Friday, September 10, 2021

Covid roundup: Pediatric hospitalizations up; Christian broadcasting group's spokesman fired after pro-vax op-ed

Here's a roundup of recent news about the pandemic and immunization efforts:

The number of children hospitalized for Covid-19 has soared over the summer, especially in the least-vaccinated states, leaving some children's hospitals and intensive-care units stretched thin. Read more here and here.

Stillbirths have doubled during the pandemic in Mississippi, the least-vaccinated state. State officials have recorded 72 stillbirths (spontaneous miscarriages after 20 weeks of gestation) among unvaccinated pregnant people who were infected with the coronavirus. Eight infected pregnant people have also died over the past month. Pregnant and recently pregnant people have a higher risk of becoming severely ill from the coronavirus, studies show. Read more here.

The rate of new coronavirus infections among babies and children under age 4 recently surpassed the rate of new cases among seniors. Experts discuss what steps pregnant people and parents can take to be safe. Read more here.

The spokesperson for the National Religious Broadcasters (an association of more than 1,000 Christian new media professionals) was fired at the end of August after encouraging people to get their coronavirus vaccines in a USA Today op-ed and an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." He was fired for violating the company's policy of staying neutral on vaccination, the CEO said on social media. Read more here.

Crowded jails and prisons drove millions of coronavirus infections, a new study has found. Read more here.

Coronavirus testing, hospital stays and emergency-room visits are about to get much more expensive for many Americans, as major insurers end the temporary waivers that reduced costs. Read more here.

A recent study found that unvaccinated people are 29 times more likely to be hospitalized with Covid-19 than vaccinated people. Many vaccinated people worry about breakthrough infections, but the risk depends on factors such as overall health, where someone lives, and what other risks they take. Vaccinated people who do get infected tend to suffer only mild symptoms, if any. Read more here.

People who have survived a coronavirus infection and then gotten vaccinated have what's called "hybrid immunity," and studies show it's impressively potent—not just against the Delta variant, but possibly future variants as well. Read more here.

Experts say it's especially important to get a flu shot this year: with Covid cases surging across the country, it may be difficult to get treated if you get the flu and it takes a turn for the worse. Also, getting the flu can weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to coronavirus infection—and getting both viruses one after the other could be dangerous. Read here for more answers to frequently asked questions.

Fully vaccinated people who get a breakthrough coronavirus infection are about half as likely as unvaccinated people to suffer from long Covid, a study has found. Read more here.

A respiratory therapist describes, in seven stages, how Covid-19 typically progresses among hospitalized patients. Read more here.

Experts recommend some tips for coping with pandemic anxiety this fall and winter. Read more here.

The share of American adults willing to get vaccinated rose 5 percentage points in the last month, according to a recent poll. Read more here.

People who were hospitalized for Covid-19 are twice as likely as usual to develop kidney disease afterward, researchers have found. Read more here.

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