A GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) logo is seen at the GSK research centre in Stevenage, Britain November 26, 2019. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo
Nov 12 (Reuters) - Britain's GSK (GSK.L) and partner Vir (VIR.O) said on Friday their antibody-based COVID-19 drug was shown in a trial to work as well when given as a shot in the arm awhen administered via the standard infusion, potentially offering more convenience.
GSK said it would now speak to global regulators, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, about potential approval for the new method of administration, known as intramuscular injection, which can be carried out by family doctors and spare patients a trip to hospital.
Sotrovimab is authorised for emergency use in the United States to prevent mild or moderate cases of COVID-19 from worsening. The European Medicines Agency has given its go-ahead for use by member states though EU-wide approval is still outstanding.
Similar products are offered or being developed by Eli Lilly (LLY.N), Regeneron (REGN.O) and AstraZeneca (AZN.L). read more
Eli Lilly's therapy is so far given by infusion, or drip, only. AstraZeneca's antibody drug, under review to possibly prevent infections, is delivered by intramuscular shot only. Regeneron (REGN.O) and Roche's (ROG.S) product can be given as an infusion or injection under the skin, typically in the abdomen.
Reporting by Ludwig BurgerReporting by Ludwig Burger ind Frankfurt, Muhammed Husain and Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Mark Potter
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
State health officials reported 754 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, continuing a persistent trend of heavy virus transmission that shows no signs of subsiding as winter approaches.
While the pace of vaccinations has increased, new infections and hospitalizations continue to be concentrated in areas with lower vaccination rates.
Unfortunately, this is unlikely to change in the near term, Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a media briefing Wednesday. Maine CDC expects that those case counts will remain high. For how long they remain high is fundamentally up to all of us.
Three additional deaths were reported Thursday as well.
With Thursdays cases and the 882 new cases from Wednesday, the seven-day daily average rose to 553 cases, which is up from 462 cases two weeks ago and 368 cases on average this time last month. Since the pandemic reached Maine nearly 19 months ago, there have been 110,346 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 and 1,220 deaths, according to CDC data. Over the last month, 145 new deaths from COVID-19 have been added, or nearly five per day.
Cases had been trending downward across the country for weeks some of it attributable to lower testing volume but things have leveled off more recently. The seven-day average stood at 74,584 on Wednesday, which is slightly higher than two weeks earlier, according to the U.S. CDC. Deaths are still averaging more than 1,000 per day across the country and more than 750,000 Americans have died during the pandemic so far.
Since the pandemic began, Maine has had fewer cases and deaths per capita than nearly every other state. In recent weeks, however, Maines infection rate has been well above the national average.
Maines seven-day case rate of 332 per 100,000 people is the 10th highest in the county, just behind New Hampshire, and more than double the national case rate of 157 per 100,000 people.
As of Wednesday, the states seven-day positive test rate was 6.9 percent, up from 5.5 percent two weeks, or one incubation period, ago. Testing volume has gone up, too. The average testing volume is about 555 tests per 100,000 people, an increase of 11 percent in two weeks.
Thats on top of a 20 percent increase two weeks prior to that, Shah said.
Shah warned that the colder weather could be playing an increased role for two reasons.
The first is that more folks gather indoors when its chillier, he said. The other is that the cooler, drier air makes it easier for the virus to spread and enter the body.
Last year, Maine and many other states saw massive case spikes around Thanksgiving and continuing through the holiday season and the new year. The major difference, though, is that things started from a much lower place this time last year. The average number of cases in Maine this time last year was 161, compared to 553 on Thursday.
Another factor is the delta variant. The highly transmissible form of the coronavirus wasnt circulating in Maine during the holidays last year.
HOSPITALIZATIONS REMAIN HIGH
Hospitalizations also remain at a sustained high level and are even approaching a new pandemic high.
As of Thursday, 233 individuals were in the hospital with COVID-19 in Maine, including 73 in critical care and 31 on ventilators. After falling as low as 152 on Oct. 7, hospitalizations have been over 200 for 21 consecutive days. Thursdays total is just two shy of the high set on Sept. 25. The majority of the people who are hospitalized are unvaccinated, and many of the remaining patients have other serious health conditions that made them vulnerable to the virus.
MaineGeneral in Augusta has experienced the most demanding week of the pandemic, with a daily average of 19.4 confirmed COVID-19 inpatients for the week ending Thursday, up from 13.7 a day last week. The previous record of 18.3 was set the last week of September. Wednesdays COVID-19 inpatient count of 22 was the highest the hospital has recorded.
Dr. Steve Diaz, chief medical officer of MaineGeneral Health, said the increase in patients coincides with a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in Kennebec County. The state reported 171 new cases in Kennebec County on Wednesday, the highest single-day increase since the pandemic began.
Wed encourage people in Kennebec County to continue masking when in public spaces, staying home when sick and getting vaccinated, he said.
On Wednesday, officials at Lewistons Central Maine Medical Center which also is caring for record numbers of COVID-19 inpatients said their spike was driven by low vaccination rates in the counties they primarily serve: Androscoggin, Oxford and Franklin.
The average number of people hospitalized in the U.S. has been about 40,000 over the last week, which is down from more than 55,000 on average this time last month.
VACCINATION RATE RISING
The rate of vaccination in Maine, meanwhile, has increased to 7,264 doses per day, which is up 40 percent over two weeks and this week has included newly eligible 5- to 11-year-olds. It comes at a good time, too, since children under 12 have accounted for 21 percent of all new cases in the last two weeks, Shah said.
Overall, Maine has administered 948,020 final doses, which accounts for 70.5 percent of all Mainers. As of Thursday, 5,213 elementary school-age children had gotten their first dose, with 42 percent coming in Cumberland County, the states most vaccinated county.
Geographic disparities in vaccination rates have persisted for months, with rural and more conservative counties getting shots at a far lower rate. Additionally, younger adults have been less likely as a whole to get their vaccines than those over 50, especially in rural areas.
Shah explained that those geographic disparities are playing a big role in current case trends.
For epidemiological purposes what matters is simply not the overall percentage of the state thats vaccinated, its where those folks are, he said. Thats because vaccinated individuals in epidemiological terms present a barrier for the virus, a blockage that limits the virus room and ability to run.
Shah said if the states vaccination rate was uniform across the state, our daily COVID case rates might very well be much lower.
Instead, pockets of unvaccinated people are keeping the virus alive. In many cases, Shah said, these areas have lower vaccine immunity and lower natural immunity because until now they have been insulated from COVID.
But not anymore, he said. The delta variant has blown through that insulation.
Shah said that although the picture is bleak and could get worse, Mainers still have tools to keep themselves safe.
None of this is to undermine or undercut the fact that the vaccines and vaccinations continue to work, Shah said. If youre vaccinated, your risk of getting severely ill from COVID or ending up in a hospital or dying remain low.
Staff Writer Colin Woodard contributed to this report.
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The amount of data accumulated since the start of the pandemic in March 2020 continues to grow along with COVID-19 deaths and vaccination rates. Data in regards to COVID-19 can be about numerous consequences of the virus including infection rates, death rates and hospitalization numbers, all of which can vary by state, county or even race. While it is important to use this information to understand how different communities and regions are impacted by the pandemic, experts emphasize taking into account the systemic factors that affect various populations.
An article from The Guardian talks about a gene scientists have identified which may be a factor in increased risk of COVID-19 death among certain populations. The gene, called LZTFL1, was found to drastically increase chances of respiratory failure and ultimately death when an individual is exposed to the coronavirus.
The gene was primarily linked to people of south Asian descent up to a staggering 60% of the population a reason why this population has seen higher death rates from the virus, according to The Guardian.
UPDATED: FDA authorizes booster shots for Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and mixing vaccinesAllowing the opportunity to strengthen the immunization of those vaccinated for COVID-19 over six months, the Food and Drug Administration Read
Though, there are numerous factors that play into why an individual dies from COVID-19, and not everyone agrees that it is necessarily fair to assign genetics as the sole cause of COVID-19 complications and related deaths.
Ajay Sethi is a population health sciences professor and researcher in the broad field of infectious diseases at the University of Wisconsin. He said the learning about all factors that contribute to different COVID-19 responses in people is crucial.
Understanding the genetics of infectious diseases can lead to new therapeutics and tools to screen people, something the authors mention in their original research, Sethi said. It would be important to have a better understanding of who is at higher risk for infection or severe illness and who may be protected from these things.
An article from the CDC talks about potential reasons other than genetics that increase risk for COVID-19 deaths specifically in racial minority groups. Lack of access to proper healthcare, living below the poverty line and working in professions deemed essential in the height of the pandemic are all factors that contribute to higher COVID-19 cases and death rates, according to the CDC.
UWs Science Writer in Residence cautions journalists about obligations during pandemicThe spread of misinformation is nothing new in the world of science. But as the pandemic persists along with the Read
We can work on alleviating the systemic factors that lead to greater risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 illness, and death and we should also gain a better understanding of the complex biology of this disease to help society better manage the pandemic in the future Sethi said.
While genetic factors are important to learn about to gain a deeper understanding of potential treatments and preventions, addressing systemic pitfalls is equally important in the fight against the pandemic.
SEATTLE Washington state health officials say theres growing concern more patients are becoming sick with respiratory viruses other than COVID-19 now that colder weather is nearing.
The Seattle Times reports the state recorded a seven-day coronavirus case rate of 174.2 infections per 100,000 Washingtonians as of the last week of October, the most recent complete data. The rate was down from about 200 cases per 100,000 in mid-October.
COVID hospitalizations also continue to decrease slowly. As of late October, there was a seven-day rate of 9.1 hospitalizations per 100,000 people, down from 10.6 per 100,000 the week before. At this time last year, hospitalization rates were about the same, ranging from 9.3 to 10.9 per 100,000 people.
When it comes to cases, particularly to hospitalizations, we are still seeing numbers higher than any of us want to see, state Secretary of Health Dr. Umair A. Shah said during Wednesday news briefing.
Hospital occupancy also remains high, which is common this time of year, state epidemiologist Dr. Scott Lindquist said.
A lot of this is due to the start of our respiratory virus season, he said.
This year, in addition to COVID, Lindquist said hes concerned about the flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, which causes cold-like symptoms. King County, which tracks respiratory virus season every year, has reported that the percent of positive RSV tests in late October was much higher than past levels this time of year 13% of tests are positive compared to the average of less than 2%.
Im seeing patient after patient with respiratory viruses that are not COVID, Lindquist said. This is really complicating the picture.
Kids are tending to have very high coronavirus case rates, particularly in northeast Washington, Lindquist added. In late October, the seven-day infection rate for children between ages 4 and 10 was 224.37 cases per 100,000 people, about 22% higher than the general population.
Fortunately, Lindquist said, the state is seeing some increase in community immunity, from both vaccination and natural immunity. He referenced Washingtons current R-effective estimate the average number of new people that one person with COVID-19 infects which is at about 1.07.
The state last week surpassed a milestone of 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses at least 600 of which were given to children between ages 5 and 11 after the kid-sized shots were approved federally last week, DOH acting assistant secretary Michele Roberts said Wednesday.
Roberts acknowledged a significant data delay for those shots, since it takes a few days to process vaccination numbers, and said she expects the number to rapidly increase in the next few weeks.
As COVID-19 continues to spread the flu is also sending people to the doctor.
Flu season is here. Once again, it's happening during the COVID-19 pandemic and local doctors are already seeing an influx of patients.
"Flu season can be unpredictable in terms of the severity and nobody's ever been through the pandemic before so it's going to be interesting to see what happens this year," said Pediatrician, Rene Bravo.
But flu season won't reach its peak for another few weeks.
"We're starting to see a little bit of activity, and I know the county is tracking that, but usually flu season will start to kick up between Thanksgiving and Christmas," said Bravo.
Dr. Rene Bravo says getting a flu shot is a great way to protect yourself and stay healthy this flu season.
"Any time now. I think it's really time to get your flu shot, for sure," said Bravo.
If you are feeling ill it is important to determine if it is actually the flu and not something more serious like COVID-19.
"We're always worried about coronavirus masking as the flu and so that's one thing that if you're not sure make sure you call your doctor or healthcare provider and talk with them," said Bravo.
San Luis Obispo visitor Jerry Louwen says he is not concerned about the upcoming flu season.
"It'll be fine long as you take care of yourself. That's what it's all about," said visitor Jerry Louwen.
Resident Bill Neufeld says he is also not overly concerned about the upcoming flu season.
"I think enough people get the flu shot that it's not going to be a big thing, I hope," said Neufeld.
Neufeld says exercising helps him stay healthy during the winter months.
"I don't feel like I'm doing a lot of exercises but I do get a 2-mile walk in, a little over an hour, I think people should do more of that kind of stuff. I enjoy it," said Neufeld.
The CDC says you can get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines, including a flu vaccine, at the same visit.
To make an appointment to get your flu or COVID-19 vaccine visit myturn.Ca.Gov.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) - The Internal Revenue Service announced its tax inflation adjustment for 2022 this week.
The good news is that income thresholds are getting a boost. The standard deduction for married couples filing jointly for tax year 2022 rises to $25,900, up $800 from the prior year. For single taxpayers and married individuals filing separately, the standard deduction rises to $12,950 for 2022, up $400, and for heads of households, the standard deduction will be $19,400 for tax year 2022, up $600.
A COVID-19 outbreak at the Washington police department has six officers out sick.
According to Chief Robert Wilson, some of the officers are vaccinated and some are not.
They range from having a sinus cold to severe headaches, and it feels like they got beat up. But nothing major as of right now, Wilson said.
Wilson said the first positive case came on Saturday, with three more following Sunday and two, Monday.
They all did come down with (COVID-19) at about the same time. Were just looking at standard CDC protocols for quarantine and bringing them back to work, said Washington Mayor Scott Putnam.
Wilson said they are currently unaware of the outbreaks origin.
I have no idea how it got in here. We do not know, Wilson said.
The six officers will be off the job for 10 days, and then will need a negative COVID test to return to work, according to Wilson.
At the station, we are wearing masks and social distancing, Wilson said.
Wilson added that officers are wiping down their stations and avoiding contact with their coworkers during shift changes, and that they will only have one person to a car on patrols.
Wilson said he has not been tested for COVID-19.
The outbreak will create a strain on the department as they try to contend with a staffing shortage. The police department includes 30 officers.
The guys are working overtime to cover the open shifts so we can maintain the status in the community, Wilson said.
Nov 11 (Reuters) - The Nov. 11 story headlined "EU lists rare spinal condition as side-effect of J&J COVID-19 shot" is withdrawn. The story was based on a European Medicines Agency statement from Oct. 6 and was issued inadvertently. The UPDATE 1 and first version of the story are both withdrawn. There will be no substitute story.
STORY_NUMBER: L4N2S22S9
STORY_DATE: 11/11/2021
STORY_TIME: 1539 GMT
Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Aby Jose Koilparambil; Editing by Arun Koyyur
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
A personal message to a person who died of COVID-19 is written on a small flag that is part of 'In America: Remember,' a public art installation commemorating all the Americans who have died of the coronavirus near the Washington Monument on Sept. 17 in Washington, D.C. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption
A personal message to a person who died of COVID-19 is written on a small flag that is part of 'In America: Remember,' a public art installation commemorating all the Americans who have died of the coronavirus near the Washington Monument on Sept. 17 in Washington, D.C.
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