When she arrived at PowerBack, Alexander, 61, could stand for only three seconds before her legs buckled and she collapsed in a chair. On this August day, with Tran near for support, she walked to the stairs, climbed one at a time as instructed and returned to the chair. That was enough to make Alexanders heart rate shoot to 135 beats per minute, what many people would see after a jog. Normal is 60 to 100, Tran said. Her blood oxygen, meanwhile, had plummeted to 80. Anything below 90 is too low.
by: Rosie Nguyen, KTVX and Nexstar Media Wire
NAVAJO NATION (KTVX) Just three months ago, the Navajo Nation experienced one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the country. Now, its a vastly different scene on the reservation as they hit a new milestone and the daily case count continues to decline.
After Navajo Nation reported its first case of COVID-19 on March 17, the daily case count rose quickly and reached its peak of 240 on May 14.The reservation houses more than 300,000 residents of the nations largest Native American tribe. But the area faces social and economic disparities that put its population at a higher risk for COVID-19.
Residents have said in the past five months that Navajo Nation is a food desert, meaning that tribal members often have to drive long distances to buy groceries and stock up on food. In some areas, access to water and the internet is limited or even non-existent.
Health officials expressed concern about the areas hospital capacity and relied on nearby hospitals to take on their overflow, which is no longer a possibility given the recent spikes in cases in nearby states. In April, Navajo Nation was in the top three largest COVID-19 hot spots in the U.S., trailing only New York and New Jersey.
Tribal leaders acted swiftly, enacting a 57-hour weekend curfew that mandated residents stay home and visitors pass through.Leaders joined volunteers multiple times a week at food distribution centers to make sure residents had enough food and water during the weekend.
The messaging from leadership was clear: Wear your masks, wash your hands and maintain social distancing at all times.Employees with the Health Department even went door to door for their public health campaign.By mid-May, the daily case count started going down and has stayed down ever since.
Were very excited. We have a decrease in positive cases. Good job to Dineh (Navajo people). You all have done an outstanding job out there, said Navajo Nation Vice President Myron Lizer.
For the first time this past weekend, tribal leaders shortened the 57-hour weekend curfew to 32 hours.
Its almost like a reward, right? Lets treat it as that, kind of like when youre dieting. You have a little cheat day. You have a little sweet and its good for just one time and then you go back to the regimen that provides results, said Lizer.
RELATED:Navajo Nation reissues weekend curfew as neighboring states experience spikes in COVID-19 cases
President Jonathan Nez encouraged residents not to become complacent and to use extra hours relieved from curfew to prepare for a possible second wave in the winter.
What I mean by preparing is hauling wood, getting supplies to our family members, and starting to stock up because theres so much uncertainty right now, said Nez.
On Monday, officials celebrated a new milestone of 45 consecutive days with less than 100 daily new cases of COVID-19 and 10 straight days with less than 40.
However, tribal leaders said Navajo Nation is not in the clear just yet. Nez emphasized that COVID-19 cases are surging in surrounding states, causing concern for residents who normally travel to areas that are now hotspots for groceries and supplies.
We will overcome COVID-19. We are all resilient, all five-finger beings. In Navajo Blaashlaii it means five-fingered beings. Were all in this together, Nez said in June. It affects us on the Navajo Nation, it affects those of the Navajo Nation and vice versa.
Nez and Lizer hold town hall meetings every Tuesday morning and Thursday evening on Facebook with updates on the reservations COVID-19 status.
Reports from the Department of Health this morning indicate two more deaths due to COVID-19 have occurred in Henry County just as the total number of globals cases exceeds 20 million. The new school year began yesterday for Martinsville and Henry County while Patrick County schools begin their school year today. All students in all three school districts will remain at home learning remotely. Martinsville Superintendent Zeb Talley described the first virtual day a success, but not without glitches. Talley will present the status of the school system under the pandemic to Martinsville City Council at their meeting tonight. This morning there were 14 new cases reported in Pittsylvania County, 5 in Henry County, 4 in Danville, 3 in Martinsville, 3 in Patrick County and no new cases in Franklin County.The Virginia Department of Health reportsthis morning reported there have been 101,745 cases and 2,344 deaths statewide. Some 8,458 people have been hospitalized. Henry County has had 596 cases, with 66 hospitalizations and 9 deaths. Martinsville has had 215 cases, with 35 hospitalizations and 3 deaths. Patrick County has had 161 cases including 34 hospitalizations and 4 deaths. Franklin County has had 175 cases, 7 hospitalizations and 1 death. Danville has reported 415 cases, and Pittsylvania County has had 507.Johns Hopkins University's real-time mapshowed 20,119,511 cases worldwide and 737,126 deaths. In the U.S. there are 5,095,163. There have been163,473 deaths in the U.S. due to COVID-19.
(188) updates to this series since 4 hrs ago
Here are the latest COVID-19 updates, closures and postponements in Central Texas for Tuesday, Aug. 11.
AUSTIN, Texas KVUE is keeping you updated with the latest coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, news in the Austin area.
Scroll down for the top headlines and latest updates in KVUE's Aug. 11 live blog.
12:30 p.m. Austin Public Health releases a statement on return to work guidance:
We have been informed that many employers are asking employees that have tested positive for COVID-19 to provide proof of multiple negative tests before allowing those employees to return to work. This practice is not currently recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nor Austin Public Health (APH) since individuals with mild or moderate COVID-19 remain infectious no longer than 10 days after symptom onset. Requiring re-testing places unnecessary financial burden on the employee.
APH echoesrecommendations from the CDCon guidance for individuals who have had COVID-19 on returning to work. Current health guidelines require individuals stay home at least 10 days following the onset of COVID-19 symptoms and at least one day following the resolution of fever with improvement of other symptoms.
The focus of the free tests provided by APH and partner organizations is to identify new infections and limit the spread of the disease, not to re-test individuals who have had the virus and recovered. It is resource-intensive and inefficient to re-test individuals who have already tested positive.
We understand that employees and their employers want their workplaces to be safe and do not want to risk transmission by asymptomatic individuals. Following the CDC/APH guidelines will allow everyone to work in a safe environment while also ensuring that COVID-19 tests are still available for those who need it most.
Additional guidance for employers and employees related to COVID-19 can be found inthese letters, which are available in both English and Spanish.
11:30 a.m. Gov. Abbott will hold two press conferences to give COVID-19 updates for the state. One will be at noon in Beaumont and the other will be at 2:45 p.m. in Victoria.
MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:
Posted: Aug 11, 2020 / 12:03 PM EDT / Updated: Aug 11, 2020 / 12:03 PM EDT
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported as of August 11th that there are 828 new positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 120,281.
According to the department, the number of tests administered within the last 7 days between August 4 and August 10 is 151,455 with 5,298 positive cases. There were 21,755 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m., August 10. These results represent the total number of tests administered.
The department also reported 35 new deaths, bringing the statewide total to 7,352 deaths.
The mitigation efforts in place now are essential as the new school year approaches and we work to ensure our children can get back to learning, Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. Wearing a mask, practicing social distancing and following the requirements set forth in the orders for bars and restaurants, gatherings and telework will help keep our case counts low. Together, as Pennsylvanians, we each have a part to play in working to ensure that cases of COVID-19 remain low.
According to the department, mask-wearing is required in all businesses and whenever leaving home and consistent mask-wearing is critical to preventing the spread of COVID-19.
The department is seeing significant increases in the number of COVID-19 cases among younger age groups, particularly 19 to 24-year-olds. An alert was sent to healthcare providers about the changing COVID-19 case demographics, as there are more cases in younger age groups than in those 50-64 and 65+.
In nursing and personal care homes, there are 20,086 resident cases of COVID-19, and 4,166 cases among employees, for a total of 24,252. Out of Pennsylvanias total deaths, 4,983 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities.
8,693 of Pennsylvanias total cases are in health care workers.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOTV)-When Jordan Gallagher began working at Mercy Health, he knew it was his calling from God. However he had no idea that a world-wide pandemic would take over hospitals across the country in 2020. Gallagher works in the ICU taking care of patients during COVID-19, and he knows that bringing the calm in the chaos is what hes called to do.
As we continue our in-depth special, Heroes Among Us, Gallagher sits down with Jordan Carson to talk about what its been like to work at Mercy Health during these times, the team that gives him hope, and his faith and family that gives him strength. Click the video above to watch the full story.
The Heroes Among Us campaign will benefit four participating hospitals includingSaint Marys (Mercy Health),Metro Health,Spectrum HealthandMary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital.
Join us in celebrating the heroes behind the masks, as we speak to the doctors and nurses working on the front lines, and some of the patients whove survived the COVID-19 virus. Watch the impactful stories each Tuesday throughout the month of August, oneightWestat 11AM on WOOD TV8.
Plus, the half-hour special broadcast, Heroes Among Us, September 7, at 7PM on WOOD TV8.
Heroes Among Us is underwritten and fully funded byCareLinc Medical Equipment and Supply.
Soon after the coronavirus outbreak was declared a global pandemic, Atul Rana started using the video app Zoom to keep up with peers in his field. The high-school math tutor found the hourlong conversations so enlightening, he began broadcasting them live once a week on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
HONOLULU (KHON2) There were 231 COVID-19 cases were reported on Saturday, a new highest record for the state.
[Hawaii news on the goLISTEN to KHON 2GO weekday mornings at 7:30 a.m.]
With another high number of COVID-19 cases recorded in the state, contact tracing is underway, but the health department is having some trouble tracing a certain case.
One of the cases the Department of Health is investigating is an employee that works at a gentlemans club. The departments trying to identify the club where the worker danced on July 25th. Health investigators say they havent been able to identify this persons close contacts that could have been exposed to COVID-19.
The Department of Health director has the prerogative to press and insist on information if he feels that the health of the public is at risk, said Lt. Gov. Josh Green.
Lt. Gov. Green said a higher percentage of people taking COVID-19 tests are testing positive. Because of this, he said they expect COVID hospitalizations to continue to rise.
One of our hospitals now has surged over 60 individuals with COVID to give you an idea. Were seeing that as a significant uptick, said Lt. Gov. Josh Green.
On the Big Island, there were five new COVID-19 cases reported. Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim said one of the cases was related to a staff member at one of its schools.
So today, our [tracers] are going to go to their school area and try to identify where this staff member might have visited or stayed at within the school, and were going to disinfect the area, said Mayor Harry Kim.
With schools set to reopen in about a week, KHON asked Mayor Kim if this changes anything with Hawaii Countys plan for the first few weeks of school.
This particular case does it concerndoes it raise another red flag in regards to opening up schools in another week or so? The answer is no because its happening now. Everybody seemed to have followed the right process, said Mayor Kim.
Lt. Gov. Green said it will still take about a week before people may start to see the COVID-19 numbers go down due to Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwells new order.
To judge by popular movies, people who live in the Brazilian Amazon are at constant risk of being attacked by huge tarantulas, squeezed to death by giant anacondas and being eaten alive by voracious piranhas. In fact, the real dangers have more to do with tropical diseases such as malaria, cholera, dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya. And while illnesses would be mostly preventable through modern sanitation and hygiene measures, these are mostly unavailable.
Take Porto Velho, for examplea city of half a million people and the capital of the state of Rondnia, in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, where fewer than 1 percent of residences have access to treated water and proper sewerage. And rather than take responsibility for these conditions, TV ads created by the government blame the population itself for disease outbreaks, as if the lack of hygiene were a cultural characteristic and not a matter of failed public policies.
The same sort of abdication of responsibility occurs when nearby farmers outside the city burn the forest to create pastureland for cattle. Despite the increase in hospital admissions, especially of children, resulting from respiratory problems caused by the smoke, the official position is that the wildfires are inevitable because of development. This is technically correct: without the fires, there would be no cattle to export, and without cattle, the ranch owners wouldnt have enough money to donate to the politicians (or to keep for themselves, because many of the ranch owners are politicians).
And now, with the arrival of COVID-19, we are seeing a similar pattern. By late July, there were more than 800 deaths from the coronavirus in Rondnia. But COVID-19 has become an ideological issue, not just a public health problem. Whether or not people wear protective masks or practice self-isolation depends on whether they support President Jair Bolsonaro, who has consistently downplayed the dangers of the pandemic. The official line is that the economic disruption that would result from aggressive measures against the disease would take more lives than the virus itself. (Bolsonaro tested positive himself recently, although according to an official statement he remained in good condition.)
The illness in Porto Velho reflects what we already know about disease in the Brazilian Amazon: the poorest are most at risk. When we cross-check mobility data provided by Google; data from the states Health Department; and social indicators such as the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) on access to sanitation, education and employment, it becomes clear that areas in Porto Velho where compliance with self-isolation falls below 30 percent are also the poorest ones and those in which there is a greater number of confirmed COVID-19 confirmed cases.
In short, the poorest people are the sickest. We may understand these data in two ways. The first interpretation, advanced by public administrators at the state level, is that its their own fault that the poorest people are seeing the most illness. But poor housing, malnutrition and lack of formal employment are clearly not their fault. These conditions mean that the poor are unable to isolate themselves socially, wash their hands or buy protective masks. They have little access to public health resources and social assistance.
The challenge becomes to understand the structural factors that maintain these inequalities and their consequences for peoples health, and to begin to remedy them. Only then will these communities no longer have to choose between working and putting themselves and their families at risk on one hand, versus self-isolating and starving.
As reported in a recent letter to the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology, 79% of 122 men and 42% of 53 women suffering from COVID-19 in three Madrid hospitals were noted to have androgenic alopecia, otherwise known as male-pattern hair loss.
Like most of those faring worse from COVID-19, the subjects were all older. The median age of the men studied was 62.5, and that of women was 71. Balding accompanies older age, of course, but this was more balding than typical for the age ranges in question.
At 79%, the portion of men with hair loss in the Spanish COVID-19 hospital ward was potentially twice that of a matched group of males, for whom the normal prevalence of alopecia ranged from 31% to 53%.
At 42%, the portion of Spanish women hospitalized with COVID-19 who were balding had only slightly higher rates of hair loss than normal, given that the highest rate of so-called androgenic alopecia among women over 69 is 38%.
The study was small and observational, though, meaning its conclusions were of limited use in describing cause-and-effect.
But it has been joined by a larger study of baldness and COVID-19, this one titled "Male Balding is a Major Risk Factor for Severe COVID-19." The authors, who are dermatology researchers West Virginia University, identified 1,941 hospitalized men in a health database known as the UK Biobank who had been tested for COVID-19. They then sorted them by positive or negative COVID-19 diagnosis, and looked up their level of baldness.
As part of an extensive health record, the UK Biobank participants had previously been tasked with describing their degree of baldness on a four-level severity scale, one ranging from virtually no baldness, to near total hair loss.
The researchers found that of 336 hospitalized men who tested positive for COVID-19 in the database, increasing baldness predicted COVID-19 positivity. The COVID-19 prevalence in hospitalized men was 15% for grade-one baldness, 16.8% for grade two, 18.1% for grade three and 20% for grade four. By contrast, increasing levels of baldness was evenly distributed among those who tested negative for the virus.
"While the exact mechanism remains unknown," the authors wrote, "severe androgenic alopecia seems to be associated with hospitalization for COVID-19." They added their belief that clinicians should incorporate baldness as a signal to identify those at greatest risk of doing poorly with COVID-19.
"I think it has to do with being male," says Mayo Clinic infectious disease specialist Dr. Greg Poland. "If you look at every country across the world, the numbers of those with infections are equally distributed among males and females, but deaths are slanted towards males."
Poland points to an emerging line of research spearheaded by a Johns Hopkins microbiologist. Dr. Sabra Klein has teased apart genetic and cellular machinery responsible for why men appear have less healthy immune systems in the face of novel viruses. While rates of COVID-19 are equally distributed between the sexes, more men have died from the illness, although the reason is unclear.
"I think it is a marker for being being male," Poland said, "or if you're a woman, having elevated male androgenic hormones. Obese women tend to have higher levels of male hormones. Many have a lot of hair loss. So I think that's the risk factor."
Still others have argued that baldness is sometimes a side effect of metabolic syndrome, a dietary disease of civilization which rests at the heart of the underlying obesity, inflammatory and cardiovascular conditions that put COVID-19 patients at greater risk of poor outcomes.
Noting that carbohydrates in the diet induce insulin resistance and an "endocrine cascade" leading to elevated production of androgens in both men and women, not to mention the decrease of a protein known as SHBG for the control of circulating androgen levels, the authors of a 2003 paper famously described male-pattern baldness, hypertension and coronary artery disease as all byproducts of a similar process.
"High glycemic-load carbohydrates, by inducing insulinemia ... represent a likely environmental agent that may in part underlie the promotion of male vertex balding," the authors Loren Cordain, Michael and Mary Eades wrote, a pattern "strongly associated with ... diseases, such as (coronary artery disease) and hypertension."
Be it through the dietary carbohydrates or gender, when it comes to the question of why some people do worse with COVID-19, it seems, hair loss has now become another piece of the puzzle.
