Month: December 2020

The World Health Organization (WHO) is tightening its mask guidelines, telling people who live in areas where the coronavirus is still spreading to wear masks at all times in a variety of public places. The new guidelines, rolled out on Tuesday, specify that those entering stores, workplaces and schools with low ventilation should make sure that they are wearing a mask. The WHO is also asking that people wear masks if they cannot keep a physical distance of at least three feet from others within an enclosed area. The guidelines also call for children 12 and older to wear masks and state that face coverings should be worn outdoors if it is not possible to socially distance. “If indoors, unless ventilation has been assessed to be adequate, WHO advises that the general public shou...

“Before you put it into the children, you’re going to want to make sure you have a degree of efficacy and safety that is established in an adult population, particularly an adult, normal population,” he said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” NIAID and Moderna did not respond to requests for comment about the pediatric trials or Fauci’s suggested timeline. The wait has prompted pediatricians and other public health experts to voice concerns that further delays endanger at-risk children, hinder efforts to return schools to normalcy and stall herd immunity. Children’s immune responses are different from that of adults, so there is a consensus that pediatric trials are critical for testing the safety, efficacy and immunogenicity (or effective immune response) of vaccines on kids. But some ...

Women walk past a novel coronavirus testing site in Los Angeles, California, December 1, 2020. Lucy Nicholson | Reuters The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Wednesday shortened alternatives to its recommended quarantine for people who were exposed to someone with Covid-19. The CDC previously recommended that anyone who was exposed to the coronavirus quarantine for 14 days. Dr. Henry Walke, the agency's Covid incident manager, said the CDC still recommends a 14-day quarantine "as the best way to reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19." However, he said the agency has identified "two acceptable alternatives." The quarantine can end after 10 days if the person has not developed any symptoms and can end after just seven days if the asymptom...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will shorten its recommended quarantine period for people exposed to the coronavirus to as little as seven days, CNN reported. Under the new guidelines, quarantines can end after seven days for people who test negative and 10 days for those who do not get tests instead of the current 14-day period for both groups.  CDC Director Robert Redfield announced the update Tuesday in a meeting of the White House coronavirus task force, according to CNN, which cited two senior administration officials. Vice President Pence, the head of the task force, has reportedly been pushing the CDC for a review of the recommendations for several months, and the topic has long been under discussion. The CDC previously defined a close contact as inv...

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting four new coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday and 232 new cases.Hancock, Kennebec, Oxford, and Penobscot counties each had one new reported death.The total number of Mainers with COVID-19 who have died is now 218.The 232 new cases bring the total since the outbreak began to 12,208.The Maine CDC reported 200 new recoveries, bringing the total to 9,564.MAINE CORONAVIRUS DATA:Deaths: 218Total cases: 12,208Confirmed cases: 10,870Probable cases: 1,388Cumulative positivity rate: 1.72%14-day positivity rate: 2.8%Patients recovered: 9,564Active cases: 2,426Currently hospitalized: 138Patients in intensive care: 46Patients on ventilators: 16COVID-19 SYMPTOMSSymptoms of the coronavirus may include fever, cough, difficulty breat...