UnityPoint plans to vaccinate 3,000 people this weekend in their clinics across the metro — as they continue to work through Phase 1B of the rollout.Right now, UnityPoint is reserving their vaccine allocation mostly for their 43,000 clients that meet the age requirement of 65 years old — since they’re the ones most likely to suffer the worst symptoms if they were to catch the virus. At their location on University Avenue on Des Moines’ east side, they plan to give 640 shots this weekend, and 3,000 across all their metro clinics.”I was eager to get it done, I want to get it done and get my second one, and hopefully get on with my life,” Ona Lovell said just minutes after receiving her first dose. Lovell says she’s barely left her house at all over the last year out of fear of the pandemic — and couldn’t wait for the shot.”I feel fine, it was actually easier than getting the flu shot,” she said.UnityPoint is also working with eight school districts, 17 child care facilities and first responders in five Polk County cities to get their phase 1B employees vaccinated.
DES MOINES, Iowa —
UnityPoint plans to vaccinate 3,000 people this weekend in their clinics across the metro — as they continue to work through Phase 1B of the rollout.
Right now, UnityPoint is reserving their vaccine allocation mostly for their 43,000 clients that meet the age requirement of 65 years old — since they’re the ones most likely to suffer the worst symptoms if they were to catch the virus.
At their location on University Avenue on Des Moines’ east side, they plan to give 640 shots this weekend, and 3,000 across all their metro clinics.
“I was eager to get it done, I want to get it done and get my second one, and hopefully get on with my life,” Ona Lovell said just minutes after receiving her first dose.
Lovell says she’s barely left her house at all over the last year out of fear of the pandemic — and couldn’t wait for the shot.
“I feel fine, it was actually easier than getting the flu shot,” she said.
UnityPoint is also working with eight school districts, 17 child care facilities and first responders in five Polk County cities to get their phase 1B employees vaccinated.
One man was shot several times Saturday evening in Harrisburg and is currently at the hospital, Lower Paxton Township Police said.
Officers are in the area near GQ Barber Shop, 4503 Locust Lane, where the incident occurred, Lt. Tom Bell said. No arrests have been made.
A man dressed in all black, who was wearing a black ski mask, walked up to a barber and opened fire, Bell said. The barber, whose condition is unknown, was shot several times, Bell said.
The shooting happened shortly before 6:30 p.m., Bell said. The shooter walked in, shot the man, and then fled, but officers do not know in which direction.
Police believe the shooting was targeted.
Anyone who lives in the area or may have been traveling in the area, and witnessed anything, or may have video footage of the shooter is asked to contact Lower Paxton Township Police at 717-657-5656.
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Experts are weighing in on when to take pain relievers for headaches or body aches and chills.
USA TODAY
Avoid pain relief medications just before getting the COVID-19 vaccine, but they are ‘perfectly fine’ to take after, experts say.
Headache, fever, body aches and chills.
While these are completely normal side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine – and a good sign your immune system is working – they can be unpleasant.
To minimize the discomfort, some Americans may turn to pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Others worry these medications could blunt the effectiveness of the vaccine.
Studies on the subject are sparse and inconsistent, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization both recommend against the preventive use of pain relievers,though allow them if symptoms develop after.
In a study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Virology, researchers found nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen can reduce the production of antibodies and impact other aspects of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Researchers said the study’s results raised the possibility that pain relievers such as ibuprofen could alter the immune response to the COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Colleen Kelley, an associate professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine who was not affiliated with the study, speculates this could be caused by reducing inflammation triggered by the immune system.
“The immune system generates a response through controlled inflammation. (Pain relievers) can reduce the production of inflammatory mediators,” she said. “So, this is the potential mechanism for a reduced immune response to vaccination if you take these medications.”
But Dr. Marian Michaels, a member of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s COVID-19 vaccine advisory committee, says studies have shown the immune system responds differently to the COVID-19 vaccine than it does to natural infection.
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“We believe that the (immune) response to the vaccine is actually a better response than the wild-type virus with COVID-19,” said Michaels, who is also a pediatric infectious disease physician at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. “For that very reason, even for someone who has had the infection in the past … we recommend that people still receive the vaccine.”
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One 2016 study from Duke University looked at the effectiveness of various vaccines among children and found those who took pain relievers before getting their regularly scheduled shots had fewer antibodies than those who didn’t.
However, the few studies that exist on pain relievers and vaccines are not robust enough to draw conclusions, experts say, as the children in the 2016 study who took pain relievers and showed fewer antibodies still had a sufficient immune response to provide protection.
There’s no data that shows a reduced immune response if the medications are taken after getting the vaccine to treat side effects, Kelley added.
‘Actively looking at it’: Will travelers need a negative COVID-19 test to board flights within the US? The CDC says it’s under consideration
“It’s perfectly fine to take NSAIDs or Tylenol if you are feeling unwell after vaccination,” Kelley said. “The symptoms you are experiencing indicate that your immune system is functioning normally and that the immune response is ongoing.”
Michaels notes that study participants were not prohibited to take pain relievers in either the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 trials and efficacy rates were still over 95%.
“While I don’t have the exact numbers of people in the research study … I’m sure a number of them took acetaminophen or ibuprofen because 70% had mild (side effects to the vaccine),” she said. “And yet, there was still an immunologic response.”
Follow Adrianna Rodriguez on Twitter: @AdriannaUSAT.
Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.
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Authorities announced Thursday two people in South Carolina have been diagnosed with a more infectious strain of the coronavirus first detected in South Africa. It’s the first time the variant has been reported in the U.S.
Also Thursday, New York Attorney General Letitia James released a report that found the state may have undercounted COVID-19 deaths of nursing home residents by as much as 50%. New York experienced the first major outbreak of the coronavirus last spring, and nursing homes were hit especially hard.
More than 430,000 people have died and more than 25.7 million cases have been reported in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic, according to NBC News.
Here are the latest coronavirus updates from the U.S. and elsewhere:
Johnson & Johnson’s COVID Vaccine Provides Strong Protection Against COVID-19, Was Less Effective Against New Variant
Johnson & Johnson says its vaccine appears to protect against COVID-19 with just one shot. It’s not as strong as some two-shot rivals but still potentially helpful for a world in dire need of more doses.
Results released Friday show the single-shot vaccine was 66% effective overall at preventing moderate to severe illness, and much more protective against the most serious symptoms.
The vaccine worked better in the U.S. compared to South Africa, where it was up against a tougher, mutated virus.. The company says it will file an application for emergency use soon in the U.S., and then abroad.
Read the full story here.
‘COVID Tongue’ May Be Another Virus Symptom, British Researcher Suggests
There may be another addition to the growing list of strange possible symptoms of the new coronavirus: “COVID tongue.”
A British researcher who is helping to track COVID-19 warning signs is reporting more cases of infected people complaining of tongue discoloration, enlargement and other mouth problems, NBC News reports.
“Seeing increasing numbers of Covid tongues and strange mouth ulcers. If you have a strange symptom or even just headache and fatigue stay at home!” Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, tweeted this month.
He believes more than a third of COVID-19 patients, 35 percent, have non-classic symptoms of the disease in the first three days, so it’s important to draw attention to skin rashes, Covid toes and other warning signs that “go ignored,” he wrote.
Spector did not reply to a request for comment, but other researchers have also reported tongue and mouth symptoms linked with the new coronavirus.
Read the full story on NBCNews.com
NJ Hospital Gave Early COVID Vaccines to Donors, Executives’ Relatives: Report
Some of the first people to get COVID-19 vaccinations at a New Jersey medical center were the relatives of top hospital executives and some of its trustees and donors, according to a published report.
The shots were administered by Hunterdon Medical Center in December and early January, at a time when only front-line health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities were eligible, NBC New York reports.
A registry of vaccine recipients, obtained by New Jersey 101.5 FM, indicated that shots had gone to two longtime donors to the hospital and at least seven spouses and two adult children of medical directors, administrators or executives at the health care network. The radio station said it was given the registry by a whistleblower, who it did not identify.
Some of the recipients were in their 20s, an age group unlikely to qualify for the vaccine for many months.
A hospital spokesperson said donors and board members weren’t given preference over eligible staff or at-risk individuals who were available, but that they received the vaccine when eligible recipients couldn’t be located rather than have the vaccine doses go to waste.
Apple tapped director Lulu Wang to showcase the cinematic features of the tech company’s latest iPhone.
Wang, who wrote and directed 2019 feature film “The Farewell,” directed a new short for Apple in celebration of Chinese New Year, “Nian,” which puts a fresh twist on a well-known Chinese folktale. (Watch above or at this link.) The 11-minute film was directed by Wang and her team from “The Farewell” and shot on an iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Apple, which just reported a blowout holiday 2020 quarter with a record $65.6 billion in iPhone sales, has touted the iPhone 12 Pro models as the best smartphone it’s ever made for filmmakers. They’re the first iPhones that can record HDR video in Dolby Vision, as well as provide the ability to edit 4K video at up to 60 frames per second directly on the phone. During the launch event last fall, Apple showed a 60-second film shot in HDR video with Dolby Vision on an iPhone 12 Pro by Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki (watch at this link.)
With the release of the iPhone 12, Apple sales in Greater China soared to an all-time high of $21.3 billion for December 2020 quarter — and with the promotional short “Nian,” Apple’s fourth annual Chinese New York film, the tech giant wants to keep the momentum going.
Wang and her crew worked on “Nian” remotely in the U.S. with a mirror crew on the ground in China because of COVID travel restrictions. The team used the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s Dolby Vision, low-light, ultra-wide lens, telephoto lens, stabilization and time-lapse features. The production featured hard-to-shoot night scenes and scenes set inside a cave, where space and lighting were limited.
“Nian” tells the story of a brave young girl’s determination to find — and confront — the widely feared Nian beast. When she comes face to face with him, she discovers that Nian is not at all terrifying and the two strike up a beautiful friendship based on acceptance.
“It’s really exciting that we have this opportunity to retell this ancient story, to capture these incredibly cinematic images with the iPhone, this very versatile device,” Wang said in a behind-the-scenes feature accompanying the film. She said the “Nian” team had “a lot of fun just trying to figure out where else can we stick the phone so we can get angles and perspectives that are just a little bit more unique.”
“We thought, ‘Oh, why don’t we just put the phone inside of the Nian’s mouth?’ I think the size of it allows us to get all kinds of cool, specialty shots that would be much harder to get with the traditional camera,” Wang said.
Wang, whose parents emigrated from China to the U.S. when she was 6, added, “As a child, my parents wanted me to go further than they have ever gone. And yet there’s also this fear that I was going into the unknown, and so I wanted to bring that theme into this film.”
“Nian” was produced by Iconoclast in association with Apple ad agency TBWAMedia Arts Lab (Shanghai). The film features an original score by Alex Weston.
Apple’s previous films marking the Chinese New Year are “Daughter” (2020), “The Bucket” (2019) and “Three Minutes” (2018).
Watch the behind-the-scenes clip of the making of Wang’s “Nian”:
Former Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson blasted the organization two weeks ago and defended Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson while taking a direct shot at Jack Easterby, the executive of football operations amid the trade rumors involving the team’s franchise QB.
“If I’m @deshaunwatson I will stand my ground,” Johnson wrote at the time. “The Texans organization is known for wasting players careers. Since Jack Easterby has walk into the building nothing good has happened in/for the organization and for some reason someone can’t seem to see what’s going on. Pathetic!!!”
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Now, two weeks later, another great player who used to play for the franchise decided it was his turn to take a shot at the organization. Running back Arian Foster, who is the leading rusher (6,472 yards) in franchise history, discussed the team and how they treated star players poorly.
“I do know that the organization had their troubles bringing in free agents, which I never really understood,” Foster said during an appearance on “The Gems and Juice” podcast. “They have their struggles in communicating with players. I’ve always thought this about the NFL in general, but my experience with Houston is that they really didn’t give a f–k about how you felt and what you said. It was like ‘you do what we say.’ And that’s another variable as to why I was like disassociated from the wins and losses s–t.
DESHAUN WATSON WANTS OUT NO MATTER WHO NEXT TEXANS COACH IS: REPORT
“It was like, ya’ll don’t give a f–k about my input. Maybe three coaches — tops — played at that level, [the others] just [have] been around the game,” Foster continued. “And so how the f–k can you not have input from people doing it at a high level, who are in it? I never understood that s–t. And so once you realize that you’re just a chess piece, then for me, it was just like, ‘alright, I’m just going to do what I can…I’m gonna play hard…do my thing…take care of my dues…but I’m here for a purpose.'”
Right now, the Texans are the only team in the NFL without a head coach, and even if they decide to hire Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy as the successor to Bill O’Brien, Watson reportedly still wants nothing to do with the franchise.
TEXANS GREAT ANDRE JOHNSON BLASTS ORGANIZATION AMID DESHAUN WATSON TRADE RUMORS
Originally, Watson reportedly wanted the Texans to ask for his input on their open general manager and head coaching positions, but the team’s owner Cal McNair went ahead and hired Nick Caserio from the New England Patriots for the general manager opening.
No matter who the Texans hire next it won’t change Watson’s mind and he is expected to still want out, ESPN reported.
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As trade rumors continue to circulate around Watson since reports came out that he was unhappy, the New York Jets appeared to have turned into a true contender to land one of the best quarterbacks in all of football.
Watson finished the 2020 NFL season with a league-high 4,823 passing yards to go along with 33 touchdowns and a career-low seven interceptions. The Texans, however, finished with a 4-12 record, and they were at the bottom of the barrel in the AFC South.
Vaccines are quickly averting serious cases of COVID-19 among the most vulnerable members of society, an Israeli healthcare provider has indicated.
The full effects of Pfizer’s vaccine are only slated to kick in around a month after the first shot, but data from Israel, home to the world’s fastest vaccination drive, has already shown that there is a stark drop in infections even before this point.
Attracting widespread international interest by sharing early data, Maccabi Healthcare Services reported earlier this month that it has seen a 60 percent reduction in coronavirus infections three weeks after the first shot is administered.
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But it wasn’t clear if the benefits were being felt equally by those who have a propensity to mild infection and those who would be likely to take COVID-19 badly.
An Israeli man receives a coronavirus vaccine at a Clalit vaccination center in Jerusalem on January 4, 2021. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)
Now, Maccabi is starting to answer the question that hospitals and health ministers around the world are anxiously asking, amid fears of health service meltdowns: How quickly will COVID-19 wards start to see the benefits of vaccination?
The decrease in hospital admissions is swift after vaccination, Maccabi suggests in its latest data, finding that hospitalizations start to fall sharply from Day 18 after people receive the first shot. Galia Rahav, head of infectious diseases at Israel’s largest hospital, Sheba Medical Center, described the data as “very important.”
By Day 23, which is 2 days after the second shot, there is a 60% drop in hospitalizations among vaccinated people aged 60-plus, Maccabi revealed after monitoring 50,777 patients. It compared their hospitalization rate at that point with their hospitalization rate soon after receiving the vaccine, using 7-day moving averages.
Israeli Prof. Galia Rahav in Tel Aviv on June 22, 2020.(Yossi Aloni/Flash90)
“This is very important data,” Rahav, who is unconnected to the study, told The Times of Israel. “It has an impact because amid high infection rates and the spread of variants it’s hard to see from general figures how vaccination is influencing things.
“By giving an insight into hospitalizations among just those elderly people who were vaccinated, this data is valuable.”
However, she cautioned that some of the drop may be due to a tendency of newly vaccinated people to adhere to lockdown rules, which causes a drop in infection and hospitalization.
The new data also supports Maccabi’s earlier claim of a 60% infection rate drop after three weeks, reporting that it saw the same drop with a new sample comprising only the 60-plus age group.
Maccabi’s graph gives a real picture of infection in Israel, showing that until Day 13, vaccinated over-60s had similar infection rates as the overall 60-plus population. Then, a gap opens, and by Day 23, there were 18 daily infections among the 50,777 overall, but just six among the vaccinated.
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