Free Home Covid-19 Tests Available until January 14, 2023 at Local Public Libraries

Prince William County in Virginia announced that it will give away free Covid-19 test kits for home use until January 14, 2023 at local libraries during operation hours.

Anyone interested can reach out to the following libraries to check availability:

Bull Run: 703-792-4500

Central: 703-792-8360

Chinn Park: 703-792-4800

Dale City: 703-792-5670

Dumfries: 703-792-5678

Haymarket Gainesville: 703-792-8700

Independent Hill: 703-792-5668

Lake Ridge: 703-792-5675

Manassas City: 703-792-8820

Montclair: 703-792-8740

Nokesville: 703-792-5665

Potomac: 703-792-8330

코리일보/COREEDAILYCoree ILBO copyright © 2013-2023. All rights reserved.
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Omicron XBB rapidly spreads in the United States this Holiday season

Data from CDC

With a total death count of 1,088,481 accounting for 10% of the total infection count of 100,622,056 in the United States as of December 29, Covid-19 continues to mutate into many variants and subvariants.

The variant of Omicron subvariant XBB has quickly spread throughout the United States during the Holiday season. According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), before December 24, the dominant variant of omicron was BQ.1 or BQ.1.1. Data gathered on December 24 now shows an Omicron variant called XBB becoming one of the most dominant strains.

Here is the data showing the rise in the XBB subvariant since December 2022. XBB subvariant is known to be a trigger of a new COVID-19 this winter. Also, XBB variant illnesses will be slightly different from those recorded in earlier outbreaks because the XBB subvariant is the most immune-evasive form of SARS-CoV-2, and the CDC has been closely tracking this variant.

Health Officials and CDC recommend wearing masks indoors to minimize getting this XBB subvariant this winter. Since the pandemic started, all Americans aged 5+ may take vaccines and boosters to protect themselves from the worst symptoms caused by the Covid-19 virus, including death.

Currently, 47,146,355 Americans which is only 15.1% of the total population are vaccinated with booster shots. The vaccines and the two boosters are available free of charge, but the 2023 booster may be the last free booster shots available for Covid-19. Better get them while they are still free. Please check your eligibility and availability at https://www.vaccines.gov/. Don’t struggle with multiple variants and subvariants of Covid-19, especially when some of them are becoming immune-evasive.

코리일보/COREEDAILYCoree ILBO copyright © 2013-2022. All rights reserved.
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Covid-19 Surges Due to Omicron’s Subvariant

The BA.5 subvariant of omicron is surging in the United States as extreme heat hits the west coast states along the mid and southern states. Covid-19 cases have increased on a daily basis due to this subvariant of omicron cases dominating the U.S.

Airplanes are fully booked, and flights are often delayed, but summer travelers are eager to make up for their summer vacations and return home sick. 29 states reported more cases than the week before as of July 20, according to USA TODAY. 20 states had more deaths than a week earlier in the data from Johns Hopkins University.

The BA.5 was detected in the U.S. at the end of April and only 3 months passed from the first patient before the BA.5 cases rose to nearly 80% of all cases according to Yahoo news. The common symptoms of BA.5 are very similar to other variants. Those infected with BA.5 may develop a cough, runny nose, sore throat, fatigue, headaches, and muscle pains but are less likely to experience shortness of breath or lose their senses of taste or smell. It can last a few days to a few weeks.

If you’re fever-free for 24 hours and symptoms are improving after five days, the CDC says you can end isolation but continue to take precautions for five additional days. This includes wearing well-fitted masks around others inside and outside the home and avoiding travel.

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All rights reserved.

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Boris Johnson and Partygate

It is no secret that Boris Johnson, the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, broke rules regarding Covid-19 shutdown, when he held a party. He was fined 50 pounds, which is about $100 or so.

In the meantime, a pub landlord in North Devon held a party on the same date (December 18, 2020) as the prime minister, was fined 4,000 pounds. This hypocritical application of the regulations has people fuming across the pond.

At the time, Devon was under Tier 2 restriction, which meant only friends and family could meet if they were living together or otherwise part of a support bubble. The police performed a raid and found there were several different groups of people sitting together.

The landlord justified the meeting as being limited to a Christmas party among colleagues and coworkers, as they’d been working together throughout the pandemic. The group was around 12-20 people.

The landlord is a Conservative voter and wants Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak to resign after they – along with Johnson’s wife Carrie and 40-odd other people – were fined for attending a birthday party on June 19 2020.

Johnson and Sunak had previously said in Parliament that they didn’t attend the party and followed the rules. This story is still in development; some say that Johnson was the first to break toast.

The Wayfarer Inn offered free meals to NHS and care staff during the Covid-19 lockdowns, as well as providing free school meals and giving up rooms at no charge for those self-isolating.

The Metropolitan Police are investigating 12 potential gatherings, meaning the Prime Minister and Sunak could be fined again if found to have participated. Many in Britain are now calling for resignation.

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Food Shortages Cause Riot in Shanghai as Lockdown Continues

China’s Zero Covid program is coming under high scrutiny as Shanghai residents begin rioting against the draconian lockdown against its residents. Some residents have taken to running out of their confinement to beating by regulators, and many are actively seeking food. That being said, food shortage is rampant in the city, despite regulators’ attempt to bring food to its residents.

Shanghai has confirmed 1,006 infections with 24,000 asymptomatic cases in the past 24 hours, and many have been under lockdown since March 28. Authorities said Saturday that areas with no new cases in the last 14 days following another round of mass testing will see easing of restrictions. Nonetheless, people are growing angrier and hungrier, which is never a good mix in the business of running a state.

Will Covid measures become the straw that breaks the camel’s back that is Xi Jinping?

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21 States Sue Biden Administration to Stop Mask Mandates in Airplanes

On Tuesday, 21 states filed a suit to end the federal mandate requiring people to wear masks when traveling on most modes of public transportation, including airplanes and buses. The mandate was extended through April 18.

The plaintiff named includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Transportation Security Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Homeland Security.

Most mask mandates have been updated, and the only federal mandate that really stays in place is the mask mandate for public transportation.

Airlines have been supportive of the states seeking to end the mandate. Last week, executives from 10 airlines and the American Public Transportation Association sent letters to Biden urging him to end pandemic-related travel policies including mask mandates.

The new 30-page suit filed in U.S. District Court in the Middle District of Florida calls the mandate “arbitrary and capricious.”

The 21 states that filed the suit are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.

Children younger than 2 and people with certain disabilities are exempt from the mask requirement, and the government has yet to actually announce a COVID-19 endemic.

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Search for Universal Covid Vaccine Begins

Until recently, researchers and scientists have attempted to tackle the variants as they became prevalent, such as the initial strain, the delta variant, and now, the omicron variant.

However, it is also true that by the time the vaccines may be ready for public release, the omicron variant is expected to relent. Mask mandates are easing in the United States, and Europeans are beginning to strongly oppose what they see as draconian measures in covid-19 prevention measures.

Therefore, scientists are now focusing their energy on a new tactic: finding a vaccine that will attempt to protect the body against all variants of the coronavirus, and any other variant or viral infections that might appear on the horizon.

The researchers are now ready to search for a truly variant-proof vaccine, which would also prevent a future pandemic, protect against unknown coronavirus that will likely jump from animals to humans in the near future.

Many scientists are thinking big, in hoping not only to solve the covid-19 problem, but even the virus variants that cause the common cold, middle east respiratory syndrome, and any other bat coronaviruses.

The first iterations of the Sar-Cov-2 vaccine focused on the simple spike protein. Future iterations will require more sophistication, as the vaccines attempt to capture more variants.

It seems clear that there is much research to be done in the field of vaccination, and the relative success with the covid-19 virus is giving researchers hope in producing vaccines that might solve even broader sets of viruses plaguing the human race today.

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Vitamin D and Covid-19 Severity Could be Linked

Israeli researchers have revealed that they’ve found a link between vitamin D levels and covid-19 severity. Specifically, those with adequate vitamin D levels prior to contracting the disease suffered less severe symptoms than those who had less than sufficient vitamin D.

The research is the first to look at vitamin D as a major factor and studied the 253 people admitted to Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, Israel between April 2020 and February 2021, right before the Omicron surge.

This does not advocate against vaccinations; ultimately, vaccinations will protect against severe symptoms with 90% efficacy, but also having high vitamin D intake in the system will increase the chance of reducing covid-19 severity.

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Jimin from BTS hospitalized due to appendicitis and Covid-19

Several members of BTS have been found Covid-19 positive including Jin, RM, and Suga from BTS. However, Jimin from BTS has experienced the most intense symptoms: he was hospitalized after experiencing appendicitis on top of covid-19 infection.

He had to undergo appendix surgery to deal with the problem. The surgery on Monday was successful, and Jimin is now recovering from the surgery. He is expected to remain in the hospital for a few more days to receive post-surgery treatment and for Covid-19.

South Korea has generally been successful with maintaining a lower Covid-19 infection rate; last updated figure shows nationwide infection of 17,532 on Sunday.

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Limited State of Emergency Declared in Virginia for Omicron Surge

Gov. Ralph Northam declared a limited state of emergency for hospitals due to the ongoing pandemic.

It is a 30-day state-of-emergency order that seeks to expand capacity and increase staffing at hospitals. While Gov.-elect Youngkin could rescind the emergency order after he takes office on Saturday, Gov. Northam believes Gov.-elect Youngkin will also support the continuation of the order.

Gov.-elect Youngkin’s spokesman said that Youngkin does support the use of tailored executive action to remove staffing barriers and provide flexibility to deliver high quality care.

These removals include limitations on bed capacity, providing those with active licenses and in good standing to practice in Virginia. Furthermore, there will be more flexibility with regards to vaccine administration and will prevent price-gouging for at-home antigen test kits.

A 30-day state of emergency is also in effect in Maryland, and D.C. Hospital Association is also calling on D.C. to reactive a health emergency.

About 90 percent of Virginian adults and 78 percent of all Virginians have had at least one dose of vaccine, although the advised dosage is both vaccine + the booster.

Northam said that most overwhelming the hospital systems are those that are not fully vaccinated or boosted. On Friday, Virginia hit a peak 3,329 hospitalization, beating out the record of 3,201 on January 13, 2021. COVID-related hospitalizations are up 200 percent.

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