Category Archives: Public Health

What should you take if you get Covid-19? 

Posted on by • Posted in  Fluvoxamine, Budesonide Asthma Inhalers, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Coronavirus Treatment, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Hydroxychloroquine, Ivermectin, Misinformation, Molnupiravir, Pandemic, Paxlovid, Public Health, Public Opinion, Public Perception, Public Trust, Vaccination, Vaccine, Vaccine Booster, Vaccine Efficacy, Vaccine Safety, Vaccine Supply • Leave a comment

https://link.vox.com/view/608adc4e91954c3cef03e60dfi7ya.jor/68bd1086

Hey readers, 

Last week, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo released a public service announcement talking about protecting your health from Covid-19. The PSA stood out for a couple of reasons:

1. While “vaccination” briefly appeared onscreen in a list of options, it didn’t merit a mention in the video.

2. The surgeon general listed guidance on “emerging” treatments that was … remarkably on point.

The absence of focus on vaccines in the video is unfortunate, if entirely in keeping with the GOP’s willingness to play to its anti-vax base. That’s bad, but not surprising.

What was surprising was No. 2. The information Ladapo shared about treatments was fairly accurate. In the video, he told Floridians to ask their doctor about monoclonal antibodies, fluvoxamine, and inhaled budesonide should they come down with Covid-19. 

I’ve been reporting on the Covid-19 treatment beat for much of this year, and I’ve uncovered a massively confusing pile of contradictory information. But those are the top three treatments I’d recommend sick loved ones talk to doctors about, and while there’s much we still don’t know, solid science suggests they have real promise.

That said, the fact that such important (and accurate) information stood out in a government PSA indicates just how dismal the state of public communications on treatments is — and just how much misinformation and distrust are hampering the fight against Covid-19. 

What should you take if you get Covid-19? 

There’s been little public health communication about which treatments to pursue if you get Covid-19, perhaps because for much of the pandemic, it’s been unclear what options are better for mild Covid than just resting at home. While in 2021 the best treatment recommendations have gotten clearer, public health messaging over the last year has rightly been focused on vaccination.

The official CDC page on what to do if you get sick with Covid-19 advises you to wear a mask, wash your hands, and clean high-touch surfaces to avoid infecting those around you. If your breathing deteriorates or you show signs of severe illness like confusion or an inability to stay awake, the CDC advises you to go to the hospital. 

All sound guidance — but what it doesn’t offer is advice on a question that patients who aren’t sick enough for hospitalization might desperately need to know: What medication should I take if I come down with Covid-19? 


That’s not because there’s a lack of options. For instance, the FDA has approved monoclonal antibodies as a treatment for Covid-19 patients at risk of progressing to severe disease. They recently expanded this approval to include monoclonal antibodies for children as well. The treatment has to be administered in a clinic, as an IV infusion or as four shots, but it is highly effective, with some high-quality studies finding an 85 percent reduction in the risk of hospitalization or death.

Meanwhile, large, high-quality, peer-reviewed, and published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have found promise for cheap therapies that are already FDA approved for other purposes and have an established safety profile. 

One medication, fluvoxamine, is an antidepressant that appears to reduce hospitalizations from Covid-19 by about 30 percent. Another, budesonide asthma inhalers, was found in one large RCT to speed at-home recovery considerably and in another to reduce risk of hospitalization. In the US, there’s been no formal guidance on when to consider budesonide, but in the UK, health agencies have advised doctors they can consider prescribing it off-label to help older and at-risk patients recover at home, while in Canada doctors are encouraged to consider budesonide on a case-by-case basis.

Research underway will help provide a better understanding of both of these therapies, but there’s enough evidence that some doctors are already prescribing them to patients. If you have the opportunity to enroll in an ongoing clinical trial of these medications, you can get access to a potentially promising treatment and help contribute to our scientific understanding of whether these treatments really work.

Another exciting treatment in the pipeline is Paxlovid, an antiviral developed by Pfizer that showed impressive 90 percent efficacy in preventing hospitalization — so effective that in November, the clinical trial stopped enrolling new participants because investigators concluded it’d be unethical to put them in the control group. It has not yet been approved by the FDA, but it might be a game changer if, as is expected, it’s approved in January.

The FDA is also in the process of considering molnupiravir, another repurposed drug that looks to be moderately effective, though there are some concerns it could spur new viral variants.

Why is it so hard to find good guidance about treatments?

The US government has communicated little about Covid-19 treatment options. NIH guidelines about treatments like fluvoxamine haven’t been updated since this past spring, meaning results from recent high-quality studies haven’t been incorporated into that guidance. Without it, physicians considering whether to prescribe these medications can’t turn to official public health resources for help. 


From a certain perspective, that reticence is understandable. Learning which Covid-19 treatments work is very hard. While large-scale RCTs found promising evidence for fluvoxamine and inhaled budesonide, “promising” is still the most we can say — it could absolutely turn out that the real-world effects are much smaller than hoped for, or even fail to materialize altogether.

But it’s precisely because this area is so difficult to navigate for doctors and patients that the CDC, FDA, and NIH could play an important role in pointing out good treatments — yet it’s a role they have been puzzlingly reluctant to play.

Perhaps because of the dearth of formal federal government guidance on treatments — and because of politically driven crazes over drugs like hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, which evidence thus far suggests do little to fight Covid-19 — Florida media has been critical of Ladapo’s PSA and its recommendations.

Politicians who pander to anti-vax sentiment are harming their constituents, and it’s very reasonable to be frustrated with their conduct. Ladapo is a DeSantis appointee who has forcefully opposed Covid-19 restrictions — and has refused to wear a mask in meetings with immunocompromised legislators — and lots of people are reasonably reading his PSA in that light. 

But that justified irritation shouldn’t get in the way of a needed conversation about the possible benefits and drawbacks of monoclonal antibodies, fluvoxamine, and budesonide. As the US braces for an omicron surge that is likely to hit even vaccinated people, effective treatment is going to be essential for saving lives. Yes, promoting vaccines is a must, but tens of thousands of Americans are getting sick each day, which makes clear, accurate communication about which treatments to ask your doctor about extremely important. 

The more society and public health get aligned on what works, the better off we’ll be in confronting omicron and other future variants.

Michigan this week counted more people hospitalized with COVID-19 than at any other time during the pandemic

Posted on by • Posted in Coronavirus, Coronavirus Delta Variant, Coronavirus Mutation, Coronavirus Omicron Variant, Health System, Hospital, Hospital Industry, Infection Control, Infection Control Plan, Infectious Virus, Pandemic, Public Health, Public Opinion, Public Perception, Sign of the Times, Unvaccinated, Vaccination, Vaccine, Vaccine Booster, Vaccine Distribution, Vaccine Efficacy, Vaccine Safety, Vaccine Supply • Leave a comment

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/09/us/hospital-covid-19-deaths-michigan/index.html

Coronavirus: Michigan's highest-in-the-U.S. case count exceeds California, Texas combined | CTV News

Nurse Katie Sefton never thought Covid-19 could get this bad — and certainly not this late in the pandemic. “I was really hoping that we’d (all) get vaccinated and things would be back to normal,” said Sefton, an assistant manager at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Michigan. But this week Michigan had more patients hospitalized for Covid-19 than ever before. Covid-19 hospitalizations jumped 88% in the past month, according to the Michigan Health & Hospital Association.

“We have more patients than we’ve ever had at any point, and we’re seeing more people die at a rate we’ve never seen die before,” said Jim Dover, president and CEO of Sparrow Health System.

“Since January, we’ve had about 289 deaths; 75% are unvaccinated people,” Dover said. “And the very few (vaccinated people) who passed away all were more than 6 months out from their shot. So we’ve not had a single person who has had a booster shot die from Covid.”

Among the new Covid-19 victims, Sefton said she’s noticed a disturbing trend.

“We’re seeing a lot of younger people. And I think that is a bit challenging,” said Sefton, a 20-year nursing veteran.She recalls helping the family of a young adult say goodbye to their loved one. “It was an awful night,” she said. “That was one of the days I went home and just cried.”

‘We haven’t peaked yet’

It’s not just Michigan that’s facing an arduous winter with Covid-19. Nationwide, Covid-19 hospitalizations have increased 40% compared to a month ago, according to data from the US Department of Health and Human Services. This is the first holiday season with the relentless spread of the Delta variant — a strain far more contagious than those Americans faced last winter.

“We keep talking about how we haven’t peaked yet,” Sefton said.Health experts say the best protection against Delta is to get vaccinated and boosted. But as of Thursday, only about 64.3% of eligible Americans had been fully vaccinated, and less than a third of those eligible for boosters have gotten one.

Sparrow Hospital nurse Danielle Williams said the vast majority of her Covid-19 patients are not vaccinated — and had no idea they could get pummeled so hard by Covid-19.“Before they walked in the door, they had a normal life. They were healthy people. They were out celebrating Thanksgiving,” Williams said. “And now they’re here, with a mask on their face, teary eyed, staring at me, asking me if they’re going to live or not.”

‘The next few weeks look hard’

Dover said he’s saddened but not surprised that his state is getting walloped with Covid-19.“Michigan is not one of the highest vaccination states in the nation. So it continues to have variant after variant grow and expand across the state,” he said.

“The next few weeks look hard. We’re over 100% capacity right now,” Dover said.”Most hospitals and health systems in the state of Michigan have gone to code-red triage, which means they won’t accept transfers. And as we go into the holidays, if the current growth rate that we’re at today, we would expect to see 200 in-patient Covid patients by the end of the month — on a daily basis.”And that would mean “absolutely stretching us to the breaking point,” Dover said.”We’ve already discontinued in-patient elective surgeries,” he said. “In order to create capacity, we took our post-anesthesia recovery care unit and converted it into another critical care unit.”

‘There’s a lot of frustration’

Nurse Leah Rasch is exhausted. She’s worked with Covid-19 patients since the beginning of the pandemic and was stunned to see so many people still unvaccinated enter the Covid unit.

“I did not think we’d be here. I truly thought that people would be vaccinated,” the Sparrow Hospital nurse said.”I don’t remember the last time we did not have a full Covid floor.”The relentless onslaught of Covid-19 patients has impacted Rasch’s own health. “There’s a lot of frustration,” she said. “The other day, I had my first panic attack … I drove to work and I couldn’t get out of the car.”

‘We need everybody to get vaccinated’

Dover said many people have asked how they can support health care workers.”If you really want to support your staff, and you really want to support health care heroes, get vaccinated,” he said. “It’s not political. We need everybody to get vaccinated.”

He’s also urging those who previously had Covid-19 to get vaccinated, as some people can get reinfected.”My daughter’s a good example. She had Covid twice before she was eligible for a vaccine,” Dover said. “She still got a vaccine because we know that if you don’t get the vaccine, just merely having contracted Covid is not enough to protect you from getting it again. And I know that from personal experience. “And those who are unvaccinated shouldn’t underestimate the pandemic right now, Dover said.

“The problem is, it’s not over yet. I don’t know if people realize just how critical it still is,” he said.”But they do realize it when they come into the ER, and they have to wait three days for a bed. And at that point, they realize it.”

Americans Are Already Over Omicron

Posted on by • Posted in Coronavirus, Coronavirus Mutation, Coronavirus Omicron Variant, Pandemic, Pandemic Fatigue, Public Health, Public Opinion, Public Perception, Public Trust, Sign of the Times • Leave a comment

https://view.newsletters.time.com/?qs=5b1b0210a9c0c6052e991fca0f304c50728dc4fa7e9bd80a730492ab7976421ba3ed7c38d7503d4b37e904c3ff5e8bfe48500d64b3838149189f24c10f3605bc9f361596380fa0c3fa7c7f3217d03d57

Most Americans have heard of the Omicron variant, few are very familiar | Ipsos

Americans seem to be greeting the Omicron variant with a collective “eh,” according to new polling data from Axios/Ipsos.

Compared to other COVID-19 strains, Omicron seems to be extra transmissible and possibly more likely to cause breakthrough infections, at least based on preliminary data. As of Dec. 8, 22 U.S. states had reported at least one case related to the variant. But despite the early panic about the variant, most people surveyed by Axios/Ipsos in early December said they weren’t going to make big changes to their behavior. Specifically, the poll found that just:

  • 33% of surveyed U.S. adults are likely to stop dining inside restaurants
  • 28% are likely to stop gathering with people outside their households
  • 23% are likely to cancel holiday travel plans
  • 13% are likely to stop going to work in person

It’s hard to blame people. At this point in the pandemic, it’s safe to say everyone is tired and ready to be done with COVID-19. Plus, 60% of the U.S. population is now fully vaccinated, and thus, based on what we’ve seen so far, largely protected from the worst the virus can do. People who have received a booster dose are in an even better position, given early reports that boosters hold up well against Omicron.

Americans are also, to some degree, doing what public figures told them to do. President Joe Biden called Omicron “a cause for concern—but not a cause for panic.” And many health officials have jumped to assure the public that we are not going back to square one, thanks to the protection offered by vaccines.

The caveat, however, is that we’re still learning about Omicron. Early indications suggest the variant does not cause more severe disease than other variants, but it’s too soon to say that definitively. If it does turn out to be highly contagious, good at outsmarting vaccines and capable of causing serious disease, we may have to return to some precautions, for the sake of individuals and our overburdened health care system. The variant is already taking root in Europe, which may be a harbinger of what’s to come here.

The good news? The Axios/Ipsos poll did find that most Americans are still willing to step up and take protective measures when necessary. More than 60% said they were likely to go back to (or continue) always masking in public, and almost 70% said they’d support businesses requiring customers to wear masks.

A tale of two New Yorks: COVID-19 hospitalization rate surging upstate

Posted on by • Posted in Coronavirus, Coronavirus Delta Variant, Coronavirus Mutation, Coronavirus Omicron Variant, Infection Control, Infection Control Plan, Infectious Virus, Pandemic, Pandemic Fatigue, Public Health, Public Inaction, Public Opinion, Public Perception, Unvaccinated, Vaccination, Vaccine, Vaccine Booster, Vaccine Efficacy, Vaccine Safety, Vaccine Supply • Leave a comment

https://www.yahoo.com/gma/tale-two-yorks-covid-19-100301204.html

COVID-19-related hospitalizations have been on an upward trend in New York state since last month, but there appears to be a drastic divide between the Big Apple and some of the state’s more rural areas, health data shows.

In New York City, the seven-day average of new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 people rose from 0.5 on Nov. 10 to 1.1 on Dec. 7, the New York State Department of Health said.

The story is different in several counties hundreds of miles north, where new COVID-19 hospitalizations are rising at a higher rate. In the Finger Lakes region, officials in several counties declared a state of emergency after the seven-day average of new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 people went from 2.9 on Nov. 10 to 4.9 on Dec. 7.

David Larsen, an associate professor of public health at Syracuse University, told ABC News that there are several factors behind this divide, but the most important one is the lower vaccination rates in certain counties upstate.

“At the end of the day, you’re more likely to get severe COVID-19 symptoms and go to the hospital if you’re not vaccinated,” Larsen said.

Health experts and state officials predict the situation upstate is only going to get worse during the holidays and colder months, but the tide can be turned if more people get their shots and heed health warnings.

As of Dec. 8, 74.9% of all New York state residents have at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, but those numbers vary by region, according to state health data.

New York City and Long Island had over 78% of their populations with at least one shot, the state data showed. Further north, the rates for at least one dose in the Mohawk Valley, the Finger Lakes and North Country sections were 60.6%, 68.5%, and 63% respectively.

There is even more division within the regions when it comes to vaccination, the data shows; for example, counties that are along the Interstate 87 corridor, such as Hamilton, Schenectady and Saratoga, all have rate of at least one dose above 75% of their populations.

Counties directly west of those locations, Schoharie, Fulton and Montgomery, have one-dose vaccination rates under 65%, the state data showed.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has repeatedly highlighted that the unvaccinated are the ones suffering and being hospitalized.

“It is a conscious decision not to be vaccinated. And the direct result is a higher rate of individuals in those regions upstate as well as it has a direct correlation to the number of hospitalizations,” she said during a Dec. 2 news conference.

Dr. Isaac Weisfuse, an adjunct professor of public health at Cornell University, told ABC News that there are fewer options for upstate residents to turn to for medical help and fewer hospitals in the area are handling patients from more locations.

Weisfuse, a former deputy health commissioner for New York City’s Health Department, noted that New York City residents have much closer access to amenities like free testing sites and medical clinics than their upstate counterparts.

“If you live in a rural county in New York state and it takes a while to get to a doctor, you may put it off. So when you do eventually go get care, you may be sicker versus someone who lives closer and gets a quicker diagnosis,” he said.

Larsen added that there has been pandemic fatigue across the country, and many Americans have scaled back on mitigation measures, especially mask-wearing indoors.

While New York City requires proof of vaccination for indoor activities, such as movie theaters and restaurants, there are no such rules in many upstate counties. As a result, some upstate residents have less of an incentive to get their shots, and are less cautious in indoor group settings, according to Larsen.

PHOTO: A sign asks for proof of COVID-19 vaccination in Manhattan at the entrance to a museum on Nov. 29, 2021, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

“We’re doing less mask wearing. What that does is it increases transmission, which is fine for the vaccinated people but it does go to the unvaccinated people and they are higher risk,” he said.

Weisfuse said the hospitalizations are likely to grow upstate and have ripple effects for those regions. The governor has ordered elective surgeries to be postponed at 32 hospitals upstate that have seen their available beds decrease.

PHOTO: Tse Cowan, 8, winces as he is administered the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a pop-up vaccine site at P.S. 19 on Nov. 08, 2021 in the Lower East Side of New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

State officials said they are beefing up their marketing efforts to encourage eligible New Yorkers to get their shots.

Weisfuse said this outreach needs to be done meticulously if upstate officials want to avoid more overcrowded emergency rooms this winter.

“The state needs to take a good look at the pockets of non-vaccination,” he said. “They need to make some targeted intervention in those neighborhoods.”

Anyone who needs help scheduling a free vaccine appointment can log onto vaccines.gov.

First known U.S. case of the Omicron variant identified in California

Posted on by • Posted in Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Coronavirus, Coronavirus Mutation, Coronavirus Omicron Variant, Pandemic, Public Health, Public Opinion, Public Perception, Vaccination, Vaccine, Vaccine Booster, Vaccine Efficacy, Vaccine Safety, Vaccine Supply • Leave a comment
https://www.axios.com/us-cdc-omicron-variant-c6502124-3dfd-4e30-8c98-e9dce3138108.html?stream=top&utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=alerts_all
First confirmed US case of Omicron coronavirus variant detected in California | Coronavirus | kwwl.com

The first known U.S. case of the Omicron variant was detected in California, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Wednesday.

Driving the news: The confirmed case was detected in a traveler returning from South Africa who was fully vaccinated and has mild symptoms, according to the CDC.

  • Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, had previously cautioned that the Omicron would “inevitably” be found in the U.S.

What they’re saying: “The recent emergence of the Omicron variant … further emphasizes the importance of vaccination, boosters and general prevention strategies,” the CDC said in a statement.

  • “We know what we need to do to protect people,” Fauci said following the announcement. “Get vaccinated if you’re not already vaccinated.”

The big picture: Since the variant was first identified by scientists in South Africa earlier last month, Omicron cases have been confirmed across Europe, Canada, Israel, Hong Kong and Australia, among other countries.

Covid Natural Immunity vs Vaccine Immunity

Posted on by • Posted in Coronavirus, Coronavirus Delta Variant, Coronavirus Mutation, Coronavirus Omicron Variant, Natural Immunity, Pandemic, Public Health, Public Opinion, Public Perception, Unvaccinated, Vaccination, Vaccine, Vaccine Booster, Vaccine Efficacy, Vaccine Immunity, Vaccine Safety, Vaccine Supply • Leave a comment
Covid Natural Immunity vs Vaccine Immunity
Covid Natural Immunity vs Vaccine Immunity | The Incidental Economist

There’s a lot of talk about “natural immunity” to Covid-19, and some people are refusing vaccination on the grounds that they’ve got this natural immunity thanks to a previous Covid-19 infection. In this episode we take a look at how infection and vaccination compare in terms of immunity, reinfection, and overall health risks and benefits.

Gottlieb: ‘A pretty good degree of confidence’ people with three doses are protected from omicron

Posted on by • Posted in Coronavirus, Coronavirus Mutation, Coronavirus Omicron Variant, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Pandemic, Public Health, Public Opinion, Public Perception, Vaccination, Vaccine, Vaccine Booster, Vaccine Efficacy, Vaccine Safety, Vaccine Supply • Leave a comment

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/583280-gottlieb-a-pretty-good-degree-of-confidence-that-people-with-three

Sunday shows - Spotlight shifts to omicron variant | TheHill

Former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb on Sunday said vaccine developers have “a pretty good degree of confidence” that fully vaccinated individuals who have received a COVID-19 booster are protected against the omicron variant.

Appearing on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Gottlieb said that there is no indication that the omicron variant first detected in South Africa makes individuals more ill than other previously detected variants, and that there have been anecdotal accounts of people experiencing mild cases of COVID-19, though he pointed out that initial cases appear to have been clustered among young people.

“The question here is going to be whether or not a fully boosted individual someone who’s had three doses of vaccine has good protection against this variant right now,” said Gottlieb, who now sits on Pfizer’s board of directors.

“If you talk to people in vaccine circles, people who are working on a vaccine, they have a pretty good degree of confidence that a boosted vaccine, so three full doses of vaccine, is going to be fairly protective against this new variant,” said Gottlieb.

However, Gottlieb stressed that data on the omicron data is sparse, with no clinical studies or test tube studies having been completed. He estimated that studies testing the blood of vaccinated people against the omicron variant could be out by the end of this week or some time next week.

“Now, I would expect that those studies are going to show that the neutralization against this virus declined substantially. But that doesn’t mean that the vaccines won’t be effective,” he said.

How to Talk about Vaccines at Thanksgiving

Posted on by • Posted in Coronavirus, Coronavirus Delta Variant, Coronavirus Mutation, Happy Thanksgiving, Infection Control, Infection Control Plan, Infectious Virus, Pandemic, Public Health, Public Opinion, Public Perception, Public Trust, Sign of the Times, Unvaccinated, Vaccination, Vaccine, Vaccine Booster, Vaccine Distribution, Vaccine Efficacy, Vaccine Safety, Vaccine Supply • Leave a comment
May be an image of 6 people and text that says 'How to talk about vaccines at Thanksgiving The big thing to know when talking to family and friends about vaccine falsehoods during the holidays: It's better to respond with facts than to offer corrections.'

“Please pass the green beans.” “What kind of pie is that?”“What about spike proteins!?”These are some of the phrases that may be uttered during your Thanksgiving and holiday dinners this season. But! We have prepared a glossary for you. Swipe through a quick guide to some of the most misused terms around vaccines that PolitiFact has noticed in our fact-checking. And because we know that shouts of “that’s wrong!” don’t go over smooth like gravy, we’re including an expert’s advice on how to talk about vaccine falsehoods with family and friends.The big thing to know: It’s better to respond with facts than to offer corrections.”If they said something like ‘the vaccine is dangerous,’ include a statistic about how 75% of the people in their state have gotten vaccinated and none have died, or how severe and dangerous COVID-19 is,” said Rupali Limaye, an associate scientist at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. “And, ultimately, make sure you’re saying it all with empathy.”

May be an image of text that says '"Spike protein" The human body and other organisms are made up of a variety of proteins, and SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has its own. The virus' spike protein, which allows the virus to penetrate cells and cause infection, has sharp bumps that protrude from the surface of the virus' outer envelopes. COVID-19 vaccines introduce a piece of the protein- but not the harmful part of the virus which the immune system quickly identifies, attacks and destroys as a foreign invader.'
May be an image of text that says '"mRNA" The Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines use messenger RNA to deliver an instruction manual to cells for making the coronavirus' spike protein. They're different from conventiona vaccines that use part of a bacterium or virus to induce protein production. The mRNA is fragile and quickly broken down in the body once the cells learn the blueprint, which is usually within three days of receiving the vaccine. The molecule does not we repeat, does not enter the nucleus of cells and alter a person's DNA.'
May be an image of text that says '"VAERS" VAERS stands for the Vaccine Adverse Effects Reporting System, a critical reporting tool for the federal government to collect and analyze data on after-effects from all vaccines, not just COVID-19. Unlike other government data sources, VAERS is designed so that anyone- parents, patients and health care professionals can report health effects that occur after a vaccination, whether or not those effects were caused by the vaccine. The reports aren't verified before they're entered, and anyone with a computer can access the data.'
May be an image of text that says '"Syncytin-1" Syncytin-1, a protein found in humans and some animals, is most known for helping develop the placenta, the temporary organ that helps nourish a fetus during pregnancy. Syncytin-1 and the coronavirus spike protein have almost nothing in common, making the vaccine highly unlikely to trigger a reaction. "If someone says they heard the vaccine causes infertility, would just respond with something direct- like that there are no studies that show a link between the vaccines and infertility Zero," an expert said.'
May be an image of text that says '"Ivermectin" vermectir is an anti-parasitic medication that has been widely touted as a COVID-19 treatment despite health authorities warning against COVID-19 patients self-medicating with the drug. When people started to believe it could treat COVID- 19, some of them ingested forms of the drug made for animals, causing a dramatic uptick in calls to poison control. Officials warn that more research is still needed on ivermectin's effectiveness as a COVID-19 treatment.'
May be an image of text that says 'A final word about words The best way to talk through different views on vaccines with loved ones is by making your point in a personal context that takes the focus off them. "Think of family member they want to protect, so it's not all about them," said Rupali Limaye, an associate scientist at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health." "Like 'Hey, I'm really concerned about grandma and just want to make sure we are doing all we can to protect her. It leaves the pressure off them but they still have some skin in the game."'

Axios-Ipsos poll: Thanksgiving Roulette

Posted on by • Posted in Coronavirus, Coronavirus Delta Variant, Coronavirus Mutation, Happy Thanksgiving, Infection Control, Infection Control Plan, Infectious Virus, Pandemic, Public Health, Public Opinion, Public Perception, Public Safety, Sign of the Times, Unvaccinated, Vaccination, Vaccine, Vaccine Booster, Vaccine Efficacy, Vaccine Safety, Vaccine Supply • Leave a comment

https://www.axios.com/axios-ipsos-poll-thanksgiving-covid-7a043049-d25c-4d3a-9bab-2853973f67af.html

Axios-Ipsos poll: Americans are ready to play COVID roulette for Thanksgiving

Two-in-three Americans will celebrate this Thanksgiving with friends or family outside their immediate households, and about half of those say their gatherings could include unvaccinated people, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

Why it matters: Vaccinations and booster shots are giving more people confidence to resume traditions like sitting around a packed table with masks off. But many are doing so with heightened awareness of what they don’t know when it comes to their holiday companions.

  • This year, 31% see a large or moderate risk in seeing friends or family for Thanksgiving — way down from 64% a year ago.
  • People’s assessment of overall risk of returning to their normal pre-COVID lives is also down, with 44% seeing it as a large to moderate risk this year compared with 72% last year.
  • But when Americans are asked how concerned they still feel about the virus, the numbers haven’t diminished all that much: 69% compared with 85% a year ago.

What they’re saying: “We’re just in a holding pattern,” said Cliff Young, president of Ipsos U.S. Public Affairs.

  • “They’re going to Thanksgiving because they have to, they have to see their family and friends, it’s human nature,” Young said. “But Americans are still deploying mitigating strategies.”
  • Ipsos pollster and senior vice president Chris Jackson said the vaccines “have attenuated some of that risk. But there’s a larger sense of anxiety or concern that hasn’t been dealt with.”

By the numbers: 67% of U.S. adults surveyed said they’ll see friends or family outside their households. That’s 73% of Republicans, 70% of independents and 63% of Democrats.

  • 30% of them said the guests will include unvaccinated people, and another 17% said they don’t know whether other guests will be vaccinated or not.
  • 38% said they’ll be with people who don’t regularly wear masks outside the home, while another 21% said they didn’t know if their guests regularly wear masks.
  • 4% said they’ll be seeing people who’ve been exposed to COVID-19 in the last two weeks; another 28% aren’t sure if people at their gatherings have been exposed.

Between the lines: There’s a modest partisan gap around openness to returning to the communal Thanksgiving table — but a gulf around who you’re willing to sit with.

  • 41% of Republicans expect to spend the holiday with someone who’s unvaccinated, compared with 17% of Democrats.
  • When we asked unvaccinated respondents, 56% of those who will celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family outside the home expect the guests to include other unvaccinated people.

The big picture: This week’s findings show overwhelming support (86%) for every vaccinated American who wants a booster being able to get one. But only about one in four respondents said they knew much about an anti-viral COVID-19 pill awaiting FDA approval.

  • 23% hadn’t heard about the pill at all, and half had heard of it but said they didn’t know much about it.
  • When the unvaccinated were asked whether they’d rather get a shot to prevent the virus, or wait to catch the virus and then take an approved pill to treat it, the pill drew a slight edge (17% versus 12%) and 15% had no preference, while a majority — 53% — said they’d prefer to take neither.
  • That suggests the pill won’t be a silver bullet — and offers more evidence that there is a segment of American society that doesn’t trust science or government to tell them what to do.

30% of hospital healthcare workers remained unvaccinated as of September

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Dive Brief:

  • Some 30% of U.S. healthcare workers employed at hospitals remained unvaccinated as of Sept. 15, according to an analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data published Thursday by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.
  • The findings include data from 3.3 million healthcare workers at more than 2,000 hospitals, collected between Jan. 20 and Sept. 15.
  • Healthcare personnel working in children’s hospitals had the highest vaccination rates, along with those working in metropolitan counties.

Dive Insight:

The vaccination rate for healthcare workers is roughly in line with that of the general population, though the risk of exposure and transmission can be higher in settings where infected COVID-19 patients are treated, Hannah Reses, CDC epidemiologist and lead author of the analysis, said.

When the shots were initially rolled out, vaccination rates climbed among healthcare workers, rising from 36% to 60% between January and April of 2021, the analysis found. But a major slowdown occurred shortly after.

From April to August, vaccination rates rose just 5%. They then rose 5% again in just one month — from August to September — likely due to the delta variant and more systems implementing their own mandates, the report said.

Researchers also found discrepancies in vaccination rates based on the type of hospitals and their geographic locations.

By September, workers at children’s hospitals had the highest vaccination rates (77%), followed by those at short-term acute care hospitals (70%), long-term care facilities (68.8%), and critical access hospitals (64%).

Among healthcare workers at facilities in metropolitan areas, about 71% were vaccinated by September, compared to 65% of workers at rural facilities.

The findings come as health systems work to comply with new vaccination mandates from the Biden administration.

Healthcare facilities must follow the CMS rule, which stipulates employees must be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4 or risk losing Medicare and Medicaid funding. Unlike the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s rule that applies to businesses with 100 employees or more but excludes healthcare providers, the CMS rule does not allow for a testing exception.

Both agencies’ rules were met with pushback. The attorneys general of 10 mostly rural states — Missouri, Nebraska, Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa, Wyoming, Alaska, South Dakota, North Dakota and New Hampshire — filed a lawsuit on Oct. 10 against CMS for its rule and said the mandates would exacerbate existing staffing shortages.

“Requiring healthcare workers to get a vaccination or face termination is unconstitutional and unlawful, and could exacerbate healthcare staffing shortages to the point of collapse, especially in Missouri’s rural areas,” the state’s attorney general, Eric Schmitt, said in a statement.

But some regional systems that implemented their own mandates have seen positive results.

After UNC Health and Novant Health in North Carolina required the shots, staff vaccination rates rose to 97% and 99%, respectively, according to a White House report.

Among Novant Health’s 35,000 employees, about 375 were suspended for not complying, and about 200 of those suspended employees did end up getting vaccinated so they could return to work, according to the report.

And some major hospital chains across the country are joining suit with the looming deadline, including HCA with its 183 hospitals and more than 275,000 employees.

The chain is requiring employees be fully vaccinated by the CMS deadline on Jan. 4, a spokesperson said in an email statement.

At the same time, this year’s flu season is difficult to predict, though, “the number of influenza virus detection reported by public health labs has increased in recent weeks,” Reses said.

“The CDC is preparing for flu and COVID to circulate along with other respiratory viruses, and so flu vaccination therefore will be really important to reduce the risk of flu and potentially serious complications, particularly in combination with COVID-19 circulating,” Reses said.