May 20, 2:30 pm: This story has been updated to reflect new information from Dallas County that the two cases are in children younger than 12.
Two cases of a coronavirus variant that has spread catastrophically in India have been detected in the Dallas area for the first time, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center told The Dallas Morning News on Wednesday.
The virus, which the World Health Organization dubbed a variant of concern last week, appears to be more contagious than older coronavirus variants. It also carries mutations that help it evade human antibodies, although early testing shows that vaccines remain effective against it.
The samples were picked up by UT Southwestern researchers, who began to genetically analyze samples from coronavirus patients earlier this year.
The two Dallas-area cases are in children younger than 12 who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated. They have no recent travel history, said a Dallas County spokesperson. No further information was available about the patients at press time.
The presence of these variants emphasizes the importance of getting vaccinated to help protect yourself, because these variants are increasingly showing that theyre able to spread more easily, said Dr. James Cutrell, an infectious disease expert at UT Southwestern.
The variant, dubbed B.1.617.2, was first identified in India in December. Since then, it has become a dominant source of infection in the country, although its unclear to what extent the virus is driving the pandemic compared to other factors such as large gatherings and low vaccination rates.
The B.1.617.2 variant has also spread rapidly in the United Kingdom, threatening to derail that countrys planned June 21 reopening. British officials said they would have more data on the variants transmissibility in the coming days.
Its spread in the U.K. has U.S. experts on alert. They say B.1.617.2 may follow a similar trajectory to B.1.1.7, the variant first detected in the U.K. last year. The B.1.1.7 variant is now the dominant source of coronavirus infections in the U.S. and the U.K.
If you look at the B.1.1.7 variant, basically what transpired in the U.S. was more or less identical to what transpired in the U.K., said Dr. James Musser of Houston Methodist Hospital, whose team has sequenced and analyzed thousands of coronavirus samples.
His team has detected seven cases of variants first identified in India, including B.1.617.2 and the closely related sub-lineage B.1.617.1 in his Houston hospital system since March. He said its too early to know whether the family of variants would become more dominant.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, B.1.617.2 accounts for around 1% of all coronavirus cases in the U.S.
The arrival of the B.1.617 family of variants highlights the importance of genetic sequencing, which the CDC has been working to scale up in the U.S., experts said.
Because variants have different rates of transmission, identifying them early is important for accurate disease modeling and projections, which in turn helps health care officials better prepare for possible surges.
One of the things that well be watching very closely over the next week, the next month, is: Does this variant remain in the minority, or does it start to overtake some of the other variants and become more dominant? said Cutrell. If we see that, then thats the way that we pick up on clues that theres something different about this virus in terms of how easily its spread.
St. Louis doctors say "scent training" may help
ST. LOUIS Some people who had COVID-19 are looking for ways to regain their senses of smell and taste.
Doctors are working with patients on a variety of treatments from therapy to medication.
Jim Dean from St. Louis County tested positive for COVID-19 in November
"I was considered severe," Dean said. "It lasted for about 30 days total."
Months later, Dean says peanut butter and pasta sauce taste foul. He describes certain foods as "metallic" and others as "sewage-like".
Dean told 5 On Your Side he thought he was going crazy.
It's a feeling Dr. Jay Piccirillo a Professor of Otolaryngology at Washington University School of Medicine says is typical.
"It's very disorienting for the patients and we've had people say 'you know doc, when I had no sense of smell that was better than what I have now, the parosmia can be very disturbing," Dr. Piccirillo said.
Dean is likely experiencing parosmia, the name for when something doesn't smell like it should. So what can people do to regain their sense of smell?
Dr. Jastin Antisdel is a SLUCare Otolaryngologist at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital suggests retraining therapy for some patients.
"In the studies that we do we actually have sticks with oils on them that are very strong smelling, whether it's lemon or coffee, etcetera," Dr. Antisdel said.
Smelling strong scents may help regain taste too.
"The senses of smell and the sense of taste are related and if somebody has lost smell, that will impact their ability to taste food," explains Dr. Piccirillo, "we are seeing that with COVID."
Dr. Piccirillo is currently working on two studies at Washington University, both trying to see if patients can recover their sense of smell with calculated treatments.
One study is a virtual trial involving 400 patients from across the United States.
"What we're asking in this trial is, 'Does the olfactory training, the smell training work?' and in particular 'does olfactory training work when the patients themselves get to pick the smells that they train on," said Dr. Piccirillo.
Traditionally scientists have limited scent studies to distinctive smells like eucalyptus, rose, lemon and clove.
"Many of our St Louis patients have asked what's eucalyptus and why do I want to train on that?," Dr. Piccirillo said.
The second study involves an asthma medication, theophylline, and nasal rinsing. Dr. Piccirillo plans to wrap up both studies by the summer.
Doctors recommend confirming COVID-19 as the culprit for loss of taste or smell before starting smell training.
"If you don't know if you've had COVID or not, and you have the loss of sense of smell, you need to go see your ear, nose and throat doctor," Dr. Antisdel said. "Because it can come from other reasons. They can have a tumor in their nose, there's all sorts of things that we want to make sure first."
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Instruction
A health worker administers the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to a senior citizen at the Senja-Cashew Community Centre Vaccination Centre, operated by Thomson Medical, in Singapore, on Monday, March 8, 2021. Singapore is introducing a program calledConnect@Changithat will allow people to enter the island for business and official purposes without having to quarantine, provided they stay in abubble-like facilitynear Changi Airport for the duration of their visit. Photographer: Wei Leng Tay/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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LONDON The International Monetary Fund wants $50 billion to be spent on ensuring a faster rollout of coronavirus vaccines, saying it could ultimately generate returns of $9 trillion for the global economy.
The IMF on Friday called for at least 40% of the global population to be vaccinated by the end of the year, and at least 60% by June 2022. Only about 9.5% of the global population has received at least one dose, according to Our World in Data.
"No country can return to normalcy until all countries can defeat the pandemic," the IMF said in a new report entitled "A proposal to end the Covid-19 pandemic."
To achieve this, the Fund said there needs to be a global effort to invest another $50 billion to bolster the global vaccination program. This additional amount would be used to increase the COVAX vaccine coverage to 30% of the globe, procuring additional tests, and expanding vaccine production capacity. COVAX is an international partnership to ensure an equitable distribution of doses.
The IMF suggested that at least $35 billion could come from public, private and multilateral donors, with the remainder coming from governments, potentially supported by multilateral agencies.
It said there is already at least $15 billion available from Covid-19 financing facilities created by development banks, such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.
"The IMF can also play its role to help countries meet their financing needs supporting countries' own efforts to create fiscal space and potentially acting as a third-resort line of finance," the report said.
The Washington-based institution said in April that the global economy is expected to grow by 6% this year and by 4.4% in 2022. However, since the pandemic emerged, the IMF has warned of an uneven impact from the health crisis and the subsequent economic crisis.
"The social and economic costs of the pandemic continue to rise and already diverging recoveries between rich and poor nations looks to worsen," the IMF said in its proposal.
The plan comes as the leaders of the 20 largest global economies gather virtually on Friday to discuss how to cooperate in the fight against the pandemic.
"We believe addressing the pandemic remains our foremost priority," Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, the host of the meeting, said ahead of the global summit.
Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said the meeting aims to gather commitments and investments that will guide the next decade of global health cooperation.
One of the most recent topics of debate in the fight against the virus has been over patent waivers.
The United States surprised its European counterparts when earlier this month it expressed support for a lifting of intellectual property rights for Covid vaccines. Supporters of the idea say it is critical to ramp up vaccination rates in low-income nations.
However, the EU disagrees, arguing that boosting exports of the shots is the most efficient solution in the short term.
The EU and the U.S. have taken different approaches to supporting other nations. The U.S. introduced legislation that only allows it to export a significant amount of Covid-19 vaccines once it is satisfied with the levels of inoculation within its own borders. On the other hand, the EU claims it is the biggest exporter of Covid shots in the world, exporting half of what it has produced.
Singapore is expecting to administer at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine to its entire adult population by early August, authorities said on Tuesday, after a decision to widen the gap between doses to inoculate more people faster.
Close to two million of Singapore's 5.7 million people have received at least one dose, according to official data as of Monday. About 1.4 million recipients have completed the full two-dose regimen, authorities said.
"Lengthening the interval to between six to eight weeks will enable us to cover more people with the first dose of the vaccine more quickly, who will then have some protection," the health ministry said.
The same approach has been used elsewhere, including Britain, France and Germany. Singapore's current gap is three to four weeks.
The move comes as the country tackles a recent increase in infections, after months with relatively few community cases. It last week tightened restrictions on social activities and urged people and companies to work from home. read more
Singapore on Tuesday also authorised the use of the vaccine developed by Pfizer (PFE.N) and BioNTech (22UAy.DE) for those aged 12 to 15 years, to extend protection to more groups.
The health ministry said data showed the vaccine for younger people "demonstrated high efficacy consistent with that observed in the adult population," adding its safety profile was also consistent with that of the adult population.
Singapore expects to complete its vaccination programme this year, provided that supplies arrived as scheduled.
The city-state has been using the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna (MRNA.O) vaccines and has taken delivery of 200,000 doses of the vaccine of China's Sinovac (SVA.O), which has yet to be granted emergency use authorisation.
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With more than 2.3 million people fully vaccinated in Colorado, some businesses are requiring proof of it.
DENVER With more than 2.3 million people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in Colorado, some businesses are requiring proof of it. While that might not thrill some people, others might be looking for a simple way to provide that proof.
Aurora doctor Tashof Bernton said he thinks he might have found a solution. He sat down with 9NEWS to discuss his product, ImmunaBand.
(Editor's note: This interview has been edited for context and clarity.)
What is ImmunaBand?
Bernton: Its the only visible, wearable, verified symbol of vaccination that people can get. It is a way of carrying your vaccination credential along with you.
How does it work?
You just put your phone [with the camera app on] over the ImmunaBand QR code. The QR code brings up the website. You enter your PIN because these are all PIN protected, and it brings up all the information. It brings up documentation of the card.
Why was this created?
With the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) starting to relax restrictions with the people that are fully vaccinated, it's obviously really helpful to have something. This way, you can carry your vaccination card with you if you need the documentation, and it cant get lost or stolen or mutilated.
Its a courtesy. The way I tend to see it, it lets the people around you say, "OK, Im vaccinated, so you dont really have to worry."
Would my vaccine information be protected?
The server is encrypted and HIPAA compliant. We have PIN protection, and we really work hard to ensure data security.
Where is it accepted?
We sold the ImmunaBand in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, but Colorado is No. 3 out of the 50 states because people in Colorado specifically seem to basically like the idea of the ImmunaBand.
The ImmunaBand is valid at any venue that accepts a digital copy of your vaccination card.
How much does it cost?
The bands are sold online.There are two bands. The first has the QR code and the name, and that's $24.95. The one that just has the QR code and takes you to the documentation with your name on it, that's $19.95.
Part of the profits will be donated to COVID-19 recovery efforts.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS:COVID-19 Coronavirus
The Muppets are doing their part to encourage fans to get their COVID-19 vaccine. In a new public service announcement, Gonzo and Pepe team up with the Ad Council and COVID Collaborated to reveal some big news: they got vaccinated!
Yes, apparently, even Muppets are now eligible.
"Getting vaccinated means we're one step closer to getting back to normal," Gonzo says. The four-armed Pepe quickly adds, "S, even if you weren't normal to begin with."
Their pun-filled PSA ("Go ahead, give it a shot. See what I did?") is all about getting informed on the vaccination process, and it's not the Muppets' first video promoting COVID-19 inoculations. Elmo's dad, Louie, is now fully vaccinated, and he shares how he and his son are "feeling hopeful" in their own video.
Philippines Health Secretary Francisco Duque III administers the China-made Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine to Eileen Aniceto, a doctor at the Lung Center of the Philippines. Maria Tan/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Philippines Health Secretary Francisco Duque III administers the China-made Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine to Eileen Aniceto, a doctor at the Lung Center of the Philippines.
The Philippines' Health Department says it will no longer allow local governments to announce which brand of coronavirus vaccines will be available at inoculation sites.
The move comes after hundreds of people this week lined up at a site in Manila when they found out the Pfizer vaccine would be given out there.
"What we're going to enforce now is brand agnostic," Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje told CNN Philippines' The Source.
From now on, only people already in line at a vaccination site will be told which shot they'll get and "if they do not like the vaccines that are given during that time, then they go to the end of the line," Cabotaje said.
On Tuesday, residents lined up outside the Manila Prince Hotel as early as 2 a.m. for a chance to get one of the 900 Pfizer jabs that the local government announced could be given to walk-ins, reports Rappler.com.
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno told CNN Philippines that the preference for the Pfizer vaccine may have been why people chose that specific site out of the nearly 20 in the city.
The Philippines, which has the second-highest COVID-19 infection rate in Southeast Asia, has seven vaccines in its arsenal, but the rollout has been slow. Today less than 1% of the population of 108 million has been fully vaccinated.
China's Sinovac vaccine, which has an efficacy of about 67% according to a recent study done in Chile, makes up the bulk of the doses available in the Philippines. Only about 200,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine with an efficacy of 95% are available, and none of the vaccine produced by Moderna is available.
Health experts say that people waiting out higher efficacy vaccines, along with rampant misinformation, bad messaging from the government and fresh memories of the troubled 2016 rollout of the dengue fever vaccine DengVaxia that put thousands of children in danger, have contributed to vaccine hesitancy in the Philippines.
Earlier this year, a Pulse Asia survey revealed that 6 in 10 Filipinos did not want to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration appears to be losing interest in issuing temporary emergency regulations related to COVID-19 safety practices. Changing science and diminishing infection rates due to vaccinations have lessened the usefulness and need for a comprehensive nationwide workplace standard. As an alternative, OSHA is focusing its enforcement efforts on industries that are the source of employee complaints and concerns over infection control compliance.
On March 12, OSHA announced and Interim Enforcement Response Plan for COVID-19. Instead of applying a specific COVID-19 regulation, OSHA is using the General Duty Clause and existing respirator standard to inspect and potentially cite businesses that are the subjects of high rates of employee complaints and/or suspected sources of workplace COVID-19 transmission. To date, most of OSHAs enforcement efforts have involved the healthcare industry, including hospitals and long-term or other residential care facilities. Depending on the area of the U.S. and OSHA district office involved, health care employers, meat processors and a few other types of businesses have received numerous citations and penalties.
Other businesses may be next in line for special emphasis inspections. As state indoor dining restrictions continue to loosen, OSHA may conduct inspections to determine whether COVID-19 safety protocols remain in place. These include personal protective equipment, sanitation procedures, and recording and reporting of suspected workplace transmission of COVID-19 infections. Increasing travel may also result in extension of such inspections to hotel and other hospitality industry employers.
In addition to the federal OSHA effort, states such as California, Virginia, Michigan and Oregon continue to enforce their own state COVID-19 safety regulations. Employers in all states should fight COVID-19 fatigue by continuing to enforce their own internal requirements.
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There are seven new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the states death toll to 2,601, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.
Oregon Health Authority reported 394 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 196,787.
Vaccinations in Oregon
Today, OHA reported that 24,280 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 17,217 doses were administered on May 18 and 7,063 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on May 18.
The 7-day running average is now 27,118 doses per day.
Oregon has now administered a total of 1,994,644 first and second doses of Pfizer, 1,491,984 first and second doses of Moderna and 125,435 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. As of today, 1,635,033 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series. There are 2,097,233 people who have had at least one dose.
Cumulative daily totals can take several days to finalize because providers have 72 hours to report doses administered and technical challenges have caused many providers to lag in their reporting. OHA has been providing technical support to vaccination sites to improve the timeliness of their data entry into the states ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS).
To date, 2,441,205 doses of Pfizer, 1,968,260 doses of Moderna and 269,300 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to sites across Oregon.
These data are preliminary and subject to change.
OHA's dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data, and Oregons dashboard has been updated today.
COVID-19 hospitalizations
The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 306, which is 25 fewer than yesterday. There are 78 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is one fewer than yesterday.
The total number of COVID-19 positive patient bed-days in the most recent seven days is 2,338, which is a 0.9% increase from the previous seven days. The peak daily number of beds occupied by COVID-19 positive patients in the most recent seven days is 351.
The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.
Cases and deaths
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (1), Benton (6), Clackamas (31), Clatsop (5), Columbia (4), Coos (1), Crook (11), Curry (6), Deschutes (36), Douglas (8), Grant (1), Harney (3), Hood River (1), Jackson (31), Jefferson (8), Josephine (11), Klamath (9), Lake (1), Lane (22), Lincoln (1), Linn (24), Malheur (4), Marion (42), Morrow (1), Multnomah (57), Polk (8), Tillamook (2), Umatilla (10), Union (1), Wallowa (2), Wasco (4), Washington (32) and Yamhill (10).
Oregons 2,595th COVID-19 death is an 82-year-old man from Marion County who tested positive on May 12 and died on May 17 at Salem Hospital. He had underlying conditions.
Oregons 2,596th COVID-19 death is an 83-year-old woman from Deschutes County who tested positive on April 24 and died on May 10 at St. Charles Medical Center Bend. She had underlying conditions.
Oregons 2,597th COVID-19 death is a 93-year-old woman from Linn county who tested positive on May 6 and died on May 18. Place of death and presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.
Oregons 2,598th COVID-19 death is an 80-year-old man from Umatilla County who tested positive on March 26 and died on April 3 at Trios Health Southridge Hospital in Kennewick, WA. He had underlying conditions.
Oregons 2,599th COVID-19 death is a 62-year-old man from Multnomah County who tested positive on May 7 and died on May 16 at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.
Oregons 2,600th COVID-19 death is a 68-year-old man from Multnomah County who tested positive on May 13 and died on May 18 at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.
Oregons 2,601st COVID-19 death is a 67-year-old man from Deschutes County who tested positive on May 8 and died on May 18 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.
