Month: September 2021

Unvaccinated people face a far greater chance of death from the COVID-19 delta variant, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control.  The study monitored incident of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in 13 U.S. jurisdictions during two periods between April 4 and July 17 in 2021. Findings showed that numbers for all categories were "substantially" higher in persons not fully vaccinated compared with those in fully vaccinated people.  COVID-19 VACCINE AND KIDS: WHY CAN'T CHILDREN UNDER 12 RECEIVE SHOTS YET? FDA WEIGHS IN After the second period, which occurred between June 20 and July 17, the study noted that not fully vaccinated individuals are 4.5 times more likely to get infected (89.1 per 100,000 vs .19.4), 10 times more likely to be hospitalized (7.0 pe...

A person walking on the beach during sunset on July 16, 2007 in Marco Island, FloridaPhoto: Marc Serota (Getty Images) A bacterial infection has killed at least eight people in Florida this year so far, health officials reported recently. Twenty people in the state overall have been sickened by the waterborne bacteria Vibrio vulnificus, a relative of cholera infamously known for sometimes causing a flesh-eating infection. Vibrio bacteria are found abundantly in marine environments and brackish waters. Harmful species of Vibrio, including V. vulnificus, usually make us sick when we eat naturally contaminated and undercooked seafood or drink water contaminated by other infected people’s feces, the latter a common problem in countries with poor sanitation. These infections cause gastroin...

The rise of the highly transmissible delta variant around the U.S. has increased demand for rapid antigen COVID-19 tests that can be purchased from a pharmacy without a prescription, used at home, school or work and that give results in 15 minutes. On Sept. 9, 2021, the White House announced several initiatives to improve access to rapid antigen tests: It will use the Defense Production Act to boost the production of tests, require retailers to sell rapid tests at cost, distribute free rapid tests to community health centers and food banks and expand free testing in pharmacies. Rapid antigen testing makes it much easier to get tested for COVID-19, which helps detect infectious cases before they spread. But many people are still unsure of how best to use these tests and whether they are a...

Enlarge / A box and container of ivermectin. Covid-19 Coverage View more stories A person in New Mexico is suspected of dying from an overdose of ivermectin, a state official announced Thursday. A second person in the state is also in critical condition following use of the drug, which is an antiparasitic medication mainly used in veterinary medicine to deworm animals, such as cattle and horses. If the death is confirmed to have been caused by ivermectin, it is believed to be New Mexico's first known fatal ivermectin overdose. The dewormer has recently seen a sharp rise in use—and poisonings from it—due to false claims that it can treat and prevent COVID-19. There is no significant clinical data indicating that ivermectin can treat or prevent...

There were more breakthrough hospitalizations and deaths than during the spring, but not to a dramatic extent given the broadening of vaccination. Between June 20 and July 17, vaccinated people accounted for 14 percent of hospitalizations for covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, and 16 percent of deaths, roughly double the percentage seen in the spring, the CDC reported.

A four-year-old girl died in her sleep at her Texas home within a day after she and her unvaccinated parents contracted COVID-19.  Kali Cook, of Bacliff, became the youngest COVID death in Galveston County since the pandemic began, and now her parents are regretting their decision not to get vaccinated against the virus.  'I was one of the people that was anti [vaxx], I was against it,' said mother Karra Harwood. 'Now, I wish I never was.'  Harwood told The Daily News in Galveston that her daughter had no diagnosed immune disorders or other health conditions, but that she did tend to get sicker than her siblings.  Kali Cook, 4, was the youngest person to die of COVID-19 in Galveston County, Texas Kali's mother, Karra Harwood, went into quarantine...