Your Coronavirus Update for October 14; stay up to date with Elite.
More than 37.7 million cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) have been diagnosed worldwide as of Sunday evening, including at least 1.08 million deaths. Healthcare officials in the United States have reported more than 7.8 million positive COVID-19 cases and at least 215,000 deaths. Source: Johns Hopkins University & Medicine
Research Says COVID Patients Experience Dementia-Like Symptoms
Among the growing effects caused by the coronavirus include cognitive complications such as memory loss and ability to focus. According to a recent report by the New York Times, a French study has found that among 120 patients who had been hospitalized 34% experienced memory loss and 27% had concentration problems months later.1 Additionally, a soon-to-be-published survey by Survivor Corps, a group of patients who meet about post-COVID complications, finds that more than half of the nearly 4,000 participants reported difficulty concentrating or focusing.1 Memory problems, dizziness, or confusion were also reportedly cited by one-third or more of the respondents.
Inflammation in blood vessels or cells lining the vessels, tiny strokes, and autoimmune reactions may be reasons for the complications, according to the Times report. Symptoms are said to include tingling or numbness when damaged nerves send wrong signals to the brain and lung and/or heart issues that exacerbate neurological symptoms. MRI scans have reportedly not indicated damage to brain areas, the Times reports.
Coronavirus Can Live On Skin, Study Claims
A new study has reportedly determined that the coronavirus can live on human skin for a longer period of time than influenza does. According to a recent report published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases,2 researchers have found that the virus has lived on skin for more than nine hours, compared to under two hours for the flu.
The survival rate on skin could increase the risk of contact transmission, the researchers say. The study was conducted in a laboratory setting, and researchers reportedly used hand sanitizer rubs of 80% alcohol, which is stronger than some approved rubs on the market.3
CDC Committing $200 Million For Vaccine Preparedness
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced upcoming action by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide $200 million to jurisdictions for COVID-19 vaccine preparedness.
Funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) will provide critical infrastructure support to existing grantees through the CDC’s immunization cooperative agreement, officials said. CDC officials say they are awarding $200 million to 64 jurisdictions through the existing Immunizations and Vaccines for Children cooperative agreement. These funds, along with the previous support the CDC has provided, will help states prepare for the COVID-19 vaccine.
“By building on close partnerships with the states and other jurisdictions we have worked with for years on vaccination programs, we have the ability to begin distributing and administering safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines as soon as they are authorized and available,” said Alex Azar, HHS secretary. “With these $200 million in new funds, jurisdictions can develop and update plans for the eventual distribution and administration of the safe and effective vaccines that will help bring this pandemic to an end. The federal government, including experts from CDC and the Department of Defense, is ready to assist where necessary.”
Notices of awards have been issued and all 64 jurisdictions will receive funding, with the amount each jurisdiction receives determined by a population-based formula, HHS officials said in a prepared statement. The funding is intended for jurisdictions to plan for and implement COVID-19 vaccination services.
“CDC has worked for decades with state and local jurisdictions to deliver tens of millions of doses of vaccine every year,” said Robert Redfield, CDC director. “CDC is working closely with these jurisdictions to refine and update vaccination plans in preparation for the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine program.”
For more information, visit the CDC online.
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References
- Belluck P. ‘I Feel Like I Have Dementia’: Brain Fog Plagues Covid Survivors. New York Times. 2020. Accessed online: www.nytimes.com/2020/10/11/health/covid-survivors.html
- Hirose R, Ikegaya H, Naito Y, ET AL. Survival of SARS-CoV-2 And Influenza Virus On The Human Skin: Importance Of Hand Hygiene In COVID-19. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2020. Accessed online: https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaa1517
- Miller K. Virus That Causes COVID-19 Can Live On Your Skin For 9 Hours, Study Finds. Yahoo Life. 2020. Accessed online:
- CDC COVID-19 State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Funding. CDC. 2020. Accessed online: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/php/funding-update.pdfpdf icon
