Lennox School District Supt. Scott Price has dealt with academic programs, union negotiations and budget deficits. But nothing has prepared him or other education leaders to make decisions about a pressing medical issue: How to or even whether to provide school-based coronavirus testing to students, teachers and other staff.
Many experts view regular, universal testing at schools as a crucial component to helping campuses reopen and remain open, while also contributing toward curbing the raging pandemic. Yet California does not require school-based testing and no one has offered to pay for it. So, Price is going to take a pass with some misgivings and try to keep his staff and 5,000 students safe through other means when they are able to return to campus.
In a small school district, we dont have the resources or expertise with which we could implement a comprehensive testing program, Price said.
Prices dilemma and his decision appear to be the default for many school systems across Los Angeles County and beyond. Frustrations over closed schools continue to increase and were expressed in early November in a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom from leaders of seven of the states largest school systems. They called for the testing of all students and staff, uniform testing guidelines, and the resources to pay for it but have not yet received a response, said Los Angeles schools Supt. Austin Beutner.
Assemblyman Patrick ODonnell (D-Long Beach) said the state needs to provide more leadership and clarity, including on testing a conclusion several other legislators have echoed.
The governors office and the state health department did not respond Thursday to a request for comment, but officials have moved incrementally toward clarifying the situation as the pandemic stretches into its 10th month, with millions of students unable to learn on campus since March.
One such step is a task force charged with developing guidelines for school testing and how to increase it, said Daniel Thigpen, a spokesman for the state Department of Education, which is a member of the task force. And several school districts will be participating in a state-funded pilot involving the states new testing lab in Valencia.
In the meantime depending on a countys coronavirus rates and local decisions schools districts have remained closed, have reopened or have partially reopened without the data and assurances that proactive testing, typically called surveillance testing, has the potential to provide.
When it comes to coronavirus testing there is no consensus on whats best. At one end are experts who call for testing virtually the entire nation twice a week so that people with the virus can enter quarantine and avoid spreading COVID-19. Others shudder at the cost and logistics of that approach.
Members of President-elect Joe Bidens incoming administration have advocated for expanded nationwide testing. Biden has also called for rapidly reopening schools, but it isnt clear what role testing would play.
In the fall, colleges in the Northeast partnered with the Broad Institute in Massachusetts to test students once or twice a week and avoided large, sustained outbreaks in direct contrast to colleges elsewhere that lacked such a program.
Some experts say K-12 schools can rely on safety protocols that dont include costly surveillance testing. They point to schools that appear to be successful with fidelity to masking, social distancing, hygiene and keeping students in small, separate groups. Theres also disagreement over how much surveillance testing is adequate, a debate that has played out in New York City.
Backers of extensive proactive testing include Beutner, who says it has the potential to prevent or minimize outbreaks at a school, keeping more people safe and preventing frequent academic disruptions resulting from classroom quarantines and even campus shutdowns.
Price has been tracking the high number of cases and deaths in the Lennox area, a low-income community near Los Angeles International Airport that is heavily populated with essential workers. Cases have especially exploded in the last few weeks.
His districts health resources are thin a few health clerks and one school nurse shared by eight schools.
It would be very difficult to have our community and staff feel confident enough for any type of campus-based learning at this time, Price said. Its an emotional issue, and people are scared.
Both L.A. Unified and San Diego Unified, the states largest and second-largest school systems, have crafted their own surveillance testing. San Diego is scheduled to launch a pilot Monday.
L.A.'s more ambitious effort envisioned one to three tests per person per week along with contact tracing and school-by-school release of testing data. But because of the pandemic, L.A. County schools have only partially reopened. L.A. Unified has been especially cautious; less than 1% had returned for in-person services before Beutner ordered a new, temporary shutdown this week.
Through Dec. 5, L.A. Unified said it had used 201,545 tests. According to the contract schedule, the district was supposed to have used about 1.4 million tests by this point. Regardless, L.A. Unified is obligated to pay in full for a $48.9 million testing contract that runs through June.
The district hasnt necessarily spent unwisely the tests are reportedly good for three years and could be resold and widespread availability of a vaccine could be many months away. Beutner said the district is in discussions over extending the contract to account for the slower rollout. But its possible that the district wont be reimbursed for its costs by other government agencies because it has moved forward on its own. Beutner has estimated the full cost of the testing program, which includes personnel and software costs, at $150 million.
As far as I know, were the only school district doing what were doing because its hard, Beutner said. I believe it will stand the test of time.
Other school systems are simply relying on city and county testing that is free to them, but typically intended only for people who are feeling sick or who have been possibly exposed to someone who tested positive. Whether thats enough to protect schools is difficult to know because of inconsistent and incomplete data collection and disclosure about schools that have reopened.
On a cost-per-test basis, L.A. Unified inked what still looks like an exceptionally good deal with SummerBio, a start-up in Menlo Park. Prices start at $20 a test and drop to $10 after 2 million tests. According to the company and L.A. Unified, the low price is a result of volume purchasing and automated processing.
Across the nation, other innovations are being refined, including home tests that provide immediate results. But it may prove difficult to make fast and deep cost reductions because expenses also include field staff, software engineers and customer service, said Agatha Bacelar, general manager for California of Curative, another start-up. It had 12 employees when she joined in March and now employs about 2,600 and continues to hire.
Curative is providing tests that are free to those who stop by at sites across L.A. The city pays Curative for those not covered by insurance or federal CARES Act funding, said Haley Albert, the companys director of growth in California.
Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, which operates seven charter schools and an early education center, has partnered with Curative to provide free tests to all who want them in a campus parking lot. Because of privacy restrictions under this setup, the school network has no access to testing information that could assist in its planning.
Curative also provided tests free of charge for about 60 Camino Nuevo staff members on two occasions Curative can send the bill elsewhere because teachers are considered essential workers. But the price for students would be about $115 a test, which is comparable to what others are charging. The charter network has about 3,500 students and 550 employees.
Camino Nuevo turned down an opportunity to buy into L.A. Unifieds testing program for an estimated $250 for each student and staff member. School leaders concluded that price tag to be unaffordable. They are still trying to chart the best path forward.
We know that testing is going to be the thing that helps slow the spread, said Adriana Abich, Camino Nuevos chief executive.
Oregon set record highs for coronavirus cases for the seventh straight week, posting 10,355 confirmed or presumed infections for the week ending Sunday.
Thats 14% higher than the previous weeks record.
If theres any solace, its that cases appear to be slowing this week and there might not be a new high for the eighth consecutive time.
Twenty-seven ZIP codes in Oregon recorded at least 100 new cases last week, and 15 of those are in the Portland metro area. A Salem ZIP code posted the most new cases statewide, with ZIP codes for Klamath Falls, Medford, Redmond, Albany, Hermiston, Bend and The Dalles also posting large case counts.
The Oregonian/OregonLive is monitoring state coronavirus data, reporting by ZIP code the areas with the greatest weekly changes.
Our analysis also highlights the areas with the most new cases in relation to population. Fully 136 ZIP codes recorded at least 20 new cases per 10,000 residents last week.
(Clickhere for an interactive map).
Heres a brief summary of the communities that added the most new cases for the week ending Sunday, Dec. 6:
97301 Salem
This Marion County ZIP code added 222 cases, raising its tally to 1,917. Thats the fifth most in Oregon and 25th most per capita since the start of the pandemic.
97236 east Portland (Pleasant Valley/Powellhurst-Gilbert/Centennial)
This Multnomah County ZIP code added 213 cases, increasing its total to 1,922. Thats the fourth most in Oregon and 15th most per capita since the start of the pandemic.
97233 east Portland/Gresham (Hazelwood/Glenfair/Centennial/Rockwood)
This Multnomah County ZIP code added 208 cases, raising its tally to 2,126. Thats the second most in Oregon and 11th most per capita since the start of the pandemic.
97123 Hillsboro
This Washington County ZIP code added 200 cases, increasing its total to 1,583. Thats the eighth most in Oregon and 32nd most per capita since the start of the pandemic.
97071 Woodburn
This Marion County ZIP code added 197 cases, raising its tally to 1,964. Thats the third most in Oregon and seventh most per capita since the start of the pandemic.
97305 Salem
This Marion County ZIP code added 183 cases, increasing its total to 1,784. Thats the seventh most in Oregon and 18th most per capita since the start of the pandemic.
97266 east Portland (Lents/Powellhurst-Gilbert)
This Multnomah County ZIP code added 163 cases, raising its tally to 1,273. Thats the 13th most in Oregon and 24th most per capita since the start of the pandemic.
97230 east Portland/Gresham (Argay Terrace/Russell/Hazelwood/Wilkes)
This Multnomah County ZIP code added 151 cases, increasing its total to 1,544. Thats the ninth most in Oregon and 22nd most per capita since the start of the pandemic.
97124 Hillsboro
This Washington County ZIP code added 143 cases, raising its tally to 1,031. Thats the 17th most in Oregon and 93rd most per capita since the start of the pandemic.
97603 Klamath Falls
This Klamath County ZIP code added 141 cases, increasing its total to 600. Thats the 51st most in Oregon and 78th most per capita since the start of the pandemic.
97030 Gresham
This Multnomah County ZIP code added 138 cases, raising its total to 1,479. Thats the 10th most in Oregon and 20th most per capita since the start of the pandemic.
97501 Medford
This Jackson County ZIP code also added 138 cases, increasing its total to 1,449. Thats the 11th most in Oregon and 34th most per capita since the start of the pandemic.
97116 Forest Grove
This Washington County ZIP code added 134 cases, raising its total to 833. Thats the 27th most in Oregon and 37th most per capita since the start of the pandemic.
97045 Oregon City
This Clackamas County ZIP code also added 134 cases, increasing its total to 1,057. Thats the 16th most in Oregon and 95th most per capita since the start of the pandemic.
97007 Beaverton
This Washington County ZIP code added 132 cases, raising its total to 1,077. Thats the 19th most in Oregon and 64th most per capita since the start of the pandemic.
97080 Gresham
This Multnomah County ZIP code added 126 cases, increasing its total to 1,365. Thats the 12th most in Oregon and 38th most per capita since the start of the pandemic.
97006 Beaverton
This Washington County ZIP code added 124 cases, raising its total to 998. Thats the 20th most in Oregon and 61st most per capita since the start of the pandemic.
97303 Keizer
This Marion County ZIP code added 120 cases, increasing its total to 1,082. Thats the 15th most in Oregon and 48th most per capita since the start of the pandemic.
Heres a brief summary of the communities with at least 30 new cases that added the most new cases per capita for the week ending Sunday, Dec. 6:
97761 Warm Springs
This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections totaling 128 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, up from the previous week.
The Jefferson County ZIP code, which includes the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation, added 55 new cases, increasing its total to 522.
97071 Woodburn
This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 67 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, essentially unchanged from the previous week.
The Marion County ZIP code added 197 new cases, raising its tally to 1,964.
97741 Madras
This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 61 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, double from the previous week.
The Jefferson County ZIP code added 75 new cases, increasing its total to 386.
97032 Hubbard
This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 58 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, up from the previous week.
The Marion County ZIP code added 30 new cases, raising its tally to 218.
97236 east Portland (Pleasant Valley/Powellhurst-Gilbert/Centennial)
This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 52 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, down from the previous week.
The Multnomah County ZIP code added 213 new cases, increasing its total to 1,922.
97113 Cornelius
This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections totaling 51 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, down from the previous week.
The Washington County ZIP code added 76 new cases, raising its tally to 714.
97233 east Portland (Hazelwood/Glenfair/Centennial/Rockwood)
This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 51 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, down from the previous week.
The Multnomah County ZIP code added 208 new cases, increasing its total to 2,126.
97116 Forest Grove
This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections totaling 50 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, up from the previous week.
The Washington County ZIP code added 134 new cases, raising its tally to 833.
97603 Klamath Falls
This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 49 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, up slightly from the previous week.
The Klamath County ZIP code added 141 new cases, increasing its total to 600.
97601 Klamath Falls
This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections totaling 48 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, up from the previous week.
The Klamath County ZIP code added 108 new cases, raising its tally to 412.
97266 east Portland (Lents/Powellhurst-Gilbert)
This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 47 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, down from the previous week.
The Multnomah County ZIP code added 163 new cases, increasing its total to 1,273.
97024 Fairview
This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 45 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, down from the previous week.
The Multnomah County ZIP code added 47 new cases, raising its tally to 517.
97058 The Dalles
This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 44 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, up sharply from the previous week.
The Wasco County ZIP code added 91 new cases, increasing its total to 580.
97838 Hermiston
This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 43 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, up from the previous week.
The Umatilla County ZIP code added 112 new cases, raising its tally to 2,182.
97305 Salem
This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 42 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, up slightly from the previous week.
The Marion County ZIP code added 183 new cases, increasing its total to 1,784.
97301 Salem
This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 42 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, unchanged from the previous week.
The Marion County ZIP code added 222 new cases, raising its tally to 1,917.
97123 Hillsboro
This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 41 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, down from the previous week.
The Washington County ZIP code added 200 new cases, raising its tally to 1,583.
97914 Ontario
This ZIP code recorded new confirmed or presumed infections of 40 per 10,000 people during the week ending Sunday, down from the previous week.
The Malheur County ZIP code added 77 new cases, raising its tally to 1,811.
-- Brad Schmidt; bschmidt@oregonian.com; 503-294-7628; @_brad_schmidt
When members of the Texas State Board of Education finished their business for the day Nov. 19, they headed several blocks away to an Austin hotel for an informal reception.
Current and incoming board members, education lobbyists, and others in the Texas Capitol crowd gathered in the spacious DoubleTree Suites event rooms to honor the four members who were leaving the board this year, according to eight people The Texas Tribune interviewed who attended the event.
The roughly two-hour event, which followed another all-day board meeting, was informally organized and co-hosted by a number of education organizations, according to those people. About 30 to 45 people were there throughout the evening, two of the attendees estimated.
Within the next two weeks, at least three board members who attended their regular meeting and also went to the reception would test positive for COVID-19. The boards support staff sent emails to board members notifying them of two of those positive tests. But five other people who attended the reception said they did not know about those positive tests until the Tribune reported it Tuesday.
None of us who were there from HillCo knew that a board member had tested positive until we read about it in the Tribune, said David Anderson, a lobbyist for HillCo Partners, which co-hosted the event.
The hotel wasnt informed until the Tribune contacted it Friday. After connecting with the hotel, we have learned that your inquiry is the first time that the hotel is learning of these three potentially ill individuals, a Hilton spokesperson said in an email. The hotel has also reached out to their client to advise them of this information. We have confirmed with hotel management that the hotel has not been contacted by the health department or by any individuals in attendance of potentially ill attendees.
Most of the attendees wore masks most of the time, said multiple sources, including Anderson. Some of the people who spoke to the Tribune about the event requested anonymity because they feared speaking out would make it harder to do their jobs.
At one point, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath made an appearance, said Todd Webster, a Hillco Partners lobbyist and former Texas education commissioner who attended. All Texas Education Agency staff members who stopped by wore masks and adhered to safety protocols while there, Anderson said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises people who have been in close contact with someone who has had COVID-19 to stay home for 14 days and monitor their symptoms. Last week, it announced that local public health departments could shorten that quarantine period to 10 days without testing or seven days with a test.
In response to questions about why event attendees were not told about the positive tests, board chair Keven Ellis said, By the time ... that we knew the information of the positive test, it was outside the window of the current CDC guidelines.
The CDC shortened the quarantine period Dec. 2, two days after Ellis and other board members were notified about the first infection. Even with a shorter quarantine period, the CDC advises people to watch for symptoms for 14 days after possible exposure and strenuously adhere to safety precautions such as wearing masks and avoiding crowds.
Ellis did not directly respond to questions about whose responsibility it would be to inform people who attended the reception about board members positive tests.
The incident comes as Texas gears up for Januarys legislation session, a time when the states lobbyists, journalists and legislative staff are used to schmoozing in crowded bars, offices and hotel rooms after lawmakers adjourn for the day. The political work done in and around the Capitol usually thrives on close contact, with guests packed into the chamber galleries and committee rooms, lawmakers seated within a few inches of one another and lobbyists huddled with legislative staff in the hallways.
In the political space, its just really difficult because ... I think theres that whole fear of missing out. That there are political conversations going on and people feel like, In order for me to do my job, I need to go to these things. They go when they shouldnt, said a person who attended the event and works at an education organization. The person asked not to be named, fearing that speaking out would harm them professionally.
The 15-member, Republican-dominated State Board of Education meets about five times a year and determines what Texas public school students learn. After meeting virtually in April and June, members met in person in September and November.
Over the course of four days in November, members spent hours in the same room, arriving at 9 a.m. each day and sometimes not leaving until late afternoon or evening. They were spread out around the room, but the archived livestream shows many members not wearing masks while seated at their desks. At times, some did not wear masks within 6 feet of other members.
At the Nov. 19 reception following the board meeting, hotel employees served food and made drinks available for attendees, meaning some removed their masks to eat and drink, attendees said. The Hilton spokesperson said the hotel followed strict safety rules, including limiting capacity to 25%, setting all the seating areas at least 6 feet apart, and putting up signs to remind guests to stand 6 feet apart and wear masks.
Webster said he felt there were a lot of precautions taken, including separating the food from the area where people gathered, providing hand sanitizer and masks, offering an outdoor area for people to stand, and providing ample space indoors.
It felt safer than going to a restaurant, he said.
The only time Webster said he took his mask off was when he took a photo with a board member whose family had not been able to attend, he said. Just for the brief moment, for the photo, but it was brief. And we kind of stood back [from each other], he said.
Others appear to have also removed their masks for photos. Ken Mercer, one of four outgoing members being celebrated, publicly posted a photo on his Facebook page of himself posing next to lawyer Darrick Eugene. Mercer is not wearing a mask, and Eugenes mask is pulled below his face. Mercer and Eugene did not respond to requests for comment this week.
Four people who attended said some in the room were not staying 6 feet apart from one another, with or without masks.
It is impossible to tell when or where the three board members who later tested positive for COVID-19 were infected. Experts say people can be infected with COVID-19 and not show symptoms for between two and 14 days.
Georgina Prez, one member who tested positive for COVID-19, said she did not have symptoms until Nov. 26 and did not test positive until Nov. 30. She said she still has a persistent cough and extremely low energy. She said she was wearing a mask during the reception.
I dont think I got it there [at the event], she said. I think I got it at the boardroom, probably at any point where I had to eat lunch or drink a cup of coffee or water or something, because we were there for extended periods of time. It was the one room where we were constantly.
But she said she was very shocked that others who attended the event had not known about her positive test and those of the other two board members until eight days after board members were notified.
Marisa Perez-Diaz, a Democratic board member, got tested for COVID-19 soon after she found out her colleagues had been infected. She tested negative, she said. Perez-Diaz said she kept her mask on and stood away from others during the retirement event at the hotel. She said she was not aware that attendees, other than board members, were not notified of the infections.
Im praying that nobody got sick that wasnt informed. That would be heartbreaking, she said.
A residential street in Wicker Park in Chicago. (WTTW News)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Friday that Illinois ban on evictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic would be extended until Jan. 11 amid a sustained second surge of COVID-19 cases.
Pritzker ordered a total ban on evictions starting in March when he issued a stay-at-home order, and extended it as state officials worked to get $5,000 grants to Illinois residents who won a lottery for rental assistance grants and help with mortgage payments.
Illinois $300 million housing assistance program was the largest in the nation, officials said.
Only renters who earn less than $99,000 annually or $198,000 if a couple files jointly are covered by the eviction ban, in line with the federal ban on evictions, officials said.
Those who cannot pay their rent must submit a form to their landlords declaring that the pandemic has made it impossible for them to pay all or a portion of their rent. That form is available atihda.org.
Evictions filed and approved before the pandemic can move forward if there are serious health and safety concerns, officials said.
Illinois ban on most evictions is in its 10th month.
Contact Heather Cherone:@HeatherCherone| (773) 569-1863 |[emailprotected]
Dr. Cleavon Gilman works at Yuma Regional Medical Center and said he was told on Nov. 22 no hospital in the state was accepting transfer ICU patients.(Photo: Courtesy Dr. Cleavon Gilman)
PHOENIX Dr. Cleavon Gilman,a well-known emergency-medicine physician, has been asked not to return to work at a hospital in Yuma, Arizona for his social media posts about the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state, according to him and his staffing agency.
"What I don't understand about this is I have been advocating for Arizona; I have been calling for a mask mandate, the closure of schools and indoor dining," Gilman told The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network."I did all of this because we are seeing an unprecedented number of cases. This is my third surge I know how this ends."
The hospital,Yuma Regional Medical Center, said in a statement late Thursday night that "there has been a misunderstanding" and Gilman is scheduled to work this weekend.
"News to me," Gilman tweeted.
In June, Gilman moved his fianc and two kids from New York to work in Yuma, near the U.S.-Mexico border, and "serve the small community during the pandemic."But he has not been to work since Nov. 23.
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It started onNov. 22 when Gilman tweeted, "Just got to work and was notified there are no more ICU beds in the state of Arizona."
"What happened to the 175 beds??? We likely dont have nursing to staff them," he added.The Arizona Department of Health Services at the time reportedthat 90% of ICU beds were in use.
His tweet received more than 81,000 likes and 30,000 retweets. Gilman said he finished his shift that day "without a problem."
The next morning, Nov. 23, Gilmanreceived a call from the health care staffing company he works for, Envision Healthcare. Envision told him the hospital did not want him to come back to work.
"They told me it was because of the tweets and I couldn't believe it because that was accurate information I posted to inform the citizens of Arizona," he said. "It is a grave injustice and it's not just happening to me. Doctors everywhere are afraid to speak up."
Gilman was scheduled the following three days but the "hospital did not permit" him to come in, he said.
"All I know is this hospital is trying to crush my voice, they want to silence me and they want to financially hurt me. This is all so wrong."
In a time where Gilman said hundreds of thousands of his colleagues are forced to leave the front lines due to burnout and risinginfection rates among health care workers, it is a "slap in the face" to sit on the sidelines for "no reason." But regardless of whether or not he holds a position at the hospital, Gilman said he isn't going to be quiet on social media anytime soon.
Around 11:45 p.m. Thursday, Yuma Regional Medical Center said in a statement posted on Twitter that "While he is not speaking on behalf of YRMC, we respect Dr. Gilman's right to share his personal perspective on the pandemic."
"We need good caregivers like Dr. Gilman here," the statement said.
Gilman served as a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Marines during the Iraq War well before he becamethechief residentof emergency medicine at New York-PresbyterianHospital during thebeginning of the pandemic a moment in history he saidwas "worse than war by a long shot."
"The death toll during the entire Iraq War was equivalentto what we see now every single day,"he said. "You could leave a war zone if you couldn't handle it. COVID is everywhere."
Starting March 20, Gilman began documenting"what was happening on the frontlines" in his online journal,"#CleavonMDjournal."
His first post: "Tough night last night. Intubated a young woman with a history of smoking who decompensatedvery fast. There are so many COVID cases in New York City."
His posts about COVID-19 drew wide attention thanks in part to their insight into a hot spot in the early days of the pandemic.Approximately203,000 casesof COVID-19 were reported in New York Cityduring the first threemonths of the pandemic.
His prominence skyrocketed with the tweet about ICU beds in Yuma.
Since thatinitial tweet, dozens of his threads have gone viral. Gilman has used his platform to speak outabout pay cuts for health care workers, COVID-19 deaths among children and the "lack of action" fromPresident Donald Trump. The posts have been retweeted by celebrities such as John Legend and elected officials including Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs. On Nov. 25, hewas featured in theNew York Times for an article about COVID "combat fatigue."
"I truly believe I have a moral obligation to Arizonans to be honest with them," Gilman said. "I can't be quiet while more than 2,000 people are dying everyday. What kind of doctor would I be? What kind of public servant would I be? I can't live with the silence they are asking from me."
On Dec. 5, President-elect Joe Biden called Gilman to thank him for his advocacy and his service. In a video of the call on the Biden-Harris Transitional Team's Twitter, Biden said "I promise you, doc, you are going to have a full-blown partner. You have my word as a Biden."
In his reply, Gilman tweeted that thecall "lifted his spirits."
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In a statement sent to The Arizona Republic, an Envision Healthcare spokesperson saidEnvision "fully supports" Gilman and said the loss of his position during an ongoing pandemic would be "unfortunate."
"As a physician on the frontlines, he has continuously advocated for his patients and the health and safety of the Yuma community a traditionally medically underserved community," the statement said. "We recognize Dr. Gilmans depth of experience, perspectives and voice he lends to those who might not have one due to the inequities in the complex U.S. healthcare system."
Gilman said he does not believe he should have to leave Yuma at all. Yuma County has the highest rateofcasesper 100,000 people in the state, according toArizona Department of Health Services data.
"The people of Yuma deserve an honest doctor who gives them the truth, who cares about them and who advocates for them," Gilman said."They have trusted me and I am not leaving them without a fight."
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COVID-19 vaccines should dramatically drive down the rate of new cases, hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S. provided that enough people get the shots.
According to a new model, posted Nov. 30 to the preprint database medRxiv, vaccinating just 40% of the U.S. population would cut the attack rate, or new infections from the virus, more than four-fold over the course of one year. That reduction would occur both by directly protecting those who get the shots and indirectly protecting others in the wider community.
Without any vaccines, about 7% of susceptible people would get infected over the next year, the authors estimated. That's assuming people comply with measures like social distancing and mask-wearing; the attack rate would likely be higher without such precautions in place.
The low attack rate with vaccines translates to fewer hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19; with 40% of the population vaccinated, both ICU and non-ICU hospitalizations would fall more than 85%, according to the model. Deaths would fall by more than 87% compared with a year-long scenario with no vaccinations.
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Does that mean we can throw caution to the wind and stop social distancing if 41% of the population gets vaccinated? No, not exactly.
About three-quarters of the population will likely need to be vaccinated before we can safely begin easing restrictions, given how easily COVID-19 spreads between people, said study author Meagan Fitzpatrick, an assistant professor and infectious disease transmission modeler at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. In addition, the new model has not yet been peer-reviewed, and in any case, it cannot perfectly predict what will happen once Americans are vaccinated.
But the study does give us reason for hope, Fitzpatrick said. With such highly effective vaccines under review, "the strategy now is to try to get these vaccines into as many people as possible," she said.
The two leading vaccine candidates one designed by Moderna and the other by Pfizer and BioNTech are both more than 94% effective at preventing COVID-19, according to early analyses. That level of efficacy is "so much higher than any of us had a right to expect one year into the pandemic," Fitzpatrick said. "What our research confirms is that these vaccines with extraordinarily high efficacy really do have the potential to make a huge impact," she said.
In their model, the study authors assumed that people with the highest risk of COVID-19 exposure and death would receive the vaccine first. These included a large proportion of all health care workers, people with existing medical conditions and individuals ages 65 and older. Individuals younger than age 65 received the vaccine next, and no individuals under 18 got the shots, since none of the leading vaccines have been tested thoroughly in children yet.
In addition, the authors assumed that 10% of the population had already caught COVID-19 and developed natural immunity to the virus. "Ten percent is fair, but may be an underestimate in some places" where case counts have been particularly high, Stanley Perlman, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Iowa, who was not involved in the study, said in an email.
Related: Here are the most promising coronavirus vaccine candidates out there
Given these parameters, the model showed that vaccinating 40% of the population substantially reduced case counts, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19.
The most dramatic drop occurred in people ages 65 and older, who experienced an 83% to 90% reduction in potential cases. People ages 20 and younger had half as many new infections, even though no one under 18 was vaccinated. In other words, while older adults got direct protection from the vaccine, young adults and children were indirectly protected as immunity increased in the community at large, Fitzpatrick said.
After seeing the impact of 40% vaccination rates, the authors tested what would happen with only 20% of the population vaccinated. Again, the model prioritized vaccinating those at high risk of exposure and severe illness. Even with such low vaccine coverage, non-ICU hospitalizations fell by 60%, ICU hospitalizations by 62% and deaths by more than 64%. This suggests that, as vaccines begin to roll out, we may begin to see their positive impacts even before many people get the shots, Fitzpatrick said.
While the study highlights the power and promise of COVID-19 vaccines, the study authors cautioned that vaccines must be paired with other safeguards against the virus, such as masking, testing and contact tracing. If we drop those safeguards too soon, more people would need to be vaccinated to prevent a spike in new cases, they wrote.
"I think that we [will] need social distancing and masks for many months still," Perlman said. "Opening up restaurants and allowing mass gatherings will need to be done very cautiously until vaccination rates are high," he noted.
If anything, contact-tracing efforts should ramp up as vaccines roll out, so health officials can quickly spot new outbreaks and identify communities that should be prioritized for vaccination, Fitzpatrick said.
Reaching high-risk groups will be critical to stopping the pandemic, and this is one way in which the model might differ from reality. In the model, vaccination rates were assumed to be similar across the whole country, and those in high-risk groups always got their shots first. What's more, both of the leading vaccines require two shots given several weeks apart, and in the model, everyone in the model got both doses of the vaccine.
In reality, "vaccination programs often miss their targets," said Dr. Eric Schneider, senior vice president for policy and research at The Commonwealth Fund, a national organization that researches health and social policy issues, who was not involved in the study. "If, in reality, lower-risk individuals ... are more likely than higher-risk individuals to receive [a] vaccine, then the model overstates the effect of the vaccination program," Schneider said in an email.
In other words, the model will reflect reality only if the U.S. follows through with its plan to give high-risk groups the vaccine first. To work, this plan must be well-coordinated at all levels of the government and health care system, and paired with clear communication about the vaccine's risks and benefits, according to a recent report by The Commonwealth Fund.
And of course, once a vaccine becomes available, those offered access must agree to take it, Fitzpatrick said. "A vaccine only works if people take it."
Recent surveys hint that many U.S. residents would probably or definitely get a COVID-19 vaccine if offered one today, but a smaller proportion say that they probably or definitely would not. These reports should be taken with a huge grain of salt, though, because "what someone says they're going to do in a survey doesn't always represent what they're actually going to do," Fitzpatrick said.
Thankfully, while we wait to see what happens, "I think there's a lot of reason to be hopeful," she added.
Originally published on Live Science.
Long-term care facilities are set to be included in the first group of COVID-19 vaccinations in New Hampshire. On Wednesday, new information was revealed on the timeline and number of vaccine doses coming to the state.>> Download the FREE WMUR appThe first shipment of vaccine could be in New Hampshire by the middle of next week, in limited amounts. There will be 12,675 doses of the Pfizer vaccine allocated to start, with a larger allocation of the Moderna vaccine the week of Dec. 21, according to Dr. Beth Daly of Health and Human Services. Then we will continue to receive weekly allocations thereafter, Daly said. We do not know the exact amount of what that will be.Reaffirming to long-term care facilities on the weekly call, that they will be prioritized, along with at-risk health workers and first responders, also as early as the week of Dec. 21. We are meeting regularly with the pharmacies to understand their plan for New Hampshire, what does that mean for Dec. 21, what is that going to look like, how many facilities are they planning to do each week, Daly said. The safety of the vaccine was discussed and the most common side effects from pain, redness and swelling at the injection site. To fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain, chills and fever. A complicating factor because people are screened for fever before they enter facilities.So, if somebody was vaccinated 24 hours before it seems to be that 14% of those may have some fever so essentially be screened out, Dr. Elizabeth Talbot said. The state is working on a strategy for that, along with other information to be released in the days ahead.And officials issued a reminder, with little known about the transmissibility of the virus, once someone has gotten the vaccine, we need to keep our guard up.Tempering our collective enthusiasm, theres really good news here, but we still need to maintain all the different strategies weve put in place to prevent transmission, Talbot said.
Long-term care facilities are set to be included in the first group of COVID-19 vaccinations in New Hampshire. On Wednesday, new information was revealed on the timeline and number of vaccine doses coming to the state.
>> Download the FREE WMUR app
The first shipment of vaccine could be in New Hampshire by the middle of next week, in limited amounts. There will be 12,675 doses of the Pfizer vaccine allocated to start, with a larger allocation of the Moderna vaccine the week of Dec. 21, according to Dr. Beth Daly of Health and Human Services.
Then we will continue to receive weekly allocations thereafter, Daly said. We do not know the exact amount of what that will be.
Reaffirming to long-term care facilities on the weekly call, that they will be prioritized, along with at-risk health workers and first responders, also as early as the week of Dec. 21.
We are meeting regularly with the pharmacies to understand their plan for New Hampshire, what does that mean for Dec. 21, what is that going to look like, how many facilities are they planning to do each week, Daly said.
The safety of the vaccine was discussed and the most common side effects from pain, redness and swelling at the injection site. To fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain, chills and fever. A complicating factor because people are screened for fever before they enter facilities.
So, if somebody was vaccinated 24 hours before it seems to be that 14% of those may have some fever so essentially be screened out, Dr. Elizabeth Talbot said.
The state is working on a strategy for that, along with other information to be released in the days ahead.
And officials issued a reminder, with little known about the transmissibility of the virus, once someone has gotten the vaccine, we need to keep our guard up.
Tempering our collective enthusiasm, theres really good news here, but we still need to maintain all the different strategies weve put in place to prevent transmission, Talbot said.
Modernas COVID-19 vaccine, one of two expected to come on line before the end of the year.
As federal experts determined that known and potential benefits outweigh the related risks when it comes to Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine, New Jersey officials are poised in the coming weeks to launch their part of what is likely the largest immunization campaign in history.
Gov. Phil Murphy said Tuesday that state officials have fine-tuned their vaccine plan and are working with a network of public and private health-care providers and other stakeholders to be ready. They aim to begin immunizing priority individuals within a day or so of a final federal approval, which could come as early as Thursday.
Its safe based on everything we know, Murphy said Tuesday during a public conversation with SkyBridge Capitals founder and partner Anthony Scaramucci, who briefly served as President Donald Trumps communication director. (Both Murphy and Scaramucci worked at Goldman Sachs.)
The state hopes to get 70% of the eligible population, some 4.7 million adults, immunized within six months of the vaccine becoming available to the general public, likely April or May 2021. Thats a reach, but were going to try, Murphy said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, heres where the process stands:
Mass vaccinations have already begun in the United Kingdom, where Monday marked the start of what is being called V-day, just a year after the novel coronavirus first emerged in Wuhan, China. In Britain, vaccines will be administered at roughly 50 public hospitals and the priority is residents over age 80 who are hospitalized or have outpatient appointments at the facility, according to news reports.
First up was grandmother Margaret Keenan, due to turn 91 next week, the AP reported. Its the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the New Year after being on my own for most of the year, Keenan said.
As one of two COVID-19 vaccines go up for FDA approval, can employers mandate you get thevaccine when its available?
The County Executive and director of the Health Department both encourage employers to push for their employees to get the covid-19 vaccine when it becomes available.
The more people that are vaccinated, the quicker we are going to get out of this pandemic and the faster we will get to a recovery stage,says Melissa Lyon, director of the Erie County Department of Health.
County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper adds that the vaccine could be a proactive measure to the economic downfall of the pandemic.
A healthy population, good public health is absolutely essential to good economic development and to a thriving economy,says Dahlkemper.
There is no official word on if a coronavirus vaccine would be mandatory for workers.
In general, yes an employer would have the right to require vaccine of their employees; particularly an at-will employer,says lawyer Timothy McNair.
Exceptions to a potential vaccine mandate would include medical issues or religious beliefs.
They would have to be accommodated either by working separately, working off site, whatever the employer can do that is reasonable,says McNair.
However, it does not guarantee the employee would keep their job.Also, if company employees are represented by a union, a vaccine mandate could become an issue for collective bargaining.
As the general public waits for the vaccine to roll out for distribution, we decided to talk to members to see if they are readyto get the dose themselves.
Yes, I work in healthcare. Im excited for it, I hope it helps everyone, says healthcare worker Tracy Wentz.
Yeah, Ill get it. I think it works according tonews,says Erie Resident James Kerney Jr.
Idontknow if I would because I think theres people that would need it more and I respect that,says Erie Resident Stefanie Seath.
Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine says there is not a mandate in place for public school students to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
