Category: Corona Virus

The numbers remain low especially compared to the winter but child coronavirus cases increased last week.

The state reported 103 new coronavirus cases involving 5- to 17-year-olds.

The previous week, this number was 44.

However, at late Januarys peak of the omicron variant outbreak, weekly cases involving school-age children reached nearly 3,000. In late September, during the delta variant outbreak, child cases crested at about 1,500 per week.

Current numbers are mixed in the states three largest school districts:

Idahos overall coronavirus cases also crept upward last week.

The state counted 1,049 new cases last week, up from 806 the preceding week.

Again, this is a modest increase; weekly cases peaked at close to 20,000 during Januarys omicron surge.

Another key metric is heading in the wrong direction. For the week ending May 7, 5% of coronavirus tests came back positive, up from 3.2%. The 5% number is a tipping point; a rate above that threshold suggests an outbreak is out of control.

Hospitalizations remain stable, however.

On Wednesday, the state reported 44 COVID-19 hospitalizations and eight ICU admissions, consistent with recent numbers. No pediatric patients were hospitalized with COVID-19.

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on KIVI 6 On Your Side; "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television; and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [emailprotected]

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Coronavirus case numbers remain low but they're ticking upward - Idaho EdNews

A virus that shows no signs of disappearing, variants that are adept at dodging the bodys defenses, and waves of infections two, maybe three times a year this may be the future of Covid-19, some scientists now fear.

The central problem is that the coronavirus has become more adept at reinfecting people. Already, those infected with the first Omicron variant are reporting second infections with the newer versions of the variant BA.2 or BA2.12.1 in the United States, or BA.4 and BA.5 in South Africa.

Those people may go on to have third or fourth infections, even within this year, researchers said in interviews. And some small fraction may have symptoms that persist for months or years, a condition known as long Covid.

It seems likely to me that thats going to sort of be a long-term pattern, said Juliet Pulliam, an epidemiologist at Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

The virus is going to keep evolving, she added. And there are probably going to be a lot of people getting many, many reinfections throughout their lives.

Its difficult to quantify how frequently people are reinfected, in part because many infections are now going unreported. Dr. Pulliam and her colleagues have collected enough data in South Africa to say that the rate is higher with Omicron than seen with previous variants.

This is not how it was supposed to be. Earlier in the pandemic, experts thought that immunity from vaccination or previous infection would forestall most reinfections.

The Omicron variant dashed those hopes. Unlike previous variants, Omicron and its many descendants seem to have evolved to partially dodge immunity. That leaves everyone even those who have been vaccinated multiple times vulnerable to multiple infections.

If we manage it the way that we manage it now, then most people will get infected with it at least a couple of times a year, said Kristian Andersen, a virologist at the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego. I would be very surprised if thats not how its going to play out.

The new variants have not altered the fundamental usefulness of the Covid vaccines. Most people who have received three or even just two doses will not become sick enough to need medical care if they test positive for the coronavirus. And a booster dose, like a previous bout with the virus, does seem to decrease the chance of reinfection but not by much.

At the pandemics outset, many experts based their expectations of the coronavirus on influenza, the viral foe most familiar to them. They predicted that, as with the flu, there might be one big outbreak each year, most likely in the fall. The way to minimize its spread would be to vaccinate people before its arrival.

Instead, the coronavirus is behaving more like four of its closely related cousins, which circulate and cause colds year round. While studying common-cold coronaviruses, we saw people with multiple infections within the space of a year, said Jeffrey Shaman, an epidemiologist at Columbia University in New York.

If reinfection turns out to be the norm, the coronavirus is not going to simply be this wintertime once-a-year thing, he said, and its not going to be a mild nuisance in terms of the amount of morbidity and mortality it causes.

Reinfections with earlier variants, including Delta, did occur but were relatively infrequent. But in September, the pace of reinfections in South Africa seemed to pick up and was markedly high by November, when the Omicron variant was identified, Dr. Pulliam said.

Reinfections in South Africa, as in the United States, may seem even more noticeable because so many have been immunized or infected at least once by now.

The perception magnifies whats actually going on biologically, Dr. Pulliam said. Its just that there are more people who are eligible for reinfection.

The Omicron variant was different enough from Delta, and Delta from earlier versions of the virus, that some reinfections were to be expected. But now, Omicron seems to be evolving new forms that penetrate immune defenses with relatively few changes to its genetic code.

This is actually for me a bit of a surprise, said Alex Sigal, a virologist at the Africa Health Research Institute. I thought well need a kind of brand-new variant to escape from this one. But in fact, it seems like you dont.

An infection with Omicron produces a weaker immune response, which seems to wane quickly, compared with infections with previous variants. Although the newer versions of the variant are closely related, they vary enough from an immune perspective that infection with one doesnt leave much protection against the others and certainly not after three or four months.

Still, the good news is that most people who are reinfected with new versions of Omicron will not become seriously ill. At least at the moment, the virus has not hit upon a way to fully sidestep the immune system.

Thats probably as good as it gets for now, Dr. Sigal said. The big danger might come when the variant will be completely different.

Each infection may bring with it the possibility of long Covid, the constellation of symptoms that can persist for months or years. Its too early to know how often an Omicron infection leads to long Covid, especially in vaccinated people.

To keep up with the evolving virus, other experts said, the Covid vaccines should be updated more quickly, even more quickly than flu vaccines are each year. Even an imperfect match to a new form of the coronavirus will still broaden immunity and offer some protection, they said.

Every single time we think were through this, every single time we think we have the upper hand, the virus pulls a trick on us, Dr. Andersen said. The way to get it under control is not, Lets all get infected a few times a year and then hope for the best.

The rest is here:

How Often Can You Be Infected With the Coronavirus? - The New York Times

May 16, 2022 9:30 1 min read

According to the Health Ministrys latest epidemiological report, Brazil recorded 1,104 Covid deaths occurring in April the lowest for a single month since March 2020. The data refers to deaths by real date, as health units often report cases with some delay especially during weekends and holidays, when staff numbers are reduced.

Since the Covid vaccine rollout began in Brazil, in January 2021, almost 89 percent of the population over 5 (those who are eligible for immunization) have taken at least one vaccine dose. More than 82 percent have completed their first vaccination cycle, and 55 percent have taken at least one booster shot.

However, the seven-day average of new daily cases has risen 20 percent over the past two weeks. Meanwhile, the rolling average of new deaths has topped the 100 mark for the past two days. Numbers are far lower than past coronavirus peaks, but the possibility of new variants surging continues to concern experts.

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Covid deaths in Brazil at lowest in two years. But cases are on the up - The Brazilian Report

DETROIT (WXYZ) As of Monday, travelers are not required to wear masks on planes if they are traveling within the European Union.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency announced the change last week.

The EASAs executive director Patrick Ky said, we are finally reaching a stage in the pandemic where we can start to relax the health safety measures.

The group still encouraged passengers who are at higher risk of infection to continue wearing FFP2 masks and to social distance when possible.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control also encouraged everyone to keep their hands clean as a way to reduce the transmission of COVID-19.

Several EU countries are still keeping airplane mask rules in place, including Austria, Germany Greece, Italy and Spain.

The two agencies also advised airlines that they should keep passengers contact information, in case a new variant emerges and they need to do contact tracing.

Additional Coronavirus information and resources:

View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.

See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.

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Traveling to Europe this summer? You may not need to wear a mask on the plane - WXYZ 7 Action News Detroit

Infectious Diseases

Updated on February 24, 2022

Coronaviruses are a type of virus. There are many different kinds, and some cause disease. A coronavirus identified in 2019, SARS-CoV-2, has caused a pandemic of respiratory illness, called COVID-19.

As of now, researchers know that the coronavirus is spread through droplets and virus particles released into the air when an infected person breathes, talks, laughs, sings, coughs or sneezes. Larger droplets may fall to the ground in a few seconds, but tiny infectious particles can linger in the air and accumulate in indoor places, especially where many people are gathered and there is poor ventilation. This is why mask-wearing, hand hygiene and physical distancing are essential to preventing COVID-19.

The first case of COVID-19 was reported Dec. 1, 2019, and the cause was a then-new coronavirus later named SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 may have originated in an animal and changed (mutated) so it could cause illness in humans. In the past, several infectious disease outbreaks have been traced to viruses originating in birds, pigs, bats and other animals that mutated to become dangerous to humans. Research continues, and more study may reveal how and why the coronavirus evolved to cause pandemic disease.

Symptoms show up in people within two to 14 days of exposure to the virus. A person infected with the coronavirus is contagious to others for up to two days before symptoms appear, and they remain contagious to others for 10 to 20 days, depending upon their immune system and the severity of their illness.

Infectious disease expert Lisa Maragakis explains the advances in COVID-19 treatments and how knowledge of COVID-19 can assist in preventing further spread of the virus.

COVID-19 symptoms include:

Some people infected with the coronavirus have mild COVID-19 illness, and others have no symptoms at all. In some cases, however, COVID-19 can lead to respiratory failure, lastinglungandheart muscle damage,nervous system problems,kidney failureor death.

If you have a fever or any of the symptoms listed above, call your doctor or a health care provider and explain your symptoms over the phone before going to the doctors office, urgent care facility or emergency room. Here are suggestionsif you feel sick and are concerned you might have COVID-19.

CALL 911 if you have a medical emergency such as severe shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.

Learn more about COVID-19 symptoms.

COVID-19 is diagnosed through a test. Diagnosis by examination alone is difficult since many COVID-19 signs and symptoms can be caused by other illnesses. Some people with the coronavirus do not have symptoms at all.Learn more about COVID-19 testing.

Treatment for COVID-19 depends on the severity of the infection. For milder illness, resting at home and taking medicine to reduce fever is often sufficient. More severe cases may require hospitalization, with treatment that might include intravenous medications, supplemental oxygen, assisted ventilation and other supportive measures

Two COVID-19 vaccines Pfizer and Moderna - have been fully approved by the FDA and recommended by the CDC as highly effective in preventing serious disease, hospitalization and death from COVID-19.

The CDC notes that in most situations the two mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are preferred over the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to a risk of serious adverse events. The J&J vaccine may be available for those who yet prefer it and for use in certain circumstances.

It is also important to receive a booster when you are eligible. You can get any of these three authorized or approved vaccines, but the CDC explains that Pfizer and Moderna are preferred in most situations.

In addition, it helps to keep up with other safety precautions, such as following testing guidelines, wearing a mask, washing your hands and practicing physical distancing.

Yes, severe COVID-19 can be fatal. For updates of coronavirus infections, deaths and vaccinations worldwide, see theCoronavirus COVID-19 Global Casesmap developed by the Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

Two COVID-19 vaccines Pfizer and Moderna - have been fully approved by the FDA and recommended by the CDC as highly effective in preventing serious disease, hospitalization and death from COVID-19.

The CDC notes that in most situations the two mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are preferred over the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to a risk of serious adverse events. The J&J vaccine may be available for those who yet prefer it and for use in certain circumstances.

It is also important to receive a booster when eligible. You can get any of these three authorized or approved vaccines, but the CDC explains that Pfizer and Moderna are preferred in most situations.

Coronaviruses are named for their appearance: corona means crown. The viruss outer layers are covered with spike proteins that surround them like a crown.

SARSstands for severe acute respiratory syndrome. In 2003, an outbreak of SARS affected people in several countries before ending in 2004. The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is similar to the one that caused the 2003 SARS outbreak.

Since the 2019 coronavirus is related to the original coronavirus that caused SARS and can also cause severe acute respiratory syndrome, there is SARS in its name: SARS-CoV-2. Much is still unknown about these viruses, but SARS-CoV-2 spreads faster and farther than the 2003 SARS-CoV-1 virus. This is likely because of how easily it is transmitted person to person, even from asymptomatic carriers of the virus.

Yes, there are different variants of this coronavirus. Like other viruses, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can change (mutate). Mutations may enable the coronavirus to spread faster from person to person as in the case of the delta and omicron variants. More infections can result in more people getting very sick and also create more opportunity for the virus to develop further mutations. Read more aboutcoronavirus variants.

If you are concerned that you may have COVID-19, follow these steps to help protect your health and the health of others.

What you need to know from Johns Hopkins Medicine.

See the article here:

What Is Coronavirus? | Johns Hopkins Medicine

Last October, a young girl with severe and unusual liver failure was admitted to a hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. Her symptoms were typical: skin and eyes yellow with jaundice, markers of liver damage off the charts. But she tested negative for all the usual suspects behind liver disease. Her only positive test was, surprisingly, for adenovirusa common virus best known for causing mild colds, pink eye, or stomach flu. In rare cases, its linked to hepatitis, or inflammation of the liver, in immunocompromised patients. But this girl had been healthy.

Then it happened again. A second kid came in, about the same age, with all the same symptoms, and again positive for adenovirus. One patient is a fluke; two is a pattern, says Markus Buchfellner, a pediatric infectious-diseases doctor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Two quickly became three and then four. Alarmed, the hospitals doctors alerted local health authorities and the CDC, whose investigation ultimately found nine such cases of unusual hepatitis in kids in Alabama. Two needed liver transplants.

Buchfellner originally thought that whatever was happening was local to Alabama. But this spring, investigators in the U.K. began independently puzzling over their own mysterious uptick in hepatitis among kids. They have since identified more than 150 such cases in the U.K. This prompted the CDC to cast a wider net, bringing the number of suspected cases across the U.S. to 109. Fifteen of the kids have needed liver transplants, and five have died. Worldwide, probable cases now total 348 spread across 20 countries.

The early evidence continues to point to a link with adenovirusan unexpected correlation that is too strong to dismiss and not strong enough to close the case. Seventy percent of the probable cases globally have tested positive for adenovirus, according to the World Health Organization. But although biopsies have been conducted in a small fraction of those cases, they have failed to find adenovirus in the kids livers. At the same time, we definitely know that a different virus infected a massive number of kids recently: SARS-CoV-2, of course. Yet the correlation here is even less clear; only 18 percent of the probable cases tested positive for COVID.

Adenovirus and coronavirus arent necessarily mutually exclusive explanations. The leading hypotheses now suggest an interaction between adenovirus and the pandemiceither because social distancing changed the patterns of adenovirus immunity, allowing for more severe or simply more adenovirus infections, or because previous infection or co-infection with the coronavirus triggers an unusual response to adenovirus. Alternatively, did the adenovirus itself recently change, evolving to more readily damage the liver?

Severe liver failure in kids is very rare, says Helena Gutierrez, the medical director for pediatric liver transplants at UAB and Childrens of Alabama. But when it does happen, a significant proportion of cases even in normal times remains entirely mysterious. No identifiable cause is ever found in almost half of kids with liver failure so severe that they might need a transplant. Ultimately, understanding the recent pattern of unexplained liver-failure cases in kids may shed light on previously mysterious cases that were once too infrequent to attract much attention.

Read: A human liver can be cooled to -4 degrees C and survive

But why is there an increase right now? The only culprit that can be conclusively ruled out is COVID vaccines, because kids under 5, who make up the bulk of the hepatitis cases, cannot yet be vaccinated. In the weeks ahead, experts will be looking at three key pieces of data to parse the remaining hypotheses.

The first and perhaps most obvious set of data to gather is: Have these kids had COVID before? The overwhelming majority of the kids with hepatitis tested negative for the coronavirus, but investigators are now collecting antibody data to see if any of them had COVID in the past. I dont think its directly related to the virus itself, says Buchfellner, but perhaps a COVID infection could have predisposed a kid to liver failure once something elsesay, an adenovirus infectioncame along. And although multisystem inflammatory syndrome, or MIS-C, following coronavirus infection can affect the liver, the hepatitis patients did not exhibit the other hallmark signs of that condition, such as high inflammatory markers and heart damage.

When the COVID antibody data do come out, a lot of the kids will be positivesimply because a lot of kids in general have had COVID recently. Experts will want to go one step further to determine whether the coronavirus is really playing a role. If so, theyd expect that kids with hepatitis are more likely to have COVID antibodies than a control group of kids who did not have hepatitis.

Read: COVID-19s effect on kids is even stranger than we thought

A second key piece of data is about the adenovirus itself. Adenoviruses are very common, so could all the positive tests simply reflect incidental infections unrelated to liver failure? Here, too, investigators will want to see if kids hospitalized with hepatitis are more likely to test positive for adenovirus than those hospitalized for other reasons. If they are, the link to adenovirus becomes stronger. The U.K. is analyzing these exact data and is expected to have results in the next week.

Exactly how many kids test positive for adenovirus sounds like a simple statistic, but it can be messy early on, when investigators are dealing with mostly retrospective data. Different doctors in different hospitals might think to order different tests. UAB happened to test for adenovirus, but its so low on the list of hepatitis culprits that the test is not necessarily routine. And how tests are done can affect whether they come back positive, says Benjamin Lee, a pediatric infectious-diseases doctor at the University of Vermont. Is the virus able to be detected in the blood at the time the patient presents for care? Are there other sites that need to be tested? he asks. What about the nose and throat? Or stool? And indeed, U.K. investigators have had to make sense of a mlange of blood, stool, and respiratory samples, with varying positivity rates.

A third prong of the investigation will focus on the adenoviruses found in these samples. Sequencing their genomes can determine whether the viruses recently acquired new mutations that can explain the link to liver failure. Adenovirus variants have popped up before, and this type of virus is especially apt at reshuffling its genome. Whole genome sequencing is in the works, though scientists in the U.K. originally had trouble getting enough virus out of early samples. And scientists dont have a big database of old adenovirus samples of this kind to compare with the new ones. We take that for granted out with SARS-CoV-2, says James Platts-Mills, an infectious-diseases doctor at the University of Virginia. So the initial progress may be slow.

Partial sequencing of the viral genome, though, has already pinpointed one particular type of adenovirus that predominates in the hepatitis cases: adenovirus 41, also known as 41F. (There are more than 100 types of adenovirus. F refers to the species; the number reflects the order in which the types were discovered.) Adenovirus 41 infects the GI tract. Platts-Mills has studied adenovirus 41 in developing countries, where it is a leading cause of hospitalizations for diarrhea in children. It circulates in wealthy countries, too, but in the U.S. it doesnt cause enough trouble to justify active surveillance. Potentially, Platts-Mills says, the hepatitis cases are only the tip of the iceberg of a large number of undocumented mild adenovirus 41 cases. The invisible surge, if there is one, could be due to either new viral mutations or many young children getting infected at once, with COVID restrictions relaxing.

Still, its surprising to see adenovirus 41 specifically as a suspect in these hepatitis cases, adenovirus experts told me. Although adenovirus has been linked to severe liver failure, its not been adenovirus 41 but types 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7. Plus, these cases almost always happen in patients with suppressed immune systems. In those immunocompromised kids, you could see it in the liver. When we made slides, you could see the viral particles, says Kurt Schaberg, a pathologist at UC Davis who has studied adenovirus hepatitis. The dark centers of the infected liver cells become big and swollen. Its all quite obvious. Biopsies didnt find any of these patterns in the livers of the non-immunocompromised kids. If adenovirus plays a role, it is probably more indirect. Perhaps it somehow triggers the immune system to start attacking the liver, either by itself or in combination with another virus, toxin, or environmental factor. And this might continue even after the virus itself is cleared, so tests for adenovirus could turn up negative.

All of this means that figuring out the answer to these hepatitis cases in kids wont be straightforward. If we found virus in the liver, we would be done, says Buchfellner, in Alabama. The fact we cant find that means its much harder to prove. Instead of a single direct cause, investigators are probably looking for an indirect one or multiple indirect ones. In the weeks ahead, nailing down three key questionswhether these kids have also been infected with COVID, whether their adenovirus infections are incidental, and whether their viruses have mutatedwill at least narrow down the list of plausible hypotheses.

Meanwhile, the nine kids in Alabama are all recovering. Whatever the cause, doctors stressed to me, the risk of severe hepatitis for healthy kids is still very, very small.

See more here:

Is a Common Virus Suddenly Causing Liver Failure in Kids? - The Atlantic

As the rest of the world learns to live with Covid-19, Chinas top leader, Xi Jinping, wants his country to keep striving to live without it no matter the cost.

China won a battle against its first outbreak in Wuhan, Mr. Xi said last week, and we will certainly be able to win the battle to defend Shanghai, he added, referring to the epicenter of the current outbreak in China.

But pressure is mounting for a change to the zero-Covid strategy that has left Shanghai at a standstill since March, kept hundreds of millions of Chinese citizens under lockdown nationwide and is now threatening to bring Beijing to a halt.

This week, the World Health Organization called Chinas current pandemic strategy unsustainable. An economist summarized it as zero movement, zero G.D.P. Multinational companies have grown wary of further investments in the country.

For more than two years, China kept its Covid numbers enviably low by doggedly reacting to signs of an outbreak with testing and snap lockdowns. The success allowed the Communist Party to boast that it had prioritized life over death in the pandemic, unlike Western democracies where deaths from the virus soared.

More transmissible variants like Omicron threaten to dent that success, posing a dilemma for Mr. Xi and the Chinese Communist Party. Harsher lockdowns have been imposed to keep infections from spreading, stifling economic activity and threatening millions of jobs. Chinese citizens have grown restless, pushing back against being forced to stay home or to move into grim, government-run isolation facilities.

Yet abandoning the strategy risks a surge in deaths, especially among the countrys tens of millions of unvaccinated older people. Researchers this week warned of a tsunami of deaths if the virus surged unchecked, leaving Chinas fragile national hospital system overwhelmed and raising the possibility of social unrest.

Fearing any dissent during a politically important year for Mr. Xi, Chinas censors have moved quickly to muffle calls for a change in course on Covid-19. The head of the World Health Organization, whose recommendations China once held up as a model, was silenced this week when he called on the country to rethink its strategy.

Photographs and references to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the W.H.O., were promptly scrubbed from the Chinese internet after the statement. The foreign ministry responded by calling Mr. Tedross remarks irresponsible, and accusing the W.H.O. of not having a proper understanding of the facts.

Chinas state-controlled media has also glossed over the draconian measures officials have deployed to deal with outbreaks. This week, as some authorities in Shanghai erected new fences around quarantine zones, boarded up more homes and asked residents not to leave their apartments, state media painted a picture of a city slowly returning to normal.

One article described the hustle and bustle of city life returning, while another focused on statistics for how many stores had reopened.

But rosy state media reports cannot hide a looming challenge facing Mr. Xi.

To date, the coronavirus has claimed 569 lives and infected about 777,565 people since March 1, according to official statistics. If unchecked, the outbreak could lead to 112 million infections and nearly 1.6 million deaths between now and July, according to a study from researchers at Fudan University in Shanghai and Indiana University in the United States.

The situation is pretty grim, and the study shows clearly the huge importance in vaccinating and boosting the elderly, said Marco Ajelli, an infectious disease modeler at Indiana Universitys School of Public Health, who contributed to the study.

Less than half of people aged 70 or older in Shanghai have received two jabs, according to the study. Across China, the number is 72 percent, a figure that health experts say should be 95 percent or higher. In dozens of cities where there have been outbreaks or partial lockdowns in anticipation of rising cases, resources have been devoted to stamping out the virus rather than to vaccinations.

Currently the vaccines available in China are also not as potent as foreign ones available in other countries. Chinese vaccines use traditional technology that has been shown to be less effective than breakthrough mRNA technology. China said last year that it was close to approving BioNTech, a German mRNA shot made in partnership with Pfizer, but that has not happened. Several Chinese companies are in the testing phase of a homegrown mRNA option, and China also recently approved for emergency use a Covid-19 antiviral pill made by Pfizer called Paxlovid.

Administering three vaccine shots, using antiviral therapies and offering more effective vaccines could help China find a path out of zero Covid, Mr. Ajelli said.

Investors and business leaders worry that Chinas rigid adherence to its zero-Covid policy could send the economy into free fall. It is high time for the government to change its strategy, said Fred Hu, a prominent Chinese investor. The benefits of zero Covid no longer outweigh the economic costs, he added. Sticking to the zero-Covid strategy would decimate its economy and undermine public confidence.

An uncertain harvest. Chinese officials are issuing warnings that, after heavy rainfalls last autumn, a disappointing winter wheat harvestin June could drive food prices already high because of the war in Ukraine and bad weather in Asia and the United States further up, compounding hunger in the worlds poorest countries.

A pause on wealth redistribution. For much of last year, Chinas top leader, Xi Jinping, waged a fierce campaign to narrow social inequalitiesand usher in a new era of common prosperity. Now, as the economic outlook is increasingly clouded, the Communist Party is putting its campaign on the back burner.

By one estimate, nearly 400 million people in 45 cities have been under some form of lockdown in China in the past month, accounting for $7.2 trillion in annual gross domestic product. Economists are concerned that the lockdowns will have a major impact on growth; one economist has warned that if lockdown measures remain in place for another month, China could enter into a recession.

European and American multinational companies have said they are discussing ways to shift some of their operations out of China. Big companies that increasingly depend on Chinas consumer market for growth are also sounding the alarm. Apple said it could see a $4 billion to $8 billion hit to its sales because of the lockdowns.

Howard Schultz, the interim chief executive of Starbucks, said the company has virtually no ability to predict our performance in China.

Foreign investments have nearly dried up, and some projects have been on hold for more than two years because pandemic restrictions have made it essentially impossible for foreign executives to visit China. When executives at multinational companies appeal to senior Chinese officials, their calls are met with silence, said Michael Hart, the president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China.

China has been very steadfast in its views that it has the right strategy and it doesnt want people to criticize it, Mr. Hart said.

Some of Chinas top leaders have also started to share concerns about the economy. Chinas premier, Li Keqiang, described the employment situation as complicated and grave as migrant workers and college students struggle to find and keep jobs during lockdowns.

Even as daily virus cases in Shanghai are steadily dropping, authorities have tightened measures in recent days following Mr. Xis call last week to double down. Officials also began to force entire residential buildings into government isolation if just one resident tested positive.

The new measures are harsher than those early on in the pandemic and have been met with pockets of unrest, previously rare in China where citizens have mostly supported the countrys pandemic policies.

In one video widely circulated online before it was taken down by censors, an exasperated woman shouts as officials in white hazmat suits smash her door down to take her away to an isolation facility. She protests and asks them to give her evidence that she has tested positive. Eventually she takes her phone to call the police.

If you called the police, one of the men replies, Id still be the one coming.

Isabelle Qian contributed reporting, and Claire Fu contributed research.

Link:

The World Tries to Move Beyond Covid. China May Stand in the Way. - The New York Times

Is COVID endemic? Here's what health experts are saying.

How soon could we see COVID-19 go from pandemic to endemic? Here's what we know now.

Just the FAQs, USA TODAY

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends that people in 16 Michigan counties wear masks again in indoor, public places as the coronavirus surges and hospitalizations climb.

The CDCupdated its map Thursday evening that detailscommunity risk from COVID-19, showing all of metro Detroit now in the high-risk category as well as many counties in the northwestern lower peninsula.

They are: Washtenaw, Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, St. Clair, Chippewa, Mackinac, Emmet, Cheboygan, Antrim, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Manistee and Calhoun.

In those 16 high-risk counties, the CDC recommends:

More: Michigan is facing 'unique moment' of COVID-19 history, expert says, as cases rise

More: Got a positive COVID-19 test? New treatments can help keep you out of the hospital

Even though masks are recommended yet again in large swaths of the state,public health officials in Wayne, Oakland, Washtenaw and Macomb counties andthe city of Detroit told the Free Press on Fridaythey aren't going tomandatethem at this stage.

"We are not planning to issue orders at this point," said Susan Ringler Cerniglia, a spokesperson for the Washtenaw County Health Department."Based on our guidance, we expect some entities, especially our higher-risk or group settings, to require it again while were at a high community level. This would include schools, public agencies, shelters, etc. if theyre not currently requiring universal masking indoors."

As the omicron subvariants BA.2 and BA.2.12.1 gain prevalence, the virus is spreading quickly in other parts of the state as well.

Twenty-eightMichigan counties now have moderate levels of transmission, according to the CDC.

They are: Gogebic, Ontonagon, Marquette, Presque Isle, Alpena, Montmorency, Otsego, Alcona, Crawford, Charlevoix, Leelanau, Kent, Barry, Kalamazoo, Eaton, Clinton, Gratiot, Isabella, Ingham, Shiawassee, Saginaw, Midland, Bay, Genesee, Sanilac, Monroe, Lenawee, Jackson.

[ Want moreupdates on COVID-19 in Michigan? Download our app for the latest ]

In thosecounties, the CDC recommends:

The state health department reported 901 people were hospitalized with confirmed cases ofcoronavirus Friday more than double the number hospitalizeda month ago, when 429people with the virus were getting hospital care.

It's still nowhere near the levels of COVID-19 hospitalization Michigan saw in January, when the state hit pandemic peaks with more than 4,600 people hospitalized.

The state reached a seven-day average of 3,958 new daily cases on Wednesday the highest point since February, when Michigan was coming down from the initial omicron surge.

The latest wave of infections comes as the nation marked its 1 millionth death from the virus and U.S. flags across the country are lowered to half-staff to honor the dead.

More: Death of Grosse Pointe Woods man haunted Oprah Winfrey, inspired documentary

What it means: COVID-19 cases in Michigan expected to climb through May

Even though few pandemic restrictions remain in place, people can still choose to take steps to protect themselves by getting vaccinated, boosted and using some tried-and-true mitigation measures, according to Emily Martin, associate professor of epidemiology for the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

"Even though the political landscape has changed and sort of the recommendation landscape has changed, the same things work now that worked a few months ago," Martinsaid in a Twitter Space chat discussing the future of COVID-19.

"Masks still work, and higher-quality masks still provide a higher level of protection. Being outdoors is still better than being indoors and being in less crowded spaces is still ... better than being in crowded spaces."

Treatments like the antiviral drug Paxlovid are available now that can reduce the risk of hospitalization or death from the virus. Monoclonal antibody therapy is an option, too, for people who are vulnerable.

"And the sooner you test, the sooner you can access treatment and the sooner ... you use them, the better they work," Martin said. "There are things that we can do with a positive result to make you feel better. And so it's important to test so that you know that you're positive so then you can seek the treatment."

That the state is in the throes of yet another COVID-19 surge is frustrating to LaurenMetiva, 42, of Wyandotte.

A home health nurse, Metiva is fully vaccinated and two of her three children are, too. But her youngest daughter, 4-year-old Annabelle, is still not eligible because none of the COVID-19 vaccines have won emergency-use authorization for kids under the age of 5.

Metiva said she bristles when public health leaders talk about personal responsibility in getting vaccinated because that isn't an option for her daughter.

"Idon't think I've ever heard from any of the health officials or expertsthe caveat of 'Well, we're sorry. We recognize that this still isn't available for a certain amount of the population.' It's just frustrating to read it over and over and over again get vaccinated and I cannot get her vaccinated," she said.

Though a U.S. Food and Drug Administration'sadvisory committee is scheduled in early June to discuss applications from Pfizer and Moderna to use their vaccines in kids as young as 6 months old, it feels to Metiva like young children have been left out for too long.

"I just have seen firsthand how devastating COVID can be to healthy individuals," she said. "I'm worried about COVID. I'm worried about the inflammatory disease they've seen in children. I'm worried about long COVID. I'm worried about all the opportunities to do things that I've kept her from.

"I've kept her out of preschool. We did do swim lessons, but when she's doing swim lessonsthere is a lot of anxiety. It's gone on for so long that I feel like I'm constantlycalculating risk about where it'sbetter to take her and where it's better to pass. It's been a really long time and I'm very frustrated."

Contact Kristen Jordan Shamus: kshamus@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kristenshamus.

Follow her on Twitter @kristenshamus.

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CDC: Wear a mask in these Michigan counties as COVID-19 surges - Detroit Free Press

The state of Connecticut released new data showing weekly COVID-19 cases at each school in the state.

According to the data, some schools are even seeing more than a dozen new COVID-19 cases per week. Others are seeing close to none.

The following data shows new cases reported between Thursday and Wednesday.

You can search for schools in your town by utilizing the chart below.

The state's rolling positivity rate continues to go up and is now approaching 14%. In the past week, there have been 84 more COVID-19 hospitalizations, bringing the total to 323.

The CDC has now listed six of Connecticuts eight counties as being in the high level for COVID-19, according to the state Department of Public Health.

Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, Tolland and Windham counties are in the high category. Only Fairfield and New London counties are listed in the medium category.Get more information here.

A lot of individuals are doing home tests and you know that data isn't reported, said Dr. David Banach, UConn Health hospital epidemiologist.

Banach said its hard to know exactly whats behind the rise, though factors might include really easy-to-spread Omicron subvariants, folks moving away from masking and immunity from vaccination and prior infection waning over time.

I think when we look at the data that's presented in terms of number of positive tests, a number of hospitalized individuals who test positive, coupled with the wastewater testing, I think the trend is showing that there is a relatively high level of virus circulating in the community, seems to be increasing over the recent weeks, Banach previously said.

For more information about COVID-19 in Connecticut public and private schools, click here.

Link:

See Weekly CT COVID-19 Cases by School With New Data - NBC Connecticut

The first time I autopsied someone who may have died from COVID-19 was nerve-wracking. This was back at the start of the pandemic, in February 2020, when I was working as a forensic pathologist in the Oakland, California coroners office.

The man, a middle-aged executive, had spent a week on a business trip in China and returned with a fever and cough. Hed gone to an urgent care center and was prescribed antibiotics, but he collapsed at home a few days later and died in the emergency department of the local hospital.

Id been paying close and worried attention to the reports coming out of Wuhan of a novel coronavirus. I hadnt been told where in China this executive had been, but I did know that a cough and fever were the exact symptoms epidemiologists had identified for the new condition.

If this man was going to undergo an autopsy, his body could expose my team and potentially many others to a disease that was, as our overseas medical-worker colleagues were reporting, untreatable, highly contagious, and deadly.

I called the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta for support. Two epidemiologists flew in to assist me with the autopsy.

I made my discovery as soon as I opened the chest cavity and put my scalpel into an artery of the lungs: a granular, red, spiral glob of coagulated blood that popped right out when I cut across it. It was a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot that had formed in the large vessels of his legs, traveled to his heart, and then lodged in the lungs.

The clot blocked blood flow through the lungs, preventing oxygen from reaching the rest of the body. Minutes later, the man was dead.

If the executive had died from COVID-19, Id have expected to see the effects of pneumonia, a viral infection. The lungs wouldve been firm and rough to the touch but they werent. So based on what we all knew at the time, we ruled out COVID-19 as a cause of death and speculated that the man had developed the blood clot after sitting immobile for hours on a transpacific flight.

The next week, PCR tests from the CDC confirmed this was not a death from COVID-19.

Or was it? After learning more about this virus over the last two years and conducting several autopsies on people who died of blood clots soon after recovering from COVID-19 now Im not so sure.

We know today that COVID-19 can cause sudden death because the virus has a predilection to attack endothelial cells, which pave the blood vessel highways to all our organs. In the same way that rough roads can result in traffic backups and crashes, damaged endothelial cells can lead to blood clots, which can cause strokes and heart attacks.

The bodys first responders, white blood cells, attack the infected endothelial cells, causing more problems: inflamed organs and internal scarring.

Were now learning that the coronavirus targets endothelial cells in every part of the body, causing long-term damage that pathologists like me can see as scars and blood clots in the organs of patients who have died after having recovered from COVID-19. Were learning, then, that COVID-19 is a multisystem illness in both the acute and long-term phases.

In long COVID, which can affect up to 30 percent of those infected, scientists can see the damaging effects of the virus on organs that rely on healthy blood flow.

Brain fog? Pathologists put brain tissue under the microscope and see dead nerve cells and inflammatory cells where they shouldnt be, surrounding blood vessels.

Heart palpitations and fainting spells? There could be pale white scars in the red heart muscle, which interrupt signal delivery in its electrical system.

Shortness of breath and fatigue? Pink and white patches clog up parts of the lung tissue that should be empty spaces ready to fill with air.

Persistent loss of smell?Recent studies have shown that in some people the nerve damage associated with this long COVID symptom is severe and irreversible.

COVID-19 can cause permanent damage that affected individuals might carry with them for the rest of their lives. We may find, in the near future, that its also shortening their life spans.

I work in New Zealand now. Up until a few weeks ago, there were few deaths from the novel coronavirus, thanks to a successful public health strategy that involved closed borders and coordinated measures like lockdowns, managed isolation, testing, and contact tracing.

When the delta variant of COVID-19 finally infiltrated the community in late 2021, New Zealand was already highly vaccinated, and public masking and vaccine passport mandates were in place. The per capita death rate has remained extremely low compared to other countries, despite spikes in infections and hospitalizations with the ongoing omicron wave.

So what am I seeing now when I look inside the body of someone who has died with or from COVID-19? The same things we saw at the start of the pandemic in the United States: heart attacks with cardiac rupture and blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary emboli).

Some of my patients are even testing negative for COVID-19 at the time of autopsy, yet can be confirmed as having had the disease because family members report they were exposed, and they had shown positive rapid tests a week before death.

Thats why I wonder if I had actually missed a COVID-related death in that very first case I investigated, my Bay Area executive from February 2020. What if he had been exposed to COVID-19 while in China but had recovered, thus testing negative weeks later, when his body came to my morgue for autopsy? What if he had recovered from COVID-19, but the endothelial cell damage caused by the virus eventually caused a blood clot to lodge in his lungs?

Excess death data is already showing us that overall mortality has been increasing in countries with rampant spread of COVID-19. There is also data emerging that COVID-19 causescognitive decline, and that the harm the disease does to the cardiovascular system increases risk ofsudden death from strokes and heart attacks within a year of a patients infection.

What does this mean to us as individuals at a time when politicians are declaring the pandemic over and transglobal corporations are cheering the lifting of mask and vaccine mandates?

I can tell you what Im doing: everything I can to limit repeated exposure to this virus. I am vaccinated and double boosted, and I have vaccinated my children. Im masking up. I only use N95 masks, and I havent eaten indoors with strangers in months. I try to avoid travel as much as possible, and limit my interactions to a small bubble of family and friends. I vote for politicians who have shown they will fund healthcare and support the disabled. I can only control what I do.

And heres what I know as a doctor who does autopsies: A virus that causes permanent organ damage is not worth messing with.

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How COVID-19 Can Kill You - Everyday Health