Category Archives: Covid-19

Tennessee continues to insinuate masks don't work and the task of keeping kids safe from COVID-19 in schools is an individual, not community, task, according to legal arguments in federal court on Friday.

U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw is deciding whether he will issuea preliminary injunction to block enforcement of a new state law's provision prohibitingschools from implementing mask mandates except in extremely rare circumstances.

It comes on the heels of three other cases across the state one in Crenshaw's court, too over the state's approach to masking in schools.

On Friday, the sides faced off on familiar lines.

The state argued that with the advent of vaccines, the increased availability of at-home tests and some promising treatment options, parents have the option to find a way to send their kids to school or not without impacting the others.

Parents of eightchildren with disabilities, the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, argue school isn't equivalent to deciding whether to stay home from a birthday party.

School is important, they argued Friday, important enough to accept some risk of contracting the virus, even for their more-vulnerable children.

But that risk can be mitigated to avoid widespread outbreaks among all children, and especially those with higherrisk of contracting the virus and severe outcomes from the infection, those attorneys argued.

Thesearguments run along the same lines as the three previouscases. Indeed, they share a handful of plaintiffs and attorneys.

Gov. Bill Lee lastweek signeda comprehensive legislative packageaimed to curtailing the power local agencies have over COVID-19 restrictions. On Friday, he announced he would not extend a state of emergency in Tennessee because of the virus.

Signing the new law cameon the heels of Lee's executive order allowing parents statewide to opt their children out of any such mandate at their schools.

Lee rescinded the orderin light of the new state law, but it had already been blocked in three counties by three separate federal judges, including Crenshaw.

Eight Tennessee children, via their parents, sued Lee and Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn under the new law on Friday, just after the governor signed it. They argue the restrictions violate their children's rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Unexpectedly, the lawsuit was assigned quickly, landing on Crenshaw's desk almost immediately.

Crenshaw also acted with remarkable speed, blocking the implementation of the law until he could weigh the legal arguments.

Governor signs bill: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signs sweeping COVID-19 legislation into law

Masks in schools: Tennessee's new law on school mask mandates remains temporarily on hold, federal judge says

The judge extended deadlines for attorneys through Dec. 2to file court documents.

Plaintiffs are expected to add a new filing this week after the Associated Press reported Friday an aide in the governor's office informed lawmakers of concerns the law was illegal under the ADA before it was passed.

Althoughthe state continues to push against claims of the widely accepted efficacy of masks, they stepped back from testimony in the previous case from a witness Crenshaw said was "troubling and problematic for several reasons."

The state also basedits arguments Friday on COVID-19 data, with expected exhibits to include reports from the Tennessee Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Education and the Food and Drug Administration.

At one point Friday, the state asked a witness whether it was true COVID-19 infection numbers had been going down.

They have not.

Case counts had been dropping over the past few months, plateauing in most places still higher than the average rates of cases before this summer's delta variant surge, Tennessee Department of Health data showed. But in recent weeks, cases have been ticking up again, data shows.

The state's attorneys also plan to reference statements from two of the other lawsuits against Lee's previous mask order, from both the Middle and Eastern Districts.

On the other side, the parents' attorneys added to their witness list from the previous lawsuits with two pediatricians, an infectious disease and internal medicine specialist at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, a pediatric specialist fromSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital, both in Memphis,and the mother of a plaintiff, who is herself a board-certified immunologist based in Middle Tennessee.

They've submitted declarations from their previous witnesses, as well, leaning on evidence that has already been successful in convincing Crenshaw that children are at risk if schools cannot put in place mask requirements.

Facing lawsuit: New Tennessee COVID-19 law banning school mask mandates is unconstitutional, lawsuit says

This time, the families are arguing against a law passed by the full legislature, not an emergency order from the governor alone.

With the new bill, "the state legislature passed what is, charitably, a vindictive law to elevate the 'rights' of persons to avoid Covid measures (quarantines and cloth universal masking) while removing the actual federal rights of children with disabilities who require such measures as reasonable accommodations to safely access the public school," they argue in a pretrial brief.

The state dances away from the claim they're barring ADA-compliance. That's a decision of the individual principal, they say in filings.

They also argue that keeping children with disabilities home as a way to avoid possible infection isn't "segregation," as the attorneys for the children argue.

"The Act does not require or even suggest segregation of a student requesting

an accommodation. Rather, the Act allows schools to implement a mask mandate so that the accommodated student be provided in-person education, which does not differ from the accommodation Plaintiffs have sought...Nothing in the Actspeaks to who

will be within 6 feet of the accommodated person, other than that such persons shall be required to mask," they wrote.

The state's attorneys also argue the new possibility of vaccinations for young children mitigates the risk of spreading the virus, calling them "extremely effective" on Friday, even though the new law also bans vaccine mandates in almost every case.

Arguments also dipped into debate over the idea of schools having the power to quarantine sick children, which the law may block them from doing. The new law gives the state health commissioner the authority to set quarantine policies.

School medical staff always had the ability to send sick kids home from school, the parents argued.

Reach reporter Mariah Timms at mtimms@tennessean.com or 615-259-8344 and on Twitter @MariahTimms.

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Tennessee's new COVID-19 law is back in court. Here's how the arguments unfolded. - The Tennessean

Paxlovid, a Pfizer's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pill, is seen manufactured in Ascoli, Italy, in this undated handout photo obtained by Reuters on November 16, 2021. Pfizer/Handout via REUTERS

Register

Nov 19 (Reuters) - The Biden administration is looking at ways to broaden access to potential COVID-19 antiviral pills when supply increases in the coming months, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing a person familiar with the plans.

The administration is reviewing whether Paxlovid, the antiviral from Pfizer Inc (PFE.N), can be available on the commercial market in retail pharmacies if it gets regulatory clearance, the Journal reported.

Molnupiravir, an oral pill from Merck & Co Inc (MRK.N) and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP that is also under regulatory review, may be included in the government's plan to make it commercially available, the journal reported, citing the person.

Register

The United States has agreed to buy 10 million courses of Pfizer's drug and has so far secured 3.1 million courses of Merck's pill. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently reviewing applications for emergency use authorization of the drugs.

Pfizer pointed to its supply deal with the U.S. government announced on Thursday, in response to a Reuters request for comment. Merck and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) did not immediately respond.

Both drugs are viewed as promising weapons in the fight against the public health crisis, with countries scrambling to secure supply deals after promising data reported by the companies.

The U.S. government is pushing the drugmakers to boost production, the report said, adding that commercial sales could occur when supply of the pills increases.

Register

Reporting by Amruta Khandekar; Editing by Anil D'Silva

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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U.S. looking to broaden access to COVID-19 antiviral pills - WSJ - Reuters

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced Friday he will not renew the COVID-19 state of emergency, letting it expire Friday night.

By doing so, Lee is officially ending a 20-month-long status that granted the governor elevated authority to suspend state laws and regulations to combat COVID-19. It also allowed Tennessee to draw down additional federal funding assisting the state's pandemic response.

"This tool has provided deregulation and operational flexibility for hospitals and industries most affected by COVIDs challenges," Lee said in a statement Friday. "Should our state face any future surges, we will consider temporarily reinstating this tool, but in the meantime, we are evaluating opportunities for permanent deregulation."

The governor's decision comes as the state still is grappling with COVID-19.

The average number of daily infections in Tennesseehas fallen in recent months, but still remains at a much higher level than before the delta variant surge. With less than half of the population vaccinated, Tennessee still ranks near the bottom of all 50 states in vaccination rate.

Related: This week in coronavirus: School mask battles move to court

Lee declared the state of emergency on March 12, 2020, more than a week after the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Tennessee and a day after the World Health Organization declared the disease a global pandemic.

"This emergency declaration is an important next step in our efforts to treat and mitigate the impact of this disease," the governor said at the time.

Over the past 20 months, Lee never implemented a statewide mask mandate, but did restrict gathering sizes during the winter COVID-19 surge last year. Through an executive order, he granted county mayors the authority to implement their own mask mandates, and encouraged them to do so.In July 2020, Lee said he believed an earlier implementation of mask mandates would have helped avoid business shutdowns.

The Tennessee legislature, where Republicans hold a supermajority, swiftly passed a series of laws last month during a special session that significantly rolled back the state's COVID-19 restrictions. One all-encompassing measure set a stringent standard for governments and schools to implement mask mandates, and outlawed most vaccine requirements.

Lee, who had resisted the special session and remained reluctant to express his opinion on the measures, signed the bill into law last week. But he said some provisions needed a "correction" and urged the legislature to amend the bill in January.

House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, told The Tennessean last week he will unlikely loosen the laws during the regular session. In a tweet on Friday, Sexton said he agreed it was time to end the emergency.

Some of the laws have drawn legal challenges. The law prohibiting schools from issuing mask mandates remains blocked in federal court.

Reach Yue Stella Yu at yyu@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter at @bystellayu_tnsn.

Want to read more stories like this? A subscription to one of ourTennessee publicationsgets you unlimited access to all the latest politics news, podcasts like Grand Divisions, plus newsletters, a personalized mobile experience and the ability to tap into stories, photos and videos from throughout the USA TODAY Network's daily sites.

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Gov. Bill Lee won't extend COVID-19 state of emergency in Tennessee - The Tennessean

Louisiana will require students to get vaccinated against COVID-19, or submit an exemption, to attend schools, daycares and universities, under a pending health department rule that adds the disease to the state-mandated immunization schedule.

It's unclear when exactly the rule will be enforced, though when it does go into effect, it will only apply to age groups that are fully approved by the Food & Drug Administration to get the jab. Kids as young as 5-years-old are currently eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, though so far, full FDA approval has only been granted for those age 16 and up.

Louisianas Office of Public Health alerted the Legislature of the proposed rule change on Sept. 20 when it published a Notice of Intent both online and in the Louisiana Register,a journal that provides access to legal notices from state agencies. It then followed up on Nov. 10 to inform lawmakers that no public comment had been submitted in opposition to the rule.

Under the states rule-making statutes, that set off a 30-day shot clock for the health care committees in the House and Senate to call oversight hearings.

The chair of the House Committee on Health & Welfare, state Rep. Larry Bagley, said lawmakers plan to hold such a hearing on Dec. 6. His counterpart in the upper chamber, Sen. Fred Mills, said the Senate doesn't plan to gather for an oversight hearing at this time.

Students are already required under state law to be immunized against certain vaccine-preventable diseases before attending public and private K-12 schools, daycares, universities and colleges. The Legislature delegates responsibility for curating that list to the state health department.

To enter kindergarten, for example, students must be vaccinated against polio, diphtheria, tetanus, Chickenpox, Hepatitis B, the Whooping Cough, measles, mumps and rubella. Another round of shots is required before entering 6th grade to boost immunity and stave off meningitis.

Still, Louisiana offers broad exemptions from those mandates. A student or guardian can submit a written dissent to opt out of the immunization requirement. Or they can provide a letter from a physician stating that a particular vaccine isnt advised for medical reasons. The state Department of Education even provides a stock exemption form online.

Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today.

Bagley, R-Stonewall, said the exemptions should offer comfort to those who aren't interested in getting the COVID-19 shot. All you need to do is say, No, Im not going to take it, Bagley said.

Still, Bagley said he plans to vote against approving the new rule. To stop the rule from being adopted, a majority of the members of both oversight committees, as well as the governor, would have to agree that the proposed rule was unacceptable.

Mills, chair of the Senate Health & Welfare Committee, said the proposed rule isn't the sort of major change that warrants an oversight hearing, noting that there's still ample opportunity for students to opt-out.

"Theyre not changing their policies of the freedoms of parents to decide if a vaccination is appropriate for their child," said Mills, R-Park.

Gov. John Bel Edwards repeatedly said that he planned to move forward with adding the COVID-19 vaccine to the immunization schedule, once it received full approval from the FDA. That approval came at the end of August, just as Louisiana was recovering from it's fourth surge of the deadly virus.

Eighteen children in Louisiana under the age of 18 have died of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, according to health department data.

"We strongly encourage everyone who is eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine to protect themselves and those around them," said Aly Neel, a health department spokesperson. "We know parents and families want to make the best possible decisions for themselves and their children, which is why we encourage them to reach out to their healthcare providers with any questions they might have."

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COVID-19 vaccinations will be required for Louisiana students under proposed health department rule - The Advocate

Through a new K-12 school pilot program, launched this week in Charlotte, students, parents and staff can sign up to take home free kits containing two COVID-19 antigen tests.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday, Nov. 18, introduced the MI Backpack Home Tests service to support families, teachers and support workers during the pandemic.

We must use every tool in our toolbox to keep kids safe and ensure that they can continue learning in person this school year, Whitmer said in a statement.

The announcement came as case numbers are rising rapidly in Michigan. This week, the seven-day average number of new cases reported per day reached the highest level since the start of the pandemic. This week, the state led the country in total new cases and new cases per 100,000 people.

Most recently, the state reported nearly 90 new outbreaks in schools, infecting more than 520 people.

Those enrolled in the voluntary program at Charlotte Public Schools receive one at-home test kit, which includes the two tests and educational materials. They may use the tests when they exhibit symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19.

Whitmer launched the program in partnership with the state Department of Health and Human Services.

MDHHS is committed to looking for innovative ways to protect the public health during this pandemic, Dr. Alexis Travis, senior deputy director for the MDHHS public health administration, said in the statement.

Additional districts, including Benton Harbor Area Schools and Battle Creek Public Schools, will later be added to the program. They are to receive their test kits after Thanksgiving break.

The Department of Health and Human Services is inviting a geographically diverse group of schools to participate so its effectiveness can be gauged across the state, according to the statement.

This is an expansion of the MI Safe Schools Testing Program, begun in January and intended to support schools incorporating SARS-CoV-2 testing into their plans to resume in-person learning. It provides rapid antigen testing to educators and staff.

Testing is one way to control and monitor the virus.

Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigans chief medical executive, also encourages mask wearing, maintaining good ventilation, social distancing, handwashing and vaccination.

Whitmer urges all parents to take their children five and older to get the safe and effective Pfizer vaccine, authorized this month for children 5-11.

So far, about 8% of this population has received a first dose and those 12 to 15, eligible for the vaccine since May, are among the least vaccinated group in Michigan.

Statewide, about 60% of the eligible population is vaccinated. Without including children 5 to 11, the number jumps to about 65%.

Read more on MLive:

Coronavirus data for Thursday, Nov. 18: Daily cases spike 104% as Michigans surge hits No. 1 in the U.S.

COVID-19 Q&A: Should I invite non-vaccinated family to Thanksgiving dinner?

Michigan reports 2-day total of 14,561 new COVID cases and 242 deaths on Wednesday, Nov. 17

West Michigan healthcare coalition says its resources are being overwhelmed by COVID and other patients

521 infected across 87 new coronavirus outbreaks at Michigan schools

Excerpt from:

Pilot program launched in Charlotte to send home rapid COVID-19 tests with students, staff - mlive.com

Disney Cruise Line has expanded its vaccination mandate to include children ages 5 and older, effective January 13, 2022, it has announced.

According to a report by CNN Travel, the new requirement is in line with the company policy stating that all vaccine-eligible guests as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must be inoculated against COVID-19 before boarding. The CDC endorsed the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine following the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations authorization in late October, that doses could be distributed to children ages 5-11.

The Miami Herald reported that proof of a negative test between 3 days and 24 hours before departure is required for children under the age of 5, and to board sailings scheduled prior to January 13, children from age 5-11 can provide either proof of vaccination or a negative test.

In terms of testing, Disney said in its announcement that rapid antigen tests will not be accepted, and the negative test must be a NAAT test, a rapid PCR test or a lab PCR test, the Miami Herald explained.

According to the statement, the cruise line will accept proofs of vaccination for passengers from Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Covishield, Novavax, Sinopharm and Sinovac, CNN cited.

Disney Cruise Line said, We are resuming sailing in a gradual, phased approach that emphasizes multiple layers of health and safety measures, cited CNN.

According to CDC data, nearly 1.9 million children under the age of 12 have received their first dose of vaccine, and of all new vaccinations over the past two weeks, the 5-11 age group account for about one-third, CNN reported.

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COVID-19 vaccination required for Disney cruise passengers ages 5 and older, starting January 2022 - pennlive.com

BEREA The Browns have the powerful engine of their offense back.

Running back Nick Chubb was activated Friday from the reserve/COVID-19 list, and the two-time Pro Bowl selection will play when the Browns (5-5) face the Detroit Lions (0-8-1) on Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium.

"It's great to have No. 24 back," Browns All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett said after Friday's practice."I mean, he's the man, one of the best in the league, and a great locker-room guy."

The Browns announced the move involving Chubb onFriday morning along with the activation of rookie running back/wide receiver Demetric Felton from the same list. Like Chubb, Felton will be active against the Lions.

Chubb and Felton each tested positive for a breakthrough case of COVID-19 on Nov. 9 and missed Sunday's 45-7 loss to the New England Patriots. Both players returned to practice Friday.

I didn't really have any symptoms," Chubb said after practice."I felt bad maybe one day, but other than that, I felt great.

"[Last week was] pretty boring. I didn't really do anything. Just hung out at the house."

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Chubb has "fresh legs" and "physically he looks good." Stefanski didn't say he would limit Chubb's plays inhis first game back.

"I think well be mindful of it," Stefanski said,"but I dont have a number in mind at this point.

"His teammates were excited to see him [back]. Nicks very important to what we do and who we are."

Chubb said he feels like himself and is preparedfor a full workload against the Lions.

I'm ready for whatever, he said.

The temperature at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus was 36 degrees during Friday's practice, but Chubb donned shorts without long sleeves under his jersey.

"It's great to see him out here, especially with no sleeves. He doesn't care about this cold," Garrett said.

As Chubb stood at an outdoor interview podium, he admitted the cold bothered him.

"It's killing me now," he said. "I stopped moving now.Now I feel it.

"I like to practice how I play, so I won't have anything on in the game, so that's what I like to have on in practice."

The forecast is calling for cold, rainy weather for Sunday's game.

"This team, they'lltry to run this offense through Chubb," Lions coach Dan Campbell told Detroit reporters Friday. "Hes a special player. If there is such a thing as being underrated, he may be one of these underrated backs in the league. You can argue hes the best or top two or something. Hes a special back. We know theyre going to give him the ball. Hes going to carry a load. Theyre going to commit to it, especially in the conditions were getting ready to face.

"If we dont have population around the football with this guy, or we dont try to wrap up and buy some time for our teammates to get there, this guy will make you look bad. But we understand that, too. Our defense knows that."

Stefanski ruled out the Browns' other star running back, Kareem Hunt, earlier in the week. Hunt remains on injured reserve and will miss his fifth consecutive game Sunday with a calf injury, meaning No. 3 running back D'Ernest Johnson should still have a substantial role against the Lions.

'Smile, smile, smile': Aunt who raised Browns' D'Ernest Johnson still running alongside a Pop Warner fence

Chubb, though,is the Browns' best player on offense. In seven games this season, he has120 carries for 721 yards (6 average) and six touchdowns to go along with eight catches for 69 yards. Like Hunt, Chubb suffered a calf injury earlier this season. Chubb missed two games with the calfinjury and another game due to COVID-19.

A sixth-round pick in this year's draft, Felton is a running back, receiver and return man. He has three carries for 16 yards (5.3 average), 13 catches on 14 targets for 147 yards and a touchdown, 26 punt returns for 218 yards (8.4 average) and four kickoff returns for 65 yards (16.3 average) this season.

"Hes going to be OK to play. Hes also going to catch punts out there, as you cansee, until it gets dark,"Stefanski said of Felton, who caught punts after practice.

The Browns need all the help they can get Sunday because a loss to the winless Lions would be thekiss of death for Cleveland's slim playoff hopes.

Chubb said it was hard to watch the Browns get blown out by the Patriots.

"Seeing my team out there and not having things go our way, it was hard for me to watch," Chubb said. "But it's a new week, a new opportunity. We still have everything ahead of us. We got to come out here, had a great practice and got to keep moving forward.

Cleveland coordinator under fire: Browns DC Joe Woods takes criticism, including from Myles Garrett, in stride, makes changes, looks to rebound

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com.

Originally posted here:

Fresh off COVID-19 list, Browns' Nick Chubb, Demetric Felton will face Lions: 'I'm ready for whatever' - Akron Beacon Journal

News Release

Monday, November 15, 2021

NIH-supported research will track effects of COVID-19 infection on children over three years.

A large, long-term study of the impacts of COVID-19 on children has enrolled its first participant at the National Institutes of Healths Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The study, which is supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, will track up to 1,000 children and young adults who previously tested positive for COVID-19 and evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on their physical and mental health over three years. The study is expected to yield a detailed picture of COVID-19s effects on the overall health of children, their development and immune responses to infection, and their overall quality of life in the years following infection. This work is part of NIHs Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative, to better understand the long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, initial data suggested that children were less likely to suffer from severe cases of COVID-19 than older people. However, among the 6 million reported pediatric COVID-19 cases the United States, many children have experienced significant acute and long-term effects of the disease. Although increasing numbers of children are becoming eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, the lack of vaccine-derived protection for most children has made this age group especially vulnerable to infection. In addition, children can suffer from a suite of inflammatory symptoms, collectively called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), that can affect multiple organs and lead to severe illness. MIS-C can arise even when the child initially appeared to be asymptomatic for COVID.

Although we know that children are vulnerable to COVID-19, we still do not have a clear picture of how COVID-19 affects them in the long term, said NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. In adult patients, the long-term sequelae of COVID, including post-acute COVID-19, can significantly affect quality of life. Our investigations into the pediatric population will deepen our understanding of the public health impact that the pandemic has had and will continue to have in the months and years to come.

Study participants will be enrolled with the consent of their parents or guardians. The NIH Clinical Center will recruit children ranging from 3 to 21 years of age, and Childrens National Hospital in Washington, DC, will recruit children ranging in age from birth to 21 years. In addition to tracking the long-term health effects of COVID-19 and attempting to determine risk factors for complications, the study also will evaluate the long-term immune responses to the disease, screen for genetic factors that may affect how children respond to COVID-19 infection, and determine whether immunological factors influence long-term outcomes.

Children may be eligible to be enrolled if they have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past, even if they were asymptomatic. Participants will receive a full physical examination and undergo a complete medical history. Study physicians will collect a variety of baseline samples, including blood, nasal swabs, stool and urine. An optional genetic analysis may be performed to identify potential genetic risk factors for severe COVID-19 outcomes. Participants also will undergo scans of their hearts and other organs. Members of their households without a history of COVID infection also will be asked to enroll as part of a control cohort. In all, the study may enroll up to 2,000 people, the participants who have tested positive for COVID-19 and their household contacts.

Children and young adults who enroll within 12 weeks of a COVID-19 infection or a positive COVID-19 test will visit a clinic for follow-up at three and six months and then every six months for a total of three years. Those who enroll more than 12 weeks after a positive COVID-19 test will have clinic visits scheduled every six months for three years. At these follow-up visits, participants will undergo additional scans, sample analyses, questionnaires, and other means of tracking their health, development, and overall quality of life, including their mental and social well-being. Any re-infections or adverse events that may be linked to a prior COVID-19 infection will be documented. The researchers anticipate that the study will take approximately six years to complete.

For more information about the study, please visit ClinicalTrials.gov using the study identifier NCT04830852.

NIAID conducts and supports research at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID website.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

NIHTurning Discovery Into Health

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Long-term study of children with COVID-19 begins - National Institutes of Health

Below is the full COVID-19 report for Nov. 12-14.

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) COVID-19 test positivity rates continue to trend up in Nevada and Clark County, a sign that the virus is still spreading in the community.

The state is reporting 7.6%, up from 7.4% on Friday, and the county is now at 6.8%, up from 6.6% on Friday. Those numbers have been on the rise over the past week and a half, but they remain below the states threshhold of 8.0%.

New figures on COVID-19 breakthrough cases show five deaths in the past week, along with 20 new hospitalizations and a total of 430 new cases.

Todays update includes data from Nov. 12-14 as agency reports through the weekend are totaled.

A look at current COVID-19 numbers:

The state is following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on the mask rule. The mandate will remain in place in each county until the following conditions are met:

Test positivity in Clark County is at 6.8% which is up from 6.6% on Friday, Nov. 12, when numbers were last reported.

Nevadas test positivity rate is at 7.6%, up from 7.4%. It fell below 5.0%, the World Health Organizations goal, on May 17 and climbed above it on June 28.

Of the 36 additional COVID-19-related deaths reported in Nevada, 24 were from Clark County. Southern Nevada now accounts for 6,073 of the states 7,844 deaths. The 14-day rolling average is at 4 deaths per day.

As of Nov. 11, the Southern Nevada Health District reports there are 195 breakthrough deaths (+5), 607 breakthrough hospitalizations (+20) and 12,125 breakthrough cases (+430). (Increases are compared to numbers reported on Nov. 4.)

As of yesterday, a total of 5,435,613 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Nevada, with an increase of 22,124 since Fridays report. The number of tests reported has gone up as more employers require employees to be vaccinated or go through weekly testing.

*NOTE: Daily lab data from DHHS and SNHD reports is updated every morning for theprevious day.

The test positivity rate in Clark County has dropped below 8%, which takes the county off the states watch list for elevated transmission risk. If the county can sustain levels for test positivity and testing, state restrictions including mask requirements could be relaxed. A separate measure of the countys case rate currently high at 113.0 cases (per 100,000 population over the past seven days) needs to drop below 50 for two straight weeks before the mask mandate can end.

In todays report, 11 of Nevadas 17 counties are still flagged for high transmission.

Clark Countys case rate (447 per 100,000 over the past 30 days) is flagged in data reported today. Test positivity rate (6.8%) and testing (317 tests per day per 100,000) are within the states acceptable range.

Thestates health department reports3,471,173 dosesof the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Nevada,as of Nov. 14.

As of today, 56.95% of Nevadans currently eligible for the vaccine are fully vaccinated, and 65.36% of the eligible population has initiated vaccinations. Clark County reports that 56.24% of its eligible residents are fully vaccinated.

NOTE: The state is not updating hospitalization dataonweekendsor holidays.

According to the statesDepartment of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the number of hospitalized patients in Nevada was DOWN (-16) from the last report.

The current number of hospitalizations is727 confirmed/suspected cases. Hospitals reported 170 of those patients were in intensive care units, and 100 were on ventilators.To give some perspective, the state set a record high for hospitalized patients on Dec. 13 with 2,025 cases.

The Nevada Hospital Associations most recent report describes a minor-to-moderate resurgence statewide. Hospitalizations are slowly increasing throughout the state causing Nevada to experience a minor-to-moderate COVID-19 resurgence.

Hospitals remain on alert status for staffing, and caution that an outbreak of another all-cause increase in hospitalizations like the flu could overpower steps hospitals have made to maintain staffing.

The report also indicates hospitals expect to see more activity related to vaccination requirements for people with companies with 100 or more employees.

The number of people who have recovered from the virus in Southern Nevada continues to increase. The latest county update estimates a total of 321,808 recovered cases; thats 95.2% of all reported cases in the county, according toSNHDs latest report.

The health district providesa daily map with the number of positive tests in each ZIPcodein Clark County.

Nevadareopened to 100% capacity on June 1and social distancing guidelines lifted, helping the state return to mostly pre-pandemic times, with some exceptions.

The CDC reversed course on July 27, saying fully vaccinated Americans in areas with substantial and high transmission should wear masks indoors when in public as COVID-19 cases rise. Most of Nevada falls into those two risk categories.

Nevada said it would adopt the CDCs guidance with the new mask guidelinethat went into effect at 12:01 a.m. on July 30. Thisoverrides Clark Countys employee mask mandate, which went into effect in mid-July.

On Aug. 16, Gov. Sisolak signed a new directivethat allows fully vaccinated attendees at large gatherings to remove their masks, but only if the venue chooses to require everyone in attendance to provide proof of vaccination. Those who have just one shot and are not fully vaccinated would still be allowed to attend, as would children under 12, but both would need to wear masks.

Masks still must be worn when required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local businesses and workplace guidance.

State approval for vaccinating children 5-11 years old was given on Nov. 3, with plans by the Southern Nevada Health District to begin vaccinations on Nov. 10. The Pfizer vaccine is the only vaccine approved for children at this time.

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November 15, 2021

A rare heart condition, myocarditis, may have you wondering, should I get the COVID vaccine? Should I get my child vaccinated?

To help us understand this heart condition and if there is substantial risk from COVID-19 or the vaccine, we connected with cardiologist Brett Sealove, M.D., chief of cardiology at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, and Meghan Tozzi, M.D., a pediatric cardiologist at the Joseph M. Sanzari Childrens Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center who is part of the Pediatric COVID Recovery Center team.

Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle and pericarditis is inflammation in the outer lining of the heart; both are typically a response to a viral infection.

Yes, you can get myocarditis from the COVID-19 virus.

In a study from the CDC, patients infected with COVID-19 were 16 times more likely to have myocarditis than patients without COVID-19.

The CDC has reported that heart inflammation is a rare side effect that can occur from the mRNA COVID vaccines, Pfizer or Moderna.

Cases reported have been seen more often in young males, after the second dose and within a few days after vaccination.

We have seen myocarditis in older children and young adults as a result of the vaccine, but even in the highest risk group, 16 to 29 year olds, the risk is one in 40,000, thats .003%, explains Dr. Tozzi.

The risk of getting myocarditis from getting vaccinated is markedly lower than getting myocarditis (or significantly ill) from the COVID virus itself, explains Dr. Sealove. The answer is, you want to prevent COVID infection in your body, including COVID potentially impacting your heart.

For children, the symptoms can be a bit unclear, as it can present in a similar way to things like a cold or other viruses, adds Dr. Tozzi. If your child has COVID-19 or recently received the vaccine, keep an eye on their symptoms and contact their doctor if you have any concerns.

Its usually fairly conservative watch, wait and have them recover on their own. Theres really no great remedy for treatment of myocarditis other than supportive care, explains Dr. Sealove. The vast majority of these cases recover on their own.

It is a rather mild version of myocarditis that develops after vaccination. Children tend to bounce back quickly, get better on their own and return to school in a few days, adds Dr. Tozzi. And again, the risk for myocarditis from the vaccine is very small, and expected to be an even lower risk in the five to 11 year old age group.

I would argue that getting vaccinated and vaccinating your children is the number one priority, rather than concern about a relatively low risk, reversible complication of vaccination, adds Dr. Sealove.

The benefit of being vaccinated, across the spectrum of the ages, appears to far outweigh the risk of myocarditis, concludes Dr. Sealove.

The material provided through HealthU is intended to be used as general information only and should not replace the advice of your physician. Always consult your physician for individual care.

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