We need to embrace normalcy at this point, but we need to be smart about it, Dr. Ulysses Wu, an infectious disease specialist at Hartford HealthCare, said Friday. Who are the people you are going to be hanging out with, how many people are going to be coming, and what is their vaccination status?
At Long Island Jewish Medical Center, a loudspeaker announces an emergency in one of the rooms.It is March 2020, and the Covid-19 pandemic has just begun to take hold in the U.S. Ateamof nurses and doctors in the hospital is preparing a patient for intubation. A doctor leans over the patient, whose name is Patrick George.
George, the doctor shouts, do you want to be put on a respirator?
Put me on, George responds weakly.
Well let your family know, OK? the doctor says.
George is struggling to breatheand knows its his last hope.
Put me on now, he says.
If you have survived the pandemic without going inside a Covid ward, you will likely be stunned by the grim intimacy of this scene and the fact that you are witnessing it, with real-time urgency, in Matthew Heinemans new documentary, The First Wave. The scene offersthe kind of life-and-death drama that medical staffs have staggered through every daywhile the rest of us rarely or never saw it. We were and are isolated from the traumatic realities inside U.S. hospitals as more than 750,000 souls perished from the virus.
Thisopening scene, not yet 30 seconds long, twists in ways you cannot forget.
A nurse puts a phone, encased in a plastic bag, in front of Georges face. On the other end, seeing him via FaceTime, is Georges wife.
I love you, baby, she cries out.
I love you too, George responds.
OK, be strong.
Bye, George says.
I love you, she repeats.
Bye bye, George says. Bye bye bye bye bye bye.
Thisscene is not done with us but I wont say what happens next. What I can say is that The First Wave is necessary to watch. Unless you have already seen and heard the kinds of events it shows, you have an incomplete understanding of the pandemic and of what three-quarters of a million deaths mean when instead of astatisticin a news story, the casualtiesare a man on his back, his wife on the phone, and the nurses and doctors doing everything they can to save his life.
The saving grace of this film, if thats the right way to put it, is that it journeys aroundthe epidemiological trenches at this New York City hospital and brings back a variety of stories, some of them uplifting, and they thread into an effective narrative. There are patients who seem on the verge of death and struggle back, there are family members urging them along on those plastic-encased phones, and there are medical staffers whose trauma-filled work is getting the attention it deserves in our less troubled lives.
It sounds strange to say, but there is art in this film too. The way the camera lingers just long enough at the right moments and not too long at others, the way the lifted brow of a nurse speaks louder than words, the way the film breaks out ofLong Island Jewish and moves into the streets of New York City, taking us from the gasps of Covid patients to the I Cant Breathe chants of the Black Lives Matter movement this is masterful work.
Heineman is no stranger to documentaries. He directed the Academy Award-nominated Cartel Land, about the drug trade on the U.S.-Mexico border. He also directed City of Ghosts, an award-winning film about citizen journalists in Raqqa, Syria. Those films demonstrated a willingness and ability to work in dangerous areas and gain the confidence of people who otherwise might not let an outsider into their worlds. Those talents are what went into the making of The First Wave.
Heineman used his experience and contacts to gain unparalleled access to Long Island Jewish. Across the U.S., hospitalswere shutting their doors to journalists as the pandemic began. Only a handful gained entry, and their visits were short, usually just a few hours or a few days at most. Heinemans team was at Long Island Jewish for months. Hospital administrators have cited safety and privacy concerns for keeping journalists out, but as Heinemans experience showed, they could work insideCovid wards without getting in anyones way or spreading the virus.
Thats what makes the footage in his documentary so extraordinary. I worked for months on an investigative article that delved into the way hospitals cracked down onreporters in the U.S., and I spent a lot of that time scouring through theimagery that was published by journalists, including filmmakers,and bymedical staffers (some hospitals even threatened doctors and nurses who shared photos or videos). Ive seen nothing that comes close to Heinemans graphic portrayal of Covid victims.
The onlyvisual documentation of the pandemic thats in the same league comes from far away. Thedirector Hao Wu, working with Chinese journalists in early 2020, got relatively unfettered access to four hospitals in Wuhan, where thevirus originated. His powerful documentary, 76 Days, came out last year and won an Emmy. Until the emergence of Heinemans film, which opened Friday, Americans who wanted a visceral look inside a Covidward had to watch a film shot in China.
It is hard to categorize The First Wave because it crosses boundaries: It is a documentary thatalso feels like a horror film, an expos of social injustice, and a love letter. In its review of The First Wave, the Washington Post has a line that manages to be insightful and off-kilter at the same time. The film feels like a viscerally effective time capsule from the recent past, wrote Michael OSullivan, yet one whose arrival in theaters may still be too soon for many.
A time capsule is filled with the familiar objects of a civilization. But whats in The First Wave is unfamiliar to most of us; we have not seen it before and perhaps have been unable to imagine it. There is the anguish ofpatients as theylaborto breathe, themedicalinstruments warning of hearts no longer beating, the body bags zipped up and hauled away, and the moments of silence beforenurses rush to the next room to try to save another life. Stumbling onto this time capsule, we arevisitors from another world who are seeing for the first time whatthe Covid pandemic really meant.
This film has not come too soon. It has come too late.
BALTIMORE (WJZ) Maryland reported 1,017 new COVID-19 cases and nine new deaths, according to state health department data released Saturday morning.
The percentage of people testing positive increased by .08% to 3.51%.
Hospitalizations increased by two to 556. Of those hospitalized, 418 adults are in acute care and 133 adults are in intensive care. Two children are in acute care and one is in intensive care.
Doctors say the new cases are fueled by dangerous strains targeting the unvaccinated. In an August press conference, Gov. Larry Hogan said the Delta variant, a strain that is reportedly two to four times more contagious than the original virus strain, accounts for nearly every new confirmed case in Maryland.
The vaccines are without a doubt our single most effective tool to mitigate the threat of COVID-19 and the surging Delta variant, and Marylands vaccination rate continues to outpace the nation, Hogan said.
Since the pandemic began, there have been 577,013 total confirmed cases and 10,878 deaths.
There are 4,056,511 Marylanders fully vaccinated. The state has administered 9,105,357 doses. Of those, 4,219,679 are first doses with 9,799 administered in the past 24 hours. They have given out 3,738,727 second doses, 3,268 in the last day.
Thanks to the millions of people who have rolled up their sleeves, Maryland continues to be one of the most vaccinated states in America, said Governor Hogan of the eight million milestone mark. We have achieved these numbers with strong public health outreach, innovative lottery and scholarship promotions, and a relentless focus on equity.
Governor Hogan also announced earlier this month that 99% of Maryland seniors are now vaccinated and more than 50,000 children ages 5-11 years old have received a vaccination shot.
The state began to administer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine again in April after the CDC and FDA lifted their pause on the vaccine due to a rare blood clot found in some women.
A total of 317,784 Marylanders have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, 392 in the last day.
On September 24, after the CDC granted final approval for Pfizers booster, Gov. Hogan announced the immediate authorization of the booster shot for Marylanders who have received their second Pfizer shot at least six months ago. Hogan had already approved use for vulnerable populations in early September.
The state has administered 829,167 additional or booster vaccine doses, 26,180 in the last day.
The state reported 87.9% of all adults in Maryland have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
In August, the state launched a post-vaccination infections dashboard that is updated every Wednesday. There have been 34,450 total cases among fully vaccinated Marylanders as of Nov. 14.
Less than 0.93% of fully vaccinated Marylanders have later tested positive.
Of those cases, 2,471 vaccinated Marylanders were hospitalized, representing 13.02% of all COVID cases hospitalized in the state. 357 fully vaccinated Marylanders have died, representing 14.17% of lab-confirmed COVID deaths in the state.
CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES:
Heres a breakdown of the numbers:
By County
By Age Range and Gender
By Race and Ethnicity
Theres a world of difference between this Thanksgiving and last. A year ago, Oregon was deep into its third COVID-19 surge, vaccinations hadnt yet started and Gov. Kate Brown limited celebratory gatherings to no more than six people, warning that violators could be fined up to $1,250.
This Thanksgiving, Oregonians age 12 and older have had ample opportunity to get vaccinated, and first shots for children ages 5 to 11 started earlier this month. About 62% of the population is fully vaccinated. The governor also has placed no limits on the size of gatherings between family and friends.
Were in a completely different spot than we were last year, said Carlos Crespo, professor at the Oregon Health & Science University and Portland State University School of Public Health.
But Crespo and other experts in Oregon and across the nation caution: Now is not the time to be complacent, given that COVID-19 cases have been climbing in at least three dozen states and infections are up 33% nationwide over the past two weeks, as of Friday.
Will Oregon be next?
Although the states infection rates have dropped 10% in the past two weeks, some experts worry another surge is likely as people gather to celebrate the holidays with multiple families and spend more time indoors in the colder weather. Waning immunity only adds to the problem. Crespo is among public health experts, epidemiologists and other scientists who say theres still lots that people can do to try to lessen the severity of the next surge, if there indeed is one.
What precautions should I take?
One of the most important actions you can take is asking everyone at your gathering to be fully vaccinated and, if eligible, to have gotten a booster shot.
That should give you a sense of relief that you didnt have last year, Crespo said.
Even though vaccinated people can still spread the SARS-CoV-2, data shows unvaccinated people are five to six times more likely to be infected by the virus than vaccinated people.
Getting everyone vaccinated might be impossible for families with younger children, because children under 5 have yet to receive the green light for shots. And although the federal government authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds in early November, no one in that age group has had enough time to become fully inoculated. Research shows Pfizer-BioNTechs vaccine doesnt offer robust protection against the delta variant until two weeks after the second shot.
With the support of her mother, Becca, Cora Thompson, 9, readies herself for her first COVID-19 vaccination at the Sellwood Medical Clinic drive-thru vaccination site at Oaks Park in Southeast Portland. November 5, 2021 (Beth Nakamura/Staff)The Oregonian
Among other recommended safety measures, even for get-togethers of fully vaccinated people:
Limit exposure: Consider asking guests to avoid contact with others outside their households in the three -- but ideally five to seven days -- leading up to the gathering. If you must be around others you dont live with, be extra careful by wearing a well-fitted, high-quality mask. These steps will limit exposure to the virus.
If you go to a really crowded gathering just a few days before you go off to visit Grandma -- not great, said Dr. Tom Jeanne, deputy state epidemiologist at the Oregon Health Authority.
If you travel by air: Remember the importance of properly wearing a quality mask not just on the airplane, where air filtration tends to be good, but on public ground transportation to and from or in packed airports and in lines.
If possible, try to avoid eating or drinking, especially in crowded situations, so you dont have to remove your mask. The same goes for train and bus travel.
Rapid tests: Add an extra layer of protection by asking attendees to take a home rapid antigen test just before attending the gathering. The tests typically cost $10 to $12 each at pharmacies, grocery stores and online. But be warned, they might be in short supply due to increasing demand over the holiday season.
Ventilation: The World Health Organization has recommended a benchmark of six air changes per hour. But many homes dont accomplish even one air change in an hour. So its smart to open a window or crack the door, which can make a difference. Turning on kitchen and bathroom fans, which suck indoor air out also can improve the flow.
HEPA air purifiers: If youve got them, use them. They can do wonders in helping to sift virus out of the air.
Gather outdoors: This isnt a particularly comfortable option in late November in many parts of Oregon, given the cool, wet temperatures. But even if you dont dine out on the back deck, you dont need to spend all your time indoors. Getting out for a walk and some fresh air is a good way to spend time together.
Bow out if sick: No one should attend a holiday get-together if they have cold-like symptoms, feel fatigued or otherwise are feeling unwell.
Get your flu shot: Were talking about COVID-19 here, right? But getting your flu shot lessens the likelihood that youll get the flu and have to skip the get-together. While its too late for a flu vaccination to take full effect by Thanksgiving, its not too late for holiday gatherings later in the season.
Masks and social distancing: While these might seem like a real holiday downer, these two measures can significantly reduce transmission. Thats particularly true if there are unvaccinated people at your gathering. Some experts say wearing masks and physical distancing isnt necessary for the fully vaccinated, especially if everyone is younger with no underlying medical conditions.
Keep it small: The smaller the gathering, the less risk.
I think its important to understand there is some risk of transmission from vaccinated people, Jeanne said. If youre at a small private gathering, the risk is very low.
But keeping it small is likely a piece of advice many wont heed. Nationwide, a Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that nearly half of adults said they plan to attend a holiday gathering with 10 or more people.
How do I know Im taking enough precautions?
That really depends on your circumstances.
People ask me about their gatherings, whether they should do this or that, said Peter Graven, a data scientist at Oregon Health & Science University. He puts out a weekly COVID-19 forecast. Unfortunately, none of this stuff is certain. So you want to minimize your risk as much as you can. But there again, you can have a good bit of faith in the science of the vaccine.
For some extra help determining how safe your get-together will be, try The New York Times interactive questionnaire: Were Having a Holiday Gathering. Are We Nuts?
Experts say when mulling the precautions youll employ, prioritize your most vulnerable family members and friends. Even if they are vaccinated, their bodies might not have produced the same immune response as younger, healthier people.
Also, consider your communitys transmission rates or the rates in areas where your guests live. A transmission tracker created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows COVID-19 is spreading at substantial or high rates in 34 of Oregons 36 counties, including the entire Portland area. Even so, rates in some parts of the U.S. such as Michigan, New Mexico and New Hampshire are more than triple what they are in Oregon.
Patrick Allen, director of the Oregon Health Authority, told a legislative committee this week that hes concerned Oregonians are letting their guard down. Daily reported infections and hospitalizations still are higher than any time during the states spring surge.
Its dangerous to start thinking and acting like the pandemic is over or is ending, Allen said. Were still at very, very high caseloads. Our hospitals continue to be at 90% or more of capacity. One in five Oregonians is completely unprotected from the virus, having neither been exposed nor vaccinated.
How are our experts celebrating Thanksgiving?
Crespo, the OHSU-PSU professor, said hes planning to get together with some local relatives who will all travel by car. Including himself, he expects about eight people, all fully vaccinated, at the table. Theyll probably open some windows and have the nice dinner we couldnt have last year.
Later, he plans to travel to Arecibo, Puerto Rico, where hell visit his mother, whos fully vaccinated with a booster. Crespo said hell be careful with a good mask while in the airport and on the plane. He said feels comfortable with his destination because virtually every eligible adult in the city is inoculated.
Thats had a noticeable benefit. Crespo said his mother had to recently visit the hospital for a non-COVID-19 ailment, and his brother asked staff about isolating her away from the coronavirus patients.
The answer from the doctor was We have zero COVID-19 cases here in the hospital, Crespo said.
Jeanne, the deputy state epidemiologist, said hell celebrate Thanksgiving with a very small get-together with friends. Theyll open a window and fire up an HEPA air purifier.
Itll be all vaccinated people, Jeanne said. Nobody with symptoms.
Graven, the OHSU data scientist, said hes still hashing out plans. But hes thinking of sharing the holiday with one other family. Only one person, a school-aged child, will be partially vaccinated. Everyone else has had a full course of shots.
Our normal Thanksgiving would probably be like 30 people, Graven said, and this is going to be like eight.
-- Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee
Three more Mainers have died and another 848 coronavirus cases have been detected across the state, health officials said on Saturday.
Saturdays report brings the total number of coronavirus cases in Maine to 115,857,according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Thats up from 115,009 on Friday.
Of those, 82,675have been confirmed positive, while 33,182were classified as probable cases, the Maine CDC reported.
Three new deaths were reported Saturday, raising the statewide death toll to 1,271.
As of Friday, the number of coronavirus cases diagnosed in the past 14 days statewide is 7,935. This is an estimation of the current number of active cases in the state, as the Maine CDC is no longer tracking recoveries for all patients. Thats up from 7,592 on Thursday.
The new case rate statewide Saturday was 6.34 cases per 10,000 residents, and the total case rate statewide was 865.6 on Saturday.
The most cases have been detected in Mainers younger than 20, while Mainers over 80 years old make up the majority of deaths. More cases have been recorded in women and more deaths in men.
So far, 3,027Mainers have been hospitalized at some point with COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. Of those, 281 are currently hospitalized, with 74 in critical care and 35 on a ventilator.
Cases have been reported in Androscoggin (12,342), Aroostook (4,820), Cumberland (23,732), Franklin (2,817), Hancock (3,432), Kennebec (11,200), Knox (2,331), Lincoln (2,059), Oxford (5,999), Penobscot (13,3375), Piscataquis (1,493), Sagadahoc (2,326), Somerset (5,170), Waldo (2,748), Washington (2,278) and York (19,355) counties.
As of Saturday, 916,698 Mainers are fully vaccinated, or about 71.58 percent of eligible Mainers, according to the Maine CDC.
As of Saturday morning, the coronavirus had sickened 47,660,379people in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as caused 770,691deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.
Correction: A previous version of this article state an incorrect number of COVID-19 cases reported by the Maine CDC on Saturday.
More articles from the BDN
The New York Islanders will be without several key players ahead of their first-ever game in their new home, UBS Arena, on Saturday night against Calgary. Adam Pelech, Andy Greene and Anthony Beauvillier were added to the COVID-19 protocol list on Saturday, joining captain Anders Lee, Josh Bailey and Ross Johnston.
Beauvillier, a forward, is tied for third on the team in scoring with seven points (3 goals, 4 assists), while Pelech and Greene are mainstays on the blue line. Each has played in all of the team's first 13 games this season, as New York posted a 5-6-2 mark, all on the road.
The Islanders recalled forwards Andy Andreoff and Richard Panik, and defensemen Grant Hutton and Paul LaDue, general manager Lou Lamoriello announced on Saturday afternoon.
Several dignitaries took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for UBS Arena on Friday, as the Islanders prepare to open the $1.5 billion multi-purpose facility next to the Belmont Park racetrack in Elmont, N.Y.
(Photo: Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)
MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO, Italy, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Ski resorts in northern Italy are reopening for the winter season after prolonged shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although a recent rise in infections is spreading worries over possible new restrictions.
Fabio Sacco, the president of the Skirama consortium that brings together several resorts in the Trentino-Alto Adige region, said he had been waiting to restart since March last year, when Italy imposed a lockdown.
"It is really an exciting moment," he told Reuters.
Register
Europe is being swept by a fourth wave of the pandemic that has already forced Austria, one of Italy's neighbours, to announce a full national lockdown. Germany has not ruled out similar measures. read more
Italy has also seen a rise in daily cases in recent weeks, especially in some northern areas where many ski slopes are located. Hospitalisations remain under control nationwide but operators are aware of the risks rising infections may pose.
"There is some uncertainty and fear due to the worsening of the pandemic trend, but the resorts in our consortium and across Trentino are prepared to handle different scenarios," Sacco said.
A COVID-19 health pass - which shows if someone has completed the vaccination cycle, has recently tested negative or recovered from the disease - is required to access ski lifts along with face masks and social distancing rules.
Skiers, enjoying clear blue skies and perfect skiing conditions, were feeling upbeat about the forthcoming winter season.
"Finally, after a year of closure we are happy. There is a desire to ski. The snow and the day are beautiful. I expect many positive things from this season," said skier Filippo Laureti.
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Reporting by Matteo Berlenga and Flavio Lo Scalzo, writing by Angelo Amante, editing by Christina Fincher
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Pregnant women with COVID-19 face increased chances for stillbirths compared with uninfected women, and that risk spiked to four times higher after the delta variant emerged, new government data show.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report Friday that examined 1.2 million deliveries in 736 hospitals nationwide from March 2020 through September 2021.
Stillbirths were rare overall, totaling 8,154 among all deliveries. But the researchers found that for women with COVID-19, about 1 in 80 deliveries resulted in stillbirth. Among the uninfected, it was 1 in 155.
Among those with COVID-19, stillbirths were more common in people with chronic high blood pressure and other complications, including those in intensive care or on breathing machines.
These findings underscore the importance of COVID-19 prevention strategies, including vaccination before or during pregnancy, CDC researcher Carla DeSisto and co-authors said.
Theres no information on how many had received COVID-19 shots, although the authors noted that the U.S. vaccination rate among pregnant people after delta emerged this past summer was 30%.
Pregnant people with COVID-19 are more likely than others to develop severe, even fatal, illness and they face increased risks for preterm birth and other complications. Previous studies on stillbirths and COVID-19 had mixed findings, but the report bolsters concerns among obstetricians and anecdotal data.
While the absolute risk for stillbirth is low, anyone who is pregnant shouldnt underestimate the dangers of COVID-19, said Dr. Mark Turrentine, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He helped write the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy.
Whats really sad is we have 10 months of a vaccine thats been highly effective and we just cant convince people to take advantage of this, Turrentine said.
Some experts have speculated that the virus may cause inflammation in the placenta or other abnormalities that could harm the fetus.
Dr. Joseph Biggio, a specialist in high-risk pregnancies at Ochsner Health in New Orleans, said the study doesnt prove that COVID-19 caused stillbirths. He said its possible some women were so critically ill that physicians trying to keep them alive couldnt intervene on behalf of a fetus that they knew was in trouble.
The researchers relied on medical records, and they noted that they were unable to determine if the COVID-19 diagnoses listed at the time of delivery represented current or past infections.
Generally, stillbirths are more common among Black people, those who become pregnant over age 35 or those who smoke tobacco during pregnancy.
The study didnt include pregnancy outcomes by race, an area the authors said they plan to investigate in future research because COVID-19 has disproportionately affected many racial and ethnic minority groups, putting them more at risk of getting sick and dying.
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PORTLAND, Ore. The 76ers will get one of their better defenders back Saturday night.
Matisse Thybulle will play in the Sixers matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center. The reserve swingman has been in the NBAs COVID-19 health and safety protocols originally for contact tracing since Nov. 5. He then tested positive for the coronavirus while in quarantine.
Hes not going to play much, Doc Rivers said before Saturdays shootaround. Hes been out, came in [Friday] night. Well play him, but we wont play him much.
Thybulle has been sidelined for the past seven games.
The third-year veteran averaged career highs of 5.1 points and 2.3 steals in nine games with two starts before being sidelined. He was named to the NBAs second-team All-Defensive squad last season.
Meanwhile, Joel Embiid (protocols), Danny Green (left hamstring tightness), and Ben Simmons (mentally not ready to play) remain sidelined. Portland point guard Damian Lillard (abdomen tendinopathy) is listed as probable.
The League One match between Wigan Athletic and Oxford United at the DW Stadium has been postponed, after seven of the away teams players tested positive for COVID-19.
The players all tested positive on Saturday morning after falling ill overnight, meaning Oxford were unable to name a squad for the league fixture.
The match was postponed after both clubs consulted with the EFL. A new date will be decided in due course.
Oxford said in a statement: Seven players tested positive this morning after falling ill overnight, meaning the Us cannot raise a squad for the Sky Bet League One game.
United called off the fixture in consultation with Wigan and the English Football League (EFL), which has said it will review the circumstances surrounding the postponement.
Wigan added: We apologise for any inconvenience caused to supporters and wish our colleagues at Oxford United well.
Both sides have started the season impressively. Oxford are sat sixth, with Wigan two points off the top with a game in hand.
