Covid and other respiratory viruses in the US and Canada

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Hidalgo County seeing increase in COVID-related cases

 

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Oklahoma leads country in long Covid

 

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A PLANT BASED DIET FOR "LONG" COVID? - Doctor Reacts

 

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Study shows that COVID-19 vaccinations can help decrease the risk of premature births

 

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Paxlovid can lessen the chance of a severe COVID-19 illness. Why is it underused? I AP Explains

 

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Study finds decline in kindergarten readiness post-COVID

 

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COVID Deaths Hit 5-Month High as 65 People Die in Taiwan | TaiwanPlus News

 

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CMS losing Covid funds, changing 700+ positions

 

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California agrees on $2B settlement for students hurt by Covid shutdowns | February 7, 2024

 

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Covid disruptions linked to rise in underweight children in India: Study

 

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Washington state launches kiosk program offering free COVID-19, flu tests

 

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Refusing to wear mask during COVID pandemic does not fall under freedom of speech, appeals court rules

A federal appeals court found that New Jersey residents not wearing masks at school board meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic is not protected speech.

www.foxnews.com

Refusing to wear mask during COVID pandemic does not fall under freedom of speech, appeals court rules
The court said the refusal to wear a mask during a public health emergency did not constitute free speech

By Landon Mion Fox News
Published February 7, 2024 2:51am EST

Dr David Agus On Learning From The Mistakes Dealing With Covid So We Can Be Prepared For The Next Pandemic
A federal appeals court ruled that New Jersey residents refusing to wear face masks at school board meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic is not protected speech under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment.
The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals handed down a ruling Monday in two related cases in which lawsuits were brought against officials in Freehold and Cranford, New Jersey. The lawsuits were filed by George Falcone and Gwyneth Murray-Nolan.
The lawsuits centered around claims that the plaintiffs faced retaliation by school boards because they refused to wear masks during public meetings. The court sent one of the cases back to a lower court for consideration but said in the other case that the plaintiff failed to show she was retaliated against.

The court said the refusal to wear a mask during a public health emergency did not constitute free speech protected by the First Amendment.
NEW JERSEY DEMOCRATS SEEKING TO COVER OUT-OF-POCKET ABORTION COSTS

Boxes of KN95 protective masks are stacked together before being distributed to students at Camden High School in Camden, N.J., Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
"A question shadowing suits such as these is whether there is a First Amendment right to refuse to wear a protective mask as required by valid health and safety orders put in place during a recognized public health emergency," the court said. "Like all courts to address this issue, we conclude there is not."
"Skeptics are free to — and did — voice their opposition through multiple means, but disobeying a masking requirement is not one of them," the court added. "One could not, for example, refuse to pay taxes to express the belief that 'taxes are theft.' Nor could one refuse to wear a motorcycle helmet as a symbolic protest against a state law requiring them."
An attorney for the appellants, Ronald Berutti, said they plan to petition the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case.
Falcone attended a Freehold Township school board meeting in early 2022 when masks were still required in the Garden State. He refused to adhere to the mask mandate and was issued a summons on a trespassing charge. He also claims a later school board meeting was canceled in response to him not wearing a mask. A lower court found his lawsuit did not have standing, so he appealed that ruling.
SCHOOL CHOICE SCHOLARSHIPS SEE SOARING POPULARITY AFTER COVID LEARNING LOSS

The court said the refusal to wear a mask during a public health emergency did not constitute free speech protected by the First Amendment. (iStock)

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Murray-Nolan attended a Cranford school board meeting without a mask, also in early 2022, while a mask requirement was still in place. Less than a month later, at the board's next meeting, she was arrested on a defiant trespass charge after attending without a mask. A lower court found police had probable cause to arrest her because she did not wear a mask despite a requirement under the law at the time, so she appealed.
An attorney for the officials named in the suit praised the ruling on Tuesday. In a statement, Eric Harrison said refusing to wear a mask in violation of a public health mandate "is not the sort of 'civil disobedience' that the drafters of the First Amendment had in mind as protected speech."
New Jersey's statewide order mandating masks in schools ended in March 2022, shortly after the incidents in the lawsuits.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/mask-mandate-returning-faq-1.7102828

Mask mandates have returned to N.L. hospitals. Here's what you need to know
Move is seen as temporary, and will be evaluated at the end of March
Ryan Cooke · CBC News · Posted: Feb 05, 2024 4:30 AM EST | Last Updated: February 5

Newfoundland and Labrador has brought back mandatory masks in all clinical areas of health-care facilities, including waiting rooms and observation rooms. (Alliance Images/Shutterstock)

If you're heading to a hospital or other health-care facility after 8 a.m. on Monday, you will be required to put on a mask.
The province has returned to masking mandates in health-care centres for the first time since May 2023. The move comes amid concerns about respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19, influenza, strep A and other airborne viruses.
The provincial health department has said it's a temporary measure, and will be re-evaluated on March 31.
Here is information on the new measures, and why they've come about now.
What kind of mask do I need?
The rules state patients and staff must wear well-fitted medical masks while visiting any hospital or health-care facility, including congregate living or long-term care homes.
That means you can't wear a cloth mask, or a mask with any sort of exhalation valve.
Health-care centres will have masks available upon entry, but you can wear your own mask as long as it fits the guidelines above.
WATCH | This Stephenville man says education needs to go hand-in-hand with any COVID mandates:

Mask-wearing in hospitals a good step, says advocate

4 days ago
Duration1:50
Keith Muise is a mask advocate. He has started a public billboard campaign that lists the potential impacts of COVID-19 and feels that people should not consider COVID-19 over. He tells Krissy Holmes of the St. John’s Morning Show that any mandates need to be accompanied by education so that people know why changes are being made.
Are there exceptions?
Yes. People who are admitted to hospital and residents of long-term care homes do not have to wear masks at all times.
Why now?
N.L. Health Services says the move is aimed at preventing the spread of respiratory illnesses, as well as keeping staff safe from infections.
The move comes after a recommendation by the infection prevention and control team at the health authority, and was backed by Public Health.
WATCH | Winter is the time of year when infections are on the rise:

It's flu season, and ‘everyone's had a bout of something’

27 days ago
Duration2:22
Whether it's COVID-19, influenza, a common cold or something else, it feels like everyone knows someone who's been under the weather. The CBC's Heather Gillis hit the Avalon Mall in St. John’s to ask people how they've been dealing with it.
It comes six weeks after influenza numbers spiked in the province, hitting a high of 142 new cases the week of Dec. 17. New cases have remained steady at around 105 per week ever since. A total of 23 people have died this flu season, according to numbers from N.L. Health Services.
COVID-19 numbers have actually declined in recent weeks, falling from a high of 121 new cases three weeks ago, to 45 in the past week. Those numbers only show confirmed cases, which are a fraction of the actual number of cases out there.
Hospitalizations are also down, from a high of 21 three weeks ago to eight in the past week.
Other respiratory infections such as RSV, adenovirus and hMPV peaked three weeks ago, but remain higher than average as of the latest report from N.L. Health Services.

 

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Hospital staffing shortages could be due to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, some experts say

As unions representing Ontario hospital workers continue to label the province's staffing crisis at its breaking point, some experts say continued COVID-19 vaccine mandates may inadvertently contribute to it.

barrie.ctvnews.ca

Hospital staffing shortages could be due to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, some experts say

Christian D'Avino
CTVNews.ca Barrie Video Journalist
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Published Feb. 7, 2024 6:31 p.m. EST

As unions representing Ontario hospital workers continue to label the province's staffing crisis at its breaking point, some experts say continued COVID-19 vaccine mandates may inadvertently contribute to it.
Last month, CUPE's Ontario Council of Hospital Unions said that understaffing was taking a toll on its members' mental health, including registered practical nurses, personal support workers and clerical staff. That was compounded by a demonstration in Toronto on Tuesday, where hundreds of workers and union leaders rallied outside the Sheraton Centre.

Ontario's health care worker shortage has been widely known for years and is only set to worsen. According to a report from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) last spring, Ontario will be short of 33,000 nurses and PSWs by 2028 and must spend over $21 billion more to meet its expansion targets.

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RELATED STORIES

• RVH shifts stance on mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for new staff
• Another Simcoe County hospital has changed its stance on COVID-19 vaccinations for employment

Now, at least two hospitals in Simcoe County have publicly changed their COVID-19 vaccine mandate policy for new hires as a condition of employment.
Royal Victoria Regional General Hospital (RVH) and Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) both revised their policies as of January 1, and while the vast majority of hospitals have not followed suit, some experts believe it's a good step.
"We're just sort of still in this cloud or fog of not wanting to look at the evidence that emerged quite quickly," said Rafael Gomez, director of the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources at the University of Toronto.
Gomez said current policies no longer reflect what science tells us about COVID-19 and the efficacy of vaccines.
Public Health Canada recommends staying current with vaccines six months after a previous booster shot or illness. However, Collingwood General and Marine Hospital and Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital confirmed to CTV News last week that their policy only requires two initial vaccine doses, per Ministry of Health guidelines.
"We've opened up pathways for international medical professionals to come work in Canada to deal with the shortages, and Ontario is one of those jurisdictions that have made those easier," Gomez said. "Imagine you're from a country that didn't even have the MRNA, and now you're being asked to take something that's not available, so as a practical matter, it wouldn't make sense."
According to Mariette Brennan, an associate law professor at Lakehead University, employers should continue to evaluate all vaccine mandates.
"Simply because we have new variants that come out that change the efficacy of the vaccine," Brennan said. "It doesn't really serve the purpose, so what we end up doing is denying good workers."
Brennan said she believes hospitals are trying to create an environment where vaccines become an essential tool in public health and said she is not against mandates themselves.
"I think hospitals will likely need to look at these vaccines again and make sure the policies reflect scientific reality," she said. "That will need to come from scientists and not from people like me, but I would like to see it where vaccine mandates properly do their job."
The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario has revised its policy to meet that update, now mandating booster doses in addition to the initial two doses.
CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun is disappointed that RVH and GBGH have taken steps to remove their policies and said that doing so isn't the answer to staffing shortages.

"There is a heightened rate of COVID, not a lower one," Grinspun said. "The solution is not to lower the protection for themselves and the patients, but to attract and retain more staff, with increased funding and supports."
Dr. Grinspun said the RNAO continues to ask staff at RVH and GBGH, in addition to all Ontarians, to keep up with vaccinations.
"The best way to attract new staff is to ensure that the staff feel that the hospital deeply cares about them, that the hospital knows that they need them," Grinspun added. "Competitive compensation, because that's why nurses go to an agency or other jurisdictions, workload and supports for career development."
In November, Public Health Ontario reported wastewater signals of COVID-19 were at their highest peak in a year. However, this week's reporting from the federal government(opens in a new tab) indicated that COVID-19 across Canada is either stable or on the decline.

 

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Rampant COVID Poses New Challenges in the Fifth Year of the Pandemic

“We’re still in a pandemic,” says a lead COVID official with the World Health Organization

www.scientificamerican.com

Rampant COVID Poses New Challenges in the Fifth Year of the Pandemic
“We’re still in a pandemic,” says a lead COVID official with the World Health Organization
BY MEGHAN BARTELS

WHO's Covid-19 technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove looks on during a press conference at the World Health Organization's headquarters in Geneva, on December 14, 2022.

Credit:
Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images
Public Health
For four years now, either as a physical virus or as a looming threat, the COVID-causing pathogen SARS-CoV-2 has been the elephant in every room—sometimes confronted and sometimes ignored but always present. While once we dreamed of eradicating COVID, now much of society has resigned itself to SARS-CoV-2’s constant presence—a surrender that would once have been unthinkable.
Worldwide, there were more than 11,000 reported deaths from COVID between mid-December 2023 and mid-January 2024, and more than half of those deaths occurred in the U.S. In that same time frame, nearly one million cases were reported to the World Health Organization globally (although reduced testing and reporting means this is likely a vast undercount). In particular, epidemiologists are monitoring the newest variant of SARS-CoV-2, JN.1, and looking for any signs that it may be more severe than previous strains.

Although the WHO declared an end to the COVID public health emergency in May 2023, the organization has emphasized that the pandemic isn’t over—it’s just entered an endemic phase, which means that the virus will continue to circulate indefinitely. Throughout the past four years, Maria Van Kerkhove, now interim director of the WHO’s Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, has helped lead the agency’s response to COVID. Scientific American spoke with Van Kerkhove about entering the fifth year of a pandemic that many want to ignore despite its permanent impact on lives around the world.
[An edited transcript of the interview follows.]
How would you describe the overall state of COVID at this point in the pandemic?
COVID’s not in the news every day, but it’s still a global health risk. If we look at wastewater estimates, the actual circulation [of SARS-CoV-2] is somewhere between two and 20 times higher than what’s actually being reported by countries. The virus is rampant. We’re still in a pandemic. There’s a lot of complacency at the individual level, and more concerning to me is that at the government level.
Lack of access to lifesaving tools such as diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines is still a problem. Demand for vaccination is very low around the world. The misinformation and disinformation that’s out there is hampering the ability to mount an effective response. So we feel there’s a lot more work to do, in the context of everything else—[we no longer have a] COVID lens only, of course, but using masks for respiratory pathogens that transmit through the air is a no-brainer—plus vaccination, plus distancing, plus improving ventilation. People are living their life; we’re not trying to stop anyone from doing anything, but we’re trying to work with governments to make sure they do that as safely as possible.

We don’t know everything about this virus. Even in year five, there’s still a lot of research that needs to be done.
What’s it like emotionally to be so deep in trying to understand and respond to the pandemic?
It’s pretty incredible. I mean, I can’t believe we’re entering year five of COVID.
There are some massive mental health impacts, globally, that we’re not dealing with. I’m dealing with my own, which I’m only now starting to reflect upon. I didn’t give it a chance—I didn’t have the opportunity to give time to it—but now I’m actually taking some time because this is not normal. The COVID pandemic was not normal. This amount of death is not normal. It didn’t have to be this way.

Instead of “What should we have done differently?” I say, “What can we do differently today?” I feel so determined to really keep this marathon up. Maybe it’s not in the news, but our work hasn’t stopped. It’s heavy, I would say. It’s a lot, and I don’t want to sugarcoat it.
You mentioned the mental health impacts that we’re neglecting—what would you like to see the world do on that front?
I am very pleased to see the global focus on mental health and really recognizing the unintended consequences of the interventions that many countries put in place [to contain the virus]. They’ve had massive impacts: societal impacts, social impacts, economic impacts and mental health impacts. Access to mental health services is improving, but it has a long way to go. The wait lists to see mental health professionals are very long, and these experts are not available in every country. I think the stigma associated with mental health is decreasing, and I think that’s important. The isolation and the loneliness that we’ve seen, the social anxiety people have [when] coming back together—a lot of this needs to be evaluated. There’s a lot of room for improvement.

I also don’t think we’ve mourned the loss of the more than seven million lives—that we know of. [The figure is] probably three times higher. This virus has touched every single person and family, and it’s changed the trajectory of people’s lives. People who were forced to remain home and in violent situations, children who were out of school, some of whom will never go back, especially young girls who were married off or have children now—this has changed futures. People are resilient, but I don’t think we’ve really mourned the loss.
Do you have advice for people looking to strike that balance between taking preventative measures but also living their life, particularly amid governmental complacency?
We’re asking you to stay home if you’re unwell but also seek medical care if you need to seek medical care. Get tested so that you can get the right treatment course. Wear masks when you’re in crowded places. If you’re going to be around older people, test yourself before you go; use a self-test—things such as that.
But that’s not enough. Governments need to provide tests, and those tests need to be available either at a reduced cost or free. Masks need to be available. If I say, “Get a test,” where are you going to get one? Can you afford one? If I say, “Make sure you get treatment,” where are you going to get that?

It’s not enough for me to tell individuals [these things]. What I tell my own family, what I say publicly, is “Take measures every day as a precaution.” But it’s also our work as WHO to work with governments to ensure that they keep up the surveillance [of viral threats], that they keep up good communication, that they provide treatments, that they provide tests, that they provide vaccines and that they improve ventilation.
So it’s a two-sided coin, what we want individuals to do and what we want governments to do.
Do you have any predictions for COVID in the coming year?
We don’t do predictions—what we do is we plan for scenarios. Our concern is a variant that’s highly transmissible, that is more severe and that has significant immune escape, which [would mean that people would] really need to get revaccinated right away. And that’s one of the scenarios that we plan for, which is why systems have to be in place that you can scale up or scale down.
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And of course, the worry is complacency. The worry is reduced fiscal space, mental space and political space to talk about COVID in the context of everything else. I am not suggesting that the world drop what it’s doing and focus [only] on COVID. That is not what WHO is suggesting. We’re saying, “Please don’t drop the ball.” The virus is here. It’s evolving. it’s killing. It’s causing post-COVID conditions [also called long COVID]. And we don’t know the long-term effects. It’s a virus that is here to stay.
I read that half the global population has a major election this year. How does that play into the COVID landscape?
It’s always an election year. Absolutely elections play a role because [there’s a risk of] outbreaks, and certainly COVID has been politicized. This has been a major factor in the past four years. But pandemics outlive any election cycle.
All of the COVID interventions have been politicized and with huge amounts of misinformation and disinformation that spreads faster than viruses. And misinformation, disinformation and politicization kill.
Are there any other things you’d like people to know about COVID right now?
I think it’s important that we continue to talk about it. We understand you don’t want to hear about it. I don’t want to talk about it. But we need to because there’s more we can do. We cannot prevent all infections. We cannot prevent all deaths. But there’s a hell of a lot more that we can do to really keep people safe and save them from losing a loved one.

 

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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/covid-19-flu-new-brunswick-respiratory-watch-jan-27-killed-hospitalized-1.7099347

COVID-19 and the flu kill 6 more New Brunswickers
COVID activity remains 'moderate,' flu activity decreased Jan. 21 to Jan. 27, Respiratory Watch says

Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon · CBC News · Posted: Feb 06, 2024 12:28 PM EST | Last Updated: February 6

New Brunswick has recorded 71 COVID-19 deaths since the respiratory season began on Aug. 27, a total of 1,226 hospitalizations and 79 ICU admissions. (CBC)
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COVID-19 and the flu have killed six more New Brunswickers, all aged 65 or older, and hospitalized 48 people, according to the latest figures from the province.
COVID activity remains "moderate," while flu activity continues to decrease, Tuesday's Respiratory Watch report says.
Four people died from COVID during the reporting period, Jan. 21 to Jan. 27.
Their deaths raise the pandemic death toll to at least 1,007. The total is likely higher since the province has counted only people who die in hospital as COVID deaths since September.
Thirty-six people were hospitalized for or with the virus, up from 31 the previous week. One of them was admitted to intensive care, down from three.
Among those in hospital is a child under four. The others include four people aged 20 to 44, seven aged 45 to 64, and 24 aged 65 or older.
Increase in outbreaks
Ten lab-confirmed COVID outbreaks have been reported, including two in nursing homes and eight in "other facilities." That's up from three outbreaks in the previous report.
There have been 298 outbreaks since the start of the respiratory season Aug. 27.
A total of 83 new cases of COVID have been confirmed through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) lab tests, compared to 82 a week prior.
The actual number of COVID cases is likely higher. The province has restricted PCR tests since April to people with symptoms who have a referral from a primary health-care provider, and for whom the result will directly influence their treatment or care.
The province stopped reporting in September on positive rapid test results submitted by citizens.

• COVID-19 kills 3 more in N.B., new variant JN.1 appears poised to become dominant

The positivity rate — the percentage of PCR lab tests performed that produced a positive result — remains unchanged at seven per cent.
The regional distribution of the new COVID cases:

• Moncton region, Zone 1 — 28.
• Saint John region, Zone 2 — 15.
• Fredericton region, Zone 3 — 20.
• Edmundston region, Zone 4 — Nine.
• Campbellton region, Zone 5 — Three.
• Bathurst region, Zone 6 — Five.
• Miramichi region, Zone 7 — Three.

About 1,600 more New Brunswickers rolled up their sleeves for the latest COVID vaccine in the past week, according to figures from the Department of Health. A total of 140,267 COVID XBB.1.5 vaccines have been administered since Oct. 4.
Five school 'influenza-like illness' outbreaks
Influenza killed two people between Jan. 21 and Jan. 27, the report shows.
The flu sent 12 people to hospital during the reporting week, nearly a 46 per cent decrease from the 22 people hospitalized the previous week. None of them required intensive care, down from two.
A child under four and two youth under 19 are among those hospitalized. The others include one person aged 45 to 64, and eight people aged 65 or older.
No lab-confirmed flu outbreaks were reported, down from two.
Meanwhile, five schools reported "influenza-like illness" outbreaks, up from one.
School outbreaks are based on 10 per cent absenteeism in a school because of influenza-like illness symptoms, the report says. No other information has been released.

Confirmed COVID-19 and flu cases in New Brunswick by age group, between Aug. 27, 2023, and Jan. 27, 2024. (Government of New Brunswick)
Sixty-eight new flu cases were confirmed by lab tests, with a positivity rate of seven per cent. That's down from 94 cases and eight per cent, respectively, in the previous report.
The Fredericton region has the majority of cases, at 19, followed closely by the Moncton region, at 15, the Edmundston region, at 14, and the Saint John region, at 13. The Bathurst region has three cases, while the Edmundston and Miramichi regions each have two.
Of the new cases, 61 were influenza A (unsubtyped), one was influenza A (H1N1)pdm09, and six were influenza B.
Since the respiratory season began on Aug. 27, a total of 2,205 flu cases have now been confirmed.
Nearly 2,400 more New Brunswickers got their flu shot in the past week, according to figures from the Department of Health. A total of 212,435 New Brunswickers have been vaccinated against the flu this season.
CBC has requested an interview with Dr. Yves Léger, the province's acting chief medical officer of health.
Fewer health-care workers positive
Horizon Health Network has 15 health-care workers off the job as of Saturday, after they tested positive for COVID-19, according to its weekly COVID-19 report. That's nearly a 29 per cent decrease from the 21 infected employees absent a week ago.
Horizon also reports fewer active COVID-19 hospitalizations, at 30, compared to 52 a week ago. Three people require intensive care, down from four.
There are still a number of Horizon hospital units with COVID-19 outbreaks. As of Tuesday, these include:

• Moncton Hospital — cardiac step down, family practice and palliative care.
• Saint John Regional Hospital — family medicine.

Vitalité Health Network is updating its COVID-19 report only monthly, typically on the last Tuesday of each month.
Although it has been updating its hospital outbreaks page more frequently, the last update showing as of Tuesday afternoon was on Jan. 30, when there was one hospital unit COVID outbreak — on the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre's general surgical unit (4A).

 

[The3Amigos]

Weekly COVID update

There are fewer cases of COVID-19 this week. Hastings Prince Edward Public Health updated its COVID dashboard ...

www.quintenews.com

Weekly COVID update
Belleville, ON, Canada / Quinte News
News
Feb 7, 2024 | 2:41 PM

There are fewer cases of COVID-19 this week.
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health updated its COVID dashboard Wednesday.
There are 15 active high-risk cases of the virus, down from last week’s 29.
There is one ongoing outbreak at a high-risk facility.
Last week there were two.
Average hospitalizations at Quinte Health hospitals for the week are 8.5, unchanged from last week, however, the average in the Intensive Care Unit is three, up from last week’s two.

 

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3 people convicted for $3.5M COVID-19 relief fraud scheme

 

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Rosendale cites sources that don't support COVID-19 claims

 

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OHSU study shows switching arms for 2-dose COVID-19 vaccines boosts antibodies