Yellowstone County woman in her 40s dies of COVID-19 illness – KTVQ Billings News

Yellowstone County woman in her 40s dies of COVID-19 illness – KTVQ Billings News

Coronavirus Bay Area live updates: Lafayette Art and Wine Festival canceled due to COVID-19 ‘setback’ – KGO-TV
Covid-19 antibody treatments work, but they’re ‘not the path out of this pandemic’ – CNN

Covid-19 antibody treatments work, but they’re ‘not the path out of this pandemic’ – CNN

August 19, 2021

Monoclonal antibodies such as those made by Regeneron and GlaxoSmithKline won't work for every Covid-19 patient; mAbs, as they are known, are only available for people age 12 and older and who aren't hospitalized or severely ill.

Regeneron's therapy can also be used for some people who know they were exposed to the virus, but don't yet have a positive test. That protection doesn't last long, though, and it's not a replacement for the vaccine.

"These monoclonal antibodies, Regeneron and others, have proven to radically reduce the chance that somebody ends up being hospitalized and at the end of the day, reducing hospital admissions is got to be a top priority and if you reduce those admissions, people don't go to the hospital to begin with, you know they're going to recover and so that's a really important thing," said DeSantis, a Republican.

The treatments are effective at reducing severe disease; however, some scientists have been critical of the push for these treatments over other, easier prevention methods.

"We know what works to prevent people from contracting this disease in the first place, masking and vaccination. We should be focusing on these preventive measures," said Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and visiting professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. "It's totally backwards to say that we should be focused on treatment instead of emphasizing prevention, and the steps that we know work to stop Covid-19 in the first place."

Here's what you should know about monoclonal antibodies for Covid-19.

What is a monoclonal antibody?

Monoclonal antibodies are lab-made proteins, that can mimic the immune system's ability to fight off threats like the coronavirus.

When a patient is infected it takes a little while for their body to produce antibodies that can help them fight the infection. These treatments, also known as mAbs, can speed up the body's ability to fight infection.

Two mAbs made specifically to fight the coronavirus are in use in the United States right now.

Can they prevent Covid-19?

It can be given to someone who has been exposed to an infectious person, or it can be given to someone who is at a high risk of exposure, like people who live in a nursing home that has had a recent case.

As prevention, the mAbs are meant to be used in patients who are not fully vaccinated, or in people who are not expected to mount an adequate immune response to a vaccine -- like people who have had an organ transplant and are immunocompromised.

Who can get monoclonal antibody treatments for Covid-19?

The treatments for people infected with Covid-19 are for non-hospitalized adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older who have a risk of getting severe Covid-19.

How does someone access the treatment?

The drugs don't come in a simple pill, so they wouldn't typically be available at the average doctor's office, but a doctor can prescribe them.

The mAbs have to be given by an infusion or, if getting an infusion would cause a delay in treatment, the Regeneron treatment can also be given by four subcutaneous injections.

The infusion itself can take about an hour and then patients need to wait for an observation period to make sure there are no side effects.

How effective are the treatments?

In March, Regeneron announced patients who got its treatment within 10 days had a 70% reduced risk of hospitalization and death.

Are there side effects?

How much do the treatments cost?

Are the treatments hard to get?

For months, the government has tried to promote the use of mAbs, yet the US Department of Health and Human Services said as of August 6, the latest date it has figures for,that only about half of the distributed supply has been used.

"At this time, there is plenty of product available for existing and new sites," a spokesperson for HHS told CNN last week.

As coronavirus cases have surged recently, the US has seen a 1,200% increase in orders for monoclonal antibody treatments in the past month, according to HHS. About 75% of the orders are coming from regions of the US that have low vaccination rates.

HHS also said it has seen a recent increase in the number of doctors using the treatments. Earlier in the year, the federal government had sent thousands of doses to states, but many sat on the shelf due to the complicated logistics of administering the treatments.

During the pandemic, health officials have acknowledged that doctors don't always know as much about these treatments, and patients have had to push to get them, or drive long distances to find a center that will administer them.

What's the difference between mAbs and a vaccine?

The protection from an antibody treatments doesn't last as long as a vaccine though. Typically the treatment would only provide protection for about a month.

A vaccine takes a couple of weeks for the immune system to start providing protection, but monoclonal antibodies work right away.

If there's treatment for Covid-19, why do we need vaccines or other prevention methods?

The treatments aren't a cure, and they aren't an option for every Covid-19 patient.

"The antibodies are an important complement to treatment options, but it is not the path out of this pandemic," Wen says. "There's only a small subset of patients who would qualify for monoclonal antibody treatment. Also, it is resource intensive, time intensive to administer.

"The way out of this pandemic is through vaccination and preventive measures to stop you from getting Covid in the first place."


Originally posted here: Covid-19 antibody treatments work, but they're 'not the path out of this pandemic' - CNN
When do students, teachers need to quarantine amid coronavirus delta variant? Heres what the CDC says. – SILive.com

When do students, teachers need to quarantine amid coronavirus delta variant? Heres what the CDC says. – SILive.com

August 19, 2021

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Staten Island families are preparing for the return to school as the coronavirus (COVID-19) delta variant continues to spread, raising the question: Does my child have to quarantine if exposed to the virus?

That answer varies, depending on the situation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) newest guidelines.

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) developed its reopening guidance based on the CDC guidelines and reopening guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

According to the CDC, students and teachers who are unvaccinated should quarantine if they have been within six feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.

However, those who are fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine after contact with someone who has COVID-19 unless they have symptoms, the CDC says. But they should get tested.

Even if they dont have symptoms, they should get tested and continue to wear a mask indoors in public for 14 days following exposure or until they test negative, the CDC says.

If a vaccinated student has been in a classroom, at least three feet from the infected student, and both students were wearing masks the whole time, the exposed student does not have to quarantine, the CDC says.

But if an unvaccinated student was less than three feet apart in a classroom, less than six feet apart elsewhere in school, or either student was unmasked, quarantining is necessary the CDC says.

The CDC suggests 14, 10 or seven calendar days as acceptable quarantines.

Adults may return after seven days if they have tested negative, the CDC says.

Anyone with COVID should isolate at home and not come to school at all, the CDC says. An infected individual should return to school after 10 days have passed since their first symptoms and they have gone 24 hours without a fever.

What to do if you must quarantine:


See the rest here: When do students, teachers need to quarantine amid coronavirus delta variant? Heres what the CDC says. - SILive.com
COVID-19 Vaccines Saved 140,000 Lives Over First 5 Months of 2021 – Healthline

COVID-19 Vaccines Saved 140,000 Lives Over First 5 Months of 2021 – Healthline

August 19, 2021

A new study published in the journal Health Affairs estimates that by the second week of May 2021, the early COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the United States had prevented almost 140,000 deaths.

In addition, it may have prevented nearly 3 million cases of the disease.

While it had been expected that the vaccines would slow transmission of the virus and save lives, it was not certain just how much their rapid deployment would affect death rates.

This study aimed to assess the association between state-level vaccination rates and COVID-19 deaths during the first 5 months that the vaccines were available.

To study the link between vaccination rates and COVID-19 deaths, a group of researchers from RAND and Indiana University created models to estimate how many deaths would have occurred without vaccinations.

Sumedha Gupta, the first author of the study and an economist at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, said she and her team estimated the COVID-19 illnesses and deaths reductions by conducting a natural experiment.

States with high vaccination rates were the treatment group, while states with low vaccination rates were the control group.

Data from the Bloomberg COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker was used to determine how many vaccine doses had been given in each state.

Death data came from The New York Times Coronavirus (COVID-19) Data in the United States database.

The study included the time period of Dec. 21, 2020, to May 9, 2021. As of May 9, researchers found that COVID-19 vaccination had prevented 139,393 deaths.

Gupta said they also found that the associated deaths varied quite a bit from state to state.

For example, in New York, vaccinations led to an estimated 11.7 fewer COVID-19 deaths per 10,000 people.

In Hawaii, however, the reduction was only an estimated 1.1 fewer deaths per 10,000 people.

On average, states experienced a reduction of 5 deaths per 10,000 people. There was also variation in how quickly each state progressed in getting people vaccinated.

Alaska was the leader, reaching 20 doses per 100 adults on Jan. 29. Alabama was last to reach this milestone, not getting there until Feb. 21.

California was the first state to reach 120 doses per 100 adults, but many states have not passed this mark.

Gupta said the economic value of the lives saved during the study period amounts to between $625 billion and $1.4 trillion.

Dr. Tyler Evans, the co-founder of Wellness & Equity Alliance, who was not associated with the study, noted that there were several limitations in the study, such as variability between communities and the fact that natural immunity was not factored in.

However, Evans said vaccines definitely prevent hospitalizations and save lives, even against the Delta variant.

Thus far, vaccinations remain the most reliable means to check the pandemic, said Gupta. Yet, vaccination rates have significantly reduced, even in states where a large share of the population remains unvaccinated.

Gupta said there are real concerns about low vaccination rates since they are at continued risk for COVID-19 surges and variants.

She noted that it is of paramount importance for scientists to get the word out about how state vaccination drives have benefited the population to bring the pandemic under control.

Evans seconded this idea, saying that state vaccine programs that are more aggressive save lives and money.

Just how many remains to be seen, added Evans, but studies like Gupta et al. should continue to explore these avenues and help scientists, medical practitioners, and the general public to better understand the role of vaccinations in not only preventing illness and hospitalization but in helping to slow down the spread of the virus once and for all.


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COVID-19 Vaccines Saved 140,000 Lives Over First 5 Months of 2021 - Healthline
Covid-19 booster shots to be offered in the US: Live updates – CNN

Covid-19 booster shots to be offered in the US: Live updates – CNN

August 19, 2021

President Biden criticized governors who are "trying to block and intimidate local school officials and educators" over the use of masks in schools, calling the actions "wrong" and "unacceptable."

Biden announced that he is directing Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to use "all of hisoversight authorities and legalaction, if appropriate, againstgovernors who are trying toblock and intimidate localschool officials and educators," as they attempt to combat the spread of Covid-19.

Biden continued, "If you aren'tgoing to fight Covid-19, atleast get out of the way ofeveryone else who's trying.You know, we're not going to sitby as governors try to block andintimidate educators protectingour children."

Biden said that if a governor is threatening to withhold pay from an educator, federal resources from the American Rescue Plan can be used to pay the salary, "100%."

"The CDC, saysmasks are critical, especiallyfor those who are not yetvaccinated like our childrenunder the age of 12.So let's put politics aside.Let's follow the educators andthe scientists, who know a lotmore about how to teach ourchildren and keep them safe thanany politician. This administration is alwaysgoing to take the side of ourchildren," the President said.

The comments were Bidens latest against governors Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbott of Texas who have blocked mask mandates, although he did not do so by name.

Biden thanked officials who were standing up to their state and local officials and said he was not going to sit by as Governors try to block and intimidate educators protecting our children.

CNN's Allie Malloy contributed reporting to this post.


See the original post: Covid-19 booster shots to be offered in the US: Live updates - CNN
If you live in a state with a low vaccination rate, you’re 4 times more likely to be hospitalized and more than 5 times more likely to die – CNN

If you live in a state with a low vaccination rate, you’re 4 times more likely to be hospitalized and more than 5 times more likely to die – CNN

August 19, 2021

Hospitalization rates in those bottom 10 states are nearly four times higher, and death rates are more than 5.5 times higher than in the top 10 states, according to a CNN analysis of federal data.

Nearly 93% of the US population lives in an area with high Covid-19 transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We continue to see a rise in cases driven by the more transmissible Delta variant with cases concentrated in communities with lower vaccination rates," Jeff Zients, White House coronavirus response coordinator, said Wednesday at a virtual Covid-19 briefing. "So this remains a pandemic of the unvaccinated."

The 10 states with the lowest vaccination rates are Alabama, Mississippi, Wyoming, Idaho, Louisiana, Arkansas, West Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee and North Dakota. Data from the US Department of Health and Human Services shows an average of 39 people hospitalized with Covid-19 for every 100,000 residents in those states, compared to 10 for every 100,000 in the top 10 vaccinated states.

The top states with high vaccination rates are Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maryland, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Washington and New York.

In the 10 states with the lowest vaccination rates, there is an average of about 34 deaths per 1 million residents, and in states with the highest, the average is six deaths per 1 million, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Wallensky said at the news conference that the country is averaging about 500 Covid-19 deaths a day -- deaths that "remain largely preventable."

"In areas with low vaccination coverage, we continue to hear far too many heartbreaking stories of people who did not get vaccinated, only then to get severe Covid-19," she said. "In these areas, the data are showing us that the more people who are in the hospital, and tragically, more people are dying of Covid-19."

Child Covid-19 cases are steadily increasing as schools reopen

As Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations surge in the US, a health expert is warning that an accompanying rise in cases among children, many of whom aren't yet eligible to be vaccinated, will only worsen as schools resume classes.

Hotez said the US is now at a "screaming level of virus transmission," adding that to really interrupt the spread, 80 to 85% of the population will need to be vaccinated.

Boosters planned for adult mRNA vaccine recipients

That plan still depends on whether the US Food and Drug Administration authorizes boosters and whether the CDC's immunization advisory committee recommends those boosters, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said.

Under the plan, adult mRNA vaccine recipients would be eligible for a booster eight months after receiving their second dose, starting the week of September 20, Murthy said during the White House Covid-19 news conference.

The plan to authorize an mRNA booster comes as data suggests that protection against mild and moderate disease from the first two doses appears to decline over time, Murthy said.

He emphasized coronavirus vaccines still appear to be effective in protecting against severe Covid-19, hospitalization and death.

But, "we are concerned that this pattern of decline we are seeing (in protections against mild and moderate disease) will continue in the months ahead, which could lead to reduced protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death," Murthy said.

As the Delta variant increased its grip in the US this summer, coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths have jumped.

The US averaged more than 137,500 new daily cases over the past week -- an average that is more than 11 times higher than it was two months ago, when the figure was nearing its lowest point of the year, according to Johns Hopkins University.

More than 88,300 Covid-19 patients were in US hospitals Tuesday, nearly five times higher than two months ago, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. And the US averaged 734 Covid-19 deaths a day over the past week, more than double the average seen two months ago, according to Johns Hopkins.

Thousands of students already quarantining

Many schools that have gone back to campus are already seeing the impact of the spread of the virus.

More than 3,000 students and employees have been quarantined in the New Orleans Public School District because of Covid-19 cases in the past week, according to the district's latest tally.

They represent 5.89% of the students and teachers in the district.

Students returned to the New Orleans Public School District on August 12 and are required to wear masks in school facilities, according to the district.

Among the state's 15 largest school districts, at least 4,641 students and 1,547 employees have tested positive for coronavirus and at least another 19,072 students and staff members have been quarantined or isolated because of Covid-19.

The tallies do not include any cases from the two biggest school districts in Florida -- Miami-Dade and Broward. Miami-Dade begins classes August 23. Broward started Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Florida's State Board of Education voted unanimously to recommend investigations into the Broward and Alachua districts over their requirements for mask-wearing in school.

In Arizona, Gov. Doug Ducey said the state would use federal Covid relief money to increase the funding available to public school districts only if they're open for in-person learning and don't require children to wear masks.

In Washington, Gov. Jay Inslee announced a policy that requires everyone who works at an academic institution in the state to be vaccinated by October 18.

"We won't gamble with the health of our children, our educators and school staff, nor the health of the communities they serve," Inslee said.

CNN's Melissa Alonso, Lauren Mascarenhas, Deidre McPhillips, Rebekah Riess, Andy Rose, Mallory Simon, and Elizabeth Stuart contributed to this report.


See the original post here: If you live in a state with a low vaccination rate, you're 4 times more likely to be hospitalized and more than 5 times more likely to die - CNN
Inslee: Teachers and staff must receive COVID-19 vaccine by mid-October – The Spokesman-Review

Inslee: Teachers and staff must receive COVID-19 vaccine by mid-October – The Spokesman-Review

August 19, 2021

OLYMPIA All employees in K-12 schools, most child care and early learning centers, and higher education must get vaccinated for COVID-19 by Oct. 18 or they may lose their jobs, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday.

All K-12 educators, school staff, substitutes coaches, bus drivers, school volunteers and others working in school facilities must get vaccinated as a condition of employment. The requirement includes public, private and charter schools.

There will be no option for regular COVID-19 tests instead of vaccination. With few exemptions, Washingtons vaccine requirement for teachers is among the strictest in the nation, according to the New York Times.

We can go back to the painful days of closing businesses and schools, or we can use the known, effective and safe tools at our disposal to keep our businesses and schools open, Inslee told reporters Wednesday. We should not shut down our schools again.

Those two tools: masks and vaccines.

Inslee also announced that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, is required to wear masks inside public settings.

Inslees announcements on Wednesday were not met without opposition.

About 75 protesters gathered on the steps of the Legislative Building in Olympia with signs that said unmask our kids and let kids breathe. Students, teachers and staff are required to wear masks while inside K-12 spaces this school year.

During Inslees news conference, protesters found their way inside, chanting We will not consent! and banging on the door of Inslees office.

Inslee and Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal made clear Wednesday the vaccine requirement does not apply to students.

The requirement follows rapidly increasing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the state, Inslee said. The delta variant presents a new challenge to the state.

In a sense, this is a new fight, he said.

Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah said about 98% of COVID-19 cases in the state are due to the delta variant, calling it a very serious situation.

Still, most cases are occurring in unvaccinated people, Inslee said. About 95% of hospitalizations in the state are for those who are not vaccinated.

Last week, Reykdal sent a letter to Inslee, urging him to include public school employees in the governors vaccine mandate for state and health care employees.

He said Friday he was confident Inslee would follow through with his request.

Reykdal said without vaccine mandates and mask mandates, keeping schools open will be a challenge.

He has said he would withhold federal funding to schools this year if they do not follow the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instructions guidelines, which include offering full-time, in-person instruction and requiring masks for everyone indoors.

(The vaccine mandate) is a requirement, Reykdal said Wednesday. We will expect folks to move expeditiously who do not have this.

There will still be exemptions for employees who need medical or religious accommodations, similar to what state and health care employees have.

Unions may bargain for time off to receive the vaccine or recover from symptoms, according to Inslees office.

Employees in Washingtons higher education institutions and most child care and early learning providers are also required to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18. In higher education, that includes staff, faculty and contractors. Coaches and coaching staff are also included under this mandate.

For child care and early learning, it includes licensed, certified and contracted programs, license-exempt programs and contractors. Family, friends and neighbor caregivers are not included in the mandate.

Those who refuse to get vaccinated will be subject to dismissal, according to his office.

To meet the Oct. 18 deadline of fully vaccinated, employees need to complete their second dose by Oct. 4. Fully vaccinated means two weeks after the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna, or after the dose of Johnson & Johnson.

The mandate is from the state agencies, but local school districts will be the ones charged with checking vaccination status, Reykdal said.

Schools will begin regular checks of vaccination status among their employees, and by Oct. 5, they will know who has not been vaccinated.

Those who have not received their second dose by that point will likely lose their jobs, Inslee said.

The dismissal process statewide will take days, not months, Inslee said.

The governors office estimates the requirement will cover about 155,000 educators and staff in K-12 schools across the state. It will likely affect about 118,000 workers in child care and early learning programs, and 90,000 for higher education. Those numbers are everyone it covers, regardless of vaccination status.

Reykdal said the percent of employees already vaccinated varies geographically and by what type of job they do. In many places, the percentage is well in excess of 70%, but in other places, it is much less.

Our goal is to get them all vaccinated, he said.

Inslee said he does not think many people will end up losing their jobs because these are folks that care about the public.

The National Education Association last week announced its support for requiring all educators to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

Inslee said this decision comes as there is a growing acceptance by the public for vaccine and mask mandates, but acknowledged there will still be some people who do not agree.

Inslee and Reykdal encouraged protesters to keep their anger toward the state, not toward the local school districts.

They need to run schools, Reykdal said. That criticism can come our way.

School districts dont have the authority to make or change these requirements, Inslee said.


More here:
Inslee: Teachers and staff must receive COVID-19 vaccine by mid-October - The Spokesman-Review
Dozens of Gadsden residents receive $100 payments after getting COVID-19 vaccine – WIAT – CBS42.com

Dozens of Gadsden residents receive $100 payments after getting COVID-19 vaccine – WIAT – CBS42.com

August 19, 2021

GADSDEN, Ala. (WIAT) As Alabama hospitals fill up, cities are racing to get neighbors vaccinated. In one east Alabama city, efforts seem to be paying off, literally.

Dozens of Gadsden neighbors received $100 payments for getting fully vaccinated as part of an incentive program that was announced last month. Under Vaccinate Gadsden, residents who live in city limits are eligible for the money if they prove they were fully vaccinated after the initiative was launched July 19.

So far, about 600 vouchers have been requested, which means those people have received at least one of the mRNA vaccine doses or the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, according to Etowah County Emergency Management director Deborah Gaither.

Gaither said the situation has become dire in Etowah County, much like other areas across the state. Both area hospitals are diverting patients because facilities are so full.

We do not have any critical care beds at this time in Etowah County and it is not just our hospitals. our paramedics are tired and wary too getting multiple calls per day, Gaither said.

This time last month, the vaccination rate for Etowah County was between 32 and 33%. Now, that rate has gone up about 5%.

Gaither hopes the Vaccinate Gadsden program will increase the vaccination rate.

Neighbors who received the incentive payments said that the incentive was only part of the motivation.Shaun Huff and his father both received the payments.

My mother has like multiple sclerosis so she has a weak immune system so she got vaccinated about like two months ago but it took him a little bit longer to get vaccinated because he was iffy about it, but once the delta variant came along that is kind of why he got vaccinated because its gotten a little bit worse over the past few months, Huff said.

Some participants told CBS 42 they got the vaccine because of requirements from an employer. Others were concerned about travel.

I was going out of town and I just did not want to go unvaccinated because I knew about the people in my town, but I was going out of town and I did not know how they were so I went on and got vaccinated and the $100 just came with it, I was glad of that, said Veronia Westbrooks, a resident who received the vaccine through the program.

According to a city of Gadsden spokesperson, between 55 and 60 people received payments Wednesday on the first day the money was offered.

Moving forward, residents can collect the cash on Wednesdays and Fridays on the second floor of Gadsden City Hall between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Individuals must bring proof of residency, vaccine records, and a completed voucher that can be obtained from participating pharmacies.

Residents have until Oct. 15. People who were vaccinated before the launch of the program are not eligible for the payments.


Go here to see the original: Dozens of Gadsden residents receive $100 payments after getting COVID-19 vaccine - WIAT - CBS42.com
Hundreds of thousands of expired COVID-19 vaccine doses thrown out in Georgia this year – WSB Atlanta

Hundreds of thousands of expired COVID-19 vaccine doses thrown out in Georgia this year – WSB Atlanta

August 19, 2021

ATLANTA A Channel 2 Action News investigation has found that hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 vaccine doses had to be thrown away here in Georgia because they expired.

Channel 2 Investigative reporter Justin Gray requested the data from the state Department of Health.

DPH says that 682,999 does of the COVID-19 vaccine have expired here in Georgia since mid-December.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

To put that in perspective, that is enough doses to put a shot in the arm of every resident of the cities of Atlanta and Savannah combined.

Georgia State University public health professor Harry Heiman is also a family doctor. Heiman says this illustrates Georgias problems vaccinating residents.

Obviously it makes me very concerned. It really speaks to me as lots of missed opportunities, Heiman said.

MORE CHANNEL 2 INVESTIGATIONS:

Georgia continues to rank near the bottom nationwide in vaccination rate.

But this weekend, state officials say they saw positive signs.

More than 1,000 people lined up in DeKalb County on Saturday as $100 gift cards and basketball icons Dikembe Mutombo and Dominique Wilkins helped attract a crowd.

Georgia Director of Public Health Dr. Kathleen Toomey says mobile units at popular locations that do not require appointments are also helping.

Having the opportunity to be vaccinated at the time you are doing other activities, like grocery shopping, farmers market, is when people will make that decision ultimately, Toomey said.

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Even more doses of the vaccine are projected to expire soon here in Georgia.

The state estimates an additional 978,057 doses could expire by the end of November.

IN OTHER NEWS:

2021 Cox Media Group


Excerpt from: Hundreds of thousands of expired COVID-19 vaccine doses thrown out in Georgia this year - WSB Atlanta
TikTok’s Algorithm Is Speeding Up the Spread of Covid-19 Vaccine Lies – Gizmodo

TikTok’s Algorithm Is Speeding Up the Spread of Covid-19 Vaccine Lies – Gizmodo

August 19, 2021

Photo: OLIVIER DOULIERY / Contributor (Getty Images)

TikToklong known as an incubator for viral dance trends and memesis reportedly gaining a reputation as a breeding ground for a far more insidious type of viral content: the spread of hoaxes and misinformation, specifically those pertaining to the Covid-19 vaccines.

On Wednesday, Media Matters published new research findings that suggest that, despite community guidelines that specifically prohibit the spread of health misinformation, TikToks algorithm frequently amplifies lies about COVID-19 and vaccines to the platforms 1 billion-strong user base.

During the course of its research into Covid-19 misinformation on the platform, Media Matters engaged with anti-vaccination and COVID-19 misinformation by watching relevant videos all the way through and liking them. Sure enough, the positive engagement had the effect of filling the accounts For You PageTikToks landing page for algorithmically recommended contentwith videos that almost exclusively featured anti-vaccination and COVID-19 hoax content.

In its report, Media Matters also kept tabs on 18 specific vaccine misinformation videos and found that at the conclusion of its research, those videos had garnered a combined total of more than 57 million total views. The tracked content reportedly included a video that told viewers that your children and elderly that are not vaccinated will be removed permanently from your home, (3.9 million views) and a video promoting a hoax about vaccine bandits who will walk up to you on the street and they ask if youre vaccinated and if you hesitate at all, they inject you with a vaccine right on the spot, (6.3 million views).

TikTok did not immediately respond to Gizmodos request for comment and well update this post when they do.

G/O Media may get a commission

Since the beginning of the pandemic, TikTok has loudly affirmed its commitment to keeping Covid-19 disinformation off of its platform. After partnering with the World Health Organization (WHO) to provide trustworthy information that dispels myths around COVID-19, the company also established an in-app notice designed to pop up when users choose to explore hashtags related to the virus, which provides direct access to WHOs website and local public health agencies while also reminding them to report content that violates our Community Guidelines. But for one reason or another (far be it from us to suggest corporate greed and the desire for increased engagement metrics), TikToks algorithm continues to amplify the exact type of dangerous misinformation it has repeatedly pledged to clamp down on.

Like every other social media platform, TikTok has an acute responsibility to protect its users from harmful lies and medical disinformationa responsibility that is made particularly urgent by the fact that the age of TikToks average user skews young, making them more vulnerable to hoaxes and propaganda. If recent reports are to be believed, we still have a depressingly long road ahead of us before Covid-19 becomes a thing of the past; while we wait, the least TikTok could do is clean up its act and keep the promises its already made.


Read the original: TikTok's Algorithm Is Speeding Up the Spread of Covid-19 Vaccine Lies - Gizmodo