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  • Coronavirus Today – Feb. 17

    Coronavirus Today – Feb. 17


    By Anne Blythe

    On Thursday, Gov. Roy Cooper encouraged school districts and local governments to drop indoor mask requirements by March 7 to give people the option of baring their faces as the state moves toward a new pandemic phase.

    Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers who have often challenged the Democratic governor’s approach to the pandemic, especially in years with elections, were in session on Thursday to redraw electoral districts.

    Amid that weighty topic, the lawmakers resurrected a bill called “Free the Smiles” that was introduced in the state Senate in 2021 and amended it to give parents the choice of whether their children wear masks while at school.

    After the bill passed in the state House of Representatives on Thursday with support from some Democrats, Speaker Tim Moore (R-Kings Mountain) quickly issued a statement. 

    “All health care decisions for our students belong with their parents, not with politicians or bureaucrats. No one cares about these children more than their parents, and no one is better-suited to make these decisions,” said Moore, who is up for election and has considered a run for U.S. Congress.

    Cooper’s term does not end until 2024, but the question of masking in schools has become a hot political topic in North Carolina and other states across the country. Republicans accused him of relying on “political science,” instead of the health experts, case numbers, data and science that have guided his pandemic response.

    In North Carolina, some local school districts have been voting to roll back mask requirements as more people get vaccinated and the Omicron surge is on a steep decline.

    “This pandemic has been difficult for all of us,” Cooper said during the briefing with reporters that was broadcast on North Carolina Public Television. “It’s been particularly tough on parents, teachers and school children. It’s time to focus on getting our children a good education and improving our schools no matter how you feel about masks.

    “As we continue to shake the cobwebs of this virus and work to get more people vaccinated, our eyes are on a very bright horizon,” he continued. “Already, we’re emerging from the pandemic from a place of strength.”

    However, as state health Secretary Kody Kinsley pointed out earlier this week during a meeting of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services, North Carolina is not yet in the endemic phase. Nonetheless, lawmakers encouraged him to develop an exit strategy.

    “You know, endemic is really the concept of being in equilibrium or balance over time,” Kinsley said. “As we have seen with COVID, there can be curveballs and variants that really create pushes in different directions. We are moving in that direction over time, but we still have more to learn with regard to the cyclical nature of this virus, the tools we have in place to respond to it, and making sure that we can prepare. Endemic is about being prepared to manage overall, over the period of time. So we’re not there yet, but our department remains incredibly committed to taking each successive step in giving North Carolinians the best information that they need to protect themselves.”

    Picking up where his predecessor Mandy Cohen left off, Kinsley, head of the state Department of Health and Human Services since Jan. 1, provided North Carolinians with an update on the state’s COVID-19 trends and metrics during the briefing with the governor on Thursday.

    The number of people showing up at emergency departments with COVID symptoms has dropped dramatically, he said, as have the number of new cases and hospitalizations since the peak of the Omicron surge.

    “As we emerge from the latest surge, the COVID-19 landscape looks different today than it did two years ago, or even two months ago,” Kinsley said. “We have learned more about the virus and now have several effective tools that reduce the risk for people. Vaccines and boosters are widely available and have protected millions of people against severe illness, hospitalization and death.”

    Treatments are available for those at high risk for severe disease, Kinsley added, noting that DHHS had expanded a standing order so more people could gain access to the monoclonal antibodies and other treatments.

    Kinsley said DHHS might phase out emphasis on one data point which had helped guide decisions earlier in the pandemic — the positivity rate. The percentage of COVID tests coming back positive compared to the total number of tests no longer has the same significance that it once did when people didn’t have widespread access to home COVID tests.

    Still, Kinsley said, the department was relying on the science and data to announce as it adapted its response to the pandemic to encourage local governments and school boards to ease indoor mask requirements and leave it up to individuals and businesses in most settings.

    Masking still in congregate care settings

    Nursing homes, long-term care facilities, prisons and health care settings should continue to require masks, Kinsley added. People who have not been vaccinated and boosted, when eligible, should continue to wear masks, Kinsley said. Anyone who has tested positive for COVID or been exposed to someone who has should also continue to mask.

    “If our trends continue to improve, beginning March 7, schools and other low-risk settings can consider moving to voluntary masking at the discretion of local authorities. We strongly recommend that schools promote vaccinations and boosters for students and staff, and that schools participate in our testing program.”

    That recommendation to lift masking requirements applies to pre-school children as well, Kinsley said.

    Kinsley and Cooper added that they themselves might choose to wear masks still at crowded indoor settings and other places.

    “Our goal is to use the tools we have so that people can all get back to the people, experiences and places that we love,” Kinsley said, encouraging everyone who is eligible to get a vaccine.

    Kinsley said the changes were being announced a couple of weeks ahead of time to give people an opportunity to get a vaccine if they needed one and allow organizations a bit of planning time.

    “As we move forward, we will remain vigilant and we will respond to changes in the virus so we can protect the health and well-being of North Carolinians,” Kinsley said.

    Coronavirus by the numbers

    According to NCDHHS data, as of Thursday afternoon:

    • 22,061 people in North Carolina have died of coronavirus.
    • 2.5 million cases have been reported since the start of the pandemic. Of those, 2,711 are in the hospital. The hospitalization figure is a snapshot of people hospitalized with COVID-19 infections on a given day and does not represent all of the North Carolinians who may have been in the hospital throughout the course of the epidemic.
    • To date, 25,384,444 tests have been completed in North Carolina. As of July 7, all labs in the state are required to report both their positive and negative test results to the lab, so that figure includes all of the COVID-19 tests performed in the state.
    • There are 2,620 ventilators in hospitals across the state and 1,030 ventilators in use, not just for coronavirus cases but also for patients with other reasons for being in the hospital. As of Thursday, 501 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care units across the state.

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    by Anne Blythe, North Carolina Health News
    February 17, 2022

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  • Coronavirus Today – Jan 4

    Coronavirus Today – Jan 4


    By Anne Blythe

    As public health officials predicted in late December, North Carolina is seeing the Omicron variant of COVID-19 bring record-high cases counts and putting strains on systems across the state.

    Finding COVID-19 tests has become difficult again. Rapid tests are in short supply. Many testing sites have long lines and time-consuming waits.

    On Tuesday, during his first briefing with reporters as the new secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Kody Kinsley acknowledged the aggravation that many are experiencing while sometimes waiting for more than an hour to get swabbed and tested for COVID-19.

    “Last week, we set a single-day record for COVID-19 cases. The next day we broke it, and the next day we broke it again, topping out at 19,620,” Kinsley said at the briefing with Gov. Roy Cooper and Susan Kansagra, the DHHS acting senior deputy director of public health. “We are not alone. The highly contagious Omicron variant of COVID-19 is setting record case numbers across the country, putting a strain on testing services and creating concern about hospital capacity.”

    North Carolina’s daily case count had a downward tick this week after last week’s record highs. There were 10,276 new cases of lab-confirmed COVID-19 on Tuesday, according to the DHHS dashboard, but even that number was one of the ten highest daily case counts since the beginning of the pandemic. 

    There were 3,008 people in the hospital with disease related to COVID-19, 603 of those were in intensive care unit beds, taking up 80 percent of the state’s hospital beds and 83 percent of the ICU beds, Kinsley said.

    “Most people in the hospital are unvaccinated,” Kinsley said. “More than 80 percent of the people in the ICU are unvaccinated.” 

    North Carolina has lost 19,494 people to COVID deaths, a sober reminder of the deadly scourge of the coronavirus pandemic.

    Kinsley, Cooper and Kasangra urged North Carolinians to get vaccinated and boosted when eligible to help slow the spread of Omicron and any other COVID-19 variants that might come along.

    “Vaccines are our way out of this,” Kinsley said. “They provide the best protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death. Boosters are critical. Early evidence shows that boosters provide a significant level of protection against Omicron.”

    “You can still decide to get vaccinated and help us save lives, protect hospital capacity and keep kids in school,” Kinsley added.

    DHHS is taking steps to make sure hospitals do not become overwhelmed by the surge in COVID cases, and Kinsley said he is in frequent contact with hospital administrators, keeping track of what they’re seeing and planning ahead for any shifts in resources that are needed.

    The hospital systems still have capacity according to Kinsley and Cooper, but that could change quickly if the case counts continue to soar.

    Each of North Carolina’s 100 counties has a high level of community COVID-19 transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID tracking map, putting the state back in the red zone.

    “As the new year unfolds before us, I have so many reasons to be hopeful about our state’s progress in dealing with this pandemic, educating our children and growing our state’s economy, all at the same time,” Cooper said. “But we have to do what works, and I know we will.”

    Talks with the White House

    One thing Cooper plans to do is to require state employees who are subject to his executive order requiring vaccination or routine testing if they want to continue their employment to also get boosted once the CDC updates the definition of full vaccination to include a booster shot.

    “We want to make sure that our state employees are vaccinated and that they are protected,” Cooper said. “One of the things we are seeing more and more is that really keeping up with your vaccination is making sure you get boosted because more and more with this Omicron variant we are seeing so much more protection because the booster ramps up the immune system.”

    While working to get more North Carolinians vaccinated and boosted across the state, Kinsley and Cooper have been talking with the Biden administration and vendors about how they can increase testing supplies during the Omicron surge.

    “We’ve had a record number of tests over the holidays and that’s a positive thing,” Cooper said. North Carolinians are doing the right thing, he added, by getting tested before gathering with families or going back to school or work.

    The positivity rate for those tests is nearly 30 percent, according to Kinsley, nearly six times as high as the 5 percent mark that DHHS sets as a goal to be at or below.

    Cooper said he was on the phone with the White House this week trying to find out how his administration could get more tests distributed to counties and sites during this time of high demand. This was going on as complaints came from across the state that testing sites were having to close because they ran out of supplies.

    The Food and Drug Administration recently authorized two more rapid tests for emergency use so that some 15 brands of antigen tests will soon be available for distribution in the U.S. market. One test is manufactured by SD Biosensor and distributed by Roche, according to a Health and Human Services press release. The other is manufactured by Siemens.

    “That will help put millions more tests on the market for people,” said Cooper.

    Additionally, the Biden administration plans to get half a billion tests out to states in the next couple of weeks, further increasing the supply.

    In the meantime, the state, which provides only 10 percent of the testing, according to Kinsley, has been using its resources to open additional testing sites and thousands of appointments each day.

    Before the holidays, DHHS distributed about 500,000 test kits across the state, Kinsley said, and stands ready to fill other requests.

    “We are taking several steps guided by our laser focus on saving lives, ensuring that hospitals can provide care to people who need it and keeping kids in the classroom,” Kinsley said. “The first thing on everyone’s mind is testing. We set records there as well. On New Year’s Eve, more than 91,000 tests were reported to the state. I know many people felt the frustration of this increase and had to endure long lines.”

    Kinsley said he expects the demand for tests to remain high throughout the coming weeks.

    ‘Test-to-stay’ in school

    The surge in cases comes as millions of children and college students return to classrooms after a winter break.

    The ABC Science Collaborative, a Duke group that pairs physicians and scientists with school and community leaders to help them understand current and relevant COVID data, recently shared the results of a study with DHHS about a “test-to-stay” program that allows children to stay in the classroom even after exposure to the virus.

    The children and school staff would have to be tested for COVID-19 at specified intervals, continue to wear masks properly, not have any symptoms and remain negative on the rapid antigen tests.

    Kinsley said DHHS plans to talk with state school board members and others toward the end of this week to discuss whether this is something North Carolina schools should and could do.

    Such a program would mean children no longer would have to quarantine after being exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID, easing child care issues for many working parents and offering students an option to be in the classroom instead of isolated from their classmates.

    Prison cases start to tick up

    In just the past day, the number of inmates in the North Carolina prison system with COVID rose sharply, according to the dashboard, going from 84 on Monday to 116 on Tuesday. 

    Researchers who have tracked what’s happened in prisons around the country say the Omicron variant is likely to rip through prison populations, who live in close contact and who often have pre-existing conditions. 

    Tim Moose, the Department of Public Safety Director of Adult Corrections, said at the briefing with the governor and others that 74 percent of inmates throughout the system currently are vaccinated with two shots. Of that number, a third have chosen to get boosters, according to Moose.

    Inmates should be able to request boosters through their case managers or during medical appointments, Moose added, but he could provide no further details during the briefing about which facilities had more boosted inmates. 

    According to the DPS spokesman, John Bull, the department does not perform genetic sequencing on the positive tests from inmates.

    That makes it difficult to track Omicron, which is fast-moving. While Omicron appears to result in milder disease, it still can land an unvaccinated person in a hospital bed or worse.

    Coronavirus by the numbers

    According to NCDHHS data, as of Tuesday afternoon:

    • 19,457 people total in North Carolina have died of coronavirus.
    • 1,742,844 have been diagnosed with the disease. Of those, 3,008 are in the hospital, an 84 percent increase since Dec. 20, 2021, more than half of the admissions are of people between the ages of 50 and 79. The hospitalization figure is a snapshot of people hospitalized with COVID-19 infections on a given day. The hardest hit areas are the Charlotte Metropolitan area, with 813 patients, and the Triad area, with 764 patients. 
    • As of Tuesday, 603 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care units across the state. 
    • North Carolina tracked COVID-19 re-infections in the case counts from March 1, 2021 through Sept. 20, 2021. All told, North Carolina tracked 10,812 reinfections, 200 of those were in people who were previously vaccinated. Ninety-four people who were reinfected with COVID-19 have died. 
    • As of Dec. 20, 2021, 1,538,231 people who had COVID-19 are presumed to have recovered. This weekly estimate does not denote how many of the diagnosed cases in the state are still infectious. Nor does it reflect the number of so-called “long-COVID” survivors who continue to feel the effects of the disease beyond the defined “recovery” period.
    • To date, 22,067,976 tests have been completed in North Carolina. As of July 2020, all labs in the state are required to report both their positive and negative test results to the lab, so that figure includes all of the COVID-19 tests performed in the state. Most recently, 29.7 percent of those testing were testing positive. That doesn’t include home-based antigen tests that are reading as positives.
    • People ages 25-49 make up the largest group of cases (39 percent). While 12 percent of the positive diagnoses were in people ages 65 and older, seniors make up 74 percent of coronavirus deaths in the state. 
    • 338 outbreaks are ongoing in group facilities across the state, including nursing homes and correctional and residential care facilities.
    • As of Dec. 20, 6,607,890 North Carolinians have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Ninety-two percent of people over the age of 65 have been completely vaccinated, while 59 percent of the total population is fully vaccinated. 2,542,000 boosters have been administered.
    • Children between the ages of 5 and 11 became eligible for vaccination during November. A total of 186,226 first doses have been given to those children, a total of 21 percent of that population.

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    Please do not reprint our stories without our bylines, and please include a live link to NC Health News under the byline, like this:

     

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    North Carolina Health News is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit, statewide news organization dedicated to covering all things health care in North Carolina. Visit NCHN at northcarolinahealthnews.org. (on the web, this can be hyperlinked)

    by Anne Blythe, North Carolina Health News
    January 4, 2022

    1

  • WVU provides updated COVID-19 guidance for spring 2022 semester opening | WVU Today

    WVU provides updated COVID-19 guidance for spring 2022 semester opening | WVU Today

    West Virginia University is committed to providing an on-campus learning experience as the spring 2022 semester approaches; however, with the rise in COVID-19 cases across the country and throughout the state because of the omicron variant, the University is implementing several updated campus health and safety protocols ahead of the start of classes that begin on Monday, Jan. 10.

    “Given the prevalence of the omicron variant and evidence that it likely is more transmissible than previous strains, including the delta variant, we are taking several measures to limit the potential spread of COVID-19 as students, faculty and staff return to campus,” said Dr. Jeffrey Coben, dean of the School of Public Health and associate vice president for Health Affairs. “Now more than ever, we are asking our unvaccinated students, faculty and staff to get a COVID-19 vaccine and for those who are vaccinated to get a booster if they are eligible.”

    “It is imperative that we all do our part to protect ourselves and each other as we navigate this latest wave in the COVID-19 pandemic,” Coben added.

    Five key areas to be aware of changes include:

    • the definition of “fully vaccinated.”
    • mask requirement.
    • isolation procedures.
    • quarantine procedures.
    • free antigen self-test kit.

    Read through each topic thoroughly to understand how the guidelines have changed. If you have any questions after reviewing the new guidelines, visit the Return to Campus website for the latest updates. Questions related to COVID-19 and WVU’s health and safety protocols can be submitted or sent via email to [email protected].

    To best protect our campus and local communities, do not ignore symptoms of COVID-19. If you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, please follow the health and safety protocols and do not report to campus for work or class. By personally taking the precautions necessary to protect yourself and others, we will keep our campus healthy and safe during this latest variant.

    COVID-19 vaccination 

    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, data from recent studies in South Africa and the U.K. suggest that boosters significantly enhance vaccine effectiveness against infection of the omicron variant. Boosters also decrease the risk of severe disease, hospitalization and death for those who are vaccinated but become infected with COVID-19.

    Based on this information and guidance from public health officials and WVU medical experts, the University is updating its requirements for students, faculty and staff regarding COVID-19 and vaccinations.

    To be considered fully vaccinated at WVU, an individual now must have both:

    • Received their primary series of the COVID-19 vaccine (two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson Janssen vaccine).
    • Received a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after receiving their primary series of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or at least two months after receiving the Johnson & Johnson Janssen vaccine.

    Those on the Health Sciences Campus involved in patient care, including residents, fellows and students, are required to follow separate WVU Health System or other clinical provider’s policies, including those related to COVID-19 such as masks, PPE and vaccinations.

    Verifying a COVID-19 vaccination

    Students, faculty and staff will receive an email in the coming days with instructions and a link to verify their vaccination status, including their booster if eligible.

    All students, faculty and staff must verify their vaccine status by Friday, Jan. 28.

    COVID-19 vaccination clinics and dashboard

    The University highly encourages those who have not gotten their primary series of a COVID-19 vaccine or those who have not yet received a booster to do so as soon as possible. Vaccines continue to be readily available across the country.

    In partnership with the Monongalia County Health Department, WVU will continue to host COVID-19 vaccine clinics throughout the spring semester at the WVU Student Recreation Center.

    All upcoming clinics will be posted at book.novelhealth.ai/MCHDC as they become available. Students, faculty and staff should monitor the site for the latest information and follow these instructions to schedule an appointment. Free parking is available in Area 49 and lot ST-4. 

    WVU Medicine Student Health has the Pfizer vaccine available for WVU students at its clinic in the Health and Education Building. Walk-in appointments are offered during regular business hours (Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

    The Monongalia County Health Department is offering free vaccinations by appointment on most days at its facility at 453 Van Voorhis Rd. Anyone who wishes to be vaccinated can call 304-598-5119 to schedule an appointment. Other vaccination opportunities can be found at vaccines.gov.

    Given the change in requirements for students, faculty and staff to be considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 at WVU, the University’s public dashboard will be updated to report the vaccination verification rate on a biweekly basis beginning in early February for the Morgantown, Beckley and Keyser campuses.

    Mask protocols

    Omicron is a highly transmissible variant of COVID-19 and can cause severe symptoms and illness, especially in those who are unvaccinated. As a result, the University is strongly recommending the use of KN95 masks which provide an additional protection. Layering of masks and surgical masks is also better than a single cloth mask.

    Masks will temporarily be required for everyone — regardless of vaccination status — indoors in all WVU System buildings and facilities beginning today through at least Feb. 1 when public health conditions will be reevaluated. The University is proactively making this move to assist in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 and the omicron variant.

    Masks continue to be required for passengers on the PRT and WVU buses through March 18 under federal guidelines from the Transportation Security Administration.

    Masks are also required in clinical and patient care areas of the Health Sciences Campus.

    Additionally, masks are required inside the Mountainlair, Evansdale Crossing and dining halls except when eating. Masks are also required inside the WVU Student Rec Center except when exercising.

    Residence halls

    Individuals, upon entering the residence halls, are required to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status.

    Students and guests who are fully vaccinated can remove their masks in the residence halls if:

    • They are on a residence hall floor (including floor lounges). Note: There are some halls where a residence hall floor may be on the main level. Masks are still required in the main lobby/common areas of those halls. They can remove their masks once they are in the residential hallways. 
    • They are in a residence hall bedroom; however, a mask must be worn when responding/opening their doors. 
    • They are eating or drinking.
    • They are in a residence hall fitness center.

    Isolation procedures (for those who test positive for COVID-19)

    The CDC recently announced new recommendations for isolation and quarantine procedures. WVU has incorporated these recommendations and will now adopt the following procedures.

    Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19, regardless of their vaccination status, must isolate for at least five days. This includes any positive PCR test or any positive rapid antigen test.

    Those individuals should remain in isolation until the following criteria are met.

    The individual is now:

    • At least five days from symptom onset and those symptoms have improved and has been fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications.
    • Persons who continue to have fevers and/or symptoms that do not improve within five days should remain in isolation until they meet the two criteria described above.
    • Persons who test positive who never develop symptoms may discontinue self-isolation five days after the date of their first positive test.
    • All individuals should wear a well-fitted face mask for an additional five days following the completion of their isolation period when around other people.

    Students living in the residence halls who have COVID-19 will be isolated in Gaskins House. Non-residential students should isolate at their homes or residences.

    After completing isolation, students may return to classes and resume other activities on campus, but they must wear a mask at all times for an additional five days when in the presence of others. Similarly, on-site and hybrid employees may resume on-campus work after completing isolation but must wear a mask for five additional days while around others, including in residence halls common areas or when exercising in public facilities. Repeated testing is not recommended or required at this time.

    Quarantine procedures

    The CDC also updated the recommended quarantine period for those exposed to COVID-19.

    Individuals who have received a COVID-19 booster or completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the last six months or received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine within the last two months do not need to quarantine if they are exposed to COVID-19, but they should wear a well-fitted mask for 10 days after the exposure.

    Individuals who are unvaccinated or those who are not yet boosted but are more than six months out from receiving their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or more than two months out from receiving the Johnson & Johnson Janssen vaccine are required to quarantine for five days. These individuals must also wear a well-fitted mask for an additional five days following the completion of their quarantine period, including in residence halls common areas or when exercising in public facilities.

    Further, anyone who is exposed to COVID-19 — regardless of vaccination status — should be tested five days after exposure.

    If symptoms occur at any point during the 10 days following exposure, the individual should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms the symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.

    Testing and monitoring

    In partnership with the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, WVU is providing students, faculty and staff with a free antigen self-test kit as they return from winter recess.

    The tests should be used if the student, faculty or staff member is exposed or develops COVID-19 symptoms.

    Students, faculty and staff must present their Mountaineer Card or employee ID to pick up a complimentary self-test and KN95 mask Monday, Jan. 10 through Friday, Jan. 14 at the following locations:

    WVU Tech campus pick-up will be at the Student Life Office at 505 S. Kanawha Street during normal business hours.

    WVU Potomac State College residence hall students may pick up a self-test and KN95 mask during check-in on Sunday, Jan. 9. Faculty, staff and other students may pick them up Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Heath Center.

    COVID-19 testing will be available throughout the semester in partnership with the Monongalia County Health Department, which will continue to offer community testing opportunities for the WVU community. Visit https://www.monchd.org/ for more information.

    All WVU community members are required to report if they test positive for COVID-19 or are quarantining due to suspected or known exposure to COVID-19. In Morgantown, students and employees should report their positive results to [email protected].

    Testing and vaccination information for WVU Tech students and employees are available on the Beckley Return to Campus website.

    Similarly, testing information for students and employees at WVU Potomac State College can be found on the WVU Keyser Return to Campus site.

    Meetings and events

    The University asks that health and safety protocols be used during all in-person meetings and events through Feb. 1, when public health conditions will be re-evaluated.

    While strongly encouraged, masks are not required of individuals in private office spaces behind closed doors. With the mutual consent of the participants, masks may be removed in private meetings.

    Masks are strongly encouraged, but not required indoors at WVU Athletics venues during public events.

    COVID-19 module for new, incoming students

    New students starting at WVU this spring are required to take the COVID-19 education module by Sunday, Jan. 9. Those who are returning this spring do not need to retake the module.

    New students who are required to take the module should have received an email from [email protected] with additional details. Students should check their junk and spam folders if they did not receive the email with instructions for completing the module.

    Communications

    Visit the Return to Campus website for the latest COVID-19 updates. New information also will continue to be shared in MOUNTAINEER E-News for employees and Unews for students.

    Questions related to COVID-19 and WVU’s health and safety protocols can be submitted or sent via email to [email protected].

    -WVU-

    01/04/22

    MEDIA CONTACT: April Kaull
    Executive Director of Communications
    University Relations
    304-293-3990; [email protected]

    Call 1-855-WVU-NEWS for the latest West Virginia University news and information from WVUToday.

    Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.

  • Coronavirus Today – Dec 20

    Coronavirus Today – Dec 20


    By Anne Blythe

    The message was dire from Gov. Roy Cooper and Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services.

    “Get boosted,” they repeatedly told North Carolinians on Monday during a briefing with reporters broadcast on PBS North Carolina.

    In anticipation of a tremendous surge in COVID-19 cases in early January as the Omicron variant looms large on the horizon, Cohen returned to the Emergency Operations Center podium with a sense of urgency in her last days on the job.

    Just a week earlier, Cohen told North Carolinians that she thought her update on the state’s COVID trends, metrics and data would be her final press conference. At the end of the month, she plans to resign from her job and turn over leadership of the state’s pandemic response to Kody Kinsley, the chief deputy secretary at DHHS tapped by Cooper to lead the department as the next secretary of health.

    “We thought last week might be your last time at the podium, but this pandemic continues to throw us curveballs,” Cooper told Cohen on Monday after she laid out what she wants North Carolinians to do immediately before Omicron becomes as prevalent here as it is in New York and other parts of the world. 

    Cohen issued a secretarial advisory on Monday urging all this winter and holiday season to get vaccinated, boosted and tested, and mask up in public places.

    COVID cases are on the rise, and North Carolina health care systems are starting to show strain as influenza circulates and the Delta and Omicron variants pose threats. 

    Cohen and Kinsley said they expected to see record numbers of cases in the peak of the expected Omicron surge. Though Cohen was reluctant to put a specific number on what that record might be, she estimated that it could be as high as 10,000 cases a day. She also declined to speculate what peak hospitalization might look like as a result of the Omicron wave. 

    North Carolina reported 10,541 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID since Friday, Cooper said. There were 1,630 people hospitalized with severe illness related to COVID, 437 of whom were in intensive care unit beds.

    Three days ago, New York reported its highest number of daily COVID cases since the start of the pandemic. North Carolina public health officials are preparing for a similar trend to take hold here in the weeks ahead.

    “I have two messages for North Carolinians today,” Cohen said with a more urgent tone in her voice than typical at press briefings. “First, the newest variant of COVID-19, Omicron, is the most contagious we’ve seen yet and will likely set record-high, daily case numbers in the coming weeks. Second, and most importantly. You can act now to best protect yourself and family and friends.”

    People who received a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago are eligible for a booster and should get one as soon as possible. Those who received a Johnson & Johnson vaccine are eligible for a booster two months after receiving their shot. They can also get a Pfizer or Moderna shot to boost their immunity.

    ‘Do not wait’

    The Omicron variant, which has been detected in “most” hospital labs across the state, according to Cohen, is two to three times as contagious as the Delta variant, currently the dominant variant in North Carolina.

    “Fortunately, early evidence suggests that illness from the Omicron variant may be less severe,” Cohen said. “However, it still can pose a danger for people who are not vaccinated, and particularly those who are at higher risk of severe disease.”

    During the week ending Dec. 11, Omicron accounted for 12.9 percent of all cases in the U.S. and 37 percent of cases in the Southeast. By the conclusion of the week ending Dec. 18, updated data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that Omicron was accounting for 73.2 percent of all cases in the U.S. and 95.2 percent of all cases in the Southeast (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee).

    Instead of throwing hands up in the air, frustrated that the Omicron variant has shown the strength and adaptability of the coronavirus that has disrupted life for 22 months during the pandemic, Cohen urged North Carolinians to take action.

    “Do not wait,” Cohen said, stressing each word.

    Researchers from Hong Kong found that Omicron reproduces itself up to 70 times more effectively in the upper airway of an infected person than Delta did, making it spread that much more widely when that person coughs or sneezes. The good news is that Omicron doesn’t reproduce as effectively in the lungs, those researchers found. That could be why Omicron appears to cause less severe disease overall, the researchers speculated.

    Public health officials in this country, though, say Omicron is too new to the states to predict whether that will remain the case in the weeks ahead.

    As health care systems prepare to treat anyone sickened by the Omicron variant, drugs they’ve used in recent months to help stave off severe illness from the previous variants are not likely to offer much help.

    ‘Diminished’ COVID therapies

    Regeneron, a drug company that created monoclonal antibody therapies that can be used for patients at risk of progressing to severe illness, put out a statement that its current drug has “diminished potency versus Omicron.”

    New drugs are being developed, but they might not be readily available if an Omicron surge comes as expected in the weeks ahead.

    Cohen was asked whether the record number of cases that she expected in North Carolina starting in early January would also mean a record number of hospitalizations.

    “I do not yet know what that will translate into in terms of hospitalizations,” Cohen responded. “What we are seeing with Omicron is, it does seem to be less severe. What we don’t know yet is how it’s going to behave here in the United States. With the level of vaccinations that we’ve had, with the kinds of vaccination that we’ve seen before, I don’t know what that will mean. We are certainly planning to see additional strain on our hospitals. That’s why we are working with our hospitals to be ready, and the more we can act right now, that’s what will protect folks.”

    “Right now,” though, is four days before Christmas Eve, when many families plan to gather to celebrate the holiday together after being forced to spend it apart in 2020 because of COVID. Some families are reconsidering how they might celebrate the holidays ahead, while others have opted to gather despite the variant. 

    “I know people are frustrated and dismayed by this wave of infection right here at Christmas, but it’s important to remember how far we have come in our fight against this disease,” Cooper said. “We know what works. Vaccines, boosters, testing and masks when needed. With every dose, we’re getting closer to turning the tide on this sickness and death brought on by the pandemic.”

    Cooper said his family is vaccinated and boosted. They plan to get tested, “then gather for food, prayer, presents and hugs and time with each other.”

    Testing in the spotlight again

    Kinsley outlined what the state has done in anticipation of Omicron. They have gotten boosters to state-run nursing homes and worked with hospitals to build systems to support them as weary workers and understaffed nursing teams add an even thornier layer for health care systems.

    At-home COVID-19 tests. Photo credit: Rose Hoban

    Kinsley also said the state is looking ahead to make sure that enough testing supplies are available during the expected surge. Testing for COVID will be a crucial element in schools, businesses and other places.

    During the high-water mark of the Delta surge, which occurred in the late summer, North Carolina saw as many as 86,000 tests administered some days.

    With public health leaders advising people who plan to gather for the holidays to get tested in advance, a spotlight has been cast again on whether tests are as easy to find as they should be.

    Many pharmacies have empty shelves where rapid at-home antigen tests once were stocked. Even if the shelves were stocked, at nearly $25 a box for some brands with only two tests included, the cost of home testing can add up quickly. 

    Kinsley stressed that free home-testing is available in North Carolina through DHHS. They’re not the rapid antigen tests, though. The swabs must be sent to a lab to get PCR results, adding a step that could lead to a delay in results.

    “Over the last several weeks we’ve pushed out several hundreds of thousands of tests, rapid tests, to our local health departments to make them available in local communities,” Kinsley said. “Of course we have statewide testing vendors that are providing testing in schools.”

    Coronavirus by the numbers

    According to NCDHHS data, as of Monday afternoon:

    • 19,167 people total in North Carolina have died of coronavirus.
    • 1,599,595 have been diagnosed with the disease. Of those, 1,630 are in the hospital. The hospitalization figure is a snapshot of people hospitalized with COVID-19 infections on a given day and does not represent all of the North Carolinians who may have been in the hospital throughout the course of the epidemic.
    • As of Tuesday, 437 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care units across the state. 
    • North Carolina tracked COVID-19 re-infections in the case counts from March 1, 2021 through Sept. 20, 2021. All told, North Carolina tracked 10,812 reinfections, 200 of those were in people who were previously vaccinated. Ninety-four people who were reinfected with COVID-19 have died. 
    • 1,538,231 people who had COVID-19 are presumed to have recovered. This weekly estimate does not denote how many of the diagnosed cases in the state are still infectious. Nor does it reflect the number of so-called “long-COVID” survivors who continue to feel the effects of the disease beyond the defined “recovery” period.
    • To date, 21,190,766 tests have been completed in North Carolina. As of July 2020, all labs in the state are required to report both their positive and negative test results to the lab, so that figure includes all of the COVID-19 tests performed in the state. Most recently, 9.3 percent of those testing were testing positive. 
    • People ages 25-49 make up the largest group of cases (39 percent). While 12 percent of the positive diagnoses were in people ages 65 and older, seniors make up 74 percent of coronavirus deaths in the state. 
    • 263 outbreaks are ongoing in group facilities across the state, including nursing homes and correctional and residential care facilities.
    • As of Dec. 20, 6,539,752 North Carolinians have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Ninety-one percent of people over the age of 65 have been completely vaccinated, while 58 percent of the total population is fully vaccinated. 2,184,783 boosters have been administered.
    • Children between the ages of 5 and 11 became eligible for vaccination during November. A total of 161,410 first doses have been given to those children, a total of 18 percent of that population.

    This story has been updated with new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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    by Anne Blythe, North Carolina Health News
    December 20, 2021

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  • Zatural review 2021 | Medical News Today

    Zatural review 2021 | Medical News Today

    We incorporate goods we think are valuable for our visitors. If you buy by inbound links on this website page, we may make a compact fee. Here’s our approach.

    Zatural sells different cannabidiol (CBD) items for individual, dwelling, and pet use. Between these solutions are tinctures, edibles, and topicals that may perhaps aid ease indications of problems these types of as stress and anxiety.

    This article describes Zatural and its items in extra element, and it considers the pros and cons of buying from this corporation.

    Is CBD legal? Hemp-derived CBD items with less than .3{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} THC are authorized federally but even now illegal under some condition legal guidelines. Cannabis-derived CBD solutions, on the other hand, are illegal federally but authorized beneath some point out regulations. Check area legislation, specially when touring. Also, continue to keep in head that the Food and Drug Administration (Food and drug administration) has not authorised nonprescription CBD products, which may well be inaccurately labeled.

    The cannabis plant generates more than 100 phytocannabinoids, which are naturally taking place compounds that interact with the human physique in a lot of different techniques. Two of the most common phytocannabinoids are THC, which causes the “high” of hashish use, and CBD.

    CBD may possibly have several positive aspects. A 2020 systematic evaluation observed that it might ease the indications of:

    • Stress and anxiety: A number of studies have observed that 300–600 milligrams (mg) of CBD taken orally can lower nervousness. However, other experiments found that CBD had the exact outcome as a placebo. Study more about applying CBD for anxiousness.
    • Schizophrenia: One research observed that using 200–800 mg of CBD for each working day for 4 weeks was as productive as amisulpride, an antipsychotic medication. Another review found that having 1,000 mg of CBD each individual working day for 6 weeks had a positive effect on schizophrenia signs and symptoms.
    • Compound use dysfunction: There is some proof that inhaling CBD can present extra determination to carry on not using tobacco by decreasing the pleasure of cigarette cues. Nonetheless, there is currently no evidence that CBD minimizes nicotine cravings.
    • Inflammatory conditions: There is proof that working with CBD topical cream can decrease inflammatory problems these as psoriasis and pimples.

    Even so, findings of research can not swap the suggestions of a healthcare specialist, and a human being should not use CBD as a substitute for advisable treatment. Anybody who is working with CBD merchandise must permit their health practitioner know. The physician can guarantee that the CBD is not interacting harmfully with medications.

    Master a lot more about CBD basic safety and dosage.

    There are three principal styles of CBD:

    • CBD isolate: This style is made up of no THC or any other compounds, this sort of as cannabinol or terpines.
    • Complete-spectrum CBD: This form consists of THC and terpenes. Commonly, it incorporates no additional than .3{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of THC in dry bodyweight, as this is the amount authorized by federal legislation.
    • Broad-spectrum CBD: This type also includes terpenes. Most wide-spectrum CBD items do not incorporate THC, though some may possibly include trace amounts.

    Find out far more about the distinctive sorts of CBD.

    Zatural suggests that its goal is to provide natural therapeutic therapies. The firm is dependent in Eden, Idaho and ships to the United States and abroad. To prospects in the U.S., it gives no cost transport and a 30-day assurance.

    The organization states that all of its merchandise are:

    • organic and natural
    • free from destructive chemical compounds and additives
    • third-bash tested for hefty metals, contaminants, and high quality
    • cost-free from fillers, additives, binders, and lubricants
    • not examined on animals

    The company follows the Great Producing Procedures that the Fda has proven.

    At the time of publishing, Zatural held no accreditation from the Much better Business Bureau. Having said that, the bureau offers it an A+ grade, and it has an ordinary client rating of 4.36 out of 5 stars.

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    Prior to getting a products from Zatural, a individual may possibly contemplate:

    Zatural sells tinctures, edibles, topicals, and CBD items for pets.

    Please note that the writer has not analyzed these products. All data is analysis-based mostly.

    Tinctures

    Zatural sells quite a few tinctures, which involve full-spectrum CBD, wide-spectrum CBD, or CBD isolate. They are obtainable in strengths of 10–100 mg of CBD per application.

    The company suggests that its tinctures may possibly aid relieve ache, irritation, complications, and nausea.

    At the time of publishing, Zatural tinctures were offered for invest in on-line, beginning from $27.50.

    Topicals

    Zatural sells numerous topical CBD products, including:

    • bathtub bombs
    • entire body butter
    • experience cream
    • hand sanitizer
    • roll-ons
    • salves

    The roll-on solutions comprise vital oils, these kinds of as lavender, tea tree, and chamomile.

    At the time of publishing, Zatural topicals ended up readily available for obtain on the web, beginning from $5.99.

    Animals

    Zatural also sells wide-spectrum CBD oil for cats, dogs, and equines, as perfectly as broad-spectrum CBD delicate chews for dogs and CBD paw balm.

    The power of these pet solutions ranges from 75–3,000 mg of CBD.

    At the time of publishing, Zatural’s CBD goods for pets had been offered to buy on the net, commencing from $12.99.

    Household products and solutions

    Zatural’s hemp cleansing solutions not contain CBD, but the enterprise suggests that they are environmentally welcoming and pet- and baby-safe.

    A individual can order the cleaning solutions in packs, as effectively as reusable spray bottles and a hemp microfiber cleansing fabric.

    At the time of publishing, Zatural’s residence products were being accessible on the net, setting up from $5.99.

    Many other organizations promote CBD items, which include:

    • cbdMD: This organization takes advantage of organic and natural, U.S.-grown hemp and a carbon dioxide extraction approach to build its items. cbdMD sells edibles, tinctures, topicals, and pet solutions. Understand a lot more about cbdMD.
    • CBDfx: Every single products has a QR code that permits clients to perspective its lab final results. CBDfx sells edibles, tinctures, topicals, and pet solutions. Understand extra about CBDfx.
    • Medterra: This company is a member of Kentucky’s Industrial Hemp Investigation Pilot System and makes use of third-occasion labs for screening. Medterra sells edibles, tinctures, and topicals of varying strengths. Understand additional about Medterra.

    Zatural sells solutions for house, pet, and particular use, including CBD tinctures, topicals, and edibles, and hemp home cleaning provides. It makes use of 3rd-occasion tests to make certain the safety and high quality of its items.

    Any individual making use of any CBD goods need to enable their medical professional know. The doctor can make certain that the CBD is not interacting harmfully with any prescription or nonprescription remedies.

  • Coronavirus Today – November 10

    Coronavirus Today – November 10


    By Anne Blythe

    Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, has talked about her daughters many times as she helped steer the state through the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Now the state gets to see them in a public service announcement about the kid-sized Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine that has just become available for children ages 5 to 11.

    Cohen, the proud mother of a 7- and 9-year-old, took her children on Saturday to get a first dose of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine approved last week for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    “Like most kids, my daughters don’t like shots,” Cohen told reporters at a briefing on Wednesday. “But we talked as a family about the reasons it was important to protect them from COVID just like we protect them from flu and other childhood illnesses like chicken pox.”

    Then she showed a video that she said she hopes will help persuade other parents of the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. In clinical trials, according to data reviewed by Cohen, the CDC and FDA, the kid-sized dose of the Pfizer vaccine, a third of the amount in the vaccines given to anyone 12 and older, is 90 percent effective at preventing COVID infection in the younger children.

    “We love our kids so much and we want to make good decisions for them and their health, and I was really happy that we have a safe and effective COVID vaccine,” Cohen says in a video showing her hugging her daughters. “And I was really proud of them today that they got their vaccine. It was a huge sigh of relief for mom. So I hope everyone goes out and gets their COVID vaccine for their kids as soon as possible.”

    Cohen posted photos of her daughters to her Twitter account on Saturday. There is one of her older daughter getting her vaccine. Another one shows the two girls together after getting their shots. The 9-year-old gave a thumbs-up while revealing the colorful Band-Aid covering the spot on her left arm where she got the shot. The younger girl is smiling with her hands raised in the air.

    They might have been celebrating, too, because chocolate milk was coming to them after their shots, their mother said.

    Cohen’s girls are among the more than 24,000 children in North Carolina who have received their first dose of the newly available vaccine. Though children can experience side effects such as a sore arm, fever, headaches or feeling tired for a few days, Cohen said her daughters experienced no side effects.

    “We have plenty of vaccine supply across the state. Kids can get vaccinated at any location that has a smaller dose of the Pfizer vaccine available,” Cohen said. “This includes their pediatrician or doctor’s office or hospital. Unlike other vaccines, younger children can also get vaccinated at local pharmacies and grocery stores, making it even easier for parents to find a convenient location for them.”

    Additionally, DHHS has worked with community partners to set up nine family COVID-19 vaccination centers in historically underserved communities that will be open for the next six weeks. The centers will be open on weekends and during the evening so parents don’t have to take their children out of school or miss work to get a vaccine.

    The centers also will have vaccines available for people older than 12, as well as boosters. Spanish interpreters will be there, too.

    Cohen and Charlene Wong, a Duke pediatrician and the DHHS assistant secretary for children and families, know that many parents might have questions about the vaccine and tried to provide answers to many at the briefing with reporters. They also encouraged parents to talk with their pediatricians and other trusted health care providers about any concerns they have.

    Here are some of the questions and answers:

    Q: Two physicians asserted in a recent Wall Street Journal opinion piece that a low number of children in this country have been hospitalized or died from COVID infections. But the piece also cited data that have not been peer reviewed and have been contested.

    So, what’s the urgency to get the younger children vaccinated?

    A: To date, North Carolina has seen more than 1,300 hospitalizations and 11 deaths in children under the age of 17, out of 244,902 cases, according to data on the DHHS COVID-19 dashboard. Cohen and Wong made the point that although the risks of hospitalization and death from COVID are rare in children in that age group, the virus can make them very sick.

    Some children infected with COVID have come down with the multi-system inflammatory syndrome, or Mis-C, a rare condition in which their organs can become inflamed and in some cases can be deadly.

    Children also can experience long-COVID symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, insomnia, trouble concentrating, muscle and joint pain, as well as a lingering cough, months after infection, according to the CDC. 

    “We are seeing that children can have longer-term side effects, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, lethargy, again, different kinds of tiredness. So we are seeing that in children and adults,” Cohen said. “And so I think what we want to do is say we have a tool here that is safe and effective at preventing your child from getting COVID in the first place. Let’s use that safe and effective tool to make sure they don’t get COVID.”

    Q: How prevalent is long-COVID in children?