Over 82,000 vaccinations and 396,000 COVID-19 tests have been administered to date. LSU Health Shreveport continues to offer both COVID-19vaccinations AND testingto the public each Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 6PM at the LSUHS North Campus site (Old Chevyland) located at 2627 Linwood Avenue. Registration is not needed for COVID testing. A CEVT Strike Team member will call with results within 72 hours. A printout of results may be picked up or mailed to the provided address upon request. Expedited COVID-19 testing is available at the LSUHS North Campus, Monday through Wednesday from10AM to 12PM.
Any individuals ages 12 and up are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Those wanting to vaccinate children ages 12 to 15MUSTpre-register atwww.lsuhs.edu. Minors under age 18 will need to have a parent present or provide a signed parental consent form to be vaccinated.Youth ages 12 to 17 may ONLY receive the Pfizer vaccine,but those 18 years and up may receive the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine.Local pediatric clinic coordinators may contact Dr. John Vanchiere if interested in partnering with LSU Health Shreveport to provide the Pfizer vaccine to their patients.No appointments are needed for first or second doses of the vaccine.
If you would like to get a booster shot from LSU Health Shreveport and received your previous dose or doses from a different location, please pre-register atwww.lsuhs.edu/covid19/vaccine. Currently, CDC is recommending that moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive an additional dose. This includes people who have:
People should talk to their healthcare provider about their medical condition, and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them. Prescription or notation from a physician or other prescriber is not necessary at this time.Patients with one of the above conditions who wish to receive an additional dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine may self-attest to their condition by completing and signing this form:https://ldh.la.gov/assets/oph/Center-CP/HANs/HANS21-58Attachment-3rdDoseAttestationForm.pdf.
CDC doesnotrecommend additional doses or booster shots for any other population at this time.
Individuals should provide ID and insurance information when they arrive at any LSUHS vaccination site. Those that are without insurance are still eligible to receive the vaccine. For a full schedule and to preregister, go to the LSU Health Shreveport website atwww.lsuhs.edu.
LSUHS COVID TESTING SITES
LSU Health Shreveport North Campus2627 Linwood Avenue, Shreveport(Former Chevyland dealership)
Monday Friday from 10 AM 6 PMTests taken before 12 noon receive results within 48 hours via telephone.
MONDAY FRIDAYLSU Health Shreveport North Campus2627 Linwood Avenue, Shreveport(Former Chevyland dealership)
Dates recur each week, Monday Friday, from 10 AM 6 PM1stand 2nddose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine and Johnson & Johnson
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC) 6220 E. Texas St., Bossier City
10:30 AM 2:30 PM;Pfizer vaccine
Desoto School Board Media Center 523 Oxford Rd., Mansfield
4 PM 6 PM;Pfizer vaccine
Salem Baptist Church 5187 Hwy 3276, Stonewall
4 PM 6 PM;Pfizer vaccine
Margaritaville Resort & Casino 777 Margaritaville Way, Bossier City
10 AM 12 PM;Pfizer vaccine
THURSDAY, AUGUST 26Boomtown Resort & Casino 300 Riverside Dr., Bossier City
1 PM 2 PM;Pfizer vaccine
Harrahs Louisiana Downs 8000 E. Texas St., Bossier City
5 PM 8 PM;Pfizer vaccine
FRIDAY, AUGUST 27LSUS 1 University Place, Shreveport
Korner Lounge 800 Louisiana Avenue, Shreveport
Airline High School 2801 Airline Dr., Bossier City
SATURDAY, AUGUST 28Airline High School 2801 Airline Dr., Bossier City
Ben Johnson Educational Center 400 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Natchitoches
AB Palmer Recreational Center 547 79th St.,Shreveport
David Raines Community Center 2920 Round Grove Lane, Shreveport
Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church 410 North Circle, Bossier City
SUNDAY, AUGUST 29Sacred Heart Catholic Church 4736 Lyba St., Shreveport
It could be weeks or months until there's enough data to know if a booster shot will be needed for the J&J COVID-19 vaccine.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are recommending a third shot for those who got the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines eight months after the second dose.
People who got the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine may be wondering will they need a booster as well? The answer on that isn't expected for a while.
Jacksonville-area infectious disease specialist Dr. Mohammed Reza said at this point, there's just not enough data to determine if those who got the J&J shot will need a booster.
She got the booster shot due to being high risk and needing that little oomph," Ava Allen said.
The CDC said this month people with compromised immune systems, such as Ava Allen's mom, should be the first to get a COVID-19 booster vaccine.
She was super high risk and had breast cancer throughout COVID," Allen said. "It was actually a really good time to get breast cancer because doctors were so intact with her.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was approved in March of this year, whereas the mRNA vaccine was approved a lot earlier at the end of last year," Dr. Mohammed Reza said.
That's why Reza said it could be weeks or months until there's enough data to know if a booster shot will be needed for the J&J COVID-19 vaccine.
I understand the anxiety people who have received that vaccine are feeling because of this delta variant," Reza said.
A large study of South African healthcare workers shows the J&J vaccine was 71% protective against hospitalizations and 91 to 96% effective against death. Also, most breakthrough cases were mild.
I dont want to provide false reassurance and hope until we have the data, but I know masks work. Being vaccinated, wearing that mask, that extra layer of protection, will provide people protection," Reza said.
I do think its good for people who are super high risk," Allen said. "I do suggest that for them.
In addition to wearing a mask, Dr. Reza encourages people to get together in outdoor spaces as the more contagious delta variant surges on the First Coast.
Reza said all three vaccines are still doing their job of reducing severe disease, hospitalizations, and death from the coronavirus. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said boosters "will likely be needed" for the J&J vaccine.
Starting Tuesday, people who attend an event or performance at The Old Globe will be required to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19.
SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. Beginning Tuesday, people who attend an event or performance at The Old Globe will be required to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19.
The health and safety of audiences, artists, staff, and the entire community are the highest priority for The Old Globe, especially as circumstances surrounding COVID-19 continue to evolve,'' Globe officials said. Through close consultation with medical and public health officials, we are announcing a new set of policies for attending a play or event at The Old Globe.''
Fully vaccinated is defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control as being at least 14 days after the receipt of the second dose of a two- dose vaccine -- either the Pfizer-BioNtech or Moderna vaccine -- or one dose of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
To gain admittance to the Globe theatres, attendees must present a photo ID and proof of vaccination status. Acceptable proof of vaccination is the COVID-19 vaccination record card issued at the time of inoculation, a photograph of the patron's vaccination record card, or a digital vaccination record.
California residents may request a digital vaccination record at https://myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov/.
Patrons who do not receive COVID-19 vaccinations because of a medical reason or religious beliefs can attend a production at The Old Globe but must present the negative results of a COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of entering the facility.
Patrons under the age of 12, whose age does not yet permit vaccination, can attend a production but will be required to wear a mask or present the negative results of a COVID-19 PCR test.
Documents will be checked by Globe staff members before patrons will be admitted. Staff will deny admission to anyone who does not provide the necessary documentation or follow any COVID-related policy.
When the Old Globe's indoor theaters reopen in September, patrons attending performances in those theaters -- the Old Globe Theatre and Sheryl and Harvey White Theatres -- must wear masks throughout the performance as an additional safety measure,'' officials said.
It is recommended, but not required, that patrons wear masks while attending the production of ``Hair'' in the Globe's outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre and all events scheduled in the Globe's Copley Plaza.
Hair, the rock musical, continues its run at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and ends Aug. 31.
The Gardens of Anuncia, a Globe-commissioned world premiere musical, begins Sept. 10 and plays through Oct. 17.
The intruder stalks its prey with stealth and precision, preparing to puncture its quarrys armor. Once inside, the aggressor forces its host to produce more intruders, and then causes it to explode, spewing out a multitude of invaders who can continue their rampage on a wider scale.
The drama, depicted in a microscopic video of SARS-CoV-2 infecting bat brain cells, provides a window into how the pathogen turns cells into virus-making factories before causing the host cell to die.
The video was produced by Sophie-Marie Aicher and Delphine Planas, virologists at the Pasteur Institute in Paris who won honorable mention in a microscopic video competition sponsored by Nikon, the photography company.
Filmed over 48 hours with an image recorded every 10 minutes, the footage shows the coronavirus as red spots circulating among a mass of gray blobs the bats brain cells. After they are infected, the bats cells begin to fuse with neighboring cells. At some point, the entire mass bursts, resulting in the death of the cells.
Ms. Aicher, who specializes in zoonotic diseases those that can be transmitted from animals to humans said this infectious juggernaut was the same in bats and humans, with one important distinction: Bats ultimately do not get sick.
In humans, the coronavirus is able to evade detection and cause more damage in part by preventing infected cells from alerting the immune system to the presence of the invaders. But its special power is the ability to force host cells to fuse with neighboring ones, a process known as syncytia that allows the coronavirus to remain undetected as it replicates.
Every time the virus has to exit the cell, its at risk of detection so if it can go straight from one cell to another, it can work much faster, Ms. Aicher said.
She said she hoped the video would help demystify the virus, and make it easier for people to understand and appreciate this deceitful nemesis that has upended billions of lives.
Its important to help people get past the scientific jargon to understand that this a very sophisticated and clever virus that is well adapted to make humans sick, she said.
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Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas announced on Saturday that he had tested negative for the coronavirus, four days after testing positive. He said he will continue to quarantine at the recommendation of doctors.
In a video posted on Twitter, Mr. Abbott, 63, credited vaccines with protecting him from serious illness.
Im told my infection was brief and mild because of the vaccination I received, he said, So I encourage others who have not received the vaccination to consider getting one.
He added that Cecilia Abbott, his wife, continues to test negative.
Mr. Abbott, who did not experience symptoms from his infection and who began receiving monoclonal antibody treatment after his positive result, has been a vocal opponent of mask and vaccine mandates. In the days before he announced his test result, the governor attended multiple maskless indoor public events, including a crowded indoor political gathering hosted by a Republican club in Collin County, a hotly contested area of the fast-growing suburbs north of Dallas.
In Saturdays video, Mr. Abbott said he would continue working from the governors mansion, and planned to focus on opening facilities across the state where coronavirus patients can receive monoclonal antibody treatments. Texas health officials are hoping such centers can prevent patients from becoming seriously ill and alleviate pressure on overwhelmed hospitals across the state as infections reach levels not seen since January.
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U.S. Congressman Troy Nehls, R-Richmond, has tested positive for the coronavirus and is currently symptomatic, according to his social media posts over the weekend.
The former Fort Bend County sheriff announced the diagnoses after posting earlier in the week that a close family member caught the virus. At that time, Nehls said he would clear his calendar out of an abundance of caution before returning to official duties. He confirmed Saturday that he'd contracted the virus.
On Sunday afternoon, Nehls informed his Facebook followers he and his wife received the Regeneron monoclonal antibody treatment at St. Michael's Elite Hospital in Sugar Land.
It took a little over an hour to complete but were already starting to feel better, Nehls wrote on Facebook, noting the treatment is free. If youre suffering from a COVID-19 infection, Id recommend contacting your physician to see if this treatment is right for you.
The congressman received the same medical treatment as Gov. Greg Abbott did after the latter tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week. The governor tweeted Saturday he had tested negative for the virus.
The state has recently opened nine antibody treatment centers as a means to curb hospitalizations as cases are once again surging throughout Texas and hospital beds are filling up. The FDA has recommended the antibodies to treat "mild to moderate COVID-19" for those ages 12 years and older who have tested positive and "are at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19."
Nehls is just the latest in a string of national and state lawmakers to report having the virus. U.S. Representatives Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler; Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands; Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth; and Ron Wright, R-Arlington, who died weeks after contracting the virus while battling cancer, all tested positive within the last year.
State Representatives John Raney, R-College Station; Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton; Carl Sherman, D-DeSoto; Travis Clardy, R-Nacogdoches; Joe Deshotel, D-Beaumont; along with six Texas Democrats who traveled to Washington, D.C., to protest Abbott's special session; are among those who have also announced infections.
Both Abbott and Nehls are fully vaccinated and warned in their respective posts they would likely have far worse symptoms if it wasn't for the shot.
"All Americans are free to make their own health decisions, but I strongly encourage getting vaccinated. It is scientifically proven to drastically reduce the risk of severe illness & death from COVID," the congressman wrote Saturday. "You may still get ill, but youre much less likely to be severely ill or hospitalized if vaccinated."
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New Jersey on Sunday reported another 1,477 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 2 more confirmed deaths, while statewide coronavirus hospitalizations were above 900 for the fourth straight day.
All 21 counties now have a high rate of virus transmission, according to a daily tracker from to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Under the agencys guidance, people in all 21 counties are recommended to wear masks in indoor public settings, regardless of vaccination status.
The Garden States seven-day average for newly confirmed positive tests increased Saturday to 1,555. Thats 7% more than a week ago and 214% higher than a month ago. Its the states highest average since May 3.
The delta variant accounted for 96% of cases in New Jersey based on a sampling of positive tests over the last two weeks of July, according to state data.
There were 927 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 or suspected cases across New Jerseys 71 hospitals on Saturday night four more than the previous night and the most since May 14, when there were 930 people hospitalized. There were 136 patients discharged Saturday.
Of those hospitalized, 187 were in intensive care (three fewer than the night before), with 85 on ventilators (10 more).
Gov. Phil Murphy is expected to announce soon that New Jersey will require teachers to be vaccinated against the virus. It wasnt immediately clear whether Murphy would allow teachers to opt out in exchange for regular testing, which is being done in California.
CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter| Homepage
Though numbers have been climbing, hospitalizations and deaths in New Jersey have not risen anywhere near the pandemics peaks. More than 3,800 patients were hospitalized during the second peak in December. And New Jerseys numbers overall are not as bad as other states. That, officials say, is due at least in part to the states relatively high vaccination rate.
More than 5.47 million people who live, work or study in New Jersey have now been fully vaccinated in more than seven months since inoculations began, according to state data. About 4 million residents remain unvaccinated.
New Jerseys statewide transmission rate held steady at 1.25 for the second day in a row. But any number over 1 indicates that each new case is leading to more than one additional case and shows the states outbreak is expanding.
An early coronavirus hotspot, New Jersey has now reported 26,752 total COVID-19 deaths in more than 17 months 24,031 confirmed and 2,721 considered probable, according to the state dashboard. Thats the most coronavirus deaths per capita in the U.S.
In all, the state of 9.2 million residents has reported 937,187 total confirmed cases out of more than 14.91 million PCR tests since it announced its first case March 4, 2020. The state has also reported 137,003 positive antigen tests, which are considered probable cases.
Murphy said last week that of New Jerseys 4,332 positive tests between July 20-26, nearly 18% were so-called breakthrough cases of those who had been fully vaccinated, which is up from previous weeks.
As of Sunday there have been more than 211 million positive COVID-19 cases reported across the world, according to Johns Hopkins University, with more than 4.4 million people having died due to the virus. The U.S. has reported the most cases (more than 37.6 million) and deaths (more than 628,300) than any other nation.
Nearly 4.89 billion vaccine doses have been administered globally.
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Katie Kausch may be reached at kkausch@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
Illinois health officials on Friday reported 24,682new COVID-19 cases in the past week, along with 126 additional deaths and nearly 235,000 new vaccine doses administered - increases in all metrics as the state continues to see a surge fueled by the delta variant.
In all, 1,482,369 cases of coronavirus have been reported in the state since the pandemic began, according to the latest data from the Illinois Department of Public Health. The additional deaths reported this week bring the state to 23,717 confirmed COVID fatalities.
The state has administered 462,916 tests since last Friday, officials said, bringing the total to more than 28 million tests conducted during the pandemic.
The states seven-day positivity rate on all tests rose to 6.1% from 5.9% last week, which was up from 5.2% the week before, officials said. The rolling average seven-day positivity rate for cases as a percentage of total tests was up to 5.3% from 5.1% the week before and 4.6% two weeks prior.
IDPH noted that test positivity rates ranged across the state's 11 regions from 4.2% to as high as 10.4% in the southernmost portion of the state.
Over the past seven days, a total of 234,949doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been administered to Illinois residents - up from around 215,000 the week before and 176,000 two weeks prior. The latest figures brought the states average up slightly to 33,564 daily vaccination doses over the last week, per IDPH data.
More than 13.7 million vaccine doses have been administered in Illinois since vaccinations began in December. More than 60% of adult residents in the state are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with more than 77% receiving at least one dose.
As of midnight Thursday, 2,000 patients were hospitalized due to COVID in the state - up roughly 21% from the week before. Of those patients, 468 are in ICU beds, and 234 are on ventilators. All metrics are a reported increase since last Friday.
COLUMBUS (WCMH) The Ohio Department of Health has releasedthe latest number of COVID-19 casesin the state.
As of Aug. 19, a total of 1,171,557 (+3,446) cases has been reported since the start of the pandemic, leading to 63,915 (+170) hospitalizations and 8,649 (+10) ICU admissions.
The 21-day average stands at 2,140. Before Wednesday, the last time it was above 2,000 was March 4.
The Department of Health reported 34 deaths, bringing the total to 20,648. The state is updating the number only after death certificates have been processed, usually twice a week.
Just as our kids are back in school, the Delta variant is sweeping across the state, taking aim at those who are unvaccinated, DeWine said in opening a news conference, where he was joined by state health director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff.
DeWine reiterated the Department of Healthsrecommendations for schools in the state, that masks be worn by students who cannot be vaccinated and staff members who are unvaccinated. Last school year, DeWine mandated masks in schools via health order, but his ability to issue those was curtailed by the General Assembly over the summer.
Instead, he appealed directly to parents the importance of mask-wearing, as school districts have the ability toset their own mask requirements. And he warned the alternative might be a return to remote and blended learning models used in the spring. He said mask-wearing is more important now than it was last school year, when the spread of COVID-19 was minimal, because the Delta variant is more contagious than earlier strands.
Last weeks 17,429 new cases were the most in a Monday-Sunday period since Feb. 8-14 (19,133).
