From apta.org
Attendance at APTA Centennial Events Limited to Vaccinated or Negative COVID Test
APTA's Centennial Celebration events, as well as the 2021 APTA House of Delegates, require proof of vaccination or a negative test within 72 hours of registration. APTA is performing contact tracing at each event through its registration lists.
From CDC
U.S. Counts 157,000 New COVID-19 Cases in a Day, as Deaths Continue To Rise
Total coronavirus cases have reached 39,831, 318 as of Sept. 7, according to the CDC COVID-19 Data Tracker — jumping 1,053,210 over the previous seven days. A total of 644,848 people have now died from the virus to date.
CDC Updates Recommendations for the Fully Vaccinated
Recent changes to the CDC guidance for fully vaccinated individuals includes recommendations for mask-wearing in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission, COVID-19 testing for vaccinated individuals who have come into close contact with someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, and universal mask-wearing for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools.
CDC: SARS-CoV-2 Infection Rate Among Unvaccinated People Five Times That Among Those Vaccinated
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who are unvaccinated are 4.9 times as likely to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 as are those who are vaccinated, and 29.2 times as likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19. The study took place from May 1 to July 25, 2021, in Los Angeles County, and rates were similar when the Delta variant was the predominant strain present.
Experts Find Decline in Vaccine Effectiveness Among Frontline Workers, But Note Substantial Protection From COVID-19
Among vaccinated frontline workers, including health care personnel and other essential workers, vaccine effectiveness declined from 91% before the predominance of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 to 66% after the strain took hold. However, CDC experts say this decline may be due in part to the length of time since vaccination, and not solely due to the variant itself. Researchers will continue to monitor the cohort of participants over time.
In the Media
Mu Varient Basics
From HuffPo: "There has been an interest recently in the "mu" variant — also known as B.1.621 — which is steadily increasing in certain parts of the world and has been identified here in the U.S. in 49 states. Here's what you need to know."
Fibromyalgia: A New Feature of Long COVID?
From Medscape: "Among patients who developed post-acute COVID-19 -- so-called 'long COVID' -- almost one-third reported clinical features of fibromyalgia, Italian researchers reported."
100,000 More COVID Deaths Seen Unless US Changes Its Ways
From Medscape: "The U.S. is projected to see nearly 100,000 more COVID-19 deaths between now and Dec. 1, according to the nation's most closely watched forecasting model. But health experts say that toll could be cut in half if nearly everyone wore a mask in public spaces."
Do Some People Develop a 'Superimmunity' to COVID-19?
From NPR: "Over the past several months, a series of studies has found that some people mount an extraordinarily powerful immune response against SARS-CoV-2 … Their bodies produce very high levels of antibodies, but they also make antibodies with great flexibility — likely capable of fighting off the coronavirus variants circulating in the world but also likely effective against variants that may emerge in the future.
Biden Says U.S. Health Officials Are Considering Covid Booster Shots at 5 Months, Moving Up Timeline of Third Shot
From CNBC: "President Joe Biden said U.S. regulators are looking at administering Covid-19 booster shots five months after people finish their primary immunizations, moving up the expected timetable for a third shot by about three months."
New in Research
COVID-19 Vaccination Triggers Immune Responses in 90% of Immunocompromised
A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine finds that people taking immunosuppressive medications can still benefit from the COVID-19 vaccines, although their immune responses are not as robust as in healthy individuals. Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that about 90% of immunocompromised adults produced a COVID-19 antibody response. The findings are helping to reinforce calls for COVID-19 booster vaccinations.
Researchers Working Toward One Antibody for Many Coronavirus Variants
Separate research teams have identified monoclonal antibodies that could offer protection against multiple COVID-19 virus variants. The studies, one published in the New England Journal of Medicine and another published in Immunity, have produced positive results in test-tube trials (NEJM study) and mice (Immunity study).
Long COVID Symptoms Can Stretch on for a Year
Authors of a study published in The Lancet found that among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the early months of the pandemic, nearly half had at least one symptom present a year later. The study, conducted by researchers in Wuhan, China, found that 49% of patients reported one or more symptoms, the most common being muscle weakness, although sleep difficulties, joint pain, chest pain, and palpitations were also reported.