A total of 526 COVID-19 cases were linked to Washington schools between August 2020 and February 2021, according to a report compiled by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH).
According to the report, there were 134 separate outbreaks at Washington schools between August and February with most involving two to three cases each. Overall, 15 counties reported outbreaks in schools. King County reported 16 outbreaks, Snohomish reported 18 outbreaks, Yakima reported 11 outbreaks, and Spokane County reported the most outbreaks with 36.
Nearly half of all COVID-19 cases associated with schools occurred in students under 18 years of age, according to the report. Students between the ages of 10 and 19 accounted for 34% of all cases.
Outbreaks occurred at a higher rate starting in October and lasting through November. Outbreaks began to decline in frequency in February, according to the report.
No deaths were reported as a result of cases linked to schools. Less than 10 people were hospitalized overnight due to COVID-19. Of hospitalized cases, 80% were among adult staff.
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Overall, case counts and hospitalizations in Alaska remain below what they were during a peak in November and December. However, Alaska is now experiencing an increase in its average daily case rate. Most regions in the state are still in the highest alert category based on their current per capita rate of infection.
Alaska in March became the first state in the country to open vaccine eligibility to anyone 16 and older who lives or works in the state. You can visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322 to sign up for a vaccine appointment; new appointments are added regularly. The phone line is staffed 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends.
By Friday, 253,240 people about 41% of Alaskans eligible for a shot had received at least their first dose, according to the states vaccine monitoring dashboard. At least 172,077 people about 30% of Alaskans 16 and older were considered fully vaccinated.
By Friday, there were 42 people with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 in hospitals throughout the state, far below a peak in late 2020 but a slight increase compared to recent weeks.
Of the 197 cases identified among Alaska residents Friday, there were 65 in Anchorage, plus six in Chugiak and five in Eagle River; 34 in Wasilla; 24 in Fairbanks; 13 in Palmer; six in Seward; six in Soldotna; three in Kodiak; three in North Pole; three in Delta Junction; three in Big Lake; two in Healy; one in Sterling; one in Salcha; one in Houston; one in Sutton-Alpine; one in Willow; and one in Juneau.
Among communities smaller than 1,000 that arent named to protect residents privacy, there were 13 in Bethel Census Area; three in the Mat-Su Borough; and two in the Kusilvak Census Area.
There was also eight nonresident cases reported: two in Anchorage, two in Valdez, one in Fairbanks, one in Ketchikan, and two in unidentified regions of the state.
While people might get tested more than once, each case reported by the state health department represents only one person.
The states data doesnt specify whether people testing positive for COVID-19 have symptoms. More than half of the nations infections are transmitted from asymptomatic people, according to CDC estimates.
Note: The state no longer updates is coronavirus dashboard on the weekends, and will instead include that data in Mondays report.
Alabama will begin offering COVID-19 vaccinations to everyone 16 years and older beginning April 5, Gov. Kay Ivey announced Friday.
Ivey made the announcement during a visit to the Alabama National Guard mobile vaccination clinic in Wilcox County.
Our goal is simple. That is to get shots off the shelf and into the arms of Alabamians, Ivey said.
The clinic was at Wilcox Central High School in Camden, Iveys hometown.
I have committed to the people of Alabama that we are on a path forward, and while there is more work to be done, I remain hopeful and optimistic in where we are going. Recent findings from the CDC show preliminary data suggesting that vaccinated individuals do not appear to be spreading the virus, so that is hopeful, underscores the effectiveness of the vaccine and is yet another reason to get the shot, Governor Ivey said. Truly, this vaccine is our ticket back to normal life. We are so close to getting COVID-19 in the rearview, and until then, we should all keep wearing our masks, get vaccinated and use the common sense the good Lord gave us.
Currently the Pfizer vaccine is available to individuals age 16 and up, and the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are both available to individuals 18 years of age and older.
Follow AL.com coverage of the coronavirus
With the expansion, there will be close to 4 million eligible individuals in the state of Alabama, according to Iveys announcement. The state is receiving about 115,000 first doses each week, according to the governors statement.
We believe that everyone ought to receive this vaccine, State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said. Its the way that Alabama gets back to normal. Its the way that we put all this behind us.
Harris, who joined Ivey for the announcement, said slightly more than 1.7 million shots have been given in Alabama.
These shots have gone to more than 1.1 million Alabamians most at risk of illness and death due to COVID-19, Harris said in a press release. As progress has been made, equitable vaccine distribution has been and remains a driving force in immunizing state residents. The increased supply of safe and effective vaccines means all adults who wish to be vaccinated are now eligible to receive the protection vaccines offer.
As of April 1, 1,724,463 doses have been administered, according to Iveys statement.
Dr. Mary McIntyre, chief medical officer for the Department of Public Health, spoke at the press conference and encouraged people to get the vaccine that is available to them soonest and not wait in a specific vaccine. McIntyre also said the temporary side effects that affect some should not dissuade people from getting shots.
That really means the vaccine is working, McIntyre said. Your body is actually mounting the immune response it needs to mount. So if you get a little headache, or you get a little fever for a few days or some chills, that is not unexpected. And it may occur in some people and not in others. But thats not a reason to not take the vaccine.
More than 99 million people in the United States have received at least one dose of a vaccine, the Associated Press reported. But cases have risen slightly, with an average of 64,000 new cases a day this week compared to 55,000 two weeks ago, AP said.
Harris said that uptick has not shown up in Alabama yet.
Obviously we are monitoring that and are concerned with what we see around the country, Harris said. But the fact that our deaths have remained low and our hospitalization numbers have remained low lead us to believe our actual case numbers are low. So, were pleased with that right now.
Harris, as he has done before previous holiday weekends, urged caution about gatherings for Easter.
We still want people to be alert, to be careful, to remember that the pandemic is not over yet, Harris said. We still have a ways to go before we can put this behind us.
For those people who are vulnerable, in particular those people who are older or those people with chronic health problems, our advice still remains the same. Please be careful about getting together in groups. Please wear masks when youre able to do that. Please make sure you are careful about sanitation and hygiene.
Harris reinforced several of the basic guidelines for social events.
Smaller gatherings are better than larger gatherings. Outdoors is better than indoors. A short amount of time is better than a longer amount of time. So, please just do your best to protect yourself and especially protect those most vulnerable people around you, he said.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) A Ramsey County judge has ruled a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota can proceed against the Minnesota Department of Corrections over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Judge Sara Grewing ruled this week that all Minnesota inmates could be included in a class-action suit, and that Gov. Tim Walz and Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm can be added as defendants, WCCO-TV reported. The lawsuit alleges that just one-fifth of Minnesotas approximately 7,600 inmates have been fully vaccinated. Grewing will later decide whether or not the states inmate vaccination effort violated state law.
NEW YORK, April 2, 2021The international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Mdecins Sans Frontires (MSF) is working with a community health center in Brooklyn to expand access to COVID-19 vaccinations in underserved neighborhoods, including supporting the opening of a vaccination site today in an area of East New York with one of the city's lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates.
Doctors Without Borders is working with BMS Family Health and Wellness Centers(BMS), a federally qualified health center (FQHC) providing free primary and specialized health care in Brownsville and East New York. While BMS had access to COVID-19 vaccines from government agencies, it requested additional administrative and logistical support from MSF to ensure as many people as possible could be vaccinated. After initially expanding vaccination activities in its existing health facilities, BMS has now opened a vaccination hub at St. Paul Community Baptist Church in East New York with the capacity to vaccinate at least 1,000 people per week.
"BMS has been providing some Covid-19 vaccination since January, but capacity has been significantly limited by insufficient staff, space and funding," said Kerry Dierberg, MSF project coordinator. "It is unfortunate that it has taken longer for people in Brownsville and East New York to have access to a vaccination site with greater capacity, while other areas of New York City had the resources to scale up months ago. It takes more than nurses and vaccines to administer COVID-19 vaccinations, and a one-size-fits-all approach of providing communities with vaccines is inadequate. Underserved communities should have equal access to the resources and assistance required to vaccinate as many people as possible. It is vital to locate vaccination sites close to people in underserved areas, and to ensure adequate staffing and funding for administrative tasks, such as scheduling appointments."
The comparatively lower COVID-19 vaccination rates in low-income and predominantly Black or Hispanic communities such as Brownsville and East New York are emblematic of broader racial and economic disparities in access to health care in the United States. Vaccinations lag behind the city average, while mortality rates are higher. East New York, for example, includes the ZIP code with the highest COVID-19 mortality rate in New York City.
"As an FQHC, BMS's mission is to provide high-quality, affordable, health care for medically underserved communities," said Dr. Camille Taylor-Mullings, Chief Medical Officer, BMS Family Health and Wellness Centers. "Many area residents and patients were disproportionately affected by the pandemic and we are excited to have the opportunity to provide added COVID-19 services for our community through the launch of the BMS@St. Paul Community Baptist Church Vaccine Hub. Without the assistance and partnership of MSF and the partnership with Reverend Brawley and St. Paul's, this would not have been possible. This collaboration of supportive relationships is the hallmark of our collective organizations' commitment to community health."
People in Brownsville and East New York face substantial barriers to obtaining COVID-19 vaccinations. Many are unable to take time off from work or family responsibilities to attend medical appointments. Transportation time and costs pose additional challenges, especially if vaccination sites are distant. Scheduling vaccinations online is also more difficult due to limited internet connectivity, and language barriers present obstacles in scheduling appointments or obtaining information about vaccines.
Vaccines that require two doses may also increase the burden, underlining the importance of making the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine available as an option in areas where poverty or geographic isolation make it more difficult for individuals to reach appointments. For example, MSF is involved in an effort in Puerto Rico to provide the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to 6,000 people who have not otherwise had access to COVID-19 vaccinations, decreasing the time it takes for people to become fully vaccinated.
"Now that vaccines are more widely available in the U.S., the social inequities in health care can be seen in the vaccination rates of underserved communities," Dierberg said. "Reducing the barriers to COVID-19 vaccination is as essential as the vaccines themselvesvaccines only work when people can access them. In Brownsville and East New York, the capacity for vaccination is increasing, but now more efforts and investments are needed to ensure people will effectively reach the site and get vaccinated."
MSF's support for BMS:
BMS requested support from MSF to coordinate its COVID-19 vaccination activities and launch a new vaccination site, after MSF previously supported the organization in running a COVID-19 testing site during the first wave of the pandemic. In recent weeks, MSF provided administrative and logistical support to increase COVID-19 vaccinations at three BMS clinics by mobilizing volunteers and hiring administrative staff. To set up the new site at St. Paul Community Baptist Church, MSF supported aspects of planning, budget development, human resources, training, procurement and the establishment of a "cold chain" for the storage of vaccines. MSF staff are not administering the vaccines to patients, which is done by BMS and other contracted partners.
Among the common symptoms of long COVID are dizziness, tinnitus, and ear pain, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the United Kingdom.
Other viral infections including rubella, measles, and cytomegalovirus are known to cause hearing problems, but research into possible links between COVID-19 and hearing issues remains at an early stage.
In June 2020, specialists at the Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness (ManCAD) in the U.K. reviewed seven studies that hinted at a link between hearing and balance, or audiovestibular, problems and COVID-19.
Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment.
At that time, however, the quality of the evidence supporting a possible association was poor.
The same researchers have now updated their review to include 56 studies published in 2020.
Although the evidence remains tentative, the researchers have estimated the prevalence of audiovestibular problems among people who have recovered from a SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Their analysis suggests that around 14.8% of patients experience tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, 7.6% have hearing loss, and 7.2% have rotatory vertigo, which is a sensation of spinning.
The review appears in the International Journal of Audiology.
The authors emphasize that these figures may overestimate the true scale of the problem.
This is because the reports that they reviewed do not always make it clear whether the symptoms were new or whether they were preexisting symptoms that had temporarily become worse.
In addition, most of the studies were based on medical records or questionnaires in which patients reported their own symptoms, rather than the appropriate hearing tests.
There is an urgent need for a carefully conducted clinical and diagnostic study to understand the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the auditory system, says senior author Kevin Munro, professor of audiology at ManCAD.
Though this review provides further evidence for an association, the studies we looked at were of varying quality, so more work needs to be done, he adds.
Prof. Munro is leading a year-long study in the U.K. that will compare control patients with patients who recovered after being hospitalized with COVID-19.
He and his colleagues hope to get a more accurate picture of the incidence and severity of COVID-related hearing issues, as well as which parts of the auditory system are affected.
They will also investigate possible associations between audiovestibular problems and other factors, such as lifestyle, other medical conditions, and the treatments the patients received in intensive care.
Prof. Munro explains:
Over the last few months, I have received numerous emails from people who reported a change in their hearing, or tinnitus after having COVID-19. While this is alarming, caution is required, as it is unclear if changes to hearing are directly attributed to COVID-19 or to other factors, such as treatments to deliver urgent care.
The inner ear contains the sound-sensing spiral cavity of the cochlea, and the fluid-filled semicircular canals, which are involved in balance.
In their paper, the researchers note some of the proposed explanations for damage to the inner ear that occurred when people had COVID-19.
These include:
The authors conclude their paper by urging caution when interpreting their estimates of the prevalence of hearing problems associated with COVID-19.
They write that some of the problems may have been preexisting, pointing out that around 11% of adult population in the U.K. already have some hearing disability and that 17% have tinnitus.
Moreover, they say that in around half of the studies reviewed, they were unable to determine whether the authors were reporting a new symptom or a worsening of an existing one.
For live updates on the latest developments regarding the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, click here.
The current evidence on the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 patients is inconclusive. Until more data is available, WHO recommends that the drug only be used within clinical trials.
This recommendation, which applies to patients with COVID-19 of any disease severity, is now part of WHOs guidelines on COVID-19 treatments.
Ivermectin is a broad spectrum anti-parasitic agent, included in WHO essential medicines list for several parasitic diseases. It is used in the treatment of onchocerciasis (river blindness), strongyloidiasis and other diseases caused by soil transmitted helminthiasis. It is also used to treat scabies.
A guideline development group was convened in response to the increased international attention on ivermectin as a potential treatment for COVID-19. This group is an independent, international panel of experts, which includes clinical care experts in multiple specialties and also include an ethicist and patient-partners.
The group reviewed pooled data from 16 randomized controlled trials (total enrolled 2407), including both inpatients and outpatients with COVID-19. They determined that the evidence on whether ivermectin reduces mortality, need for mechanical ventilation, need for hospital admission and time to clinical improvement in COVID-19 patients is of very low certainty, due to the small sizes and methodological limitations of available trial data, including small number of events.
The panel did not look at the use of ivermectin to prevent COVID-19, which is outside of scope of the current guidelines.
Note to the editor:
Previous recommendations on the use of therapeutics for COVID-19:
Campus & Community
Dear Students, Families, Faculty and Staff:
Over the last several days, our campus surveillance testing has identified a very significant and troubling increase in the number of positive COVID-19 cases among our students. This afternoon, we will report 44 new COVID infections on the COVID dashboard. Based on case investigations and timing, the data strongly suggests that the current surge of infection largely stems from off-campus parties and gatherings that occurred last weekend.
Our public health professionals areextremely concernedwith the current situation. Yesterday alone, we moved more students into isolation housing than was typical of an entire week during the fall semester. If this pace and scale of new infection continue, the University will have no choice but to implement additional and likely dramatic preventative actions, designed to break the current chain of transmission and spread among our student population. I cannot stress strongly enough how important it is that all members of our community act now to undercut the current outbreak. Specifically:
The University has petitioned New York State to allow us to hold on-campus vaccination clinics to expedite the vaccination of our community, including students. We are currently awaiting a response from New York State. Until then, securing vaccination appointments through the state and county, combined with good public health behaviors, is the most immediate path to address our current situation.
I appreciate that for many of us, watching or reading the news is generating a sense of relief and optimism that the end of the pandemic is in sight. While I share that optimism, the fact is that COVID remains a real and present risk to our staff, faculty and students. Please do everything in your power to keep yourself, those around you and the broader Central New York community safe and healthy.
Sincerely,
J. Michael HaynieVice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation
News Release
Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Participating households will receive free month-long supply of rapid tests aimed at reducing community transmission.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has launched an innovative community health initiative called Say Yes! COVID Test starting in Pitt County, North Carolina, and coming soon to Chattanooga/Hamilton County, Tennessee. As many as 160,000 residents across the two communities will have access to free, rapid antigen tests that they can administer themselves to use three times a week for one month. NIH will provide the tests (also called a home-test or at-home test) and evaluate the effectiveness of the initiative, which aims to determine if frequent self-administered COVID-19 testing helps residents reduce community transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease.
Reliable and widely available testing is a critical part of our efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19. Regular screening with at-home COVID-19 tests can strengthen our prevention efforts, said CDC Director RochelleP.Walensky, M.D., M.P.H. Combined with efforts to increase vaccinations, this important initiative will help us understand how best to utilize these new at-home tests to reduce viral transmission rates in communities.
The opportunity to participate in the testing program will be offered by local health departments. Participants will be able to order their test kits online for home delivery or pick them up at a local distribution site. A free online tool that also is available as a phone app will be offered to provide testing instructions, information to help understand test results and text message reminders about testing. Strong community engagement efforts are underway to ensure that vulnerable and underserved populations are aware and able to benefit from the opportunity.
This testing initiative is the first of this scale to attempt to make free, rapid, self-administered tests available community-wide in order to determine their effectiveness in our nations comprehensive response to the COVID-19 pandemic, said NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. We hope to gain foundational data that can guide how communities can use self-administered tests to mitigate viral transmission during this and future pandemics.
Participants in the Say Yes! COVID Test initiative will also have the option to volunteer in an NIH-supported research study that will collect additional data through surveys. The survey questions are designed to determine whether frequent self-administered testing has made a difference in behavior, knowledge on preventing spread of the virus and thoughts about COVID-19 vaccination.
Selection of the two communities was based on local infection rates, public availability of accurate COVID-19 tracking data, existing community relationships through the NIH Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) and local infrastructure to support the project.
Researchers at NIH-supported University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Duke University and the Duke Clinical Research Institute, both in Durham, North Carolina, will work with the CDC and NIH to use publicly available COVID-19 case surveillance data on test positivity rates, COVID-19-related illness and hospitalizations and measurements of viral particles in sewage wastewater to evaluate viral transmission in the community. At the same time, publicly available data will be reviewed from other communities of similar size that have not received widespread self-administered tests to evaluate the impact of frequent self-administered testing.
If self-testing is shown to effectively reduce viral spread in the selected communities, the hope is that it will lead to wider distribution and acceptance of frequent home testing across the countryultimately providing an easy and accessible new means of stemming the spread of the virus, said Elizabeth A. DiNenno, Ph.D., an associate deputy director for surveillance, epidemiology, and laboratory sciences at the CDC.
The test being supplied through the NIH Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADxSM) initiative is the QuickVue test developed by San Diego-based diagnostic company Quidel. The test received emergency use authorization for at-home use with a prescription by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on March 1, 2021. The test is performed with a nasal swab and detects the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 viral antigen within 10 minutes. The companion online tool was developed by CareEvolution, LLC, Ann Arbor, Michigan, with funding support from NIH, and is customized to be used with the QuickVue test.
In a recent study conducted by the NIH RADx initiative, researchers found that rapid antigen testing at least three times per week achieves a viral detection level on par with PCR-based COVID-19 testing processed in a lab. However, a self-administered rapid test produces confidential results at home in minutes, while laboratory processing takes longer and increases cost. The hope is that easier access to tests and faster test results will make frequent testing more desirable and encourage people to protect themselves and others in the community.
COVID-19 testing has undergone a transformation over the past year to provide optimal approaches for varied circumstances, including self-testing within peoples homes, said Bruce J. Tromberg, Ph.D., director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), part of the NIH, and leader of the RADx Tech program. These advances allow more accessible screening and surveillance testing, a powerful approach that complements vaccination and helps prevent infection as the virus mutates.
Say Yes! COVID Test is being conducted in a collaboration with the CDC, state and local public health departments in North Carolina and Tennessee, NIH, research institutions including Duke University, the University of North Carolina, North Carolina Central University, test manufacturer Quidel, healthcare technology company CareEvolution, community engagement partners from RADx-UP, and Community-Campus Partnerships for Health.
About the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): CDC works 24/7 protecting Americas health, safety and security. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC responds to Americas most pressing health threats. CDC is headquartered in Atlanta and has experts located throughout the United States and the world.
About the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB):NIBIBs mission is to improve health by leading the development and accelerating the application of biomedical technologies. The Institute is committed to integrating the physical and engineering sciences with the life sciences to advance basic research and medical care. NIBIB supports emerging technology research and development within its internal laboratories and through grants, collaborations, and training. More information is available at the NIBIB website:https://www.nibib.nih.gov.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
NIHTurning Discovery Into Health
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