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Yehuda Ben-Yishay, Pioneer in Treating Mind Accidents, Dies at 88

Yehuda Ben-Yishay, Pioneer in Treating Brain Injuries, Dies at 88

Yehuda Ben-Yishay was born on February 11, 1933 in Cluj, a city in the Transylvania region in western Romania. His father, Chaim Ben-Yishay, was a businessman; his mother Leah (Finkelstein) Ben-Yishay was a seamstress.

His family survived the Second World War largely unscathed. Although hundreds of thousands of fellow Romanian Jews died during the Holocaust, hundreds of thousands survived, especially in the southern part of Transylvania, where the family had moved just before the war.

The Ben-Yishays were zealous Zionists and in 1946 boarded a converted cattle ship with about 2,000 other Jews heading for Palestine. The British authorities had banned such mass migration and when Yehuda arrived he and his two brothers and sisters were separated from their parents when they were taken to refugee camps.

After Israel gained independence in 1948, Dr. Ben-Yishay in Nahal, part of the Israel Defense Forces that established agricultural settlements. He later attended the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in the hope of studying psychology, but there was no one to teach it: Arab guerrillas had murdered the department head and several colleagues in 1948.

Dr. Ben-Yishay studied sociology instead, graduating in 1957. He received a scholarship to the New School for Social Research in Manhattan and arrived at the end of the year.

To cover his living expenses, he taught Hebrew and worked with retirees, including at a summer camp in Brewster, NY. There he met Myrna Pitterman know. They married in 1960 and had three sons, Ari, Ron and Seth. All survive him along with his brothers Israel and Meir; his sister Pnina; and eight grandchildren.

At the New School, Dr. Ben-Yishay headed by a German emigrant psychologist named Kurt Goldstein. Dr. Goldstein insisted that patients with traumatic injuries could only recover in a “holistic” setting that would take into account not only their physical well-being but also their emotional and spiritual health.

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Covid circumstances overwhelm Michigan well being system, Gov. Whitmer urges residents to remain dwelling

Covid cases overwhelm Michigan health system, Gov. Whitmer urges residents to stay home

In this file photo dated February 24, 2021, provided by Michigan Governor’s Office, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the state is addressing during a speech in Lansing, Michigan. Governor Whitmer signed at least $ 2.5 billion in COVID-19 relief spending Tuesday. March 9, 2021, while she vetoed $ 650 million after the Michigan Republicans failed to negotiate with her and tied other aids to laws that would have curtailed her government’s power to impose pandemic restrictions.

Michigan Governor’s Office via AP

Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer has urged high schools to temporarily suspend face-to-face learning and residents to limit their activities as a surge in Covid-19 cases overwhelms the state’s public health system.

The governor also urged schools to voluntarily suspend youth sports games and practices, and residents to avoid in-person meals for the next two weeks.

“To be very clear, it is not about orders, mandates or requirements,” said Whitmer at a press conference on Friday. “A year later we all know what works and it has to be a team effort. We have to do this together. Life depends on it.”

Covid-19 infections have spiked across the state in recent weeks, approaching the state’s November pandemic high of 7,226 new cases a day averaging over the past week – a 23% increase from the previous week, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

The state health department is currently tracking 991 Covid outbreaks across Michigan, said the state’s chief medical executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, at the press conference.

“Because we see so many cases each day, our public health system is overwhelmed. We cannot get information on many cases, nor identify their close contacts. We don’t know where all cases or outbreaks are, and what we know is likely one Counting, “said Khaldun.

Whitmer and Khaldun urged all Michiganders to wear masks, maintain social distance, wash their hands, stay home and get vaccinated.

The rise in the coronavirus in Michigan is due to the fact that the highly infectious variant B.1.1.7, identified for the first time in Great Britain, has become the most common Covid strain in the USA

There were 291 outbreaks in the state between January and March that came from youth sports teams alone and that involved at least 1,091 people, Khaldun said.

“The numbers show that young people are not impervious to this virus as we’ve seen many cases in teenagers and young adult Michiganders,” Whitmer said.

State health officials recorded 58 outbreaks in restaurants and retail stores in the past week alone, Khaldun said.

“Just because something is open doesn’t mean it’s safe or that you should,” Khaldun said. “Indoor dining is one of the riskiest things to do in this pandemic.”

Whitmer also called on the federal government to develop a vaccination program to use Covid-19 vaccine doses at hotspots.

“Today it’s Michigan and the Midwest, tomorrow it could be another part of our country,” said Whitmer.

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To Velocity Vaccination, Some Name for Delaying Second Pictures

To Speed Vaccination, Some Call for Delaying Second Shots

The prospect of a fourth wave of coronavirus, with new cases skyrocketing in the upper Midwest, has sparked renewed debate among vaccine experts about how long to wait between first and second doses. Extending this period would quickly increase the number of people with partial protection from a single shot, but some experts fear that this could also lead to dangerous new variants.

In the United States, two-dose vaccines are three to four weeks apart, which is what has been tested in clinical trials. In the UK, however, health officials have postponed the dosage by up to 12 weeks in order to reach more people faster. And in Canada, where vaccines are few and far between, a government advisory council recommended on Wednesday that the second dose be delayed even longer, up to four months.

Some health professionals believe the United States should follow suit. Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, co-director of the Healthcare Transformation Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, has suggested that all U.S. vaccines should go to people on their first dose in the next few weeks.

“That should be enough to suppress the fourth surge, especially in places like Michigan like Minnesota,” he said in an interview. Dr. Emanuel and his colleagues posted the proposal in USA Today on Thursday.

However, opponents, including health advisors to the Biden government, argue that delaying dosing is a bad idea. They warn that the country will be prone to variants – those that are already in circulation, as well as new ones that could develop in the bodies of partially vaccinated people who are unable to fight off infection quickly.

“Postponing the second dose to a later date is a very dangerous suggestion,” said Dr. Luciana Borio, the former acting chief scientist of the Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s leading expert on infectious diseases, agreed. “Let’s move on to what we know is the optimal level of protection,” he said.

The cornerstone for the debate was laid in December when clinical studies first gave scientists a good look at how vaccines work. For example, in the clinical trial for the Pfizer BioNTech vaccines, volunteers enjoyed robust protection from Covid-19 two weeks after the second dose. But just 10 days after the first dose, the researchers found that the volunteers got sick less often than those who received the placebo.

In the same month, the UK saw a surge in cases caused by a new, highly communicable variant called B.1.1.7. After the UK government approved two vaccines – from Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca – it decided to combat the variant by delaying the second dose of both formulations by 12 weeks.

In January, some researchers campaigned for the United States to follow Britain’s lead.

“I think right now, before this surge, we need to take as many single doses as possible in as many people over 65 as possible to reduce the serious illness and deaths that will occur in the coming weeks,” said Michael T. Osterholm of the University of Minnesota said “Meet the Press” on NBC’s Jan. 31st.

But the government stayed on track, arguing that it would be unwise to venture into the unknown in the middle of a pandemic. Although the clinical trials showed early protection from the first dose, no one knew how well this partial protection would last.

“When you’re talking about doing something that can do real harm, you need empirical data to back it up,” said Dr. Céline R. Gounder, Infectious Disease Specialist at the Bellevue Hospital Center and member of the Coronavirus Advisory Service for Mr Biden Tafel. “I don’t think you can make your way out of it logically.”

Over the past few weeks, however, those in favor of dosing delay have been able to point to mounting evidence suggesting that an initial dose can provide effective protection that lasts for several weeks.

Updated

April 9, 2021, 12:10 p.m. ET

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that two weeks after a single dose of the Moderna or Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, a person’s risk of developing coronavirus infection was reduced by 80 percent. And researchers in the UK have found that the first dose provides protection for at least 12 weeks.

Dr. Emanuel argued that the UK’s campaign to get more people first doses played a role in the 95 percent drop in cases since their peak in January. “It was pretty breathtaking,” said Dr. Emanuel.

He cites such data as further evidence that the United States should extend vaccination. He and his colleagues estimate that if the country had used a 12-week schedule from the start of its introduction, by April 5 an additional 47 million people would have received at least one dose.

Sarah E. Cobey, an epidemiologist and evolutionary biologist at the University of Chicago, said the United States had lost a valuable opportunity to save many lives with such a strategy. “We missed a window and people died,” she said.

But even now, said Dr. Emanuel, it is worth postponing the dosage. The United States issues about three million vaccines every day, but nearly half goes to people who have already received a shot. All of the nation’s offering, he argued, should go to first-timers instead.

If so, according to his team’s calculations, it would take the United States two or three weeks to catch up with Britain. The extra protection would not only save the lives of those vaccinated, it would also help reduce the transmission of the virus to people who are not yet protected.

Still, some scientists say it is premature to acknowledge the belated vaccination schedule for the decline in cases in the UK.

“They did a couple of other things like shutdown,” said Dr. Fauci.

“I think the real test will be whether we see a rebound in cases where the UK reopens.” Said Dr. Gounder.

Rather than experimenting with vaccination schedules, critics think it wiser to take basic preventive measures like wearing masks seriously. “It is crucial that we don’t just rejoin a big national party,” said Dr. Borio.

You and others are also concerned about recent studies showing that a single dose of Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech doesn’t work as well against certain variants like B.1.351, which were first found in South Africa.

“Relying on a dose of Moderna or Pfizer to stop variants like B.1.351 is like using a BB gun to stop a charging rhino,” said John P. Moore, virologist at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Dr. Moore said he also feared delaying dosing could encourage the spread of new variants that vaccines can better resist. When coronaviruses multiply in the bodies of some vaccinated people, they can acquire mutations that allow them to evade the antibodies produced by the vaccine.

But Dr. Cobey, who studies virus evolution, said she wasn’t worried about delayed doses that produce more variants. “I would bet my money on it, with the opposite effect,” she said.

Last week, she and her colleagues posted a comment in Nature Reviews Immunology to defend the delay of doses. Vaccinating more people – even with moderately less protection – could curb the spread of the virus in a community more than if fewer people had more protection, they said. And that decline wouldn’t just mean more lives were saved. Variants would also have a lower chance of showing up and spreading.

“There are fewer infected people who can have variants,” she said.

Dr. Adam S. Lauring, a University of Michigan virologist who was not involved in the comment, said he felt that Dr. Cobey and her colleagues had come up with a compelling case. “The arguments in this piece really agree with me,” he said.

While the United States is unlikely to change course, its northern neighbor has adopted a delayed strategy to deal with a booming pandemic and vaccine shortage.

Dr. Catherine Hankins, a public health specialist at McGill University in Montreal and a member of Canada’s Covid-19 Immunity Task Force, approved this decision based on the emerging evidence for single doses. And she said that she thought other countries facing even worse deficits should consider this too.

“I will advocate, on a global level, that countries look closely at Canada’s strategy and think seriously about it,” said Dr. Haskins.

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Each day U.S. knowledge on April 9

Daily U.S. data on April 9

One in five Americans is fully vaccinated, according to the latest data posted on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website Thursday afternoon. A third of the population has received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

The US is currently administering an average of 7 million vaccine doses per day over seven days as the daily case numbers remain below the winter peak but in line with the summer increase.

US percentage of the vaccinated population

More than 66 million Americans, or 20% of the population, are now fully vaccinated with one shot of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine or two shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. About a third of the population has received at least one dose of vaccine.

One in four people over the age of 18 is fully vaccinated, and according to CDC data, nearly 60% of those over 65 are fully vaccinated.

US vaccine shots administered

After 3.4 million vaccinations on Thursday, the 7-day average of the administered doses is 3 million per day.

US Covid cases

The rate of new coronavirus cases in the US is well below its peak of around 250,000 new cases per day in January, but is closer to the numbers seen during the summer surge. In July, the average daily number of cases reached nearly 70,000.

The most recent 7-day average of new Covid-19 cases in the US is 66,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.

US Covid deaths

The 7-day average of Covid-19 deaths in the US is 978, according to Hopkins.

The nationwide trend in Covid deaths in the past few days is being influenced by a mass release of data from approximately 1,800 Oklahoma deaths. These deaths are currently all reported for April 7, 2021, although they may have occurred weeks or months earlier. The Oklahoma Department of Health announced that the state is currently transitioning to data reporting guidelines that meet CDC requirements, which is causing this increase.

Prior to this reporting anomaly, the daily US Covid death toll had declined from record levels in January.

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Vaccine Slots Go Unused in Mississippi and Different States

Vaccine Slots Go Unused in Mississippi and Other States

When it comes to getting the coronavirus vaccine, Mississippi residents have a wealth of options. There were more than 73,000 slots on the state’s scheduling website on Thursday, up from 68,000 on Tuesday.

In a way, the growing number of appointments in Mississippi is cause for celebration: it reflects the increasing supply that has led states across the country to open up eligibility to anyone over the age of 16.

However, public health experts say the pile of unclaimed appointments in Mississippi exposes something more worrying: the large number of people who are reluctant to get vaccinated.

“It is time to do the heavy lifting that is required to overcome the hesitation we encounter,” said Dr. Obie McNair, an internist in Jackson, the state capital, whose office has plenty of vaccines but not enough buyers.

Though access remains an issue in rural Mississippi, experts say the state – one of the first to open the permit to all adults three weeks ago – could be a harbinger of how much of the country is in the Will Face Coming Weeks When Growing Supply Allows Most Americans Who Would Like The Vaccine To Have Appointments Easily.

The hesitation has national implications. Experts say that between 70 and 90 percent of Americans must be vaccinated for the country to achieve herd immunity. At this point the virus can no longer spread through the population.

In terms of vaccination rates, Mississippi still has a long way to go: only a quarter of all residents have received at least one dose, according to the state, compared to the statewide average of 33 percent. Other southern states, including Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, and Georgia, have similarly low vaccination rates.

A closer look at Mississippi’s demographics explains why hesitation can be particularly pronounced. The state reliably elects Republicans, a group that remains very skeptical about the coronavirus vaccine. Almost half of all Republican men, and a total of 40 percent of Republicans, said they did not plan to vaccinate, according to several recent surveys. These numbers have changed little in the months since vaccines first became available. In contrast, only 4 percent of Democrats said they won’t get the vaccine.

Another contributing factor to the state’s low vaccination rate could be Mississippi’s large black community, which makes up 38 percent of the state’s population but accounts for 31 percent of the doses administered, according to the state. Reluctance to vaccinate remains somewhat high among African Americans, although doubts and suspicions – largely due to previous government abuses such as the infamous Tuskegee syphilis experiments – have declined significantly in recent months.

According to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation published last week, about 55 percent of black adults said they had been vaccinated or were planning to vaccinate soon. That’s an increase of 14 percentage points from February, which is a rate of 61 percent versus Hispanics at 64 percent.

A number of other heavily republican states are also facing an abundance of doses. On Thursday, Oklahoma officials who have provided 34 percent of its residents with at least one dose announced they would open the license to non-state residents, and in recent weeks Republican governors in Ohio and Georgia have raised concerns about lackluster vaccine demand among their residents.

Tim Callaghan, assistant professor at Texas A&M University School of Public Health and an expert on vaccine skepticism, said more research was needed to determine the reasons behind the declining vaccine demand in Mississippi. The Americans were probably the first to face the problem. “If you want to see vaccine hesitate, it will be in red states like Mississippi,” he said.

Updated

April 9, 2021, 5:04 p.m. ET

Mississippi officials are aware of the challenge. On Tuesday, Governor Tate Reeves held a press conference with a group of medical experts who tried to dispel some of the misinformation related to the vaccines. They tried to explain the vaccine development process, refuted claims that the vaccine can cause miscarriages, and shared their own personal experiences after receiving the shot.

“I had about 18 hours of turbulence,” said Governor Reeves, describing the mild, flulike symptoms he felt after his second injection. “But I could go on and go on and work and I feel a lot better every day knowing I have been vaccinated.”

Access remains a challenge in parts of rural Mississippi, especially among African Americans who live far from drive-through vaccination centers in urban areas, which account for roughly half of the doses administered by the state. The scheduling system has also proven frustrating for the poor and elderly, who often lack internet access to book appointments or take them to remote vaccination sites.

“We need to get the vaccines to the people, to pop-up locations that don’t require internet or advance registration,” said Pam Chatman, the founder of Boss Lady Workforce Transportation, a system of minivans that drove ferries Mississippi Delta residents to mass vaccination sites.

Demand among African Americans is still robust, she said, noting long lines that formed outside a tent in Indianola, a small town in the Delta this week, that was selling the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine. (The tents with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which require two doses, were almost empty.)

But hesitation is common. Dr. Vernon Rayford, an internist in Tupelo, said he was frustrated with patients who gave various reasons for rejecting the vaccine. They claim it will give them Covid-19 or make them sterile and they worry about unknown effects that could appear decades later. “I’ve heard some really crazy theories,” he said.

Dr. Rayford, who sees patients of all races, said he has noted subtle differences in skepticism: African Americans express suspicion of the health care system while whites express a more amorphous distrust of the government. “It’s like that line from ‘Anna Karenina’,” he said. ‘All happy families are equal; Every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. ‘“

Dr. Brian Castrucci, President of the de Beaumont Foundation, which focuses on public health, has worked to allay such fears. Dr. Castrucci, an epidemiologist, is particularly concerned about young Conservatives, ages 18 to 34; He cited a recent poll that found that 55 percent of Republican women with college degrees under the age of 49 would not be vaccinated.

“His polls like this one keep me up at night,” he said.

The biggest barriers to greater vaccine adoption are the misinformation that thrives on social media and the mixed news from Republican governors confusing people.

“By easing Covid restrictions, elected leaders are pushing coronavirus narratives in states like Florida, Mississippi, Texas and Georgia that work against a narrative that promotes the urgency of vaccinations,” he said. “And unfortunately, our vaccination campaigns are being rolled back late at night on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.”

So far, Mississippi health officials have focused much of their vaccine delay efforts on African American and Hispanic residents through partnerships with churches and health clinics. Governor Reeves, a Republican, has so far refused to highlight the skepticism among white conservatives in the state, but health officials said they planned to address the issue through Facebook and Zoom meetings with local organizations.

Public health experts say that well-crafted messages are needed from doctors, religious leaders, and other individuals trusted by a particular community. Dr. Thomas Friedan, a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who participated in a focus group of vaccine-reluctant Trump voters organized by the de Beaumont Foundation last month, said participants wanted their fears to be recognized and they longed for factual information without being instructed or belittled. “There’s no real way to communicate about vaccines, but you need multiple messages with multiple messengers,” said Dr. Friedan, who leads the Resolve to Save Lives health advocacy group. “And people don’t want to hear from politicians.”

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Papua New Guinea (PNG) Covid-19 outbreak, vaccine marketing campaign

Papua New Guinea (PNG) Covid-19 outbreak, vaccine campaign

A health worker is preparing to test for Covid-19 coronavirus outside a makeshift clinic at a sports stadium in Port Moresby on April 1, 2021.

Gorethy Kenneth | AFP | Getty Images

Misinformation on social media is hindering Papua New Guinea’s vaccination efforts.

According to the PNG’s Covid-19 Response Controller, many people are reluctant to vaccinate as false information about the vaccines is spread even as coronavirus cases increase.

The country reported 1,730 cases and 12 deaths between March 29 and April 4, according to a joint report from the World Health Organization and the PNG’s national ministry of health.

Cases of infection rose again in February, and PNG has reported 7,839 cases so far, data from Johns Hopkins University showed. However, there is consensus that the actual number is much higher, which is masked by low testing capacity and other logistical difficulties.

“We have been lulled into a kind of complacency and false sense of security that we have overcome over this first wave that we feared,” David Manning, PNG’s Covid-19 National Pandemic Response Controller, told CNBC’s Will Koulouris .

Papua New Guinea is located north of Australia and is a heavily forested island country with fewer than 9 million people.

This, of course, is attributed to the hesitation of the vaccine, and you can attribute this to a lack of awareness.

David Manning

National Pandemic Response Controller, Papua New Guinea

The National Capital District, home of PNG’s capital, Port Moresby, has the most reported cases, followed by the western province, which is also where the rate of infection is increasing.

A combination of events – funerals, holidays, and school resumption – resulted in “continuous transmission of the virus,” William Pomat, director of the PNG Institute of Medical Research, told CNBC last week.

Vaccine hesitate

So-called “vaccine nationalism” has made it difficult for small developing countries like PNG to resort to gunfire to vaccinate their populations. Many of them rely on an international vaccination initiative called Covax, but vaccine supply for that program is facing delays from India, which is also struggling to stem an increase in home cases.

PNG ran a vaccination campaign last week using around 8,000 cans of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 shots donated from neighboring Australia. More cans are expected from China and India in the coming weeks.

The island nation has vaccinated fewer than 600 people so far, which, according to Manning, is way behind schedule.

“Of course, this is attributed to the hesitation of the vaccine, and it can be attributed to a lack of awareness – basically information about whether the vaccine has any side effects and the fake news spread on social media,” he said, adding that vaccine skeptics exert comparatively less pressure in urban areas.

Combating misinformation

Manning said Facebook reached out to PNG and asked how the social network could help dispel some of the misinformation that was spread, but he failed to explain the details of that conversation.

Facebook launched a public awareness campaign in PNG this week to help users identify and combat health misinformation. It runs for five weeks and contains graphics and videos in several languages.

“For this campaign, we will continue to focus our efforts on addressing misinformation related to Covid-19 and vaccines to ensure Papuan New Guineans are able to verify their visibility to official public health resources,” said Mia Garlick , Facebook’s director of public order in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands said in a statement on Wednesday.

“This campaign complements a call we launched in Papua New Guinea last week
Provide tips to local users on how to prevent Covid-19, “Garlick added.

Stressed health infrastructure

The outbreak puts undue strain on PNG’s already poor health infrastructure.

International organizations like Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) have warned of an impending collapse. According to experts, many frontline health workers who are already few are falling ill with Covid-19.

“If you get sick, no one will stand – not only for Covid, but also for other diseases and so on,” said Pomat of the Institute of Medical Research.

He stated that Covid tests are only done for those who “might show up” (at the) a health facility if they show symptoms and those who volunteer to go inside. “

Even then, hospitals and medical facilities will run out of components needed to perform these tests.

As PNG works with its development partners, including Australia, to ensure the supply of more test kits and components, it has also introduced stricter social restrictions. For example, stores have been asked to deny entry to those who do not wear masks, while travel between provinces is strictly regulated.

Manning said the pandemic response needs to be tailored to PNG’s coastal communities as well as the highland region, where even in the best of times it is difficult to provide health, police or government services.

“So we have now shifted our focus from a national response to a provincial response and are working closely together with the provincial health authorities that are currently inundated with surges, “he said.

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On-line Scammers Have a New Provide for You: Vaccine Playing cards

Online Scammers Have a New Offer For You: Vaccine Cards

SAN FRANCISCO – Small rectangular notes were put up for sale on Etsy, eBay, Facebook, and Twitter in late January. They were printed on cardboard, were 3 “by 4” and had razor-sharp black lettering. Sellers listed them for $ 20 to $ 60 each, with discounts on packages of three or more. Laminated ones cost extra.

All were fakes or fake copies of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccination cards given to people vaccinated against Covid-19 in the United States.

“We found hundreds of online stores selling the cards, possibly thousands have sold,” said Saoud Khalifah, founder of Fakespot, which offers tools for detecting fake listings and reviews online.

The coronavirus has turned many people into opportunists, like those who hoarded bottles of hand sanitizer at the beginning of the pandemic or those who cheated recipients of their stimulus controls. Now online scammers have been sticking to the latest winning initiative: the little white cards that provide proof of shots.

Online stores selling counterfeit or stolen vaccination cards have skyrocketed in recent weeks, Khalifah said. The efforts are far from hidden, as Facebook pages with the name “Vax cards” and eBay offers with “blank vaccination cards” are openly haggling over the items.

Selling counterfeit vaccination cards could violate federal laws that prohibit copying of the CDC logo, legal experts said. If the cards were stolen and filled in with incorrect numbers and dates, they could also break identity theft laws, they said.

But the profiteers have made progress as the demand for cards from anti-vaccine activists and other groups has increased. Airlines and other companies recently stated that they may need proof of Covid-19 immunization so that people can travel or attend events safely.

The cards can also be central to “vaccination records” that provide digital proof of vaccination. Some technology companies that develop vaccination records require users to upload copies of their CDC cards. Los Angeles recently started using the CDC cards for its own digital vaccination record.

Last week, 45 attorneys general joined forces to call Twitter, Shopify, and eBay to stop selling counterfeit and stolen vaccination cards. Officials said they were monitoring the activity and feared that unvaccinated people would misuse the cards to attend major events, potentially spreading the virus and prolonging the pandemic.

“We’re seeing a huge market for these fake cards online,” said Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania attorney general, whose office has been investigating fraud related to the virus. “This is a dangerous practice that undermines public health.”

Updated

April 8, 2021, 9:44 p.m. ET

The CDC said it was “aware of fraud related to counterfeit Covid-19 vaccination cards.” It urged people not to share pictures of their personal information or vaccination cards on social media.

Facebook, Twitter, eBay, Shopify, and Etsy said that selling counterfeit vaccination cards is against their rules and that they are removing posts promoting the items.

The CDC introduced vaccination cards in December, describing them as the “easiest” way to keep an eye on Covid-19 shots. Counterfeit vaccination card sales increased in January, Khalifah said. Many people found the cards to be easy to forge from samples available online. Authentic cards have also been stolen from their workplaces by pharmacists and put up for sale, he said.

Many people who bought the tickets were against the Covid-19 vaccines, Khalifah said. In some anti-vaccine groups on Facebook, people have publicly boasted of getting the cards.

“My body is my choice,” one commenter wrote in a Facebook post last month. Another person replied, “Cant wait to get mine too lol.”

Other shoppers want to use the cards to trick pharmacists into giving them a vaccine, Khalifah said. Because some vaccines are two-shot vaccines, people can enter the wrong date on the card for a first vaccination, giving the impression that they will need a second dose soon. Some pharmacies and state vaccination centers have given priority to people due for their second shots.

An Etsy seller who refused to be identified said she recently sold dozens of counterfeit vaccine cards for $ 20 each. She justified her actions by saying that she was helping people avoid a “tyrannical government”. She added that she did not plan to be vaccinated.

Vaccine advocates say they have been troubled by the distribution of counterfeit and stolen cards. To hold these people accountable, Savannah Sparks, a pharmacist in Biloxi, Miss., Began posting videos on TikTok last month identifying sellers of counterfeit vaccine cards.

In a video, Ms. Sparks explained how she tracked the name of a pharmacy technician in Illinois who snapped up several cards for himself and her husband and then posted them online about them. The pharmacy technician had not disclosed her identity, but rather linked the post to her social media accounts, in which she used her real name. The video has 1.2 million views.

“It made me so angry that a pharmacist would use her access and position this way,” said Ms. Sparks. The video caught the attention of the Illinois Pharmacists Association, which reported the video to a state board for further investigation.

Ms. Sparks said her work attracted critics and anti-vaccination campaigners, who threatened her and put her home phone number and address online. But she was not deterred.

“You should come first and work to ensure that people get vaccinated,” she said of pharmacists. “Instead, they are trying to use their positions to spread fear and help people circumvent the vaccine.”

Pennsylvania attorney general Mr Shapiro said that selling counterfeit and stolen cards is not only against federal copyright law, but it is most likely against civil and consumer protection laws that require an item to be used as advertised. The cards could also violate state impersonation laws, he said.

“We want them to stop immediately,” Shapiro said of the scammers. “And we want companies to take serious and immediate action.”

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Nationwide Guard urges U.S. to comply with well being measures as army races to vaccinate inhabitants

National Guard urges U.S. to follow health measures as military races to vaccinate population

US Air Force Tech. Sgt.Nathan Korta, medical technician with the Joint Task Force Steelhead Mobile Vaccination Team, delivers the COVID-19 vaccine to a resident of Orcas Island, March 2, 2021, Orcas Island, Wash.

Senior Airman Mckenzie Airhart | US Air National Guard

WASHINGTON – National Guard leaders on Thursday urged people in the US to continue to adhere to Covid-19 containment measures as the military races to vaccinate the population.

“We look forward to following that [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] Science that tells us what it is smart to do to keep protecting the civilian population around us, “Col. Russell Kohl, commander of the Missouri National Guard’s 131st Medical Group, told CNBC when asked about concerns from more states pass relaxing leadership.

“You will still see us socially distancing ourselves, you will still see us in masks and we will try to encourage as many people as possible to get the vaccine because I think this is really a multi-step process for We are overcoming this pandemic and returning to any kind of normalcy to the extent that there will be such a thing as normality as opposed to a new normal, “Kohl added.

Kohl’s comments came after California – the most populous state in the country – announced this week that it would lift most of its Covid-related restrictions by June 15. Over the past month, a number of states relaxed restrictions to varying degrees.

“We are the instruments of national power, not the decision-makers, and what the elected leaders do at the national, local and state levels is their decision,” Brig told the US Army. General Adam Flasch, Director of Joint Staff for the Maryland National Guard and dual status commander for the Title 10 active troops.

“But there is good solid science behind masks and social distancing and hand washing to deny the virus or vector until we can be vaccinated,” Flasch added.

The National Guard has mobilized 2,250 vaccines in more than 1,000 locations to deliver the coronavirus vaccines to Americans. The service said earlier this week it had reached a milestone by firing 6 million shots to the public.

Federal health officials recently warned that the U.S. is still in a battle against the coronavirus, even as vaccine production spikes and record-breaking vaccine doses are given.

The Chief Medical Officer of the White House, Dr. Anthony Fauci, warned Monday that Americans should continue to take public health measures as the warmer summer months approach.

“You may remember a little over a year ago when we were looking for summer to save ourselves from waves. It was actually the opposite,” Fauci said at a coronavirus briefing.

“We saw some significant waves over the summer. I think we shouldn’t even think about relying on the weather to get rid of whatever we’re in right now,” he added.

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The best way to Be Social Once more

How to Be Social Again

Now everyone is trying to manage conflicting levels of threat in ways that used to be specific to these populations, she said. Clues that used to be neutral or positive, like being with other people (I love my friends and family!), Are now associated with threats (my friends and family could get me infected with Covid!). And we face the challenge of turning off that alarm. “What is a true alarm and what is a false alarm has become more confusing for all of us,” said Dr. Kaysen.

So how do we learn to be together again?

Give yourself permission to set small, achievable goals. And accept that other people will have different reactions than you – the friend or family member who wants to eat at the restaurant when you don’t, or who is willing to get on a plane and go on vacation.

Accept that certain activities can feel difficult for a while. Drive an hour to a meeting. Fly to a conference with red eyes. For example, attend a family reunion or four pandemic-postponed weddings in a month.

All of these can lead you to ask your family, your boss, or even yourself, “Is it really worth the time?” And “Now that I know things can be different, do I want to go back to my old life? “

Recovering doesn’t mean going back to what you were before, said Dr. Kaysen and used Kintsugi, the Japanese technique of repairing broken ceramics with gold, as an analogy to get out of difficult times and become more aware of the change and stronger than before. “It’s like you’re creating a new normal, one that’s functional and beautiful – and different.”

Dr. Keltner agreed that we may need to “re-educate” – “how do we hug again?” Your timing might be wrong for a hug, a joke, or even a compliment. “How do you look someone in the eye so they aren’t intrusive? How do you compliment someone? You might not have done it in a year. “

Instead of being overwhelmed by everything at once – for example, going to a party where you have to be prepared to greet acquaintances, eat with others and try to make small talk at the same time – why not take it step by step? This moment can be an opportunity.

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Researchers establish 5 new instances of variant in California

Researchers identify five new cases of variant in California

A healthcare worker wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) inserts a Covid-19 test tube into a box at a drive-through test location at the Alemany Farmers Market in San Francisco, California on November 19, 2020.

David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Stanford University researchers have identified five new cases of a “double mutant” strain of Covid-19 recently discovered in the San Francisco Bay Area. Doctors suggest it may be more contagious than previous strains and may be resistant to existing vaccines.

The new variant is originally from India, where after months of declining cases in Maharashtra state, home of Mumbai, cases have increased by 55%.

It contains two key mutations that scientists call E484Q and L452R that have been found in other variants separately but not together in a single strain, according to Dr. Benjamin Pinsky, Medical Director of the Stanford Clinical Virology Laboratory, who discovered the new variant in the United States

“There’s a decent amount of information on how these mutations behave in viruses themselves, but not in combination,” Pinsky said in an interview.

In other variants, the L452R mutation has been shown to make the virus more transmissible. There is also evidence that antibodies fail to recognize this mutation, which has been found in other strains to reduce vaccine effectiveness.

The E484Q mutation has also been shown to be less susceptible to neutralizing antibodies that help fight the coronavirus. It’s too early to tell if the mutation makes the virus more contagious.

“But you would expect that when combined with L452R, it would increase transmission and decrease neutralization of antibodies,” Pinsky said.

If the mutation makes the virus more resistant to antibodies, Pinsky said it could reduce the effectiveness of both vaccines and antibody treatments, which have become a crucial tool for doctors in fighting Covid-19.

“I suspect that existing vaccines are a little less effective at preventing infection with this new variant,” he said, “but all vaccines are extremely effective at preventing hospitalizations and death.”

Treatment with Eli Lilly’s Bamlanivimab antibodies has been shown to be less effective in the treatment of strains containing the E484Q or L452R mutations. US health officials stopped distributing this antibody treatment last month, saying it was not as effective against the new variants.

The double mutant variant “has known mutations in the scariest spot where a mutation is – the receptor binding domain where the virus attaches to cells in our bodies to enter,” said Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at the University of California San Francisco. “The mutations are either identical or eerily similar to mutations in variants that we already know are scientifically proven to be more transmissible and / or evade vaccines. So many believe this Indian variant will have these superpowers too.”

Dr. Tom Kenyon, chief health officer at Project HOPE and former director of global health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said scientists are finding more mutations, at least in part, because the new CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky has instructed the agency to increase surveillance. “The more we look for these, the more we will find them,” he said.

“There’s something about the world that scares people and makes it sound like it’s doubly bad,” Kenyon said in an interview. “Any mutation that affects transmissibility or virus replication would be dangerous.”

There is a chance the new variant will stay in the Bay Area, unlike variant B.1.1.7 from the UK, which has become the predominant variety almost everywhere, Chin-Hong said.

“If the British variant goes into a boxing ring with the Indian variant, the British variant will likely emerge victorious. But only time will tell,” said Chin-Hong.

The longer it takes to vaccinate the world, the more chance the virus has of mutating into even worse strains, scientists say. Walensky has warned of “impending doom” in the US as states lift Covid-19 restrictions. She has urged people to get vaccinated and continue to follow public health precautions, including wearing masks and practicing social distancing.

“The variants that scare me the most are the ones that haven’t been invented yet. The more the virus replicates, the more we will see these escape mutants,” said Chin-Hong. “We need global vaccination justice and continued battles against pandemic fatigue.”

California will lift most of its Covid restrictions by June 15, but still plans to maintain a mask mandate.