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Tag: COVID19

  • MUSC Health biweekly COVID-19 report (October 11) | MUSC

    MUSC Health biweekly COVID-19 report (October 11) | MUSC

    CHARLESTON, S.C. (Oct. 11, 2021) – At MUSC Health, the security of sufferers, family members, care group associates, learners, college and personnel stays the range a person priority. The MUSC General public Affairs and Media Relations (PAMR) office issues regular COVID-19 updates on Monday and Thursday of each week. If a federal or state holiday break falls on a Monday, then a report will be issued the adhering to day. Remember to read through the report in its entirety details can alter swiftly. 

    The Path Ahead / Recovery

    COVID-19 VACCINATION UPDATE

    MUSC Well being has vaccine appointments for all eligible individuals age 12 and up. Eligible men and women can visit muschealth.org/get-vaccine to make an appointment though appointments are encouraged, walk-ins are welcome at all MUSC COVID-19 vaccine clinic places. See information and a video clip with instructions on how to plan a vaccination appointment. The neighborhood is inspired to monitor muschealth.org for COVID-19 vaccine availability standards, updates and FAQs. 

    For a lot more data connected to public, community vaccination web pages operated by MUSC Well being during the point out, be sure to visit vaxlocator.dhec.sc.gov/. Appointments are inspired, but walk-ins are welcome.

    Homebound folks who require in-home COVID-19 vaccination providers should really get hold of DHEC’s COVID-19 vaccine details line by contacting 1-866-365-8110. You should note that community associates should really not directly make contact with the vendors. All calls will have to be routed by means of the DHEC COVID-19 vaccine info line to obtain this method.  

    MUSC Health and fitness vaccination administration facts is available upon request. 

    MUSC Health COVID-19 Vaccination Expectation for all care crew users

    All MUSC Health leaders and care workforce customers are now expected to have the COVID-19 vaccine. Spiritual and healthcare exemptions could apply for some care workforce users. All new treatment group users should really obtain a single dose vaccine prior to starting off get the job done or the initial dose of a two-dose vaccine prior to beginning perform. The 2nd dose ought to be finished in just three months as a affliction of employment. As of July 1, additional than 99.9{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of MUSC Overall health treatment team members have complied with this coverage. MUSC Wellness has set up this coverage for the security of our care group, our sufferers and patients’ families and website visitors.  

    FOR Current Information:

    COVID Update

    “Numbers are coming down, but do not get way too energized because it’s nonetheless rather significant,” scientist says. Are we in for an additional winter season surge?

    The MUSC COVID-19 Epidemiology Intelligence Project is a digital dashboard that supplies main indicators associated to the COVID-19 epidemic to help educated selections. Existing circumstance assessments for MUSC Wellbeing – Charleston (Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties), MUSC Health Florence, and MUSC Wellness Lancaster divisions are obtainable on this website. 

    Helpful World-wide-web Hyperlinks FOR THE Normal Public: 

    Basic information

    Normal info

    Info about screening solutions

    MUSC Digital Urgent Treatment

    COVID-19 vaccination

    MUSC COVID-19 cell diagnostic testing 

    MUSC Health and fitness provides COVID-19 screening in healthcare facility, clinic and other areas. Sufferers are inspired to talk with their providers as a result of MUSC MyChart ought to they need to have screening providers. Present-day turnaround time is somewhere around 24 hours for take a look at outcomes. A complete record of tests facts is out there at this web site: musc.co/screening.

    MUSC Health, in partnership with the condition legislature, is also rotating cell screening and assortment sites in rural and underserved regions through the point out, for each walk-up and drive-via sufferers, which are marketed domestically in partnership with municipalities, neighborhood organizations and companies. Prescreening is not required and there is no price tag to sufferers. Individuals will be contacted in just two days with the success of their take a look at, if not quicker. Individuals are requested to deliver photograph identification and an insurance plan card if they have a person. The CARES Act requires MUSC to monthly bill insurance policies providers if people do have coverage. Individuals could email [email protected] if they have thoughts concerning their final results. If they do not have an email deal with, they may possibly phone 843-985-8888.

    Websites may perhaps close early or function with decreased hrs if weather conditions conditions develop into unsafe for treatment workforce customers or if volume exceeds site security ability. 

    Details connected to Balanced Me — Wholesome SC absolutely free, statewide cellular testing web-sites for each individual week can be found here.

    COVID-19 linked stories for comply with-up

    Funding File

    The Health-related University of South Carolina sets extramural funding report with support of COVID-similar funds.

    Vaccinating Young children

    “It is genuinely remarkable, but it was a really preliminary stage. It was not an acceptance.” What skilled would like mothers and fathers to know about vaccine for young children.

    COVID in Little ones

    Any person who thinks COVID doesn’t actually have an affect on young ones demands to know what is been going on in faculties and hospitals, infectious ailment pediatrician says.

    ECMO in COVID

    A machine she’d by no means read of prior to, ECMO, served maintain a Conway woman’s 10-12 months-previous daughter alive as she battled COVID.

    Basic stats / COVID-19 constructive cases 

    Earlier described details details, these kinds of as the complete range of  COVID-19 group screening assessments accomplished by MUSC Wellness- Charleston and the selection of constructive instances established by using all those tests, the selection of  telehealth screenings, whole amount of specimens gathered at many cell internet sites, or the variety of COVID-19 beneficial MUSC treatment workforce associates are out there upon ask for. Data similar to vaccinations is at the top rated of this launch.

    • Full selection of COVID patients (MUSC Wellbeing – Charleston): 51
      • MUSC Overall health monitors these variety to determine that we have present and potential capability in conditions of health care companies, materials, ventilators and PPE. Documented figures are steady with the modeling and expectation that MUSC Well being will have suitable methods to regulate these sufferers. 
      • Of the 51 COVID-relevant inpatients now in the MUSC Wellbeing-Charleston location, 20 are in MUSC Well being COVID-19 intensive treatment, with 16 of the 51 whole inpatients presently receiving ventilator treatment for sickness progression.
      • Of the 51 inpatients at the MUSC Health and fitness – Charleston location, 5 pediatric clients are in the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Medical center. A few pediatric people are in pediatric intensive care with 2 of all those clients acquiring ventilator care for ailment development.
      • Unvaccinated vs. vaccinated inpatient standing update: Approximately 79{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of current inpatients ended up unvaccinated on admission. 

    For precise details about MUSC Wellness Florence or Marion Health-related Facilities, make sure you call Kim Geiger at [email protected]. 

    For information and facts about MUSC Health and fitness Chester or Lancaster Healthcare Centers, you should call Ashley Shannon at [email protected]. 

    For facts about MUSC Wellbeing Columbia Professional medical Facilities Downtown or Northeast and MUSC Overall health Fairfield Unexpected emergency and Imaging, make sure you make contact with Amber Fields at [email protected]. 

    For info about MUSC Overall health Kershaw Medical Center, be sure to contact Karlin Ferguson at [email protected]. 

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    About MUSC 

    Launched in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is residence to the oldest medical college in the South as well as the state’s only built-in academic well being sciences middle, with a special demand to serve the condition via education and learning, investigation and affected individual care. Every single year, MUSC educates and trains additional than 3,000 learners and approximately 800 residents in 6 schools: Dental Medicine, Graduate Scientific studies, Health Professions, Drugs, Nursing and Pharmacy. MUSC introduced in much more than $271 million in biomedical exploration funds in fiscal year 2020, continuing to lead the condition in acquiring Countrywide Institutes of Health funding, with a lot more than $129.9 million. For information and facts on academic packages, go to musc.edu.

    As the clinical health and fitness process of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Overall health is committed to offering the optimum high-quality and harmless client treatment though training generations of compassionate, competent wellness care suppliers to provide the people of South Carolina and further than. Close to 25,000 care crew members provide treatment for patients at 14 hospitals with about 2,500 beds and 5 supplemental medical center places in progress, more than 300 telehealth websites and virtually 750 treatment locations positioned in the Lowcountry, Midlands, Pee Dee and Upstate areas of South Carolina. In 2021, for the seventh consecutive year, U.S. Information & Environment Report named MUSC Overall health the No. 1 healthcare facility in South Carolina. To understand extra about clinical individual providers, go to muschealth.org.

    MUSC and its affiliate marketers have collective yearly budgets of $4.4 billion. The additional than 25,000 MUSC crew associates include things like entire world-class school, doctors, specialty suppliers and experts who deliver groundbreaking instruction, investigation, technology and individual treatment.

  • The role of social media

    The role of social media

    Worldwide, statistics suggest mental health has declined since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Is social media partly to blame?

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    What are the links between mental health status and social media use during the pandemic? We investigate. Image credit: Koukichi Takahashi/EyeEm/Getty Images

    On a global scale, social media can be a way for people to gather information, share ideas, and reach out to others facing similar challenges. It can also be an effective platform to relay information quickly during a national or worldwide crisis, Real Estate.

    This global reach is what has made social media a critical communication platform during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    As government health organizations used it to relay recent findings on prevention and treatment, social media became more than a place to post the latest vacation photos — it became a hub of pandemic-related information.

    Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment.

    But has the use of social media during the pandemic negatively impacted mental health and well-being? Or has it had the opposite effect?

    In this Special Feature, Medical News Today looks at what research says about social media use and the COVID-19 pandemic to reveal how it has affected mental health. We also spoke with two experts about this complex topic.

    According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health conditions are on the rise. Data show that around 20{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of children and adolescents worldwide live with a mental health condition.

    Moreover, suicide is the second leading cause of death in 15–29-year-olds.

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that of the adults surveyed in the United States:

    Further research suggests that pandemic-related mental health challenges have impacted people differently, with some racial and ethnic groups disproportionately affected by pandemic stress.

    In particular, Hispanic adults reported experiencing the highest level of psychosocial stress in relation to food shortages and insecure housing at the start of the pandemic.

    A research report published in Frontiers in Psychology suggests that there is an association between pandemic threats and extensive anxiety and concern among the public.

    Scientists explain that some anxiety about personal safety and health during a widespread disease outbreak can help promote healthy behavior, including hand-washing and social distancing.

    However, in some people, anxiety can become overwhelming and cause harm.

    Social media use has been on the rise since its debut in 1995. As it has grown, more people have started using it as a news source. According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted between August 31 and September 7, 2020, about 53{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of adults in the U.S. get their news from social media.

    Research indicates that social media can help effectively communicate health information to a global audience during a public health crisis. However, the information shared on these platforms can sometimes be inaccurate or misleading.

    For example, one research review published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research looked at social media posts before March 2019 and found that Twitter contained the most health misinformation — mostly about smoking products and drugs.

    This health misinformation may lead to an increase in fear, anxiety, and poor health choices.

    According to one study, attempts to reduce the spread of misinformation by fact-checking and flagging posts with inaccuracies may help reduce the influence of false information for some people.

    Still, there is ongoing debate on whether social media content regulation may increase mistrust and promote more social media posts reflecting inaccurate information.

    Because the COVID-19 pandemic emerged recently, scientists are only beginning to understand the role of social media on users’ mental health.

    For instance, using questionnaires, researchers in China interviewed 512 college students from March 24 to April 1, 2020, to determine whether social media harmed mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Results indicate a link between higher use of social media and an increased risk of depression. Furthermore, the authors suggest that exposure to negative reports and posts may contribute to the risk of depression in some people.

    Additionally, according to a study that appears in the journal Globalization and Health, there is increasing evidence that endless news feeds reporting SARS-CoV-2 infection rates and COVID-19 death rates could influence the mental health of some individuals.

    MNT spoke with Lee Chambers, M.Sc., M.B.Ps.S., founder of Essentialise, about the impact of social media on mental health during the pandemic.

    Chambers said:

    “While we are all impacted in differing ways by social media consumption, the continual flow of negative and misinformation during the past 18 months have spread fear; the highlighting of social and political issues has reduced optimism; and edited photos and toxically positive content leave no space to feel secure or express negative emotions healthily. Alongside the increased desire for metrics such as likes and comments in these challenging times, it’s likely that social media has exacerbated mental health challenges.”

    He also explained that social media keeps people connected to friends and family, especially during social distancing with limited physical interactions. Yet, this increased use may have amplified social anxiety and challenges with perfectionism and comparison for some people.

    Prof. Steven C. Hayes, Foundation Professor of Psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno, who developed the Relational Frame Theory and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, told MNT: “We know that there are toxic processes that produce particular challenges for people: exposure to physical and psychological pain; a comparison with others and judgment; entanglement with self-judgment.”

    He further explained that “[t]hose predict pathological outcomes if you’re not able to step back to notice the process of feeling and thinking, to orient to what’s present and what is really important to you and line up your behavior behind that.”

    “And social media,” he added, “because of its exposure to pain comparison and judgment, enormously challenges us all in ways that are orders of magnitude more severe than ever in the history of humanity. Those processes have been toxic from the beginning, but exposure to those processes as a daily diet is new. [However], there are features inside social media that have expanded human consciousness. And it gives us great opportunities.”

    As Prof. Hayes mentioned, these opportunities may include a heightened awareness of mental health and reduced stigma surrounding mental health conditions.

    Research published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research suggests that psychosocial expressions have significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    This means that more people are expressing their emotions, both positive and negative, and garnering support from others. As a result, the stigma surrounding mental health conditions may be decreasing.

    Prof. Hayes noted that the COVID-19 pandemic exploded the idea that mental health conditions only affect certain individuals.

    “Everybody realizes that mental strength and mental flexibility — that is, mental and behavioral health and social wellness — applies to all of us. It’s not a one-out-of-five issue; it’s a five-out-of-five issue, and that is the permanent result of this year and a half of [COVID-19].”

    – Prof. Steven C. Hayes

    With emerging research suggesting social media may impact the mental health of some users, some platforms have begun to initiate positive changes.

    For example, on September 14, 2021, the social media platform TikTok announced new features for its users to help provide resources for suicide prevention.

    But can they do more?

    According to Chambers: “Social media platforms have a key role to play in how their products impact on the mental health and well-being of their users. There are many aspects where this can be achieved. However, the challenge is that [using] most of these will decrease addictiveness, engagement, and time spent. This often goes against the aims of the platform itself.”

    He suggests that social media platforms could consider improvements to build in mental well-being protection, including:

    • limiting news feed length
    • changing the way notifications are triggered
    • labeling altered images
    • introducing stronger regulation and monitoring of content designed to harm
    • implementing suggestions that users take a break
    • signposting to evidence-based resources and support on posts that may be triggering
    • ensuring clearer guidelines and more ability for users to easily control sensitive content

    According to Chambers, “when it comes to [using] social media, both moderation of time and content consumed and intentionality play a significant part in garnering the benefits and reducing the downsides.”

    He suggests that having a “digital sunset” before retiring for the night can help ensure anxiety will not impact sleep. In addition, having a social media-free day can positively affect mental well-being.

    “The ultimate intention is for us to become the masters of social media, rather than social media become the masters of us.”

    – Lee Chambers

    Prof. Hayes noted that although mental health impacts everyone to some degree, that does not mean all people should be in therapy.

    Instead, he suggested that “[w]e all need to learn how to be responsible for our mental and behavioral strength and flexibility. And to seek out the resources, just as we do with strengthening our physical health and flexibility.”

    “That will empower us to face a changing world that, yes, will include regular exposure to pain, comparison, and judgment,” he added.

    He noted that this exposure will also include the overwhelming reality of worldwide events as they are happening.

    “We need to step up to that. And I see very hopeful signs that by using social media and technology and accessing the best that behavioral mental science can bring to us, we can speed up the natural process that happens of acquiring wisdom. That will allow you to be more open to your thoughts and feelings, more centered consciously in the present moment and connected to others, and more focused on your deepest human values. [It will also allow you] to create habits around those instead of creating habits around fear and judgment and comparison.”

    – Prof. Steven C. Hayes

    For live updates on the latest developments regarding the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, click here.

    Visit : https://marylandheightsresidents.com/

  • EXPLAINER: What to Know About Kids and COVID-19 Vaccines | Health News

    EXPLAINER: What to Know About Kids and COVID-19 Vaccines | Health News

    Queries about vaccine safety, dosages and necessities in young children are swirling as the U.S. moves nearer to administering the photographs in little ones beneath the age of 12.

    Pfizer this 7 days became the initially vaccine maker to question the Food items and Drug Administration to authorize unexpected emergency use of its coronavirus vaccine in little ones ages 5-11, a improvement that could open up the shot to 48 million far more persons.

    The ask for is created even much more urgent as little ones enter the fall and winter season months of in-person learning, which could see flu outbreaks on major of coronavirus conditions.

    Little ones are at decreased possibility of serious an infection and demise from COVID-19 than older populations, but it does continue to take place.

    In accordance to a the latest report, nearly 5.9 million kids have examined positive for COVID-19 considering that the start off of the pandemic, and the quantity of new conditions in children “remains exceptionally higher,” producing up virtually 27{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of new bacterial infections.

    Cartoons on the Coronavirus

    Info from the Centers for Condition Control and Avoidance shows that extra than 600 kids have died from the coronavirus.

    “In this latest wave of COVID-19, specially down south, there have been hundreds of small children hospitalized,” Peter Marks of the FDA’s Heart for Biologics Evaluation and Investigate stated at a town hall in October. “And, frankly, it is an shame in a developed place to have even 100 kids, like we’ve had, die of infectious ailment which is preventable.”

    When Will the COVID-19 Vaccine Be Authorized for Children?


    Pfizer, which created the to start with COVID-19 vaccine to obtain complete Fda approval, is the furthest along in the approach. The firm past month submitted info to the Food and drug administration on the success of its shot in little ones ages 5-11.

    The organization in October submitted a request for crisis use authorization for the shot in the age group. Fda and CDC officers have pledged to act quickly on the ask for.

    Even in advance of the application, the Fda had scheduled a conference of its vaccine advisory committee scheduled to discuss the subject on Oct. 26 “in anticipation of the ask for.” The agency could authorize the shot in late Oct or, extra probable, in November.

    “We know from our huge practical experience with other pediatric vaccines that youngsters are not compact grownups, and we will perform a extensive evaluation of medical trial info submitted in assist of the basic safety and success of the vaccine utilised in a younger pediatric populace, which may well need to have a distinctive dosage or formulation from that used in an more mature pediatric populace or older people,” performing Fda Commissioner Janet Woodcock reported in a statement about the conference.

    Meanwhile, Moderna is also learning its vaccine in children ages 5-11, and its demo results are predicted afterwards this 12 months.

    Is the COVID-19 Vaccine Secure for Youngsters?

    In September, Pfizer introduced “beneficial topline effects” from its trial in children ages 5-11. It noted that the vaccine was “harmless, effectively tolerated and confirmed sturdy neutralizing antibody responses.”

    Specially, the demo benefits showed that kids in the age group mounted a equivalent antibody response to all those who were being vaccinated in the 16-25 age team. The Pfizer vaccine examined in children aged 5-11 is even now delivered in two shots spaced apart by 21 times, but it is only a third of the dosage given to individuals ages 12 and older.

    The more compact dosage was “meticulously chosen as the desired dose for security, tolerability and immunogenicity in kids 5 to 11 yrs of age,” the company said in a press release.

    Young children require a smaller dose for the reason that, amid other factors, they have “incredibly active immune units,” in accordance to William Schaffner, a professor of infectious illnesses at the Vanderbilt University Clinical Center.

    “At different levels of lifetime, one’s immune system responds in a different way,” he states. “Infants and kids have a superb immune process. It can reply vigorously to vaccines, for instance.”

    The Pfizer trial enrolled nearly 2,300 participants ages 5-11. It could be carried out with a lesser quantity of participants than the trials involving more mature men and women mainly because the corporation did not have to begin from scratch. Preceding data from older members proved the vaccines had been productive at stopping COVID-19, so the trial with youthful young ones did not need to prove the vaccine worked – just that it prompted a comparable level of antibodies and was risk-free.

    “We can do a demo that lasts only months, demonstrating that the little ones who bought the vaccine designed a enough sum of antibody – really comparable to what the teenagers and youthful grown ups produce,” Schaffner states. “That will be enough facts for us due to the fact we’ve currently recognized these ranges of antibody are linked with safety.”

    U.S. health officials promise to absolutely evaluate the shot’s protection in youngsters.

    “We want to be positive over and above a shadow of a question that the proof indicates a potent protection profile and sturdy immune reaction in young children,” Surgeon Common Vivek Murthy said at a modern press conference. “Which is why it issues that 1000’s of young ones are enrolled in each and every demo, and that they are very carefully monitored for at the very least two comprehensive months right after they receive their second dose.”

    What Are the Vaccine’s Facet Results in Youngsters?

    Pfizer hasn’t posted a lot details on the aspect effects kids can hope soon after obtaining the shot. It did say in a push launch that the side consequences are “normally similar to those people noticed in individuals 16 to 25 many years of age.”

    That signifies that some children can assume sore arms, fatigue and other typically gentle facet consequences, Schaffner suggests.

    “These are little selling prices to pay out in purchase to get defense versus a virus that at its worst, can get rid of an even nutritious, standard little one,” he states.

    Are A lot of Mothers and fathers Envisioned to Get Their Children Vaccinated?

    Parental consent will be needed for kids to obtain the shots.

    About a single in 4 mom and dad say they certainly will never get their 5-11-year-olds vaccinated from COVID-19, according to a new poll from Kaiser Spouse and children Basis executed ahead of Pfizer declared its topline trial facts for the age group.

    About a 3rd of mother and father say they will get their child vaccinated “right away.” An additional 3rd mentioned they will “wait around and see.”

    If the vaccination amount for 12-15-calendar year-olds is any indication, it could be an uphill struggle.

    Despite the Pfizer vaccine getting unexpected emergency use authorization for people today ages 12-15 in May well, the age group proceeds to report the cheapest vaccination protection, in accordance to CDC data. Just about 43{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of this age group is thoroughly vaccinated compared to a national level of 56{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}.

    Will Schools Need Young ones to Get the Vaccine?

    Probably unsurprisingly, California just lately grew to become the to start with point out to announce it will have to have college students in public and private universities to get the vaccine.

    The necessity would take result 1 semester following the Food and drug administration granted the vaccine full acceptance for an age group. Now only the Pfizer vaccine satisfies that threshold for people ages 16 and more mature.

    “The point out now requires that college students are vaccinated in opposition to viruses that result in measles, mumps, and rubella – you can find no reason why we wouldn’t do the exact same for COVID-19,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom mentioned in a assertion.

    But it is unclear how lots of jurisdictions will observe the Democratic state’s guide. Vaccine mandates have proven to be a controversial subject, and lots of faculty boards have presently experienced a challenging time grappling with pushback to mask prerequisites.

    Is There a Vaccine for Youngsters More youthful Than 5 Decades Aged?

    Pfizer expects to release effects in children beneath the age of 5 later this yr. Participants in this trial been given an even reduce vaccine dosage – about 1-tenth of what was offered to grown ups.

    “Topline readouts for the other two age cohorts from the trial – small children 2-5 many years of age and kids 6 months to 2 a long time of age – are envisioned as before long as the fourth quarter of this year,” Pfizer documented in September.

    Moderna is also learning its vaccine in kids below the age of five.

  • 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


    Seattle Times staff & news services

  • Unvaccinated people at higher COVID-19 reinfection: Study

    Unvaccinated people at higher COVID-19 reinfection: Study

    Unvaccinated people at higher COVID-19 reinfection: Study

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    Unvaccinated men and women at better COVID-19 reinfection: Review&nbsp | &nbspPhoto Credit rating:&nbspiStock Photos

    New York: Immunity attained after natural an infection is shorter-lived and remaining unvaccinated can enhance the hazard of having re-contaminated with Covid-19, implies a examine released in the journal The Lancet Microbe. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been considerably uncertainty about how extensive immunity lasts after anyone who is unvaccinated is contaminated with SARS-CoV-2.

    “Re-infection can moderately transpire in a few months or much less,” said guide creator Jeffrey Townsend, Professor of Biostatistics at the Yale Faculty of Community Wellness.

    “Thus, these who have been naturally contaminated really should get vaccinated. Earlier infection by yourself can provide quite small very long-time period security towards subsequent infections,” Townsend additional.

    The group analysed known re-an infection and immunological information from the shut viral family members of SARS-CoV-2 that induce “typical colds” — together with immunological information from SARS-CoV-1 and Center East Respiratory Syndrome. Leveraging evolutionary principles, the group was capable to product the hazard of Covid-19 re-an infection more than time. Re-infections can and have happened, even shortly after restoration. And they will turn out to be increasingly frequent as immunity wanes and new SARS-CoV-2 variants arise.

    “We tend to imagine about immunity as remaining immune or not immune. Our study cautions that we alternatively should really be more concentrated on the threat of re-infection through time,” said Alex Dornburg, Assistant Professor of bioinformatics and genomics at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

    “As new variants crop up, earlier immune responses become fewer successful at combating the virus. Individuals who had been normally contaminated early in the pandemic are significantly probable to grow to be re-contaminated in the in close proximity to future,” he added.

    The team’s details-pushed design reveals putting similarities to the re-an infection dangers more than time involving SARS-CoV-2 and endemic coronaviruses.

    “Just like prevalent colds, from just one calendar year to the future you may perhaps get re-infected with the similar virus. The variance is that, all through its emergence in this pandemic, Covid-19 has verified to be a great deal much more deadly,” Townsend claimed.

    “Because of to the skill of SARS-CoV-2 to evolve and re-infect, it, way too, is very likely to changeover from pandemic to an endemic sickness,” included Dornburg.

  • The Bahamian Bush Medicine Legacy

    The Bahamian Bush Medicine Legacy

    Martha Hanna-Smith is an educator who grew up on the 92 sq.-mile island of Acklins in the Bahamas.

    As an artisan and educator, Hanna-Smith has been educating local inhabitants how to change their crafts into entrepreneurship for more than 40 years.

    She functions with the normal elements of her homeland, like straw, shells, and sand, to make culturally pertinent art. Other specialties consist of her natural teas, jams, and jellies.

    “I drank bush teas all my lifestyle, so which is all I know. I realized practically nothing about cocoa or Ovaltine, so I experienced to vacation resort to what we had in the backyard,” Hanna-Smith claims. “All of the plants, like the soursop and all of the other folks, were there, Home Decoration.”

    She uncovered about herbs by observing her elders. If she saw a plant she didn’t recognize, she questioned to find out much more.

    “I figured out a good deal from aged persons, just by asking inquiries and also observing what they employed,” she claims.

    Inevitably, Hanna-Smith’s do the job with crops gained consideration, and she acquired a distinction for her analyze on bush drugs. In 2006, she published a reserve known as “Bush Medication in Bahamian People Tradition.”

    Hanna-Smith has been instrumental in instructing about the health added benefits of bush drugs, developing community craft associations, and embodying and preserving Bahamian tradition.

    “The apply of bush medicine was 1 of the lots of contributions of the Africans to this component of the earth,” Hanna-Smith says. “It’s regarded in the Bahamas as an African survival [necessity].”

    She notes that bush medicine is connected to the transatlantic slave trade, and the plants utilized when slavery was in impact are among these even now applied these days.

    “We think that Africans, when they had been transported here, introduced seeds and vegetation with them, and they handed on their information of these plants,” Hanna-Smith suggests.

    Bush drugs is most frequently made use of to make tea, but it can also be employed for salves, poultices, and rubs. Some frequently used plants involve:

    Fever grass is just one of the most perfectly-acknowledged bush medications and simply determined by its fragrance.

    Recognised as lemongrass in other sections of the planet, it is applied to decrease fevers and boost peace. The flavor is equivalent to lemon peel, and the plant assists assist the immune procedure.

    “Fever grass is one particular that you must clean meticulously since pet dogs love to pee on it and that can make you very sick,” Hanna-Smith warns. “Once washed, you can boil it, but some persons also crush it. And I uncover that process offers it far more energy.”

    Cerasee has a reputation as a functional herb in the Bahamas. It’s used for common conditions, from tummy pains to colds, and it is also useful for diabetes.

    Quite a few Bahamian older people have recollections of staying compelled to consume the bitter tea as unwell little ones.

    Kamalame, also termed gumbo limbo, is known as the “healing tree.” Its sap can be employed to take care of skin reactions to other plants.

    In her review of bush medicine across islands, Hanna-Smith generally found out various names for the exact vegetation.

    For occasion, sapodilla, or dilly in the Bahamas, is acknowledged as neeseberry in Jamaica. A plant identified as blue vervain in Jamaica is known as blue flowers in the Bahamas.

    “Our mom and dad utilized to use blue flowers every single Sunday morning to clear out their devices.” Hanna-Smith states.

    In most circumstances, the utilizes of the plants are the similar across islands, but there were being some cases in which vegetation have been applied for reasons distinct from individuals known to Hanna-Smith.

    Hanna-Smith notes that a lot of this understanding was retained by Obeah practitioners and witch physicians, who were being among the the enslaved people today residing in the Bahamas.

    These had been, and however are in lots of situations, individuals acquainted with the medicinal houses of plants thought to have connections with the non secular entire world.

    Even though these medicine persons had been typically critical to their communities, the expression “witch doctor” has rather detrimental connotations in contemporary parlance.

    “We have a really rich record. In that period, 1600 to 1800, the Europeans and the Africans were here, and the Europeans did not agree with the use of this bush drugs,” Hanna-Smith claims.

    The oral traditions of Obeah, Vodou, Santeria, and Shango are however generally practiced in the Caribbean, despite the colonial legacy that labels them as nefarious and even demonic.

    These stereotypes can nevertheless be witnessed in well known society.

    For instance, the 2009 Disney movie “The Princess and the Frog” attributes a character named Dr. Facilier, an example of the distortion and villanization of Haitian Vodou prevalent in white tradition.

    Why these types of unfavorable treatment method?

    Apart from the spiritual clash of the colonizer’s religion, these traditions, and the plant medication that went with them, was a electric power that African folks experienced and retained while they had been enslaved.

    Their expertise and, in numerous conditions, mastery of herbalism gave them the skill, to a certain extent, to handle and mend their possess bodies.

    This is a proper Black individuals have generally been denied.

    Practitioners understood which vegetation would heal wounds, simplicity belly aches, induce vomiting, and even have an affect on the reproductive method.

    This authorized Bahamians to consider care of on their own and each other, even if they didn’t have entry to the similar professional medical care and procedure as white colonizers.

    Even though some indigenous awareness of bush medication has been missing, Hanna-Smith thinks it’s essential for the custom to be passed on and continued by means of generations.

    “We have some vegetation that are poisonous, and everyone wants to know to steer clear of them,” she suggests. “We need to have to know how to use the vegetation that are great. People today really should not die with this info.”

    This conviction is part of what fuels Hanna-Smith’s function.

    Bush medication isn’t a relic of the earlier.

    It is a probable avenue to a brighter, additional empowered foreseeable future for the Bahamian persons — and a opportunity gateway to a specialised sector that Bahamians can produce making use of ancestral expertise.

    This would not only lead to enhanced physical wellbeing, but also to financial effectively-becoming.

    The two are undeniably interlinked.

    Previously, other folks capitalized on the abilities of elders in the African diaspora. It is important for this details to be protected and utilised for the good of African men and women.

    For Hanna-Smith, the long run of bush drugs appears constructive.

    Bahamian learners are partaking in study assignments on bush medicine. And some academics are supplying assignments that have to have college students to discover vegetation and their medicinal uses.

    Which include bush medication in formal training helps make sure the custom will be understood and practiced for many years to appear.

    “I want to see my reserve in all Bahamian educational facilities and offered in grocery retailers,” Hanna-Smith says. “I want to see wellness centers wherever individuals can get the teas they need to have.”

    She adds that she’s operating on a next e-book with far more vegetation and kitchen therapies.

    Hanna-Smith notes that people generally take a look at the Bahamas and collect info on bush medicine. In many conditions, information is specified as well freely.

    Then, they return to their nations around the world and capitalize on the knowledge of African descendants.

    For instance, soursop has grown in recognition simply because of promises that it assists fight most cancers — though there is a absence of human scientific studies to confirm this.

    This type of reactionary consumption distorts the accurate uses of the plant, turning it into a commodity that is eliminated from its organic and cultural context.

    This can make it less complicated to manipulate public notion.

    Soursop goods are more and more marketed as “cancer killing,” nevertheless this assert is not supported by the Foodstuff and Drug Administration (Food and drug administration).

    Soursop is a meals and medicine staple in the Caribbean, and its increasing popularity puts it at possibility of becoming overharvested and starting to be endangered.

    Hanna-Smith emphasizes the importance of receiving to know vegetation and herbs in your nearby ecosystem. She shares some tips, like:

    • finding out to identify crops
    • discovering the background of bush or organic drugs in your region
    • having to pay awareness to what local animals consume for clues

    These methods can aid you grow to be more knowledgeable of the medicinal vegetation all around you.

    You can start to check out native crops by:

    At the similar time, training severe warning.

    In finding out about plant medicine, it’s essential to spend consideration to the particulars. Right identification can be the difference amongst everyday living and dying.

    For instance, Hanna-Smith shares that kamalame normally grows in close proximity to poisonwood, a plant that lives up to its name.

    She recalls a time that someone died just after working with poisonwood, contemplating it was kamalame.

    “If you use the mistaken plant, I will sing for you,” she suggests, implying that a funeral will soon adhere to.

    Warning

    Never eat vegetation you’ve identified based on an app, on the net dialogue, or e-book. These solutions are for training and exploration only. Genuinely finding out to establish plants can take time, in-depth analyze, teaching, and loads of exercise.

    Normally confirm a plant’s identity with an herbalist, botanist, or other skilled skilled in advance of working with it for any rationale.

    Bahamians like bush medicine, because it connects them to their land, their heritage, and their ancestry. It is a custom they rely on.

    The custom of bush medicine served lots of Bahamians preserve autonomy over their bodies and their well being for the duration of the era of the transatlantic slave trade.

    It carries on to be a way to honor the past whilst empowering the long run for the Bahamian individuals.

    Alicia A. Wallace is a queer Black feminist, women’s human rights defender, and writer. She’s passionate about social justice and group making. She enjoys cooking, baking, gardening, traveling, and talking to absolutely everyone and no just one at the identical time on Twitter.

    Visit : https://accuracyathome.com/