COVID hasn’t left, but flu might be worse this winter
COVID hasn’t gone away, but experts say the trend is in the right direction. Related story:
There are 54 article(s) tagged Dr. Jon McCullers:
COVID hasn’t gone away, but experts say the trend is in the right direction. Related story:
COVID-19 is still with us — no matter if it's categorized as a pandemic or an endemic. And two infectious disease experts say while there is less infection than there once was, danger remains. Cloudy messaging from leaders only hurts the public health effort.
The doctors say to expect a tough winter with more flu, and a COVID wave. They suggest being vaccinated against both and, yes, they still value in wearing a mask in some situations. Related story: ‘Pandemic’ or ‘Endemic,’ COVID-19 isn’t going away and might pack a winter punch
If federal guidance on who needs a booster shot seems complicated and long, the state commissioner of health shortens it to two words: “should” and “may.”
In the first of two parts, leading physicians speak to the history of COVID-19, its possible origins, the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, and the the role of masking, among other topics.
In the second of two parts, Dr. Jon McCullers of UTHSC and Dr. William Schaffner from Vanderbilt Medical Center tackle questions about vaccination, length of immunity, ‘long COVID,’ the possibility of COVID ‘passports’ and continuing to live in a coronavirus world.
Sites across the nation were asked to recruit more 5- to 11-year-olds to get a broader look at vaccine side effects.
The 1918 influenza pandemic killed tens of millions worldwide, but 30 to 40 years later, it had evolved into a much less serious disease. COVID-19 will likely follow a similar path — never going away, but becoming less deadly over time.
Sunday, the situation was dire enough that Regional One Health diverted trauma cases to other emergency rooms.
The expansion includes enlarging the cardiovascular and neonatal floors, in addition to the surgery-recovery area and main floor.
But national headlines alleging the state is anti-vaccine don’t sit well with lawmakers and elected officials. Many say the difference between promoting vaccines and simply educating residents, particularly minors, is a fine line.
In a world with ever-increasing access to news and information, Americans find it more difficult to trust in core institutions, such as government, business and media, and in each other. But perhaps on the local level, there is more hope. Opinion: Reporters and readers have a shared responsibility to pursue truthRelated story:
Vaccination offers the best path to being protected against COVID-19, but even if herd immunity is achieved this novel coronavirus may be with us for decades — and perhaps longer considering its viral descendants.
Shortly after the CDC announced vaccinated Americans could ditch the masks in most situations, Shelby County government said Health Directive No. 21, set to go into effect Saturday, may be in for a rewrite.
In some ZIP codes, vaccination rates are less than half the rates in other parts of Shelby County.
Mayor Harris is gathering more advice this week, including hearing from the municipal mayors.
Dr. Manoj Jain has spent decades tracking viral and bacterial killers in Memphis and around the world.
Going forward, vaccinating the citizens of Shelby County against COVID-19 is under the authority of the City of Memphis after the state transferred custody of the vaccine and administration of the process away from county leaders. It took a dizzying array of missteps for this to occur, and Shelby County Commissioner Mick Wright says: “The public deserves to know what happened.” Related story:
County vaccination timeline
In an address to the Memphis Rotary Club, Dr. Jon McCullers gave a practical picture of the road ahead for Shelby County’s pandemic response in 2021.
Dr. Jon McCullers, a Memphis infectious disease expert, says greater ‘central control’ was needed at both the federal and state levels for a more effective response to the coronavirus pandemic.
On “Behind The Headlines,” Doug McGowen, the city’s chief operating officer, and Dr. Jon McCullers of UTHSC said multiple plans to vaccinate more than 600,000 people in Shelby County are ready to be used and adjusted to roll with the circumstances.
The COVID-19 vaccines now becoming available offer the hope of curtailing the pandemic, but may not be available to the masses for months — and not all automatically trust that the vaccine will be safe.
For perspective, the death toll for first nine months of the pandemic is 821 as of Tuesday, Dec. 22.
Data shows transmission happening in suburbs where athletic events are frequent and masks are fewer.
Four vaccine trials are in Phase 3, the final stage; none include children or other special populations.