Category: Covid-19

COVID-19 can cause a vast number of symptoms with fever, cough and fatigue among those most often reported.

But less common symptoms, such as dizziness, are also important to be aware of.

"Countless studies" from various parts of the world have revealed that dizziness has occurred as the result of COVID infections, according to an article published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health.

The doctors who authored the article say the findings aren't surprising as dizziness has historically been associated with viral infections.

"We would like to emphasize that dizziness should not be taken lightly as it has been proven to be a notable clinical manifestation among COVID-19 patients," the authors said.

"...It it is imperative that attending physicians remain vigilant, especially when managing nonspecific symptoms such as dizziness, as it can be easily overlooked," they continued.

Not just COVID-19, but other respiratory conditions can also lead to dizziness, according to Dr. Christine Greiss, director of the Concussion Program at the JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute.

Such conditions can cause swelling in the sinuses and ears and in turn result in dizziness, she stated.

If an ear infection develops or the Eustachian tube that connects the ears with the back of the throat becomes blocked, it can cause feelings of dizziness, Greiss explained.

Here's a list of other possible symptoms COVID patients may experience:

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Is Dizziness a Symptom of COVID-19? What to Know - NBC Chicago

Updated at 3:20 p.m.

Two private COVID-19 testing companies have been ordered to stop testing by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

A CDPHE investigation found that the Center for COVID Control and Macagain Corp., which operate a combined 11 testing sites in Colorado, have failed to report test results and cases to the state, according to a statement released by Weisers office.

Both companies received cease and desist letters from the state on Jan. 14.

The same investigation found that locations operated by the Illinois-based Center for COVID Control failed to be properly certified and licensed by the federal government to do COVID testing.

Our consumer protection section also has received a significant number of complaints about safety conditions at their testing sites, including concerns about the appropriate use of personal protective equipment. By violating these licensing requirements and ignoring health and safety protocols, the Center for COVID Control is putting Coloradans at risk and were taking action to protect public health, Weiser said in the statement.

NBC News reports that the Center for COVID Control operates about 300 pop-up testing sites around the country and is under investigation in Illinois and Oregon. Rhode Island and Massachusetts have also issued cease and desist letters for its sites there. And its sites in California and Washington have been shut down for not being licensed.

The Center for COVID Control said it would not offer interviews when asked to respond to the Attorney Generals cease and desist letters. The company instead referenced a press release from Jan. 13 on its site, which said CCC was temporarily pausing testing at its sites across the country until Jan. 22, citing a strain on its staff due to the spreading omicron variant.

CCC will use this operational pause for additional staff training in sample collection and handling, a refocus on customer service and communication practices, and ensure compliance with regulatory guidelines, the statement said.

The statement was posted days after a USA Today Jan. 5 report about numerous complaints lodged against the Center for COVID Control across several states and after Oregon officials confirmed they were investigating the company.

MacAgain could not be reached for comment in time for publication.

The Center for COVID Control operates the following locations:

6460 E Yale Ave Denver 80222

4775 S Broadway Englewood 80113

1750 Blake St. Denver 80202

And Macagain Corp. operates testing sites at these locations:

1546 28th St, Boulder 80303

3250 W 72nd St, Westminster 80030

155 Cook St, Denver 80206

620 Miller Ct, Lakewood 80215

1700 S College Ave. Fort Collins 80525

6830 S Yosemite Ct, Centennial 80112

3629 Betty Dr. Colorado Springs 80917

2910 Wood Ave, Colorado Springs 80907

Editor's note: This story has been updated with a response from the Center for COVID Control and details on the cease and desist letters.

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Two COVID-19 testing companies have been ordered to stop operating in Colorado. Here's a list of their 11 locations - Colorado Public Radio

More than 155,900 people in the US are hospitalized with Covid-19, according to data Thursday from the US Department of Health and Human Services, surpassing records set in last winter's surge. And hospitals need more people to help provide care.

Meantime, deaths nationally have lagged from the worst of last winter's surge, as the country has averaged 1,817 Covid-19 deaths a day over the past week, Johns Hopkins University data shows. The peak daily average was 3,402 one year ago on January 13.

In Washington state, hospitals will temporarily halt nonurgent procedures "so as much capacity and staff can be dedicated to emergent needs -- the people who need this right now," Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday.

In Wisconsin, National Guard members will be trained as certified nursing assistants to support hospitals and nursing homes, Gov. Tony Evers said.

"We're estimating the first round of staffing and relief rollout will allow skilled nursing facilities to open up 200 or more beds by the end of February," Evers said Thursday as the state announced a record number of confirmed cases.

"Our health care providers are beyond exhausted. We simply do not have enough staff to care for all those who are ill," said Lisa Greenwood, the associate dean of nursing at Madison College, which is training the Guard members.

New CDC mask guidance

The updated information recommends that Americans wear the most protective mask or respirator they can find that fits well.

"Loosely woven cloth products provide the least protection, layered finely woven products offer more protection, well-fitting disposable surgical masks and KN95s offer even more protection, and well-fitting (National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety)-approved respirators (including N95s) offer the highest level of protection," CDC officials said.

Masks aren't recommended for children under 2.

Schools are feeling the squeeze

Before New Year's, states such as Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York called upon Guard members to assist with medical and nonmedical tasks.

In Ohio, more than 2,000 Guard members have been deployed as cases keep rising. Now, with hospitalizations at an all-time high, officials are urging residents to protect themselves from infection.

"In this Omicron surge, you need to remember no one is untouchable," state health department director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said Thursday, asking people to only go to the hospital in the case of a real emergency as staffing shortages remain critical.

Biden announced plans last month to mobilize 1,000 additional military medical personnel to help overwhelmed hospitals.

Montgomery County Public Schools, the largest school district in Maryland, submitted a formal inquiry for help from the National Guard to address its school bus driver shortage, district spokesperson Chris Cram told CNN on Thursday. Earlier this week, nearly 100 of the district's school bus routes were impacted by the shortage of drivers, but that number is now down to 29 routes as of Thursday, Cram said.

Testing problems are still in play

While health experts are hopeful the surge may soon wane, the sheer volume of infections continues nationwide. Confirmed positive cases of Covid-19 have climbed to a daily average of 771,580 in the US, according to Johns Hopkins University data, more than three times that of last winter's peak average.

In Nevada, state officials have ordered more than a half-million at-home antigen test kits that will be made available at no cost and will be distributed near the end of the month through "community partners" to be named later, Gov. Steve Sisolak announced Thursday.

"This will ensure that, as we live with Covid, the supply chain does not dictate access for Nevadans," Sisolak said.

However, not all confirmed cases via rapid test are tracked and recorded, meaning the numbers of those with Covid-19 may be much higher.

The Omicron variant has become so widespread in Oregon, it is outpacing health leaders' ability to keep track of how many people are infected, they said.

"We know our daily case counts are missing many at-home test results, and in the face of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, case data is also missing many undiagnosed cases, as well," Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen said in a briefing Thursday.

"To be completely transparent, we are likely approaching the maximum capacity our testing system has to identify cases."

Instead of interviewing people for contact tracing, health teams will turn their focusing to tracking outbreaks in high-risk settings, asking those with positive test results to report them to the state voluntarily through a website and hotline, Allen said.

"Hospitalizations and deaths will continue to represent our most reliable and significant metric," Allen said.

CNN's Katherine Dillinger, Jason Hanna, Joe Sutton, Andy Rose, Hannah Sarisohn, Raja Razek, Elizabeth Stuart and Laura Studley contributed to this report.

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Many hospitals are halting nonurgent procedures and relying on the National Guard as Covid-19 hospitalizations rise - CNN

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Eastfield Mall COVID-19 test site closed Monday due to winter weather - WESTERNMASSNEWS.com

A passenger walks past a Southwest Airlines plane at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, March 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

I had a caller today who insisted there was a COVID vaccine requirement to fly to Phoenix, said Duane Bannock.

Bannock hosts a daily call-in radio show on KSRM in Kenai. He and his wife love to travel, so we talk often about deals and destinations.

Smart travelers get vaccinated before they fly, I said. But theres no vaccine or testing mandate for domestic flights.

Both Bannock and I had traveled in the last week, and we could confirm that no vaccines or test results were required to board our Alaska Airlines flights.

In fairness to the KSRM caller, regulations are changing all the time. This is particularly true for international travel. Right now, though, the only COVID-19 mitigation requirement is that everyone at an airport or on a plane, bus or train must wear a mask.

Before calling me, Bannock checked the CDC website for domestic travel guidance. In fact, the website plainly states, Delay travel until you are fully vaccinated.

Thats solid advice, especially since the omicron variant is spreading like wildfire. Omicron infections reduced airline crews, forcing them to cancel flights during the holidays. Bad weather was an unwelcome multiplier, causing many to delay or cancel their trips. Also, some travelers had to extend their trips at their own expense until they could get seats rebooked after thousands of flights were canceled.

[28,000 canceled flights later, airlines still looking for upper hand against omicron, weather]

The bad weather has subsided, but omicron is in full bloom. Alaska Airlines canceled 10% of its schedule through January to compensate for crewmembers who call in sick. Also, on flights that do operate, flight attendants are cutting back on meal and beverage service during flights to limit possible COVID-19 exposure from passengers.

More changes are on the way, too. At the end of January, Alaskas free on-site testing facilities at airports will shut down. In Anchorage, free testing will soon be available around the clock at the Alaska Park facilitys indoor site, adjacent to the Coast International Inn. In Juneau, free tests will be available at the Alaska Industrial Hardware store just around the corner from the airport.

The Fairbanks International Airport, photographed on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

Because of the rapid pace of omicron infections, countries are changing their entry requirements for visitors. Many towns and cities are changing their COVID-19 mitigation plans, including some communities in Alaska.

Travel to St. Paul Island, in the middle of the Bering Sea, is prohibited unless you fall under the essential worker category. All prospective visitors must fill out a travel form for the city and agree to a testing regimen and a five-day quarantine.

Liz Perry is the head of Travel Juneau, the local visitors bureau. While there are currently few community-wide pandemic restrictions, she said that different businesses have different rules, particularly regarding masks. Were trying to be nice to each other, she said.

Thats important since the Alaska Legislature is gaveling in this coming week. Unlike last year, plans call for the Alaska State Capitol building to be open to visitors who agree to wear masks. Other restrictions may apply.

Alaska Airlines is offering a 20% off coupon code for Alaskans to go to Juneau during the legislative session. The airline last week emailed each Club 49 member a unique code that can be used just once.

Travelers to Hawaii must quarantine for five days on arrival. Vaccinated travelers can bypass the five-day quarantine without testing in advance by uploading proof of vaccination to Hawaiis Safe Travels site. To avoid quarantining on arrival, non-vaccinated travelers must upload the results of a negative COVID test within 72 hours of their Hawaii-bound flight. The test must be administered by a Trusted Testing and Travel Partner.

On the ground in Hawaii, restaurants and bars require you to show your vaccination card (or recent negative test results) to enter. Masks are required indoors.

In Seattle recently, all the restaurants we visited asked to see our vaccination cards. Many other communities are taking a similar path, including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., among others.

Even though cases are up, England has eased COVID-19 restrictions for fully vaccinated U.S. travelers. If youve received your shots and your booster, no pre-travel test is required. However, arriving travelers still are required to get tested on or before day two of their visit. And theres no longer a requirement to isolate while waiting for the test results.

Headed to Canada? Its simple: You must be fully vaccinated, having received at least two vaccine shots.

Travelers to the United States show their documents at the check-in desk at Charles de Gaulle airport, north of Paris, Monday, Nov. 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Travelers to France from the U.S. must be fully vaccinated. Additionally, travelers must present proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours. Tickets to Paris are on sale with Delta for as little as $585 round-trip. Travel between Jan. 28 and April 28.

Cheap tickets (in basic economy) are available for under $600 round-trip to many European destinations from Anchorage, including Barcelona, Rome, Athens, Madrid and Lisbon. Each country has its own COVID-related entry protocols.

If you want to fly to Amsterdam, or travel anywhere in the Netherlands, you must be fully vaccinated. Additionally, travelers must present results of a negative COVID-19 test. Plus, travelers arriving from the U.S. must quarantine for 10 days. You may be eligible to get out of quarantine after five days if you present another negative test.

If youre headed to Mexico, there are no special pre-travel requirements such as tests or vaccines.

Getting to your international destination is one thing. Getting back is another. Travelers returning to the U.S. must have the results of a COVID-19 test taken the day before you travel. Depending on where you are and the availability of tests, this could be expensive. Thats where the quick antigen tests come in handy, since a telehealth appointment is included for verification.

I cannot fault Bannocks caller on KSRM for thinking theres a vaccine mandate on flights within the U.S. Its confusing to sift through the information to find an accurate description of the current requirements.

Both American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have world maps that show the travel entry requirements for each country.

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Navigating COVID-19 testing and vaccine requirements for travel in the US and abroad - Anchorage Daily News

The success of recent holiday blockbusters has some movie theater owners in Maine cautiously optimistic that people are indeed coming back to the movies after the pandemic drove them away.

People really want to return to normal, and if theres a great movie that people want to see, that nudges them along to normalcy, said Al Waitt, director of operations for Smittys, a combination movie theater and restaurant chain that has locations in Sanford, Windham, Topsham and Tilton, New Hampshire.

The industry has been anything but normal for the chain since the pandemic struck. Waitt said his theaters closed their doors on March 17, 2020, and reopened four months later, but were only running at 25 percent to 50 percent capacity.

It was at the height of the pandemic. Studios werent releasing movies, he said.

Some theater groups couldnt stay open at all. Multi-state theater company Cinemagic made headlines in February 2021 when it announced it was permanently closing eight theaters throughout New England, including complexes in South Portland, Westbrook and Saco. At least two of those theaters in Westbrook and Saco reopened last October after Massachusetts-based Apple Cinemas bought both theaters along with others in Hooksett and Merrimack, New Hampshire.

These were great options. Theyre big theaters, said Jessica Robitaille, operations manager at Apple.

Robitaille said both Maine locations are doing well enough financially, and the company is looking forward to another successful year in 2022, but she acknowledged that industry insiders are still worried about the future.

Of course, its scary, she said.

Nationwide data back up Robitailles concerns. Waitt noted that national gross admissions for 2019 stood at about $11 billion, but in 2020 that number plummeted to $4 billion. Numbers for 2021 are not available yet, he said.

A recent Gallup poll had even more grim figures. Americans saw an average of 1.4 movies in a theater over the past 12 months, and 61 percent a figure Gallup called historically high did not visit a movie theater at all in the past year.

Its been a struggle for movie theaters, said Daniel Vieira, executive director of Theatre Owners of New England, a regional division of the National Association of Theatre Owners.

Vieira said federal grants, like the Shuttered Venue Operations Grant, helped many theaters nationwide stay alive, at least temporarily.

That was a lifeline that kept a lot of theaters in business, he said.

Waitt said blockbuster movies attracting large audiences are the best way to improve business. He said there have been spurts of activity, notably over the July 4 weekend in 2021. It rained, he said, which drove a lot of moviegoers to Smittys theaters.

Robitaille saw similar numbers over the holidays, driven by the popularity of films like Spider Man: No Way Home.

It was really good to see full auditoriums for the first time in two years, she said.

Waitt said he thinks the success, despite rising COVID-19 cases this winter, is due to people becoming braver about venturing outside.

As more people are vaccinated, theyre more confident in going out in public, he said.

Vieira noted that attendance figures, both regionally and nationwide, are not up to 2019 levels yet. Big movie blockbusters are few and far between, he said, but their popularity does give him and other theater owners hope for the future.

It proves theres still an enthusiasm. People want to go, he said.

Waitt said Smittys offers food inside the chains theaters, and he credits that in part with the chains success.

If someone is going to venture out of the house, theyre looking for the best experience they can find, he said.

Robitaille said Apple is working on similar alternative entertainment offerings, such as video games and restaurants, inside the theater complexes. She said the company believes that will draw in more theatergoers.

Hopefully in the future it doesnt just mean going there for two hours to see a movie, she said.

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Maine cinemas clawing back despite another winter of COVID-19 - Bangor Daily News

WASHINGTON During a rally in Arizona on Saturday, former President Donald J. Trump repeated his lie that the 2020 election was stolen and made other false claims about the pandemic and the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6 last year. Heres a fact check.

What Mr. Trump Said

The left is now rationing lifesaving therapeutics based on race, discriminating against and denigrating, just denigrating, white people to determine who lives and who dies. If youre white, you dont get the vaccine, or if youre white, you dont get therapeutics.

False. There is no evidence that white Americans are being denied access to vaccines or treatments.

Mr. Trump referred to a Wall Street Journal opinion column criticizing New York States guidelines on two limited antiviral treatments that ask health providers to prioritize the therapies for immunocompromised patients and those with risk factors. The guidelines, which were released in late December, said, Nonwhite race or Hispanic/Latino ethnicity should be considered a risk factor, as longstanding systemic health and social inequities have contributed to an increased risk of severe illness and death from Covid-19.

State officials have defended their guidelines by citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which show that Black, Hispanic and Native Americans are about twice as likely to die from Covid-19 than white Americans. A spokeswoman for New York States Department of Health told Fox News that race did not disqualify patients from treatment but that the guidelines instead considered race as one risk factor.

In New York, white residents are more likely to be vaccinated than Black residents, which is in line with most of the country.

What Mr. Trump Said

Why did Nancy Pelosi and the Capitol Police reject the more than 10,000 National Guard troops or soldiers that I authorized to help control the enormous crowd that I knew was coming?

False. There is no evidence that Mr. Trump ever made a request for 10,000 National Guard troops or that Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected such a demand. The speaker of the House does not control the National Guard.

Vanity Fair reported that Mr. Trump had floated the 10,000 figure to the acting defense secretary at the time, Christopher C. Miller, the night before Jan. 6, 2021, when Mr. Trumps loyalists stormed the Capitol in a bid to stop the certification of Joseph R. Biden Jr.s election victory. According to Mr. Miller, Mr. Trump had suggested 10,000 National Guard troops were required to contain the crowd he anticipated for his rally that day.

But there is no record of Mr. Trump making that request. The Pentagons timeline of events leading up to the riot notes that the Defense Department reviewed a plan to activate 340 members of the District of Columbias National Guard, if asked. But the timeline makes no mention of a request of 10,000 troops by Mr. Trump. Nor did a Pentagon inspector general report on the breach, which instead referred to suggestions by Mr. Trump that his rally on Jan. 6 had been conducted safely. A Pentagon spokesman also told The Washington Post that it had no record of such an order being given.

What Mr. Trump Said

So we lost, they say, by 10,000 and yet they flagged more than listen to these numbers 57,000 highly suspicious ballots for further investigation, one. 23,344 mail-in ballots were counted despite the person no longer living at that address little, little problem. Five thousand people appear to have voted in more than one county.

Mark Meadows. Mr. Trumps chief of staff, who initially provided the panel with a trove of documents that showed the extent of his rolein the efforts to overturn the election, is now refusing to cooperate. The House voted to recommend holding Mr. Meadows in criminal contempt of Congress.

Scott Perry and Jim Jordan. The Republican representatives of Pennsylvaniaand Ohioare among a group of G.O.P. congressmenwho were deeply involved in efforts to overturn the election. Both Mr. Perryand Mr. Jordanhaverefused to cooperatewith the panel.

Michael Flynn. Mr. Trumps former national security adviser attended an Oval Office meeting on Dec. 18 in which participants discussed seizing voting machines and invoking certain national security emergency powers. Mr. Flynn has filed a lawsuitto block the panels subpoenas.

Phil Waldron. The retired Army colonelhas been under scrutiny since a 38-page PowerPoint documenthe circulated on Capitol Hill was turned over to the panel by Mr. Meadows. The document contained extreme plans to overturn the election.

John Eastman. The lawyer has been the subject of intense scrutinysince writing a memothat laid out how Mr. Trump could stay in power. Mr. Eastman was present at a meeting of Trump allies at the Willard Hotelthat has becomea prime focus of the panel.

False. Mr. Trump lost the state of Arizona by about 10,500 votes, but his claim of tens of thousands of fraudulent votes is baseless. These figures are based on a report by Cyber Ninjas, a company Republicans hired to examine voting in the state.

Election officials have said that the claims the company raised are not evidence of fraud. For example, Cyber Ninjas found that tens of thousands of voters did not live at addresses recorded by a specific commercial database, but election officials have noted that college students, military personnel or people who own vacation homes could have different addresses than those listed in the database. Similarly, the companys claims of double voting could be explained by the mere fact that many Arizona residents have the same name or birth year.

Moreover, Cyber Ninjas audit showed that in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, Mr. Biden had 99 additional votes and Mr. Trump had 261 fewer votes.

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Trump Rally Fact-Check: Covid-19 and Election Falsehoods - The New York Times

A health worker administers a dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine on December 22, 2021 in Bari, ... [+] Italy. (Photo by Donato Fasano/Getty Images)

Dont do anything rash just because you get a rash over a week after getting the Covid-19 vaccine. It may not be super common. But you can have a skin reaction that only appears eight days or more post-vaccination. And it doesnt have anything to do with 5G reception.

Having an itchy or painful rash emerge later may be a bit disconcerting, since most side effects, if they occur, tend to happen much sooner. In fact, a majority of severe allergic reactions will happen within 15 minutes of the shot. Thats why they tell you to wait around the vaccination location for 15 minutes following the shot and not 11,520 minutes. Indeed, a February 2021 publication in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that immediate skin reactions were relatively common, occurring in 12,765 (84.2%) of the 15,168 participants who had received the first dose of the Moderna Covid-19 mRNA vaccine in a clinical trial.

However, the data from this trial also revealed that 244 (0.8%) had delayed skin reactions after their first doses. This number dropped to 68 (0.2%) following the second dose of the vaccine. That means out of a couple hundred people or so, chances are at least one person will have had such a delayed reaction.

A research letter published in theNew England Journal of Medicine in April 2021did describe 12 patients who developed rashes after getting the Moderna Covid-19 vaccines. All but one didnt appear until at least a week post-vaccination. The rashes didnt last for too long though, disappearing after two to 11 days, as I reported for Forbes. A team from the Massachusetts General Hospital (Kimberly G. Blumenthal, MD, Esther E. Freeman, MD, PhD, Rebecca R. Saff, MD, PhD, Lacey B. Robinson, MD, MPH Anna R. Wolfson, MD, Ruth K. Foreman, MD, PhD, Aleena Banerji, MD, Erica S. Shenoy, MD, PhD), Mass General Brigham (Dean Hashimoto, MD), Brigham and Womens Hospital (Lily Li, MD) and the Baylor College of Medicine (Sara Anvari, MD) co-authored this letter.

Dr. Blumenthal discussed this research letter and such cases in the following WCVB Channel 5 Boston news segment:

Then there was the case series published in JAMA Dermatology from a Yale University School of Medicine team consisting of Margaret S. Johnston, MD, Anjela Galan, MD, Kalman L. Watsky, MD, and Alicia J. Little, MD, PhD. These docs described 16 patients who had skin reactions two to 12 days (for a median of seven days) after receiving the first dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine. Four of these patients had had a history of seasonal allergies. An additional four had pre-existing allergies to antibiotics. The rest didnt have any history allergic reactions to anything. Five of these rashes appeared eight days or more post-vaccination. Following the second doses of the Moderna vaccines, 12 of these 16 patients ended up having skin reactions again. In nearly all cases, the rashes appeared a lot sooner (within three days for all but one) following the second dose. Most of the rashes resolved within a week, although in three patients the rash lasted for longer than two weeks.

Finally, a study published in the European Journal of Medical Research found delayed skin reactions in 11 (0.16%) of 6821 patients who received the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine at hospitals in Germany such as the University Hospital Dsseldorf in Dsseldorf. These reactions were a little more likely to occur after the first dose (eight of the 11) than after the second dose. None of skin reactions lasted longer than 14 days or prevented subsequent doses of the vaccine.

Although all of these studies focused on the Moderna vaccine, such skin reactions have occurred with the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine as well.

While such rashes can be quite variable in appearance and symptoms, they do seem to have some things in common. Typically, theyve been itchy, painful or both rather than hilarious, exciting, sensual, or empowering. Different degrees of swelling may be present. The colors of the rash can range from being very red to pink to more pale. They can affect different parts of your body beyond the injection site. In some cases, the rashes may involve large parts of your body. You could use the word urticaria to describe many of these rashes. Urticaria rhymes with Hank Azaria, Kingdom of Bavaria, and I dont care-ia and is the medical term for hives.

Most likely these reactions are the result of whats called delayed T-cell-mediated hypersensitivity. Now, delayed hypersensitivity can sound like what happens when you cry days after youve finished watching a rom-com like Love Hard or realize later on that youre so much better-looking in the dark is not a compliment. Instead, it describes a whole set of immune system responses that dont begin until at least 12 hours after its encountered a potential invader. Your immune system can be like your significant other: quite complex and potentially causing a fair amount of swelling. One line of defense is antibodies produced by your B lymphocytes, which are a type of white blood cell. Other defenses are implemented by T cells, another type of immune system cell, and monocytes/macrophages. These latter types of cells handle delayed hypersensitivity. T cells include those that like a Pac Man directly chomp up anything that doesnt belong in your body and those that secrete chemicals that in turn can help defend your body.

Thus, delayed hypersensitivity is just your immune system doing its thing and reacting to something in the vaccine or produced by the vaccine. The vaccine itself doesnt have that many components, if you exclude the microchips, 5G receivers, toilet plungers, and whatever else anti-vaxxers are trying to convince you are in vaccines. Therefore, a T-cell responses would probably be to one of the following: the mRNA, the lipid nanoparticle that encapsulates and helps deliver the mRNA, the solution that carries these nanoparticles in the vaccine, or the spike protein that your cells produce using the mRNA as blueprints. One possible culprit is polyethylene glycol (PEG), which is found in both the Moderna and the Pfizer vaccines. Therfore, allergy testing for PEG may help provide further insight.

Urticaria can include red patches in different parts of your body that include raised bumps. (Photo: ... [+] Getty)

A temporary rash shouldnt cause too much concern. It may interfere with some dates unless you go to place that has a strobe light that has a very rapid alternating cycle. It can be quite uncomfortable too. Ice and antihistamines can help alleviate symptoms. So can having your significant other repeatedly tell you that you dont look that bad. If you dont have a significant other, this shouldnt be the only reason to find one. With such over-the-counter treatments, your rash should improve within five days. If they dont, call your doctor, a real medical doctor. More severe symptoms may merit some topical or oral steroids. You wont need antibiotics unless any of your skin gets infected with bacteria.

So far, there isnt a clear association between such reactions to the Covid-19 mRNA vaccines and subsequent similar reactions to other types of vaccines such as the flu vaccines. Different vaccines can have different components. So just because you do react to the Covid-19 vaccines doesnt necessarily mean that you should be extra wary when getting other vaccines. It also doesnt mean that you should avoid Covid-19 vaccines. It would be rash to leave yourself unprotected against Covid-19 simply because you want to avoid getting a rash.

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Delayed Skin Reaction To Covid-19 Coronavirus Vaccine May Occur Over A Week Later - Forbes

For the first two years of the pandemic, Minnesota health insurance providers, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield and HealthPartners, among others, voluntarily waived costs for in-patient COVID-19 treatment. Many plans serving other states took similar steps.

But going into 2022, thats likely to change for most people.

The states nonprofit insurers absorbed more than $1 billion in costs associated with COVID-19 treatment just in 2020, said Lucas Nesse, president and chief executive officer of the Minnesota Council of Health Plans. Last year continued to be equally challenging, as we all know, he said. But we wanted to continue that coverage through there.

Its a trend playing out nationally.

While many plans waived [cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatments] early in March of 2020, many of many of the health plans have phased that out at the end of 2021, he said.

Nesse said its best to contact your insurance company with questions, but heres what you need to know about how your health care coverage may be changing this year.

Nesse said the plans are making changes in part because vaccines are now available, and they have been proven to prevent the worst of the disease.

I think a lot of it has to do with the access to vaccines and the efficacy of the vaccines, being able to keep people out of the hospital, he said.

Cost-sharing for any medical treatment is typical of insurance coverage under normal circumstances, Nesse added.

If you work for a large company that collects premiums and pays your medical claims, you might see other changes to your plan.

For instance, Delta Airlines, which has a large base of employees in Minnesota, last year announced it would charge unvaccinated employees an additional $200 in monthly premiums to cover the additional costs associated with treating COVID-19.

A lot of self-insured employers have started to look at impacting that monthly premium, as well as an incentive to try to get people or encourage them to get that vaccine, Nesse said.

According to the Minnesota Department of Human Services, there's no cost-sharing for COVID treatment for people on Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare.

Costs vary, however, for people on Medicare depending on their coverage plan.

Yes. As with most vaccines, the COVID-19 vaccines including boosters are free for anyone who wants one.

Federal rules require health insurance plans to waive cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing, including related visits, too.

At-home rapid tests, however, have come at a cost. But starting Jan, 15, that will change, with insurers required to cover up to eight rapid tests monthly per individual.

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Costs for COVID-19 hospitalization are changing. Here's why - MPR News

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) The tidal wave of COVID-19 cases brought on by the Omicron variant continues in Oklahoma with over 14,000 new cases reported Saturday.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported 14,403 new COVID cases Saturday.

OSDH has not provided COVID-19 data updates on weekends for several months now, but resumed doing so because of the massive surge in COVID cases.

Oklahoma has had 811,389 COVID cases since the pandemic began in March 2020.

The current seven-day average for new cases is 9,211.

There are 88,613 active COVID-19 cases in Oklahoma as of 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 15.

Oklahoma has had 12,775 COVID-related deaths since March 2020 as of Friday, Jan. 14.

There were 1,466 Oklahomans hospitalized with COVID-19 on average over the past three days. Authorities also noted that there were 47 pediatric hospitalizations for COVID-19 included in that number.

Health officials said over 2.65 million Oklahomans have received their initial COVID-19 vaccine, while 2.13 million have completed the series, as of Friday.

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Oklahoma sees another massive rise in COVID-19, over 14,000 new cases - KFOR Oklahoma City