There was a glimmer of hope just a couple of weeks ago when it looked like the positivity rate in Alabama was coming down. But there’s still a lot of virus circulating in the community with the positivity rate in Alabama now at more than 44%.That’s why doctors are still stressing the importance of getting that shot in the arm to ensure you’re protected.
There’s a new option available for those who test positive - a pill made specifically to reduce COVID symptoms and avoid hospitalizations for vulnerable populations.
ADPH data shows that 2,180 people are hospitalized with the virus across the state as of January 14th, 2022. 84 of those patients are children. Dr. David Kimberlin with Children’s of Alabama said those are record numbers for kids.
“School-wide masking is at the top of the list of preventive steps that need to be implemented. Masks can still make a difference in school settings and allow students to remain in class, if properly used.”
Officials with ADPH said hospital staffing is the largest problem Alabama is facing during the Omicron surge, and if these new mandates cause more employees to quit, it will likely just get worse.
There’s been about a 50% nationwide increase of children being hospitalized with COVID over the past couple of weeks according to Dr. David Kimberlin with Children’s of Alabama.
On December 21, Attorney General Marshall joined with Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry to challenge the Biden administration’s Head Start mandate, along with his colleagues from 22 other States.
With only 47 percent of the state fully vaccinated, UAB infectious disease expert, Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo said more people need the shot to protect against the more infectious Omicron strain.
Biden detailed major changes to his COVID-19 winter plan, his hand forced by the fast-spreading variant, whose properties are not yet fully understood by scientists. Yet his message was clear that the winter holidays could be close to normal for the vaccinated while potentially dangerous for the unvaccinated.
The number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations is once again on the rise, and the Alabama Department of Public Health is urging residents to get vaccinated.
Moderna said its COVID-19 booster appears to provide protection against the surging Omicron variant. The drug maker said its 50-microgram booster dose increased antibody levels 37-fold.
The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) leaders reminded everyone to take precautions during the 2021 holiday season to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Originally, health leaders said you are fully vaccinated with just the two shots of Pfizer or the Moderna shots or one shot of Johnson and Johnson. As the country learned more about variant viruses, that could change.
Testing has improved enough that the difference in accuracy from one kind of test to another is not that great. But with some labs being closed during the holiday, scheduling your test can be important.
This week will be the one year anniversary of Alabama healthcare workers getting some of the first COVID-19 vaccines. How has it gone and how are things going with getting those boosters?
Officials with Children's of Alabama said a lot of their patients are already vaccinated against the virus. They also said they have not seen many kids come in with negative side effects after getting the shot.
As doctors scramble to learn more about the Omicron variant, they say information coming out of South Africa is offering clues to the possible impact here in Alabama.
Governor Ivey submitted a formal comment letter Friday to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on opposing the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate for companies with over 100 employees.
Harris says even if vaccines are less effective against the new variant, getting vaccinated is your best chance to protect yourself against anything any severe cases until more information becomes available.
Kids ages 5 to 11 have been able to roll up their sleeves for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for a little more than three weeks. But how many kids in Alabama have received the shot?
The U.S. government on Friday moved to open up COVID-19 booster shots to all adults, expanding efforts to get ahead of rising coronavirus cases that experts fear could snowball into a winter surge as millions of Americans travel for the holidays.
Officials across the country and here in Alabama are fighting the COVID-19 Vaccine mandate, but most of those who put on the uniform are getting those shots.
