Tag: area

  • Waco Area Cancer Survivor’s Life Transforms With Texas Original’s Medical Cannabis | News

    Waco Area Cancer Survivor’s Life Transforms With Texas Original’s Medical Cannabis | News

    AUSTIN, Texas–(Business enterprise WIRE)–Could 4, 2022–

    Texas Authentic Compassionate Cultivation (TXOG), Texas’ top health care cannabis provider, produced its most current success story highlighting the outstanding journey of indigenous Texan and cancer survivor Barry Freeman. Barry—who also suffers from PTSD—introduced clinical cannabis into his cure prepare in 2019 and has due to the fact eradicated the consumption of dozens of ache tablets though suffering from a drastic reduction in symptoms with no facet consequences.

    This push launch capabilities multimedia. Check out the complete launch here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/household/20220504005364/en/

    In 2015, a time he describes as “the worst calendar year of his existence,” Barry shed his son and gained a phase-4 colorectal most cancers diagnosis. Soon after remaining initially turned away by many medical doctors thanks to his terminal analysis, Barry underwent 37 rounds of chemotherapy and radiation cure, obtaining remission in 2017. His cancer treatment’s long lasting effects combined with emotional distress led to ongoing signs and symptoms of persistent discomfort, nervousness and worry assaults.

    “I was in a incredibly dark position that year. Living with cancer and losing my son brought on extreme despair on leading of a barrage of bodily signs and symptoms that created my everyday living miserable,” Barry reported.

    Barry then sustained a debilitating shoulder harm in 2018, exacerbating his ailment and major to a prescription of 12 ache supplements per working day. It was then his medical professional advised health care cannabis as a cure option.

    “Medical cannabis saved my lifestyle. In an hour of using my initially dose of Texas Original’s medication, I felt additional aid than I’d at any time felt by means of any agony pill. I could feel the calming result of the treatment appear in excess of me. I come to feel far better than I did at 45 several years aged. Emotionally and bodily, it’s amazing to be in this article now and sense this way after becoming so ill,” Barry additional.

    The Compassionate Use System (CUP) was enacted by the Texas legislature in June 2015, permitting for the initial legal use of health-related cannabis products and solutions by individuals with intractable epilepsy. It was not until the plan expanded in 2019 to involve terminal most cancers, all forms of epilepsy, autism, a number of sclerosis, spasticity, ALS, and hundreds of neurodegenerative issues that individuals like Barry turned eligible to access health care hashish. Following the 2021 session, the program expanded to incorporate all most cancers clients and those people struggling from PTSD.

    “Can you fathom the actual physical and emotional agony Barry endured by losing a liked 1 and obtaining a terminal prognosis in the identical calendar year? Barry was ineligible for lifetime-altering treatment for just about four yrs soon after his original diagnosis,” reported Morris Denton, CEO of TXOG. “No Texan should have to endure a hold off in procedure for signs that medical cannabis is verified to ease. This is why continuing to broaden the Compassionate Use Plan issues. There are 1000’s of Texans who can and ought to be benefitting from the ability of clinical hashish now and our group is committed to growing the CUP to include things like each and every of them.”

    TXOG’s gummy, tincture and lozenge items are obtainable for statewide supply, for pickup at TXOG’s dispensary in Austin, Texas, and as a result of the company’s effortless select-up locations in Addison, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Well worth, Houston, Lubbock, North Austin, San Antonio and Wichita Falls.

    To master irrespective of whether you or a cherished a person qualifies for clinical hashish, visit www.texasoriginal.com/sufferers.

    About Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation

    Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation (TXOG) is the major accredited health-related cannabis producer in Texas, working along with physicians to present the greatest high quality cannabis medicine to patients and families searching for aid throughout the state. As fellow Texans, we are devoted to representing the integrity of this great point out with our motivation to high quality, regularity and purity in each product we develop. We remain committed to advancing protected, legal access to this powerful drugs. TXOG is headquartered in Austin, with delivery all over the complete condition. For much more data, go to www.texasoriginal.com.

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  • Weekly COVID-19 update: New River Valley, Roanoke area health districts peak as infection pace slows | Local News

    Weekly COVID-19 update: New River Valley, Roanoke area health districts peak as infection pace slows | Local News

    Virginia reported 73,878 new COVID-19 infections over the past week, bringing the cumulative total during the pandemic to 1,525,591, the Virginia Department of Health reported Friday.

    The infection pace has begun to slow across the state since an all-time peak in coronavirus cases a few weeks ago — fueled by the highly-transmissible omicron variant.

    New River Health District Director Dr. Noelle Bissell said her district has hit its peak as new infections have decreased. She said she expects to see a significant decline in cases next week after observing the way surges and declines have worked elsewhere in the world.

    “I do think there is light at the end of the tunnel,” Bissell said. “Omicron is circling everywhere and it is going to run its course. I think it will push us to that next stage.”

    Roanoke City and Alleghany Health District Director Cynthia Morrow said she is “cautiously optimistic” that her district hit its peak last week. But she also said the weather may have limited access to testing, which could have lowered the number of confirmed infections.

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    Although cases are starting to slow and infections have proven to be milder than previous variants, hospitals are still strained across the state.

    Carilion Clinic, Centra Health, LewisGale Regional Health System, the Salem Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Sovah Health released a joint public service announcement Tuesday. The health systems urged people to continue to social distance, wear masks, wash their hands and receive a vaccine.

    “We’re treating more hospitalized COVID-19 patients than we ever have — the vast majority of whom are unvaccinated,” the statement read. “In addition to treating preventable illness, this takes beds and resources away from other sick patients who desperately need that scarce resource.”

    Virginia’s near southwest region, which includes hospitals from Lynchburg to the Roanoke Valley, had 517 COVID-19 patients hospitalized as of Friday, including 110 in intensive care. Last Friday, there had been 535 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the region, including 109 in ICUs.

    The state reported 640 more hospitalizations over the past seven days, increasing the total number of people hospitalized during the pandemic to 47,546, although the VDH website notes that hospitalizations are underrepresented.

    Virginia reported 275 new virus-related deaths over the past seven days, for a total of 16,127 since the start of the pandemic.

    As of Friday, 78.8{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of Virginia’s adult population had been fully vaccinated.

    Everyone aged 5 or older has been approved to receive a vaccine, which are available at the community vaccination center in the former Sears store at Valley View Mall, located at 4812 Valley View Blvd. People can make appointments at vaccinate.virgina.gov or by calling 877-829-4682. Walk-ins are also open for adults and children.

    The health department opened a community testing center at Valley View Mall. Tests are administered by appointment only and can be scheduled at vase.vdh.virginia.gov/testingappointment.

    Morrow said the demand for testing has started to decline, so the center has plenty of tests available and typically no wait.

    The Roanoke Times contributed to this report.

  • Area event helps benefit Healthy Food Center | Living

    Area event helps benefit Healthy Food Center | Living

    Exchanging presents can be more perfunctory than useful, in particular this time of year.

    “The genuine spirit of the holiday seasons is serving to individuals who actually want some thing, like food items, clothing, people types of matters,” stated John Biedrzycki, South Hills Chamber of Commerce president, in welcoming guests to the group’s once-a-year holiday getaway luncheon.

    As these types of, chamber leaders encouraged people who attended the 2021 celebration at St. Clair Region Club to donate foodstuff and funds to a lead to that promotes nicely-currently being through good nutrition.

    Three several years in the past, Allegheny Health Network launched its to start with Wholesome Food items Heart, at West Penn Clinic, as a implies of offering patients with chances to take in superior whilst teaching them about eating plans that can support in disorder prevention.

    “If there is a individual who is diabetic, for illustration, we would position out what to look for on the food items label and what foodstuff are likely to be effective to guide a more healthy way of living,” reported Caitlin Samples, guest speaker at the getaway luncheon.

    A registered dietitian with a master’s degree in food items and diet, she serves as supervisor of Jefferson Hospital’s Healthful Meals Middle, 1 of five this kind of places operated by AHN to handle issues associated to foodstuff insecurity, the absence of constant access to nutritious fare.

    “In 2017, an estimated one in eight Us citizens were foods insecure, equating to about 40 million Us citizens, including a lot more than 12 million kids,” Samples noted. “In Allegheny County, by yourself, the food items-insecure inhabitants is about 174,000 folks, and that’s about 14{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}.”

    Roughly 42,000 of them are children, she documented.

    Regionally, AHN clinicians monitor patients to decide their position regarding food source. If they qualify, they are referred to Balanced Foodstuff Facilities, the most recent of which opened Dec. 8 at Forbes Medical center in Monroeville.

    There, they are capable to acquire the ingredients for nutritious foods.

    “We normally acquire the healthier foodstuff: very low-sodium things, lower-sugar, entire-grain, lean proteins. We supply a wide variety of frozen meats, such as rooster, turkey, ground beef which is 90/10 or bigger,” Samples mentioned, referring to a very low share of excess fat. “We offer facts to them about buying on a spending budget. We also have recipes that we will supply. We also do just one-on-a single counseling.”

    The initiative gets guidance from a lot of regional partners, which includes the Greater Pittsburgh Community Meals Financial institution, 412 Foodstuff Rescue and The Food stuff Have confidence in, which offers “food bucks” to extend paying.

    Aiding the cause from a transportation standpoint is Vacationers Aid of Pittsburgh.

    “We’ve located that a ton of our people have issues obtaining to the Healthful Foods Facilities,” Samples mentioned. “We ship a referral to Vacationers Help, which will then arrive at out to the people and established up a way for them to get to the centre, generally via Uber or Lyft.”

    And marketing nutritional self-sufficiency is Gateway Well being, which has donated implements for the kitchen.

    “A whole lot of patients get foods, and then they do not know how to cook it or they don’t have the correct resources,” Samples claimed. “So we give that to them if they’re in want of it.”

    She and other dietitians are content to supply pointers on related subject areas this kind of as well being and fat management, cooking with much less-prevalent fruits and vegetables, and the inevitably challenging proposition of making ready wholesome meals that the whole family members can appreciate.

    “We develop a rapport with our clients,” Samples stated. “We definitely get to know them.”

  • Pfizer drones light up night sky in China’s remote area with health tips

    Pfizer drones light up night sky in China’s remote area with health tips

    At 7:30 p.m. community time Sept. 23, 1,000 drones ascended into the large apparent evening sky earlier mentioned the Baimiao Village in the Chinese town of Xichang. They had a particular delivery to make—health suggestions from Pfizer.

    Pfizer recently place on a drone light-weight clearly show in the distant mountain place of southwestern China, wherever folks of the Yi ethnic team, also acknowledged as Nuosu, are living. For about 20 minutes, the light-bearing vehicles shaped different shapes in the sky to relay 6 standard healthcare messages. Paired with broadcast commentaries in both of those Mandarin and Nuosu, the pictures attempted to educate local residents about the significance of maternity screening, childhood vaccination, washing fingers, restraint in alcohol use, carrying a mask and a balanced food plan.

    “We meant to build a significant clearly show that conveys the benefit of health and fitness equity,” Nina Yuan, Pfizer China’s employer branding and campus recruitment lead, mentioned in a current interview. “We required to use state-of-the-art technological innovation to access folks residing in the most considerably-flung spots and minimize disparities in health care.”

    Pfizer tapped Shanghai-primarily based inventive agency F5 to style and design and execute the challenge. Beforehand, the pair’s unbranded marketing campaign about vaccines, the Mozart 80 concert, gained a bronze award at this year’s Cannes Lions Global Festival of Creativeness.

    Related: Pfizer, Roche, Teva seize pharma Cannes Lions for 2021, but a wearable organization scores the top rated creative imagination prize

    For the drone display, F5 worked with Xichang’s health and fitness authorities to make six proprietary cartoon figures collectively called “The Jikes,” Hongyu Chen, senior strategic planner at F5, informed Fierce Pharma Advertising and marketing. Jike is the most frequent surname amid the Yi individuals.

    The figures include things like two grandparents, a dad, a mom, a minor woman and an toddler, who have their own health-related messages applicable to their ages, Chen stated. Soon after the demonstrate, the figures can be utilized yet again in other formats on numerous platforms to integrate extra tales for future strategies, she added.

    To commence off the present, the drones initially fashioned mountains, clouds and the sunshine, along with the Chinese terms Daliang Mountains to lay out the track record of the story. 6 hats in conventional Yi kinds confirmed up future, symbolizing each and every member of the family.

    The very first tale highlighted the mother, who was depicted as remaining pregnant. An ultrasonography transducer was then included to say that females must get maternity checks seven to 11 occasions through their pregnancy.

    Subsequent illustrations or photos included the child acquiring a jab, the very little lady washing arms with cleaning soap, replacing two bottles of wine in the dad’s arms with a tea pot and a thermos, the grandpa putting on a mask to avert respiratory disease and the inclusion of various greens and fish on grandma’s cooking list.

    Associated: Pfizer halts biosimilar packages in crowded China current market, sells plant to WuXi Biologics

    Before settling on the specific messages, “we labored intently with the nearby wellness sector to get the strategies and created sure that what is becoming projected would be definitely practical to them,” Sarah de Joya, senior copywriter at F5, explained during the job interview.

    “The program actually arrived from the will need of regional persons it is not a unilateral company campaign hoping to distribute health care information we want to share, but it incorporates problematic lifestyle habits shared amongst area people to clear up true problems,” Yuan said. The Yi region’s vaccination fee, for case in point, is lower in the Sichuan province, she observed. Pfizer’s pneumococcal vaccine, recognised as Prevenar 13 outside the house the U.S., is well-liked in China’s big cities.

    The campaign also performs into the “Healthy China 2030” strategic approach, Yuan claimed. Rolled out by the Chinese govt in 2016, the blueprint has set ahead some bold aims, including a 30{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} reduction of untimely loss of life from noncommunicable conditions amongst 2015 and 2030. As the countrywide system does, the Pfizer show puts a weighty emphasis on illness prevention.

    Previously this calendar year, Pfizer underwent a rebrand. As CEO Albert Bourla, Ph.D., explained at the time, “Pfizer is no extended in the company of just managing diseases—we’re curing and avoiding them.”

    Toward the close of the effectiveness, the drones reorganized into two palms achieving for each and every other, one with Yi clothing designs on its cuff. The other hand can be interpreted as Pfizer or large cities, and the concept was about not leaving anyone guiding in health care, Chen explained.

    The drones then outlined Pfizer’s new DNA-themed symbol, together with the terms “science will acquire,” as the background commentary advised individuals Pfizer will convey a lot more beneficial health expertise in the upcoming. At the conclusion, a giant bar code emerged in the sky, which people today can scan with their cellular phone to access a mobile website made up of supplemental guidelines that includes the household.

    Drones have recently turn into somewhat of a poster kid for Pfizer’s well being equity attempts all over the world, mostly for their potential to transport drugs and vaccines to challenging-to-achieve areas. In 2019, the New York pharma unveiled a 4-12 months agreement with Zipline, a medical solution supply organization, to support Ghana build a drone shipping and delivery process for overall health products and solutions in some of the nation’s most rural locations.

    By picking drones, “we wished to verify that Pfizer can access not just persons in larger cities but people today who live much absent,” de Joya explained. The marketing campaign “didn’t just attain a wider audience—it was projected in the sky—but it was also carried out in a way that [local people] had never ever found before,” she included.

    Linked: Big Pharma CEOs’ Chinese names: Here’s how they glimpse and what they indicate

    From a branding standpoint, Pfizer experienced two targets in brain for the marketing campaign. “How can a international model localize in China with out getting rid of its possess motto and combine China’s countrywide strategy in resolving a social issue? And how can we supply Pfizer’s price and what we have generally strived to attain in a improved way to much more people?” Yuan stated.

    Notice Yuan’s title? The plan wasn’t initiated by a promoting staff but was truly component of Pfizer China’s once-a-year employer campaign.

    “It’s about what form of brand name image the firm wishes to existing by itself as [for] the expertise current market,” Yuan explained. “So it’s an HR-led campaign to make biopharma practitioners, clinical science professionals and upcoming skills even now in their study see Pfizer, believe in Pfizer’s benefit and join us.”

    Pfizer’s China unit is in the course of action of an overhaul. Final month, the enterprise set up a new China chief in Jean-Christophe Pointeau, who had at the time led the Chinese functions of Bristol Myers Squibb and Sanofi.

    Pfizer not too long ago bought off its client wellness organization to a joint undertaking with GlaxoSmithKline. It also divested its proven medicines franchise, known as Upjohn, to Mylan to type Viatris. Equally models were being after significant earnings generators for Pfizer China Upjohn’s worldwide headquarters have been relocated in Shanghai in advance of the divestment.

  • Coronavirus daily news updates, October 5: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the world

    Coronavirus daily news updates, October 5: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the world

    Editor’s note: This is a live account of COVID-19 updates from Tuesday, October 5, as the day unfolded. It is no longer being updated. Click here to see all the most recent news about the pandemic, and click here to find additional resources.

    Washington health officials on Monday urged state residents to stay as healthy as possible as the deadline for state workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine approaches in a couple of weeks. Officials cited worries that the inability of unvaccinated health employees to work may place additional strains on hospitals already struggling with staffing.

    Meanwhile, federal authorities charged a Michigan nurse with stealing coronavirus vaccination cards from the hospital where she worked and selling them to unvaccinated individuals at $150-$200 during a period of over four months.

    In a move following Pfizer and Moderna, Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize a booster shot as evidence continues to highlight that elderly and high-risk groups may need additional safeguards against the virus.

    We’re updating this page with the latest news about the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the Seattle area, the U.S. and the world. Click here to see previous days’ live updates and all our other coronavirus coverage, and here to see how we track the daily spread across Washington and the world.



    Full house: Fans flow, home-field edge back for MLB playoffs

    Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Randy Arozarena makes a catch on a fly out by New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge during the third inning of a baseball game on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)


    Kevin Kiermaier and the Tampa Bay Rays fought furiously in 2020 for their first division title in over a decade, assuring themselves home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs.

    In the end, it meant little more than last at-bats and a more comfortable clubhouse in San Diego.

    The reigning AL champions are back as the league’s top seed, anticipating a few more travel miles and a lot more adrenaline. Plus, this time the fan noise will be real.

    “It’s going to be a lot different from last year,” said Kiermaier, a defensive whiz in the outfield. “And obviously for the better.”

    Baseball’s postseason is returning to its pre-pandemic format a year after COVID-19 confined most of last October’s action to empty stadiums in neutral sites. It’s a welcome change for players who pushed through last year’s playoffs supplying their own energy on a stage normally powered by the buzz created by live audiences.

    Read the full story here.

    —Jake Seiner, The Associated Press


    Two Texas university employees asked students if they were vaccinated. They were fired weeks later.

    On move-in day in August, students in the Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities arrived at their dorm at Lamar University and were handed a blue slip of paper.

    The form asked the students – gifted high school juniors and seniors from around the state – if they had been vaccinated against the coronavirus or if they planned to get immunized. With just a few exceptions, almost all of the nearly 30 students said they had already been vaccinated.

    Relieved by the outcome, student services coordinator Bruce Hodge emailed the results of the survey to the university dean who oversees the program. Shortly thereafter, he said, the dean responded and asked what he planned to do with the information.

    In conversations with the dean, Hodge said he wanted to be prepared for a worst-case scenario. He and his colleagues who run the program essentially act as parents in absentia for the mostly 16- and 17-year-old participants, making sure they are safe in their dorm rooms each night, caring for them in sickness, and even taking them to urgent care or the emergency room if needed.

    “I could foresee a situation with an incapacitated student where I couldn’t reach a parent and a doctor is asking me if they’re vaccinated,” Hodge told The Washington Post.

    Read the full story here.

    —Jessica Lipscomb, The Washington Post


    Idaho governor, National Guard boss shun lt. gov. actions

    FILE – In this Sept. 15, 2021 file photo Republican Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin addresses a rally on the Statehouse steps in Boise, Idaho. Idaho Gov. Brad Little said he will rescind an executive order involving COVID-19 vaccines by McGeachin, and the commanding general of the Idaho National Guard also on Tuesday, Oct. 5 told McGeachin she can’t activate troops to send to the U.S.-Mexico border. Little and Major General Michael J. Garshak made the decisions as McGeachin attempted to exercise her authority as acting governor with Little out of the state. (AP Photo/Keith Ridler,File)


    Idaho Gov. Brad Little said he will rescind an executive order involving COVID-19 vaccines by Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, and the commanding general of the Idaho National Guard also on Tuesday told McGeachin she can’t activate troops to send to the U.S.-Mexico border.

    Little and Major General Michael J. Garshak made the statements as McGeachin on Tuesday in a flurry of activity attempted to exercise her authority as acting governor with Little out of the state.

    Little is in Texas meeting with nine other Republican governors over concerns on how President Joe Biden is handling border issues. McGeachin, a far-right Republican, is running for governor. In Idaho, the governor and lieutenant governor don’t run on the same ticket.

    McGeachin’s executive order issued Tuesday afternoon seeks, among other things, to prevent employers from requiring their employees be vaccinated against COVID-19. Most mainstream Republicans prefer to stay out of the employee-employer relationship.

    Read the full story here.

    —Keith Ridler, The Associated Press


    One-third of Seattle cops haven’t submitted proof of COVID vaccination so far

    More than 350 Seattle Police Department officers had not submitted proof of coronavirus vaccination by Tuesday. (Alan Berner / The Seattle Times)


    With less than two weeks until a city deadline, more than 350 Seattle police officers — a full one-third of all cops available to be called into service in the city — have yet to submit proof showing they’ve been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, a department spokesperson acknowledged Tuesday.

    Sgt. Randy Huserik, a spokesman for the department, confirmed the figures on Tuesday, but said officers who haven’t submitted vaccination records are not yet out of compliance with the city’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate.

    The total number of officers who had not submitted vaccination records — 354 — was the latest count presented during a videoconference among Seattle police commanders Tuesday, according to sources familiar with the presentation. The number represents 33{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of all officers in service, the sources and city figures say.

    “The actual deadline isn’t until Oct. 18,” Huserik said. “So, we will continue to urge people to get their cards in during the next two weeks, and then figure out what our hard numbers will become Oct. 19.”

    Read the full story here.

    —Lewis Kamb and Daniel Beekman


    State health officials confirm 2,392 new coronavirus cases

    The state Department of Health (DOH) reported 2,392 new coronavirus cases and 53 new deaths on Tuesday.

    The update brings the state’s totals to 670,207 cases and 7,860 deaths, meaning that 1.2{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of people diagnosed in Washington have died, according to the DOH. The data is as of 11:59 p.m. Monday. Tallies may be higher earlier in the week because new state data isn’t reported on weekends.

    In addition, 37,238 people have been hospitalized in the state due to the virus — 109 new hospitalizations. In King County, the state’s most populous, state health officials have confirmed a total of 153,740 COVID-19 diagnoses and 1,889 deaths.

    Since vaccinations began in mid-December, the state and health care providers have administered 9,154,939 doses and 58.3{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of Washingtonians have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to vaccination data, which the state updates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Providers are currently giving an average of about 15,583 vaccine shots per day.

    The DOH says its daily case reports may also include duplicate test results, results assigned to the wrong county, results that are reported for today but are actually from a previous day, occasional false positive tests and other data discrepancies. Because of this, the previous day’s total number of cases plus the number of new daily cases does not add up to the new day’s total number of cases. State health officials recommend reviewing the dashboard’s epidemiologic curves tab for the most accurate representation of the state’s COVID-19 spread.


    Rapid At-Home COVID Tests Are About to Become Much More Widely Available, FDA Says

    Rapid at-home COVID-19 testing is about to become much more widely available in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration said, following authorization of a mass-produced testing kit.

    Competing at-home tests have been on the market for months, but Acon Laboratories’ test, authorized by the agency Monday, “is expected to double rapid at-home testing capacity in the U.S. over the next several weeks,” Dr. Jeffrey E. Shuren, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in a statement.

    “By year’s end, the manufacturer plans to produce more than 100 million tests per month, and this number will rise to 200 million per month by February 2022,” he said.

    Like tests already available from Abbott, Quidel, Becton Dickinson and other makers, Acon’s test is made to detect antigens, proteins from the coronavirus, on a nasal swab, and produces results in 15 minutes.

    Read the full story here.

    —Richard Perez-Pena, The New York Times


    Lindsey Graham told Republicans they ‘ought to think about’ getting a coronavirus vaccine. They booed him.

    South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham was only midway through his sentence when the crowd began shouting over him.

    “If you haven’t had the vaccine you ought to think about getting it because if you’re my age — “

    “No!” attendees at a Republican event held Saturday responded as others booed. Graham was speaking at a country club in Summerville, S.C., about 25 miles outside of Charleston.

    Bowing his head and holding up a hand, the 66-year-old — who got his coronavirus vaccine in December — responded to the crowd, telling them, “I didn’t tell you to get it. You ought to think about it.”

    Read the full story here.

    —Gina Harkins, The Washington Post


    A maker of rapid coronavirus tests recalls nearly 200,000 kits over concerns of false positives

    Ellume, an Australian company that makes a widely available at-home coronavirus test, has recalled nearly 200,000 test kits because of concerns about a higher-than-expected rate of false positives. That represents about 5.6{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of the approximately 3.5 million test kits Ellume has shipped to the United States.

    The company, which detected the problem in mid-September, traced the issue to variations in the quality of one of the raw materials used in the test kit, Dr. Sean Parsons, Ellume’s CEO, said. He declined to specify the material in question, citing a desire not to publicly disclose precisely how the test kits work.

    Approximately 427,000 test kits, including some provided to the U.S. Department of Defense, were affected by the problem, Parsons said. Roughly half have already been used, he said, yielding about 42,000 positive results. As many as one-quarter of those positives may have been inaccurate, Parsons said, although he stressed that it would be difficult to determine exactly how many.

    Read the story here.

    —Emily Anthes, The New York Times


    King County woman confirmed to have died from rare J&J vaccine complication

    A King County woman in her late 30s has become the first person in Washington state to die from a rare blood-clotting syndrome after receiving the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, local health officials confirmed Tuesday morning.

    The woman received her shot on Aug. 26. She died less than two weeks later on Sept. 7, according to a statement from Public Health — Seattle & King County.

    Public health officials said the syndrome was a “very rare” complication of the vaccine. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has counted three other similar deaths nationally.

    “We at Public Health are saddened by this loss and offer condolences to the woman’s family and loved ones,” the Tuesday statement said.

    The woman’s cause of death was thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), a condition researchers have said is a rare but “potentially serious adverse event in people who received the J&J vaccine,” the statement said.

    Her diagnosis was confirmed by the CDC’s clinical immunization safety assessment project, according to the public health department.

    Read the story here.

    —Elise Takahama


    Arizona can’t use COVID money for anti-mask grants, feds say

    FILE – In this Dec. 2, 2020, file photo, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey speaks at a press conference in Phoenix.  In the summer of 2021 Ducey signed into law several measures that restricted the power of local governments to enact COVID-19 protection measures. On Monday, Sept. 27 a judge struck down Arizona laws prohibiting public school districts from imposing mask requirements, colleges from requiring vaccinations for students and communities from establishing vaccine passports for people to show they were vaccinated. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, Pool, File)


    The Biden administration on Tuesday ordered Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey to stop using the state’s federal pandemic funding on a pair of new education grants that can only be directed to schools without mask mandates.

    In a letter to Ducey, the Treasury Department said the grant programs are “not a permissible use” of the federal funding. It’s the latest attempt by the Biden administration to push back against Republican governors who have opposed mask mandates and otherwise sought to use federal pandemic funding to advance their own agendas.

    Ducey, a Republican, created the grant programs in August to put pressure on school districts that have defied the state’s ban on mask mandates.

    Read the story here.

    —Collin Binkley, The Associated Press


    Thousands of SEIU 775 home-care workers remain exempt from Gov. Inslee’s vaccine mandate

    The sweeping vaccination mandate issue d by Gov. Jay Inslee demands that hundreds of thousands of health care and government workers get fully vaccinated by Oct. 18 or face firing.

    That includes doctors and nurses, chiropractors and massage therapists, and people working in dental offices, pharmacies and midwifery centers. It also applies to tens of thousands of K-12 and state government employees, including many still working remotely from home.

    Inslee has generally played hardball with his order, declining to offer a regular testing alternative like those offered in other states for employees who don’t want to receive COVID-19 vaccines.

    But his order included a big carve-out — exempting tens of thousands of unionized home-care workers who care for older adults and people with disabilities, helping them with meals, dressing, bathing and other daily tasks. On Page 9 of Inslee’s Aug. 20 proclamation was a little-noticed clause stating the mandate does not apply to “individual providers” and others who offer personal care in someone’s home.

    Washington has about 45,000 such providers, who contract with the state to provide in-home services to clients who are eligible for care through Medicaid. Thousands more not covered by the mandate are home-care workers who are trained, paid and supervised by larger home-care agencies.

    Read the story here.

    —Jim Brunner and Paige Cornwell


    Everything you need to know about Merck’s game-changing COVID pill

    Molnupiravir, an antiviral pill being developed by Merck & Co., has been touted as a potential game changer in the fight against COVID-19.

    The experimental medication was shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization or death by about half in a late-stage study of adults with mild-to-moderate cases.

    The promise of a drug that patients can easily get and take at home has prompted some governments to order supplies even before regulators have decided whether to approve its use.

    Read the story here to learn more about molnupiravir.

    —Jason Gale, Bloomberg


    Vaccines are here. School’s open. Some parents still agonize

    This photo provided by Amber Cessac shows Amber Cessac taking a selfie as her daughters do their homework at their home in Georgetown, Texas on Sept. 9, 2021. A year and a half in, the pandemic is still agonizing families. There is still the exhaustion of worrying about exposure to COVID-19 itself, and the policies at schools and day cares where children spend their time. The spread of the more infectious delta variant, particularly among people who refuse vaccinations, has caused a big increase in infections in children. But there’s also COVID exposures and illnesses — and even minor colds — at schools and day cares that mean children get sent home, forcing parents to scramble for child care. (Amber Cessac via AP)


     Eight days into the school year, all five of Amber Cessac’s daughters, ages 4 to 10, had tested positive for COVID-19.

    Having them all sick at once and worrying about long-term repercussions as other parents at their school, and even her own mother, downplayed the virus, “broke something inside of me,” Cessac said.

    “The anxiety and the stress has sort of been bottled up,” she said. “It just felt so, I don’t know, defeating and made me feel so helpless.”

    Like parents everywhere, Cessac has been dealing with pandemic stress for over 18 months now.

    There’s the exhaustion of worrying about the disease itself— made worse by the spread of the more infectious delta variant, particularly among people who refuse vaccinations, which has caused a big increase in infections in children.

    Online school disrupted kids’ educations and parents’ work. Then the return of in-person school this year brought rising exposures and community tension as parents fought over proper protocols. The politicization of masks, vaccines and shutdowns have worn many parents out. Deciding what’s OK for children to do and what isn’t can feel fraught.

    Read the story here.

    —Tali Arbel, The Associated Press


    Pfizer’s COVID vaccine provides 90{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} protection against hospitalization for 6 months, study finds

    The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 90 percent effective at preventing hospitalization for up to six months, with no signs of waning during that time period, according to a large new U.S. study conducted by researchers at Pfizer and Kaiser Permanente. (Emily Elconin/The New York Times)


    The Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine is 90{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} effective at preventing hospitalization for up to six months, with no signs of waning during that time period, according to a large new U.S. study conducted by researchers at Pfizer and Kaiser Permanente.

    The vaccine also provides powerful protection against the highly contagious delta variant, the scientists found. In a subset of people who had samples of their virus sequenced, the vaccine was 93{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} effective against hospitalization from delta, compared with 95{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} against hospitalization from other variants.

    “Protection against hospitalization remains high over time, even when delta predominates,” said Sara Tartof, an public health researcher at Kaiser Permanente Southern California and the first author of the study.

    The vaccine’s effectiveness against infection did decline over time, however, falling from 88{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} during the first month after vaccination to 47{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} after five months.

    Read the story here.

    —Emily Anthes, The New York Times


    Venice, overwhelmed by tourists, tries tracking them

    A view of the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy, Sept. 13, 2021. The city’s leaders are acquiring the cellphone data of unwitting tourists and using hundreds of surveillance cameras to monitor visitors and prevent crowding. (Alessandro Grassani / The New York Times)


    As the pandemic chased away visitors, some Venetians allowed themselves to dream of a different city — one that belonged as much to them as to the tourists who crowd them out of their stone piazzas, cobblestone alleyways and even their apartments.

    In a quieted city, the chiming of its 100 bell towers, the lapping of canal waters and the Venetian dialect suddenly became the dominant soundtrack. The cruise ships that disgorged thousands of day-trippers and caused damaging waves in the sinking city were gone, and then banned.

    But now, the city’s mayor is taking crowd control to a new level, pushing high-tech solutions that alarm even many of those who have long campaigned for a Venice for Venetians.

    The city’s leaders are acquiring the cellphone data of unwitting tourists and using hundreds of surveillance cameras to monitor visitors and prevent crowding. Next summer, they plan to install long-debated gates at key entry points; visitors coming only for the day will have to book ahead and pay a fee to enter. If too many people want to come, some will be turned away.

    The conservative and business-friendly mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, and his allies say their aim is to create a more livable city for beleaguered Venetians.

    “Either we are pragmatic, or we live in the world of fairy tales,” said Paolo Bettio, who heads Venis, the company that handles the city’s information technology.

    Read the story here.

    —Emma Bubola, The New York Times


    Virus deaths in Russia hit record for third time this month

    Coronavirus deaths in Russia hit a record for the third time this month on Tuesday, and daily new infections once again exceeded 25,000 — a surge that comes as vaccination rates in the country remain stagnantly low and the government shuns imposing tough restrictions to stem the spread.

    Russia’s state coronavirus task force reported 25,110 new confirmed cases on Tuesday and 895 new deaths — the country’s highest daily death toll in the pandemic. The previous record, of 890 deaths, was registered on Sunday, and the one before that, of 887 deaths, occurred on Friday.

    The Kremlin has said that the situation elicits concern, but still it is not considering a countrywide lockdown or any other nationwide measures.

    Read the story here.

    —The Associated Press


    AstraZeneca asks FDA to authorize COVID antibody treatment

    AstraZeneca, the drugmaker that developed one of the first COVID-19 vaccines, has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to authorize the emergency use of a first-of-a-kind antibody treatment to prevent the disease.

    The Anglo-Swedish company said Tuesday that the treatment, known as AZD7442, would be the first long-acting antibody combination to receive an emergency authorization for COVID-19 prevention. If authorized, the drug would likely be limited to people with compromised immune systems who don’t get sufficient protection from vaccination.

    The FDA has authorized three other antibody drugs already, including two that can be given after a possible COVID-19 exposure to head off symptoms. AstraZeneca’s drug would instead be given as a preventive measure in people who have increased vulnerability to the virus.

    The FDA has stressed that antibody drugs are not a substitute for vaccination, which is the most effective, long-lasting form of virus protection. Antibody drugs also are expensive to produce and require an IV or injection and health care workers to administer.

    Read the story here.

    —The Associated Press


    WHO still reviewing Sputnik V vaccine, as Russia presses bid

    The World Health Organization is still reviewing data about Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine as part of hopes that it can be approved by the U.N. health agency for emergency use against coronavirus, but said Tuesday that no decision is imminent.

    The clarification comes after Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko in recent days said that administrative issues were among the main holdups in WHO’s decision-making process about whether to grant an emergency use listing to Sputnik V, as it has for a half-dozen other vaccines.

    Such approval would be a show of international confidence in the vaccine after a rigorous review process, and could pave the way for its inclusion into the COVAX program organized by WHO and key partners that is shipping COVID-19 vaccines to scores of countries around the world based on need.

    Read the story here.

    —The Associated Press


    Catch up on the past 24 hours

    Will Washington’s highest-paid employee lose his job? There’s no reason to believe WSU football coach Nick Rolovich got a vaccine in time to comply with the state’s mandate. That leaves one path: an exemption. A look at how that works shows the end of this saga could get really messy.

    Everyone, please stay as healthy as possible because this is really not the time to need care, Seattle-area hospitals are warning. They’re worried about an exodus of unvaccinated health care workers who didn’t get their shots in time to meet the mandate. Some state workers will get extra time to comply, Gov. Jay Inslee’s administration said yesterday.

    People who got the Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines could get booster shots as soon as this month. J&J today sought U.S. approval, touting how a second dose revs up immunity. Meanwhile, a new study details how Pfizer’s vaccine holds up against the delta variant.

    Alaska villagers tried to keep out COVID-19 by putting a gate on the only road in and taking turns guarding it around the clock. For remote places like Tanacross, hours away from the closest hospital, the dangers are high as Alaska sees one of the nation’s sharpest COVID-19 surges.

    —Kris Higginson