo and Simone McCarthy contributed to this report.
Overview
More than two years since the first SARS-CoV-2 infections were reported, the COVID-19 pandemic remains an acute global emergency. In this Strategic Preparedness, Readiness and Response plan for 2022, WHO sets out a number of key strategic adjustments that, if implemented rapidly and consistently at national, regional, and global levels, will enable the world to end the acute phase of the pandemic.
Maine reported 206 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday and one additional death.
Since the pandemic began, Maine has recorded 235,790 cases of COVID-19, and 2,202 deaths.
Meanwhile, more people are now eligible for boosters, as federal regulators this week approved a second booster for anyone 50 and older. People who received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine and have gotten their first booster are now eligible for a second booster.
Dr. Nirav Shah, Maine CDC director, said in a tweet Wednesday that if you are eligible for a second booster, you should get one. They are available, free of charge to you, and resoundingly safe. Data from one large population study showed a significant mortality benefit among those who received a second booster versus one.
The Maine CDC has compiled a list ofvaccination providers on its website.
The number of hospitalized COVID patients in Maine has not yet been updated, but stood at 98 on Wednesday, with 18 in critical care and five on a ventilator. The hospitalization number has hovered just below 100 patients for 11 days after plummeting 78 percent from a peak of 436 on Jan. 13.
While Maines case numbers and hospitalizations have stabilized after steep declines, there are no definitive signs that the new omicron BA.2 subvariant is causing a rise in infections here. Wastewater monitoring, the pace of positive tests and the positive test rate have not indicated a resurgence of the virus.
This story will be updated.
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Good morning, Mission, and welcome to Virus Village, your (somewhat regular) Covid-19 data dump.
Hospitalizations have declined, but there is a notable increase in recorded infections and positivity rates. R Number estimates put San Francisco well over 1.
Are we witnessing the take off of the omicron BA.2 surge? Seems likely, but who knows what that might mean. You will be glad to know theSan Francisco Department of Public Healthis not worried. Meanwhile, heresan overview of the situation in much of Asia. Though DPH gives us nothing but raw numbers, this isa closer look at the situation with UCSFwhich handles most covid cases in the City.
This week, we non-STEM students got an important lesson in the scientific method. When the defacto Covid Czar orders a second booster round, the Biden White House authorizes the shot for adults over 50 and anyone immunocompromised. Without even the pretense of reviewing the (minimal) data, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration then approves and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says you can get it if you really want it. Works every time.
The case for the 4th shot is laid out in this piece in the New York Times, which published a piece less than a month ago that laid out the case against it. And if youre looking for a more contemporary doubt on the need for the 4th shot, check out here and here.
Keep in mind, a 4th shot implies a 5th shot, as a new vaccine will be ready this fall.
Why should the White House wait for the CDC, which may employ the last scientists on earth who disregard evidence that aerosol transmission is the primary source of covid spread.
Does anyone seriously doubt that putting health care in the hands of private equity firms will result in greater inequities? Between 2010 and 2019, private equity deals in health care nearly tripled in value, especially in nursing homes where most covid-related deaths took place.
To make sure the inequities in health care remain the same or worsen, the U.S. government has ended free covid testing for the uninsured.
Too bad the Covid Czar forgot to order global vaccination.
Thanks to the efforts of the National Institutes of Health, we still know very little about long covid.
Remember herd Immunity? We dont hear much about it these days. Seems the virus had different ideas, or maybe, we arent the herd some thought we were.
Scroll down for todays covid numbers.
As of March 29, DPH reports 782,552 San Franciscans have received at least on vaccine dose, 89 percent of all San Francisco residents. 83 percenthave received two. For residents 5 and older, those with one dose remain above 90 percent and those with two rose to 87 percent while for those 65 and older over 90 percent have received two doses. The number of San Franciscans who have received boosters is virtually unchanged from last week. As of March 29, approximately 472,943 SF residents (65 percent of all residents, 83 percent of residents 65 and older) have received a COVID-19 booster dose, an increase of less than .2 percent over the past week.
For information on where to get vaccinated in and around the Mission, visit ourVaccination Page.
Over the past week, hospitalizations have dropped 44 percent. On March 26, DPH reports there were 24 covid hospitalizations,or about2.7 covid hospitalizations per 100,000 residents (based on an 874,000 population). ICU patients have been in single digits since March 2. Today, the California Department of Public Health reports 28 covid patients in SF hospitals and 4 ICU patients.
The latest report from the federal Department of Health and Human Services shows Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital with 3 covid patients and 13 ICU beds available, while across the Mission, CPMC had 1 covid patient and 4 ICU beds available. Of 41 reported covid patients,20 were at either SFGH or UCSF, with at least 80 ICU beds available among reporting hospitals (which does not include the Veterans Administration). The California DPH currently reports 97 ICU beds available in San Francisco.
Between Jan. 24 and March 25, DPH recorded 893 new infections among Mission residents or 152 new infections per 10,000 residents. During that period, Mission Bay had the highest rate at 223 new infections per 10,000 residents. Of 38 neighborhoods, 37 had rates above 100 per 10,000 residents, while 3 (Mission Bay, Bayview Hunters Point and Portola) had rates above 200 per 10,000 residents. Presidio had the lowest rate at 88 per 10,000 residents.
DPH reports on March 22, the 7-day average of daily new infections recorded in the City rose to 95 or approximately 10.8 new infections per day per 100,000 residents (based on an 874,000 population), representing a 14.4 percent rise from last week. According to DPH, the 7-day average infection rate among vaccinated residents was 10.2 per 100,000 fully vaccinated residents and 19.3 per 100,000 unvaccinated residents. It is unclear whether fully vaccinated means 2, 3 or 4 doses. According to the New York Times, the 7-day average number was 114 on March 29, a 237 percent increase over the past two weeks. For those interested in wastewater monitoring, the poop is rising. see here.
As of March 25, DPH reports Whites accounted for 31.7 percent of the months total, Asians 26.3 percent, Latinxs 9.3 percent, Blacks 2.6 percent, Multi-racials 1.3 percent, Pacific Islanders .6 percent, and Native Americans had .2 percent of the months total so far.
As of March 25, the March positivity rate in the Mission was 2.8 percent. In comparison, the positivity rate in Bayview Hunters Point was 1.9 percent, Bernal Heights 1.9 percent, Castro 2.8 percent, Glen Park 2.6 percent, Noe Valley 2.7 percent, Seacliff 1.3 percent, and in Lakeshore, the only neighborhood in the City with less than 50 percent vaccinated, the positivity rate so far in March was 1.9 percent.
Nine new covid-related deaths have been reported, bringing the total since the beginning of the year to 150. DPH wont say how many were vaccinated and how many unvaccinated. Nor does it provide information on the race/ethnicity or socio-economic status of those who have recently died. The omicron death toll seems higher than delta. During and after the delta surge, July-October, the number was 105. According to DPH COVID-19 deaths are suspected to be associated with COVID-19. This means COVID-19 is listed as a cause of death or significant condition on the death certificate. Using a phrase like suspected to be associated with indicates the difficulty in determining a covid death. The ambiguity is heightened when currently DPH continues to report only 21 of the 844 deaths are known to have had no underlying conditions, or comorbidities.
Covid R Estimation on March 4, estimated the San Francisco R Number at a very high 1.74 while currently estimating the California R Number estimate at .66. The ensemble, as of March 25, estimates the San Francisco R Number at 1.22 while estimating the California R Number at .85.
As of March 25, DPH reports 77 recorded infections among San Franciscans aged 0-4, or 3.4 percent of the recorded infections so far this month, 5-11 100 infections or 4.4 percent, 12-17 67 infections or 2.9 percent, 18-20 38 infections or 1.7 percent, 21-24 172 infections or 7.6 percent, 25-29 378 infections or 16.6 percent, 30-39 599 infections or 26.3 percent, 40-49 335 infections or 14.7 percent, 50-59 205 infections or 9 percent, 60-69 165 infections or 7.2 percent, 70-79 77 infections or 3.4 percent, and those 80 and above have had 65 recorded infections so far this month or 2.9 percent of the total.
