Tag: pandemic

CDC considering shorter coronavirus quarantine recommendation

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is considering shortening the amount of time it recommends people who may have been exposed to the coronavirus quarantine in hopes of convincing more people to follow its advice.

The CDC is finalizing rules to shorten the quarantine period for a potentially exposed person from 14 days to seven to 10 days, a senior CDC official told The Wall Street Journal.

That official, Henry Walke, the CDC’s coronavirus incident manager, said the agency would recommend that someone quarantining for the shorter period of time also receive a negative test. Continue reading.

6.4 million COVID-19 vaccine doses expected to be shipped to states by mid-December

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States will begin receiving the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines in mid-December, but will make their own determinations on who will be first in line for a shot. 

An estimated 6.4 million doses of Pfizer’s vaccine will be distributed to states and territories by mid-December, assuming it receives Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorization by that point, Operation Warp Speed officials told reporters Tuesday. 

State officials were notified Friday how many doses they should expect to receive in the initial distribution, and they will make their own decisions about who will be prioritized for the first doses. Continue reading.

‘So much privilege’: Epidemiologist blasts Ben Carson’s access to $650,0 COVID treatment pre-FDA approval

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One of the numerous White House and Republican officials to contract the COVID-19 virus is HUD director Ben Carson. With the Trump administration news cycle adding years to every day, Carson’s condition was kept out of public. On Friday, Carson wrote on his Facebook page that his experience became very dire.

Carson wrote: “Thank you everyone for your support and prayers as Candy and I battled COVID-19. I was extremely sick and initially took Oleander 4X with dramatic improvement. However, I have several co-morbidities and after a brief period when I only experienced minor discomfort, the symptoms accelerated and I became desperately ill. President Trump was following my condition and cleared me for the monoclonal antibody therapy that he had previously received, which I am convinced saved my life.” As epidemiologist Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding tweeted, “He survived after using monoclonal antibody drugs—*before* it was FDA approved. So much privilege—250k Americans weren’t so lucky.”

Estimates on what this treatment would have cost any of the 250,000 Americans who have died after contracting the virus range from well above $100,000 to about $650,000, in our current system. Whether or not this combination of drugs helped save Carson’s life is not entirely proven. Carson was able to receive the treatment well before the FDA approved it, on Saturday—the day after Carson’s Facebook post. Continue reading.

Two Republicans join Minnesota House Democrats in urging coronavirus caution

About one-fifth of legislators vow to take safety steps, urge residents to do the same. 

A small, bipartisan group of state legislators encouraged Minnesotans on Monday to pledge to take personal steps to curb the spread of the coronavirus as the holidays approach.

The new public education campaign, announced on Zoom, encourages individuals to wear masks, limit social gatherings and take other actions to reduce exposure, regardless of their political views.

“It’s important to recognize that Republicans and Democrats don’t have to fight about everything, just some things,” said Rep. Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington. “As we’re going forward with COVID-19, it’s really going to take cooperation from all of us to make a difference and defeat this.” Continue reading.

Biden Team, Pushing Quick Stimulus Deal, Prepares for Renewed Recession

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Economists warn that lawmakers must pass aid now, as a renewed coronavirus surge chills consumer spending and business activity.

WASHINGTON — Advisers to President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. are planning for the increasing likelihood that the United States economy is headed for a “double-dip” recession early next year. They are pushing for Democratic leaders in Congress to reach a quick stimulus deal with Senate Republicans, even if it falls short of the larger package Democrats have been seeking, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Until now, Mr. Biden, Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, have insisted that Republicans agree to a spending bill of $2 trillion or more, while Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, wants a much smaller package. The resulting impasse has threatened to delay additional economic aid until after Mr. Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

Many of the president-elect’s advisers have become convinced that deteriorating economic conditions from the renewed surge in Covid-19 infections and the looming threat of millions of Americans losing jobless benefits in December amid a wave of evictions and foreclosures require more urgent action before year’s end. That could mean moving at least part of the way toward Mr. McConnell’s offer of a $500 billion package. Continue reading.

Statement from Speaker Hortman and Majority Leader Winkler on COVID Economic Relief Package

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SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Majority Leader Ryan Winkler released the following statements on COVID-19 economic relief legislation:

“The burden of protecting Minnesotans from the spread of COVID-19 has hit some businesses and workers harder than others. While we join state leaders across the country in urging federal action to provide economic relief as soon as possible, we are working as quickly as we can on state measures to provide additional assistance,” said Speaker Hortman. “We need to work together to help those struggling during this tough time, and then turn our attention in the 2021 Session to rebuilding Minnesota’s economy in the wake of this pandemic.”

“The public health guidelines and restrictions in place are needed and saving lives, but hurting an important segment of businesses and our economy. The state needs to take action,” said Majority Leader Winkler. “We have seen a pattern with many COVID efforts from the federal government — corporations, the wealthy, and well-connected have been the biggest beneficiaries of federal aid, while working families have to make do with what’s left. We have to do better in Minnesota. With strong investments in unemployment insurance and other programs that aid low-income families, we can help those who are struggling the most. We are ready to work with our Republican colleagues to provide relief as soon as possible for both workers and businesses.”

The COVID-19 relief package from House DFLers and Governor Walz includes critical measures to: 

  • Keep Small Businesses Afloat 
    • Provide direct aid to businesses through Business Assistance Program 
    • Waive State and regulatory fees for bars, restaurants, event centers, craft breweries, and more
    • Establish eviction moratorium so small businesses can stay in their locations
  • Support Workers Struggling to Get By
    • Extend unemployment benefits for an additional 13 weeks, helping as many as 100,000 workers whose benefits currently end late December
    • Provide a $500 one-time emergency payment to struggling families
  • Help Minnesota Families Put Food on the Table
    • Establish one-time grant to restaurants to provide food for healthcare workers, homeless shelters, and long-term care facilities
    • Provide a tax credit for businesses that donate food that would otherwise spoil or be thrown away 

G20 Summit Closes With Little Progress and Big Gaps Between Trump and Allies

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World leaders committed to some efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic, but the meeting illustrated the difficulty of carrying out an agenda when the United States is indifferent or hostile to many goals.

WASHINGTON — Officials at the Group of 20 summit meeting released a closing statement on Sunday that served as perhaps the Trump administration’s final reminder of the wide gulf between the United States and its allies on handling global threats like the coronavirus pandemic and climate change.

In its statement, or communiqué, the group emphasized what it called the “important mandates of the United Nations’ systems and agencies, primarily the W.H.O.,” referring to the World Health Organization, an agency Mr. Trump announced a withdrawal from in July, threatening to cut off one its largest sources of funding. The communiqué, released after a two-day virtual meeting hosted by Saudi Arabia, said the group supported strengthening the W.H.O.’s “overall effectiveness in coordinating and supporting the global response to the pandemic and the central efforts of member states.”

Over all, the communiqué offered little in terms of any breakthrough announcements beyond general appeals for more global cooperation and “affordable and equitable access” to therapeutics and vaccines. The lack of more significant initiatives underscored how difficult it is for the G20 to carry out an agenda when the United States is indifferent — Mr. Trump skipped part of the summit to play golf — or even hostile to many of its positions, even during a pandemic that has killed more than 1.3 million people globally. Continue reading.

Bipartisan Coalition of State Legislators Introduce Pledge to Curb the Spread of COVID-19

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SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Yesterday, a bipartisan group of legislators from the Minnesota House of Representatives announced the Minnesota Pledge to Defeat COVID-19, a social media push to emphasize that the basic steps we can take to help curb the spread of COVID-19 have no partisan affiliation. Ahead of the holiday season, and with Minnesota experiencing a surge in cases, these legislators are asking all Minnesotans to share this message and commit to taking the necessary precautions. 

“We’re entering a critical moment in the COVID-19 pandemic in Minnesota, and how we choose to respond will have a direct impact on our family, friends, and neighbors,” said Rep. Kelly Morrison (DFL – Deephaven), who is also a practicing physician. “The situation is dire, and our public health professionals and healthcare workers are begging us to follow the basic guidelines of COVID prevention because they’ve seen first-hand the consequences of this virus as cases surge. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to sign the Minnesota Pledge to Defeat COVID-19.  We all have a role to play in slowing the spread.”

Using the hashtag #TakeThePledgeMN, the pledge asks Minnesotans to double down on their efforts to wear a face mask, maintain social distancing, stay home if sick or exposed to COVID-19, limit the size of gatherings, and to be kind to one another. 

Continue reading “Bipartisan Coalition of State Legislators Introduce Pledge to Curb the Spread of COVID-19”

Pro-mask or anti-mask? Your moral beliefs probably predict your stance

Governments around the world have recommended or mandated various behaviors to slow the spread of COVID-19. These include staying at home, wearing face masks and practicing social distancing.

Yet individuals continue to flout these recommendations and ignore explicit rules about wearing face masks. In the U.S., U.K. and Australia, crowds have gathered closely together to protest against lockdowns.

All this poses the question: Why are people not following the rules that protect not only their own health but the health of their community and nation? And how can policymakers and public health officials design better messages to encourage uptake? Continue reading.

‘No beds anywhere’: Minnesota hospitals strained to limit by COVID-19

Open ICU beds were down to single digits in some parts of Minnesota last week, when Gov. Tim Walz ordered a four-week shutdown of bars and other venues. 

One walk through Regions Hospital’s COVID-19 intensive care unit reveals the scope of the medical crisis emerging from a fast-spreading pandemic.

Sixteen sliding glass doors are all closed, and behind each lies a patient struggling to breathe. Almost all are on ventilators because their lungs are too weak to work on their own. Clear tubes carry oxygen into their throats and chests, which mechanically rise and fall as their bodies lie still.

On this Thursday morning, 28 COVID-19 patients are in intensive care, with 12 spilling beyond the designated unit to areas designed for heart problems, strokes and surgical recoveries. A total of 97 COVID-19 patients have been admitted to Regions, which is almost full. Continue reading.