J. Harris: Watch SD case counts go up as Biker Stupidity comes and goes again in Sturgis as Insanity again makes its annual visit. Since the retardates ride in and ride out through the countryside, the bearded brotherin and their multi-tattooed Molls [whom they not infrequently maul in the malls] spread Covid Virus in the best Johnny Appleseed tradition.
HOUSTON CHRONICLE JUST OFF THE PRESS
Hidalgo to move Harris County back to highest COVID threat level, urging unvaccinated to stay home
NEJM POSSIBLE BREKTHROUGH:
1. Subcutaneous REGEN-COV Antibody Combination to Prevent Covid-19
”Subcutaneous REGEN-COV prevented symptomatic Covid-19 and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in previously uninfected household contacts of infected persons. Among the participants who became infected, REGEN-COV reduced the duration of symptomatic disease and the duration of a high viral load.
BUT HEPARIN ANTICOAGULATER COVID PATIENTS DURING TREATMENT DID NOT HELP
2. Therapeutic Anticoagulation with Heparin in Critically Ill Patients with Covid-19
”In critically ill patients with Covid-19, an initial strategy of therapeutic-dose anticoagulation with heparin did not result in a greater probability of survival to hospital discharge or a greater number of days free of cardiovascular or respiratory organ support than did usual-care pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis.”
FROM BECKERS GOOD, QUICK, ARTICLE)
7 ways this COVID-19 surge is different
MORE INFORMATION ON DELTA AND DELTA PLUS VARIANTS
1. Here’s what we know about the delta-plus variant
”… the variant is alarming, as it is related to the more contagious delta variant and coming at a time when breakthrough cases are popping up among the vaccinated…
This is just a process of natural selection and selecting viruses that are more contagious. All viruses want to do is reproduce themselves. The ones that [reproduce the best] do become the dominant virus,” he said. “We’re going to see other variants. It’s on a continuum. The variants are likely to get more efficient as time goes on.”
FROM LANCET:
”Our findings suggest that COVID-19 is a risk factor for acute myocardial infarction and ischaemic stroke. This indicates that acute myocardial infarction and ischaemic stroke represent a part of the clinical picture of COVID-19, and highlights the need for vaccination against COVID-19.”
EDITORIAL THAT FOLLOWS:’
What is the association of COVID-19 with heart attacks and strokes?
”…It has been known for several decades that there is a transient increase in the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke in association with influenza, pneumonia, acute bronchitis, and other chest infections …How should these results be interpreted, and what are their implications for the management of patients with COVID-19? The most important consideration is the potential for bias. Why is there such a striking peak of myocardial infarction and stroke on day 0? Such a peak could occur if COVID-19 is a potent cause of myocardial infarction and stroke, events that in turn lead patients to seek medical help, but it could also occur if patients presenting with such a condition were more likely to be tested for SARS-CoV-2 than those without symptoms suggestive of such a diagnosis (ie, a test bias). Excluding day 0 removes the potential for test bias, but might lead to an underestimate of the true risks of myocardial infarction and stroke secondary to COVID-19.…It seems reasonable to infer that the persistence of risk for several weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infection is consistent with COVID-19 causing an increased risk of thrombo-occlusive disease, as has been reported for other respiratory infections. The absolute risks are small, but further studies are needed to evaluate the time course of increased cardiovascular risk in patients with COVID-19 and to investigate possible mechanisms. However, it is important to keep in mind that the excess risks of myocardial infarction and stroke in a person with COVID-19 are substantially smaller than those resulting from respiratory failure.
(J. Harris: So Covid disease might cause heart attacks and strokes or it might send folks with impending heart attacks and strokes into medical surveillance and care. Additionally, patients with bad, bad lungs are more likely to have heart attacks than are those with normal lungs. In either case, a COVID VACCINATION would have been a safer and cheaper alternative.)
2. Illness duration and symptom profile in symptomatic UK school-aged children tested for SARS-CoV-2
”…Although COVID-19 in children is usually of short duration with low symptom burden, some children with COVID-19 experience prolonged illness duration. Reassuringly, symptom burden in these children did not increase with time, and most recovered by day 56. Some children who tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 also had persistent and burdensome illness. A holistic approach for all children with persistent illness during the pandemic is appropriate.
FROM NBC, A NICE GENERAL ARTICLE
Delta and vaccinated parents: What people with kids under 12 need to know
FROM JOHNS HOPKINS:
1. Study: Severe COVID, Higher Viral Loads, Immune Response Linked To Obesity (CIDRAP) Among US Military Health System (MHS) beneficiaries diagnosed as having COVID-19, obesity was independently and strongly associated with hospitalization, need for oxygen therapy, higher viral load, and an altered immune response, according to a prospective study late last week in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. A team led by researchers from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, used logistic regression models to compare the viral loads and immune responses in obese and non-obese patients at seven military treatment sites, stratified by hospitalization. Patients were included if they had confirmed or suspected COVID-19 or had a recent high-risk exposure to the virus.
2. China Orders Mass Testing in Wuhan as COVID Outbreak Spreads (Associated Press) China suspended flights and trains, canceled professional basketball league games and announced mass coronavirus testing in Wuhan on Tuesday as widening outbreaks of the delta variant reached the city where the disease was first detected in late 2019. While the total number of cases is still in the hundreds, they are far more widespread than anything China has dealt with since the initial outbreak that devastated Wuhan in early 2020 and over time spread to the rest of the country and the world.
3. Louisiana Reinstates Indoor Mask Mandate Amid COVID Surge (Associated Press) Louisiana on Monday reinstated a mask mandate in all indoor locations, including schools and colleges, as the state experiences the highest per capita COVID-19 growth in the nation, driven by the delta variant and one of the country’s lowest vaccination rates. Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards said the mandate will go into effect on Wednesday and will apply to both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents. Less than three months ago, Edwards lifted a previous face covering requirement amid hopes that the virus was abating. But the state’s fourth coronavirus surge since the pandemic began 17 months ago shows no sign of flattening, Edwards said.
4. White House Hosting First-of-its-kind Global Summit on COVID-19 (Axios) The Biden administration is planning a first-of-its-kind, global leader-level summit focused on ending the COVID-19 pandemic and preparing for future pandemics, sources familiar with the discussions tell Axios. The summit is meant to rally the international community to step up its pledges for vaccine distribution and public health resources as the Delta variant surges. It will be held virtually during next month’s U.N. General Assembly.
5. SARS-COV-2 EXPOSURE IN DEER A study conducted by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) evaluated exposure to SARS-CoV-2 among white-tailed deer in several US states. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) conducted serological testing on 481 serum specimens collected from white-tailed deer in Illinois, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania, from January 2020 through 2021. Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were detected in 33% of specimens, including 67% of specimens collected in Michigan. For comparison, only 1 out of 143 specimens collected prior to January 2020 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, and that specimen “was at the minimum threshold of detection,” which could potentially indicate a false-positive result. The researchers did not identify any animals that exhibited signs of illness.
Statements by APHIS note that the study was not sufficient to draw conclusions regarding population-level exposure among deer, but it does provide evidence that deer have been infected by the virus. It is unclear how the animals were exposed or the extent to which the infection is spreading among deer populations. It is also uncertain whether deer can transmit the infection to humans, but information from APHIS indicates there is no evidence that consuming meat from an infected animal could result in SARS-CoV-2 infection. While many questions remain unanswered, this study does provide additional information regarding potential animal reservoirs for SARS-CoV-2, which could potentially impact longer-term epidemic control efforts.
(J. Harris: Next thing you know, Deer will potentially have Mad Cow Disease as well as Covid?)
AND LAST BUT NOT LEASED:
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