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Your Coronavirus Update – Feb. 9, 2022
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Gov. McKee will hold a COVID briefing today at 1pm – when he is expected to talk about masks in schools.
NEARI Director and advocate for teachers, Robert Walsh, will retire this summer
The new COVID variant is in MA and last week was detected in Rhode Island.
A new proposal for Boston city employees would have the option to provide proof of two negative COVID-19 tests every week in lieu of proof of COVID-19 vaccination as long as Boston is not experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations.
IRS offices will be open for tax help hours on rotating Saturdays in 35 states – so far, Rhode Island has not been added.
Boston Mayor Wu’s office said that the mask mandate will be lifted once three specific criteria are met: fewer than 95 percent of ICU beds occupied in the city, under 200 COVID-19 hospitalizations per day, and a community positivity rate below 5 percent as defined by the Boston Public Health Commission.
RI League of Cities and Towns suggests RI leadership study the metrics of COVID over the February school vacation week in determining how to move forward with mask mandate changes, if any.
Beginning February 18, masks will be encouraged, but not required in most of Worcester’s indoor spaces regardless of vaccination status. … Though the mandate will not go into effect for more than a week, the Board of Health agreed to immediately drop the mandate for colleges or workplaces with at least a 90 percent vaccination rate.
The AHA’s Go Red for Women Luncheon set for February in Rhode Island has been moved to April, out of caution re COVID.
49 Providence city workers have not been vaccinated, as the mandate goes into effect soon.
Classic Theater housing a pizza restaurant has closed.
CVS is sending out text messages that your local pharmacy MAY be closed for ½ hour for lunch.
CVS and other pharmacies do not yet have masks available, that are government paid for, but they are expected in the next week.
Connecticut school mask mandate will expire on Feb. 28th
New Jersey school mask mandate will end on March 7th.
WPRI reports that the Providence school system has lost track of 279 students since the pandemic started.
Delaware’s universal indoor mask mandate will end on February 11 and that school mask mandates will expire March 31.
COVID-19 rapid antigen tests for Providence residents at the West Broadway Neighborhood Association TODAY at 4:00PM.
Vaccination rates by city/town in schools K-12:
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
New York Governor extends statewide mask mandate for schools.
For people who have been vaccinated or infected with another variant — which is a very sizable population at this point — an Omicron infection could end up working as an effective booster.
The U.S. typically offers at least 140,000 green cards each year to people moving to the country permanently for certain professional jobs, including nursing. Most are issued to people who are already living in the United States on temporary visas, though some go to workers overseas. This year, 280,000 of these green cards are available, and recruiters hope some of the extras can be used by nurses seeking to work in pandemic-weary hospitals in the United States.
Pfizer submitted for vaccine approval in children 6 mos to 5 years. It will include a 3rd booster. This is due to the explosion in the virus with children that happened in the omicron variant.
Spotify to add advisories to podcasts discussing COVID-19 misinformation.
America’s employers added a robust 467,000 jobs last month, a sign of the economy’s resilience in the face of a wave of omicron infections.
Daycare centers around the US are having problems finding staff, as need for daycare increases as people go back to work.
Judge blocks Youngkin’s masks-optional order for Virginia schools
Single mothers are showing to be the least likely to recover financially over the long term.
Australia reopens to vaccinated tourists.
The CDC has been recommending that immunocompromised people who got an mRNA vaccine get an additional booster, a fourth shot, at least five months after their third shot. It’s going to revise these guidelines to encourage a booster at three months instead. This applies to people 18 and older who got the Moderna vaccine and people 12 and older who got the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Some pharmacies have reportedly been turning away immunocompromised people who went in for a fourth shot. People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised have lower vaccine effectiveness, and their vaccine protection wanes over time.
If a person decides to wear a mask, when others are no longer required to do so, that mask should still provide some protection in an unmasked setting, assuming it’s well fitted and worn correctly.
Odds of testing positive reduced by: Cloth mask, 56% – Surgical mask, 66% – N95/KN95 mask, 83%.
The CDC estimates that about 7 million Americans have weakened immune systems because of diseases like advanced HIV or medications such as those used for cancer treatment. More: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html#considerations-covid19-vax-booster
The President of Turkey has tested positive for COVID
Fort Detrick US Army researcher/virologist, Dr. John DDigh – has been working on vaccines and predictors – he said a year and a half ago that vaccine immunity, herd immunity would not last long term, and that new variants would happen. Says vaccines are “very advantageous at keeping people out of the hospital, and increasing ability of people to fight disease”. “Our messaging could have been better.” With natural immunity you are much more likely to fight off the next virus, as long as that infection is similar to what you had. Estimates 70-80% of population have been infected or had the virus. Therapeutics: at beginning there were none. Now we have multiple monoclonal antibody cocktails and many companies developing them. That has changed the landscape – if you are high-risk you can receive treatment on top of vaccine. Some MABs were revoked because they were developed for Delta – others work on Omicron and Delta.
Commentary on the Amish experiment of “let it rip” – data shows they ended up with the same numbers and percentages as the rest of the country. Shut downs vs. no shut downs show the same thing. What it does is prevent all the other repercussions to society – such as overrun hospitals, lack of medical staff to treat, economic devastation, etc.
Pandemic of 1819 – looking at cities that shut down vs. cities that didn’t – while you may end up in the same place with deaths, disease, etc., you have to weigh all the other repercussions.
When does it end? End is not the right word. Hope vaccination immunity, natural immunity, will prepare our systems to control it like other infections endemic in community.
How we control the flu might resemble how we control COVID – there will be a vaccine, and some take it every year – some don’t. There will be a seasonal vaccine for COVID, and it will be up to the public to take it or not. They are working now on a PanCorona Vaccine which will work on a wider number of vaccines going forward.
Most at-home COVID-19 test brands recommend storing the tests above 35 degrees. The liquid reagent inside the cartridge that comes with the at-home tests is susceptible to freezing, and if that happens, the accuracy of the results decreases.
White House science advisor, Eric Lander, has resigned.
A task force comprised of scientists and data specialists at the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are working with hospitals nationwide to improve Covid-19 reporting. The group is asking hospitals to report numbers of patients who go to the facility because they have Covid-19 and separate those from individuals who go in for other reasons and test positive after being admitted,
New Jersey releases masking mandate in their schools – leaves it optional.
Statewide school mask requirements also have been lifted in Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Pregnant women with COVID-19 appear to be at greater risk for common pregnancy complications — in addition to health risks from the virus — than pregnant women without COVID-19
In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is considering whether to modify a statewide school mask mandate
Rules remain about masks in more than a half dozen states, including Washington, Oregon, Nevada and New Mexico, but more officials are signaling an end is near.
Cases are down 65% in the US
Masks will still be required at the SuperBowl this weekend.
Truckers protest in Ottawa continue and are beginning to move into the US – Detroit, yesterday.
The CDC says 50% of adults eligible for boosters have not gotten them.
The IRS is ending its plan to require facial ID for filing taxes online.
The CDC has added countries to Level 4 Travel Risk for COVID: This week’s additions to Level 4 are:
• Armenia
• Cuba
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Israel
• Japan
• Libya
• Oman
World leaders will today launch a call to end the pandemic as a global emergency in 2022 by funding the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, a partnership of leading agencies that is providing low and middle-income countries with tests, treatments, vaccines, and personal protective equipment.
Interview with researcher from Fort Detrick – begin at 1:38:
Start at 1:38
Thanks for always providing updates on Covid. As much as I hate them, I’m not giving up my mask!!
I had my booster 4 months ago. At least you have put it out there that the CDC recommends a 4th booster for those of us who fall under the criteria. I’ll be contacting my dr. today to see what he recommends for me.
Another day of good reporting!!!
Thank you, Lessley – we try!