Month: January 2021

A new coronavirus variant discovered in the United Kingdom is now making its rounds in the U.S., with the B.1.1.7 variant most recently identified in New York in a man who has no recent travel history.  The variant is said to be more transmissible than COVID-19 — though as of now, it’s not thought to be more virulent or resistant to vaccines and treatment. That said, a new study suggests who may be most at risk for contracting B.1.1.7: Those under 20 years of age.  The study, which was conducted by researchers at Imperial College London and others and has not yet been peer-reviewed, found that those under 20 years of age are more likely to make up a higher percentage of B.1.1.7 cases — or what is identified in the study as the "Variant of Concern" or VOC.  Available data indicates "a...

DAVID KLEPPER, AP January 5, 2021 | 9:56 AM PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — For a few days in December, Rhode Island was one of the worst places on the planet when it came to new cases of COVID-19 per capita. Hospitals hit capacity as the rate of new cases topped the nation, nearly double the rate in neighboring Connecticut. The state’s record for daily COVID-19 deaths, set in April, was broken. Faced with a worsening crisis, Gov. Gina Raimondo reluctantly re-imposed tougher restrictions on businesses. “I am surprised that we have done so poorly,” Dr. Keith Corl, an emergency physician and faculty member at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School, said last week. “We are all exhausted, and now we’re talking about staffing more ICU units.” The ...

As a first step in the biggest vaccination campaign in Argentina's history, first line health workers are receiving the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus. Patricio Murphy | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty Images LONDON — The largest global study of "long Covid" to date has found that many of those suffering from ongoing illness after infection with Covid-19 are unable to return to work at full capacity six months later. The term "long Covid" refers to patients suffering from prolonged illness after initially contracting the virus, with symptoms including shortness of breath, migraines and chronic fatigue. Public discourse on the pandemic has largely tended to focus on those with a severe or fatal illness, with ongoing medical problems eith...

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported nine new coronavirus-related deaths on Tuesday and 597 new cases.The number of Mainers with COVID-19 who have died is now 369. Three new deaths were reported in York County. Aroostook and Cumberland counties each reported two new cases. Penobscot and Somerset counties each reported one new death.The 597 cases bring the total since the beginning of the outbreak to 26,565.MAINE CORONAVIRUS DATA: Deaths: 369 Total cases: 26,565 Confirmed cases: 22,448 Probable cases: 4,117 Cumulative positivity rate: 2.56% 14-day positivity rate: 5.0% Currently hospitalized: 191 Patients in intensive care: 50 Patients on ventilators: 21Get more detailed COVID-19 data from the Maine...