Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #111

[anneg]

She was very careful for a long time, masked religiously, avoided all social gatherings and worked from home (she still caught it), but her job now requires her to meet people again and there is some travel involved. She does her best and avoids crowded spaces where possible. I'm not sure what more she can do while getting on with her life and work. She has a large family that she lives with, lots of people coming and going, and the younger ones don't like to mask anymore. So she either catches it again through work or a family member brings it home. It's a tough situation. She seems to have almost no resistance to it and she's very worried about what her health will be like when she is older. She has been so unlucky. Even the people I know who have taken almost no precautions haven't caught it this often. Twice or three times at most.

She is in a tough situation. It's no wonder she keeps getting exposed, with exposures likely at both home and work. It seems like she'd need to wear an N-95 mask almost all the time when she's not sleeping to protect herself from further infections.

Has she had the bivalent booster, I wonder? I've had two of those in the past year (September and June) and will get the updated vaccination this fall.

I feel bad for her and hope she can avoid further reinfections. She is likely at high risk of developing Long Covid, IMO.

 

[Mo Thuairim]

She is in a tough situation. It's no wonder she keeps getting exposed, with exposures likely at both home and work. It seems like she'd need to wear an N-95 mask almost all the time when she's not sleeping to protect herself from further infections.

Has she had the bivalent booster, I wonder? I've had two of those in the past year (September and June) and will get the updated vaccination this fall.

I feel bad for her and hope she can avoid further reinfections. She is likely at high risk of developing Long Covid, IMO.

I think she might already have long Covid. She has never fully recovered her strength and energy from her second infection when she was hospitalised. I know she was referred to a long Covid clinic after that but I don't think they were able to do much for her. She wears an N95 when she is out but not at home and to be honest I don't blame her. I wouldn't be able to wear one all the time at home either! Her kids do make an effort with masks and they wear them more often for a while after she's been sick or in winter when the infection rate is higher but then they get back to normal and understandably they don't like to wear them 24/7 hanging out with their friends. She had the bivalent booster when I did at the beginning of the year but she has had Covid twice since then! Just truly unfortunate all round.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

Because the CDC is still taking stats, as are many local health agencies. People not testing (and reporting their results if it's an at home test) are HORRIBLY skewing the stats making it look like things are better than they are!

I sadly agree.

One rationale for testing that might be compelling to some people is the idea that there may be a situation in the future where being able to document past infections could be beneficial -- such as for insurance coverage, a class-action lawsuit, etc.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Another summer surge? What to know about rising Covid hospitalizations

Wastewater data also points to a rise in Covid cases. Still, experts say the odds of getting seriously ill remain low.

www.nbcnews.com

Signs indicate that Covid is making a comeback after months of falling cases. But does the United States need to brace itself for a surge?

Experts told NBC News that while cases are going up, they are not currently expecting a huge spike in Covid and wouldn’t advise people to change their behavior for now.

Hospitalizations have been trending upward since the beginning of July — the first increase seen this year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency reported 8,035 new hospital admissions for the week ending July 22, a 12.1% increase compared to the week prior, though still one of the lowest points in the pandemic. At the same time last year, for comparison, that number was more than 44,000...

 

[weepingangel]

Hospitalizations up 30% in Massachusetts.

 

[weepingangel]

Hospitalizations up 30% in Massachusetts.

Adding link / paywalled

COVID hospitalizations in Mass. see first upticks since January - The Boston Globe

Waste water levels are at their highest levels since March but remain low compared to last year.

www.bostonglobe.com

 

[weepingangel]

Adding link / paywalled

COVID hospitalizations in Mass. see first upticks since January - The Boston Globe

Waste water levels are at their highest levels since March but remain low compared to last year.

www.bostonglobe.com

I was annoyed I couldn’t seem to find a free local news article when I know I’ve heard on two different tv channels recently that specific number (30%)


Also,

Judge rules Boston-area hospitals had a right to fire workers who wouldn't get the COVID shot

A federal judge ruled that hospitals requiring their workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 doesn't constitute assault.

www.boston.com

Does anyone know offhand if the novaxx or whatever it’s called (The non rna) Shot will be available as a new booster this fall?

 

[Gemmie]

I was annoyed I couldn’t seem to find a free local news article when I know I’ve heard on two different tv channels recently that specific number (30%)


Also,

Judge rules Boston-area hospitals had a right to fire workers who wouldn't get the COVID shot

A federal judge ruled that hospitals requiring their workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 doesn't constitute assault.

www.boston.com

Does anyone know offhand if the novaxx or whatever it’s called (The non rna) Shot will be available as a new booster this fall?

Likely yes.

July 13, 2023
Today the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a letter to COVID vaccine manufacturers, including Novavax, requesting that updated vaccines are ready for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory action and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations on vaccination by the latter part of September 2023. Novavax has developed an updated protein-based monovalent XBB.1.5 COVID vaccine candidate and is manufacturing at commercial scale with the intent to meet HHS’ September timeline, pending FDA regulatory action and CDC recommendations on vaccination.

Novavax Intends to Deliver Protein-based XBB COVID Vaccine as Specified in U.S. HHS Letter to COVID Manufacturers - Jul 13, 2023

Today the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a letter to COVID vaccine manufacturers, including Novavax, requesting that updated vaccines are ready for Food and Drug...

ir.novavax.com

 

[weepingangel]

Likely yes.

July 13, 2023
Today the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a letter to COVID vaccine manufacturers, including Novavax, requesting that updated vaccines are ready for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory action and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations on vaccination by the latter part of September 2023. Novavax has developed an updated protein-based monovalent XBB.1.5 COVID vaccine candidate and is manufacturing at commercial scale with the intent to meet HHS’ September timeline, pending FDA regulatory action and CDC recommendations on vaccination.

Novavax Intends to Deliver Protein-based XBB COVID Vaccine as Specified in U.S. HHS Letter to COVID Manufacturers - Jul 13, 2023

Today the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a letter to COVID vaccine manufacturers, including Novavax, requesting that updated vaccines are ready for Food and Drug...

ir.novavax.com

Perfect, thanks !

 

[Gemmie]

Covid-19 is on the rise again as the world approaches the fourth virus season since the coronavirus arrived on the scene.

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show a slight increase in hospital admissions, emergency department visits, and positive Covid-19 tests — although not nearly as high as in past summers (Gemmie's note - IMO it's because people are self-testing and not relaying their results thru the proper channels. HUGE under reporting IMO).

Summer travel, unrelenting heat that drives people indoors, and weakened immunity to the virus may all be to blame for this increase in Covid-19 activity, rather than an infectious new variant.

[...]

Moderna and Pfizer are both working on updated Covid-19 vaccines targeted to the XBB strains — subvariants of the Omicron variant. Pfizer has said its new shot could be approved in November, and vaccines are expected to be available in late September or early October.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California San Francisco, says If you are over the age of 65 or have a weakened immune system, and you have no recent immunity to Covid-19, you should not wait to get an updated Covid-19 shot. The bivalent booster currently being offered will provide sufficient immunity. People who get the existing booster will then need to wait weeks or months before getting the updated booster expected to be released in the fall.

“I would probably go and get it right now if you haven’t been boosted recently,” he says, adding that immunity to any Covid-19 strain puts older adults and the immunocompromised at an advantage over the virus.

Full article here: https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/04/heal...es-quarantine-and-testing-are-back/index.html

 

[Mo Thuairim]

Haven't heard of Eris in Ireland yet but...

Covid Eris symptoms: All we know about new variant driving surge in cases​

(...)

A descendant of Omicron, Eris, or EG.5.1, was first classified as a variant in the UK on 31 July, but now accounts for one in 10 Covid cases.

It is now the second most prevalent variant in the UK, after Arcturus which makes up almost half of all infection cases at 39.4 per cent, according to UKHSA.

(...)

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has added EG.5.1 to the list of variants under monitoring.

(...)

Independent Sage member Prof Christina Pagel told The Independent she believes the UK is “definitely starting another wave” driven by Omicron subvariants, Arcturus and Eris, waning immunity and poor weather.

(...)

EG.5.1 is a version of the Omicron variant that appeared in the UK at the end of 2021, and WHO has designated EG.5 as a variant under monitoring (VUM) but not as a variant of concern (VOC).

“This means we need to continue to monitor EG.5.1 to see what impact it has on outcome such as the number of infections, hospital admissions and deaths,” he added.

(...)

All we know about new Covid variant Eris and its symptoms amid surge in cases

Eris desends from Omicron and is now the second most prevalent Covid variant in the UK

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Sundog]

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/13/health/covid-19-vaccines-hhs-letter/index.html

First on CNN: Updated Covid shot should be ready by ‘latter part of September,’ HHS secretary says in letter to manufacturers​

US health officials are moving forward with plans to sunset the federal government’s Covid-19 vaccine distribution program next month and move the vaccines to the commercial market this fall, and they are laying out their expectations to manufacturers about what that transition should look like.

Interesting that Pfizer only expects 25% of the U.S. population to get the updated Covid shot this fall.

 

[Gemmie]

Interesting that Pfizer only expects 25% of the U.S. population to get the updated Covid shot this fall.

25% seems high to me (wish it was 100%!). Per @weepingangel's article:

While about 69.5% of the total US population has completed a primary series of Covid-19 vaccine, only around 17% has received a dose of the updated booster shot that was released last fall, according to data from the CDC.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/13/health/covid-19-vaccines-hhs-letter/index.html

 

[Auntie Cipation]

I was notified today that my mom's retirement/care community, with no announced covid cases for months, now has 15 cases -- one staff and the rest residents.

In the past their cases have been mostly staff as opposed to residents, so this is a change from the norm, probably caused by return to group dining and other group activities.

This is happening in Santa Clara County, California (ie Silicon Valley)

 

[Gemmie]

I was notified today that my mom's retirement/care community, with no announced covid cases for months, now has 15 cases -- one staff and the rest residents.

In the past their cases have been mostly staff as opposed to residents, so this is a change from the norm, probably caused by return to group dining and other group activities.

This is happening in Santa Clara County, California (ie Silicon Valley)

I am so sorry to hear that your mom's community is having a big uptick in cases like that. Just curious approximately how many residents and staff are there. I'm mostly curious what percentage of cases it is. Cuz if there were 2 staff (doubt it) and 20 residents (likely not) that would be a really high percentage! Do keep us posted if those numbers go up. I for one would like to know.

It really bugs me that it feels like a LOT of people have put Covid in the rear view mirror and no longer mask or do preventative measures. I can understand wanting to forget about the whole thing but it is NOT over. People are getting right up on me (like a foot away) in line at the grocery store. It ticks me the heck off. I'm like... can you back up, please?

I still see tons of people grabbing door handles, use their fingertip to insert PINs, etc. Heck, I didn't even touch those things with my bare hand BEFORE covid (I didn't want colds or the flu). I'd use my shirt hem for knobs and my knuckle to insert PINs. I also carry around my own pen for places that require me to sign a credit card slip and don't use theirs.

It's my belief that these behaviors are what's fueling the flareups. People just aren't careful enough. It's not only sad, it's scary, and there's no getting away from it.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

I am so sorry to hear that your mom's community is having a big uptick in cases like that. Just curious approximately how many residents and staff are there. I'm mostly curious what percentage of cases it is. Cuz if there were 2 staff (doubt it) and 20 residents (likely not) that would be a really high percentage! Do keep us posted if those numbers go up. I for one would like to know.

It really bugs me that it feels like a LOT of people have put Covid in the rear view mirror and no longer mask or do preventative measures. I can understand wanting to forget about the whole thing but it is NOT over. People are getting right up on me (like a foot away) in line at the grocery store. It ticks me the heck off. I'm like... can you back up, please?

I still see tons of people grabbing door handles, use their fingertip to insert PINs, etc. Heck, I didn't even touch those things with my bare hand BEFORE covid (I didn't want colds or the flu). I'd use my shirt hem for knobs and my knuckle to insert PINs. I also carry around my own pen for places that require me to sign a credit card slip and don't use theirs.

It's my belief that these behaviors are what's fueling the flareups. People just aren't careful enough. It's not only sad, it's scary, and there's no getting away from it.

@Gemmie this is a fairly big community with I'm guessing around 200-300 residents. I have no idea about staff -- between cleaning and cooking and administrators and medical/assisted living staff I suppose they could have more staff than residents, but I really don't know.

They have three categories of residents: Residential Living where people can come and go as they like, Memory Care which is a locked ward with its own dining room etc, and Skilled Nursing. In the past they would tell us which area had the covid cases, but this time they didn't specify. In my experience, I would have gotten a phone call if my mom had tested positive (which she did months ago during their previous spike -- thankfully she seemed asymptomatic).

My next visit will probably be in September or October, and I will of course not want to go when they are having a spike in cases.

 

[Gemmie]

@Gemmie this is a fairly big community with I'm guessing around 200-300 residents. I have no idea about staff -- between cleaning and cooking and administrators and medical/assisted living staff I suppose they could have more staff than residents, but I really don't know.

They have three categories of residents: Residential Living where people can come and go as they like, Memory Care which is a locked ward with its own dining room etc, and Skilled Nursing. In the past they would tell us which area had the covid cases, but this time they didn't specify. In my experience, I would have gotten a phone call if my mom had tested positive (which she did months ago during their previous spike -- thankfully she seemed asymptomatic).

My next visit will probably be in September or October, and I will of course not want to go when they are having a spike in cases.

Thanks for your response. So a fairly large-ish setting. Where I'm at they are a bit smaller than that.

While I'm sad that your mom caught Covid, I'm glad she was asymptomatic! That could have been a lot worse than it was. That was definitely the silver lining with that situation.

As for your next visit... you might consider timing it around when the new updating booster will be out targeting XBB.1.5. If it was me I'd do 2 weeks after the booster. But honestly, we won't even know if it's XBB.1.5 that's circulating then. But the good thing is... at least the boosters have been good at preventing hospitalizations and death. I wish you and your mother much luck with your visit.

Originally, federal officials had proposed September for the rollout of the fall COVID-19 shots, which have been updated to combat the omicron subvariant XBB.1.5. But the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told NPR this week that the shots will be available “probably in the early October time frame.”

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-08-02/pfizer-fda-authorization-for-updated-covid-19-vaccine-expected-in-august

 

[Mo Thuairim]

In the US...

CDC says COVID variant EG.5 is now dominant, including strain some call "Eris"​

(...)

Overall, as of Friday, 17.3% of COVID-19 cases nationwide were projected to be caused by EG.5, more than any other group, up from 7.5% through the first week of July.

The next most common variants after EG.5 are now XBB.1.16 at 15.6%, XBB.2.23 at 11.2% and XBB.1.5 at 10.3%. Some other new XBB spinoffs are now being ungrouped from their parents by the CDC, including FL.1.5.1, which now accounts for 8.6% of new cases.

EG.5 includes a strain with a subgroup of variants designated as EG.5.1, which a biology professor, T. Ryan Gregory, nicknamed "Eris" — an unofficial name that began trending on social media.

Experts say EG.5 is one of the fastest growing lineages worldwide, thanks to what might be a "slightly beneficial mutation" that is helping it outcompete some of its siblings.

It is one of several closely-related Omicron subvariants that have been competing for dominance in recent months. All of these variants are descendants of the XBB strain, which this fall's COVID-19 vaccines will be redesigned to guard against.

Officials have said that symptoms and severity from these strains have been largely similar, though they acknowledge that discerning changes in the virus is becoming increasingly difficult as surveillance of the virus has slowed.

(...)

CDC says COVID variant EG.5 is now dominant, including strain some call "Eris"

It is unclear which regions of the U.S. have the most EG.5 infections.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[Auntie Cipation]

@Gemmie I totally agree that it would be ideal to plan my visit a week or two after getting the latest booster. Depending on when it's available in my area, I plan to do just that. But since I am an eight hour drive, including several mountain passes, away from her location, the weather is also a primary factor. (Extreme weather in either direction can also be an issue in terms of leaving my home unoccupied).

Hopefully the boosters will come early enough that I can get the shot, recover from any side effects, and go see her before any problematic winter storms arise.

 

[tabitha111]

I feel so stupid! I was just going to run into Walgreens to pick up my online order do it quickly and leave. I didn't have a mask with me and I felt like this time will be fine. What did you know that right behind me in the line was a mother with a very very sick child picking up some Robitussin and the poor kid was crying. I have a feeling he had covid! Darn! I sure hope my luck hasn't run out.. lesson learned I will never do that again.