COVID-19

How to keep the medically vulnerable safe during the holidays

How to keep the medically vulnerable safe during the holidays

By DeeDee Stiepan, Mayo Clinic News Network Troy Warren for CNT #Health #COVID-19 You can take several steps to protect those with weakened immune systems from COVID-19 If you or a loved one is immunocompromised and therefore at a higher risk of becoming severely ill from COIVD-19, it’s more important than ever to plan ahead for upcoming holiday gatherings. Among those at heightened risk are cancer and transplant patients who are taking immunosuppression medication, in addition to patients with advanced and untreated HIV/AIDS. Dr. Raymund Razonable, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases physician who works with transplant patients, explains the steps patients and their…
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Aaron Rodgers Reveals He Sought Alternative COVID-19 Treatments Due to Vaccine Allergy

Aaron Rodgers Reveals He Sought Alternative COVID-19 Treatments Due to Vaccine Allergy

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, THR STAFF Troy Warren for CNT #COVID-19 #EditorsPicks #Sports "I’m not an anti-vax, flat-earther. I have an allergy to an ingredient that’s in the mRNA vaccines. I found a long-term immunization protocol to protect myself and I’m very proud of the research that went into that," Rodgers said Friday. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said Friday he sought alternative treatments instead of the NFL-endorsed COVID-19 vaccinations because he is allergic to an ingredient in two of the FDA-approved shots. Speaking on SiriusXM’s Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers said: “I’m not an anti-vax, flat-earther. I have an allergy to an…
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Report: U.S. cancels vaccine maker’s multimillion-dollar deal

Report: U.S. cancels vaccine maker’s multimillion-dollar deal

By The Associated Press Troy Warren for CNT #COVID-19 #Business WASHINGTON — The federal government has canceled a multimillion-dollar deal with Emergent BioSolutions, a Maryland-based vaccine manufacturer with facilities in Baltimore that were found to have produced millions of contaminated Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses this spring, The Washington Post reported. Emergent disclosed the development Thursday in a conference call discussing its latest financial results, the Post reported. Emergent said it will forgo about $180 million due to the contract’s termination, according to the Post. Emergent BioSolutions played a role in the Trump administration’s effort to speed up vaccine development and…
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New COVID-19 pill cut hospital, death risk by 90%

New COVID-19 pill cut hospital, death risk by 90%

By MATTHEW PERRONE, Associated Press Troy Warren for CNT #COVID-19 WASHINGTON — Pfizer Inc. said Friday that its experimental antiviral pill for COVID-19 cut rates of hospitalization and death by nearly 90% as the drugmaker joins the race to bring the first easy-to-use medication against the coronavirus to the U.S. market. Currently all COVID-19 treatments used in the U.S. require an IV or injection. Competitor Merck’s COVID-19 pill is already under review at the Food and Drug Administration after showing strong initial results, and on Thursday the United Kingdom became the first country to OK it. Pfizer said it will ask…
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UK authorizes Merck’s coronavirus pill, first shown to treat COVID

UK authorizes Merck’s coronavirus pill, first shown to treat COVID

By MATTHEW PERRONE and MARIA CHENG, Associated Press Troy Warren for CNT #COVID-19 LONDON — Britain has granted a conditional authorization to Merck’s coronavirus antiviral, the first pill shown to successfully treat COVID-19. It is the first country to OK the treatment, although it was not immediately clear how quickly the pill would be available. The pill was licensed for adults 18 and older who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have at least one risk factor for developing severe disease. The drug, known as molnupiravir, is intended to be taken twice a day for five days by people at home…
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U.S. prisons face staff shortages as officers quit amid COVID

U.S. prisons face staff shortages as officers quit amid COVID

By KERI BLAKINGER, JAMILES LARTEY, BETH SCHWARTZAPFEL and CHRISTIE THOMPSON of The Marshall Project and MICHAEL R. SISAK of The Associated Press Troy Warren for CNT #EditorsPicks #Business #COVID-19 At a Georgia state House of Representatives hearing on prison conditions in September, a corrections officer called in to testify, interrupting his shift to tell lawmakers how dire conditions had become. On a “good day,” he told lawmakers, he had maybe six or seven officers to supervise roughly 1,200 people. He said he had recently been assigned to look after 400 prisoners by himself. There weren’t enough nurses to provide medical care. “All…
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Los Angeles: Requiring COVID-19 Vaccinations for Movie Theaters, Concerts, Restaurants

Los Angeles: Requiring COVID-19 Vaccinations for Movie Theaters, Concerts, Restaurants

BY CHRIS GARDNER | HollywoodReporter.Com Troy Warren for LosAngelesNewsAndTalk.Com #COVID-19 The order impacts numerous indoor venues and will take effect in early November. The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday passed an ordinance that will require residents to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination in order to enter indoor spaces including movie theaters, restaurants, gyms, shopping centers, coffee shops, hair and nail salons, and numerous other venues. The new ordinance is expected to take effect on Nov. 4. Movie theaters aren’t expected to oppose the initiative, just as they didn’t when New York City imposed a similar mandate in late summer as an alarming…
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BREAKING: FDA paves way for Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations in young kids

BREAKING: FDA paves way for Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations in young kids

By MATTHEW PERRONE and LAURAN NEERGAARD, Associated Press Troy Warren for CNT #COVID-19 #Health WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Friday paved the way for children ages 5 to 11 to get Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. The FDA cleared kid-size doses — just one-third of the amount given to teens and adults — for emergency use, and up to 28 million more American children could be eligible for vaccinations as early as next week. One more regulatory hurdle remains: On Tuesday, advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will make more detailed recommendations on which youngsters should get…
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Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine more than 90% effective in kids

Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine more than 90% effective in kids

By LAURAN NEERGAARD and MATTHEW PERRONE, Associated Press Troy Warren for CNT #Health #COVID-19 Kid-size doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine appear safe and nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic infections in 5- to 11-year-olds, according to study details released Friday as the U.S. considers opening vaccinations to that age group. The shots could begin in early November — with the first children in line fully protected by Christmas — if regulators give the go-ahead. Details of Pfizer's study were posted online. The Food and Drug Administration was expected to post its independent review of the company's safety and effectiveness data later in…
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U.S. marks 200 million COVID-19 shots shared with world

U.S. marks 200 million COVID-19 shots shared with world

By ZEKE MILLER, Associated Press Troy Warren for CNT #COVID-19  WASHINGTON — The U.S. on Thursday donated its 200 millionth COVID-19 shot to help vaccinate the rest of the world, the White House announced. The Biden administration aims to lead a global vaccination campaign even as it rolls out boosters for domestic use, which critics say diverts doses from those who are in greater need around the world. The donated doses include more than 120 million in surplus from the U.S. stockpile of shots, as well as the initial deliveries of the 1 billion doses the Biden administration has purchased from Pfizer…
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