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OUTBREAK OUTLOOK– NORTHEAST — OCT 16 500 NEW CASES OF TB IN NYC SO FAR THIS YEAR

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Outbreak Outlook – Northeast – October 16

OCT 16, 2023

Welcome to the Northeast edition of Outbreak Outlook, formerly called This Week in Outbreaks! This content is only available to paid subscribers. Thanks for reading! -Caitlin

Respiratory diseases

  • New York City is seeing a rise in tuberculosis (TB) cases, with about 500 cases confirmed so far this year. This is a 20% increase from the same period last year. This resurgence is exacerbated by lengthy treatment delays at city-run TB clinics and could worsen this winter. Experts attribute this uptick to a combination of factors, including reduced focus on TB control in recent years, disruptions by the Covid-19 pandemic, and a recent influx of migrants to the city.

Influenza-like illness

Influenza-like illness (ILI) remained about the same in the Northeast during the week ending October 7. Although the Northeast is the second-highest region for ILI in the country, with around 2.3% of visits to the doctor for ILI symptoms, levels are still considered low. I would say flu season has not begun one earnest in the Northeast yet.

After a few unexpected weeks in the “high” category, New York City is now back in the “low” category for ILI activity. Other states in the region are also “low” or “minimal.”

At the national level, ILI in the youngest children rose again this week to 7.7%, up from 7.1% the week prior. For the 5-24 age group, the rate rose slightly from 3.3% to 3.5%. Older age groups remain below 2%.

Covid-19

Covid-19 activity continues to persist at a higher level in the Northeast compared to other parts of the country. The number of new hospitalizations in this region has stayed roughly the same this week, contrasting with the significant decreases observed in other regions. However, test positivity and ED visits are both improving, which are encouraging signs. Currently, wastewater data, which could provide additional insights, is unavailable.

I hope that the trends in the Northeast are just a week or two delayed compared to other areas, and a decline will be seen soon.

RSV

RSV activity is still increasing very slowly in New England states. PCR test positivity is still around 2%, up from a recent low of less than 1%. Still, during the height of RSV season, test positivity can reach 20%, so overall activity is low. I don’t see any signs yet that the RSV surge in the Southern region has reached the Northeast.

Other Respiratory + Stomach Bugs

  • Seasonal coronavirus, human metapneumovirus, parainfluenza virus, and adenovirus all look good for the Northeast, with no concerning trends.
  • However, enterovirus/rhinovirus, responsible for the common cold, is currently at a high level in the region.
  • On a positive note, norovirus activity in the Northeast remains low!

Food recalls

The following foods are being recalled because they are contaminated. Please check your cupboards and throw out any of these items:

New this week:

  • None

Previously reported:

  • Ion and Restore brands Sinus Spray (more info)
  • Organic Chicken and Beef Broth sold at Costco and Whole Foods (more info)
  • Whole cantaloupes sold by Eagle Produce (more info)
  • Not Fried Chicken sold by Life Raft Treats (more info)
  • If you have food allergies, you may wish to review these FDA safety alerts and USDA alerts for foods with undeclared allergens.

In Other News

The Boston Globe has a report on severe nutritional deficiencies in fisherman and sailors who work in the commercial fishing industry. It’s a troubling but important read about health inequities.

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TONIGHT AT 7 WPTV- WHITE PLAINS WEEK, THE FRIDAY THE 13TH REPORT: STATE OF HEALTH IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY. 7:30 FIOS CH 45 COUNTYWIDE. WHITE PLAINS OPTIMUM CH. 76 or WWW.WPCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG

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JOHN BAILEY’S STATE OF HEALTH REPORT IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY

COUNTY STARTS COUNTY WIDE  TRANSPORTATION & FOOD ACCESS SURVEY

FEEDING WESTCHESTER REPORTS 200,000 20 PER CENT OF COUNTY POPULATION EXPERIENCE HUNGER PROBLEMS, WHITE PLAINS SALVATION ARMY REPORTS HIGHEST SIGNUPS FOR FOOD AND MEALS IN FIRST WEEK OF REGISTRATION

COVID DOWN SECOND WEEK IN ROW IN WESTCHESTER. COVID HOSPITALIZATIONS TOPS NATIONALLY AND COVID  CASES FOUND IN WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS ARE UPUP

JOHN BAILEY AND THE NEWS

EVERY WEEK ON WHITE PLAINS WEEK 

FOR 22 YEARS

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Inside the County Transportation and Food Access Study: Planning Commissioner Explains

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. By John F. Bailey. October 13, 2023:

Westchesterr County Commissioner of Planning, Blanca  Lopez gave WPCNR some clarifications on how the Westchester Transportation and Food Access Study came about and how it will be used in these responses to questions WPCNR has about the survey introduced Thursday.

WPCNR: Has the Department of Planning in process of starting this study before the hunger situation has amplified the past year?

PLANNING COMMISSIONER LOPEZ: The study was first included as part of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council’s (NYMTC) Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) for the 2022-2023 year, which began on April 1st 2022. The idea for the study has been discussed within the Department of Planning for some time before that.

The NYMTC’s UPWP is an annual program that includes all federally funded transportation-related planning activities in the NYMTC region, which includes Westchester and 9 other counties. As part of the UPWP the study is funded 80% with federal funds with the other 20% coming from the County

WPCNR: What motivated the Planning Department to do this?

COMMISSIONER LOPEZ: The County and the Department of Planning are aware of the prevalence of hunger and food insecurity throughout Westchester County and are working on taking concrete action to fight it. This is done through a number of approaches and by supporting multiple programs, in particular Feeding Westchester and the many foodbanks throughout Westchester that are part of Feeding Westchester’s network.

One of the factors impacting hunger and food insecurity is challenges getting to and from grocery stores and other food sources with affordable, quality food. The planning department thought it would be worthwhile to include a study in the UPWP to look into these issues. 

WPCNR: Was this in response to hunger situation in Westchester?

COMMISSIONER LOPEZ: A major goal of the study is to reduce the number of food insecure in the County. In that sense the answer to your question is yes. However, the study is limited in scope in that it is primarily focused on ‘access’ in the transportation sense in terms of looking at how to make it easier for individuals to travel to get affordable, quality food. For example, someone may have sources of food that they can easily access, but are these affordable and/or good quality? In this case improving access to more affordable, quality food may directly decrease levels of food insecurity.

In discussions with Feeding Westchester, it has come up that one of the challenges they face in distributing free food through food banks is that some of the recipients are not able to travel to the service locations. One of the issues this study intends to look into is how to improve travel to food banks/soup kitchens and what options exist for delivery services. In this case, improving travel and ‘access’ will directly support the goal of reducing hunger and food insecurity.

WPCNR: Will the results of responses to the survey be incrementally assessed so trends can be immediately responded too?

COMMISSIONER LOPEZ: The survey is part of the broader Transportation and Food Access Study. The consultant and County staff involved with the study will be looking at survey responses as they come in. However, the main goal of the survey is to inform the overall study by providing information on how Westchester residents access food and what challenges they face. This combined with stakeholder outreach, data analysis, etc. will form the foundation for developing strategies to improve food access. There won’t be any direct actions happening in response to the survey while it is live. The hope is that it can inform implementable actions that will occur once the study is complete.

WPCNR: Will the survey look at the costs of food, related to rents going up? (Key factor in cutting down food consumption)

COMMISSIONER LOPEZ: There are questions about the costs of different types of groceries as well as how much of a barrier food affordability is to obtaining groceries. There are no specific questions about how this relates to other costs.

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HIGHEST REQUESTS OF MEALS/FOOD IN WESTCHESTER EVER (200,000 PLUS)) WESTCHESTER PLANS SURVEY OF FOOD, TRANSPORTATION NEEDS

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WESTCHESTER COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING

LAUNCHES TRANSPORTATION AND FOOD ACCESS STUDY

EDITOR’S NOTE: IN A WEBINAR TUESDAY EVENING FEEDING WESTCHESTER REPORTED THIS FALL THEY HAVE RECEIVED THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF REQUESTS FOR GROCERY NEEDS IN THEIR HISTORY. THE WHITE PLAINS SALVATION ARMY AS OF THE FIRST WEEK IN OCTOBER WHEN REQUESTS FOR FOOD WERE CALLED FOR STATED THAT ORGANIZATION TOO HAS EXPERIENCED THE MOST REQUESTS FOR FOOD, TOO. TODAY, WESTCHESTER COUNTY ANNOUNCED A FOOD ACCESS AND TRANSPORTATION STUDY OF THE FOOD CRISIS (AFFECTING 20% OR MORE OF THE COUNTY POPULATION, ACCORDING TO FEEDING WESTCHESTER

(White Plains, NY) – The Westchester County Department of Planning, with the support of the Department of Health, is launching a survey as part of its Transportation and Food Access Study. The survey asks Westchester residents ages 18 and older to share their experiences travelling to get groceries, as well as information on the type and affordability of food available to them in the County.

 

The goal of the study is to develop effective strategies to increase Westchester County resident access to affordable, quality food, with the goal of decreasing food insecurity, improving health outcomes, and increasing the quality of life in Westchester. The study will include a County-wide analysis, as well as a more detailed examination of a yet to be determined smaller study area.

 

Westchester County Executive George Latimer said: “The entire purpose of this study is for the County to find out more about the obstacles that stand in the way of our residents accessing affordable, nutritious food. We want to increase accessibility to the groceries that people truly need so our residents can live longer, healthier lives. I encourage anyone who has a few minutes to participate in this survey, to help us decrease food insecurity across Westchester.” 

 

Westchester County Commissioner of Planning Blanca Lopez said:

“The Planning Department is excited to launch this survey County-wide to obtain much needed primary information on how Westchester County residents access food.

Survey responses will help us identify challenges as well as better understand the experiences that survey-takers have in accessing affordable and nutritious food. We are grateful to our colleagues in the Health Department, as well as our partners from community-based organizations who are helping us with survey distribution and data collection, so that our study can develop effective strategies and recommendations to increase food access to as many County residents as possible.”

The anonymous survey is available in English and in Spanish online, as well as hard copy now through November 17. The assessment seeks to identify how Westchester residents access groceries, what types of groceries are available to them, and what obstacles exist accessing groceries.

Some of the issues that will be explored include: Improving transit, pedestrian and bicycle connection to existing food sources; improving food distribution and delivery options; and changes to zoning, land use and other municipal policies to increase the availability of groceries.

The survey will be distributed via email to a diverse range of community groups, and will be available on paper and via QR code on fliers placed in public locations such as food pantries, public transit, hospitals, clinics and County offices. Health Department staff also will be onsite at some locations to help promote the survey.

The survey is part of the Transportation and Food Access Study administered by the Westchester County Department of Planning, and conducted by the planning firm Steer. The results of the survey will be analyzed alongside targeted stakeholder outreach and available data to identify existing challenges related to food access in Westchester County.

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THE CLIMATE OF RESPIRATORY HEALTH IN THE UNITED STATES FROM YOUR LOCAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST

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Your Local Epidemiologist

 

5
BayDog

4 hrs ago

I’d like to give a huge shout out to Costco, who now has the Novavax vaccine in stock in many of their pharmacies across the country. When I called their pharmacy yesterday, a live person answered their phone, and was happy to book a Novavax appointment for me even though I’m not a Costco member. I get jabbed this afternoon.

Compare this to the multiple phone calls I’ve made to Rite Aid, CVS and Walgreens where customers get stuck in an “automated customer service maze from hell” and often can’t speak to a real person. The few times I was lucky enough to reach the pharmacist, they either had never heard of Novavax, confused it with Moderna, and had no idea whether their company would be receiving it. And www.vaccines.gov is not up to date – the place to get real-time info, unfortunately, remains Twitter, or X, or whatever it’s now called, where there’s currently a #Novavax frenzy.

I have heard (although this isn’t confirmed) that Rite Aid and CVS will eventually get Novavax, but it could take a week or two. Perhaps it’s Costco’s superior internal distribution system that allows it to distribute fresh salmon to stores across the nation that enables it to be first at distributing Novavax.

After this exceedingly pleasant experience, I am planning to reinstate my Costco membership (even though I still have a huge box of unused, tissue-thin toilet paper in the garage from the early days of lockdown).

Also, Novavax plans to release the results of their Hummingbird (kids) study on October 17.

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WESTCHESTER NEW COVID CASES DOWN 2ND WEEK IN ROW. WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL FINDS 89% , 69 OF 77 ADMITTED TO BEDS LAST WEEK, HAD COVID

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 SPREAD COUNTYWIDE IS BEHIND LAST OCTOBER 887 to 1463

WPCNR CORONAVIRUS SURVEILLANCE. Data from NY State Covid Tracker. Observation & Analysis by John F. Bailey.October 11, 2023:

Editor’s Note: The 3-day lag of the NY Department of Health in reporting covid cases continues disrupt daily ebbs and flows of the covid cases in but nevertheless the lag is all WPCNR can use to monitor how effective the people of Westchester are in lowering the disease effect on the county.

Westchester held Covid down for the second straight week, through October 1-7, reporting 887 new persons coming down with covid, down from 1,081 the previous week.

Sunday through Saturday last week, the number of new covid cases were, 109 Sunday, 220, Monday, 175 Tuesday,126 Wednesday, tapering off at the close of the week to  124 Thursday, 96 Friday and 37 Saturday. Westchester averaged  125 cases a day  positive covid PCR test positives were 610 compared to 277 Antigen Test positives, lab-tested antigen positives accounting for 45% of the positives.

This shows in my opinion that persons coming down with symptoms are going to confirm positive tests, indicating that the disease is still active and dangerous. Completion of vaccinations and acquisition of booster shots perhaps will prevent more covid in the future.

At White Plains Hospital last week, admissions from  last week from October 2 to 6 were 77 admitted to White Plains hoapital beds and 69 were found after admission to have covid or 89%. That is the highest percentage since last January. The hospital has been averaging 50 to 60% of new admissions to beds also testing positive for covid.

In comparison to October 22 hospitalizations for the same week  Oct 3 to 7, there were 116 admissions to beds, with 86  found testing positive with covid. This is a lower rate of covid cases entering the White Plains Hospital beds this month but still approaching the hospitalizations for covid of October a year ago which had more admissions but a lower covid percentage (74%). We do not know how serious the covid cases were or are, mild,symptomatic, or deserving treatment.

But 89% is very high for  White Plains Hospital last week. It means either people are not testing before they go in for a procedure which you are supposed to do. Since the positives are found by the hospital, this can only mean they wanted the procedure they were going in for and did not want to monitor their covid condition. I take this to mean the “back to normal mindset” of not taking covid precautions is infecting more of the population.

Compared to last October, Westchester population has in the first were as  of October 2023,  887 new cases. The first week of October 2022, Westchester had 1,483, 40% lower cases. Our ability to lower covid is better.

Last week, Westchester averaged 13.5 new cases per 100,000 people. 13.5 times 10,04, (1,004,000 county  population) is 135 new infections a day times 7 is 945 a week, x 4 weeks is 3,780 infections for October at our present rate of cases per day.

In October 2022, there were 4,563 infections. Westchester is  infecting 17% LESS. This is good, if the schools do not spread the covid virus, and we have way of knowing what the schools new cases are  across the county, because the Stated Edcucation Department no longer requires them to report covid cases. I think that decision does not make sense.

Last year 2021-2022, there were 138,183 students in Westchester Public Schools. If 2% of them test positive for covid and the schools do not catch you may have 2,763 students spreading covid in the schools. If 5% test positive you may experience a 7,000 student population spreading a faster spreading series of variants faster — especially if the school age population is not fully  vaccinated (another thing not required by the State Education Department).

The danger of not reporting covid positives, the unfathomable decision not to test students daily, require social distancing adds to the possibility of the school lack of covid awareness having even higher spreads.

I felt the protocols of last year played a large part in getting covid numbers down by May of this year, but since then the numbers have gone for 10 of 12 weeks since July.

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NOVAVAX HERE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM YOUR LOCAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST

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View in browser

Novavax is here!

And an updated 2023 vaccine chart.

The world is, once again, seeing the darkest parts of humanity unfold in and around Isreal. Posting about a vaccine felt insensitive without addressing the pain, suffering, and tragedy millions face today. There are massive public health implications of war (malnutrition, clean water, PTSD, bioterrorism risks), and maybe YLE can get there when the time is right. In the meantime, I am grieving with you. Hoping for peace, thinking about those in harm’s way, hoping leaders have wisdom, and hugging my kids extra tight.

Last week, the Novavax Covid-19 vaccine with an updated formula was approved by the FDA. Here are a few quick thoughts.

Also, you’ll find the final version of the vaccine sheet below. I’m stoked that many people, including the CDC, are using it.

What is Novavax?

Novavax is a small company based in Maryland and has never brought a vaccine to market. This company has a fascinating rollercoaster history; I highly recommend googling over coffee.

Their Covid-19 vaccine contains a coronavirus protein that prompts the immune system. (This differs from Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines, which contain instructions for recognizing the coronavirus.) Scientists combined this protein with an immune-boosting compound derived from the soapbark tree.

This type of vaccine has a much longer track record than the newer approaches. But the innovative aspect is that Novavax found a way to make this vaccine in moth cells (rather than mammal cells). The moth cells become little factories that pump out coronavirus proteins. This allows Novavax to manufacture the vaccine much more quickly than others, which is one reason they can get this to market in 6 months (as opposed to longer).

Who is eligible?

Anyone 12 years and older. This includes people who previously had a Pfizer or Moderna Covid-19 vaccine.

Where will Novavax be available?

13,000 stores… eventually. It will take time for distribution, just like the mRNA vaccines. The closest one to me is 75 miles. This will change with time.

Keep an eye out on vaccines.gov. Here is another Novavax finder. (Note: it still has information from the 2022 vaccine rather than the 2023 updated vaccine. I hope this will be updated ASAP.)

Do they work?

Yes. Most recently, an Italian study of more than 20,000 people showed protection against symptomatic disease was 50% in fully vaccinated people. It did not wane before 4 months.

Is mixing Novavax after an mRNA series better?

There is some evidence that mixing is immunologically better and some evidence that staying with mRNA is better. It’s a bit hard to know which one is “right” given how little evidence we have at this point. (See a breakdown of the similarities and differences here.)

That said, there are two reasons people may want to go with Novavax:

  • Hesitant about mRNA biotechnology, regardless of its long history.
  • Side effects. In a randomized clinical trial, Novavax had fewer side effects than mRNA vaccines. This is one major reason why I’m going with Novavax this fall for the first time. (The mRNA vaccines kick my butt. Fingers crossed, this is more forgiving for me).

    Side effects from varying combinations of Covid-19 vaccines. Figure from the Lancet, with YLE annotations. Original source here.

Updated vaccine sheet

Below is the final version, as we don’t expect updates for fall 2023 options from here on out. Below is an English and Spanish PDF for paid subscribers. Download and share!

 

2023 Fall Vaccines Pdf ENGLISH
65.3KB ∙ PDF file
Download
Copy Of 2023 Fall Vaccines Pdf SPANISH
72.8KB ∙ PDF file
Download

 

Love, YLE

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COUNTY EXECUTIVE RENEWS CALL FOR A FEDERAL FIELD IMMIGRATION COURT.

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STATEMENT FROM WESTCHESTER COUNTY EXECUTIVE GEORGE LATIMER: A RENEWED CALL FOR A FEDERAL FIELD IMMIGRATION COURT

Attached to this release is a letter County Executive George Latimer has sent to federal representatives echoing his call for a field immigration court.

 

(White Plains, NY) – “On almost every corner of Westchester County the issue of immigration remains a topic.  It is a complex and pressing challenge for our County, State and Nation. As I have long maintained, it is crucial that we address this challenge with compassion and respect for the rights and dignity of individuals seeking refuge in our Country. Therefore, I am renewing my call for the establishment of a Federal Field Immigration Court to handle asylum-seekers right here in Westchester County.

The ongoing management of migrants within Westchester County has been effective, and it is with this success in mind that we propose the establishment of this local court. The purpose of the Field Court would be to adjudicate applications for asylum by immigrants who have come to Westchester County seeking protection. By providing a local venue for processing these applications, we can ensure that individuals receive due process and fair consideration of their claims in a timely manner right in the County where they are temporarily located.

Our primary goal, one we all share, is to alleviate the strain on existing immigration courts and help reduce the substantial backlog of asylum cases. To staff the Field Court effectively, if additional staff is needed, I recommend the recruitment of retired judges and individuals with legal experience. This practice mirrors our approach during the COVID-19 pandemic when we enlisted retired doctors and nurses, which had a significant impact. In this case, these dedicated professionals can help reduce the backlog of applications, ensuring that cases are processed in a timely manner while upholding the integrity of the asylum process.

Here in Westchester County we have effectively managed migrant placements with dignity, respect and safety in the forefront.  I have long maintained that our approach to immigration should reflect our nation’s core values of compassion, fairness and respect for human rights. That is why, I believe we need to establish a Federal Field Immigration Court to handle asylum-seekers right here in Westchester County. I renew my call and invite other elected officials to join in this advocacy.”

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