US officials agreed to buy 66 million omicron boosters from Moderna, with plans to make additional shots available this fall and winter. A new CDC report suggested that children may be at greater risk of blood clots, heart problems, kidney failure and type 1 diabetes after having COVID. The Chronicle’s advice column on pandemic issues addressed a question from a reader who asked how long COVID stays in the air after an infected person leaves a room.
How many animals have had COVID? The new tracker has the data
There have been 704 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in animals, in 27 different species in 39 countries, according to a new Wildlife Conservation dashboard tracking cases globally. Although the researchers say this number is likely an undercount because it is impossible to know the true impact of SARS-CoV-2 in nature, preliminary data results include cases that were confirmed with laboratory PCR tests. There have been 582 outbreaks in the animal world, with most cases in mink, cats and dogs. The death rate from disease among the animals is close to 3%. Most of the symptoms among the animals present as respiratory, gastrointestinal or behavioral problems, according to the data. Researchers say the board is a work in progress. “The panel is intended to support public education about the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission between humans and animals and raise public awareness of the potential wildlife conservation issues posed by the SARS pandemic- CoV-2,” they wrote in the accompanying study.
US unemployment rate falls to pre-pandemic level
US employers added an impressive 528,000 jobs last month despite raging inflation and anxiety about a possible recession, restoring all positions lost in the coronavirus recession. Unemployment fell to 3.5%, the lowest level since the pandemic broke out in early 2020, the Associated Press reports. In July, 130,000 jobs were created more than in June and the most since February. “Recession: Which Recession?” wrote Brian Coulton, chief economist at Fitch Ratings, after the numbers came out. “The U.S. economy is creating new jobs at an annual rate of 6 million, which is three times faster than we typically see historically in a good year.” Economists had expected just 250,000 new jobs in July.
Fauci: Get vaccinated and brace yourself, or ‘you’ll be in trouble’
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, is urging people to stay up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccines as the colder months approach. “There are enough people who don’t fall into (high-risk) categories that if they don’t get vaccinated if they don’t get boosted, they’re going to have problems,” Fauci said on KNX’s “In Depth.” show this week About 77% of the US population is not up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, according to an analysis of CDC data last week by researchers at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Fauci said this could lead not only to more infections, but also to the emergence of new immune-evasive variants. “You don’t want COVID to dominate the lives of people in this country or the world, but you don’t want to, wishing it’s behind us and in the rearview mirror, not do things that would be prudent,” he said. said “We’re not talking about lockdown, we’re just talking about common sense, about getting the right interventions when they’re available, and right now we have boosters that are very effective at decreasing any aspect of the infection.”
US secures 66 million doses of Moderna’s omicron booster
The US government has agreed to buy 66 million doses of Moderna’s bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster candidate for potential use in the fall and winter. The announcement follows an FDA recommendation that vaccine manufacturers update their existing COVID-19 vaccines to create a bivalent booster that can target the omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, which are now dominant in the United States. The administration previously secured 105 million booster doses of Pfizer’s bivalent COVID-19 vaccine for potential use later this year. “We look forward to receiving these new variant-specific vaccines and working with state and local health partners to make the vaccines freely available in communities across the country this fall,” said Dawn O’Connell, assistant secretary of the Department of Health USA and Human Services, in a statement.
COVID increases risk of heart problems, diabetes in children – CDC study
According to a report released Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children and teens may be at higher risk for certain post-COVID symptoms and conditions, including blood clots, heart problems, kidney failure, and type 1 diabetes. In an analysis of the electronic health records of about 800,000 US children under the age of 18 who had COVID-19 from March 1, 2020, to January 31, 2022, researchers found an increase in the incidence rates of several symptoms and conditions of rare pediatric diseases compared to a control group of 2.5 million children not infected with the coronavirus during the same period. “Covid-19 prevention strategies, including vaccination for all eligible children and adolescents, are critical to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and subsequent illness, including post-COVID symptoms and conditions” , the researchers said.
Biden continues to test positive, with an “occasional cough”
President Biden is still testing positive for the coronavirus, White House physician Kevin O’Connor said in an update Thursday. “He is still experiencing a very occasional cough, but the cough is improving,” according to the note. The president will remain in strict isolation and will continue to work remotely from the executive residence. Biden first tested positive for COVID-19 in late July and was removed from isolation on July 27 before suffering a rebound infection on July 30.
Worried about walking into a room after someone with COVID has left? Here’s the low down
How long does COVID stay in the air after someone with COVID (not wearing a mask) leaves the room? Assuming the windows are closed and there is no filtration system, how long do you have to worry that you can catch COVID from being in the room without a mask? In a Chronicle Pandemic Problems column, we help clear the air, so to speak, about a question that concerned one reader and has no doubt occurred to many others.
The CDC expected to further relax the COVID rules, even for schools
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to ease quarantine and other coronavirus mitigation recommendations in the coming days, including for schools, according to sources familiar with the plan who spoke to CNN. Among other things, the agency is expected to abandon its recommendation for physical distancing and stop emphasizing regular COVID-19 screening tests in schools as a way to control the spread of the virus. People who are sick with COVID-19 should still self-isolate, something the new guidance is expected to emphasize. And the CDC will also emphasize that schools use better ventilation systems. State, local, and district regulations may override the CDC’s advice, which is not legally binding.