SOHAG, Egypt (AP) Countries worldwide wrestling with new coronavirus surges are trying to ensure they arent hit by an India-style disaster. They face many of the same risks, including large populations that have shirked restrictions and fragile health systems shaken under the strain.
In a province along the Nile in southern Egypt, hospitals have been flooded with COVID-19 patients, a main hot spot in a third spike swelling across the country. Doctors in Sohag province warn the health system there could collapse, even as the government rushes in new supplies.
My estimate is that there is no family in Sohag that does not have a corona case, said Dr. Mahmoud Fahmy Mansour, head of the provinces doctors union. We lost five physicians in one week.
He said a scenario like India was a possibility, but God willing, it is a very far possibility.
Long reluctant to impose new lockdowns, Egypts government announced its strictest restrictions in months on Wednesday. It ordered cafs, restaurants, stores and malls to close at 9 p.m. and banned large gatherings for two weeks, as well as shutting down beaches and parks during the upcoming Eid el-Fitr holiday at the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
Egypt isnt alone in seeing mounting new infections. Worldwide, more cases have been reported in the past two weeks than in the entire first six months of the pandemic, World Health Organization director general Tedros Adhanom said.
India and Brazil accounted for a large part of that, but there are many other countries all over the world that face a very fragile situation, he said. What is happening in India and Brazil could happen elsewhere unless we all take these public health precautions.
India has been hit by a catastrophic surge of COVID-19 infections after its prime minister boasted of vanquishing the pandemic and following multiple massive crowding events. New cases and deaths skyrocketed nearly 30-fold during March and April. The health system has been overwhelmed, leaving patients desperate for oxygen and other supplies.
Wealthier nations, as they immunize more of their populations, are finding room to open up. But countries where vaccination has been slow or minimal face grimmer prospects. They must grapple with whether to lock down to thwart new surges and risk damaging their economies all with the possibility of an India-style tragedy looming.
In Turkey, new cases surged nearly six-fold from the beginning of March, reaching a peak of more than 60,000 a day. The government imposed a three-week national lockdown on April 29 but exempted many sectors, allowing millions to keep going to work.
Numbers have fallen, but medical experts are calling for a 28-day full closure of all non-essential services, while only some 10 million of its more than 80 million people have been fully vaccinated.
These restrictions were not the restrictions we called for, said Vedat Bulut, secretary-general of the independent Turkish Medical Association.
In Egypt, average daily new cases have doubled since early February to just over 1,000 a day and continue to rise, compared to earlier peaks of 1,400 to 1,600 a day last summer and in December, according to official numbers.
The scope of the pandemic has been difficult to judge in the country of 100 million, most of whom live in densely packed cities along the Nile. Official figures report 234,015 cases, including 13,714 dead considered a significant undercount like elsewhere in the world.
In Sohag province, health workers have grown desperate. One doctor who chairs a major hospital there said the real figures are likely 10 times the Health Ministry rate of 400-450 new cases a week.
The ministry is like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Mustafa Salem, a Sohag lawmaker, said he has received dozens of calls from people desperate to find ventilators or intensive care unit beds.
When Ismail Abdallah fell ill last month, his family rushed him to a clinic, where without being tested he was told it was pneumonia.
Two days later, the 50-year-old farmer and father of seven had trouble breathing. At the hospital, he was confirmed with COVID-19, and his family scrambled to find a bed in packed ICUs.
There were no available beds in the free ward, said a relative, Amr Mahrous. We struggled to find a bed in the paid ward.
After two weeks in isolation at a hospital, Abdullah died last week.
The Health Ministry has beefed up facilities in the province, sending oxygen generators and ventilators and increasing the number of ICUs. It deployed more physicians and doubled medical teams to follow up with those isolated at home. Two vaccination centers have been set up and more are planned, and 100 teams mobilized to raise awareness.
The Health Ministry listed Sohag among five hot spots in the country - including Cairo, a metropolis of some 20 million people.
Health officials attribute the new spike to widespread ignoring of precautions. Throughout Egypt, mask wearing and social distancing are rare. Some cafes still serve waterpipes, shared among customers, despite government bans. Wedding parties and funerals still take place, and people crowd into marketplaces.
In Islamic Cairo, the capitals historic center, families go to communal prayers during the holy month of Ramadan. Tens of thousands gather at night in the bazaars narrow streets, shopping or sitting in cafes. Few wear face masks.
Hajah Fatima, 57, came from the southern province of Beni Sueif with her family and had iftar, the meal ending the daytime fast, in a caf next to the revered Al-Hussein Shrine.
Its a custom, she said. Corona? Nothing will happen to us except what God has decreed.
So far, more than 1 million people, or just 1% of Egypts population, have been vaccinated, Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly said Wednesday.
In the crowded Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip, home to 2 million people, cases have risen swiftly. In March and April, infection rates surpassed 1,000 a day the number Gaza previously recorded weekly. Daily deaths have doubled to a high of 20. The virus has killed more than 900 Gazans and sickened over 102,000, more than half of them this year.
Hospitals are struggling to cope, the international aid group Doctors Without Borders warned this week.
The territorys Hamas rulers closed mosques and restaurants and imposed a nighttime curfew at the beginning of Ramadan to slow the outbreak. But it decided to lift those restrictions for the final 10 days of the holy month, alarming health officials.
We are concerned by the large-scale easing of the measures, said Rami Abadllah, head of epidemiology at the Health Ministry.
Amid concerns over India, Kenya, which is coming down from a recent peak, halted flights with the country for two weeks, while Nigeria suspended flights with India, Brazil and Turkey, fearing new virus strains could come in as it tries to bring down cases, particularly in Lagos, home to some 20 million people.
In South Africa, with by far the largest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Africa, officials warn of a new surge as the Southern Hemispheres winter approaches.
Pakistan is in the midst of a third wave, with single-day fatalities hitting their highest of the entire pandemic on April 28, with 201 deaths.
Health officials added hundreds more hospital beds. Oxygen production had already been nearly doubled to 800 tons a day compared to last year. Still, at the surges peak in recent weeks, it was using 90% of that production.
New cases have eased slightly this week from a running average of around 6,000 a day.
Thank God, we have so far managed to cope with this huge increase because of proactively building capacity of the entire system, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar said.
But he warned the country of more than 200 million could face an India-level disaster unless people adhere to precautions that have been widely ignored. The government has rejected calls for a lockdown but warns that could change.
Be careful. For yourself, and your loved ones, he said in a tweet.
___
AP reporters Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey; Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Pakistan; Sam Olukoya in Lagos, Nigeria; Fares Akram in Gaza City; Andrew Meldrum in Johannesburg; Jamey Keaten in Geneva and Cara Anna in Nairobi, Kenya contributed.
Unlike broad-spectrum antibiotics, which can be used to treat a wide range of bacterial infections, drugs that work against one type of virus rarely work at treatingother viruses. For example, remdesivir, originally developed for treating hepatitis C, was at one point suggested as a treatment for Covid-19, but clinical trials have shown that it hasonly a limited effectagainst this coronavirus.
The reason there are few effective broad-spectrum antivirals is that viruses are much more diverse than bacteria, including in how they store their genetic information (some in the form of DNA and some as RNA). Unlike bacteria, viruses have fewer of their own protein building blocks that can be targeted with drugs.
For a drug to work, it has to reach its target. This is particularly difficult with viruses because they replicate inside human cells by hijacking our cellular machinery. The drug needs to get inside these infected cells and act on processes that are essential for the normal functioning of the human body. Unsurprisingly, this often results incollateral damageto human cells, experienced as side-effects.
Targeting viruses outside cells to stop them from gaining a foothold before they can replicate is possible, but is also difficult because of the nature of thevirus shell. The shell is extraordinarily robust, resisting the negative effects of the environment on the way to its host. Only when the virus reaches its target does its shell decompose or eject its contents, which contain its genetic information.
This process may be a weak spot in the virus lifecycle, but the conditions that control the release are very specific. While drugs targeting the virus shell sounds appealing, some may still betoxic to humans.
Despite these difficulties, drugs that treat viruses such as influenza and HIVhave been developed. Some of these drugs target the processes of viral replication and the viral shell assembly. Promising drug targets of coronaviruses have beenidentified as well. But developing new drugs takes a long time, and viruses mutate quickly. So even when a drug is developed, the ever-evolving virus might soon developresistance towards it.
The FDA says teens are next in line for the COVID vaccine. Here's what parents should know about the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. USA TODAY
Kim Hagood, 50, was elated when she heard the Food and Drug Administration in the coming days likely will authorize the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccinefor teenagers between 12 and 15 years old.
Although her 10-year-old son, Blake, wouldnt qualify just yet, the company said during a quarterly earnings call Tuesday it alsowill seek authorization for children aged 2 to 11 by September, according to the New York Times.
If he can get that shot by the end of the year, I would bethrilled, said Hagood, who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine April in Birmingham, Alabama. I dont want to take the chance on my child being the one sick (from COVID-19) and ending up in the hospital.
However, not every parent feels that way.
Only 58%of parents or caregiverssaid in a March survey they would vaccinate their children against COVID-19, despite 71% saying they would vaccinate themselves, according to a reportby ParentsTogether, a national parents organization that provides education and resources for families.
A more recent survey published in the April edition of the Kaiser Family Foundations Vaccine Monitor found 32% of parents said they'll wait awhile to see how the vaccine is working before getting their child vaccinated, and 19% said they definitely won't get their child vaccinated.
People are naturally more cautious with their own children, said Dr. Mary Carol Burkhardt, primary care pediatrician and associate division director for primary care of Cincinnati Childrens Hospital.
Were certainly seeing both sides of the coin, she said. Some parents want to be first in line and want to get their kids protected on the other side, we have a lot of families who are not hesitant, but dont want to be first.
In the ParentsTogethersurvey from March, parents said they were concerned about short-term side effects, unknown long-term side effects, speed of the vaccines development and the lack of opportunity for long-term studies.
The study also found Black parents were especially hesitant, with 26% of respondents saying they would probably not or definitely not vaccinate their children compared to white parents (15%) or Hispanic parents (13%).
Parents hesitancy appears to stem from uncertainty rather than outright opposition, health experts say, which is encouraging because it leaves room for pediatricians to engage parents with more information and education.
Its going to take some time for all parents to become comfortable with the vaccine but what Im hopingpeople understand is that this becomes part of a way to protect our children and community, said Bethany Robertson, cofounder and codirector of ParentsTogether who authored the vaccine hesitancy report.
One of the ways to encourage vaccinations is to change the conversation regarding vaccine hesitancy, said Dr. Clarissa Dudley, a pediatrician at Childrens National Hospital in D.C. Instead of categorizing a parent as vaccine hesitant, she recommends referring to them as thoughtful to avoid feelings of parent-shaming and blame.
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine is proven safe for and extremely effective in adolescents, and this 12-year-old boy shares his vaccine trial experience. Associated Press
Theres a lot of thought that theyre putting into these decisions, she said. Some parents feel like theyre being blamed for not jumping into whatever decision somebody tells them to make.
Heath experts also say targeted education through trusted messengers, such as community leaders or a childs pediatrician, is key to dispelling misinformation.
Its important to involve children in vaccine conversations, especially older childrenbetween 12 and 17 years old, Dudley said.
You have to involve the child from early on, from the time theyre able to communicate to understand their own bodies, she said. If you understand your body, youre more capable of making healthy choices.
Many of these teenagers will be turning 18 in the next couple of yearsand theyll be able to decide for themselves if they want to get vaccinated, she added. Its important they have the right tools and education to make that decision when the time comes.
Like other childhood vaccines, schools also may play an important role in getting COVID-19 shots in arms. Schools dont currently mandate children to get vaccinated because the coronavirus vaccines currently are only authorized by the FDA for emergency use.
However, Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech submitted an application to the FDA Friday for full approval of their COVID-19 vaccine. Although its not clear how long the FDA will take to review the data the companies willsubmitover the coming weeks, full approval may encourage schools to mandate vaccinations.
More: Pfizer-BioNTech seeks full FDA approval for COVID-19 vaccine
More: Vaccine equity remains elusive as vaccination rates for people of color still lag
Im not sure if the schools know how powerful they are, Dudley said. One of the bigger things that helps us pediatricians is the schools I hope the schools move very quickly to say a vaccine is required so that we have the support.
Many parents are desperate to get their children back to school because theyre concerned about their childs mental and developmental health.
The lack of social interaction that kids experience every dayat school can impact a childs developmental milestones, which can manifestin outbursts and other behavioral cues, Dudley said.
Most parents now recognize that the risk for keeping their child at home and isolated outweigh the risk of having any adverse events from the vaccine and they really want their children to be back at school safely, she said.
Hospitals have begun pre-registering teens for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in anticipation of its authorizationand many parents are jumping at the opportunity.
Since pre-registration opened May 5, more than 4,100 teenagers aged 12 to 15 have signed up to get vaccinated at the Childrens National Hospital in D.C. as of Friday morning.
Pediatricians specifically are privileged to have the honor to care for (parents) most valued possession, so from the very beginning we have to develop that relationship of trust, Dudley said. We want to work with them closely to get them to a space where they have the most information and make healthy choices for them and their children.
Follow Adrianna Rodriguez on Twitter: @AdriannaUSAT.
Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.
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This year, more than any other year, I will cherish spending time with my children and grandchildren on Mothers Day. The lifesaving vaccine is providing us the opportunity to be together.
Three decades ago, I received my first cancer diagnosis and was told that I only had five more years to hold my daughters in my arms. I was a single mother, doing the best I could to keep the promise to my two sweet little girls that I would always show up for them as they grew up to love children of their own.Although my marriage had ended and my last paycheck had been cashed, I was committed to doing everything in my power to ensure that my daughters futures were protected. That they would have their mother present to take care of them.
Because of my previous cancer diagnoses and age, Im in the high-risk category. Despite my vulnerability, I feared most for the lives of my daughters and the newest additions to our family born last summer, my daughters beautiful twins. On the heels of a year marked by great tragedy, every day their grandma gets to hold these two miracles is a blessing. The ability to extend my unconditional love and care for them is what Ive won in my race against time.
As a four-time cancer survivor, I know that being able to access the right care at the right time is a matter of life and death. Thats why I fight for equal access to affordable, life-saving health care for all. I fight for health care for my two daughters, whom I was so fortunate to see grow into the incredible women they are today; for my three grandchildren, and for the over six million Coloradans I proudly serve as lieutenant governor and the director of the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care. This mission has never been more important than during the COVID-19 pandemic.
I know what mothers and grandmothers across the state are going through. We put on our masks, wash our hands, and make the tough decision not to see the ones we love most in this world. I have an extremely tight-knit family. The distance meant less laughter and more meals eaten alone. It pained me not to see my daughters, friends, and other family members for weeks that stretched into months. But this was also a time for resilience. Ive seen small hands pressed up to thick glass outside of long-term care facilities, so grandma and grandpa can still see their grandkids smiles. Those who did not consider themselves computer people masterfully organized Zoom birthday parties, baby showers, and holiday dinners. We adapted because it was the right thing to do.
Now, as we work to safely reopen our economy, and simply hug our loved ones again without spreading or being exposed to a deadly virus, we have three safe, reliable, and free vaccines leading the way to a long-overdue reunion this Mothers Day.
Receiving the vaccine along with both of my daughters eliminated the need for those tough decisions in an already challenging time. Every Coloradan over the age of 16 can now choose to become fully immunized to fill their lives with the people they love again.
This year, its our childrens turn to keep us safe. This groundbreaking vaccine is a shot at hope for a more normal Mothers Day than the last. The sooner we can get shots into arms, the more lives we can save, and the more time we have to be with our families.
No mother should be denied the opportunity to be with their children. We will see the end of this pandemic more quickly with the sweetest of reunions promised when we get the protection that vaccines offer.
I encourage all Coloradans who have not yet been vaccinated to visit COCOVIDVACCINE.ORG or call 1-877-CO VAX CO (268-2926) to sign up with providers near you or walk up to one of our six Community Vaccination Sites, so you can give the gift of health.
To the mothers who will receive e-cards and virtual greetings from their kids, who are spending yet another year apart from them, I want to remind you that this time too shall pass. Hold hope close to your heart. Trust that they will still be there for you, as you were for them.
Dianne Primavera is the lieutenant governor of Colorado.
To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.
NEW YORK, May 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --International advocacy organizationGlobal Citizentonight announced that theVAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World campaignhelped mobilize over 26million COVID-19 vaccine doses and $302 million to the ACT-Accelerator to provide equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests, treatments and other medical toolsto the world's most marginalized communities and healthcare workers on the frontlines.
VAX LIVE was taped at SoFi Stadium for a COVID 19-compliant audience composed of fully-vaccinated frontline healthcare and essential workers, and is the first large-scale music event held at the stadium. The goal of the VAX LIVE campaign was to ensure everyone, everywhere has access to COVID-19 vaccines and inspire vaccine confidence worldwide.
Selena Gomezserved as host of the special and Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, served as Campaign Chairs. Performers included Jennifer Lopez, Eddie Vedder, Foo Fighters, J Balvin and H.E.R. Special appearances were made by President Biden, First Lady Dr Biden and Vice President Harris along with Ben Affleck,Chrissy Teigen,David Letterman,Gayle King,Jimmy Kimmel,Nomzamo Mbatha,Olivia MunnandSean Penn.
The VAX LIVE campaign called on governments to begin sharing vaccine doses immediately, and for pharmaceutical companies such as Moderna, to urgently provide millions of doses to the poorest nations at cost pricing. And to help ensure equitable access to the vaccine, Global Citizen and its partners led a coordinated drive across the private sector to raise critical funds - "dollars for doses" - for the vaccine-sharing program COVAX AMC.
VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the Worldreceived messages of support and commitments from His Holiness Pope Francis, President of the United States Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, Vice-President of the United States Kamala Harris, President of France Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, as well as Prime Minister Plenkovi of Croatia Andrej Plenkovi, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Snchez, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and European Commision President Ursula von der Leyen, Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Her Excellency Reem al Hashimy and Minister of Health of Portugal Marta Temido.
Commitments announced through the course of the VAX LIVE campaign and special included:
GOVERNMENT COMMITMENTS
PHILANTHROPIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR COMMITMENTS Philanthropic and corporate commitments raised$39.6 million for COVAX, which was matched by GAVI for an additional $23.6 million, resulting in a total of $63.3 million, enough to acquire12.66 million vaccines. Combined with government pledges this amounts to over 26 million vaccine doses to those most in need.
SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS MADE TOWARD THE COVAX AMC FOR PROCUREMENT OF VACCINES:
COMMITMENTS MADE TOWARD THE WHO COVID-19 SOLIDARITY FUND FOR MEDICAL TOOLS AND SUPPLIES INCLUDED:
Overall,$65.8M has been mobilized through VAX LIVE by philanthropists, the private sector, and the Gavi matching mechanism in commitments to vaccine procurement, medical tools and supplies.
"We have been overwhelmed by the support for VAX LIVE, from governments, philanthropists, the private sector, our campaign chairs, and Global Citizens from across the world, who have joined forces to mobilize critical COVID-19 vaccines where they are needed urgently," said Hugh Evans, CEO of Global Citizen. "But more needs to be done especially from G7 nations that have yet to commit to sharing any doses. The UK alone will have 113 million surplus doses. We need to continue our efforts to urge the chair of the G7, Boris Johnson, the rest of the G7 and G20 nations, and vaccine manufacturers to share additional doses urgently to help ensure equitable vaccine access globally."
VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the WorldairedonABC, ABC News Live, CBS,FOX, andstreamed onYouTube, iHeartMediabroadcast radio stations and theiHeartRadio App. VAX LIVE also aired on AXS TV, Albavision across Latin America, Multishow from Globo Group in Brazil, Caracol TV in Colombia, TV Azteca in Mexico, S3 in South Africa, Canal+ and MultiChoice across Africa, Sky in the UK, Network 10 in Australia, CSTAR (Canal + Group) in France, the Viacom 18 network across India and South Asia, and Insight TV globally. As the exclusive global streaming partner,YouTubealsostreamed an extended version of VAX LIVE on theGlobal Citizen channel for a full run-time of 90 minutes.
Global Citizen also announced commitments from longtime partner of Global Citizen, Live Nation, along with the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLS, NHL, WWE, Formula 1, NASCAR and MLB to commit tickets to some of the most amazing live events of the coming year! These leagues have been working together to follow enhanced COVID-19 guidelines to ensure that audience members can once again enjoy live events safely. The announcement was made public during the broadcast by Ben Affleck and Jimmy Kimmel, and viewers can secure tickets by visiting globalcitizen.org/reunite.
VAX LIVE has also received support from in-kind supporters, including: Ads4Change, Bandsintown, Boo! Media, Boom Broadcast, Damon Peirson, Enhance Outdoor, Elev8 Media, Entertainment Industry Foundation, iKahan Media, Interstate Outdoor, JCDecaux, JCDecaux Nigeria, Mass Media, Narcity Media, New Tradition, New York Times, Ocean London, Outfront Media, Penske Media, Seen Media Group, Van Wagner, Vector Media, and XP Digital.
VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the Worldwaspart of Global Citizen's overall 2021Recovery Plan for the World, a year-long campaign and series of events that aims to help end COVID-19 for all, end the hunger crisis, resume learning everywhere, protect the planet and advance equity for all.
For more information aboutVAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World, visitglobalcitizen.org/vaxliveand follow @glblctzn on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
ABOUT GLOBAL CITIZEN:Global Citizen is the world's largest movement of action takers and impact makers dedicated to ending extreme poverty by 2030. With over 10 million monthly advocates, our voices have the power to drive lasting change around sustainability, equality, and humanity. We post, tweet, message, vote, sign, and call to inspire those who can make things happen to act government leaders, businesses, philanthropists, artists, and citizens together improving lives. By downloading our app, Global Citizens learn about the systemic causes of extreme poverty, take action on those issues, and earn rewards with tickets to concerts, events, and experiences all over the world. To date, the actions of our community, along with high-level advocacy efforts and work with partners, has resulted in commitments and policy announcements from leaders valued at $48.4 billion, affecting the lives of more than 880 million people. During last year's Global Citizen hosted campaigns,One World: Together at Homeand Global Goal: Unite for Our Future, we mobilized over $1.5 billion in cash grants, with over $1.1 billion being already disbursed. For more information, visitGlobalCitizen.org.
CONTACT:Global Citizen Inquiries:[emailprotected]Media Inquiries:Sunshine Sachs on Behalf of Global Citizen,[emailprotected]
SOURCE Global Citizen
https://www.globalcitizen.org
The Biden administrations unexpected support for temporarily waiving Covid-19 vaccine patents wont have an immediate financial impact on the companies making the shots, industry officials and analysts said.
Yet the decision could mark a shift in Washingtons longstanding support of the industrys valuable intellectual property, patent-law experts said. A waiver, if it does go into effect, may pose long-term risks to the vaccine makers, analysts said.
Moderna Inc., Pfizer Inc. and other vaccine makers werent counting on sales from the developing countries that would gain access to the vaccine technology, analysts said. If patents and other crucial product information behind the technology is made available, it would take at least several months before shots were produced, industry officials said.
Yet long-term Covid-19 sales could take a hit if other companies and countries gained access to the technologies and figured out how to use it. Western drugmakers could also confront competition sooner for other medicines they are hoping to make using the technologies.
A World Trade Organization waiver could also set a precedent for waiving patents for other medicines, a long-sought goal of some developing countries, patient groups and others to try to reduce the costs of prescription drugs.
MADISON, Wis. (WBAY) Although the state is on track to see the fewest number of COVID-19 vaccines administered in one week since mid-January, the Department of Health Services (DHS) says as of Saturday, 3 in 10 Wisconsin residents who are 25-34-years-old are fully vaccinated. In addition, the state says more than 15% of 16-17-year-olds are now fully vaccinated.
The DHS says during the week of May 2, so far 154,864 doses have been administered, with one day to go. Last week, the state reports 248,658 doses were given to Wisconsin residents. Currently, Wisconsins 7-day average of administering a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is 30,985 per day, meaning the state wont reach 200,000 doses administered this week. The state hasnt seen that few doses administered in one week since January. DHS records show 107,543 doses were administered during the week of January 17, and 199,926 doses given during the week of January 24. The state finally surpassed the 200,000 dose per week mark during the week of January 31, when 220,252 doses were administered.
After three consecutive days of the state reporting more than 600 new coronavirus cases, Wisconsin health officials say fewer than 600 cases were reported Saturday. The 525 new cases reported made up 14.73% of the 3,564 results from people being tested for the first time or testing positive for the first time.
According to the states calculations, taking all tests into account, the positivity rates 7-day average has dropped to 3.1% after being level at 3.3% for a week. Health officials would like to see that get below 3%; that metric was as low as 2% in mid-March before it began slowly rising.
20 more people were added to COVID-19s death toll, which is now 6,904. On Friday, the state broke a three-day streak of double-digit increases. Despite the jump in deaths, Wisconsin is still averaging 9 deaths per day, the same 7-day average as the past two days. However, the death rate increased slightly from 1.14% to 1.15%. County case and death totals will be updated later in this article.
The DHS says 47 people were hospitalized for COVID-19 symptoms, the fewest since Monday, and below the 7-day average of 57 admissions per day.
Vaccinators report 44.2% of Wisconsins population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, which is 2,575,417 people. We now have 36.9% of residents fully vaccinated, or 2,149,489 people. We remind you about 20% of the states population -- thats children under 16 -- isnt eligible until the vaccines are approved for younger ages.
Vaccinations by age group:
Vaccination totals in WBAYs viewing area are listed in a table below.
Since February 5, 2020, the DHS reports 3,480,048 people were tested in Wisconsin at least once for the coronavirus. Out of these:
SATURDAYS COUNTY VACCINATION TOTALS
State health officials are promoting the CDCs Vaccine Finder website to make it easier to find and schedule appointments near you.
CLICK HERE for the First Alert Vaccine Teams guide to vaccine clinics and vaccinators, including phone numbers and websites to make appointments and information on free rides to appointments.
CLICK HERE to track vaccine data in Wisconsin
HOSPITAL READINESS
TheWisconsin Hospital Association (WHA)says the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care is below 100 once again. Saturdays report from the WHA shows 323 people are being treated for COVID-19 in the states hospitals, including 85 in ICU. Thats 4 fewer patients overall and 18 fewer in ICU. While the DHS reports total daily COVID-19 hospital admissions, the WHAs reports take deaths and discharges into account.
Fox Valley hospitals were treating 16 patients, including 2 in ICU. The number of overall patients increased by two since Friday, while the number of patients in the ICU is unchanged from the previous two days.
Hospitals in the Northeast region had 26 COVID-19 patients, with 8 in ICU. According to the WHA, thats one fewer patient overall, and an increase of one ICU patient.
For hospital readiness, the WHA reports 260 intensive care beds (19.13% of the states ICU beds) and 2,061 of all beds (18.45%) -- ICU, intermediate care, medical surgical and negative-flow isolation -- are available in the states 136 hospitals.
The Fox Valley regions 13 hospitals have just 5 ICU beds open (4.8%) among them, and a total of 76 open beds (8.9%).
The Northeast regions 10 hospitals have 38 open ICU beds (18.36%) and 238 available beds of all types (24.89%).
These beds are for all patients, not just COVID-19. While we use terms like available or open, a hospital bed can only be occupied if theres enough staffing to care for the patient, including doctors, nurses and food services.
SATURDAYS COUNTY CASE AND DEATH TOTALS (counties with new cases or deaths are indicated in bold) *
Wisconsin
Michigans Upper Peninsula **
* Cases and deaths are from the daily DHS COVID-19 reports, which may differ from local health department numbers. The DHS reports cases from all health departments within a countys boundaries, including tribal, municipal and county health departments; county websites may not. Also, public health departments update their data at various times, whereas the DHS freezes the numbers it receives by the same time every day to compile the afternoon report.
** The Michigan Department of Health does not release reports on Sundays.
COVID-19 TRACING APP
Wisconsins COVID-19 tracing app, Wisconsin Exposure Notification, is available for iOS and Android smartphones. No download is required for iPhones. The Android app is available on Google Play. When two phones with the app (and presumably their owners) are close enough, for long enough, theyll anonymously share a random string of numbers via Bluetooth. If someone tests positive for the coronavirus, theyll receive a code to type into the app. If your phones pinged each other in the last 14 days, youll receive a push notification that you are at risk of exposure. The app doesnt collect personal information or location information, so you wont know from whom or where, but you will be told what day the exposure might have occurred so that you can quarantine for the appropriate amount of time.
SYMPTOMS
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified these as possible symptoms of COVID-19:
Public health officials announced Thursday that a total of 611 people in Oregon have tested positive for COVID-19 even though at least two weeks had passed since theyd finished their full courses of vaccinations.
Eight of those people died, with each age 70 or older.
Officials with the Oregon Health Authority said these cases represent a very small percentage -- about .047% -- of the 1.3 million Oregonians whove completed the one- or two-dose courses of the Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer or Moderna regimens.
But some of the 611 cases in Oregon could be an overcount because the definition of these so-called breakthrough cases is problematic, said Dr. Melissa Sutton, who oversees COVID-19 testing for the Oregon Health Authority.
Thats because a person isnt truly considered fully vaccinated until 14 days have passed after receiving one dose of Johnson & Johnsons vaccine or two doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has defined a breakthrough case as someone who tests positive after at least 14 days have passed since that final shot.
That means a person could have been infected two to 14 days earlier than their positive test, when the vaccines hadnt had enough time to reach their peak effectiveness.
Sutton said the Oregon Health Authority continues to report these as breakthrough cases because it is obligated to follow the CDC definition. The agency has the ability to look closer at its breakthrough cases and deaths to determine when the test result came back positive but has yet to do so, officials said.
Thursdays numbers include the 168 breakthrough cases and three deaths the state reported in early April, the first time it began reporting the cumulative number of cases in Oregon. That means officials identified 443 new cases and five new deaths from early April to early May.
Of the total number of breakthrough cases in Oregon, about 50% showed no symptoms.
About 7% of them -- or 45 people -- were sick enough to be hospitalized. Close to 15% were people living in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities.
The eight deaths amount to 1.3% of the cases.
About 2% of cases -- or 11 people -- were linked to the variants of concern first identified in California (B.1.427 and B.1.429), South African (B.1.351) or Brazil (P.1.). No cases were linked to the variant first detected in the United Kingdom, B.1.1.7.
Nationwide, the CDC has reported more than 9,200 breakthrough cases, 835 hospitalizations and 132 deaths, but that most likely is an undercount under the CDCs definition of cases because a portion of cases most certainly go undetected, with their carriers never getting tested.
On top of that, the CDC recently has asked states to report only breakthrough cases with serious health consequences -- those requiring hospitalizations or resulting in death, according to the Oregon Health Authority. The health authority, however, has decided to continue to report cases, as well. It does so on a monthly basis, with the next report due out in early June.
Officials at the health authority and the CDC say the current vaccines in use are highly protective. Officials expect a small number of breakthrough cases because no vaccine is 100% effective. In the U.S. the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been shown to be 94% and 95% effective in preventing symptomatic disease, and Johnson & Johnson 72%.
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-- Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee
U.S. support for IP rights waiver of COVID-19 vaccines meets resistance in EU Seeking Alpha
The Taft School in Watertown is requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for all age-eligible students next year, according to the school.
School officials said in order to keep the entire school community safe, they have consulted with the medical director and outside health experts and decided to require COVID-19 vaccinations for all students who are age-eligible for next year.
If the vaccine isn't approved for anyone ages 12-15 by the fall, the school will not require it for that age group, the school said.
The school said most of the parents they have talked to have been supportive of the policy.
"Parents are supportive as they want the school to be able to function as fully as possible, and for their children to have as full and safe of an experience as possible," a school spokesperson said in a statement.
Officials said Taft is a boarding school with 600 students from 31 states and 44 countries with 80% of the students living on campus in close proximity to one another with many faculty members and their families living in and supervising student dormitories.
