Category Archives: Covid-19

As allergy season collides with yet another rise in COVID-19 cases nationwide, deciphering the difference between symptoms of the coronavirus and allergies can be tricky. So how can you tell the difference between the two?

"The pollen counts are up throughout the country, and the symptoms can be quite similar," board certified allergist, pediatrician and immunologist Dr. Anjuli Mehrotra told CBS News' Vladimir Duthiers and Nancy Chen Thursday.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, common symptoms between seasonal allergies and COVID can include cough, headache and tiredness.

Seasonal allergies do not usually cause shortness of breath, which is a symptom consistent with COVID, unless the person has a respiratory condition like asthma. Allergies also do not typically cause a fever, chills, body aches or a loss of taste or smell, which are all common symptoms of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, COVID does not usually cause sneezing, itchy or watery eyes, a runny or stuffy nose, or sore throat, which are common allergies symptoms, the CDC says.

Despite the differences in symptoms, Mehrotra urges those who are unsure to err on the side of caution.

"It's actually best to consider it COVID until proven otherwise," she said. "If you're having symptoms, I would not hesitate to take an at home COVID-19 test, specifically a rapid antigen test could be really useful in this scenario."

Mehrotra said those who have seasonal allergies are not at a higher risk for contracting COVID-19, or for experiencing more severe symptoms with the virus. But she warned that those with moderate to severe asthma could be at increased risk of hospitalization with COVID.

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, more than 50 million Americans experience various types of allergies every year. Allergies are caused by the immune system reacting to a foreign substance such as pollen or animal dander.

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Tori B. Powell is a breaking news reporter at CBS News. Reach her at tori.powell@viacomcbs.com

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How to tell the difference between seasonal allergies and COVID-19 - CBS News

Theeleventh meeting of the Emergency Committee convened by the WHO Director-General under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic took place on Monday 11 April 2022 from 12:00to16:30 Geneva time (CEST).

Members and Advisors of the Emergency Committeewere convened by videoconference.

The Director-General welcomed the Committee members and advisers. The Director-General explained that the world has tools to limit transmission, save lives, and protect health systems. He expressed hope in the current epidemiological situation, noting that the world is currently experiencing the lowest number of reported deaths in two years. However, the unpredictable behavior of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and insufficient national responses are contributing to the continued global pandemic context. The Director-General emphasized the importance of States Parties using available medical countermeasures and public health and social measures (PHSM). He highlighted the publication of the updated Strategic Preparedness, Readiness, and Response Plan which provides a roadmap for how the world can end the COVID-19 emergency in 2022 and prepare for future events.

Representatives of the Office of Legal Counsel (LEG) and the Department of Compliance, Risk Management, and Ethics (CRE) briefed the members on their roles and responsibilities. The Ethics Officer from CRE provided the members and advisers with an overview of the WHO Declaration of Interests process. The members and advisers were made aware of their individual responsibility to disclose to WHO, in a timely manner, any interests of a personal, professional, financial, intellectual or commercial nature that may give rise to a perceived or direct conflict of interest. They were additionally reminded of their duty to maintain the confidentiality of the meeting discussions and the work of the Committee. Each member who was present was surveyed. No conflicts of interest were identified.

The Secretariat turned the meeting over to the Chair, Professor Didier Houssin, who reviewed the objectives and agenda of the meeting.

The Secretariat presented on the current status of the COVID-19 pandemic and a vision for how to optimize the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic for 2022. The presentation focused on:

The Committee discussed key issues including SARS-CoV-2 variants; use and equitable access to antivirals; vaccine protection and global shifts in the supply and demand for COVID-19 vaccines; hybrid immunity; potential future scenarios for SARS-CoV-2 transmission and challenges posed by concurrent health emergencies; and how Member States are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee also noted with concern the growing fatigue among communities worldwide in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and challenges posed by the lack of trust in scientific guidance and governments.

The Committee recognized that SARS-CoV-2 is a novel respiratory pathogen that has not yet established its ecological niche. SARS-CoV-2 continues to have unpredictable viral evolution, which is compounded by its wide-spread circulation and intense transmission in humans, as well as widespread introduction of infection to a range of animal species with potential for animal reservoirs to be established. SARS-COV-2 is continuing to cause high levels of morbidity and mortality, particularly among vulnerable human populations. In this context, the Committee raised concerns that the inappropriate use of antivirals may lead to the emergence of drug-resistant variants. In addition, Committee members acknowledged national, regional, and global capacities to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic context, but noted with concern that some States Parties have relaxed PHSM and reduced testing, impacting thus the global ability to monitor evolution of the virus. The Committee also noted with concern the inconsistency of global COVID-19 requirements for international travel and the negative impact that inappropriate measures may have on all forms of international travel. In this context, the Committee noted that offering vaccination to high-risk groups of international travelers on arrival could be considered a means to mitigate the risk of severe disease or death due to COVID-19 among these individuals.

The Committee stressed the importance of maintaining PHSM to protect vulnerable populations, and maintaining the capacity to scale up PHSM if the epidemiological situation changes. States Parties are advised to regularly adjust their response strategies by monitoring their epidemiological situation (including through use of rapid tests), assessing their health system capacity, and considering the adherence to and attributable impact of individual and combined PHSM.

In addition, the Committee reinforced the continued need for international cooperation and coordination for surveillance, as well as for robust and timely reporting to global systems (such as the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System) to inform national, regional, and global response efforts. Surveillance activities require coordination between the human and animal sectors and more global attention on the detection of animal infections and possible reservoirs among domestic and wild animals. Timely and systematic monitoring and data sharing on SARS-CoV-2 infection, transmission and evolution in humans and animals will assist global understanding of the virus epidemiology and ecology, the emergence of new variants, their timely identification, and assessment of their public health risks. Continued provision of technical support and guidance from all three levels of the WHO can enable States Parties adjustment of COVID-19 surveillance and its integration into respiratory pathogen surveillance systems.

The Committee acknowledged that COVID-19 vaccination is a key tool to reduce morbidity and mortality and reinforced the importance of vaccination (primary series and booster doses, including through heterologous vaccine schedules). The Committee expressed appreciation for WHO and partners work to enhance global vaccine supply and distribution. Committee members highlighted the challenges posed by limited vaccination protection, particularly in low-income countries, as well as by waning population-level immunity. As outlined in the SAGE roadmap, vaccination should be prioritized for high-risk groups such as health workers, older adults, and immune-compromised populations, refugees, and migrants. To enhance vaccine uptake, States Parties are encouraged to address national and sub-national barriers for vaccine deployment and to ensure COVID-19 response measures align with and strengthen immunization activities and primary health services.

In addition, the Committee noted the continued importance of WHOs provision of guidance, training, and tools to support States Parties recovery planning process from the COVID-19 pandemic and future respiratory pathogen pandemic preparedness planning.

The Committee unanimously agreed that the COVID-19 pandemic still constitutes an extraordinary event that continues to adversely affect the health of populations around the world, poses an ongoing risk of international spread and interference with international traffic, and requires a coordinated international response. The Committee stressed the importance for States Parties to prepare for future scenarios with the assistance of WHO and to continue robust use of the essential tools (e.g. vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics). The Committee concurred that the COVID-19 pandemic remains a PHEIC and offered its advice to the Director-General.

The Director-General determined that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to constitute a PHEIC. He accepted the advice of the Committee and issued the Committees advice to States Parties as Temporary Recommendations under the IHR.

The Emergency Committee will be reconvened within three months or earlier,at the discretion of the Director-General.The Director-General thanked the Committee for its work.

Temporary Recommendations to States Parties

The Committee identified the following actions as critical for all countries:

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Statement on the eleventh meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)...

With the omicron surge in our rearview mirror, there are some signs that the COVID-19 pandemic may finally be loosening its grip on the globe. But while case rates are lower here in the United States, theyre still elevated in other parts of the world, and certain members of the population might need a second booster.

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There are a lot of mixed messages to interpret, and that can cause a lot of anxiety and stress as we shift to this next stage, one in which mandates are rolled back and more pre-pandemic behaviors like in-office work and no mask requirements return. To get an idea of how we can handle this transition, we spoke to psychologist Matthew Sacco, PhD.

First and foremost, its important to remember that COVID-19 hasnt gone away. Its OK to still feel anxious about infection, and itll take time for some to adjust to feeling safe out in public after two years of isolation and surges.

Were creatures of habit, says Dr. Sacco. Just as some of us had issues adjusting to new behavior at the beginning of the pandemic, some of us are going to need extra time to adjust to life as we transition out of the pandemic.

Additionally, many people developed new routines during the pandemic, settling into different work and school environments and adjusting to those new ways of life. Now, routines are shifting again for many of us, even if were not returning to exactly how we were before COVID-19. And that means more stress adjusting to yet another new routine.

Dr. Sacco also says we shouldnt discount being over-stimulated in returning to a pre-pandemic routine and setting. If youve been working or staying at home, you can mostly control that environment. But when youre back at the office or out in the world, theres more to the environment including new sights, sounds and smells that can be over-stimulating.

As youre readjusting to this setting that youve been away from for two years, your brain has to work overtime to process everything. When youre already removed from your comfort zone, this over-stimulation can cause your anxiety to spike.

Most of us have never been through a pandemic, so we dont know the process of reintegrating to normalcy after one. Everything that a person might be feeling should be considered a normal range of reaction to a very abnormal event, says Dr. Sacco.

Knowing yourself and your emotional tendencies is key to dealing with everything you feel during this surreal time. The measuring stick should be how much difficulty your emotional adjustment is causing you day to day, notes Dr. Sacco. If youre able to manage it and you feel youre moving forward in a positive way, just maintain some self-care exercises.

If your emotions rise to the point where they feel overwhelming, though, consider reaching out to a professional therapist for help. When its interfering with your ability to get through the day, thats when you need that extra help.

Control whats yours to control and trust that what youre doing is part of the process, he continues. Make sure youve received both your flu shot and your COVID-19 vaccine and boosters. And remember that everything is not going to be OK just because you say. It takes time and can sometimes be slow. Take care of yourself and be confident in what youre doing to take care of yourself.

Masks and standing six feet from one another have been two of the most consistent parameters of protecting ourselves from spreading COVID-19. But states and cities are now rolling back mask mandates and social distancing is slowly becoming a thing of the past.

Its important to remember that its taken us two long years just to get to this point, says Dr. Sacco. You need to cut yourself some slack because this is still going to take a little time to see what this is all going to look like.

He adds, While we go through this experience to see what were calling the new normal looks like, you should work at your own pace. In other words, if you find yourself out and about and seeing people not wearing masks in crowded areas, that doesnt mean you have to follow suit. Its all about doing whats best for you and your family.

For many, the pandemic ushered in a new era of working from home. But as case rates stabilize across the country and vaccination rates increase, some are returning to in-person work for the first time in two years. With the virus still circulating and another round of adjustment on deck, some are experiencing a rise in anxiety.

Dr. Sacco recommends looking for flexibility in your work schedule to see if you can make a slower return to the office. Talk to your supervisor and see if you can start by maybe returning to the office for a day or two a week to start, he suggests. Some places are adopting that hybrid home-and-office model and that may be easier to handle.

If youre not able to slow your roll back into the office, though, its best to take time to plan and make sure youre as comfortable as possible. Make sure youre controlling what you can, Dr. Sacco advises. If youre anxious about exposure, wear your mask, wash your hands often and do your best to keep your distance as much as you can.

Again, Dr. Sacco says to be kind to yourself. Give yourself some grace and patience for getting back into the routine completely. And dont expect to go right back to how it was two years ago.

Here are a few ways you can find calm when your anxiety starts to spike in the moment:

Again, its all about focusing on what you can control and setting expectations. If youre experiencing a lot of anxiety about getting back into crowds, maybe your first foray back shouldnt be a large sporting event, says Dr. Sacco.

Instead, focus on small, consistent steps of accomplishment, understanding that there may be some setbacks along the way. In the end, its about being kind to yourself and putting yourself in situations in which you feel the most comfortable before taking the next step.

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How To Ease Back Into Life After Two Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

PLEASANTVILLE Kevin Horn and his brother Tim havebeen farming since the 1980s, experiencing one of the biggest, most recent farming market crashes.

Even though the market can be unpredeictable, Horn said he's worried a crash is inevitable as the logistical challenges, fertilizer price hikes and the conflict in Ukraine have all exacerbated the state of affairs that have been growing since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Horn and his family farm aren't alone: Marshall Grain Co in Amanda has experienced shortages with supplies while helping farmers get their grains to market.

USA Today reported inflation began in 2021, largely because of the coronavirus pandemic. Prices spiked this year after Russia invaded Ukraine, due to oil production disruption, as well as disruptions in the agriculture production and supply chain.

Russia and Ukraine are among the top 10 wheat suppliers in the world: Russia exported 19.6% of the global supply of wheat in 2020, with Ukraine providing 9.1%. The war would prevent Ukrainian farmers from planting, and destroyed ports and railroad terminals would make exporting near impossible.

The Food and Agricultural Organization, a United Nations food agency, reported food prices were the highest since 2011, with the cost traced to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For both suppliers and producers, the market does not care, and as Horn said, you have to do what you can to get by.

Horn said policy choices made by the Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz in the 1970s hurt farmers, and that it's important to know what you have "in the market."

"I remember we were selling corn for $1.64 a bushel in the 1980s, you have to do what you need to to pay the bills. We were lucky, we didn't have a lot of debt at the time. But history can repeat itself, and we're heading towards a recession if we can't get things under control," he said.

Horn said the price per bushel for corn and beans hasgrown exponentially since last year. He said he's seen wheat bushel prices climb from $2.25 last year to around $10. But even with higher prices of grain at the market, farmers aren't likely to see an increase in profits.

Barry Marshall, the owner of Marshall Grain Co., explained high market prices don't always reflect high profits for farmers. He and his daughter, Mallory Mathias, run the supply store, which also provides storage services, and produces livestock feed.

"It goes back to the cost of input, what it takes to get the product in the first place. For instance, nitrogen, which is extremely important for corn production, climbed from $350 a ton in 2020 to about $920 in 2022. That triple input cost is huge, so farmers are looking at alternatives, like potash," Marshall said.

But there's a higher demand for potash, as well, and fewer producers in the United States than there were previously to keep up with demand on a global scale or even nationally.

"There are more people to feed globally, so that means more farming needs to happen. Everyone is trying to source the chemicals and fertilizers they need for production, but there are hold ups everywhere, and some sources are just not exporting at the moment," Marshall said. "But there's also a logistics issue when it comes to transporting goods. Whether it's finding the train cars to haul grain, to finding people to unload those cargo ships, or even finding truckers willing to transport, there's just an issue of getting products moved."

He explained, like other markets, the grain and agriculture market is demand-driven: if the prices per bushel are high, farmers are likely to push to sell.

The challenge comes from finding ways to get stored grain to the buyer. Farmers also need to be wary of flooding the market: too much supply makes demand drop.

"Farming is really a bigger gamble than the stock market sometimes. You need to make sure you can get to the market, and that you'll get the most for what you offer. Some farmers can contract some of their harvest, to lock in prices, but they could miss out on higher prices," Marshall said. "Farmers have to be smart with what they've got, but they'll get through this, like they always have."

He said shortages and demand problems started during the pandemic and were aggravated by Russia's invasion. There isn't an easy fix to any of the problems, he said, but it will take time to get more people to address shipping and transport problems, which could help inflation drop.

"On a local scale, especially when supplies are scarce, we see when people will try to buy up as much of one product as we can. We have an advantage, as a smaller supplier, to ask them nicely to not buy a lot and hoard it. It's like when people were scooping up lots of toilet paper at the start of the pandemic: it created false scarcity," Mathias said. "Sometimes, we also have to look at alternate feed sources for some of our local buyers, because we could be waiting on a shipment. Or we may not get enough: I could order 40 cases and they might drop off 12 one week."

"It will get better, but it will just take time."

Her dad agreed, adding that farmers are resourceful: if they don't know what they're doing, they won't stay farming for long.

"It's what we saw in the 1980s, too. A lot of farms folded because interest rates were too high, so farmers became tradesmen," Marshall said. "This is the only industry without control of the input or market costs."

Kevin Horn and his family usually take their harvested grains to Circleville, using their farm's trucks. He said before selling stored grain, he studies the market to determine how much to take.

"We usually take about 900 bushels per truck, and really just try to take enough to make a profit for the month. We aren't running to the market every time we see a big jump, we know we may need to go through some lean months," Horn said. "Plus, my parents lived through the Great Depression, and they beat it into our heads that once the price for something goes up, it doesn't seem to come back down."

"If it keeps up, soon consumers won't be able to keep up with that, but the market doesn't care whether you survive it or not. Sometimes you have to just live within your means."

Despite the uncertainties of farming and market fluctuations, Horn said he's stuck with farming since he was in high school because he loves the challenge.

"Every day is different. You have to be good at it to stick around this long, and I think we've done a fair job with what we were given by our parents and grandparents. We also want to make sure we can help our children and grandchildren succeed, so we're working to help them," Horn said. "Do I know what the market is going to do next week? If I did, I wouldn't be farming. You just have to take it a little at a time."

Barrett Lawlis is a reporter with the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, part of the USA Today Network. You can share story ideas or comments with him at 740-681-4342 or send an e-mail toblawlis@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter@BarrettLawlis

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War in Ukraine drives inflation, already stirred by coronavirus pandemic - Lancaster Eagle Gazette

Syncope is the medical term for fainting. Its a potential side effect of any vaccine, including those used to prevent COVID-19. Fainting is when you pass out due to a lack of oxygen to your brain. Its most commonly a vaccine side effect among younger adults and teenagers, according to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, but it can affect anybody.

In most cases, the stress and anxiety of getting a vaccine cause fainting, not the vaccine itself. In very rare cases, a severe allergic reaction to one of the ingredients can cause a drop in blood pressure that leads to loss of consciousness.

Read on to learn more about why some people faint after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine and what factors cause people to faint.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fainting is a reported side effect of almost every vaccine. Its most common after vaccines against:

In most cases, fainting is caused by the stress and anxiety of receiving a vaccine. These emotions can trigger a condition called vasovagal syncope. Vasovagal syncope is the most common cause of fainting in general.

Nerves send messages from your brain to your heart and blood vessels to control your heart rate and blood pressure. Vasovagal syncope occurs when these nerves dont send an appropriate signal, causing a drop in blood pressure and inadequate blood flow to your brain.

Strong emotions, like the fear of receiving a vaccine, and other factors like dehydration or pain can trigger vasovagal syncope.

In a May 2021 report published by the CDC, the reported frequency of fainting from Janssen COVID-19 vaccines and flu shots was 8.2 and 0.05 per 100,000 people, respectively, between 2019 and 2021.

Of the people who fainted, 62 percent were ages 11 to 18. And 25 percent were ages 19 to 49.

Nearly a quarter of people who experienced fainting or other anxiety-related side effects after receiving the Janssen vaccine reported a history of similar anxiety-related events from other vaccines.

In fewer than 1 in 1 million people, vaccination can trigger a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis can be fatal if not quickly treated. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it usually develops 5 to 30 minutes after injections.

Symptoms of anaphylaxis can include:

Fear of medical procedures involving needles is called trypanophobia. Its an extremely common fear. In a 2018 review, researchers estimated the prevalence to be 20 to 50 percent in adolescents and 20 to 30 percent in young adults.

The development of phobias is complex and can be caused by a combination of social, psychological, and physiological causes.

According to the WHO, the development of a vaccine phobia may be explained by physiological factors, like:

Vaccine phobia is also influenced by psychological factors, including:

Social factors also play a role, such as:

In the same May 2021 report published by the CDC, the most reported anxiety-related symptoms were:

More than 98 percent of fainting episodes occur within 30 minutes of injection, according to a 2021 review. After your vaccine, the person who administered the shot will likely tell you to wait around for at least 15 minutes for monitoring.

If youre with a person who faints, lay the person down with their legs in a raised position until the person is feeling better.

If you develop anxiety-related symptoms after vaccination, you can try taking slow, deep breaths to calm your heart rate. Staying hydrated and having a snack available may also help you ease symptoms such as faintness or lightheadedness.

Many people find it helpful to distract themselves with something such as listening to music, playing a game, or talking.

In two 2018 studies, researchers found that short bouts of exercise before vaccination lowered the number of side effects.

The WHO recommends administering vaccines in a calm, planned, and private environment when possible.

If your child is nervous about vaccines, you may be able to lower their stress by:

Its common to experience mild side effects after getting a vaccine. If side effects appear, they usually go away after 1 or 2 days.

According to the CDC, the most common side effects are:

Rarely, some people may experience more serious reactions. These can include:

Many people find getting a vaccine stressful. This stress can lead to anxiety-related side effects such as fainting, dizziness, or nausea. In very rare cases, vaccines can cause a severe allergic reaction that causes fainting.

For the vast majority of people, vaccines cause no or mild side effects. If you have a history of vaccine-related anxiety, talk with your doctor about ways to manage your anxiety before a vaccine to lower your chances of side effects.

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COVID-19 Vaccine and Fainting: Does One Cause the Other? - Healthline

The state Department of Health reported 403 new COVID-19 infections on Sunday, the 10th consecutive day with fewer than 1,000 and the 16th time in 17 days the state hit that mark.

There were three new infections in the four Valley counties for the second consecutive day. It was the fifth time in eight days the number was three or fewer.

All three new cases were in Northumberland County.

There was only one new death reported statewide. Sunday ended a streak of five consecutive days with at least one new death in the Valley.

Fifty-nine of Pennsylvanias 67 counties were seeing low levels of COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) latest updates. Eight counties, including all four in the Valley, were at the medium level. For the third week in a row, there were no counties in Pennsylvania registering high levels of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 community level is determined by the higher of the new admissions and inpatient beds metrics, based on the current level of new cases per 100,000 population in the past 7 days. The reports are updated weekly.

According to data from the CDC and Johns Hopkins University, across the nation, new cases were down 7 percent over the past week, hospitalizations were down 13 percent and deaths linked to COVID-19 were down 31 percent. In Pennsylvania, the number of new COVID cases was down 19 percent over the last week, deaths were down 23 percent and hospitalizations were down 18 percent.

The CDC reported 77 percent of Pennsylvanians 18 and older were fully vaccinated, while 67.5 percent of all residents were fully vaccinated.

As of noon Sunday, there were 503 hospitalizations statewide, down 16 from Saturday. It was the 20th consecutive day hospitalizations have dropped statewide. It was the fewest COVID hospitalizations statewide since Aug. 2, 2021.

Statewide, there were 75 in intensive care units (ICUs), down eight from Saturday's report, and 51 were breathing using ventilators, the same figure as reported Saturday.

There were 30 patients hospitalized locally for the third consecutive day. There were 23 patients at Geisinger in Danville, five at Evangelical Community Hospital in Lewisburg and two at Geisinger Shamokin.

Geisingers main campus in Danville had seven patients in the ICU and three on a ventilator. Both of Geisinger Shamokins COVID patients are being treated in the ICU.

At Evangelical, the only patient in the ICU was on a ventilator.

As of midday Sunday, there were fewer than five active cases among those receiving services and no staff cases at the Selinsgrove Center. The state Department of Human Services (DHS) does not report specific numbers if they are fewer than five to avoid identifying individuals.

At Danville State Hospital, there were no active infections among those receiving services and fewer than five cases among staff members, the same reports since late last week. At the North Central Secure Treatment Unit, there were no reported cases among youth or staff at the boys or girls facilities.

There were no active cases among staffers or inmates at the State Correctional Institution in Coal Township, according to the state Department of Corrections (DOC). Statewide, there were 19 inmate cases and another 29 staff cases both the same figures as reported Saturday. Eight prisons statewide have inmate cases as of Sunday morning, while 16 prisons have staff infections.

Federal prisons in Lewisburg and Allenwood were at Level 1 operational levels of COVID mitigation, the lowest level of modifications in the federal Bureau of Prisons mitigation plans. It means prisons have resumed normal operations while inmates and staffers wear masks indoors. No cases were reported among prisoners or staff at either facility.

As of Sunday morning, there were 49 federal prisons nationally at Level 1 (the lowest), 30 were at Level 2 and 19 were at Level 3.

Institution operational levels (Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3) are based on the facilities COVID-19 medical isolation rate, combined percentage of staff and inmate completed vaccinations series and their respective county transmission rates. At each level, an infection prevention procedure or modification to operations such as inmate programming and services may be made to mitigate the risk and spread of COVID-19 in accordance with BOP pandemic guidance.

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Pennsylvania records 10th straight day with fewer than 1,000 new COVID-19 infections; 3 reported in Valley - Sunbury Daily Item

ALBANY All state-imposed mask mandates have ended, and many COVID-19 protocols impacting the general public have disappeared.

But coronavirus is still present - and has been slowly ticking back up during the past two weeks in New York.

Statewide positivity rates plummeted from a high of 21 percent during the omicron surge in early January to a little under 1.5 percent March 12.

But ever since, COVID-19 has been slowly creeping back in, with a 2.3 percent positivity rate statewide Saturday based on a seven-day average.

And those numbers do not convey what certain parts of the state are experiencing as the low New York City rates pull the entire statewide positivity number down.

Central New York, for example, is seeing almost 9 percent of tests coming back positive, with Onondaga County reaching close to 10 percent as of Friday's data.

The Capital Region is also now higher than the state average, with an increase from 2.2 percent to 3.3 percent of tests coming back positive since March 14.

The widespread use of at-home COVID-19 tests also likely means the positivity rate is higher.

Indoor masking requirements in New York businesses ended Feb. 10. The slight uptick in cases is being felt about three weeks after the school mask mandate outside of New York City was lifted March 2.

There is also a new omicron variant, BA.2, that has taken over about half of positive tests in what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outline as Region 2, which includes New York.

Omicron BA.2 is causing concern in other countries, with the elderly population being heavily impacted in Hong Kong. But experts here have said COVID-19 vaccination and boosters should provide ample protection - and that any surge in this variant is likely to most greatly impact the unvaccinated.

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health virologist Andrew Pekosz said in an online Q and A last week that so many people were infected with omicron BA.1 during the surge in the U.S., there is the hope that there is some inherent immunity. He also said those who are boosted are best equipped to handle omicron variants.

"Its amazing how that message just maintains consistency," Pekosz said. "We did have to add the booster to deal with omicron, but at the end of the day, vaccination and boosting are doing a fantastic job of limiting severe disease and an okay job of limiting infection. They really are the tool to get us back to normalcy. "

The CDC has decided to take hospitalizations, and hospital capacity, into account when determining spread. And most of the U.S. is now labeled at "low" risk for COVID-19 - including most of New York.

But there are still hotspots. Franklin County in the North Country is the sole place statewide at "high" coronavirus risk as of Sunday. Neighboring Essex and Clinton counties are in "medium" risk, as is Onondaga and Hamilton counties.

Hospitalizations, an indication of severity of the disease, statewide remain low, at less than five COVID-19 cases per 100,000. As a comparison, at the height of the winter omicron surge, COVID-19 hospitalizations were at about 63 people per 100,000 across New York.

But it typically takes at least a few weeks to see if increasing COVID-19 positivity rates have translated into serious illness when looking at hospitalization data.

In Central New York, the region with the highest positivity rates in the state, hospitalizations have slightly increased since March 16 - the first time COVID-19 hospitalizations have started to trend upward there since late last year.

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COVID-19 is slightly trending up in New York - should we be worried? - Times Union

More than three-quarters of Utahns support Gov. Spencer Coxs steady state COVID-19 plan to start treating the virus like the flu and other diseases with limited outbreaks rather than as an ongoing emergency, according to the latest Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll.

And while 40% of Utahns believe it will still take a year or more for life to get back to normal from a pandemic that plagued the world for more than two years, thats down from 57% in January and 51% in February,during the last surge in cases.

Another 17% of Utahns say theyve already moved on.

The reality is, Utahns are looking at the situation and they are ready to transition now, said Jason Perry, director of the University of Utahs Hinckley Institute of Politics. Perry said because the governors plan has the backing of so many Utahns, it shows Cox and legislative leaders have found the mark for Utah on COVID-19.

The poll found 77% approved of the shift in the states COVID-19 response announced by Cox in mid-February, as case counts driven by the incredibly transmissible omicron variant of the virus were falling after reaching record-breaking highs. Just 18% disapproved, and 4% didnt know.

When it comes to getting past the pandemic, in addition to the 17% who say their lives are back to normal now a response added for the first time to the poll 13% of Utahns arent sure when that will happen, while 9% say it will take one to two months; 14%, three to six months; 7%, six to 11 months; 18% one year; and 22%, several years.

The poll was conducted March 9-21 by Dan Jones & Associates for the Deseret News and the Hinckley Institute of Politics of 804 registered voters in Utah. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.45 percentage points.

The governors spokeswoman, Jennifer Napier-Pearce, said the state remains on track to meet the March 31 deadline Cox set for turning most of the testing and treatments for the virus over to private health care providers. Contracts the state has for providing those services will remain in place, however, to deal with any future surges.

Daily reports on cases, hospitalizations and deaths are also scheduled to end, but the state will keep watching for new COVID-19 outbreaks, including through measuring the presence of the virus in wastewater, as well as promoting vaccinations.

The governors office was pleased with the poll results.

We appreciate that the vast majority of Utahns see the wisdom in downshifting the states response to the pandemic even as we remain ready to ramp up quickly if we experience a spike, Napier-Pearce said. Were especially grateful to our health care and public health workers for getting us to this point.

Going forward, she said the state will continue to monitor the spread of the virus, focus on promoting vaccinations and follow other lessons learned over the past two years.

Although mask mandates are being lifted in other states to mark the change in how the virus is being managed, thats not the case in Utah. The Utah Legislature, which limited the powers of state and local leaders to respond to public health emergencies, overturned mask mandates approved in Salt Lake and Summit counties in January.

Dozens of people join the Concerned Coalition Public Health Rally at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, where participants demanded partisan politics be removed from Utahs public health policies.

Mengshin Lin, Deseret News

Perry said the governors announcement on COVID-19 may not dramatically change anyones behavior, but it does send an important message to Utahns.

Its symbolic in a very clear way, where the state of Utah is saying were not going to see elected leaders having press conferences about COVID routinely, he said. This is not something were expecting our government to be heavily involved in by the end of March.

The upbeat attitude of many Utahns comes as the United States faces yet another potential surge in COVID-19, this time from so-called stealth omicron, a subvariant known by scientists as BA.2 thats believed to be even more transmissible than its predecessor and is responsible for new surges in Europe.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as of the week ending March 19, the subvariant makes up just under 35% of all COVID-19 cases in the United States and more than 21% of the cases in the region that includes Utah.

So far, 210 subvariant cases have been identified in Utah as part of the 1,500 to 3,000 positive test samples subjected weekly to genome sequencing by the state laboratory, said Kelly Oakeson, the Utah Department of Healths chief scientist for bioinformatics and next generation sequencing.

Utahs subvariant cases are climbing, Oakeson said, but not as fast as previous variants, including delta, which turned Utah into the nations hot spot for COVID-19 last fall. Still, he said within a week or two, Utah will catch up to New York, where BA.2 is now the dominant variant.

There is some hope, Oakeson said. We know boosters work really well against severe disease and hospitalization. So if a good proportion of the population is boosted, thats going to help. We know there is some immunity and protection if youve been previously infected with the original omicron against BA.2.

There no doubt will be breakthrough cases and exceptions among those whove had omicron, he said.

But the idea is in the population as a whole, theres enough immunity out there that we shouldnt see another big, huge increase in hospitalizations and deaths, Oakeson said. However, he added, this virus has thrown us for a loop time and time again, and always likes to throw us curve balls so I dont want to be, you know, too optimistic.

Count Janice Gravenmier, a West Valley City dental office manager, among the Utahns who approve of the governors COVID-19 plan.

Weve all had the COVID. Ive had it. My whole family had it. Some of the girls at work have had it. And weve all been fine. It hasnt been too bad. I know the older people and immunocompromised have more trouble, she said. But when she caught the virus a few months ago, it felt like a cold.

I had to stay home from work but I did the housecleaning, scrubbing walls and cleaning stuff, Gravenmier said, while taking care of other family members with COVID-19. The grandchildren were like me, they were bouncing off the walls and having fun. They didnt care.

Gravenmier, who still has to wear a mask at work and helps keep surfaces at the dental office clean by repeatedly wiping them down, said she isnt worried about the subvariant. But she said the concerns that her employer and others in the health care field continue to have mean it could be a year before life returns to normal.

Its going to be a while, she said.

Kory Jasperson, of Bountiful, who retired from a post with a genetics laboratory last December, also agrees with the governor that its time to deal with COVID-19 differently.

Ultimately, returning back to a little of normalcy is going to have to happen at some point. This has been going on for two years, Jasperson said. I think most people are kind of, not necessarily done with it I mean theres still precautions that are needed but I think overall we have to start going back to some normalcy.

Still, he said he believes it will take several years to get back to pre-pandemic life.

Everybody is, for the most part, hyped up about COVID. I completely believe in COVID. Its (had) significant ramifications across the world but theres a group of the population that will have a hard time returning to normal life, Jasperson said, even as he and others resume shopping and other everyday activities without masks.

Theres always a possibility that a variant will be a superspreader, will be more lethal, or it will have more significant ramifications than the previous variant, or whatever the case may be, he said, although not particularly concerned about the BA.2 subvariant.

I think I am a little bit tired of worrying about it, but thats not necessarily the main reason, Jasperson said, because he and those close to him are vaccinated and boosted. Unless youre just going to stick in your house and then not ever go outside, youre ultimately always going to have the opportunity of getting infected.

Excerpt from:

Poll: Why Utahns say its time to treat COVID-19 like other diseases - Deseret News

She didnt quite recognize herself when she first saw the photo. Arms crossed, face partly covered with a white mask, standing defiantly in blue hospital scrubs, seeming to square off with a man in sunglasses holding a U.S. flag over his shoulders.

Lauren Leander had never been to a protest before she joined fellow nurses at the Arizona state Capitol in April 2020 on a day off from the COVID-19 ward at Banner University Medical Centerin Phoenix. She was hoping to silently confront a loud and rowdy group demanding that Gov. Doug Ducey lift all restrictions that aimed to curb the pandemic, then at its initial phase.

The woman in the photo looked strong. Leander, reflecting on that day two years later, said that wasn't the way she felt that day.

I felt really small at the time, she said during aninterview this yearI felt like a little nurse that wanted people to take this thing seriously. Like, wear a mask and listen to us.

Leander would end up getting a lot of people to hear her message after the photo of her at the Capitol was posted on azcentral.com andprinted in The Arizona Republic. The image resonated with people and buzzed around the nation and globe.

Duringthe next two years, Leanders life would alter drastically. Some of the changes spurred because she happened to be captured in a photothat forever froze a split second of time.

Much of that day was a blur for Leander, who spent the better part of the afternoon standing outside the grounds of the Capitol.

She had no vivid memory of the man who passed her carrying a flag. She didnt recall ignoring the questions from photographer Michael Chow, himself clad in an N95 mask, asking her what hospital she worked in.

It was a stream of people, she said. It was just nonstop.

People coughed on her as they passed, saying they were spreading to her the virus they were convinced was fake. Some questioned whether she was an actual critical care nurse or an actress.

Leander had read false theories about the pandemic online. But here were real-life people who believed them and were spouting them. And, to boot, coming up with conspiracy theories about her on the spot.

It was a good opportunity to really look them in the eye and figure out who those people were and what they had to say, Leander said.

As it happened, the day would also allow Leander to take a close look at herself and figure out who she was.

That introspection started after she came home. She was tired from hours of standing outdoors. She curled up for a nap.

She woke up to her phone buzzing with messages. The photo had started circulating. People were talking about the nurse who silently counterprotested at the Capitol. Friends had recognized her and were letting her know about the image.

Within days, Leanderwould become the most widely recognized nurse in the United States.

Leander did not always want to be a nurse. She changed majors at Arizona State University a few times before settling on it. A voice in the back of my head just told me nursing one day, she said.

She knew she had found her calling on a volunteer trip to Guatemala. The difference she made in giving one-on-one attention to people who didnt get health care regularly resonated with her.

She explored other jobs in the medical field, but nothing spoke to her like nursing. There was something about nursing, Leander said. Im your person. Im here for you. Im your advocate, tell me what you need. Its something so unique to nursing.

Leander worked in the critical care unit of Banner University Medical Center, a unit that she said, pre-pandemic, worked as a well-oiled machine.

On a typical shift, she would deal with rattlesnake bites, respiratory failureor variousdiseases. On some shifts, she was part of the code team, meaning she would be called into action when someone had shallow breathing or weak heart beats.

We were always busy, she said. We were just damn good at it.

Then came the pandemic.

A unit would be dedicated solely to dealing with COVID-19 patients. Leander volunteered to work with them.

She said she did so because she realized she was young, healthy and living alone. Other nurses were pregnant, she said, or mothers to young children.

The first COVID-19 patient at her hospital was a 27-year-old woman who was pregnant. Leander provided care for her, at times performing manual compressions on her chest to help her breathe. When that patient died, the death hit her hard.

That changed everything for me, she said. The woman was not older or with preexisting conditions, the markers that were supposed to lead to death. Leander realized she was not just susceptible to the virus, but could die from it.

In the early days of the pandemic, there was little known about how the virus was spread and, Leander said, little availability of protective equipment.

Leander said she worked with her first COVID-19 patients wearing a paper surgical mask and a paper gown that left her neck exposed. In this outfit that medical guidance would later show to be inadequate she would work on patients, including compressing on their chests to keep them breathing, leaving her covered in their secretions.

We were in next to nothing, she said.

Leander settled into a confining pace: work, home and back to work. She knew she was exposed to the virus every time she worked and didnt want to spread it to her friends or family.

Leander saw news coverage of re-open rallies in other cities. She saw that nurses had come out to counterprotest, dressed in surgical scrubs and wearing masks. In Denver, nurses blocked traffic, momentarily stopping a convoy of cars that circled that state's Capitol.

On the morning of April 20, Leander got word that there was a reopen rally planned for the Arizona state Capitol in Phoenix. It happened to be her day off.

She texted some nurse friends to see if she could gather an impromptu group to mirror what had been done in Denver. Anyone interested, come join me, she said, recounting the general message she sent in texts messages and through social media. Weve got to go. We have to be there.

Leander heard the crowd at the Capitol before she saw them. There were horn honks as cars circled the streets around the government buildings.

I got goosebumps, she said. This is going to be big.

She and three other nurses stood on 17th Avenue, along a raised crosswalk that led from the Wesley Bolin Plaza to the three buildings that housed the state House, state Senate and executive officers.

Signs had phrases such as, Economic suicide is not the answer or Give me freedom or give me COVID. The few attendees with masks were those carrying long guns across their bodies, some dressed in Hawaiian shirts indicative of the extremist group, Boogaloo Boys. There were scattered signs showing support of the QAnon conspiracy theory.

On the plaza, a crowd listened to speeches shouted through a microphone passed around to willing speakers. One man said he would rather die of the novel coronavirus than have his freedom restricted. Another, who would briefly draw the attention of law enforcement, suggested that Democratlawmakers needed to be shot.

After the speeches, the crowd made its way to the Capitol. And right past the line of nurses.

Leander and her fellow nurses had decided to stay silent, not engaging or arguing with the protesters. I was not there to start a fight, she said.

But she was surprised that their mere presence inspired such ire.

We were triggering for them, Leander said.

The nurses became the target of invective. It seemed like everyone who passed by had a mean comment.

She and her handful of fellow nurses were vastly outnumbered.

It was a David and Goliath moment, she said. I was looking up at this beast that had been created and was spreading like wildfire.

It was like there was two pandemics: the virus and misinformation.

One man, wearing wrap-around sunglasses, had a U.S. flag attached to a pitchfork he held above his head. He walked close past Leander.

It was the shot that Chow, The Republic photographer, has envisioned when he saw Leander standing ramrod straight on the crosswalk. Chow framed Leander in his viewfinder and waited for someone to enter the frame opposite her.

When this pitchfork-carrying man did, he snapped. Though the resulting image cut off the tines of the pitchfork.

'That's the one there': A photo of a protesting nurse in Phoenix goes viral

The photographer tried to get Leanders name. She did not respond to his question.

But someone verified to the photographer that the woman was indeed a nurse. It was Sandra Leander, the mother of Lauren Leander.Though, she declined to give Chow her daughter's name.

Sandra Leander was there because Lauren Leander had called her parents to tell them of her plan to be at the protest.Sandra, sensing her daughter wanted her there for moral support, decided to head to the Capitol.

Her father, Tom, had obligations for his job with Fox Sports Arizona, where he hosted the pre-and post-game shows for the Phoenix Suns. While the NBA had stopped playing games, Leander was hosting interview shows and lookbacks at classic games to help the channel fill the schedule.

Looking back, Tom Leander said during a phone interview this month that he was glad he wasnt there. Im not sure how I would have handled it, he said.

At the Capitol, Sandra Leander texted her daughter, trying to find out where she was amid the sea of people. Then, she spotted her at the crosswalk on 17th Avenue. It was the first time the two had seen each other without a barrier between them in two months.

Sandra said, during an interview this month, that she caught her daughter's eye and they nodded at each other.

Leander and the nurses moved with the crowd to the Capitol mall. She stood in front of the stone building, now a museum, that sits at the center of the mall.

At that point, a reporter from a television station approached her. Leander knew the reporter through her father, Tom, and felt comfortable talking to him.

Im here for my patients, she said. I am here for the people that are dying alone. Im here for the people that cant see their families in the last moments of their life. Im here for the people that are truly sick and that are overflowing our ICUs at this moment.

As she spoke, protesters gathered around trying to engage her further. But Leander ignored them as best she could. She stayed silent.

Sandra Leander had stayed distant from her daughter before. But, here in front of the old Capitol building, she got close enough to hear what protesters were saying while they walked past.

"I heard people say they hoped she caught the virus and dies," Sandra Leander said. "I heard pretty much every vile word you can think of."

At one point, Sandra Leander put herself between a protester and her daughter. As she did so, she could feel her blood boiling.

"If I didn't leave, I would have been in trouble," Sandra Leander said.

The protesters entered the lobby of the Executive Tower. Leander and her fellow nurses waited outside.

After a while, the crowd subsided. Leander went back to the crosswalk along 17th Avenue. But, she said, after seeing the same handful of cars drive around, she decided to call it a day and head home.

Leander had been fostering two kittens at her apartment. She curled up with them and fell asleep.

After her nap, she realized that The Republic photo was getting attention.

The photo was on the front page of the April 21, 2020, edition of The Arizona Republic.

Sandra Leander said she remembered picking up the newspaper from the driveway, opening it. "My mouth dropped open," she said.

Tom Leander also saw the photo for the first time on The Republic's front page.

The quiet conviction she had, he said, of his reaction. Theres chaos surrounding her and her just being silent and strong. Thats what really captured everybodys attention and respect.

The next day, Lauren Leander spoke with a Republic reporter. That story attached a name to the viral photo. And more people wanted to speak to Leander.

She spoke with local TV news outlets. Then came the calls from national outlets. It snowballed from there, Leander said.

She appeared on Chris Cuomos show on CNN. She appeared on ABCs Good Morning America. She appeared on The View. There were podcasts and radio shows.

In normal times, such a media tour would have involved flights and hotel rooms. But, in the midst of the pandemic, Leander appeared on all these shows remotely over video conference. Her mother, the former TV reporter, gave her tips on lighting.

Leander knew that this attention would be fleeting. She wanted to use the opportunities she had to speak up for others in her profession, to try to get people to pay attention to the toll the virus was taking.

It was not something I planned for myself, not something I tried to get, not something I would have ever wanted, she said. For whatever reason, I was just the person who was supposed to be there.

Leander started using her sudden popularity to raise money to send food and medical supplies to the Navajo and Hopi communities, which had been hit hard by the pandemic. Her campaign raised more than $250,000.

Beyond the media appearances, Leander was still working shifts in the critical care unit of Banner hospital. The pace became unrelenting and Leander had no idea how long it would continue.

Leander said she received a few messages on Instagram from people who were at the April 20 protest and later became sick with COVID-19. That event was a super spreader, she said.

The messages were apologetic, she said, with the people thanking her for her work and expressing regret for attending the protest.

In the first weeks of the pandemic, Leander said she and her fellow nurses felt celebrated. People were ordering food to be delivered to the hospital to feed the staff. It was an unexpected show of community generosity.

But that ended abruptly, Leander said, after Memorial Day. There was a very clear end to it, Leander said.

She would send messages and photos to her parents. In one, sent on July 4, 2020, she was dressed in full plastic protective gear, including a helmet with a wide face shield. Tom Leander thought it looked like something given to astronauts by NASA.

Tom Leander posted the photo on Twitter with a message about how peoples actions affect his daughter and other health care workers. Here she is celebrating her 4th of July tonight, he wrote.

There was no end to the work in the COVID-19 unit. And, still, no end to what Leander saw as the infection of disinformation.

Some patients refused to believe they had COVID-19, she said. She took verbal darts from family members of patients who felt the same way. Thats the stuff that sticks with you, she said. Thats the stuff that wears on you.

Leander never contracted the virus herself, despite the constant exposure.

Thats a testament to masks, she said. Thats a testament to vaccines.

Over time, the attention died down. The invitations to appear on television shows slowed to a trickle. Her social media mentions and messages became normal.

All around Leander at the hospital, nurses were feeling burnout and, by December 2020, started to leave.

Leander said there were unfulfilled promises about hazard pay, new protective equipment and extra staffing.

I held out as long as I could, she said. Finally, it got to the point where I had to admit I couldnt do it anymore.

She stuck around until March 2021, just after an appearance on ABC's "GMA3" meant to mark the one-year anniversary of the pandemic. Leander said she didnt feel any excess pressure to stay because of her fleeting media profile. She simply stayed as long as she could, and that was longer than some, working ajob she saw as a calling.

I felt like I was leaving my family, she said.

Soon after she left, her body rebelled.

After two days, pea-sized welts developed on her wrists and ankles. They then spread to her back and ears. They were hives, something new for Leander. Her doctor gave her steroids and with some rest, they went away.

Read the rest here:

How a photo changed the life of a nurse who worked the COVID-19 unit of a Phoenix hospital - The Arizona Republic

What we know about the COVID-19 BA.2 subvariant

Updated: 9:55 AM EDT Mar 27, 2022

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THURSDAY. WE'RE BACK TO THE 60S BY FRIDAY. JENNIFER: NEW DEVELOPMENTSN I THE COVID PANDIC.EM OMICRON SUBVARIANTA. B2 HAS BECOME MORE PREVALENT IN THE UNITED STATES. MEANTIME, VACCINE MANUFACTURERS ARE CLOSE TO PRODUCING A SHOT FOR KIDS UNDER THE AGE OF 5. JOINGIN US, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY AT LOYOLA UNIVERSITY, WE HAVE DR. CHRISTOPHER THOMPSON JOINING US AGAIN. THANKS FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. JENNIFER: WHAT IS THE LATEST ON THE BA.2 VARIT?AN >> IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING MORE PREVALENT WORLDWIDE. 'SIT STILL NOT THE PRIMARY ONE CIRCULATGIN IN THE U.S. ROU ORIGINAL OMICRON IS STILL PREVALENT HERE. IT SMSEE TO BE MEOR TRANSMIBL, MORE INFECTIOUS. IT DOESN'T SEEMO T CAUSE MORE SEVERE DISEASE. THIS IS GOING TO BE SIMILAR TO OMICRON, EXCEPT IT MAYE B EASIER TO CATCH THIS ONE. >> IT SEEMS THAT MTOS OF THE PEOPLE BEING HOSPITALIZED ARE THOSE NOT VACCINATED. >> VACCINATION SEEMS TO BE VERY PROTECTIVE DEFENSE SEVERE DISEASE AND AGAINST DEATH. JENNIFER: WE'VE BEEN RUNNING A STORY ALL MORNING LONG ABOUTHE T POSSIBILITY OF A FOURTH BOOSTER FOR PEOPLE 50 AND OLDER. DO WE KNOW IF THIS IS REALLY NECESSARY? >> WE DON'T YET. AGAIN, LIKE YOU JUST IDSA, THE PEOPLE WHORE A GETTING THE SICKEST WITH THIS HAVEN'T BEEN VACC INATED AT ALL. SO A FOURTH BOOSTER SHOT WOULD CERTAINLY IROMPVE HOW WE'RE DOING AND PRENTGVE SIT, IF THE COST WOULD OUTWEIGHHE T BENEFITS. WE NEED TO GET MORE INFO. JENNIFER: WITH TRANSMISSION RATES GOING DOWN, AIRLINES ARE ASKING THE WHITE HOU TSEO REMOVE MASK MANDATES FOR TRAVEL. IS THAT TIME TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. >> IT'S BEEN HARD TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE OFF-RAMP IS FOR MASKING. THE GHHI QUALITY MASKS,HE T QN95S HAVE BEEN PROTECTIVE. THE CLOTH MASKS WITH OMICRON AND BA.2RE A LESS PROTECTIVE. AIRLINES HAVE GOOD FILTRATION SYSTEMS. I DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN THEY CHANGE THEM,UT B THEY HAVE GOOD FILTRATION SYSTEMS. THE MANDATE, IT MAY BE TIME FOR THAT TO GO AWAY. I WOULD STILL WEAR A MASK INN A EN CLOSED OR CROWDED SPACE. JENNIFER: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE POSSIBLE VACCINE FOR KIDS UNRDE THE AGE OF 5? >> SO THE DATA IS NOT AS GREAT AS IT WAS FOR ADULTS. WE'RE SEEING GREAT PROTECTION AGAINST SEVERE DISEASE AND AGAINST DEATH, BUT THATAS W PRETTY RARE FOR KIDS ANYWAY. WHAT WE ARE SEEGIN IS ABOUT A 30 TO 40 PERCENT PROTECTION AGASTIN GETTING THE INFECTION IN THE FIRST PLACE BY THE DETECTION METHODS WE HAVE. IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL. IT'S NOT AS GOOD AS WHAT THE ADULTS WERE GETTING. JE

What we know about the COVID-19 BA.2 subvariant

Updated: 9:55 AM EDT Mar 27, 2022

As the omicron subvariant BA.2 has become more prevalent in the United States, vaccine manufacturers are close to producing a shot for children under the age of 5. Loyola University Maryland associate professor of biology Christopher Thompson explains what we know about the BA.2 subvariant.

As the omicron subvariant BA.2 has become more prevalent in the United States, vaccine manufacturers are close to producing a shot for children under the age of 5. Loyola University Maryland associate professor of biology Christopher Thompson explains what we know about the BA.2 subvariant.

Originally posted here:

What we know about the COVID-19 BA.2 subvariant - WBAL TV Baltimore