Few things on the planet are being watched more closely than the development of vaccines for the coronavirus, which has killed 1.4 million people and infected 60 million worldwide.
In November, three drug companies developing experimental vaccines announced promising efficacy data that excited medical experts and health officials. But the good news came with a caveat: It will be months before vaccines are widely available to the public.
With a host of developments and cautions breaking over the past few weeks, The Chronicle researched the situation to obtain more clarity. Here is what we know, and dont know, about coronavirus vaccines:
Q: Are the vaccines effective?
A: Yes they are, based on the limited data released so far on three major vaccine clinical trials conducted by Pfizer and BioNTech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca and Oxford University, according to data released by the companies this month. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are about 95% effective, and the AstraZeneca vaccine is on average 70% effective. (The AstraZeneca vaccine is 62% effective under one dosing regimen, and 90% effective under another dosing regimen. But these results have come under some scrutiny after the company acknowledged an error in vaccine dosing given to some trial participants.) The data has not been peer reviewed. Pfizers data is final, but the other two companies data is preliminary. Pfizer is the only company to apply for FDA authorization for its vaccine.
Q: Are the vaccines safe?
A: They appear safe, based on the data thats been released. The three drug companies that have shared early results said there were no serious safety concerns among the tens of thousands of people who volunteered to participate in the trials. The Phase 3 trials enrolled 44,000 people (Pfizer), 30,000 people (Moderna) and 23,000 people (AstraZeneca).
Q: Are there any side effects?
A: Yes. A relatively small number of clinical trial participants experienced fatigue, headaches and some soreness around the injection site, though most side effects were mild or moderate and short-lived. In Pfizers trial, 3.8% of participants reported fatigue and 2% reported headaches after the second dose. Moderna said 9.7% of trial participants had fatigue, 8.9% had muscle pain, 5.2% had joint pain, 4.5% had headaches, 4.1% had pain and 2% had redness at the injection site. AstraZeneca said its vaccine did not cause any serious side effects, but unlike the two other companies, did not share details about potential mild or moderate side effects.
AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson both paused and later restarted their trials after a few participants reported serious illnesses a neurological illness in the AstraZeneca trial, and an unspecified serious medical condition in the Johnson & Johnson trial, but its unclear whether the problems were directly related to the vaccines.
Q: Who will get vaccinated first?
A: The highest-risk segments of the U.S. population will get vaccinated first. That will almost certainly be health care workers, first responders, and employees and residents of nursing homes. California is expected to start vaccinating 2.4 million of the states highest-priority health care workers in December, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom, most likely using the Pfizer vaccine.
Q: When will I be able to get vaccinated?
A: The vast majority of Americans will probably have access to a vaccine in the summer and fall of 2021, according to estimates from federal health officials. This wont happen all at once. The most likely scenario is that a limited number of doses will be available to health care workers in December. Then, as more doses and vaccines are manufactured, distributed and authorized, availability will gradually increase and go to other groups of people, in order of priority.
Q: How many doses will I need?
A: It depends on the vaccine. The Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines are each administered in two doses. Pfizers is given 21 days apart, Modernas 28 days apart, and AstraZenecas at least one month apart. Its unclear whether partial immunity would be gained after receiving the first of the two doses, because the trials are focused on how well the vaccines work after two doses. Other vaccines, such as one being developed by Johnson & Johnson, could be administered in one dose.
Q: How many vaccines are in the pipeline?
A: There are 13 vaccine candidates in large-scale Phase 3 trials, and an additional 55 in Phase 1 or Phase 2 trials, according to the New York Times Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker. While six vaccines have been approved for early or limited use in China, Russia and the United Arab Emirates, none has received authorization in the United States. Phase 1 trials are done in a small number of people to test for safety and dosing. Phase 2 trials are done in hundreds of people to further test for safety. Phase 3 trials typically include tens of thousands of people and are the final stage of testing before a vaccine can be submitted for review by the Food and Drug Administration.
Q: Do the vaccines work well in older adults?
A: The early data suggests yes. The two vaccines that have reported more details about the demographics of their clinical trial participants, Pfizer and Moderna, indicate the vaccines work well in those 65 years and older. Pfizer said its vaccine is 94% effective in adults 65 and older. Moderna did not break out its efficacy data by age group, but about a quarter of the trial participants are 65 or older. AstraZeneca did not include details about how well the vaccine works in different age groups.
Q: Do the vaccines work well in children?
A: Its not yet known. Major clinical trials have tested the vaccines only in adults, and only recently began to expand enrollment to include teenagers and adolescents, from ages 12 to 17.
Q: How will vaccines be distributed?
A: The federal government will allocate vaccine doses to states. California will then allocate doses to local health departments, which will distribute them to health care providers. In some cases, vaccine manufacturers may send doses directly to health care providers.
Q: Where will I be able to get one?
A: Eventually, vaccines should be available at pharmacies, doctors offices and clinics. The federal government has reached agreements with CVS and Walgreens, for instance, to administer vaccines to nursing home residents. State and local officials may set up public vaccination sites, similar to the sites set up by cities and counties to do coronavirus testing and flu vaccinations.
Q: Which vaccine should I get?
A: Its too early to say. It will become more clear over time, as vaccines gain authorization and the drug companies share more details about how well each vaccine works in different age groups, ethnicities and among people who have certain health conditions. Some vaccines might work better for people 65 years and older, for instance, and others might work better for adolescents and teenagers.
The timeline of availability, and what the priority groups will look like once federal and state officials identify those groups will also factor in. The Pfizer vaccine, for example, will probably be the only one available at first, and initially those doses will go only to health care workers, first responders, and nursing home workers and residents.
Q: What are some of the hurdles to storing and transporting vaccines?
A: The Pfizer vaccine must be stored at minus-70 degrees Celsius, equivalent to minus-94 degrees Fahrenheit. Some research labs and hospitals affiliated with research institutions have ultra-cold freezers that can do this, but many rural hospitals and clinics do not. Pfizer plans to ship its vaccines in containers equipped with dry ice, and California plans to buy dozens of ultra-cold freezers to help supplement the storage and transporting of the Pfizer vaccine. Some health systems and local health departments have been buying ultra-cold freezers in anticipation of the Pfizer vaccine. The Moderna vaccine should be less difficult to manage, since it is kept at minus-20 degrees Celsius, which a standard medical freezer can accommodate. The AstraZeneca vaccine, and potentially others in the pipeline, can be kept in normal refrigerators (2 to 8 degrees Celsius) and will be easier to store and transport.
Q: Who is reviewing vaccine safety and efficacy data?
A: Each drug company has an independent data and safety monitoring board that reviews the Phase 3 clinical trial data. Once companies complete trials, they will submit the data to the FDA. The agencys Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will meet publicly to discuss the data. The FDAs career scientists will review the data and decide whether to grant the vaccine emergency use authorization.
In addition to the federal review, California is one of several states that has set up its own vaccine review board. Once the FDA has authorized a vaccine or vaccines, the state board made up of 11 vaccine experts, researchers and health officials will analyze the safety and efficacy of the vaccines.
Catherine Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Cat_Ho
HOUSTON, TX - NOVEMBER 26: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Dr. Joseph Varon hugs and comforts a patient in the COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) during Thanksgiving at the United Memorial Medical Center on November 26, 2020 in Houston, Texas. According to repo
HOUSTON, Texas - A touching moment between a doctor and a distraught patient suffering from coronavirus is being shared across social media.
According to Yahoo!, Dr. Joseph Varon, chief of staff at United Memorial Medical Center in Houston, has been working for 251 days straight due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Thanksgiving Day was no exception.
With a ward full of coronavirus patients, Dr. Varon showed the true compassion of health care workers. Dressed in full PPE, the doctor is seen comfortingan elderly patient in the hospitals intensive-care unit.
MORE NEWS:Veteran who took delivery job for money to fix roof helped by woman who saw him struggling
I am grateful to witness a wonderful moment and I thank all the medical staffs for their hard work even during the holiday season, wrote photographer Go Nakamura on Facebook, who captured the tender moment.
According to reports, Texas has reached over 1,220,000 cases, including over 21,500 deaths.
New estimates by theCenters for Disease Control and Preventionshow that the spread of thecoronavirusin the U.S.may be worse than was previously known.
| THE LATEST ON THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC |
There may have been as many as 53 million coronavirus cases in the U.S. by the end of September, the CDC reported. That would be nearly eight times as many cases as had been reported by that time.
The CDC says that government mandates that require people to wear masks in public help slow the spread of COVID-19.
The first time, she was just 22 years old with a full-time job in publishing that didn't pay enough to cover her rent and grocery bills in Tokyo. "I was really poor," said Kobayashi, who spent three days unconscious in hospital after the incident.
Now 43, Kobayashi has written books on her mental health struggles and has a steady job at an NGO. But the coronavirus is bringing back the stress she used to feel.
"My salary was cut, and I cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel," she said. "I constantly feel a sense of crisis that I might fall back into poverty."
Experts have warned that the pandemic could lead to a mental health crisis. Mass unemployment, social isolation, and anxiety are taking their toll on people globally.
"We didn't even have a lockdown, and the impact of Covid is very minimal compared to other countries ... but still we see this big increase in the number of suicides," said Michiko Ueda, an associate professor at Waseda University in Tokyo, and an expert on suicides.
"That suggests other countries might see a similar or even bigger increase in the number of suicides in the future."
While the reasons for Japan's high suicide rate are complex, long working hours, school pressure, social isolation and a cultural stigma around mental health issues have all been cited as contributing factors.
The pandemic appears to have reversed that trend, and the rise in suicides has disproportionately affected women. Although they represent a smaller proportion of total suicides than men, the number of women taking their own lives is increasing. In October, suicides among women in Japan increased almost 83% compared to the same month the previous year. For comparison, male suicides rose almost 22% over the same time period.
There are several potential reasons for this. Women make up a larger percentage of part-time workers in the hotel, food service and retail industries -- where layoffs have been deep. Kobayashi said many of her friends have been laid off. "Japan has been ignoring women," she said. "This is a society where the weakest people are cut off first when something bad happens."
Compounding those worries about income, women have been dealing with skyrocketing unpaid care burdens, according to the study. For those who keep their jobs, when children are sent home from school or childcare centers, it often falls to mothers to take on those responsibilities, as well as their normal work duties.
Increased anxiety about the health and well-being of children has also put an extra burden on mothers during the pandemic.
Akari, a 35-year-old who did not want to use her real name, said she sought professional help this year when her premature son was hospitalized for six weeks. "I was pretty much worried 24 hours," Akari said. "I didn't have any mental illness history before, but I could see myself really, really anxious all the time."
Her feelings got worse as the pandemic intensified, and she worried her son would get Covid-19.
"I felt there was no hope, I felt like I always thought about the worst-case scenario," she said.
In March, Koki Ozora, a 21-year-old university student, started a 24-hour mental health hotline called Anata no Ibasho (A Place for You). He said the hotline, a nonprofit funded by private donations, receives an average of over 200 calls a day, and that the vast majority of callers are women.
"They lost their jobs, and they need to raise their kids, but they didn't have any money," Ozora said. "So, they attempted suicide."
Most of the calls come through the night -- from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. The nonprofit's 600 volunteers live around the world in different timezones and are awake to answer them. But there aren't enough volunteers to keep up with the volume of messages, Ozora said.
They prioritize the texts that are most urgent -- looking for keywords such as suicide or sexual abuse. He said they respond to 60% of texts within five minutes, and volunteers spend an average of 40 minutes with each person.
Anonymously, over online messaging, people share their deepest struggles. Unlike most mental health hotlines in Japan, which take requests over the phone, Ozora says many people -- especially the younger generation -- are more comfortable asking for help via text.
In April, he said the most common messages were from mothers who were feeling stressed about raising their kids, with some confessing to thoughts of killing their own children. These days, he says messages from women about job losses and financial difficulties are common -- as well as domestic violence.
"I've been accepting messages, like 'I'm being raped by my father' or 'My husband tried to kill me,'" Ozora said. "Women send these kinds of texts almost every day. And it's increasing." He added that the spike in messages is because of the pandemic. Before, there were more places to "escape," like schools, offices or friend's homes.
Japan is the only G-7 country where suicide is the leading manner of death for young people aged 15 to 39. And suicides among those under 20 had been increasing even before the pandemic, according to health ministry.
As pandemic restrictions take children out of school and social situations, they're dealing with abuse, stressful home lives, and pressures from falling behind on homework, Ozora said. Some children as young as five years old had messaged the hotline, he added.
Morisaki says he thinks there's a big correlation between the anxiety of children and their parents. "The children who are self-injuring themselves have the stress, and then they can't speak out to their family because probably they see that their moms or dads are not able to listen to them."
In Japan, there is still a stigma against admitting loneliness and struggle. Ozora said it's common for women and parents to start the conversation with his service with the phrase: "I know it's bad to ask for help, but can I talk?"
Ueda says the "shame" of talking about depression often holds people back.
"It's not something that you talk about in public, you don't talk about it with friends or anything," she said. "(It) could lead to a delay in seeking help, so that's one potential cultural factor that we have in here."
Akari, the mother of the premature baby, agrees. She had previously lived in the US, where she says it seems easier to seek help. "When I lived in America, I knew people who went through therapy, and it's a more common thing to do, but in Japan it's very difficult," she said.
But both Ozora and Kobayashi say it has not been nearly enough: reducing the suicide rate requires Japanese society to change.
"It's shameful for others to know your weakness, so you hide everything, hold it in yourself, and endure," Kobayashi said. "We need to create the culture where it's OK to show your weakness and misery."
A succession of Japanese celebrities have taken their lives in recent months. While the Japanese media rarely details the specifics of such deaths -- deliberately not dwelling on method or motive -- the mere reporting on these cases often causes an increase in suicide in the general public, according to experts such as Ueda.
Hana Kimura, a 22-year-old professional wrestler and star of the reality show "Terrace House," died by suicide over the summer, after social media users bombarded her with hateful messages. Hana's mother, Kyoko Kimura, says she was conscious that media reports on her daughter's death may have affected others who were feeling suicidal.
"When Hana died, I asked the police repeatedly not to disclose any concrete situation of her death, but still, I see the reporting of information only the police knew," Kimura said. "It's a chain reaction of grief."
Kimura said the pandemic led her daughter to spend more time reading toxic social media messages, as she was unable to wrestle because of coronavirus restrictions. Kimura is now setting up an NGO called "Remember Hana" to raise awareness about cyberbullying.
"She found her reason to live by fighting as a professional wrestler. It was a big part of her. She was in a really tough situation as she could not wrestle," Kimura said. "The coronavirus pandemic made society more suffocating."
In recent weeks, Japan has reported record-high daily Covid-19 cases, as doctors warn of a third wave that could intensify in the winter months. Experts worry that the high suicide rate will get worse as the economic fallout continues.
"We haven't even experienced the full economic consequences of the pandemic," Ueda said. "The pandemic itself can get worse, then maybe there's a semi-lockdown again; if that happens, then the impact can be huge."
But as cases rise, some worry harsher restrictions will be needed -- and are concerned about how that could affect mental health.
"We didn't even have a lockdown, and the impact of Covid is very minimal compared to other countries ... but still we see this big increase in the number of suicides," Ueda said. "That suggests other countries might see a similar or even bigger increase in the number of suicides in the future."
Despite having to deal with a salary cut and constant financial insecurity, Kobayashi says she is now much better at managing her anxiety. She hopes that by speaking publicly about her fears, more people will do the same and realize they are not alone, before it's too late.
"I come out to the public and say that I have been mentally ill and suffered from depression in the hope that others might be encouraged to speak out," Kobayashi said. "I am 43 now and life starts to get more fun in the middle of my life. So, I feel it's good that I am still alive."
By Shoshana Dubnow
Sonia Brownshusband died onJune 10. Two weeks later, the 65-year-old registered nurse was back at work. Her husbands medical bills and a car payment loomed over her head.
She wanted to make sure all those things were taken care of before she retired, her son David said.
He and his sister begged her not to go back to work during the coronavirus pandemic explaining their concerns about her age and diabetes but she didnt listen.
She was like the Little Engine That Could. She just powered through everything, her son said.
But her invincibility couldnt withstand COVID-19, and on July 29 she died after contracting the deadly virus.
Browns death is far from unusual. Despite evidence from theCenters for Disease Control and Preventionthat adults 65 and older are at a higher risk from COVID-19, Kaiser Health News and The Guardian have found that 338 health care workers in that age group continued to work and likely died of complications from the virus after exposure on the job. Some were in their 80s oftentimes physicians or registered nurses who cherished decades-long relationships with their patients and didnt see retirement as an option.
The workers had a variety of motivations for risking their lives during the pandemic. Some felt pressured by employers to compensate for staffing shortages as the virus swept through departments. Others felt a higher sense of duty to their profession. Now their families are left to grapple with the same question: Would their loved ones still be alive if they had stayed home?
Aleyamma Johnwas what her son, Ginu, described as a prayerful woman. Her solace came from working and caring for others. Her 38-year nursing career started inMumbai, India. She emigrated with her husband toDubaiin theUnited Arab Emirates, where she worked for several years and had her two children. In 2002, the family moved toNew York, and she took a job atNYC Health+ Hospitals in Queens.
In early March, as cases surged acrossNew York, Johns son asked his 65-year-old mother to retire. Her lungs were already weakened by an inflammatory disease, sarcoidosis.
We told her very clearly, Mom, this isnt something that we should take lightly, and you definitely need to stay home.
I dont feel like the hospital will allow me to do that, she responded.
Her son described the camaraderie his mother shared with her co-workers, a bond that grew deeper during the pandemic. Many of her fellow nurses got sick themselves, and John felt she had to step up.
Some of her co-workers were quarantined (and did) not come into work, he said. Her department took a pretty heavy hit.
By the third week of March, she started showing symptoms of COVID-19. A few days in, she suggested it might be best for her to go to the hospital.
I think she knew it was not going to go well, her son said. But she found it in her heart to give us strength, which I thought was just insanely brave.
John ended up on a ventilator, something she had assured her son wouldnt be necessary. Her family was observing a virtualPalm SundayserviceApril 5when they got the call that she had died.
We prayed that she would be able to come back, but that didnt happen, her son said.
His mother and her husband, Johnny, who retired a few years ago, had been waiting to begin their next adventure.
If organizations cared about their staff, especially staff who were vulnerable, if they provided for them and protected them, all of this could have been prevented, the son said.
In non-pandemic times,Sheena Milesconsidered herself semi-retired. She worked every other weekend atScott Regional HospitalinMorton, Mississippi, mainly because she loved nursing and her patients. WhenScott Countyemerged as a hot spot for the virus, Sheena worked four weekends in a row.
Her son, Tom Miles, a member ofMississippis House of Representatives, called her one night to remind her she did not need to go to work.
You dont understand, Sheena Miles told her son. I have an oath to do this. I dont have a choice.
Over Easter weekend, she began exhibiting COVID-19-like symptoms. By Thursday, her husband drove her to theUniversity of Mississippi Medical CenterinJackson.
She walked in and she never came out, Tom Miles said.
He said his mom laid her life down for the residents ofMorton.
She knew the chances that she was taking, he said. She just felt it was her duty to serve and to be there for people.
Serving the community also was at the heart of Dr.Robert Ray Hullsfamily medicine clinic inRogers, Arkansas. He opened the clinic in 1972 and, according to his son Keith, had no intentions of leaving until his last breath.
He was one of the first family physicians in northwestArkansas, the son said. Several people asked him if he was going to retire. His answer was always no.
At the age of 78,Dr. Hullcontinued to make house calls, black bag in hand. His wife worked alongside him in the office. His son said the whole staff took proper precautions to keep the virus at bay, so when his father tested positive for COVID-19, it came as a shock.
Dr. Hulls son wasnt able to visit him at the hospital before he died onJune 7. The son said the funeral was even harder. Due to COVID-19 restrictions on crowd sizes, he had to ask patients fromArkansas,OklahomaandMissourito stay home.
Theres not a coliseum, arena or stadium that would have held his funeral, the son said. Everybody knew my dad.
Nancy MacDonald, at 74, got bored at home. Thats why her daughter, Bethany, said retirement never stuck for her. So in 2017, MacDonald took a job as a receptionist atOrchard View Manor, a nursing home inEast Providence, Rhode Island.
Although technically she worked the night shift, her co-workers could rely on her to pick up extra shifts without question.
If somebody called her and said, Oh, Im not feeling well. I cant come in, she was right there. That was just the way she was, her daughter said.
Nursing homes across the country have struggled to contain breakouts of COVID-19, andOrchard Viewwas no exception. By mid-April, the facility reportedly had 20 deaths. MacDonalds position was high-contact; residents and staff were in and out of the reception area all day.
At the onset of the pandemic,Orchard Viewhad a limited supply of PPE. MacDonalds daughter said they prioritized giving it to workers on the floor, primarily those handling patient care. Her mothers position was on the back burner.
When they gave her a(n N95) mask, they also gave her a brown paper bag, she said. When she left work, they told her to put the mask in the bag.
MacDonalds managers reiterated that she was an essential employee, so she continued showing up. In conversations with her daughter, however, she was fearful about what might happen. At her age, she was considered high risk. MacDonald saw the isolation thatOrchard Viewresidents experienced when they contracted the coronavirus. She didnt want that to be her.
She was afraid she was going to get sick, her daughter said. She was afraid to die alone.
Following her death onApril 25, theOccupational Safety and Health Administrationopened an investigation into the facility. So far,Orchard Viewhas been fined more than $15,000 for insufficient respiratory protection and recording criteria.
A spokesperson forOrchard Viewtold Kaiser Health News the facility had extensive infection control. The facility declined to comment further.
Bethany MacDonaldbelieves health care systems often exclude receptionists, janitors and technical workers from conversations on protecting the front line.
It doesnt matter what the job is, they are on the front line. You dont have to be a doctor to be on the front line, she said.
Kaiser Health Newsis a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of theHenry J. Kaiser Family Foundation,which is not affiliated withKaiser Permanente.
My painful excursion into the world of dueling infections started on a Tuesday afternoon with a scratchy throat and a mild-yet-annoying cough. I chalked it up to fall in Kentucky, where sunny afternoons in the mid 70s can be followed by freezing temperatures at night. Im no stranger to respiratory infections, having lived for years with the triple threat of allergies, asthma, and low immunity.
On Wednesday morning, I was having coughing fits that made me dizzy. I went to see my doctor, who assured me that I almost certainly didnt have Covid-19, even though our county had been considered a red one for more than a month and the case count was climbing.
I was a bit suspicious of my doctors reassurance because I had learned that morning of a student who had tested positive for Covid-19 the week before in the high school where I am a Spanish and social studies teacher.
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As a precaution, I was tested for strep, influenza, and Covid-19. I was shocked when the nurse let me know that I had tested positive for the flu, and I left with a prescription for Tamiflu and instructions to stay home for a week.
On Thursday, I was tired and achy both mild flu-like symptoms but was able to complete all my work virtually. Aside from the occasional coughing fit, one of which brought me to my knees, I believed I just had the flu.
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The next day I got a call that I had also tested positive for Covid-19. I should have expected that news, because the night before I had lit a pumpkin-scented candle but didnt realize until later that I hadnt smelled its fragrance.
I was extremely scared. But I was also angry. I was angry at my school for not following state recommendations to keep students home and use remote learning, at my doctor for downplaying the increasing threat of the virus, at my family members and friends who brushed off my concerns, and even angry at myself for creating a false sense of security that using an N95 mask, an air purifier, and a plexiglass shield in my classroom would keep me safe.
I was angry, and still am, that the response to a worldwide pandemic has become so deeply politicized in the U.S. and that even though I took every precaution, it still wasnt enough. I began taking nebulizer treatments four times a day to keep my lungs clear and began taking zinc and vitamin D.
Over the weekend, it was difficult to know which symptoms were due to Covid-19 and which ones were due to the flu. The coughing began to slowly improve, and I had a temperature above 99.9 only once, though I experienced extreme fatigue, chills, aches, a severe headache, and diarrhea.
By Monday, the coughing had stopped and my fever was down, but I felt even worse than before. I believe that was the point where I was over the flu and Covid-19 was taking over. I slept so much that my sister dropped in on my Alexa because I didnt answer calls or texts for hours at a time. I didnt leave my bedroom except to use the bathroom and drank room-temperature orange Gatorade Zero that my mom had bought in bulk and I kept next to my bed. Trips beyond the bathroom were carefully planned for efficiency as they required all of my strength and a nap immediately after.
I watched TV, but found I couldnt focus or would fall asleep. After trying to watch the first episode of Lovecraft Country four times, I resorted to browsing TikTok or re-watching The Office as I couldnt keep up with the simplest plot. I had several rounds of severe abdominal pain and experienced a completely new sensation: small tingles that would randomly move throughout my lower and upper abdomen.
Over the next few days, I constantly checked my oxygen saturation, knowing that if it dropped below 93% I would need to go to the hospital. From a starting point of 98%, the pulse oximeter readings crept down to 93% on Wednesday, at which point I was having mild shortness of breath and chest pain when I took a full breath. That said, I was feeling a little better. My doctor ordered a chest X-ray, which I got at a hospital a three-minute drive from where I live. It was normal. I started to take oral steroids, which helped immensely.
It wasnt until Friday a full week after I first learned that I had Covid-19 plus the flu that I made the move from my bed to the couch. It felt like a momentous occasion.
During that week, I had lost 12 pounds. After a few bites of food, I would feel nauseous and completely full, and there were days when I ate nothing even though my family and friends delivered food to my porch. It took me two full days to eat one donut, taking just one or two bites at a time.
During the time when I felt the worst, anxiety compounded my physical symptoms. I wondered every time I fell asleep if I would wake up wheezing or unable to breathe. I am incredibly grateful that my respiratory symptoms were mild and that I was able to get through it without hospitalization.
The day I was diagnosed with Covid-19, the news was full of the record-breaking number of cases: more than 85,000 that day. Now, the record is nearly 140,000, and increasing by the day.
I still dont know for sure how or when or where I contracted Covid-19 or the flu, though I suspect it was at school. I havent been in a grocery store or eaten in a restaurant since March because of my low immunity and asthma. My only close contacts have been my mother and my sister, both of whom tested negative for Covid-19 and have had no symptoms. I always wear a mask and use an N95 respirator at school.
The simple fact is that we still have a lot to learn about this airborne virus: how it is transmitted, how it is best treated, what its long-term effects are, and more.
Now that Im on the other side, Im feeling better physically and am far less anxious. I take no pride in knowing that Im special: its rare to be diagnosed with both Covid-19 and the flu, especially when taking significant precautions for Covid-19 and receiving a flu shot. While I am teaching virtually for the rest of the semester and still am following public health guidance, I have a sense of relief for now. I cant wait to be back in the physical classroom with my students, and I am hoping that any immunity will last long enough until I can get vaccinated.
No one knows how long immunity to Covid-19 lasts, whether it is 90 days or a year or longer, and I am still worried about potential long-term effects. The fatigue and digestive issues lasted long after quarantine, and I have experienced worrisome chest pain.
To me, the bottom line from my experience is that all of us must be serious about protecting the people around us who need and deserve extra precautions, since protective measures are no guarantee (as I learned the hard way), especially in the face of what looks to be a serious spike in Covid-19 this winter.
Lauren Hines teaches Spanish and social studies in Kentucky.
HONG KONG First, it was travelers and university students bringing the coronavirus back to Hong Kong from Europe and the United States. Then, sea crews and bar patrons were the ones spreading infections.
In the latest wave, a large cluster appears to have started in ballroom dancing halls that are popular with older women, then progressed to other dancing venues and banquet-style restaurants.
For much of the year, every time Hong Kong beat back a surge of coronavirus cases, new problems would pop up weeks later, in other places and among other populations.
Similar patterns hold true in other parts of Asia that are still fighting day-by-day battles to keep their Covid-19 rates from spiraling out of control. And the latest waves of infection are proving harder to trace than earlier ones were just as winter forces more people indoors and raises the risks of transmission.
Japan and South Korea are experiencing some of their highest single-day tallies since the pandemic began, driven largely by diffuse clusters in the Tokyo and Seoul metropolitan areas. Although still below its peak for the year, Hong Kong is facing a surge on par with its summer wave, driven in large part by what experts call untraceable silent transmissions.
Were getting better at having a large testing capacity, and we have a lot of resources for contact tracing, but the cycle repeats, said Kwok Kin-on, an epidemiologist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Compared with the United States and Europe, much of East Asia still has the virus relatively in check. Hong Kong, with a population of around 7.5 million, has had a total of 5,947 cases and 108 deaths, a low rate for any city.
But the recent setbacks underscore the challenges that the world will continue to face until there is a widely available vaccine. As cases have soared back to alarming levels in recent weeks, South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong have had to quickly recalibrate their strategies.
Travel bubbles that were announced with great fanfare are now on hold. Weeks after reopening, schools have been shut again. Bars and restaurants are closing early or shifting to takeaway menus.
We need solidarity in this kind of situation, but as everyone knows, its not easy, said Dr. Kim Woo-joo, an infectious disease specialist at Korea University in Seoul.
Complicating their efforts is the nature of the current outbreaks. Transmission is occurring not only in crowded venues like nightclubs, but also in settings like homes and workplaces where governments have fewer options to control peoples behavior.
On Thursday, South Korea recorded more than 500 new cases for the first time in about eight months. Experts say there doesnt seem to be a single major cluster, as there was when churches and antigovernment protests drove earlier outbreaks.
Pandemic fatigue hasnt helped. Medical personnel are exhausted, young people are bored because they cant travel, and business owners are frustrated because they have to scale back or close early.
Kim Ill-soon, who owns a tea shop in a residential neighborhood of Seoul, said that her business had dropped off after the government this week barred people from dwelling inside cafes. Takeout is still an option, but for many people, chatting over tea in person is part of the draw.
Ive been busy apologizing to my customers for the last two days, she said.
In Japan, the authorities have been reporting about 2,000 infections a day. Cases are spreading rapidly in Tokyo, which reported a record 570 infections on Friday, and around Osaka, Sapporo and other cities. Compared with summer waves, which mainly affected young people, the current one has hit many people in their 40s and older.
In a sign of the countrys alarm, Japans Imperial Household Agency said on Friday that it had decided to cancel Emperor Naruhitos annual New Year event at the Imperial Palace in January the first such cancellation since 1990, when the country was mourning the death of his grandfather.
Please dont underestimate coronavirus, Dr. Toshio Nakagawa, president of the Japan Medical Association, told reporters on Wednesday in Tokyo. We cannot let Japan become like the U.S. or Europe.
The hope is that coronavirus vaccines will soon hand health officials around the globe a new weapon to beat the pandemic. But they wont be widely available until the spring at the earliest.
Until then, and as winter approaches and caseloads soar, medical officials across much of East Asia are pleading for vigilance and rethinking their pandemic policies.
In the spring and summer, the focus was mainly on fighting clusters at their source. Officials in Tokyo and Seoul, for example, responded to ones that had spread mainly from night clubs by temporarily closing down the venues. Hong Kong imposed restrictions on sea crews after a cluster was traced to cargo ships.
This time around, officials seem determined to take a more nuanced approach, apparently driven by concerns about the economic wreckage the pandemic has already caused. But doing so in face of such a pernicious pathogen can open up new challenges.
Hong Kong is rolling out a new contact-tracing app that would allow people to voluntarily scan QR codes on their smartphones when they visit a location, enabling officials to better tackle any clusters that emerge. But such apps have had limited success in South Korea, Britain and elsewhere.
It may be difficult to persuade many people to download the app unless the government provides more details about how personal information will be analyzed. The issue of data privacy is particularly sensitive in Hong Kong because the Chinese government has been tightening its grip on the territory.
Hong Kongers are the most proactive in protecting themselves and their families, but they need to see proof of how the app would benefit them and ensure their privacy, said Leung Chi-chiu, a respiratory specialist with the Hong Kong Medical Association.
The latest waves of infection have also forced governments to slow down their tentative efforts to open up.
Hong Kongers rushed to buy airline tickets to take advantage of a planned travel bubble with Singapore, even before the details were fully known. The special flights would have allowed residents in both places to avoid 14-day quarantines upon arrival.
The travel bubble was supposed to start this week. Then Hong Kongs cases spiked, and officials postponed the start to Dec. 6.
In Japan, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has scaled back a roughly $16 billion campaign designed to encourage domestic tourism during the pandemic. But he has not scrapped it entirely, saying it helps to support local economies.
For people like Noriko Hashida, who sells cosmetics in Osaka, taking a vacation last week with eight of her work colleagues was worth the risk of infection.
Ms. Hashida said that a tourism subsidy from the government allowed them to spring for a luxury hotel that would have ordinarily been out of their price range. We enjoyed it so much, she said.
Still, they decided to cancel a sightseeing tour of the island because the optics were a little awkward.
We thought that the local residents wouldnt feel comfortable seeing visitors from Osaka, where infections are spreading rapidly, she said.
Mike Ives and Tiffany May reported from Hong Kong and Makiko Inoue from Tokyo. Youmi Kim contributed reporting from Seoul, South Korea.
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) The University of Pittsburgh has five members of the Pitt Panthers football team who will not play against the Clemson Tigers due to COVID-19 protocols.
The University of Pittsburgh Department of Athletics issued a statement Saturday afternoon.
According to Pitt, none of the players traveled for todays away game.
The Panthers will play against the Tigers starting at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
Three weeks later, while the county's number of infections crept upward, the home went into lockdown.
Every single one of the 61 residents in the home tested positive for the virus. At least 21 have since died of Covid-19, according to Mapes.
"When we started to see some of our people passing away from this, I mean, that really hit us hard," says Reva Benien, a lifelong Norton resident. "People that we grew up with, that were family friends or church members."
In a nearby prison facility, another crisis at the same time: The virus, likely seeping into the facility through a staff member, according to a corrections department spokesman, was spreading like wildfire, infecting hundreds of inmates in just a matter of weeks.
Some say part of understanding what went wrong lies in better understanding the surrounding community's response to Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, when for long, Norton remained virtually untouched by the virus.
"I think early on people just thought, 'Well, we're either going to get it or we're not going to get it,' or 'I'm not ever going to wear a mask,'" Benien said.
As the nation now grapples with the devastating fall Covid-19 surge, Norton County has become emblematic of the pandemic's deadly grip on Midwestern rural communities that were spared by earlier surges. But it also offers a glimpse into the diverse opinions that persist around the virus and the patchwork of safety measures used to curb its spread.
'Norton normal'
For Norton County, home to less than 6,000 people -- a community of ranchers and farmers, as the locals say -- the coronavirus was nothing but a nuisance for months after the pandemic's start.
Over the summer, as the virus again ran rampant across the country, crippling hospital systems and claiming hundreds of American lives daily, active Covid-19 cases in Norton County only reached the double digits briefly in mid-July.
Residents settled into to a lifestyle resembling the normalcy that is now, for many other Americans, just a memory.
"We didn't overreact," says Pastor Timm O. Meyer, of the Redeemer Lutheran Church. "We went on like pretty much as normal with just a few adaptations. That's what I call the 'Norton normal.'"
A day before the order went into effect, Norton's police chief announced on Facebook officers would not be enforcing it.
Meyer says it's the freedom to do the right thing, not being forced to, that was key for Nortoners.
"Out here, people are independent and if you give them a choice, they're going to do the right thing, they are concerned about others," Meyer says.
It's that choice that he says both residents and travelers -- especially from cities or states with mask mandates -- enjoyed over the summer months. Some, he says, have described Norton as an "oasis."
"An oasis in the desert, where we can do what we want... because this is still America and we still have our freedoms and we don't like to give them up much," he says.
Cases climbed in the fall, but little changed
Then came the fall.
"That really made people go, 'Wow, I guess this stuff is real and it's serious,'" Meyer said. "But it didn't, I don't think it changed people's patterns."
"You would think, 'Well everybody's going to stay home,'" he added. "They don't. They still go out to work and they come back and they still go out to eat."
The nursing home outbreak landed the small community in national headlines, but many felt the cases were contained in the two facilities -- the home and the prison. There was still no "big fear" of the virus, 72-year-old resident Cindy McMullen said.
"There's probably a little more fear since we had such a big outbreak," she says. "They're a little bit more fearful than they were three months ago. But I don't think anybody's in a panic."
"Cases in communities like Norton are higher because of outbreaks in jails and nursing homes, but there is also wider community spread," she had said. "Outbreaks are not isolated incidents."
Community spread is "the top predicator" of Covid-19 outbreaks in nursing homes, the American Health Care Association (AHCA) and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) wrote to CNN in an email.
"The virus' ability to spread through asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic carriers makes it extremely difficult to prevent it from getting into our facilities when there is high spread in the surrounding community,"AHCA/NCAL wrote.
"Rural areas are seeing higher COVID rates and, unfortunately, many individuals in these communities are not following CDC guidance on wearing masks and practicing social distancing," it said.
In facilities, some failed to wear masks
An October report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) alleged failures by the Andbe Home which placed "residents in immediate jeopardy." The report said staff members didn't wear masks at all times and at least one was seen with their mask "pulled down around their chin." Infected residents were found to be living with Covid-19 negative roommates with "only a curtain between them," the report alleged, and communal dining did not stop until two days after the facility's first positive antigen tests in residents.
"This meets the requirements as directed by our state governing agent," the post read. "We love our residents and are doing the best we can to take care of them."
Of the 61 residents who tested positive since October, a total of 21 residents have died. Forty have recovered while one resident remained hospitalized for a non-Covid-19 related reason, Mapes told CNN on November 23.
"Every time I look at the numbers of those who we have lost... I am struck by the fact that each represents an individual person, with a life and a history, and connections to other people," Mapes wrote to CNN earlier in November. "Please know what a sad time this has been for our staff, and that we have mourned every life lost."
Throughout the pandemic, Mapes had said in an initial email, "We have strived to be in compliance with guidelines issued by CMS, the CDC and the state."
Following the outbreak, Mapes said the home was assigned temporary new management and that new measures, including a strict no in-person visitation policy, were in place.
"After our recent inspection we knew we needed to make significant improvements, and that's exactly what we have done now with the assistance of clinical experts on our temporary management team," Mapes wrote. "We have re-educated all of our staff on clinical best practices -- and we are all committed to doing the right thing and providing the best possible care for our residents going forward."
This is an "insidious virus," she added.
"Nursing homes all over the country are experiencing outbreaks due to the spread in the surrounding community and a lack of resources," Mapes said. "What we now know is that prioritizing nursing homes in emergency situations is key, and we need to focus on a collaborative, not punitive, approach to help nursing homes respond to the pandemic."
In Norton Correctional Facility, it was most likely staff who brought in the virus before numbers began exploding, according to Randy Bowman, the executive director of public affairs for the Kansas Department of Corrections.
"It always originates in the community somewhere so our staff ... whatever they're doing in the community, they're the ones that are bringing it in," he said.
And while Bowman says there are required mask protocols for both staff and inmates, he added, "I think what we're seeing is fatigue."
"People are not always compliant with that but those protocols have been in place."
Local and state officials across the US say the politicization of both the virus and face masks has gotten in the way of helping curb the spread.
Jeff Johnston, McMullen's brother, agrees. Johnston grew up in Norton and now lives in Sacramento County, California, where "you wouldn't dream of being out in public without a mask on." He says he is still in touch with Norton residents, including childhood friends who live there.
"If you were to admit that you thought wearing a mask was a good thing, you would be a suspected Democrat," he says of his hometown.
"If you ever tried to say, I believe in science, so I think we need to treat this like a communicable disease .. and whether I like Trump or not, I think we should be wearing masks, you would be ostracized," Johnston added. "You either fit in or you're heavily branded the unusual person."
His sister doesn't think so.
"I don't feel like it's Democrat or Republican wearing a mask. I don't think that has anything to do with it at all," she says, adding she believes President Donald Trump "did as good as anybody with warning the people once he realized how serious of an issue it was."
McMullen sometimes opts to just keep her distance instead, for reasons of convenience.
"It's hard for me to breathe through those masks and I wear glasses, so then they fog up," she told CNN earlier in November. "I wear them where I absolutely have to, but if I don't have to, I just try to keep my distance. I haven't worried about it."
Benien, who spent the majority of her professional life working as a nurse, says she's still baffled at the resistance against masks.
"Nobody likes to wear a mask. As a nurse, I didn't say I'm not going to wear a mask when I go take care of that patient, because they have an infection or they have a compromised immune system. For whatever reason, I was wearing a mask," she says.
For her, wearing one to protect herself and others remains a priority.
"Once a nurse, always a nurse," she says.
The county's number of active community cases are now at the highest levels they've ever been. And across Kansas, the governor has sounded the alarm on a concerning spike of cases.
Less than a week later, Norton County's board of commissioners passed a resolution to adopt the governor's orders until December 31, rescinding a previous resolution prohibiting a mask mandate in the county. No enforcement details are listed in the county's resolution.
The state now holds the country's fifth highest seven-day positivity rate and on Thursday it reported record high hospitalization numbers, according to the COVID Tracking Project.
Many Norton residents seemed to have traditional Thanksgiving plans, Benien said, something she worries will in a few weeks translate to more cases.
"If there's one hope I have for our community, because we are a supportive and loving community in a lot of ways and we just need to be kind to each other, you know, wear the mask, follow the protocols so that we can get through this and have it behind us."
Jeannine Thelen, Sparrow hospitals first COVID-19 patient, talks about the disease after recovering on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020, at her home in Lansing. Thelen spent 55 days in the hospital and a month on a ventilator fighting the virus. Lansing State Journal
LANSING Rising infections in Ingham County and holiday travels havepeople monitoring themselves for COVID-19 symptoms to stay healthy.
But what are the symptoms of COVID-19?
LynnSutfin, public information officer at the state Department of Health and Human Services, said common symptoms of the diseaseare fever or chills, a worsening cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, body aches, new loss the senseof taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting and diarrhea.
"Symptoms may appear in 2-14 days after exposure to the virus," she said.
The symptoms may be mild or severe and also vary from person to person.
Askquestions: Have a question about COVID-19? We'll ask experts for answers
Dr. Linda Peterson, McLaren Greater Lansing chief medical officer, said the virus spreads easier than the flu, and could cause severe illnesses in individuals who are high-risk. High-risk individuals typically have multiple long-term health conditions or an autoimmune disease like lupus or cancer.
People wait in line at the COVID-19 testing site at Spartan Stadium on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020, in East Lansing.(Photo: Nick King/Lansing State Journal)
"Influenza symptoms tend to come on suddenly," she said. "[People] with influenza can experiencefever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, headaches or fatigue. Some may also experience vomiting or diarrhea, but this is more common in children."
Peterson said because the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are so similar, the only way to differentiate is by getting tested.
One key difference, though, is the loss of taste and smell experienced by many COVID-19 patients."It's a major red flag when people experience those symptoms and they should immediately think COVID-19," she said.
Flu symptoms appear in people who were infected with the flu virus within four days following exposure.
Bronchitis is an inflammation in bronchial tube linings, she said, and it can be caused by either a bacterial or viral infection, depending on a person's symptoms. It is spread like the new coronavirus, by droplets created in the air from sneezing or coughing. Bronchitis is usually self-treatable and diagnosed, with symptoms resolving in a matter of days to weeks.
"Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs' air sacs, where air exchanges occur, leading to air sacs filling up with fluid or pus," Peterson continued. "Pneumonia can be caused by viruses (such as the new coronavirus), bacteriaor fungi."
Tests and imaging scans are done to diagnose a person with pneumonia. Patientsmust be treated by a professional. Like COVID-19, pneumonia can cause severe complications for those with multiple long-term health conditions.
Sutfin added some patients can experience other complications following COVID-19, such asvenous and arterial thrombosis of heart vessels. Children may experience MIS-C (multisystem inflammatory syndrome), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Treatment at Sparrow:She was 'close to death' fighting COVID-19
How treatable are the symptoms?
The health officer advises people to seek medical attention immediately if they develop an "emergency warning sign," such as troubled breathing. Other symptoms can be managed through over-the-counter medicine, but patients should be advised by a health professional.
In Memoriam:COVID-19 has killed over 130 of our Lansing neighbors. Here are five of their stories
"Take care of yourself.Get rest and stay hydrated," Sutfin said."Take over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen, to help you feel better."
Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at (517) 290-3044 or knurse@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @KrystalRNurse.
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Record-shattering numbers of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Santa Clara County have prompted worried health leaders to issue new directives, the county health department announced on Saturday, Nov. 28. As the deadly virus continues to run rampant, nearby San Mateo County officials also announced their county has slipped into the state's more restrictive "purple tier" and a nighttime curfew.
State health officials had already put Santa Clara County back into the purple tier effective Nov. 17 to try to curb rapidly escalating virus, but county health leaders are now taking further restrictive steps since the number of cases have continued to skyrocket.
As of Nov. 28, Santa Clara County had 760 new cases of COVID-19 and 239 COVID-related hospitalizations, 71 of which are in the intensive-care unit, county officials said in a press release. These numbers set new records for the highest single-day counts since the outset of the pandemic. To reduce the likelihood of a surge in hospitalizations that would exceed the capacity of hospitals within the county, Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody announced new mandatory directives that accompany her prior Risk Reduction Order.
The changes include a maximum 10% capacity indoors in many stores and facilities, prohibiting contact sports, and reducing the size of outdoor gatherings. The county is also issuing a mandatory directive on travel, which strongly discourages leisure and nonessential travel, and requires anyone entering the county to quarantine for 14 days after returning from the travel of more than 150 miles. The new mandatory directives begin Monday, Nov. 30 at 12:01 a.m. and will remain in effect until at least Dec. 21 at 5 p.m. unless they are extended.
"I am gravely concerned by the continuing surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations," Cody said in a public statement. "The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in our county has doubled in just the past couple of weeks, and we are at risk of exceeding our hospital capacity very soon if current trends continue. During this critical time of surging COVID-19 transmission in our community, I urge every resident to exercise caution and to the greatest extent possible, minimize contact with anyone outside of your immediate household."
The new orders include:
Capacity limits for indoor facilities: Stores and other facilities open to the public will be limited to 10% capacity indoors. Grocery stores, drug stores and pharmacies will be allowed to operate at 25% capacity indoors to ensure adequate access to food and medicine.
All facilities open to the public must establish a "metering system" to ensure the capacity limits, such as by posting an employee at the facility entrance to track the number of people entering and exiting.
Outdoor gatherings: Gatherings continue to be allowed only outdoors, with a maximum of 100 people. The state limits such gatherings, however, to First Amendment protected activities, such as religious services or protests.
Professional, collegiate, and youth sports: All recreational activities involving physical contact or close proximity to people outside one's household, including all contact sports, will be temporarily prohibited. People can continue to engage in outdoor athletics and recreation where social distancing can be maintained at all times.
Cardrooms: Cardrooms are temporarily closed.
Hotels and other lodging facilities: Hotels and other lodging facilities will be open only for essential travel and for use to aid isolation or quarantine.
Quarantine post-travel: Leisure and nonessential travel are strongly discouraged, and a new mandatory directive on travel will require people to quarantine for 14 days upon return to the county after travel of more than 150 miles. Health care workers traveling into the county to provide care or patients traveling into the county to obtain treatment are exempted from this requirement.
San Mateo County has also moved back into the state's "purple tier" on Saturday after it had previously been in the less-restrictive "red tier" since late September. A statement issued by the San Mateo County Emergency Operations Center announced the new designation and a nighttime curfew, both to begin on Nov. 30.
All retail, including shopping malls, are restricted to 25% of capacity and indoor restaurant dining is prohibited. A full list of what's regulated can be found here.
The county is also under a curfew order that begins at 10 p.m. through 5 a.m. San Mateo County has seen an 85% spike in COVID-19 cases between October and November, according to county health data.
"This is not unexpected considering the virus is surging across the state," Supervisor David Canepa said in a separate statement. "That being said, we have doubled the rate we are testing and are now second in the state behind only San Francisco in the rate that we do test. We are well positioned to handle the surge considering the hospital capacity we have and resources needed to battle COVID. As the holidays approach, we must double down on the core behaviors of frequent hand washing, socially distancing, avoiding crowds and most importantly wearing our damn masks. It's on us to take the personal responsibility to protect our families, friends and neighbors from this very deadly disease."
Find comprehensive coverage on the Midpeninsula's response to the new coronavirus by Palo Alto Online, the Mountain View Voice and the Almanac here.
