Month: May 2021

COVID cases are collapsing in front of our eyes. Daily cases are now one-tenth the number of daily flu cases in the middle of a mild flu season, with a now-identical case fatality rate. That’s because the few Americans testing positive are often young, feel fine, and underwent testing as a screening requirement for playing sports or attending gatherings. The US positive rate is now at a record low, below 3%. Projections for the coming weeks and months are even more favorable. That’s because roughly 80% to 85% of adults are now immune — more than 6 in 10 adults are now vaccinated and more than half of unvaccinated adults have natural immunity from prior infection. In public health, when a virus has trouble jumping around because more than 8 in 10 adults in a commu...

Elementary schools should establish mask requirements for teachers and staff and improve ventilation to lower the risk of coronavirus spread, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised in its latest report. The agency recommends masks for all teachers and students regardless of vaccination status, however. The CDC released findings from a study in Georgia before vaccines became available, drawing on data from 169 K-5 schools, nearly all of which were public. The study had a low response rate on surveys, and only represented about a quarter of all public school districts in Georgia.  Results showed schools with mask requirements for teachers and staff had a 37% lower COVID-19 incidence, and 39% lower incidence in schools that took steps to improve ventilation, compared...

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's number of COVID-19 cases increased by 300 on Friday, with 10 more deaths and 18,716 vaccinations reported, Nine of the deaths occurred before April 21 but were still being investigated by state medical examiners, according to the Utah Department of Health. The rolling seven-day average number of positive cases per day is now at 284, according to the health department. The positive test rate per day for that time period calculated with the "people over people" method is now 6.4%. The positive test rate per day for that time period calculated with the "test over test" method is now 3.4%. There are now 136 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, including 54 in intensive care units, state data shows. About 76% of all ICU hospital beds in Utah are now occupie...

It is exceedingly rare for fully vaccinated Los Angeles County residents to still get infected by the coronavirus, according to a new analysis by the Department of Public Health. The analysis results are just the latest evidence of the remarkable effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, and explain why even cautious public health officials have begun to endorse a widespread reopening of the California economy next month. “These numbers show that the vaccine is working extraordinarily well to prevent infection, illness and death in almost everyone vaccinated,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said. Of the 3.3 million L.A. County residents fully vaccinated as of May 7, only 933 — or 0.03% — later tested positive for the coronavirus, including people who showed no symptoms...

VACCINE HELP PROTECT YOU AND THOSE AROUND YOU? BRIAN HAS THE DETAILS. BRIAN: NEWS 8 ANSWERING MORE OF YOUR QUESTIONS THIS WEEK ABOUT THE COVID-19 VACCINE. CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW IT INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING VACCINE PROTECTS SOMEONE ELSE? MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT HELPS THE BODY’S IMMUNE SYSTEM TO FIGHT THE VIRUS. IT IS NOTHING FOR YOUR BODY TO BE A CARRIER OF COVID. I DON’T SEE WHERE MY RECEIVING A SHOT PROTECT ANYONE BUT MYSELF. OUR MEDICAL EXPERTS IS THE PREMISE OF THIS QUESTION IS INCORRECT. >> POPULATION STUDIES, THEY ARE ABOUT 90% EFFECTIVE THAT NOT ONLY PREVENTING YOU FROM GETTING COVID, BUT PREVENTING YOU FROM GETTING COVID WITHOUT SYMPTOMS WHICH IS ANOTHER MAJOR WAY FOR THE VIRUS TO SPREAD. IF YOU GET VACCINATED, YOU ARE MUCH LESS LIKELY TO ACQUIRE THE VIRUS AND SPREAD ...

NEW DELHI—A 52-year-old diabetic was recovering from Covid-19 at his home in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad in late April when his blood sugar levels shot up to four times the normal level. The left side of Yaseen Ahmed’s face, including his eye, nose and gums started to swell, and there was some discharge. Mr. Ahmed was diagnosed with a rare but often deadly fungal infection afflicting thousands recovering from Covid-19 in India, where doctors are running out of an antifungal drug used to treat it. The infection, mucormycosis, also known as “black fungus” because it turns body tissue black, is mostly affecting people with diabetes. With 77 million diabetics out of an adult population of more than 850 million, India has the second highest number of ...