Pauline Brantley doesnt know where she got COVID-19. She does know where her three kids and her husband picked it up, though: They got it from her.
Brantley, 51, of Los Angeles is vaccinated and regularly wears an N-95 mask but still got COVID. And even though she isolated immediately after testing positive and wore the mask at home, two days before Christmas every member of her family got it too.
They went down like dominoes, Brantley says. She has been coping with the guilt of passing COVID on ever since.
As the highly contagious omicron variant races around the world, managing to evade masks, vaccines and boosters, it feels easier than ever to get COVID-19 and easier than ever to give COVID to someone else. For Brantley, a lot of her initial guilt came from ruining the holidays, and once she realized her kids were suffering, her guilt intensified.
I didnt really have a fever, but the kids all had fevers and they were really just miserable. So once ... I saw them suffering I felt worse than I did before, she says. It sucks to be sick, especially over Christmas. I just felt so bad.
Brantley is not alone in feeling guilty about passing along the virus. Its something that Elizabeth Cohen, a therapist in New York City, is seeing in her patients. A lot of people are grappling with the guilt of having passed COVID to someone else, she says. People feel like, If Im a good person, I would have protected everybody. And its like, no, you are a good person its that this virus is super sneaky.
Lucy McBride, M.D., an internist in Washington, D.C., is also seeing feelings of shame among her patients who have contracted COVID-19. A common theme is when my patients call me they say, I feel so guilty. I feel so badly that I am sick when I was so careful, she says. You have to understand that when you have a highly transmissible variant like omicron in circulation, its not a failure of our mitigation efforts. Its really just the intrinsic nature of the virus.
Thats why she gets frustrated when she hears her patients are feeling culpable. If its a hurricane and you get wet, thats not your fault, right? McBride says.
Still, like most mothers, Brantley couldnt help but feel terrible watching her kids (and husband) get sick, especially since she brought the virus into the home.
She was surprised, though, at how badly she felt about exposing her coworkers when she went into the office one day before she knew she was infected. Even more surprising was how bad they made her feel about it.
I spent a lot of time worrying that I put them at risk, Brantley says. But they spent a lot of time being mad at me for possibly putting them at risk, even though there's no way I could have known.
Its that mentality that frustrates McBride. We have to realize that getting COVID and spreading COVID is not a moral failure, she says. It's really important to take the shame away from getting sick and accidentally infecting someone else, because this virus is so contagious. It's sort of inevitable that we will all be exposed to it at some point.
Alaskas largest hospital on Monday reported no available intensive care beds as the states health care system grapples with growing pressure from the ongoing COVID-19 surge linked to the highly contagious omicron variant.
State health officials on Monday also reported 21 more deaths in Alaskans with COVID-19, three of them recent.
Generally, the variant is thought to lead to less severe infections but its impact is being felt in health care worker absences compromising Alaskas hospital capacity, as well as continued illness, long-term complications, and death.
Together, the states two largest hospitals Providence Alaska Medical Center and Alaska Native Medical Center on Monday reported limited ICU space, a situation that started several weeks ago with staff outages linked to the virus and worsened recently amid rising hospitalizations of COVID-positive people.
Jeannie Monk, a state hospital association executive, tuned into a regular call with health-care administrators around the state Monday morning after spending the weekend in a world where everything seemed normal, as she put it.
But on that hospital call, Monk said, she heard only fatigue, stress and frustration.
Unprecedented employee outages one Anchorage facility on Monday reported more than 100 workers out are hitting not just health professionals but custodians and others, she said.
Some hospitals are pausing all but essential surgeries. A few nursing homes reported not being able to take new admissions because they dont have enough staff. A shortage of food workers at one hospital shuttered the cafeteria.
Health care workers are tired, theyre traumatized, theyre beleaguered, Monk said. They have been through many surges at this point. And they continue to show up and take care of people with COVID and all of the other things that bring people to a hospital.
Alaskas daily case counts showed a slight decline over the weekend, though its not clear whether that trend will continue or whether it reflects rising reliance on at-home tests, which arent part of state data, or recently limited testing capacity in Anchorage.
[Omicron peak in Alaska could be a few weeks away as new COVID-19 case numbers continue to shatter records]
The combination of rising COVID-19 cases and workers out sick and in isolation are leading to shortages of space at the biggest hospitals in the state in Anchorage, which typically treat the states sickest patients. As of Monday morning, there were just six ICU beds available at Anchorage hospitals, where 14% of patients were COVID-positive.
Providence Alaska Medical Center had no available ICU beds as of mid-afternoon Monday, hospital spokesman Mikal Canfield said. Between 80 and 100 employees were out Monday at the hospital, the states largest, which often receives patients who need higher levels of care from outlying facilities.
Now the number of patients and staffing shortages could affect our ability to accept patient transfers from other facilities, Canfield said in an email.
Alaska Native Medical Center on Monday had just under 300 employees on a COVID-19 tracking grid at varying stages of recovery, with about 100 who are not yet cleared to return to work because they have yet to get out of quarantine, spokeswoman Shirley Young said in an email. In general, the hospital remains at or near capacity regularly.
As of Monday morning, ANMC had a few open ICU beds, Young said, but that can change quickly through the day.
Alaska Regional Hospital paused visitors last week but otherwise is operating relatively normally, according to spokeswoman Kjerstin Lastufka.
Hospitalizations statewide are still climbing, though not yet to the 200-plus record levels last fall when the delta variant was circulating broadly.
The Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association, where Monk serves as senior vice president, was reporting 150 COVID-positive people hospitalized on Monday.
The state on Monday reported 139 COVID-positive Alaskans hospitalized as of Sunday, up from 135 reported Friday, according to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.
It wasnt clear how many were admitted to the hospital with the virus, as opposed to testing positive while being treated for other medical problems. But public health officials point out that any COVID-positive patient requires more PPE and other time-consuming measures to protect workers and other patients.
The state reported a total of 5,759 new COVID-19 cases in a three-day period from Friday through Sunday including a near-record of 3,083 resident cases Friday. The highest one-day resident tally was 3,282 on Jan. 19. There were 1,490 resident cases reported Saturday and 1,081 Sunday.
The state reported another 105 cases in non-residents during that period.
The virus-related deaths reported Monday included three that occurred recently, after omicron became the dominant variant in Alaska.
Eleven resident deaths in people with the virus occurred in December, according to a health department spokesman. Five occurred in November and two in October. Omicron was first detected here in mid-December.
The people who died were a female resident of Anchorage aged 80 or older; a female resident of Anchorage in her 70s; a male resident of Anchorage in his 70s; a male resident of Anchorage in his 70s; a male resident of Anchorage in his 60s; a male resident of Anchorage in his 50s; a female resident of Anchorage in her 50s; a female resident of Anchorage in her 50s; a male resident of the Copper River Census Area in his 60s; a male resident of Fairbanks in his 60s; a female resident of the Kenai Peninsula aged 80 or older; a male resident of the Kenai Peninsula in his 60s; a female resident of the Kenai Peninsula in her 60s; a female resident of Ketchikan in her 60s; a male resident of Ketchikan in his 60s; a male resident of Ketchikan in his 50s; a male resident of the Northwest Arctic Borough in his 70s; a male resident of Palmer in his 60s; a male resident of Soldotna in his 40s; a female resident of Wasilla aged 80 or older; and a female resident of Wasilla in her 60s.
Alaska on Monday ranked the lowest in the nation for seven-day death rate per 100,000 residents, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The state ranked sixth lowest for COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic began in March 2020 after once holding the lowest or near lowest rate.
There have been 1,039 deaths in Alaskans from COVID-19 since the pandemic began. Thirty-three nonresidents have died from the virus.
Public health officials continue to emphasize vaccination -- as well as social distancing and masking -- as the best way to combat the omicron variant. As of Monday, just over 61% of residents and military members or veterans over 5 had completed their primary series of vaccinations. Only about a quarter of eligible residents had received booster shots.
The national average for fully vaccinated people is 63%. Alaska ranked 30th among states for fully vaccinated residents on Monday.
In the first half of January, an estimated 8.8 million U.S. workers were reported to have stayed home either because they were sick with COVID-19 or were caring for someone who was sick.
According to Stastia, a consumer data provider, this is not only an increase of more than two million people year over year, but also the biggest workforce shortage since the start of the pandemic.
The news comes as some workers are running out of employer-provided sick days, or dont have enough earned sick days to begin with.
Genesis Mantuano, a factory worker in Elk Grove, took unpaid leave for five days to care for her 3-year-old son who tested positive for COVID-19.
My son tested positive for COVID and he has had a fever for about three days. When I found out, I told my supervisor that my son tested positive but I didn't, Mantuano said in Spanish. [My employer] had me quarantine and just told me that because I didnt test positive, that they couldnt pay me. I had known that previously they did pay you if a family member tested positive. In this case, the rules [at my work] have changed and they're not paying for sick leave anymore.
When the pandemic first hit, the Department of Labor enacted the Families First Coronavirus Response Act requiring employers to provide paid sick leave to employees who are unable to work due to a quarantine related to COVID-19, including caring for sick family members. It has since expired.
That ended in December of 2020, said Jorge Mjica, a strategic organizer for the community labor advocate organization Arise Chicago.
Mjica said there hasnt been anything similar passed in Illinois to replace the expired federal act.
People are still asking employers to pay for their quarantine but employers are gladly denying that petition, Mjica said. You get sick, you go home and you lose your pay. In March of 2021, there was also a provision to get paid but that expired too.
Mantuano said the five-day leave took a toll on her financially.
It has an economic impact because the bills dont wait for you, she said. The rent doesnt wait. One has payments to make. I have to buy a lot of things, especially food.
Nadia Torres, who works full time for two cleaning companies, was out of work due to illness from COVID for more than five days with ongoing symptoms. At one job, she is new and hasnt earned any sick time yet. At the other, she has less than two days of paid sick time.
I feel very alone, Torres told WTTW News in Spanish. I tried doing everything right for the past two years. I got vaccinated, Ive been wearing a mask when I asked my employers for help, they told me the Family and Medical Leave Act didnt apply to me ... I realized Im left to depend on my own resources.
The COVID-19 pandemic is still far from over but theres new hope the emergency phase could end this year because of the omicron variants speedy spread around the globe, a top official of the World Health Organization in Europe said Monday.
Omicron offers plausible hope for stabilization and normalization, Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said in a statement, describing how, with the proper precautions, the next variant could no longer require the return to pandemic-era, population-wide lockdowns or similar measures.
Thats going to take strong surveillance and monitoring of new variants, high vaccination uptake and third doses, ventilation, affordable equitable access to antivirals, targeted testing, and shielding high-risk groups with high-quality masks and physical distancing, he said.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top medical adviser to President Joe Biden, also offered some hope of getting COVID-19 infections to below what I call that area of control in the coming weeks, where theyre there, but they dont disrupt society, similar to other respiratory infections.
But appearing Sunday on ABCs This Week, Fauci also said the omicron surge has yet to peak in some parts of the United States. He said there may be a bit more pain and suffering with hospitalizations in those areas of the country that have not been fully vaccinated or have not gotten boosters.
That includes in Utah, which currently is tied with Rhode Island for the nations second-highest number of cases per 100,000 people behind Wisconsin, according to data collected by The New York Times. The newspaper cited Utah on Monday as a state lagging in vaccinations but reporting record case counts and hospitalizations.
Omicron, a less severe but incredibly transmissible COVID-19 variant that has overwhelmed hospitals as it sweeps around the globe because of the sheer number of new infections, is not expected to be the last version of the deadly virus that first surfaced more than two years ago.
This pandemic, like all other pandemics before it, will end, but it is far too early to relax, Kluge said. With the millions of infections occurring in the world in recent and coming weeks, coupled with waning immunity and winter seasonality, it is almost a given that new COVID-19 variants will emerge and return.
Whether the omicron variant offers protection against future versions of the virus remains to be seen, cautioned Dr. Eddie Stenehjem, an infectious diseases physician with Intermountain Healthcare, the regions largest health care provider.
Theres definitely going to be another variant. I mean, thats what viruses do. Especially if we see worldwide circulation, there will absolutely be another variant. To what extent prior infection with omicron is going to cover the next variant is unclear, Stenehjem told reporters recently.
Studies pitting omicron against prior variants are ongoing and look promising, the doctor said.
That could be a very good thing in terms of us moving forward and having less COVID in our lives, he said, adding the best-case scenario at this point would be if the immune response generated from omicron turns out to be protective.
That would mean our community immunity that weve generated from vaccination and infection will be robust enough to prevent these really significant surges that cause hospitalization numbers to go up, Stenehjem said. Theres plenty of people that think that will be the case. Were really going to have to see what happens.
Han Kim, a professor of public health at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, said omicron is changing COVID-19.
It is spreading so rapidly and exposing so much of the population, Kim said, building immunity that could limit the impact on hospitalizations and deaths from future variants to the point COVID-19 may shift from a pandemic to an endemic like the seasonal flu, that remains deadly but is not circulating as widely.
I think this has the potential to kind of open the door to becoming that endemic disease. Some folks are predicting maybe this summer will be the summer that we wanted last summer. All pandemics eventually end. Its just a matter of when, the professor said.
The Utah Department of Health reported 21,970 new coronavirus cases over the weekend 10,610 on Friday, 6,850 on Saturday and 4,549 on Sunday. While the numbers appear to be dropping, the state continues to advise most Utahns showing symptoms to assume they have the virus and isolate for five days rather than get tested.
I think we are still surging, Kim said, suggesting cases may peak later this week or next in Utah.
As of Monday, the rolling seven-day average for positive tests is 9,677 per day, and the rolling seven-day average for percent positivity of tests is 44.2% when all results are included and 30.1% when multiple tests by an individual are excluded.
The state health department also reported 33 new deaths since last week, bringing Utahs death toll from COVID-19 to 4,063 since the start of the pandemic. Hospitalizations remain at near-record highs, with 738 people currently in Utah hospitals with the virus.
Kim said even after omicron peaks in Utah, the state could still be in for a slower recovery than other places with higher vaccination rates against COVID-19. Less than 60% of all Utahns are fully vaccinated, meaning theyve received the initial series of shots, and 40% of them have also gotten a booster dose.
A new multi-state Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study that included data from Intermountain Healthcare in Utah showed that a booster shot has a significant impact against omicron, increasing the effectiveness of vaccination in keeping someone out of the hospital from 50% to 90%.
Intermountain Healthcare tweeted that as of Sunday, 68% of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 were not vaccinated, 24% had gotten the initial shots and just 8% were also boosted. The numbers are more stark in the ICU: 82% of COVID-19 patients there are unvaccinated; 14% had the initial shots and just 4% were also boosted.
Kim said its incredibly dramatic how differently the virus impacts the vaccinated versus the unvaccinated.
For those who are boosted, and even those who dont have the booster but still have the full vaccine series, we can define this as a fairly mild variant. For most folks, the risk of severe disease is low, he said. But for those who are unvaccinated, this is just as deadly as the original variant.
EDINBURGH, Scotland (StudyFinds.org) COVID-19 during pregnancy can lead to long-term birth complications, according to new study. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh found an increased risk of premature birth, stillbirths, and newborn deaths in women infected with SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) 28 days before their due date. Most women with COVID-19 related complications were more likely to be unvaccinated.
The findings suggest safety measures for preventing infection, such as getting the COVID-19 vaccine, are crucial in protecting the health of newborns. Researchers emphasize the need for more efforts to encourage vaccination in pregnant women. Researchers note that mothers-to-be have lower vaccination rates than the general population, despite the risk ofsevere complicationsfor both mother and child.
It is clear that vaccination is the safest and most effective way for pregnant women to protect themselves and their babies from severe Covid-19 disease, says study co-author Rachael Wood, a consultant with Public Health Scotland, in auniversity release. Vaccination can be given at any stage of pregnancy, so I strongly encourage women who are pregnant, or hoping to become pregnant, toget fully vaccinatedas soon as possible.
Between December 2020 and October 2021, the research team collected data on hospitalization and vaccine uptake for over 87,000 pregnant women living in Scotland.
As of October 2021, just 32 percent of pregnant women received their full COVID vaccination, compared to the 77 percent ofnonpregnant womenbetween 18 and 44 years-old. Since thevaccine rolloutbegan in Scotland, there have been 4,950 COVID-19 cases among pregnant women.
About 77 percent of these cases during pregnancy are among unvaccinated women. Twelve percent of pregnant women with COVID-19 had one vaccine dose or tested positive for COVID 14 days before their second dose.
When looking atperinatal deaths a baby dying in the womb after24 weeks of pregnancyor within 28 days of delivery the team found a concerning link to COVID-19 infection rates. For every 1,000 births, the team recorded 23 perinatal deaths. However, all of the perinatal deaths involved unvaccinated women.
The study also finds a 17-percent increase in the number of premature births among women with COVID three weeks before their due date. The general perinatal mortality rate in Scotland is six per every 1,000 births and the preterm birth rate is typically eight percent.
Unvaccinated pregnant women were more likely than vaccinated pregnant women to require hospitalization and critical care. About 98 percent of hospitalizations among pregnant women admitted to critical care involved unvaccinated patients.
The study appears in the journalNature Medicine.
Lakeland patients part of ivermectin COVID-19 study
Ken Suarez reports
LAKELAND, Fla. - Lakeland Regional Health is taking part in a national study to see if Ivermectin has any effect on COVID-19 patients. So far, the hospital's chief medical officer says there's no evidence the drug works to fight the virus or its symptoms.
"I have not seen any legitimate studies that have proven it to be beneficial," Dr. Timothy Regan told FOX 13.
Ivermectin and two other medicines will be given to people with mild cases of COVID-19 in a double-blind study, with a placebo.
Along with Ivermectin, two other drugs are being tested: Fluticasone, which is typically used for asthma, and Fluvoxamine, which is usually given for depressionand behavioral health issues.
All three are FDA approved, but not for COVID-19.
"There are a lot of different medications out there, and if we find one that we can repurpose and use for COVID, that is the important part of the study," Regan said.
Nationally, about 2,000 patients are enrolled in the study, with about two dozen of them in Lakeland.
The goal is to enroll 15,000 across the country.
"I think, in a lot of ways, the message has been misconstrued to the public," Regan commented. "Physicians and clinicians are not against Ivermectin. Theyre against the concept that people decide one day they want to take a medication that suddenly has become trendy."
"Our job is to look at things scientifically, compare outcomes, and do whats right for our patients," he continued.
The study is expected to take about a year to complete.
Booster shots are now authorized and encouraged for all West Virginians ages 12 and older. Read more about booster eligibility atCDC.gov.
COVID-19 booster shots are available, for free, to all eligible West Virginians. The waiting period for those who received initial series Pfizer shots has been shortened to five months.
West Virginians can go to any location offering COVID-19 vaccines with their vaccination card to receive their booster. If your card has been lost, you can request a new one from the DHHR.
Initial series vaccinations are available, for free, for everyone ages 5 and older.
West Virginians interested in being vaccinated or having their children vaccinated are encouraged to visitVaccinate.wv.govor call theWest Virginia Vaccine Info Line: 1-833-734-0965.
Shingles is an uncomfortable common condition that causes a characteristic rash, among other symptoms. Some studies suggest a link between COVID-19 vaccines and reactivation of the virus that causes shingles. While evidence suggests this could be possible, it is at the very least uncommon.
Shingles is a fairly common condition that may affect roughly 2030% of people in their lifetime, with the risk of developing shingles increasing with age. It occurs following the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Usually, a person will only develop shingles once in their life, but shingles can reactivate several times in some people.
Several case reports note people experiencing a shingles flare-up after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. While evidence cannot attribute the flares to the vaccine, it may be possible that the immune response to the vaccine might trigger a flare. Some studies suggest this may not be an adverse event and just a coincidence. However, more research is still necessary to investigate the association.
In this article, we will discuss the possible association between COVID-19 vaccines and the reactivation of VZV.
To help prevent the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV2), health experts advise that people receive a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that the vaccines are safe and effective, some people may experience side effects.
Researchers continue to monitor the safety of these vaccines and investigate any potential safety issues. Some evidence suggests that a shingles flare may be an adverse event after vaccination (AEAV). However, a 2021 systematic review notes that there is currently no definitive link between the vaccine and shingles. Still, the article states it could be an uncommon but possible event. As such, more research is necessary.
A 2021 article reports two cases of shingles eruptions in adults after vaccination with an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. In both cases, the individuals previously had chickenpox, which also results from VZV, but not shingles. While the researchers note that these cases may be a coincidence, they also highlight the potential influence of stress and the immune response to the vaccine.
They note that following vaccination, some people may experience lymphocytopenia or lower levels of white blood cells. The researchers add that this temporary period of lymphocytopenia may be sufficient to trigger VZV reactivation and result in a shingles flare.
This is consistent with another 2021 article that suggests that an immune reaction following vaccination may allow VZV to escape from its latent phase and cause a shingles eruption.
Furthermore, a 2021 paper on older adults and a 2021 case series on people with an autoimmune condition highlight cases of shingles following COVID-19 vaccination. While the studies cannot prove causality, they suggest that it could be a plausible but rare AEAV. While more research is necessary, these findings may indicate the requirement for further vigilance and safety monitoring, particularly for those at higher risk of shingles.
Other research also highlights the potential role that stress may play. Stressors from social restrictions, new variants, and the process of vaccination may contribute towards affecting the immune response.
However, current evidence cannot attribute a definitive link between the two, and the CDC still recommends COVID-19 vaccination for all people aged 5 and older. Even if there is an association, it is a rare side effect, and the benefits of vaccination outweigh the potential risks.
It is also worth noting that COVID-19 vaccines do not cause shingles, and a person will not directly acquire shingles from a COVID-19 vaccine. If the events are related, they will only occur in individuals with dormant VZV from a previous case of chickenpox or shingles.
Shingles is a viral infection that results from the reactivation of VZV, the same virus that causes chickenpox. After chickenpox, the virus remains dormant in the nerve cells. Following an unknown trigger, the virus reactivates and causes a second eruption, known as herpes zoster, or shingles.
Symptoms of shingles include a burning or tingling sensation with an itchy and painful rash that resembles chickenpox. However, unlike in people with chickenpox, the rash appears in a cluster and usually affects one side of the body.
The term COVID-19 refers to a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This is a type of coronavirus that may cause relatively mild symptoms that do not require specialist treatment. However, it may result in severe breathing problems that require hospitalization in some people. In other cases, it can be fatal.
People may experience a variety of symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever and coughing, that might appear 214 days after exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Some individuals may also develop health issues that continue for weeks or months.
Due to the potential health risk of COVID-19, scientists were able to develop vaccines to help protect people against COVID-19 by providing immunity to SARS-CoV-2. These vaccines contain harmless material from the virus that the immune system uses to help fight off infection. In the United States, currently available vaccines include the following:
Shingles results from the reactivation of VZV. After recovery from chickenpox, the virus lays dormant in the sensory ganglia of the cranial nerve or the dorsal root ganglia within the peripheral nervous system. The virus can hide in the nervous system, where it can remain indefinitely in a dormant state.
Like waking up from hibernation, the virus can reactivate and travel down nerve fibers to cause a new active infection. At present, the trigger for reactivation is unknown. However, research suggests it may occur when something weakens the immune system, prompting the virus to reactivate.
Anyone who believes that they have developed shingles should contact a doctor as soon as possible. A doctor will be able to diagnose shingles and provide appropriate treatment.
In many cases, a primary care physician can manage shingles care, but people may require specialist care in some cases. Getting treatment shortly after the onset of symptoms can help decrease the duration and severity of the infection. It can also help prevent potential complications of shingles, such as vision problems.
There are many treatment options available for shingles. Typically, a doctor may recommend antiviral medications, as they can help treat shingles and shorten the length and severity of the illness. Antivirals that can treat shingles include:
Additionally, there are many home remedies people can try to help alleviate discomfort. These can include cool oatmeal baths, using calamine lotion, and trying to avoid stress.
While the link is unclear, some reports suggest a connection between COVID-19 vaccines and shingles eruptions. Although there is not enough evidence to suggest causality, some researchers indicate that the immune response to the vaccine may trigger a shingles flare. However, more research is necessary.
Shingles occurs after the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus occurs due to an unknown trigger. Some evidence notes that changes to the immune system could be the trigger that reactivates the virus.
Despite this potential link, health experts advise that people still receive a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. This is because the benefit of the vaccine outweighs the potential risks. Additionally, the vaccine cannot cause a person to acquire shingles. A person can only develop shingles if they have experienced a previous case of chickenpox or shingles.
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 351.4 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths has now passed 5.59 million. More than 9.89 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.
A fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine given to people over 60 in Israel made them three times more resistant to serious illness than thrice-vaccinated people in the same age group, Israel's Health Ministry said on Sunday.
South Korea has reported its second-highest confirmed daily COVID-19 case total on record - 7,630. The record of 7,848 was logged in mid-December.
Confirmed daily COVID-19 cases have broken above 50,000 for the first time in Japan, with 50,200 reported.
Poland has also reported a record 40,876 new confirmed daily COVID-19 cases.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has cancelled her wedding as new restrictions are imposed to slow the community spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, she told reporters on Sunday.
The World Health Organization has recommended extending the use of a reduced dosage of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to children aged between 5 and 11.
Belgium announced a slight easing of COVID-19 restrictions on Friday. It also announced that people will need booster shots after five months to maintain COVID-19 passes, which give access to bars and cinemas.
Daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases per million people in selected countries.
Image: Our World in Data
As part of work identifying promising technology use cases to combat COVID, The Boston Consulting Group recently used contextual AI to analyze more than 150 million English language media articles from 30 countries published between December 2019 to May 2020.
The result is a compendium of hundreds of technology use cases. It more than triples the number of solutions, providing better visibility into the diverse uses of technology for the COVID-19 response.
To see a full list of 200+ exciting technology use cases during COVID please follow this link.
Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla said on Saturday that an annual COVID-19 vaccine would be preferable to more frequent booster shots in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
With cases soaring, some countries have expanded COVID-19 vaccine booster programmes or shortened the gap between shots as governments scramble to shore up protection.
In an interview with Israel's N12 News, Bourla was asked whether he sees booster shots being administered every four to five months on a regular basis.
"This will not be a good scenario. What I'm hoping (is) that we will have a vaccine that you will have to do once a year," Bourla said.
"We are looking to see if we can create a vaccine that covers Omicron and doesn't forget the other variants and that could be a solution," Bourla said.
India reported over 300,000 new confirmed COVID-19 infections for the fourth straight day, although the caseload over the last 24 hours was slightly lower than a day before, data released by the government on Sunday showed.
India reported 333,533 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, down from 337,704 on Saturday.
There were also 525 new COVID-19-related deaths reported, bring the country's total confirmed death toll to 489,409.
Since the start of this year, different parts of the country are under varying degrees of restrictions to contain infections caused by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
India's capital Delhi has imposed a weekend curfew and even though it was widely expected that Delhi would ease some restrictions, the local government decided on Friday to continue with the curfew.
Written by
Joe Myers, Writer, Formative Content
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.
A person visits a Covid-19 testing site along a Manhattan street in New York City. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption
A person visits a Covid-19 testing site along a Manhattan street in New York City.
Many experts warn there will be more infections on the downslope of the omicron surge, but this U.S. is on the path to the virus becoming endemic and that should mean fewer interruptions to daily life. Take a listen to Rachel Martin chat with health correspondent Allison Aubrey about what's next in the pandemic on Morning Edition.
You can email the show at ShortWave@NPR.org.
