Tag Archives: COVID-19

Vitamin D and COVID-19 Research

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A new research study at the University of Chicago Medicine has found that when it comes to COVID-19, having vitamin D levels above those traditionally considered sufficient may lower the risk of infection, especially for Black people.

The study, published March 19 in JAMA Open Network, retrospectively examined the relationship between vitamin D levels and likelihood of testing positive for COVID-19.

While levels of 30 ng/ml or more are usually considered “sufficient,” the authors found that Black individuals who had levels of 30 to 40 ng/ml had a 2.64 times higher risk of testing positive for COVID-19 than people with levels of 40 ng/ml or greater.

Statistically significant associations of vitamin D levels with COVID-19 risk were not found in white people.

The study looked at data from over 3,000 patients at UChicago Medicine who had had their vitamin D levels tested within 14 days before a COVID-19 test.

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210322175028.htm

COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Tests: One negative test result inadequate

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“If there is concern you’re infected, and you want to make sure you’re not infected, one or two [home rapid antigen] tests is not enough. Do three tests to make sure you’re not infected.” ~ Dr. Apurv Soni, assistant professor of medicine at Chan

Performance of Rapid Antigen Tests for COVID-19 varies over the course of an infection. Anyone who gets a negative result for COVID-19 from an at-home rapid antigen test shouldn’t assume they’re not infected, and should keep testing, according to a safety recommendation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The guidance is based on research conducted by University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School and partners supported by the National Institutes of Health. The study included more than 5,000 people nationwide over age 2.

The study finds that if repeat testing isn’t done, an infection may be present and you could unknowingly spread COVID-19 to others, especially if you’re not experiencing symptoms.

Repeat testing, at least two, is recommended after a negative test for those who show COVID-19 symptoms and for those who are asymptomatic, but may have been exposed to the virus, at least three test are recommended.

For participants who do not have symptoms (asymptomatic), the study found that two additional tests – the first taken 48 hours after the negative result and the second 48 hours later – are more likely to detect COVID-19 during the first week of infection.

For those who were symptomatic, one additional test taken 48 hours after a negative test, the rate of detection was more than 90% when testing started within the first week of infection.

Among the asymptomatic that had an infection lasting at least two days based on PCR testing, repeat testing three times at 48-hour intervals, the rate of detection was 79% when testing started within the first week of infection.

What this means is to optimize detection of COVID-19 infection with home antigen tests, people should test twice at least 48-hours apart if they are symptomatic and three times at 48-hour intervals if they were asymptomatic.

“On a personal level, this study speaks to when antigen tests are useful and not useful, and how to use them,” said Dr. Apurv Soni, assistant professor of medicine at Chan and the study’s lead investigator.

Wear a face mask

Anyone suspected of contracting COVID-19 without showing symptoms should exercise caution by wearing a face mask and stay away from crowds, the study said.

They should continue that practice for at least six days until three at-home antigen tests taken 48 hours apart have been completed.

“If there is concern you’re infected, and you want to make sure you’re not infected, one or two tests is not enough,” said Dr. Soni. “Do three tests to make sure you’re not infected.”

References:

  1. Henry Schwan, At-home COVID tests: One negative result not enough, study says, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, August 12, 2022. https://news.yahoo.com/home-covid-tests-one-negative-161544916.html
  2. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.05.22278466v1

Baha Mar Resort, Nassau, The Bahamas

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Baha Mar resort, Nassau, The Bahamas is the newest family vacation destination in the Caribbean.

This blog post on travel and experiences deviates from typical posts that appear on this site. Typically, past blog posts have covered pertinent topics dealing with building wealth, healthy aging, well-being and finding life’s purpose.

However, this blog post provides details of a recent March 2022, five night, six day trip and experiences of vacationing at the SLS Baha Mar Resort located in Nassau, New Providience, The Bahamas.

Baha Mar is an integrated resort, casino, and residential development perched on Nassau’s storied Cable Beach. The destination features three renowned hotel brands and a variety of luxurious amenities including the largest casino in The Bahamas, a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course, a convention center, and a diverse collection of dining, nightlife, and retail outlets.

Travel and Experiences

New Providence, The Bahamas, is a 35 to 55-minute flight from most of Florida to Nassau’s Lynden Pindling International Airport. Baha Mar resort is approximately a 10-minute drive from the airport. Lynden Pindling International Airport offers U.S. Customs and Immigration pre-clearance in Nassau upon your return to the U.S.

Traveling to The Bahamas during COVID-19 pandemic requires a little advance planning. U.S. citizens traveling to The Bahamas are required to be vaccinated and to have a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test within three days of arrival. Additionally, The Bahamas Travel Health Visa (BTHV) ($40 cost) is required by international travelers over the age of 2 in order to enter the island country.

According to available government literature regarding travel to The Bahamas during COVID-19, individuals are required to wear a mask while indoors on the island. Although that is the stated policy of the island, what I observed was significantly different. Instead of people donning masks while indoors, I would estimate that less than one percent of the hotel guests actually wore masks indoor. In contrast, every Baha Mar associate worn their masks continuously, even outdoors.

Additionally, the Baha Mar Resorts purports to operate their hotels during COVID-19 pandemic far less than their maximum occupancy for guest comfort and safety. However, the resort was at 99% occupancy during our stay. Thus, they’re effectively operating the resort occupancy-wise as if the pandemic is no longer a concern. However, they are still going through the motions of disinfecting high touch surfaces.

Baha Mar Resort

Baha Mar Resort is located on Cable Beach, which occupies the northwest part of New Providence Island. Within the massive resort, there are three hotel brands that share the property — The Grand Hyatt, SLS Baha Mar, and Rosewood. Many resort rooms provide spectacular views of Cable Beach from balconies and permit access to the experiences of Baha Mar, such as Baha Bay water park and the white sand of Cable Beach.

We stayed at the considerably upscale SLS Baha Mar, which is advertised as “a new era of stylish, playfully sophisticated, luxe, high-design accommodations”. The hotel offers “sleek, well appointed rooms”. Also located on the property are Baha Bay water park and the casino.

During your stay at Baha Mar, you learn quickly about the burdensome Resort’s service charge of 15% and The Bahamas’ value added tax (VAT) of 10%. Added together, the combined resort’s service charge plus VAT adds 25% of additional charges to every already premium priced purchase. For example, a $16 glass of red wine would lighten your wallet an additional $4 for a total of $20 after adding the service charge and VAT. A simple Resort cheese burger starts at $26 which inflates to $32.50 after service charge and VAT are included.

Overall, the Baha Mar Resort has a plethora of amenities and activities to keep even the most acquiring guest interested. Starting with Baha Bay water park, there are death defying water slides named the “Devil’s Backbone”, which the floor drop out from under you before blasting through looping and twisting tunnels, and “Thunderball”, which is a freefall, straight-down slide that delivers an unforgettable experience. Both of these slides invoked fear into a few guests, who chose to walk back down the several flights of stairs instead of taking the faster water slide route down to ground level. Also, the water park contained The River, a typical lazy river with several interesting enhancements such as rapids and high waves. There are bail out points along The River before the rapids and several tubers did choose to abandon their tubes before making the turn to enter the rapids.

Other water activities include kayaking, paddle board and snorkeling the man made reefs a short swimming distance from the Baha Mar white sand beaches.

Dining

Marcus at Baha Mar Fish + Chop House is a celebration of Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s food and beverage creations. At the restaurant, the 8 ounce ground beef brisket and beef short rib sandwich, and Chef Yes cocktail were a favorite. Additionally, T2 Cigar Bar was a great place to relax and watch the fire fountain display during evening hours.

Resort guests are advised to make dinner reservations one week to ten days early at the most popular Baha Mar Resort restaurants like Shuang Ba haute Chinese and Fi’lia Italian restaurants. If you wait until after arrive on the Baha Mar property, it may be too late to attain dinner reservations.

Off the resort, Twin Brothers restaurant located at Fish Fry is recommended for those interested in trying local dishes prepared by local chefs. One appetizer that stands out is the Tropical Conch Salad. The salad is served in a large plastic container and it was by far one of the best dishes on the island. But, avoid the mac and cheese at Twin Brothers.

A local off-the-beaten path restaurant that is worth a visit is Sea Shell. The restaurant serves local Bahamian dishes prepared and served cafeteria style. It is well known and frequented by locals and taxi cab drivers, but it is located in an area of town few tourist would likely venture. Nevertheless, the Habanero Chicken Wings with sides of mac and cheese, and plantains, were truly memorable and well worth the short cab ride from the resort.

Casino

The Baha Mar Casino is the largest casino in the Caribbean. It was designed to remove money from every level of gambler, from casual players to high-stakes rollers, according to its literature. The casino offer several different types of gaming tables, a plethora of slot machines, live sports betting, and one of the Nassau’s top dining and nightlife scene.

For resort guest, the casino offers a $25 free play card for the slot machines. The cards must be used by guests within twenty-four hours of activation or the cards will expire.

References:

  1. https://www.onlinevisa.com/bahamas-visa/
  2. https://bahabay.bahamar.com/
  3. https://d3py87e0zuixsk.cloudfront.net/production/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/09122331/BHM_FACTBOOK_20211025_CB.pdf

Emotional Well-being: College Student Mental Health

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Improving the lives and futures of young adults by strengthening connections and building resilience.

Mental health continues to be a major concern on college campuses around the world, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.

The research reveals that the prevalence of depression and anxiety in young people continues to increase, now reaching its highest levels, a sign of the mounting stress factors due to the convergence of the coronavirus pandemic, political unrest, and systemic racism and inequality. 

Additionally, researchers from the World Health Organization found that a staggering 35 percent of first year college freshmen struggled with a mental illness. The most common mental illness observed was major depressive disorder, with 21.2 percent of respondents experiencing lifelong symptoms, followed by general anxiety disorder, which affects 18.6 percent of students.

When it comes to suicide in particular, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry points to data showing that by 2018, suicide was the second-leading cause of death for people between the ages of 10 and 24.

And, since 2014, anxiety and depression have been college students’ leading mental health issues, according to research conducted by Boston University.

According to the most recent Healthy Minds Study, which surveys tens of thousands of college and university students across the U.S., 41% of all students screened positive for depression over the spring semester, and 34% screened positive for anxiety. They are the highest levels observed by the study. However, this year’s results are part of a steadily increasing trend, and students surveyed said that while the pandemic impacted their mental health, it wasn’t the root cause.

Help is on its way

RADical Hope is a nonprofit committed to improving the lives and futures of young adults by strengthening connections and building resilience. The RADical Hope movement is two-fold: educate all constituents of the college community the warning signs and implore them to take action. And, help to identify students who need help but are not able to ask for it.

RADical Hope wellness program, RADical Health, attempts to empower and equip college students with tools to stay well and stay resilient dealing with the day-to-day challenges of life on college campuses. Their strategy is to utilize proven effective techniques and procedures to counter the accelerating rise in college student anxiety and depression.

RADical Hope is currently partnering with ten colleges and universities to develop, identify and partner with frontline engagement programs that deliver three priorities: Connectivity, Engagement, Empowerment.

And, reaching college-age kids is vital. “64% of kids who drop out of college do so because of mental illness,” says Ken Langone, Co-Founder of Home Depot, who adds, “Our purpose [for RADical Hope] is to identify the kids who aren’t reaching out for help and assure them there is a better future.”

References:

  1. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/04/4-ways-to-be-proactive-about-your-mental-health-in-college.html
  2. https://www.bu.edu/articles/2021/depression-anxiety-loneliness-are-peaking-in-college-students/
  3. https://radicalhopefoundation.org
  4. https://www.wuft.org/news/2021/09/22/mental-health-challenges-abound-among-college-students/
  5. https://healthymindsnetwork.org/hms/

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline contact is 1-800-273-8255 (en español: 1-888-628-9454; deaf and hard of hearing: 1-800-799-4889) or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

Merck’s Oral Antiviral Pill Reduced the Risk of Hospitalization or Death by Approximately 50 Percent

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A five-day course of Merck’s experimental oral anti-viral drug (Molnupiravir) to treat COVID-19 reduced the risk of hospitalization and death in half in a Phase 3 randomized trial the pharmaceutical company reported. The results were so astounding that the trial is being stopped early, and Merck plans to apply for emergency use authorization from Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

If approved by FDA for emergency use authorization, Molnupiravir, a joint effort between Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, would become the first orally taken antiviral medicine taken for COVID-19.

In a Phase 3 study, 7.3% of patients taking Molnupiravir were hospitalized, while 14.1% of those taking a placebo had to be admitted to the hospital. Merck also reported that no participants using Molnupiravir died through the first 29 days of the tests, while eight patients using a placebo died.

“This is a phenomenal result. This is a profound game-changer to have an oral pill that had this kind of effect, this magnitude of effect in patients who are at high-risk who are already symptomatic,” says Scott Gottlieb, former Commissioner, FDA.

References:

  1. https://www.merck.com/news/merck-and-ridgebacks-investigational-oral-antiviral-molnupiravir-reduced-the-risk-of-hospitalization-or-death-by-approximately-50-percent-compared-to-placebo-for-patients-with-mild-or-moderat/
  2. https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2021/10/01/Merck-Ridgeback-coronavirus-antiviral-drug-molnupiravir/6021633090401/
  3. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/10/01/pill-to-treat-covid/

The Delta Variant: What You Should Know

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Delta variant is causing vaccine breakthrough infections.

The Delta variant is an example of how the virus that causes COVID-19 can change as it spreads and has caused nearly 75% of the current infections in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

New evidence is showing that the delta variant is as contagious as chickenpox and this has prompted U.S. health officials to consider changing advice on wearing masks.

The CDC is encouraging all Americans to get vaccinated, recommending masks for everyone and requiring vaccines for doctors and other health care providers.

If you are fully vaccinated, your risk of infection is lower, but some people can still spread the Delta variant. When “breakthrough cases” of COVID-19 do occur in vaccinated people, nearly all are avoiding serious illness, hospitalization, or death. cdc.gov/coronavirus

To maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others, wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission.

For schools, CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. Children should return to full-time in-person learning in the fall with layered prevention strategies in place.

References:

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Delta Variant Infecting Unvaccinated

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Only about 46 percent of the U.S. population is vaccinated. Politico

In the U.S. Midwest and South, the highly transmissible Delta variant is spreading quickly among the unvaccinated population, according to federal health officials.

But many people who are not vaccinated are also resistant to wearing masks and are ignoring recommendations to avoid crowded indoor spaces, heightening the virus spread. Only about 46 percent of the U.S. population is vaccinated, and the number of doses administered has fallen, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The federal government will try to convince hesitant Americans to get vaccinated by communicating the benefits of the shots. But, President Biden’s team is not confident that a new campaign will change hearts and minds of the reluctant.

Additionally, the Biden administration acknowledged that the U.S. will not reach its goal of having 70% of adults vaccinated by the July 4th Holiday.

Delta variant

New Covid-19 infections have increased by more than 50 percent over the last two weeks in under-vaccinated states. Many of the cases are tied to the Delta variant, which the CDC says now accounts for one-fifth of new infections nationwide. The Delta variant, which was first identified in India, is more infectious than previous coronavirus strains.

“Based on the data that we have right now, the Delta variant is more transmissible than Alpha,” the strain that has predominated in the U.S. this spring, said Summer Galloway, a senior adviser at CDC.

The CDC is currently in the midst of conducting studies to pin down just how well the current vaccines protect against Delta and what impact it has on the unvaccinated population, particularly children. Additionally, the CDC is studying whether the Delta variant leads to more severe infections in undervaccinated communities.

Ending COVID-19

The hope was that once the nation reached herd immunity, the virus would die out. As a result of the Delta variant, the current level of vaccine immunity is insufficient to end the pandemic in the United States.

The higher the contagion, the larger share of the population must be immune. To end the pandemic, a majority of the unvaccinated in the United States must gain immunity, and the best way is through vaccines

The good news is that recent data shows the Pfizer vaccine is nearly 90 percent effective against Delta, making vaccination one of the most effective ways to stop the variant’s march across the U.S.

The CDC continues to encourage people who are unvaccinated to wear masks and avoid crowded indoor gatherings.

Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s World Emergencies Programme, said the Delta strain should make the world “more cautious, more diligent, and more dedicated to” following health protocols.

References:

  1. https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/26/white-house-vaccination-delta-variant-496343
  2. https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/06/25/who-urges-fully-vaccinated-people-to-continue-wearing-masks-as-delta-variant-spreads-but-no-word-from-cdc/amp/
  3. https://khn.org/morning-breakout/perspectives-delta-variant-spreading-rapidly-among-unvaccinated-steps-to-avoid-another-pandemic/

U.S. COVID-19 cases hit lowest point

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New COVID-19 infections are down in the U.S. to the lowest level since March 2020.

For the past 56 weeks, COVID-19 infections have been tracked nationwide. Currently, the case counts are low and the virus infection rate has been effectively contained.

By the numbers: The U.S. averaged roughly 16,500 new cases per day over the past week, a 30% improvement over the week before. according to the CDC. New cases declined in 43 states and held steady in the other seven.

The official case counts haven’t been this low since Americans went into lockdown in March last year. Overall, roughly 33 million Americans — about 10% of the population — have tested positive for COVID-19 and about 595,000 people have died from the virus in the U.S. since March 2020.

The virus is under control, nationwide and in every state, thanks almost entirely to the vaccines. Just over half of American adults are now fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

As of May 27, 2021, nearly 133 million people in the U.S. are fully vaccinated, and the national percentage of COVID-19 tests that came back positive over the last 7 days was less than 3%. This is one of the lowest rates the United States has seen since widespread testing began.

Effectively, the U.S. was never able to control the virus without vaccines. The risk is still high for unvaccinated people, as reported by the Washington Post. An average of about 500 Americans per day are still dying from COVID-19, almost all of them unvaccinated.

The U.S. has finally gotten the virus down to a level that just about every public health expert agrees is safe. Fewer than 20,000 cases per day, spread across the U.S. population of 331.5 million people, is a relatively low number of cases, and that number continues to improve every week.

Florida

Florida has more total cases per day — about 1,800, on average — than any other state. But again, that’s spread over a state with over 20 million people, and its numbers are improving just like the rest of the country’s. Florida’s daily case counts fell by 25% just this week.

The bottom line: Cases in the U.S. are low, and they’re likely to stay low. The FDA approved for emergency use vaccines work. They’ve brought COVID-19 infection cases to their lowest levels, and because that improvement is the result of vaccines, there’s no reason to believe the virus will start gaining significant ground again any time soon.

References:

  1. https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-cases-infections-vaccines-success-fa7673a1-0582-4e69-aefb-3b5170268048.html
  2. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/covidview/index.html

People fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can travel safely within the US

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Health officials say travel risk is low for those fully vaccinated

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that people who are fully vaccinated can travel within the US with a low risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus.

The new guidance recommends that travelers continue to wear masks and socially distance, and advises that fully vaccinated travelers entering the US from overseas continue to test for infection.

The shift comes as new studies have shown that Covid-19 vaccines have been effective in real-world conditions at reducing the risk of infections with or without symptoms.

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CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said that fully vaccinated people don’t need to get a COVID-19 test before or after domestic travel—and don’t need to self-quarantine following travel. Travelers who have been fully vaccinated also don’t need to get tested prior to international flights unless that is required by the destination, and they don’t need to self-quarantine when they return to the U.S.

References:

  1. https://www.wsj.com/articles/cdc-says-travel-is-low-risk-for-fully-vaccinated-people-11617376809?mod=e2tw

COVID Vaccine is 100% Effective in Kids Ages 12 to 15

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Pfizer said its coronavirus vaccine was 100% effective in preventing COVID-19 in children ages 12 to 15.

In participants aged 12-15 years old with or without prior evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine BNT162b2 demonstrated 100% efficacy and robust antibody responses. The results exceeded those reported in trial of vaccinated 16-25 year old participants in an earlier analysis, and was well tolerated, according to Pfizer. The trial enrolled 2,260 participants in the United States.

There were 18 confirmed COVID-19 infections observed in the placebo group and no confirmed infections in the group that received the vaccine, the company said. That resulted in a vaccine efficacy of 100%. The vaccine was also well-tolerated, with side effects generally consistent with those seen in adults.

Vaccinating children is crucial to ending the pandemic, public health officials and infectious disease experts say. Children make up around 20% of the U.S. population, according to government data. Between 70% and 85% of the U.S. population needs to be vaccinated against Covid to achieve herd immunity, experts say, and some adults may refuse to get the shots.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said the company plans to submit the new vaccine data to the Food and Drug Administration and other regulators “as soon as possible,” with the hope that kids in the age group will be able to get vaccinated before the next school year.

All participants in the trial will continue to be monitored for long-term protection and safety for an additional two years after their second dose.

References:

  1. https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-biontech-announce-positive-topline-results-pivotal
  2. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/31/covid-vaccine-pfizer-says-shot-is-100percent-effective-in-kids-ages-12-to-15.html