Just Days Aboard, Cruise Disrupted After Rapid Covid Outbreak

CNN: Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Prevented From Entering 2 Island Nations Due To Covid-19 Outbreak
A Royal Caribbean cruise ship was denied entry into two island nations after 55 fully vaccinated crew members and passengers contracted Covid-19 only days after the ship had set sail from Fort Lauderdale, the Miami Herald reported Wednesday. Odyssey of the Seas was barred from entering Curacao and Aruba, effectively remaining at sea until its planned return December 26 to Fort Lauderdale, according to the Herald. (Alonso and Elamroussi, 12/22)

In other news about the spread of the coronavirus —

NBC News: You Just Tested Positive For Covid. Here’s What To Do Next
For those who have Covid, the CDC recommends isolating for 10 days from the onset of symptoms, with the first day of symptoms counting as day zero. People who are asymptomatic should isolate for 10 days from the date they were tested. Isolating means staying home and avoiding others. (Chuck, 12/22)

Chicago Tribune: Illinois Sets New Daily Coronavirus Case High
Days before Christmas, Illinois health officials on Wednesday reported 16,581 new confirmed and probable cases of the coronavirus, setting a record for daily cases and pushing the total number of reported infections since the start of the pandemic past 2 million. While cases are soaring, the news isn’t all bad. With screenings for the coronavirus more widespread than ever before, the case positivity rate — the percentage of new cases as a share of total tests — remains well below its peak during the fall 2020 surge. (Petrella, 12/22)

Houston Chronicle: Texas COVID Deaths Are 35 Percent Higher In 2021 Than First Year Of Pandemic
Texas has recorded more COVID-19 deaths in 2021 than in the first year of the pandemic, even though vaccines have been available for all adults since March. The first case of COVID-19 in the United States was recorded in February 2020, and the pandemic was declared the following month. The current year began amid a winter surge of infections, which was followed by a rapid rise in vaccinations in the spring that later ebbed. The climbing death toll, public health experts said, is almost entirely driven by people who are unvaccinated. From mid-January through October, just 8 percent of Texas virus deaths were among inoculated residents. (Despart, 12/22)

Crain's Detroit Business: Chicago Using Wastewater To Predict COVID Outbreaks
Using samples from local sewage systems is proving to be a useful tool in helping identify COVID hotspots and predict spread throughout communities. Over the past several months, a group of public health and academic scientists organized by the Discovery Partners Institute have been testing wastewater throughout Chicago and Illinois to monitor outbreaks. The programs could help pave the way for permanent water surveillance that would monitor other dangerous illnesses. (Davis, 12/22)

And in covid research —

Fox News: COVID Patients Reporting Residual Voice Problems After Infection
After the initial phase of Covid-19, some patients are experiencing problems with their voice, health experts told Fox News. These voice issues include hoarseness, quality of voice, and a condition called vocal fatigue, which can have an impact on a person’s quality of life, speech professionals told Fox News. "If a patient is feeling fatigued after using their voice, they may tend to not want to communicate as often as usual. They may withdraw from social activities as speaking becomes taxing and no longer pleasurable. A patient may not be able to perform their regular duties in their workplace as speaking is too difficult," Catherine Crowley, PhD., CCC-SLP, who is the Chair of the Communication Sciences and Disorders School of Health Professions and Nursing at LIU Post in Brookville, N.Y., told Fox News during an interview. (McGorry, 12/22)

CIDRAP: 1 In 4 With Metabolic Syndrome And COVID At Risk For Breathing Distress 
An international study of 29,040 hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients finds that metabolic syndrome was tied to significantly greater odds of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and death. While obesity, diabetes, and hypertension are known risk factors for severe COVID-19, the researchers said that little was known about the risk of metabolic syndrome—a cluster of conditions that includes high blood pressure, high blood glucose, excess fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels. Metabolic syndrome, a chronic low-grade inflammatory state, is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. (Van Beusekom, 12/22)

USA Today: Will Having COVID Affect Fertility? Virus Linked To Low Sperm Count
Couples hoping to become pregnant have another reason to take precautions against COVID-19 – the virus might reduce sperm counts, making it harder to conceive a baby, according to a new study. The peer-reviewed study, published on Monday in the Fertility and Sterility journal, took samples from 120 men in Belgium averaging about 35-years-old. Research found that sperm count was reduced in 37% of men tested less than one month after COVID-19 infection. One to two months after infection, sperm counts were reduced in 29% of men tested, and 6% of men showed reduced sperm counts  two months past infection. (Miranda, 12/22)