Coronavirus outbreaks throughout the Sun Belt started to show signs of leveling off on Tuesday, but the nation’s top infectious disease expert warned that COVID-19 cases are now on the rise in the Midwest. “We just can’t afford, yet again, another surge,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday, as the country reported more than 1,000 coronavirus fatalities for the second day in a row, the Washington Post reported. Florida, Arkansas, Oregon and Montana saw their highest single-day death tolls to date on Tuesday, the Post reported. However, the number of cases nationwide appears to have leveled off to a seven-day moving average of around 66,000 new cases daily, the Post reported. A slight decline in new cases registered Tuesday followed five weeks of steadily rising numbers. On the vaccine front, the final phase of testing for two potential COVID-19 vaccines was launched on Monday. In one trial, the first of 30,000 volunteers were either given a vaccine developed by Moderna Inc. and the U.S. National Institutes of Health or a placebo shot, the Post reported. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer also announced Monday that it was starting a 30,000-person final phase vaccine trial, to be conducted at 120 sites globally. Fauci predicted that researchers would probably be able to tell whether the Moderna vaccine was effective by November or December, although he added that it was a “distinct…  read on >

As the U.S. coronavirus case count passed 4.3 million on Monday, companies launched the final phase of testing for two potential COVID-19 vaccines. In one trial begun on Monday, the first of 30,000 volunteers were either given a vaccine developed by Moderna Inc. and the U.S. National Institutes of Health or a placebo shot, the Washington Post reported. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer also announced Monday that it was starting a 30,000-person final phase vaccine trial, to be conducted at 120 sites globally. “We are participating today in the launching of a truly historic event in the history of vaccinology,” Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said during a news conference on the Moderna vaccine, the Post reported. He predicted that researchers would probably be able to tell whether the Moderna vaccine was effective by November or December, although he added that it was a “distinct possibility” an answer could come sooner. Pfizer officials have said the company expects to be able to seek regulatory authorization or approval for its vaccine by October, the Post reported. Both vaccines require two doses, spaced several weeks apart. Then researchers will have to wait to see whether people get infected or sick with COVID-19. A clear signal of success or failure will depend on how fast the trials recruit participants and how long…  read on >

In the midst of a pandemic, many Americans still view face mask mandates as an assault on their personal freedoms, rather than a means of protecting themselves and others from COVID-19. But a group of researchers out of Duke University say the mask backlash can be turned around — as long as efforts to do so are grounded in empathy, not judgment. As coronavirus cases in the United States soar, face mask mandates have been issued by a growing number of cities, states and national retailers. The mandates make sense, health experts say. “I think face masking is a very important part [of curbing the spread of COVID-19] and ought to be done in this epidemic,” Dr. Robert Brook, distinguished chair of RAND Corporation’s health care services program, said in a HD Live! interview. “It’s one of the few things we can do that will slow the pandemic.” But there’s been no national public health campaign to tell Americans why face masks work, and how to use them properly, Brook added. May Chu, a clinical professor of epidemiology at the University of Colorado’s School of Public Health, concurred. “We have to teach people how to wear it, how to take care of them and when to use them,” she said in the same HD Live! interview. In the meantime, some Americans balk at wearing a…  read on >

Coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said Sunday that federal health officials are recommending the closing of bars, cutting indoor restaurant capacity and limiting social gatherings to 10 people in states where COVID-19 cases are climbing. Birx added that “100%” of individuals should wear masks in public or around others, the Washington Post reported, as the number of U.S. coronavirus cases climbed past 4.2 million. “We can see what is happening in the South moving North,” said Birx, referring to soaring numbers of COVID-19 cases in states including Florida, Texas, Alabama and Georgia. “We do believe there are states that do need to close their bars,” she said. Birx has visited states in the South and Southwest, and is now focused on Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana and Virginia, the Post reported. As of Sunday, the seven-day averages for new cases hit fresh highs in several states, including Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Wyoming, the Post reported. At the same time, Nevada, Texas and South Carolina set records for their seven-day averages of daily deaths, while Mississippi and North Carolina tied their previous highs, the newspaper said. Meanwhile, Florida passed New York on Sunday with the second highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country. Only California has more reported infections. In Florida, cases have…  read on >

Summer means long, carefree days outside, but don’t let that sabotage your slumber, sleep experts say. An American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) survey found that 36% of U.S. adults said they sleep less in the summer, with the highest rates in the West (42%) and Midwest (40%). “The lure of the outdoors and more daylight can make it tempting to delay bedtimes, but it’s important to get healthy sleep in every season,” AASM president Dr. Kannan Ramar said in an academy news release. During the summer, go to bed at a time that allows you to get enough sleep to wake up feeling refreshed and alert. The AASM’s bedtime calculator can help you determine an appropriate bedtime for your schedule. The AASM also offers the following advice to help avoid sleep loss: Keep a consistent sleep schedule. If you tend to stay up later, make sure you allow enough time in bed to get a full night of sleep on a regular basis. Turn off your electronic devices 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime. Silence your notifications and charge your devices away from your bed so you’re not tempted to check social media or news alerts. Don’t have caffeine after lunch and avoid alcohol near bedtime, as both can disrupt sleep. Create a comfortable bedroom environment. Keep your room quiet, dark and a…  read on >

America saw its coronavirus case count pass 4 million on Thursday, as health officials across the country reported a third day of more than 1,000 new COVID-19 deaths. Alabama posted a record-setting 2,390 new cases on Thursday, while four other states — Hawaii, Indiana, Missouri and New Mexico — also hit their single-day peak for new cases, The New York Times reported. Meanwhile, Florida and Tennessee each had more virus-related deaths than on any other previous day. The rapid spread of coronavirus this summer is sobering, taking just 15 days to go from 3 million cases to 4 million, the Washington Post reported. This spring, it took 45 days to jump from 1 million cases to 2 million, while the leap to 3 million then took 27 days. California has been slammed twice during the pandemic: it was the first state to issue a stay-at-home order this spring, to slow an early outbreak. But after a reopening that some health officials warned was too fast, cases surged. That triggered a statewide mask mandate and the closure of bars and indoor dining again, the Times reported. With over 422,000 cases, California has surpassed New York to have the most COVID-19 cases of any state. It set a single-day record on Wednesday, with more than 12,100 new cases and 155 new deaths. In the face of climbing…  read on >