More Children And Young People In Covid ICUs
As signs of yet another covid surge materialize, doctors report more children and younger people with covid going to the hospital. Pennsylvania is now experiencing a surge as Colorado officials warn of one in that state.
CNBC:
Covid: More Young People Hospitalized As More Contagious Variants Spread
Dr. Paul Offit, a physician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said he is now seeing more patients with a rare inflammatory condition, a complication of Covid-19, than he has ever witnessed since the pandemic began. In Texas, Dr. James McDeavitt, dean of clinical affairs at Baylor College of Medicine, said he and his colleagues are noticing a rise in admissions of young people with Covid-19, though he did not have hard data yet to back up the anecdotal evidence. (Lovelace Jr., 4/16)
SC Times:
Younger Residents Fill ICU Beds In St. Cloud's Newest COVID Surge
As the city sees its fourth surge in COVID-19 cases, younger residents are filling the intensive care unit beds in the St. Cloud area, an upward trend physicians say is worrying. Over 70% of the ICU patients CentraCare is treating recently are under 65 years of age, and the main spreaders of the virus remain those in their 20s and 30s, said Dr. George Morris, CentraCare's incident commander for COVID-19 response. (Most, 4/19)
In other updates on the spread of the coronavirus —
The New York Times:
Virus Surge Strikes Pennsylvania As Variants Spread Across U.S.
Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations are surging in Pennsylvania, as state officials warn of the impact of trends seen across the country: increased travel, relaxing restrictions and the spread of more contagious virus variants. Pennsylvania is reporting an average of 4,922 cases a day, up from roughly 2,515 a month ago, according to a New York Times database. Hospitalizations have also climbed by about 16 percent in the past two weeks. (Ngo, Ivory, Leatherby and Gebeloff, 4/19)
The New York Times:
Colorado Officials Warn About Fourth Wave Of Covid Infections
Health officials in Colorado are warning about another wave of infections as new coronavirus cases in the state jump to levels not seen since January and as counties start to loosen virus restrictions. The state is reporting an average of 1,661 new cases a day, up by 18 percent in the past two weeks, according to a New York Times database. Hospitalizations have climbed by 19 percent in the same time period. (Ngo, 4/18)
The Hill:
Whitmer: State Won't Close Down Again Following GOP Lawsuits
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), indicated Sunday that her state would not implement new coronavirus-related lockdown restrictions in response to a spike in new infections due to Republican-led lawsuits last year that challenged her constitutional authority to do so. Speaking Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," Whitmer explained to host Chuck Todd that the lawsuits had left her without the ability to unilaterally implement new COVID-19 lockdown measures shutting down businesses in the state, which experts, including Anthony Fauci, have said is the best response in the face of rising infection numbers. (Bowden, 4/18)
Crain's Detroit Business:
ER Doctors 'Manage Chaos' Amid COVID-19 Surge In Michigan
Emergency doctors and nurses in Michigan are seeing a massive increase in patients seeking care in hospital EDs, a mixture of ailments not seen before in previous COVID-19 surges. Some people are flocking to hospital EDs suffering from such traditional emergencies as stroke, chest or abdominal pain, visits which they might have tried to avoid last year. Others, those in their 30s or 40s, and some teenagers and children, are coming in with COVID-19 illnesses or symptoms, ED healthcare workers tell Crain's. (Greene, 4/18)
Also —
Fox News:
New Hampshire Lifts Coronavirus Mask Mandate
New Hampshire’s mask mandate expired Friday after the state’s governor announced in a tweet on Thursday that it would not be renewed. Gov. Chris Sununu said the decision was made as the state’s rate of virus-related hospitalizations remains stable, vaccination efforts increase and COVID-19 deaths continue to decline. "This mandate going away will not limit or prevent the ability of private business or cities and towns from requiring masks, as was the case before," Sununu further explained. "New Hampshire residents know how to keep ourselves and our neighbors safe without a state mandate – just as we did before the winter surge." (Hein, 4/17)
CIDRAP:
Study Notes 10% Of Marines Who Had COVID-19 Experience Reinfections
Previous COVID-19 infection did not completely protect young US Marines in a study led by scientists from the Naval Medical Research Center and published yesterday in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Of the 2,346 otherwise healthy quarantined Marine recruits studied from May 11 to Nov 2, 2020, 189 were seropositive, or had antibodies against COVID-19 in their blood, indicating previous coronavirus infection, while 2,247 were seronegative. (4/16)
