Health

Fauci says virus has ‘peaked’ for the vaccinated: ‘We have two kinds of America’

Dr. Anthony Fauci said there seem to be “two kinds of America” as some people remain skeptical of COVID-19 vaccines even in the face of the more severe delta variant.

The delta variant has ripped through the unvaccinated population in America, with Centers for Disease Control Director Rochelle Walensky claiming the variant is “spreading with incredible efficiency and now represents more than 83% of the virus circulating the United States.”

The individuals who are hospitalized with infection are largely those who are unvaccinated – about 99% of individuals, according to Kristen Choi, an assistant professor at UCLA School of Nursing.

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“It’s kind of like we have two kinds of America,” Fauci said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “We have the very vulnerable unvaccinated part, and we have the really relatively protected vaccinated part, so if you were vaccinated, you were really in a very different category than someone who’s not vaccinated.”

A recent poll showed that around 80% of unvaccinated Americans say that they probably will not or definitely will not get the shot. Recent vaccination efforts have slowed as America achieved 57.1% vaccination of its eligible population – Americans aged 12 or older.

Republican Governor Kay Ivy of Alabama recently told reporters that the unvaccinated people are living “a horrible lifestyle of self-inflicted pain.”

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The persistence of hesitancy has “frustrated” Fauci, who thought the rise of the delta variant would push more people to get the shots. Instead, leaders are “practically pleading” with unvaccinated individuals.

“What I would really like to see is more and more of the leaders in those areas that are not vaccinating to get out and speak out and encourage people to get vaccinated,” Fauci said. “I was very heartened to hear people like Steve Scalise come out and say, ‘hey, we need to get vaccinated.’”

“Even Gov. DeSantis right now in Florida is saying the same thing,” he added.

CDC URGEST LABS TO USE COVID TESTS THAT CAN DIFFERENTIATE FROM FLU

About a month ago, President Biden and other leaders tout numbers that indicated the virus was in retreat, and Fauci said that it is retreating – but for vaccinated people only.

Florida’s hospitalization rate jumped by about 65% since last week and nearly tripled since June 14, according to FOX 13 Tampa Bay. The state’s vaccination effort has stalled at around 58% of adults fully vaccinated.

To help those individuals, Fauci has suggested that even vaccinated people may need to consider wearing face masks in public indoor spaces.

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“The CDC agrees with that ability and discretion capability to say, you know, you’re in a situation where we’re having a lot of dynamics of infection,” Fauci explained. “So even if you are vaccinated, you should wear a mask.”

However, he stressed that the decision should be a “local” one.

CDC urges labs to use COVID tests that can differentiate from flu

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged labs this week to stock clinics with kits that can test for both the coronavirus and the flu as the “influenza season” draws near.

The CDC said Wednesday it will withdrawal its request for the “Emergency Use Authorization” of real-time diagnostic testing kits, which were used starting in February 2020 to detect signs of the coronavirus, by the end of the year.

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“CDC is providing this advance notice for clinical laboratories to have adequate time to select and implement one of the many FDA-authorized alternatives,” the agency said.

The U.S. has reported more than 34.4 million cases of the coronavirus since the pandemic began in 2020 and more than 610,000 deaths.

But while cases of COVID-19 soared nationwide, hospitalizations and deaths caused by influenza dropped.

According to data released by the CDC earlier this month, influenza mortality rates were significantly lower throughout 2020 than previous years.

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There were 646 deaths relating to the flu among adults reported in 2020, whereas in 2019 the CDC estimated that between 24,000 and 62,000 people died from influenza-related illnesses.

The CDC urged laboratories to “save both time and resources” by introducing kits that can determine and distinguish a positive test for the coronavirus and flu.

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“CDC encourages laboratories to consider adoption of a multiplexed method that can facilitate detection and differentiation of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses,” the agency said Wednesday.

Laboratories will have until the close of 2021 before the CDC officially withdrawals its Emergency Use Authorization of the Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel.

Los Angeles detects mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus

A Los Angeles public health agency overseeing vector control has reported mosquito samples positive for West Nile virus, cautioning residents to take preventive steps.

“West Nile virus is detected every summer by local public health agencies because it is endemic to Los Angeles County,” said Susanne Kluh, director of Scientific-Technical Services at the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District, in a release posted Thursday. “This virus is spread through our bird population and transmitted to humans through the bite [of] an infected mosquito.”

COLORADO REPORTS PLAGUE-INFECTED FLEAS AND ANIMALS, BLAMES DISEASE FOR 10-YEAR-OLD’S DEATH

Positive samples were gathered from mosquito traps in areas including Studio City and Tarzana, officials said, noting that a dead bird in the district also tested positive for West Nile virus.

“Our agency will continue monitoring disease activity and treat affected areas to prevent a disease outbreak,” said Anais Medina Diaz, public information officer for the agency, in a statement. “But it is very important residents take precautions against mosquitoes and monitor for any symptoms of West Nile virus if they experience mosquito bites while outdoors during dusk and dawn.”

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Most people infected with West Nile virus don’t feel sick. However, one in five infected people typically develop a fever and other symptoms such as headache, vomiting or rash, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An estimated one in 150 infected people develop a severe, potentially fatal, illness affecting the brain and spinal cord. Serious symptoms include high fever, muscle weakness, neck stiffness, coma and paralysis, Los Angeles officials said.

There is no human vaccine to prevent illness from West Nile virus. To avoid West Nile virus, remove standing water in buckets and clogged gutters, apply insect repellent, cover up with long-sleeved shirts and long pants and keep mosquitoes out of the home by shutting windows and using the air conditioner or screened windows and doors, the CDC advises.

For more information on mosquito-borne illness and prevention, click here.

‘Right-handed man’ almost masturbates to death: medical case study

This fellow redefined “mind-blowing sex” after he suffered a life-threatening stroke while repeatedly masturbating. Now, medical experts are saying he’s lucky he escaped the ultimate unhappy ending.

The unnamed “51-year-old right-handed man” from Japan admittedly enjoyed pleasuring himself several times a day, according to the new case study published in the medical Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases.

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However, one explosive self-love session went awry when, after climaxing, the serial stroker was struck down by “thunderclap” headaches and severe vomiting.

Unnerved by the unsexy symptoms, the man rushed himself to Nagoya City University Hospital, where he was found to have low blood pressure and confusion — two telltale signs of a cerebrovascular accident, according to the medical case study.

Emergency medical technicians suspected he had a stroke while stroking — and a subsequent CT scan confirmed that the man had indeed suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), a potentially fatal type of stroke sparked by ruptured blood vessels in the space surrounding the brain.

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Prior case studies have reported that sex — including the autoerotic variety — “was the immediate preceding activity before a ruptured aneurysm in up to 14 percent of patients,” according to clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Amee Baird, author of “Sex in the Brain: How Your Brain Controls Your Sex Life” (Columbia University Press, 2020). The risk of death by sex-induced stroke can be compounded by taking cocaine or Viagra before the act.

The man survived his near-fatal orgasm ordeal and was released from the hospital within two weeks in excellent condition, according to doctors.

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However, he should thank his lucky stars he didn’t achieve the opposite of a happy ending, as a ruptured brain aneurysm causes “death in 40 percent of cases,” Baird reported. Meanwhile, two-thirds of survivors are left with serious neurological deficits.

This isn’t the first time someone has suffered a vascular mishap during an act of self-gratification. In 2016, a Bronx hospital worker allegedly died of a heart attack while masturbating to porn at work, according to police sources.

This story first appeared in the New York Post.

New York sleepaway camp reports COVID-19 infections in 31 campers under age 12

Thirty one campers between the ages of 7 and 11 have tested positive for COVID-19 at an upstate New York camp. Camp Pontiac sent a letter to parents informing them that the first positive case occurred on July 16.

Almost all of those infected have been sent home, as well as the 88 people they’d been in contact with. Those who haven’t been sent home yet live too far away for an easy trip.

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“When it comes to congregant living situations. It’s tough. It’s really tough because you get one positive kid in a bunk or in a dormitory that houses 15 kids. Kids, they don’t socially distance if they don’t have to. So, I think it’s really hard when it comes to summer camps,” Columbia County Public Health Director Jake Mabb told WNYT.

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More than 90% of the staff are vaccinated, and Mabb has said that none of the staff have tested positive for COVID-19.

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Camp Pontiac has 550 campers, half of whom are between the ages of 7 and 11, and the other half are older than 12. They also have 275 staff members. None of the children over 12 have tested positive for COVID-19, all of whom are vaccinated with the exception of four kids. Unvaccinated campers will now be tested twice weekly.

While kids under 12 are not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations, President Biden predicted vaccines could win authorization for children under 12 as early as August, and Pfizer has noted plans to request emergency approval for use of its vaccine in kids aged 5 to 11 by September or October.

Colorado reports plague-infected fleas and animals, blames disease for 10-year-old’s death

Colorado health officials are investigating plague activity across a handful of counties, with plague-related causes behind the death of a child.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment noted lab-confirmed reports of plague-infected fleas and animals in areas including La Plata County, where the 10-year-old died.

Plague, caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, can spread to humans and pets through bites of infected fleas or contact with infected animals, according to a release issued Thursday. Colorado health officials expect to see fleas test positive for the plague during the summer.

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The disease is treatable if it’s detected early on, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “without prompt treatment, the disease can cause serious illness or death.” Symptoms involve a sudden, spiking fever or swollen lymph nodes.

“Awareness and precautions can help prevent the disease in people. While it’s rare for people to contract plague, we want to make sure everyone knows the symptoms,” said Jennifer House, deputy state epidemiologist and public health veterinarian for CDPHE, in a statement. “Let a medical provider know if you think you have symptoms of plague or if you think you’ve been exposed.”

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Preventive steps include avoiding fleas and areas where wild rodents live, avoiding sick or dead animals and preventing rodent infestations around the home. According to the CDC, “human plague infections continue to occur in rural areas in the western United States, but significantly more cases occur in parts of Africa and Asia.”

Most human plague infections stem directly from infected fleas, Colorado health officials noted.

AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine protective against severe outcomes from delta variant, more data suggests

Early findings from the real-world vaccine rollout in Canada suggested one dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 shot, not yet authorized in the U.S., was protective against poor outcomes from the highly transmissible delta variant.

Researchers affiliated with University of Toronto recently posted results in medRxiv ahead of peer review, analyzing nearly 70,000 individuals in Ontario aged over 16 and infected with COVID-19 from December to May, with a variant of concern behind 9.7% of cases.

Results indicated just one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine was 88% effective against severe outcomes from the delta variant, compared to 78% protection afforded by a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine and 96% from a single dose of the Moderna vaccine. The study couldn’t estimate vaccine effectiveness against delta after a full series of AstraZeneca or Moderna vaccine “due to zero vaccinated testpositive cases.”

July 7, 2021: A health worker prepares to administer a jab of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination drive for people ages 30 to 39 in Mexico City.
( (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte))

The delta variant has been detected in at least 124 countries, according to the World Health Organization.

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“Our real-world vaccine effectiveness estimates suggest that even a single dose of these 3 COVID-19 vaccine products provide considerable protection against symptomatic infection and severe outcomes caused by these 4 currently circulating VOCs [variants of concern], and that 2 doses are likely to provide even higher protection,” study authors wrote. “Our findings have public health policy implications worldwide.”

Researchers suggested areas with limited vaccine supply could delay the second dose to blanket vaccine wider across the population to first-time recipients.

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AstraZeneca lauded the results in a company statement released Friday, with BioPharmaceuticals R&D Executive Vice President Mene Pangalos writing, “With different variants threatening to disrupt our route out of the pandemic, this real-world evidence shows that Vaxzevria, along with other vaccines used in Canada, provides a high level of protection against the most serious forms of the disease, even after just one shot. It is essential that we continue to protect as many people as possible in all corners of the world in order to get ahead of this deadly virus.”

China’s Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine may offer elderly poor protection: study

A new study suggests that a Sinopharm vaccine offers poor protection from COVID-19 among the elderly, raising questions for dozens of countries that have given the Chinese company’s shots to their most vulnerable populations.

A survey of blood samples taken from 450 people in Hungary at least two weeks after their second Sinopharm dose found that 90% under 50 years old developed protective antibodies. But the percentage declined with age, and 50% of those over 80 had none.

The study by two Hungarian researchers was posted online this week but not yet reviewed by other scientists. Three outside experts said they had no problems with the methodology of the study of the vaccine developed by Sinopharm’s Beijing Institute of Biological Products.

“This is very, very worrying that these people, who are high-risk, have a poor antibody response,” said Jin Dong-yan, a Hong Kong University virologist who was not affiliated with the study.

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June 16, 2021: A man receives the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center, in Kabul, Afghanistan.
((AP Photo/Rahmat Gul) )

Antibody levels are not a direct measure of how protected a person is from COVID-19, but there is growing evidence that they are a good proxy. One expert cautioned that the choice of test kits could have limited the accuracy of the measurements.

Still, the study’s findings have value and are the first public, scientific attempt to analyze the effect of the Sinopharm vaccine in the elderly, said Wang Chenguang, a former professor at Peking Union Medical College and an immunology expert.

China’s National Health Commission declined to comment on the study, saying it would only respond to studies by governments or major research institutions.

This is not the first time questions have been raised about the efficacy of the vaccine, which was given a greenlight by the World Health Organization in May and is being used in more than 50 countries, many of which seized upon it when other vaccines were tough to come by.

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A spokesperson for the WHO said Wednesday that its experts “are aware of the study and continue to look at all available evidence.” The agency’s advisers raised questions months ago about whether it provided protection in people 60 and over, but when it was OK’d a WHO expert said that there was no reason to think it would work differently in the elderly.

The vaccine is one of two similar shots developed by Sinopharm. The state-owned Chinese company’s research showed that almost all the participants in final-stage clinical trials were under 60 — and its own researchers said there was insufficient evidence to say whether the vaccines work in the elderly. Overall, the Beijing Institute vaccine was found to be 78% effective.

June 2, 2021: A security guard watches residents wearing face masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus line up to receive the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center in the Central Business District in Beijing.
((AP Photo/Andy Wong))

In Hungary, concern about the shots led many to seek out private antibody tests. Eventually the capital city of Budapest offered free testing to elderly residents as part a bid to ratchet up pressure on the government to conduct its own wider survey and provide booster shots to those who need them.

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After initially rebuffing calls for a government response to efficacy concerns — including from the antibody study’s authors Balazs Sarkadi and Tamas Ferenci — Prime Minster Viktor Orban finally acquiesced last week in the face of growing public anger. He announced that the government would provide its citizens with an optional third shot.

His office said, though, that all vaccines authorized by Hungary are effective.

The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain both announced in May that they, too, would offer a third dose of Sinopharm amid concerns about an insufficient antibody response. Bahrain recommended that people over 50 and some other vulnerable people receive Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine as their booster regardless of whether they got Sinopharm initially.

CNBG, the Sinopharm subsidiary that oversees the Beijing Institute, has said a third dose is not part of the company’s clinical guidance.

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It’s not clear how many doses of the Beijing Institute Sinopharm vaccine have been exported. Overall, China exported 500 million vaccines doses in the first half of the year, and the company is one of country’s two major COVID vaccine makers, along with privately owned Sinovac.

Feb. 8, 2021: A man receives his Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine from a medical staffer at Guru Nanak Darbar temple in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
((AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File))

The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization recently ordered 550 million doses from the two companies for the U.N.-backed COVAX program.

Both Sinopharm vaccines are also in wide use in China, including in the elderly. The country’s National Health Commission said in April that the shots provide some protection, even though it acknowledged that early stages of clinical trials of Sinopharm’s vaccines and two others found fewer antibodies in people 60 and over.

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In Budapest, Beata Englohner became concerned for her 76-year-old mother after hearing that people who had been vaccinated with Sinopharm were shown to have no antibodies.

Englohner started a Facebook group to press the government to address the issue. She is cautiously optimistic now that Hungary will offer a third dose.

“We’re very glad that we achieved our aim and that we were heard,” she said. “Though we’re a bit afraid that we’ll receive what we already got before.”

Monkeypox in US: CDC monitoring 200 people in 27 states, other countries

While the delta variant and other issues have the coronavirus gaining renewed attention, U.S. health officials are also watching for signs of a possible outbreak of monkeypox, according to a report.

Following an initial report of a patient being treated for monkeypox in Texas after arriving there from Nigeria earlier this month, officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are now monitoring more than 200 individuals who may have had contact with the traveler, WVLA-TV of Baton Rouge, Louisiana reported.

The individuals being observed are spread across 27 states and several foreign countries, the report said. They range from associates of the patient to fellow passengers on flights.

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None of the people being tracked are considered at high risk and none have been found to have monkeypox, the report said.

Prior to landing in Dallas on July 9, where the patient was later hospitalized, the traveler made a stop in Atlanta, according to the report.

Monkeypox is considered mild and typically occurs in remote parts of central and west Africa. (CDC)

At the moment, there are no safe treatments available for monkeypox, according to the CDC.

Symptoms of the illness include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, or a skin rash that develops days after a fever, WVLA reported.

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Monkeypox was first detected in humans in Africa in 1970, according to the CDC website. It was last detected in the U.S. in 2003, when 47 cases were found, the agency says.

The illness can be fatal in 1% to 10% of cases, with those having already weak immune systems at highest risk, according to the CDC.

More CDC information about monkeypox can be found here.

Delta variant one of the most infectious respiratory viruses I’ve seen: Walensky

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters on Thursday that the COVID-19 Delta variant is one of the most infectious respiratory viruses that she has seen in her 20-year career.

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She called the variant more “aggressive” and transmissible than earlier strains of the virus. The Biden administration has used the threat of the variant to underscore the importance of Americans getting vaccinated.

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Kristen Choi, an assistant professor at UCLA School of Nursing, told Yahoo Finance Live that about 99% of those hospitalized are unvaccinated. The report pointed out that the vaccination effort in the U.S. has slowed and about 57.1% of the population over 12 is vaccinated.

Forty percent of this week’s coronavirus cases came from Florida, Texas and Missouri, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said.

The Washington Post zeroed in on D.C. and reported that 375,000 of the city’s 692,000 residents have been vaccinated. Of those, 200 have tested positive for the virus, 13 have been hospitalized and four have died.

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The paper said despite the number of breakthrough cases, health officials say the numbers show that the vaccines have been effective.

“No vaccine is 100% percent effective, and we know this coming in,” Ankoor Shah, the head of D.C.’s vaccine program, told the paper.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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