Category Archives: Covid-19

The omicron XE variant continues to spread throughout the United States as restrictions loosen and mask mandates drop off.

What to know: The XE variant was dubbed a Frankenstein variant by Forbes writer Bruce Lee because it is a recombinant variant that merges the original omicron variant with the BA.2 variant, a subvariant of the original omicron.

The new omicron XE COVID-19 variantrecently made its way to Japan after already spreading through the United Kingdom.

The bigger picture: The COVID-19 variant has hit somewhat of a lull period in the United States, even though new variants have emerged.

The change was met with both celebration and concern, per the Associated Press, showing that theres still debate over how worried people should be about the pandemic.

The bottom line: The emergence of the XE is a frank reminder that the pandemic is not over yet, according to Forbes. And that you should do what you should have been doing all along, maintaining appropriate Covid-19 precautions.

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New COVID variant? What is the Frankenstein COVID variant? - Deseret News

It is the nature of viruses, such as the one that causes COVID-19, to evolve and change gradually.

But some COVID-19 variants, such as the omicron variant, mutate more than others.

Heres what to know.

Coronavirus variants are classified in differing categories by public health agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

There are three classifications of coronavirus variants: variants of interest, variants of concern and variants of high consequence.

The omicron variant, which public health agencies have classified as a variant of concern, differs from other coronavirus strains because it has over 50 mutations, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Many of them are in the spike protein.

Because of its many mutations, the virus can evade immune responses and become more transmissible from person to person.

In other words, omicron and its mutations are more contagious, even though the illness may not be as severe as any other strain of COVID-19.

Current CDC data shows that you should be protected against omicron or one of its mutations, such as the BA.2 variant, if you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots.

According to a CDC study published in January 2022, receipt of a third vaccine dose was highly effective at preventing COVID-19-associated emergency department and urgent care encounters (94% and 82%, respectively) and preventing COVID-19associated hospitalizations (94% and 90%, respectively) during the delta and omicron waves of COVID-19.

Another CDC study from March 2022 found that receiving two to three doses of an mRNA vaccine, such as Pfizer or Moderna, was associated with a 90% reduction in the risk of death or need to be on a ventilator.

Those who got three mRNA vaccines during the omicron wave had a 94% reduction in risk of severe illness or death, according to the study.

Related stories about COVID-19:

How to get 4 more at-home COVID tests for free

Omicron subvariant BA.2: The new symptoms to look out for

How to get a COVID booster shot at CVS, Walgreens or Rite Aid

Should I get a second booster shot to prevent against COVID?

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Why are there so many COVID variants of omicron? - NJ.com

WORKFORCE WV DIRECTOR PROVIDES UPDATES ON JOB JUMPSTART PROGRAM, LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION RATEAlso on Tuesday, Gov. Justice was joined by WorkForce West Virginia Director Scott Adkins, who started his remarks by providing an update on the Governors new Job Jumpstart Program, which provides a one-time, $1,500 payment to eligible West Virginians who get a new job and remain employed for at least eight weeks.

The primary purpose of Jumpstart is to get folks back in the workforce, Adkins said. We have employers who are reaching out to WorkForce every day, looking for skilled laborers, looking for folks who have technical skills.

There are plenty of jobs out there. We see signs in every community as you travel throughout West Virginia, Adkins continued. To put it in perspective, in January 2022, West Virginia had 50,000 job postings. At the same time, we had 34,800 unemployed folks thats 1.4 jobs available for every unemployed West Virginian.

So, under the Governors leadership, we launched our new Job Jumpstart Program and I could go on and on about how successful this program has been in just a short period of time.

Last week, WorkForce West Virginiaannouncedthat over 12,500 West Virginians have been approved to participatein the program.

Adkins went on to say that the program is critical to improving civilian labor force participation in West Virginia.

Overall, West Virginias labor force participation rate has increased nearly 2% since 2015. However, it has remained relatively static since 2019, largely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Adkins said. When you get granular in some of the data to figure out what age groups we lag behind the national average, 16 to 24 is a huge group that's not working that should be working, as well as folks over the age of 50.

The state lost approximately 46,000 residents from 2012 to 2022, which further decreases that population that's available to work. West Virginias job demand has grown substantially over the past decade, from an average of 22,167 monthly job postings in 2011 to an average of over 56,000 monthly job postings in 2021, Adkins continued. One of the issues that we face with our labor force participation rate is that, because were surrounded by five different states, 13.1% of West Virginians who are eligible to work are working in another state. The national average is 3.1%.

Under Governor Justices leadership, the state Workforce Development Board has put together a strong group of leaders from the business community, state government, and other organizations to strengthen West Virginias workforce development system. So we really think that were going to be able to improve some of those numbers.

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COVID-19 UPDATE: Gov. Justice continues to urge 2nd booster shot for eligible West Virginians, especially those 50 and older - Governor Jim Justice

Key Figures

17.4 million* people of concern in the Middle East and North Africa *(2021 planning figures)

29,000 cases of COVID-19 reported among people of concern to UNHCR since March 2020, including fatalities

19 out of 19 countries in the MENA region have started COVID-19 vaccinations for refugees

Regional Developments

In 2021, UNHCR and partners continued to provide support and deliver protection and assistance to refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced people (IDPs) across the MENA region. This included supporting access to health and education services, and providing shelter and cash assistance, which remained essential to people of concern; some 826,000 unique individuals were reached with emergency cash assistance for the COVID-19 response to the value of $43 million. Notably, UNHCR advocacy contributed to the inclusion of refugees in national COVID-19 responses across the region, including for testing and treatment, and in all countries for COVID-19 vaccination.

Throughout the year, UNHCR continued to support local COVID-19 health responses and sensitization activities through Risk Communication and Community Engagement, while vaccination campaigns were further reinforced by national health authorities, as booster shots were introduced by some to mitigate the spread of the virus.

In 2022, UNHCRs COVID-19 response will continue to focus on advocating for the inclusion of people of concern to UNHCR in national public health systems and other national responses. Given that significant numbers of people of concern remain vulnerable and in hardship, exacerbated by the pandemic, UNHCR will continue to mitigate the negative socioeconomic and protection impacts of COVID-19, particularly through cash programming and community outreach. COVID-19 programming, including in the areas of protection, health, basic needs, WASH, shelter, and camp coordination and camp management (CCCM), are mainstreamed into annual planning and presented in the Global Appeal and an overview is available here.

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Regional Bureau for the Middle East and North Africa: COVID-19 Response, 2021 Year-End Report (January December 2021) - Algeria - ReliefWeb

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) As mask mandates start to fall, experts say its time to enter the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic learning to live with the virus.

Experts say this phase will be all about deciding what is best for you.

Columbus residents like Elijah Salahuddin said with so much information floating around, he tries to simplify it in a way he can understand.

Am I confused? Yeah. Do I know whats going on? Not really, Salahuddin said. But thats when you take the opportunity to educate yourself.

When talking about what comes next in the COVID-19 pandemic, Isabella Vettinger said she wishes there was a definitive answer for this new chapter but realizes everyone deserves a choice.

There needs to be progression, Vettinger said. I think there just needs to be some smartness with how we move forward.

Infectious Disease Physician at Ohio State Universitys Wexner Medical Center, Mahdee Sobhanie, said with many mask mandates no longer in place, its time to learn how to live with the virus.

He wants to stress that living with the virus doesnt mean forgetting that COVID-19 exists because COVID-19 will always exist even if it isnt at the height it once was.

So thats why when we say, We have to learn to live with the virus, we are aware that COVID is going to continue to exist, there are different variants that are going to occur, and thats why we have to continue to be cognizant of what the realities are that we face, Sobhanie said.

He said the vaccine is doing a good job holding up against the variants so far.

Sobhanie said that, eventually, COVID-19 will turn into another virus like the flu, but we arent quite there yet.

I think its kind of hard to tell when, Oh its going to be COVID season, Sobhanie said. I think we are going through a lot of peaks and surges, so we have to be mindful of our behaviors based on what we see.

He said learning to live with the virus is figuring out what is the best protection method for you. Sobhanie added there are now a number of COVID-19 therapies like the monoclonal treatment or oral pills, but that people should talk with their primary care doctors before doing any of those.

Definitely this is a time when you should be getting a primary care physician, Sobhanie said. You should have somebody where you sit down and talk about your health. Everybodys immune system responds differently in terms of their underlying conditions.

He said there is still a big concern for those with underlying health conditions such as diabetes or cancer.

People with those conditions should not be afraid to wear a mask in public or while traveling, Sobhanie said.

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Is it time to enter the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic? - NBC4 WCMH-TV

Hoyer: MLB 'not out of the woods' of COVID-19 impact originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

A week or so into the season, and the only thing we know for sure is that a lot of players still refuse to get vaccinated for COVID-19, and the pandemic is still impacting the game into a third season.

Were not out of the woods, Cubs president Jed Hoyer said Tuesday in the wake of at least 16 players from at least seven teams spending time on the COVID-19 injured list in the past week 11 players on three teams going on the list in the last two days.

The Cubs have so far escaped an outbreak like the one they had the final week of last season. But with MLB testing protocols relaxed and vaccines still not mandated in the league, the recent wave of COVID list moves this early in the season is at least a reminder, if not a wakeup call for diligence.

COVID is still around, Hoyer said. I know there are some municipalities out there that are going back to mask mandates, and I think [a lot] of us are largely vaccinated and a lot of guys have hit it and a lot of people want to move on and not wear masks. And I totally understand that desire to return to that.

But we cant forget that theres new variants out there, and theres cities that are struggling. We have to continue to be careful.

In recent days, Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger, Red Sox catcher Kevin Plawecki (and two Red Sox staff members), and Mets players Brandon Nimmo and Mark Canha (and a Mets coach) all tested positive for COVID-19.

Plawecki and Canha tested positive despite being vaccinated, according to reports.

Nimmo returned from the list Tuesday.

Oakland has been hit the hardest, with six players added to the COVID list Monday night, joining teammate Stephen Piscotty.

Three of those As had been held back on the restricted list over the weekend when the team went to Toronto because of Canadas restrictions against unvaccinated visitors.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox the Blue Jays division-rivals also have multiple unvaccinated players who will go on the restricted list for next weeks series in Toronto, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said (and presumably the next two series the Sox are scheduled to play in Toronto).

That includes Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck, who would have been the scheduled starter for the second game of that series and who told the Boston Globe hes not vaccinated.

The Red Sox on Tuesday added two players to the COVID IL, in addition to Plawecki.

The Cubs, by the way, play in Toronto in August.

It may seem like a post-COVID world to many, especially in Florida, where a federal judge this week struck down the federal mandate for masks on commercial flights.

But the virus hasnt gone away. And its already showing its ability to impact a third straight MLB season.

And especially right now, Hoyer said. Players are not at full strength yet because of the short spring training, and now youre dealing with the fact that youre playing even more-handed.

We hope to avoid it. And we have to be smart about it.

Hopefully, the players who have tested positive dont have serious reactions. Hopefully, MLB avoids any serious cases all year.

And hopefully, MLB finds a good use for the forfeited salaries of the anti-vaxxers on the restricted list like maybe relief for frontline workers with lingering PTSD and burnout symptoms, research and therapies for long-haulers, or vaccination efforts in areas where resources might be limited.

As for the COVID deniers, vax conspiracy theorists and ivermectin-fueled, shot-fearing, mask-phobic snowflakes who get angry at the mere mention that COVID remains a threat, save it for the next tin-foil origami meeting.

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Cubs' Jed Hoyer on COVID-19 Impact on MLB: We're Not Out of the Woods' - NBC Chicago

SPRINGFIELD, Mass (WWLP) The city of Springfield has announced plans to honor more than 400 people who have died from covid since the start of the pandemic.

A candlelight remembrance ceremony is to be held on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. on the front steps of city hall. Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Health and Human Services Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris are to join city officials at the ceremony.

The Department of Health and Human Services is to give a paper bag and a marker for people in attendance to document the names of loved ones lost during the pandemic. A flameless candle will be placed inside each bag and then place on the steps of the city hall.

Mayor Sarno states, It is important that we all take a moment to pause and reflect on the past two years and the toll thisCOVID-19 pandemic has taken on all of us, especially to those who have experienced the loss of a loved one, a friend, co-worker or someone special. This pandemic has affected us all and we want to hold this special candlelightremembranceceremony to honor the loved ones we have lost and support each other with love, kindness and compassion.

HHS Commissioner Caulton-Harris stated, Public Health Month gives us the opportunity to pause and reflect on the human toll theCOVID-19 pandemic has taken on the City ofSpringfield, Commonwealth, Nation and World. During our vigil, we pause to remember, reflect, as a city we grieve with their loved ones and vow not to forget their lives and we honor their legacy.

There will also be a COVID-19 vaccination clinic sponsored by BHN.

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Springfield to honor over 400 people that died from covid-19 - WWLP.com

NEWS RELEASE

JEFFERSON PARISH, LOUISIANA

April 19, 2022FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ALARIO CENTER COVID-19 TESTING/VACCINATION SITE WILL MOVE TOHAROLD MCDONALD SR. PARK DUE TO ZURICH CLASSIC

JEFFERSON, LA The Alario Center COVID-19 testing/vaccination site will be moved to the Harold McDonald Sr. Park (900 Drake Ave., Westwego, LA 70094) on Wednesday, Apr. 20, 2022 due to the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Testing/vaccinations will be available at this location from 8 a.m. 4 p.m. every day through Friday, Apr. 22, 2022. The Alario Center (2000 Segnette Blvd., Westwego, LA 70094) will reopen for testing/vaccinations on Monday, Apr. 25, 2022 at 12:00 p.m.

Testing is available to individuals five years and older who want to know their COVID-19 status. All 16 years old and younger must have a parent or legal guardian present to consent to testing. This site is operated by the Louisiana National Guard and Quest Diagnostics; no pre-registration is required and the turnaround for results is approximately 2-3 days.

All COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots are available at this location. To find a vaccination site, schedule a homebound vaccination or for local questions about the vaccines, please contact the Jefferson Parish COVID-19 Hotline at 504-518-4020.

Visit COVID.JeffParish.net to stay updated on COVID-19 in Jefferson Parish, including available resources, weekly vaccine sites, local dashboard and more. Additional vaccination information, along with a list of local vaccine providers, is also available on the Louisiana Department of Health website at http://www.LDH.la.gov/covidvaccine.

For more information about Jefferson Parish, visit http://www.jeffparish.net. Residents can also recieve regular updates by following the Parish on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@JeffParishGov) or by texting JPALERT or JPNOTICIAS to 888-777.

###

Jefferson Parish Public Information Office

1221 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Suite 1002

Jefferson, LA 70123

JPALERT SIGN UP TO RECEIVE EMERGENCY ALERTS

Gretchen Hirt Gendron, PIO

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ALARIO CENTER COVID-19 TESTING/VACCINATION SITE WILL MOVE TO HAROLD MCDONALD SR. PARK DUE TO ZURICH CLASSIC - 04-19-YYYY - Jefferson Parish

The first weekend of the annual music and arts festival Coachella has come and gone, and just as the dust begins to settle, everyone will be back for another weekend of music, fashion and fun.

After two years of being canceled, celebrities and people alike came from around the nation to California in colorful and flamboyant outfits to enjoy the festival this year.

With a long-awaited return, the first night of Coachella was one to remember. Featured artist Harry Styles thrilled fans with his memorable performance, including the live debut of his new hit song As It Was and a new music tease.

Taking the audience by surprise, Styles introduced country singer Shania Twain later in his performance for a duet between the two singers. This wasnt the only surprise of the night the band Arcade Fire appeared as a surprise addition to the setlist, Daniel Caesar brought out Justin Bieber on stage to perform his song Peaches and Anitta enlisted Snoop Dogg to introduce her set.

For first time in three years, Wisconsin Film Festival returns to in-person showingsBeginning April 7 and ending April 14, the Wisconsin Film Festival, hosted by the University of Wisconsin, is showcasing over Read

The first night back to Coachella after a two-year break no doubt soared past expectations. With a successful return after COVID-19, ticket holders waited eagerly for the next day of performances.

Though night two didnt contain as many surprises, it was a night that made history. Argentine trap singer Nicki Nicole performed for the first time in America, emotionally confessing to her audience that she did not expect many people to watch her first show in the U.S.

This was also the first time record label 88rising joined the Coachella line-up, and Brazilian star Pabllo Vittar became the first drag queen to grace Coachellas stage.

On top of all of that, headliner of the night Billie Eilish became the youngest headliner in Coachella history. On this groundbreaking night, Eilish gave an electric performance, and the way she humbly addressed her audience while performing made her performance just a little more special.

Only one question comes to mind after two incredible nights how will the third night live up to the rest?

The final night of Coachella tied up a memorable weekend. Singer Finneas gave a 4*Town tribute with the live debut of the hit song of the movie Nobody Like You.

Mix of energetic, mellow vibes meet in Wilderado High Noon performanceMaking a stop as part of their 2022 tour, Wilderado visited Madison to perform for a sold-out crowd at High Read

Though not a headliner for the night, pop star Doja Cat gave a much-anticipated performance. The performance included elaborate stage decorations including a winding staircase and a giant blow-up of a silhouette that resembled the visuals for her album Planet Her. Doja Cat performed energetically with fun choreography between bars her weeks of rehearsal in preparation definitely paid off.

Headlining for the night was the unexpected but dynamic pairing of The Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia. They closed the festival with a bang by including some of The Weeknds greatest hits, which left the audience satisfied with the end of the weekend.

Coachellas glorious return after COVID-19 was an unforgettable weekend for the music world filled with captivating performances, artists making history and overall great music.

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Coachella returns form COVID-19 hiatus with bang The Badger Herald - The Badger Herald

After Leona Cheng tested positive for the coronavirus late last month, she was told to pack her bags for a hospital stay. When the ambulance came to her apartment in central Shanghai to pick her up two days later, no one said otherwise.

So Ms. Cheng was surprised when the car pulled up not to a hospital but to a sprawling convention center. Inside, empty halls had been divided into living areas with thousands of makeshift beds. And on exhibition stall partitions, purple signs bore numbers demarcating quarantine zones.

Ms. Cheng, who stayed at the center for 13 days, was among the first of hundreds of thousands of Shanghai residents to be sent to government quarantine and isolation facilities, as the city deals with a surge in coronavirus cases for the first time in the pandemic. The facilities are a key part of Chinas playbook of tracking, tracing and eliminating the virus, one that has been met with unusual public resistance in recent weeks.

Footage circulating on Chinese social media on Thursday showed members of one Shanghai community protesting the use of apartment buildings in their complex for isolating people who test positive for the virus. Police officers in white hazmat suits could be seen physically beating back angry residents, some of whom pleaded with them to stop.

Chinas leaders have said that the country, unlike most of the rest of the world, cannot afford to live with the virus because it has a large and vulnerable aging population. But Chinas zero-tolerance policy in which anyone who tests positive is sent to a hospital or isolation facility, and close contacts are placed in quarantine hotels is becoming both a logistical and political challenge as officials face more than 350,000 cases since the start of the current outbreak in March.

As of April 9, Shanghai had converted more than 100 public venues, including public schools and newly built high-rise office buildings, into temporary facilities called fangcang, or square cabin, hospitals. They are intended to house more than 160,000 people who have tested positive for the virus, officials said last week.

The protests on Thursday, at the Zhangjiang Nashi International apartment complex in Shanghais Pudong district, broke out after the developer notified 39 households that they would have to relocate because officials would turn nine buildings into isolation facilities, the developer said in a statement.

When Ms. Cheng first arrived at the exhibition center, it felt vast, cold and empty, she said in a phone interview. Ms. Cheng, who is a student in her early 20s, also wrote about her experience on Chinese social media.

The fluorescent lights were glaring but she tried to get some rest. She woke up the next morning to find her hall suddenly crammed with people.

There was no tap for running water and no showers, Ms. Cheng said, so each day she and others would crowd around several fresh water machines, waiting to fill up the pink plastic wash basins they had been given. The portable toilet stalls soon filled with so much human waste that Ms. Cheng said she stopped drinking water for several days so she wouldnt have to use them as frequently.

Even if someone had figured out how to turn off the floodlights, Ms. Cheng said, it would still have been hard to sleep at night. That was when people would shout out their complaints and let off steam.

Lots of people complained, and some people shouted out that it was too smelly to sleep, she said.

Worried about upsetting her mother, Ms. Cheng didnt tell her that she was in a fangcang. She said instead that she could not do video calls, giving her mother vague answers about daily life in quarantine. A woman sleeping in a nearby bed took a similar approach when speaking with her daughter. The two women shared a smile when they discovered they had the same secret.

Ms. Cheng said she struggled to come to terms with a quarantine system that reduced her to a number. If she wanted something, she had to find a nurse or doctor who was assigned to her zone. But the nurses and doctors were so busy that it was hard to get any help, she said.

Ms. Cheng said she had once admired the governments goal of keeping the virus out of China. It meant that for more than two years, she could live a normal life, even as cities and countries around the world had to lock down.

Now, shes not so sure.

This time I feel it is out of control and its not worth controlling the cases because it is not so dangerous or deadly, she said, referring to the highly contagious Omicron variant. Its not worth sacrificing so many resources and our freedom.

Joy Dong and Li You contributed research.

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Covid Live Updates: Many Broadway Theaters Will Drop Vaccine Checks, but Keep Masks - The New York Times