Coronavirus Tidbits #241 April 16, 2023
Announcements:
First, there is now a Resources Page here for the most commonly asked questions I'm getting.
Happy to continue to answer your questions/concerns as best I can, so don't be shy about that.
Reminder, Resilience: One Family's Story... is increasingly pertinent, as some of our politicians shift rightward. All proceeds go to Holocaust education.
Available here.
Latest post:
It’s Tick Time! What To Know About The Growing Risk Of Infections From Ticks
News
Covid:
Overview from WHO
[In case you think Covid is over and we can go back to normal], globally, 3 million new cases and over 23 000 deaths were reported in the last 28 days.
As of 9 April 2023, over 762 million confirmed cases and over 6.8 million deaths have been reported globally.
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Biden terminates the national emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This closes lavish funding streams for COVID tests, free vaccines and other emergency measures thrown together—starting in January 2020—to try and free the world's biggest economy from the grip of the global pandemic.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-04-biden-covid-emergency-status.html
A sign at Walgreens says that insurance coverage for at-home Covid-19 tests ends May 11.
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Steroids:
Higher-dose corticosteroids are linked to a 60% increased risk of death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with low oxygen levels, finds a randomized, controlled trial (RECOVERY) published yesterday in The Lancet.
The patients were randomly assigned to receive high-dose corticosteroids (659 patients) or standard care (613; 87% received low-dose corticosteroids). The high-dose regimen consisted of 20 milligrams (mg) dexamethasone once daily for 5 days followed by 10 mg for 5 days, while the low-dose regimen included 6 mg once daily for 10 days. Of all patients, 19% had diabetes, and 60% were men.
The authors had already shown that low-dose corticosteroids reduce deaths among COVID-19 patients needing supplemental oxygen.
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Long COVID may be due to the virus sticking around after infection, researchers say
"There are many theories about what's contributing to #LongCovid... Scientists are also looking at the role of autoimmunity or damaged tissue or #MicroClots. The list goes on. Abdel-Mohsen says it's important to realize that some of these theories are not mutually exclusive."
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Hearing Loss as a side effect of Covid:
First a study which shows that hearing loss can happen even in asymptomatic cases. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P
a meta-analysis: "Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis" ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P
a little-known side effect of the virus – sudden deafness. neurosciencenews.com/hearing-loss-c
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Three Years Later, Covid-19 Is Still a Health Threat. Journalism Needs to Reflect That
"New York Times is not alone...The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and NPR, to name just a few, have amplified voices and arguments that helped create a narrative that not only pathologizes those who remain cautious about the disease..."
"...but also fails to adequately convey the risks associated with Covid such that many people are unwittingly taking on potentially lifelong risks. In the process, we’ve failed at our field’s core tenets — to hold power to account and to follow the evidence. "
"Our failures here could last a generation. As reporters, it’s our responsibility to accurately represent the needs of diverse perspectives and avoid an ableist bias that diminishes the real and lasting health concerns not only of those who are keenly at risk..."
"...but those who are cautious about repeatedly catching a virus that scientists are still grappling to understand.
“There have been some sources who have been consistently wrong about making predictions about the pandemic, like saying the pandemic is over, we had herd immunity, that Covid didn’t spread into places like schools. They’ve been on the record, saying these wrong things..."
"...but then they keep popping up in the media, and being quoted and taken as authoritative sources afterwards. There hasn’t been adequate fact checking or balances within journalistic institutions. And I’m talking about mainstream institutions — top tier institutions.”
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Posts Exaggerate Lab Findings About COVID-19’s Impact on Immune System
"most research suggests people who recover do just fine.
Studies show that most people who have been infected with the coronavirus, or SARS-CoV-2, are well-protected against severe disease if infected again, with subsequent or prior vaccination offering even more protection.
There is no evidence that COVID-19 has left large swaths of the population immunocompromised or unable to fight off either the coronavirus or other pathogens."
from A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center at UPenn
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Study shows vitamin D may have key role in fighting off COVID-19 pneumonia
Clinical data increasingly has shown that patients with low vitamin D levels have a greater chance of COVID-19 infection—and severe disease and death.
the vitamin strengthens the lung lining, preventing COVID-19 as well as other viruses from penetrating the body's airways to cause infection, and possibly also reducing fluid leakage into the airways,
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-04-vitamin-d-key-role-covid-.html?
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Other:
Invasive Group A Strep infections:
New York reports dramatic increase in invasive group A streptococcal infections in 2023
The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) reports statewide, including New York City, there have been over 450 cases of invasive group A streptococcal infections reported during the first three months of 2023. This is almost twice as many as the average for these same three months in the previous five years.
The increase is reported primarily among persons aged 65 and older, though small increases are being seen in children.
NYC and NYS providers have reported severe outcomes of invasive group A streptococcal infections, including necrotizing fasciitis, streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, and death. Clinical syndromes for recently reported pediatric invasive group A streptococcal cases and non-invasive group A streptococcal cases include acute hypoxic respiratory failure secondary to pneumonia, empyema, osteomyelitis, and septic arthritis, among others
Recent pediatric invasive group A streptococcal infections and non-invasive group A streptococcal infection cases in NYC and NYS have been associated with respiratory infections due to parainfluenza, rhinovirus, enterovirus, influenza, and human metapneumovirus, among other viruses. Concurrent or preceding viral infections, including varicella (chickenpox), may increase risk for invasive group A streptococcal infection.
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Blastomycosis outbreak associated with the Escanaba Billerud Paper Mill in Michigan:
As of Friday, 19 blastomycosis cases have been confirmed, while another 74 people have been classified as probable cases.
Blastomycosis is an uncommon, but potentially serious fungal infection. It primarily affects the lungs, and is caused by the fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis. The signs and symptoms of illness that can result from exposure to this soil organism are variable. Illness may develop 2-15 weeks after exposure to the fungus.
Approximately 50% of people who are infected with B. dermatitidis will not have symptoms. Among the infected persons who develop symptoms, the symptoms vary from mild to severe, and can be fatal. A very serious progressive illness involving multiple organ systems can occur in untreated patient.
People can get blastomycosis infection by breathing in fungal spores from the air. Blastomycosis does not spread from person to person or between animals and people.
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STD epidemic continues to worsen, CDC says
Final surveillance data released by the CDC on Tuesday confirmed that reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis increased between 2020 and 2021 in the United States, totaling more than 2.5 million.
It was the latest in a series of dire warnings about the continued rise in the three nationally reportable STDs and marked the seventh time in 8 years that the total number of reported cases was higher than the previous year.
“This is not business as usual — it is a rapidly deteriorating public health crisis in a dangerous time,”
https://www.healio.com/news/infectious-disease/20230411/std-epidemic-continues-to-worsen-cdc-says
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Marburg epidemic grows
Pediatric hepatitis outbreak follow-up:
Two common viruses (AAV-2 and adenovirus 41) (and HHV-6B in more severe cases) co-infected kids with a certain genetic background (HLA‐DRB1*04:01 allele)
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Avian Influenza:
FROM BAD TO WORSE
How the avian flu must change before it can trigger a human pandemic
https://www.science.org/content/article/bad-worse-avian-flu-must-change-trigger-human-pandemic
Diagnostics:
still an incredible, negligent last of testing.
Drugs and Vaccines
Misinformation alert: Survey: Many younger US women say flu, COVID vaccines not safe in pregnancy
Many US women of childbearing age doubt the safety and effectiveness of vaccination against influenza and COVID-19 during pregnancy, according to a new report from the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
The report, released early this week, includes the findings of the second Annenberg Science and Public Health Knowledge Monitor, a randomly drawn, online, national survey fielded by the SSRS Opinion Panel in 10 waves starting in April 2021, the most recent of which included 1,657 adults in January 2023.
Results depended on vaccination status
Most women ages 18 to 49 years (53%) indicated that flu vaccine is safe for women and their fetuses during pregnancy, and 17% said it isn't, compared with 9% of men and 4% of women aged 50 and older. Skepticism was even more evident in the COVID-19 vaccine findings: 42% of women of childbearing age said the vaccine is safe and effective during pregnancy, but 31% said that it isn't, compared with 15% of older women and 19% of men.
The findings differed on vaccination status, with 76% of women of childbearing age vaccinated against the flu indicating that the vaccine is safe during pregnancy, compared with 40% of unvaccinated respondents in that age-group. Similarly, 59% of woman of childbearing age vaccinated against COVID-19 said the vaccine is safe and effective during pregnancy, compared with 8% in unvaccinated participants in this age-group.
In the report, lead author Kathleen Hall Jamieson, PhD, called the results worrisome. "Because the Covid and flu vaccines help protect both those who are pregnant and their infants, dispatching misconceptions about them should be a public health priority," she said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that pregnant women receive both vaccines.
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Potential for new vaccine? SP1-77
An antibody developed by researchers known as SP1-77 neutralized ALL currently known SARS-CoV-2 variants, including ALL Omicron variants. If the findings are eventually replicated in humans, the antibodies could lead to better COVID-19 vaccines and treatments!
Scientists have been searching for an antibody that would be broadly neutralizing- able to fight off any viral variant that might emerge, and now an antibody developed by researchers at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital just might be the answer!
In lab tests, SP1-771 effectively neutralized ALL currently known SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, including ALL Omicron variants. Researchers at HMS and Boston Children’s first modified a mouse model the Alt lab created to search for broadly neutralizing antibodies to HIV.
Once the virus has bound to ACE2, it must complete a final step: fusing its outer membrane with the membrane of our cells. This throws the door open to infection. Using a novel live-cell imaging platform, researchers showed that SP1-77 BLOCKS this step. SP1-77 binds the spike protein at a site that so far has not been mutated in any variant, and it neutralizes these variants by a novel mechanism. These properties may contribute to its broad and potent activity.
•thebrighterside.news/post/gamechang
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Big data study refutes anti-vax blood clot claims about COVID-19 vaccines
A study led by University at Buffalo researchers has confirmed that contrary to claims by anti-vaccine proponents, COVID-19 vaccines pose only trivial risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), or blood clots. In addition, the study found that becoming infected with COVID-19 poses a significant risk of blood clots.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-04-big-refutes-anti-vax-blood-clot.html?
Devices and Masks:
HEPA units report
Evidence that portable air filters with UV sterilisation removed SARS-CoV-2 (& a range of other bacterial, viral, and fungal) bioaerosols from the air in a COVID-19 ward.
https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/75/1/e97/6414657?
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How to reduce airborne disease transmission during indoor gatherings
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) April 10, 2023
Besides mask-wearing, "ventilation and break times are critical" in prevention.
"Their impact would equal or exceed that of masking and moderate isolation of infected individuals."https://t.co/ePxZTNRZhN pic.twitter.com/wxusx7vSD9
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Mask mandates save lives
"State mask mandates reduced new weekly COVID-19 cases, hospital admissions, and deaths by 55, 11, and 0.7 per 100,000 inhabitants on average. The effect depends on political leaning with larger effects in Democratic-leaning counties. [This is likely because mandates in more Democratic-leaning counties are more effective in promoting mask wearing.] Our results imply that statewide mandates saved 87,000 lives through December 19, 2020, while a nationwide mandate could have saved 57,000 additional lives. This suggests that mask mandates can help counter pandemics, particularly if widely accepted."
Indeed, the estimated effect of mask mandates on weekly deaths per 100,000 inhabitants varies from around −2.5 to 0 depending on the political leaning of counties, compared to the average effect of −0.7 mentioned above.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167629622001357
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Epidemiology/Infection control:
XBB.1.16 variant increasing in India
the variant known as Arcturus which is responsible for the current massive surge in COVID-19 infections in India.
Seems to be associated w conjunctivitis, but hard to tell since Adenovirus is also circulating and causes that.
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COVID Omicron variant infection deadlier than flu, studies suggest
Two new studies suggest that COVID-19 Omicron variant infection is deadlier than influenza, with one finding that US veterans hospitalized with Omicron in fall and winter 2022-23 died at a 61% higher rate than hospitalized flu patients, and the other revealing that Israeli adults hospitalized with flu were 55% less likely to die within 30 days than those admitted for Omicron in the 2021-22 flu season.
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/covid-omicron-variant-infection-deadlier-flu-studies-suggest
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In-person school reopenings tied to modest rise in community COVID spread
“Fifty-six days after in-school reopening, compared with fully remote schools, the daily COVID-19 rate was higher in the fully in-person counties (aIRR, 1.52) and in those using a hybrid model (aIRR, 1.23).”
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/person-school-reopenings-tied-modest-rise-community-covid-spread
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Study notes high rate of COVID-infected healthcare workers still caring for patients
Half of all HCWs with symptomatic #COVID19 continued to go to work, even if they were involved with direct patient care.
HCWs cited a high workload burden for coworkers and personal responsibility as the main reasons for continuing to work while sick, compared to limits on paid leave or perceived expectations to work while sick.
[So why are hospitals dropping mask mandates???]
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Tips, general reading for public:
Ventilate.
Mask.
Vax.
April 10: The FBI is warning consumers to not use free charging stations in airports, hotels, or shopping centers as criminals have figured out ways to use public USB ports to infect devices with malware and monitoring software.
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Politics:
Covid:
Are Nonprofit Hospitals Really Giving Back More Than They Get?
— Report claims institutions take in billions more than they spend on community, charity care
A hospital index report from the nonprofit Lown Institute found that77% of the 1,773 nonprofit hospitals analyzed spent less on charity care and community investment than the estimated value of their tax breaks in 2020. With the equivalent of $14.2 billion in these "fair share deficits," 18 million Americans could have their medical debt cleared, and more than 600 rural hospitals at risk of closure could stay open.
UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside in Pittsburgh was at the top of the "fair share deficit" list, with a -$246 million difference in community investment versus tax breaks. The report estimated that the medical center could erase 167,060 medical debts in Pennsylvania with that amount, or cover losses for 248 rural U.S. hospitals.
https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/features/103950?
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Abortion/Reproductive care/ Mifepristone:
SCOTUS/Clarence Thomas/Harlan Crow
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@LeverNews
NEW: While refusing to disclose lavish gifts from a billionaire, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas pushed to invalidate all political spending disclosure laws in America.
https://www.levernews.com/thomas-pushed-to
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GOP:
Elon Musk's fortune, which ultimately enabled his takeover of Twitter, has been padded by billions in subsidies and contracts paid for by American taxpayers.
Just in case anyone needed that reminder.
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Scholastic wanted to license her children's book — if she cut a part about 'racism'
'Maggie Tokuda-Hall was thrilled when the publishing powerhouse approached her to feature her book about a love story set in an internment camp during WWII.'
https://www.npr.org/2023/04/15/1169848627/scholastic-childrens-book-racism
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The US has at least 34 bitcoin mining operations. They consume more than 3,900 megawatts of electricity. That is nearly the same amount of electricity as 3 million households. In Texas, where 10 of the 34 mines are connected to the state’s grid, it's estimated the increased demand has caused electric bills for power customers to rise nearly 5 percent. The additional power use across the country also causes as much carbon pollution as adding 3.5 million gas-powered cars. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/09/busines
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Economics:
Why did inequalities of income and wealth begin to widen so dramatically in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and continue widening since?
We'll start to explore that very question in Class 1 of my Wealth and Poverty course, now available to the public. https://tinyurl.com/4nmr86wc
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Missouri:
A Missouri county won't work with the ATF, claiming the federal agency is ‘unconstitutional’
KCUR: Camden County presiding commissioner Ike Skelton cited a local ordinance banning county employees from working with the ATF.
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see also book bans: Missouri Republicans have voted to defund all public libraries.
and LGBTQ: banned care for Trans.
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Oklahoma:
Tennessee:
Tennessee Speaker Cameron Sexton has told Reps Pearson and Jones he will not allow them to be seated until 2025 even if their County Commission votes to send them back to Nashville. I have had clients appointed to the Tennessee Senate and House. I know the law. It is up to the…
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Texas:
Feel good du jour:
Quite the story of injustice and kindness:
Lee Harris, released after 31 years, is greeted by a former cellmate, Robert Chattler, who, after his release, worked and raised money to exonerate Harris. I won't forget you, Chattler said. And he didn't. The heavy lifting was by atty. Jennifer Blagg. pic.twitter.com/hHcWOFBFWU
— maurice possley (@mauricepossley) April 9, 2023
Here's the full story:
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2018/11/02/cellmates
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Pat Blake set up a food pantry for mobile home residents in Utah washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023
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US hardware store employee builds life-changing contraption to help boy walk theguardian.com/us-news/2023/a
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Their teachers assign math, grammar — and giving small gifts to strangers. #Kindness
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/04/13/school-teacher-kindness-project-bc/
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An eagle who went viral for his steadfast determination to incubate a rock has taken a real eaglet under his wing.
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Comic relief:
https://twitter.com/_B___S/status/1645053575230259203?s=20
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Penguins chasing a butterfly.. pic.twitter.com/vfX5WEL0MM
— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) April 15, 2023
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https://twitter.com/buitengebieden/status/1647144766243495937?s=20
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https://twitter.com/buitengebieden/status/1646973514056859650?s=20
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https://twitter.com/buitengebieden/status/1645036138338349056?s=20
Perspective/Poem
Sign of our times.
— Madhusree⚕️ Singh, MD (@thinkalot) April 15, 2023
No one, not even the patient priest, has the time to listen to you blathering on.
Sorry, not sorry. https://t.co/uWeIosDKdE
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“In forty years of medical practice, I have found only two types of non-pharmaceutical ‘therapy’ to be vitally important for patients with chronic neurological diseases: music and gardens.”
https://www.themarginalian.org/2019/05/27/
Bits of beauty:
