COVID-19: Highly-Infectious 'Arcturus' Variant First Detected In NY Now Identified In 27 States COVID-19: Highly-Infectious 'Arcturus' Variant First Detected In NY Now Identified In 27 States
Covid-19: Highly-Infectious 'Arcturus' Variant First Detected In NY Now Identified In 27 States Click here for a new, updated story - COVID-19: New ‘Arcturus' Variant Causing Symptom Not Typically Seen A new COVID-19 variant first detected in New York in January has now been identified in 27 states. The so-called Arcturus strain — officially known as XBB.1.16 — is believed to be one of the most infectious versions of Omicron to date.  Shortly after the World Health Organization began monitoring the variant in late March, cases had been reported in about two dozen countries. Arcturus has been sparking a surge of cases in India, prompting  Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s…
President Kennedy? Former Bedford Resident RFK Jr. Announces 2024 Bid For White House President Kennedy? Former Bedford Resident RFK Jr. Announces 2024 Bid For White House
President Kennedy? Former Bedford Resident RFK Jr. Announces 2024 Bid For White House There's now a possibility of another Kennedy back in the White House if the political winds blow in the right direction. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - son of the late US Attorney General and New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy - filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to run for president in the 2024 election, he announced Friday, April 7. The 69-year-old will run as a Democrat, according to his FEC filing. He said that he will officially kick off his campaign in Boston on Wednesday, April 19. “I am grateful for the outpouring of support…
COVID-19: 'Kraken' Subvariant XBB.1.5 Gaining More Ground Nationally, CDC Warns COVID-19: 'Kraken' Subvariant XBB.1.5 Gaining More Ground Nationally, CDC Warns
Covid-19: 'Kraken' Subvariant XBB.1.5 Gaining More Ground Nationally, CDC Warns Omicron strain called XBB.1.5 which accounts for a large majority of COVID-19 cases from the New York tristate area through New England, is gaining more ground nationally. Nicknamed the "Kraken" subvariant, it now makes up 43 percent of cases nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  "XBB.1.5 is the most transmissible form of COVID-19 that we know of to date and may be more likely to infect people who have been vaccinated or already had COVID-19," the CDC said in a statement posted on Twitter on Friday, Jan. 13. According to updated CDC data released …
Don't Say Monkeypox: NY Following WHO's Lead In Replacing Disease Name Don't Say Monkeypox: NY Following WHO's Lead In Replacing Disease Name
Don't Say Monkeypox: NY Following WHO's Lead In Replacing Disease Name Health officials in New York are ditching the term “monkeypox.” Instead, the state will follow guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) and refer to the disease as “mpox,” state Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett announced Thursday, Dec. 1. Earlier Report: First Case Of Monkeypox Confirmed In Albany County “The words we use matter, and words can carry stigma,” Bassett said. “For this reason, we applaud the World Health Organization for replacing ‘monkeypox’ with ‘mpox.’ “The New York State and City Departments of Health will do the same and transition our printed and digital …
CDC Tracking More Immune-Evasive COVID-19 Variant Growing In Northeast CDC Tracking More Immune-Evasive COVID-19 Variant Growing In Northeast
CDC Tracking More Immune-Evasive Covid-19 Variant Growing In Northeast With more than 300 COVID-19 Omicron sublineages circulating around the globe, a new potentially more contagious variant called XBB is being closely monitored by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). XBB is considered more immune-evasive than other Omicron variants, Chief White House medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said last week. But government officials said they don't think XBB will become a threat at the level of Omicron, which first emerged on the global scene almost exactly a year ago. Though XBB now accounts for just over 3 percent of new cases in t…
COVID-19: CDC Says It's Now Tracking More Immune-Evasive XBB Variant Growing In Northeast COVID-19: CDC Says It's Now Tracking More Immune-Evasive XBB Variant Growing In Northeast
Covid-19: CDC Says It's Now Tracking More Immune-Evasive XBB Variant Growing In Northeast With more than 300 COVID-19 Omicron sublineages circulating around the globe, a new potentially more contagious variant called XBB is being closely monitored by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). XBB is considered more immune-evasive than other Omicron variants, Chief White House medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said last week. But government officials said they don't think XBB will become a threat at the level of Omicron, which first emerged on the global scene almost exactly a year ago. Though XBB now accounts for just over 3 percent of new cases in t…
Maryland Department Of Health Reports First Human Monkeypox-Related Death Maryland Department Of Health Reports First Human Monkeypox-Related Death
Maryland Department Of Health Reports First Human Monkeypox-Related Death With the COVID-19 threat looming on the back burner, the Maryland Department of Health has confirmed the first monkeypox-related death of a human statewide. On Friday, Oct. 21, the agency announced that an immunocompromised Maryland resident has died, and the virus was a contributing factor, made more severe by the person’s health. Officials said that the Department of Health "will not be providing additional information to protect patient confidentiality."  According to the Department of Health, “monkeypox is a rare but serious illness caused by infection with the monkeypox vir…
WHO Issues Warning After Reports Of Fatal Attacks On Monkeys Amid Monkeypox Outbreak WHO Issues Warning After Reports Of Fatal Attacks On Monkeys Amid Monkeypox Outbreak
WHO Issues Warning After Reports Of Fatal Attacks On Monkeys Amid Monkeypox Outbreak As fears grow over the monkeypox outbreak, health officials are reporting an increasing number of violent attacks on monkeys. During an update Tuesday, Aug. 9, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged the public not to attack monkeys following reports that the animals have been poisoned, shot, or otherwise harmed in the weeks since the disease began making headlines. At least 10 marmoset or capuchin monkeys in Brazil were found to be suffering from poisoning or physical harm, according to reports. Seven of them died. Brazilian authorities believe the attacks were carried out over a mispl…
First US Monkeypox Cases In Children Confirmed: Here's New State-By-State Breakdown First US Monkeypox Cases In Children Confirmed: Here's New State-By-State Breakdown
First US Monkeypox Cases In Children Confirmed: Here's New State-By-State Breakdown The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed the first case of monkeypox among children in the United States. Those two cases are part of a record outbreak of nearly 2,900 infections nationwide. The unrelated cases, in an infant and a toddler -- one in California and the other in Washington, DC -- are unrelated and likely the result of household transmission, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told The Washington Post on Friday, July 22. New York accounts for about 31 percent of the nation's 2,891 monkeypox cases with 900, followed by California (356). For a state-by-sta…
First Human Monkeypox Case Reported In St. Mary’s County First Human Monkeypox Case Reported In St. Mary’s County
First Human Monkeypox Case Reported In St. Mary’s County The first human monkeypox case has been confirmed in St. Mary's County. The St. Mary’s County Health Department has been notified of a human monkeypox virus infection in a local resident, officials announced on Monday, July 18. The person is isolating from others and is recovering, according to health officials. The Health Department has also begun the process of contact tracing and notifying anyone who may have been exposed to the virus. “The risk of transmission to the general community at this time is believed to be low,” officials said. "(The St. Mary's County Health Department) enco…
Gaithersburg Company Produces Nation's First Authorized Protein-Based COVID Vaccine Gaithersburg Company Produces Nation's First Authorized Protein-Based COVID Vaccine
Gaithersburg Company Produces Nation's First Authorized Protein-Based COVID Vaccine Novavax, a Gaithersburg-based company in Montgomery County, has received emergency use authorization from the FDA to distribute the first protein-based COVID-19 vaccination in the United States, officials say. The US Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Defense together announced a purchase of 3.2 million doses of the new vaccine, according to Montgomery County officials. The vaccine will be available free to states, jurisdictions, federal pharmacy partners, and federally qualified health centers. The protein-based vaccine is already widely used in other countries…
CDC Releases State-By-State Rundown Of Monkeypox Cases CDC Releases State-By-State Rundown Of Monkeypox Cases
CDC Releases State-By-State Rundown Of Monkeypox Cases Amid the largest monkeypox outbreak ever in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a rundown of cases by state. As of 2 p.m. Friday, July 8, there were a total of 767 confirmed cases in the US. That's a big jump from the 72 cases identified nationally in mid-June. New York currently has the most monkeypox cases of any state with 153, followed by California (136) and Illinois (91). Massachusetts has the second-highest number of cases in the Northeast with 32 cases, followed by Pennsylvania (23), New Jersey (8), and Connecticut (3). Click here t…