Coronavirus weekly need-to-know: N95 mask recalls, kidney disease, long COVID & more
Each week, we offer you a roundup of our noteworthy coronavirus coverage.
More than 39.8 million people in the United States have tested positive for the coronavirus as of Saturday, Sept. 4, according to Johns Hopkins University. That includes more than 647,000 people who have died nationwide.
Globally, there have been more than 220 million confirmed cases of the highly infectious virus, with more than 4.5 million reported deaths.
More than 174.9 million Americans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Sept. 2 — about 53% of the total population, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracker shows. About 64% of adults and 62% of people aged 12 and older are fully vaccinated in the U.S.
Here’s what happened between Aug. 27 and Sept. 2.
FDA says there are ‘serious concerns’ with quality of these N95 masks
Federal health officials are warning health care professionals about “serious concerns” regarding the quality of certain N95 masks made by Shanghai Dasheng Health Products Manufacturing in China.
It’s unclear what is specifically wrong with the products — critical for protection against COVID-19 for medical workers — but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and CDC say the company “failed to control the design, labeling, and quality management” of the masks.
All approvals for N95s produced by Shanghai Dasheng have been revoked as of Aug. 13, meaning they are no longer authorized for emergency use and “may no longer be manufactured, assembled, sold or distributed” in the U.S.
Here’s a list of masks you should avoid.
Most kids hospitalized with post-COVID-19 syndrome recover well within year
Most children who contract the coronavirus experience mild illness, but some of them go on to develop multisystem inflammatory syndrome, more commonly known as MIS-C.
It’s a rare but potentially dangerous condition if left untreated. More than 4,400 kids in the U.S. have come down with the syndrome as of July 25, according to the CDC, including 37 who have died.
Medical records show most affected kids included in the study recovered well with “no significant” medium- or long-term consequences. Here’s what else the study found.
COVID-19 long-haulers at risk of kidney damage — even those who had mild cases
Long-haulers, people who deal with COVID-19 symptoms weeks or months after their infection subsides, may be at risk of kidney damage, according to a new study — a risk that is significantly higher for coronavirus patients who were hospitalized and one that exists even for those who had mild infections.
Based on medical records of more than 1.7 million people, the new research suggests about 510,000 Americans who have contracted COVID-19 may have kidney injury or disease. And most of them may not know it.
Here’s why.
Unvaccinated teacher sparks COVID-19 outbreak among 22 kids in California
An unvaccinated elementary school teacher in Marin County, California, went into work one day in May despite nasal congestion and fatigue; the symptoms were likely allergies, the teacher thought. For two days, the teacher continued to work, occasionally reading aloud to their 24 students without a mask on, despite a school-wide requirement to wear one indoors.
A test confirmed the teacher had COVID-19. Just two days later, reports of additional cases rolled in among other staff members, students, parents and siblings connected to the school.
A total of 26 people were infected, including 12 of the teacher’s students, an additional six students in a separate grade, four parents and four siblings of affected students, according to a new study.
Cancel Labor Day travel if you’re not vaccinated, CDC says
Labor Day weekend is just around the corner — but we’re still in a pandemic, the CDC cautioned hopeful travelers. And that means you should still take certain precautions — vaccinated or otherwise.
“First and foremost, if you’re unvaccinated, we would recommend not traveling,” CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at a White House COVID-19 Response Team briefing. Walensky added that people who are fully vaccinated and wearing masks can travel, but should weigh the risks of doing so first.
Here’s what the CDC recommends you do if you travel and are unvaccinated.
Poll: Number of Americans opposed to getting COVID-19 vaccine reaches new low
A new poll found COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the United States has dwindled in recent weeks.
The Axios/Ipsos coronavirus index poll found 20% of respondents said they are unlikely to get a vaccine — the lowest level since the index started tracking vaccine opposition. It comes after the FDA granted formal approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and as the highly contagious delta variant continues to spread.
Read on to learn what else the poll found.
180 COVID-19 cases traced back to maskless church camp, conference in Illinois
A five-day youth church camp and a two-day men’s conference hosted in Illinois this summer is the source of 180 COVID-19 cases and more than 1,000 coronavirus exposures, federal health officials said.
The two church-based events were in Schuyler and Adams counties and connected to The Crossing Camp in Rushville. Both events, sponsored by the same organization, did not require masks, COVID vaccinations or a negative test result, according to a CDC report.
Georgia hospital employee out of job after comparing COVID vaccine to Holocaust
Sporting blue scrubs and a cap, a former employee of Wellstar Health System in Atlanta “is no longer employed” after posting a video on TikTok likening a COVID-19 vaccine to the Holocaust.
“I finally decided to do my part and get, you know, the little [coronavirus vaccine],” said Jessica Renzi while making a clicking noise and gun gesture with her hand. Her since-deleted social media accounts said she was a surgical tech at Wellstar.
“So, I wanted to show you since we’re going to the vaccine passports and all those things,” Renzi said. “I thought I would make it so much easier and ... just ... go ahead and get the number tattooed on me instead.”
The fake tattoo is a nod to the identification numbers Nazis would tattoo on prisoners’ forearms in German concentration camps during the Holocaust. The original video has been deleted, along with Renzi’s account. It listed the hashtags “#patriot, #funny, #prochoice.”
Joe Rogan says he got COVID-19 and took ivermectin, which FDA advises against
Popular podcast host Joe Rogan says he was sickened with COVID-19 and took ivermectin and monoclonal antibodies to treat it.
Rogan, who hosts “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast on Spotify, posted an Instagram video revealing he began feeling ill Saturday night with a fever and a test the next morning confirmed he had the coronavirus.
“We immediately threw the kitchen sink at it,” Rogan said. “All kinds of meds. Monoclonal antibodies, ivermectin, Z-Pak, prednisone — everything. And I also got an NAD drip and a vitamin drip. I did that three days in a row and so here we are on Wednesday and I feel great.”
Ivermectin is not approved by the FDA as an antiviral and the agency has advised against using it to treat COVID-19. In people, the drug is used to treat diseases like river blindness and scabies. It’s used to treat heartworm disease and other infestations in animals.
This story was originally published September 3, 2021 at 4:45 AM with the headline "Coronavirus weekly need-to-know: N95 mask recalls, kidney disease, long COVID & more."
