COVID Again

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🦠 Flashback: When everything changed

Four years ago today, Trump delivered a speech from the Oval Office announcing new travel restrictions from Europe after the WHO formally declared the COVID-19 pandemic.

Why it matters: March 11, 2020 — the same day Tom Hanks tested positive and the NBA canceled its season — is seared into the American psyche as the start of pandemic life as we know it.

What to watch: As he previewed at the State of the Union, expect Biden to remind voters on the campaign trail of the economic devastation and health crisis the U.S. faced four years ago — and where things stand today.

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The Red Cross did not ban people with COVID-19 vaccinations from donating blood

CLAIM: The American Red Cross banned people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine from donating blood because it is “tainted.”

https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-red-cross-donate-blood-covid-vaccine-372009322832?

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Florida COVID death toll nears 2,300 in 2024; experts urge updated vaccines

Although COVID-19 cases are currently low, nearly 2,300 people have died in Florida this year from a virus that refuses to disappear fully.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/04/11/florida-covid-death-toll-nears-2300-in-2024-experts-urge-updated-vaccines/?

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COVID's prison death toll

By Alex Fitzpatrick,  Nicole Cobler and Kavya Beheraj

Data: The Marshall Project via U.C. Irvine and Brigham and Women's Hospital; Note: Rates calculated using prison populations at the start of each year; Chart: Axios Visuals More Texas prisoners died during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic than in any other state, but the true death toll in prisons across the country is still unknown, researchers say. Why it matters: Although it's long been clear that prisons struggled to contain COVID outbreaks, there's still no official pandemic prison death toll — leaving the work up to a "patchwork of research groups and reporters," per the Marshall Project, a nonprofit criminal justice news outlet that analyzed the findings. Driving the news: Mortality in U.S. prisons increased 77% in 2020 compared to 2019 — more than three times higher than the free population during the worst phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published in Science Advances. In Texas, there were more than 49 deaths per 10,000 incarcerated people — nearly 700 total deaths — in 2020, a roughly 60% rise in the mortality rate from just one year prior. Flashback: The Marshall Project's analysis reflects earlier findings from University of Texas researchers. UT researchers in November 2020 found that people in Texas prisons tested positive for COVID-19 at a rate 40% higher than the national prison population and a 490% higher rate than the state's general population. What they're saying: The pandemic also kept people from getting access to health care, including preventative care, said Michele Deitch, who directs the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and led the 2020 prison research. "Even if a lot of the deaths aren't formally attributable to COVID, we know that there were disproportionate numbers of deaths during that time period," Deitch tells Axios. Older prison populations

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AstraZeneca pulls its COVID-19 vaccine from the European market

LONDON (AP) — The pharma giant AstraZeneca has requested that the European authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine be pulled, according to the EU medicines regulator.

https://apnews.com/article/astrazeneca-vaccine-covid-eu-a3c108dd0ca305cf1b6da764e9a37abc?

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FLiRT COVID-19: Maharashtra Reports 91 Cases of New Variant; Majority Seen in Pune and Thane

Maharashtra has recorded 91 cases of the new FLiRT COVID-19 variants, which also accounts for more than a third of cases in the US. However, there is no cause for worry as of now, a top expert said on Sunday.

https://weather.com/en-IN/india/coronavirus/news/2024-05-13-flirt-covid19-maharashtra-reports-91-cases-of-new-variant

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Why are people suddenly getting COVID-19 this summer? Insight into the uptick.

Just as summer gatherings begin, Americans are also catching COVID-19 again.

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/3505870217182-why-are-people-suddenly-getting-covid-19-this-summer-insight-into-the-uptick?

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Mapped: COVID rising

Data: CDC. Map: Rahul Mukherjee/Axios The annual summer surge of COVID infections has begun, Axios' Tina Reed writes. Why it matters: People congregating indoors to avoid extreme heat and a potentially record-setting July 4 travel period are expected to drive up infections. 🧮 By the numbers: Cases are growing or likely growing in 39 states, and they don't appear to be declining in any state, according to the latest CDC data. Hospitalizations and deaths remain low. Wastewater surveillance, one of the more reliable ways to track COVID since testing dropped off, shows COVID levels rising in the Midwest, Northeast and South.

[stinsonmarri]

 Dr. Conrad Vine stated: "The denomination’s 2015 position statement on immunizations should be retracted because it was released by a small circle of church bureaucrats that exceeded the mandate given to them by ordinary church members." This critique is not a call for rebellion but a critical analysis and thoughtful consideration of our denominations' stance on this issue.

What he stated was more critical than many seem to forget in the SDA Church. "We are not to think, as did the Jews, that our own ideas and opinions are infallible; nor with the papists, that certain individuals are the sole guardians of truth and knowledge, that men have no right to search the Scriptures for themselves but must accept the explanations given by the fathers of the church. We should not study the Bible for the purpose of sustaining our preconceived opinions but with the single object of learning what God has said..." 

  Yet, when a view of Scripture is presented, many do not ask, Is it true—in harmony with God’s word? But by whom is it advocated? Unless it comes through the very channel that pleases them, they do not accept it. So thoroughly satisfied are they with their own ideas that they will not examine the Scripture evidence with a desire to learn but refuse to be interested merely because of their prejudices. TM p. 105, 106

Now, many are saying this topic was about COVID-19! However, the Scriptures say these essential words are related to all sicknesses or diseases caused by sin. Today, it is even more prominent than ever before due to certain hateful events. Many appear to follow the same path that Israel of the past did.

And YAHWEH said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that everyone that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. Num 21:8, 9

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for MY NAME sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Mat 24:9-12        

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;  2Th 2:3                        

It is hard for me to believe that someone must show charts and facts about COVID-19 for SDA to stand and champion the good and just law for all people. This is not just a matter of belief but a responsibility and commitment we all share as members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Why are we each other neighbors? This country was chosen to lead, but it is crumbling. How could we, who are supposed to champion truth, know the disease that would be brought on a rebellious nation by YAHWEH for their iniquity? Had we all forgotten twice due to famine, Abraham first went to Egypt and lied about Sarah, his wife! But does anyone wonder why Pharoah hastenly sent them away with gifts? When Pharoah to Sarah, all of his household was plagued!  How did he know that because of the plagues, now he knew Sarah was Abraham's wife? He knew because, once again, many do not accept the fact that the Egyptians and the Kanaanites knew YAHWEH. Pharaoh knew who brought on that plague. (Gen 12:17-19) Now, I cannot understand for the life of me that no one read Genesis Chapter Twenty!  You had Melchizedek, King-Priest of Ursalim, named by the Jebusites, and Yerusalim by King David! But another nation in the land of Kanaan was called a righteous nation. Abimelech, king of Gerar, was a Philistine city. Here we go again. Egypt, Kanaan, and the Philistines knew YAHWEH before Abraham; the Bible proves it!

When Abraham came to this city, he told the same lie again. But this time, Abimelech had a dream:

 But ELOHIIYM came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife. But Abimelech had not come near her, and he said, YAHWEH, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? And ELOHIIYM said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. Gen 20:17  So Abraham prayed unto ELOHIIYM: and ELOHIIYM healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants, and they bear children. For YAHWEH had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife. Gen 20:3,4,617,18

Egypt had turned away from YAHWEH, but they knew exactly who had given them the plague. Abimelech was a righteous nation, and YAHWEH came to him in a dream. HE still locked up all the women's wombs, and Abimelech's genital was also struck, for Abraham to pray for them. Why? YAHWEH told Abimelech Abraham was a prophet! Abram had to repent and pray for them because of what he caused! This story serves as a reminder that even the righteous can be affected by the consequences of sin, and it underscores the importance of taking responsibility for our actions, including the potential harm caused by the spread of disease due to lack of immunization.

Here is my point: there is nothing new on this earth! It is just worse because love has waxed cold, and we are in the days of sorrow! Iniquity has infiltrated the church. We have allowed religion to override politics and fair justice. If you do not think that the three beasts'  Kingdoms in Daniel were allowing religion over politics, you do not understand the Bible. Nebuchadnezzar said it quite well in Chapter Five. He knew who THE SON of man was and confessed to Daniel his knowledge of the truth. Please take time and read it. The Pharisees wrote the Mishina and the Talmud, and we today accept their false doctrines instead of the truth of the Bible. COVID-19 was a plague, and just like the brass serpent, the vaccine was given by YAHWEH to save people. However, just like Annias and Sapphire, YAHWEH knows and sees your heart and mind. HE knows your thoughts and we don't! There are reasons some died taking the vaccine, and we will find out why, just like Moses had to die for what he did! He was still saved from the dead and is now living in Heaven. There is a separation that is coming! More plagues soon will fall on just the wicked! (Rev 9:5) You cannot force people to believe or to accept true and just laws of the land. They are putting up the Commandments and don't keep them themselves. Trying to force people to believe that they think they are righteous, but they are the opposite. YAHWEH is calling out to choose whom you will serve. It is a choice. We do not keep HIS Commandments, and many will not keep the just laws of this land. Sorrow is here, and Israel will be the HOUSE OF PRAYER OF YAHWEH for all people who choose to obey! Happy Sabbath!

 

[bonnie1962]

Biblically there isn"t anything in scripture that dictates  that all hold the same medical view, especially with the conflicting and ever changing medical viewpoints on covid vaccinations .

For the life of me I cannot see how the following has any bearing on whether or not I was covid vaccinated.

. Trying to force people to believe that they think they are righteous, but they are the opposite. YAHWEH is calling out to choose whom you will serve. It is a choice. We do not keep HIS Commandments, and many will not keep the just laws of this land. Sorrow is here, and Israel will be the HOUSE OF PRAYER OF YAHWEH for all people who choose to obey 

 

 

I have three siblings, my oldest brother was not vaccinated, he was critically ill with covid, Next oldest brother was fully vaccinated and was critically ill with covid, so ill I flew to Denver to be with him, I am vaccinated and contracted covid. Was able to get prescription for covid and had one bad 24 hours, youngest brother vaccinated and has had covid 3 times. Not seriously ill, felt like a bad cold.  The two have decided not to be vaccinated again repeatedly, not sure where I stand

 

Since when does the SDA church make vaccination a matter of belief or champion a "medical law for all people"?

It is hard for me to believe that someone must show charts and facts about COVID-19 for SDA to stand and champion the good and just law for all people. This is not just a matter of belief but a responsibility and commitment we all share as members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

 

This should be read and reread by some

We should not study the Bible for the purpose of "sustaining our preconceived opinions" but with the single object of learning what God has said..." 

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COVID variant LB.1 is rising across the US: Here's what you need to know about it

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is tracking the growth of the COVID-19 LB.1 variant as it begins to trail KP.3.

https://local.newsbreak.com/arkansas-state/3507724828973-covid-variant-lb1-is-rising-across-the-us-heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-it?

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Here are the numbers: COVID-19 is ticking up in some places, but levels remain low

Here’s a look at the state of COVID-19 in the U.S. as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention establishes its latest advice on vaccinations.

https://apnews.com/article/covid19-vaccines-deaths-hospitalizations-3258cacee8d5d2d08ddaf4341470a7de?

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Florida sees COVID-19 surge in emergency rooms, near past winter's peaks

Rates of COVID-19 have surged in Florida emergency rooms over recent weeks, according to new figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and are now near peaks not seen since the worst days of this past winter's wave of the virus.

https://local.newsbreak.com/florida-state/3517417588900-florida-sees-covid-19-surge-in-emergency-rooms-near-past-winters-peaks?

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Second gentleman Doug Emhoff tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday after experiencing mild symptoms, according to a Sunday statement from his office. Vice President Kamala Harris has tested negative for the virus and remains asymptomatic, the statement said. The couple were at an event with President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden on Thursday for an Independence Day celebration. CNN has reached out to the White House to ask whether the president is being tested. The positive case in Biden's inner circle comes as a summer wave of Covid-19 has already arrived in the US, the CDC says, with infections probably growing in at least 38 states.

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Checking in on COVID...

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

More people staying indoors because of extreme heat, plus a busy July 4 travel period, is expected to fuel more COVID infections amid a summer surge. The big picture: Fewer people are worrying about the virus, or taking tests when they feel sick. And while experts expect this summer wave to stay mild, COVID still poses a risk, especially for the immunocompromised and other medically vulnerable residents. State of play: Cases are growing or likely growing in 39 states as of July 2, according to the latest CDC data. That includes D.C., where there's a relatively tiny increase in people testing positive. Hospitalizations and deaths remain low. The KP.3 and KP.2 strains, descendants of the highly contagious JN.1 variant and among the so-called FLiRT variants, account for more than half of infections, according to the CDC. By the numbers: Test positivity in D.C. went up 1.1 percentage points to 5.7% as of the week ending June 29, according to the CDC. More recent results are expected this week. DC Health labels the transmission level as "low." About 1% of hospital beds in the city are serving COVID patients. Zoom out: Cases are more markedly increasing in the West. Test positivity was about 15% in California, Arizona, and Nevada as of June 29.

[Rahab]

Everyone is getting sick in our area.🤒

It’s all around us. LB 1  variant is what I’m being told.

[phkrause]

We've had more sick from covid in our church now than back when it first went rampant!! At least at the being, when we where told not to congregate together!! Told to put on masks, stay 6 ft apart, etc. When we actually opened churches, etc., back open again, and we wore our masks, sat and stayed about 6 ft apart and got our shots, etc. people actually did what was needed to do to keep each other safe. Since we've had this FL surgeon general who claims we don't need to stay safe because covid is a made up virus, etc., seems like we're going in the wrong direction.

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Biden has COVID-19 and he isn’t alone. Cases are rising across the US.

President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 following an event Wednesday in Las Vegas, the White House confirmed.

https://local.newsbreak.com/las-vegas-nv/3532505229605-biden-has-covid-19-and-he-isnt-alone-cases-are-rising-across-the-us?

Covid-19

 

President Biden has tested positive for Covid-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms, according to the White House. "I feel good," Biden, who is fully vaccinated and boosted, told reporters on Wednesday. The president plans to self-isolate in line with CDC guidance. It's unclear where and when Biden contracted Covid-19, but the sudden diagnosis will place him behind closed doors at a time when Democratic lawmakers have been clamoring to see him out front. Covid-19 levels across the US have risen in recent weeks, CDC data shows. During the week ending July 6, there was a 23.5% increase in emergency visits for Covid-19 compared with the previous week.

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COVID makes a summer comeback

By Tasha Tsiaperas and Adriel Bettelheim

Data: CDC; Map: Axios Visuals COVID-19 cases are increasing in Texas and across the country as a summertime wave expands. The big picture: New cases are growing or likely to grow in 45 states and territories, and more than half of the states have virus levels that are "very high" or "high," according to the Centers for Disease Control. Viral activity in wastewater is "very high" in Texas. The latest: President Biden tested positive for COVID this week while campaigning in Nevada, where test positivity in the region is increasing. Zoom in: New cases of the virus increased 41% in the first week of July compared to the prior week, per the most recent data from the Texas Department of State Health Services. 6,274 new cases were reported statewide in the week that ended July 6. Still, that number is below last summer's spike, when about twice as many people tested positive. Yes, but: Illnesses may be much higher because Texas no longer requires local health departments to report positive COVID cases. Large, metropolitan counties like Dallas, Harris and Tarrant still voluntarily report cases to the state, which reports them to the CDC. Threat level: COVID-19 cases have risen in the U.S. every summer, usually around July 4 travel. While hospitalizations remain low, the summertime surge poses a risk to the elderly, immunocompromised individuals, and those with respiratory or cardiac conditions. As people get more out-of-date with vaccination and the virus mutates, the risk of a severe wave becomes greater. What's next: Drugmakers are eyeing combination flu-COVID-19 vaccines that offer more convenience and protection against two respiratory viruses. The CDC recommends that everyone six months old and up receive updated vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax.

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Pharmacy stocks up on COVID-19 tests as Florida cases rise

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Florida is experiencing a significant rise in COVID-19 cases, with over 270,000 people testing positive this year according to the state's COVID-19 tracker. 

https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2024/07/28/covid-19-cases-surge-in-florida-

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COVID milestone

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

COVID is now the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S., down from third at the height of the pandemic, according to CDC data released today. The leading causes of death last year were heart disease, cancer and unintentional injuries. 🧮 By the numbers: Just over 3 million people died in the U.S. last year, about 6% less than the year before.

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Hope for a long COVID cure

Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios

Ohio State researchers are working toward a cure for long COVID, supported by the school's largest grant ever received for an infectious diseases study, Axios Columbus' Alissa Widman Neese reports. Why it matters: Long COVID is a complex condition that scientists have struggled to understand. It disables millions of Americans. 🔎 Zoom in: Some 17 million adults in America are dealing with long COVID, according to KFF. The symptoms can include fatigue, dizziness, chronic cough, chest pain, heart palpitations and gastrointestinal issues, National Institutes of Health researchers say. 54% of adults with long COVID say the symptoms limit their activities a little, and 25% say they limit activities a lot, per KFF. Driving the news: NIH awarded Ohio State researchers $15 million in hopes of finding a drug to treat, and ideally prevent, the condition. 🧪 How it works: The study is focused on a specific enzyme that certain COVID patients' cells produce in high levels. Previous OSU research, which resulted in the grant award, found that mice lacking the enzyme are protected from early and late symptoms of COVID, including lung inflammation and blood clots. Now researchers will work to develop techniques to target the enzyme in more cell types, with the goal of more effectively treating the disease. OSU professor Amal Amer, the grant's principal investigator, knows firsthand why this research is important after suffering from brain fog following a moderate bout with COVID. "It was the most disturbing experience of my life," she told Axios Columbus. "To suddenly lose the ability to think, put ideas together, follow a simple conversation, was devastating. I am among the few fortunate patients who recovered after several months." 🔭 What's next: The study will last five years. How quickly a cure may become available to patients isn't known. That depends if an existing drug could be used to target the enzyme in question, Amer says, or if a new one would need to be developed and tested, which would take longer.

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COVID Summer Surge Now Driven by New Variant KP.3.1.1

A brand-new and highly mutated coronavirus variant is pushing case counts higher and higher.

https://www.everydayhealth.com/coronavirus/covid-summer-surge-now-driven-by-new-variant-kp3-1-1/?

Aaron Rodgers says he regrets his ‘immunized’ comment in 2021 in an upcoming book about the QB

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says in a soon-to-be published book that he should have handled discussing his COVID-19 immunization status differently.

https://apnews.com/article/aaron-rodgers-packers-jets-book-6ee4e5608e3e2d9988853a310a6bf4ff?

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Covid-19 vaccines

 

The FDA may greenlight updated Covid-19 vaccines as soon as this week, sources tell CNN. A spokesperson for the FDA said the agency can't comment on the timing of product applications but noted that it "anticipates taking timely action to authorize or approve updated COVID-19 vaccines in order to make vaccines available this fall." The mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech will target the leading variants in circulation as the country experiences its largest summer wave in two years. In June, the CDC recommended that everyone over 6 months old receive updated Covid-19 and flu vaccines this year because protection provided by the shots appears to wane over time.

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A COVID-19 wave has surged in all US regions. Know the symptoms and new variant

The U.S. is experiencing its largest wave in COVID-19 cases since January.

https://www.newsbreak.com/usa-today-560565/3567070143466-a-covid-19-wave-has-surged-in-all-us-regions-know-the-symptoms-and-new-variant?