Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #76

[Satchie]

Trump announces emergency authorization of ‘breakthrough’ coronavirus treatment

From the article: "More than 64,000 patients in the U.S. have been given convalescent plasma,". Not at all sure why the president is required to authorize a medical treatment that's already being widely used?

 

[Simply Southern]

Convalescent plasma associated with reduced COVID-19 mortality in 35,000-plus hospitalized patients

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic and collaborators have published a preprint that identifies two main signals of efficacy that can inform future clinical trials on plasma therapy on COVID-19 patients. The data are extracted from the Mayo-led national Expanded Access Program (EAP) for convalescent plasma for the treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

The researchers report in “Effect of Convalescent Plasma on Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: Initial Three-Month Experience” that the timing of plasma transfusions in a cohort of 35,322 patients were associated with lower mortality. The cohort included a high proportion of critically ill patients, with 52.3% in the intensive care unit (ICU) and 27.5% receiving mechanical ventilation at the time of plasma transfusion. They also report that in a subset of the cohort (3,082 patients), they found lower mortality associated with plasma transfusions that contained higher levels of antibodies against the virus that causes COVID-19. Specifically:

 

[ilovewings]

Wow, wonder if this is true? What does everyone think?

Trump reportedly considers fast tracking AstraZeneca vaccine before election

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is considering fast tracking an experimental coronavirus vaccine developed in the U.K. for use in the United States ahead of the nation’s upcoming presidential election, according to a Financial Times report, which cited three people briefed on the plan.

One option, according to the FT report, would involve the U.S. Food and Drug Administration awarding “emergency use authorization” for the vaccine, which was developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.

The latest revelation comes amid reports that Trump on Sunday will announce the emergency authorization of convalescent plasma for Covid-19.

On Saturday, President Donald Trump made a baseless accusation that the FDA was standing in the way of drug companies’ efforts to test potential coronavirus vaccines and treatments for political reasons.

Continued at link

I'll pass thanks- i see political pressure written all over this

 

[10ofRods]

Contact Tracing Is Failing in Many States. Here’s Why.

What would your response be if someone random called you, told you that you were under an order of quarantine, and needed to get a Covid test? This person cannot tell you how he/she got your phone number, and then asks for your address and e mail, to mail your "Order of Quarantine" letter.

I can see how this is going no where in the United States.

Some places are just serving papers by mail - although, as we know, that's been gummed up recently as well.

We need the apps that work so well elsewhere.

But if I got a cold call from an unknown number, I wouldn't answer or listen to the voicemail. The way my doctors contact is to text first, and if there's a new phone number, they explain who they are and ask me to text back a good time to call.

That's how most people I know run their lives. But if the texts were to go unanswered, yep, I'd try good ole US Mail (if only it would get there in time - which it won't in many places, right now).

You can easily google what's going on with the USPS at news.google.com

 

[Simply Southern]

FDA to authorize plasma treatment over scientists' objections

FDA requires a clinical trial to approve a treatment/drug for regular use. Most hospitals including Mayo Clinic are doing "studies". Clinical trials require a 50/50 control group, it will be hard to enroll patients in a control group when they know plasma is effective and risk getting the placebo.

How do you tell a family, who's mom died, she was in the group that received the placebo.. Nope, I wouldn't join the clinical trial, I'd be saying give me plasma under emergency use.


From the article....

But the study, published on Aug. 12 but not peer-reviewed, did not include a control group that would have allowed the researchers to determine whether the plasma treatment reduced the risk of death when compared to standard care.

A study by researchers at Houston Methodist hospitals reached similar conclusions. The 136 patients who received plasma were more likely to have survived a month post-diagnosis compared to 251 patients who did not get the treatment. The effect was strongest in people who were given plasma within three days of hospital admission. But the study, published on August 10 in the American Journal of Pathology, was not randomized or controlled. The doctors running the study gave every enrolled patient plasma, and later compared their outcomes to other people treated at the hospital.

 

[Tillicum]

FDA Issues Emergency Use Authorization for Convalescent Plasma as Potential Promising COVID–19 Treatment, Another Achievement in Administration’s Fight Against Pandemic

FDA Issues Emergency Use Authorization for Convalescent Plasma as Potential Promising COVID–19 Treatment, Another Achievement in Administration’s Fight Against Pandemic

For Immediate Release:
August 23, 2020
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for investigational convalescent plasma for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients as part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to fight COVID-19. Based on scientific evidence available, the FDA concluded, as outlined in its decision memorandum, this product may be effective in treating COVID-19 and that the known and potential benefits of the product outweigh the known and potential risks of the product.

Today’s action follows the FDA’s extensive review of the science and data generated over the past several months stemming from efforts to facilitate emergency access to convalescent plasma for patients as clinical trials to definitively demonstrate safety and efficacy remain ongoing.

The EUA authorizes the distribution of COVID-19 convalescent plasma in the U.S. and its administration by health care providers, as appropriate, to treat suspected or laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Alex Azar, Health and Human Services Secretary:
“The FDA’s emergency authorization for convalescent plasma is a milestone achievement in President Trump’s efforts to save lives from COVID-19,” said Secretary Azar. “The Trump Administration recognized the potential of convalescent plasma early on. Months ago, the FDA, BARDA, and private partners began work on making this product available across the country while continuing to evaluate data through clinical trials. Our work on convalescent plasma has delivered broader access to the product than is available in any other country and reached more than 70,000 American patients so far. We are deeply grateful to Americans who have already donated and encourage individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 to consider donating convalescent plasma.”

Stephen M. Hahn, M.D., FDA Commissioner:
“I am committed to releasing safe and potentially helpful treatments for COVID-19 as quickly as possible in order to save lives. We’re encouraged by the early promising data that we’ve seen about convalescent plasma. The data from studies conducted this year shows that plasma from patients who’ve recovered from COVID-19 has the potential to help treat those who are suffering from the effects of getting this terrible virus,” said Dr. Hahn. “At the same time, we will continue to work with researchers to continue randomized clinical trials to study the safety and effectiveness of convalescent plasma in treating patients infected with the novel coronavirus.”

Scientific Evidence on Convalescent Plasma

Based on an evaluation of the EUA criteria and the totality of the available scientific evidence, the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research determined that the statutory criteria for issuing an EUA criteria were met.

The FDA determined that it is reasonable to believe that COVID-19 convalescent plasma may be effective in lessening the severity or shortening the length of COVID-19 illness in some hospitalized patients. The agency also determined that the known and potential benefits of the product, when used to treat COVID-19, outweigh the known and potential risks of the product and that that there are no adequate, approved, and available alternative treatments.

The EUA is not intended to replace randomized clinical trials and facilitating the enrollment of patients into any of the ongoing randomized clinical trials is critically important for the definitive demonstration of safety and efficacy of COVID-19 convalescent plasma. The FDA continues to recommend that the designs of ongoing randomized clinical trials of COVID-19 convalescent plasma and other therapeutic agents remain unaltered, as COVID-19 convalescent plasma does not yet represent a new standard of care based on the current available evidence.

Terms of EUA

The EUA requires that fact sheets providing important information about using COVID-19 convalescent plasma in treating COVID-19 be made available to health care providers and patients, including dosing instructions and potential side effects. Possible side effects of COVID-19 convalescent plasma include allergic reactions, transfusion-associated circulatory overload, and transfusion associated lung injury, as well as the potential for transfusion-transmitted infections.

Mayo Clinic Expanded Access Program

The FDA initially facilitated access to convalescent plasma for treating COVID-19 by using pathways that included traditional clinical trials and emergency single-patient investigational new drug (IND) applications.

An Expanded Access ProgramExternal Link Disclaimer for convalescent plasma was initiated in early April to fill an urgent need to provide patient access to a medical product of possible benefit during a time that the FDA was working with researchers to facilitate the initiation of randomized clinical trials to study convalescent plasma. As the number of single patient IND requests started to number in the hundreds on a daily basis, the FDA worked collaboratively with industry, academic, and government partners to implement an expanded access protocol to provide convalescent plasma to patients in need across the country via the national expanded access treatment protocol. The program was developed with funding from the HHS’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), with the Mayo Clinic serving as the lead institution. To date, the program has facilitated the infusion of over 70,000 patients with convalescent plasma.

The EUA was issued to the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.

The EUA remains in effect until the termination of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of the emergency use of drugs and biologics for prevention and treatment of COVID-19. The EUA may be revised or revoked if it is determined the EUA no longer meets the statutory criteria for issuance.

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

I copied entirely from FDA Government website.

 

[tresir2012]

I'll pass thanks- i see political pressure written all over this

The plasma EUA is being done to save lies. If you don't have Covid, you wouldn't need it. The vaccine is different, as a lot of people are anti vax anyway. But anyone with an underlying condition, ( my OH for instance and me as a shielder) would jump at it before winter TYVM.

 

[MrX]

Contact Tracing Is Failing in Many States. Here’s Why.

What would your response be if someone random called you, told you that you were under an order of quarantine, and needed to get a Covid test? This person cannot tell you how he/she got your phone number, and then asks for your address and e mail, to mail your "Order of Quarantine" letter.

I can see how this is going no where in the United States.

We don't answer calls from anyone unknown, and my voice mail has been full for years, so it's a non-starter here.

 

[ZoriahNZ]

Only four days ago:

F.D.A.’s Emergency Approval of Blood Plasma Is Now on Hold

Sudden turn around anyone?

Several top health officials — led by Dr. Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health; Dr. Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert; and Dr. Lane — urged their colleagues last week to hold off, citing recent data from the country’s largest plasma study, run by the Mayo Clinic. They thought the study’s data to date was not strong enough to warrant an emergency approval.

Senior health officials have privately expressed concern about the rapid growth of the Mayo program and the perceived rush to declare plasma effective without the affirmation of results from randomized trials, which scientists have long relied on as the gold standard of evidence.

Some of the concerns were such obvious things like no use of a placebo control group. The article is very informative.

 

[mickey2942]

We don't answer calls from anyone unknown, and my voice mail has been full for years, so it's a non-starter here.

Same. That is the problem. An app might work better, that sends an alert that the user has been identified as being in contact with a person who tested positive for Covid-19 and to schedule a test as soon as possible.

I don't know, but what is happening now isn't working.

 

[tresir2012]

We don't answer calls from anyone unknown, and my voice mail has been full for years, so it's a non-starter here.

I definitely think a health alert text is a better option.

 

[CSIDreamer]

Contact Tracing Is Failing in Many States. Here’s Why.

What would your response be if someone random called you, told you that you were under an order of quarantine, and needed to get a Covid test? This person cannot tell you how he/she got your phone number, and then asks for your address and e mail, to mail your "Order of Quarantine" letter.

I can see how this is going no where in the United States.

That would be a yeah no from me.

 

[Cool Cats]

Contact Tracing Is Failing in Many States. Here’s Why.

What would your response be if someone random called you, told you that you were under an order of quarantine, and needed to get a Covid test? This person cannot tell you how he/she got your phone number, and then asks for your address and e mail, to mail your "Order of Quarantine" letter.

I can see how this is going no where in the United States.

Contact tracing 101: How it works, who could get hired, and why it's so critical in fighting coronavirus - CNN

At least this person was called from her County Health Department but still anyone can say that they are from there. I would myself, verify it through the phone number. But a random person asking questions? Not comfortable, have had problems with prank calls in the past.

How does the process work?
Coronavirus survivor Amy Driscoll got a call from her county health department two hours after she got home from the hospital.



A long list of questions followed: "Who have I seen in the last two weeks? Where was I in the last two weeks? Who was I in contact with? Where do I work?" Driscoll recalled.
After that, her coworkers in Ohio had to be contacted. So did a restaurant where she had gone for lunch. And a hair salon that she had visited. And also those who sat near her at a Cleveland Cavaliers game.

But when contacts are notified, they aren't told who was diagnosed with coronavirus.

"To protect patient privacy, contacts are only informed that they may have been exposed to a patient with the infection," the CDC says. "They are not told the identity of the patient who may have exposed them."

Contact tracers use a variety of methods, including phone calls, emails and social media messaging.

What do contact tracers say to those who might have been exposed?

Sensitivity is important, since it's not easy for people to hear they might have been infected with coronavirus, Harvey said.

"A person will typically be told, 'You may have been exposed. We recommend that you isolate for the next 14 days. Here's where you can get a test. What questions can I answer for you? Tell me folks that you've had sustained closed proximity with, and together we'll work to notify these people,'" he said.

These countries are reopening after coronavirus -- here's how they're doing it - CNN

 

[CSIDreamer]

FDA Issues Emergency Use Authorization for Convalescent Plasma as Potential Promising COVID–19 Treatment, Another Achievement in Administration’s Fight Against Pandemic

FDA Issues Emergency Use Authorization for Convalescent Plasma as Potential Promising COVID–19 Treatment, Another Achievement in Administration’s Fight Against Pandemic

For Immediate Release:
August 23, 2020
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for investigational convalescent plasma for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients as part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to fight COVID-19. Based on scientific evidence available, the FDA concluded, as outlined in its decision memorandum, this product may be effective in treating COVID-19 and that the known and potential benefits of the product outweigh the known and potential risks of the product.

Today’s action follows the FDA’s extensive review of the science and data generated over the past several months stemming from efforts to facilitate emergency access to convalescent plasma for patients as clinical trials to definitively demonstrate safety and efficacy remain ongoing.

The EUA authorizes the distribution of COVID-19 convalescent plasma in the U.S. and its administration by health care providers, as appropriate, to treat suspected or laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Alex Azar, Health and Human Services Secretary:
“The FDA’s emergency authorization for convalescent plasma is a milestone achievement in President Trump’s efforts to save lives from COVID-19,” said Secretary Azar. “The Trump Administration recognized the potential of convalescent plasma early on. Months ago, the FDA, BARDA, and private partners began work on making this product available across the country while continuing to evaluate data through clinical trials. Our work on convalescent plasma has delivered broader access to the product than is available in any other country and reached more than 70,000 American patients so far. We are deeply grateful to Americans who have already donated and encourage individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 to consider donating convalescent plasma.”

Stephen M. Hahn, M.D., FDA Commissioner:
“I am committed to releasing safe and potentially helpful treatments for COVID-19 as quickly as possible in order to save lives. We’re encouraged by the early promising data that we’ve seen about convalescent plasma. The data from studies conducted this year shows that plasma from patients who’ve recovered from COVID-19 has the potential to help treat those who are suffering from the effects of getting this terrible virus,” said Dr. Hahn. “At the same time, we will continue to work with researchers to continue randomized clinical trials to study the safety and effectiveness of convalescent plasma in treating patients infected with the novel coronavirus.”

Scientific Evidence on Convalescent Plasma

Based on an evaluation of the EUA criteria and the totality of the available scientific evidence, the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research determined that the statutory criteria for issuing an EUA criteria were met.

The FDA determined that it is reasonable to believe that COVID-19 convalescent plasma may be effective in lessening the severity or shortening the length of COVID-19 illness in some hospitalized patients. The agency also determined that the known and potential benefits of the product, when used to treat COVID-19, outweigh the known and potential risks of the product and that that there are no adequate, approved, and available alternative treatments.

The EUA is not intended to replace randomized clinical trials and facilitating the enrollment of patients into any of the ongoing randomized clinical trials is critically important for the definitive demonstration of safety and efficacy of COVID-19 convalescent plasma. The FDA continues to recommend that the designs of ongoing randomized clinical trials of COVID-19 convalescent plasma and other therapeutic agents remain unaltered, as COVID-19 convalescent plasma does not yet represent a new standard of care based on the current available evidence.

Terms of EUA

The EUA requires that fact sheets providing important information about using COVID-19 convalescent plasma in treating COVID-19 be made available to health care providers and patients, including dosing instructions and potential side effects. Possible side effects of COVID-19 convalescent plasma include allergic reactions, transfusion-associated circulatory overload, and transfusion associated lung injury, as well as the potential for transfusion-transmitted infections.

Mayo Clinic Expanded Access Program

The FDA initially facilitated access to convalescent plasma for treating COVID-19 by using pathways that included traditional clinical trials and emergency single-patient investigational new drug (IND) applications.

An Expanded Access ProgramExternal Link Disclaimer for convalescent plasma was initiated in early April to fill an urgent need to provide patient access to a medical product of possible benefit during a time that the FDA was working with researchers to facilitate the initiation of randomized clinical trials to study convalescent plasma. As the number of single patient IND requests started to number in the hundreds on a daily basis, the FDA worked collaboratively with industry, academic, and government partners to implement an expanded access protocol to provide convalescent plasma to patients in need across the country via the national expanded access treatment protocol. The program was developed with funding from the HHS’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), with the Mayo Clinic serving as the lead institution. To date, the program has facilitated the infusion of over 70,000 patients with convalescent plasma.

The EUA was issued to the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.

The EUA remains in effect until the termination of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of the emergency use of drugs and biologics for prevention and treatment of COVID-19. The EUA may be revised or revoked if it is determined the EUA no longer meets the statutory criteria for issuance.

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

I copied entirely from FDA Government website.

I see this as a very positive step!

 

[SoCalDavidS]

The Las Vegas Strip is now a "hotspot" in more ways than one. Where before it was considered a top tourist destination, Las Vegas is gaining a new reputation as ground zero for COVID superspreader events.

According to the Harvard Global Health COVID-19 tracker, Nevada currently has the third-highest concentration of coronavirus cases in the nation. The vast majority of those cases are in Clark County, which houses Las Vegas—meaning the bulk of the state's 65,150 cases and 1,197 deaths have taken place within city limits.

A new study published by the nonprofit news outlet ProPublica looked at anonymized cell phone records of 26,000 individuals in Las Vegas and found that within four days' time, at least 8,000 of those cell phones had dispersed to all but one state in the continental U.S. Though the study didn't specifically track whether those travelers were infected with coronavirus, it stands to reason that the city's major outbreak combined with excessive travel could spell disaster for the rest of the nation.

In a recent interview with NPR hosts Ari Shapiro and Will Stone, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak maintained that the reopening of the Las Vegas Strip was rolled out safely. Yet NPR analysts concluded that the city might face a hospital shortage if it continues on its current path. "With testing still turning up lots of infections, Las Vegas is on shaky footing. Nevada's rate of new cases relative to its population rivals hard-hit Southern states," said Stone.

This Beloved Tourist Destination Has Become a COVID Superspreader

 

[10ofRods]

Looking at the Virginia map is very misleading. Two of the counties I see have teachers and a couple of cafeteria workers have tested positive from beach trips. Schools are online in those two counties.

Also Richmond and Henrico Counties are closed, but teachers tested positive on the first day. Henrico closed the schools to teachers and they are working from home. Henrico also, rented all schools to the local YMCA and they are providing care for working parents. The kids are in socially distanced classrooms, and they utilized all other available space.
Working parents in Henrico are upset to say the least. Now they have to pay full child care rates to send their kids to the school for online learning.

If you look at the top left we have many area with no school cases, these schools are in very rural areas, 90% no internet connectivity. They are doing really well, no cases. These communities have really stepped up and most all residents are working hard to keep kids in school.

So you'd agree that teachers and cafeteria workers at schools are "at the school"? I don't see what's "very misleading" about that. If I were a parent and learned that staff had CoVid without any students present I would want to know that. In fact, most parents I know what to know exactly that kind of thing.

First, I want to know every single thing I can about the school situation. Parents should be educated about CoVid as a first defense against its spread.

But second, it reveals good faith and due diligence on the part of the school - my confidence in those schools just went up one rung in the ladder of faith.

These are people's kids. Most parents will do anything to do make sure their kids are safe. A school who is found out to have been secretive about anything relating to CoVid is going to have a very, very rough time. Further, I believe teachers have a right to know.

While it's interesting to know that they got it at the beach (if true), that's not the point. The point is that people came to work with CoVid, it is a public institution that taxpayers pay for, it has a responsibility to let the public know how many workers and students test positive.

IMO.

Of course there are schools with no cases. The point is not to prove a negative (where there are no cases). The point is to track the spread.

It is terrible that parents have to pay for childcare. But this has been part of pandemic planning and pandemic warning for more than 20 years. This is why those of us who engage in disaster planning keep trying to be heard.

It's costly to have a pandemic. But at least those two counties have a plan. And truthfully, nearly everyone believes that the parents need to step up and foot the bill if they need childcare - as taxpayers are overburdened as it is.

You can't expect teachers to teach online (trust me, it's a full time, headache-inducing job with an exceptionally steep learning curve) AND babysit kids who need daycare. We are not babysitters. Many of us required to attend trainings right now (for a while, it was daily - and on our own time; tbf, some people didn't go - good luck to their students).

If an area has very little CoVid that's wonderful!

But we can't do tracking on maps that have holes in them - we can only track Covid, if we want to make sense of it. Many rural areas have CoVid, many do not. If there is no internet access, outdoor school (and/or major changes to school ventilation) are crucial measures to consider.

California is spending money putting internet into rural areas - it's something that every state should consider. And that CARE money would be spent well in those states, doing just that. It's not rocket science - there's internet in rural Africa, we can do this. Run cable, install hubs, create socially distanced use of it. Free to end user students.

But we have to work together.

If there's no nationwide initiative, then states have to do it. I really do wonder what the feds are doing with all the tax money though (as it doesn't seem to be helping FEMA, the CDC, the FDA, the National Guard, etc). We're lowering our number of troops and bases - where's the money going?? I think that some people have burnt bridges with possible philanthropists (but then, maybe everyone is super selfish right and no one cares whether rural kids get internet; I know that most reservations have had to pay their own way - and they have managed to get internet to their kids in most of them).

If schools opt for in person learning, then I think they have a public duty to be up front about any positive CoVid cases at the school.

 

[tresir2012]

Only four days ago:

F.D.A.’s Emergency Approval of Blood Plasma Is Now on Hold

Sudden turn around anyone?





Some of the concerns were such obvious things like no use of a placebo control group. The article is very informative.

I think the "no placebo group" has been explained. If it is a life saving treatment akin to a blood transfusion, then there cannot be a placebo group as such. It's not a drug but a procedure, like proning, or oxygenation or a ventilator.

From listening to the PC and reading previous articles, I get the feeling there are some foot draggers at the FDA. Just MOO.

 

[SoCalDavidS]

Georgia Tech on Saturday reported at least 251 cases of coronavirus in the campus community thus far in August, according to the university's daily report.

Nearly three dozen cases were reported on Saturday. Among them included a cluster of Greek housing residents – with at least 17 confirmed positive – in addition to staff members working in residence halls and students living on or off-campus.

Classes for the new academic year officially began last Monday. That day, several students were sent home to isolate, according to the university report.

It remains unclear if the university plans to suspend in-person classes in light of the number of coronavirus cases. Georgia Tech did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Georgia Tech has reported over 250 coronavirus cases amid students' return to campus

 

[Trino]

Missing school is 'worse than virus for children'

Children are more likely to be harmed by not returning to school next month than if they catch coronavirus, the UK's chief medical adviser says.

Prof Chris Whitty said "the chances of children dying from Covid-19 are incredibly small" - but missing lessons "damages children in the long run".

Millions of pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are due to return to school within weeks.

Prof Whitty also said Covid-19 would be a challenge for at least nine months.

He said it was unlikely there would be a vaccine in 2020 but there was a "reasonable chance" of a successful jab being ready for the following winter in 2021-22.

• Will pupils do a full school day next term?
• Could reopening schools spread coronavirus?
• Pubs 'may need to shut' to allow schools to reopen

The government has said all pupils, in all year groups, in England will be expected to return to class full-time in September. Schools have already reopened in Scotland.

Prof Whitty, who is also England's chief medical officer, said "many more [children] were likely to be harmed by not going than harmed by going" to school.

"There's also very clear evidence from the UK and around the world that children much less commonly get a severe illness and end up having to be hospitalised if they get symptomatic Covid," he added.

Continued at link above.


Below is a report about Scottish schools. Some cases reported but appeared to be outside school transmissions.

Advice 'may change' on face coverings in schools

Wonder what the traumatic effect is going to be on kids because of social distancing and wearing masks at school. No data yet, of course, but it has to have an effect.

It is oft repeated that kids are resilient and adaptable, so I hope it will be true in the case of this generation of children living through this pandemic.

When on my trail walks, I sometimes encounter families with their young kids in masks. I have been happily impressed that the kids have not been fussing with the masks at all! So, I think modeling and practice and the attitude of the adults in their lives can “normalize” the mask-wearing and physical distancing safety measures for the children.

Can't have it both ways. Kids will have emotional problems if they do not attend school. Kids will have emotional problems if they attend with social distancing and cannot interact with peers and must wear a mask.

The Las Vegas Strip is now a "hotspot" in more ways than one. Where before it was considered a top tourist destination, Las Vegas is gaining a new reputation as ground zero for COVID superspreader events.

According to the Harvard Global Health COVID-19 tracker, Nevada currently has the third-highest concentration of coronavirus cases in the nation. The vast majority of those cases are in Clark County, which houses Las Vegas—meaning the bulk of the state's 65,150 cases and 1,197 deaths have taken place within city limits.

A new study published by the nonprofit news outlet ProPublica looked at anonymized cell phone records of 26,000 individuals in Las Vegas and found that within four days' time, at least 8,000 of those cell phones had dispersed to all but one state in the continental U.S. Though the study didn't specifically track whether those travelers were infected with coronavirus, it stands to reason that the city's major outbreak combined with excessive travel could spell disaster for the rest of the nation.

In a recent interview with NPR hosts Ari Shapiro and Will Stone, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak maintained that the reopening of the Las Vegas Strip was rolled out safely. Yet NPR analysts concluded that the city might face a hospital shortage if it continues on its current path. "With testing still turning up lots of infections, Las Vegas is on shaky footing. Nevada's rate of new cases relative to its population rivals hard-hit Southern states," said Stone.

This Beloved Tourist Destination Has Become a COVID Superspreader

Prediction: this virus isn't going to be solely contained in Clark County.

 

[Sillybilly]

I copied entirely from FDA Government website.

<rsbm>

Just jumping off your post with an FYI to all members... it's fine to copy 100% from government agencies (i.e. WHO, CDC, FDA). They are public information and not copyright protected.