Category: Health

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Dr. Fauci Gets COVID Shot To Convey Confidence & Safety In Vaccine

Dr. Anthony Fauci receives the Moderna vaccine
From ABC News:

The country’s most prominent infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, received his first dose of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday in a ceremonial event at the National Institutes of Health.

The event was shown live on national television as part of an effort to reassure Americans that the vaccine was safe and effective.

“I feel extreme confidence in the safety and the efficacy of this vaccine and I want to encourage everyone who has the opportunity to get vaccinated so that we can have a veil of protection over this country, that would end this pandemic,” he said as he waited for his shot.

I sure hope my arm looks that good when I’m 80-years-old.

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FDA Approves Moderna Vaccine For COVID-19

(photo: Daniel Schludi/Unsplash)
The FDA has approved the coronavirus vaccine from Moderna for emergency use. From CNBC:

The vaccine — the second approved for use in the U.S. behind Pfizer and BioNTech’s — bolsters the U.S. supply of doses. The potentially life-saving shots are desperately needed to fend off the pandemic that has taken more than 300,000 American lives and overwhelmed hospitals.

The FDA’s emergency use authorization Friday approves the federal government’s plan to distribute roughly 5.9 million doses of Moderna’s vaccine to 64 states, territories and major cities across the nation next week.

“We likely will see shots in the arm by the very early part of next week, I would hope Monday or Tuesday,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on the “Today” show on Friday morning.

At this writing, there have been 17,459,296 cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. with 313,588 American deaths.

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FDA Advisers Give Thumbs Up To Moderna Vaccine

New York state is about to drop its face mask mandate as COVID-19 cases continue to drop in the Empire State.

Excellent news! An FDA advisory committee has recommended approving the coronavirus from Moderna for use in the fight against COVID-19. From the Washington Post:

Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine got the greenlight from a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee Thursday, paving the way for authorization of a second shot aimed at slowing a pandemic that has killed nearly 310,000 people in the United States.

The panel voted that the benefits of the highly effective vaccine outweighed its risks for people individuals 18 years of age and older.

The FDA plans to authorize the vaccine Friday, according to knowledgeable individuals who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the schedule.

Gen. Gustave F. Perna, who is leading the federal effort in getting vaccine shipments out to states, has already prepped his team to ship nearly 6 million doses of the Moderna vaccine to 3,285 locations in the first week upon approval.

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Coronavirus Vaccinations Begin Across U.S.

(photo: Daniel Schludi/Unsplash)
The Washington Post reports vaccinations for the coronavirus have begun today as nearly 3 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine are being delivered to 636 locations across the U.S. More pandemic news from the Post: • After having passed on the opportunity to secure an additional 100 million doses of the vaccine from Pfizer, the U.S.  is in talks with the pharma company for acquiring more in the second quarter of 2021, but no deal has been confirmed. • Donald Trump reversed course on a plan to have some White House staff members be among the first Americans vaccinated. The plan had been criticized in light of the Trump White House’s downplaying of the severity of the pandemic. • There’s also a late-to-the-dance public service campaign being launched to encourage people to take the vaccine Trump says he pushed so hard for. While more than eight in 10 Americans currently say they would take the vaccine, many are divided on the question of how soon.

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TN Lawmaker Called COVID Reporting ‘Sensationalized,’ Now Hospitalized With Virus

Tennessee state Rep. David Byrd (via Facebook)
Asking friends for their prayers via Facebook, Tennessee state Rep. David Byrd (R-Waynesboro) says he may soon be placed on a ventilator due to COVID-19. The Republican state lawmaker was hospitalized over the weekend with pneumonia and his oxygen levels are reportedly low. “I really need a miracle today!!” Byrd wrote on Facebook. “My doctor said if my oxygen level doesn’t improve then he has no choice but to put me on a ventilator. So please pray that God will breathe His healing spirit into my lungs!!” According to The Tennessean, Byrd was seen on the floor of the state House during a caucus meeting not wearing a face mask on November 24. Shortly before that, he hosted a dinner at a restaurant in his district for dozens of GOP colleagues, again with no mask in sight. It’s worth noting that in June Byrd voted in support of a House resolution stating that “mainstream media has sensationalized the reporting on COVID-19 in the service of political agendas.” And there you have it.

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Thanksgiving Surge: More Than 3,000 COVID Deaths In A Day

New York state is about to drop its face mask mandate as COVID-19 cases continue to drop in the Empire State.

A new high – U.S. records more than 3,000 coronavirus-related deaths in a single day. From the Washington Post:

After weeks of surging infections and rising levels of virus hospitalizations, the United States recorded more than 3,000 covid-19 deaths in a single day, a pandemic record, according to a Washington Post analysis.

The harrowing milestone comes as two vaccine candidates appear to be on the verge of clearing the country’s final regulatory hurdles.

Yet the new death record, as well as a new high of more than 106,000 covid-19 patients in hospitals, are grim reminders of the pandemic’s devastating toll.

Donald Trump took a victory lap yesterday in advance of any American being vaccinated against the virus that has now killed more than 289,000 Americans. And while many have compared the coronavirus to the common flu – saying it’s the same or similar – less than half of Americans have even gotten a flu vaccination this year. By the way – In the 2019/2020 season, the CDC estimates there were 22,000 deaths related to the common flu – not 289,000 deaths. So much for ‘the same or similar.’

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Rudy Giuliani Hospitalized After Testing Positive For COVID

Rudy Giuliani at Trump press conference (screen capture)
Donald Trump announced today via Twitter that his lawyer, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, has tested positive for COVID-19. From the New York Times:

Mr. Giuliani was at Georgetown University Medical Center, according to a person who was aware of his condition but not authorized to speak publicly. Mr. Giuliani, at age 76, is in the high-risk category for the virus.

Mr. Giuliani has repeatedly been exposed to the virus through contact with infected people, including during Mr. Trump’s preparation for his first debate against President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. in September, just before the president tested positive, as well as when he appeared with his son, Andrew, at a news conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters about two weeks ago.

Andrew Giuliani, who works as an aide in the White House, said on Nov. 20 that he had tested positive, days after Donald Trump Jr. did.

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Fauci: Herd Immunity Possible By Summer If Majority Of Americans Vaccinated

New York state is about to drop its face mask mandate as COVID-19 cases continue to drop in the Empire State.

Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters on Tuesday that ‘herd immunity’ to the coronavirus could be attained in the U.S. by the end of summer 2021 if a large majority of Americans are vaccinated. From The Hill:

In a Tuesday news conference with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D), Fauci predicted that high-risk groups of Americans, as well as health care workers and some others, could begin to be vaccinated beginning this month, with inoculations continuing through March.

The National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases director predicted that “the general population” will begin being vaccinated in April.

He later added that if the U.S. has a “good uptake” for the vaccine, the country could have the “overwhelming majority of people” vaccinated by the end of the second quarter in the U.S.  

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Nurse Suspended For ‘Cavalier Disregard’ For COVID In TikTok Video

(stock image of a nurse working in a hospital)
An oncology nurse who works at a hospital in Salem, Oregon, took to TikTok recently to brag about how she doesn’t follow coronavirus guidelines outside of work. The clip used audio of screaming in a scene from ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas.’ “When my co-workers find out I still travel, don’t wear a mask when I’m out and let my kids have play dates,” the nurse wrote in the video’s caption. The clip has since been deleted, but others have shared a ‘duet’ version of the video posted by a TikTok user who captioned their own video, “To each their own, but why would you brag about it to others?” That post has garnered over 287K responses as of this writing. The Washington Post reports the oncology nurse has been placed on administrative leave in light of her video.

In a statement, the hospital said the nurse, who has not been publicly identified by her employer, “displayed cavalier disregard for the seriousness of this pandemic and her indifference towards physical distancing and masking out of work.”

“We also want to assure you that this one careless statement does not reflect the position of Salem Health or the hardworking and dedicated caregivers who work here,” said the hospital, adding that an investigation is underway.

@amandabutcher2To each their own, but why would you brag about it to others? 🤦🏻‍♀️ I guess we could ask Loveiskind05 #nurse #covid #health #pandemic #fyp #foryou ♬ original sound – Amanda Butcher

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Beauty And The Beast Parody Scores Bigly ‘Wear A Mask’

Riffing off of the showstopping ‘Be Our Guest’ from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Noah Lindquist’s lyrics score bigly. Performed by Lindquist and Ashley Young. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast originally penned by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman.