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This tends to show that the serious "breakthrough" infections are more common among the elderly. The elderly were vaccinated first (meaning the vaccines might wear off a bit after 6 months) and the immune systems in the elderly tend to be less robust. And as the article states - most of the over 60 age group are vaccinated - so that group is likely to get more representation. I don't agree with the notion that the unvaccinated are being more cautious - in fact in the USA the polls show it's quite the opposite.
Just one serious COVID patient in Israel is both vaccinated and under 60
Only one of 61 Israelis hospitalized with COVID in serious condition is a fully vaccinated individual under the age of 60, Channel 12 news reported Sunday, citing Health Ministry figures.
According to the report, 24 of those in serious condition are unvaccinated, while 37 are fully vaccinated. The lone seriously ill fully vaccinated person under 60 was in the 50-59 age group.
No fully vaccinated individuals under age 50 were in serious condition.
Meanwhile, among the unvaccinated, 14 people under age 50 were in serious condition, two of whom were younger than 40.
As to the question of why, in the over-60 group, the majority of seriously ill were vaccinated, the report noted that most people in the age group are vaccinated, and so that population is likely to get more representation. It is also possible that unvaccinated individuals have been more cautious than those who felt protected by the vaccines.
More than 56 percent of all Israelis are fully vaccinated, and more than 90% of those over age 60 have received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
As of Sunday afternoon, there were 6,598 active COVID cases in Israel, with 121 hospitalized, 61 in serious condition and 14 on ventilators. Sixteen people have died of COVID in the country since the beginning of July.
The number of Israelis with COVID in serious condition has ticked up over the past month as the ultra-contagious Delta variant takes hold in the country. One month ago, there were just 19 serious cases in the country; Sunday’s figure of 61 is the highest in two months. At its peak in late January, there were more than 1,000 serious cases.
The Delta variant is believed to be more successful in bypassing the COVID vaccines than previous strains of the virus. Health Ministry figures released in early July indicated that the Pfizer COVID vaccine is only 64% effective in preventing infection, but it remains 93% effective at preventing hospitalization and serious symptoms.
Some health officials cast doubt on these figures, noting that they were gathered only over a period of a month, and they maintain that the Pfizer vaccine is actually more effective against Delta than claimed. Nevertheless, Pfizer cited data from Israel in seeking authorization from the US Federal Drug Administration for a third booster dose of its vaccine.
Last week, Israel began administering booster doses to those with weakened immune systems, including heart, liver and kidney transplant patients, despite the lack of approval from overseas regulatory agencies. But Health Ministry officials have indicated that third doses for the general population are not imminent, stressing that the vaccine remains largely effective.
Last edited by wondermint2; 07-18-2021 at 08:37 PM..
Unvaccinated and partially vaccinated Americans, the groups most vulnerable to Covid, are the least concerned about the more contagious Delta variant, according to a CBS News poll.
While 48 percent of "not fully/not vaccinated" respondents in the poll released Sunday said they were concerned about the Delta variant, 72 percent of fully vaccinated Americans are worried.
I posted recently about using the UK as a clue for what to expect in the USA. If the USA follows the path of the UK we will see a surge in cases to near previous peaks - the good news is that hospitalizations are much lower in the UK compared to previous peaks (thus far anyway).
However it might not be an apples to apples comparison because England just removed most restrictions on July 19th - while other parts of the UK still have restrictions in place. In the USA most restrictions were lifted quite a while ago. Still I think it's reasonable to assume that hospitalizations in the USA will be rising (along with cases) - but just not approaching the levels seen in previous waves.
CDC tells individuals to 'avoid travel' to the UK as Covid cases rise
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday said to "avoid travel" to the U.K. as the delta Covid-19 variant continues to spread.
The warning is "Level 4" is the CDC's highest. It isn't binding but it comes after airline executives and other members of the travel industry have pressed the Biden Administration to loosen Covid travel restrictions.
The United States has had an entry ban in place on non-U.S. citizens from the EU, U.K. and other countries for much of the pandemic, though several European nations have recently opened their doors to international visitors. Canada, however, said Monday that it will allow fully vaccinated U.S. citizens into the country for nonessential travel starting Aug. 9.
The CDC said if individuals must travel to the U.K., they should be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Meanwhile, England lifted remaining Covid-19 restrictions on Monday, allowing for indoor gatherings and the reopening of nightclubs.
But Covid infections remain high across the U.K. with 316,691 cases reported over the last seven days, up by about 43% from the previous seven-day period, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Last edited by wondermint2; 07-19-2021 at 02:02 PM..
Criticism is mounting on Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his government for the decision to go ahead with the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions in England this week, with the world now watching to see which direction the country's health crisis goes next.
From Monday, there will be no more limits on indoor gatherings which means that nightclubs can reopen and bars and pubs will no longer have to provide table-only service.
In addition, the 1-meter social distancing rule has been removed and face masks have become largely voluntary, although some airlines and transport companies have said they will retain mask-wearing requirements.
The fanfare around a day previously touted as "Freedom Day" has been muted from the government, however, as it comes amid a surge in Covid infections caused by the delta variant. The government has urged caution and for people to take a sense of personal responsibility when it comes to their newly regained freedoms.
The lifting of restrictions had already been moved from June 21 to allow for more vaccinations to take place amid the surge in infections.
Cases remain high across the U.K. with 316,691 cases reported over the last seven days, up around 43% from the previous seven-day period. Hospitalizations are low but are creeping higher, with 4,313 people admitted to the hospital in the last seven days, government data shows. In the last seven days, 283 people have died.
The lifting of restrictions has drawn criticism from many medical experts and opposition politicians amid concerns that hospitalizations and deaths, while relatively low for now, could quickly rise if cases increase further.
The chief medical officer at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital called the current situation "disappointing but not surprising."
Dr. Joseph Perno laid out various reasons as to why this pandemic is now infiltrating our pediatric population in ways we didn't see before.
The obvious ones: kids under the age of 12 can't get vaccinated yet so the youngest in our population has no immunity. Then you throw in the more transmissive delta variant and more relaxed restrictions — and you're looking at a dangerous scenario for children.
"You could be with someone for a very short span of time and really transmit it. We are definitely seeing those types of cases," said Dr. Peggy Duggan, the executive vice president and chief medical officer at Tampa General Hospital.
According to Perno at Johns Hopkins, their data shows more COVID-19 hospitalizations over the past seven days than any other point during this pandemic.
"Our children who are either not vaccinated or can’t get vaccinated just yet really should be masked to protect them and others," Perno said.
Both Duggan and University of South Florida epidemiologist Dr. Jill Roberts also think unvaccinated children should still be wearing masks.
"Unfortunately, we are definitely going to be going into a world that isn’t really protecting the kids," said Roberts of returning kids to school in August without mask requirements.
The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommends in-person learning this fall for the sake of kids’ mental, emotional and physical health, but Monday the group announced all school staff and children over 2 should wear masks, whether they’re vaccinated or not.
As COVID-19 cases increase again in Florida, 42 percent of the state’s nursing-home workers had been fully vaccinated as of last month, a new report by AARP shows.
The 42 percent vaccination rate placed Florida second from last in the percentage of nursing-home workers vaccinated as of June 20 and well behind the national average of 56 percent, the report by the senior-advocacy group said. Hawaii had the highest rate in the four-week period leading up to June 20, with nearly 84 percent of nursing-home staff fully vaccinated.
Just 5 percent of Florida nursing homes had staff vaccination rates of 75 percent or higher as of last month, according to the report. Nationally, 20 percent of nursing homes had staff vaccination rates of 75 percent or higher.
“It’s troubling news that Florida continues to lag significantly behind the nation in the percent of fully vaccinated health care workers in our nursing homes,” AARP Florida State Director Jeff Johnson said in a prepared statement.
With 68.1 percent of nursing home residents fully vaccinated as of June 20, Florida also lagged behind the national average of 78.3 percent. Only Nevada and Arizona had lower rates of vaccinated residents at 75.8 percent and 63.3 percent, respectively.
COVID-19 infection rates at Florida facilities also outpaced the national average. According to the AARP report, 26 percent of Florida nursing homes reported new staff cases of COVID-19 in the four weeks leading up to June 20, which was twice the national average of 13 percent.
Researchers in Texas said they have designed a virus-trapping air filter that can kill the coronavirus instantly using extremely high temperatures, and can be installed in existing cooling and heating systems.
The announcement comes as public health leaders are acknowledging that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, could be airborne indoors, meaning it can remain floating in the air long after an infected person leaves a room.
The team says the filters could be used in airports, airplanes, office buildings, schools, cruise ships and other locations where airborne spread is of “high priority” such as hospitals and other health care settings.
A study on the “catch and kill” air filter was published Tuesday in the journal Materials Today Physics.
Zhifeng Ren, study co-author and director of UH’s Texas Center for Superconductivity, told the Houston Chronicle that the filters “could be in production as soon as August.”
Medistar Executive Vice President Dr. Garrett Peel told the outlet that the filters “cost a fraction of the ultraviolet light technology used to decontaminate health care facilities,” but did not say how much it costs to develop the product or its anticipated price. .
The team said they are also working on a “desk-top model” that can purify an “office worker’s immediate surroundings,” according to the release.
LONDON, July 19 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that English nightclubs and other venues with large crowds will require patrons to present proof of full vaccination from the end of September.
Clubbers flocked on Monday to the first live music events without restrictions since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The government reopened nightclubs and dropped almost all coronavirus measures in England in a bet that mass vaccinations will prevent another deadly wave of COVID-19.
But hours later, Johnson announced that people who were not fully vaccinated, including those who had not had both doses of two-shot immunizations, would be barred from nightclubs.
The decision follows large outbreaks linked to nightclubs in other countries such as the Netherlands and Israel, where authorities were forced to close them again.
Johnson said that the government was not planning similar requirements for pubs. "I certainly don't want to see passports for pubs," he said.
I wonder what this will mean for Florida universities. Indiana like Florida - has a ban on vaccine passports. IMO it now seems more likely that Florida universities will be able to bypass the Florida law prohibiting vaccine mandates.
Judge upholds COVID-19 vaccine mandate in victory for Indiana University
July 19 (Reuters) - Indiana University students must comply with the school's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for the fall semester after a federal judge refused on Monday to block the school's inoculation requirement, one of the first rulings of its kind during the pandemic.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, getting vaccinated after recovering from infection leads to even stronger protection compared to infection alone. Meanwhile, studies show currently authorized vaccines are likely to offer protection for at least eight months, and likely longer, but much less is known about how long you'll be protected from reinfection after recovering from COVID-19.
Despite these recommendations, some high-profile political figures have insisted that prior infection is enough, and there's no need to get a COVID-19 vaccine for those who have already recovered.
Most notably, in June, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) falsely tweeted that vaccination did not provide additional benefit after COVID-19 infection.
Understandably, some Americans, having now recovered from COVID-19, are left conflicted with the mixed messaging and are unsure what to do next.
“For those who have had COVID and are wondering whether or not to get vaccinated, I would absolutely encourage them to do so now to protect themselves and others,” said Dr. Simone Wildes, an infectious disease physician at South Shore Health and an ABC News Medical contributor.
Not only is getting a vaccine far safer than being infected with the COVID-19 virus, but studies also show that vaccine-induced immunity may be superior to post-infection immunity. In fact, a recent study published in Science Translational Medicine demonstrated that antibodies induced by the vaccine may better combat a wider range of new viral variants when compared to antibodies induced by infection.
“This is particularly important, as now we are seeing an increase in cases due to the delta variant,” Wildes said.
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