Coronavirus News

After declining briefly, suicide deaths in the U.S. began to rise during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates there were 48,183 suicide deaths in 2021, rising to an estimated 49,449 deaths in 2022, an increase of approximately 2.6%.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, with public health organizations working to raise awareness of the signs that someone may be thinking about ending their life.

#BeThe1To is the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s message for National Suicide Prevention Month and beyond, which helps spread the word about actions we can all take to prevent suicide. The Lifeline network and its partners are working to change the conversation from suicide to suicide prevention, to actions that can promote healing, help and give hope.

“The troubling increase in suicides requires immediate action across our society to address the staggering loss of life from tragedies that are preventable,” said CDC’s chief medical officer Dr. Debra Houry. “Everyone can play a role in efforts to save lives and reverse the rise in suicide deaths.”

An overlooked reason

There can be many reasons someone considers taking their life. Often depression is a major contributor, caused by a traumatic life change.

A report this month from the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) points to another overlooked reason. The report found that identity theft victims are more likely than others to consider suicide.

A survey of victims found 8% considered it in 2020, with the percentage doubling to 16% in 2022. The survey seeks to measure the emotional toll that identity theft takes on its victims.

“This year’s report reflects the responses of 144 victims who contacted the ITRC between January 1-December 31, 2022,” the group said in a statement. “The ITRC also asked 1,048 consumers in an online survey if they had been the victim of an identity crime and, if so, how it impacted them. Responses from this broader set of self-identified victims using similar questions asked of victims who contacted the ITRC show both significant differences and common experiences.”

What you can do

The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline suggest five steps to help safeguard people from the risk of suicide and support them when in crisis:

1. Ask: Asking and talking about suicide may in fact reduce rather than increase suicidal ideation.

2. Help keep them safe: Reducing a suicidal person’s access to lethal means is an important part of suicide prevention.

3. Be there: Increasing someone’s connectedness to others and limiting their isolation has shown to be a protective factor against suicide.

4. Help them connect: Individuals that called the 988 Lifeline were significantly more likely to feel less depressed, less suicidal, less overwhelmed, and more hopeful by the end of calls.

5. Follow up: After you’ve connected a person experiencing thoughts of suicide with the immediate support systems that they need, following up with them to see how they’re doing can help increase their feelings of connectedness and support. There’s evidence that even a simple form of reaching out can potentially reduce that person’s risk for suicide.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIHM), warning signs include withdrawing from friends and family, extreme changes in sleep patterns, displaying extreme mood swings and expressing a feeling of being a burden to others.

Remember March 2020? Cases of COVID-19 began to fill U.S. hospitals and there was more than a little fear of this new virus.

For more than two years, COVID-19 dominated Americans’ lives and brought massive changes to the U.S. economy. But with the quick development of vaccines and therapeutics, cases and deaths rapidly declined.

Months ago President Biden declared the pandemic is over and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reduced its safety guidance. Businesses – and even medical facilities – no longer required masking.

On March 10, Johns Hopkins University, which had maintained a COVID-19 dashboard for three years, tracking cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, announced it would no longer update the site.

What have we learned?

So, after three years what have we learned about COVID-19 and our health care system? Dr. Dung Trinh, chief medical officer at the Healthy Brain Clinic, says the threat has changed over time.

“The virus has mutated into different variants which can be more contagious and potentially cause more severe symptoms than the original strain,” Trinh told ConsumerAffairs. “The good news is that as more people are vaccinated, or have already been infected by COVID-19, herd immunity is increasing and the risk of new infections and severe infections is decreasing.”

According to the CDC, as of March 15, 2023, the current 7-day average of weekly new cases was 21,422, down 19.7% compared with the previous 7-day average. But the threat hasn’t completely disappeared. That’s why some people are still wearing masks in public while others don’t. 

Some feel more at risk

“Many different reasons abound why some people are still wearing masks and others are not,”  Dr. Soumi Eachempati, co-founder and CEO of CLEARED4, told us. “Many of these reasons stem from people’s perceptions of COVID and their own understanding of their personal vulnerabilities. Some individuals are masking because they feel themselves to be at risk for complications or death from COVID and will mask regularly in public. These individuals may be older or immunosuppressed due to concomitant illnesses such as cancer or lung diseases.”

Many researchers and health care professionals are now focusing on a condition known as “long COVID,” symptoms that linger for weeks, or even months. Jean-Jacques Schoch, general manager at The Heal Long COVID Project, says long COVID is one of the greater threats, even for people with only mild symptoms.

Dr. Nagesh Borse, deputy chief health officer at Project Hope, says there has been a lot of confusion surrounding that condition. At last, however, he says effective treatments have emerged.

“Most recently Metformin showed efficacy in trials, which offers a path to improvement,” Borse told ConsumerAffairs. “The challenge now, as with Paxlovid, is to ensure access to treatment to those who need it in an affordable and timely manner.”

Paxlovid is an oral drug developed by Pfizer that, when taken at the onset of symptoms, has been shown to be highly effective in preventing serious illness. It’s one reason that for many Americans, COVID-19 is a manageable risk.

In its last update to its dashboard, Johns Hopkins reported there had been 103.8 million U.S. cases of COVID-19 over the last three years with 1.1 million deaths attributed to the virus.

COVID-19 may have disappeared from the headlines but the coronavirus hasn’t gone away. In fact, with the start of cold weather and holiday gatherings, it appears to be making a comeback.

That may be one of the reasons that the U.S. Postal Service is resuming free delivery of COVID-19 tests to Americans who request them. 

Residential households can order one set of four free at-home tests from USPS.com. Here’s the order form.

Orders of free tests are limited to one order per residential address. Each order includes four individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests. You can order now but shipping will begin the week of December 19, 2022.

If you have COVID-19 tests sitting on the shelf it may be wise to check the expiration date. The tests don’t last forever.

Wide-ranging expiration dates

According to the FDA, COVID-19 test kits have a shelf life that can range from just four months to as many as 26 months. The FDA lists each test and its shelf life here.

If the expiration date column says that the shelf-life is "extended," there is a link to "updated expiration dates" where you can find a list of the original expiration dates and the new expiration dates. If the expiration date column does not say the shelf-life is extended, that means the expiration date on the box label of your test is still correct. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that COVID-19 cases in the U.S. have been rising since early November. So have deaths.

The CDC says the U.S. recorded nearly 3,000 COVID-19 deaths in the first week of December, making it the most deadly week in the last few months.

A federal program to provide free COVID-19 tests to the public has been suspended until further notice because of a lack of funding. 

According to the official COVID.gov website where tests were previously available for order, a lack of Congressional funding has prompted this pause. Consumers now have until Friday, September 2 – or until supplies run out – to order free at-home COVID tests. 

In mid-January, President Biden created a program for consumers to order free at-home COVID-19 tests. At the time of the initial rollout, households were welcome to up to four free tests. 

The program was then extended in early March and again in mid-May for consumers to order more free at-home tests. The second round entitled households to four free COVID tests, while the most recent one allowed consumers to order up to eight tests, with the goal of increasing testing and keeping more consumers safe and healthy. 

In suspending the program for now, the government hopes to build up its stockpile of tests should cases of COVID-19 surge again with the colder temperatures this fall and winter. Experts speculate that Congress will resume funding for the free at-home testing program if COVID cases are once again on the rise in the coming months. 

Updated vaccine cleared by the FDA

In other COVID-19 news, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that both Moderna and Pfizer’s bivalent COVID-19 vaccines can be used as a dose of the booster. The bivalent vaccines are expected to provide greater protection against the virus, as they contain mRNA components from both the BA.4 and BA.5 strains of the omicron variant and the original strain of the virus. 

Currently, Moderna’s bivalent vaccine can be used as a booster dose in anyone 18 years old and older, while people over the age of 12 are eligible for Pfizer’s bivalent vaccine.

The FDA warns that consumers must wait at least two months from their first booster dose before getting either bivalent vaccine, and side effects are likely to be similar to those from the original vaccine and booster. 

Additionally, the agency says that monovalent COVID-19 vaccines, which is the type that has been in distribution since December 2020 and only contains mRNA components of the original COVID-19 strain, should no longer be used for booster shots. 

“The FDA has been planning for the possibility that the composition of the COVID-19 vaccines would need to be modified to address circulating variants,” said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “We sought information from our outside experts on the inclusion of an omicron component in COVID-19 boosters to provide better protection against COVID-19. 

“We have worked closely with the vaccine manufacturers to ensure the development of these updated boosters was done safely and efficiently. The FDA has extensive experience with strain changes for annual influenza vaccines. We are confident in the evidence supporting these authorizations. The public can be assured that a great deal of care has been taken by the FDA to ensure that these bivalent COVID-19 vaccines meet our rigorous safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality standards for emergency use authorization.” 

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 92,278,387 (94,147,210)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,039,027 (1,038,002)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 592,403,643 (593,438,867)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,446,012 (6,441,888)‌

Updated booster shots could be available soon

People waiting to get a COVID-19 booster until the vaccine has been updated may not have much longer to wait. White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha says the updated boosters will be available to teens and adults "in a few short weeks."

"I believe it’s going to be available, and every American over the age of 12 will be eligible for it," Jha told NBC News.

The revised booster has been developed to target the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, along with the original strain of the virus. Subvariants account for nearly 90% of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

CDC director says pandemic exposed shortcomings

The CDC has been criticized for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky says some of the criticism is justified. On Wednesday, Walensky announced some changes to address what have been perceived as shortcomings.

Walensky says the agency will undergo some top to bottom changes that are designed to “transform” the organization and its work culture by improving how the agency shares information, develops public health guidance, and communicates with the American people.

“For 75 years, CDC and public health have been preparing for COVID-19, and in our big moment, our performance did not reliably meet expectations,” Walensky said. “As a long-time admirer of this agency and a champion for public health, I want us all to do better.”

The government is ending vaccine purchases

Since the start of the pandemic, the U.S. government has paid for COVID-19 vaccines. In the weeks ahead, vaccines will only be available in the commercial market.

Federal health officials say the U.S. government will stop buying vaccines and test kits and will no longer foot the bill for treatments by this fall.

In some cases, that trend has already started. Tests to detect the virus have been available at pharmacies for several months. Of the four approved vaccines, only two have received FDA approval to be sold commercially – Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech.

Around the nation

• New York: New York City schools start up again in a few weeks, and education officials won’t be as strict as they were during the last school year. Starting next month, the Department of Education will require vaccinations for all employees, visitors, and students who play in high-risk extracurricular activities. Daily health screeners are not needed, but officials are strongly urging sick people to stay home.

• California: A study by the CDC found that 71% of all children in California have had COVID-19 since the outbreak of the virus in March 2020. Health experts expressed surprise at that rate. Schools remained closed for much of the pandemic in order to prevent childhood infections.

• Colorado: It’s not a clean bill of health, but officials say it’s close. For the first time in months, no Colorado counties are on the CDC’s highest level for community spread of the coronavirus. COVID-19 rates are continuing on a downward trend across the state.

• Massachusetts: State health and education officials say they will scale back COVID-19 restrictions with the start of the new year. While the virus is still spreading, it’s seen as less of a threat. Officials say they will focus efforts on protecting children who are at high risk for severe symptoms.

• Ohio: Ohio University has revised its mask policy for the upcoming fall semester. The new policy, which takes effect immediately, will continue to be based on CDC COVID-19 Community Levels. If there is a high transmission rate during the year, masks will be required during scheduled class and class-related activities in classrooms, laboratories, studios, clinical settings, other learning spaces, and the Child Development Center.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston explored some of the risks that kids face with mild cases of COVID-19. According to their findings, developing long COVID is still possible for kids with mild symptoms who don’t require hospitalization. 

“We were interested in understanding if children impacted with an acute or severe infection of COVID-19 would go on to have persisting symptoms, or what we call long COVID,” said researcher Sarah Messiah, Ph.D. “This particular study is unique as the first population-based study in literature to report on prevalence of long COVID in children who have not been hospitalized with COVID-19.” 

Health risks

The researchers analyzed data from over 1,800 kids between the ages of five and 18 who were enrolled in the Texas CARES survey. The team assessed the kids’ health outcomes with COVID-19, with all the data being taken before the surges of both the Delta and Omicron variants and the release of the COVID-19 vaccines. 

Ultimately, just under 5% of the kids involved in the study developed long-term COVID-19 symptoms; of that group, over 3% had persistent symptoms for over 12 weeks. Though previous studies have found that kids with the most severe infections are likely to develop long COVID, this study showed that even kids with mild cases may be just as susceptible to long-term COVID-19 symptoms. 

The researchers also pointed out that the timing of this study may have something to do with the results. They explained that many kids who were infected with either the Delta or Omicron variants had less severe symptoms; however, the kids in this study were infected much earlier in the pandemic, which may explain their lingering symptoms. 

After examining the data more closely, the researchers identified a few other risk factors that could predict the likelihood of kids developing long COVID. 

“From this information we wanted to know, ‘What would put a child more at risk for long COVID and who is more susceptible to this?’” Dr. Messiah said. “When we looked at risk factors of those who reported symptoms past 12 weeks, we found that children who were unvaccinated and who had obesity had a higher chance of developing long COVID. These findings are consistent with other literature that found children and adults who have comorbid health conditions and are unvaccinated are at a higher risk of being hospitalized for the virus.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Leicester is exploring ethnicity-related disparities in health care. According to their findings, the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened some of these inequities in the health care system. 

“As we now plan for recovery, improved surveillance, and risk factor management, it will be imperative that primary and specialist care services urgently focus on the disproportionate impact the pandemic has had on ethnic minority populations,” said researcher Kamlesh Khunti. 

Heightened issues in health care

For the study, the researchers analyzed the structure of health care systems in both the U.S. and the U.K. They looked closely at education, neighborhood resources, housing, employment opportunities, and food, and the ways that disparities in these areas also affected access to health care.

Ultimately, the team found that a lack of attention to issues that are outside of health care is likely to affect minorities in the health care system, and this became especially true throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The study showed that minorities had a higher risk of exposure to COVID-19, were more likely to struggle to get access to quality health care for the virus, and were more likely to have pre-existing conditions that worsened the virus. 

The researchers explained that several factors are responsible for these conditions – overcrowded living conditions, having jobs as essential workers, health insurance status, access to medical care, and pre-existing conditions, like diabetes. 

“Diabetes is a risk factor for severe COVID-19, and the combination of ethnic disparities may have contributed to the inequality of coronavirus outcomes for those living with the condition,” Khunti said. 

While efforts have been made to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 virus, these findings point to bigger structural issues that continue to face minority consumers. The researchers say policymakers need to do more work to break down some of the structural inequities that have been plaguing minorities long before the pandemic. 

“Only by taking a long-term, holistic view of health care will we, and particularly our most vulnerable populations, be able to cope better with future pandemics,” said Khunti. 

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 92,562,436 (91,993,384)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,035,549 (1,035,005)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 587,651,288 (586,897,066)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,428,190 (6,422,057)‌

COVID-19 cases at an inflection points, experts say

After an early 2022 surge, the U.S. appears to be at a plateau when it comes to COVID-19 cases, according to some medical experts. After the sharp increase, hospitalizations and deaths have leveled off in recent weeks.

While the U.S. has admitted 40,000 COVID-19 patients to hospitals, and 400 people are dying each day. But the numbers suggest that’s a much better result than during the winter months when serious cases and deaths were much higher. Looking ahead, few scientists know what to expect.

"We've never really cracked that: why these surges go up and down, how long it stays up and how fast it comes down," Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist and professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research,” told CNN. "All these things are still somewhat of a mystery."

CDC says COVID-19 risks are increasing in some areas

While conditions are improving in some areas, other U.S. counties are moving in the wrong direction, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In its latest report, the agency said the number of U.S. counties in the high-risk of transmission category jumped 71% in just the last week.

The CDC’s high-risk map shows that 1,143 counties now meet the threshold for that top threat designation. That’s more than triple the number from last month, a move that CDC officials call a clear reversal.

Only about 25% of counties are now considered to be at low risk for COVID-19 spread. In the June 17 update, 60% were in the low-risk category.

AMA gives an outlook for the fall

Despite current worrisome COVID-19 trends, the American Medical Association (AMA) has a more positive outlook for the fall. The good news, the AMA says, is that most of the country has been exposed to the virus either through infection or vaccination, leading to a reduction in hospitalizations and deaths.

While there has been discussion of an updated COVID-19 vaccine that might be ready for boosters by October, some health experts aren’t sure whether it’s wise to change the vaccine to target the emerging subvariants.

“By the time it's ready in the fall, BA.5 may be past us and we may be on to something entirely new,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, a virology expert and AMA member.

Around the nation

• California: School is starting in many school districts across the state, and health officials are expressing relief that it’s coinciding with a sharp decline in COVID-19 cases. The California Department of Public Health this week reported that the statewide COVID-19 case rate is at 33.7 per 100,000 residents, a 19% decline in the past week.

• Texas: Jazmin Kirkland, a North Texas mother of three, left the hospital this week after being treated for a severe case of COVID-19. Kirkland was admitted to the hospital on Aug. 3, 2021. A few days later, she was placed on a ventilator because the virus had attacked her heart and lungs.

• Virginia: School classrooms are open all across the state, but many students apparently prefer virtual instruction. Virginia Virtual Academy Executive Director Suzanne Sloane said the school’s full-time enrollment is currently nearing 5,000 students, which is higher than before the pandemic.

• Ohio: Officials at Ohio State University say they plan to use the same COVID-19 protocols that were in place during the summer sessions for the fall term. Students, faculty, and staff will be required to show proof of vaccination, and masking will be optional.

• Georgia: Stacey Abrams, the Democratic candidate for governor, has tested positive for COVID-19. Abrams' campaign spokesperson Alex Floyd said the candidate tested positive Wednesday morning after giving a public speech on the economy Tuesday night in Atlanta.

Many consumers struggled with their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, a new study conducted by researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center explored how mental health during the pandemic affected physical health outcomes. 

According to their findings, mental health struggles may be responsible for weight gain among obese consumers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic is a fascinating model for individual and social stress and showed that changes in mental health can really preclude people from maintaining a healthy body weight,” said researcher Dr. Jaime Almandoz. 

Mental health and physical health

The researchers surveyed over 400 people who had been receiving obesity treatment for at least two years at one of three clinics in Dallas about their mental and physical health. The surveys were conducted between March 2021, and November 2021.

Though all of the participants were enrolled in a program designed to help them lose weight, they all gained weight over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. The average weight gain was over 4% of body weight, though some gained as much as 80 pounds throughout the pandemic. 

The team then broke down the survey responses to get a better idea of the participants’ lifestyles and mental health. They learned that mental health concerns played a significant role in weight gain. Participants who reported struggling with anxiety, stress, and depression gained the most weight. 

The researchers also accounted for socioeconomic factors, like household income and education level. While nearly 60% of participants were college graduates and almost half made more than $75,000 per year, these mental health and weight struggles persisted. 

“People who are enrolled in weight management programs typically lose weight,” said Dr. Almandoz. “If people with these levels of privilege are experiencing significant challenges during the pandemic, these stresses are likely amplified in the general population. 

Though the study showed that following an unhealthy diet and having poor sleeping habits also contributed to weight gain, these findings emphasize that consumers’ mental health is an important part of their physical health. 

“Our findings underscore the complexity of obesity; it’s not just about telling people to eat less and move more,” Dr. Almandoz said. “There’s a mental health aspect that has to be integrated into treating the person as a whole.” 

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 91,795,201 (90,593,384)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,032,102 (1,031,035)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 580,757,984 (579,597,066)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,410,326 (6,406,057)‌

Drugmaker plans commercial sales of antibody drug

Ely Lilly makes a COVID-19 antibody drug that has been highly successful in keeping patients out of the hospital. The company, which had been selling the drug to the U.S. government, now says the treatment will be commercially available.

Previously, Eli Lilly sold the entire lot of its monoclonal antibody drug through contracts with the federal government, which then distributed the drug at no charge. The federal supply of the drug is now nearly gone.

According to the drug company, the government has run out of appropriated funds to purchase the drug, and Congress has not allocated money to renew the supply. 

Parents balk at vaccinating their youngest children

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the use of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for children as young as six months old. But surveys show that parents are in no rush to get their young children vaccinated.

The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) reports that 43% of parents say they are not willing to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. In the last year, more parents have taken that position. In July 2021, only 30% of parents said they “definitely” did not want their kids to get the shot. 

The KFF survey found that there are several reasons for hesitation. Fifty-three percent of parents said they believe children face a greater risk from the vaccine than they do from COVID-19. Some parents also cited the newness of the vaccine as a reason to wait.

CDC may relax some of its guidelines

With schools reopening around the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reportedly preparing to relax its COVID-19 guidelines. The guidance for control of the virus in schools and within communities could come within days, sources say.

CNN reports that it has obtained a preview of the CDC’s plans and that the agency will recommend easing quarantine rules for people exposed to the virus. The guidelines also reportedly deemphasize social distancing.

Sources told the network that the CDC is also expected to deemphasize regular testing in schools and, instead, will base testing recommendations on whether a local community has a high transmission rate.

Around the nation

• Arizona: With the NFL preseason set to get underway this week, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has tested positive for COVID-19. Coach Kliff Kingsbury said Murray could miss up to five days of practice. Murray’s symptoms were described as “minor.”

• New Jersey: Researchers at St. Joseph's Health in Paterson have found that some people who were infected with COVID-19 early in the pandemic in 2020 were still suffering from at least one symptom 12 months later. Symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, body aches, or other ailments a year after infection.

• Mississippi: COVID-19 policies are varying by school district as children prepare to return to school for the fall term. Many education leaders are largely planning to continue using their COVID-19 policies from last school year, but some have dropped protections altogether. For the last year, decisions regarding masking, quarantining, sanitation, and vaccinations have been made by districts at the local level.

• West Virginia: Dr. Clay Marsh, the state’s COVID-19 coordinator, told a press briefing this week that the state is following guidance from the White House on additional booster shots. Marsh said he has been told that instead of using the current vaccine, the goal is now to offer a new, “more Omicron-selective” vaccine sometime around October. 

• Michigan: The state’s three most-populous counties have moved back into the high-risk category, as designated by the CDC. Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb counties have seen their case numbers rise as the BA.5 variant spreads across the state.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 90,977,761 (90,739,623)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,028,819 (1,027,924)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 573,920,711 (572,665,174)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,393,783 (6,389,649)‌

New COVID-19 cases on the rise in nursing homes

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic more than two years ago, staff and residents of America’s nursing homes were the first to suffer outbreaks. Health officials now say nursing homes are seeing a new increase in cases.

AARP reports that one in 35 nursing home residents in the U.S. tested positive for COVID-19 in June. That’s a 27% increase from May. The death rate also nearly doubled, rising to 0.07 deaths per 100 residents.

“This is a level of cases that’s comparable to what we saw during the first COVID summer in 2020,” said Ari Hauser, a senior analyst for AARP’s Public Policy Institute.

Drug companies struggle to improve vaccines

The current COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective against the original strain of the virus, but they offer less protection against the variants and subvariants that are currently causing most infections. The White House has urged drug companies to come up with more effective versions of their vaccines.

“The vaccines we have are terrific, but we can do better than terrific,” said Ashish Jha, the White House's COVID-19 response coordinator.

But according to Science Magazine, drugmakers face challenges. Not only is funding for new research tight, but the sense of urgency surrounding the pandemic has dissipated. While current vaccines are much less effective at blocking infections, infections in vaccinated people tend to be much less severe.

Sensory loss can last for months

One of the symptoms of COVID-19 is a loss of taste and smell. It's usually just a temporary condition, but it can last for a very long time for millions of people who suffer from a condition called “long COVID.”

An analysis published in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) found that about 5% of former COVID-19 patients – about 27 million people globally –couldn’t smell or taste for months after recovering from the virus.

The analysis looked at 18 previous studies of sensory loss around the world. About three-quarters of those affected by a loss of taste or smell from COVID-19 were able to regain those senses within 30 days of recovery.

Around the nation

• Florida: During the first year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, Florida enjoyed a boost in its population. People moved to the state for a number of reasons, including fewer pandemic restrictions. The Demographic Estimating Conference reports that the state’s population is still growing, but it has slowed from its pandemic peak.

• Pennsylvania: Only four counties are considered to have a high risk of COVID-19 transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) latest analysis. Cases have jumped in the last week in Mercer, Fayette, Washington, and Montour counties, and residents have been asked to mask up indoors.

• Oregon: State health officials say hospitals are under increasing stress from COVID-19 caseloads, even though cases remain well below their pandemic peak. “They are extremely stressed and doing everything they can to provide quality care for everyone across our state,” state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger said at a news briefing.

• Minnesota: With school starting in just a few weeks, public health officials say only 7% of Minnesota's eligible preschool-aged children have received their first shots. The vaccination rate was sharply higher when young children first became eligible.

• New York: Hospital admissions for COVID-19 treatment have soared in New York City. The city has recorded the highest admission rate since mid-February. Across the state, the hospitalization rate per 100,000 surged by 50% in the last 30 days, with nearly 2,800 COVID-19 patients being admitted as of Wednesday.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Calgary explored how long COVID, or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 for 90 days or more after the initial infection, may affect kids.

“We found that in some children, illness with COVID-19 is associated with reporting persistent symptoms after three months,” said researcher Dr. Stephen Freedman. “Our results suggest that appropriate guidance and follow-up are needed, especially for children at high risk for long COVID.” 

Risk factors for kids

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 1,800 children who tested positive for COVID-19 between March 2020, and January 2021. The children received care at 36 different emergency departments across the country, and the team followed them for at least 90 days after infection. 

Of the children involved in the study, under 6% of them reported symptoms related to COVID-19 90 days after their initial infections. The researchers identified three main factors that were consistent among the kids who did experience long COVID: being 14 years old or older, experiencing four or more COVID-related symptoms at the initial visit to the emergency room, and being hospitalized with COVID-19 for at least two days. 

“Our finding that children who had multiple COVID-19 symptoms initially were at higher risk for long COVID is consistent with studies in adults,” said researcher Dr. Todd Florin. “Unfortunately, there are no known therapies for long COVID in children and more research is needed in this area. However, if symptoms are significant, treatment targeting the symptoms is most important. Multidisciplinary care is warranted if symptoms are impacting quality of life.” 

Similar to adults with long COVID, shortness of breath, fatigue, and coughing were the three most common symptoms of kids with persistent COVID-19 symptoms. While the risk of long COVID is much higher in adults than it is in kids, it’s important for parents and health care providers to be aware of the factors that may affect kids’ health long-term. 

“Reported rates of long COVID in adults are substantially higher than what we found in children,” said researcher Dr. Nathan Kuppermann. “Our findings can inform public health policy decisions regarding COVID-19 mitigation strategies for children and screening approaches for long COVID among those with severe infections." 

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 90,200,438 (90,050,839)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,026,294 (1,025,755)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ (566,902,282) 567,979,761

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,380,915 (6,381,090)‌

President reportedly doing well after testing positive

President Biden is isolating at the White House and is said to be sufferingly fairly mild symptoms after testing positive for COVID-19 on Thursday. Biden, who is 79, said he is suffering from a runny nose and a dry cough.

Aides say the president is being treated with the antiviral drug Paxlovid, which has been shown to be highly effective against COVID-19 when taken early. He was shown in a video Thursday in the White House residence.

“I’m doing well, getting a lot of work done, going to continue to get it done,” Biden said in the video. “And in the meantime, thanks for your concern, and keep the faith. It’s going to be okay.”

High blood pressure increases risks, study finds

There are many factors that go into a COVID-19 patient’s risk of a severe outcome. Cancer is one risk factor, and so is obesity.

Doctors at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles say people with high blood pressure also appear to have an increased risk of hospitalization if they get COVID-19. High blood pressure "was associated with the greatest magnitude of risk," doubling the chances of hospitalization.

Their study of COVID-19 patients who were fully vaccinated and boosted showed that the risk for severe symptoms was also higher in people with well-established risk factors such as older age, heart failure, or kidney disease.

Mask mandates probably won’t return, health expert says

All across the U.S., cases of COVID-19 are on the rise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) places the vast majority of U.S. counties in the “high risk” category.

Despite the surge, few jurisdictions have reimposed indoor mask requirements. Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady says that's because the current strain that is causing infections is less severe. She also says hospitalizations, while rising, are under control.

“I do not anticipate a mask and indoor mask mandate requirement coming soon. Where we would put an indoor mask requirement back in place is if we’re seeing our health care system getting threatened,” Arwady said.

Around the nation

• New Jersey: State health officials report that the increase in COVID-19 cases has pushed hospitalizations to a four-month high. The seven-day average for confirmed positive tests is 2,829, a 1% increase in the past week and a 30% increase from a month ago.

• Colorado: The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is cutting back on its regular reports on COVID-19 outbreaks. Health officials say they expect COVID-19 to be around for the foreseeable future but that the current subvariants are much less severe.

• Texas: Gov. Greg Abbott has renewed the state’s COVID-19 disaster declaration, first issued in March 2020. The proclamation says a “state of disaster” continues to exist in all Texas counties. “I authorize the use of all available resources of state government and of political subdivisions that are reasonably necessary to cope with this disaster,” Abbott said.

• Michigan: Jermaine Rose, a former lead claims examiner for the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (MUIA), was sentenced to two years in federal prison this week due to his participation in a $1.5 million pandemic-related unemployment insurance fraud scheme, according to U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison.

• Virginia: More than half of the counties in the state are considered to have a high risk of COVID-19 transmission, according to the Mayo Clinic. Among the highest transmission areas in Virginia are Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church City, Manassas Park City, and Stafford County, in the Washington, D.C. suburbs. 

It’s all aboard for cruisers – and without coronavirus testing requirements. Just months after lifting its cruise ship risk advisory program, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has brought its COVID-19 program for cruise ships to a close.

The CDC is not taking its eye off the situation completely though. With the BA.5 variant continuing to spread, the agency says it will continue to publish guidance to help cruise ships continue to provide a safe and healthy environment for travelers and their own crews.

The cruise industry wasted no time weighing in on the good news. The association that represents the cruise industry – the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) – said it backed the CDC’s decision 100%. 

"The Cruise Lines International Association and its member cruise lines welcome the decision by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to end the CDC COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships Operating in U.S. Waters in favor of a set of guidelines for public health operations on cruise ships,” the group said in a statement.

The CLIA said it will take a look at the CDC’s new guidance when it’s released and adjust accordingly from there.

"This is an important step forward in the CDC aligning the guidelines for cruises with those it has established for other travel, hospitality, and entertainment sectors,” the association said, then gave kudos to the cruising industry for working through all the problems the pandemic presented.

"The sunsetting of the CDC Program, effective 18 July 2022, is a testament to the effectiveness of the industry’s comprehensive and robust protocols. In fact, cruising has become one of the safest forms of travel and among the most successful industries in mitigating the spread and severity of COVID-19, resulting in few passengers or crew becoming seriously ill or requiring hospitalization compared to hospital statistics for landside patients."

Travelers who are planning a cruise anytime soon should check periodically with the CDC to make sure they’re aware of any changes to the program. A list of FAQs can be found here. 

A new study conducted by researchers from Mount Sinai Hospital explored how blood viscosity (or thickness) may affect COVID-19 patients’ risk of death. According to their findings, patients are more likely to die from coronavirus-related complications when their blood is thicker. 

“This study demonstrates the importance of checking for blood viscosity in COVID-19 patients early in hospital admission, which is easily obtained through routine lab work,” said researcher Dr. Robert Rosenson. 

Long-term health risks

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 5,600 COVID-19 patients from six hospitals in the Mount Sinai Health System from February 2020, through November 2021. All of the participants had tested positive for COVID-19, and the team tracked their health care outcomes until they were either discharged or had passed away. 

The team found a clear link between high blood thickness and an increased risk of death among COVID-19 patients. The risk of death was higher than 30% when looking at small vessel circulation, and it surpassed 60% when measuring blood thickness in the arteries. 

The researchers explained that the COVID-19 virus affects the way certain proteins in the blood respond to inflammation. Because the virus creates more inflammation, it makes our blood thicker and affects the way it flows throughout the body.

Patients’ blood viscosity isn’t typically measured directly when they are admitted to the hospital, but measuring hematocrit and globulins can help health care professionals estimate blood thickness. The researchers say it's an important thing to measure when evaluating COVID-19 patients. 

Moving forward, the team hopes more hospitals start paying attention to COVID-19 patients’ blood viscosity so doctors can identify those with a higher risk of dying. This can ensure that consumers get the treatments they need.

“We are currently investigating the effects of therapeutic heparin to reduce the risk of complications during acute COVID-19 infections, which may greatly benefit those with blood viscosity,” said Dr. Rosenson. 

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 89,225,558 (88,947,827)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,023,635 (1,021,853)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 559,652,282 (557,824,287)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,363,656 (6,356,013)‌

BA.5 becomes the dominant strain

COVID-19 cases are rapidly rising in wide areas of the U.S., and health officials say BA.5, a subvariant of the Omicron variant, is mostly responsible. The subvariant is highly transmissible, and people in areas of high infection are being urged to wear masks when indoors.

COVID-19 cases that were reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) so far this month rose by nearly 30%, and scientists say BA.5 and its twin, BA.4, appear to be driving the numbers higher in both the U.S. and Europe.

Health officials say the spread of the subvariants has resulted in an increase in new cases, but they say most of the cases appear to produce mild to moderate symptoms. They say hospitalizations have risen, but not like in previous COVID-19 waves.

FDA authorizes Novavax vaccine

There are now four COVID-19 vaccines that can be used in the U.S. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine for use in adults aged 18 and older.

“Authorizing an additional COVID-19 vaccine expands the available vaccine options for the prevention of COVID-19, including the most severe outcomes that can occur, such as hospitalization and death,” said FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf.

Seniors urged to get a second booster shot

White House officials who are managing the COVID-19 response are urging Americans who are 50 years old or older to get a second booster shot.

"If you have not gotten a vaccine shot in the year 2022, if you have not gotten one this year, please go get another vaccine shot," said response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha. "It could save your life."

Around the nation

• New Jersey: Six counties have now been classified as having a “high” risk of COVID-19 transmission. Health officials recommend that people in Morris, Monmouth, Burlington, Camden, Atlantic, and Cape May counties wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status. 

• New York: Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced a new free hotline for those who test positive for COVID-19 but don't have a health care provider. "We've made real progress in our fight against COVID-19, but as new variants continue to spread it's important to continue to adapt and expand our efforts to protect New Yorkers," Hochul said. 

• Colorado: After a string of days with no COVID-19 patients, Rose Medical Center reports that hospitalizations are increasing again. But doctors say it appears to be manageable. "I think we're settling into kind of a new normal. COVID's here to stay for a while," said Dr. Andrew Weinfeld, the hospital’s chief medical officer. "We expect it. There's much less surprise about it."

• Virginia: Gov. Glenn Youngkin and four members of the Virginia congressional delegation report that they have heard nothing from the Defense Department after they asked the Pentagon to stop the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for members of the state National Guard. The state officials say National Guard readiness could be impacted if troops quit or get kicked out.

• Illinois: The Illinois Veterans' Home in Quincy is reporting an increase in COVID-19 cases among its residents and staff. Tests this week found 16 residents and 10 staff members who had the virus. Most of the positive residents had mild symptoms.

The threat of COVID-19 is still very real for consumers around the world, but findings from a recent study suggest that your diet could lower your chances of developing severe symptoms. 

Researchers from Intermountain Healthcare say people who have practiced intermittent fasting for longer periods of time tend to experience less severe health complications when they're infected with the coronavirus. 

"Intermittent fasting has already shown to lower inflammation and improve cardiovascular health. In this study, we're finding additional benefits when it comes to battling an infection of COVID-19 in patients who have been fasting for decades," said Dr. Benjamin Horne, the director of cardiovascular and genetic epidemiology at Intermountain Healthcare.

Combatting inflammation from COVID-19

The researchers came to their conclusions after analyzing COVID-19 outcomes in over 200 patients who tested positive for the virus between March 2020, and February 2021.

The team found that participants who regularly fasted at least once per month had a lower rate of hospitalization and death due to the coronavirus. The researchers noted that intermittent fasting wasn't associated with a lower chance of testing positive for COVID-19; it was only connected to outcomes after participants were infected. 

Horne explained that hyperinflammation is a common symptom that's associated with COVID-19. He suggests that intermittent fasting may counteract this because it tends to reduce inflammation in the body. He also says fasting changes how the body uses certain molecules like linoleic acid.

"There's a pocket on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 that linoleic acid fits into -- and can make the virus less able to attach to other cells," he explained.

Shouldn't be used in place of a vaccine

While intermittent fasting could help consumers avoid serious complications from a coronavirus infection, the researchers stated that the eating plan shouldn't be used as a substitute for a COVID-19 vaccination.

"It should be further evaluated for potential short and long-term preventative or therapeutic use as a complementary approach to vaccines and anti-viral therapies for reducing COVID-19 severity," Horne said.

The full study has been published in the journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 88,277,120 (88,067,709)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,019,157 (1,018,376)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 552,635,153 (547,361,783)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,345,357 (6,342,542)‌

Updated vaccines could be available this fall

Drugmakers are at work on new versions of their COVID-19 vaccines in hopes of providing more effective protection against various Omicron strains. But just when will those updated vaccines be available?

The FDA has asked pharmaceutical companies to have the updated vaccines available in time for booster shots during the fall. The current vaccines have been providing strong protection against severe disease, but the older vaccines are less effective at preventing infections from Omicron's BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.

An FDA advisory committee said an updated vaccine would offer better protection to match the virus strains that are currently spreading throughout the U.S. The two aforementioned subvariants are much more contagious than the original strain.

FDA authorizes quicker access to COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid

Pfizer’s antiviral drug won praise as an early treatment for COVID-19, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken steps to make it more available to patients.

The FDA has revised its emergency use authorization (EUA) to authorize state-licensed pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid to eligible patients. Certain limitations will be enacted to ensure appropriate patient assessment and prescribing of Paxlovid is undertaken. 

“The FDA recognizes the important role pharmacists have played and continue to play in combatting this pandemic,” said Patrizia Cavazzoni, M.D., director for the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Since Paxlovid must be taken within five days after symptoms begin, authorizing state-licensed pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid could expand access to timely treatment for some patients who are eligible to receive this drug for the treatment of COVID-19.” 

Employees are losing their ‘pandemic advantage’

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, employees have felt like they were in the driver’s seat. They could work from anywhere, and many took advantage of the situation by seeking out new jobs or quitting altogether.

But over the last few weeks, the advantage appears to be shifting back to employers, many of whom have demanded that employees return to the office. The advantage is illustrated by the weekly initial claims for unemployment benefits, which are rising.

The Labor Department reports that last week’s claims totaled 235,000 – an increase of 4,000 over the previous week. Employers are also trimming their payrolls with the expectation that the U.S. economy is entering a recession.

Around the nation

• New York: The BA.5 Omicron subvariant has become dominant in New York, and health officials say it is responsible for the latest new wave. Health officials say new cases in New York rose 15% last week and appear to still be going up.

• Nevada: Even though cases of COVID-19 are increasing, some states are reducing mitigation measures. The Nevada Board of Regents will no longer require staff at the state’s public universities and colleges to be vaccinated for COVID-19.

• Missouri: State Rep. Tricia Derges resigned last week from her seat representing Christian County (District 140) in the Missouri House of Representatives, according to a report by KOLR-TV. Her resignation came four days after she was convicted on June 28 by a federal trial jury for what prosecutors described as a nearly $900,000 COVID-19 fraud scheme

• Oregon: Two-thirds of the counties in the state are now back in the “high” transmission rate category. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has urged those counties to reimpose universal indoor masking.

• Ohio: Ohio is reporting a surge in new cases caused by the more contagious but less severe BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants. Health officials say those strains now make up more than 70% of all COVID-19 cases in the CDC's Region 5 area, which includes Columbus.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 87,411,319 (87,233,810)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,017,470 (1,016,792)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 546,499,530 (545,690,489)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,334,660 (6,332,965)‌

FDA advisors recommend a modified vaccine

An independent advisory committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration voted this week to recommend new COVID-19 shots that specifically target the Omicron variant this fall, when public health officials are expecting a new wave of infections.

The current vaccines, introduced in late 2020 and early 2021, were shown to be highly effective against the original strain of COVID-19. However, successive variants have more easily evaded its protection.

If the panel’s recommendations are accepted, the FDA could ask Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson to produce modified vaccines that target Omicron or its subvariants.

Cases level off but don’t drop in New York City

New York City health officials are keeping a wary eye on the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of Omicron as COVID-19 cases begin to rise again across the city. Some say BA.5 appears to be “the worst form” of Omicron to emerge so far.

Dr. Jay Varma, formerly then-mayor Bill de Blasio's top public health advisor during the pandemic, said COVID-19 infections appear to have leveled off but do not appear to be dropping. He says they remain at a high level.

"The decline of reported COVID-19 cases in NYC has stopped,” he wrote in a tweet. “Reported cases are at a high plateau, which means actual transmission is very high when you account for the >20x under-counting. This is likely the beginning of a BA.5 wave." 

Around the nation

• California: The San Francisco Chronicle reports Alameda County’s mask mandate did little to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Compared with neighboring counties that did not reimpose the mandate, cases of COVID-19 did not fall. The mask mandate was lifted June 25.

• New Jersey: All of New Jersey has slipped into the category of “high” COVID-19 transmission. The state recorded nearly 2,200 new cases Wednesday, with the latest testing data showing a positivity rate of 12.17%. Federal health officials consider anything above 10% to be high.

• Louisiana: The state Legislature has overwhelmingly passed a bill that would allow parents and students to sue schools that require a COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of enrollment. It’s not clear if Gov. John Bel Edwards, who recently tested positive for the virus, will sign it.

• Michigan: A study of Michigan residents who had long COVID found they were more likely to be women, Hispanic, and low-income. The Michigan COVID-19 Recovery Surveillance Study also found that people with a body mass index over 30 are also more likely to have long-term post-COVID symptoms.

• Illinois: Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady has expressed concern about the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of Omicron, which is spreading throughout the state. Arwady says the two variants are not only highly transmissible, but that people infected with them can be contagious for up to 10 days.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has affected consumers in countless ways, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Maryland explored the risks to women’s long-term health and longevity. According to their findings, rates of maternal mortality have spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“The increase was really driven by deaths after the start of the pandemic, which are higher than what we see for overall excess mortality in 2020,” said researcher Marie Thoma. 

Risks for women’s longevity

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from the National Center for Health Statistics. They looked specifically at maternal mortality from before the pandemic (2018 to March 2020) and then during the pandemic, from April 2020 to December 2020. 

Ultimately, the team observed significant increases in maternal mortality during the pandemic. The maternal death rate increased by nearly 35%, while late maternal deaths increased by more than 40% during the pandemic. 

The researchers explained that the COVID-19 virus itself was responsible for nearly 15% of these maternal deaths. Additionally, women with diabetes or cardiovascular concerns – two conditions that worsened COVID-related symptoms – were at a higher risk of maternal death. 

It’s also important to note that Black and Hispanic women were at a much higher risk of maternal death than white women. The maternal death rate spiked by nearly 75% in Hispanic women and by 40% in non-Hispanic Black women. 

“For the first time in more than a decade, the maternal mortality rate for Hispanic women during the pandemic was higher than that for non-Hispanic white women, a shift that may be related to COVID and deserves greater attention moving forward,” said researcher Eugene Declercq. 

Moving forward, the researchers plan to do more work in this area to better understand the effect that COVID has on women’s health and longevity. 

“We need more detailed data on the specific causes of maternal deaths overall and those associated with COVID-19,” Thoma said. “Potentially we could see improvements in 2021 due to the rollout of vaccines, as well as the extension of postpartum care provided for Medicaid recipients as part of the American Rescue Act of 2021 in some states. We’re going to continue to examine this.” 

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 86,636,811 (86,478,140)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,014,835 (1,014,174)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 541,470,003 (540,830,183)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,324,459 (6,322,765)‌

Evidence mounts that Paxlovid keeps patients out of the hospital

Two new studies published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) bolster the case for Pfizer’s antiviral drug Paxlovid. Both studies found that patients who take the drug early on in a COVID-19 infection were very unlikely to visit a hospital emergency room (ER).

Paxlovid is a combination of two antiviral medications -- nirmatrelvir and ritonavir. It was approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December 2021, for people with mild to moderate COVID-19 who are at risk for more severe symptoms.

Researchers at Kaiser Permanente, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Harvard University, and the University of California, Berkeley, analyzed electronic health record data from Kaiser Permanente Southern California on 5,287 patients who were 12 years old or older and received Paxlovid from Dec. 31, 2021, through May 26, 2022. 

Research explains why so many vaccinated people get COVID-19

New research suggests that the reason many fully vaccinated people are testing positive for COVID-19 is because the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants are able to evade the antibody responses among people who are vaccinated or have had a previous infection.

The study found that when the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants invade the body, the antibody response is several times lower when compared to the body's response to the original strain of the coronavirus.

That said, the researchers have concluded that it’s still worthwhile to get vaccinated because it can prevent severe symptoms in most people.

Booster shots important for nursing home residents

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University, collaborating with scientists at Brown University, have made a case for residents and staff at nursing homes to not only be vaccinated against COVID-19 but to also get booster shots.

Their study shows that high levels of Omicron-specific immunity can be achieved in nursing home residents and their caregivers with a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The findings were published this month in the journal eBioMedicine.

Researchers examined blood samples from 85 nursing home residents and 48 health care workers in Ohio who received the COVID-19 vaccine booster to determine the level of neutralizing antibodies present. It found that Omicron-specific antibodies reached detectable levels in 86% of nursing home residents and 93% of health care workers after receiving the booster shot.

Around the nation

• New York: The five boroughs of New York City have all been downgraded to medium COVID-19 transmission risk. In early May, all five were classified as high risk. Cases have fallen so sharply that Broadway theaters will drop their mask mandate beginning July 1.

• Florida: Florida is seeing a renewed surge in COVID-19 infections, and the outbreak is more serious in some communities than others. “We're seeing a lot of new cases,” said Seminole County emergency manager Alan Harris. "We're definitely in high transmission."

• Illinois: The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 4,609 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 33 additional deaths on Wednesday. However, the cases per 100,000 population has declined slightly. The intensive care unit occupancy rate remains elevated at 81%.

• Virginia: In a break with the CDC, the Virginia Department of Health is relaxing quarantine guidelines for people who are exposed to COVID-19. Most won’t be recommended to quarantine if they recovered from a positive case within the last six months or if they are up-to-date on their vaccines.

• Tennessee: Some Republican state lawmakers are asking Gov. Bill Lee to block the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines for children under the age of five. The members of the Tennessee House said they had too many concerns about the vaccine for it to be used on young children.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the go-ahead on emergency use of both the Moderna and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines in children down to 6 months of age. The agency said that its analysis of the vaccines' safety and efficacy was “rigorous and comprehensive,” adding that the benefits of using those vaccines outweigh any “known and potential risks.”

“Many parents, caregivers and clinicians have been waiting for a vaccine for younger children, and this action will help protect those down to 6 months of age.  As we have seen with older age groups, we expect that the vaccines for younger children will provide protection from the most severe outcomes of COVID-19, such as hospitalization and death,” said FDA commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D.

Timing is everything, and Moderna says the upside for younger school-age children is good. "Children vaccinated early this summer with a two-dose regimen will initiate protection as they return to school and daycare settings in the fall," the company said in its announcement.

How and when the two vaccines are administered vary a bit. For the Moderna vaccine, it should be administered in two doses, each a month apart. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will require three doses – the first two area taken three weeks apart and the third eight weeks after the second dose.

Covering all risks

Much like it did earlier this year when it authorized a second booster dose for immunocompromised people, the FDA says the vaccines are also authorized for a third primary series dose at least one month following the second dose for those in that risk category.

The FDA said it also continues to monitor previously identified increased risks of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of tissue surrounding the heart) following vaccination. The agency reported that the risks it observed are highest in males 18 through 24 years of age for the Moderna vaccine and males 12 through 17 for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, but that evidence shows there’s “rapid resolution” for those experiencing related symptoms with no impact on quality of life.

Both companies said that there are possible side effects for younger vaccine recipients. Moderna said the most commonly reported local symptom was injection site pain across all age groups, and that the most commonly reported systemic symptoms were headache and fatigue in older children and irritability in younger children.

Pfizer reported several side effects as well, including rash, itching, hives, swelling of the face, injection site pain, and tiredness.

Fact sheets for both the Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccine are available for recipients and caregivers.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌are in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 85,960,775 (85,763,130)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,012,776 (1,011,926)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 537,458,937 (536,747,070)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,413,928 (6,312,635)‌

Two vaccines recommended for kids 5 and younger

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel has voted to recommend two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for children age 5 and younger. The vaccines were developed by Moderna and jointly by Pfizer and BioNTech.

The panel voted 21-0 to recommend approval of the two vaccines. While the FDA is not required to follow the advice of its advisory committee, it usually does.

It’s expected the FDA will approve the committee’s recommendation, possibly before the end of the week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must also give its approval.

Major study uncovers new clues about long COVID

Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine are conducting a major study to track neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients who continue to have symptoms long after they recover from their illness. It’s a condition known as “long COVID.”

The first round of the study, published this week, showed the prevalence of various short- and long-term symptoms and found that, while many patients showed improvement, the majority still had some neurological symptoms after six months. A subset of individuals also exhibited significant coordination and cognitive issues, not reported in previous findings.

At the time of their first visit with a physician, 89% of participants reported fatigue and 80% reported headaches. Other common neurological symptoms included memory impairment, insomnia, and decreased concentration. Eighty percent of participants said these symptoms impacted their quality of life.

Dr. Fauci tests positive

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading government health official on COVID-19, has announced that he has tested positive for the virus. Fauci, head of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), says he has isloated and has mild symptoms.

“He has not recently been in close contact with President Biden or other senior government officials,” NIAID said in a statement. “Dr. Fauci will follow the COVID-19 guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and medical advice from his physician and return to the NIH when he tests negative.”

Around the nation

• Tennessee: Tennessee Titans right guard Nate Davis had what he considers a lackluster 2021 NFL season. But he tells Titans Online there might have been an extenuating circumstance. He caught COVID-19 during the season, not once but twice. “Getting [COVID-19] twice affects your conditioning, your strength, and even a little bit of your confidence,” Davis admitted.

• California: It was a year ago this week that California officials reopened from COVID-19 lockdown. People returned to theme parks, restaurants, and concert halls. Since then Omicron subvariants have triggered a new surge in cases, but health officials say most are less severe.

• New York: New York appears to have weathered the latest COVID-19 surge but Gov. Kathy Hochul says it’s no time to take anything for granted. "As we continue to monitor the numbers, it is important that we take every precaution necessary to stay healthy," Hochul said. "Take a test before traveling, stay home if you feel unwell, and keep up to date with vaccinations and booster doses. We must use every resource available to stay prepared for potential surges this year and keep our communities safe."

• Vermont: Business organizations in the state are being credited with helping to pass Vermont’s S. 11 – legislation that includes over $15 million in funding for the new COVID-19 Related Paid Leave Grant Program. Gov. Phil Scott signed the legislation this week.

• Texas: With children 5 and older now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, Tarrant County is stepping up its “pop-up” clinics to administer the jabs. Officials say parents need to bring proof of the child’s age and their own ID for the vaccination. Booster vaccinations are available at all of the vaccination locations.

While recent studies have found that drug and alcohol use have spiked over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study conducted by researchers from West Virginia University explored how young people in particular were affected by substance use. 

According to their findings, substance use among teens and adolescents dropped throughout the pandemic; the team attributes this to limitations in how young people were able to socialize during the pandemic. 

“One of the driving factors for youth substance use is access to substances,” said researcher Hannah Layman. “With stay-at-home orders, virtual schooling, and social distancing, children have been spending more time with family and are actually more socially isolated from peers than before. Although social isolation from peers may have a negative effect on their mental health, it may just be one of the desirable outcomes of the pandemic when considering substance use in children.” 

Unexpected benefits of social isolation

The researchers examined nearly 50 studies that looked at how young people use tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, e-cigarettes, and other drugs and substances. The participants in all of the studies were under the age of 24, and they focused specifically on substance use during the pandemic. 

Ultimately, the use of e-cigarettes, cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco has declined among young people throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers explained that, typically, adolescents and teens are likely to get involved with substance use when they’re outside the home and with their friends and peers. However, the pandemic prevented many such gatherings from taking place. 

Instead, young people were spending most of their time at home with their families. Interactions with friends were limited during stay-at-home orders. Because of this, the researchers believe it was difficult to access substances. 

Though these findings are ultimately positive when thinking about young people’s physical health and wellness, the researchers hope that more work is done to better understand the risks associated with youth substance use. 

“Substance use can affect a young person’s body in many ways, such as the development of mental health issues (depression, anxiety, conduct problems, personality disorders, and suicidal thoughts), injuries due to accidents, decreased bone mineral density, preventing proper brain growth and function, delayed puberty, liver damage, and so much more,” said Layman. 

“Our findings also identified the importance of improving youth mental health and the value of telemedicine to address young people’s health needs during the pandemic.” 

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 85,515,980 (85,500,976)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,011,277 (1,011,259)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 535,319,747 (535,153,489)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,309,616 (6,309,255 )‌

FDA poised to approve vaccinations for kids under five

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released its analysis of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and said it appears to be safe and effective for children under age five, according to a report by the Associated Press. An FDA advisory committee meets this week to discuss the data.

If the committee votes to recommend the shots for young children, officials say vaccinations could begin as early as next week. First, the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would have to formally approve the vaccinations.

Children between the ages of six months and four are the last group of Americans not yet eligible for vaccinations.

Inhaled vaccine more effective than nasal sprays, scientists say

Scientists, who are already working on the next generation of COVID-19 vaccines, are debating which delivery method is the most effective. Some researchers advocate for a nasal spray, saying it should be deployed at the location of infection.

But scientists at McMaster University in Canada argue that inhaled aerosol vaccines provide far better protection and a stronger immune response than nasal sprays. They point out that inhaled aerosols bypass the nasal passage and deliver vaccine droplets deep in the airway, where they can “induce a broad protective immune response.”

“Infections in the upper respiratory tract tend to be non-severe,” said  Matthew Miller, a co-author of the study. “In the context of infections caused by viruses like influenza or SARS-CoV-2, it tends to be when the virus gets deep into the lung that it makes you really sick.” 

Vaccine may provide strong protection for heart patients

For people being treated for cardiac issues, doctors have some urgent advice: Get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19.

Scientists writing in the Journal of Cardiac Failure say heart failure patients who are unvaccinated are three times more likely to die if infected with the virus than fully boosted heart failure patients. The study is the first to look at COVID-19 vaccination status and outcomes in patients with this cardiovascular condition.

Researchers said they launched the study because many cardiac patients expressed fear of getting vaccinated due to the risk of vaccine-related myocarditis, which is rare.

Around the nation

• Michigan: New cases of COVID-19 declined again last week. The previous week, there were 10 counties classified as having a “high risk” of transmission. Last week, the number of counties where officials urge residents to mask up fell to only five – Mackinac, Saginaw, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties.

• New York:  New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced plans to end the city’s controversial mandate for two- to four-year-old children to wear masks in public, citing a continuing decline in cases. The mask mandate for Broadway theaters and public transit continues, at least for now.

• Alabama: State health officials say that because so many COVID-19 tests are now conducted at home, their results rarely make it into the official records. But the one metric that has remained useful, they say, is hospitalizations. Unfortunately, that number has moved higher over the last few weeks.

• Oklahoma: State health officials are expressing concern about a rise in severe COVID-19 cases among children. Over the last few days, at least one child under five has died of COVID-19. Pediatric patients account for 24 of the state’s 122 COVID-19 hospitalizations.

• Kansas: Cases of the coronavirus may be rising, but health officials say there are fewer severe cases. Experts at the University of Kansas Health System say Omicron BA.2 has largely been eclipsed by another subvariant, BA.2.12.1, which is causing fewer hospitalizations and deaths.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 85,333,275 (85,217,725)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,010,808 (1,010,525)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 534,307,874 (533,781,613)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,306,792 (6,305,292)‌

With COVID-19 in retreat, other viruses are moving forward

COVID-19 and the restrictions put in place to contain it also had the effect of limiting other diseases.

The 2020 and 2021 U.S. winter flu seasons were some of the mildest on record, both in terms of deaths and hospitalizations. But now flu cases are spreading quickly, something that almost never happens in June.

“COVID has clearly had a very big impact on that,” Dr. Scott Roberts, associate medical director for infection prevention at Yale New Haven Hospital, told CNBC. “Now that people have unmasked, places are opening up, we’re seeing viruses behave in very odd ways that they weren’t before.”

Some summer school students will be masking up again

By the time the school year ended, most school districts had dropped mask mandates for students and staff. But with summer school beginning, some schools in areas where new COVID-19 cases are increasing have returned to masking.

The increase is mostly occurring in the nation’s largest school districts, but some smaller districts, such as Berkley, Calif., have also reinstated their mask mandates.

While the cases of the coronavirus caused by the highly transmissible subvariants are typically less severe, especially among children, some school administrators say they want to protect children who are more vulnerable because of compromised health conditions.

Popular tourist destinations see sharp rise in cases

It should be no surprise that places that attract the most people from other areas should see an outsized spread of COVID-19. Health officials say popular U.S. tourist destinations are proving to be prime examples.

An analysis of cases shows that Miami, Honolulu, and San Juan, Puerto Rico are averaging at least 85 new cases each day per 100,000 population, a positivity rate of over 20%.

That compares with an average of 34 new daily cases per 100,000 population for the nation as a whole -- a positivity rate of 13%.

Around the nation

• Connecticut: The state’s rate of positive COVID-19 test results remains elevated, but it has come down in recent days. Gov. Ned Lamont announced that 3,219 PCR/NAAT tests came back positive out of 36,801 administered over the last seven days. That yields a positivity rate of 8.81%. In another encouraging sign, hospitalizations have declined.

• New Mexico: COVID-19 cases are up across the state, but health officials say this wave appears to be different. Most cases are less severe. “Despite the rise in cases and community transmission levels, hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and deaths remain comparatively low,” said Dr. Christine Ross, the state’s epidemiologist. “Clearly, what we’re seeing with this wave is very different than what we’ve seen in the past.”

• Washington: Hospital officials say a rise in the number of COVID-19 patients who require treatment in a hospital is “concerning.” All but five Washington counties are reporting a "high rate" of the virus. The Washington State Hospital Association says COVID-19 hospitalizations rose 10% in one week.

• Florida: Federal agents have arrested a Florida man and charged him with pandemic-related fraud. Thirty-four-year-old Vinicius Santana is accused of submitting four Paycheck Protection Program loan applications for the paint company he owned, requesting $2.5 million.

• Ohio: The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that pandemic-related legislation passed by state lawmakers does not violate the state constitution. The high court dismissed claims by five Ohio residents’ who said a 2011 amendment to the state constitution prohibits legislators from enacting or enforcing any law requiring state residents to participate in a health care system.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 85,217,725 (85,011,505)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,010,525 (1,009,339)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 533,781,613 (533,153,104)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,305,292 (6,302,589)‌

White House announces plan to vaccinate infants and toddlers

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee meets next week to consider whether to approve COVID-19 vaccinations for children between the ages of six months and five years old. However, the White House says it anticipates a green light and has revealed a plan to quickly ramp up the vaccination process.

The Biden administration said it "has made 10 million vaccine doses available for states, tribes, territories, community health centers, federal pharmacy partners, and others to pre-order," according to a White House fact sheet.

Officials say the first vaccinations could start "as early as the week of June 20th —with the program ramping up over time as more doses are delivered and more appointments become available." 

Pandemic set kids back academically, study shows

A new government report reveals how the pandemic slowed academic progress for American school children over the last two years. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) interviewed K-12 teachers nationwide.

Compared to a typical school year, teachers reported that more of their students started the 2020-2021 school year behind and made less academic progress. Teachers also reported that many students ended the year behind grade level expectations. Educators and parents also shared their insights and experiences about student struggles and learning loss during the year.

The study found that 52% of teachers had more of their students start the 2020-2021 school year behind when compared to a typical school year. The researchers say this affected younger students more than older students. About 64% of teachers had more students make less academic progress than in a typical school year. 

What doctors want people to know about at-home testing

Over-the-counter COVID-19 tests that can be self-administered at home have become the new norm as the pandemic continues. In the American Medical Association (AMA) series “What Doctors Wish Patients Knew,”  Dr. Emily Volk says patients need to understand the importance of administering these tests correctly.

“The fact that you can actually test yourself and get a reasonably accurate result within about 20 minutes can be very, very powerful,” said Volk, who is the president of the College of American Pathologists. “It’s very important, though, if you use those tests at home, that you treat them with the respect that they deserve.”

Volk says that means following the directions very carefully. Consumers should read the instructions, pay full attention, and avoid distractions.

Around the nation

• Texas: COVID-19 is still affecting sports teams. The Texas Rangers placed relief pitcher Brett Martin on the COVID-19 list this week before the first game of a doubleheader against the Guardians. The team also placed bench coach Donnie Ecker in health and safety protocols.

• California: State and local officials continue to walk a fine line when it comes to COVID-19 mitigation measures as cases rise around the state. Sacramento County health officials said they “strongly urge” citizens to mask up in public. However, they aren't requiring it as of yet.

• Nevada: Clark County, home to Las Vegas, is seeing a sharp rise in new coronavirus cases. County health officials also report that local hospitalizations are beginning to rise among mostly older seniors. Nevada’s latest health figures show a 14-day rolling average of 315 patients per day, 276 of which are in Clark County.

• Maryland: Democrats and Republicans in the state are sharply divided over whether to require COVID-19 vaccinations for school children. A poll that was conducted for Baltimore Sun Media and the University of Baltimore shows that three-quarters of Maryland Democrats support a vaccination mandate while half of Republicans in the poll oppose it.

• Wisconsin: Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) are wrapping up their tour of the state by thanking residents for their COVID-19 response. “Our state’s public health workers have endured so much these past years, helping folks through some of the most challenging of circumstances, and it is no small part due to their selfless efforts that our state is in the positive position we are today," Evers said.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Ottawa explored how the COVID-19 vaccine may help pregnant women and their babies. According to their findings, infants are likely to have a lower risk of contracting the virus when their mothers are vaccinated during pregnancy.

“Young infants are at a higher risk of severe COVID-19 compared with older children, and there is no approved COVID-19 vaccine for this age group,” said researcher Dr. Deshayne Fell. “Getting fully vaccinated against COVID-19 during pregnancy helps protect young infants from potential SARS-CoV-2 infection when they are born.” 

Protecting infants’ health

The researchers analyzed data from over 21,600 infants born in Norway between September 2021, and February 2022. They compared data on infants whose mothers had received the COVID-19 vaccine while pregnant to infants of women who didn’t get the vaccine. 

The findings showed that when women received the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy, it benefited their infants’ health. Nearly half of the women involved in the study received either a second or third dose of the vaccine during their last two trimesters, and their infants were less likely to contract the virus. 

During the surge of the Delta variant (which occurred before January 2022), the incidence rate for infants testing positive was 3.0 per 10,000 days for infants born to unvaccinated mothers and 1.2 per 10,000 for infants born to vaccinated mothers. The researchers also found that protection against the virus was strongest during this time as opposed to during the surge of the Omicron variant. 

The team hopes these findings highlight the protective health benefits for infants when women receive the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy. 

“It is not unexpected that maternal COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy could reduce infant infection, as similar protective benefits against infant infection have been observed for pertussis and influenza vaccination during pregnancy in randomized clinical trials and observational studies,” Dr. Fell said. 

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 85,079,798 (84,885,712)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,010,021 (1,008,881)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 533,327,522 (532,504,668)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,303,578 (6,300,491)‌

Moderna reports positive results from updated booster

Moderna has updated its vaccine to deal with Omicron subvariants that are able to slip past antibodies. It has released new clinical data on its Omicron-containing bivalent COVID-19 booster candidate, mRNA-1273.214, and reports that it is highly effective.

The company said a booster dose of mRNA-1273.214 met all pre-specified endpoints, including superior neutralizing antibody response against the Omicron variant one month after administration when compared to the original mRNA-1273 vaccine.The booster dose was generally well-tolerated, with side effects comparable to a booster dose of the previous vaccine.

"We are thrilled to share the preliminary data analysis on mRNA-1273.214, which is the second demonstration of superiority of our bivalent booster platform against variants of concern and represents an innovation in the fight against COVID," said Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna. 

Cases are sharply higher but deaths are significantly lower

The daily COVID-19 numbers collected by Johns Hopkins University present a mixed picture, especially when compared to the numbers from exactly one year ago. Cases are surging but deaths are declining.

On Tuesday, the U.S. recorded more than 116,000 new cases of COVID-19, more than any other nation. On June 7, 2021, after vaccines had rolled out and before the Delta variant surfaced, there were only 13,565 new cases.

But one year ago, there were 403 deaths from the virus. On Tuesday, even with substantially more cases, there were only 339 deaths. Medical experts says the current virus strains spread more easily than previous variants but are much less lethal.

U.S. may get a fourth vaccine

An advisory committee for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended approval of Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine for use in adults. If the proposal is adopted by the FDA,  the Novavax vaccine would join other approved vaccines produced by Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, and Johnson & Johnson.

But the new vaccine faced some questions from some committee members. Some wondered whether there was a need for another vaccine at this point in the pandemic.

The FDA’s Dr. Peter Marks suggested that there are still some unmet vaccine needs in the U.S. He said some people who have not been vaccinated might have various concerns about the three approved vaccines and might welcome an alternative.

Around the nation

• Massachusetts: Five counties are now listed by federal health authorities as having a high risk of COVID-19 transmission. Those counties are Barnstable, Franklin, Middlesex, Norfolk, and Suffolk. Bristol County is the only area of Massachusetts classified as low risk.

• Nebraska: Nebraska’s rate of COVID-19 infection is higher than the nation as a whole, with cases climbing over the last two months. The state recorded 2,354 new cases last week, significantly higher than the 1,671 logged during the previous week.

• New Jersey: State officials are cautiously optimistic that this summer will be marked by a return to normalcy, from offices to the beaches. New cases are on the rise across the state, but the current strains have not resulted in rising hospitalizations and deaths.

• New Hampshire: The New Hampshire Hospital Association reported that 91 people tested positive for COVID-19 in hospitals around the state on Tuesday. That’s an increase from 89 people on Monday. Of those 91 people, 27 required treatment for COVID-19, which was one fewer than Monday.

• Oregon: New cases of the coronavirus declined for a second week, as Oregon posted an 11% weekly drop in identified cases. The Oregon Health Authority recorded 9,800 confirmed or presumed infections in the past week. That translated into 1,400 a day, down from 1,579 daily cases last week.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 84,885,712 (84,774,441)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,008,881 (1,008,593)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 532,504,668 (532,038,696)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,300,491 (6,299,323)‌

Four more destinations marked as "high risk"

While planes are full and demand for travel is surging, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is cautioning Americans that there are still risks. The health agency has added four more destinations to the “high risk” category for summer travel.

This week, the CDC added Guyana, Mongolia, Namibia, and the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis to the Level 3 list. All four areas had previously been listed at Level 2.

The new additions to Level 3 join France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom on the list of countries that present the highest risk for contracting COVID-19.

Half of COVID-19 patients have lingering symptoms

Penn State researchers say half of COVID-19 patients still deal with lingering symptoms from a prior infection. In their just-concluded study, they describe two conditions – long COVID and what are known as "post-COVID conditions."

Both cover a wide range of continuing health problems. Chief among them is a distorted sense of smell. Some people lose the ability to smell altogether for an extended period of time. The less severe symptoms fall into the post-COVID condition category.

Penn State researchers say long COVID usually lasts up to six months after the initial COVID virus onset, but scientists at the CDC say it can last weeks, months, or even years.

COVID-19 can increase risk of psychiatric issues

A study by scientists at Oregon State University has found that COVID-19 patients had a roughly 25% increased risk of developing a psychiatric disorder in the four months following their infection when compared to people who were not infected.

The researchers looked at the rate of psychiatric diagnoses for two time periods: from 21 to 120 days after patients’ COVID-19 diagnosis, and from 120 to 365 days after diagnosis. The study was limited to patients with no previous mental illness.

Around the nation

• Michigan: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a public affairs conference on Michigan’s Mackinac Island. At least 14 other people who attended the event were also infected. The event was put on by the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, and more than 1,000 public officials, journalists, and others attended. 

• Utah: The latest COVID-19 wave appears to be over in Utah. State health officials reported 5,728 new cases of coronavirus in the week ending Sunday, nearly the same as the week before. Cases had been rising quickly across the state due to the highly transmissible subvariants of the Omicron variant.

• Illinois: Chicago health officials say city residents who traveled to parts of the U.S. that were categorized as medium or high COVID-19 community transmission levels should take steps to prevent the spread of the virus on their return. The Chicago Department of Public Health notes that 7.4% of U.S. counties are now listed at either the medium or high community level.

• Minnesota: As the Omicron wave begins to recede in Minnesota, state health officials say the latest wave appeared to target seniors. They say around 90% of coronavirus deaths during May in Minnesota were among people aged 65 and older. It was just 66%  in December.

• Kentucky: New cases of COVID-19 are on the rise across the state, according to state health officials. The Kentucky Health Department’s weekly COVID-19 report shows that the state’s positivity rate has risen in the last week to 12.42%.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 84,796,633 (84,748,884)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,008,639 (1,008,567)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 532,143,171 (531,720,689)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,299,644 (6,298,476)‌

Millions of vaccine doses were wasted, report finds

U.S. pharmaceutical companies developed COVID-19 vaccines in record time, but the deployment of those vaccines to control the pandemic was not exactly efficient, according to a new report.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that pharmacies, states, U.S. territories, and federal agencies threw out 82.1 million vaccine doses from December 2020, through mid-May of this year. That amounts to about 11% of the total vaccines the U.S. government distributed.

The report said two major pharmacy chains – CVS and Walmart – accounted for about a quarter of the discarded vaccine doses, partly because of the scale of the two firms’ operations. The overall amount of waste is consistent with World Health Organization (WHO) estimates for large vaccination campaigns.

Many PPP loans went to real estate firms

Congress authorized the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to make loans to businesses at the beginning of the pandemic so they would not have to lay off employees. Many businesses, including restaurants, faced a battle for survival.

But real estate is one industry that managed to do just fine during the early days of the pandemic. Home sales surged and prices rose during that time, increasing sales commissions. Yet the U.S. government’s Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) reports that real estate brokers received $3.9 billion in PPP loans.

The average real estate company borrower got $13,000. However, the PRAC data shows that 146 entities got more than $90,000 each.

Consumers are tipping less

Many Americans dug into their pockets and provided generous tips for service workers in the early days of the pandemic to help offset the loss of business. But that practice hasn’t lasted.

A survey from CreditCards.com found that 73% of Americans say they always tip when dining at a full-service restaurant. In 2019, before the pandemic, the percentage was 77%.

“Inflation is cutting into consumers’ purchasing power and a tight labor market has left many service industry businesses understaffed and struggling to provide top-notch customer experiences,” said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at CreditCards.com.

Around the nation

• California: Los Angeles County is now dealing with a sharp rise in hospitalizations, and officials say there could be a new indoor mask mandate later this month if that trend continues. “Our weekly case rate and the rate of increase in hospital admissions are of concern,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer told the Los Angeles Times.

• Maine: Severe COVID-19 cases that require admission to a hospital are on a downward trend. They declined on Sunday, and nine patients were discharged on Saturday. Health officials say only 19 patients are currently receiving critical care.

• Colorado: In an unusual turn, flu cases in Colorado are spiking heading into summer. State health officials say not only are the number of recording flu cases on the rise, but their symptoms are more severe than those of the current COVID-19 subvariants that are present in the state.

• Texas: The City of Austin is renewing efforts to encourage residents to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and to get booster shots as cases from two Omicron subvariants rise. “These rising numbers and new subvariants are very concerning, especially at a time when many will be traveling and gathering with loved ones,” said Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin-Travis County Health Authority.

• North Carolina: North Carolina has 100 counties, and more than half of them are now classified by federal health authorities as either orange or yellow, denoting high or medium levels of COVID-19 transmission. Granville and Person counties are among the 13 counties now in the orange category.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 84,550,392 (84,449,947)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,008,063 (1,007,717)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 531,040,445 (530,832,620)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,296,853 (6,295,090)‌

Boosted Americans at risk of breakthrough cases

Government health officials have urged all eligible Americans who are vaccinated against COVID-19 to get a booster shot. But a new study appears to suggest that people who get the booster shot are more likely to suffer a “breakthrough” coronavirus infection.

The federal study found that the rate of breakthrough COVID-19 infections in April was worse in boosted Americans when compared to those who were only fully vaccinated. At the same time, the rates of deaths and hospitalizations remained lowest among people who had been boosted.

In an interview with CBS News, John Moore, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Medical College, said the Omicron variant and its subvariants seem to be able to easily break through antibody protection and cause infections. However, these cases are mostly mild among the boosted population.

The economy added 390,000 jobs in May

Evidence continues to show that the job market is continuing to get stronger as the COVID-19 pandemic fades into the rearview mirror. The Labor Department reports that the U.S. economy added 390,000 jobs last month and that the unemployment rate remained steady at 3.6%, only slightly higher than before the pandemic.

Travel and leisure businesses saw the strongest job growth in May. Employment in leisure and hospitality increased by 84,000, with about half of those jobs being created at bars and restaurants. However, employment in the industry is still down nearly 8% when compared to before the pandemic.

Hiring also accelerated in the transportation and warehousing sector, which may be a positive sign for the supply chain. A shortage of truck drivers and warehouse workers during the pandemic has made it harder for stores to keep shelves fully stocked.

Feds adopt test-to-treat strategy to contain the virus

When someone tests positive for COVID-19, days may pass before they receive any kind of treatment for the virus. The U.S. government has adopted a test-to-treat strategy that is designed to treat infected Americans immediately.

The government has set up the first test-to-treat clinic in Providence, R.I., where people can go to be tested; if the test is positive, they receive immediate treatment with an antiviral drug. White House COVID-19 Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha appeared virtually with Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee to kick off the program, which will be duplicated in other states.

“I think it is an innovative idea that Dr. Jha and his team have looked at and Rhode Island is so fortunate to be leading the nation in this effort with vaccines and boosters also being available at these sites,” McKee said.

Around the nation

• New York: New York City’s streets weren’t deserted during the pandemic just because of lockdowns. It turns out that a lot of people moved out of the city and the state. Information tracked by the federal government suggests that, while the rate of decline is slowing, more people are continuing to leave or die than are being born or moving into the Big Apple, resulting in a declining population.

• West Virginia: While older people are most vulnerable to death from COVID-19, the virus can also kill young people. The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports that a 15-year-old girl from Raleigh County has become the youngest coronavirus-related death so far.

• South Dakota: New cases resulting from Omicron subvariants have often been fairly mild, but that’s not the case in South Dakota. State health officials report that severe cases resulting in hospitalizations surged over the last week, rising 73%. At the same time, there were no new deaths.

• Virginia: The state health department reports that 582 COVID-19 patients across the state were hospitalized as of Thursday with confirmed or test-pending cases of COVID-19. That’s down slightly from 588 on Wednesday.

• Alaska: The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation has announced that nearly 11,000 Alaska households that have been economically impacted by COVID-19 will receive some form of financial aid through the federal Homeowner Assistance program. The program aims to prevent mortgage delinquencies that can turn into foreclosures.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 84,449,947 (84,218,910)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,007,719 (1,007,059)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 531,567,231 (530,201,825)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,297,253 (6,293,029)‌

Vaccine approval requested for very young children

Pfizer and BioNTech say they will ask the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to clear their COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of six months and four years, the only age group not yet eligible to be vaccinated.

An FDA advisory committee will consider the request. After analyzing data from clinical trials, it will make a recommendation to the FDA before the end of this month.

The FDA could give its approval for doses of the vaccine for the age group within days of a positive recommendation from the committee. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would also need to give the green light, as the agency has done for all other age groups.

Airlines push for an end to pre-travel testing

Travel industry officials used a meeting this week at the White House to press the Biden administration to end the requirement that vaccinated international travelers take a COVID-19 test before leaving for U.S. destinations.

Airline trade group Airlines for America pressed its case, arguing that the requirement no longer matches the current threat from the coronavirus. The group also claimed that the requirement is reducing international travel and hurting the U.S. economy.

"Quite frankly, the only impact the pre-departure testing requirement is having is a chilling effect on an already fragile economy here in the U.S.," Airlines for America CEO Nick Calio said in a statement.

Dogs can sniff out COVID-19, researchers say

When a COVID-19 test isn’t readily available, maybe your dog can tell if you have the virus. It’s not a farfetched idea, researchers say.

A study published in the journal Plos One presents evidence that dogs can be trained to detect the coronavirus in humans. The dogs tested in the research accurately identified 97% of positive cases after sniffing human sweat samples. Researchers say that’s more accurate than some rapid antigen tests currently in use.

Previous research has suggested that dogs can detect the presence of some other diseases, such as cancer.

Around the nation

• Michigan: State health officials are reporting a sharp drop in new COVID-19 cases. Last week, there were 73 outbreaks, down from 120 the previous week.  But doctors are still concerned about schools.  The Department of Health and Human Services reports that 16 of the outbreaks were at K-12 schools.

• Ohio: Statistics from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) show a 22.1% increase in alcohol-related death from 2019 to 2020, and health officials attribute it to the effects of the pandemic. The 2021 numbers are still preliminary, but officials say it appears that the upward trend is continuing.

• Florida: Cases are rising across the state, driven largely by the proliferating Omicron subvariants. The CDC has placed nine Florida counties — including the Tampa Bay and South Florida regions — in the high risk for COVID-19 transmission category.

• California: The surge in new COVID-19 cases caused by Omicron subvariants hasn’t resulted in much of an increase in hospitalizations – until now. Health officials say hospitalizations have spiked across the state in the last week; in San Francisco, they have doubled over the course of the last month.

• Texas: State employment officials report that COVID-19 has increased employee benefit costs. They say the number of workers’ compensation claims reported to the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) increased 20% during the first 27 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the claims involve corrections officers and first responders.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 84,263,093 (84,022,711)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,007,254 (1,004,770)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 530,311,334 (529,487,333)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,293,630 (6,289,298)‌

Omicron variants are proliferating, report finds

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows just how fluid the Omicron variants can be. Last week, the BA.2.12.1 Omicron subvariant became the dominant strain infecting Americans.

This week, two newcomers – BA.4 and BA.5 – are emerging as the strains that are spreading the fastest. Researchers say the latest subvariants are not only highly transmissible, but they have a stronger ability to reinfect.

Researchers also say the new Omicron strains are spreading more quickly in some parts of the U.S. than others. The BA.2.12.1 strain hit the Northeast very hard in March. Now, Midwestern states like Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri are seeing cases rise from BA.4 and BA.5.

Study promotes three shots for the best protection

For the best protection against the coronavirus, a new study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) recommends three shots of a COVID-19 vaccine. The study found equal results for three shots of the same vaccine or a mixture.

The study is significant because it is the largest conducted on vaccine combination effectiveness. It analyzed data from more than 100 million people, and scientists say it confirms the number of doses needed to boost immunity.

The researchers found that three doses of any mRNA vaccine appear to provide the highest level of protection against non-severe COVID-19 infections. It was also most effective in reducing COVID-19 hospitalizations.

Poll: Pregnant women likely to believe misinformation

Perhaps because having a baby is often an anxious time under the best of circumstances, a new poll has found that pregnant women are especially vulnerable to incorrect information about COVID-19 vaccines that has spread on social media.

The poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that about one in five adults and about three in ten women who are pregnant or planning to get pregnant believe at least one of three false statements about pregnancy and the vaccines. As a result, many of these women do not believe pregnant women should be vaccinated against COVID-19.

“While most of the public say they are at least somewhat confident in the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines for adults in general, they are less likely to express confidence that the vaccines are safe for those who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant,” the authors write. “Even among Democrats and vaccinated adults – groups that express high levels of confidence in the safety of the vaccines for adults – less than half say they are ‘very confident’ the vaccine is safe for those who are pregnant.”

Around the nation

• California: California is now in the midst of a surge in COVID-19 cases, but not all areas have been affected equally. San Joaquin County coronavirus cases declined by 14.1% over the past week. At the same time, the San Francisco Bay Area has become the state’s COVID-19 hot spot.

• Arkansas: State health officials are cautiously optimistic after a surge in new COVID-19 cases leveled off this week and actually declined in some areas. The Arkansas Department of Health's website reported 118 new cases of the coronavirus on Monday, a decrease in the number of new cases reported at the end of last week and over the weekend.

• New York: A month ago, New York was the epicenter of new cases of the Omicron subvariant. Now it’s not. Data analysis shows that New York's statewide COVID-19 case count fell by 36.5% last week, suggesting that the wave caused by several Omicron subvariants is fading. 

• Oklahoma: John Rampey of Tulsa is back home after spending 512 days in a hospital and fighting for his life against COVID-19. Rampey was infected just two weeks before he would have been eligible to receive the vaccine in December 2020.

• Oregon: Health officials report that new cases of COVID-19 are trending lower across the state, with daily cases down more than 200 since peaking a week ago. At the same time, officials point to a decline in testing and say some cases may go unreported.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌  84,022,711 (83,984,644)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,004,770 (1,004,733)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 529,487,333 (529,066,607)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,289,298 (6,287,992)‌

Paxlovid plays role in keeping virus in check

There’s no denying that new cases of the coronavirus are rising rapidly around the U.S. At the same time, severe cases requiring hospitalization are not rising. Experts think the therapeutic drug Paxlovid may be partly the reason.

The Wall Street Journal reports that supplies of the drug improved at pharmacies nationwide in recent weeks and that doctors have written 412,000 prescriptions for it through early May. The drug is intended to be taken soon after infection and is most effective for patients with underlying conditions who have mild to moderate symptoms.

A clinical trial showed that Paxlovid, made by Pfizer, was 88% effective at preventing a patient from being hospitalized.

New cases are surging but deaths are falling

The U.S. once again leads the world in the number of daily cases of COVID-19. There were at least 12 countries ahead of the U.S. a month ago, but that changed drastically in May.

At the end of May 2021, the COVID-19 Tracking Project at Johns Hopkins University counted only 20,000 daily cases. On Monday, the count was 91,000. And as we previously reported, infectious disease experts say the actual number of new cases could be even higher. 

However, a higher infection rate than officially reported may hold a silver lining because fewer of those cases are likely severe. While the U.S. is recording nearly twice as many new cases as a month ago and four times higher than this time a year ago, today's death rate is half the rate of late May 2021.

Survey pinpoints most likely long COVID victims

Scientists continue to be baffled by the condition known as long COVID, which consists of lingering symptoms after the patient has recovered from their COVID-19 infection. Who gets it and who doesn’t?

A new survey from 23andMe appears to shed some light on that question. The voluntary survey suggests that women are far more likely to experience long-term symptoms, and so are people with a prior diagnosis of depression or anxiety.

More telling, perhaps, is that half of the people who reported a diagnosis of long COVID had a history of cardiometabolic diseases, such as heart attacks or diabetes. The survey collected data from 100,000 people who had been infected with the coronavirus.

Around the nation

• New Jersey: State Sen. Nia H. Gill, a Democrat from Essex County, has joined with Republicans in the state legislature to seek an investigation of COVID-19 deaths in New Jersey nursing homes. Opponents said federal and state investigations are already underway.

• Colorado: In the last few days, Boulder and Jackson counties have been designated as having high rates of COVID-19 transmission by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Health officials worry that other counties could join them now that the people who traveled over the holiday weekend are back home.

• Florida: The Florida Inspector General has concluded that claims about a data scientist being fired for refusing to manipulate COVID-19 numbers are “unsubstantiated.” Rebekah Jones said she was pressured to fudge the numbers to support lifting COVID-19 restrictions.

• Ohio: Researchers working with the Dayton Daily News say Ohio could recover its pandemic-related job losses by early 2023, though the Dayton area may take longer. “Dayton has recovered a smaller share of jobs than the state so far, though I’d say it’s close,” said Michael Shields, a researcher with Policy Matters Ohio. 

• Washington: The masks could be coming back on in Washington state. Health officials report that new cases have surpassed the level that Gov. Jay Inslee used to determine the lifting of a state-wide mask mandate in March. Meanwhile, both Inslee and Lt. Gov. Denny Heck announced last week that they had contracted COVID-19. 

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 83,864,802 (83,745,827)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,004,300 (1,003,858)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 528,007,458 (527,529,231)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,285,128 (6,283,923)‌

COVID-19 numbers don’t accurately portray current surge

New cases of the coronavirus are continuing to trend higher across the U.S., surpassing 100,000 per day. However, the statistics that are currently available may not be capturing the true scope of the recent surge.

White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha recently told reporters at a press briefing that officials are “clearly undercounting infections.” He said one of the reasons for this is that consumers have come to rely on at-home tests. While these tests are useful for quickly figuring out whether or not a person has COVID-19, they are not processed in official case counts.

While experts can get a good ballpark estimate of the number of new cases through official reports and wastewater testing, getting a truly accurate number has only gotten harder as the pandemic wears on.

Pfizer to support poorer countries at no profit

Pfizer has announced that it will be sending medicines and vaccines to 45 lower-income countries on a not-for-profit basis as a way to close the world’s health equity gap.

Rwanda, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal, and Uganda will be the first five nations to receive aid from the company. Officials in those countries will work to help Pfizer spot and resolve any initial hurdles so that aid can be provided more easily to the rest of the countries who will join the “Accord for a Healthier World.”

Included in the aid are 23 medicines and vaccines that will be used to treat infectious diseases, certain cancers, and inflammatory diseases that take millions of lives in low-income countries each year. 

Misinformation about COVID-19 and pregnancy persists

COVID-19 misinformation has been a threat to response efforts since the very beginning of the pandemic. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be going away.

Survey results from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) show that pregnancy-related misinformation is still especially persistent. The findings suggest that 14% of adults and 24% of women who are pregnant or are planning to become pregnant believe that pregnant women should not get vaccinated for COVID-19. 

The CDC estimates that around 30% of pregnant women in the U.S. are not vaccinated. 

Around the nation

• Connecticut: Connecticut officials have launched a new data portal that consumers can use to get statistics about the impact of COVID-19 in nursing homes. The portal will be updated weekly on Thursday afternoons.

• New Mexico: New cases, deaths, and hospitalizations are all increasing across the state, but they are still below levels previously seen during the pandemic. On Wednesday, officials reported 900 new COVID-19 cases, 116 hospitalizations, and 32 deaths.

• Pennsylvania: Erie County passed a bleak milestone this week when it recorded its 800th COVID-19 death. “We are still battling this virus,” said Department of Health official Charlotte Berringer. “We are tired of dealing with it, but the virus isn't finished with us yet. Vaccinations are good at preventing hospitalizations and deaths, though not as good at preventing infection. Masks remain a good way to reduce transmission.”

• New York: Officials are urging residents to remain cautious during the Memorial Day weekend so that they can avoid becoming infected with COVID-19. “As we head into the Memorial Day weekend and prepare to travel and gather with loved ones, I encourage everyone to continue taking advantage of the tools we have available to protect against and treat COVID-19," said Gov. Kathy Hochul in a statement.

• North Carolina: The CDC says high-risk residents in North Carolina may want to mask up now that cases are trending higher in several counties. Officials say many of the new cases can be traced to the BA.2. Omicron subvariant.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 83,745,827 (83,518,205)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,003,858 (1,002,780)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 527,529,231 (526,849,172)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,283,923 (6,280,942)‌

Experts discover possible cause of neurological symptoms

COVID-19 infections have often been linked to certain neurological symptoms, such as problems with memory, concentration, and headaches. In a recent study, researchers say the formation of amyloids in the brain could be to blame. 

Amyloids are abnormal proteins found in the body that experts have long linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. However, the research team says their findings show that they could also be formed during a COVID-19 infection. Infectious disease expert Dr. Arturo Casadevall said the study may provide another clue about how the virus affects our bodies.

“This is a very interesting study showing that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein has domains that could promote aggregation to form amyloid fibrils. Such fibrils have been associated with cellular dysfunction, and if this happened during COVID-19, it would suggest yet another mechanism by which the virus can damage organs,” he said.

Antibacterial drug may be a potential treatment

Researchers around the world are continuously working on new treatments to fight COVID-19 and all its subvariants. But experts from the Pasteur Institute in France say an antibacterial drug that already exists shows some promise.

The researchers say clofoctol, a drug that is used to treat respiratory tract infections, could be repurposed as a potential COVID-19 treatment. After seeing initial success in a mouse model, the team wants to move to a stage 3 clinical trial that will involve human subjects.

“Drug repurposing can accelerate the time for using it in humans since such a drug has already been tested for its toxicity and tolerability in humans,” explained researcher Dr. Jean Dubuisson. “Developing…a new drug takes much more time because it needs chemical optimization, with a lot of preclinical validations, and it can take 10-15 years for such a development.”

Jeff Bridges says COVID-19 nearly took his life

Well-known American actor Jeff Bridges recently opened up about his personal battle with COVID-19. He stated that the virus nearly ended his life while he was receiving chemotherapy treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. 

“I had no defenses. That’s what chemo does – it strips you of all your immune system. I had nothing to fight it,” he said. “COVID made my cancer look like nothing.”

Bridges certainly had a lot to overcome while battling cancer and his COVID-19 infection. Researchers from Case Western University recently found that breakthrough cases of the virus are much more common among consumers who have cancer or Alzheimer’s. They also said these consumers have a much higher chance of being hospitalized or dying.

Around the nation

• Michigan: New cases and deaths linked to COVID-19 continue to rack up in the state. On Wednesday, officials reported an additional 25,968 cases and 139 deaths from the virus over the previous six days. Despite the high totals, the average number of daily cases decreased over the last seven days from 4,181 to 3,710.

• Tennessee: Data from the State Department of Health shows that cases in Tennessee rose sharply over the last week. After remaining flat for months, hospitalizations spiked upwards over the same time period – rising by 44% to 270.

• New Jersey: Officials say “long hauler” illnesses in the Garden State now represent one-third of all cases. The CDC currently lists 10 New Jersey counties as having “high” transmission rates for COVID-19. Included in that list are Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Gloucester, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Salem, and Sussex counties.

• Arizona: A recent report reveals just how many lives may have been lost due to vaccination resistance. Researchers say 9,000 Arizonan COVID-19 deaths could have been prevented if vaccination rates were higher.

• Iowa: The Iowa Department of Public Health reports that 4,739 people tested positive for COVID-19 in the last week. That’s around 200 more cases than last week.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 83,518,205 (83,394,712)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,002,780 (1,002,386)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 526,849,172 (526,228,343)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,280,942 (6,278,929)‌

CDC identifies most common symptoms of long COVID

A new study suggests that not everyone who recovers from COVID-19 gets a clean bill of health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that COVID-19 survivors are twice as likely to develop pulmonary embolism or respiratory conditions.

The study also found that one in five COVID-19 patients who recover and are between the ages of 18 and 64 have at least one lingering condition that could be a result of their COVID-19 infection – a condition known as long COVID. For people aged 65 and older, the odds of lingering symptoms are one in four.

In addition to neurological issues, the CDC identified cardiovascular conditions, kidney failure, respiratory conditions, musculoskeletal conditions, and blood clots as the most common lingering effects associated with long COVID.

Pfizer CEO predicts constant waves of the virus

If the current buildup in COVID-19 cases turns into another wave, it might be something to get used to. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla predicts that the world could experience “repeated waves” of the coronavirus.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Bourla said weakening immunity from previous infections and vaccinations could lead to “constant waves” of COVID-19 variants and deaths, especially if people stop taking precautions.

“What worries me is the complacency,” Bourla said, noting that the public is growing tired of mitigation measures.

New York has reopened, but the exodus to Florida continues

At the height of the pandemic, when New York was largely restricted, thousands of New Yorkers headed for Florida. Even though New York is now mostly open, data shows that the migration to Florida has continued.

The Department of Motor Vehicles can track the movement by analyzing drivers' license data. The latest analysis shows that 21,546 New Yorkers traded their driver’s licenses for a Florida license during the first four months of this year. That’s a 12% increase from the same period last year.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams previously said New Yorkers would stop moving once the city reopened. The city has even leased billboards in Florida that urges recent transplants to return.

Around the nation

• Minnesota: While new cases of COVID-19 are rising in dozens of states, the numbers appear to be trending lower in Minnesota. Official statistics show that the state’s case growth rate stands at 36.1 daily new cases per 100,000 residents. That's above the high-risk threshold, but it's a sign that new cases are falling.

• Ohio: Fewer colleges across Ohio will require vaccinations for students attending in the fall. The University of Cincinnati, Ohio University, and Bowling Green State University eased their COVID-19 requirements during the spring semester.

• Louisiana: COVID-19 cases are trending higher, but state health officials have expressed confidence that the caseload is manageable. “We are in a very different place than we were during March and April and May of 2020. We have a highly effective vaccine. We have several treatments. Our health care system right now is handling this pretty well and is stable,” said Dr. Lacey Cavanaugh, an official with the Louisiana Department of Health.

• Oregon: Oregon has experienced a surge in new coronavirus cases this month. State health officials report that there were about 12,000 new cases last week. However, they say cases requiring a stay in the hospital are not rising nearly as fast and should peak early next month.

• Maine: In another sign that the current variants of COVID-19 are less severe, state health officials report that hospitalizations dropped by nearly 10% this week. The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients is 47 fewer than its recent high of 231.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 83,455,303 (83,291,791)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,002,505 (1,002,178)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 526,345,136 (525,703,492)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,279,189 (6,277,424)‌

Study finds some ‘long COVID’ symptoms can last more than a year

In one of the largest studies of the condition known as “long COVID,” researchers at Northwestern University have found that some coronavirus symptoms can linger longer than a year while others fade away. In particular, they found that cognitive difficulties are likely to persist.

The study, published in the journal Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, found that neurological symptoms like brain fog, numbness, tingling, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus, and fatigue are the most frequently reported symptoms of the condition. 

A previous study found that 85% of the patients whose COVID-19 cases were followed reported at least four lasting neurological problems at least six weeks after their infections. For the follow-up, researchers studied 52 participants in the original group and found that most of them experienced neurological issues for at least a year after their infection.

Study underscores effectiveness of boosters

Scientists say there is a good reason for fully vaccinated people to get a booster shot. A study by the Minnesota Department of Health found that vaccine boosters have lowered rates of hospitalizations and deaths in Minnesota.

The researchers studied people who suffered “breakthrough” infections after being vaccinated. They found that those who received a booster shot were more likely to weather their infection with only mild symptoms.

The study found that people over age 60 were likely to benefit the most from the extra shot. Unvaccinated seniors were 1.6 times more likely to be hospitalized than those who were fully vaccinated. The unvaccinated were five times more likely to require hospital treatment than seniors who received scheduled boosters.

FDA sets meeting to consider infant vaccinations

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will convene its panel of independent experts on June 15 to review data and make a recommendation on whether the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines should be administered to infants and toddlers.

The committee will review the data that has been collected in clinical trials regarding the safety and efficacy of the two mRNA vaccines. It will then make a recommendation on whether the FDA should grant emergency use authorization (EUA) for vaccinating young children.

“We know parents are anxious for us to determine if these vaccines are safe & effective,” the FDA said in a Twitter post. “We are working as quickly as possible to carefully review all the data.”

Around the nation

• Colorado: The state health department is warning that a new wave of the coronavirus is already causing infections across the state and could send hundreds more Coloradans to the hospital. “I do believe that we are starting to see an increase in cases associated with a new wave,” said Dr. Rachel Herlihy, the state’s epidemiologist.

• Missouri: While case reporting has been scaled back, wastewater analysis has been stepped up. Unfortunately, it shows an increase in new COVID-19 cases around the state. “In Missouri, numbers aren't scary high. But they're the highest they've been since early February,” said Marc Johnson, a researcher at Missouri University.

• Virginia: Most areas of Virginia are beginning to see a rise in new COVID-19 cases. State health officials report that the positivity rate statewide jumped to 16.6% last week. Officials say subvariants of the Omicron variant are responsible for most of the new cases.

• Michigan: Health records show that schools in Michigan have been the source of recent outbreaks reported across the state. Officials identified 120 new COVID-19 outbreaks last week, including 43 linked to schools. About 212 students and staff reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus last week.

• Delaware:  The Delaware Division of Public Health has recommended that residents wear masks in public spaces, but so far it’s only a request. “Although there are no Delaware or federal government mask mandates, individuals are encouraged to mask in public indoor areas in Delaware,” the agency said in a statement. 

A new study conducted by researchers from Case Western Reserve University explored some of the risk factors associated with breakthrough cases of COVID-19. According to their findings, consumers with cancer or Alzheimer’s may have a higher risk of developing these cases. 

“This study showed significantly increased risks for COVID-19 breakthrough infection in vaccinated patients with cancer, especially those undergoing active cancer care, with marked variations among specific cancer types,” said researcher Rong Xu. 

Identifying breakthrough cases

The researchers conducted two studies to assess the risk that COVID-19 poses to patients with cancer and Alzheimer’s. Both studies analyzed electronic health records of patients who were diagnosed with either cancer or Alzheimer’s and also tested positive for COVID-19 after getting fully vaccinated to protect against the virus. 

The first study analyzed data from over 636,000 vaccinated cancer patients who had one of 12 different types of cancer. The second study looked at anonymous health data from more than 262,000 adults who were vaccinated between December 2020, and August 2021. Among that group, nearly 9,000 participants had been diagnosed with some form of dementia. 

The researchers learned that the risk of a breakthrough COVID-19 case was 13.6% for vaccinated cancer patients; on the other hand, vaccinated people without cancer had a less than 5% risk of a breakthrough case. Certain kinds of cancer posed a greater risk of breakthrough infection, including pancreatic, liver, lung, and colorectal cancer. Patients with thyroid cancer, endometrial cancer, and breast cancer had the lowest risk of having a breakthrough COVID-19 case. 

“Breakthrough infections in patients with cancer were associated with significant and substantial risks for hospitalizations and mortality,” said Xu and researcher Nathan Berger. “These results emphasize the need for patients with cancer to maintain mitigation practice, especially with the emergence of different virus variants and the waning immunity of vaccines.” 

The study on patients with dementia yielded similar results. For those with Alzheimer’s, the risk of a breakthrough infection was 10.3%. In contrast, vaccinated older adults without dementia had a 5.6% risk of breakthrough infection. 

“Patients with dementia have a significantly higher rate of breakthrough COVID infections after vaccination than patients of the same age and risk factors other than dementia,” said researcher Pamela Davis. “Therefore, continued vigilance is needed, even after vaccination, to protect this vulnerable population. Caregivers should consider ongoing masking and social distancing, as well as booster vaccines to protect these individuals.” 

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 83,291,791 (83,269,791)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,002,178 (1,002,126)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 525,703,492 (525,430,667)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,277,424 (6,276,826)‌

Pfizer reports vaccine results for very small children

Pfizer and BioNTech, partners that developed one of the first approved COVID-19 vaccines, say three smaller doses of their vaccine are safe and effective when administered to young children between the ages of six months and five years.

The companies plan to cite results that were provided by a clinical trial as the basis for seeking emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) later this week. According to the researchers who conducted the trial, antibody levels checked one month after the third dose showed that the vaccine produced a similar immune response as two doses in consumers between the ages of 16 and 25.

 “Our COVID-19 vaccine has been studied in thousands of children and adolescents, and we are pleased that our formulation for the youngest children, which we carefully selected to be one-tenth of the dose strength for adults, was well tolerated and produced a strong immune response,” said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.

Infection plus vaccination produces ‘super immunity,’ researchers say

Being vaccinated doesn’t mean you won’t get COVID-19. But if you do have a “breakthrough” case, researchers say the combination of being vaccinated and infected could have some benefits. Theodora Hatziioannou, a virologist and research associate professor at Rockefeller University, says it could produce a “hybrid” immunity.

“The use of the word hybrid is, for lack of a better term, what they are referring to is the immunity that a person acquires after having been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and then vaccinated, essentially trying to describe that you have had two slightly different exposures to the antigen, one via infection and one via vaccination,” she told NPR.

Hatziioannou says one advantage of the hybrid immunity produced by antibodies in the body is that the patient appears to have greater immunity against variants of the coronavirus.

Will monkeypox be the next pandemic?

Over the last two years, scientists around the world have learned how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, many are turning their attention to what may be a new public health threat – monkeypox.

So far, there have been only a limited number of cases of monkeypox – a disease that leaves distinctive blisters on the skin but rarely results in fatalities. Scientists are still learning about the disease but say people who have received a smallpox vaccination should have some protection against the disease.

Around the nation

• New York: New York continues to be the national hot spot for the new subvariants of the coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classifies 54 of NY's 62 counties as having a "high risk" for community COVID-19 spread. That number has more than doubled in the last three weeks, and the state's daily case total just hit a number unseen since January.

• Wisconsin: State health officials say a number of different Omicron subvariants are behind a renewed spread of COVID-19 since late March. The state's seven-day average for new confirmed cases stood at just over 2,000, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

• Massachusetts: The Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity is calling for state officials to reinstate mask mandates across the state as cases of COVID-19 spread across New England. Some health experts believe the actual number of new cases is higher than what is being reported.

• Tennessee: Gov. Bill Lee declined to sign Tennessee’s new “acquired immunity” law that equates a past COVID-19 infection with a vaccination when it comes to mandates imposed by governments and businesses. The legislation became law on Friday without the governor’s endorsement.

• Arizona: The Arizona Department of Health Services updates its COVID-19 dashboard on a weekly basis, and the number of new cases has risen every week over the last month. However, health officials say the current number is still 96% below the January peak.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 83,089,370 ( 82,955,985)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,001,692 (1,001,274)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 526,121,673 (525,505,350)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,286,298 (6,284,006)‌

CDC backs FDA’s approval of boosters for kids

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has endorsed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decision to approve a booster shot of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of five and 11.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky moved quickly to grant final approval after the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 11-1 to back the FDA’s move.

"Today, I endorsed ACIP’s vote to expand eligibility for Covid-19 vaccine booster doses," Walensky said in a statement. "Children five through 11 should receive a booster dose at least five months after their primary series."

Vaccinations after infection may lower ‘long COVID’ risk

Scientists in the U.K. have published a study that suggests people who were infected with COVID-19, then were vaccinated, were less likely to experience “long COVID” symptoms. Long COVID is a condition in which a recovered patient continues to experience some symptoms of the virus.

The study, which was published in the BMJ, is the first large examination of anecdotal evidence suggesting the shot mitigates the risk of prolonged symptoms. More than 28,000 people took part in a study that indicated a post-infection vaccination improves outcomes.

While vaccination after infection was associated with a lower likelihood of long COVID, the researchers say more data will be needed to prove any cause-and-effect connection.

Scientists working on COVID-19 vaccine 2.0

COVID-19 researchers around the world tend to agree on two things: The virus isn’t going away, and vaccines lose some of their protection power over time. That's why work is underway to develop the next generation of vaccines that will have more staying power.

Scientists have found that the biggest drops in immunity occur about four or five months after vaccination. However, vaccinated people who get infected tend to have a better chance of avoiding the most severe symptoms. For that reason, the new generation of vaccines may build on the existing mRNA type.

"We got a really great platform with mRNA," Dr. Anthoney Fauci, head of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), told CNN. "But let's try to be better. Because our experience, maybe it's peculiar to coronavirus, but I doubt it, is that the durability of the response you can be better on."

Around the nation

• New Jersey: The CDC is recommending that people wear masks indoors in public locations in nine counties. The counties, now listed as “high risk” of transmission of COVID-19, are Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Gloucester, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, and Sussex.

• Indiana: The Office of the U.S. Surgeon General has asked state attorneys general to report instances of misinformation about COVID-19. It got an unexpected response from Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, who submitted what he said were erroneous messages from federal health agencies.

• Colorado: Cases are definitely on the rise in Colorado. State health officials report that 40% of the state is testing positive with the BA.2.12.1 Omicron subvariant variant and that it is approximately 25% more transmissible. They also say the first case of the BA 5 Omicron subvariant was detected in Colorado.

• Maine: Maine has one of the highest COVID-19 infection rates in the nation, but when it comes to hospitalizations, officials at MaineHealth report that nearly a third are being treated for other issues. So-called “coincidental” hospitalizations occur when a patient is admitted for another reason but a test shows they also have a COVID-19 infection.

• Oregon: Even though cases of the coronavirus are spreading quickly across the U.S., health officials in states like Oregon are not exactly sounding the alarm. Dr. Dean Sidelinger, Oregon’s chief disease specialist, is urging people to take precautions, but he notes that the current subvariants of the virus are relatively mild.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 82,956,116 (82,731,284)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,001,274 (1,000,207)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 525,512,337 (524,794,769)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,284,012 (6,281,631)‌

White House pushes for more COVID-19 funding

The Biden administration is increasingly putting pressure on Congress to provide more money to meet the challenges of dealing with COVID-19. But with the pandemic producing fewer deaths and hospitalizations, Congress has rejected requested appropriations so far.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha says Congress should think about the next vaccine that will be more effective against variants of the virus. Without a congressional appropriation, the government will not be able to make the next generation of vaccines available to every American.

"I want to make sure we have enough resources that we can buy enough vaccines for every American who wants one,” Jha said. “I think that is absolutely critical. We do not have the resources to do that right now.” 

FDA rejects antidepressant as COVID-19 treatment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has denied a petition from a group of doctors that was seeking approval for the drug fluvoxamine as a treatment for COVID-19. The drug is an older, generic antidepressant that its advocates say reduces COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths.

The FDA normally doesn’t explain its reasons for rejecting a drug, but it did in this case. The agency released a two-page summary that essentially stated that there wasn’t enough evidence that the drug is effective.

The doctors’ group that asked for approval submitted details of a 1,500-patient randomized, controlled trial in Brazil that found patients who received fluvoxamine early in the course of their disease were about a third less likely to need hospital care.

Study links COVID-19 to Parkinson’s disease risk

Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University have published a study using laboratory mice that suggests the virus that causes COVID-19 could increase the risk of brain degeneration seen in Parkinson’s disease.

“Parkinson’s is a rare disease that affects 2% of the population above 55 years, so the increase in risk is not necessarily a cause for panic,” said Richard Smeyne, the first author of the study. “But understanding how coronavirus impacts the brain can help us prepare for the long-term consequences of this pandemic.”

Previous research has found that viruses can make brain cells or neurons more susceptible to damage or death. In an earlier study, the researchers found that mice infected with the H1N1 strain of influenza, which was responsible for the 2009 flu pandemic, were more susceptible to MPTP, a toxin that is known to induce some of the characteristic features of Parkinson’s.

Around the nation

• Hawaii: The tiny state of Hawaii is suddenly reporting a huge number of COVID-19 cases. The Hawaii Department of Health reports that there have been 7,149 new coronavirus cases and 12 deaths in just the last week.

• Vermont: Even though cases of COVID-19 are rising in the state, as well as the rest of New England, Vermont officials discontinued daily updates to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard on Wednesday. Instead of daily updates, the health department is moving to a weekly surveillance report that will provide an overview of daily COVID-19 cases for the week.

• Virginia: New cases are on the rise across the state. For the first time since February, Virginia is averaging nearly 3,000 new coronavirus cases per day this week. One bright spot – fewer cases require a stay in the hospital, according to the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association.

• California: State health officials are increasing the number of “test-to-treat” sites in California. Residents can be tested for COVID-19 and, should the test indicate an infection, receive therapeutic treatment at these facilities. Officials say they plan to add 146 locations over the next two weeks.

• North Carolina: The NC COVID-19 Student Response Corps, which was established early in the pandemic, has begun its third year of providing internships at government agencies and non-profits. “The Response Corps offers a way for students and recent graduates from across our state to provide key support to government and nonprofits while gaining valuable experience to help launch their careers in public service,” said Gov. Roy Cooper. 

A new study conducted by researchers from Thomas Jefferson University explored how COVID-19 may affect brain health long-term. According to the findings, the virus may increase the risk of developing Parkinson's disease. 

“Parkinson’s is a rare disease that affects 2% of the population above 55 years, so the increase in risk is not necessarily a cause in panic,” said researcher Richard Smeyne, Ph.D. “But understanding how coronavirus impacts the brain can help us prepare for the long-term consequences of the pandemic.” 

COVID-19 and brain health

The researchers conducted their study on mice that were injected with mild variants of COVID-19. About a month and a half after infection, a group of the mice was injected with a low dose of MPTP, a toxin that is closely associated with Parkinson’s. Two weeks later, the researchers analyzed the subjects' brains to understand how the virus and the MPTP affected their brain health. 

The study showed that the combination of the COVID-19 infection and the MPTP led to the loss of neurons, which is typically seen in patients who have Parkinson’s disease. While the virus alone wasn’t responsible for the loss of neurons, the combination of the two led the researchers to believe it could contribute to a higher risk of Parkinson’s. 

“We think about a ‘multi-hit’ hypothesis for Parkinson’s – the virus itself does not kill the neurons, but it does make them more susceptible to a ‘second hit,’ such as a toxin or bacteria or even an underlying genetic mutation,” said Dr. Smeyne. 

While the findings highlight connections between COVID-19 and Parkinson’s, the team believes that more work will be needed down the line to better understand this link. 

“First of all, this is preclinical work,” Dr. Smeyene said. “It is too soon to say whether we would see the same thing in humans, given that there seems to be a 5-10 year lag between any changes in clinical manifestation of Parkinson’s in humans. If it does turn out that COVID-19 increases the risk of Parkinson’s, it will be a major burden on our society and health care system. But we can anticipate that challenge by advancing our knowledge of potential ‘second hits’ and mitigating strategies.” 

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 82,731,284 (82,619,858)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,000,207 (999,852)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 524,794,769 (522,165,282)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,281,631 (6,267,509)‌

FDA approves booster shots for young children

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has amended the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The change allows it to be used to administer a booster shot to children between the ages of five and 11.

“While it has largely been the case that COVID-19 tends to be less severe in children than adults, the Omicron wave has seen more kids getting sick with the disease and being hospitalized, and children may also experience long term effects, even following initially mild disease,” said FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf.

Before getting a booster, children must have received the initial doses of the vaccine. Califf urged parents to get their eligible children vaccinated and boosted as a protection against what appears to be a building wave of new cases.

Flu shot may protect against COVID-19, study finds

If you got a flu shot in addition to your COVID-19 vaccination, you may have an extra layer of protection against the coronavirus. That’s the conclusion of researchers who published their findings in the journal Nature.

Scientists conducted a study of more than 30,000 health care workers in Qatar and found that those who got a flu shot were nearly 90% less likely to develop severe COVID-19 over the next few months when compared to those who didn’t get a flu shot.

Scientists believe the flu shots’ positive effect on the body’s immune system is what gives it the power to protect against the coronavirus. The findings could lead to a combined annual effort to encourage both vaccinations.

Terminated employee sues Mayo Clinic

A Mayo Clinic employee who was dismissed – along with 700 others – for not getting a COVID-19 vaccination has filed a lawsuit against the medical institution. The suit, filed by Shelley Kiel, claims unlawful termination and demands a jury trial.

Kiel and her unvaccinated colleagues were fired in January for failing to abide by the Mayo Clinic’s mandate that all employees be vaccinated against the virus. About 1% of all employees were dismissed over the issue.

The suit claims that the medical center did not use a case-by-case analysis or individualized interactive process to consider religious exemptions. The suit claims the terminations were unfair because they were predetermined.

Around the nation

• New York: Health officials have raised New York City’s COVID-19 threat level to “high” for the first time in weeks. Health officials say the strain is building on the health care system, so they are strongly recommending wearing masks in public indoor settings.

• Pennsylvania: Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the Democratic candidate for governor, tested positive for COVID-19 just hours before the primary election polls opened on Tuesday. A spokesperson for the campaign said Shapiro received his positive test result on Monday evening “after taking a precautionary test” ahead of a scheduled trip to Johnstown and Pittsburgh.

• South Carolina: Health officials in Charleston are expressing concerns about the rising number of new COVID-19 cases in the state’s largest city. It comes as the state health department reported nearly 5,600 new cases on May 17, an increase of 266% from a month earlier.

• Maryland: People in Montgomery County, a Washington, D.C. suburb, are being urged to wear masks again when they visit indoor public spaces. “Our current surge in cases is lasting longer than expected, which leaves more people at-risk of being exposed to COVID-19,” County Executive Marc Elrich said in a statement.

• Nevada: An investigative report by ProPublica claims that COVID-19 tests from a Chicago lab that were widely used across Nevada during the pandemic were flawed and often returned the wrong results. The report claims that the company used political connections to fast-track its state approval and sign testing agreements with five government entities in the state.

While recent studies have highlighted how consumers’ drinking habits have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study conducted by researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center further explored this area. According to their findings, deaths related to alcohol use disorder surged during the pandemic. 

“During the first few months of the pandemic, my colleagues and I saw increased numbers of patients being treated for acute alcohol use-related conditions in the intensive care unit and throughout the medical center,” said researcher Dr. Yee Hui Yeo. “We also became aware of reports from single centers of elevated alcohol use-related complications. That prompted us to think, maybe this is a significant public health crisis."

Alcohol use disorder affects longevity

For the study, the researchers analyzed mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 2012 through 2019. They then used a predictive model that assessed what mortality rates would look like for 2020 and 2021 based on earlier figures and compared that with the mortality rates that were reported for those years. 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that deaths related to alcohol use disorder were much higher than the predicted rates in both 2020 and 2021. In 2020, alcohol use-related deaths were 25% higher than predicted; in 2021, the mortality rate was 22% higher. 

“What we found in our analysis reflects what we had been seeing anecdotally in our patients and in academic papers tracking complications like alcohol-related liver disease,” said Dr. Yeo. “We also know that alcohol use disorder is often under-reported, so actual mortality rates related to alcohol use may be even higher than reported.” 

The study showed that younger adults who were between the ages of 25 and 44 years old experienced the greatest increase in alcohol-related deaths over the course of the pandemic. While the mortality rate was highest among older adults over the course of the study, alcohol use-related deaths shot up to more than 40% in 2020 and dropped down to under 34% in 2021 for younger adults. 

The researchers hope these findings highlight the significant health risks associated with alcohol use disorder and the ways that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected consumers’ drinking. 

“In publishing this article, we want everyone, especially policymakers and physicians on the front lines, to know that during the pandemic, there is really a significant surge in alcohol use disorder-related deaths,” Dr. Yeo said. “We also want to recognize that patients who die from alcohol use disorder-related causes tend to have social determinants of health, like lower socioeconomic status, that can make it harder for them to access health care and help. Finally, we want to make sure that patients who do seek treatment for alcohol or substance use have access to follow-up care to prevent secondary complications.” 

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 82,619,858 (82,476,893)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 999,852 (999,607)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 522,165,282 (521,567,640)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,267,509 (6,264,186)‌

White House restarts free test kit program

This week, the Biden administration resumed a federal program that mailed free COVID-19 test kits to Americans who requested one. Actually, the U.S. Postal Service will deliver up to eight free tests per household.

With little fanfare, the once dormant website where consumers could order tests went back online on Monday. According to users, the site was functional and taking orders before the White House announced a resumption of the program.

The free test kit program resumes as U.S. cases of the coronavirus rapidly increase. New cases have reportedly risen more than 60% this month, with most of them caused by the less severe but more highly contagious subvariants of the Omicron variant.

Congressional panel claims collusion between meatpackers and feds

In the early days of the pandemic, long before vaccines were available, the coronavirus spread quickly through the nation’s meat processing plants. Now, a shocking congressional report claims that meatpackers and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) bent safety rules to keep the plants operating.

In its report, which contains harsh criticism of the Trump administration, the House Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis claims that COVID-19 safety guidelines for meatpacking plants released by the USDA had been heavily influenced by the companies it was charged with regulating. 

Meat processing plants require employees to work in close proximity to one another, making it easy to spread the virus. Some plants reported a large number of cases, resulting in several deaths, during the first year of the pandemic.

Former Trump health official predicts large wave in the South

Dr. Deborah Birx, who served as a top health official in the Trump administration, warns that Florida and much of the South should get ready for an "exponential" COVID-19 surge this summer. Birx spoke to a group in West Palm Beach, Fla., to promote her book about the pandemic, “Silent Invasion.”

Birx said she expects a swell of new cases across the region this summer that could bring an increase in hospitalizations. So far, hospitalizations have remained well below pandemic peaks.

"We are heading into Memorial Day when families like to get together," Birx said. She urged her audience to acquire COVID-19 test kits now ahead of what could be a shortage as cases increase this summer.

Around the nation

• Nebraska: After a prolonged leveling off, new cases in Nebraska rose sharply in the last seven days, according to state health officials. The state reported 1,500 new virus cases last week, a sharp increase from just over 800 in each of the two previous weeks.

• Michigan: Some schools in the Detroit area have reimposed mask mandates as cases of the coronavirus continue to rise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended last week that people in the Detroit area wear masks in indoor public spaces.

• Massachusetts: New cases of COVID-19 are being reported in greater numbers across the state. The CDC has rated 11 of Massachusetts' 14 counties as having high community transmission levels of the coronavirus. Berkshire County reported the highest case rate per 100,000 individuals.

• Arizona: State health officials are reporting an increase in both flu and COVID-19 cases since the beginning of May. The latest numbers show that the state recorded almost 5,000 new COVID-19 cases for the week of May 1, with a 9% test positivity rate. Four weeks earlier, Arizona reported fewer than 2,000 new cases when the test positivity rate was 3%.

• Florida: Masks are gone, planes are full, and Florida tourism officials report that things have never been better. The state’s tourism agency says 36 million visitors came to Florida in the first quarter of this year – 1.3% more than during the same period in 2019, before the pandemic.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 82,476,893 (82,437,716)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 999,607 (999,270)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 521,567,640 (521,213,114)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,264,186 (6,263,478)‌

Airline industry faces pilot shortage

The pandemic is blamed for what has been called “the great resignation,” and it's being felt especially in the airline industry. Airlines say they have fewer pilots than before COVID-19’s arrival. and it could affect summer flight schedules.

Industry insiders say COVID-19 reduced and slowed the training of new pilots. They also point to a wave of early retirements when airlines slashed flights in the early days of the pandemic.

Airline executives say the easiest and fastest remedy would be to raise the mandatory retirement age from 65 to 67 or older.

Children’s activity fell below federal guidelines during the pandemic

A new study conducted at the University of Bristol shows how much of an effect early COVID-19 lockdowns had on children’s health. Researchers say children’s physical activity levels were significantly lower by the time the COVID-19 pandemic public lockdown restrictions were lifted.

The researchers found that little more than a third of children – 36% –  were meeting the recommended physical activity guidelines by the end of 2021. Specifically, children between the ages of 10 and 11 were active for just 56 minutes during weekdays from April 2021, to December 2021.

“These findings highlight a greater need to work with children, families, schools, and communities to maximize the opportunities for children to be physically active, as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said senior author Russ Jago.

Drake University puts the masks back on for graduation

Iowa is one of the states where new cases of COVID-19 have spiked in recent days. So when it came time for commencement exercises at Drake University, it reinstated its mask mandate for graduates and members of the audience.

Cases have also risen recently on the Drake University campus, adding motivation for the university to ask people attending the event to mask up.

"We all want to be healthy and get together and do whatever it takes to get through all of this," said Ron Waldbilling, a relative of one of the graduates.

Around the nation

• Ohio: Cases are rising in Northeast Ohio, but wearing a mask in public is now voluntary. Dr. Claudia Hoyen, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at University Hospitals, has noticed that not many people are wearing one. "People are done with it (the pandemic). You hope that if they're done with it, they've been vaccinated," she said.

• Kansas: Gov. Laura Kelly has vetoed a bill passed by the state legislature that would have barred any government agency from issuing a mask mandate for any public health reason. In her veto message, Kelly said the bill “significantly limits any government entity’s response to any infectious disease outbreak.” 

• New York: In the last week, all of New York state except for one county has been classified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a “high risk” area for COVID-19. The Bronx is the only region of New York that still carries a “low risk of transmission.”

• Missouri: The state legislature has passed a bill that is aimed at restrictions on hospital visitors. The measure would prevent hospitals from keeping family members away from hospitalized loved ones, even during a pandemic.

• Utah: Gov. Spenser Cox has tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the Utah Health Department to issue a reminder that vaccinations provide the best protection. “Most people who are infected with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, especially if they are up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations. The vaccines have been shown to be safe and effective, and provide protection against serious disease,” the agency said. 

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 82,330,411 (82,227,408)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 999,138 (999,009)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 520,227,679 (519,604,066)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,260,880 (6,258,885)‌

The reprieve may be over, experts say

There’s no question that cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. dropped sharply in March. At one point, the U.S. was 13th in the world in the seven-day average of new cases. Now it's back up to second behind Germany.

The medical information publication STAT suggests that the reprieve the U.S. enjoyed is ending because new cases caused by subvariants of Omicron are spreading quickly. Despite the increase in new cases, the death and hospitalization rate has remained the same.

Meanwhile, the official COVID-19 death toll tracked by Johns Hopkins University remains just below the 1 million mark.

COVID-19 summit receives pledges of financial aid

World leaders gathered virtually Thursday for the 2nd Global COVID-19 Summit, and the White House says the participating governments made major new policy and financial commitments to make vaccines available to those at the highest risk, to expand access to tests and treatments, and to prevent future health crises. 

“Financially, leaders committed to provide $3.2 billion in new funding – additional to previous 2022 pledges, while acknowledging the need is still great,” the White House said in a statement. “This includes nearly $2.5 billion for COVID-19 and related response activities and $712 million in new commitments toward a new pandemic preparedness and global health security fund at the World Bank.”

Summit participants committed to double down on their collective efforts to control COVID-19 by directing their efforts to increase protections for high-risk populations.

Americans hit the bottle early in the pandemic, study finds

Adult alcohol consumption patterns changed during the pandemic, with a new study in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research finding that Americans drank more during the first 42 weeks.

The study said it is unknown if the pattern persisted after that initial period. It attributes the initial binge to stress, reduced health care access, economic distress, and the sudden availability of alcohol delivery services.

In the aggregate sample, the average past-week drinking days increased from 1.17 in March to 1.48-to-1.55 in the next month. Those numbers gradually dropped throughout the year and ranged from 1.2 to 1.33 during the last four months of the study period. 

Around the nation

• New Hampshire: New cases of the coronavirus are spreading across the Northeast, and New Hampshire is bearing the brunt of the outbreak. Reported active cases in the state hit 4,000 for the first time since mid-February. Hospitalizations also increased, rising above 100.

• Iowa: A state court judge has ruled that a hospital administrator who refused the COVID-19 vaccine, refused to be screened for the virus, and refused to wear a mask is not entitled to collect jobless benefits after being fired. Joshua Braunschweig had been employed by Buena Vista Regional Medical Center in Storm Lake.

• Michigan: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has placed nearly all of Southeastern Michigan in the “high risk of transmission” category. Cases have risen in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Livingston, and St. Clair counties in recent days.

• Oregon: State health officials say they expect a significant increase in COVID-19 cases over the next few weeks, but they also expect most of those cases to be mild. At-risk people should continue to mask up, but one official says they "want people to be gathering" and "doing the things that are important to them."

• Louisiana: Schoolchildren will have to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend school in the fall. In the state legislature, the Senate Health and Welfare committee rejected a House resolution on Wednesday to repeal a state rule requiring COVID-19 vaccines for students.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 82,256,336 (82,061,553)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 998,898 (998,078)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 519,748,728 (518,823,826)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,259,219 (6,256,043)‌

White House marks 1 million U.S. dead

President Biden is using the second Global COVID Summit, a virtual gathering of world leaders, nongovernmental organizations, and private sector companies, to commemorate the deaths of 1 million Americans from COVID-19.

The president may be a little early. The semi-official tally maintained by Johns Hopkins University shows that the death toll is approaching one million but is currently short of that mark. Even so, Biden says it’s as good a time as any to pause and reflect.

"To those who are grieving, and asking yourself how will you go on without him or what will you do without her, I understand,” the president said in a statement. I know the pain of that black hole in your heart. It is unrelenting. But I also know the ones you love are never truly gone. They will always be with you.”

More vaccinated people are dying as subvariants spread

Just a few months ago, the number of unvaccinated people dying from COVID-19 far outnumbered those who were vaccinated. But the proliferation of subvariants seems to have flipped that script.

Federal data shows that less than a quarter of all COVID-19 deaths were among the vaccinated in the second half of September -- before the Omicron variant's arrival. But during January and February, more than 40% of COVID-19 deaths were among vaccinated people.

While the subvariants are believed to cause less severe symptoms, health experts say elderly people who were among the first to be vaccinated may be less protected, especially if they haven’t received a booster shot.

U.S. health officials hid early data on COVID-19

The acting director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) told Congress Wednesday that U.S. health officials honored a request from China and concealed early genomic sequences of the COVID-19 virus. Critics say that information could have been used to trace the origin of the coronavirus.

Lawrence Tabak told a House Appropriations subcommittee that the NIH “eliminated from public view” the information retrieved from Wuhan, China, in 2020 -- the location of the earliest outbreak.

Some scientists say the data could perhaps resolve whether the virus leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology or passed naturally from animals to humans.

Around the nation

• Colorado: UCHealth in Aurora has established a clinic that will focus its attention on the condition known as “long COVID.” Health officials in the state say up to 7% of Colorado's population is estimated to have long COVID.

• New Jersey: As state lawmakers begin work on crafting next year’s budget, pressure is growing on Gov. Phil Murphy to give the legislature a say in how any remaining COVID-19 aid money is spent. The state received $6.24 billion through the American Rescue Plan and much of it remains unspent.

• Maryland: With new cases of COVID-19 rising, health officials are urging people to mask up indoors once again. Anne Arundel County Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman told WJZ-TV that cases are rising again and that residents should take all precautions.

• Pennsylvania: State health officials have ranked Pennsylvania counties according to their vaccination rates. Montour County has come out on top with a vaccination rate of 76.9%. That’s 12.3% higher than the vaccination rate for the entire state.

• California: The Los Angeles Unified School District has postponed a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for students aged 12 and older from this fall to next year. The move aligns the school district’s policy with the rest of the state.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 82,073,745 (81,976,948)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 998,109 (998,010)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 518,943,587 (518,145,195)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,256,280 (6,253,856)‌

Employers relaxing vaccination mandates, study finds

After COVID-19 vaccines became available about a year ago, many U.S. employers required employees to get one, sparking controversy at some hospitals and airlines. With new cases of the virus causing less severe symptoms, employers now appear to be relaxing these mandates.

An analysis of April job postings at job site Indeed shows that about 6.7% of U.S. job listings cited vaccination as a requirement. That percentage is down from its March peak of 7.1%.

“I believe the downward trend is indicative of whether employers think advertising required vaccination will help them attract the workers they want,” said AnnElizabeth Konkel, an economist at Indeed who conducted the analysis.

Booster shots lag behind vaccination rate

While around 76% of the U.S. adult population has been fully vaccinated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says fewer Americans have gotten one booster shot, much less a second one.

In its latest update, the CDC reported that fewer than half of eligible Americans have gotten a first booster shot. Only about 10 million Americans have gotten a second booster shot.

The CDC is urging Americans to get booster shots, saying they will offer better protection against the emerging subvariants of COVID-19. While the subvariants spread easier, vaccinated and boosted individuals appear to have less severe symptoms.

Insomnia may be a result of ‘long COVID’

The symptoms of COVID-19 are well-known. Patients often experience dry coughs, congestion, fever, and fatigue. Sometimes they lose their sense of smell. 

But patients whose symptoms drag on for weeks – a condition known as long COVID – may also suffer from sleep disorders like insomnia, a study has found.

“Sleep disorders are one of the most common symptoms for patients who’ve had COVID-19,” said Dr. Cinthya Pena Orbea, a Cleveland Clinic sleep medicine specialist “They report insomnia, fatigue, brain fog and sometimes we even see circadian rhythm disorders.”

Around the nation

• Florida: Cases are trending higher in just the last week. An analysis of federal data shows that the state has added 5,299 news cases in just the last seven days. In the previous three weeks, the state averaged about 113 cases per day.

• Nevada: Gov. Steve Sisolak has announced that he will end his COVID-19 state of emergency on May 20 as the state begins to return to normal. In a statement, Sisolak said the emergency order provided flexibility to state agencies in meeting the health crisis.

• Tennessee: A report issued by the Tennessee Department of Health covering the month of April shows that new COVID-19 cases and deaths were prevalent in eight Northeast Tennessee counties. But the totals were much lower than the region reported in January.

• Massachusetts: Health officials report that the test positivity rate in Boston, excluding colleges, is now over 10%. Several schools in the region, including Arlington, Belmont, and Cambridge, are once again urging students and staff to wear masks as cases continue to climb.

• Minnesota: Minnesota is now down to a single high-risk county when it comes to the spread of COVID-19. Pennington County in the state’s northwest corner currently has the only high community-level risk rating in the state.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 81,979,368 (81,877,929)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 998,060 (997,539)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 518,154,019 (517,393,760)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,253,879 (6,251,576)‌

White House steps up campaign for boosters

Cases of COVID-19 are rising in the U.S., but it's happening faster in some states than others. The White House says the difference may lie in the percentage of the population that is fully vaccinated and boosted.

Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House pandemic response coordinator, says states with low rates of booster shots may see the worst outbreaks of the easily transmissible subvariants of the virus. He points to upper New York state as a case in point.

Jha said the U.S. has weapons available, such as booster shots, to keep the effects of the virus in check if people would only take advantage of them. While cases of the coronavirus are rising, there has been almost no increase in severe cases.

Prescriptions for Paxlovid have increased tenfold

Prescriptions of Paxlovid have surged since the White House began encouraging doctors to treat COVID-19 patients with the antiviral drug. Experts say that may be what’s keeping severe cases of the virus from rising.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla says prescriptions for Paxlovid increased from 8,000 to 80,000 between late February and April.

Paxlovid is a drug cocktail made up of two drugs. One of them keeps the virus from replicating and the other keeps the first from breaking down in the body too quickly. The drug is approved for COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms who are at risk for hospitalization.

Coach tests positive but the Warriors win anyway

When the Golden State Warriors faced off against the Memphis Grizzlies Monday night in the NBA playoffs, they did so without their head coach. Earlier in the day, Steve Kerr tested positive for the virus and had to sit out the game.

With assistant coach Mike Brown filling in, the Warriors held their own against Memphis, thanks to Steph Curry’s 32 points. The team won 101-98 and took a 3-1 series lead. Game five is tomorrow night in Memphis.

Around the nation

• New York: Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced that she tested positive for COVID-19. “Today I tested positive for COVID-19. Thankfully, I'm vaccinated and boosted, and I'm asymptomatic. I'll be isolating and working remotely this week," Hochul said in a tweet at the beginning of the week.

• California: The city of San Jose has reimposed a mask mandate for municipal workers, joining other California cities that have done so. While cases are on the rise around the state, the San Francisco Bay area is seeing the sharpest increase.

• Michigan: Federal health officials have upgraded the COVID-19 risk in parts of Michigan. Grand Traverse County in Northern Michigan was considered to have a “high” community COVID-19 spread as of the start of this week, and people are being urged to wear masks in indoor public spaces.

• Texas: The Texas Medical Center has announced that it will no longer provide COVID-19 data updates on its dashboard. It says the information is now less relevant. "With advancements in treatment and the successes in vaccination, we are now able to effectively manage the virus in our community,” the center said in a statement.

• Alabama: The COVID-19 lockdowns in China are adversely affecting a hospital in Birmingham. University of Alabama Hospital officials say they are being forced to ration a key medical supply because they can no longer get enough of it from Chinese factories in Shanghai.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 81,877,929 (81,858,744)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 997,539 (997,403)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 517,397,826 (517,119,260)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,251,585 (6,250,875)‌

Cases higher, deaths flat from one year ago

In May 2021, the three COVID-19 vaccines were rolling out to the general population. Most older Americans had gotten the jab, and now younger adults were rolling up their sleeves. Cases and deaths were declining.

A one-year comparison shows that new cases of COVID-19 are sharply higher, but deaths from the virus are about the same. Analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University shows that the seven-day average of new cases is 71,742 now, compared to 42,015 on May 8, 2021. The seven-day average of deaths is exactly the same – 607.

Over the weekend, the White House warned that the U.S. might see 100 million COVID19 infections this fall and winter. The warning was part of an appeal to Congress for more COVID-19 funding.

The next vaccine may go up your nose

Variants and subvariants of the coronavirus have made the early vaccines less effective at blocking infection, even though they can prevent serious illness. Now scientists believe changing the location of the vaccinations might improve effectiveness.

Instead of shots in the arm, the next generation of COVID-19 vaccines may be sprayed in the nose. Scientists say eight such vaccines are currently in clinical trials.

The reasoning is simple. Scientists say it makes more sense to deliver the vaccine to the point where the infection takes place. They also say the vaccine could be administered at home, making it easier to quickly innoculate the population.

Interferon is effective against COVID-19, scientists say

In the last two years, there have been vaccines and new therapeutic drugs to combat the pandemic. Some scientists are now pointing to interferon, part of the body’s natural defense against infection, as a potential weapon.

Scientists in Brazil who conducted a trial of an interferon-based drug are reporting a “strikingly positive result.” Of more than 1,900 high-risk people who received a single shot within seven days of developing symptoms, severe symptoms declined by 50%.

Even better, the pharmaceutical company that developed the drug said it appeared to be effective against all variants, including the Omicron variant.

Around the nation

• California: New cases of COVID-19 are on the rise across the state, but especially in the San Francisco Bay area. The California Department of Public Health’s latest report shows that the statewide daily case rate for COVID-19 at 14 per 100,000 residents. That’s a 27% increase in the past week and an increase of 71% in the past two weeks.

• Connecticut: State health officials say the most recent COVID-19 tracking numbers have become so skewed that they’re almost meaningless. They point to a test positivity rate of more than 11%, which suggests a surge. At the same time, the state is logging only 900 new cases a day on average.

• Maine: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Maine now has the highest COVID-19 infection rate in the nation. State health officials report that the number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus grew to 169 on Wednesday, the highest number in Maine in months.

• New Mexico: Hospital cases of the coronavirus continue to fall in New Mexico. State health officials report that the number of logged COVID-19 hospitalizations in New Mexico dropped significantly at the end of last week in spite of a slight increase in case counts.

• Hawaii: It’s prom season, and in many places that means COVID-19 Season. Officials at the Hawaii Department of Health have linked two recent outbreaks involving teenagers with two Oahu high school proms. Both schools required all attendees to be vaccinated.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 81,711,387 (81,621,102)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 997,023 (996,713)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 516,292,773 (515,017,808)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,248,147 (6,245,407)‌

COVID-19 subvariants increasing faster than primary variants

First, it was new strains of the coronavirus we had to worry about. But since the appearance of the Delta variant in mid-2021, we’ve had the Omicron variant and its multiple subvariants. At last count, scientists have identified BA.1; BA.1.1; BA.2; BA.2.12.1; BA.3; and the most recent, BA.4 and BA.5.

“They all differ from each other by having different mutations in the spike protein,” which is the part of the virus that penetrates host cells and causes infection, Dr. Monica Gandhi, a professor of medicine at the University of California-San Francisco, told Kaiser Health News.

The numbers associated with the names are important. Generally, the higher the number following “BA” in the subvariant’s name, the more transmissible that subvariant is. For instance, BA.2 is thought to be about 30% to 60% more transmissible than previous subvariants. 

FDA limits the use of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is modifying its emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. Going forward, it is only approved for people 18 and older for whom other vaccines aren't appropriate or who otherwise wouldn’t get vaccinated.

The change was prompted by research showing that there is a risk of a rare and dangerous blood clotting condition called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) after receiving the vaccine.

“We recognize that the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine still has a role in the current pandemic response in the United States and across the global community,” said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “Our action reflects our updated analysis of the risk of TTS following administration of this vaccine and limits the use of the vaccine to certain individuals.”

Omicron less likely to produce ‘long COVID’

There have been fewer reports of “long COVID” cases in recent months, and we may be able to thank the Omicron variant for that. An analysis of case data suggests that infections caused by the Omicron variant are less likely than those caused by the Delta strain to produce long-lasting symptoms.

The analysis shows that the chance of fully vaccinated adults infected with the BA.1 subvariant developing long COVID is about 50% lower than people whose infection was caused by the Delta variant.

The analysis was conducted by the British Office for National Statistics (ONS). It showed the prevalence of self-reported long COVID for fully vaccinated adults infected with the Delta variant was 16%, compared to 9% for Omicron BA.1. 

Around the nation

• Pennsylvania: Bishop Daniel Gutiérrez has revealed that at least 41 clergy members in the Diocese of Pennsylvania tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a clergy conference last week. The conference was held in Cape May, N.J.

• North Carolina: New cases of COVID-19 are slowly rising throughout the state, and emerging subvariants of the Omicron variant are getting most of the blame. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that BA.2 is still the predominant strain in North Carolina, making up 91% of the positive cases sequenced. 

• New Jersey: Public health officials report that the coronavirus' BA.2 variant continues to spread rapidly through the state. However, they say it's not causing anywhere near the severe outcomes that the Delta and Omicron variants did in the past year. Hospitalizations are up, but they're below worst-case predictions.

• Ohio: Cuyahoga County is the first area in Ohio to return to a high COVID-19 transmission status. However, the virus is ticking up in several areas of the state. Federal data shows that there are 91.33 cases per 100,000 people this week.

• Nevada: State health officials report a sharp upturn in new COVID-19 cases, an increase of nearly 58%. Washoe County reported 258 cases and two deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 152 cases and one death.

With an updated analysis, evaluation, and investigation of reported cases in its hands, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided to limit the emergency use authorization of the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine to two demographic groups.

Those groups include people 18 and older for whom other authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccines are not accessible or clinically appropriate and individuals 18 and older who choose to receive the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine because they would otherwise not receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

The FDA said its decision is based on the determination that the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine comes with a higher risk of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), a rare but serious condition that produces blood clots. 

Where does this leave Johnson & Johnson?

This doesn’t mean the end for Johnson & Johnson’s participation in the vaccine pipeline.

“We recognize that the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine still has a role in the current pandemic response in the United States and across the global community. Our action reflects our updated analysis of the risk of TTS following administration of this vaccine and limits the use of the vaccine to certain individuals,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., and director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. 

Marks said the FDA will continue to monitor the safety of the Janssen vaccine –  as it will all other vaccines –  and will thoroughly evaluate any new safety information that emerges.

Johnson & Johnson said it has updated its U.S. COVID-19 vaccine fact sheet in an effort to make the public aware of the risk of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome. However, the company reinforced its belief that the benefits of its vaccine outweigh the risks.

“Our number one priority is the safety and well-being of those who use the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine,” the company said in a press release. “Data continue to support a favorable benefit-risk profile for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in adults, when compared with no vaccine.”

Company officials stated that they will continue to collaborate with health authorities, regulators, and vaccine recipients to make sure everyone is kept up to date about reports of TTS.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 81,630,729 (81,514,062)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 996,746 (994,781)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 515,733,220 (515,017,808)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,245,723 (6,241,347)‌

U.S. cases are rising, but hospitalizations and deaths aren’t

By the early days of March, new cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. were sharply lower than their peak in January. Now, cases of the virus are rising again thanks to the more transmissible subvariants of Omicron.

But an analysis of data compiled by the COVID-19 Tracking Project at Johns Hopkins University suggests that most of the new cases are not producing symptoms that are as severe as in earlier strains. Hospitalizations and deaths attributed to the virus are stable or falling in some areas.

The U.S. is closing in on 1 million COVID-19 deaths, but it's adding fewer deaths each day. The seven-day average of deaths on Wednesday was 568. On May 4, 2021, the seven-day average of deaths was 723.

CDC ‘recommends’ masks on planes

A federal judge ended the requirement that passengers on planes and other networks wear masks at all times to protect against COVID-19. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week renewed its recommendation that everyone mask up.

In an update, the CDC said it recommends a mask for everyone age two and older “in indoor areas of public transportation (such as airplanes, trains, etc.) and transportation hubs (such as airports, stations, etc.).” 

The agency said it also encourages everyone to wear a mask “in crowded or poorly ventilated locations, such as airport jetways.”

CDC reportedly bought access to data to track people’s movement

In the early days of the pandemic, the CDC reportedly purchased access to cell phone data that would allow it to track members of the Navajo Nation’s compliance with curfews and lockdown orders. Documents obtained by the technology publisher Motherboard reportedly show that the purchase would have provided data from millions of devices.

According to the report, the data can show where a person lives, works, and goes. While the data the CDC purchased was more general in nature and not linked to an individual person, Motherboard’s report raised the concern that the data could be “deanonymized” and used to track individuals.

The report cites documents showing that the CDC planned to use location data from a “highly controversial” data broker called SafeGraph. The CDC reportedly paid $420,000 for access to one year of data.

Around the nation

• New York: A wave of new COVID-19 cases continues to build across the state. Gov. Kathy Hochul reports that 2,119 New Yorkers are hospitalized with the virus across the state's 10 regions. That’s a 153% increase since April 3 but well below the 13,000 hospitalized in January.

• Washington: Even though federal money has run out to pay for COVID-19 tests for people without insurance, the state health department says it still has plenty of tests and is making them available to the public. “We have about 3.3 million tests on hand and more on the way,” said Department of Health spokesman Frank Ameduri.

• Minnesota: Public health officials report that the CDC has identified a new Omicron subvariant, BA.2.12, in Minnesota. A local website, Bring Me The News, quotes state officials who say 20 cases of the new subvariant have been identified so far. The BA.2.12 is believed to be an even more contagious version than BA.2.

• Oklahoma: Oklahoma County commissioners rejected a proposal this week to divert up to $25 million in COVID-19 relief funds to build a new search and rescue dog training facility. Dissenting commissioners said it would be premature to use the relief funds for other purposes.

• Virginia: The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) this week released its latest set of COVID-19 guidelines for overnight summer camps. Topping the list is guidance stating that all campers and staff should be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters if eligible. Wearing a mask indoors is also encouraged.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 81,519,193 (81,448,159)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 994,807 (994,019)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 515,082,443 (514,358,501)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,241,652 (6,238,647)‌

Annual COVID-19 shot may be needed, FDA says

Top officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration say Americans may need an annual COVID-19 shot, just like getting an annual flu shot. They say vaccines will likely be updated each year to head off the latest variant.

Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research; Principal Deputy Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock; and new FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf expressed that opinion in a paper published in the journal JAMA.

"Widespread vaccine- and infection-induced immunity, combined with the availability of effective therapeutics, could blunt the effects of future outbreaks,” the officials wrote. “Nonetheless, it is time to accept that the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is the new normal. It will likely circulate globally for the foreseeable future, taking its place alongside other common respiratory viruses such as influenza. 

Scientists think COVID-19 may damage the brain

COVID-19 has only been around for a couple of years, and scientists are still learning about its long-term effects. They say there is some evidence that mild cases of the virus can permanently affect the brain.

In the U.K., one study led by the Wellcome Center for Integrative Neuroimaging at the University of Oxford examined brain scans on patients before and after being infected with the virus. The examination showed that the people who had mild cases of the coronavirus lost some gray matter.

“We saw cortical thinning in areas associated with the sense of smell,” Winkler said. “We noticed a blurring of the contrast between the gray and white matter and we also saw changes in the diffusion of water molecules,” said Dr. Anderson Winkler, a senior associate scientist at the National Institute of Mental Health.

Washington dinner spreads COVID-19 among journalists

Last weekend’s White House Correspondents Dinner – the first since 2019 – may have been a “superspreader” event. Several journalists and other attendees have now tested positive for the virus.

According to Politico, reporters and other staffers from CNN, ABC News, NBC News, CBS News, and Politico have tested positive for the virus. The report said ABC's Jon Karl, who shook hands with President Biden, is one of the journalists who now has COVID-19.

Around the nation

• California: Federal money to pay for COVID-19 tests for the uninsured has run out, but California is still providing the tests and absorbing the cost. State officials say there are already programs in place that can pay for the tests. They say it helps that demand for testing has dropped sharply.

• Florida: Prosecutors continue to level fraud charges against individuals that they claim ripped off COVID-19 relief programs. A Croatian citizen has been extradited to Florida to stand trial on charges of defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program to the tune of $7.2 million.

• Massachusetts: All of a sudden, Massachusetts is dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak while new cases remain subdued in other areas of the country. On Tuesday, state health officials reported more than 2,600 new COVID-19 cases across the state, a 12% increase in seven days. Hospitalizations surpassed 500 patients for the first time in months.

• Michigan: White House medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci says Detroit’s Black population is being targeted on social media with misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. “I don’t have an easy solution except to tell people that if you look at things like vaccination, the evidence for vaccines protecting you from severe disease and death, compared to unvaccinated people is overwhelmingly obvious. You just need to look at the data,” he said.

• Missouri: A Kansas City school has moved to year-round learning to help combat COVID-19 learning loss. Officials at Gordon Parks Elementary School say the extension of the school year may force families to alter summer plans, but it will allow the school to support students throughout the year.

A new study conducted by researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology explored how hybrid learning initiatives affected the spread of COVID-19. According to their findings, following a hybrid learning model by alternating which days kids are in a school building can be effective at slowing the spread of COVID-19. 

“Early in the pandemic when school closures were becoming the norm, many debated the pros and cons of this measure,” said researcher Pinar Kestinocak.

“Do we get enough benefit to offset the social costs and impacts on education? This research shows that there is a benefit in infection reduction, especially in the absence of effective pharmaceutical interventions, and most of the benefits can be attained with a hybrid approach.” 

How schools affect community spread of COVID-19

For the study, the researchers used a simulation model to project how several different school opening methods impacted the number of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths across Georgia from February 2020, through November 2020. The team looked at: 

• Fully remote learning for all students

• Hybrid learning – half of the students go into school Monday and Wednesday, and the other half go into school Tuesday and Thursday

• Only kids up to the age of 9 receive in-person learning

• All students return to in-person learning 

The researchers learned that keeping schools closed and making schooling entirely online was associated with the greatest reductions in COVID-19 cases; with this method, the infection rate was 13% lower. However, in thinking about how to ensure kids receive in-person learning in some way, the study also showed that the other hybrid options had similar results. 

The hybrid learning model, where kids alternate two days in school and three days online, was associated with an 11% lower rate of COVID-19 infections. Similarly, keeping just children under the age of 10 in school was linked with a 9% lower rate of infection.

Though this study didn’t look at how these school opening efforts impact families or students’ learning outcomes, it was clear that limiting the amount of time that children were in school helped keep community COVID-19 spread low. 

“The additional benefit of complete school closure compared to hybrid was relatively small,” said Kestinocak. “The implementation of an alternating day model can be challenging but could have public health benefits early in the pandemic or during a new wave, providing social and learning benefits as well.” 

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 81,382,356 (81,349,665)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 993,767 (993,312)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 514,943,304 (514,497,665)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,236,985 (6,235,580)‌

Study identifies groups most at risk from severe COVID-19

A study involving 2.3 million adults, published in the journal Nature Communications, has identified groups of people who may be the most vulnerable to severe symptoms of COVID-19.

In the largest study of its kind, researchers at Imperial College London identified several factors that increase the risk of hospitalization and death from the virus. Those groups are older people, males, and people from Asian and Black ethnic backgrounds.

Among those groups, the people at the highest risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 were those with long-term conditions, including learning disabilities and mental illness.

Paxlovid more effective at treating than preventing COVID-19

While there are high hopes for Pfizer’s antiviral drug Paxlovid, the drugmaker says recent trials show that there are limits. While the drug is an effective treatment for mild to moderate symptoms, Pfizer says it’s less effective at preventing infection.

In the trial, compared to a placebo, Pfizer observed risk reductions of 32% and 37% in adults who received Paxlovid for five and ten days, respectively, to prevent infection. But the company said those results were not statistically significant. As such, the company stated that the primary endpoint of reducing the risk of confirmed and symptomatic COVID-19 infection in adults who had been exposed to the virus through a household contact was not met. 

“While we are disappointed in the outcome of this particular study, these results do not impact the strong efficacy and safety data we’ve observed in our earlier trial for the treatment of COVID-19 patients at high risk of developing severe illness, and we are pleased to see the growing global use of PAXLOVID in that population,” said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.

Inflammation may cause loss of sense of smell, study finds

Some people infected with COVID-19 lose their sense of smell while others don’t. Scientists are trying to determine why that is.

New research conducted at Johns Hopkins University suggests that there is a fairly simple reason. They have concluded that inflammation caused by the virus, not the virus itself, is responsible for sensory loss.

The condition is known in medical circles as anosmia. The loss of smell is a frequent and often long-term symptom associated with COVID-19 that can severely burden a person’s quality of life, making it extremely difficult to taste foods, detect airborne hazards in the environment, and carry out other functions.

Around the nation

• New York: The masks are back on in wide areas of New York State. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified 37 New York counties as areas of moderate to high transmission of COVID-19, the most of any state.

• Colorado: The number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 treatment continues to go down, but health officials say there has been a change in which people get severely ill. The Colorado Department of Public Health reports that 57% of hospital patients have been vaccinated, while only 43% are unvaccinated.

• Florida: Thanks to the fast-spreading BA.2 subvariant, cases of COVID-19 are rising again in Florida. However, one important number is going down. The number of patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) as a result of the virus fell to 88 last week, the lowest amount since the beginning of the pandemic.

• Connecticut: State health officials reported a sharp rise in new cases of COVID-19 last week. They say the rate of positive tests jumped to nearly 10%. Despite the sudden rise in cases, hospitalizations remain fairly low, suggesting many of the new cases are less severe.

• Tennessee: Gov. Bill Lee refused to sign a new law passed by the state legislature that gives “acquired immunity” from a previous COVID-19 infection the same status as a vaccination. The measure became law without the governor’s signature, requiring governments and businesses to treat immunity from a previous COVID-19 infection as equal to getting vaccinated. 

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 81,257,934 (81,189,980)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 993,198 (992,740)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 512,541,971 (511,905,205)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,232,189 (6,229,497)‌

CDC says the South had the highest COVID-19 death rate

A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the South experienced the highest COVID-19 death rate, suffering the highest percentage of avoidable deaths.

The study shows that starting in the summer of 2020, southern states began recording deaths from the virus at a faster rate than other regions of the country. Researchers attribute the increased deaths to fewer mitigation measures in most southern states.

The study concludes that 62% of avoidable COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. during the pandemic occurred in the South.

Senator calls for research into ‘long COVID’

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), the 2016 Democratic vice presidential candidate, is calling for more research into the causes and treatment of what’s known as ‘long COVID,’ which is characterized by the persistence of some symptoms after a patient has recovered from COVID-19. Kaine is very familiar with the condition since he has suffered from it for more than a year.

"I feel like, you drop an Alka-Seltzer in the water and watch it fizz," Kaine told CBS News. "It kind of feels like that; like a fizzing or buzzing nonstop... I can feel it in the tip of my forehead right now. I can feel it in the tops of my legs."

Kaine was one of the first national leaders to be diagnosed with the virus, testing positive in the summer of 2020. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimates that 23 million Americans may be suffering from long COVID.

Actor Kenneth Tsang dies of COVID-19

Actor Kenneth Tsang has died while in a quarantine hotel in Hong Kong, according to Chinese media. Reports said Tsang was observing seven days of isolation in the hotel after returning from Singapore.

An action movie star, Tsang was best known for his roles in “Die Another Day” and "The Killer." In 2001, he starred in "Rush Hour 2" along with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Tsang was 87.

Around the nation

• New Jersey: Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli defended her agency in testimony before the State Assembly Budget Committee after lawmakers took aim at the state’s COVID-19 response. The sparring took place when Persichilli appeared before the committee to discuss next year’s budget request.

• Pennsylvania: A new report suggests that the pandemic delivered a blow to education in the state. The report identified a sharp decline in Pennsylvania’s pre-kindergarten enrollment, with approximately 8,000 fewer children participating in 2020-21 compared to 2019-20 in programs for three- and four-year-olds.

• Utah: Wastewater analysis shows that COVID-19 cases are rising across the state. “They’re not super concerning yet but the overall trajectory that we seem to be on doesn’t seem to be particularly great,” said Nathan LaCross, manager of the state health department’s wastewater surveillance program.

• Vermont: Vermont is seeing a rise in new COVID-19 cases, but most are not severe. There have been four deaths so far this week, and state health officials report that most deaths lately have been among the very elderly and/or people with underlying health conditions. No one under 60 has died due to COVID-19 in Vermont in over two months. 

• Delaware: Gov. John Carney has extended Delaware’s public health emergency for another 30 days. Carney said the extended order will allow medical providers in the state to continue COVID-19 vaccination and testing programs. It also enables ongoing staffing flexibility at hospitals and long-term care facilities.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 81,202,344 (81,101,687)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 992,798 (991,959)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 512,057,112 (511,107,390)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,230,152 (6,225,901)‌

Fauci walks back comments on pandemic

Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s top health adviser, says comments he made Tuesday about the pandemic are being mischaracterized. Fauci told PBS on Tuesday that the U.S. is "certainly, right now, in this country, out of the pandemic phase."

On Wednesday, he told CNN that he didn’t mean to say that the pandemic is over, making a distinction between “pandemic phase” and the pandemic itself. In  his clarification, Fauci said the U.S. is in a “transition phase.”

"We're not over the pandemic,” Fauci said Wednesday. “Don't let anybody get the misinterpretation that the pandemic is over, but what we are in is a different phase of the pandemic."

Moderna seeks approval for pediatric vaccinations

Moderna has petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of its COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of six months and five years. In its filing, the company said its vaccine was about 51% effective against the Omicron variant in children under two years old. It was less effective – 37% – in two- to five-year-olds.

Researchers say the Moderna vaccine protection is less effective now than it was when it was first released. The dominant strains now are subvariants of the Omicron variant, which more easily evades the body’s immune defense.

Dr. Paul Burton, Moderna’s chief medical officer, said children under six years old who receive two doses should have high levels of protection against severe illness.

Denmark shutters its COVID-19 vaccination program

Denmark has become the world’s first nation to suspend its vaccination program, at least for the time being. The country’s leaders cite high vaccination rates and a low number of new cases.

Denmark's chief physician, Bolette Soborg, said the shutdown is basically just for the summer months.

"We plan to reopen the vaccination program in the Autumn,” Soborg said. “This will be preceded by a thorough professional assessment of who and when to vaccinate and with which vaccines."

Around the nation

• New York: New York may be once again turning into the epicenter of COVID-19 outbreaks. The latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that only 40 of America’s more than 3,000 counties are considered high transmission areas, but 23 of those counties are in New York.

• Louisiana: Mardi Gras is over, but the first New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in almost three years is coming up. Health officials say they plan to examine waste from the portable toilets to look for an early warning of a potential COVID-19 outbreak.

• Michigan: In another sign that the state thinks COVID-19 is under control, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is planning the return of facilities and sites to pre-pandemic public hours. Starting May 1, most DNR customer service centers and field office locations will be open to the public Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• New Hampshire: New Hampshire is a leader when it comes to bills in the state legislature aimed at COVID-19 restrictions. The Network for Public Health Law counts 16 measures aimed at limiting the authority of public health agencies. Officials say the real number is closer to 60.

• Iowa: Iowa is one of the few states where hospitalizations are rising along with a rise in new coronavirus cases caused by Omicron subvariants. There were 84 people hospitalized with COVID-19 on Wednesday, up from 63 last week and the most since mid-March.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 81,106,584 (81,045,532)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 992,009 (991,629)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 511,142,131 (510,331,384)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,226,008 (6,221,415)‌

Fauci says pandemic is over

Dr. Antony Fauci, the Biden administration’s top medical adviser, says the U.S. is “out of the pandemic phase” when it comes to COVID-19. He made the comments in an interview with PBS.

“Namely, we don't have 900,000 new infections a day and tens and tens and tens of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths,” Fauci said. “We are at a low level right now.”

However, Fauci predicted that the U.S. would not eradicate the virus that has killed nearly 1 million people in the U.S. since 2020. He said the U.S. could keep cases at a very low level and intermittently vaccinate the population. “That might be every year, that might be longer, in order to keep that level low,” Fauci said.

More than half of U.S. population may have had COVID-19

A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may provide a clue as to why there is a lower number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. The report suggests that 58% of the U.S. population has already had the virus and, thus, has built up some immunity.

Many of the cases were likely caused by the Omicron variants. The CDC report found that the estimate of the percentage of the population that had been infected rose from 34% in December to 58% in February.

“We do believe that there is a lot of protection in the community both from vaccination, as well as from boosting and from prior infection,” said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky. 

How good are rapid tests at detecting Omicron variants?

With state after state shutting down mass testing centers, a growing number of COVID-19 tests are now administered at home using over-the-counter rapid tests. But just how effective are these tests at detecting the highly-transmissible strains?

According to NPR, there is no evidence that these tests are any less effective at detecting the Omicron variant and its subvariants. However, the tests might take longer to yield a positive result.

"There's usually a day or two delay between when you might test positive on a PCR versus when you might test positive on one of these at-home rapid antigen tests," Dr. Celine Gounder, a senior fellow and editor-at-large for public health at Kaiser Health News, told the network. "But they do work to pick up an infection, and they should be used frequently."

Around the nation

• Massachusetts: State health officials point to fresh data as evidence of how easily the Omicron variant and its subvariants spread. They report that more than 52% of the residents of the state were infected from the Omicron surge that began in December.

• Illinois: New cases of the coronavirus are rising across the state. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the state averaged 3,136 new cases per day over the last seven days. That represents an increase of 43.1% in the last week.

• Texas: Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke has announced that he tested positive for the coronavirus this week. The candidate said he tests regularly for the virus. “I tested negative yesterday morning before testing positive today. I have mild symptoms and will be following public health guidelines.”

• Virginia: All areas of the state now meet the criteria for “medium risk” of COVID-19. As a result, no localities within Virginia mandate masks for indoor public spaces. The Virginia Department of Health reports that new cases dropped 28% last week and that 73.1% of Virginians are fully vaccinated.

• Oklahoma: In a briefing with the media on Tuesday, Dr. Dale Bratzler, the University of Oklahoma’s chief COVID officer, said cases of the virus are “relatively low” across the state. However, he expects an increase to occur because of the fast-spreading Omicron subvariants. But as in other states, he says Oklahoma is not seeing a rise in severe cases that require hospitalization.

A new study conducted by researchers UT Southwestern Medical Center looked at how the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has affected pregnant women. The researchers learned that while the virus spread more rapidly among pregnant women than the previous variants, those who were infected were less likely to be hospitalized. 

“Obstetrics never stopped during the pandemic,” said researcher Dr. Emily Adhikari. “Women are still having babies and coming in for their prenatal care. It’s important to understand how this virus behaves in the population we serve.” 

More cases but fewer hospitalizations

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from women who received prenatal care at Parkland Health in Dallas. They studied the overall number of positive cases, the severity of those positive cases, and hospitalizations of pregnant women from May 2020, through the end of January 2022. 

The study included information from before the surge of the Delta variant, during the surge of the Delta variant, and during the surge of the Omicron variant. While the peak of the Delta variant led to three times as many positive COVID-19 cases, the peak of the Omicron variant saw cases increase 10 times as much. 

However, perhaps the most important finding from this study was that cases were much less severe with the Omicron variant. The researchers found that these COVID-19 cases were about 80% less severe than Delta cases; on the other hand, Delta cases were about three times as severe as pre-Delta cases. 

The team speculates that the COVID-19 vaccine, immunity from previous strains, and the natural changes that occur with each strain could all explain why this trend has occurred among pregnant women. 

“We’re very lucky that although Omicron caused more cases than Delta, it was a less severe variant,” Dr. Adhikari said. “If the same portion of positive patients had ended up on oxygen or ventilators, we would have been overwhelmed. We have no control over the nature of the next variant, but pregnant women do have control over whether to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, which has been proven to prevent severe illness and spread.” 

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 81,045,532 (80,988,514)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 991,629 (991,260)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 510,331,384 (509,574,738)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,221,415 (6,218,431)‌

FDA approves remdesivir to treat young children

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded its approval of the COVID-19 treatment remdesivir to include pediatric patients, including infants.

The drug may be used if children test positive for the coronavirus and are hospitalized. The drug may also be prescribed if a child is at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19.

The FDA action makes remdesivir the first approved COVID-19 treatment for children under 12 years of age. Previously, the drug was only approved to treat certain adults and pediatric patients who are 12 years of age and older and weigh at least 40 kilograms, which is about 88 pounds.

White House to make Paxlovid more available

The White House today said it is taking steps to help more COVID-19 patients get access to Pfizer’s treatment drug Paxlovid. They say the drug could make the U.S.’ falling death toll decline even more.

So far, the drug has been underused in the fight against the virus. To turn that around, administration officials say the government plans to double the number of places where patients can access Paxlovid.

“We can save more lives by getting this medication to more people,” a senior administration official stated. The official said the drug will soon be available at as many as 10,000 locations in the U.S.

Cruise ship reports outbreak

Cruise ships were among the first venues to see a surge in COVID-19 cases in March 2020, before the rest of the nation fully grasped the severity of the pandemic. Now, at least one cruise ship is experiencing a disconcerting case of deja vu.

CBS reports that the Ruby Princess docked in San Francisco earlier this month with 143 passengers who had tested positive for the virus. Travelers reported seeing some of their fellow passengers with symptoms not long after leaving Hawaii.

But unlike two years ago, everyone aboard the cruise ship was vaccinated. The San Francisco Health Department reports that nearly all infected passengers had mild or no symptoms. Only one person was admitted to a hospital for treatment.

Around the nation

• Nevada: The number of new COVID-19 cases rose by 7.9% last week, as the state added 1,230 positive test results. The previous week had 1,140 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19. Despite that, Nevada only ranks 33rd among states where the virus is spreading the fastest.

• Connecticut: State officials are urging school districts to prepare for an increase in COVID-19 cases. In a message to school officials, the departments of Education and Public Health stated that COVID-19 transmission rates are on the rise throughout Connecticut. The positivity rate went over 8% last week.

• Kansas: Even though cases of COVID-19 are at only a fraction of what they once were, the state legislature is considering a number of bills that limit government rules and mandates. Cheered on by anti-vaccination activists, lawmakers are considering passage of House Bill 2280, which would open the door to treatments not fully endorsed by federal regulators.

• New Mexico: One sign that the virus may be in retreat is the return of tourists to New Mexico. After suffering sharp declines over the last two years, tourism officials say things are looking up. "We returned to 2019 levels in October of 2021," Jim Walton, public Information officer with the New Mexico Tourism Department, told The Center Square. "We're actually doing quite well."

• Maine: While many states have seen COVID-19 hospitalizations drop off this month, Maine is seeing its numbers move in the opposite direction. Health officials report that the number of people requiring hospital treatment for the virus increased sharply last week to the highest level since March 9.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 80,995,048 (80,971,930)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 991,360 (991,211)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 509,805,166 (509,222,272)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,218,898 (6,217,289)‌

Hospitalized patients have trouble overcoming COVID-19

If a COVID-19 infection requires hospital treatment, a new study shows that the patient has a long road to complete recovery. Researchers in the U.K. report that only 29% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are completely free of symptoms a year later.

The study tracked 2,300 recovered COVID-19 patients who spent time in a hospital. It found that women were 33% less likely than men to fully recover from their illness.

The study also found that if a hospitalized patient was on a ventilator, they were 58% less likely to fully recover. If the hospitalized patient was obese, they were 50% less likely to fully recover.

New drug shown to effectively clear the virus

A Japanese drug company, Shionogi & Co Ltd, has produced an experimental drug that researchers say rapidly clears the virus that causes COVID-19. The drug, called S-217622, is a pill that has just completed a clinical trial.

The report, released Sunday, said the drug was most effective against five COVID-19 symptoms that are associated with fever and respiratory issues.

The company said it is planning a worldwide clinical trial and has received developmental support from the U.S. government.

White House reportedly will seek more COVID-19 funds

Congress returns this week, and one Biden administration official tells NBC News that the White House will seek additional money to combat the pandemic. Just before the Congressional recess, the Senate rejected a request for another $10 billion in funds.

Some Republicans and Democrats in the Senate had reached an outline of the funding bill before the recess. Under the agreement, half of the money would be used to pay for vaccinations and the other half to purchase drugs to treat the virus.

Around the nation

• New York: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its COVID-19 threat assessment for New York and is recommending that masks be worn in indoor public spaces in 23 counties due to a rising number of cases. All of the counties are located in upstate New York.

• Wisconsin: After slowing for months, cases of COVID-19 are increasing once again across the state. Last week’s seven-day average of new cases was around 830. That’s more than double the number from a month earlier.

• California: State health officials report that the COVID-19 positivity rate has spiked by more than 47%, mainly because of the spread of a subvariant of the Omicron variant. The subvariant of BA.2, called BA.2.12.2, is causing most of the new infections, which are described as less severe.

• Ohio: State lawmakers have introduced legislation that would protect and expand access to drugs and treatments for COVID-19 patients, some of which are not approved by federal health authorities for treatment of the virus. The measure allows a patient and health care provider to make the decision.

• Hawaii: Police have charged a 28-year-old woman with wire fraud, accusing her of selling fake COVID-19 test results to people traveling to Hawaii. The state requires anyone traveling to the island to test negative for the virus before arriving.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 80,854,446 (80,804,068)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 990, 691 (990,237)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 508,013,743 (507,165,448)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,213,459 (6,209,165)‌

WHO endorses Pfizer’s treatment drug

If you become infected with COVID-19 and are a member of a vulnerable group, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that your doctor prescribe Paxlovid, an antiviral drug created by Pfizer.

The international health agency said it is making a “strong recommendation” for the drug after trials showed that it was highly effective at keeping people out of the hospital. In the trial, it reduced the risk of high-risk patients being admitted to a hospital by 85%.

The drug is a combination of two other drugs – nirmatrelvir and ritonavir – and is currently used to treat people with mild and moderate cases of COVID-19, but at risk of hospital admission. In its endorsement, the WHO called Paxlovid the “best therapeutic choice for high-risk patients to date.”

New mRNA vaccine shows good results in trial

Arcturus Therapeutics, based in San Diego, reports positive results of its new mRNA vaccine against COVID-19. In a clinical trial involving 17,000 people, the company said it showed 55% efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 and provided 95% efficacy against severe illness and death. 

The company cited what it said were other advantages when compared to the vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna. It’s easier to store and is “self-amplyfying,” allowing for smaller doses.

“This represents a key milestone for the company and provides significant clinical validation of our STARR platform,” said Joseph Payne, CEO of Arcturus Therapeutics. “We believe self-amplifying mRNA combined with our LUNAR delivery technology will create a path to better mRNA medicines.” 

Mandates vary by location

The overturning of the federal travel mask mandate has created some confusion about where and when to put on a mask. Some local leaders have their own ideas.

Starting today, masks will be required on all Los Angeles County mass transit services. New York never ended its mass transit mask mandate, with Gov. Kathy Hochul extending it “for a short time.”

In Philadelphia, days after reinstating an indoor mask mandate for public spaces, city officials have announced that they are dropping the mandate again starting Monday. Mayor Jim Kenney cited decreasing hospitalizations and falling case counts as the reason for the shift.

Around the nation

• Missouri: State Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Lincoln Hough of Springfield won committee support for cutting $500,000 from Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s budget because of his aggressive lawsuits against localities enforcing COVID-19 rules. “As our attorney general continues to sue most of the citizens of this state, I don’t know why we are giving him another half million dollars,” Hough said.

• Pennsylvania: New cases are spreading quickly across Pennsylvania, health officials report. In the most recent tally, cases were up nearly 30%. Despite that, Pennsylvania still ranks 23rd among states with the fastest transmission of the virus.

• South Carolina: Health officials are cautiously optimistic that the state has turned the corner on COVID-19. Cases in the Charleston Tri-county area were both low and stable over the past week, according to the Medical University of South Carolina’s COVID-19 Epidemiology Intelligence Project. 

• Maryland: Maryland is apparently a good place to be if you want to avoid the coronavirus. In a ranking of the 50 states, based on five metrics, Maryland led all states with a score of 80.79. The metrics include transmission rate, positivity rates, hospitalizations, deaths, and percentage of eligible residents vaccinated.

• Alaska: Cruise line operators planning to visit Alaskan ports this summer have said they will require most passengers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The virus avoidance protocols have been made optional since last summer, but all lines have indicated that they will follow them.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 80,818,490 (80,733,941)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 990,395 (989,367)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 507,371,986 (506,185,821)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,210,317 (6,204,500)‌

CDC still recommends masks on planes and trains

While the U.S. government is appealing a judge’s ruling that blocks the extension of the travel mask mandate, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says everyone should continue masking up.

In a statement to the media, the CDC said it will continue to monitor public health conditions to determine whether such an order remains necessary. In the meantime, it has asked the Justice Department to appeal a federal judge’s ruling blocking the extension of the travel mask mandate.

“CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks in all indoor public transportation settings,” the agency said in a statement. “CDC’s number one priority is protecting the public health of our nation. As we have said before, wearing masks is most beneficial in crowded or poorly ventilated locations, such as the transportation corridor.”

Justice Department charges 21 people with COVID-19 financial fraud

The U.S. Justice Department has leveled criminal charges against 21 people in nine federal districts across the U.S. for their alleged participation in various health care-related fraud schemes that exploited the COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to the complaint, the cases resulted in over $149 million in COVID-19-related false billings to federal programs and theft from federally-funded pandemic assistance programs. In connection with the enforcement action, the department seized over $8 million in cash and other alleged fraud proceeds.

“The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Unit and our partners are dedicated to rooting out schemes that have exploited the pandemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite, Jr. “Today’s enforcement action reinforces our commitment to using all available tools to hold accountable medical professionals, corporate executives, and others who have placed greed above care during an unprecedented public health emergency.”

Unions protected staff at nursing homes, study finds

Nursing homes have been vulnerable hot spots during the pandemic. Residents are elderly, sometimes in declining health, and live in close proximity. Many early deaths occurred among residents and staff at long-term care facilities.

But a new study by researchers at George Washington University found that facilities that employed union staff members suffered fewer infections and deaths. The study was published in the journal Health Affairs and suggests that union work rules made the difference.

"By protecting workers during the pandemic, labor unions are limiting the spread of COVID-19 inside nursing homes and have likely saved the lives of thousands of residents," said Adam Dean, the study’s lead author.

Around the nation

• Kansas: Gov. Laura Kelly has vetoed a bill to renew the COVID-19 liability immunity protections for businesses. Kelly said she supported parts of the legislation but opposed an expansion of the protections that some described as too broad. Kelly said last-minute amendments doomed the legislation.

• New York: Despite a federal judge’s ruling that overturns the federal transportation mask mandate, Gov. Kathy Hochul said masks are still required aboard New York mass transit -- but only for “the short term.” Hochul said the emergence of two subvariants is reason enough to keep masks on for now.

• Kentucky: After struggling with a surge in COVID-19 cases throughout most of 2021, Kentucky officials are reporting a 67% decline in new cases. Anderson County, west of Lexington, is the only one of the state’s 120 counties not to be classified as an area of low COVID-19 community transmission. The rest of the state is in the green this week.

• Washington: The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has updated the design of its COVID-19 data dashboard with the goal of providing a new, more user-friendly format. The goal of the new format is to make it easier for the public to access and understand the data that health officials post.

• Mississippi: The Mississippi State Department of Health reports that second-dose booster shots of both the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccine are now available at all county health department clinics for eligible individuals. The shot is recommended for people over age 50 at least four months after the first booster.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 80,746,966 (80,688,517)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 989,481 (988,946)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 506,282,194 (505,103,302)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,205,279 (6,200,525)‌

Travel mask mandate ruling may be appealed

In an about-face, the Biden administration says it will probably appeal a judge’s ruling that overturned the COVID-19-related mask mandates on planes and other forms of public transportation. Previously, the administration said it would let the ruling stand.

“The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) disagree with the district court’s decision and will appeal,” the DOJ said in a statement, “subject to CDC’s conclusion that the order remains necessary for public health.”

A federal judge in Tampa had ruled that the CDC lacked proper authority to extend the mask mandate for travel. The judge said the agency failed to explain its reasons and that it did not seek public comment, as required by federal rules.

Do masks contribute to air rage incidents?

When a federal judge struck down the travel mask mandate, airline passengers and the airlines themselves celebrated. Some blame the requirement to wear a mask on commercial aircraft for an increase in violence aboard aircraft over the last two years.

According to Statista, the vast majority of violent encounters aboard aircraft involved passengers who objected to the rule requiring a mask. It was flight attendants who often suffered the assault when they enforced the rule.

In an interview with ABC News last year, Federal Aviation Administrator Steve Dickson said a typical year sees about 100 such incidents. He said it was clear the number had increased since the start of the pandemic.

Study links COVID-19 pneumonia with dementia risk

Researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine and MU Health Care say their study shows that patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia have a higher risk of developing dementia than those with other types of pneumonia. 

The research team assembled data from 1.4 billion medical encounters prior to July 31, 2021. They selected patients who were hospitalized with pneumonia for more than 24 hours. Among 10,403 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, 312 (3%) developed new onset dementia after recovering, compared to 263 (2.5%) of the 10,403 patients with other types of pneumonia diagnosed with dementia.  

“The risk of new onset dementia was more common in COVID-19 pneumonia patients over the age of 70 in our study,” said lead researcher Dr. Adnan I. Qureshi, a professor of clinical neurology at the MU School of Medicine. “The type of dementia seen in survivors of COVID-19 infection mainly affects memory, ability to perform everyday tasks and self-regulation. Language and awareness of time and location remained relatively preserved.” 

Around the nation

• New Jersey: The New Jersey Department of Health reports that two new “stealth Omicron” subvariants have been detected in the state. Officials confirmed 80 cases this week of Omicron subvariants BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1, which previously had been confined to New York.

• California: A truckers’ convoy rolled into Sacramento this week to protest a number of COVID-19-related issues. The truckers are demanding that the state legislature kill a number of pandemic-related bills that were recently introduced. They also want the U.S. to end the state of emergency declared at the beginning of the pandemic.

• Wisconsin: A report from the nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum says the state received less pandemic financial aid than most other states. The report found that, unlike most other states, Wisconsin used its funds to support the state’s economy.

• Utah: The masks have come off and things are getting back to normal, but the virus is still out there. Even so, a new poll shows that around 75% of Utah residents are not worried about getting infected. However, only 22% said their lives are completely back to normal.

• Tennessee: Business owners in Tennessee say they are feeling the effects of the latest COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai, China’s largest port. Andy Borchers, professor and associate dean at Lipscomb University's College of Business, said delays in receiving goods from China have prompted local businesses to seek shorter supply chains.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 80,698,111 (80,635,953)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 989,137 (988,663)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 505,383,274 (504,650,389)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,201,549 (6,198,926)‌

The baby bust is over, report finds

The COVID-19 decline in births is over, according to a United Nations report analyzed by the Financial Times. The so-called “baby bust” reached its peak in late 2020 with a drop in births, and the report credits financial stimulus for the population turnaround.

“The short-term decline in births observed in many countries is consistent with other historical crises . . . but in the case of Covid-19, these declines have been more shortlived,” the authors wrote.

Between the end of 2020 and the first half of 2021, nine months after the first lockdowns, the analysis of the report showed that countries ranging from China to France experienced their lowest number of births on record. Italy had fewer births in 2021 than at any time since 1861.

Judge overturns transportation mask mandate

The Biden administration’s plan to continue the transportation mask mandate for another two weeks beyond its expiration date has hit a roadblock. U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa has ruled that the government overstepped its bounds and has effectively ended the mandate.

From now on, consumers traveling by air, rail, or by car will not be required to wear a mask. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it would not appeal the judge’s decision.

In making her ruling, Mizelle said the CDC did not explain its reason for the extension. She also found that the agency did not allow for public comment, a violation of federal rules.

Report finds red states fared better than blue states

Almost from the beginning, the COVID-19 pandemic has been entangled in partisan politics. A new report by the Committee to Unleash Prosperity attempts to break down the divide even more and is likely to be a source of political dispute.

The report evaluated how states balanced the health of their citizens with other policies and determined that nine of the 10 states that fared the best were led by Republican governors. In addition to economic impact, the report also looked at which states had the highest death toll from the virus.

According to the analysis, Utah fared the best in all categories. It was followed by Nebraska, Vermont, Montana, South Dakota, Florida, New Hampshire, Maine, and Arkansas. 

Around the nation

• Connecticut: State health officials report that cases of COVID-19 are on the rise across Connecticut. There were 4,758 cases reported last week, a 31.5% increase from the previous week. The official case tally shows that Connecticut ranked ninth among the states where coronavirus cases were spreading the fastest on a per-person basis.

• South Dakota: Positive results from COVID-19 tests are rising quickly in South Dakota. The positivity rate last week was 33.5%, the highest in the nation. Despite that, health officials say actual cases of the virus remain quite low in comparison to January.

• Colorado: A national COVID-19 tracker pegs Colorado as a hotspot for COVID-19, with a one-week increase of 1,323 new cases. But state health department officials say the numbers are misleading because they are out of date. The real number, they say, is less than 500.

• Minnesota: Doctors say two sets of COVID-19 numbers are moving in opposite directions. On one hand, new cases of the coronavirus are increasing across the state. At the same time, they say the number of people being treated in intensive care units (ICU) is at a pandemic low.

• Arkansas: Clinical trials have shown that Pfizer's Paxlovid reduced the risks of death and hospitalizations by 88%, but pharmacists in Arkansas say the pills are hard to come by. The Arkansas Pharmacists Association reports that just one in seven drug stores in the state has the medication.

Say farewell to the mask mandate on airlines. After weeks of airlines going to the White House to get some relief and legislation introduced to end the mask requirement, a federal judge in Florida struck down the Biden administration's mask mandate for airplanes and other forms of public transportation like trains and busses. 

In her 59-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle said that while it’s indisputable that the public has a “strong interest” in curtailing the spread of COVID-19, the mask mandate exceeded the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s authority.

President Biden hasn’t officially responded on whether he’ll try to appeal the judge’s decision, but White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said the move was a “disappointing decision.” Psaki repeated the CDC’s mantra that people should wear a mask in public transit.

“We would say to anyone sitting out there, we would recommend you wear masks on the airplane,” she said.

As well-intentioned as the mask mandate was, it also led to an avalanche of incidents involving unruly passengers who refused to comply with it. Airline crews reported almost 6,000 unruly passenger incidents to the FAA in 2021, with 4,290 of them involving masks. 

Airlines are establishing new guidelines

Major U.S. airlines moved to redefine their requirements within hours of the ruling. In surveying what actions the major domestic airlines are doing in response to the judge’s order, this is what ConsumerAffairs found:

Alaska Airlines: The airline now considers face masks optional and has asked for passengers to be considerate.

American Airlines: American says it is no longer enforcing the federal mandate, but it wants travelers to know that face masks may still be required because of local ordinances or when traveling to/from certain international locations. The carrier said in a statement that customers and team members may choose to continue to wear masks at their own discretion.

United Airlines: The airline’s position is similar to the response from American Airlines. In an email to ConsumerAffairs, the company said "masks are no longer required at United on domestic flights, select international flights (dependent upon the arrival country's mask requirements) or at U.S. airports," but the flying public can still mask up if they choose to. 

Southwest Airlines: Effective immediately, Southwest said masking up is at the sole discretion of both its employees and customers.

Delta Air Lines: In a memo to employees, Delta said it is proceeding with caution. “Given the unexpected nature of this announcement, please be aware that customers, airline employees and federal agency employees – such as TSA – may be receiving this information at different times,” the memo said. “You may experience inconsistent enforcement during the next 24 hours as this news is more broadly communicated — remember to show understanding and patience with others who may not be aware enforcement is no longer required."

Medical expert weighs in

ConsumerAffairs asked infectious disease expert and CEO of Hfit Health Dr. Anthony Harris what the public should do until the dust officially settles on the mask mandate situation.

“Even though the mask mandate is lifted for travel, wear that n95 still. We see that numbers are still going up, especially in the Northeast and we are finding out more about COVID and the effects it has on people long term,” Harris told us. “Even if you had mild symptoms, you can still end up with long covid symptoms/issues. We're seeing an increased risk for  type 1 diabetes and heart and lung conditions so wearing that mask can help prevent transmission, especially when traveling.”

Specifically for airplane travel, Harris says he is in favor of masking up.

“Yeah, it's crucial that we wear the mask still, and of course it changes when you eat and drink, but keep it on as much as possible. And then keep your distance where possible,” he said.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 80,647,520 (80,627,545)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 988,695 (988,587)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 504,718,824 (504,435,540)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,199,113 (6,197,889)‌

Small businesses oppose Congress’ move to reclaim aid money

A battle is brewing in Washington between small businesses and lawmakers who want to reclaim unspent COVID-19 aid. In particular, a congressional proposal would “claw back” about $5 billion in unspent funds directed at three programs to support small businesses.

Lawmakers say the money would be best used by redirecting it toward providing free vaccinations and tests for Americans who lack health insurance. The administration sought additional funding last month, but it was rejected by the Senate.

Small business leaders say they continue to face many economic challenges caused by the pandemic. They've pointed to declining optimism among small business owners last month and argued that pandemic-related problems are being compounded by inflation.

Pressure builds to test Paxlovid as ‘long COVID’ treatment

Pfizer’s oral drug Paxlovid is used to treat COVID-19, but some researchers say it may also be useful for treating "long-COVID," a condition characterized by prolonged COVID-19 symptoms. One researcher suffering from the condition took the drug and said it relieved her symptoms.

“This provides really strong evidence that we need to be studying antiviral therapy in this context as soon as possible," Dr. Steven Deeks, a medical professor at the University of California, told Reuters. He is pressing for a clinical trial to determine if Paxlovid can help.

Long COVID is said to affect about 30% of the people who are infected with the virus but recover. These patients say some symptoms, such as fatigue and loss of sense of taste or smell, can persist for months.

Are U.S. cases really declining?

The official numbers show that the U.S. has turned the corner on the pandemic. The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 has dropped sharply since January.

However, testing that is administered by medical and lab facilities has also declined. The U.S. has encouraged consumers to take at-home tests in recent weeks, and those results don’t always get recorded.

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimates that COVID-19 cases are nearly 15 times higher than the official tally. However, many of those allegedly unreported cases appear to be less severe because hospitalizations have also declined.

Around the nation

• Florida: Cases of the BA.2 subvariant of the Omicron variant are rising in Florida, but most cases are not severe enough to require hospitalization. Gov. Ron DeSantis says there will be no return to any kind of COVID-19 restrictions. “I just want to be very clear, as long as I sit in the chair in which I sit, no Floridian will be restricted, mandated or locked down in any possible way,” DeSantis said.

• New York: Cases of COVID-19 are also rising in New York, but they have not put a strain on hospitals. Gov. Kathy Hochul says the situation is manageable and will not require extreme measures. “I’m not going to shut it down again, you can count on that,” Hochul said.

• Delaware: The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is launching the COVID-19 Test-to-Treat program in the state as part of a federal initiative aimed at providing convenient testing and treatment options combined in one location. Test-to-treat locations are designed to be a “one-stop shop” for individuals seeking diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 within five days of showing symptoms. 

• Oregon: Officials at Oregon Health & Science University have apologized to employees after they sent out a fake phishing email as a test of cybersecurity awareness. The email promised up to $7,000 in financial assistance to deal with COVID-19 expenses. Some employees were upset that it wasn’t for real.

• New Hampshire: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its threat levels for New Hampshire due to a recent increase in cases. Eight of New Hampshire’s 10 counties are now considered to have a “medium” level of community transmission.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 80,576,205 (80,514,666)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 988,161 (987,560)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 503,025,210 (501,970,999)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,194,288 (6,190,360)‌

FDA clears COVID-19 breath test

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for a breathalyzer test that indicates the presence of the coronavirus. The test, produced by InspectIR Systems, collects a breath sample and analyzes it for chemical compounds associated with the virus that causes COVID-19.

The FDA was likely impressed with the results of a clinical trial. In a study of 2,409 people, the test correctly returned correct positive readings 91.2% of the time and correctly delivered negative results 99.3% of the time.

The equipment that performs the test is about the size of a small suitcase. The FDA said it can be deployed in hospitals, medical offices, and other test sites.

U.S. updates its COVID-19 travel advisories

The State Department has announced that it will change how it advises U.S. citizens about foreign travel, with those recommendations being based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) updated guidelines. The CDC says the change will reduce the number of countries the government recommends avoiding.

Under the new system, the U.S. will limit “Level 4” classification to countries where the virus is rapidly spreading. Level 4 destinations currently include most of Europe, Brazil, Turkey, Russia, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Israel, and Australia. 

“This update will leave approximately 10% of all Travel Advisories at Level 4: Do Not Travel,” the State Department said in a Travel Advisory Update. “This 10% includes Level 4 Travel Advisories for all risk indicators, not just COVID-19.  We believe the updated framework will help U.S. citizens make better informed decisions about the safety of international travel.”

China’s lockdown expected to increase U.S. inflation

What happens in China doesn’t stay in China, at least when it comes to COVID-19. Economists say the extended lockdown in Shanghai, China’s largest city, will undoubtedly contribute to the U.S.’ already high inflation rate.

CNBC cites a note from Bernstein analyst Jay Huang who points out that China’s exports are falling at a faster rate than two years ago, at the start of the pandemic. That is likely to lead to more shortages and other supply chain issues that usually drive up costs.

The note said Shanghai export container costs are five times higher than before the pandemic, and air freight rates are two times higher. “Hence, there would be higher export of inflation, especially to China’s large trading partners,” the analyst concluded.

Around the nation

• Virginia: An uptick in COVID-19 cases is unlikely to result in a resumption of a statewide mask mandate. That’s the view of Dr. Colin Greene, Virginia’s Health Commissioner. “Right now we don’t have a protocol for going back to the mask mandate and don’t foresee that,” he said at a Department of Health Advisory Committee meeting.

• Vermont: An outbreak of COVID-19  closed the Glover Community School this week. Most kids are now back in the classroom, but school officials are keeping the fifth and sixth graders out until next week. 

• California: State health officials have decided to delay a requirement that all school children receive a COVID-19 vaccination. The mandate has been pushed back to July 1, 2023, pending approval by federal health officials of a vaccine for the youngest students.

• Utah: Utah is ranked first in the nation in the National Bureau of Economic Research’s evaluation that measured COVID-19-related outcomes. The ranking is based on a number of metrics, including how states’ pandemic policies influenced health outcomes, economic performance, and impact on education. 

• South Carolina: The number of people being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals around the state has dropped to one of its lowest points since the start of the pandemic. The state health department has counted 89 patients this week, down from 101 last week. Twenty-four of those patients are receiving intensive care.

Consumers in rural areas have struggled to receive health care services during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Houston shows that access to telemedicine services has been more difficult for racial minorities.

According to the findings, telemedicine usage wasn’t universal among all consumers because racial and ethnic minorities weren’t as likely to utilize these services. 

“We found that racial and ethnic disparities persisted,” said researcher