Featured Headlines
Daily coronavirus cases up 18 percent – Washington Post
The rise in cases and a 6 percent increase in the seven-day average of hospital admissions come just days after the Food and Drug Administration recommended booster shots for all adults 18 and older who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine at least six months after their second dose, making more than 135 million people eligible for boosters. Anyone who received Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine also is eligible for a booster.
Pediatricians say Covid cases in children are on the rise – NYT
Coronavirus cases in children in the United States have risen by 32 percent from about two weeks ago, a spike that comes as the country rushes to inoculate children ahead of the winter holiday season, pediatricians said.
Merkel Says Covid Spike ‘Worse Than Anything We’ve Seen – Bloomberg
Chancellor Angela Merkel said the latest surge in Covid-19 infections is worse than anything Germany has experienced so far and called for tighter restrictions to help check the spread.
A Long Island emergency room goes dark as a vaccine mandate gets stricter – NYT
A Long Island emergency room was forced to close its doors on Monday because of a nursing staff shortage, as a New York state rule took effect that bars unvaccinated medical workers from their jobs.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex tests positive for coronavirus – Washington Post
French Prime Minister Jean Castex tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday evening and is displaying slight symptoms, his office told the Agence France-Presse and Reuters news agencies, amid rising case numbers in France and much of Europe.
U.S. issues ‘Do Not Travel’ COVID-19 warning for Germany, Denmark – Reuters
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the State Department on Monday advised against travel to Germany and Denmark because of a rising number of COVID-19 cases in those countries.
At least 210 coronavirus cases are linked to a South Korean religious settlement – NYT
South Korean officials said on Tuesday that they had shut down a religious facility in the city of Cheonan after 210 of its 427 residents tested positive for the coronavirus this week, an outbreak that comes as the country’s cases surge to record highs.
COVID Sure Looks Seasonal Now – The Atlantic
After two years of pandemic waves, we’re finally learning whether the disease has a predictable schedule.
Across Europe, protests swell against pandemic restrictions – Washington Post
Protests against coronavirus restrictions erupted across Europe — including clashes in Rotterdam and massive rallies in Vienna — as authorities announced more-stringent measures in an attempt to control rising cases ahead of the winter holidays.
Bodies pile up outside hospital morgue as Romania struggles with fourth wave of Covid – CNN
“It’s relentless — relentless,” sighed nurse Claudiu Ionita, standing in front of a line of gurneys in Bucharest University Hospital’s morgue. On each gurney lay a body inside a black plastic bag.
Unvaccinated adults 14 times as likely to die of covid-19, according to CDC – Washington Post
The seven-day average of reported coronavirus infections has increased by 18 percent, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said at a Monday news conference.
Vaccine Headlines
The Defense Department announced Monday evening that Pfizer-BioNTech was awarded $1.4 billion to a contract that will enable the company to produce an additional 200 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine for international donation.
Pfizer and BioNTech announced Monday morning that their vaccine provides long-term protection against the coronavirus in youth ages 12 to 15, according to data from their late-stage vaccine trial.
Do vaccines protect against long COVID? – Nature
Vaccines reduce the risk of developing COVID-19 — but studies disagree on their protective effect against long COVID. Physiotherapist David Putrino’s neurological rehabilitation clinics used to treat about 50 people each week with conditions such as chronic pain, Parkinson’s disease and sports injuries. Then came long COVID.
Clinical Considerations
Stillbirth Risk Spiked With Delta – MedPageToday
Two CDC reports characterize heightened risks for pregnant women with COVID-19. For pregnant women with COVID-19 during the Delta period, the risk for stillbirth was four times higher if they had their diagnosis at delivery while mortality was increased fivefold in a small study from Mississippi, according to two CDC reports.
Official Reporting for November 23, 2021
World Health Organization
Weekly Epi Update November 23rd (latest release)
New Cases: 436,031
Confirmed Cases: 257,469,528
Deaths: 5,158,211
Johns Hopkins
Confirmed Cases: 258,555,938
Deaths: 5,163,429
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Total cases: 47,649,156 (+29,286 New Cases)
Total deaths: 770,890 (+94 New Deaths)
Science and Tech
The 60-Year-Old Scientific Screwup That Helped Covid Kill – Wired
All pandemic long, scientists brawled over how the virus spreads. Droplets! No, aerosols! At the heart of the fight was a teensy error with huge consequences.
Inhaled Steroid Disappoints for COVID-19 – MedPageToday
COVID-19 outpatients treated with the inhaled corticosteroid ciclesonide (Alvesco) obtained no symptom relief beyond that seen in a placebo group, a large randomized trial showed.
A Breath of Virus-Free Air – MedPageToday
The COVID-19 pandemic has focused the consciousness of the nation on disease transmission in ways no other virus has before in our lifetimes. To mitigate the spread, many of us worked from home, kept our kids home from school, and dined outside. In some cases, we are still wearing masks and social distancing even as the world begins a gradual return to normalcy. Last month, the U.S. marked 750,000 COVID-19 deaths. It’s a grim milestone made even more tragic by the knowledge that many of these deaths were entirely preventable.
Psychological and Sociological Impact
Perseverance and Motivation During COVID and Beyond – MedPageToday
At CHEST 2021, the American College of Chest Physicians annual meeting, the Opening Session Keynote Address, titled “Perseverance and Motivation: Empathetic Medicine Amidst COVID and Beyond” was delivered by Demondes Haynes, MD, professor of medicine and associate dean for medical school admissions at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. His message focused in part on the importance of identifying the things that keep us motivated.
How Do We Handle Compassion Fatigue Toward the Unvaccinated? – MedPageToday
As COVID-19 vaccines become available to more age groups, will fatigue from the pandemic subside? Or will it create a greater disconnect between the healthcare workers struggling to provide consistent and compassionate care, and the people sick with COVID who need treatment due to resistance to protective health measures?
Published Research
Efficacy of Inhaled Ciclesonide for Outpatient Treatment of Adolescents and Adults With Symptomatic COVID-19 – JAMA
Risk for Stillbirth Among Women With and Without COVID-19 at Delivery Hospitalization — United States, March 2020–September 2021 – CDC MMWR
COVID-19–Associated Deaths After SARS-CoV-2 Infection During Pregnancy — Mississippi, March 1, 2020–October 6, 2021 – CDC MMWR
Misinformation, Disinformation, and Conspiracy Theories
Covid vaccines for children are coming. So is misinformation – CNBC
Medical professionals and misinformation experts are warning that the push to vaccinate kids has already been seized on by groups looking to spread anti-vaccination messages.
Coping with COVID
