WASHINGTON Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) opened todays hearing titled Strengthening Biosafety and Biosecurity Standards: Protecting Against Future Pandemics by discussing whether current oversight of high-risk laboratories in the United States and abroad are effective, sufficient, and capable of protecting Americans from current and future biological threats. Chairman Wenstrup emphasized the need for global biosecurity and biosafety standards, noting that infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and other dangerous coronaviruses do not recognize borders. Considering COVID-19 likely occurred as the result of a lab related incident in Wuhan, proactively ensuring that oversight mechanisms for high-containment laboratories are improved and modernized ahead of a future health crisis is essential. Chairman Wenstrup concluded his opening remarks by highlighting the importance of interagency coordination and cooperation among credible state actors as lawmakers begin their discussion today on biosafety and biosecurity improvements.
Below are Select Subcommittee Chairman Wenstrups remarks as prepared for delivery.
Today the Select Subcommittee is holding a hearing to examine our countrys biosafety and biosecurity standards.
Were not just examining whether theyre effective, but whether they are sufficient.
And whether they can protect us from biological threatsboth domestically and abroad.
And what actions should be taken if these standards are insufficient, or outdated and need to be modernized.
This hearing is timely and forward looking.
On Monday, the public comment period ended on proposed changes to oversight policies of federally funded dual use research of concern and gain-of-function research of concern.
No one knows these proposed changes better, than our witness, Dr. Gerry Parker.
As we move forward, we must make sure that our standards and capabilities can effectively respond and assess risks related to new research and biotechnologiesincluding those capable of unleashing new pandemics.
In addition to pandemics, we must be prepared for a future public health attackincluding the release of a biological weapon.
This is necessary to protect American lives andbecause infectious diseases dont recognize borderslives of those around the world.
In the earliest stages of the pandemic, scientists and public health authorities raced to understand the novel coronavirusto understand how it spread, who was at risk, and, most importantly, its origins.
Did it come from a natural spillover, transferred from a bat to an intermediate source to human?
Or was it the result of a laboratory or research related accident? In other words, did it come from a lab?
While theres mounting evidence supporting the lab leak theory, we may never know with 100 percent certainty the origins of COVID-19. Especially when transparency is denied.
However, we do know some things for certain:
That in early 2018before COVID-19 emergedthe U.S. State Department had serious biosafety concerns about the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Specifically, they warned that there was a serious shortage of appropriately trained technicians and investigators needed to safely operate the high-containment laboratory concerns that continued through 2019 and into 2020.
They also warned that the WIV was conducting coronavirus research under inadequate biosafety levels, using reverse genetic engineering techniques to hide their work, and creating chimeric coronaviruses to test infectivity to humans.
Worse yet, we know now the American taxpayer was likely paying for it and we know, based on emails uncovered by this Subcommittee, that Dr. Fauci, himself, knew there was gain of function research happening in Wuhan before the pandemic broke out.
We know that this wouldnt be the first time that a lab leak occurred:
We know that Smallpox escaped a laboratory in the UK in 1978;
We know that the former Soviet Union accidentally released anthrax from a military research facility;
We know that two separate lab related incidents led to the release of SARS from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2004;
Finally, we know that the United States isnt immune to leaks:
Theres been lab related accidents involving H1N1, H5N1, smallpox, Tuberculosis and Zikasome as recently as 2016.
These lab leaks can occur for a multitude of reasons.
They can occur because of mishandled biological materials, escaped aerosols, laboratory design flaws, or human errorwhich can be as simple as failing to correctly wear protective equipment or accidentally puncturing a glove.
Such an accident could easily have occurred in Fresno County, California where we know a Chinese company operated an illegal laboratory where it conducted dangerous experiments involving COVID-19 and other viruses.
Inside this lab, authorities found hundreds of mice that had been genetically modified to catch and carry the COVID-19 virus.
Troublingly, as we already know. These lab-related incidentsif not containedcan cause predictable but disastrous consequences.
Desiring more laboratory safety and more oversight isnt to chill the scientific community from engaging in research, but to ensure were taking every precaution necessary to protect the public from escaped pathogensof which, we cannot control, nor fully understand the consequences until its too late.
Its critically important that these issues be addressed proactively.
Scientists that are conducting their work safely and with the proper precautions should not have any concerns about more oversight on bad labs. This oversight should be welcomed.
In recent years, theres been significant advancements in biotechnologyor dual-use technologythat makes it far easier to develop and genetically engineer dangerous viruses.
Advancements that could make a genetically altered virus indistinguishable from a naturally occurring virus.
This is one reason increased oversight into the experiments being conducted and the viral holdings of labs is vital to preventing a pandemic.
Theres also been a proliferation of high-containment labs throughout the world.
Left unchecked, this makes it conceivable, if not probable, that another pandemic could occur in the future because of a lab-related incident.
This is a matter of public health and national security that requires interagency coordination and international cooperation.
We are holding this hearing today to look at our current standards and circumstances to help prepare for a future pandemic.
To determine what went wrong and to recommend how to do it better.
I look forward to a strong, on topic, discussion today.
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TOKYO, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Japan agreed to buy an additional 9 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from Pfizer (PFE.N) and another 1 million doses from Moderna (MRNA.O), the health ministry said on Thursday.
Reporting by Mariko Katsumura; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne
Having a COVID-19 infection is associated with an increased risk of developing the rare disorder called Guillain-Barr syndrome within the next six weeks, according to a study published in the October 18, 2023, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study also found that people who received the mRNA vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech were less likely to develop the disorder in the next six weeks than people who did not receive the mRNA vaccine.
Guillain-Barr syndrome is a rare autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks nerve cells. Symptoms start with weakness in the hands and feet and may progress to paralysis. Although it can be life-threatening, most people recover with few remaining problems. An exact cause of Guillain-Barr syndrome is unknown but it can occur after gastrointestinal or respiratory infections. Researchers note it occurs in up to 20 out of every one million people per year, and only in extremely rare cases does it follow certain vaccinations.
These findings further highlight the benefits of ongoing vaccination programs with mRNA-based vaccines. The results have important clinical and public health implications."
Anat Arbel, MD, study author, Lady Davis Carmel Medical Center in Haifa, Israel
The study involved over 3 million people in Israel with no previous diagnosis of Guillain-Barr. They were followed from January 1, 2021, until June 30, 2022. During that time, 76 people developed Guillain-Barr. Each person with Guillain-Barr was matched to 10 people who did not have the syndrome, or 760 people.
Then researchers looked to see whether participants had a COVID infection or a COVID vaccine during the six weeks prior to the diagnosis of Guillain-Barr or the same time period for their matched participants.
Researchers determined that people with a recent COVID infection were six times more likely to develop Guillain-Barr than those without a recent infection. A total of 12% of the people with Guillain-Barr had a recent COVID infection, compared to 2% of the people who did not have Guillain-Barr.
In addition, 11% of those with Guillain-Barr had a recent vaccination with a mRNA vaccine, compared to 18% of those who did not have Guillain-Barr.
They also found that people with a recent mRNA vaccination were more than 50% less likely to develop Guillain-Barr than those without a recent mRNA vaccination.
"While Guillain-Barr is extremely rare, people should be aware that having a COVID infection can increase their risk of developing the disorder and receiving an mRNA vaccine can decrease their risk," Arbel said.
A limitation of the study was that since not all participants had tests for COVID, it is possible that some people may have been classified with no evidence of COVID infection when they had an infection with no or mild symptoms.
The study does not prove that COVID infection increases the risk of Guillain-Barr or that mRNA vaccination decreases the risk. It only shows an association.
Source:
Journal reference:
Bishara, H., et al. (2023) Association Between Guillain-Barr Syndrome and COVID-19 Infection and Vaccination: A Population-Based Nested Case-Control Study. Neurology. doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000207900.
GAITHERSBURG, Md., Oct. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX), a global company advancing protein-based vaccines with its Matrix-M adjuvant, today announced that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the United Kingdom (U.K.) has granted full marketing authorization for its prototype COVID-19 vaccine Nuvaxovid (NVX-CoV2373) for individuals aged 12 and older for active immunization to help prevent COVID-19.
"Full marketing authorization of our prototype COVID-19 vaccine in the U.K. is a stepping stone to enable authorization of updated strains of our vaccine in the future," said John C. Jacobs, President and Chief Executive Officer, Novavax. "We are working with the MHRA to provide the information needed for the rapid review of our updated protein-based non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccine as an important step to ensuring access to vaccine options in the U.K. this coming vaccination season."
Authorization was based on two Phase 3 trials, PREVENT-19 conducted in the U.S. and Mexico and a Phase 3 trial in the U.K., as well as a Phase 2a/b trial in South Africa. In these trials, Novavax demonstrated the efficacy and safety of its prototype vaccine as a primary series in individuals aged 12 and older, and the immunogenicity and safety of the vaccine as a booster in individuals aged 18 and older.
This medicine is subject to additional monitoring. This will allow quick identification of new safety information. If you are concerned about an adverse event, it should be reported on a Yellow Card. Reporting forms and information can be found at https://coronavirus-yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. When reporting please include the vaccine brand and batch/Lot number if available.
i. Additional efficacy and safety data are being collected.
Trade Name in the U.S.The trade name Nuvaxovid has not been approved by the U.S. Food and DrugAdministration.
Important Safety Information: U.K.
For more information on Nuvaxovid, including the Summary of Product Characteristics with Package Leaflet, adverse event reporting instructions, or to request additional information, please visit the following websites:
About Nuvaxovid (NVX-CoV2373) NVX-CoV2373 is a protein-based vaccine made by creating copies of the surface spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19. With Novavax's unique recombinant nanoparticle technology, the non-infectious spike protein serves as the antigen that primes the immune system to recognize the virus, while Novavax's Matrix-M adjuvant enhances and broadens the immune response. The vaccine is packaged as a ready-to-use liquid formulation and is stored at 2 to 8C, enabling the use of existing vaccine supply and cold chain channels.
About the PREVENT-19 Phase 3 TrialThe PRE-fusion protein subunitVaccineEfficacyNovavaxTrial COVID-19 (PREVENT-19) was a randomized, placebo-controlled, observer-blinded Phase 3 trial conducted in the U.S. and Mexico to evaluate the efficacy and safety of NVX-CoV2373 as a primary series and as a booster in adults and adolescents to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. As a primary series, the primary endpoint was the first occurrence of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed symptomatic (mild, moderate, or severe) COVID-19 with onset at least seven days after the second dose in 29,960 adult participants aged 18 and older at baseline without protocol violations prior to illness. A secondary endpoint was the prevention of PCR-confirmed, symptomatic moderate or severe COVID-19. Full results of the trial were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
About the NVX-CoV2373 U.K. Phase 3 TrialThe primary endpoint in this phase 3, randomized, observer-blinded, placebo-controlled trial conducted in the United Kingdom (U.K.), was first occurrence of confirmed COVID-19 with onset at least seven days after the second vaccination. The trial enrolled 14,039 adult participants aged 18 and older. Full results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
About Matrix-M Adjuvant When added to vaccines, Novavax's patented saponin-based Matrix-M adjuvant enhances the immune system response, making it broader and more durable. The Matrix-M adjuvant stimulates the entry of antigen-presenting cells at the injection site and enhances antigen presentation in local lymph nodes.
About Novavax Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq:NVAX) promotes improved health by discovering, developing and commercializing innovative vaccines to help protect against serious infectious diseases.Novavax, a global company based inGaithersburg,Md., U.S., offers a differentiated vaccine platform that combines a recombinant protein approach, innovativenanoparticletechnology andNovavax'spatentedMatrix-Madjuvant to enhance the immune response. Focused on the world's most urgent health challenges,Novavaxis currently evaluating vaccines for COVID-19, influenza and COVID-19 and influenza combined. Please visitnovavax.comandLinkedInfor more information.
Forward-Looking StatementsStatements herein relating to the future ofNovavax, its operating plans and prospects,the scope, timing and outcome of future regulatory filings and actions.Novavaxcautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, challenges satisfying, alone or together with partners, various safety, efficacy, and product characterization requirements, including those related to process qualification and assay validation, necessary to satisfy applicable regulatory authorities; difficulty obtaining scarce raw materials and supplies; resource constraints, including human capital and manufacturing capacity, on the ability ofNovavaxto pursue planned regulatory pathways; challenges or delays in obtaining regulatory authorization for its product candidates, including future COVID-19 variant strain changes; challenges or delays in clinical trials; manufacturing, distribution or export delays or challenges;and those other risk factors identified in the "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" sections ofNovavax'sAnnual Report on Form 10-K for the year endedDecember 31, 2022and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). We caution investors not to place considerable reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this press release. You are encouraged to read our filings with the SEC, available atwww.sec.govandwww.novavax.com, for a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this document, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any of the statements. Our business is subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, including those referenced above. Investors, potential investors, and others should give careful consideration to these risks and uncertainties.
CONTACTSInvestorsErika Schultz240-268-2022 [emailprotected]
MediaAli Chartan 240-720-7804 [emailprotected]
SOURCE NOVAVAX, INC
Students can get tested for strep throat at Campus Health by scheduling an online appointment, accessing the 24/7 virtual urgent care or at any local outpatient urgent care center. (Yubin Lee)
After the recent surge in COVID-19 cases earlier this semester, Tulane University Campus Health officials are now seeing an increase in strep throat cases on campus.
We have seen an increase in both COVID-19 and strep cases on campus with the start of the fall semester, Dr. Victoria Valencia, the interim medical director of Campus Health, said. In the pre-COVID-19 years we saw a similar situation with flu and strep in the fall semester.
Due to the overlapping symptoms of strep and COVID-19, distinguishing the differences can be difficult for students. In contrast to strep, COVID-19 is a respiratory infection that circulates through the air and does not require direct contact between two people to propagate infection.
According to Patricia Kissinger, a professor who has a doctorate in infectious disease epidemiology and is also associate dean of faculty affairs and development, COVID-19 is aerosolized and is far more infectious, because you just have to breathe on somebody.
When trying to discriminate between COVID-19 and strep symptoms, cough, which is usually present in COVID-19 infections, tends to be absent in patients with streptococcal infections, Valencia said.
Strep throat is contracted directly via respiratory droplets that the infected person spreads when sneezing, talking or coughing, which are then breathed in, touched or accidentally ingested by others.
Strep throat is infectious; its caused by direct contact of the mucous membrane, Kissinger said. Somebody sharing food, kissing or sharing any kind of thing that enters your mouth, can transmit it that way.
Being mindful to not share utensils, drinks and other objects can help reduce your risk of exposure and to keep a good distance when people are talking, Brandt Beebe, a certified medical assistant at the Rapid Urgent Care in Metairie, said. I would definitely say to mask yourself. As masking rates increase, there tends to be a reduction in strep throat infections due to preventative measures that decrease contact between individuals.
Because minimizing exposure to strep can prove difficult in such high-density areas, professors say that medication is key to keeping cases low.
If [patients] dont get on medicine, they can be infectious for three weeks, Kissinger said. So even though they dont have any symptoms, they may still be spreading it.
Asymptomatic cases of strep throat are also contagious. When treated with antibiotics, however, patients are no longer contagious after around 48 hours of continued antibiotic use, though they must finish the full cycle in order to kill off the infection.
After a few days of standard antibiotics I felt so much better, junior Sam Bialecki said. My sore throat went away and I had my strength back.
Typical symptoms to look out for usually include fever, body aches, pain when swallowing, red and swollen tonsils, white patches on tonsils, tiny red spots in the roof of the mouth, swollen nodes in the front of the neck area, headache, Valencia said.
While both infections may present with a sore throat, swollen lymph nodes and even facial pressure, students who have strep or COVID-19 should be on the alert for a persistent cough. Regardless, many providers are testing for both strep and COVID-19 at this time of year, given the amount of overlap between symptoms.
Students can get tested for strep throat at Campus Health by scheduling an online appointment here, accessing the 24/7 virtual urgent care offered through Tulane here or at any local outpatient urgent care center around campus list found here.
A masked audience watches a performance at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 2020. Photo courtesy of the Lied Center for Performing Arts at University of Nebraska.
Washington, DCWhat was the impact of COVID-19 on arts participation? New research released today by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) notes that between July 2021 and July 2022, more than half of all adults created and/or performed artsimilar to findings in 2017, the last time the survey was conducted. During the same time period, just under half of all adults attended in-person arts events, a significant drop from 2017. A separate survey shows that 82 percent of respondents watched or listened to arts activities through digital media between 2021 and 2022. These and other findings about in-person and virtual arts participation, and about adults reading habits, are available in two new NEA research publications: Arts Participation Patterns in 2022: Highlights from the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts and Online Audiences for Arts Programming: A Survey of Virtual Participation Amid COVID-19.
Chair of the NEA, Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, said, The National Endowment for the Arts has a longstanding commitment to providing the arts and culture field and the general public with accurate and relevant research. Taken together, these reports help to reveal the state of arts participation in our country and serve as an important resource in understanding areas that are growing in interest, those that showed a decline, as well as demographic gaps in participation, among other trends.
Since 1982, the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA) has been administered roughly every five years by the U.S. Census Bureau. This report is the first look through the lens of federal survey data at how adults participated in arts activities for one year of the pandemic: a 12-month period from July 2021 to July 2022. The report examines areas such as attending arts events, personally creating or performing art, reading books or literature, watching or listening to arts content via media, or learning an art form. A comprehensive statistical report of the 2022 SPPA data will be released next year.
Key findings from this report include:
Art Making:
Arts AttendanceIn-person:
Arts Consumption Via Media:
Reading:
Demographic Differences:
Raw data for the full 2022 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts will be available later this year at the NEAs National Archive of Data on Arts and Culture.
The 2022 General Social Survey (GSS), administered by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, is another tool for understanding arts participation. Supported by the NEA in partnership with the National Science Foundation, the 2022 GSS Arts Module asked respondents to reflect on their arts experiences during the first year of the pandemic (from March 2020 to March 2021) and to report whether, in the most recent 12-month period, they participated at a higher, lower, or identical rate. The report also examines how responses varied by demographic subgroup.
Key findings from this report include:
In July 2023, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) hosted a series of online learning events which explored and showcased learning and impact from the Covid-19 Responses for Equity (CORE) programme. The events brought together researchers and funders to consider the implications of COREs main areas of learning for managing multiple crises and building the resilience of the most vulnerable. They facilitated conversations around future research collaborations for building resilience and equity, shaped around three key areas of learning:
Whilst the three events focused on different themes, there were some clear, overarching messages that emerged. Cutting across these were issues relating to governance, gender, inclusivity, and social justice:
Read the full report here.
October 18, 2023
1 min read
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People infected with COVID-19 have a higher risk of cardiovascular/cerebrovascular complications. However, researchers found that these risks can be reduced with vaccination and boosting.
[This study] was prompted by evidence of heart complications in COVID-19 survivors in other countries and study settings (U.S., U.K., Denmark) but no evidence in highly vaccinated, Asian populations, Jue Tao Lim, PhD, BSc, assistant professor in the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine at Nanyang Technological University, told Healio.
Lim and colleagues conducted a cohort study using national testing and health care claims databases in Singapore to build a cohort of people with positive COVID-19 tests between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30, 2021, during predominance of the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, while also creating a test-negative control group of people with no evidence of infection between April 13, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2022.
People in both groups were followed for an average of 300 days, during which the researchers estimated and reported risks for cardiovascular/cerebrovascular complications, according to the study.
In total, 106,012 infected cases and 1,684,085 test-negative controls were included in the study. Overall, people with COVID-19 had increased risk (HR = 1.157; 95% CI, 1.069-1.252) and excess burden (EB = 0.7; 95% CI, 0.530.88) of new-incident cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications. These risks decreased among fully vaccinated (HR = 1.11; 95% CI, 1.02-1.22) and boosted (HR = 1.1; 95% CI, 0.92-1.32) patients.
The data also showed that risks and excess burdens increased for patients who were hospitalized compared with those who were not hospitalized. Specifically, the study showed that the risks of complications were increased in the hospitalized group for cerebrovascular complications (HR = 3.23; 95% CI, 1.47-7.11), dysrhythmias (HR = 2.67; 95% CI, 1.64-4.36) and ischemic heart disease (HR = 1.487; 95% CI, 1.05-2.11), as well as other cardiac disorders (HR = 2.63; 95% CI, 1.79-3.87) and other thrombotic complications (HR = 4.01; 95% CI, 2.03-7.91).
Updates to vaccination, such as bivalent vaccines, and early treatment with therapeutics will potentially play a key role in mitigating the risks of long-term sequelae of post-SARS-CoV-2 infection, Lim concluded.
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Former Tennessee police officer treated for COVID-19 in Atlantis visits hospital a year later
"These are the people that saved my life," Sean Finn told WPBF 25 News. He was at HCA Florida JFK Hospital for 117 days last year.
Updated: 5:55 PM EDT Oct 18, 2023
Sean Finn and his wife, Lauren, were all smiles as they walked back into the HCA Florida JFK Hospital in Atlantis more than a year after he was discharged. The Finns live in Tennessee and had to come to West Palm Beach to be treated for COVID-19 complications. Fortunately, JFK Hospital did have an ECMO bed, which helps your lungs and heart. "They were able to put ECMO into my neck," Sean Finn told WPBF 25 News. "I was on ECMO for 81 days, and then I was in the hospital for a total of 117." "Shortness of breath, and he was forced to come, and he was found to have oxygenation down very, very low," Dr. Carlos Dorta, an intensivist at HCA Florida JFK Hospital, told WPBF 25 News. "On the verge of death, and so I was present during that very beginning process, and we were able to resuscitate and do everything we had to do to keep him alive." Finn said he only has about 34% lung function but is always optimistic. For nearly the past five months, he hasn't had the need for constant additional oxygen supply. "I still have to use the oxygen every now and then, like if I get super winded. But most of the time, Im okay without it," Finn said. "Ive said from the beginning, if anybody could do it, it would be Sean," his wife, Lauren, said. When WPBF 25 News met the Finns last year as he was getting discharged, Sean was a father of two girls. And now, they recently welcomed a newborn son. Finn said despite the health obstacles he faced in his life, he says everything happened for a reason and he is grateful he is able to live life again. "This is exactly where God intended me to be," he said. "This is exactly the people I was supposed to be around, and ultimately, these are the people that saved my life."
Sean Finn and his wife, Lauren, were all smiles as they walked back into the HCA Florida JFK Hospital in Atlantis more than a year after he was discharged.
The Finns live in Tennessee and had to come to West Palm Beach to be treated for COVID-19 complications. Fortunately, JFK Hospital did have an ECMO bed, which helps your lungs and heart.
"They were able to put ECMO into my neck," Sean Finn told WPBF 25 News. "I was on ECMO for 81 days, and then I was in the hospital for a total of 117."
"Shortness of breath, and he was forced to come, and he was found to have oxygenation down very, very low," Dr. Carlos Dorta, an intensivist at HCA Florida JFK Hospital, told WPBF 25 News. "On the verge of death, and so I was present during that very beginning process, and we were able to resuscitate and do everything we had to do to keep him alive."
Finn said he only has about 34% lung function but is always optimistic. For nearly the past five months, he hasn't had the need for constant additional oxygen supply.
"I still have to use the oxygen every now and then, like if I get super winded. But most of the time, Im okay without it," Finn said.
"Ive said from the beginning, if anybody could do it, it would be Sean," his wife, Lauren, said.
When WPBF 25 News met the Finns last year as he was getting discharged, Sean was a father of two girls. And now, they recently welcomed a newborn son.
Finn said despite the health obstacles he faced in his life, he says everything happened for a reason and he is grateful he is able to live life again.
"This is exactly where God intended me to be," he said. "This is exactly the people I was supposed to be around, and ultimately, these are the people that saved my life."
Suffolk County reported the following information related to COVID-19 on October 15, 2023
According to CDC, hospital admission rates and the percentage of COVID-19 deaths among all deaths are now the primary surveillance metrics.
COVID-19 Hospitalizations for the week ending October 7, 2023
Daily Hospitalization Summary for Suffolk County From October 13, 2023
NOTE: HOSPITALS ARE NO LONGER REPORTING DATA TO NYSDOH ON WEEKENDS OR HOLIDAYS.
Fatalities (Data as of 10/15/23)
COVID-19 Case Tracker October 13, 2023
Note: As of May 11, 2023, COVID-19 Community Levels (CCLs) and COVID-19 Community Transmission Levels are no longer calculatable, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
* As of 4/4/22, HHS no longer requires entities conducting COVID testing to report negative or indeterminate antigen test results. This may impact the number and interpretation of total test results reported to the state and also impacts calculation of test percent positivity. Because of this, as of 4/5/22, test percent positivity is calculated using PCR tests only. Reporting of total new daily cases (positive results) and cases per 100k will continue to include PCR and antigen tests.
COVID-19 Vaccination Information
Last updated 5/12/23
Vaccination Clinics
As of September 12, 2023, the Suffolk County Department of Health Services is not authorized to offer COVID-19 vaccines to ALL Suffolk County residents.
The department will offer the updated vaccine to only uninsured and underinsured patients through New York State's Vaccines for Children program and Vaccines for Adults program, also known as the Bridge Access Program.
Those with insurance that covers the COVID-19 vaccine are encouraged to receive their vaccines at their local pharmacies, health care providers offices, or local federally qualified health centers.
The department has ordered the updated COVID-19 vaccine and will announce when the vaccine becomes available.
FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS
New York State Links
CDC COVID Data Tracker Rates of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations by vaccination status
For additional information or explanation of data, click on the links provided in throughout this page.
