Malcolm Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 The CDC has relaxed COVID guidelines. Will schools and day cares follow suit? Story by The Canadian Press BOSTON (AP) — Four years after the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools and upended child care, the CDC says parents can start treating the virus like other respiratory illnesses. Gone are mandated isolation periods and masking. But will schools and child care centers agree? In case you’ve lost track: Before Friday, all Americans, including school children, were supposed to stay home for at least five days if they had COVID-19 and then mask for a set period of time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now, with COVID deaths and hospitalizations dropping, the CDC says children can go back to school when their overall symptoms improve and they’re fever-free for 24 hours without taking medication. Students are “encouraged” to wear a mask when they return. Still, the change may not affect how individual schools urge parents to react when their children fall sick. Schools and child care providers have a mixed record on following CDC recommendations and often look to local authorities for the ultimate word. And sometimes other goals, such as reducing absences, can influence a state or district’s decisions. The result can be a confusing array of policies among states and districts, not to mention workplaces — confounding parents whose lives have long been upended by the virus. “This is so confusing,” said Gloria Cunningham, a single mom in the Boston area. “I just don’t know what I should think of COVID now. Is it still a monster?” Cunningham, who manages a local store for a national restaurant chain, said her company requires her to take off 10 days if she gets COVID-19. And the school system where her son is in second grade has still been sending home COVID test kits for kids to use before returning to school after long breaks. “I feel like we should just do away with anything that treats COVID differently or keep all of the precautions,” she said. The public education system has long held varying policies on COVID. During the 2021-2022 school year, only 18 states followed CDC recommendations for mask-wearing in class. When the CDC lifted its masking guidelines in February of 2022, states like Massachusetts followed suit, but California kept the mask requirement for schools. And in the child care world, some providers have long used more stringent testing and isolation protocols than the CDC has recommended. Reasons have ranged from trying to prevent outbreaks to keeping staff healthy — both for their personal safety and to keep the day care open. Some states moved to more lenient guidelines ahead of the CDC. California and Oregon recently rescinded COVID-19 isolation requirements, and many districts followed their advice. In an attempt to minimize school absences and address an epidemic of chronic absenteeism, California has encouraged kids to come to school when mildly sick and said that students who test positive for coronavirus but are asymptomatic can attend school. Los Angeles and San Diego’s school systems, among others, have adopted that policy. But the majority of big-city districts around the country still have asked parents to isolate children for at least five days before returning to school. Some, including Boston and Atlanta, have required students to mask for another five days and report positive COVID-19 test results to the school. Some school leaders suggest the CDC's previous five-day isolation requirement was already only loosely followed. Official policy in Burlington, Massachusetts, has been to have students stay home for five days if they test positive. But Superintendent Eric Conti said the real policy, in effect, is: “It’s a virus. Deal with it.” That’s because COVID is managed at home, using the honor system. “Without school-based testing, no one can enforce a five-day COVID policy,” he said via text message. Ridley School District in the Philadelphia suburbs was already using a policy similar to the new CDC guidelines, said Superintendent Lee Ann Wentzel. Students who test positive for COVID must be fever-free without medication for at least 24 hours before returning to school. When they come back, they must mask for five days. Wentzel said the district is now considering dropping the masking requirement because of the new CDC guidance. A school or day care's specific guidelines are consequential for working parents who must miss work if their child can’t go to school or child care. In October 2023, during simultaneous surges of COVID, respiratory syncytial virus and influenza, 104,000 adults reported missing work because of child care issues, the highest number in at least a decade. That number has fallen: Last month, child care problems meant 41,000 adults missed work, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Melissa Colagrosso’s child care center in West Virginia dropped special guidelines for COVID about a year ago, she said. Now, they’re the same as other illnesses: A child must be free of severe symptoms such as fever for at least 24 hours before returning to the center. “We certainly are treating COVID just like we would treat flu or hand, foot and mouth” disease, said Colagrosso, CEO of A Place To Grow Children’s Center in Oak Hill. As for kids without symptoms who test positive for COVID? Most parents have stopped testing kids unless they have symptoms, Colagrasso said, so it’s a quandary she has not encountered. Still, some parents worry the relaxed rules put their communities at greater risk. Evelyn Alemán leads a group of Latino and Indigenous immigrant parents in Los Angeles County. The parents she represents, many of whom suffer from chronic illnesses and lack of access to health care, panicked when California did away with isolation requirements in January. “I don’t think they’re considering what the impact will be for our families,” she said of California officials. “It feels like they don’t care – that we’re almost expendable.” Other impacts of the pandemic linger, too, even as restrictions are lifted. In Ridley, the Philadelphia-area district, more students are reclusive and struggle to interact in-person with peers, said Wentzel, the superintendent. Interest in school dances has plummeted. "Emotionally," Wentzel said, “they’re having trouble.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted March 2 Author Share Posted March 2 Public health reports cases of measles in Laval and Montreal, urges people to get vaccinated | CBC News Loaded Montreal Public health reports cases of measles in Laval and Montreal, urges people to get vaccinated Quebec Public Health Director suspects community transmission CBC News · Posted: Mar 01, 2024 5:42 AM MST | Last Updated: March 1 This illustration provides a 3D graphical representation of a spherical-shaped, measles virus particle. Early symptoms of the virus include fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, and sore throat. It's followed by a rash that spreads over the body. (Alissa Eckert/CDC) n Measles might be spreading through community transmission in Quebec, the province's public health director, Dr. Luc Boileau, is warning. There are currently four confirmed cases in Quebec. Dr. Boileau says four more cases might be confirmed in the next few hours. The most recent confirmed case was reported by Laval Public Health. The infected person was unvaccinated, did not travel and was not in contact with a known case of measles, the health agency said in a Thursday news release, adding that community transmission is therefore possible. "That worries us," said Dr. Boileau. While the person was highly contagious, they visited a school in Laval, a corner store, a medical clinic and hospital. The infected person has been isolated at home since Feb. 26. Laval public health officials say they're doing contact tracing at the locations frequented by the infected person. They're also asking medical professionals to flag likely cases of measles immediately without waiting for positive lab results. Two other cases were recently reported in Montreal by the city's public health department. They were in the same family. Public health officials flag measles case in Montreal York Region Public Health investigating adult case of measles with 'unknown' infection source There have also been cases of measles reported in other parts of Canada, notably in York Region, Ont., where the person affected hadn't travelled recently or been in contact with another case of measles. The specific locations frequented by the infected person in Laval are: École internationale des Aventuriers in Laval from Feb. 19 to Feb. 20. The Couche-Tard at 800 Chomeday Blvd., in Laval from Feb. 19 to Feb. 20. The person was there for 10 minutes sometime between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. The waiting room at the Centre Médical Mieux-Être on Henri Bourassa Boulevard on Feb. 25. The person was there between 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. The second floor of the CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital on Feb. 21 between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The emergency room of that same hospital on Feb. 26 between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. Vaccines key part of the solution With March break around the corner, Quebec's Ministry of Health and Social Services is urging people to get vaccinated to limit the spread of the virus. "We have information that leads us to believe that there's a resistance to vaccines that has slowly established itself in the population," says Dr. Boileau. Opposition to vaccination among parents grows, poll suggests There are certain communities that have lower vaccination rates than others which puts several people at risk, he adds — Montreal being one of them. The measles vaccine is covered by Quebec's immunization program. The Ministry of Health and Social Services' goal is to see every region reach a 95 per cent vaccination rate. "We're worried by Montreal but it's not the only region that falls short of the 95 per cent," says Dr. Boileau. He said that because vaccination rates of children at schools in some parts of Montreal are very low — he told Radio-Canada below 80 per cent — it's important to keep an eye on the city as the situation evolves. With March break travel weeks away, local health officials urge people to get measles vaccine Measles is highly contagious, the virus can remain active and contagious for up to two hours in a room even after an infected person has left, and it has a long incubation period — usually between 10 and 14 days. Its symptoms include fever, cough and a bumpy, red rash. Common complications are ear infections and diarrhea. In rare cases, measles can be fatal. The two-dose vaccine against measles is more than 95 per cent effective at preventing infection, according to Montreal Public Health. CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|About CBC News Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted March 2 Author Share Posted March 2 One of the most contagious diseases Measles is one of the most contagious diseases humans have ever faced. An ancient disease, it was described as early as the 9th century by Persian physician and scholar Abū Bakr Muhammad Zakariyyā Rāzī (also known by the Europeanized name Rhazes). It became more widespread as global exploration increased in the 16th century. In 1757, Scottish doctor Francis Home discovered that measles was caused by a pathogen: he transmitted the disease to healthy individuals using the blood of infected patients and demonstrated that it was caused by an infectious agent. Regions of the world without previous exposure to the measles virus were particularly vulnerable: outbreaks of the virus took devastating effect in isolated communities such as the Faroe Islands in 1846, Hawai`i in 1848, Fiji in 1875 and Rotuma in 1911. Before the advent of vaccination, measles had long been endemic around the world – and it remains a worldwide epidemic disease. In developed countries, advances in the health of communities – including better nutrition – meant mortality rates had dropped by the twentieth century. The availability of antibiotics, while powerless against the virus itself, could also help fight complications such as bacterial pneumonia. Yet common complications such as ear infections, croup, diarrhoea and pneumonia caused thousands of hospitalizations annually, and encephalitis, a more serious complication involving swelling of the brain, could result in brain damage, loss of hearing or vision, and death. Globally, mortality rates remained high, with approximately 30 million cases and over 2 million deaths occurring each year. In 1954, a measles outbreak at a boarding school just outside Boston, Massachusetts provided an opportunity for doctors at Boston Children’s Hospital to try and isolate the measles virus, taking throat swabs and blood samples from infected students. The culture that Thomas Peebles, MD obtained from 11-year-old schoolboy David Edmonston successfully led to the virus’s cultivation and enabled doctors to create the first vaccine against measles. John Franklin Enders, Peebles’s boss, often called ‘the father of modern vaccines’, developed the measles vaccine from the ‘Edmonston-B’ strain, named after David and used as the basis for most live-attenuated vaccines to this day. Enders and his team tested their measles vaccine on small groups of children from 1958 to 1960, before beginning trials on thousands of children in New York City and Nigeria. In 1961 it was hailed as 100% effective and the first measles vaccine was licensed for public use in 1963. Individual countries introduced mass vaccination programmes against measles at the national level from the 1960s on, and the first internationally focused measles immunization programmes took place in Africa from 1966. WHO worked with the governments of over 20 newly independent and decolonizing countries in western and central Africa, alongside the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Centres for Disease Control (CDC), to administer vaccinations with the joint aim of controlling measles and eradicating smallpox. Despite challenges such as the difficulty of maintaining the cold chain when transporting and storing the heat-sensitive vaccine, these campaigns provided evidence that vaccination was effective against measles, and by May 1967 The Gambia became the first country in the world in which transmission of the virus was interrupted. An improved version of the measles vaccine was created in 1968 when Dr Maurice Hilleman, a pioneer in vaccine development, passed the virus through chick embryo cells 40 times to weaken it, producing a vaccine that did not cause such severe side effects. This weaker version, known as the Edmonston-Enders strain, was developed into some of the strains still used in measles vaccines today. In 1971 Hilleman combined the recently developed vaccines against measles, mumps and rubella into the MMR vaccine, administered as a single shot, with one booster dose following – and in 2005, the varicella vaccine was added, to make the combined MMRV vaccine. Standalone measles vaccines remain available in many countries. In 1974, measles was among the first diseases targeted by the World Health Organization (WHO) when it established the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI, now the Essential Programme on Immunization) to develop and expand immunization programmes throughout the world. Widespread childhood vaccination against measles has drastically reduced disease rates worldwide. WHO now recommends vaccination at 9 months for babies in areas where measles is common, and at 12–15 months for those in other areas. A second dose is recommended for all children, essential to protect the approximately 15% of children who don’t develop protective immunity after their first dose. Measles elimination efforts in the Americas Region started in 1991 and all those 9-15 years of age in the region were vaccinated with an additional dose of measles vaccine. The strategies for elimination in use today were first developed and implemented in the Region of the Americas. A minor setback for the success of the measles vaccination programme occurred in 1998, when a fraudulent research paper was published in ‘The Lancet’, asserting a link between the MMR vaccine and autism without any robust scientific evidence. The influence of this paper, along with systemic misinformation by anti-vaccination groups in high-income countries, resulted in a drop in vaccination rates, below the level required for community protection, which caused a resurgence in measles cases in England and Wales, as well as parts of the USA and Canada. In 2010 the British General Medical Council ruled that the study’s lead author engaged in misconduct. The paper was formally retracted by ‘The Lancet’, and its author was banned from practising medicine. Because measles has such a high infectivity rate, the threshold for community protection is also very high, requiring at least 95% immunity among the population to prevent epidemics. The failure to maintain very high rates of immunization can result in outbreaks when the disease is reintroduced. In addition to the suffering caused by measles, containing outbreaks is costly and detracts from other health care services. Measles deaths continue to occur in many countries, especially those with gaps in their immunization programmes. For example, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 2299 people died during the Ebola epidemic of 2018–2020, compared with 7,800 deaths from measles during an outbreak in the same time period. The region of the Americas was declared free of endemic measles in 2016 by an independent body of experts, becoming the first WHO region to achieve this distinction of having eliminated measles. But this status was lost two years later due to a measles outbreak, initiated by a social and political crisis in one country where there were gaps in vaccination coverage and delays in implementing a rapid response. The virus spread to neighboring countries where it was successfully controlled. To address these issues, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO, the WHO Regional Office for the Americas), has trained countries in rapid response to avoid measles and rubella virus spreading, improved surveillance, and launched renewed high-quality follow up vaccination campaigns. Between 2000 and 2020, measles vaccination prevented an estimated 31.7 million deaths worldwide. But even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available, global measles deaths continued to climb prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019 there were over 207 000 measles deaths globally, and the highest number of reported cases in 23 years. Watch this video and learn the five things to know about measles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deicer Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 Here we go again. Personally, I don't want to go through another 3 years of this just because someone doesn't believe in vaccination. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted March 2 Author Share Posted March 2 15 minutes ago, deicer said: Here we go again. Personally, I don't want to go through another 3 years of this just because someone doesn't believe in vaccination. Well it appears ...... Since COVID began, more parents now say they're 'really against vaccinating' their children, new survey shows Anti-vaccine sentiments grow among Canadian parents: survey | CTV News Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deicer Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 Well, I am a believer that if that is the case, remove all regulations and let Darwinism take over. Just ensure that vaccines are available to those who are smart enough to want them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted March 2 Author Share Posted March 2 Travel health notices Global Measles Notice Level 1 - Practise health precautions (more details) Original publication date: July 23, 2019 Updated: August 31, 2023 Current Situation Measles outbreaks are occurring in every region of the world. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries may have delayed measles vaccination campaigns. This increases the risk of bigger outbreaks occurring around the world. Anyone who is not protected against measles is at risk of being infected with it when travelling internationally. Most measles outbreaks in Canada are the result of returning travellers who were infected abroad. Regardless of where you are going, talk to a health care professional at least 6 weeks before travelling to make sure you are fully protected against measles. About measles Measles is a highly contagious disease. It can spread quickly from person to person by direct contact and through droplets in the air. Initial symptoms include: fever cough runny nose small, white spots inside the mouth and throat redeyes sleepiness irritability (feeling cranky or in a bad mood) About 3 to 7 days after symptoms begin, a red blotchy rash develops on the face and spreads down the body. The rash can last 4-7 days. Measles can be contagious from 4 days before until 4 days after the rash appears. While measles spreads routinely in many parts of the world, it does not naturally circulate in Canada. However, cases have been reported in travellers to Canada from countries where measles is a concern. An infected traveller can spread measles to groups of people who are not vaccinated in Canada and cause an outbreak or can infect those who are most vulnerable and unable to be vaccinated (e.g. young infants and immunocompromised people). Travellers are at an increased risk of measles infection if they: have not had measles, or have not received the age-appropriate recommended doses of the measles vaccine Recommendations Consult a health care professional or visit a travel health clinic at least 6 weeks before you travel. Get vaccinated for measles Protection against measles is especially important for people planning travel. In Canada, the measles vaccine is part of our routine immunization schedule; however, you may require an additional dose before travelling outside of Canada. The following is recommended when travelling outside of Canada: Travellers born BEFORE 1970: should make sure that they have received 1 dose of the vaccine; or have laboratory evidence of immunity (e.g. through blood testing); or are considered immune due to a history of laboratory-confirmed measles disease Travellers born in 1970 or AFTER (12 months or older): should make sure that they have received 2 doses of the measles vaccine. Travelling infants (6 months to 12 months of age): if you are travelling with an infant to regions where measles is a concern, the vaccine may be given as early as 6 months of age. If this is the case, the routine 2-dose series must be restarted on or after the first birthday. A total of 3 doses are given. Wash your hands frequently Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available. Keep a bottle with you when you travel. Practise proper cough and sneeze etiquette Cover your mouth and nose with your arm to reduce the spread of germs. Dispose of tissues as soon as possible after use, and wash your hands. Monitor your health See a health care professional if you develop symptoms of measles when travelling or after you return to Canada: Alert the health care professional about your symptoms before your appointment, so they can take proper precautions. Tell the health care professional which countries you have visited. Avoid close contact with other people to reduce the chance of infecting others if you: have symptoms of measles have been exposed to someone who has measles If you notice symptoms of measles during the flight, tell the flight attendant before you land or the border services officer as you enter the country. They will notify a quarantine officer who can assess your symptoms. Registration of Canadians Abroad Sign up with the Registration of Canadians Abroad service to stay connected with the Government of Canada in case of an emergency abroad or an emergency at home. Other Resources CDC - Global Measles Outbreaks CDC - Measles Cases and Outbreaks European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control: Epidemiological updates on measles outbreaks in Europe World Health Organisation: Measles fact sheet European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control - Monthly measles and rubella monitoring reports Related links Measles: Symptoms and treatment Public Health Agency of Canada: Canadian Immunization Guide Travel Vaccinations If you become sick or injured while travelling outside Canada or after your return Date modified: 2023-08-31 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker Posted March 3 Share Posted March 3 Here's the problem; Measles are real. It's a serious health concern. The Measles vaccine works. People no longer believe in the science of vaccination because the government and medical professionals lied to them about Covid and the Covid vaccine. Spoiler - it's not really a vaccine. That's it. Simple. The government and medical professionals took the good faith and accumulated trust of the population and squandered it on an agenda driven narrative. So, here we are. We were lied to and told that something was "safe and effective" and that it was a "vaccine". It's didn't work so now people don't believe in other vaccines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deicer Posted March 3 Share Posted March 3 9 hours ago, Seeker said: Here's the problem; Measles are real. It's a serious health concern. The Measles vaccine works. People no longer believe in the science of vaccination because the government and medical professionals lied to them about Covid and the Covid vaccine. Spoiler - it's not really a vaccine. That's it. Simple. The government and medical professionals took the good faith and accumulated trust of the population and squandered it on an agenda driven narrative. So, here we are. We were lied to and told that something was "safe and effective" and that it was a "vaccine". It's didn't work so now people don't believe in other vaccines. You make the statement that the covid vaccine isn't really a vaccine. Pretty strong accusation! Do you have anything to back up that statement or is it just your opinion? That's too strong a statement to let slide. Most of the evidence has shown that it has saved lives, and even those that spread the biggest lies about it got the shot(ahem, trump). https://www.everydayhealth.com/coronavirus/biggest-covid-vaccine-myths/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker Posted March 3 Share Posted March 3 It doesn't matter what I think or my opinion. We're talking about why people aren't choosing to take the Measles vaccine. The reason for that is that people have lost faith in the system. 1. Before Covid a vaccine was a certain thing. It operated in a certain way and the vast majority of people believed in their efficacy and safety. 2. During Covid a new injectable was developed. It operated in a completely different way. It was not a vaccine - did not fit the definition of "vaccine". I watched, basically in real-time, the definition being changed to include the new products. Now, this may be fair. Maybe the definition needed to be updated as new products and technology becomes available but the problem is that adding the new products into the group effectively piggybacks on the public's perception of the old products. It gives respectability that hasn't been earned. When (if) the new products fail to live up to the expected standard it drags down the whole group of products. 3. I'm not going to get into a long discussion about whether it works or not, whether it saves lives and how many - not going to spend my day scouring the internet and collecting links. The point is that a significant percentage of the population doesn't feel they were given the truth about Covid or the various products being used to treat and prevent getting it and therefore when presented with the opportunity to get the measles vaccine - they decline. Their trust was squandered. Obviously this is regrettable. 4. Don't want to talk about Trump. Edit...I said above that I wouldn't post links but then found this one that does a really good job of laying out the problem; https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2024597118 That's an interesting, and complicated, article that's hard to get my head around. Essentially it says that hiding the negative aspects of the Covid vaccine (possible low effectiveness, possible negative side-effects, etc) to meet the short term goal of getting people vaccinated will result in significant long-term reputational damage and loss of trust. Exactly what we see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deicer Posted March 3 Share Posted March 3 Very interesting article on the psychology of vaccination. I feel your point #3 is most important. I agree that trust was squandered, and it's confirmed by your link. What it comes down to and needs discussion is where the distrust came from? Who started the whole 'anti-vax' sentiment (and it doesn't involve trump because it started before him) and benefitted from the misinformation? From the very good website that you found your link, they have another article on the science of disinformation that answers a lot of the questions that we are talking about. In the past people would get their information from trusted sources. (Family doctor, news, etc) but with the explosive proliferation of the internet, it has allowed for the more widespread sharing of disinformation. It is also interesting to see how that information is absorbed. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1517441113 RESEARCH ARTICLE PHYSICAL SCIENCES OPEN ACCESS The spreading of misinformation online Significance The wide availability of user-provided content in online social media facilitates the aggregation of people around common interests, worldviews, and narratives. However, the World Wide Web is a fruitful environment for the massive diffusion of unverified rumors. In this work, using a massive quantitative analysis of Facebook, we show that information related to distinct narratives––conspiracy theories and scientific news––generates homogeneous and polarized communities (i.e., echo chambers) having similar information consumption patterns. Then, we derive a data-driven percolation model of rumor spreading that demonstrates that homogeneity and polarization are the main determinants for predicting cascades’ size. Conclusions Digital misinformation has become so pervasive in online social media that it has been listed by the WEF as one of the main threats to human society. Whether a news item, either substantiated or not, is accepted as true by a user may be strongly affected by social norms or by how much it coheres with the user’s system of beliefs (32, 33). Many mechanisms cause false information to gain acceptance, which in turn generate false beliefs that, once adopted by an individual, are highly resistant to correction (34–37). In this work, using extensive quantitative analysis and data-driven modeling, we provide important insights toward the understanding of the mechanism behind rumor spreading. Our findings show that users mostly tend to select and share content related to a specific narrative and to ignore the rest. In particular, we show that social homogeneity is the primary driver of content diffusion, and one frequent result is the formation of homogeneous, polarized clusters. Most of the times the information is taken by a friend having the same profile (polarization)––i.e., belonging to the same echo chamber. We also find that although consumers of science news and conspiracy theories show similar consumption patterns with respect to content, their cascades differ. Our analysis shows that for science and conspiracy news a cascade’s lifetime has a probability peak in the first 2 h, followed by a rapid decrease. Although the consumption patterns are similar, cascade lifetime as a function of the size differs greatly. These results suggest that news assimilation differs according to the categories. Science news is usually assimilated, i.e., it reaches a higher level of diffusion, quickly, and a longer lifetime does not correspond to a higher level of interest. Conversely, conspiracy rumors are assimilated more slowly and show a positive relation between lifetime and size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted March 3 Author Share Posted March 3 Florida is swamped by disease outbreaks as quackery replaces science Story by Richard Luscombe in Miami • 3h Ladapo, a politically appointed acolyte of DeSantis, wrote to parents telling them its fine for children to send their kids to school amid a measles outbreak. Photograph: Chris O’Meara/AP© Photograph: Chris O’Meara/AP Shortly before Joseph Ladapo was sworn in as Florida’s surgeon general in 2022, the New Yorker ran a short column welcoming the vaccine-skeptic doctor to his new role, and highlighting his advocacy for the use of leeches in public health. It was satire of course, a teasing of the Harvard-educated physician for his unorthodox medical views, which include a steadfast belief that life-saving Covid shots are the work of the devil, and that opening a window is the preferred treatment for the inhalation of toxic fumes from gas stoves. Related: ‘Not a disease you want to relive’: why is the US seeing outbreaks of measles? But now, with an entirely preventable outbreak of measles spreading across Florida, medical experts are questioning if quackery really has become official health policy in the nation’s third most-populous state. As the highly contagious disease raged in a Broward county elementary school, Ladapo, a politically appointed acolyte of Florida’s far-right governor Ron DeSantis, wrote to parents telling them it was perfectly fine for parents to continue to send in their unvaccinated children. “The surgeon general is Ron DeSantis’s lapdog, and says whatever DeSantis wants him to say,” said Dr Robert Speth, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at south Florida’s Nova Southeastern University with more than four decades of research experience. “His statements are more political than medical and that’s a horrible disservice to the citizens of Florida. He’s somebody whose job is to protect public health, and he’s doing the exact opposite.” Related video: Florida surgeon general defies science amid measles outbreak (The Washington Post (Video)) Loaded: 15.49% Play Current Time 0:01 / Duration 1:56 Quality Settings Captions Fullscreen The Washington Post (Video) Florida surgeon general defies science amid measles outbreak Unmute 0 View on Watch Ladapo’s advice deferring to parents or guardians a decision about school attendance directly contradicts the official recommendation of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which calls for a 21-day period of quarantine for anybody without a history of prior infection or immunization. It is also in keeping with Ladapo’s previous maverick proclamations about vaccines that health professionals say pose an unacceptable danger to the health of Florida residents. They include official guidance to shun mRNA Covid-19 boosters based on easily disprovable conspiracy theories that the shots alter human DNA and can potentially cause cancer – “scientific nonsense” in the view of Dr Ashish Jha, a former White House Covid response coordinator. Meanwhile, with measles having been eradicated in the US since 2000, the disease’s resurgence, paired with Ladapo’s latest misadventure, have prompted a new round of mocking commentary. Florida: Come for the Sunshine, Leave With the Measles, opined the Orlando Sentinel; “Measles? So On-brand for Florida’s Descent Into the 1950s”, was the take of the Tampa Bay Times. His statements are more political than medical and that’s a horrible disservice to the citizens of Florida Dr Robert Speth The backlash prompted the Florida department of health to publish “clarifying information” this week, in which it insisted that the stay-at-home recommendation had in fact been given to parents at Manatee Bay elementary school, and attempted to blame the media for “reporting false information and politicizing this outbreak”. Department officials repeated the claim in a subsequent statement. “The media has continued to peddle the narrative that Dr Ladapo has defied science in his recent letter. In reality, he has used available data and immunity rates to drive policy decisions impacting Manatee Bay Elementary,” the deputy press secretary Grant Kemp said. “97% of students at Manatee Bay Elementary have received at least one dose of the MMR immunization. Outbreaks are occurring in multiple states, and the national immunization rate for measles is less than 92%.” Reporting false information, incidentally, is something Ladapo is familiar with himself. He was found to have personally manipulated data in a 2022 study of Covid-19 vaccines to wrongly assert they posed an elevated risk of cardiac illness or death in young men. To Speth, and numerous other medical experts, Ladapo’s risky succession of positions denying even the most obvious benefits of immunization and vaccination is a symptom of a wider political assault by the rightwing, which carries deadly potential. Its origins, Speth believes, lie in a long-discredited study by the disgraced British former doctor Andrew Wakefield falsely tying the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism, but which was enthusiastically embraced by anti-vaxxers and other extremists in the US. “The Wakefield study was a gross fraud, yet today up to 25% of our population believes it, and opportunistic politicians seize on the sentiment to tell people what they want to hear about the danger of vaccines,” he said. “Republicans are at war with medical science, and that’s a horrible tragedy. But I feel like Cassandra, talking about the public health threat. We’re going to start seeing a lot more children die of infectious diseases that could be prevented if they were vaccinated.” Ladapo has been hailed a “superstar” by DeSantis, who sidelined then dumped his predecessor Scott Rivkees for contradicting the governor’s position on social distancing and face masks during the Covid-19 pandemic. Ladapo became a vocal cheerleader of the governor’s anti-mask, vaccine and lockdown decrees; and was a prominent member of Frontline Doctors of America, a fringe cluster of radical physicians that pushed ineffective medicines such as ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine as a cure for the virus. To pretend that the vaccine is unnecessary to eradicate measles is completely illogical, because that’s the reason it’s been gone from our country Tina Polksy The group’s founder, Simone Gold, received a 60-day prison sentence in 2022 for taking part in the 6 January Capitol riot. Additionally, Ladapo was a signatory to the Great Barrington Declaration, an open letter claimed to have been signed by 15,000 scientists and medical professionals calling for a herd immunity approach to Covid, but which included a multitude of spoof names including Dr Johnny Bananas, Dr Person Fakename and Dr I P Freely. Democrats in Florida say Ladapo’s handling of the measles outbreak is one more reason why they believe he is unsuited for a job in which he earns in excess of $600,000 a year, paid almost equally by the state and University of Florida, where he was given tenured professorship as an incentive to come. “What’s so sad about it is it’s completely preventable,” said state senator Tina Polksy, who has been one of Ladapo’s staunchest critics. “In a moment of crisis we need the best level-headed people to be running that department of health, and now we’re in our next crisis after Covid and we have someone who doesn’t want to follow accepted scientific guidelines in charge. “To pretend that the vaccine is unnecessary to eradicate measles is completely illogical, because that’s the reason it’s been gone from our country. It will have some devastating outcomes, it’s going to scare a lot of people, and kids are going to be out of school, which has its own negative outcomes.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted March 3 Author Share Posted March 3 Measles cases in Quebec underscore importance of vaccination, doctor says | Watch (msn.com) Measles resurgence in Europe has Canadian medical experts on edge | Canada Tonight | Watch (msn.com) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 1st case of measles reported in B.C. over the weekend: Health Ministry CTV National News: Rapid spread of measles UP NEXT 01:55 Alarm over possible measles outbreak in Canada 04:28 Bogoch on measles: 'This is a big deal' Alyse Kotyk CTVNewsVancouver.ca Journalist Follow | Contact Updated March 4, 2024 9:32 a.m. MST Published March 4, 2024 9:08 a.m. MST One case of measles was reported in B.C. over the weekend, the provincial Ministry of Health confirmed in a statement Monday morning. This weekend's confirmed case is the first the province has recorded since 2019. As of Feb. 29, nine other cases of the disease have been confirmed across Canada. B.C.'s Health Ministry announced the case in a statement warning locals to confirm their immunization records, especially before going on spring break trips. "With measles outbreaks being reported internationally and spring break on the horizon, the provincial health officer, BC Centre for Disease Control and public health officials are reminding people in British Columbia to check their vaccination records before travelling to ensure they are protected," the statement said. RELATED STORIES Going away for spring break? Here's what B.C.'s Health Ministry says about measles warnings Measles the 'most transmissible infection on the planet,' warns expert Are you fully immunized against measles? Canada's public health agency says to check Globally, measles cases are on the rise. The World Health Organization reported a 79-per-cent increase in cases in 2023, compared to 2022. The Public Health Agency of Canada said last month there has been a "notable recent increase" in cases in Europe. 1st case since 2019 B.C. hasn't recorded any cases of measles in several years. In 2019, which is the last time the disease was reported in the province, 31 cases were recorded. That year, several cases in the province were linked to travel from the Philippines and Vietnam, where large outbreaks were happening at the time. Other cases were linked to travel from the United States. Just under half of the 2019 cases were among youth aged 19 and younger. In 2018, nine cases were recorded in B.C. Protection against measles Adults and children who have received two doses of measles vaccine are almost 100 per cent protected against getting the disease, PHAC says. The federal agency says a 2021 National Immunization Coverage Survey shows 91.6 per cent of two-year-olds in Canada received at least one vaccine against measles, but only 79.2 per cent of seven-year-olds have received a second dose. The first dose of measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine is usually given to babies at 12 to 15 months. A second dose is given to kids around the time they start school, usually between four to six years of age. But B.C.'s Health Ministry says children as young as six months can get their first dose, especially if they're travelling to a place where measles is more common. Adults born before 1970 are generally assumed to have acquired immunity to measles because they were likely infected while the disease was endemic in Canada. Meanwhile, adults born in or after 1970 likely received one dose of measles vaccine as a child. PHAC says it wasn't until 1996 that two doses became standard. Anyone who doubts whether they got a second dose should talk to their health-care provider about getting a booster shot. Those who don't have a doctor can get a free vaccine from their local health unit, B.C.'s Health Ministry says. "Measles is a highly contagious virus that can spread through air," the ministry's statement said. "People can pass the virus to others before they show symptoms and the virus can stay suspended in the air in a room for several hours. That is why protection by immunization is so important. People who are most at risk from measles are those who are completely unvaccinated against the disease and have not had measles." Those planning to update their measles vaccine before travelling should aim to do so two weeks before their trip for optimal immunity, the Health Ministry advises. With files from The Canadian Press Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 Official figures showed there were 41 cases of measles in January and February At this time last year, the US had detected only three cases of measles READ MORE: More than half the world faces high risk of measles cases, WHO Nearly as many cases of measles have been detected this year as in the whole of 2023, data shows. Figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show 41 cases were diagnosed in January and February compared to 58 in the whole of 2023. At this time last year, only three cases had been recorded. Sixteen states have confirmed outbreaks so far — with Florida's, linked to elementary schools, being the largest at ten cases. The outbreaks have been attributed to falling measles vaccination rates for the third year in a row. The target is 95 percent, but last year it dipped to 93.1 percent, meaning hundreds of thousands of kindergarteners were not protected against the disease as they headed into schools. The above map shows the states that have detected measles cases so far this year© Provided by Daily Mail Measles typically begins with cold-like symptoms, before causing a rash made up of small red spots, some of which can feel slightly raised. According to the NHS, it typically starts on the face and behind the ears before spreading further© Provided by Daily Mail Measles infections can be easily prevented with the two-dose MMR vaccine, which is more than 97 percent effective against infections with the disease. 1 / 10 President Joe Biden faces more 'uncommitted' challenges in Super Tuesday Democratic primaries, after supporters of Palestine found success last week in the state of Michigan . The campaign urges Democrats to vote 'uncommitted' in the Democratic presidential primary instead of President Joe Biden, in order to protest the administration's support for the Israeli war in Gaza.©Anadolu via Getty Images / REUTERS / EPA The disease is one of the most infectious known to man and is spread via droplets in the air or contaminated surfaces, with nine in ten unvaccinated people exposed to the disease developing an infection. Florida's measles outbreak grows as two MORE children are infected The Florida Department of Health announced Sunday that two children were infected with the disease in Broward County. Related video: Pediatrician extends hours as illnesses like measles rise (WKBN Youngstown) Measles is an infection which is serious for children. Loaded: 10.91% Play Current Time 0:00 / Duration 1:49 Quality Settings Captions Fullscreen WKBN Youngstown Pediatrician extends hours as illnesses like measles rise Unmute 0 View on Watch Patients initially suffer symptoms including a runny nose and red and puffy eyes that are sensitive to light — but this can progress to a harsh cough and a rash that spreads from the face to the feet and is formed of flat red spots. The CDC says about one in five people infected with measles are hospitalized while up to three out of every 1,000 patients die from the disease. One in a thousand also develop swelling in the brain. Michigan was the latest state to record measles cases this year — after confirming infections in two adults who had recently traveled overseas. Florida's surgeon general Dr Joseph Ladapo drew criticism earlier last month after suggesting children who were exposed to measles in the state's outbreak did not need to isolate at home. Dr Robert Speth, a medical expert at South Florida's Nova Southeastern University, told The Guardian: 'His statements are more political than medical and that's a horrible disservice to the citizens of Florida'. 'He's someone whose job is to protect public health, and he's doing the exact opposite.' The above graph shows the number of measles cases reported by year. There are about 100 cases reported in the US every year© Provided by Daily Mail The above shows the number of measles cases reported by week, revealing an uptick in recent weeks© Provided by Daily Mail The other states to report cases are: Arizona, California, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington. Six of these states — Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan and Minnesota — did not report a single case of measles last year. It is unclear what proportion of the cases are linked to international travel and how many patients have been infected in the US. Experts say measles comes into the US from overseas countries where vaccine coverage is limited, including Yemen, India and Russia. Patients may then unwittingly spread it in their local areas before realizing they are infected. Earlier this year, a child at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was reportedly infected after they were placed into a bed next to a child who had measles before their condition was diagnosed. Before the Covid pandemic, America was recording around a hundred measles cases every year — mostly linked to international travel. The biggest outbreak was in 2019 when more than 1,274 cases were recorded — which was in part linked to parents holding 'measles parties' where they would expose unvaccinated children to the disease to get them immunity. Cases have remained low since then, with the highest number recorded in 2022 when the US saw 121 cases of measles. Measles was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000 but has continued to pop up in the country since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted March 5 Author Share Posted March 5 GlobalNews home Can you get measles if vaccinated? What to know as cases rise By Katie Dangerfield Global News Posted March 5, 2024 2:41 pm 6 min read WATCH: What to know as measles cases rise in Canada. As measles cases continue to rise in Canada, last week brought an uncommon occurrence. A fully-vaccinated 30-year-old teacher in Ontario contracted the highly contagious infectious disease. This event has drawn the attention of health officials, highlighting its rarity. The man had close contact with students and teachers at a high school in the York Region, north of Toronto, and the case was likely related to community transmission, the region’s medical health officer said on Monday. Although fully-vaccinated people can get measles, Dr. Sumontra Chakrabarti, an infectious diseases physician at Trillium Health Partners, stressed how infrequent it is. “This vaccine is very good at preventing infection, but it’s not 100 per cent. It’s about 95- to 97-per cent effective,” he said. “So there are going to be people who are fully vaccinated that still might get measles. It still does protect you against the more severe aspects of it.” 2:34Health Matters: Measles case found without travel link This particular case adds to the 17 reported instances of measles across Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia as of Monday. More than half of these cases have been concentrated in the Montreal area. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world and is airborne. It is so contagious, Chakrabarti said if someone with measles exits a room, others can be infected up to two hours after that person has left. “The best protection that you have is the vaccination by far,” he stressed. “(The measles) is an exceptionally, if not the most, contagious virus that we know in terms of identified human pathogens. If you don’t want to get infected, you should avoid crowded indoor spaces. But apart from that, it’s something that’s very, very difficult to avoid.” About the measles vaccine The measles vaccine is available in Canada as measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) or measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) vaccine. ince its approval in Canada in 1963, the vaccine has led to a decrease of more than 99 per cent in measles cases, according to the federal government. Number and incidence rates (per 100,000 population) of reported measles cases in Canada by year, 1924 to 2023. Health Canada The efficacy of a single dose of the measles vaccine given at 12 or 15 months of age is estimated to be between 85 and 95 per cent. Health Canada states that with a second dose, efficacy is nearly 100 per cent. The latest health and medical news emailed to you every Sunday. The disease was declared eradicated in Canada in 1988 following an extensive immunization campaign. However, in recent years, it has resurfaced due to a decline in vaccination rates, according to Health Canada. Most cases come from abroad, brought into the country by travellers who are not vaccinated or under-immunized. The risk of measles spreading is heightened where there are a lot of unvaccinated or non-immune people clustered together in regions or communities. And while measles vaccination rates are high in Canada, Health Canada said they are still below “the necessary threshold for community immunity in some places.” The target vaccination coverage for measles is 95 per cent, according to Health Canada. The 2021 Childhood National Immunization Coverage Survey shows that 91.6 per cent of two-year-olds in Canada have received at least one dose of a vaccine. “The target vaccination for measles in the community would be 100 per cent, that would be my dream,” Chakrabarti said. “But when you start to get anywhere above 95 per cent to 97-per cent coverage, that’s when you have an excellent wall of protection.” Who should get the measles vaccine? The measles vaccine is recommended for anyone over the age of one. The vaccine is administered as a two-shot series, with the first shot given at around 12 to 15 months of age. The second shot is given at 18 months or between ages five and six years (before your child starts school), according to the Canadian Pediatric Society. Infants under the age of one could potentially receive the measles vaccine and Chakrabarti recommended parents consult with their health-care provider for guidance. Although the measles vaccine was initially available in the 1960s, in 1971, it was combined with the mumps and rubella vaccines to create the three-in-one MMR shot. Adults born before 1970 can be “presumed to have acquired natural immunity to measles,” according to Health Canada, and only one dose is recommended. “Before the 1970s, most people would have been infected with measles, and so that infection provides them with a level of immunity,” explained Matthew Miller, the director of the Degroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research at McMaster University. “That is why they really need one dose of the vaccine to boost that immunity and give them really strong additional protection,” he said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deicer Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 My question is once transmission rates rise, will it start to mutate the way covid did making the old vaccine ineffective? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deicer Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 If you are adverse to getting vaccinated, there is this.... https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/06/health/covid-217-shots-hypervaccination-lancet/index.html A man deliberately got 217 Covid shots. Here’s what happened https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(24)00134-8/fulltext#sec1 Adaptive immune responses are larger and functionally preserved in a hypervaccinated individual Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted March 15 Author Share Posted March 15 What you need to know about measles as cases rise, along with misinformation worries The Canadian Press Staff Contact Updated March 15, 2024 7:32 a.m. MDT Published March 15, 2024 4:18 a.m. MDT Public health officials are encouraging parents to ensure their children get routine childhood vaccines as measles continues to spread around the world. Here are some facts about one of the most contagious but preventable diseases. Why is vaccination being urged? Measles is making a comeback globally due to declining rates of routine childhood vaccinations, some due to missed appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, myths and misinformation that sometimes involve alternative practices are contributing to vaccine hesitancy. Travel to and from countries with low vaccination rates has led to an uptick in cases in Canada among those who are under-vaccinated or unvaccinated. But some cases have not been linked to travel, suggesting community spread. The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App RELATED STORIES Quebec measles cases reach 18 as health officials urge vaccination 'Highly contagious': Albertans encouraged to get vaccinated for measles as risk of spread increases Number of measles cases in Ontario has surpassed total for all of 2023 How contagious is measles? The Public Health Agency of Canada says that in a group of 100 people who have never had a measles infection, 95 need to be vaccinated to prevent the disease from spreading. It's possible to be infected from contaminated air up to two hours after an infected person has left a room so vaccination rates must be high to prevent outbreaks. A travel health notice for measles is currently in place for all countries. It says anyone who is not protected against measles is at risk of being infected when travelling abroad. When should the measles vaccine be given? Children are given the initial dose around their first birthday and the second dose before or soon after they start school. It's available as the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine or the measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, for the second dose. While the efficacy of a single dose is estimated to be 85 to 95 per cent, it's almost 100 per cent with the second dose. Infants as young as six months can be vaccinated if they are travelling to regions where measles is a concern. The Public Health Agency of Canada says in that case, the routine two-dose series must be restarted on or after the child's first birthday so that a total of three doses is given. What are the symptoms? Initial symptoms such as a fever, cough and runny nose can be similar to a cold or flu. However, some distinct features include small, white spots inside the mouth and throat as well as red, watery eyes. A red rash develops on the face and spreads down the body. Severe complications include pneumonia and encephalitis, or swelling of the brain. Pregnant people could experience miscarriage, premature labour and have infants with low birth weight. Should adults get vaccinated? The Public Health Agency of Canada has said people who are unsure if they've received two doses of the vaccine should talk to a health-care provider about getting a booster shot — especially before travelling. People born in 1970 or later should ensure that they have received two doses. Those born before 1970 are generally assumed to have acquired immunity to measles from an infection. They should ensure they have received one dose of the vaccine before travelling. Top health headlines, all in one place Officials and health experts have said there is no harm in getting another dose of the MMR vaccine, even if it turns out that an individual was previously vaccinated. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 15, 2024. Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted March 15 Author Share Posted March 15 Covid-19 lab leak 'most likely' cause of the global pandemic, new study shows Story by Imogen Howse • 3h • 4 min read The Wuhan Institute of Virology has long been considered one potential origin of Covid-19 (Picture: Getty)© Provided by Metro Covid-19 most likely originated in a lab, a new study has concluded. The origin of the pandemic has long been contentious. Some believe the virus was a ‘zoonotic spillover event’ and spread from animals to humans, possibly at the wet market in Wuhan, China, where the disease was first reported. Others believe it leaked, accidentally or otherwise, from a laboratory – namely the Wuhan Institute of Virology, also in China. Now, scientists in Australia suggest that Covid-19 is more likely to have had an ‘unnatural’ origin than a ‘natural’ one. A research team used an established risk analysis tool called the Grunow-Finke assessment to create a likelihood scale for possible pandemic causes Results from the assessment pointed to the virus having an ‘unnatural’ origin – with the fact that the first infections were in the vicinity of laboratories studying coronaviruses noted as one of the strongest indications. The study highlights that the first cases of Covid-19 were reported in Wuhan, China, on 30 December 2019 – all within close proximity of both the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) and the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention (WHCDC). Dr Xin Chen, a researcher at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia, said: ‘The WIV had been conducting experiments involving SARS-like coronavirus in bats since 2010. Related video: Scientists may now know what is causing long COVID (Scripps News) Scientists out of Dublin, Ireland have found a connection between Loaded: 17.86% Play Current Time 0:01 / Duration 1:40 Quality Settings Captions Fullscreen Scripps News Scientists may now know what is causing long COVID Unmute 0 View on Watch ‘One of the bat viruses being studied at the WIV shares a 96.1% homology [match] with SARS-CoV-2, something which was only revealed after the pandemic began. ‘The WIV was only eight miles away from the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where some of the initial cases were linked to. ‘The WHCDC was also studying coronaviruses, and on December 2, 2019, less than a month before the first infections, it moved to a location 280m from the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market. ‘A move may have increased the chance of a laboratory accident.’ A leading theory suggests Covid-19 originated in bats and passed to humans via an intermediary host (Picture: Getty/iStockphoto)© Provided by Metro Dr Chen added that although some scientists use the outbreak at the wet market as an indication of a ‘natural’ or zoonotic origin, several of the first infected people had not visited Huanan. ‘This points to the possibility that Huanan was a source of an amplification event, rather than the origin of SARS-CoV-2,’ he said. ‘It is also worth noting that evidence of an intermediary animal host – necessary for this theory – is lacking.’ The team also highlighted ‘unusual’ actions by scientists working at the WIV as a factor pointing to a lab leak origin of Covid-19. Dr Abrar Chughtai, an epidemiologist at the University of New South Wales, explained: ‘In September 2019, control of the WIV lab was handed over from civilian to military command and control, and a contractor was hired to renovate the ventilation system within the facility. ‘Simultaneously, for reasons unknown, the WIV removed a large virus database containing approximately 20,000 specimens from bats and mice that had previously been accessible to the public. ‘It is unclear whether the database included sequences that could be relevant to the origin of SARS-CoV-2 and whether any attempt was made to cover it up.’ He added that ‘not all requested information’, such as laboratory records, was made available to the team from the World Health Organisation tasked with investigating the origins of Covid-19 in 2021. Dr Chughtai also pointed to instances of ‘poor’ biosecurity procedures at the WIV. ‘Some scientists did not follow proper protective equipment protocols while handling bats and were bitten by them,’ he said. ‘And, in early November 2019, some staff members from the institute were hospitalised with Covid-19-like symptoms.’ The Covid-19 pandemic swept the globe, costing millions of lives (Picture: Getty)© Provided by Metro Dr Chandini Raina Macintyre, another epidemiologist at UNSW, also highlighted inconsistencies in remarks from scientists who initially advocated for the likelihood of a ‘natural’ Covid-19 origin. ‘Freedom of Information requests in the US revealed that virologists who publicly stated that SARS-COV-2 had a natural origin simultaneously privately communicated doubts about this to each other, discussing the fact that research at WIV could have led to the creation of SARS-COV-2,’ she said. ‘It is possible that US funding of some of the research at WIV was a motivation for the public messaging about natural origins to be promoted and discussion of a lab accident to be suppressed.’ The study, published today in the journal Risk Analysis, admits that its Grunow-Finke assessment cannot prove that Covid-19 leaked from one of the two labs in Wuhan. However, it also argues that the risk factors outlined throughout the assessment cannot be dismissed. Dr Chen said: ‘Laboratory accidents are common, and, if the pathogen in question is highly contagious, it is possible that an accidentally infected worker can set off an epidemic in the community. ‘The fact that the first cluster of cases were in the vicinity of a world leading coronavirus laboratory, known to be experimenting on SARS-like viruses, as well as a second lab which was also working on coronaviruses, points to an unnatural origin.’ The World Health Organisation is still working to identify the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, which swept the globe and is thought to have killed more than three million people. Get your need-to-know latest news, feel-good stories, analysis and more by signing up to Metro's News Updates newsletter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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