Monthly Archives: April 2021

Children have been largely spared during the pandemic, mainly because the coronavirus has a harder time binding to receptors in their cells compared to those of adults.

Now theres growing concern about whether the B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom could be causing more infections in children.

Lab studies suggest the B.1.1.7 variant has a mutation that makes it easier for the virus to latch onto our cells and cause an infection which could be why more kids seem to be getting the disease.

But the lab studies dont tell the full story, experts say, and its important to look at other factors at play.

The B.1.1.7 variant doesnt appear to cause more severe illness in kids, and even in the United Kingdom, the vast majority of young people who contract the variant experience mild symptoms.

Its unclear how readily young people spread COVID-19 to others, but experts agree that adults who spend time or live with kids who run a risk of exposure should be prioritized for vaccination.

Childrens sinuses are underdeveloped, and they have fewer ACE-2 receptors (the site where the coronavirus binds to our cells) than adults.

Experts widely believe this is why kids have been protected from severe COVID-19.

According to Dr. Jay Levy, a virologist and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, lab studies suggest that the B.1.1.7 variant can attach with more strength to the ACE-2 receptors than the earlier renditions of the virus.

If this is a virus that attaches with much more robust nature, then it can have less attachment sites and still infect, Levy said.

This theory could explain the uptick in cases amongst younger people, but other factors are likely at play.

More people have been visiting nonessential businesses and traveling between states in recent weeks.

COVID-19 may now be more widespread in communities that have lower vaccination rates and low population immunity.

Even if more children test positive than they did in previous waves, it could simply be because certain areas have a higher prevalence of SARS-CoV-2, as research from the United Kingdom suggests.

If children do have a higher chance of getting contracting the B.1.1.7 variant, Levy says its important to ask whether theyre now experiencing severe illness or symptoms of a common cold.

Recent data shows that B.1.1.7 hasnt changed the pediatric hospitalization rate and that severe COVID-19 remains rare in kids.

The pediatric hospitalizations rate was 1.9 per 100,000 of hospitalizations on January 1, 2021 and 1.4 per 100,000 of hospitalizations on April 1, 2021, per data sourced from the HHS Protect Public Data Hub.

There is no evidence in those under 18 that youre seeing increased severity of disease, said Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious diseases specialist and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

A variant thats easier to contract would naturally lead to more cases and ultimately more deaths but the clinical course in illness caused by B.1.1.7 doesnt appear to be different.

I dont see it being more virulent, said Levy, noting that its unknown how many kids who get COVID-19 get really sick.

If kids experience a milder infection like the common cold, its unclear if and how they might transmit the virus to others, says Levy.

Could a kids mild infection spread and cause a severe illness in an at-risk adult?

Its possible, but we dont know that, Levy said. Its also entirely possible that childrens immune systems may be robust enough to control the virus and prevent a lot of mutations from spreading.

One thing is clear: Quick vaccination of adults who are around children is crucial.

Those people whom [kids] go home to should be vaccinated, Gandhi said.

States have prioritized vaccination for those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, according to Gandhi.

We have to protect the vulnerable, especially if children are out more and they live with the vulnerable, explained Gandhi.

Were well on our way. The CDC shows that 77 percent of seniors 65 and older have been vaccinated, and states have been directed to expand eligibility to all adults by April 19.

K-12 educators in every state are eligible to get the shot, and over 80 percent of teachers and staff have received a vaccine dose.

Both Israel and the United Kingdom were hit hard by the B.1.1.7 variant, but when they ramped up vaccinations, COVID-19 cases plummeted.

The United States isnt there yet, with only 25 percent of the adult population fully vaccinated.

We will be there by fall when the schools open, Gandhi said.

Children have been largely spared during the pandemic, mainly because the coronavirus has a harder time binding to receptors in their cells compared to those of adults.

Concern is growing that kids can contract the B.1.1.7 variant more easily, but theres no evidence to suggest the variant causes more severe symptoms in kids. Quickly vaccinating adults who are around and live with kids is crucial.

More here:

What to Know About COVID-19, Variants, and Children - Healthline

Here's the latest COVID-19 case, death and hospitalization data from the state.

ATLANTA We're breaking down the trends and relaying information from across the state of Georgia as it comes in, bringing perspective to the data and context to the trends.

Visit the 11Alive coronavirus page for comprehensive coverage, find out what you need to know about Georgia specifically, learn more about the symptoms, and keep tabs on the cases around the world.

State and federal officials with the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are continually monitoring the spread of the virus. They are also working hand-in-hand with the World Health Organization to track the spread around the world and to stop it.

Appling 1885 64

Atkinson 775 16

Baldwin 3802 110

Barrow 8469 127

Bartow 10964 204

Ben Hill 1482 58

Berrien 1048 30

Bleckley 796 34

Brantley 907 31

Bulloch 5177 63

Carroll 7322 130

Catoosa 5461 61

Charlton 1046 23

Chatham 19772 401

Chattahoochee 3135 12

Chattooga 2196 60

Cherokee 21875 294

Clarke 12536 133

Clayton 22726 419

Coffee 4217 137

Colquitt 3478 74

Columbia 10837 159

Coweta 8476 192

Crawford 520 17

DeKalb 56033 892

Decatur 2120 54

Dougherty 5427 275

Douglas 11601 169

Effingham 3716 63

Emanuel 1720 53

Fayette 6474 147

Forsyth 17420 172

Franklin 2310 41

Fulton 79576 1229

Gordon 6419 100

Gwinnett 84372 1028

Habersham 4614 146

Haralson 1696 34

Henry 18542 284

Houston 9831 186

Jackson 8373 134

Jeff Davis 1285 37

Jefferson 1562 59

Laurens 3660 142

Liberty 3295 59

Lowndes 7637 136

Lumpkin 2739 61

Madison 2698 45

McDuffie 1634 41

McIntosh 676 14

Meriwether 1488 68

Mitchell 1507 73

Montgomery 708 21

Muscogee 13849 380

Newton 7268 210

Non-GA Resident/Unknown State 23193 460

Oglethorpe 1174 28

Paulding 10495 162

Pickens 2480 58

Randolph 464 32

Richmond 19399 396

Rockdale 5844 147

Seminole 739 17

Spalding 3923 152

Stephens 2944 76

Taliaferro 100 3

Tattnall 1828 45

Thomas 3504 112

Treutlen 622 23

Unknown 2422 12

Walton 7883 229

Washington 1595 58

Whitfield 14671 225

Wilkinson 725 28

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These are the latest COVID numbers for April 10, 2021 - 11Alive.com WXIA

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Pediatricians and family doctors are getting a flood of calls from parents about the coronavirus, which began even before Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced the state is asking local health departments to partner with schools to vaccinate 16- and 17-year-olds.

Its definitely been a pretty dramatic split, Dr. Amy Edwards, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at University Hospitals, said. There are some parents who are hounding me on a daily basis ... and then theres the other half that are basically saying No way, its scary, Ill get it myself as a parent, but I just dont feel comfortable having my kids get it.

The vaccine opened to Ohioans 16 and older on March 29, so some parents have already worked with doctors to get the vaccine for their 16- and 17-year-olds. Since the governor announced on Monday that health departments should work with schools to administer the vaccine to students, schools are now interpreting how that guidance applies and discussing future plans. The Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio, which coordinated vaccination efforts for the majority of Cuyahoga County school staff, is working with the Board of Health this week to determine next steps.

Parents must sign a permission slip for 16- and 17-year-olds to get the vaccine, DeWine said. The vaccine is voluntary.

While seven out of 10 people in an Axios/Ipsos poll said theyve already gotten or are likely to get the vaccine, about 48 percent said theyre not likely to get their children under 18 vaccinated as soon as shots become available. When cleveland.com posted a story about DeWines announcement on Monday, there were more than 100 Facebook comments. Some were excited about the announcement, noting they are eager to get their younger children vaccinated. Some balked at the idea of their child getting the vaccine at all, while others said theyd make an individual decision but were wary of the state interfering.

Only one vaccine -- Pfizer -- is currently approved for use for 16- and 17-year-olds. Recent trial results for Pfizer are showing that the vaccine could be safe and effective for children as young as 12, and the company is asking for FDA permission to offer the vaccine to ages 12-15.

I think that probably the concerns that I hear from parents in terms of the COVID vaccine does mirror some of the questions that I hear around other childhood vaccinations, Dr. Kimberly Giuliano, a Cleveland Clinic pediatrician, said. I think what is a little bit different in terms of the COVID vaccine, and the questions that parents have is just the the fact that this is so much newer, and the perception that perhaps the process has been more rushed in an attempt to get the vaccine out to folks, and then people being worried or concerned that perhaps it wasnt studied as robustly as other vaccines have been. And thats not the case.

When Svetlana Pundik, a neurology professor, saw that Senders Pediatrics was enrolling patients in Pfizer vaccine trials, she didnt fit in the age categories. But eventually her son, 14-year-old Daniel Lust, did. Daniel said he was initially hesitant to get the vaccine -- it involved getting his blood drawn, something he pointed out doesnt appeal to people -- but hes glad he participated.

In hindsight, it really feels like that it was something thats important and meaningful, he said.

Children have generally been less likely to show symptoms or experience severe outcomes from the vaccine, but Giuliano said vaccinating children will be key. She added the pandemic had a significant impact on childhood socialization, especially when children were learning remotely, which can take a toll on mental health.

In order to achieve herd immunity, 70 to 90% of the population needs to have either had the disease or had the vaccine, Giuliano said. Children under the age of 18 make up greater than 20% of the U.S. population, so vaccinating children is going to be a really important part of ending the pandemic.

Cleveland.com and the Plain Dealer interviewed pediatricians on the top concerns parents have about the coronavirus vaccine. Here are the answers to the most commonly-asked questions.

Q: Its a new vaccine -- is it safe? Are there going to be long term effects?

A: Pfizer uses messenger RNA instead of actual parts of the virus, which teaches the body how to produce a protein piece from the virus so the body can learn to fight it. Dr. Shelly Senders, of Senders Pediatrics, describes the vaccine using the metaphor of Snapchat, the popular messaging app. On Snapchat, the messages disappear once being opened.

Just like with Snapchat theres no reference to (the virus) after 48 to 72 hours, Senders said. And thats what adds a measure of safety that is a little bit different than your standard vaccine, where there is a foreign protein in your body.

Essentially, the cell forgets the instructions on how to make the virus. Edwards compares the vaccine to taking a single dose of Tylenol. One dose of medicine -- or two in the case of Pfizer and Moderna -- would be unlikely to show side effects 20 or 30 years down the line when the medicine is out of the system. A vaccine dose would be more likely to show side effects within the first four to eight weeks.

The vaccines only in your arm for a couple of days and then its basically gone -- it doesnt exist any more, Edwards said.

Because of other vaccines, though not mRNA vaccines, having delayed effects, the FDA required companies developing the vaccine to follow trial participants for a minimum of eight weeks, according to the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. In notes from clinical trials for all three vaccines published on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, mild to moderate side effects would show up within seven days.

Q: It seems like this vaccine has been rushed. How can you accept a vaccine that has been rushed?

A: Coronavirus vaccines were developed and approved under emergency authorization from the federal Food and Drug Administration. The approval process has caused some alarm since other vaccines have been developed over longer periods.

For these trials, data is collected and then sent to be scrubbed, where inconsistencies, duplicates and errors are screened and corrected. Then the data is put into a format where it can be analyzed. This is where the process accelerated, Senders said.

Theyre putting the money into collecting data in real time, rather than having delays in the collection of data, Senders said.

Instead of there being a months-long wait for data, communication about it happened over days.

There were several other factors in how the vaccines were developed so quickly. Experts told Healthline that there were immense resources and widespread public and private support for developing vaccines. The viruss rapid spread also made it easier to see how vaccines worked versus the placebo.

Daniel doesnt know whether he got the placebo or the real vaccine, but experienced mild soreness in his arm. He then had to log his symptoms on a phone for several weeks, something he said didnt get in the way of his life or school.

Theres a sense of security that comes with it, he said.

Senders said those who received the placebo in the trial will eventually get the vaccine. Researchers do antibody tests on participants to see how the vaccine works, but these kind of trials can also give clues to whether the vaccine makes people asymptomatic or whether it prevents the virus. This is determined through nasal swabs to test for the virus.

Q: Can this cause infertility?

A: One of the highly-discussed long term effects patients are concerned about is whether the vaccine could cause infertility. Experts trace the spread of this idea back to social media, where there was a claim that a protein in the coronaviruss surface spike is the same as one necessary for the placenta to grow. This post then said the body would learn to fight that protein because of the vaccine.

Numerous experts have debunked this claim and groups, including the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, now address this as part of educating people on the vaccine.

Q: Why do children need to get the vaccine if they arent getting as sick?

A: Children are a part of getting to herd immunity, and there are some severe outcomes for children who contract the coronavirus, though its not as common.

Besides children sometimes experiencing symptoms and requiring ventilation or other intensive care, there is a rare condition in children called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome which the CDC is investigating in relation to COVID-19. Its still not known what causes it, but the condition often appears in children who have the virus or have been exposed.

There have been about 166 children in Ohio treated for this condition.

Continue reading here:

Teenagers and the coronavirus vaccine: What parents are asking - cleveland.com

Across the South Asian nation, from the wealthiest and also the worst-hit state of Maharashtra to its most populous, Uttar Pradesh, reports are emerging of hospital beds running short and immunization centers turning away people as they run out of vaccines. India reported more than 145,000 new infections Saturday, and with over 13 million virus cases lags behind only the U.S. and Brazil.

Maharashtras Health Minister Rajesh Tope warned the state had three days worth of shots in stocks and vaccination centers across the state were being forced to shut down. On Friday he announced a strict weekend lockdown to try and contain the outbreak. The state capital, Mumbai, has currently used up all but 3% of its intensive care hospital beds.

Indias capital New Delhi -- which is operating under a nightly curfew -- reported more than 8,500 new infections on Friday, the highest so far in this year, with health care workers some of the worst affected. At Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, one of the citys top institutions, 37 doctors had been infected with Covid-19 with mostly mild symptoms, two people at the hospital said, asking not to be identified because the information wasnt public.

Its going to be a horrible next two months," said Shuchin Bajaj, a director at the Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals, which runs 14 hospitals across north India. The impact is ten times what it was last year. This time it seems to be affecting younger patients."

In Lucknow, Uttar Pradeshs capital, as many as 40 doctors at the state-run in King Georges Medical University College have been infected, according to two people with knowledge of the situation.

The twelve-fold jump in Indias daily new infections, from some 11,000 in early February, comes as five Indian states are in the middle of elections and northern Uttarakhand is holding the monthlong Kumbh Mela, a pilgrimage that is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of devotees to the banks of the Ganges river.

In West Bengal, political leaders and campaigners are holding roadshows and rallies drawing thousands of people each day -- many without masks or social distancing -- to woo 73 million voters in the eight-phase election that will end on April 29. A new round of voting began on Saturday.

The second wave is bigger and nastier than the first wave, but we have lost our coordinates to politics," said Kunal Sarkar, a cardiologist at the Medica Super Specialty Hospital in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. Politicians are happy gathering votes as the pandemic is on the rise."

Struggling Hospitals

A state-run Mumbai hospital had run out of ICU and oxygen beds, a doctor who asked not to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the information said.

There were also reports of shortages of Remdesivir, a broad spectrum anti-viral medication used to treat Covid-19, Bajaj said, adding that getting supplies of the drug was becoming difficult at his hospitals.

Punjabs vaccine stock will last another five days, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Saturday, urging the federal government to augment the supply. Peoples anger against the federal government over its contentious new agriculture laws, which has seen thousands of farmers protesting at Delhis borders since November, was impacting the vaccination drive," his government said in a statement.

Rajasthan has also insufficient doses that may lead to the suspension of the vaccination drive in some districts starting Saturday, Ashok Gehlot, the chief minister, said on Twitter Friday.

The country sent out more than 64 million shots between mid-January and March, 10.5 million as grants or aid and another 18 million for the WHO-led Covax initiative.

India has administered a total of 98 million doses to 3.6% of its population, of which 6% have received one dose and only about 0.9% have received the two shots required, according to the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker. This is well below the countrys target of immunizing 300 million people by August.

The only good news that we know now what needs to be done," said Bajaj. We know what the warning signs are. Were not experimenting with patients."

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Indias hospitals swamped by second coronavirus wave as shots run low - Mint

From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been concerns that survivors may have an increased risk of neurological and mental health conditions.

Initially, these concerns were based on past experience with other coronaviruses, but suspected cases linked with COVID-19 soon followed.

There was also early evidence that the illness can affect the central nervous system.

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

In November 2020, an observational study from scientists at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom, reported that survivors had a greater risk of developing mood and anxiety disorders in the 3 months after receiving a COVID-19 diagnosis.

The same researchers have now used the health records of more than 236,000 patients in the U.S. to estimate the risks of developing neurological and psychiatric conditions in the 6 months after a COVID-19 diagnosis.

Participants had received COVID-19 diagnoses between January 20 and December 13, 2020.

The researchers estimate that the overall incidence of neurological or mental health diagnoses was 34%.

In the 6 months after their COVID-19 diagnoses, 13% of the participants received their first diagnosis of a neurological or psychiatric condition.

The most common diagnoses were anxiety disorders, in 17% of all the participants, mood disorders, in 14%, substance misuse disorders, in 7%, and insomnia, in 5%.

The incidence of neurological disorders was lower 2.1% of all the participants experienced an ischemic stroke, 0.7% developed dementia, and 0.6% developed a brain hemorrhage.

This new study has been published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Those who experienced more severe COVID-19 had a greater risk of mental health and neurological diagnoses.

Participants who experienced delirium, which is a sudden state of confusion, or encephalopathy, which is brain disease or damage, during their illnesses had the highest overall risk, at 62%, during the following 6 months.

Prof. Paul Harrison, the senior author of the study, says that the results confirm the high rates of mental health diagnoses after COVID-19.

He emphasized that while the incidence of neurological disorders was much lower than that of mental health conditions, this risk was still significant, particularly among people with severe COVID-19.

Prof. Harrison believes that resources to cope with the extra demands on primary and secondary care services should be provided.

Although the individual risks for most disorders are small, the effect across the whole population may be substantial for health and social care systems due to the scale of the pandemic, and [] many of these conditions are chronic, he adds.

The researchers analyzed data from the health records of 236,379 people with diagnosed COVID-19 in the TriNetX database.

They compared outcomes for this group with those of 105,579 people with influenza and 236,038 people with any respiratory tract infection diagnosed between January and December 2020. The latter two groups acted as controls.

To account for underlying health risks, the team matched the people in each group in terms of characteristics such as age, sex, ethnicity, and other ongoing health conditions.

The odds of having a diagnosis of a neurological or mental health condition were 44% higher after COVID-19 than after the flu. These odds were 16% higher after COVID-19 than after another respiratory tract infection.

Meanwhile, there was no clear evidence of more diagnoses of Parkinsonism or Guillain-Barr syndrome after COVID-19 than after the flu or other respiratory tract infections.

We now need to see what happens beyond 6 months, says Dr. Maxime Taquet, the lead author of the research paper.

The study cannot reveal the mechanisms involved but does point to the need for urgent research to identify these, with a view to preventing or treating them, he adds.

Dr. Musa Sami, a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Nottingham, in the U.K., who was not involved in the research, agrees that the causes of the increased risk of neurological and mental health conditions were unclear.

He told the Science Media Centre, in London:

What we do not fully understand at the moment is the mechanism by which COVID-19 has this effect psychological stress, longer stays in hospital, and characteristics of the illness itself may play a part.

The authors of the present research acknowledge that studies like theirs, which are based on electronic health records, have some inherent weaknesses.

For example, the records may be incomplete, the diagnoses were not validated, and there was insufficient information about participants lifestyles and socioeconomic statuses.

In addition, the authors note that the flu and other respiratory tract infections are seasonal, so most occurred earlier in 2020 than the COVID-19 infections.

This may have led to an underestimation of the additional risks, as the majority of COVID-19 infections occurred when access to regular health services was limited by the pandemic.

In addition, some people in the control groups may have had undiagnosed COVID-19, which would also lead to an underestimation of the additional risks.

For live updates on the latest developments regarding the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, click here.

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COVID-19: Study finds link with brain, mental health conditions - Medical News Today

Europe, the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic last spring, has once again swelled with new cases, which are inundating some local hospitals and driving a worrisome global surge of Covid-19.

But this time, the threat is different: The rise in new cases is being propelled by a coronavirus variant first seen in Britain and known as B.1.1.7. The variant is not only more contagious than last years virus, but also deadlier.

The variant is now spreading in at least 114 countries. Nowhere, though, are its devastating effects as visible as in Europe, where thousands are dying each day and countries already-battered economies are once again being hit by new restrictions on daily life.

Even as the variant surged in Britain starting in December, it was also seeding outbreaks across the continent, many of them unnoticed behind an overall drop in cases. Those variant-heavy outbreaks have since ballooned, and the variant has now crowded out other versions of the virus, becoming dominant in more than a dozen European countries.

Other variants of concern besides B.1.1.7 are also present in Europe. B.1.351, the variant first detected in South Africa, has been found to reduce the effectiveness of some vaccines, including AstraZenecas, which is being widely used across the continent.

And P.1, the variant that has driven hospitals in Brazil to the breaking point, appears to be more contagious than the original form of the virus and also contains a mutation that diminishes the vaccines' effectiveness.

B.1.1.7 First detected in the U.K.

B.1.351 First detected in South Africa

P.1 First detected in Brazil

Despite watching the B.1.1.7 variant wallop Britain, lawmakers in continental Europe were slow to react. In late January, President Emmanuel Macron of France defied calls from his scientific advisers for new restrictions. Now daily cases have doubled, hospitals are swelling with patients and Mr. Macron has imposed a third national lockdown.

Whats surprising to me is how many countries didnt anticipate what B.1.1.7 would bring, said Devi Sridhar, a professor of global public health at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. People underestimated it, instead of saying we should learn from whats happening in the U.K.

What happened this winter in the U.K. was mass death and deluged hospitals on a scale not seen earlier in the pandemic. Since B.1.1.7 was first sampled in late September, 85,000 people have died. Four million people one out of every 17 Britons have recorded infections.

In some ways, Europe is better prepared. Countries began sequencing virus samples more aggressively in January and February. Despite supply hiccups and a safety scare with AstraZeneca, about 14 percent of the population has received at least one dose of a vaccine. The vaccines offer robust protection from B.1.1.7. And new cases across Europe have dipped slightly in recent days.

But a vast majority of people remain susceptible. And once people become largely protected from B.1.1.7, scientists fear, other variants could gain an upper hand by partly sidestepping immune responses.

That is why France has tried to stop B.1.351 from gaining a foothold in the countrys east by accelerating vaccinations there. All of the leading vaccines are expected to prevent serious disease and death from any of the variants, making any future waves in heavily vaccinated countries less deadly.

I think we will eventually control B.1.1.7 in the U.K. with vaccination, said Nicholas Davies, an assistant professor of mathematical modeling at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. But at that point, its unfortunately not unrealistic that another variant with some properties that allow it to evade immune responses or vaccine protection would start to become more dominant.

No two countries are in precisely the same situation. Polands rate of new cases has quintupled since mid-February, forcing the closure of most public venues. Germanys has doubled, triggering a ban on nighttime gatherings in Berlin.

Source: Case data is from local governments and Johns Hopkins University.

Vaccines will eventually defeat the variants, scientists say. And stringent restrictions can drive down cases of B.1.1.7. They have done so not only in Britain, but also in Ireland and Portugal, which were hit by the variant soon after Britain and have since begun to gradually reopen.

But even those countries are not out of the woods yet. We need to make sure we unlock very slowly, and make sure vaccines increase and cover as many people as possible, including kids, said Stephen Griffin, a virologist at the University of Leeds in Britain.

The variant is believed to be about 60 percent more contagious and 67 percent deadlier than the original version of the virus. That makes the battle to contain it slower and more difficult, scientists said.

Weve seen in so many countries how quickly it can become dominant, said Lone Simonsen, a professor and director of the PandemiX Center at Roskilde University in Denmark. And when it dominates, it takes so much more effort to maintain epidemic control than was needed with the old variant.

Continued here:

Rise of Variants in Europe Shows How Dangerous the Virus Can Be - The New York Times

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

With all Missourians now eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine, providers want to make sure people are being as safe as possible and know what the vaccine entails.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has continued to ensure the public of the safety of the vaccine, but the CDC and the vaccinators agree that the information around the vaccine needs to be out there for anyone who may be hesitant.

Dr. Adam Wheeler with Big Tree Medical Home said the way people need to think about getting the vaccine is that the benefits outweigh the risks.

Wheeler said there are not many contraindications to why someone would react badly to the vaccines besides very rare chemical allergies. He said those who do have that type of allergy should look into the ingredients before receiving a shot.

The CDC has full lists of ingredients in the Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson vaccine posted for the public.

Wheeler said if you have had an anaphylactic reaction to a chemical where you have gotten a rash, stopped breathing, and passed out, it is important to look over all of the ingredients in the dose you plan to receive.

"There is not a ton of data yet on people who are pregnant or breastfeeding but because people who are pregnant are higher risk, it is still recommended for them to get the vaccine," said Wheeler.

Wheeler said the amount of people that have died over the past year is the reason why people should be concerned about the virus and ready to get the cure.

"If you have something that reduces that risk by almost 100%, then you better have a pretty good reason for not doing it and those just aren't out there," said Wheeler.

It is likely that most people will experience mild symptoms after reeiving the vaccine.

Wheeler said it is most common for people to have a sore arm and many flu like symptoms. He said the mild side effects are a good sign and means your immune system is learning how to fight against the virus.

The CDC says side effects could include:

Wheeler said a lot of health experts have noticed that people who have had the virus previously they may have more side effects to the first dose and the effects may be more severe after getting both doses.

People should seek medical attention if they have shortness of breath or pass out. Wheeler said as far as they know, this is not an effect of the vaccine and is a result of something else happening in your body.

Although little is known about the vaccine protection against the different Covid-19 variants, Wheeler said they believe at this point the vaccine is most preventive against all variants, and can be altered if more information is released.

Wheeler said the vaccine is what will make life go back to 'normal.' "If you have a vaccine and I have a vaccine and we're in close quarters, we don't necessarily need to have masks on anymore.

How long the vaccine will protect you is still uncertain at this point. Dr. Fauci said the time frame right now is looking like at least 6 months, but likely longer.

Columbia / Columbia Video / Coronavirus / Jefferson City / Missouri / Top Stories / Video

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Health experts give safety advice to all Missourians about receiving the coronavirus vaccine - ABC17NEWS - ABC17News.com