Category: Corona Virus

This post was updated on December 4th, 2023 at 01:33 PM

COVID-19 cases and test positivity rates continue to change in our state. Here is the most recent information by county according to theCDC.

If you are sick, or are coughing or sneezing and need to visit a hospital or your doctors office, please wear a mask. People may also want to consider wearing a mask in the community, especially if they have a weakened immune system or are over 60 years old.

Please call the clinic or schedule a video appointment if any of these apply to you:

Use this free tool from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

CDCs COVID-19 Symptom Checker

Scientists continue to identify new variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. This is not uncommon as respiratory viruses can change often. Studies have shown that vaccines remain effective against variants.

The best way to protect yourself and others from new versions of COVID-19 is to get vaccinated, continue wearing a mask, social distancing and wash your hands often.

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At-home COVID-19 tests, also known as rapid antigen tests, are convenient and accessible, and now, U.S. households can once again order four free tests. But be careful. The test results can be wrong. Learn when and how to use the tests.

Everyone in the U.S. except young babies can get the new 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine this fall, and most private insurance plans along with Medicaid and Medicare will cover the vaccine atno cost to patients.

The study is part of the RECOVER initiative, research that aims to understand and address the lingering effects of COVID-19 infections.

The studies, which are part of the RECOVER initiative, target a host of symptoms that are most troubling for patients enduring long-term health effects after COVID-19.

COVID-19 can exacerbate underlying heart conditions, but long COVID symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath also affect young, previously healthy people.

Powerfully aromatic and flavorful foods like ginger, peppermint and peanut butter can help you get your sense of smell and taste back. So can strongly-scented essential oil.

Theres no proven cure or treatment for COVID-19. Some drugs may help; chloroquine, the antimalarial medication, may or may not.

Zinc is no coronavirus magic bullet, but it could help. Studies have shown zinc lozenges to be effective in shortening the misery phase of the common cold.

The CDC is updating information about COVID-19 on its website.

Patients who have general questions can call the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment at CO-Help at 303.389.1967or 1.877.462.2911 or email [emailprotected]. Answers are available in English and Spanish (Espaol), Mandarin and more.

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COVID-19 / coronavirus Recent Updates - UCHealth Today

Respiratory illness activity is elevated or increasing across most areas of the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In total, 15 states plus New York City are experiencing "high" or "very high" levels of respiratory illness activity, defined as people going to the doctor with symptoms from any respiratory disease including flu, COVID, RSV and the common cold.

COVID-19 and flu hospitalizations appear to be trending upward while RSV hospitalizations appear to be to be stable, the data shows.

Weekly COVID-19 hospitalizations have reached levels not seen since the end of February with 22,513 recorded the week ending Dec. 2. However, they remain lower than rates seen at the same time last year.

COVID-19 hospitalization rates are elevated for infants and young children and highest among senior citizens, meaning serious illness is mainly affecting the oldest and youngest Americans.

COVID-19 deaths are currently stable, but experts have previously warned that because deaths are a lagging indicator, the number of fatalities due to the virus could rise over the next few weeks.

The CDC is actively tracking a rising variant known as JN.1, a descendant of the BA.2.86 omicron subvariant, according to an update posted by the federal agency on Friday.

Currently, JN.1 makes up an estimated 21% of cases. While some scientists believe it may be more transmissible due to its continued growth, there is currently no evidence it is more severe than previous variants.

Meanwhile, flu activity continues to increase with the southeast and south-central areas of the U.S. reporting the highest levels of activity, according to the CDC. Modeling from the federal health agency estimates flu infections are growing or likely growing in 34 states, declining or likely decline in one state, and stable or uncertain in four states.

Flu hospitalizations are also increasing, yet the number of new admissions remains low at 5,753 admitted the week ending Dec. 2, an increase from 4,268 the previous week, data shows.

The CDC estimates that there have been at least 2.6 million illnesses, 26,000 hospitalizations, and 1,600 deaths from flu so far this season.

Meanwhile, RSV weekly hospitalization rates have very slightly declined to 2.4 per 100,000 for the week ending Dec. 2 from 2.5 per 100,000 the previous week. RSV hospitalizations remain elevated among young children under 4 and are increasing in older adults over 65.

It comes as the White House urged the makers of RSV immunizations this week that protect infants and toddlers to speed up production to increase access.

The monoclonal antibody shots, which are a bit different than a vaccine but still provide protection, have been in high demand and short supply.

Meanwhile, hospitals in some areas of the U.S., such as in Washington state, are reinstating masking.

At Northwest Healthcare Response Network in western Washington, officials said RSV cases hit a threshold required updating rules on masking throughout its partner hospitals, according to local ABC News affiliate KOMO News.

Additionally, Mary Bridge Children's Hospital in Tacoma reached the RSV threshold earlier this week and the flu threshold on Thursday, officials told KOMO News.

When it comes to vaccinations, data showed much higher uptake for the flu vaccine than for the COVID-19 or RSV vaccine.

As of Dec. 2, 40.8% of adults and 41.6% of children have received the annual flu shot, CDC data shows. Comparatively, 17.2% of adults and 7.7% of children have received the updated COVID-19 vaccine and just 15.9% of adults aged 60 and older have received the new RSV vaccine.

Dr. Philip Huang, director of Dallas County Health and Human Services, advised people to follow the same mitigation measures they have for previous seasons.

"Everything that we're hearing about it is not any new virus or new pathogen, it is the common things that we see every season that perhaps coming together," he said. "The preventive things are all the same, you know, stay home if you're sick, wash your hands, cough into your sleeve, don't rub your eyes, nose and mouth, get up to date on the vaccinations."

Huang said he might advise wearing a mask if you're around someone who is at a higher risk of severe illness or if you're in a crowded area with poor ventilation.

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15 states seeing 'high' or 'very high' levels of respiratory illness: CDC - ABC News

The Home Test to Treat program now offers free testing, telehealth and treatment for both COVID-19 and flu to eligible adults nationwide, the National Institutes of Health announced. It began in January as a pilot programfor COVID-19. Any adult with a current positive test for COVID-19 or flu can enroll to receive free telehealth care and prescribed medications delivered to their home. Adults who do not have COVID-19 or flu also may enroll to receive free at-home tests that detect both viruses if they are uninsured or enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Affairs health care system or Indian Health Services. To register, visit Home Test to Treat.

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NIH test-to-treat telehealth program goes national, covers both COVID-19 and flu | AHA News - American Hospital Association

LONDON -- Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in sometimes angry testimony to Britains inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic, on Thursday defended himself against suggestions that his indifference and failure to heed the advice of scientists led to thousands of unnecessary deaths.

In a second day of sworn testimony, Johnson rejected claims that he was prepared to let older people die to protect the economy and that he was too slow to order a second national lockdown as infection rates began to rise in the autumn of 2020.

Johnson, who left parliament after he was found to have misled lawmakers about lockdown-breaking parties during his premiership, said he learned about the horrors of COVID-19 firsthand when he was hospitalized with the disease in March 2020. In the intensive care unit, Johnson said he was surrounded not by elderly people but by middle-aged men like himself.

I knew from that experience what an appalling disease this is. I had absolutely no personal doubt about that from March onwards, he said. To say that I didnt care about the suffering that was being inflicted on the country is simply not right.

Johnsons testimony was an opportunity for the former prime minister to tell his side of the story 17 months after he was forced to resign following a series of scandals, including revelations about boozy parties in his Downing Street offices at a time when the country was under lockdown.

The families of COVID-19 victims have criticized his government for being slow to create an effective testing system, discharging hospital patients with the virus to care homes and dithering about restrictions on personal interactions all of which contributed to a higher death toll in Britain than most European countries.

The inquiry, which began public hearings earlier this year and is expected to run through 2027, is designed to uncover the lessons of COVID-19 to help officials better respond to future pandemics.

During his first day of testimony on Wednesday, Johnson apologized for mistakes made during the early days of the pandemic but maintained that he got the big decisions right, most importantly investing in the development of vaccines that ultimately provided a way out of the pandemic.

On Thursday, an unusually polite and deferential Johnson downplayed the sometimes crude and bombastic language contained in WhatsApp messages, diaries and government documents provided to the inquiry by other witnesses.

In one exchange, Johnson shook his head and said No, no, no as he was confronted with a series of diary entries by his chief scientific adviser that indicated he had argued in favor of letting the virus spread rapidly to increase immunity to COVID-19 rather than imposing further restrictions on the people of Britain.

Johnson said he was simply pushing scientists to explain why such a strategy wouldnt work as the government debated whether to impose a second national lockdown in the autumn of 2020 when infection rates were rising and vaccines werent yet available. The former prime minister said critics should look at his public statements and actions, rather than peoples jottings from meetings that I have been in when they assess the governments response to the pandemic.

I think, frankly, it does not do justice to what we did our thoughts, our feelings, my thoughts, my feelings to say that we were remotely reconciled to fatalities across the country, or that I believed that it was acceptable to let it rip, a frustrated Johnson said under questioning from the inquirys chief legal counsel, Hugo Keith.

Johnson defended his efforts to balance public health measures against the need to protect the economy, in particular the governments Eat Out to Help Out program, which supported the hospitality industry by subsidizing restaurant meals after the first lockdown ended in the summer of 2020.

Leading scientists have testified that they werent included in discussions about the program and that it was obvious it would increase the spread of COVID-19. Johnson said he had no reason to question the restaurant initiative.

I must emphasize, it was not at the time presented to me as something that would add to the budget of risk, he said.

But as infection rates began to rise, the government was once again faced with the question of whether to impose another lockdown that would save lives but drastically curtail personal freedoms.

Johnsons government implemented a series of less draconian measures including a 10 p.m. curfew, work from home advice and regionally targeted restrictions in September and October of 2020 before it finally imposed a second national lockdown on Oct. 31.

His remarks came after weeks of testimony by other ministers, including former Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who said they sought to raise the alarm inside the government about the threat posed by COVID-19. Hancock argued that thousands of lives could have been saved by starting the first national 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.

Among Western European nations, only Italy recorded a higher excess death rate than Britain during the pandemic, according to data presented to the inquiry.

Families of the bereaved expressed hostility afterward, unmoved by his apologies. After Johnson testified, protesters outside shouted murderer and shame on you as left the building and into his awaiting car.

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Former UK leader Boris Johnson returns for second day of COVID-19 inquiry testimony - ABC News

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported Friday that 44 Illinois counties are at an elevated level for COVID-19 hospitalizations according to the CDCs national COVID-19 data tracker.

An elevated level of COVID-19 hospitalizations is defined by the CDC as 10.0-19.9 new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 people per week. Twelve Illinois counties are at a high level, which means that county is averaging more than 20 new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 people per week.

In northern Illinois, the counties at an elevated level are: Lee, Ogle, Whiteside, Carroll, Boone, Winnebago, Stephenson, Jo Daviess, Marshall and Kankakee counties. The 12 counties in the state at a high level are: Knox, Warren, McDonough, Schuyler, Brown, Pike, Morgan, Cass, Menard, Logan, Sangamon and Christian.

Statewide, there were 1,039 new COVID-19 hospitalizations reported, an increase of 20% over the previous week.

Data also show that broad acute respiratory hospitalizations are increasing across Illinois including COVID-19, flu and RSV. IDPH officials, according to a news release, are especially concerned about pediatric ICU (PICU) capacity which is limited in many areas of the state.

As we anticipated, we are seeing an increase in respiratory viruses including COVID-19, flu and RSV - both in Illinois and across the nation, IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a news release. IDPH is closely working with our health partners to educate the public, monitor our hospital capacity, and develop effective mitigation strategies as we experience this surge. One of those strategies is our new Infectious Disease Surveillance Report, an easy to use, interactive dashboard that provides vital information to keep our residents safe.

During this critical period with hospitalizations rising, I encourage all of our residents to use the tools available to keep yourself and your families healthy and protected. These tools include COVID-19 testing (especially if visiting someone at risk for severe disease); enhanced ventilation; good hand hygiene; staying home and seeking treatment if sick; masking in crowded places; AND getting the COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccines for which you or your loved ones are eligible. These tools are especially critical for those most at-risk for severe disease including those who are over 65, immunocompromised, or have chronic medical conditions. And parents and caregivers: please also protect those young children given the limited pediatric ICU capacity in many areas of the state.

IDPH is also encouraging all healthcare settings to consider masking in patient care areas especially if caring for those with weakened immune systems as both RSV and COVID-19 are rising. Per CDC recommendations, universal masking should be considered facility-wide or, based on a facility risk assessment, targeted toward higher risk areas (e.g., emergency departments, urgent care) or patient populations during periods of higher levels of community COVID-19 or other respiratory virus transmission.

For Paxlovid, a COVID-19 treatment, the Paxcess Patient Support Program will provide free government funded supplies to those who have Medicaid/Medicare or are uninsured through a voucher system which takes five minute to enroll in. For those with commercial insurance, they will provide a $1,500 co-pay assistance card for those who self-attest they do not have full medication coverage. This should cover the current cost of a full course of Paxlovid, with no limits on the number of times the prescription could be filled in a year, but no sooner than 90 days from the last refill, given low risk of reinfection within 90 days.

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IDPH: 44 counties at 'elevated' COVID-19 level; hospitalizations up 20% in the past week - Shaw Local News Network

Boris Johnson has acknowledged his government got some things wrong in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has acknowledged his government got some things wrong in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as he gave evidence at a public inquiry into his handling of the global health crisis.

In the first of two days in the witness box on Wednesday, Johnson apologised for the pain and the loss and the suffering caused to the families of the victims.

Testifying under oath, 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.

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The former prime minister has faced a barrage of criticism from former aides for alleged indecisiveness and a lack of scientific understanding during the pandemic.

Johnson forced from office last year over lockdown-breaching parties held in Downing Street during the pandemic accepted that mistakes had unquestionably been made but repeatedly insisted he and officials did their level best.

I understand the feeling of the victims and their families and Im deeply sorry for the pain and the loss and the suffering to those victims and their families, he said.

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Johnson, 59, was briefly interrupted as a protester was ordered from the inquiry room after refusing to sit down during the apology.

Several others were also later removed.

Inevitably we got some things wrong, Johnson continued, adding he took personal responsibility for all the decisions made.

At the time I felt we were doing our best in very difficult circumstances.

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.

Britain 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 coronavirus recorded as a cause of death for more than 232,000 people.

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Grilled by inquiry lawyer Hugo Keith, Johnson acknowledged that he did not 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 he relied on distilled advice from his science and medicine advisers.

Johnsons understanding of specialist advice was doubted last month by his former chief scientific officer, Patrick Vallance, who said he was frequently bamboozled by data.

The ex-leader has also denied claims he said he would rather let the bodies pile high than impose another lockdown.

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His former top aide Dominic Cummings and communications chief Lee Cain both criticised their ex-boss when they gave evidence at the inquiry.

Cummings, who has faced his own criticism for writing expletive-filled WhatsApp messages, said Johnson circulated a video to his scientific advisers of a guy blowing a special hairdryer up his nose to kill Covid.

Cain said COVID-19 was the wrong crisis for his ex-bosss skillset, adding that he became exhausted by his alleged indecision in dealing with the crisis.

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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was Johnsons finance minister during the pandemic, is due to be questioned at the inquiry in the coming weeks.

Johnson arrived around three hours early for the proceedings, with some suggesting he was eager to avoid relatives of the COVID-19 bereaved, who gathered outside later in the morning.

Johnson whose lengthy written submission to the inquiry will be published later on Wednesday insisted the overwhelming priority of his government had been protecting the National Health Service (NHS) and saving lives.

Rebutting evidence that Britain fared worse than its European neighbours, he argued every country struggled with a new pandemic while noting the UK had an extremely elderly population and is one of the continents most densely populated countries.

Johnson, who was treated in intensive care for COVID-19 early on in the pandemic, has reportedly spent weeks with his lawyers, reviewing thousands of pages of evidence ahead of his testimony.

His grilling began with questions about a failure to provide about 5,000 WhatsApp messages on his phone from late January 2020 to June 2020.

I dont know the exact reason, he claimed, adding the app had somehow automatically erased its chat history from that period.

Asked if he had initiated a so-called factory reset, Johnson said: I dont remember any such thing.

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Former UK PM Boris Johnson says his govt underestimated COVID-19 threat - Al Jazeera English

Home Living with Arthritis Coronavirus Patient Perspectives During COVID-19

PUBLISHED 12/08/23 BY Zoe Rothblatt

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a virus that causes cold-like symptoms and is more serious in babies, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. RSV is seasonal, typically starting in the U.S. during the fall and peaking in the winter.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first RSV vaccine in the U.S. The RSV vaccine is recommended for adults ages 60 and older and infants.

While the RSV vaccine is not yet approved for people with weakened immune systems, we do know that RSV infections can be more serious in this population. After asking about your COVID and flu vaccination plans, we received many questions about the RSV vaccine, including its necessity and potential side effects. To address these concerns, we conducted a poll to learn more about our communitys thoughts on and plans for the RSV vaccine.

Due to age qualifications for vaccine eligibility, participants were screened out of the survey if they were under 60 years old. Of the 1,666 respondents, 41 percent have received the RSV vaccine this year.

Here are other key learnings and insights from the poll.

For the 59 percent that have not gotten the vaccine, we sought to learn more about why not. Many (30 percent) said they plan to get the RSV vaccine this year, they do not want to get the RSV vaccine (20 percent), and their doctor did not recommend it (18 percent).

About 20 percent selected other and elaborated in the free-response section. The main themes that emerged were that they did not know about it and they have to schedule around other vaccines or medications.

Some even responded that they have plans to ask their doctor at their next visit:

We also wanted to learn more about peoples hesitations toward getting the RSV vaccine. Thirty six percent said they do not have any hesitations. For those with concerns, participants were able to select all that apply:

For those who did experience side effects, participants were able to select all that apply:

The most common response for other was injection site reactions, including soreness and pain on the arm.

Finally, we wanted to learn more about what questions our community has about the RSV vaccine so we can continue to provide educational resources that meet their needs. Thirty eight percent had no questions about the RSV vaccine.

For those who did, participants were able to select all that apply:

The Global Healthy Living Foundation is committed to providing ongoing education about COVID-19 vaccines for the chronic illness and immunocompromised community.

To stay informed about the latest COVID-19 vaccine news for people who are immunocompromised, take immunosuppressant medications, or have autoimmune conditions, follow all of our COVID-19 vaccine coverage here.

Members of our program have underlying health issues such as inflammatory arthritis and other autoimmune conditions, heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, and more that may increase their risk for COVID-19 complications. They are interested in understanding the best ways to stay safe during the pandemic and to be part of a community of people with similar concerns, questions, and fears.

We regularly poll members, who live in the U.S. as well as around the globe, about a variety of topics, including how the pandemic is affecting their lifestyle, mental health, chronic disease management, medication adherence, and more.

We use this information to inform the educational resources we provide and to inform other stakeholders such as public health experts, policymakers, advocacy groups, health care professionals, and pharmaceutical companies about chronic illness patients needs and concerns. You can participate in ongoing poll by joining the support program here.

Tags: Coronavirus

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Most Chronically Ill People Get or Plan Both COVID and Flu Shots - CreakyJoints

Findings from a recent cross-sectional study are providing clinicians with an overview of neurodegenerative and vascular modifications of the retina among patients who have recovered from COVID-19.

Ophthalmologic characterization showed a non-glaucomatous neuropathy trend pattern among patients previously infected with COVID-19, further calling attention to an increase in choroidal thickness as a result of vascular changes among these patients compared to healthy controls.1

Neurotropic capabilities of SARS-COVs allow viruses to reach the central nervous system by hematogenous neuronal dissemination. The human retina, as an extension of the Central Nervous System, may have some neurodegenerative and/or vascular modifications related to COVID-19, wrote Ilda Maria Poas, of Lisbon School of Health Technology in Portugal, and colleagues.1

An infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, COVID-19 is highly contagious and can lead to severe illness. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 760 million cases and 6.9 million deaths have been recorded worldwide since December 2019, although the actual number is thought to be higher. Typically, infection with the virus is associated with fever, chills, and a sore throat, which the WHO recognizes as the most common symptoms of COVID-19.2

Beyond its usual respiratory impacts, ocular manifestations of COVID-19 present another complication of the disease, with a growing number of reports prompting investigations into ocular signs, symptoms, and transmission. Early studies postulated ocular symptoms of COVID-19 were rare, although further research has alluded to lasting ocular repercussions among those who were previously infected and have since recovered.3

Investigators sought to compare ophthalmologic characteristics including choroidal and inner neural layers among patients previously recovered from COVID-19 and healthy controls. Neurodegenerative and vascular histological assessments were performed using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography and the mean thickness was measured in Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) subfields. Investigators further obtained retinal nerve fiber layer, Ganglion cell layer, and subfoveal choroidal thickness through semi-automatic measurement.1

In total, 96 participants were included in the study, including 56 previously infected with COVID-19 and 40 healthy controls. Investigators observed significant differences in retinal thickness across nearly all inner ETDRS subfields, including nasal 3mm (P=.025), I3 (P=.049), and temporal 3mm (P=.009). Decreases in neural layers were found in the nasal 3mm (P=.049) and temporal 3mm (P=.029) were also observed during ganglion cell layer assessment.1

Among patients in the COVID-19 group, the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness was thinner in superior temporal (P =.019), nasal (P =.002), inferior temporal (P =.046) and global (p=.014) compared to the control group. Investigators also pointed out an increase in the subfoveal choroidal measurement in the COVID-19 group (P =.002).1

Participants who had recovered from COVID-19 showed a non-glaucomatous neuropathy trend pattern. We found differences closer to the classic description of the bow-tie observed in other neurological as compressive neuropathies at the chiasma location. OCT assessment also showed an increase in choroidal thickness as a result of vascular changes, investigators concluded.1

References:

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Study Details Ocular Repercussions, Structural Changes After COVID-19 Infection - MD Magazine

The U.S. is heading into peak respiratory virus season, and some of the most vulnerable Americans are unprotected against COVID-19.

Only 27 percent of nursing home residents and just 6 percent of staff have been vaccinated since the updatedversion of the shot became available in September, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC).

Nursing homes have been devastated by COVID-19. Residents make up only about 1 percent of the U.S. population and have accounted for more than 20 percent of all deaths nationwide. 

Throughout the pandemic, nursing homes have been trying to persuade residents and staff to get vaccinated with yet another round of shots. But there is no longer any federal mandate for workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19.  

Additionally, since the public health emergency ended in May, the federal government is no longer responsible for purchasing vaccines, which could have made it more difficult for some facilities to access the shots initially.  

Health experts are concerned low vaccine uptake among staff could leave residents vulnerable to a resurgence of the virus. 

It’s really important that this group gets boosted because there they are the group that will be hospitalized with illness and can have severe infection and poor outcomes, said Preeti Malani, a clinical professor and infectious disease physician at the University of Michigan Health. 

Malani said in the absence of mandates, there needs to be some persuasion effort in nursing homes to convince them about the importance of the shots. If empathy for vulnerable residents doesnt work, an economic message might.  

Youre going to miss time at work because thereslikely nopaid COVID leave, she said.

The numbers for nursing homes reflect an overall low vaccination rate among the rest of Americans.  

According to the most recent agency estimates, only 16 percent of all adults have received the updated shot for the week ending Nov. 25.

While experts say there will likely be an increase, getting to that point will be a challenge.   

Heres the bottom line: COVID-19 vaccine uptake is lower than wed like to see, and most people will be without the added protection that can reduce the severity of COVID-19, the CDC wrote in an update on its website last month. 

CDC Director Mandy Cohen told a House panel last week that despite relatively low levels of infection, COVID-19 is killing about 1,000 people every week.  

COVID-19 remains the primary cause of new respiratory hospitalizations and deaths in the country, Cohen said.  

Cohen repeatedly noted the U.S. is in a much different place than during the peak pandemic, but experts said continued low vaccination rates could lead to a backslide and leave the country open to another surge if a more immune-resistant variant emerges.

My concern for COVID-19 is that we’re not ready for any variants that this virus will produce, said Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences and chief strategy officer for population health at the University of Washington. 

Mokdad said hes concerned about two things: that people who are vulnerable will not be protected during the holiday season, and that a new variant could come up something he described as a big if. Right now, we’re not ready and many people may not rush and get the vaccine, Mokdad said. 

Vaccination rates have fallen steadily since the first iteration of the shots was rolled out in 2020. According to the CDC, 79 percent of adults received the primary series of shots. But only 20.5 percent of adults received the bivalent booster. 

As the public heads into the fourth holiday season with the virus, a survey from health policy research group KFF found the vaccine was just not a priority for people. 

About half of those who were previously vaccinated but havent gotten the latest shot said lack of worry about COVID-19 was a reason why they havent gotten it. About 37 percent said theyve been too busy, and 32 percent said they are waiting to get it later. 

The sense of worry or concern is much lower. And therefore that seems to be what is likely driving people’s action. Or in this case, inaction, said Jen Kates, a KFF senior vice president. 

It’s kind of a perpetual problem in health prevention in general, if prevention efforts are working, people don’t see the problem, and then stop taking the measures that prevent the problem, Kates added. 

Theres also a significant partisan divide. The poll found only 23 percent of Republican respondents had or would get the latest shot, compared to 40 percent of independents and 74 percent of Democrats. 

Link:

Vulnerable Americans are going into the holiday season without COVID-19 protections - The Hill

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.

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Rishi Sunak to face COVID-19 inquiry grilling next week - POLITICO Europe