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First ‘flurona’ cases reported in the U.S.
The first known case was detected in Israel, but until the first week of January no cases had been reported in the United States.
In Los Angeles, a teenaged boy tested positive for both illnesses at a COVID testing site in Brentwood, the Los Angeles Times reported. The child’s mother tested positive for COVID the next day.
“This is the first one that we’re aware of,” Steve Farzam, chief operating officer of 911 COVID Testing, told the LA Times. “In and of itself, it’s not overly concerning; however, it is concerning and can be problematic for someone who has pre-existing medical conditions, anyone who is immunocompromised.”
The teen and his family of five had just returned from vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. All said they tested negative before the trip, but they tested again when they got home because one of the children had a runny nose, Mr. Farzam said.
The boy, who had not been vaccinated for COVID or the flu, doesn’t have serious symptoms and is recovering at home.
In Houston, a 17-year-old boy, his siblings, and his father felt sick a few days before Christmas and went in for testing, TV station KTRK reported. The teen tested positive for both the flu and COVID.
“I ended up getting tested the day before Christmas for strep throat, flu and COVID,” the teenager, Alec Zierlein, told KTRK. “I didn’t think I had any of the three. It felt like a mild cold.”
Health officials reported Jan. 5 that a flurona case was detected in Hays, Kan., TV station WIBW reported. The patient was being treated in the ICU. No other details were provided. In Israel, flurona was first found in an unvaccinated pregnant woman at Rabin Medical Center in Petach Tikva, according to the Times of Israel. She tested positive for both viruses when she arrived at the medical center, and doctors double-checked to confirm her diagnosis. The woman had mild symptoms and was released in good condition, the news outlet reported.
Public health officials in Israel said they are concerned that an increase in both viruses at the same time could lead to many hospitalizations.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
The first known case was detected in Israel, but until the first week of January no cases had been reported in the United States.
In Los Angeles, a teenaged boy tested positive for both illnesses at a COVID testing site in Brentwood, the Los Angeles Times reported. The child’s mother tested positive for COVID the next day.
“This is the first one that we’re aware of,” Steve Farzam, chief operating officer of 911 COVID Testing, told the LA Times. “In and of itself, it’s not overly concerning; however, it is concerning and can be problematic for someone who has pre-existing medical conditions, anyone who is immunocompromised.”
The teen and his family of five had just returned from vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. All said they tested negative before the trip, but they tested again when they got home because one of the children had a runny nose, Mr. Farzam said.
The boy, who had not been vaccinated for COVID or the flu, doesn’t have serious symptoms and is recovering at home.
In Houston, a 17-year-old boy, his siblings, and his father felt sick a few days before Christmas and went in for testing, TV station KTRK reported. The teen tested positive for both the flu and COVID.
“I ended up getting tested the day before Christmas for strep throat, flu and COVID,” the teenager, Alec Zierlein, told KTRK. “I didn’t think I had any of the three. It felt like a mild cold.”
Health officials reported Jan. 5 that a flurona case was detected in Hays, Kan., TV station WIBW reported. The patient was being treated in the ICU. No other details were provided. In Israel, flurona was first found in an unvaccinated pregnant woman at Rabin Medical Center in Petach Tikva, according to the Times of Israel. She tested positive for both viruses when she arrived at the medical center, and doctors double-checked to confirm her diagnosis. The woman had mild symptoms and was released in good condition, the news outlet reported.
Public health officials in Israel said they are concerned that an increase in both viruses at the same time could lead to many hospitalizations.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
The first known case was detected in Israel, but until the first week of January no cases had been reported in the United States.
In Los Angeles, a teenaged boy tested positive for both illnesses at a COVID testing site in Brentwood, the Los Angeles Times reported. The child’s mother tested positive for COVID the next day.
“This is the first one that we’re aware of,” Steve Farzam, chief operating officer of 911 COVID Testing, told the LA Times. “In and of itself, it’s not overly concerning; however, it is concerning and can be problematic for someone who has pre-existing medical conditions, anyone who is immunocompromised.”
The teen and his family of five had just returned from vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. All said they tested negative before the trip, but they tested again when they got home because one of the children had a runny nose, Mr. Farzam said.
The boy, who had not been vaccinated for COVID or the flu, doesn’t have serious symptoms and is recovering at home.
In Houston, a 17-year-old boy, his siblings, and his father felt sick a few days before Christmas and went in for testing, TV station KTRK reported. The teen tested positive for both the flu and COVID.
“I ended up getting tested the day before Christmas for strep throat, flu and COVID,” the teenager, Alec Zierlein, told KTRK. “I didn’t think I had any of the three. It felt like a mild cold.”
Health officials reported Jan. 5 that a flurona case was detected in Hays, Kan., TV station WIBW reported. The patient was being treated in the ICU. No other details were provided. In Israel, flurona was first found in an unvaccinated pregnant woman at Rabin Medical Center in Petach Tikva, according to the Times of Israel. She tested positive for both viruses when she arrived at the medical center, and doctors double-checked to confirm her diagnosis. The woman had mild symptoms and was released in good condition, the news outlet reported.
Public health officials in Israel said they are concerned that an increase in both viruses at the same time could lead to many hospitalizations.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
COVID-19 outbreak hits research station in Antarctica
Two-thirds of the 25 workers have tested positive at the station, despite all of them being fully vaccinated and going through several testing stages before being allowed entrance, the Belgium publication Le Soir reported.
So far, all the cases are mild at the station, which is owned by Belgium and operated by a private group: the International Polar Foundation.
The first case was discovered Dec. 14 among a group that arrived a week earlier in Antarctica, Le Soir reported. The first three people to test positive evacuated Dec. 23, Le Soir said, but the virus continued to spread among the remaining workers at the base.
Le Soir, citing a virologist, said the Omicron variant probably caused the outbreak, because the crew made its last stop in South Africa before arriving in Antarctica.
New arrivals to the station have been put on hold until the outbreak is brought under control, and one of the missions planned for the base has been postponed, Le Soir said.
“The situation isn’t dramatic,” Joseph Cheek, a project manager for the International Polar Foundation, told the BBC. “While it has been an inconvenience to have to quarantine certain members of the staff who caught the virus, it hasn’t significantly affected our work at the station overall.”
The BBC said there was another COVID outbreak in Antarctica about a year ago at the Bernardo O’Higgins research station operated by Chile.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
Two-thirds of the 25 workers have tested positive at the station, despite all of them being fully vaccinated and going through several testing stages before being allowed entrance, the Belgium publication Le Soir reported.
So far, all the cases are mild at the station, which is owned by Belgium and operated by a private group: the International Polar Foundation.
The first case was discovered Dec. 14 among a group that arrived a week earlier in Antarctica, Le Soir reported. The first three people to test positive evacuated Dec. 23, Le Soir said, but the virus continued to spread among the remaining workers at the base.
Le Soir, citing a virologist, said the Omicron variant probably caused the outbreak, because the crew made its last stop in South Africa before arriving in Antarctica.
New arrivals to the station have been put on hold until the outbreak is brought under control, and one of the missions planned for the base has been postponed, Le Soir said.
“The situation isn’t dramatic,” Joseph Cheek, a project manager for the International Polar Foundation, told the BBC. “While it has been an inconvenience to have to quarantine certain members of the staff who caught the virus, it hasn’t significantly affected our work at the station overall.”
The BBC said there was another COVID outbreak in Antarctica about a year ago at the Bernardo O’Higgins research station operated by Chile.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
Two-thirds of the 25 workers have tested positive at the station, despite all of them being fully vaccinated and going through several testing stages before being allowed entrance, the Belgium publication Le Soir reported.
So far, all the cases are mild at the station, which is owned by Belgium and operated by a private group: the International Polar Foundation.
The first case was discovered Dec. 14 among a group that arrived a week earlier in Antarctica, Le Soir reported. The first three people to test positive evacuated Dec. 23, Le Soir said, but the virus continued to spread among the remaining workers at the base.
Le Soir, citing a virologist, said the Omicron variant probably caused the outbreak, because the crew made its last stop in South Africa before arriving in Antarctica.
New arrivals to the station have been put on hold until the outbreak is brought under control, and one of the missions planned for the base has been postponed, Le Soir said.
“The situation isn’t dramatic,” Joseph Cheek, a project manager for the International Polar Foundation, told the BBC. “While it has been an inconvenience to have to quarantine certain members of the staff who caught the virus, it hasn’t significantly affected our work at the station overall.”
The BBC said there was another COVID outbreak in Antarctica about a year ago at the Bernardo O’Higgins research station operated by Chile.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
NYC vaccine mandate for all businesses now in effect
As new COVID-19 cases mount in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio began his final week in office watching a sweeping vaccine mandate for private employers take effect.
Business owners were supposed to require all workers to have at least one dose of vaccine by Monday, Dec. 27. Workers won’t be able to opt out of vaccinations, as a proposed federal mandate for private sector employees would allow. Municipal workers were already under a vaccine mandate.
Mayor De Blasio called it the strongest private sector vaccine mandate in the world – and insists it’s absolutely necessary.
“I am 110 percent convinced this was the right thing to do, remains the right thing to do, particularly with the ferocity of Omicron,” the mayor told reporters on Dec. 27. “I don’t know if there’s going to be another variant behind it, but I do know our best defense is to get everyone vaccinated and mandates have worked.”
It’s unclear if Mayor de Blasio’s successor, Mayor-Elect Eric Adams, will continue the vaccine mandate. The New York Times reported that Mr. Adams’ spokesman, Evan Thies, said in a text: “The mayor-elect will make announcements on his administration’s Covid policy this week.”
Mayor De Blasio said enforcement would be light in the first week. Not every business owner is following the law.
The New York Post said Stratis Morfogen, owner of the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop and executive managing director of Brooklyn Chop House, went on Instagram and dared the mayor and Gov. Kathy Hochul to come and arrest him.
“Not going to follow your mandate on threatening my family of employees to get the jab or lose your job!” he said.
Mr. Morfogen said he’s not against vaccines but thinks the mandate violates his employees’ constitutional rights. He said he’s taking more steps toward safety, such as frequent testing of employees.
Union Square Hospitality Group CEO Danny Meyer, who oversees restaurants such as Union Square Cafe and Blue Smoke, requires employees not only to get vaccinated, but to get the booster, too.
“Hospitality is a team sport – it’s kind of like putting on a play on Broadway or playing a basketball game,” Mr. Meyer told CNBC. “If you can’t field a full healthy team, you’re going to have to hit pause.”
Customers at Union Square Hospitality Group restaurants will soon be required to show proof of having received a booster shot.
Also starting Dec. 27, all New Yorkers 12 and up must show they’ve received two doses of vaccine to enter indoor dining, fitness, entertainment, and performance venues unless they’ve gotten the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
As new COVID-19 cases mount in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio began his final week in office watching a sweeping vaccine mandate for private employers take effect.
Business owners were supposed to require all workers to have at least one dose of vaccine by Monday, Dec. 27. Workers won’t be able to opt out of vaccinations, as a proposed federal mandate for private sector employees would allow. Municipal workers were already under a vaccine mandate.
Mayor De Blasio called it the strongest private sector vaccine mandate in the world – and insists it’s absolutely necessary.
“I am 110 percent convinced this was the right thing to do, remains the right thing to do, particularly with the ferocity of Omicron,” the mayor told reporters on Dec. 27. “I don’t know if there’s going to be another variant behind it, but I do know our best defense is to get everyone vaccinated and mandates have worked.”
It’s unclear if Mayor de Blasio’s successor, Mayor-Elect Eric Adams, will continue the vaccine mandate. The New York Times reported that Mr. Adams’ spokesman, Evan Thies, said in a text: “The mayor-elect will make announcements on his administration’s Covid policy this week.”
Mayor De Blasio said enforcement would be light in the first week. Not every business owner is following the law.
The New York Post said Stratis Morfogen, owner of the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop and executive managing director of Brooklyn Chop House, went on Instagram and dared the mayor and Gov. Kathy Hochul to come and arrest him.
“Not going to follow your mandate on threatening my family of employees to get the jab or lose your job!” he said.
Mr. Morfogen said he’s not against vaccines but thinks the mandate violates his employees’ constitutional rights. He said he’s taking more steps toward safety, such as frequent testing of employees.
Union Square Hospitality Group CEO Danny Meyer, who oversees restaurants such as Union Square Cafe and Blue Smoke, requires employees not only to get vaccinated, but to get the booster, too.
“Hospitality is a team sport – it’s kind of like putting on a play on Broadway or playing a basketball game,” Mr. Meyer told CNBC. “If you can’t field a full healthy team, you’re going to have to hit pause.”
Customers at Union Square Hospitality Group restaurants will soon be required to show proof of having received a booster shot.
Also starting Dec. 27, all New Yorkers 12 and up must show they’ve received two doses of vaccine to enter indoor dining, fitness, entertainment, and performance venues unless they’ve gotten the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
As new COVID-19 cases mount in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio began his final week in office watching a sweeping vaccine mandate for private employers take effect.
Business owners were supposed to require all workers to have at least one dose of vaccine by Monday, Dec. 27. Workers won’t be able to opt out of vaccinations, as a proposed federal mandate for private sector employees would allow. Municipal workers were already under a vaccine mandate.
Mayor De Blasio called it the strongest private sector vaccine mandate in the world – and insists it’s absolutely necessary.
“I am 110 percent convinced this was the right thing to do, remains the right thing to do, particularly with the ferocity of Omicron,” the mayor told reporters on Dec. 27. “I don’t know if there’s going to be another variant behind it, but I do know our best defense is to get everyone vaccinated and mandates have worked.”
It’s unclear if Mayor de Blasio’s successor, Mayor-Elect Eric Adams, will continue the vaccine mandate. The New York Times reported that Mr. Adams’ spokesman, Evan Thies, said in a text: “The mayor-elect will make announcements on his administration’s Covid policy this week.”
Mayor De Blasio said enforcement would be light in the first week. Not every business owner is following the law.
The New York Post said Stratis Morfogen, owner of the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop and executive managing director of Brooklyn Chop House, went on Instagram and dared the mayor and Gov. Kathy Hochul to come and arrest him.
“Not going to follow your mandate on threatening my family of employees to get the jab or lose your job!” he said.
Mr. Morfogen said he’s not against vaccines but thinks the mandate violates his employees’ constitutional rights. He said he’s taking more steps toward safety, such as frequent testing of employees.
Union Square Hospitality Group CEO Danny Meyer, who oversees restaurants such as Union Square Cafe and Blue Smoke, requires employees not only to get vaccinated, but to get the booster, too.
“Hospitality is a team sport – it’s kind of like putting on a play on Broadway or playing a basketball game,” Mr. Meyer told CNBC. “If you can’t field a full healthy team, you’re going to have to hit pause.”
Customers at Union Square Hospitality Group restaurants will soon be required to show proof of having received a booster shot.
Also starting Dec. 27, all New Yorkers 12 and up must show they’ve received two doses of vaccine to enter indoor dining, fitness, entertainment, and performance venues unless they’ve gotten the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
Remdesivir may keep unvaccinated out of the hospital: Study
The antiviral remdesivir, an intravenous drug given mostly to seriously ill COVID-19 patients in hospitals, could keep unvaccinated people who become infected out of the hospital if given on an outpatient basis, a new study says.
Researchers studied 562 unvaccinated people from September 2020 to April 2021, according to the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study determined the risk of hospitalization or death was 87% lower in study participants who were given remdesivir than participants who received a placebo.
All participants were at high risk of developing severe COVID-19 because of their age – they were over 60 – or because they had an underlying medical condition such as diabetes or obesity.
An important caveat: The findings are based on data collected before the Delta variant surged in the summer of 2021 or the Omicron variant surged late in the year, the Washington Post reported.
The new study says the drug could be helpful in keeping vaccinated as well as unvaccinated people out of the hospital – an important factor as the Omicron surge threatens to overwhelm health systems around the world.
Remdesivir could be a boon for COVID-19 patients in parts of the world that don’t have vaccines or for patients with immunocompromised systems.
“These data provide evidence that a 3-day course of remdesivir could play a critical role in helping COVID-19 patients stay out of the hospital,” Robert L. Gottlieb, MD, PhD, the therapeutic lead for COVID-19 research at Baylor Scott & White Health in Dallas, said in a news release from Gilead Pharmaceuticals. “While our hospitals are ready to assist patients in need, prevention and early intervention are preferable to reduce the risk of disease progression and allow patients not requiring oxygen to recover from home when appropriate.”
Remdesivir was the first antiviral for COVID-19 authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. It was given to then-President Donald Trump when he was hospitalized with COVID-19 in October 2020.
Gilead released the study findings in September.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
The antiviral remdesivir, an intravenous drug given mostly to seriously ill COVID-19 patients in hospitals, could keep unvaccinated people who become infected out of the hospital if given on an outpatient basis, a new study says.
Researchers studied 562 unvaccinated people from September 2020 to April 2021, according to the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study determined the risk of hospitalization or death was 87% lower in study participants who were given remdesivir than participants who received a placebo.
All participants were at high risk of developing severe COVID-19 because of their age – they were over 60 – or because they had an underlying medical condition such as diabetes or obesity.
An important caveat: The findings are based on data collected before the Delta variant surged in the summer of 2021 or the Omicron variant surged late in the year, the Washington Post reported.
The new study says the drug could be helpful in keeping vaccinated as well as unvaccinated people out of the hospital – an important factor as the Omicron surge threatens to overwhelm health systems around the world.
Remdesivir could be a boon for COVID-19 patients in parts of the world that don’t have vaccines or for patients with immunocompromised systems.
“These data provide evidence that a 3-day course of remdesivir could play a critical role in helping COVID-19 patients stay out of the hospital,” Robert L. Gottlieb, MD, PhD, the therapeutic lead for COVID-19 research at Baylor Scott & White Health in Dallas, said in a news release from Gilead Pharmaceuticals. “While our hospitals are ready to assist patients in need, prevention and early intervention are preferable to reduce the risk of disease progression and allow patients not requiring oxygen to recover from home when appropriate.”
Remdesivir was the first antiviral for COVID-19 authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. It was given to then-President Donald Trump when he was hospitalized with COVID-19 in October 2020.
Gilead released the study findings in September.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
The antiviral remdesivir, an intravenous drug given mostly to seriously ill COVID-19 patients in hospitals, could keep unvaccinated people who become infected out of the hospital if given on an outpatient basis, a new study says.
Researchers studied 562 unvaccinated people from September 2020 to April 2021, according to the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study determined the risk of hospitalization or death was 87% lower in study participants who were given remdesivir than participants who received a placebo.
All participants were at high risk of developing severe COVID-19 because of their age – they were over 60 – or because they had an underlying medical condition such as diabetes or obesity.
An important caveat: The findings are based on data collected before the Delta variant surged in the summer of 2021 or the Omicron variant surged late in the year, the Washington Post reported.
The new study says the drug could be helpful in keeping vaccinated as well as unvaccinated people out of the hospital – an important factor as the Omicron surge threatens to overwhelm health systems around the world.
Remdesivir could be a boon for COVID-19 patients in parts of the world that don’t have vaccines or for patients with immunocompromised systems.
“These data provide evidence that a 3-day course of remdesivir could play a critical role in helping COVID-19 patients stay out of the hospital,” Robert L. Gottlieb, MD, PhD, the therapeutic lead for COVID-19 research at Baylor Scott & White Health in Dallas, said in a news release from Gilead Pharmaceuticals. “While our hospitals are ready to assist patients in need, prevention and early intervention are preferable to reduce the risk of disease progression and allow patients not requiring oxygen to recover from home when appropriate.”
Remdesivir was the first antiviral for COVID-19 authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. It was given to then-President Donald Trump when he was hospitalized with COVID-19 in October 2020.
Gilead released the study findings in September.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
Louisiana to require the COVID-19 vaccine for students
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says the state government plans to make the COVID-19 vaccine a required immunization for students 16 and older in the state’s public school system.
“I just think it’s really, really important to embrace the science and really it’s also important to not engage in misinformation,” said Gov. Edwards, a Democrat, according to The Advocate. “Absent some compelling reason, which I at present have not seen, I fully expect that we will be adding the vaccine to the schedule.”
Parents could opt out their children from the requirement with a letter from a medical provider or a simple signature in dissent, The Advocate reported. The new rule would go into effect at the start of the 2022 school year and at first would apply to students aged 16 and older.
Republican legislators voiced their opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine requirement at a hearing on Dec. 6, calling it unneeded and an example of governmental overreach.
“I believe the vaccine should be highly recommended but not mandated,” state Rep. Laurie Schlegel said, according to TV station WDSU.
State Sen. Cameron Henry of Metairie said he received “hundreds of emails” from parents asking him to prevent the rule from going into effect, WDSU said.
WDSU said the governor can overrule the committee if it rejects the proposed vaccine rule.
Louisiana State Health Officer Joseph Kanter, MD, testified on Dec. 6 that 18 children had died of COVID-19 in Louisiana and many others had become sick because of it.
“I can’t think of another disease on that childhood schedule that we’ve lost that many kids from. In my mind, it’s very much in the public interest. But it’s the family and the parents’ decision,” Dr. Kanter said.
The addition of the vaccine is being proposed by the Louisiana Department of Health, which has added other vaccines to the required list over the years. In 2015, the legislature added meningitis as a required shot with no controversy, The Advocate said.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says the state government plans to make the COVID-19 vaccine a required immunization for students 16 and older in the state’s public school system.
“I just think it’s really, really important to embrace the science and really it’s also important to not engage in misinformation,” said Gov. Edwards, a Democrat, according to The Advocate. “Absent some compelling reason, which I at present have not seen, I fully expect that we will be adding the vaccine to the schedule.”
Parents could opt out their children from the requirement with a letter from a medical provider or a simple signature in dissent, The Advocate reported. The new rule would go into effect at the start of the 2022 school year and at first would apply to students aged 16 and older.
Republican legislators voiced their opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine requirement at a hearing on Dec. 6, calling it unneeded and an example of governmental overreach.
“I believe the vaccine should be highly recommended but not mandated,” state Rep. Laurie Schlegel said, according to TV station WDSU.
State Sen. Cameron Henry of Metairie said he received “hundreds of emails” from parents asking him to prevent the rule from going into effect, WDSU said.
WDSU said the governor can overrule the committee if it rejects the proposed vaccine rule.
Louisiana State Health Officer Joseph Kanter, MD, testified on Dec. 6 that 18 children had died of COVID-19 in Louisiana and many others had become sick because of it.
“I can’t think of another disease on that childhood schedule that we’ve lost that many kids from. In my mind, it’s very much in the public interest. But it’s the family and the parents’ decision,” Dr. Kanter said.
The addition of the vaccine is being proposed by the Louisiana Department of Health, which has added other vaccines to the required list over the years. In 2015, the legislature added meningitis as a required shot with no controversy, The Advocate said.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says the state government plans to make the COVID-19 vaccine a required immunization for students 16 and older in the state’s public school system.
“I just think it’s really, really important to embrace the science and really it’s also important to not engage in misinformation,” said Gov. Edwards, a Democrat, according to The Advocate. “Absent some compelling reason, which I at present have not seen, I fully expect that we will be adding the vaccine to the schedule.”
Parents could opt out their children from the requirement with a letter from a medical provider or a simple signature in dissent, The Advocate reported. The new rule would go into effect at the start of the 2022 school year and at first would apply to students aged 16 and older.
Republican legislators voiced their opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine requirement at a hearing on Dec. 6, calling it unneeded and an example of governmental overreach.
“I believe the vaccine should be highly recommended but not mandated,” state Rep. Laurie Schlegel said, according to TV station WDSU.
State Sen. Cameron Henry of Metairie said he received “hundreds of emails” from parents asking him to prevent the rule from going into effect, WDSU said.
WDSU said the governor can overrule the committee if it rejects the proposed vaccine rule.
Louisiana State Health Officer Joseph Kanter, MD, testified on Dec. 6 that 18 children had died of COVID-19 in Louisiana and many others had become sick because of it.
“I can’t think of another disease on that childhood schedule that we’ve lost that many kids from. In my mind, it’s very much in the public interest. But it’s the family and the parents’ decision,” Dr. Kanter said.
The addition of the vaccine is being proposed by the Louisiana Department of Health, which has added other vaccines to the required list over the years. In 2015, the legislature added meningitis as a required shot with no controversy, The Advocate said.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
COVID vaccines’ protection dropped sharply over 6 months: Study
, a study of almost 800,000 veterans found.
The study, published in the journal Science ., says the three vaccines offered about the same protection against the virus in March, when the Delta variant was first detected in the United States, but that changed 6 months later.
The Moderna two-dose vaccine went from being 89% effective in March to 58% effective in September, according to a story about the study in theLos Angeles Times.
Meanwhile, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine went from being 87% effective to 45% effective over the same time period.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine showed the biggest drop -- from 86% effectiveness to 13% over those 6 months.
“In summary, although vaccination remains protective against SARS-CoV-2 infection, protection waned as the Delta variant emerged in the U.S., and this decline did not differ by age,” the study said.
The three vaccines also lost effectiveness in the ability to protect against death in veterans 65 and over after only 3 months, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Compared to unvaccinated veterans in that age group, veterans who got the Moderna vaccine and had a breakthrough case were 76% less likely to die of COVID-19 by July.
The protection was 70% for Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine recipients and 52% for J&J vaccine recipients for the same age group, compared to unvaccinated veterans, according to the newspaper.
For veterans under 65, the protectiveness against a fatal case of COVID was 84% for Pfizer/BioNTech recipients, 82% for Moderna recipients, and 73% for J&J recipients, compared to unvaccinated veterans in that age group.
The study confirms the need for booster vaccines and protective measures such as vaccine passports, vaccine mandates, masking, hand-washing, and social distancing, the researchers said.
Of the veterans studied, about 500,000 were vaccinated and 300,000 were not. Researchers noted that the study population had 6 times as many men as women. About 48% of the study group was 65 or older, 29% was 50-64, while 24% was under 50.
Researchers from the Public Health Institute in Oakland, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Francisco, and the University of Texas Health Science Center conducted the study.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
, a study of almost 800,000 veterans found.
The study, published in the journal Science ., says the three vaccines offered about the same protection against the virus in March, when the Delta variant was first detected in the United States, but that changed 6 months later.
The Moderna two-dose vaccine went from being 89% effective in March to 58% effective in September, according to a story about the study in theLos Angeles Times.
Meanwhile, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine went from being 87% effective to 45% effective over the same time period.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine showed the biggest drop -- from 86% effectiveness to 13% over those 6 months.
“In summary, although vaccination remains protective against SARS-CoV-2 infection, protection waned as the Delta variant emerged in the U.S., and this decline did not differ by age,” the study said.
The three vaccines also lost effectiveness in the ability to protect against death in veterans 65 and over after only 3 months, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Compared to unvaccinated veterans in that age group, veterans who got the Moderna vaccine and had a breakthrough case were 76% less likely to die of COVID-19 by July.
The protection was 70% for Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine recipients and 52% for J&J vaccine recipients for the same age group, compared to unvaccinated veterans, according to the newspaper.
For veterans under 65, the protectiveness against a fatal case of COVID was 84% for Pfizer/BioNTech recipients, 82% for Moderna recipients, and 73% for J&J recipients, compared to unvaccinated veterans in that age group.
The study confirms the need for booster vaccines and protective measures such as vaccine passports, vaccine mandates, masking, hand-washing, and social distancing, the researchers said.
Of the veterans studied, about 500,000 were vaccinated and 300,000 were not. Researchers noted that the study population had 6 times as many men as women. About 48% of the study group was 65 or older, 29% was 50-64, while 24% was under 50.
Researchers from the Public Health Institute in Oakland, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Francisco, and the University of Texas Health Science Center conducted the study.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
, a study of almost 800,000 veterans found.
The study, published in the journal Science ., says the three vaccines offered about the same protection against the virus in March, when the Delta variant was first detected in the United States, but that changed 6 months later.
The Moderna two-dose vaccine went from being 89% effective in March to 58% effective in September, according to a story about the study in theLos Angeles Times.
Meanwhile, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine went from being 87% effective to 45% effective over the same time period.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine showed the biggest drop -- from 86% effectiveness to 13% over those 6 months.
“In summary, although vaccination remains protective against SARS-CoV-2 infection, protection waned as the Delta variant emerged in the U.S., and this decline did not differ by age,” the study said.
The three vaccines also lost effectiveness in the ability to protect against death in veterans 65 and over after only 3 months, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Compared to unvaccinated veterans in that age group, veterans who got the Moderna vaccine and had a breakthrough case were 76% less likely to die of COVID-19 by July.
The protection was 70% for Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine recipients and 52% for J&J vaccine recipients for the same age group, compared to unvaccinated veterans, according to the newspaper.
For veterans under 65, the protectiveness against a fatal case of COVID was 84% for Pfizer/BioNTech recipients, 82% for Moderna recipients, and 73% for J&J recipients, compared to unvaccinated veterans in that age group.
The study confirms the need for booster vaccines and protective measures such as vaccine passports, vaccine mandates, masking, hand-washing, and social distancing, the researchers said.
Of the veterans studied, about 500,000 were vaccinated and 300,000 were not. Researchers noted that the study population had 6 times as many men as women. About 48% of the study group was 65 or older, 29% was 50-64, while 24% was under 50.
Researchers from the Public Health Institute in Oakland, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Francisco, and the University of Texas Health Science Center conducted the study.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
FROM SCIENCE
New COVID-19 strain has reached the U.S.
Deadline, citing a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, said 26 residents and 20 workers tested positive for COVID-19 at a skilled care nursing home. The facility has 83 residents and 116 employees.
On March 1, 28 specimens that had been subjected to whole genome sequencing were found to have “mutations aligning with the R.1 lineage,” Deadline said.
About 90% of the facility’s residents and 52% of the staff had received two COVID vaccine doses, the CDC said. Because of the high vaccination rate, the finding raises concerns about “reduced protective immunity” in relation to the R.1 variant, the CDC said.
However, the nursing home case appears to show that the vaccine keeps most people from getting extremely sick, the CDC said. The vaccine was 86.5% protective against symptomatic illness among residents and 87.1% protective for employees.
“Compared with unvaccinated persons, vaccinated persons had reduced risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection and symptomatic COVID-19,” the CDC said. The vaccination of nursing home residents and health care workers “is essential to reduce the risk for symptomatic COVID-19, as is continued focus on infection prevention and control practices,” the CDC said.
Since being reported in Kentucky, R.1 has been detected more than 10,000 times in the United States, Forbes reported, basing that number on entries in the GISAID SARS-CoV-2 database.
Overall, more than 42 million cases of COVID have been reported since the start of the pandemic.
Deadline reported that the R.1 strain was first detected in Japan in January among three members of one family. The family members had no history of traveling abroad, Deadline said, citing an National Institutes of Health report.
The CDC has not classified R.1 as a variant of concern yet but noted it has “several mutations of importance” and “demonstrates evidence of increasing virus transmissibility.”
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
Deadline, citing a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, said 26 residents and 20 workers tested positive for COVID-19 at a skilled care nursing home. The facility has 83 residents and 116 employees.
On March 1, 28 specimens that had been subjected to whole genome sequencing were found to have “mutations aligning with the R.1 lineage,” Deadline said.
About 90% of the facility’s residents and 52% of the staff had received two COVID vaccine doses, the CDC said. Because of the high vaccination rate, the finding raises concerns about “reduced protective immunity” in relation to the R.1 variant, the CDC said.
However, the nursing home case appears to show that the vaccine keeps most people from getting extremely sick, the CDC said. The vaccine was 86.5% protective against symptomatic illness among residents and 87.1% protective for employees.
“Compared with unvaccinated persons, vaccinated persons had reduced risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection and symptomatic COVID-19,” the CDC said. The vaccination of nursing home residents and health care workers “is essential to reduce the risk for symptomatic COVID-19, as is continued focus on infection prevention and control practices,” the CDC said.
Since being reported in Kentucky, R.1 has been detected more than 10,000 times in the United States, Forbes reported, basing that number on entries in the GISAID SARS-CoV-2 database.
Overall, more than 42 million cases of COVID have been reported since the start of the pandemic.
Deadline reported that the R.1 strain was first detected in Japan in January among three members of one family. The family members had no history of traveling abroad, Deadline said, citing an National Institutes of Health report.
The CDC has not classified R.1 as a variant of concern yet but noted it has “several mutations of importance” and “demonstrates evidence of increasing virus transmissibility.”
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
Deadline, citing a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, said 26 residents and 20 workers tested positive for COVID-19 at a skilled care nursing home. The facility has 83 residents and 116 employees.
On March 1, 28 specimens that had been subjected to whole genome sequencing were found to have “mutations aligning with the R.1 lineage,” Deadline said.
About 90% of the facility’s residents and 52% of the staff had received two COVID vaccine doses, the CDC said. Because of the high vaccination rate, the finding raises concerns about “reduced protective immunity” in relation to the R.1 variant, the CDC said.
However, the nursing home case appears to show that the vaccine keeps most people from getting extremely sick, the CDC said. The vaccine was 86.5% protective against symptomatic illness among residents and 87.1% protective for employees.
“Compared with unvaccinated persons, vaccinated persons had reduced risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection and symptomatic COVID-19,” the CDC said. The vaccination of nursing home residents and health care workers “is essential to reduce the risk for symptomatic COVID-19, as is continued focus on infection prevention and control practices,” the CDC said.
Since being reported in Kentucky, R.1 has been detected more than 10,000 times in the United States, Forbes reported, basing that number on entries in the GISAID SARS-CoV-2 database.
Overall, more than 42 million cases of COVID have been reported since the start of the pandemic.
Deadline reported that the R.1 strain was first detected in Japan in January among three members of one family. The family members had no history of traveling abroad, Deadline said, citing an National Institutes of Health report.
The CDC has not classified R.1 as a variant of concern yet but noted it has “several mutations of importance” and “demonstrates evidence of increasing virus transmissibility.”
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
Doctor who claimed masks hurt health loses license
Steven Arthur LaTulippe’s advice to patients about face masking amounted to “gross negligence” in the practice of medicine and was grounds for discipline, the medical board said in a report.
Mr. LaTulippe, who had a family practice in Dallas, was fined $10,000, Insider reported. The board also said he’d overprescribed opioids for some patients.
The medical board report said Mr. LaTulippe and his wife, who ran the clinic with him, didn’t wear face masks while treating patients from March to December 2020.
Mr. LaTulippe told elderly and pediatric patients that mask wearing could hurt their health by exacerbating COPD and asthma and could contribute to heart attacks and other medical problems, the report said.
“Licensee asserts masks are likely to harm patients by increasing the body’s carbon dioxide content through rebreathing of gas trapped behind a mask,” the report said.
The report noted that “the amount of carbon dioxide rebreathed within a mask is trivial and would easily be expelled by an increase in minute ventilation so small it would not be noticed.”
The report said Mr. LaTulippe told patients they didn’t have to wear a mask in the clinic unless they were “acutely ill,” “coughing,” or “congested,” even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Oregon governor had recommended masks be worn to prevent the spread of the virus.
Before coming into the office, patients weren’t asked if they’d had recent contact with anybody who was infected or showed COVID symptoms, the report said.
The medical board first suspended his license in September. He said he would not change his conduct concerning face masks.
“Licensee has confirmed that he will refuse to abide by the state’s COVID-19 protocols in the future as well, affirming that in a choice between losing his medical license versus wearing a mask in his clinic and requiring his patients and staff to wear a mask in his clinic, he will, ‘choose to sacrifice my medical license with no hesitation’ ” the medical board’s report said.
Mr. LaTulippe told the medical board that he was “a strong asset to the public in educating them on the real facts about this pandemic” and that “at least 98% of my patients were so extremely thankful that I did not wear a mask or demand wearing a mask in my clinic.”
The medical board found Mr. LaTulippe engaged in 8 instances of unprofessional or dishonorable conduct, 22 instances of negligence in the practice of medicine, and 5 instances of gross negligence in the practice of medicine.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
Steven Arthur LaTulippe’s advice to patients about face masking amounted to “gross negligence” in the practice of medicine and was grounds for discipline, the medical board said in a report.
Mr. LaTulippe, who had a family practice in Dallas, was fined $10,000, Insider reported. The board also said he’d overprescribed opioids for some patients.
The medical board report said Mr. LaTulippe and his wife, who ran the clinic with him, didn’t wear face masks while treating patients from March to December 2020.
Mr. LaTulippe told elderly and pediatric patients that mask wearing could hurt their health by exacerbating COPD and asthma and could contribute to heart attacks and other medical problems, the report said.
“Licensee asserts masks are likely to harm patients by increasing the body’s carbon dioxide content through rebreathing of gas trapped behind a mask,” the report said.
The report noted that “the amount of carbon dioxide rebreathed within a mask is trivial and would easily be expelled by an increase in minute ventilation so small it would not be noticed.”
The report said Mr. LaTulippe told patients they didn’t have to wear a mask in the clinic unless they were “acutely ill,” “coughing,” or “congested,” even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Oregon governor had recommended masks be worn to prevent the spread of the virus.
Before coming into the office, patients weren’t asked if they’d had recent contact with anybody who was infected or showed COVID symptoms, the report said.
The medical board first suspended his license in September. He said he would not change his conduct concerning face masks.
“Licensee has confirmed that he will refuse to abide by the state’s COVID-19 protocols in the future as well, affirming that in a choice between losing his medical license versus wearing a mask in his clinic and requiring his patients and staff to wear a mask in his clinic, he will, ‘choose to sacrifice my medical license with no hesitation’ ” the medical board’s report said.
Mr. LaTulippe told the medical board that he was “a strong asset to the public in educating them on the real facts about this pandemic” and that “at least 98% of my patients were so extremely thankful that I did not wear a mask or demand wearing a mask in my clinic.”
The medical board found Mr. LaTulippe engaged in 8 instances of unprofessional or dishonorable conduct, 22 instances of negligence in the practice of medicine, and 5 instances of gross negligence in the practice of medicine.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
Steven Arthur LaTulippe’s advice to patients about face masking amounted to “gross negligence” in the practice of medicine and was grounds for discipline, the medical board said in a report.
Mr. LaTulippe, who had a family practice in Dallas, was fined $10,000, Insider reported. The board also said he’d overprescribed opioids for some patients.
The medical board report said Mr. LaTulippe and his wife, who ran the clinic with him, didn’t wear face masks while treating patients from March to December 2020.
Mr. LaTulippe told elderly and pediatric patients that mask wearing could hurt their health by exacerbating COPD and asthma and could contribute to heart attacks and other medical problems, the report said.
“Licensee asserts masks are likely to harm patients by increasing the body’s carbon dioxide content through rebreathing of gas trapped behind a mask,” the report said.
The report noted that “the amount of carbon dioxide rebreathed within a mask is trivial and would easily be expelled by an increase in minute ventilation so small it would not be noticed.”
The report said Mr. LaTulippe told patients they didn’t have to wear a mask in the clinic unless they were “acutely ill,” “coughing,” or “congested,” even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Oregon governor had recommended masks be worn to prevent the spread of the virus.
Before coming into the office, patients weren’t asked if they’d had recent contact with anybody who was infected or showed COVID symptoms, the report said.
The medical board first suspended his license in September. He said he would not change his conduct concerning face masks.
“Licensee has confirmed that he will refuse to abide by the state’s COVID-19 protocols in the future as well, affirming that in a choice between losing his medical license versus wearing a mask in his clinic and requiring his patients and staff to wear a mask in his clinic, he will, ‘choose to sacrifice my medical license with no hesitation’ ” the medical board’s report said.
Mr. LaTulippe told the medical board that he was “a strong asset to the public in educating them on the real facts about this pandemic” and that “at least 98% of my patients were so extremely thankful that I did not wear a mask or demand wearing a mask in my clinic.”
The medical board found Mr. LaTulippe engaged in 8 instances of unprofessional or dishonorable conduct, 22 instances of negligence in the practice of medicine, and 5 instances of gross negligence in the practice of medicine.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
Moderna vaccine more effective than Pfizer and J&J
the Centers for Disease Control and Protection has said.
“Among U.S. adults without immunocompromising conditions, vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 hospitalization during March 11–Aug. 15, 2021, was higher for the Moderna vaccine (93%) than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine (88%) and the Janssen vaccine (71%),” the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report said. Janssen refers to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The CDC said the data could help people make informed decisions.
“Understanding differences in VE [vaccine effectiveness] by vaccine product can guide individual choices and policy recommendations regarding vaccine boosters. All Food and Drug Administration–approved or authorized COVID-19 vaccines provide substantial protection against COVID-19 hospitalization,” the report said.
The study also broke down effectiveness for longer periods. Moderna came out on top again.
After 120 days, the Moderna vaccine provided 92% effectiveness against hospitalization, whereas the Pfizer vaccine’s effectiveness dropped to 77%, the CDC said. There was no similar calculation for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The CDC studied 3,689 adults at 21 hospitals in 18 states who got the two-shot Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine between March and August.
The agency noted some factors that could have come into play.
“Differences in vaccine effectiveness between the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine might be due to higher mRNA content in the Moderna vaccine, differences in timing between doses (3 weeks for Pfizer-BioNTech vs. 4 weeks for Moderna), or possible differences between groups that received each vaccine that were not accounted for in the analysis,” the report said.
The CDC noted limitations in the findings. Children, immunocompromised adults, and vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 that did not result in hospitalization were not studied.
Other studies have shown all three U.S. vaccines provide a high rate of protection against coronavirus.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
the Centers for Disease Control and Protection has said.
“Among U.S. adults without immunocompromising conditions, vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 hospitalization during March 11–Aug. 15, 2021, was higher for the Moderna vaccine (93%) than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine (88%) and the Janssen vaccine (71%),” the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report said. Janssen refers to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The CDC said the data could help people make informed decisions.
“Understanding differences in VE [vaccine effectiveness] by vaccine product can guide individual choices and policy recommendations regarding vaccine boosters. All Food and Drug Administration–approved or authorized COVID-19 vaccines provide substantial protection against COVID-19 hospitalization,” the report said.
The study also broke down effectiveness for longer periods. Moderna came out on top again.
After 120 days, the Moderna vaccine provided 92% effectiveness against hospitalization, whereas the Pfizer vaccine’s effectiveness dropped to 77%, the CDC said. There was no similar calculation for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The CDC studied 3,689 adults at 21 hospitals in 18 states who got the two-shot Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine between March and August.
The agency noted some factors that could have come into play.
“Differences in vaccine effectiveness between the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine might be due to higher mRNA content in the Moderna vaccine, differences in timing between doses (3 weeks for Pfizer-BioNTech vs. 4 weeks for Moderna), or possible differences between groups that received each vaccine that were not accounted for in the analysis,” the report said.
The CDC noted limitations in the findings. Children, immunocompromised adults, and vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 that did not result in hospitalization were not studied.
Other studies have shown all three U.S. vaccines provide a high rate of protection against coronavirus.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
the Centers for Disease Control and Protection has said.
“Among U.S. adults without immunocompromising conditions, vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 hospitalization during March 11–Aug. 15, 2021, was higher for the Moderna vaccine (93%) than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine (88%) and the Janssen vaccine (71%),” the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report said. Janssen refers to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The CDC said the data could help people make informed decisions.
“Understanding differences in VE [vaccine effectiveness] by vaccine product can guide individual choices and policy recommendations regarding vaccine boosters. All Food and Drug Administration–approved or authorized COVID-19 vaccines provide substantial protection against COVID-19 hospitalization,” the report said.
The study also broke down effectiveness for longer periods. Moderna came out on top again.
After 120 days, the Moderna vaccine provided 92% effectiveness against hospitalization, whereas the Pfizer vaccine’s effectiveness dropped to 77%, the CDC said. There was no similar calculation for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The CDC studied 3,689 adults at 21 hospitals in 18 states who got the two-shot Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine between March and August.
The agency noted some factors that could have come into play.
“Differences in vaccine effectiveness between the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine might be due to higher mRNA content in the Moderna vaccine, differences in timing between doses (3 weeks for Pfizer-BioNTech vs. 4 weeks for Moderna), or possible differences between groups that received each vaccine that were not accounted for in the analysis,” the report said.
The CDC noted limitations in the findings. Children, immunocompromised adults, and vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 that did not result in hospitalization were not studied.
Other studies have shown all three U.S. vaccines provide a high rate of protection against coronavirus.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
Man dies after 43 full ICUs turn him away
Ray Martin DeMonia, 73, of Cullman, Alabama, ran an antiques business for 40 years and served as an auctioneer at charity events, the obituary said.
He had a stroke in 2020 during the first months of the COVID pandemic and made sure to get vaccinated, his daughter, Raven DeMonia, told The Washington Post.
“He knew what the vaccine meant for his health and what it meant to staying alive,” she said. “He said, ‘I just want to get back to shaking hands with people, selling stuff, and talking antiques.’”
His daughter told the Post that her father went to Cullman Regional Medical Center on Aug. 23 with heart problems.
About 12 hours after he was admitted, her mother got a call from the hospital saying they’d called 43 hospitals and were unable to find a “specialized cardiac ICU bed” for him, Ms. DeMonia told the Post.
He was finally airlifted to Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian, Mississippi, almost 200 miles from his home, but died there Sept. 1. His family decided to make a plea for increased vaccinations in his obituary.
“In honor of Ray, please get vaccinated if you have not, in an effort to free up resources for non COVID related emergencies,” the obit said. “Due to COVID 19, CRMC emergency staff contacted 43 hospitals in 3 states in search of a Cardiac ICU bed and finally located one in Meridian, MS. He would not want any other family to go through what his did.”
Mr. DeMonia is survived by his wife, daughter, grandson, and other family members.
The Alabama Hospital Association says state hospitals are still short of ICU beds. On Sept. 12, the AHA website said the state had 1,530 staffed ICU beds to accommodate 1,541 ICU patients.
The AHA said 83% of COVID patients in ICU had not been vaccinated against COVID, 4% were partially vaccinated, and 13% were fully vaccinated. Alabama trails other states in vaccination rates. Newsweek, citing CDC data, said 53.7% of people in Alabama were fully vaccinated. In comparison, 53.8% of all Americans nationally are fully vaccinated.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
Ray Martin DeMonia, 73, of Cullman, Alabama, ran an antiques business for 40 years and served as an auctioneer at charity events, the obituary said.
He had a stroke in 2020 during the first months of the COVID pandemic and made sure to get vaccinated, his daughter, Raven DeMonia, told The Washington Post.
“He knew what the vaccine meant for his health and what it meant to staying alive,” she said. “He said, ‘I just want to get back to shaking hands with people, selling stuff, and talking antiques.’”
His daughter told the Post that her father went to Cullman Regional Medical Center on Aug. 23 with heart problems.
About 12 hours after he was admitted, her mother got a call from the hospital saying they’d called 43 hospitals and were unable to find a “specialized cardiac ICU bed” for him, Ms. DeMonia told the Post.
He was finally airlifted to Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian, Mississippi, almost 200 miles from his home, but died there Sept. 1. His family decided to make a plea for increased vaccinations in his obituary.
“In honor of Ray, please get vaccinated if you have not, in an effort to free up resources for non COVID related emergencies,” the obit said. “Due to COVID 19, CRMC emergency staff contacted 43 hospitals in 3 states in search of a Cardiac ICU bed and finally located one in Meridian, MS. He would not want any other family to go through what his did.”
Mr. DeMonia is survived by his wife, daughter, grandson, and other family members.
The Alabama Hospital Association says state hospitals are still short of ICU beds. On Sept. 12, the AHA website said the state had 1,530 staffed ICU beds to accommodate 1,541 ICU patients.
The AHA said 83% of COVID patients in ICU had not been vaccinated against COVID, 4% were partially vaccinated, and 13% were fully vaccinated. Alabama trails other states in vaccination rates. Newsweek, citing CDC data, said 53.7% of people in Alabama were fully vaccinated. In comparison, 53.8% of all Americans nationally are fully vaccinated.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
Ray Martin DeMonia, 73, of Cullman, Alabama, ran an antiques business for 40 years and served as an auctioneer at charity events, the obituary said.
He had a stroke in 2020 during the first months of the COVID pandemic and made sure to get vaccinated, his daughter, Raven DeMonia, told The Washington Post.
“He knew what the vaccine meant for his health and what it meant to staying alive,” she said. “He said, ‘I just want to get back to shaking hands with people, selling stuff, and talking antiques.’”
His daughter told the Post that her father went to Cullman Regional Medical Center on Aug. 23 with heart problems.
About 12 hours after he was admitted, her mother got a call from the hospital saying they’d called 43 hospitals and were unable to find a “specialized cardiac ICU bed” for him, Ms. DeMonia told the Post.
He was finally airlifted to Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian, Mississippi, almost 200 miles from his home, but died there Sept. 1. His family decided to make a plea for increased vaccinations in his obituary.
“In honor of Ray, please get vaccinated if you have not, in an effort to free up resources for non COVID related emergencies,” the obit said. “Due to COVID 19, CRMC emergency staff contacted 43 hospitals in 3 states in search of a Cardiac ICU bed and finally located one in Meridian, MS. He would not want any other family to go through what his did.”
Mr. DeMonia is survived by his wife, daughter, grandson, and other family members.
The Alabama Hospital Association says state hospitals are still short of ICU beds. On Sept. 12, the AHA website said the state had 1,530 staffed ICU beds to accommodate 1,541 ICU patients.
The AHA said 83% of COVID patients in ICU had not been vaccinated against COVID, 4% were partially vaccinated, and 13% were fully vaccinated. Alabama trails other states in vaccination rates. Newsweek, citing CDC data, said 53.7% of people in Alabama were fully vaccinated. In comparison, 53.8% of all Americans nationally are fully vaccinated.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.