Monthly Archives: February 2021

Although rate is reflected differently, spread remains at elevated levels

COLUMBIA, S.C.The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) today announced a change in the way percent positive is calculated for COVID-19 cases. The change will allow South Carolina percent positive calculations to be more easily compared to those used by federal entities, including the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Starting today, DHEC is now reporting percent positive using the tests-over-tests method. Percent positive is now calculated by dividing all positive COVID-19 tests by the total number of COVID-19 tests (positive and negative), and then multiplying the result by 100 to get a percent.

With the change, the public will notice a big drop in the number representing percent positive. That does not mean the level of spread in the community has decreased. Percent positive will appear to be lower only because it is calculated differently.

Not only will DHEC use this new method going forward, but it will go back and recalculate the percent positive for the entire time COVID-19 has been tracked in South Carolina. Anyone wishing to see what the old data looked like can visit this link: https://scdhec.gov/sites/default/files/media/document/COVID19-Archived-Percent-Positive.pdf.

State Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said it is important to note that when changing methods, you cannot compare information from the old method (people over people) with the new method (tests over tests). It is important that people understand that while percent positive appears as a smaller number under the new way of calculating the rate, COVID-19 continues to spread at an elevated level in our state. That smaller number is solely based on the change in the way we calculate the rate, Dr. Bell said.It is important that South Carolinians continue to take steps we know to protect us all from this deadly disease: wear a mask consistently and correctly, stay six feet away from others, wash your hands frequently, and avoid crowds. And when your time comes, get vaccinated, Dr. Bell added.

New Calculation Allows for Greater Data ComparisonWith many federal agencies and state health departments using the tests-over-tests method, this change by DHEC will allow comparisons with percent positivity calculations provided by the CDC, The White House Coronavirus Task Force, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), other academic institutions and many states. In December, CMS began requiring health care facilities to use test over test; DHEC began preparing for the change at that time.

Understanding How Precent Positivity is CalculatedPreviously, DHEC had been calculating percent positive using the people-over-tests method. That required dividing the number of people with positive results by the number of people who had taken tests overall, which included positive and negative results.

DHEC decided to use this method early in the pandemic because the focus was on identifying new people who were testing positive. This becomes harder to do when much of the population has been tested. With the continued recommendation for South Carolinians to be tested frequently, the shift from people to tests also becomes a more effective method to monitor active cases.

The positivity rate helps public health officials determine the level at which COVID-19 is spreading in the community and whether enough testing is taking place, said Dr.Bell. The rate provides us a snapshot of how much COVID-19 is circulating in the community at a given period of time.

What Does Percent Positivity Tell Us about Community Spread?Percent positive will be high if the number of positive tests is high, or if the number of total tests is low. A higher percent positive suggests higher spread and that there are likely more people with COVID-19 in the community who have not been tested.

Percent positivity does not reflect a complete picture of COVID-19 in South Carolina. While it tells us some information about disease spread, other factors are at work as well, including access to testing and how quickly results come back from the lab. No single measure can give a complete picture of COVID-19 spread in our state and our counties.

For information on COVID-19 percent positive rates in South Carolina, visit the testing tab in the county-level dashboard.

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DHEC Announces Change in the Way COVID-19 Percent Positive Is Calculated - SCDHEC

February 2, 2021 by Jill DvorkinCategory: Strategies and Programs , Open Public Meetings Act , Public Records Act , COVID-19

Editor's note: This is an updated and republished version of a blog post originally written on January 13 and updated again on January 28. This version contains new information about Proclamation 20-28.15, which addresses in-person meetings, the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA), and the Public Records Act (PRA), as well as the updated Miscellaneous Venues guidance issued on February 1.

This updated blog sets out our latest understanding of where things stand for local governments based on a recent conversation with Governor Jay Inslees office clarifying some questions related to daily government operations and conducting open public meetings during the COVID-19 emergency.

As of January 11, Washington State is operating under the new COVID-19 reopening plan called theHealthy Washington Roadmap to Recovery, made effective through the governorsProclamation 20-25.12. And on January 19, the governorextended 26 proclamations, including the OPMA/PRAProclamation 20-28.15, through the duration of the COVID-19 emergency or until rescinded. This followed action by the legislature on January 15, which passedSCR 8402, extending statutory waivers and suspensions contained within those 26 proclamations.

For now, agencies in Phase 1 jurisdictions still may not hold an in-person component to their public meetings. Phase 2 jurisdictions may have an in-person public meeting component, limited to 25% capacity or 200 people, whichever is fewer, and consistent with the revised Miscellaneous Venues guidance. Local government operations are to be guided by locally-developed operational plans, described further below.

The latest OPMA/PRAProclamation 20-28.15states, in relevant part:

Proclamations 20-28, et seq., are amended to (1) recognize the extension of statutory waivers and suspensions therein by the Washington State Legislature until termination of the state of emergency pursuant to RCW 43.06.210, or until rescinded, and (2) similarly extend the prohibitions therein until termination of the state of emergency pursuant to RCW 43.06.210, or until rescinded, whichever occurs first.

So, what does this mean for public meetings? Because this is a simple extension of the previous proclamation (version 14), we must look toProclamation 20-28.14to determine the rules applicable to meetings subject to the OPMA. Proclamation 20-28.14 requires that all public meetings must be held remotely but provides an option for an in-person meeting component consistent with the business meetings requirements contained in the Miscellaneous Venues guidance, which is incorporated into Proclamation 20-25, et seq. The relevant language states:

As an exception to the above prohibition, public agencies holding public meetings may, at their option and in addition to hosting the remote meeting elements described above, include an in-person component to a public meeting if all of the following requirements are met:

1. The open public meeting complies with the guidelines for business meetings, found in the Miscellaneous Venues guidancehere, as incorporated into the Proclamation 20-25 et seq., Stay Safe Stay Healthy - Rollback of County-By-County Phased Reopening Responding to a COVID-19 Outbreak Surge;

The Miscellaneous Venues guidance was updated February 1 to reflect the new phasing approach. Business meetings are prohibited in Phase 1 regions but allowed in Phase 2, consistent with the requirements set forth in the guidancemeetings allowed up to 25% capacity or 200 people, whichever is fewer (excluding staff), with several safety measures that must be met.

While the previous Stay Safe - Stay Healthy plan (the last version can be found atProclamation20-25.11) followed a four-phase reopening approach based on metrics measured at the county level, the new plan divides the state into eight regions and currently contains only two recovery phases.

The eight regions in theRoadmap to Recoveryare based largely on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) regions used for evaluating healthcare services. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) will evaluate each region based on a set of four metrics. The metrics look at trends in COVID-19 disease rate, hospital admission rate, intensive care unit (ICU) occupancy, and COVID-19 test positivity rate.

The firstRoadmap to Recovery Reportwas issued by the DOH on Friday, January 8, with every region starting in Phase 1. On January 21, the state launched a newRoadmap to Recovery Dashboardthat will be used for the DOH evaluation and reporting. Based on an update to the Roadmap to Recoveryannounced by the governoron January 28, a region must meet three of four metrics to move from Phase 1 to Phase 2 (previously a region must have met all four metrics) and continue to meet three of four metrics to remain in Phase 2. Two regions (Puget Sound and West) moved to Phase 2 on Monday, February 1. The updated Roadmap to Recovery also changes the timing of the DOH evaluation and potential changing of phases from weekly to every two weeks.

Thischart in the Roadmaplists broad categories of activities allowed in Phases 1 and 2, although more specific guidance is available for many activities on the governorsCOVID-19 Reopening Guidance for Business and Workerspage.

The latestRoadmap to Recoveryand updated COVID-19 Reopening Guidance for Business and Workersprovide guidance and benchmarks for certain local government activities; however, how a local government chooses to conduct their daily operations, within CDC and other recommended safety parameters, remain largely within their discretion. The governor recognizes local control and the need for local governments to develop their own appropriate operational plans.

On June 19, Governor Inslee issued thismemo to local governmentsthat encourages them to use the Safe Start Reopening Guide for State Agenciesin developing their own safe start plans. The governor continues to recommend that local governments use this guide in developing their plans (Version 5, linked above, is the most recent).

The state guidance covers:

For state agencies, the guidelines for activities described in the Roadmap to Recoveryand updated COVID-19 Reopening Guidance for Business and Workersare intended to act as minimum standards for operations. On p. 6, the guidance states:

The phases in the governors Healthy Washington - Roadmap to Recovery plan act as a minimum standard for how businesses, counties, and regions can reopen.

For example, continued telework is strongly encouraged and offices should remain closed for those government agency activities that would fit within theProfessional Servicescategory. For those services that cannot be provided remotely, the plan sets a limit of 25% capacity. Similarly, the governors office recommends applying these benchmarks for local government operations.

In the previous phased re-opening plans, customer-facing government services were not allowed to resume until Phase 3. Our understanding from talking with the governors office is that this prohibition was part of the former phasing plan and is no longer applicable. Again, local governments will need to make their own plans, prioritizing and resuming services as safely as possible, using current statewide capacity and safety guidance, as applicable.

On January 19 the governor extended dozens of proclamations until the termination of the emergency, or until rescinded. Some proclamations affecting local governments include20-64.5and20-23.14.

The governors website contains afull list of all updated proclamations.

The actions of the legislature and governor extending the emergency proclamations until the termination of the emergency will provide more certainty going forward, without having to wonder whether any given proclamation will be extended or renewed after the rolling expiration dates. Local governments should be using the Roadmap for Recovery and related activity-specific guidance in developing their own operational plans. Meetings subject to the OPMA continue to be guided by the specific limitations set forth in Proclamation 20-28.15.

As always, we recommend consulting with your agencys legal counsel with questions and keeping a close eye onMRSCs websitefor the latest guidance regarding local government operations during the COVID-19 emergency.

MRSC is a private nonprofit organization serving local governments in Washington State. Eligible government agencies in Washington State may use our free, one-on-one Ask MRSC service to get answers to legal, policy, or financial questions.

VIEW ALL POSTS BY Jill Dvorkin

See the original post here:

COVID-19 Reopening Plan, Proclamation Extensions, and Government Operations - MRSC

MADISON (WKOW) -- Forty more people were added to the total of those who have died in Wisconsin because of COVID-19, according to the latest numbers from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

Deaths for each day arereported by DHS HERE.

DHS also reported 123 people were newly hospitalized.

As of Sunday afternoon, 686COVID-19 patientswere being treated in Wisconsin hospitals, down 11 from the day prior.

Of those, 146 are in the ICU, down 22 from the day before,according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association.

There have been 1,095 positive COVID-19 tests since yesterday in Wisconsin and 2,087 negative results.

(CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL DHS DASHBOARD)

The Department of Health Servicesdashboardshows the seven-day average of both positive tests by day and test by person.(CHART)

(App users, see the daily reports and charts HERE.)

Of all positive cases reported since the pandemic began, 517,169 or 95.4 percent, are considered recovered.

As of Monday a total of 578,336 vaccines have been administered throughout Wisconsin.

DHS now has a county-level dashboard to assess the COVID-19 activity levelin counties and Healthcare Emergency Readiness Coalition regions that measure what DHS calls the burden in each county.View the dashboard HERE.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services updates the statistics each dayon its website around 2 p.m.

(Our entire coronavirus coverage is available here.)

The new strain of the coronavirus causes the disease COVID-19. Symptoms include cough, fever and shortness of breath. A full list of symptoms is available onthe Centers for Disease Control website.

In severe cases, pneumonia can develop. Those most at risk include the elderly, people with heart or lung disease as well as anyone at greater risk of infection.

For most, the virus is mild, presenting similarly to a common cold or the flu.

Anyone who thinks they may have the disease should call ahead to a hospital or clinic before going in for a diagnosis. Doing so gives the staff time to take the proper precautions so the virus does not spread.

Those needing emergency medical services should continue to use 911.

(County by county results are available here).

More:

Forty more dead from COVID-19 in Wisconsin; 123 newly hospitalized - WKOW

ByUNHCR staff|02 February 2021

In a data visualization project entitled 'Livelihoods, food and futures: COVID-19 and the displaced,'UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, collated statistics from numerous sources to shed more light on the effects of the pandemic on poor and vulnerable people, including refugees.

The storymap the third in a series examining how displaced communities have been affected by the coronavirus illustrates the drastic falls in levels of employment and income since the onset of the pandemic. It also explores how families are coping to meet basic needs, in many cases forced to cut corners because of shrinking household budgets.

But job losses and evaporating incomes could not just be measured in purely economic terms, said Raouf Mazou, Assistant High Commissioner for Operations at the UN Refugee Agency. The side effects of these financial crises are pernicious and devastating on education, mental and physical health, food security, gender-based violence, community relationships and beyond, he said.

"The side effects of these financial crises are pernicious and devastating."

As a result of the pandemic, vulnerable households, including those among displaced communities, are resorting to negative ways of coping such as cutting meals, increasing debts, selling assets or cutting short their childrens education.

And with incomes drying up and food systems disrupted by COVID-19, the scale and impact of food insecurity is expected to increase.The World Food Programme estimates that 270 million people may have fallen into acute food insecurity at the end of 2020.

Displaced populations are generally more vulnerable to food insecurity and malnutrition. They often rely on food assistance and are more likely to have abandoned their jobs, possessions and social networks to find safety, often settling in displacement sites or urban areas with limited access to basic services.

Overall, said Mazou, the international community would have to find fair and global solutions to what was a global challenge. To this end, he added, it would be vital to work towards the longer-term inclusion of the poorest in society, including the displaced, in formal systems.

COVID-19 has shown us is that exclusion kills, he said. No one is safe until everyone is safe.

More here:

Data reveals impact of COVID-19 on livelihoods and futures - UNHCR

Today Gov. Jim Justice, the West VirginiaDepartment of Health and Human Resources, and the West Virginia Joint InteragencyTask Force for COVID-19 Vaccinesannounced the COVID-19 vaccine clinics thatwill be held in all 55 counties throughout the state Feb. 3-6, 2021 throughOperation Save Our Wisdom.

This weeks clinics are available for WestVirginians who are 65 years of age and older. Residents from any county in WestVirginia may access an appointment at any of the vaccination clinics listed,regardless of their county of residence.

Many clinics arelisted as full as they are utilizing existing waitlists. However, WestVirginians can now pre-register for a COVID-19 vaccine through the WestVirginia COVID-19 Vaccine Registration System at http://www.vaccinate.wv.gov.In select counties, individuals who are pre-registered will be notified if they are selected for an available slot to receive a vaccine in their area. Supplies are limited.

Walk-ins will not beaccepted.

Due to possible inclement weather this week, pleasecheck local news media and social media for any changes or delays.

Changes to clinics highlighted belowinclude: Braxton, Brooke, Hampshire, Hancock, Kanawha, Lincoln,Mason, Mineral, Monongalia,Monroe, Pleasants, Pocahontas, Preston, Summers, Taylor, Upshur counties.

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

CabellCounty (FULL: Will utilize existing waitlist)

8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Valley Health Milton, 1 HarbourWay, Milton, WV 25541. By appointment only.

Mingo County (FULL:Will utilize existing waitlist)

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., 2nd dose shots only; 1:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m., 1stdose shots only.

Williamson Memorial Hospital, 189 Alderson Street,Williamson, WV 25661 By appointment only.

Monongalia County (FULL: Will utilize existing waitlist)

8:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m., FormerSears at Morgantown Mall, 9520 Mall Rd., Morgantown, WV 26501

Randolph County (FULL:Will utilize existing waitlist)

8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Phil Gainer Community Center, 142 Robert E.Lee Avenue, Elkins, WV 26241 26537. By appointment only.

Taylor County (FULL: Will utilize existing waitlist)

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Taylor County Senior Center, 52 Trap SpringsRoad, Grafton, WV 26354. By appointment only.

Wirt County (FULL: Will utilize existingwaitlist)

9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Coplin Health Systems, 483 Court Street,Elizabeth, WV 26143. By appointment only.

Thursday, February 4, 2021

Braxton County(FULL: Will utilize existing waitlist)

9:00 a.m. -2:00 p.m.Pfizer 2nd Dose Only; 2:00 p.m. -4:30 p.m.Moderna 1st & 2nd Doses.

Gassaway Baptist Church, 56Beall Drive, Gassaway WV 26624. By appointment only.

Cabell County - A(FULL: Will utilize existing waitlist)

8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., St.Mary's Education Center, 2853 5th Avenue, Huntington, WV 25702. Byappointment only.

Cabell County - B(FULL: Will utilize existing waitlist)

8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., OldHighlawn Baptist, 2788 Rear Collis Avenue, Huntington, WV 25702. Byappointment only.

Calhoun County (FULL: Will utilize existingwaitlist)

9:00a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Calhoun Middle/High School - Front Loop, 50Underwood Circle, Mt. Zion, WV 26151. By appointment only.

GrantCounty (FULL:Will utilize existing waitlist)

9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., E.A. Hawse Health Center, 111 S. Grove St., Suite 1, Petersburg, WV 26847. Byappointment only.

Greenbrier County A (FULL: Willutilize existing waitlist)

10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Rainelle Medical Center, 176 Medical Center Drive, Rainelle, WV 25962. By appointment only.

Greenbrier County B (FULL: Will utilize existing waitlist)

8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., WV Building-WV State Fairgrounds, 947 Maplewood Ave,Lewisburg, WV 24901. By appointment only.

HampshireCounty (FULL: Will utilize existing waitlist)

12:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m., Hope Christian Church, 15338Northwestern Turnpike, Augusta, WV 26704. Byappointment only.

HarrisonCounty (FULL: Will utilize existing waitlist)

9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Nathan Goff Armory, 5 Armory Road, Clarksburg, WV 26301. By appointment only.

Jackson County (FULL: Will utilize existing waitlist)

9 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Jackson County Armory, 8832Pt. Pleasant Road, Millwood, WV 25262. By appointment only.

Jefferson County (FULL: Will utilize existing waitlist)

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Ranson Civic Center, 432West 2nd Avenue, Ranson, WV 25438. Byappointment only.

LoganCounty (FULL: Will utilize existing waitlist)

9:00a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Logan County Resource Center, 100Recovery Road, Peach Creek, WV 25639. By appointment only.

Mason County (FULL: Will utilize existingwaitlist)

10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., National Guard Armory, 4194Ohio River Road, Pt. Pleasant, WV 25550. By appointment only.

Mineral County (FULL: Will utilize existingwaitlist)

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., MineralCounty Health Department, 541 Harley O. Staggers Drive,Keyser, WV 26726. Byappointment only.

Monroe County (FULL: Will utilize existingwaitlist)

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Church of God Fellowship Center, 96 BudRidge Road, Union, WV 24981. By appointment only.

Ohio County (Limited availableslots will be filled from those pre-registered on http://www.vaccinate.wv.gov)

6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Highlands Old Michaels Building, 550 CabelaDrive, Triadelphia, WV 26059. By appointment only. Pre-register at http://www.vaccinate.wv.gov.

Pendleton County (Limited available slots will be filled from those pre-registeredon http://www.vaccinate.wv.gov)

9:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Pendleton Community Building, ConfederateRoad, Franklin, WV 26807. By appointment only. Pre-register at http://www.vaccinate.wv.gov.

Pleasants County (FULL:Will utilize existing waitlist)

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Pleasants County Library, 101 LafayetteStreet, Saint Marys, WV 26170. By appointment only.

Pocahontas County (FULL:Will utilize existing waitlist)

12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Marlinton Wellness Center,320 9th Street, Marlinton, WV 24954. Byappointment only.

Preston County (FULL: Will utilize existingwaitlist)

9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Craig Civic Center, 311 Tunnelton Street,Kingwood, WV 26537. By appointment only.

RaleighCounty (FULL: Will utilize existing waitlist)

9:00a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Beckley Convention Center, 200 ArmoryDrive, Beckley, WV 25801. By appointment only.

RitchieCounty (FULL: Will utilize existing waitlist)

9:00a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Ritchie County 4-H Camp, 4-H Camp Road,Harrisville, WV 26362. By appointment only.

Summers County (FULL: Will utilize existingwaitlist)

8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Hinton Freight Depot, 506 CommercialStreet, Hinton, WV 25951. By appointment only.

See the article here:

COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics in all 55 Counties for Residents Age 65 and Older Feb. 3-6 - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

CHARLESTON, W.Va. Active COVID-19 cases dropped for a 17th straight day in new case numbers released Tuesday by the state Department of Health and Human Resources.

Active cases are now at 20,047, a 610 case decrease from Mondays report. Hospitalizations have increased by 27 to 465 patients. Its the first increase in hospitalizations since Jan. 19.

The state did confirm three additional COVID-19 deaths including a 61-year old male from Berkeley County, a 64-year old male from Harrison County, and an 82-year old male from Monongalia County.

Overall pandemic-related deaths are at 2,031.

The DHHR confirmed 510 new cases Tuesday. The daily positivity test rate is at 5.33%.

There are now 12 counties that are designated red on the COVID-19 daily alert map. 27 are the next level down at orange, nine are gold, five are yellow and two are green.

More than 196,000 state residents have received at least one COVID-19 shot. There are nearly 71,000 residents who have been fully vaccinated.

Overall confirmed cases per county include: Barbour (1,117), Berkeley (8,993), Boone (1,446), Braxton (746), Brooke (1,920), Cabell (7,167), Calhoun (214), Clay (358), Doddridge (416), Fayette (2,417), Gilmer (592), Grant (1,003), Greenbrier (2,268), Hampshire (1,400), Hancock (2,495), Hardy (1,223), Harrison (4,512), Jackson (1,576), Jefferson (3,366), Kanawha (11,169), Lewis (863), Lincoln (1,134), Logan (2,457), Marion (3,381), Marshall (2,838), Mason (1,671), McDowell (1,265), Mercer (3,937), Mineral (2,510), Mingo (1,944), Monongalia (7,153), Monroe (887), Morgan (883), Nicholas (1,063), Ohio (3,415), Pendleton (583), Pleasants (775), Pocahontas (561), Preston (2,433), Putnam (3,872), Raleigh (4,216), Randolph (2,230), Ritchie (568), Roane (466), Summers (677), Taylor (1,027), Tucker (460), Tyler (577), Upshur (1,506), Wayne (2,405), Webster (259), Wetzel (1,014), Wirt (329), Wood (6,563), Wyoming (1,615).

Follow this link:

DHHR: Active COVID-19 cases down, hospitalizations increase for first time in 2 weeks - West Virginia MetroNews

The Davis campus opened its COVID-19 vaccine clinic for employees Monday afternoon (Feb. 1) and is now taking appointments for people who qualify for vaccinations in Phase 1A of the government-specified allocation plan.

Supply is limited. The campus received 500 doses of Moderna vaccine this week and expects the same number next week, said Cindy Schorzman, medical director of Student Health and Counseling Services.

The clinic in the Activities and Recreation Center Ballroom is an alternative for employees who otherwise should look to their health care providers for COVID-19 vaccinations. For example, UC Davis Health runs a clinic for its own patients. But, if your opportunity for vaccination at UC Davis comes earlier than it does at your health care provider, then you can make an appointment at the Davis campus clinic, though you will have to wait until your turn in the allocation system.

Appointments can be arranged through the Health-e-Messaging (the same portal used to make COVID-19 testing appointments). At your vaccination appointment, you will be required to show personal identification and proofyou meet the eligibility criteria.

Phase 1A is for health care workers and others whose job duties put them at greater risk for contracting the virus. The list includes Aggie Public Health Ambassadors and employees who work directly with infected people in Occupational Health and Student Health and Counseling Services, veterinary medicine, police and fire, and Student Housing and Dining Services (employees who support the campuss quarantine and isolation facilities). COVID-19 researchers also are included in Phase 1A.

Next will come Phase 1B, Tier 1: employees and students who are 75 and older. Keep checking the UC Davis COVID-19 Vaccine Program webpage to see when you are eligible. Note: The distribution system is subject to change, based on evolving guidance from local and state public health officials and as directed by the UC Office of the President.

The first batch of vaccine from Moderna arrived at the Activities and Recreation Center at about 4 p.m. Monday. Inside, Yolo County public health staff had already begun training campus Fire Department personnel including firefighters and student emergency medical technicians to give the vaccinations.

The firefighters and EMTs practiced injections using empty syringes then opened the clinic. No appointments had been scheduled, because the timing of the vaccines arrival had been uncertain so the first doses went to testing kiosk employees who had been called in, avoiding any wasted doses.

Changes are coming to the Daily Symptom Survey when it moves to the Health-e-Messaging portal this Friday (Feb. 5).

The survey as originally configured responded with Approved or Not Approved messages for access to campus facilities. Friday, the survey will respond with one of four color-coded statuses as detailed in this chart:

Accessing the survey: Go through Health-e-Messaging or continue using the buttons on theDaily Symptom Survey webpage.

Once you complete the survey, you will receive an email confirmation with detailed information about facility access and any additional items related to your survey status. If approved to access campus facilities, you will be required to show your approval notice upon entry.

This transition is the first step in a process to connect COVID-19 testing and flu vaccination data with the Daily Symptom Survey. Campus visitors, contractors and other temporary campus affiliates will still use the visitor version of our Daily Symptom Survey.

Monday (Feb. 1), the campus added a Reporting COVID-19 button to the home page of theHealth-e-Messaging portal. The button is for employees and students, who arerequired to report to the campusif they receive a confirmed positive COVID-19 test result or a COVID-19-positive diagnosis from a physician, or if they are advised by an outside/community case investigator that they are a close contact of a COVID-19-positive person.

The button will take you to a reporting form, which also be used to submit questions or concerns about members of the campus community having COVID-19.

Follow Dateline UC Davis on Twitter.

See more here:

COVID-19 Roundup: 1st Vaccinations Given; Symptom Survey to Add Color-Coded Status - UC Davis

Even after accounting for other known risk factors, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, a study found that Black and Asian patients hospitalized with COVID-19 were more likely to need mechanical ventilation and more likely to die than white patients.

Previous research suggests that people from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are at greater risk of severe COVID-19 and are more likely to die from the disease.

However, the evidence is inconsistent on whether socioeconomic inequality, genetics, underlying health risks, comorbidities, or a combination of these factors, are responsible.

Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment.

For example, studies show hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and smoking increase the risk of COVID-19 severity and mortality.

Researchers can face difficulties when teasing apart these influences. Especially when they analyze data encompassing several regions that differ in their ethnic and socioeconomic makeup, and how the epidemic has unfolded.

A major study, which focused on a single, ethnically diverse region of the United Kingdom that was badly affected in the first wave of the pandemic, attempted to address some of these uncertainties.

The researchers at Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health National Health Service (NHS) Trust analyzed data from 1,737 patients aged 16 years and over with confirmed COVID-19 who received care in five hospitals in East London between January 1 and May 13, 2020.

Of these, 511 (29%) died 30 days later.

Compared with white patients, after adjusting for age and sex, Asian patients were 54% more likely to be admitted to intensive care and receive mechanical ventilation, while Black patients were 80% more likely to need the same treatment. BAME patients also tended to be younger and less frail.

After accounting for age and sex, Asian and Black patients were 49% and 30% more likely to die, respectively, compared with white patients.

These trends persisted in the Asian patients even after the researchers made adjustments for other known risk factors, including smoking, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease. In Black patients, the general trend remained the same after adjusting for these factors, but the result was no longer statistically significant. The authors suggest this might be due to a smaller sample size of Black patients.

Their analysis appears in BMJ Open.

As the impact of COVID-19 continues to be seen within our community, the importance of responding to the ethnic disparities unmasked during the COVID-19 pandemic is crucial to prevent entrenching and inflicting them on future generations, says Dr. Yize Wan, one of the study authors.

Dr. Wan is a lecturer at Queen Mary University of London and a registrar in intensive care medicine and anesthesia at Barts Health NHS Trust.

The authors note that in their cohort of patients from this part of London, all ethnic groups experienced high levels of deprivation.

[H]owever, worse deprivation was not associated with higher likelihood of mortality, suggesting ethnicity may affect outcomes independent of purely geographical and socioeconomic factors, they write.

Research in the United States provides conflicting evidence on whether race, per se, is a risk factor for COVID-19 mortality.

A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, for example, found that racial differences in hospitalization and mortality rates persisted after controlling for sociodemographic factors and underlying health conditions.

By contrast, a study reported by Medical News Today found that while Black and Hispanic people accounted for more than half of all COVID-19 hospital deaths, there were no significant racial differences in mortality rates after accounting for clinical and socioeconomic factors.

The latter studys authors attributed the overall increase in mortality among Black and Hispanic people to disparities in healthcare, among other factors unrelated to genetics.

With the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, poor access to healthcare could further exacerbate racial differences in the pandemics impact.

In a recent audio interview with The New England Journal of Medicine, Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci expressed concerns that people of color are not getting equitable access to vaccination.

Dr. Fauci explained that we do not want to be in a situation where most of the people who are getting it are otherwise well, middle-class white people.

You really want to get it to the people who are really the most vulnerable, he added. You want to get it to everybody, but you dont want to have a situation where people who really are in need of it, because of where they are, where they live, what their economic status is, that they dont have access to the vaccine.

The authors of the new study from the U.K. note that their retrospective data, which they gathered from medical records, did not differentiate between more fine-grained ethnic categories, such as Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Black African, and Black Caribbean.

They continue:

Indeed, the descriptive term BAME itself is particularly crude, and we recognize its limitation. Despite its size, our study lacked the power to assess a more detailed ethnicity breakdown.

In particular, they caution that their analysis of data relating to patients of Asian ethnicity is likely to have been skewed by the large Bangladeshi community in this part of London.

They note that this community faces specific socioeconomic and healthcare inequalities.

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Continued here:

COVID-19: Why are Asian and Black patients at greater risk? - Medical News Today

HARLINGEN, Texas (KVEO) The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals is decreasing across Texas, but not in the Rio Grande Valley.

Eleven of the Trauma Service Areas (TSAs) in Texas are now under the high hospitalization threshold defined in Governor Greg Abbotts Executive Order GA-32.

Thats down from 17 of the 22 back on January 8.

On February 1, 711 people were hospitalized for COVID-19 in the Rio Grande Valley. That represents nearly one-third of all patients in local hospitals.

[The number of hospitalizations] hasnt dropped as fast as everybody would have hoped, said Dr. James Castillo, Cameron County Health Authority.

In fact, it hasnt dropped at all. The percent of COVID-19 patients in hospitals in the Rio Grande Valley has hovered around 20 percent for pretty much the entire month of January. Its like a plateau at the top of a hill, added Castillo.

According to the DSHS hospitalization data, the Rio Grande Valley was one of only two TSAs to have a higher percentage of people with COVID-19 in the hospital at the end of the week than at the start. The other was TSA U, which is centered around Corpus Christi.

The Rio Grande Valley has the second-highest rate of COVID-19 patients out of total hospital capacity in the entire state.

The TSA with the highest rate of COVID-19 patients out of total hospital capacity is TSA T, which is centered around Laredo.

The RGV has taken measures to help reduce the number of new cases.

For one thing, counties were required to reduce capacity to businesses as a result of having high hospitalizations.

Additionally, over 135,000 in the Rio Grande Valley have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the DSHS excel sheet you can view below.

Both of those factors have helped reduce the number of new cases. Fewer new cases mean fewer people who will potentially need to be hospitalized.

I would hope to see the number of discharges start exceeding the number of new admissions by quite a bit, said Dr. Castillo. And that trend would need to continue for a few weeks to see a huge change.

It can take a few weeks for COVID-19 patients who require hospitalization to become stable enough to be sent home.

Because the RGVs apparent peak in COVID-19 cases was so recent, people who were hospitalized as a result are not yet stable enough to be discharged.

Unlike in the Summer of 2020, when the Rio Grande Valley was one of the first major COVID-19 hotspots in the country, it seems that here in the Valley, this time, we were running a few weeks behind in the surge, said Dr. Castillo.

Hospitals are still toeing the line of being overburdened, so people need to be extremely cautious going forward.

Its about adjusting that level of risk to try and lower it as much as possible, said Dr. Castillo.

Here are the latest emergency orders from the four counties:

See original here:

Rio Grande Valley has second-highest rate of COVID-19 hospitalization in the state - KGBT-TV