China Places Over 22 Million on Lockdown Amid New Covid Wave – The New York Times

The country is experiencing its worst coronavirus flare-up since last summer, testing the government’s success in subduing the disease.

When a handful of new coronavirus cases materialized this month in a province surrounding Beijing — apparently spread at a village wedding party — the Chinese authorities bolted into action.

They locked down two cities with more than 17 million people, Shijiazhuang and Xingtai. They ordered a crash testing regime of nearly every resident there, which was completed in a matter of days.

They shut down transportation and canceled weddings, funerals and, most significantly, a provincial Communist Party conference.

By this week the lockdowns expanded to include another city on the edge of Beijing, Langfang, as well as a county in Heilongjiang, a northeastern province. Districts in Beijing itself, the Chinese capital, also shut down.

Source: China Places Over 22 Million on Lockdown Amid New Covid Wave – The New York Times

Ambulance crews responding to large number of overdoses across Fayette, Westmoreland counties

GREENSBURG, Pa. — Ambulance crews have been responding to a substantial amount of overdose calls in Fayette County and across parts of Westmoreland County. Officials believe there could be a “bad batch” of drugs behind the problem.

“When a batch of bad substance comes into your area, normally it is in bulk so we don’t see one overdose here, one here, isolated. We start to see multiple calls in the same area,” said John Duke with Brownsville Ambulance Service.

In the last 24 hours, medics responded to over a dozen calls related to suspected drug overdoses and people under the influence. From the Connellsville area to Fayette City and Saltlick Township, at least three of the overdoses were deadly. Duke said the behavior of the people under the influence has been concerning.

“Combativeness. Walking around town with no shirt or pants on. Just stuff that’s totally off the wall and out there,” he said.Officials said while it’s dangerous to the people taking the substances, it’s also taxing on the crews who respond.“We all staff based on our call volume and what we can substantiate financially and when this additional call volume comes on, none of us are prepared for it,” Duke said.He’s putting out a warning about the drugs, especially after three people died.“Time still matters. If you have signs or symptoms of anything, call us. Let us get you the treatment you need,” Duke said.

Source: Ambulance crews responding to large number of overdoses across Fayette, Westmoreland counties

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf unveils updated coronavirus vaccine rollout plan – The Morning Call

State officials on Friday said a new update of the coronavirus vaccine rollout plan puts several groups of people — those over 75, those with significant health issues and essential front-line workers — in line behind health care workers for priority in getting shots.

HARRISBURG — State officials on Friday unveiled an updated coronavirus vaccine rollout plan that puts more people — including those 75 or older, those with significant health issues and essential front-line workers — in line behind health care workers for priority in getting shots.

Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said in an online press briefing that the state has received 827,300 doses of the two approved vaccines and more than 235,000 Pennsylvanians have been vaccinated, with health care workers and people in long-term care facilities being inoculated now.

Source: Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf unveils updated coronavirus vaccine rollout plan – The Morning Call

Ugly Side Effects of Drinking Coffee Every Day, According to the Mayo Clinic | Eat This Not That

If you’re a coffee lover, you already know that drinking a fourth or fifth cup of coffee can leave you feeling jittery, restless, and wildly alert. But did you also know that doing so routinely over time can promote prolonged feelings of acute nervousness and anxiety? Or that you could partially lose control of your muscles? Or that it’s possible you’ll lose control over your ability to urinate? These are all very real side effects of drinking more than four cups of coffee (or 400 mg of caffeine, which you shouldn’t exceed if you’re following the recommendations of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines) per day, according to the health specialists at the Mayo Clinic. For all of the side effects of drinking too much coffee cited by the Mayo Clinic, read on, because we’ve listed them right here. If any of these symptoms sound familiar, know that it may be time to cut back on caffeine. And, to keep your health on track this year, make sure you avoid these 108 Most Popular Sodas Ranked By How Toxic They Are.

Source: Ugly Side Effects of Drinking Coffee Every Day, According to the Mayo Clinic | Eat This Not That

U.S. officials report more severe allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines | Reuters

(Reuters) – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday it is carefully monitoring allergic reactions to the coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc and urged individuals who had a serious reaction not to get the second dose.

In a conference call with reporters, the U.S. public health agency said allergic reactions are occurring at a rate of 11.1 per 1 million vaccinations. That compared with flu vaccines, in which such reactions occur at a rate of 1.3 per 1 million shots.

The severe reactions are still “exceedingly rare,” they said, stressing the need for people to get vaccinated when the shots become available to them, given the threat of death and serious disease from the coronavirus that has already claimed more than 357,000 lives in the United States alone.

Source: U.S. officials report more severe allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines | Reuters

U.K. orders strict lockdown as coronavirus variant surges – CBS News

Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday ordered a new lockdown across Britain in an effort to contain a new variant of the coronavirus. In a televised address, Johnson called the next few weeks a “critical moment” in the country’s fight against COVID-19.

The new measure forces the closure of all schools, shutters personal care services such as barbers and hairdressers, and bans in-person dining at restaurants. While fines do apply for those who leave their homes without valid excuses, there are exemptions in place for those gathering food, going to and from childcare, getting medical supplies, or true emergencies.

Residents are asked to limit exercise outdoors to once a day. Meeting more than one person outside your house for picnics or drinks is not allowed.

Source: U.K. orders strict lockdown as coronavirus variant surges – CBS News

New L.A. County quarantine order for travelers now official – Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles County has become the latest county in California to impose a mandatory quarantine on long-distance travelers.

At least two other counties — Santa Clara and San Francisco — have similar mandatory orders. The California Department of Public Health on Nov. 13 issued an advisory urging Californians to stay home or in their region and avoid nonessential travel, including for tourism or recreation.

The regional stay-at-home order prohibits hotels and other lodging companies from offering rooms to people visiting for tourism and leisure.

The moves are part of a desperate effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, which is pushing hospitals to the breaking point. L.A. County has seen an unprecedented surge in both cases and deaths since November and has emerged as one of the nation’s leading hot spots.

Source: New L.A. County quarantine order for travelers now official – Los Angeles Times

Side Effects of Smoking Marijuana Every Day, According to Science

Marijuana is now legal in more states than ever before, with medical marijuana proving an essential tool to relieve symptoms caused by chemotherapy and AIDS, or for those in chronic pain. Others just use it to relax, especially during stressful times (like the ones we’re going through now). But it’s important to note that smoking marijuana doesn’t come without risks, particularly if you do it every day. Here is what could possibly happen, so you can be aware of the risks as well as the rewards. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had Coronavirus.  1 You Might Impair Your Senses&Have Mood and Behavior Changes Daily marijuana use can lead to “feelings of fatigue or apathy; feelings of anxiety, paranoia, or panic; temporary hallucinations,” says Dr. Jenna Liphart Rhoads. As well as, “trouble taking care of oneself and lack of hygiene practices; disconnecting from activities or people they once enjoyed; impaired memory and confusion.” 2 You Put Yourself at Risk for Respiratory Diseases “Chronically inflamed airways that result in a chronic cough, sore throat, or runny nose, and put the user at a higher risk for respiratory diseases or illnesses,” says Dr. Rhoads.  3 You Might Develop Marijuana Use Disorder “Make no mistake about it, smoking marijuana daily carries with it very real potential for addiction. The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that between 9% and 30% of those who use regularly will develop marijuana use disorder,” says Dr. Mary Gay. “I have observed significant negative effects on clients who habitually use marijuana including reduced academic performance, job loss, legal consequences, depression, anxiety, and in several cases, psychotic symptoms requiring hospitalization.” 4 You May Have an Increased Risk of Heart Issues “Compared with placebo, marijuana cigarettes cause increases in heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and forearm blood flow via increased sympathetic nervous system activity,” says Dr. Kim Langdon. “In addition, marijuana has been associated with triggering heart attacks in young male patients. Smoking marijuana has been shown to increase the risk of MI onset by a factor of 4.8 for the 60 minutes after marijuana consumption, and to increase the annual risk of MI in the daily cannabis user from 1.5% to 3% per year.” 5 You Might Cause Functional and Structural Changes in Your Brain “Functional MRI studies have also revealed functional and structural changes in brain areas involved in reward processing after chronic cannabis use and in the processing of emotion,” says Dr. Langdon. “Some studies show a higher incidence of schizophrenia in chronic adolescent and teenage use of marijuana.” 6 You Might Have Changes in the Homeostasis in Your Body “Daily use of cannabis can desensitize the endocannabinoid system and override its natural capacity to maintain homeostasis. In layman’s terms, using medical marijuana too frequently can knock your endocannabinoid system out of whack a bit, which can have an effect (though not always a negative one) on some of your body’s natural processes, like your sleeping habits, mood, appetite, memory, and fertility,” says Dr. Daniel Whitelocke, M.D., Founder of AR MMJ Cards. “Because the endocannabinoid system was only identified as recently as the 1990s, experts are still working toward fully understanding it.” 7 You Might Have Pregnancy Issues “Marijuana use during pregnancy can be harmful to your baby’s health. The chemicals in marijuana (in particular, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC) pass through your system to your baby and can harm your baby’s development,” says the CDC. “Some research shows that using marijuana while you are pregnant can cause health problems in newborns— including low birth weight.” 8 You May Have Fertility Issues Smoking daily increases the chances of having “problems with decreased fertility in both males and females,” says Dr. Rhoads. It can also be a factor in erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation.  RELATED: What Taking Ibuprofen Every Day Does to Your Body 9 What About Withdrawal? “Withdrawal from cannabis seems to induce a lack of motivation. Cognitive dysfunction and memory problems are other potential problems such as abnormal response to stress,” says Dr. Langdon. “A clinical diagnosis of cannabis withdrawal includes irritability, anger or aggression, nervousness or anxiety, sleep difficulty, decreased appetite or weight loss, restlessness, depressed mood, and physical symptoms causing significant discomfort such as shakiness or tremors, sweating, fever, chills, and headaches.” 10 On the Other Hand…  “Marijuana is said to be a fantastic muscle relaxant, and people swear by its ability to lessen tremors in Parkinson’s disease.

Source: Side Effects of Smoking Marijuana Every Day, According to Science

Larry King has been hospitalized with Covid-19 – CNN

Legendary talk show host and former CNN interviewer Larry King has Covid-19, according to a source close to the family.

King, 87, has been hospitalized at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for more than a week, the source said. Due to protocols at the hospital, King’s three sons have been unable to visit him, according to the source.
King, who has Type 2 diabetes, has confronted a series of medical issues over the years, including several heart attacks and quintuple bypass surgery in 1987. In 2017, King revealed he had been diagnosed with lung cancer and successfully underwent surgery to treat it. He also underwent a procedure in 2019 to address angina.
His own medical issues inspired him to start the Larry King Cardiac Foundation, a non-profit aimed at helping those without health insurance afford medical care.

Source: Larry King has been hospitalized with Covid-19 – CNN

Luke Letlow, 41-year-old congressman-elect, dies with COVID-19

Luke Letlow, the newly elected member of Congress from Louisiana, died Tuesday night from complications related to COVID-19, a spokesman announced.

Dr. G.E. Ghali, of LSU Health Shreveport, told NOLA.com that Letlow was in critical condition but showed signs of improvement.  He “apparently suffered a cardiac event this evening that was refractory to all resuscitation efforts.”

Rep. Steve Scalise, another Republican from the state, issued a statement calling Letlow a “positive spirit” who had a “tremendously bright future ahead of him.”

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi also issued a statement saying the entire body mourns his passing.

“May it be a comfort to Luke’s wife Julia and their children Jeremiah and Jacqueline that so many mourn their loss and are praying for them at this sad time,” she wrote in a statement.

Andrew Bautsch, the Letlow spokesman, confirmed the congressman-elect’s death at Ochsner-LSU Health Shreveport.

Source: Luke Letlow, 41-year-old congressman-elect, dies with COVID-19

Colorado health officials confirm highly infectious coronavirus variant found, first in US

Colorado public health officials on Tuesday confirmed the first U.S. case of the new highly contagious strain of the coronavirus that was first discovered in Britain weeks ago, prompting a new set of lockdowns there.

A state lab informed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about the presence of the strain in a man in his 20s from Elbert County. He has no travel history and is isolating himself until cleared by public health officials, Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement.

STEFANIK CALLS CUOMO ‘ABSOLUTE DISGRACE’ FOR PRIORITIZING DRUG ADDICTS FOR CORONAVIRUS VACCINE

“The health and safety of Coloradans is our top priority and we will closely monitor this case, as well as all COVID-19 indicators, very closely,” Polis said. “We are working to prevent spread and contain the virus at all levels.”

Polis said the man has no close contacts identified thus far but that public health officials were working to find others who were potentially exposed through contact tracing interviews. He said his office will monitor the new case “very closely.”

Source: Colorado health officials confirm highly infectious coronavirus variant found, first in US

This Garlic Powder Is Facing a Recall, According to the FDA | Best Life

You may be able to keep most of your spices in your pantry for a long time, but not this garlic powder, which is facing a recall for an undeclared allergen.

Kitchen spices can last years in the pantry, so you probably don’t tend to give your shakers of salt and sugar a second thought. Unfortunately though, due to a new recall, you may need to toss one out before its expiration date. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just announced that if you have garlic powder in your pantry, you should check your bottle due to possible contamination. Keep reading to find out if your spice may be affected, and for more things to check in your kitchen, find out why The FDA Says “Please Do Not Eat” This Beloved Dessert Right Now.

According to the FDA announcement on Dec. 23, B&G Foods is voluntarily recalling the 5.37 oz. bottles of its Food Club Garlic Powder due to a packaging error. Instead of the product promised, the bottle of garlic powder may actually contain bacon-flavored bits. These bacon bits contain soy, an allergen that is not typically in garlic powder and is not declared on the label. “People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to soy run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the bacon-flavored bits contained in the recalled containers,” the FDA announcement warns. “There is no health risk associated with this product for individuals without an allergy to soy.”

Fortunately, it should be very clear that you’ve purchased an incorrect product. The FDA says it should be “readily apparent to consumers” if their garlic powder container is filled with bacon bits instead. According to the announcement, 1,301 cases of the product were mistakenly labeled, but the recall only affects garlic powder containers with “best by” dates of Nov. 19, 2022 and Nov. 20, 2022.

Source: This Garlic Powder Is Facing a Recall, According to the FDA | Best Life

Will Eating Charred Oranges Restore Sense of Smell After COVID-19?

“Anosmia” refers to the complete loss of the sense of smell.

The claim was featured in a video shared on TikTok on Dec. 15, 2020, in which two women describe the “TikTok trick” as a “Christmas miracle.” The two roommates claimed they had COVID-19 at the time of filming and both lost their sense of smell. In the clip, the duo is seen blackening an unpeeled orange on the stovetop, peeling it, mushing it in a cup, adding brown sugar, and eating it.

At the time of writing, the video had nearly 800,000 views. But despite its popularity, there is no evidence to suggest that eating any style of orange will restore a person’s loss of smell or taste due to COVID-19. In fact, science is only just beginning to understand the mechanisms behind why people lose their sense of smell from SARS-CoV-2 in the first place, much less how to restore it.

How Does the Nose Smell?

Highly specialized sensory cells known as olfactory sensory neurons make up a small patch of tissues inside of the human nose, according to the National Institutes of Health. Each olfactory neuron has one odor receptor in the brain. As substances around the nose release microscopic molecules, the neurons stimulate receptors in the brain and send messages to identify the smell.

To reach the olfactory sensory neurons, smells take one of two paths: either through the nostrils or via a channel that connects the roof of the throat to the nose. This is why scent plays such a large role in our sense of taste — chewing food releases molecules that the olfactory sensory neurons in the back of the throat can pick up on. But when this channel is blocked by an infection, the scent of food can be lost on the brain, a condition known as anosmia.

Why Does COVID-19 Infection Create a Loss of Smell?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) listed a “new loss of taste or smell” as a symptom of COVID-19 and it is thought that COVID-19 infection creates an inflammation reaction inside the nose that leads to the loss of the olfactory neurons. And anosmia has been shown to be an indicator of viral spread at the community level, making it an important characteristic to track when tracing COVID-19 infection.

Source: Will Eating Charred Oranges Restore Sense of Smell After COVID-19?

New strain of Covid-19: Boris Johnson backtracks on relaxing Christmas rules – CNN

London (CNN)The hopes of millions of Britons that Covid-19 restrictions would be eased over Christmas were dashed on Saturday, after scientists warned a new strain of the virus is spreading more quickly than others.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a series of stricter coronavirus restrictions, tightening rules around household mixing that were due to be relaxed over Christmas in England, while leaders in Scotland and Wales also introduced more stringent measures. The UK has among the highest Covid death rates in Europe, with more than 67,000 fatalities, and over 2 million cases.
The PM broke the news that London, and large parts of southern and eastern England, where cases are surging, will enter Tier 4 restrictions, similar to a lockdown, on Sunday.
“The spread is being driven by the new variant of the virus,” Johnson said in a hastily called press conference. “It appears to spread more easily and may be up to 70% more transmissable than the earlier strain.”

Source: New strain of Covid-19: Boris Johnson backtracks on relaxing Christmas rules – CNN

Asia Today: Sydney beach suburbs in lockdown as cases rise

SYDNEY (AP) — Sydney’s northern beaches will enter a lockdown similar to the one imposed during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March as a cluster of cases in the area increased to 41.

From late Saturday afternoon until midnight Wednesday, residents will only be permitted to leave their homes for five basic reasons: medical care, exercise, grocery shop, work or for compassionate care reasons.

Elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region:

— Long lines snaked around coronavirus testing sites in the South Korean capital of Seoul, as the country reported another 1,053 cases, the fourth straight day of over 1,000. The viral resurgence has raised questions about the government’s handling of the outbreak.

Source: Asia Today: Sydney beach suburbs in lockdown as cases rise

Finger-pointing abounds as states get fewer vaccines than planned | Ars Technica

As we’re waiting for word on the authorization of a second vaccine for use in the US, glitches have been striking the distribution of the first through the federal government’s “Operation Warp Speed.” This week, the US saw the first use of the vaccine developed by a Pfizer/BioNTech collaboration. But immediately afterward, many states started saying that orders for shipments in the ensuing weeks were being cut. After some in the federal government had indicated that the problem might be in production, Pfizer issued a statement indicating that it had doses in its warehouse ready to ship out but no indication of where to ship them to.

All in all, it’s about what you’d expect in the first weeks of a massive undertaking like this.

One of the first states to report problems was Illinois, where its governor, J.B. Pritzker, said that it had indications it would only be receiving half the expected doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine next week. Since then, over a dozen states have indicated that they’ll be receiving fewer doses than planned in the second week

Source: Finger-pointing abounds as states get fewer vaccines than planned | Ars Technica

L.A. May Issue Countywide Emergency Order, Strict Measures, Says Mayor – Deadline

Los Angeles is now the epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is the most infected county of the most infected state in the most infected country in the world.

In the pandemic’s spring wave, New York held that distinction — and it still is the state to have seen the largest single daily number of deaths. But given that the tally of daily cases and hospitalizations continue to skyrocket in L.A. and the fact that ICU availability was 0% in Southern California on Thursday, Los Angeles is unfortunately catching up.

On Thursday, another 14,418 Covid-19 infections were confirmed in L.A. County. The new cases lifted the countywide cumulative total to 581,519. In a county of 10 million people, that means 1 in 20 residents has had the virus.

Even more shocking, Los Angeles County is now seeing more daily cases than entire countries, including onetime hotspots such as Spain, Mexico, Poland and Portugal.

L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti revealed Thursday evening that city testing results were “seeing a seven-day positivity rate of an alarming 19.6%. Some of our sites have a positivity rate as high as 30%,” he said. For L.A. County, the seven-day rate was 13.7%.”For comparison, at the very beginning of the pandemic, California-at-large had a 40% test positivity rate. But that was when the state was conducting about 2,000 tests a day. And since lower testing numbers tend to produce higher test positivity rates, for L.A. to have 19.6% test positivity even as it is now delivering nearly 41,500 tests a day is frightening.

In the past week, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties have, respectively, registered 1,415 and 1,102 average daily cases per million residents. Those are the highest rates in the country among counties with at least 1 million residents. Riverside County has the fourth-highest daily cases per million. That data is per an aggregator of government statistics used by the CDC called USAFacts.

Source: L.A. May Issue Countywide Emergency Order, Strict Measures, Says Mayor – Deadline

Veterans at VA Pittsburgh nursing home get COVID-19 vaccine

More than 100 local veterans were the Pittsburgh area’s first nursing home residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine, the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System said Thursday.

VA Pittsburgh said the vaccine was provided to every eligible veteran who wanted it in the community living center at the H. John Heinz III campus.

The healthcare system said vaccinations for front-line health care workers have also begun.

“VAPHS is one of the first 37 VA sites across the country selected to provide the vaccines for its ability to vaccinate large numbers of people and store the vaccines at extremely cold temperatures,” the VA Pittsburgh said in a news release.

Source: Veterans at VA Pittsburgh nursing home get COVID-19 vaccine

Woman accused of coughing on employees, bottles inside Westmoreland County liquor store

Rostraver, Pa. — A woman from Westmoreland County was facing charges after police said she coughed on bottles and employees at a Rostraver liquor store.

Leona Warman, 69, of West Newton, walked into the store on Dec. 9, pulled down her mask, and yelled, “I have COVID-19,” according to court documents obtained by our news partners at TribLIVE.com. She’s accused of then coughing on or near four store employees and touching around 300 bottles.

Employees called police, who arrested Warman in the store, according to TribLIVE.com.The bottles had to be removed from the store, causing a more than $5,000 loss, according to court documents.Warman is facing several charges, including reckless endangerment and violating a state health order aimed at controlling the spread of coronavirus.She has a preliminary hearing scheduled, March 8.

Source: Woman accused of coughing on employees, bottles inside Westmoreland County liquor store

Westmoreland Commissioner Gina Cerilli tests positive for covid-19 | TribLIVE.com

Westmoreland County Commissioner Gina Cerilli has tested positive for covid-19, county officials said Tuesday.

Cerilli informed the county of her positive test results Tuesday and is following isolation recommendations

Cerilli told the Tribune-Review Tuesday was the second day she experienced symptoms including a “terrible headache” and an elevated temperature. She said she immediately got tested after developing the symptoms and learned of her positive result on Tuesday.

She said she’s been drinking plenty of fluids and will seek medical attention if needed.

Source: Westmoreland Commissioner Gina Cerilli tests positive for covid-19 | TribLIVE.com

UPMC administers 1st covid-19 vaccines in Pittsburgh | TribLIVE.com

Five UPMC employees received Pittsburgh’s first doses of the covid-19 vaccine Monday, making tangible the long-awaited light at the end of the tunnel for a pandemic that has spared no state in its deadly waves.

The employees — a doctor, two nurses, a transporter and an environmental services supervisor — received the vaccine in a live-streamed event, getting the first of two doses for thousands to see.

Dr. Sylvia Owusu-Ansah, 42, an emergency medicine physician and assistant director of Pittsburgh’s EMS, said she wanted to do this to set an example. She noted the African-American community has been particularly ravaged by the virus.

“I wanted to share with my community that it is OK — that this vaccine is the thing to do to keep us safe, to keep us healthy and to keep us alive,” she said.

She said she wants to protect her family — her two young daughters, her husband, her parents in Boston — along with the community.

“I wanted to set that example not only for my family but for my community as well,” she said.

Source: UPMC administers 1st covid-19 vaccines in Pittsburgh | TribLIVE.com

The wagontrain of COVID-19 vaccine shipments begin in historic US effort

KALAMAZOO, Michigan (AP) — The first shipments of a COVID-19 vaccine for widespread use in the United States headed Sunday from Michigan to distribution centers across the country, with the first shots expected to be given in the coming week to health care workers and at nursing homes.

Shipments of the Pfizer vaccine will set in motion the biggest vaccination effort in American history at a critical juncture of the pandemic that has killed 1.6 million and sickened 71 million worldwide.

Initially, about 3 million doses were expected to be sent out, and the priority is health care workers and nursing home residents as infections, hospitalizations and deaths soar in the U.S. With numbers likely to get worse over the holidays, the vaccine is offering a bright spot in the fight against the pandemic that’s killed nearly 300,000 Americans.

Source: COVID-19 vaccine shipments begin in historic US effort

Police: Woman Attacked By Dog, ‘Became Physically Aggressive’ With Officers After Refusing To Wear Mask

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Pittsburgh Police say they are applying for a warrant to arrest a woman who allegedly fought with officers and medics after refusing to wear a face mask.

According to police, police and EMS had been responding to the woman because she had been attacked by a dog at a residence on the 3300 block of Motor Street.

Police say while they were preparing to transport the woman to the hospital that she would not wear a face mask and “became physically aggressive” with officers and got blood on one of the officers.

The woman still received treatment at a local hospital, according to police, but they will be pursuing a warrant for her arrest.

Source: Police: Woman Attacked By Dog, ‘Became Physically Aggressive’ With Officers After Refusing To Wear Mask

Gov. Wolf twice tests negative for covid | TribLIVE.com

Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday he tested negative for covid-19 for the second time since he received his diagnosis on Wednesday.

Wolf said he’s tested for the virus each Tuesday, and he tested positive during the routine test this week. Subsequent tests on Wednesday and Thursday evenings came back negative, he said.

The Department of Health’s state epidemiologist Dr. Sharon Watkins said the governor received a real-time PCR test, which she said “are considered the gold standard among tests for covid-19.”

She said the tests are very specific and sensitive and detect even small amounts of the virus. The fact that his positive test was followed by two negative tests could mean the governor “was at the end of his infectious period when the first test was conducted.”

Source: Gov. Wolf twice tests negative for covid | TribLIVE.com

Uniontown Hospital intensive care unit at capacity

UNIONTOWN, Pa. —A two-week surge in COVID-19 patients has pushed Uniontown Hospital on the brink of capacity.

“We have doubled our COVID-19 inpatient volume twice in the past two weeks,” Uniontown Hospital chief medical officer Dr. Surabhi Gaur said.

Fifty-seven people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 at the Fayette County hospital, enough to push the hospital to the verge of being at capacity.

“We’re typically licensed for about 140 beds, and we’re pushing that capacity as we speak,” Gaur said. “We’re in the high 130s.”Officials said the 15-bed intensive care unit is filled with COVID-19 patients. A drastic reduction of elective surgeries has helped the hospital shift those rooms into beds for non-COVID patients requiring intensive care.

Source: Uniontown Hospital intensive care unit at capacity

F.D.A. Panel Gives Green Light to Pfizer’s Covid Vaccine – The New York Times

The blessing of these experts means that the agency will likely OK the vaccine’s use, paving the way for health care workers to begin getting shots next week.

Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine passed a critical milestone on Thursday when a panel of experts formally recommended that the Food and Drug Administration authorize the vaccine. The agency is likely to do so within days, giving health care workers and nursing home residents first priority to begin receiving the first shots early next week.

The F.D.A.’s vaccine advisory panel, composed of independent scientific experts, infectious disease doctors and statisticians, voted 17 to 4, with one member abstaining, in favor of emergency authorization for people 16 and older. With rare exceptions, the F.D.A. follows the advice of its advisory panels.

Source: F.D.A. Panel Gives Green Light to Pfizer’s Covid Vaccine – The New York Times

Ellen DeGeneres tests positive for COVID-19 – CBS News

Ellen DeGeneres said Thursday that she has tested positive for COVID-19.

DeGeneres said that everyone who she has been in close contact with has already been notified.

“I am following all proper CDC guidelines,” the talk show host said. “I’ll see you all again after the holidays. Please stay healthy and safe.”

The talk show host said that she is “feeling fine right now.”

Source: Ellen DeGeneres tests positive for COVID-19 – CBS News

%d bloggers like this: