Jordan Culver
USA TODAY
COVID: Smartwatches can help warn wearers of a possible infection
Growing evidence suggests smartwatches and wearable technology may help warn of a possible COVID-19 infection ahead of positive test results.
USA TODAY
More than 90,000 Americans are likely to die from COVID-19-related causes by June 1, a leading forecasting institute says. The forecast comes because the US expects to see more than 500,000 deaths within the next two days, and Dr. Anthony Fauci says it is “possible” that Americans will still wear masks in 2022.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington also warns that the world may never achieve immunity to herds.
IHME estimates that 589,197 Americans will have died by the end of May. The good news is that the institute projects that the number of deaths could drop to less than 500 a day by then, and the number could be even lower if Americans are vigilant about wearing masks. In the US, an average of about 2,000 deaths per day currently die.
More than 75% of Americans now say they wear masks in public. To achieve the lower death rates, the rate should be about 95%, IHME says.
The institute notes that some political and public health leaders have argued that vaccination of 70% -80% of the world’s population could end further transmission. But even countries lucky enough to obtain adequate amounts of vaccine may never achieve herd immunity, in which case COVID-19 could become a seasonal condition that occurs every year.
“While it is possible to achieve immunity to the herd by next winter, it seems increasingly unlikely that we will, and in light of that, we all need to adjust our expectations,” said IHME.
Also in the news:
►Britin will unveil on Monday its plan to end one of the world’s strictest COVID-19 lockdowns. US public health officials will keep a close watch. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believe that by April B.1.1.7, the more transmissible COVID-19 variant originally identified in Britain will likely be the dominant variant within US borders.
►National, according to the National Student Clearinghouse, enrollment in community colleges dropped 10% from Fall 2019 to Fall 2020.
►It has been 10 months since Abby Adair Reinhard’s father died of COVID-19. The woman in Rochester, New York, whose chronicle of his death evoked rural empathy, still grapples with the loss.
►Fifteen athletes who would participate in sports as freshman international students at US colleges during the academic year 2020-21 are suing the Department of Homeland Security and ICE for a policy that prevents students from coming to the US if their school does not offer in-person courses .
► Alaska health officials, where vaccine distribution has set a gold standard, said 3,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine will arrive later than expected due to a winter storm that has ravaged the continental US
Today’s figures: According to data from Johns Hopkins University, the US has more than 28 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 497,000 deaths. Global totals: over 111 million cases and 2.46 million deaths. According to the CDC, more than 78.1 million vaccine doses have been distributed in the US and about 59.5 million have been administered.
What we read: ‘Now must be the time’ to invest in coronavirus vaccines and treatments for future pandemics, experts warn
Many Americans are tired of wearing masks, desperate for a return to normalcy and numb to the relentless flow of brutal numbers, such as the 500,000 COVID-19 deaths that the US is about to surpass. Health workers don’t want to hear about it. They have worked endless hours amid constant death and suffering, leaving free time and exposing themselves to the disease, leaving them exhausted and having no real indication of when the pandemic will recede.
“There is definitely some palpable fatigue on the part of the caregivers, being sick with COVID and sick from people who ignore public health guidelines, get sick and expect us to postpone another vacation or postpone something else,” said Dr. Eric Ciu. Peña, an emergency room physician who now runs a COVID field hospital on Staten Island, New York.
Jorge L. Ortiz
Speeding up vaccine distribution and continuing to wear masks and social distance will be key factors in curbing the “historic” pandemic, Fauci, the Biden government’s chief health adviser, said Sunday. Fauci, speaking of CNN’s “State of the Union,” said the country could approach “some degree of normalcy” by the end of the year, but Americans may still have to wear masks by 2022.
“If the vast majority of people in the population are vaccinated, I would feel comfortable saying, you know, ‘We have to pull back the masks,’” Fauci said. “The better we get the vaccine into people’s arms … that will be another important tool for” preventing spikes “.
The Hawaii Department of Health has temporarily extended the window that incoming travelers must undergo a negative coronavirus test. The state said travelers can now take their pre-boarding coronavirus test up to 96 hours before their flight instead of 72 hours due to winter storms that have ravaged the continental US.
The test has yet to be performed by a state-recognized provider. The extension is in effect through Sunday, Hawaii News Now reports.
Growing evidence suggests that a smartwatch or Fitbit could alert wearers of a possible COVID-19 infection prior to a positive test result. Wearables such as the Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy smartwatch, Fitbit and other devices can collect heart and oxygen data, as well as sleep and activity levels. Researchers are investigating whether a body’s health data can signal an upcoming COVID-19 infection.
COVID-19 infection may not be imminent for a person whose cardiac or activity data indicate a possible infection. But the increased likelihood – and the ability to alert the patient to be tested and possibly quarantined – could be an essential tool in preventing and detecting the spread of the disease, researchers say. Such findings, if proven, could lead to remote medical alerts of other possible viruses, flu, and unnecessary stress.
– Mike Snider
The president and all three other members of a California school board have resigned after mocking parents in a live stream rally over the reopening of the school they believed was private. Greg Hetrick, Superintendent of the Oakley Union Elementary School District in Costa County, announced in a letter to the school community on Friday that board members had resigned, calling it an “unfortunate situation.” Video of Wednesday night’s rally has been circulated on social media and appears to be aimed at mocking parents of board members who have written letters asking the board to reopen schools amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“They want to choose us because they want their babysitters back,” said CEO Lisa Brizendine.
The board members also use expletives and laugh at parents who use medical marijuana. Towards the end of the recording, the board members seem shocked to receive a message that the livestream is public. In a statement, board members expressed their “sincere apology” and said “deeply regret the comments made during the meeting.”
Contributions: The Associated Press