Coronavirus (COVID-19) tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.)
Total U.S. confirmed cases: 43,247,791 (43,134,601)
Total U.S. deaths: 693,323 (690,918)
Total global cases: 232,967,743 (232,495,646)
Total global deaths: 4,769,021 (4,759,699)
YouTube bans all anti-vaccination content
YouTube is taking down video content claiming that the widely used vaccines approved by federal health agencies are ineffective or dangerous. It’s an expansion of a previous policy that targeted content making such claims about the COVID-19 vaccines.
Health officials increasingly blame anti-vaccination groups for using social media to persuade Americans not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. These groups tend to oppose most vaccinations, such as those for childhood illnesses like measles or chickenpox.
Matt Halprin, a YouTube vice president, told the Washington Post that the company focused first on COVID-19 misinformation. He said it expanded its ban when it noticed that incorrect claims about other vaccines were contributing to fears about the COVID-19 vaccines.
CDC: Reaction from booster similar to second shot
If you are wondering what kind of reaction you’ll experience from getting a COVID-19 booster shot, it will probably be very much like your reaction to the second shot of the vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a study in which it monitored the reactions of people who received the booster.
Research is available from the nearly 12,600 people who received a third dose of a Pfizer vaccine during clinical trials. Most described their reactions, if any, as mild to moderate. Most said reactions occurred the day following the booster shot.
According to the White House, about 1 million Americans have scheduled appointments to get a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The booster has been approved for people 65 and older, workers in high-risk jobs, and people with underlying medical conditions,
Researchers find clue related to severe cases among diabetes patients
From the beginning, COVID-19 has produced the most severe symptoms in patients with other health issues, including Type 2 diabetes. Researchers at the University of Michigan now say they think they know why diabetics face increased risks.
The scientists say there is an enzyme called SETDB2 that is probably the reason for severe infections in patients with diabetes. They point out that it is the same enzyme that can make infected wounds in diabetes patients slow to heal.
The research team concluded that there is a likely link between the enzyme and the runaway infections they have witnessed in intensive care units. They noted a similar response among people who have Type 2 diabetes and severe COVID-19 infections.
Around the nation
Florida: After leading the nation in new COVID-19 cases earlier in the month, Florida has seen cases fall sharply. The state’s 3,706 new cases reported at the beginning of the week represent the smallest daily increase in the state since July 5, according to federal health data.
New Jersey: New Jersey has reached a COVID-19 milestone, reporting the number of cases of the virus in the state reached 1 million this week. Lately, however, the numbers have moved in the right direction. The seven-day average for new positive tests is now 1,790, down 5% from a week ago.
Missouri: Cox Medical Center Branson is providing medical personnel with electronic devices to summon help if they are attacked. Hospital officials declared the need for protection after a series of assaults during the last few months of the pandemic.
Utah: State police making a routine traffic stop arrested a man on charges of possession of drugs, an illegal weapon, and dozens of stolen vaccination cards. Police said the man was selling the cards, stolen from a clinic in Pennsylvania, for $50 each.
Minnesota: About 200 health care workers have filed a federal lawsuit that seeks to overturn the requirement that they be vaccinated to keep their jobs. Their suit is aimed at the Biden administration’s rule that facilities that accept Medicare and Medicaid patients enforce the vaccination mandate.