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As respiratory illnesses begin to circulate this winter season, far fewer San Franciscans have rolled up their sleeves to get the latest Covid-19 shot than in previous years, according to health department estimates.
The Department of Public Health estimates that just 22.5 percent of San Franciscans are up to date on their covid vaccine this year, compared to 70 percent for the initial vaccine series in 2021.
As the fourth holiday season marked by the pandemic approaches, most are expected to travel and celebrate with loved ones as usual. And health experts encourage that, especially with the necessary precautions.
For her part, Dr. Carina Marquez, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, said she will visit her pregnant sister and parents but only after she ensures everyone is up to date on vaccines.
Getting vaccinated now will boost your immunity, and decrease the risk that you are sick for the holidays, and reduce the risk that holiday gatherings are superspreader events, Marquez said, and they, of course, will boost your protection for severe disease.
Its not just covid: Rates of the flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, are starting to increase, according to doctors and community-testing sites. Collectively known as the Big Three, these respiratory illnesses pose a danger to all San Franciscans, but particularly children, the elderly and people of color.
Respiratory viruses, including COVID, are circulating and continuing to disproportionately affect our community, said Marquez. Risk increases during holidays with more large gatherings.
Last year, Unidos en Salud, a collaboration between the Latino Task Force and UCSF, championed a triple vax campaign to protect individuals from all three viruses. Again, they advise the same.
Still, covid continues to infect San Franciscans this winter.
While lower demand for testing has likely affected data, the latest available data from the San Francisco Department of Public Health show a 7.1 percent covid positivity rate from Oct. 9 to Nov. 28. In that time period, roughly 28 people were hospitalized by covid, according to the health department.
The Mission Districts Unidos en Salud site at Capp and 24th streets reported a 24-percent covid positivity rate last weekend, Marquez said. Most of the residents are uninsured and Latinx, though the data may be too scant to tell if there are significant racial inequities.
Over at the Chan Zuckerberg BioHub, where Unidos test samples are sequenced, Karina Perlaza confirms that covid has been making up roughly 30-40 samples a month. The BioHub expects to sequence more samples in the winter months, and Perlaza is tracking whether the latest BA.2.86 variant has come to the Mission. Right now, the variant is accounting for about 10 percent of cases nationally.
In certain parts of the world, its taken over, Perlaza said. It becomes the dominant variant really quickly.
For this reason, its important people are vigilant, and people are testing and not assuming its just a cold, said Susana Rojas, a Unidos leader and head of the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District. The last thing we want is another surge.
Those seeking the flu vaccine, the monkeypox vaccine or the covid vaccine which is now recommended annually can go to the Unidos en Salud site at 24th and Capp streets on Fridays and Saturdays. Paxlovid, a treatment prescribed for covid infection, can be accessed at Unidos, too.
Demand has been stronger at Unidos, which has injected some 2,000 updated vaccines since offering the new vaccinations in October, and had to turn away some 700 requests during the first few weekends because they did not have enough supply. Marquez credits the demand to Unidoss reputation: People continue to come to our site because of trust, language concordance, and convenience.
But demand is now dwindling, and turning people away is no longer the case, said former HIV nurse Diane Jones. We now have more supply than demand, Jones said.
COVID-19 vaccines should soon be available for sale in Mexican pharmacies but getting a shot probably wont come cheap.
Health regulator Cofepris announced Thursday that it had authorized the health registration of Moderna (Spikevax monovalent XBB 1.5) and Pfizer (Comirnaty Omicron XBB 1.5) vaccines, which it found complied with requirements of quality, safety and effectiveness.
As a result, the two vaccines can now be sold in Mexico.
However, the supply of these vaccines must be under medical supervision and mustnt be applied indiscriminately as they can represent risks to health, Cofepris said.
The authorization of the sale of the two vaccines comes almost three years after the first shots were administered in Mexico.
Rafael Gual, general director of the National Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry, said in an interview that laboratories in Mexico will be able to import Moderna and Pfizer vaccines once the definitive health registration has been issued and they have obtained the appropriate importation permits.
If everything goes well the vaccines could start coming into the country in January or February, he said.
Only pharmacies that have permits to sell controlled medications will be able to stock the vaccines, Gual said.
Antonio Pascual, president of the National Association of Pharmacies, said that only 35% of pharmacies in Mexico will be able to sell COVID-19 vaccines.
You have to have authorization for vaccines, trained personnel and infrastructure, he said.
There has to be a special cold chain, because [with] vaccines its not just about putting them in the fridge, Pascual said.
Pfizer, a United States company, and its German partner BioNTech set the list price for their COVID-19 vaccine at US $120 per dose in September. Moderna, also a U.S. company, set the list price for its vaccine at $129 per dose.
Deputy Health Minister Ruy Lpez Riadura said in October that a COVID-19 shot could cost up to 5,000 pesos, or almost US $290 at the current exchange rate, in Mexico.
However, TV Azteca reported that it is estimated that the cost of a shot will be similar to other countries, including the U.S., meaning that doses could retail for just over 2,000 pesos.
With reports from El Financiero
LONDON U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to face a grilling by the countrys official COVID-19 inquiry next week.
Sunak, who was chancellor during the pandemic, will appear on Monday morning for a day-long hearing on his handling of the crisis.
While many of the most uncomfortable questions at the inquiry have focused on his predecessor and former boss, Boris Johnson, Sunak is unlikely to face an easy ride.
The COVID-19 inquiry has already heard claims that Sunak, then running the finance ministry, fought hard to lift restrictions at crucial stages.
Diary entries from former Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance said Sunak used pure dogma and scant evidence to argue against curbs to deal with a resurgence of COVID cases in October 2021.
His flagship scheme to reopen the British economy during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic dubbed Eat Out To Help Out was described as highly likely to have led to increased deaths.
LONDON (AP) Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledged Wednesday that his government was too slow to grasp the extent of the COVID-19 crisis, but skirted questions about whether his indecisiveness had cost thousands of lives.
Testifying under oath at Britains COVID-19 public inquiry, Johnson acknowledged that we underestimated the scale and the pace of the challenge when reports of a new virus began to emerge from China in early 2020.
The panic level was not sufficiently high, he said.
Ex-Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the inquiry last week that he had tried to raise the alarm inside the government, saying thousands of lives could have been saved by putting the country under lockdown a few weeks earlier than the eventual date of March 23, 2020.
The United Kingdom went on to have one of Europes longest and strictest lockdowns, as well as one of the continents highest COVID-19 death tolls, with the virus recorded as a cause of death for more than 232,000 people.
Johnson conceded that the government had made mistakes, but emphasized collective failure rather than his own errors. He said ministers, civil servants and scientific advisers had failed to sound a loud enough klaxon of alarm about the virus.
I was not being informed that this was something that was going to require urgent and immediate action, he said.
Grilled by inquiry lawyer Hugo Keith, Johnson acknowledged that he didnt attend any of the governments five crisis meetings on the new virus in February 2020, and only once or twice looked at meeting minutes from the governments scientific advisory group. He said that he relied on distilled advice from his science and medicine advisers.
Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees, whose father died during the pandemic, said that Johnson came across as casual, careless, chaotic, clueless.
It just feels like he was living under a rock, she said outside the hearing.
Johnson started his testimony with an apology for the pain and the loss and the suffering of the COVID victims, though not for any of his own actions. Four people stood up in court as he spoke, holding signs saying: The Dead cant hear your apologies, before being escorted out by security staff.
Inevitably, in the course of trying to handle a very, very difficult pandemic in which we had to balance appalling harms on either side of the decision, we may have made mistakes, Johnson said. Inevitably, we got some things wrong. I think we were doing our best at the time.
The former prime minister had arrived at the west London inquiry venue at daybreak, several hours before he was due to take the stand, avoiding a protest by a group of bereaved relatives, some holding pictures of their loved ones. A banner declared: Let the bodies pile high a statement attributed to Johnson by an aide. Another sign read: Johnson partied while people died.
Johnson was pushed out of office by his own Conservative Party in mid-2022 after multiple ethics scandals, including the revelation that he and staff members held parties in the prime ministers Downing Street offices in 2020 and 2021, flouting the governments lockdown restrictions.
Johnson agreed in late 2021 to hold a public inquiry after heavy pressure from bereaved families. The investigation, led by retired Judge Heather Hallett, is expected to take three years to complete, though interim reports will be issued starting next year.
The inquirys goal is to learn lessons rather than assign individual blame, but its revelations could further tarnish Johnsons battered reputation. Former colleagues, aides and advisers have painted an unflattering picture of the former leader and his government during weeks of testimony.
Former Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance said Johnson was bamboozled by science. In diaries that have been seen as evidence, Vallance also said Johnson was obsessed with older people accepting their fate. Former adviser Dominic Cummings, now a fierce opponent of Johnson, said the then prime minister asked scientists whether blowing a hair dryer up his nose could kill the virus.
Former senior civil servant Helen McNamara described a toxic, macho culture inside Johnsons government, and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, the countrys top civil servant, called Johnson and his inner circle basically feral.
Johnson defended his administration, saying it contained challenging characters whose views about each other might not be fit to print, but who got an awful lot done.
He said he didnt recognize the chaotic picture painted by other witnesses at the inquiry.
Nobody came to me and said people have got God complexes and theres internecine warfare going on here, Johnson said.
Johnson said he was not sure whether his governments decisions had caused excess deaths. He said that deciding when to impose lockdowns and other restrictions had been painful and incredibly difficult.
Johnson sometimes appeared strained and emotional as he remembered the tragic year of 2020 and having to balance public health with the economic damage caused by lockdowns. But he denied allegations in messages exchanged between aides at the time that he had vacillated wildly about what to do as the virus spread.
The inquiry can compel witnesses to hand over emails and other communications evidence but it hasnt received around 5,000 of Johnsons WhatsApp messages from several key weeks between February and June 2020. They were on a phone Johnson was told to stop using when it emerged that the number had been publicly available online for years. Johnson later said hed forgotten the password to unlock it.
Johnson was unable to explain what had happened to the messages, but said he wanted to make it absolutely clear I havent removed any WhatsApps from my phone.
Boris Johnson, the ousted prime minister who led Britain through the pandemic, will testify before an official inquiry on Wednesday, giving his first detailed public account of how he grappled with a rampaging virus that divided his government, laid the seeds for his political downfall and nearly killed him.
Mr. Johnson, who left Parliament earlier this year after he was found to have deliberately misled lawmakers over a series of boozy parties that broke lockdown rules, will face hard questions: Should he have moved faster in imposing a lockdown in March 2020? Did he take the coronavirus seriously enough? Did he even understand basic data about its spread?
He can point to some genuine victories: Britains rollout of a vaccine in early 2021 was one of the fastest of any major country. His decision to reopen the British economy later that year widely criticized in advance amid a spike in Covid cases was vindicated, as other countries followed suit.
But all told, Mr. Johnsons performance was unsteady, erratic and even irresponsible at times, according to several former cabinet ministers and aides who have testified in the inquiry since public hearings began in June. Some said his chaotic leadership style may even have contributed to driving up the Covid death toll in the United Kingdom that now stands at 230,193.
We had a prime minister who didnt know what to do, and was consumed by Brexit, said Devi Sridhar, professor of global public health at the University of Edinburgh. To me, the lesson is: Try to elect leaders who are competent.
Mr. Johnson is the latest political figure to be scrutinized by the Covid-19 inquiry, an independent, public examination of Britains response to the pandemic, led by a former judge, Heather Hallett, that is expected to continue until 2026.
One of the most charismatic communicators in British politics, Mr. Johnson is famous for his clever phrasemaking, humorous asides and sunny optimism. But none of those traits are likely to help him during two days of forensic interrogation, while his mastery of the details never a strong suit and his response to potentially hostile questioning could be critical.
Can he maintain a serious, contrite and vaguely reflective demeanor, or does he get rattled and annoyed? asked Jill Rutter, a former senior British civil servant and senior research fellow at U.K. in a Changing Europe, a research institute in London. Does he degenerate into making jokes?
Mr. Johnson has had time to prepare for the hearing, and his allies have leaked details of his prepared testimony to British newspapers. He may have learned lessons from his appearance in March before a Parliamentary committee, which investigated whether he lied to lawmakers over the lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street. After a strong start, he became irritable and defensive, failing to impress the committee, whose scathing report led to his quitting Parliament.
This time, Mr. Johnson will face some people whose relatives died in the pandemic (he himself was treated in an intensive care unit in April 2020 during a serious bout of Covid-19).
For someone who likes to play the jokey entertainer, to be the center of attention and to bluster around, I think this is probably about the least ideal setting you could imagine, Ms. Rutter said.
Though Mr. Johnson is the inquirys marquee witness so far, by a long shot, the hearings have produced no shortage of drama, not least because of the release of a trove of text messages between government officials, which has given its lawyers plenty of grist for awkward questions.
Dominic Cummings, Mr. Johnsons former chief adviser, apologized at the inquiry for WhatsApp messages in which he described senior officials with a string of profanities, often scatological in nature. His disparagement of a female colleague prompted accusations that he had encouraged an atmosphere of misogyny in Downing Street, which Mr. Cummings denied. He insisted he had been much ruder about men.
Certainly, Mr. Cummings laid some serious charges on Mr. Johnsons doorstep, including that he was AWOL during the first days of the pandemic because he was working on a book on Shakespeare that he owed his publisher (Mr. Johnson denies that).
He said that the prime minister played down the severity of the virus, predicting it would be like swine flu, and that his views changed direction like a defective shopping cart.
And the governments chief scientist, Patrick Vallance, wrote in his diary that Mr. Johnson was swayed by the view of some in his Conservative Party that Covid was just natures way of dealing with old people.
Mr. Cummingss credibility as a witness was not helped by the fact that he had traveled in violation of lockdown rules and then fell out badly with Mr. Johnson, who fired him. Yet his testimony that the governments first instinct was to pursue a policy of herd immunity allowing the virus to spread unchecked through the population so people could build up natural immunity was powerful.
Other witnesses have portrayed Downing Street as an undisciplined workplace led by an idiosyncratic prime minister who struggled to make, and stick to, decisions. According to one senior aide, Mr. Johnson at one point suggested he should be injected with the virus on live television to demonstrate that it did not pose a threat.
For all the attention the inquiry has captured, some experts say the focus on personalities and infighting so far has generated more heat than light. They question whether it will help Britain learn the right lessons to respond more effectively to the next pandemic, or whether it will remain an exercise in blame-shifting and buck-passing.
In part, that is a function of timing. While the pandemic is no longer the countrys No. 1 political issue, the hearings are occurring less than a year before a likely general election. Unlike in the United States, where in 2020 Joseph R. Biden Jr., a Democrat, defeated the Republican incumbent, Donald J. Trump, in part because of his handling of Covid, in Britain, the Conservative Party remains in power.
This means that some of the ministers who are still scheduled to face questioning, most notably Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, will have to face voters and are therefore less inclined to acknowledge any fault.
Everyone is quite defensive about why it wasnt their fault, Professor Sridhar said. But this wasnt an individual failure. It was a system failure.
Mr. Sunak, who was chancellor of the Exchequer at the time of the pandemic, is expected to testify soon. He might be helped by Mr. Johnsons appearing first. But the stakes are high because Mr. Sunaks grip over the Tory Party is weak as it badly trails the opposition Labour Party in opinion polls.
One of Mr. Sunaks policies will almost certainly come under question: the Eat Out to Help Out program, an August 2020 initiative that lured Britons back into restaurants by subsidizing their meals. The policy may have exposed more people to infection, contributing to a second wave that winter. The inquiry was told that Englands chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, referred to it in his diary as Eat out to help out the virus.
You will get the spectacle of a serving prime minister being subjected to questioning, Ms. Rutter said. Its obviously something he would much rather not have.
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Posted: December 05, 2023 Last Updated: December 05, 2023
Health Canada has authorized an adapted vaccine from Novavax to prevent COVID-19 in people age 12 and older.
Novavax'sproduct Nuvaxovid XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant COVID-19 vaccine uses a more traditional approach to defend the body against severe infection, hospitalization and death.
It isalso authorized as a booster for those 18 and older, according to Health Canada's webpage.
Novavaxsaid it expects to have doses available across the country.
Novavax's first vaccine to protect against COVID-19, known as Nuvaxovid, was authorized for use in Canadians 18 and over by Health Canada in February 2022.
Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna'smRNA vaccines have also been updated to target XBB.1.5 and are approved for use in Canada, including in kids under 12.
WATCH | Hospitals prepare for rising flu and RSV levels:
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Vaccines train our immune system to recognize and then fight off a viral intruder.
Novavax's vaccine delivers lab-grown copies of the spike protein that the coronavirus uses to bind to cells and cause infection. Some vaccines against the fluand hepatitis B use the same approach.
The mRNA vaccines include genetic instructions for the body to make a piece of the spike protein so our immune system recognizes it as foreign and learns to destroy it.
In general, Canada's advisory committee suggests waiting around six months after your last vaccination or infection to get the latest COVID vaccine.
The announcement comes as the federal government reportedabout4,600 hospital beds across the country were filled withpatients that haveCOVID-19, which is about the level seen this January. Bed occupancy peaked atmore than 10,000 in January 2022.
The annual influenza season has officially started across Canada with levels of flu andrespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) rising duringthis time of year.
It is not too late to get vaccinated against flu, say provincial health officials encouraging people to protect themselves from several respiratory viruses that could peak over the holiday season.
Amina Zafar covers medical sciences and health topics, including infectious diseases, for CBC News. She holds an undergraduate degree in environmental science and a master's in journalism.
Respiratory virus season is ramping up in California, prompting health officials to renew their calls for residents to get vaccinated in hopes of reducing potential pressure on health systems across the state.
While conditions so far are nowhere near as daunting as last autumn when hospitals labored under the strain of a tripledemic spawned by wide simultaneous circulation of COVID-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus the transmittable trio is on the rise.
Data show new COVID and flu hospital admissions are increasing in California, and Fresno County was forced to take steps last month to stem a tide of patients arriving in its emergency rooms, instructing ambulances to not transport patients to hospitals if they are stable and not suffering from an emergency.
Nationally, RSV season is in full swing. The flu season is just beginning across most of the country, though accelerating fast. And while were seeing relatively low levels of COVID, COVID is still the primary cause of new respiratory hospitalizations and deaths, with about 15,000 hospitalizations and about 1,000 deaths every single week, Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told a House of Representatives subcommittee last week.
Of the three viruses, RSV is the most concerning in California in terms of community transmission, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases expert at UC San Francisco. In Los Angeles County, for data released on Thursday, 13% of specimens tested for RSV came back positive, up from 9% two weeks prior.
It is pretty high [and] hasnt started to go down yet, Chin-Hong said.
But despite recent increases, health officials say they have yet to see the sort of widespread issues that made the previous respiratory virus season so challenging. Last year at this time, childrens hospitals across California were under stress, with exceptionally high hospitalization rates related to RSV including in Orange County, which declared a health emergency related to the virus.
The interesting thing with RSV is that the levels of hospitalization isnt the same crisis levels in pediatric hospitals as one year ago, when it peaked in November, Chin-Hong said.
One possible reason is that since RSV was pretty severe last autumn, there might be some carryover immunity. Chin-Hong said that UC San Franciscos pediatric hospitals are now about 90% full average for this time of year as opposed to being beyond capacity last year.
The availability of RSV vaccines for babies and young children, the elderly and those who are pregnant may also be helping, he added.
As of Nov. 18, coronavirus levels in L.A. County wastewater were at 24% of last winters peak, up from 13% the prior week.
That level, though still considered relatively low, is the highest seen since the end of September, when the county was recovering from a late summer COVID-19 uptick.
And for the week that ended Nov. 25, about 8% of specimens tested for flu at L.A. County labs were positive for the virus, up from about 7% the prior week.
We believe flu season has begun, the county Department of Public Health said in a statement to The Times. Influenza is circulating in the community and on the rise.
Doctors are also closely watching the latest upstart coronavirus subvariant nicknamed Pirola but officially designated BA.2.86.
The CDC estimates that BA.2.86 constituted 8.8% of coronavirus cases over the two-week period that ended Nov. 25, up from 3% for the prior two-week period.
The CDC has been concerned that the strains unusually high number of mutations might empower it to more easily infect those who had previously caught the coronavirus or received an older vaccine formulation. However, emerging evidence indicates that the latest COVID-19 vaccine formula appears to provide strong protection against Pirola.
The rise of BA.2.86 should further encourage people, especially older individuals, to get the new vaccine this autumn, doctors say, as relying on old booster shots or natural immunity from a past infection may not be protective enough.
If somebodys at risk for getting seriously ill, particularly those who are older than 65, you cant really rely on getting the old shot last year to really carry you through this winter, Chin-Hong said. You really need some replenishing of the antibodies, and thats what the new vaccine will do.
In L.A. County, just 21% of seniors have received the updated COVID-19 vaccination this autumn. Orange County reports that about 25% of its seniors have received the updated shot, as have 27% of seniors in San Diego and Ventura counties. In Riverside County, about 20% of seniors have received the latest shot, as have 17% of seniors in San Bernardino County.
Senior vaccination rates are much higher in the San Francisco Bay Area. Santa Clara County, the regions most populous, has a senior vaccination rate of 36%; while San Francisco and Alameda County report a rate of 38%. Contra Costa and San Mateo counties report a rate of 40%, while Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties report even higher figures.
Statewide, 27% of Californias seniors have received the newest COVID-19 vaccination.
Meanwhile, global health officials are monitoring a significant rise in respiratory illness among children in northern China. Chin-Hong characterized the situation there as an unprecedented number of kids and adolescents who are getting sick; a proportion of those are going to the hospital in very large numbers serious enough to prompt the World Health Organization to inquire what was going on.
Cohen, the CDC director, told House lawmakers last week that we do not believe this is a new or novel pathogen, but a combination of illnesses such as COVID-19, flu, RSV, as well as a bacterium called mycoplasma pneumoniae that can infect the respiratory system and trigger bronchitis or pneumonia.
Chinese authorities advised that there has been no detection of any unusual or novel pathogens or unusual clinical presentations, including in Beijing and Liaoning, but only the aforementioned general increase in respiratory illnesses due to multiple known pathogens, the WHO said in a statement last month. They further stated that the rise in respiratory illness has not resulted in patient loads exceeding hospital capacities.
Other areas of the world noting reports of mycoplasma or a rise in pneumonia affecting children include Denmark and the Netherlands, Chin-Hong said.
Stateside, Warren County, Ohio, has also reported what local officials called an extremely high number of pediatric pneumonia cases being reported this fall season. No deaths have been reported, however, and most of the ill children recover at home and have been given antibiotics.
The increase in reported pneumonia cases is not suspected of being a new/novel respiratory virus but rather a large uptick in the number of typical pediatric pneumonia cases, the Warren County Health District said in a statement. There has been zero evidence of this outbreak being connected to other outbreaks, either statewide, nationally or internationally.
Some health officials have taken notice of reports from China. A statement posted to a Taiwanese government website Sunday said that officials there have not seen a rapid surge in respiratory infections similar to China, but rather a drop in flu-like cases in recent weeks.
Taiwans premier, Chen Chien-jen, who is also an epidemiologist, was quoted in the government statement as saying the surge in respiratory illness in China is mostly related to flu, but also rhinoviruses the most frequent cause of the common cold mycoplasma pneumoniae, adenoviruses and coronaviruses. Still, the government has increased surveillance measures for related infectious pathogens, the statement said.
There are several possible, competing explanations as to why China is seeing such a rise in respiratory illness among children. One is that this is the first autumn-and-winter season after the end of COVID-era lockdowns there, and children are going to see a surge in illness after years of not being exposed to viruses, Chin-Hong said.
Mycoplasma is a possible culprit, as the bacterium surges every few years or so, but it can be treated with antibiotics.
The third explanation, Chin-Hong said, is theres something that we dont know about yet thats causing this illness. And I guess some of that rationale is that were also seeing kid pneumonias in other parts of the world at the same time, [places that] reopened much earlier than China.
One reassuring data point is there havent been reports of more kids dying from this wave of pediatric pneumonia, or overly taxing hospitals. But again, its something to watch as the season progresses, Chin-Hong said.
For children who do get a respiratory illness, a warning sign to take them to the hospital is if they are struggling to breathe, Chin-Hong said. A warning sign for young children is if they have difficulty feeding or become lethargic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on individuals worldwide, with millions having experienced the virus firsthand. For those who have been infected by COVID-19, the journey to recovery is often multifaceted, requiring attention to both physical and mental health. While many have opened up on this, many are not yet aware of the impact COVID-19 had on health.
It's crucial to be aware that some individuals may continue to experience symptoms even after the acute phase of the illness. Common lingering symptoms, often referred to as "long COVID" or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), include fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, difficulty concentrating (brain fog), and loss of taste or smell. If you experience persistent symptoms, seek medical advice promptly.
COVID-19 primarily affects the respiratory system, and individuals recovering from the virus should pay close attention to any lingering respiratory issues. Shortness of breath, persistent cough, or chest pain may indicate ongoing lung inflammation or damage. Consult a healthcare professional for a thorough evaluation if respiratory symptoms persist.
Several studies suggest that COVID-19 can have cardiovascular implications, including inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis) and blood clot formation. Individuals recovering from COVID-19 should monitor for symptoms such as chest discomfort, palpitations, or unusual fatigue, and seek medical attention if such symptoms arise.
The psychological toll of COVID-19 extends beyond the physical symptoms. Many individuals experience anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following their illness. Be attentive to changes in mood, sleep patterns, or persistent feelings of distress. Mental health support, including counseling or therapy, can be beneficial during the recovery process.
Awareness of potential health warnings, coupled with proactive measures and a supportive network, can contribute to a smoother recovery journey. Always consult with healthcare professionals for personalized advice based on your specific circumstances, and remember that each individual's recovery is unique.
While physical activity is crucial for overall well-being, it's important to reintroduce exercise gradually. Start with light activities such as walking and stretching, and gradually increase intensity based on your tolerance.
A nutritious diet plays a vital role in supporting recovery. Focus on a well-balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. Adequate nutrition supports the immune system and aids in the healing process. Staying hydrated is essential for recovery. Adequate water intake helps flush toxins from the body and supports overall bodily functions. Be mindful of your fluid intake, especially if you are experiencing fever or respiratory symptoms.
Allow your body the rest it needs to recover. Quality sleep is crucial for healing and maintaining overall health. Establish a consistent sleep routine, create a comfortable sleep environment, and prioritize sufficient rest.
Keep a close eye on respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath or persistent cough. If these symptoms persist or worsen, seek medical attention promptly. Breathing exercises and pulmonary rehabilitation may be beneficial under the guidance of healthcare professionals.
Incorporate stress-reducing activities into your daily routine. Practices such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, and yoga can help manage stress and support mental well-being during recovery.
Selenium: From immunity to preventing cancer, reasons why we need this micronutrient
The U.Ks COVID-19 Inquiry into the governments response to the pandemic picked up again on Wednesday morning. The hearings for the initial stage of the investigation were heard in London in June. Today, former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who served as the nations leader from 2019 to 2022, was sworn in to give evidence in front of the panel. Shortly into his opening statement, he said that he was sorry for the suffering experienced by COVID victims and their families.
I understand the feelings of these victims and their families, and I am deeply sorry for the pain, and the loss, and the suffering of those victims and their families," Johnson said. "And grateful though I am to the hundreds and thousands of healthcare workers... who helped to protect our country throughout the dreadful pandemic, I do hope that this inquiry will help to get the answers to the very difficult questions that those victims and those families are rightly asking... so that we can protect ourselves better in the future and prevent further suffering."
The U.K. has had 325 COVID deaths per 100,000 citizens, one of the highest death rates in Western Europe, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
The inquiry was created to help examine the governments response to the pandemic and identify potential lessons for the future. The panel will not bestow criminal blame on those involved in the decision making process.
Among those in attendance are bereaved families, who lost loved ones during the pandemic. Boris Johnson is expected to issue an apology this morning. Yet, he will claim he saved thousands of lives. For many of the bereaved, that will be a grotesque distortion of the truth, said a spokesperson for the bereaved families ahead of Johnsons opening statement on Wednesday.
Some believe that Johnson's initial hesitancy to implement lockdowns was to blame for the U.K.s high death rate. In a press conference on March 12, 2023, when the nation had hundreds of confirmed cases, Johnson's government gave only soft guidelines, saying that people over the age of 70 and immunocompromised individuals should avoid going on cruises and recommending that school children did not travel overseas.
The U.K. did not legally enforce lockdown measures until March 26, 2020. Previous questioning from the inquiry has put forward the claim that Johnson believed that the pandemic was "nature's way of dealing with old people."
Nevertheless, Johnsons supporters have pointed out that the U.K. had one of the earliest vaccine rollouts in the world, and was the first nation to deploy an approved vaccine for the virus.
Inevitably we got some things wrong. But I think we were doing our best at the time, Johnson said at the inquiry.
The atmosphere in the hearing room has been tense. At one point, members from the bereaved families stood up, each holding a paper with a single word. Together, they formed the sentence: The dead cant hear your apologies. According to a BBC journalist present at the inquiry, later on when the panel paused for a break, a protester shouted at Johnson: "Youre a murderer."
Hugo Keith, the lawyer responsible for questioning Johnson today, suggested that based on technical reports he had received, it seemed possible a factory reset had been carried out on Johnsons phone, leaving an estimated 5,000 WhatsApp messages missing that were supposed to be investigated by the inquiry. Johnson denied doing such a thing. I havent removed any WhatsApps from my phone and Ive given you everything that I think you need, said Johnson.
Johnsons voice quivered during the hearing, causing speculation that he was on the verge of tears. This came after he was asked to what extent his decision making was influenced by fear of imposing interventions too early and causing behavioral fatigue in the population. We have to be realistic about 2020. That whole year. That whole tragic, tragic year, he said before pausing as his voice seemed to break. We did lock down. But then it bounced back.
Keith came down hard on Johnson throughout the course of the inquiry, bringing up graphs that showed that even with moderate measures, the NHS would be massively overwhelmed as the pandemic grew exponentially. Johnson said that he was bewildered looking at the graph and admitted that there was a certain amount of incoherence in our thinking. Keith asked why he was presented with this data and still did not consider pressing for more significant interventions.
I remember looking at that graph and thinking that in either case we were facing an absolutely intolerable situation, and though I clocked it, I thought there must be a reason why we arent told to act more urgently, said Johnson. I was afraid given the advice I was being given about timeliness and looking at the graphs with puzzlement.
Later, inquiry chair Baroness Hallett asked Johnson if he had ever considered not implementing a lockdown at all. The former Prime Minister responded saying that he did briefly consider it but felt it was the duty of the government to protect human life. He also said that he wanted to give healthcare workers the best chance he could and that lockdowns were his only tool to do that.
