Health officials are now working to build on existing immunization infrastructure, including expanding it, to make it work for COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
Author: khou.com
Published: 10:28 PM CDT August 28, 2020
Updated: 10:27 PM CDT August 28, 2020
Sophia Upshaw was one of two Black participants in Moderna's first 45-person COVID-19 vaccination trial.
Now, Upshaw is sharing her experience and has a message for the Black community: The vaccine is safe.
"I was scared at first, for my health [and] for exposing myself to something that hasn't been tested in humans before," she said. "I was technically patient No. 10."
As her hometown of Atlanta was being hit hard by the virus, Upshaw decided to participate in Moderna's first vaccination trial at Emory University on March 16. As a Ph.D. student of biomedical engineering there, she was excited to be a part of scientific history.
This vaccine is the first one ever made with mRNA, or messenger RNA, and its the first time its been put in humans ever, in the history of the world, she said. I was geeking out about it.
Moderna, an American pharmaceutical company, is one of the front-runners in the race for a COVID-19 vaccine. The current phase 3 trial is slated to enroll 30,000 people; however, only about 19% of Modernas study is comprised of Black or Hispanic volunteers. Pfizer, another company with a late-stage trial, said roughly 19% of its volunteers are Black or Hispanic and about 4% are Asian.
The first patient enrolled in Pfizer's COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine clinical trial at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore receives an injection, May 4, 2020.
Its not enough, according to health officials.
I would like to see a percent enrollment commensurate with the percent represented in society, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease doctor, told ABC News. About 40% of the nation is non-white, according to the most recent census data.
Optimally, although it might be difficult to attain, I would like to see a number somewhat greater than this and approaching the percentage of disease, said Fauci, who explained that minority groups struck by the pandemic should ideally be overrepresented in vaccine trials, to ensure one works in those who may need it the most.
As a scientist, Upshaw knew the importance of vaccines to create preventative health measures, but as a Black woman, it held personal importance. Black Americans continue to fight two pandemics racism and COVID-19 but the race toward a vaccine connects them. While COVID-19 decimates the Black community, the nation's history of non-consensual medical experimentation on Black Americans has instilled wide mistrust of the vaccine.
Upshaw is keenly aware of this conundrum. She hopes her positive experience in Modernas study will offer the Black community a relatable perspective, potentially encouraging others to volunteer for a trial.
Sophia Upshaw, left, was a participant in Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine trial. Editor's note: We've altered the photo to protect the identity of the other person photographed with Sophia Upshaw.
"Honestly, they have a valid reason not to trust the medical community because of its horrible past like the Tuskegee trials, HeLa cells, said Upshaw, referring to two infamous case studies of unethical scientific experiments in which researchers did not obtain consent from Black patients.
These historical injustices inspired massive reform in the medical industry today, including implementing safety regulations and mandatory ethical reviews of scientific studies.
Still, said Upshaw, its going to take a long time to repair that damaged trust between the two communities. This is an opportunity to repair that damage and build up some trust. Im hoping my story will inspire Black people to take the vaccine when it comes out."
Dr. Asefa Mekonnen, an investigator for Meridian Clinical Research, has been encouraging minorities to trust and participate in Moderna's phase 3 vaccination trials administered by his hospital.
"People always mention the historical past missteps in science, but today we're in a different situation," he said. "There is a huge knowledge gap in terms of what vaccine trials are, what are their purposes, and how they are conducted."
Initially, Upshaw admitted she was scared and her family thought she was insane for participating in the trial. But her fears subsided as she only experienced common vaccine symptoms, including muscle soreness, fatigue and a slight fever that lasted two to three days. The entire process took about two hours of her day and she had follow-up doctor appointments to monitor her response. Since then, she's tested negative for coronavirus and developed COVID-19 antibodies.
As a scientist herself, Upshaw is dismayed to see the way Black celebrities, like musician Trey Songz, have used their influence to discourage their followers from taking the vaccine. For Upshaw, Songzs Instagram post was the last straw that inspired her to speak out about her experience.
"Its discouraging to see a lot of Black people who look like me pre-declare that they wont get the vaccine when it comes out," she said. "It discourages me because our people are being disproportionately affected by it."
Songz did not respond to ABC News' request for comment.
But her message is simple: Vaccines are safe. She hopes people that look like her will trust her experiences and the science behind the COVID-19 vaccine.
As an influencer, what you say influences how people conduct themselves and what they do, she said. Im not a celebrity, but I hope people can take my story into account. Listen to voices of reason, not voices of dissent.
Upshaw rejects common perceptions that young people do not need to get vaccinated because they may be at a lower risk of being infected with the virus. The World Health Organization has warned that young people are emerging as a main spreader of the coronavirus.
Ive had people ask me, Why would they test this on a 22-year-old? I think a huge purpose of the testing on younger people first was to confirm the safety even more before exposing older people to it. So thats why they included 55 to 70-year-olds afterward, she said.
She went on, The fact is that every other young person is not completely immune. I think its very important for the sake of our communities and families that we are all protected.
Moderna began the third phase of vaccination trials on July 27. Now, the race is on to ensure these larger phase 3 trials are as diverse as the country.
I want people to know that if they cant trust the government, thats all right, Upshaw said. But please trust the science.
Jenae Barnes is a freelance writer based in D.C. and a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.
ABC News Sony Salzman and Eric Strauss contributed to this report.
Existing infrastructures will help get the COVID-19 vaccine to the public.
HOUSTON We fantasize a lot about how life will be better when a COVID-19 vaccine is available. KHOU 11 has learned health officials are now working to build on existing immunization infrastructure, including expanding it, to make it work for COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
In Houston, the Department of Health said it was in the beginning stages of planning, working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as DSHS on what the coronavirus inoculation process will look like.
There is a lot to consider, KHOU 11 learned, including who will administer the vaccine and how they will order and receive it, where the inoculation will take place, who will pay for it and how many individuals in every age group, at high risk or not will need doses.
Vaccines will also have to be properly stored and accounted for, part of the training that will be needed for some providers.
Once the vaccine is available, we're gonna need all hands on deck, the chief of the immunization program for the Houston Health Department Omar Salgado told KHOU 11. It's going to be available to private providers, pubic providers, it's going to be available to hospitals, pharmacies and federally qualified health centers.
In a Zoom interview, Salgado told KHOU 11, the department has to first do a survey of the health care providers that already work with them to administer the Texas Vaccines for Children program, an effort to provide low-cost vaccines to eligible kids from birth to 18 years of age, and the providers who are a part of the Adult Safety Net Program, created by DSHS to increase vaccine access for uninsured adults.
Salgado said the survey will count the existing clients wholl need the COVID-19 vaccine. Health officials will also have to figure out how many total vaccines are needed to inoculate the entire population of Houston and Harris county, including those who dont see a doctor regularly.
Salgado said the list of the providers already in the system, familiar with the vaccine ordering process that first goes through the state and then the CDC system, will have to be expanded. Providers will have to be trained, Salgado said, to make sure as many Texans as possible have access to the coronavirus vaccine.
There are different manufacturers, some of the manufacturers will have a vaccine that is going to take one dose to get immunity. Others are going to need two doses, which means they'll come in for the first dose and come back probably four weeks later to get that booster to build that immunity, Salgado said.
Salgado told KHOU 11 people can expect drive-through vaccination clinics, similar to COVID testing sites.
What we're doing right now, we are creating maps, maps of our community to determine which areas are high in COVID cases, so we can start to target those areas, he said. When the COVID vaccine comes out, we're gonna have to prioritize. It's going to first target first responders and those are the elderly population.
When the vaccine does come out, the Houston Health Department is up to the task.
Well definitely be ready, Salgado said.
In an emailed statement, the Texas Department of State Health Services said its currently working with the CDC, planning for COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
Final plans will depend on the formulation of the vaccine and the distribution schedule once one or more vaccines are approved, wrote Chris Van Deusen, Director of Media Relations. Health care providers interested in administering the COVID-19 immunization should register with ImmTrac2, the Texas immunization registry."
Texas is one of the few states that has an existing adult vaccine program, according to Claire Hannan, Executive Director of the Association of Immunization Managers. Both the adult vaccine and childrens vaccine programs are established immunization framework health officials could lean on to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Association is a Maryland-based non-profit that includes vaccine experts and leaders from all 50 states, plus large cities, including Houston, and U.S. territories, working to control vaccine-preventable diseases.
Each state has received supplemental funding from CDC to raise flu vaccination rates and will be receiving flu vaccine doses as well, Hannan said. Texas is using these funds to reach out and enroll additional sites to their Adult Safety Net program, including pharmacies, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, etc. And they will be providing the flu doses form CDC to adults through these newly enrolled and existing sites, and then building relationships with these sites in preparation for COVID-19 vaccination.
Hannan said the Texas Adult Safety Net program has 570 clinics enrolled, including 300 Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics that inoculate uninsured adults.
We have about 40,000 providers across the country enrolled in this childrens program, Hannan said. We probably need to triple or quadruple that with providers that serve adults. We need to get them enrolled. We need to get them trained. We need to make sure they understand how to store the vaccine. We need to get them to agree to give it to the right people to manage their inventory, report the doses administered into immunization registries. So, you know, that system we have in place for children, we just need to expand that for adults.
Hannan said the system in place to administer the flu vaccine is a good one to build on, as well as the experience the country had in 2009 with the H1N1 pandemic.
I guess I'd say we're probably almost halfway there, Hannan said. We just need to put those all those pieces together to make it work.
This is an unprecedented time, she added. Getting all of America vaccinated with a brand-new vaccine, we've never done anything like that before. In this case, it's a massively larger campaign. We're looking at getting more Americans vaccinated and potentially with two doses. So, it's a little bit bigger than the flu.
Hannan said she anticipated the COVID-19 vaccine to be free of charge. How this will work is clearer if you have a private provider.
We think that enrolling private providers will allow the providers to have an incentive to give the vaccine because they will be able to charge insurers for an admin fee, Hannan said. So, the vaccine will be free. The insurance will cover the admin fee. You know, this is what we anticipate happening. This is the way that it happened in 2009. And this is the way it also works with the Vaccines for Children program.
The details of how this will work for the uninsured are being worked out, she said.
[What] we're really working through now is working with pharmacies, community health centers and figuring out how we're going to make that work, Hannan said. It's unknown exactly who's going to pay for the admin fee. We want to make sure the vaccine is accessible and is available and is affordable, as widespread as possible in as many communities as we can get.
Hannan said the Federal Governments COVID-19 vaccine effort, dubbed Operation Warp Speed, is taking a deep dive at certain areas in the United States to see what challenges the nation-wide coronavirus vaccine distribution could encounter, and how to solve those before the vaccine is available.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) website, Operation Warp Speed is supposed to produce and deliver 300 million doses of safe and effective vaccine, with the initial doses available in January of 2021.
Operation Warp Speed is a partnership between HHS, the CDC, the FDA, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.
They're going to North Dakota, California, Philadelphia, Florida and Minnesota, Hannan said. And they're going to be focusing on different challenges in those areas
and working through a number of the issues and then putting out some guidance and a model plan following these visits.
Hannan is hopeful the COVID testing issues that have been widely reported across the country wont be repeated with vaccine distribution.
With the time period we have to prepare, we can really work out some of these kinks and work out a way to get the vaccine seamlessly out to the public, she said.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that 100,022 test results were reported to New York State yesterdaya new record high. Hospitalizations dropped to 429, a new low since March 16, and intubations dropped to 47, a new low since March 14. New York State's infection rate has been below 1 percent for 23 straight days. The number of new cases, percentage of tests that were positive and many other helpful data points are always available atforward.ny.gov.
"Yesterday's highest-ever number of tests and infection rate of 0.69 percent are great news, especially when you consider what's going on around the country and around the world,"Governor Cuomo said."The state is doing extraordinarily well, and again, kudos to allNew Yorkers because there's no mystery as to how this happens. It's a social action and it's the community of the people of the State of New York acting out of mutuality and concern for one another. Everyone should continue to wear masks, socially distance and wash their hands, and local governments should continue to enforce state guidance so we can get through this together."
Governor Cuomo also reminded Western New York residents that ongoing rapid testing is being conducted at eight sites in the region. Residents can call 833-NYSTRNG to make an appointment. On August 27, the governordeployed a testing SWAT teamto Western New York to address the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in the region. He also announced the eight sites, which can be found here:
Delavan-GriderCommunity Center
877 E. Delavan Ave.
Buffalo, NY 14215
True Bethel Baptist Church
907 E. Ferry St.
Buffalo, NY 14211
Northwest Buffalo Community Center
155 Lawn Ave.
Buffalo, NY 14207
Dunkirk Fire Murphy Training Grounds
665 Brigham Road
Dunkirk, NY 14048
SUNY ECC North
6205 Main St.
Williamsville, NY 14221
Union Fire Company
1845 Union Road
West Seneca, NY 14224
John A. Duke Senior Center
1201 Hyde Park Blvd.
Niagara Falls, NY 14301
YWCA of the Niagara Frontier
32 Cottage St.
Lockport, NY 14094
Yesterday, the State Liquor Authority and State Police Task Force visited 1,734 establishments in New York City and Long Island and observed 11 establishments that were not in compliance with state requirements. A county breakdown of yesterday's observed violations is below:
Today's data is summarized briefly below:
Of the 100,022 test results reported to New York State yesterday, 698, or 0.69 percent, were positive. Each region's percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows:
REGION
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Capital Region
0.5%
0.7%
0.6%
CentralNew York
0.8%
0.4%
0.8%
Finger Lakes
0.3%
0.5%
0.6%
Long Island
0.5%
0.6%
0.8%
Mid-Hudson
0.9%
0.8%
0.8%
Mohawk Valley
0.1%
0.6%
0.5%
New York City
0.6%
0.7%
0.7%
North Country
0.8%
0.2%
0.4%
Southern Tier
0.5%
0.4%
0.3%
WesternNew York
1.2%
1.2%
1.6%
The Governor also confirmed 698 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 434,100 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 434,100 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows:
County
Total Positive
New Positive
Albany
2,764
10
Allegany
With fall around the corner and novel coronavirus cases still prevalent throughout the country, experts are bracing for what some have called a "twindemic" of COVID-19 and the flu.
Although these are two very different viruses, experts are now exploring what might happen if people get COVID-19 and the flu at the same time, and whether being ill with one virus might make you more susceptible to the other.
"It is certainly possible, although we aren't clear how coinfection occurs," said Dr. Jay Bhatt, an ABC News contributor and former chief medical officer of the American Hospital Association. "We will learn more as we get into the flu season."
"Limited data suggests that is possible, but much more work needs to be done," added Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist, ABC News Medical Contributor and Boston Children's Hospital's chief innovation officer.
In all likelihood, being infected with both viruses at the same time would be more dangerous than just one. And experts warn that older Americans -- already more vulnerable to both COVID-19 and the flu -- may be particularly at risk. That's why, especially this year, older adults are strongly encouraged to get a flu shot.
"There have been cases of coinfection and the result is far worse than the impact of either of the viruses alone," Brownstein said.
A study published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 20% of patients were infected with another respiratory virus in addition to COVID-19, including one who had the flu -- showing it is a possibility.
"We could see rising COVID cases during flu season and some of that may depend on how effective we are at maintaining consistency in our prevention behaviors we know work," said Bhatt.
In this Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020 file photo, a patient receives an influenza vaccine in Mesquite, Texas.
Although COVID and influenza are different viruses, they both spread between people in close contact, which occurs more often as the weather gets colder.
"Increased indoor interaction and decreased humidity are potential factors that lead to a broad rise in respiratory illness," said Brownstein. "The concern is that we have these rising epidemics at the same time posing both increased individual risk and a deepening strain on health care capacity."
However, limited evidence from Australia, which is in the midst of its own flu season, seems to indicate that social distancing for COVID-19 is helping curb the spread of the seasonal flu.
"There is a potential silver lining," said Brownstein, "that the current efforts around social distancing and mask wearing may have an impact on influenza transmission as well."
When it comes to the effects of COVID-19 and influenza on children, more research is needed to see how likely it is for someone to become infected with COVID-19 and the flu at the same time.
Although most children appear to be relatively unharmed by COVID-19, they are more vulnerable to the seasonal flu.
"The risk of complications for healthy children is higher for flu compared to COVID-19," said Bhatt. "However, infants and children with underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for both flu and COVID-19. We know that if you are immunocompromised and in close contact with people, you increase risk of transmission and being infected."
Another challenge this flu season is that while COVID-19 and the flu are very different viruses, they often create similar symptoms.
People walk past free flu shot advertisements outside of drugstores on Aug. 19, 2020, in New York.
"Common symptoms that COVID-19 and flu share include fever or feeling feverish, chills, cough [or] shortness of breath or difficulty breathing," said Bhatt.
This could complicate an already strained health care system, as doctors and nurses try to discern whether patients have COVID-19 or the flu.
Recommendations for lessening the possibly significant impact of COVID during flu season is similar as in previous years: The flu vaccine is one of main tools to reduce the risk of getting the flu. The flu shot is recommended for children, adults and seniors, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend getting it in September and October -- although getting the flu shot late in the season is better than not at all.
"While the flu vaccine is broadly recommended each year, this year public health is going to be making an extra push to increase uptake," said Brownstein. "Anything we can do to help protect our already strained health care system, the better."
Bhatt agreed that as we move into flu season, COVID-19 mitigation strategies will become more important than ever.
"Mask up, watch your distance and wash your hands," said Bhatt.
Alexis E. Carrington, M.D., is a dermatology research fellow at the University of California, Davis and a contributor to the ABC News Medical Unit.
Kinsa already is working with Colorado, Connecticut, Oregon and Idaho, which are purchasing and distributing additional thermometers. Programs in California and Louisiana are being funded with private money. The company also is working with several cities. Kinsa has had discussions with Douglas County officials, but no agreement has been reached.
Linda Munderloh, school nurse for the Bancroft-Rosalie school district, sees a more immediate use for the thermometers.
Bancroft-Rosalie, which has returned to in-person classes, is asking families to take students temperatures every morning and evening. School staff also are taking students temperatures in the morning.
Once the new devices arrive, the district will send them home with the eldest child in each family. Munderloh and some parents already are familiar with the devices, because the school district earlier served as a pilot site for Kinsa.
In the past, shes been surprised how many parents havent had a working thermometer in the home. During the pandemic, the devices have been hard to come by at times.
So this is a huge plus for us, she said.
The school gets updates again, no names that allow her to check in with a teacher if the system indicates, say, that a sixth-grader has a fever.
After Your Voice Ohio conducted five online dialogues with Ohioans in which they expressed concern for unclear messaging, lack of a plan and politics taking precedence over science in the era of COVID-19, student interns in the Collaborative News Lab @ Kent State University were asked to interview several people from various parts of the state about their experiences dealing with the pandemic. Among the questions were, have you been tested, and how do you engage with others who have different perspectives? Participating in this reporting project were Gina Butkovich, Tramaine Burton, Paige Bennett, Jenna Borthwick, Kelsey Paulus and Madison MacArthur. Associate professor Susan Kirkman Zake advises the staff. The program is sponsored by the Scripps Howard Foundation.
Engaging with the public: Be empathetic and factual
Name: Kevin Jones
Hometown: Columbus
Age: 22
Occupation: College student
Kevin Jones will graduate with a political science degree from Wright State University in December. But like so many other college students, he will take his last semester of classes online due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
I had to move back to Columbus, Jones said. Its affected the way Im able to learn, instantly switching over to remote learning and then finishing out my last semester of undergrad. So its affected me that way, and its affected me mentally. Im an on-the-go type of individual, so not being able to go out as much at the beginning of quarantine and changing the way I maneuver in society its affected me mentally.
Jones was tested for COVID-19, something he said he did as both a precautionary measure and as a way to show the importance of being tested.
Its one thing Ive really been pushing personally because I do have underlying health conditions and as we know, COVID, at least here in Franklin County, has affected my age group the most, Jones said. And it affects African-Americans in a much more disproportionate way. Ive been pushing getting tested, social distancing, the proper health precautions to ensure that were staying healthy.
In addition to attending school, Jones works as the chief communications officer for Central Ohio Young Black Democrats. In his position, Jones often will come across someone with differing views from his on COVID-19.
A lot of times well have people message or comment or respond to different posts that we make or share, Jones said. My response is usually very gentle and empathetic, yet factual and informative. What we know. What the facts are that we know. I understand what youre saying, I understand what you feel, but whats the facts?
Jones trusts the pandemic-related information he gets from his state and local governments, and said that although he isnt a Republican, he absolutely trusts the leadership of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.
Ive been trusting them my entire life, Jones said. And I dont think COVID is a situation we should handle differently. Although we have not seen anything like this in our lifetime, we know that weve been here before. Between the Spanish flu, between the swine flu, between the Ebola outbreak. Weve been in many different cases where weve had no option but to trust government. And I believe that we have the best doctors here in Columbus. We have some of the best resources here in Ohio.
By Gina Butkovich
Student-teaching in a virtual classroom
Hometown: Dublin
Age: 21
Occupation: Student teacher
After three years studying to work as a teacher in a classroom, her final education will be student teaching 100 percent online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a teacher, one thing that they do tell us is that you always need to be learning, the Columbus-area teacher said. You cant one day know everything. So its a lot of learning as you go so youre better equipped to teach the students. So, Im just trying to embrace this as a learning opportunity and take whatever comes.
Because she intends to seek a full-time teaching job next year, she talked about the coronavirus, teaching and voting on condition that her identity not be disclosed.
She did work with children in person over the summer, at a summer camp. Masks were required, and the schedule was switched from an overnight camp to a day camp. Despite these precautions, some campers opted out of attending for a variety of reasons. In addition, some kids struggled with being forced to wear a mask.
We had a few campers who were just getting very frustrated with being forced to wear a mask, which I understand, she said. And towards the latter-half of the summer, all of the campers 10 years and older were also required to wear a mask. And there were some people coming in who just got very frustrated and saying that their parents told them that it wasnt real, et cetera.
She followed the instructions of her supervisor at the camp, which were to work to align the campers with the beliefs at the camp.
Oftentimes, if they were not willing to wear their mask, we would just say I understand, thats what you believe, however, for the greater good Or, this is just something you do at camp. Another tactic they used was to say, Camp is about making everyone feel comfortable, therefore if youre going to be in this place, youre going to have to wear a mask.
When it comes to deciding who to vote for during a pandemic, she wants to know not only what the candidates plan on doing but what they are currently doing.
I think its not only important to know what your goals or plans are but what are you doing right now to make this happen because if youre not putting in steps to achieve these goals, its not going to get done.
By Gina Butkovich
Checking sources, avoiding conflict
Hometown: Cleveland
Age: 19
Occupation: Cleveland State University student
Before the coronavirus pandemic began, the female college student studying mathematics said she used to constantly be around other people. In the last few months, though, she hasnt seen many others in person, aside from a couple of friends.
I dont get to see my family as much, she said. So thats been weird because Im usually around people all the time.
Never tested for COVID-19, she has many questions about what life will be like after the pandemic and wants to know more about a potential coronavirus vaccine. She said she primarily relies on coronavirus information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention because she thinks it offers the best health-related news.
When the student reads news about the pandemic, she said she checks the source before she decides whether she believes it and filters out information that comes from what she considers to be untrustworthy places.
I feel like I always have to look where [information] is coming from and whether its obviously a biased source or not and just ignore those ones, she said.
She asked that her name not be used because she was concerned about differences of opinion. If she encounters someone who has a viewpoint on the pandemic that differs from her own, the student said she typically doesnt pay attention to it.
Im going to be honest, I usually dont respond, she said. I just ignore it. Ignore the ignorance behind it.
The student said she wants those running for office to take a stance on issues related to the pandemic, such as calling for mask mandates. She also said she hopes reporters will ask for more statistics about the pandemic because she feels like more information should be provided on the number of cases that occur in specific regions.
By Paige Bennett
Coworkers became ill, grateful to work at home
Name: Hailey Lueck
Hometown: Maumee
Age: 28
Occupation: Communications coach
When she returned home from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which took place from Jan. 7 to 11, Hailey Lueck became seriously ill along with many of her coworkers. At that time there were no COVID-19 tests available and the virus was not widely known.
I came home from that honestly the sickest Ive ever been. I had a lot of COVID- like symptoms, Lueck said about her trip. It literally annihilated our entire office everyone in our office got sick.
Now, as the number of cases and unemployment claims rise in the U.S., Lueck, who lives near Toledo, is grateful to be physically healthy and to be working from home. The isolation brought on by the coronavirus is the most challenging issue for her as she misses visiting her friends and family. And, the influx of information about the pandemic has definitely made her skeptical of some news sources.
I mostly read NPR, Lueck said. I also appreciate that they tend to have people kind of on both political spectrums that will provide commentary and not in an aggressive manner but just like a factual manner.
She urges people to become better at fact checking their sources, something she says not many are doing. For instance, she speaks to associates who work in health care, asks questions of them and listens to their experiences, which she said gives her a much clearer and accurate picture of what is happening. Lueck said she has various questions about the best ways to protect and keep loved ones safe because so many Americans have died of the pandemic.
Its a horrible virus thats really decimated a lot of peoples livelihoods, she said You know way too many Americans who passed away due to the coronavirus.
Lueck said it would be ideal to have more information coming from the federal government about the virus but appreciates the job Gov. Mike DeWine is doing to ensure Ohioans are informed. Witnessing both extremes from people sanitizing all their groceries to some staying completely shut in she said it is vital for the government to play their part in dispelling myths and baseless theories and instead recommends having a healthy discussion about the fears and anxieties people share.
People feel like its a hoax, Lueck said. They have their minds made up, and they read a lot of interesting news articles.
As the elections are quickly approaching, she encourages reporters to ask the state legislature and congressional candidates what their long term plans are. She wants to know what the best and worst case scenario will look like for colleges and those who are unemployed. And, she said, journalists need to be getting information out to people in a variety of ways.
By Tramaine Burton
I put a lot of faith in science
Name: Norm Kujawa
Hometown: Toledo
Age: 60
Occupation: Shipping and receiving clerk
Before the pandemic hit, Norm Kujawa and his wife had date nights every Friday. They would go to the movies or a sporting event, but as guidelines from the governors office and social distancing forced movie theaters and sporting events to close, it also forced the couple to stay home.
We would go out and relax and we dont do that anymore, Kujawa said. You dont know where other people have been or who they have been in contact with.
Life in lockdown disconnected them from friends and family. It also reshaped the way they communicate or share their opinions with others about the virus, which leaves them feeling apprehensive at times. A difference in perspectives with their neighbor helped them to understand that not everyone gets their information about the pandemic from reputable sources.
An acquaintance is for certain that hes right and weve debated a little bit, Kujawa said. We want to maintain a good relationship with them, so we back off.
Kujawa said he heard the conspiracy theories and tried to get a broad spectrum of opinions, but in the end, he trusts the national scientists and doctors. These different perspectives, he said, made it easier for some to profit from the fears of others and so it is important for people to check the facts and their sources reliability.
I put a lot of faith in science and in the process, Kujawa said. It gives me a little bit of comfort when a vaccine or some kind of treatment does come about that its going to be pretty secure and safe.
Although a vaccine is still under development in the United States, Kujawa said the pandemic would be better controlled now if the government had taken immediate action when they first were warned about the virus.
If we had a national reaction and a plan we could have been through this by mid to late April and back to normal, he said. We have reacted very poorly.
Kujawa said Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is doing a great job leading Ohio through the pandemic, but he would love to hear more from legislators and congressional delegates. He said if the government responded quickly, it could plan for things like unemployment to better provide citizens with loans and grants.
I think its been disappointing that its been a lot of political lines, he said. Theres really not that strong of a response from the party in power in the country.
With the upcoming elections, Kujawa said it is important to ask state leaders what their plans are going forward and what will be done to get cases under control.
We are kind of in a wait and see mode, Kujawa said. We are trying to get back to a normal lifestyle, but we still have these issues hanging out there that nobody seems to be asking about anymore.
By Tramaine Burton
A skeptic asks if COVID-19 is an effort to control people
Name: David Brothers
Hometown: Albany
Age: 69
Occupation: Pastor
David Brothers, of Albany, a small town near Athens, is among those skeptical of COVID-19. The minister at Blackburn Hill Church of Christ in Athens wonders why college students are permitted back on campus but restrictions remain tough in public places such as restaurants.
Is it truly a medical condition where we should all be panicked and holding up in our houses? Brothers asked. Or is it more political, where maybe there might be an attempt to control people?
He would like to see more honesty and consistency from political figures who are guiding the country through the pandemic. Specifically, he wants an explanation about why Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine received different results from two COVID-19 tests earlier this month.
According to his regulations, if you test positive, you should quarantine yourself for two weeks, Brothers said. Did the governor quarantine himself for two weeks? No, because he took a second test and the first test came out positive, the second one came up negative. Now, should he be quarantined for two weeks? According to his rules, he should be, but no, he took another test. And hes going by the information from the second test, which he says, evidently, is more accurate than the first test he took. Why is that?
Brothers said there is not enough consistency or solid information about the coronavirus for the amount of money and politics involved.
- Kelsey Paulus
No library, no graduation, education gets complicated
Name: Amy Achenbach
Hometown: Originally from Butler, Pennsylvania, now Athens
Age: 25
Occupation: Graduate student
Home from the University of Akron due to the pandemic, Amy Achenbach needed the Ohio University library to be open so she could complete her masters thesis and work on her comprehensive exams. But when the OU campus closed, she had to postpone her graduation.
Most of the books and things that I read arent classic literature that you might be able to find digitized online, she said. Either I didnt have access to those books and I had to do without, or I had to buy them myself through a service like Amazon.
Achenbach is moving to Texas to pursue a doctorate in history at Baylor University. The university sent at-home test kits to its students through Everlywell, and Achenbach said she took a nasal swab COVID-19 test and mailed it so she could arrive on campus.
It is sort of nice to know that at least everyone coming to campus has been tested. It makes me feel a little bit better, I suppose, she said. She received her results via email and tested negative for coronavirus.
While Achenbach admits certain differences between her peers and family about what they think related to COVID-19 cause her frustration, her relationships with others have not changed. But Achenbach said she senses more tension in certain social settings.
The church that I attend has sort of let people either wear masks or dont, and I think theres a definite tension between those that are staunchly Im going to wear a mask and those that are You cant make me wear a mask, she said.
Looking into the future, Achenbach said she would prefer to have multiple officials disseminating information about COVID-19. She tends to browse online news sources, such as CNN, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
I also think it should come from our government and in other ways, so not just the independent press, but also from politicians because I think that is part of their job to report on whats going on, she said. We should be on the same page as a nation, as a state and as a community.
Erin and Ben got engaged on February 29, and were planning a perfect, big summer wedding. Being from Florida, Erin had always dreamed of having a Publix cake for her reception.
"Every celebration had a Publix cake," Erin said. "When Ben and I started dating I brought him to Florida and our first stop was to Publix."
So, when Ben proposed, the couple knew they wanted that specific brand of cake. The problem is, they planned to get married in Minneapolis, where the Southern supermarket does not exist.
The original plan was to get a family member from Florida to bring the cake for the wedding, but when Covid-19 hit, they had to come up with a Plan B.
The couple started experimenting with recipes to see if they could reinvent a cake that would resemble what Erin dreamed of, but none of them were doing the trick.
After Erin shared her story for an article, Publix jumped in to help make their dream a reality.
"We heard about Erin's dream of having a Publix cake at her wedding and we wanted to help make it happen, so we reached out to see if they'd be interested in doing a wedding cake decorating session over a video call," Brittany Lavallee, a professional decorator at Publix told CNN.
"We sent them a box with all the ingredients which included the buttercream icing, cake layers and decorative gum paste flowers from our headquarters in Lakeland, Florida."
They also sent the Cohens a list of supplies that they would need to make the cake.
Making their own dream cake
The Friday before their August 16 wedding, Ben and Erin hopped on a video call with Lavallee and went to work constructing their very own DIY wedding cake.
"Doing the consultation and tutorial with Brittany and the Publix team became the kickoff to the wedding weekend, and making our own cake has become a big memory for us," Ben said.
"We can't do all the things most couples would imagine doing when they get married because of the pandemic so we looked for unique and different ways to celebrate so it was truly special."
And according to Ben, the results were "perfect."
"It was beautiful... honestly, it brought me back to my childhood. Each bit of the cake made me feel like I was home," Erin said.
And since Erin's family in Florida couldn't attend the ceremony in person, Publix provided a replica of the cake to them so they could all eat the same cake together on their wedding day.
Erin's mom even froze the top of their Florida cake for the couple's first anniversary.
"Many people have had to make major changes with special life events like weddings, so we are grateful we could help be a part of their celebration and make it a little more special," Lavallee said.
"The true icing on the cake for me was seeing the love and laughter that the couple shared while creating these memories that will last a lifetime."
EDISON Edison officials reported nine new COVID-19 cases over a two-day period, which brings the total number of cases to 2,058, according to the Edison Office of Emergency Management on Aug. 30.
Three new cases were reported for Aug. 28 and six new cases were reported for Aug. 29. The age range of the cases were from 13 to 21 on Aug. 28 and 24 to 59 on Aug. 29.
The township has lost 238 residents to COVID-19, according to Middlesex County.
Mayor Thomas Lankey and Council President Joyce Ship-Freeman will celebrate women elected officials of the township from 3-6 p.m. on Aug. 30 at Yelenscics Park on Woodbridge Avenue to commemorate the 100th year of womens suffrage.
The Edisons Department of Public Works personnel are diligently working to clean up roadways following Tropical Storm Isaias. Residents, businesses are asked to pile storm debris at curbside. Clean ups will continue over the next several weeks.
The Edison Senior Center, 2963 Woodbridge Avenue, will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday as a cooling center. Those using the cooling center will be required to wear a face covering and will have their temperature taken along with providing contact information. Please contact the office at 732-248-7345 for further information.
Menlo Park Mall and all indoor malls reopened on June 29. For more information visit https://www.simon.com/mall/menlo-park-mall.
The Edison Public main library at 340 Plainfield Ave., reopened on July 13. Patrons must wear face masks. Gov. Phil Murphy announced public libraries are allowed to reopen on July 2 with 25% capacity.
The library hours are 1-8:30 p.m. on Monday and 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday to Friday.
The reopening of the north branch library at 777 Grove Ave. began on July 27 and the Clara Barton branch at 141 Hoover Ave. will follow in August.
No seating and study tables at the library will be available. No meetings or programs will be held at least through Labor Day. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. All returned materials will be quarantined for 72 hours. For more information contact edisondirector@lmxac.org.
The Edison Public Library has launched a COVID memory project. Residents are welcome to share their experiences during the coronavirus through a questionnaire and any images and videos documenting experiences. All items submitted will be reviewed for the librarys archive. For more information visit edisonpubliclibrary.net/covidMemory.shtml.
Mayor Thomas Lankey issued an executive order ahead of the reopening of outdoor dining on June 15. The executive order, which will run through Oct. 31, allows restaurants and food establishments to eliminate up to 20% of their existing onsite parking to accommodate tables for consumption of food and beverages. Hours of operation for outdoor dining will run from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and the township reserves the right to review and revoke approval of applications. The fee for application permits have been waived. For more information visit edisonnj.org.
The Edison Farmers Market is open from 1-3 p.m. every Wednesday at the Jade Dynasty parking lot, 925 Amboy Ave., through October.
On Aug. 5, the farmers market added La Canasta Produce to the market with additional fruit and vegetable offerings.
La Canasta joins vendors Asprocolas Acres, La Bonbonniere Bake Shop, Fresh Honey and Honey Products, Bebes All Natural Masalas Indian sauces for a variety of foods, Elchas Eats, and P.M. Naturals.
For more information about pre-order and pickup visit Asprocolasacres.com, la-bonbonniere-bake-shoppe.myshopify.com, www.countrybirdandgarden.net, bebesallnatural.com, and elchaseats.com.
The township has resumed the collection of cardboard from outside of the recycling container on regular recycling days.
Edison Township was not provided any other information regarding the new cases.
For Middlesex County information visit discovermiddlesex.com/covid19/ or www.middlesexcountynj.gov/covid19.
Following the news this week of what appears to have been the first confirmed case of a Covid-19 reinfection, other researchers have been coming forward with their own reports. One in Belgium, another in the Netherlands. And now, one in Nevada.
What caught experts attention about the case of the 25-year-old Reno man was not that he appears to have contracted SARS-CoV-2 (the name of the virus that causes Covid-19) a second time. Rather, its that his second bout was more serious than his first.
Immunologists had expected that if the immune response generated after an initial infection could not prevent a second case, then it should at least stave off more severe illness. Thats what occurred with the first known reinfection case, in a 33-year-old Hong Kong man.
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Still, despite what happened to the man in Nevada, researchers are stressing this is not a sky-is-falling situation or one that should result in firm conclusions. They always presumed people would become vulnerable to Covid-19 again some time after recovering from an initial case, based on how our immune systems respond to other respiratory viruses, including other coronaviruses. Its possible that these early cases of reinfection are outliers and have features that wont apply to the tens of millions of other people who have already shaken off Covid-19.
There are millions and millions of cases, said Michael Mina, an epidemiologist at Harvards T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The real question that should get the most focus, Mina said, is, What happens to most people?
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But with more reinfection reports likely to make it into the scientific literature soon, and from there into the mainstream press, here are some things to look for in assessing them.
Whats the deal with the Nevada case?
The Reno resident in question first tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in April after coming down with a sore throat, cough, and headache, as well as nausea and diarrhea. He got better over time and later tested negative twice.
But then, some 48 days later, the man started experiencing headaches, cough, and other symptoms again. Eventually, he became so sick that he had to be hospitalized and was found to have pneumonia.
Researchers sequenced virus samples from both of his infections and found they were different, providing evidence that this was a new infection distinct from the first.
What happens when we get Covid-19 in the first case?
Researchers are finding that, generally, people who get Covid-19 develop a healthy immune response replete with both antibodies (molecules that can block pathogens from infecting cells) and T cells (which help wipe out the virus). This is what happens after other viral infections.
In addition to fending off the virus the first time, that immune response also creates memories of the virus, should it try to invade a second time. Its thought, then, that people who recover from Covid-19 will typically be protected from another case for some amount of time. With other coronaviruses, protection is thought to last for perhaps a little less than a year to about three years.
But researchers cant tell how long immunity will last with a new pathogen (like SARS-CoV-2) until people start getting reinfected. They also dont know exactly what mechanisms provide protection against Covid-19, nor do they know what levels of antibodies or T cells are required to signal that someone is protected through a blood test. (These are called the correlates of protection.)
Why do experts expect second cases to be milder?
With other viruses, protective immunity doesnt just vanish one day. Instead, it wanes over time. Researchers have then hypothesized that with SARS-CoV-2, perhaps our immune systems might not always be able to prevent it from getting a toehold in our cells to halt infection entirely but that it could still put up enough of a fight to guard us from getting really sick. Again, this is what happens with other respiratory pathogens.
And its why some researchers actually looked at the Hong Kong case with relief. The man had mild to moderate Covid-19 symptoms during the first case, but was asymptomatic the second time. It was a demonstration, experts said, of what you would want your immune system to do. (The case was only detected because the mans sample was taken at the airport when he arrived back in Hong Kong after traveling in Europe.)
The fact that somebody may get reinfected is not surprising, Malik Peiris, a virologist at the University of Hong Kong, told STAT earlier this week about the first reinfection. But the reinfection didnt cause disease, so thats the first point.
The Nevada case, then, provides a counterexample to that.
What kind of immune response did the person who was reinfected generate initially?
Earlier, we described the robust immune response that most people who have Covid-19 seem to mount. But that was a generalization. Infections and the immune responses they induce in different people are heterogeneous, said Sarah Cobey, an epidemiologist and evolutionary biologist at the University of Chicago.
Older people often generate weaker immune responses than younger people. Some studies have also indicated that milder cases of Covid-19 induce tamer immune responses that might not provide as lasting or as thorough of a defense as stronger immune responses. The man in Hong Kong, for example, did not generate antibodies to the virus after his first infection, at least to the level that could be detected by blood tests. Perhaps that explains why he contracted the virus again just about 4 1/2 months after recovering from his initial infection.
In the Nevada case, researchers did not test what kind of immune response the man generated after the first case.
Infection is not some binary event, Cobey said. And with reinfection, theres going to be some viral replication, but the question is how much is the immune system getting engaged?
What might be broadly meaningful is when people who mounted robust immune responses start getting reinfected, and how severe their second cases are.
Are people who have Covid-19 a second time infectious?
As discussed, immune memory can prevent reinfection. If it cant, it might stave off serious illness. But theres a third aspect of this, too.
The most important question for reinfection, with the most serious implications for controlling the pandemic, is whether reinfected people can transmit the virus to others, Columbia University virologist Angela Rasmussen wrote in Slate this week.
Unfortunately, neither the Hong Kong nor the Reno studies looked at this question. But if most people who get reinfected dont spread the virus, thats obviously good news.
What happens when people broadly become susceptible again?
Whether its six months after the first infection or nine months or a year or longer, at some point, protection for most people who recover from Covid-19 is expected to wane. And without the arrival of a vaccine and broad uptake of it, that could change the dynamics of local outbreaks.
In some communities, its thought that more than 20% of residents have experienced an initial Covid-19 case, and are thus theoretically protected from another case for some time. That is still below the point of herd immunity when enough people are immune that transmission doesnt occur but still, the fewer vulnerable people there are, the less likely spread is to occur.
On the flip side though, if more people become susceptible to the virus again, that could increase the risk of transmission. Modelers are starting to factor that possibility into their forecasts.
A crucial question for which there is not an answer yet is whether what happened to the man in Reno, where the second case was more severe than the first, remains a rare occurrence, as researchers expect and hope. As the Nevada researchers wrote, the generalizability of this finding is unknown.
