Coronavirus category, Page 37
WHO head calls for 2-month vaccine booster moratorium
BUDAPEST, Hungary — The head of the World Health Organization on Monday called for a two-month moratorium on administering booster shots of covid-19 vaccines as a means of reducing global vaccine inequality and preventing the emergence of new coronavirus variants. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Hungary’s capital,...
U.S. regulators give full approval to Pfizer covid-19 vaccine
WASHINGTON — The U.S. gave full approval to Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccine on Monday, a milestone that may help lift public confidence in the shots as the nation battles the most contagious coronavirus mutant yet. The vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech now carries the strongest endorsement from the...
Poll: School mask, vaccine mandates supported in U.S.
As covid-19 cases surge around the country, a majority of Americans say they support mask mandates for students and teachers in K-12 schools, according to a new poll, but their views are sharply divided along political lines. About 6 in 10 Americans say students and teachers should be required to...
FDA issues ‘You are not a cow’ warning after livestock drug use
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a strong and unusual warning this week: “You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it.” On Friday, Mississippi’s health department issued a warning that more than 70% of recent calls to the state’s poison center came after...
Florida’s peak of the delta wave could be days away, university models showVideo
ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida is rapidly approaching the peak of new infections of the delta wave, when the highest single-day counts could come, according to two models created by researchers at Florida universities. One model created by University of South Florida researchers predicts the state will hit the most daily...
Tennessee radio host who regretted vaccine skepticism dies of covid
NASHVILLE — A conservative talk radio host from Tennessee who had been a vaccine skeptic until he was hospitalized from covid-19 has died. He was 61. Nashville radio station SuperTalk 99.7 WTN confirmed Phil Valentine’s death in a tweet Saturday. Valentine had been a skeptic of coronavirus vaccines. But after...
Nursing shortage spawns hefty sign-on bonuses in Western Pa.Video
A long-looming nursing shortage — exacerbated by the near-relentless toll of the covid-19 pandemic — means more hospitals and health systems are offering hefty sign-on bonuses and other incentives in an attempt to attract talent and fill in the gaps. Earlier this week, UPMC was advertising nearly 800 open nursing...
As covid-19 vaccination mandates gain momentum, Pa. health care workers remain largely free to decide
Only one major Pennsylvania health care employer, Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine, has required employees to get vaccinated against covid-19. But mandates are under consideration at others. “We haven’t gotten to the mandate yet. We think about it and we assess where we’re at, but we haven’t made that decision yet,” said...
Federal vaccine mandate threatens revenue, staffing at Westmoreland Manor
Westmoreland Manor potentially could forfeit tens of millions of dollars this fall under the new federal policy that requires nursing home employees to be vaccinated for coronavirus. County officials said they are assessing the impact of the vaccination mandate announced Aug. 18 that also carried a threat from President Biden...
What to expect if you want a covid-19 booster shot
Western Pennsylvanians who want a covid-19 vaccine booster likely will have the chance to get one in the coming months. The Biden administration earlier this week recommended the extra protection for all Americans, starting as soon as Sept. 20 for those who were fully vaccinated by late January. In Pennsylvania,...
Gov. Tom Wolf reinstates mask mandate for Pa. state employees
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is reinstating a mask mandate for all state employees and contracted staff working under his jurisdiction regardless of their vaccination status, starting on Monday. State employees were notified on Friday about this change in policy that comes as cases of covid-19 infections are on the rise....
Florida mayor urges water limits because of covid-19 surge
ORLANDO, Fla. — The mayor of the Florida city of Orlando asked residents on Friday to stop watering their lawns and washing their cars for a least a week, saying water usage needed to be cut back because of the recent surge of covid-19 hospitalizations. The Orlando Utility Commission treats...
Poll: Covid anxiety rising amid delta surge
DENVER — Anxiety in the United States over covid-19 is at its highest level since winter, a new poll shows, as the delta variant rages, more states and school districts adopt mask and vaccination requirements and the nation’s hospitals once again fill to capacity. The poll from The Associated Press-NORC...
U.S. keeps ban on nonessential border crossings to slow covid
WASHINGTON — The U.S. government on Friday extended a ban on nonessential travel along the borders with Canada and Mexico to slow the spread of covid-19 despite increasing pressure to lift the restriction. U.S. border communities that are dependent on shoppers from Mexico and Canada and their political representatives have...
Do I need a booster if I got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine?
All the talk about covid-19 booster shots have centered on those who received the two-shot Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. But what about those who got the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine? The short answer is: Probably at some point, but health officials still are collecting the data needed to decide....
3 U.S. senators test positive for covid in breakthrough cases
WASHINGTON — Three senators said Thursday they have tested positive for covid-19 despite being vaccinated, a high-profile collection of breakthrough cases that comes as the highly infectious delta variant spreads rapidly across the United States. Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., said they have tested...
ICU beds full at most metropolitan Tennessee hospitals
NASHVILLE — Tennessee hospitals warned Thursday that the intensive care units are full in nearly every hospital in the state’s major metropolitan areas, pleading with Tennesseans to get vaccinated and wear masks while not going so far as to criticize Gov. Bill Lee’s executive order allowing parents to opt their...
Record delta wave hits kids, raises fear as nation’s schools open
The day before he was supposed to start fourth grade, Francisco Rosales was admitted to a Dallas hospital with covid-19, struggling to breathe, with dangerously low oxygen levels and an uncertain outcome. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, thought his frightened mother, Yessica Gonzalez. Francisco was normally healthy and...
Gulf Coast’s beloved ‘Redneck Riviera’ now a virus hotspot
GULF SHORES, Ala. — Tourists and servers alike dance atop tables and in the aisles at one restaurant on the “Redneck Riviera,” a beloved stretch of towns along the northern Gulf Coast where beaches, bars and stores are packed. Yet just a few miles away, a hospital is running out...
Oregon hospitals near breaking point as covid-19 surges
PORTLAND, Ore. — Just 41 intensive care unit beds were available in Oregon on Wednesday as covid-19 cases continue to climb and hospitals near capacity in a state that was once viewed as a pandemic success story. Oregon, which earlier had among the lowest cases per capita, is now shattering...
Allegheny County leaders not considering blanket mask, vaccination mandates
Allegheny County leaders said Wednesday that they are not considering mask or vaccination requirements for indoor restaurants and other businesses like the mandates in New York City and Philadelphia. Earlier this month, New York City became the first city in the country to require proof of at least one dose...
Disney World tweaks face mask policy, optional for outdoors
ORLANDO, Fla. — Walt Disney World is tweaking its face mask policy. Starting Thursday, the theme park resort in Florida will allow visitors to choose whether or not to wear face coverings in outdoor lines, outdoor theaters and outdoor attractions. Masks had been required previously. Face coverings will remain optional...
Federal government to require vaccines for nursing home staff
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration will require that nursing home staff be vaccinated against covid-19 as a condition for those facilities to continue receiving federal Medicare and Medicaid funding. President Biden will announce the move Wednesday afternoon in a White House address as the administration continues to look for ways...
10 things to know about covid boosters
U.S. health officials Wednesday announced plans to offer covid-19 booster vaccines to all Americans. Health officials suggested a third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine be given to people eight months after the second dose to help increase protection. Boosters could be available by the week of Sept. 20....
Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations continue slow, steady climb in region
Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations have continued a slow but steady climb in the region and throughout the state over the past two months. This week was no exception. In the past week, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, there were 1,343 additional covid-19 cases in Allegheny County, for a...
