A 3-year-old went for a flu shot. Instead, she mistakenly got an adult COVID-19 vaccine
https://www.cbc.ca/n...id-19-1.6271286
A new study by University of Notre Dame sociologist Kraig Beyerlein found that the relationship between religion and vaccine hesitancy or acceptance is more complicated than it may appear.
Beyerlein, an associate professor and director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society, found that 30 percent of congregants from major Christian traditions in the United States heard solely encouraging messages about vaccination from faith leaders or fellow members. Another third heard both encouraging and discouraging messaging, and 32 percent heard no messaging at all.
https://medicalxpres...nti-covid-.html
Native Americans experience substantially greater rates of COVID-19 mortality compared with other racial and ethnic groups, according to a new study led by Princeton University researchers. Those living on reservations seem especially vulnerable to the virus, due to high rates of poverty, crowded living conditions and limited access to high-quality medical facilities.
https://www.eurekale...releases/936739
A new automated system that involves deep learning technology enables the detection of COVID-19 lesion via the analysis of a computed tomography (CT) scan. This system, described in a study published in the journal Computers in Biology and Medicine, has been carried out by researchers of the UB, the EURECAT Technology Centre of Catalonia, and the Computing Vision Center (CVC).
The study “has enabled us to verify the efficiency of the system as a support tool for decision-making for health professionals in their COVID-19 detection task, and for measuring the gravity, the extension and the evolution of the pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2, in the mid and long term”, notes the principal researcher of the study, Giuseppe Pezzano, researcher at the UB and at EURECAT Digital Health Unit.
Specifically, the functioning of the system consists of “a first phase of lung segmentation with the CT scan to reduce the searching area”, says Pezzano. “Then, an algorithm is used to analyse the lung area and detect the presence of COVID-19. If it tests positive, the image is processed to identify the areas that are affected by the disease”, he adds.
The algorithm has been tested in 79 volumes and 110 sections of CTs which had detected COVID-19 infection, obtained in three open-access image repositories. The researchers achieved an average accuracy for the segmentation of lesions caused by the virus of about 99%, without false positives being observed during the identification.
https://www.eurekale...releases/936712
COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna that use mRNA technology provide the biggest boost to antibody levels when given 10-12 weeks after the second dose, a British study published on Thursday has found.
The COV-Boost study was cited by British officials when they announced that Pfizer and Moderna were preferred for use in the country's booster campaign, but the data has only been made publicly available now.
The study found that six out of the seven boosters examined enhanced immunity after initial vaccination with Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine, while all seven increased immunity when given after two doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine.
"A third dose will be effective for many of the vaccines we've tested and in many different combinations," Prof. Saul Faust, an immunologist at the University of Southampton and the trial's lead, told reporters.
https://www.cbc.ca/n...c2021-1.6272140
https://www.eurekale...releases/936564
Guayaquil, Ecuador, December 2, 2021 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro urged a ramping up of Covid-19 vaccination efforts and condemned the Western countries’ response over the new Omicron variant, first identified in South Africa.
“There is no international scientific report that establishes the real threat of this variant,” said Maduro in a televised broadcast on Sunday. He criticized the United States and European governments for causing a “world scandal” and issuing “political statements” towards African countries in the form of travel bans.
https://venezuelanal....com/news/15401
A Italian man who wanted a coronavirus vaccine certificate without actually having the jab tried to play the system by presenting health workers with a fake arm, an official said Friday.
https://medicalxpres...d-jab-fake.html
Dec. 2, 2021 -- South Africa’s COVID-19 cases almost doubled within 24 hours, jumping from a reported 4,300 new cases on Tuesday to 8,500 new daily cases on Wednesday, according to the BBC.
Health officials have confirmed that the new Omicron variant has become the dominant coronavirus strain in South Africa and is driving a sharp increase in new infections.
https://www.webmd.co...double-24-hours
With the Omicron variant spreading through different parts of India, the country's top genome scientists have suggested a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccines for those above the age of 40 who are considered to be high-risk.
The recommendation has been made by the scientists in the latest weekly bulletin of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Sequencing Consortium (INSACOG), a network of national testing labs set up by the government to monitor genomic variations of COVID-19 across India.
https://sputniknews....1091220526.html
William Hartmann, the Republican member of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers who made national headlines for initially refusing to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election, died Tuesday following a battle with COVID-19.
Douglas Reimel, Hartmann’s friend, shared the news on Facebook, and others who knew Hartmann offered their condolences online. Hartmann was 63.
https://www.freep.co...ser/8814707002/
via https://crooksandlia...m-hartmann-dies
Critics are responding with alarm to news Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis is asking for millions of taxpayer funds to create his own militia force, separate from the existing National Guard.
*snip*
But the highly-controversial Florida Republican, seen as one of the top 2024 GOP presidential candidates, is also making clear his motives are a further escalation in his war of words against the Biden administration.
"DeSantis also said this unit, called the Florida State Guard, would be 'not encumbered by the federal government.' He said this force would give him 'the flexibility and the ability needed to respond to events in our state in the most effective way possible.'"
It's also being seen as one more potential attack on science during the coronavirus pandemic era. All National Guard members must be vaccinated. DeSantis opposes all vaccine and mask mandates and has invited unvaccinated, fired police officers from others states to move to Florida – and offering them a $5000 payment.
Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, now a U.S. Congressman but running to unseat DeSantis, called DeSantis' militia a "handpicked secret police" force.
Perhaps one of the strongest warnings comes from SiriusXM Progress host Dean Obeidallah, who calls it "the beginning of a 'Red Army' as the GOP prepares for war."
"The same Republicans who claim Jan 6 was not a terrorist attack but just a 'tourist visit' now tell us not to be concerned with Ron DeSantis forming a personal militia that he says will 'not encumbered by the federal government,'" Obeidallah adds. "This is a Red Army!!!"
https://www.alternet...santis-militia/
Trump Allegedly Tested Positive for COVID-19 Days Before Hosting Gold Star Families at White House
https://www.military...hite-house.html