The Covid-19 pandemic can be the last major pandemic humanity ever has to face--if we take action now to prepare for the next pathogen threat. That message comes from Bill Gates, who has laid out his recommendations for stopping the next deadly virus in his new book How to Prevent the Next Pandemic, to be published on May 3.
"We don't have to do this again," Gates writes in a blog post announcing the book. Thatmay sound like an ambitious claim, but he has been researching this stuff for a long time. In fact, in 2015, he warnedof the dangers an airborne virus could pose. Even at the time, he said humanity had the means to prevent a deadly pandemic from spreading--if we would preparefor it in the same way that we currently preparefor war, with standing armies, ongoing training, and simulations--"germ games"--that resemble the war games frequently held today.
What are his current recommendations for containing the next pandemic before it has a chance to spread? We'll have to wait for the book to get his detailed recommendations, but here are the three elements of his plan thathe describes in a brief video accompanying the blog post:
1. Improve healthsystems everywhere.
We need better healthsystems, particularlyin developing countries,Gates says. It's easy to see how this would help. At the time that the Omicron variant first appeared in South Africa, less than a quarter of its population was fully vaccinated, and very few people had received booster shots.
Some experts believe this low vaccination rate gave the virus much more opportunity to mutate into new forms. And while Omicron appears to be milder than earlier forms of Covid, it could have gone the other way. Better healthcare systems in developing nations would also mean more widespread testing, and less risk of people infecting others if they have the virus but don't know it.
2. Build a global pathogen surveillance system.
Early detection is the key to stopping the next deadly virus from spreading and becoming a pandemic, Gates explains. When the Ebola virus first emerged, there were no epidemiologists on tap to travel to the affected sites and study the pathogen. Case reports were delayed, inaccurate, and on paper, Gates said at the time.
Things are better now, but more improvement is needed. If we build worldwide pathogen surveillance capacity, he says, "no matter which country it shows up in, we can apply resources and understand what's going on very quickly."
3. Continue to innovate in detection, treatment, and prevention.
We need continuing innovation in three key areas: diagnostics (i.e. testing),therapeutics, and vaccines, Gates says. Innovation could mean thatvaccines, tests, and treatments are developed--and widely distributed--much faster than happened this time. "That will make it possible to make disastrous pandemics a thing of the past."
It may sound like an ambitious goal, but we're already partway there, he says. "The progress we've made over the last two years--including thehuge leaps forward we've made with vaccines and the knowledge we've gained about respiratory illnesses--has already set us on a path to success," Gate writes in his blog post.
Unlike in 2015, when Gates first proposed some of these measures, the world now knows how much damage a pandemic can cause in terms of lives lost, economic turmoil, and the disruption of whole societies. "Momentum is on our side," Gates concludes. "If we make the right choices and investments, we can make Covid-19 the last pandemic."
There's a growing audience of Inc.com readers who receive a daily text from me with a self-care or motivational micro-challenge or idea. Often they text me back and we wind up in a conversation. (Interested in joining? You can learn morehere.) I've heard from many of them how this pandemic has severely disrupted their lives, just as it has mine, and most likely yours as well.
My father had me late in life, so here's something I've thought a lot about lately: He and his sisters lived through the 1918-1920 influenza pandemic as children. Their descendants have now lived through Covid-19. I don't know about you, but I don't want our children or grandchildren experiencing two years like the ones we've just had. If Gates is right and it is truly possible to make Covid-19 the last pandemic humanity has to face, I say we do whatever it takes.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
January was quite the month for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. One moment it was a life in exile with Arsenal, the next a fresh start with Barcelona. I am living a dream, said Aubameyang after his chaotic deadline day yielded a grand personal prize.
Between the wilderness at Arsenal and a late escape to La Liga, though, came a spell of uncertainty.
Aubameyang had been due to spend much of January at the Africa Cup of Nations as captain of Gabon, only to test positive for COVID-19 upon his arrival in Cameroon. A subsequent examination, carried out by the Confederation of African Footballs (CAF) medical commission, then discovered cardiac lesions during routine scans.
CAF chose not to take any risks and ruled Aubameyang, along with team-mates Axel Meye and Mario Lemina, out of their group game with Ghana on January 14. All three had tested positive for COVID-19 and all three, CAF said, had been found to have the same heart problem.
Meye was soon cleared to return and feature for Gabon in their games against Morocco and Burkina Faso but Aubameyang and Lemina were sent back to their clubs before the qualifying group had even reached its conclusion.
Then, mercifully, came the reassurance. I came back to London to do some additional checks, and Im very happy to say that my heart is absolutely fine and Im completely healthy! wrote Aubameyang on Instagram.
Related Practices & Jurisdictions
Saturday, February 12, 2022
On February 10, 2022,Assembly Bill (AB) 1993was introduced in the California legislature. This bill would amend certain COVID-19 vaccination requirements in employment settings and create a framework for California employers to be responsible for vaccination programs in their workplaces.
AB 1993 (also known as Government Code Section 12940.4) would go in to effect on January 1, 2023, if passed in the legislature and signed by the governor. The law would create a plethora of California employer duties around COVID-19 vaccines. If passed, the bill would require each person who is an employee or independent contractor, and who is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, to show proof to the employer that the person has been vaccinated against COVID-19.
The bill defines vaccinated against COVID-19 as either being fully vaccinated by a vaccine authorized by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the World Health Organization (WHO) or having received the first dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine provides proof of that first dose, and provides proof of receiving the second dose of the vaccine within 45 days after receiving the first dose. The bill carves out certain exemptions to the vaccination requirement including a medical condition or disability or a sincerely held religious belief that precludes the person from receiving the vaccination. The bill even includes a reporting provision for submitting vaccination information to Californias Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) and penalty provisions of an indeterminate amount for failure to comply with this proposed law.
The bill would remain operative until the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determines that COVID-19 vaccinations are no longer necessary for the health and safety of individuals, and as of that date is repealed.
2022, Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., All Rights Reserved.National Law Review, Volume XII, Number 43
CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) The Piedmont Health District says they will be holding a pair of COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Charlotte County next week.
The first will take place at the Phenix Volunteer Fire Department at 365 Chester Street in Phenix on Monday, Feb. 14 from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The second will run at the County Line FACES Food Pantry at 12129 County Line Road in Keysville on Saturday, Feb. 19 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
While walk-ins are welcome, appointments are encouraged. To make your appointment, click here or call 1-877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682, TTY users call 7-1-1.
The Pfizer vaccine is available for anyone age five and older, though a parent or guardian must accompany anyone under 18.
The Moderna vaccine is available for anyone age 18 and older.
As far as booster shots, the Pfizer booster vaccine is available for anyone age 12 and older who had their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna at least five months ago. The Johnson & Johnson booster is available to those who had their vaccine at least two months prior.
The Moderna booster is available for anyone age 18 and older at least five months from the date of their second Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or at least two months from the date of their Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Those who are eligible to receive a booster may choose which vaccine they would like.
For those who choose a different product than their primary serious, VDH officials urge you to talk with your doctor or health care provider to assist you in making the best decision for your own situation.
If you are coming for a second dose or a booster, you need to bring your vaccine card to confirm the date and type of vaccine you received.
To get a copy of your vaccine record with a QR code, click here.
A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a "Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine" sticker and a medical syringe in front of displayed Novavax logo in this illustration taken, October 30, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic
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Feb 10 (Reuters) - Novavax Inc (NVAX.O) said on Thursday its two-dose vaccine was 80% effective against COVID-19 in a late-stage trial testing the shot in teens aged 12 to 17 years.
The trial involved 2,247 adolescents and took place between May and September last year when the Delta variant was the dominant strain in the United States. The vaccine was 82% effective against the variant.
The U.S. biotech said it expects to submit applications to global regulators for the shot's use in adolescents during the first quarter.
Register
Novavax late last month filed for authorization of the shot in U.S. adults, a much-awaited step following months of struggles with development and manufacturing problems.
The vaccine has received authorizations from the European Union and the World Health Organization and has been cleared for use in adults in countries including the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
In the company's trial in adults, which enrolled about 30,000 participants in the United States and Mexico, the vaccine had an efficacy of 90.4%.
Novavax said it did not see any incidents of myocarditis in the adolescent data but said it was keeping a close eye on the inflammatory heart condition and any other adverse events as it deploys its vaccine in the broader population.
"So as we deploy the vaccine in the broader population, we're keeping a very close eye on this and the other adverse events associated with vaccination. We can make sure we inform the public and regulators about how our maximum performance from safety perspective," said Filip Dubovsky, chief medical officer.
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Reporting by Amruta Khandekar; Editing by Aditya Soni and Diane Craft
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
BUFFALO N.Y. (WIVB) A movement involving Canadian truckers who are protesting the vaccine mandate is picking up steam locally as hundreds gathered Saturday by the Peace Bridge to push back on the mandates on border travel.
The ultimate goal right now, for everyone thats here, is for the mandates to be gotten rid of. They were needed at one time immediately, but theyve been overused and extended beyond belief. Theyre not needed, said Frank Kolemann, who was born in Canada but now lives in Buffalo.
Because Kolemann is unvaccinated, he has not been able to cross the border into Canada in two years.
All of these mandates are doing more harm than good, he said. The borders are closed to family. Im a dual citizen. I have tons of family in Canada I cannot go visit.
People against COVID-19 mandates gathered with their American and Canadian flags and headed from Tonawanda to the Peace Bridge to get their message across.
Im here supporting freedom. We need to have our rights back. We need to have the choice, said Wendy Dominski, who attended the rally.
Across the bridge in Fort Erie, Canada, there was a vehicle convoy, with people showing support for Canadian truckers against the vaccine mandate.
Its a small percentage of people who arent happy with government policies, all of us are tired of the government policies but we understand that in order to be safe, protect your neighbors and family, you have to follow certain public health guidelines, said Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop.
A freedom convoy is set to take place this Sunday at noon near the Peace Bridge.
Sarah Minkewicz is a reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 2019. See more of her work here.
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The County reported a case rate this week of 65.6 new daily cases per 100,000 (down from 130.3) the case rate among the unvaccinated individuals is 156 per 100,000 compared with 44 for vaccinated residents. The county reported a test positivity rate of 11.8 percent (down from 17.1). See the countys updated Metrics and Trends pagefor the most up-to-date data.
In a press release issued this week, Sonoma County announced that they will align with the state to lift universal mask requirements for most indoor public settings beginning Wednesday, Feb. 16. Read the full press release.
Unvaccinated individuals over age 2 will continue to be required to wear masks in all indoor public settings. Businesses, venue operators, and hosts may determine their own paths forward to protect staff and patrons and may choose to require all patrons to wear masks.
Indoor masking is still required by the state for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, in public transportation; health care settings; congregate settings like correctional facilities and homeless shelters; long-term care facilities; and in K-12 schools and childcare settings.
As of this week, 80% percent of the Countys 5 and older population is now fully vaccinated, while 88% percent have received at least one dose. Vaccine appointments are now available for anyone 5 years or older who wantsoneat one of the many clinics, pharmacies or health centers in the County. Go toMyTurn.ca.govto find an appointment that works for you and find a list of local clinics on theSonoma Valley Health Partner Website.
46% of the Countys 5-11-year-olds have received at least one dose of Pfizers pediatric vaccine as of this week. Make an appointment on the States MyTurn websiteor attend one of the Sonoma Valley school site clinics below:
The county is expanding access to pediatric and adult COVID-19 vaccines and boosters through large weekend clinics at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. Clinics will be on Saturday and Sunday the next two weekends from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Garrett Building. The clinics are open to everyone in the community but are particularly focused on children and those 12 years and older who still need their boosters.
Demand for testing is making it difficult to get tested at a site or to obtain at-home tests. The county is working to increase the availability of testing, both PCR and antigen and the state and federal governments hope to supply more free at-home tests soon. Find additional pop-up testing locations and make an appointment on the Countystesting pageor call the hotline at 707-565-4667. The hotline is available to help residents sort through their many testing options in Spanish and English.
(THE CONVERSATION) With up to 300 million scent receptors, dogs are among thebest smell detectorsin the animal world. The human nose, by comparison, contains only around 6 million scent receptors. Dog brains also devote40% more brain spacethan humans to analyzing odors.
Thats why people train dogs to search for diverse targets via smell, fromillegal drugsandagricultural peststomissing persons,endangered wildlife speciesand more. Dogs accomplish this by successfully recognizing the odors of substances calledvolatile organic compoundsthat are specifically associated with these targets. Not only can trained dogs detect these volatile organic compounds, but oftentimes they can do it withgreater sensitivity thananalytical instruments.
Volatile organic compounds can be produced by living organisms as well as by natural or synthetic materials. In humans, they are produced by the bodys metabolic activity, then enter the bloodstream and are finally released into the air through blood, urine, feces, skin or breath.
Scientists have found that dogs can be trained to successfully recognize unique volatile organic compounds, called biomarkers, in theexhaled breath of patientswith certain diseases or chronic medical conditions, includingcanceranddiabetes, as well as forpre-seizure detectionin epileptic individuals.
Our team of canine scent scientists at Florida International University wanted to figure out whether COVID-19 is among the diseases that trained dogs can detect.Our recent study, which we carried out with our colleague,forensic biologist DeEtta Mills, confirms that it is.
We believe that dogs hold great promise as a rapid screening method that, used with other measuressuch as rapid tests, can help stop COVID-19 spread and end the pandemic. Some of the dogs trained during our research have already proved their abilitiesat airportsand public events.
Training dogs to detect COVID-19
For several decades, Florida International UniversitysInternational Forensic Research Institutehas been a global institution forresearch on detector dogs. The majority of this research has focused on identifying the specific volatile organic compounds that natural or synthetic materials and living organisms produce and which dogs can be trained to detect.
Inour recent research, we hypothesized that people infected with COVID-19 would release specific volatile organic compounds, and that a well-trained odor detection dog would be able to tell these biomarkers apart from other volatile organic compounds.
So in collaboration with Baptist Health South Florida, a nonprofit health care organization, we obtained face masks from hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 diagnoses, as well as from those who tested negative for COVID-19.
We then trained four dogs to respond to COVID-19 positive masks, while ignoring COVID-19 negative masks and unused masks. In the process, the dogs learned to tell the difference between biomarkers originating from COVID-19 breath and from non-COVID-19 breath.
One of the training tools we used was a scent detection wheel. We placed both COVID-19 positive and COVID-19 negative masks in cans with small holes in the lids, which were attached to the ends of the wheels arms. The dogs then walked around the wheel sniffing the volatile organic compounds coming out of these holes.
After 40 double-blind trials meaning that the people training the dogs didnt know which masks were which we found thateach of the four dogs in this study accurately detected COVID-19 positive masks more than 90% of the time.
Mac, a Terrier mix, got it right in 96.2% of attempts. Cobra, a Belgian Malinois, was correct 99.4% of the time. One Betta, a Dutch Shepherd, got it right in 98.1% of attempts, and Hubble, a Border Collie mix, 96.3% of the time.
After the study, Cobra and One Betta went to work atthe State Emergency Operation Command Center, in Tallahassee, Florida, screening for COVID-19 on surfaces. In May 2021, both dogs also put their COVID-19 detection skills to workat the annual Food and Wine Festivalin Miami.
In September 2021, Cobra and One Betta worked for two separate30-day pilot studiesat Miami International Airport, screening individuals for COVID-19.
Other agencies are beginning to adopt FIUs methods for training dogs to detect COVID-19. Recently, with FIUs assistance, the Bristol County Sheriffs Office in Massachusettsstarted putting two young labradorsnamed Duke and Huntah to work detecting COVID-19. These two dogs arealso sniffing for COVID-19at facilities in the nearby Freetown-Lakeville Regional School District.
Next steps in COVID-19 detection
Now that we know dogs can be trained to sniff out COVID-19, our team hopes to identify the exact volatile organic compounds the biomarkers that theyre detecting. To accomplish this, we are continuing to analyze both COVID-19 positive masks and COVID-19 negative masks in the laboratory.
Pinning down which biomarkers are linked to COVID-19 will help in developing materials and training aids for teaching other dogs how to detect the disease.
It may also contribute to developing COVID-19 sensors for use in odor-detecting devices which might then join rapid testing and sniffer dogs like One Betta, Hubble, Mac and Cobra in helping get the pandemic under control.
For the first year of the pandemic, I routinely received questions from friends, family, patients and acquaintances about how to think about risk in different situations before making decisions, Eisenberg said. Now, hardly anyone asks those questions and most people have settled on their own conclusions about what works for them.
We recently asked readers: Are you ready to live with the virus? Its a hot topic: Nearly 3,000 of you wrote in. Thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts. If youd like to continue the conversation, you can tell us how you feel in the comments section here.
Its time to start living with Covid by normalizing it. Its a virus. It will keep mutating. Its never going to be over, no matter how long we make concessions. And if its never over, as a nation, we cant grieve, find closure, adapt and help each other and our kids find silver linings and hope. We need to begin the healing process. We need to allow the healthy to start living. Ariele Taylor, Bay Area, Calif.
If living with the virus means letting down my guard, then NO. Im not remotely ready. Im prepared to wear masks for the rest of my life, if need be. Im not going to get casual about Covid. Im 74. Im already dealing with fibromyalgia. I dont want long-Covid on top of that! For me, masking up when I go out is an inconvenience I can live with. Kathryn Janus, Chicago
Covid boosters. Data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that booster shots against the coronavirus lose much of their potency after about four months, adding to evidence suggesting that some Americans may need a fourth dose.
Vaccines for young children. The Food and Drug Administration said that it would wait for dataon the effectiveness of three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine in children younger than 5 before deciding whether to authorize the vaccine for that age group.
Yes, we need to stop dividing citizens over vaccination choice and vaccine passports for good. We havent been able to enjoy restaurants, festivals, museums or any kind of travel because of this requirement, due to different vaccine statuses in our family. I am sympathetic to the most vulnerable and immunocompromised, but unless the government can approve more viable treatments for Covid, they are not the only people fighting to survive this pandemic. We have exhausted teachers, business owners, restaurant staff, grocery store clerks, pharmacists, retail workers all bearing the brunt of restrictions that they need to enforce on an equally exhausted population. By living with the virus, we are equipped with knowing what to do if we get infected, we have new protocols to self-isolate, to wear masks, or even get vaccinated if one feels unsafe. Beyond that, there is not much more we can do as a person. Dahlia, Montreal
I am ready! I want to travel with my family, do my job in full capacity and have my child in school without a mask if they choose. It has been long enough and its time to let people start choosing which precautions they want to take. You can wear a mask for the rest of your life should you choose. No one will ever stop you from doing that. Stacy Foster, Portland, Ore.
A child wears a KN95 mask for kids in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. Tiffany Hagler-Geard/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
A child wears a KN95 mask for kids in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.
Each week, we answer frequently asked questions about life during the coronavirus crisis. If you have a question you'd like us to consider for a future post, email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the subject line "Weekly Coronavirus Questions." See an archive of our FAQs here.
Do kids really need masks if they've been vaccinated and had COVID?
Most kids who were either recently infected or vaccinated should have a strong enough immune response to protect them from getting COVID for several weeks or longer, says Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious disease physician at Stanford University.
The combination of being vaccinated and having had COVID induces stronger immunity than just one or the other, he says in an email. "Of course, if they are immunocompromised, [the decision not to mask] will be more complicated and parents should consult with their physicians."
In general, though, recent infection and vaccination makes the risk of getting COVID so low that the extra benefit of a mask is negligible, says Seema Lakdawala, an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine who specializes in respiratory viruses with pandemic potential.
That could change over the next year "if a new variant comes along that doesn't care very much about your recent omicron infection," says Dr. Emily Landon, an infectious disease specialist and chief hospital epidemiologist at University of Chicago Medicine.
But for now, if your vaccinated kid has recently recovered from COVID, the choice of whether to mask is up to you and your child, as long as you're not violating any mandates.
Many parents in this situation choose to keep masking their children "because it's part of the social contract of all of us trying to get through this together," Lakdawala says. If one kid stops wearing a mask to school, another may decide to opt out as well, she points out, since keeping track of everyone who got COVID and who is vaccinated is not feasible.
If you and your child decide to forgo masking, make sure your child is not pressuring classmates to take theirs off.
"If your kid is the only one not wearing a mask and they're trying to push other kids to not wear masks, even though it may be best for them to [mask]," she says, "that's not OK. So it's really important to talk with your kids in mask-optional settings about not trying to influence others and to be really tolerant of what they need."
So if I really don't want my elementary school-age kids to get COVID, what's the best way to protect them?
First, get your 5- to 12-year-old vaccinated, doctors and experts say. In a study published online Wednesday, scientists in Israel found that vaccinated children were half as likely to catch COVID as their unvaccinated peers. But this protection was short-term. After about five months, the rate of infection was almost the same for vaccinated and unvaccinated teenagers.
Even as case rates are plunging in some areas, multi-layered strategies are still necessary. Lakdawala compares the situation to a battlefield.
"If we're at war with the virus, the vaccine is our armor," she says. "That helps us from getting badly beaten. But it doesn't help us win, so we also need a mask as a shield that helps us block the virus, and then other ways to fight back like ventilation and ways to clean the air as a sword."
Parents should check whether their schools are up-to-date on their ventilation and air cleaning systems. That could include opening doors and windows at certain times of the day when classrooms are busiest, according to Lakdawala, and using portable air cleaners or a built-in air filtration system. Teachers wearing masks can also make a dent in classroom transmission. According to a study from Germany published in December, teachers wearing masks at school was a more effective strategy at reducing transmission of the virus than students wearing masks.
"Everyone wants kids to be in school and learning and interacting safely," Lakdawala says. "So we need to continue to think about all of the ways to reduce risk in all environments."
And what about masks for the kids?
Many experts have recommended upgrading to high-filtration respirators during the omicron surge. Indeed, these respirators (N95s, KN95s, KF94s) may be the only masks that are helpful against omicron.
N95 masks aren't available for children, but KN95 and KN94s are. Such masks could help kids in situations that call for added caution. If your kid's environment includes spending time with anyone at higher risk of complications from COVID, for example, keep that person in mind when making decisions about masking, advises Landon.
"If their best friend has Type 1 diabetes and has been battling some infections recently or has a primary immunodeficiency and has to take immunoglobulin infusions, then your kid should be [extra careful]," she says. "If your kid wants to keep being friends with that kid, they need to wear a mask all the time."
But for many families, KN95s or KN94s aren't a viable option. They are much more expensive than cloth or surgical masks and less reusable than cloth masks. On top of that, a child needs to wear the mask consistently to make it effective.
Sheila Mulrooney Eldred is a freelance health journalist in Minneapolis. She has written about COVID-19 for many publications, including The New York Times, Kaiser Health News, Medscape and The Washington Post. More at sheilaeldred.pressfolios.com. On Twitter: @milepostmedia.
