Coronavirus loses 90% of its ability to infect us within 20 minutes of becoming airborne with most of the loss occurring within the first five minutes, the worlds first simulations of how the virus survives in exhaled air suggest.
The findings re-emphasise the importance of short-range Covid transmission, with physical distancing and mask-wearing likely to be the most effective means of preventing infection. Ventilation, though still worthwhile, is likely to have a lesser impact.
People have been focused on poorly ventilated spaces and thinking about airborne transmission over metres or across a room. Im not saying that doesnt happen, but I think still the greatest risk of exposure is when youre close to someone, said Prof Jonathan Reid, director of the University of Bristols Aerosol Research Centre and the studys lead author.
When you move further away, not only is the aerosol diluted down, theres also less infectious virus because the virus has lost infectivity [as a result of time].
Until now, our assumptions about how long the virus survives in tiny airborne droplets have been based on studies that involved spraying virus into sealed vessels called Goldberg drums, which rotate to keep the droplets airborne. Using this method, US researchers found that infectious virus could still be detected after three hours. Yet such experiments do not accurately replicate what happens when we cough or breathe.
Instead, researchers from the University of Bristol developed apparatus that allowed them to generate any number of tiny, virus-containing particles and gently levitate them between two electric rings for anywhere between five seconds to 20 minutes, while tightly controlling the temperature, humidity and UV light intensity of their surroundings. This is the first time anyone has been able to actually simulate what happens to the aerosol during the exhalation process, Reid said.
The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, suggested that as the viral particles leave the relatively moist and carbon dioxide-rich conditions of the lungs, they rapidly lose water and dry out, while the transition to lower levels of carbon dioxide is associated with a rapid increase in pH. Both of these factors disrupt the viruss ability to infect human cells, but the speed at which the particles dry out varies according to the relative humidity of the surrounding air.
When this was lower than 50% similar to the relatively dry air found in many offices the virus had lost around half of its infectivity within five seconds, after which the decline was slower and more steady, with a further 19% loss over the next five minutes. At 90% humidity roughly equivalent to a steam or shower room the decline in infectivity was more gradual, with 52% of particles remaining infectious after five minutes, dropping to about 10% after 20 minutes, after which these was no difference between the two conditions.
However, the temperature of the air made no difference to viral infectivity, contradicting the widely held belief that viral transmission is lower at high temperatures.
It means that if Im meeting friends for lunch in a pub today, the primary [risk] is likely to be me transmitting it to my friends, or my friends transmitting it to me, rather than it being transmitted from someone on the other side of the room, said Reid. This highlights the importance of wearing a mask in situations where people cannot physically distance, he added.
The findings support what epidemiologists have been observing on the ground, said Dr Julian Tang, a clinical virologist at the University of Leicester, adding that masks are very effective as well as social distancing. Improved ventilation will also help particularly if this is close to the source.
Dr Stephen Griffin, associate professor of virology at the University of Leeds, emphasised the importance of ventilation, saying: Aerosols will fill up indoor spaces rapidly in the absence of proper ventilation, so assuming the infected individual remains within the room, the levels of virus will be replenished.
The same effects were seen across all three Sars-CoV-2 variants the team has tested so far, including Alpha. They hope to start experiments with the Omicron variant in the coming weeks.
This article was amended on 11 and 12 January 2022. In an earlier version, we said Covid loses 90% of ability to infect within five minutes. It is actually within the first 20 minutes with most of the loss occurring within the first 5 minutes. The article and headline have been corrected for clarity.
Los Angeles annual parade honoring Martin Luther King Jr. has been canceled for the second year in a row because of COVID-19 concerns, but numerous other events are planned across the city on Monday to celebrate the legacy of the late civil rights leader.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday, is observed each year on the third Monday of January and is designated as a national day of public service. This years festivities include free pop-up coronavirus testing and vaccination sites, clothing drives, virtual handwritten letter events and more.
As celebrations take place throughout the area, L.A. county and city government offices, courts and libraries will be closed. Los Angeles Unified School District students have the day off. Post offices will also be closed, and mail will not be delivered. Some banks may be closed for in-person services.
Here are some Los Angeles-area events scheduled for Monday:
In-car COVID-19 rapid-testing: The Congress of Racial Equality Kingdom Day Parade Committee will sponsor a free in-car COVID-19 rapid-testing event. Five hundred rapid tests will be on tap, and vehicles can begin lining up on West 43rd Street off Degnan Boulevard from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Hope Clinic: The First African Methodist Episcopal Church, in partnership with Fulgent Genetics, will host a COVID-19 vaccination and testing event at 2270 S. Harvard Blvd. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Seventh annual MLK Day Clothing Collection & Community Breakfast: The nonprofit Big Sunday is hosting its annual clothing collection drive and community breakfast from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 6111 Melrose Ave. Only new clothes business, casual and athletic wear will be accepted. There will also be arts and crafts for sale to benefit local nonprofits and live music from the Blue Breeze Band.
Caravan for social justice: To honor MLKs legacy, the Harriet Tubman Center for Social Justice will hold a caravan to fight against systemic racism and voter suppression. Organizers encourage participants to decorate their vehicles and join in beginning at 10 a.m. at Western Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard. There are no fees to participate, and the caravan begins at 11 a.m.
MLK Day of Service: Those interested in completing virtual service projects can participate in two events organized by Leadership Long Beach: writing handwritten letters to seniors in local care facilities or putting together a community care package with hygiene items and everyday household products to help a family in need. To sign up, visit leadershiplb.org/mlk/ .
Unity Skate & Walk Event: LAUSD second-grader Isabella Blue, Unite L.A. Foundation and other organizations will host Unity Skate and Walk with giveaways, music, birthday cake and COVID-19 vaccinations and testing. The event begins at 10:30 a.m. at Metro Rosa Parks Station, 11611 Willowbrook Ave.
King Day reading and discussion: A reading and online discussion of Kings 1967 speech A Christmas Sermon on Peace is part of the California African American Museums virtual program. Members of the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles will sing spiritual and original music. To RSVP, visit: www.caamuseum.org/programs/kids-teens-and-families/king-day-2022.
37th annual MLK Celebration: In Santa Monica, MLK Westside Coalition shifted its in-person festivities to a virtual gathering featuring music by Linda Alvarez Trio, spoken word by Get Lit Words Ignite, and a keynote speech by Los Angeles Times columnist LZ Granderson. The livestream begins at 9 a.m. on www.mlkjrwestside.org.
MLK The Legacy: Beginning at 7 p.m., the city of Carson will livestream its virtual MLK tribute. To watch, visit www.ci.carson.ca.us/.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) Each day we learn more about the COVID-19 virus and its impact on those who have it, but one thing we do know about the virus is that the impact it has on each person can be very different.
7 News anchor Katie Morse spoke with two women more than a year after they battled the virus to hear their experience and what symptoms they're still dealing with today.
Almost one year after her release from Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, Talia Kalisiak says she's feeling much better, but still has lingering impacts of the virus.
"Pretty much my whole memory from November 11th until I woke up, there's just nothing," Kalisiak said. "Most of the lasting symptoms now are still like muscle weakness, and I'm trying to gain that back."
Talia lost feeling in her legs and arms as she battled the virus.
She spent time in a rehab facility and has been doing physical therapy ever since.
"Now I'm feeling pretty good," Kalisiak said. "I'm able to drive myself around in the car which is a big improvement."
It was spring of 2021 -when Bernadette Singer-Kreitzbender shared her COVID-19 story with 7 News.The mom from Lakeview told us then that the virus altered her senses of smell and taste to the point where foods she used to love, disgusted her.
"Imagine a rat that's been dead for three weeks," Singer-Kreitzbender said. "Everything smells like that. Everything tastes like that."
Seven months later Bernadette says 90 percent of her senses are back.
She practiced smell training, where you actively smell different scents each day to help recover your sense of smell.
But she says some foods like yogurt, sour cream, and cream cheese still don't taste like they used to.
The range of symptoms is something that makes this virus unique and so unpredictable.
Talia says as we move into 2022, she wants people to remember what the disease can do.
"Know for sure that COVID-19 is not the flu," Kalisiak said. "I see people say COVID-19 is the flu, and if you haven't gotten the vaccine, if you haven't gotten the booster, go get it. Don't get the chance of having to deal with what I did."
WASHINGTON, D.C. More Americans will be able to obtain their free at-home COVID-19 tests starting later this week.
An announcement from the White House says a website designed to help distribute those tests will be launched on Wednesday.
People can use the site to order up to four tests per household.
A phone line will also be created for people who don't have computer access.
Officials estimate the tests will take seven to 12 days to be delivered.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) Its been just about two years since the first COVID-19 case was reported in the United States. As surges spike and fade, many are wondering when well be past this pandemic.
The simple answer for what the end of COVID-19 will look like is that there wont be an actual official end.
The pandemic ends, in this case, with the virus becoming endemic, Dr. Jeremy Cauwels, Chief Physician at Sanford Health, said. So an endemic virus is a virus that lives with us all the time. Chicken pox never goes away. Kids can always get chicken pox. Influenza never goes away. It cycles, year to year, but it never disappears. And so an endemic virus is one that lives with us in some way shape or form.
Doctors are hopeful the status of endemic is inching closer.
When you look back at history, at most pandemics, they do tend to end with a strain somewhat similar to omicron, which is highly contagious but overall slightly less severe or leads to less severe illnesses, Dr. Kevin Post, Chief Medical Officer at Avera Medical Group, said. So I think were hopeful that omicron is the strain or a similar strain to that and hopefully not, in the not-so-distant future.
Cauwels says there is a list of things to check off to reach an endemic status.
Number one you have to have a virus thats freely circulating; that its doing a pretty good job of, Cauwels said. Number two, you got to quit seeing the ups and downs or the spikes. Its just got to find some steady state. And then the other parts are actually up to us. Do we have ways to control it? So do we have vaccines and do we use them appropriately? And number two, do we have therapies that could affect the virus when we need to.
Cauwels says both the monoclonal antibody treatments and anti-viral oral pills are important tools in the fight against COVID-19.
What that does is move us from a place where we have to worry about people getting a new infection because were not sure we can treat it effectively to a place where we can turn this into something like the flu where if you get it, we have a pill for you to take and we know what to do for you to try to get you through it as best we can, Cauwels said.
As for COVID-19 booster shots, both Cauwels and Post believe well be seeing those again, or at least a variation of them.
There are small trials being done of combination vaccines of coronavirus with influenza, Post said. And of course, like we do with the influenza vaccine, that would likely have to adapt through the years as the virus mutates. But I do think well see some version of boosters versus an annual vaccine as we kind of continue to learn about this and sort this out in the future.
And then comes the understanding of what happens next.
I think one thing that we have to be very aware of is we dont know all the complications yet of COVID-19 long-term such as on heart conditions, lung conditions, Post said. So I think well continue to learn about almost that second phase of the effect of COVID-19 as we move forward. And also theres been a delay in care of chronic disease, cancer screenings, et cetera. So we are going to have to, you know, catch up, you would say, in the medical field for patients preventative care as well.
For Post and Cauwels, though, hope is out there.
When people write history books, theyre going to write a chapter on the last two and a half, three years, Cauwels said. Theyre going to write a chapter about what this was and kids and grandkids are going to ask us about the fact that we lived through this.
In looking back, I hope we can have learned from the situation, Post said. I hope we can have, once again, are more united as a people, as a nation. And I hope we can look back on it and say, It was difficult but we learned some valuable lessons that well take with us the rest of our lives.'
Until we can look back on these years in reflection, though, there are still ways we can each help reach that endemic status.
I think now, you know, as we move forward, what were trying to achieve is herd immunity with the cooperation of the public, Post said. And that can be natural immunity from having had a COVID-19 infection or, you know at best, ideally would be immunity from a vaccine plus the full booster series, which still seem to be the most effective at preventing severe disease, hospitalizations and death from COVID-19.
What I would tell people is for right now, the right thing to do is still be vaccinated and boosted, Cauwels said.
Doctors in South Dakota have predicted the peak of the omicron surge is still weeks away.
As more and more people contract COVID-19, there's a change in how some of those people are feeling after getting the virus.
Dr. Anthony Santella, professor of health administration and policy from the University of New Haven, spoke about how people are feeling a sense of relief after they've contracted COVID-19.
Dan: "Doctor, it used to be that a COVID-19 diagnosis was just straight up really scary, and it still very much can be, but has something shifted as of late, where people might not be as nervous as they once were to get this thing?"
Dr. Santella: "I think there are a lot of emotions playing out right now. You know, we all know someone who's had COVID. We all know people who have had a mild or asymptomatic case of COVID. And we probably have all known someone who's had a bit of a rough stint for a week or two. Certainly, in my own network, I know people from asymptomatic all the way to people who unfortunately passed away from COVID. And so I think we're getting to that almost at the two-year milestone, where people are just shrugging this off and thinking, you know what, if I get it, it's not going to be a big deal. I'm less concerned about not a matter of if I'm going to get it, but when."
Dan: "Thousands and thousands of people have tested positive in recent weeks in Connecticut. From those who've youve heard from who've had the virus, what's their take on this?"
Dr. Santella: "The message out there is a lot of people are like you know what, it's just it's not a big deal.' In fact, there's a message happening out there, we know that there are folks who are not being compliant with our mitigation strategies, because they just think it's inevitable that they're going to get it. But let me tell you, that's a that's a bad strategy to have in your back pocket right now. While the message really is that Omicron particularly is producing a very mild strain of this virus, we all experience disease differently and so mild for me may be very mild for you. We also are unsure about the long haul consequences and symptoms that people may experience over time. I don't know if you have any health professionals, all of you listening know out there, that every single person from the doctors, the nurses, the respiratory therapists, to health care administrators, they're tired, they're fatigued, they're burned out. Their systems are at the brink of collapse and so what you and I can do to make their jobs a little bit easier is to follow through with those public health strategies."
Dan: "Just to be abundantly clear, for anyone who's watching, even though getting COVID can provide you with some extra antibodies, trying to get the virus is certainly not the answer here, even if someone's vaccinated and they think they're going to be okay, right?"
Dr. Santella: "Exactly. This is not something that we want to mess around with. We know viruses, particularly this virus has been very smart, evolves and mutates over time. And at the end of the day, and I'm not a betting person, but if I were, I'd had my money on Mother Nature versus trying to just get it and get it over with."
INDIANAPOLIS The Indiana Department of Health on Monday reported 3,363 people hospitalized with COVID-19 and 9,870 new cases.
No new deaths were reported, which is typical coming out of a weekend as hospitals report weekend data to the state on the following Monday. Any COVID-19 deaths that occurred over the weekend are backdated and included in IDHs Tuesday report.
The agencys dashboard puts the states 7-day all-test positivity rate at 29.7% with a rate of 43.5% positive for unique individuals. The delta variant is responsible for 56.1% of the samples tested this month, while omicron, a more contagious strain thats becoming dominant, accounted for 43.7% of samples tested, according to state data.
Omicron is likely responsible for a larger percentage of current cases, as the states reporting of variant data tends to lag by a week or two.
Dashboard data represents cases and deaths that occurred over a range of dates but were reported to the state in the last 24 hours, according to the Indiana Department of Health.
The agency said 10,554 additional Hoosiers are now fully vaccinated. To date, 3,702,650 first doses of the two-dose vaccine have been administered and 3,609,964 individuals are fully vaccinated.
The County Metric map shows 81 in Red, 11 in Orange, and zero in Yellow or Blue. The map is updated each Wednesday. The weekly score is determined by each countys Weekly Cases Per 100,000 residents and its 7-Day All Test Positivity Rate.
Since the start of the pandemic, the state has reported 1,462,456 total positive cases and 19,566 total deaths. There are also 742 probable COVID-19 deaths in which a physician listed COVID-19 as a contributing cause of death but no postive test was documented.
The latest hospitalization numbers show 3,363 total COVID-19 patients: 3,078 confirmed and 285 under investigation. IDH reported a record-high 3,519 COVID-19 hospitalizations on Jan. 13. Before the omicron surge, the previous highwater mark was 3,460 patients in late November of 2020.
The department says 12.7% of ICU beds and 65.8% of ventilators are available across the state.
To schedule an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine, visitOurshot.In.Govor call 211 if you do not have access to a computer or require assistance.
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) Virginia has seen an unprecedented spike in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations to record levels with the omicron surge, but that rapid rise appears to have somewhat slowed.
ICU and ventilator use have gone up since last week (to record levels), but overall total COVID hospitalizations have leveled out slightly. Cases have hovered around the 17,000-18,000 case per day mark since last Monday (though case report on weekends and Mondays tend to be lower).
Data continues to show the vast majority of those in the hospital and dying are unvaccinated. Those who are fully vaccinated have strong protection against severe symptoms, and a booster shot increases those protections even more.
Virginia has one of the best vaccination rates in the country, and more than 2 million have gotten boosters.
Statewide metrics
Local cases (additions are combined numbers from Saturday, Sunday and Monday)
Get ready for the most surreal district basketball season youll ever experience.
Its not the games, the matchups or the atmosphere that will keep Northern New Mexicans up at night with excitement this winter. No, we will be spending the next four weeks waiting to see what teams will actually get to play.
There is a sense of inevitability around Northern New Mexico that every single boys and girls basketball team will hit the pause button as they deal with a COVID-19 outbreak within their respective programs.
Programs at Santa Fe Indian School and Los Alamos have already postponed the start of their district seasons as they continue with remote learning amid the surge of cases that hit the state at the start of this month. West Las Vegas is on alert as its programs are going through COVID-19 cases.
Its merely a matter of time before it hits elsewhere.
That has athletic directors scrambling to find convenient openings in their schedules to place these makeup games. Sadly, its a futile attempt, because as one team gets through an outbreak, another will begin their temporary shutdown and upset those well-intentioned plans.
The result will be a mad dash of three or four games a week that will begin just as the calendar hits February.
If there is anything that will make coaches angry, its taking away practice time or recovery time for players.
What will make this even more frustrating is that some players will still have lingering effects from their bouts with the coronavirus, and it could take a couple of weeks before they feel somewhat normal.
If the outbreak continues into February, we will see how the New Mexico Activities Association will handle the crises stemming from this. While the organization passed a bylaw indicating no contests lost because of a COVID-19 outbreak will be counted as forfeits, it also has a rule in which district teams must play each other once to qualify for the postseason.
However, we already saw this play out in the fall, when Albuquerque Sandia reached the playoffs despite losing a district game to an outbreak.
One option that districts might have to consider is eliminating district tournaments. That action would ease the imminent scheduling squeeze and allow teams to make up games and settle district outcomes.
Dont be surprised if the vast majority of teams fail to complete their allotted district games, much less nondistrict games that were lost earlier this month. That will make district placements, which are crucial to seeding for the state tournament, all the more confusing and frustrating.
Any talk about pausing the winter sports season is moot, because there is a schedule to keep and the trains must keep running, even if they dont reach their destination at the prescribed time.
All we can do is hop the next train and hold on tight.
Its going to be a bumpy ride.
Employers that are covered by the federal government's COVID-19 vaccination directive for health care workers must take swift action to comply with looming deadlines. The U.S. Supreme Court recently declined to put the rule on hold while its merits are debated in court.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) rule applies to health care workers at Medicare- and Medicaid-certified providers and suppliers. Covered workers must receive their firstCOVID-19 vaccine dose by Jan. 27 and be fully vaccinated by Feb. 28. Additionally, employers must track employees' vaccination statuses and develop policies that include medical and religious exemptions and accommodations.
"Covered employers should establish clear, confidential procedures for maintaining vaccination status and processing exemption requests," suggested Jody Ward-Rannow, an attorney with Ogletree Deakins in Minneapolis. "Covered employers need to be communicating with employees and any other staff who enter their facilities now in order to give staff time to get vaccinated and submit their vaccination status or apply for an exemption."
High Court Lifts Hold on Rule
The CMS health care worker mandate was challenged by several states in multiple lawsuits. In late November, lower courts in Missouri and Louisiana issued a stay that blocked enforcement of the CMS directivebut only in the states that had joined the lawsuits.
"As a result, the CMS vaccine mandate was in effect in some states but not others," noted Norma Zeitler, an attorney with Barnes & Thornburg in Chicago. "The Supreme Court lifted the stays of enforcement, paving the way for the CMS to enforce its vaccine mandate nationwide."
The CMS rule is tied to federal funding and applies only to organizations that voluntarily participate in the Medicaid and Medicare programs. Congress authorized the secretary of health and human services "to impose conditions on the receipt of Medicaid and Medicare funds that the Secretary finds necessary in the interest of the health and safety of individuals who are furnished services," the Supreme Court noted in its ruling.
Who Is Covered?
The CMS rule applies to the following Medicare- and Medicaid-certified providers and suppliers:
The vaccination requirement applies to workers at covered facilities even if they don't have clinical responsibilities or patient contact. This includes facility employees, licensed practitioners, students, trainees and volunteers. Workers who provide care, treatment or other services for the facility or patients are also covered.
"These requirements are not limited to those staff who perform their duties within a formal clinical setting, as many health care staff routinely care for patients and clients outside of such facilities, such as home health, home infusion therapy, hospice, PACE programs, and therapy staff," according to the CMS.
Staff members who typically work remotely but occasionally have contact with other staff membersat worksites, administrative offices or in-person meetingsare also covered by the rule. The agency noted, however, that staff who perform 100 percent of their duties remotely are not required to get vaccinated.
"Facility staff vaccination rates under 100 percent constitute noncompliance under the rule," according to CMS guidance. But the agency will be flexible with its enforcement efforts. "Noncompliance does not necessarily lead to termination [from the programs], and facilities will generally be given opportunities to return to compliance."
Compliance Tips
The CMS issued aninterim ruleon the health care directive in November and updated guidance in December.Unlike the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's emergency temporary standardwhich the Supreme Court blocked on Jan. 13the CMS mandate does not allow covered facilities to implement a COVID-19 testing program as an alternative to requiring vaccination, Zeitler noted.
Jackson Lewis highlighted the following key provisions of the interim rule:
"CMS is expected to provide additional guidance with regard to the implementation of the interim rule for the states that had been covered by the stays," Jackson Lewis noted.
According to Fisher Phillips, the following components are critical parts of a successful plan:
Visit SHRM's resource hub page on the coronavirus and COVID-19.
