COVID-19

Nov
29
2021
0 Comments
By Troy Warren
Merriam-Webster chooses vaccine as the 2021 word of the year

Merriam-Webster chooses vaccine as the 2021 word of the year

COVID-19, Editors Picks, , ,
By LEANNE ITALIE, Associated Press Troy Warren for CNT #COVID-19  #EditorsPicks NEW YORK — With an expanded definition to reflect the times, Merriam-Webster has declared an omnipresent truth as its 2021 word of the year: vaccine. “This was a word that was extremely high in our data every single day in 2021,” Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster's editor-at-large, told The Associated Press ahead of Monday's announcement. “It really represents two different stories. One is the science story, which is this remarkable speed with which the vaccines were developed. But there's also the debates regarding policy, politics and political affiliation. It's one word that…
Read More
Nov
29
2021
0 Comments
By Troy Warren
Wary, weary world slams doors shut, fearing omicron variant

Wary, weary world slams doors shut, fearing omicron variant

COVID-19, Lifestyle, ,
By RAF CASERT and MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press Troy Warren for CNT #COVID-19 #Lifestyle BRUSSELS — Nations around the world sought Monday to keep the new omicron variant at bay with travel bans and further restrictions, even as it remains unclear what it means for the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health in the United States, said no data as yet suggest the new variant causes more serious illness than previous COVID-19 variants. Collins echoed several experts in saying the news should make everyone redouble their efforts to use the tools the world already has, including…
Read More
Nov
28
2021
By Troy Warren
New Omicron COVID-19 Variant Prompts Swift Travel Bans on Africa

New Omicron COVID-19 Variant Prompts Swift Travel Bans on Africa

COVID-19, Travel, ,
LAURIE BARATTI | TravelPulse.Com Troy Warren for CNT #Travel  #COVID-19   A new COVID-19 strain, which originated in southern Africa, has been identified and classified by a special panel of the World Health Organization (WHO), which named it “omicron”. The WHO panel flagged it as a highly transmissible virus of concern, placing it (at least for now) into the same category as the delta variant. Not much more is currently known about omicron, though South African researchers are still working to better understand the strain. The WHO said that early evidence is suggesting omicron could carry an increased risk of…
Read More
Nov
27
2021
0 Comments
By Troy Warren
Britain tightens COVID rules as world on alert over omicron

Britain tightens COVID rules as world on alert over omicron

COVID-19, In The News
By PAN PYLAS, Associated Press Troy Warren for CNT #COVID-19 The U.K. has tightened up rules on mask-wearing and on testing of international arrivals after finding two cases of the new potentially more contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus as governments around the world seek to shore up their defenses LONDON (AP) — The U.K. tightened up rules Saturday on mask-wearing and on testing of international arrivals after finding two cases of the new potentially more contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus that was identified just a few days ago in South Africa. Amid fears that the new variant has the potential to…
Read More
Nov
27
2021
0 Comments
By Troy Warren
Resignations are just part of the story. The pandemic reshaped attitudes

Resignations are just part of the story. The pandemic reshaped attitudes

Business, COVID-19, In The News,
By Michael E. Kanell, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Troy Warren for CNT #COVID-19 #Business Eva Lynch worked for years in specialty stores, loving the interaction with customers, the give and take, suggesting cosmetics or outfits or jewelry. But the pandemic stole that. She had been selling clothing and intimate apparel at a Douglasville store that closed for six weeks in the spring of 2020. When it reopened that May, it just wasn’t as satisfying. People had to keep their distance, their faces hidden behind masks. The Powder Springs resident eventually quit her job in April of this year to join a staffing…
Read More
Nov
26
2021
0 Comments
By Troy Warren
EXPLAINER: What is this new COVID variant in South Africa?

EXPLAINER: What is this new COVID variant in South Africa?

COVID-19, Editors Picks, In The News, ,
By MARIA CHENG, Associated Press Troy Warren for CNT #COVID-19  #EditorsPicks South African scientists have identified a new version of the coronavirus this week that they say is behind a recent spike in COVID-19 infections in Gauteng, the country’s most populous province LONDON (AP) — WHAT IS THIS NEW COVID-19 VARIANT IN SOUTH AFRICA? South African scientists have identified a new version of the coronavirus this week that they say is behind a recent spike in COVID-19 infections in Gauteng, the country’s most populous province. It's unclear where the new variant actually arose, but it was first detected by scientists in…
Read More
Nov
24
2021
0 Comments
By Troy Warren
Vaccines making Thanksgiving easier, but hot spots remain

Vaccines making Thanksgiving easier, but hot spots remain

COVID-19, Health, In The News, ,
By ED WHITE, Associated Press Troy Warren for CNT #COVID-19  #Health The U.S. is facing its second Thanksgiving of the pandemic in better shape than the first time around, thanks to the vaccine, though some regions are seeing surges of COVID-19 cases that could get worse as families travel the country for gatherings that were impossible a year ago. Nearly 200 million Americans are fully vaccinated. That leaves tens of millions who have yet to get a shot in the arm, some of them out of defiance. Hospitals in the cold Upper Midwest, especially Michigan and Minnesota, are filled with COVID-19…
Read More
Nov
22
2021
0 Comments
By Troy Warren
University of Maryland nurses to graduate early, aid with pandemic

University of Maryland nurses to graduate early, aid with pandemic

COVID-19, Health,
By Kiersten Willis, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Troy Warren for CNT #Health  #COVID-19 As the coronavirus pandemic continues, hospitals around the nation have experienced staffing shortages. But one school in Maryland is about to help with that. Nursing students at the University of Maryland have been allowed to graduate early to head into the field, according to the Baltimore Sun. It’s the fourth time that this has been allowed. This time, it affects students expected to graduate on Dec. 23. Students are urged to take positions in the state’s health care system, which has been strained by the number of COVID-19 cases. Data…
Read More
Nov
20
2021
0 Comments
By Troy Warren
November 20: A look at major COVID-19 developments over the past week

November 20: A look at major COVID-19 developments over the past week

COVID-19
By Helena Oliviero - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution J. Scott Trubey - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Troy Warren for CNT #COVID-19 While new coronavirus infections remain relatively low in Georgia, there has been a slight uptick over recent days. The seven-day rolling average of new confirmed and suspected COVID-19 infections has been in decline since the end of August, and bottomed out Nov. 8. But it has grown by about 23% since then, according to state data published Thursday. Public health officials have warned about the risk of indoor gatherings as temperatures get colder. Last year, Georgia started its third wave of the virus in October,…
Read More
Nov
19
2021
0 Comments
By Troy Warren
Nursing organizations unite to tackle COVID-19 misinformation

Nursing organizations unite to tackle COVID-19 misinformation

COVID-19, Health,
By Avery Newmark, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Troy Warren for CNT #COVID-19  #Health False information about COVID-19 masking, vaccines and medications continues to spread, and health care providers are contributing to the confusion. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing and several other leading nursing organizations issued a policy brief this week to address the inaccuracies and falsehoods being disseminated about COVID-19 by members of the health care field. The organizations hope to educate and inform nurses about the importance of upholding the highest ethical standards and being held accountable for the information they provide to the public. “Misinformation, which is not grounded in…
Read More