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☆ As Covid cases rise, it's yes to masks, no to mandates
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The current rise in Covid-19 cases is one leg of a triple threat – a “tridemic,” a “tripledemic” or a “trifecta,” as some news organizations are calling it – along with a bad flu season and an RSV outbreak hitting mainly children. People at higher risk of getting sick should wear masks when there is medium spread, such as in Los Angeles County. “You can count masking, vaccines, boosting, testing – all of that is part of the spectrum of protecting yourself and your family,” Fauci said. But if Covid-19 cases were to increase, a little less than two-thirds of Americans, 65%, said they would wear a mask. This will be the conundrum for public health officials if Covid-19 cases continue along with this “tripledemic” – how to get people to wear masks without trying to make them do it.

☆ Face masks come back to forefront amid triple threat of Covid-19, flu, RSV
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Local officials mulling over masksThe US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers specific guidance on when masking is recommended based on its Covid-19 community levels. The agency says that people may choose to wear masks at any time but that a “high-quality mask or respirator” is recommended for everyone when a county has a “high” Covid-19 community level. As of Thursday, about 5.66% of US counties have high community levels, including some places in Arizona, Wyoming, Oregon and the Dakotas. Even without a mandate, she emphasized community efforts like wearing masks inside when possible and getting Covid-19 vaccines or boosters. “We do know that 5% of the population is living in places with a high Covid-19 community level.

The spread of RSV appears to be slowing, though Covid cases have risen since Thanksgiving and flu hospitalizations remain at a decade high, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Monday. "This year’s flu season is off to a rough start," Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, board chair of the American Medical Association, said at a CDC press briefing. Nationally, the number of positive weekly RSV tests fell from more than 19,000 in the week ending Nov. 12 to around 7,500 in the week ending Nov. 26. Average daily Covid cases, however, have risen 16% over the last two weeks, according to NBC News' tally. The CDC recorded a nearly 18% increase in average daily hospital admissions due to Covid from the week ending Nov. 22 to the week ending Nov. 29.

There have been at least 8.7 million illnesses, 78,000 hospitalizations, and 4,500 deaths from flu so far this season, according to CDC estimates. She said flu season started earlier and "hospitalizations for flu continue to be the highest we have seen at this time of year in a decade." People also likely have weakened defenses after not being exposed to flu and RSV while working or schooling from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. About 12% fewer pregnant women have been vaccinated so far this season compared to last season, and about 5% fewer children, Walensky said. COVID-19 cases have risen following the Thanksgiving holiday and COVID-related hospitalizations have also increased about 15% to 20% over the last week, Walensky said.

☆ CDC encourages people to wear masks to help prevent spread of Covid, flu and RSV over the holidays
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Centers for Disease Control Prevention on Monday encouraged people to wear masks to help reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses this season as Covid, flu and RSV circulate at the same time. The CDC director said the agency is considering expanding its system of Covid community levels to include other respiratory viruses such as the flu. The system is the basis for when CDC advises the public to wear masks. About 5% of the U.S. population lives in counties where the CDC is officially recommending masks due to high Covid levels. Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, board chair of the American Medical Association, said the circulation of Covid, flu and RSV at the same is a "a perfect storm for a terrible holiday season."

☆ Flu vaccine appears to be a very good match to circulating strains, CDC says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —This year’s flu shot appears to be “a very good match” to the circulating strains, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at a news briefing Monday. Flu vaccinations for children are down about 5% compared with where they were before the Covid-19 pandemic, Walensky said. The good news is that looks like it is a very good match,” Walensky said of the early start to the respiratory virus season. She noted that the CDC would have more definitive data later in the season but that the data is encouraging. It’s not very good at interrupting transmission, and it is not very good at preventing milder infection,” he said.

But agency veterans, outside public health officials, and workplace organization experts said the current workplace structure could be a major barrier to that goal. As of early 2020, much of the workforce of the FDA and the National Institutes of Health was working remotely. Today, the NIH is mostly back in the office, but the FDA said many of its employees continue to work remotely when possible. Many people have fled the U.S. public health workforce in recent years, burned out from the covid-19 response. Benjamin said the CDC would likely have made its pandemic stumbles even if staffers hadn’t been working remotely.

☆ Former U.S. President Clinton tests positive for COVID
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 30 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said in a tweet on Wednesday that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and experiencing mild symptoms. "I'm grateful to be vaccinated and boosted, which has kept my case mild," he said. loadingFew weeks ago, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Rochelle Walensky and U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf had also tested positive with COVID symptoms. Reporting by Akriti Sharma and Khushi Mandowara in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Flu season continues to intensify in the US, and holiday gatherings could make it worse
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

And the CDC estimates that there have been at least 6.2 million illnesses, 53,000 hospitalizations and 2,900 deaths from influenza this season. Less than two months in, the RSV hospitalization rate this season is already nearing the total RSV hospitalization rate from the entire 2018-19 season. The latest surveillance data does not capture Thanksgiving week or the effects of holiday gatherings. Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths reached record high levels during last year’s holiday season – and this holiday season could also bring a rise in spread. Flu shots are lagging, too, with millions fewer vaccinations at this point in the season than in the past two years.

☆ New subvariants, family gatherings may bring more Covid-19 after holiday, but experts don’t expect severe surge
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Experts expect that Thanksgiving gatherings will stir up social networks and give new coronavirus subvariants fresh pockets of vulnerable people to infect. And we are concerned that after holiday gathering, lots of people coming together, that we may see increases in Covid-19 cases as well,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Tuesday on CNN. For the week ending Nov. 19, the CDC estimates that BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 were causing about half of all new Covid-19 cases in the US. Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths have remained flat for the past four weeks. “It’s probably got a bit more of a fitness advantage, so what we’re seeing is gradual replacement without a massive change in the total number of Covid-19 cases,” he said.

☆ Measles poses growing threat to kids as vaccinations decline globally, CDC and WHO warn
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A growing number of children around the world are vulnerable to measles as vaccination rates have declined to the lowest levels since 2008, global health leaders warned on Wednesday. About 81% of children worldwide received the first dose of the measles vaccine in 2021, down from 86% in 2019 before the Covid pandemic began. This leaves 25 million kids vulnerable to measles, according the report. The measles vaccine comes in two doses, but the first shot is the most important because it's 93% effective at preventing disease. This can cause outbreaks if vaccination rates are too low in their communities, according to the CDC.

☆ Covid-19 rebound may be more common in people who take Paxlovid, early study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Covid-19 rebound also seems to be more common in people who take Paxlovid compared with those who don’t take the antiviral, although it can happen in either circumstance. In the past few months, instances of Covid-19 rebound have peppered headlines. That study found rebound happened about twice as frequently in people taking Paxlovid as in those who took the placebo. Among the 127 who took Paxlovid, about 14% saw their viral loads climb again after treatment. At least one study has documented a case of a person with rebound Covid-19 who took Paxlovid and passed the infection to an infant.

“If I won the lottery, I’d do this for free because I have a passion for public health,” Bernstein said. I had to put other projects on hold to do pro bono work for the CDC. “If we want CDC to get better at fighting diseases, we need to stop tying their hands behind their back,” he said. A senior CDC official called it an “antiquated” system that “has not evolved over time.” The official spoke on the on the condition of anonymity so she could speak freely on the matter. ‘A real challenge to solve’The CDC is preparing a presentation to urge Congress it to fix this, Walensky said.

☆ CDC director tests positive for Covid again in Paxlovid rebound case
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

The head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tested positive again for Covid-19. Walensky, 53, first tested positive on Oct. 21. CDC officials said Walensky is up to date on her vaccines. She is one of several U.S. health officials who have gotten Covid-19. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the face of America’s pandemic response, and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra both tested positive in June.

☆ U.S. CDC director experiences COVID rebound after taking Pfizer's Paxlovid
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 31 (Reuters) - The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Rochelle Walensky, experienced a COVID-19 rebound after completing a course of Pfizer Inc's (PFE.N) COVID-19 pill, the agency said on Monday. Walensky had experienced mild COVID-19 symptoms less than ten days ago. After completing a course of Pfizer's Paxlovid, and a period of isolation, she had tested negative for the virus, but on Sunday, she tested positive again, CDC added. Some people who took the antiviral drug have suffered from a relapse or a rebound that occurred days after the five-day treatment course had ended, studies have shown. Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked Pfizer to test the effects of an additional course of its antiviral Paxlovid among people who had experienced a rebound in COVID-19 after treatment.

☆ CDC Director Rochelle Walensky Tests Positive for Covid-19
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Brianna Abbott | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Rochelle Walensky , director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has tested positive for Covid-19, the agency said. Dr. Walensky is up-to-date with her Covid-19 vaccinations and is experiencing mild symptoms, the CDC said on Saturday. She is isolating at home per CDC guidelines and plans to participate in coming meetings virtually, the agency said. The CDC said senior staff and close contacts have been notified since she tested positive on Friday.

☆ CDC director tests positive for COVID-19
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: 1 min

ATLANTA — The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tested positive for COVID-19. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, who is up to date on her vaccinations, tested positive Friday night and had mild symptoms, the CDC said in a statement. Senior staff and close contacts have been informed of her positive test and are monitoring their health. Walensky, who took over the CDC in January 2021 after being appointed by President Joe Biden, is the latest U.S. health official to test positive for COVID-19 this year. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the face of America’s pandemic response, and U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra both tested positive in June.

☆ U.S. CDC director tests positive for COVID-19, experiencing mild symptoms
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 22 (Reuters) - The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rochelle Walensky, tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday night and is experiencing mild symptoms, the CDC said in a statement on Saturday. The CDC added that the director is up to date on vaccines and is isolating at home, where she will participate in planned meetings virtually. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by David Shepardson and Daphne Psaledakis Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

CNN —Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tested positive for Covid-19 Friday. Walensky is experiencing mild symptoms and is up-to-date on her Covid-19 vaccines, according to a statement released by the agency. Walensky received an updated Covid-19 booster in September. The updated Covid-19 booster shots are bivalent, meaning they target the original coronavirus strain as well as the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 subvariants. The booster doses are recommended to given at least two months after the last dose of any Covid-19 vaccine and up to three months after an infection.

"Not everybody got flu vaccinated last year, and many people did not get the flu. So that makes us ripe to have potentially a severe flu season." Walensky's warning comes ahead of a CDC report on flu spread expected Friday. Doctors are not required to report each positive flu test to public health officials, so the CDC and others monitor probable flu activity by looking at "influenza-like illnesses." It takes about two weeks after a flu vaccine injection to provide full protection.

☆ Omicron-Targeting Covid-19 Boosters Recommended for Kids as Young as 5
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Peter Loftus | Liz Essley Whyte | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

U.S. health regulators on Wednesday expanded eligibility for the new Covid-19 booster shots to children as young as 5 years old, broadening access to help bolster protection against Omicron strains of the coronavirus. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the updated booster from Pfizer Inc. and its partner BioNTech SE for children ages 5 through 11, and Moderna Inc.’s updated booster for children 6 through 17. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky subsequently recommended use of the updated boosters in these age groups.

There was one big problem: The nation’s top public health professionals failed to consult their very colleagues who’d be responsible for communicating this advice to the public. All but one have been with the agency for at least 14 years, and three are nearing or have exceeded their third decade of service. While some employees say they are optimistic that the agency can improve its public health responses, blunders during the Covid response still haunt those who have dedicated their lives to public health. “When people ask, ‘where do you work?’ I used to say that ‘I work at CDC’ with pride,” a staffer said. “I certainly have talked to staff who are very distressed by it and feel very concerned,” a senior staffer said.

Workers sit outside of D.C. Health's first monkeypox vaccination clinic, which is administering the first Jynneos vaccine doses distributed in the U.S. capital, in Washington, U.S., June 28, 2022. REUTERS/Gavino GarayWASHINGTON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - At risk people nationwide will now be able to get Bavarian Nordic's (BAVA.CO) Jynneos monkeypox vaccine before being exposed to the disease, U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky said on Wednesday. At risk individuals will now be eligible to receive the vaccine before exposure as the CDC shifts to a Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) strategy, Wallensky said. Monkeypox is transmitted through close contact with an infected person, such as via sexual activity, or with the skin blisters associated with the disease. People with jobs that put them at risk of exposure, such as healthcare workers, were already eligible for vaccination against monkeypox.

☆ A single dose of monkeypox vaccine provides some protection against infection, CDC says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The data indicate that even a single dose of the vaccine provides some initial protection against infection as soon as two weeks after the shot, Walensky said. The Jynneos vaccine, manufactured by the Danish company Bavarian Nordic, is administered in two doses 28 days apart. Walensky said although the data on a single dose is promising, lab studies have demonstrated that the immune protection is highest two weeks after the second dose. "What we have right now is data on how well and how our vaccine is working after as single dose. What we don't yet have is what happens after a second dose and how durable that protection is," Walensky said.

☆ U.S. monkeypox outbreak is slowing, CDC director says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-14 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Monkeypox continues to spread across the U.S., but the pace of new cases has slowed over the last several weeks, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told lawmakers Wednesday. The U.S. is working to contain the largest monkeypox outbreak in the world, with more than 22,600 cases across all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, according to data from the CDC. There has been one confirmed death in the U.S. as a result of the disease, according to Walensky. The Jynneos vaccine, manufactured by Danish biotech company Bavarian Nordic, is the only approved monkeypox vaccine in the U.S. Two doses are administered 28 days apart, and CDC officials say it's crucial for people at risk to receive the second shot. It takes two weeks after the second dose for the immune system to reach its peak response.

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