V is for vaccine: Sesame Street's Elmo gets COVID-19 vaccine

COVID-19 Immunity Task Force reveal how quickly the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and its subvariants spread across the country at the end of 2021 and the first few months of this year.The task force illustrates that 17 million Canadians were infected in only five months, between December 2021 and May 2022, its data suggests.That represents an average of more than 100,000 infections a day.Task Force officials are calling this an “Omicron Tsunami.”“This variant was extremely transmissible. It caused people to have asymptomatic infections, infections with no symptoms so they went about doing their daily thing.

COVID-19 deaths have been confirmed in Alberta, according to a tweet by the provincial government on Wednesday.The province released its latest pandemic figures on Wednesday, summing up the week of June 28 to July 4.With the latest fatalities, the total number of Albertans whose deaths have been linked to the coronavirus is now at 4,636 since the pandemic began.Despite the deaths, the number of people in Alberta hospitals with COVID-19 continues to fall, down to 568 from 589 a week earlier. However, the number of COVID-19 patients being treated in intensive-care units increased this week, up to 21 from 13 a week ago.Out of 7,771 COVID-19 tests completed between June 28 and July 4, Alberta Health said 1,124 resulted in positive tests.

NEW YORK - The coronavirus pandemic could last for nearly two more years before becoming an endemic, according to new Yale research.The endemic stage will be when the virus becomes more of a seasonal nuisance, like the cold or flu, that is not seriously harmful to much of the population.A new study, published in the journal PNAS Nexus, looked at rats to model a potential future with the virus. Rats can also get coronaviruses.Researchers looked at a coronavirus that is similar to one that causes the common cold in humans and how it was transmitted among rats.

A study in Ontario suggests that, compared with a third dose of mRNA COVID vaccine, a fourth dose improved protection against infection and severe outcomes among long-term care residents during the Omicron wave. The study was published today in The BMJ.The study was conducted from Dec 30, 2021, to Apr 27, 2022, and inc

COVID-19 deaths in 2020 led to the biggest life expectancy drop in the United States since World War II, according to a new reports from a federal research group.

BA.5 Omicron subvariant.The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table says wastewater signals, test positivity and hospitalizations from the virus are rising and the virus is showing exponential growth in regions across the province.Dr. Fahad Razak, scientific director of the group, says the highly infectious BA.5 variant also appears to be more immune evasive, meaning people who were recently infected can catch the virus again soon after.

The latest Omicron subvariants behind new COVID-19 surges in the United States and abroad have an enhanced ability to escape immunity conferred by three vaccine doses and all but one antibody therapy tested, finds a laboratory study published yesterday in Nature.

WASHINGTON - Pharmacists can prescribe the leading COVID-19 pill directly to patients under a new U.S. policy announced Wednesday that’s intended to expand use of Pfizer’s drug Paxlovid.The Food and Drug Administration said pharmacists can begin screening patients to see if they are eligible for Paxlovid and then prescribe the medication, which has been shown to curb the worst effects of COVID-19.

COVID-19 accounted for one in eight US deaths from March 2020 to October 2021 and was the third leading cause of death, estimates a study published yesterday in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The Sun: "He's OK, he's back in hospital actually, so that's a development. There we are. "It comes after Derek spent more than a year in hospital battling Covid-19 and, later, complications from the deadly virus in 2020.

Kate Garraway has confirmed that her husband Derek Draper is back in hospital amid his Covid recovery.The Good Morning Britain presenter, 55, gave an update of husband's health at this afternoon's Tric Awards. She said: "He's okay.

KATE Garraway's husband Derek Draper is back in hospital, she revealed today. The Good Morning Britain star was appearing at the Tric Awards in London when she opened up about his condition.

COVID-19, according to new research compiled by Canada’s COVID-19 Immunity Task Force.But despite this “Omicron tsunami” in Canada, as task force experts call it, emerging data shows not everyone who gets sick with COVID-19 will develop immunity from the infection.In fact, one in every eight people who contract the virus do not develop antibodies in their blood from their illness. And children are half as likely to develop immunity from an infection, according to the data released in June.“So forget going to some kind of ‘COVID party,’” said Dr.

NEW DELHI : The union health ministry has reduced the covid-19 vaccine booster dose gap from existing nine months to six months.  In a letter to all states/UTs, Rajesh Bhushan, union health secretary said: “In view of the evolving scientific evidence and global practices, “Standing Technical Sub Committee (STSC) of “National Technical Advisory Group of Immunisation has recommended to revise the duration between 2nd dose and precaution dose from existing nine months or 39 weeks to 6 months or 26 weeks. This has been endorsed by NTAGI."  “Therefore, it has now been decided that the precaution dose for all beneficiaries from 18 to 59 years of age will be administered after completion of six months or 26 weeks from the date of administration of 2nd dose at Private Vaccination Centres (PVCs).

coronavirus ever since contracting it in early 2020, as she stated that there has been a development in his condition. Speaking to The Sun at the TRIC awards, Kate said of Derek's condition: "He's okay.

The govt had earlier cut the booster dose gap for those travelling abroad The central government on Wednesday cut the gap for taking the booster Covid-19 dose to six months from the earlier nine months after taking the second shot.  This comes after the Standing Technical Sub-Committee (STSC) of the NTAGI last month recommended reducing the gap between the second and precaution doses of Covid-19 vaccines to six months.  The recommendation was endorsed by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, according to the Union health ministry.  “Therefore, it has now been decided that the precaution dose for all beneficiaries from 18-59 years will be administered after completion of six months or 26 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose at a private vaccination centre," read a letter by Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan to all states.  "For beneficiaries aged above 60 years as well as the healthcare workers (HCWs) and frontline workers (FLWs), precaution dose would be administered after completion of six months at government vaccination centres free of cost," it added.

New research details risks of reinfection as more-infectious Omicron subvariants of the coronavirus circulate Covid-19 reinfections can bring some new risks of serious medical problems, hospitalization and death, a new study has found. Protection provided by vaccines and prior infection has greatly improved Covid outcomes since the pandemic’s early days, and reinfections are typically less severe than initial ones. Yet each new infection carries a risk of medical problems, including hospitalization, death and long Covid, according to preliminary data from a study of patients in the Veterans Affairs health system.

Almost a third of people who get Covid-19 are getting long Covid, an Oireachtas committee has heard, with up to one in 20 of all Covid patients still being unable to work a year later.

NEW DELHI : The coronavirus pandemic is likely to reach the endemic stage in the United States, a study has suggested. The statement was made based on a modelling study conducted in rats. The researchers at the Yale School of Medicine in the US studied rats, which, like humans, are also susceptible to coronaviruses, to better understand when the Covid pandemic will get over.  Over the past two years, scientists have come to see that SARS-CoV-2 yields non-sterilising immunity.

Analysis: our current shots could soon be updated to target new variants rather than the ancestral strain

Macau has locked down one of the city's most famous hotels, the Grand Lisboa, after more than a dozen Covid-19 cases were found there, with infections spreading rapidly in the world's biggest gambling hub.

A predatory paedophile who repeatedly raped a schoolgirl and molested another girl has died after contracting Covid-19 in prison.

NEW DELHI: India recorded 16,159 fresh coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, pushing active cases in the country to 1,15,212, as per data released by the Union health ministry. With this, total covid cases reported in the country so far stand at 4,35,47,809. About 28 people succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours, pushing the death toll to 525,270.

coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,35,31,650, while the active cases increased to 1,14,475, according to the Union Health Ministry data. The death toll climbed to 5,25,242 with 19 new fatalities. The active cases comprise 0.26 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.53 per cent, the ministry said.

₹500 will also be levied on the violators who will not follow the guidelines of wearing masks. The Chennai Corporation in a press release on Tuesday stated that,"For the past two weeks, there has been a slight surge in COVID-19 cases in Chennai. We are requesting the public to wear masks in public places like theatres and malls.

covid affects the respiratory system more than the digestive one. “COVID predominantly affects the lungs rather than the intestine and digestive.

Today we are reporting 10,290 community cases and 522 current hospitalisations.

Public Health Scotland have released a new report that investigates the changes to the severity of Covid-19 and its impact on hospitals in Scotland. The report has found that the changing strains and variants are now causing less hospitalisations.

The more transmissible Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants are now dominant in all parts of the United States, with BA.5 again steadily expanding its scope, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said today in its latest weekly estimates.

An observational study of Italian healthcare workers infected with SARS-CoV-2 who didn't require hospitalization suggests a link between two or three doses of vaccine and a lower prevalence of long COVID.

A new study shows that the proportion of children diagnosed as having COVID-19 and croup was significantly higher during the Omicron surge than in earlier waves dominated by other variants.Croup is an upper airway infection generally affecting chi

A post shared by AK! ⭐️ (@amandakloots)"Two years ago today Elvis and I said goodbye to Nick. It was the hardest day of my life. There hasn't been a day I haven't missed him.

summer camps says at least three overnight camps have temporarily shut down following COVID-19 outbreaks, mostly among counsellors.Association des camps du Québec executive director Eric Beauchamp says about 500 children and staff were sent back home over the past few days.Beauchamp says there were no COVID-19 outbreaks at overnight camps last summer, which were allowed to reopen after they were prohibited to operate for the summer of 2020 because of the pandemic. Quebec’s jump in COVID-19 cases linked to new variants, top doctor says He says widespread staff shortages are making the situation even harder to handle, adding that there are little to no COVID-19 health orders in place compared with last summer.Beauchamp says his group is meeting with Health Department officials Tuesday and will ask them to reimpose some health orders, such as mandatory masking and COVID-19 testing for children and staff before they arrive to camps.

Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) is adding a new COVID-19 vaccination clinic at a third mall in London, Ont.The MLHU says after successful clinics at CF Masonville Place and White Oaks Mall, a new clinic will open at Westmount Shopping Centre starting Thursday, July 7.“With the arrival of summer and warmer weather, many people are spending more time outdoors and they may not be thinking of COVID-19 right now,” said Dr. Alex Summers, medical officer of health at the MLHU.

COVID-19 pandemic.Downtown staple Nathan Detroit’s Sandwich Pad will be closing for good later this month after more than four decades in business.The eatery, located in the underground beneath the Fairmont Hotel and the Richardson building, said much of its business comes from downtown workers — a group that hasn’t fully rebounded since the pandemic began.Brenlea Yamron, who runs Nathan Detroit’s with her sister Karen after taking over from their late father 20 years ago, told 680 CJOB’s The Start that the outpouring of support from the public is making the tough decision a little easier.“It’s hard, but we are so enjoying all that Nathan’s has given our family,” Yamron said.“We’re so incredibly overwhelmed by the people out there. We are lovers of Winnipeg, we are promoters of Winnipeg — we’ve all raised our families in Winnipeg.“Winnipeg … man, are you making us proud right now.”Yamron said that while the closure will give their mother, Fraydel, the opportunity to finally retire after 40+ years, the future remains unwritten for the sisters.“My sister and I are definitely way too young to retire, so we’re going to be looking for something else,” she said.“Whatever it’ll be, we’ll enjoy hopefully a little time off and then start looking — but it will definitely be in Winnipeg.”The restaurant will be making an announcement in the near future about the plans for Nathan Detroit’s final days.The president of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce says it’s a simple fact that businesses like Nathan Detroit’s need more people downtown in order to stay open, and that as more and more businesses take on debt to make it through, many have reached their limit.

The ongoing rise in Covid-19 infections is affecting serious criminal cases with a number of Dublin courts not sitting this week.

Mumbai Rains Live Updates According to him, the recovery count rose by 4,207 over the past 24 hours to 78,21,140, leaving the state with 20,820 active cases. According to the official, Mumbai has the most active cases with 6,409, followed by the districts of Pune with 5,335 and Thane with 4,037. Mumbai Circle, which includes the commercial capital and surrounding metropolitan area, has the most new cases (1,313), followed by Pune (1,196), Nashik (167), Nagpur (160), Akola (87), Aurangabad (65), Kolhapur (60), and Latur circle ( 50).

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Doug Mastriano, Pennsylvania’s Republican nominee for governor, has made a campaign staple out of the allegation that Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf's policy of readmitting COVID-19 patients from hospitals to nursing homes caused thousands of deaths — a baseless claim for which no investigator or researcher has provided any evidence.In fact, layers of inspections by researchers have pointed to entirely something different — nursing home employees ushering in the virus every day — while investigators found administrators flouting staffing requirements or infection-control procedures.Further, no Pennsylvania nursing home has leveled any such claim like Mastriano's, and a national nursing home trade association has agreed with the findings of researchers who say the spread of the virus in nursing homes directly correlated to community spread.Regardless, Mastriano has repeated the unfounded claim in front of friendly audiences, weaponizing COVID-19 in an effort to hurt Democrats in one of the nation’s most important governor’s races in this midterm election cycle.Mastriano, a state senator and retired U.S.

The Acting Chief Medical Officer has said Ireland is currently experiencing a surge in Covid cases and the latest sub variant is even more transmissible than previous variants.

A restaurant that closed for two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic has officially reopened its doors today at Manchester Airport. Trattoria Milano, an Italian eatery in Terminal 3 of the airport has sat empty since the country was first plunged into lockdown and international travel ground to a halt.

Down from yesterday's 16,135 fresh infections, the country reported over 3,000 less daily COVID cases in the last 24 hours India on Tuesday witnessed a dip in daily COVID cases by a margin of over 3,000 infections. Down from yesterday's 16,135 fresh infections, the country reported 13,086 fresh COVID cases in the last 24 hours, informed the Union Health Ministry today. The number of active COVID cases went past the 1.14 lakh mark.

A study of children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) suggests that antibiotic decisions made in the emergency department (ED) have a significant impact on inpatient antibiotic use, researchers reported today in Pediatrics.The study also found and that nearly a third of children without ra

Today we are reporting 9,629 community cases and 493 current hospitalisations.

MUMBAI : The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) on Monday agreed to look into the Covid-19 policy claims that were rejected by insurance companies.  This comes after a public interest litigation was filed by a Manav Seva Dham (petitioner), a social services’ trust against various insurance companies before the Bombay High Court.  According to the petition, it has been alleged that various insurance providers engaged in a number of offences, misusing policyholder funds, rerouting funds through additional businesses, and paying exorbitant overriding commissions to banks and their agents.  “The insurance companies are unjustly denying their Covid-19-related claims, it claimed, even in the midst of the ongoing pandemic Covid-19, in which the country’s residents have not only lost their jobs but also depleted their money", it said.  Additionally, the petitioner submitted that Insurance companies have caused wrongful losses to the policyholders.  Essentially the petitioner asked the court to ass an order to ensure that the insurance claims submitted by the policyholders due to Covid-19 pandemic were not arbitrarily rejected.  The petition stated that due to the widespread pandemic the general insurance companies received a significant lot of claims from the policyholders. More than 80, 000 claims were received by the non-life insurance industry.

COVID-19 vaccine doses.Interim Leader Peter Tabuns says details are needed now that a federal immunization panel is recommending the shots and Quebec has moved ahead with fourth doses for all adults.He says the NDP want easy and equitable access to the shots, including community clinics and availability in doctors’ offices.

85 sequences have been uploaded so far, mainly from India (from 10 states) and 7 other countries.No transmission could be tracked based on sequences outside India yet. Admiting with him, Thomas Peacock, a scientist at Imperial College London, also said sub-variant is worth "keeping a close eye" on Why the emergence of the new variant can be alarming? Explaing the logic behind it, Fleishon explained in the recent past there has been a trend of second generation variants based on Omicron sub-lineages, namely BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, BA.4, and BA.5. This was based on Omicron lineages with mutations in the S1 section of the spike protein and specifically in the part of the spike protein which the virus uses to connect to and gain entry into cells.

The current wave of Covid-19 cases is having a huge impact on hospitals and people seem less likely to be isolating when they have early symptoms, the Covid-19 lead with the Irish College of General Practitioners has said.

China placed 1.7 million people under lockdown in central Anhui province, where authorities reported nearly 300 new cases in the latest of a string of outbreaks testing Beijing's no-tolerance approach to Covid-19.