For several weeks experts warned us of rising Covid-19 Delta Variant cases sweeping across North Texas. The Delta variant, SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta), was first identified in India in late 2020. This strain rapidly spread worldwide and is now the dominant variant in the United States, including Texas.

The CDC reports that the Delta variant accounts for 93% of current US Cases. The Delta variant is the most contagious so far. It passes easily and quickly from person to person. Children also catch the delta variant at a higher right than the original Covid-19 virus. A mutation in the spike protein makes the virus more “sticky.” It is more contagious and spreads in children faster than the original Covid-19 strain.

All Texans want children back in school, but we disagree on how to do it safely. 

Governor Abbot, who typically advocates for local control, has switched gears and taken a top-down approach. The Governor’s May Executive Order mandated no mask mandates. Abbott took control away from superintendents and consolidated his power in Austin. 

Parents in Dallas and Tarrant County are faced with tough decisions. How do parents send their children to school safely in the middle of a North Texas Covid surge? 

So far, 52,555 Texans have lost their lives to Covid-19. Many people are still in the mindset of “this won’t happen to me.” Now is the time to shift our thinking and face reality in our communities.

The University of Texas Southwestern, located in Dallas, provides updated data to help parents guide their decisions. The medical school publishes publically available projections an epidemiological model. 

Three weeks ago, I had zero patients with Covid-19. This weekend I cared for seven pregnant patients with the virus. The three local hospitals where I work are full of patients in the ICU. 

The UT Southwestern data demonstrates the exact rise that I am seeing working as a local physician. The projections for the next few weeks are alarming. 

UT Southwestern is projecting a substantial increase in the number of hospitalizations over the next few weeks. Hospital admissions are up 99% in two weeks and 346% in the past month. 

Check out the blue line in the chart. The blue line is the estimate of hospitalizations for the next three weeks. If cases continue at this pace, we will be dangerously close to surpassing available hospital capacity in Dallas and Tarrant County. 

In our hospitals, more young people are coming in with severe Covid infections requiring hospitalizations. UT Southwestern data reports that people under 65 represent the largest share of hospitalizations.  

The data also shows the overwhelming majority of patients with severe disease requiring ICU care are unvaccinated people. 

The UT Southwestern projections also show the people of Dallas and Tarrant County have the power to change the course of the virus. 

In this chart, the data scientists show the effect of basic mitigation strategies. If we increase the rate of vaccination locally and keep our masks on, we can save lives. 

The orange line shows what happens if we do nothing different. The green line shows how quickly we can make a substantial difference by covering our faces and getting as many people a life-saving Covid-19 vaccine as possible. 

There are three FDA-approved vaccines for Covid-19. The two messenger RNA vaccines from Moderna and Phizer offer 95% protection against Covid-19. The Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna use messenger RNA (mRNA). A single strand of mRNA delivers instructions to human cells to produce an antibody against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

The Johnson and Johnson’s Janssen vaccine offers 72% protection against infection and 86% against severe disease. The Janssen vaccine uses Adenovirus 26 (AD26) as the vector to deliver DNA material into our cells to provoke an immune response.

The FDA expanded the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer messenger RNA Covid-19 vaccine for kids age 12–15 years old after Phase 3 study data showed the vaccine was 100% effective in preventing Covid-19 in this age group.

None of the vaccines contain a live virus. One can not catch Covid-19 from a vaccine. The vaccines do not enter the nucleus of the cells and do not alter our DNA. 

The Covid vaccines are not linked to miscarriage or Infertility. Research indicates most pregnant people who contract Covid-19 do well but have an increased risk of ICU admission and preterm labor.

The American College of Obgyn and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine recommends all pregnant women get a Covid-19 vaccine. The protective antibodies can save women’s lives and help protect the newborn.

Vaccines are available everywhere. They are free. We can help protect children going back to school by increasing vaccination rates.

Children who are 12 years old and older can get their Pfizer vaccine today. Adults can help protect the community by getting any of the three available Covid shots.

Children under age 12 are counting on us to protect them. We can slow the spread of Covid-19 by getting vaccinated. 

Protect yourself. Protect others. Protect the children. 

Get your shot today.

The post Dallas UT Southwestern Paints an Ugly Picture for Covid Projections appeared first on Medika Life.

HB 357 is a bill “relating to air conditioning requirements at facilities operated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.” The legislation seeks to improve the climate control systems lacking in many Texas Correction buildings.

The Dallas Morning News (DMN) reported one out of five lockup facilities has no air conditioning or climate control systems for inmates. Forty-nine prisons only have partial air conditioning.

The DMN published documents showing more than twenty inmates died from the heat inside Texas prisons between 1998 and 2012.

Democrats and Republicans from the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex are working together to make substantial prison reform changes during the legislative session. Last week, this bill passed the House by a vote of 123-18. Now, the bill moves to the Texas Senate before heading to Governor Abbot’s desk to sign it into law.

This bill provides the State prison system with seven years to bring climate control systems to all locations. The project has a cost cap of $300 million. The bill is contingent on State or Federal funds approval to assist with cooling costs.

The bill would provide essential climate control and air conditioning to incarcerated people throughout the Texas Penal system. The requirements are relatively basic stating:

Let’s meet the Dallas Fort Worth Representatives, who are working together to provide humane treatment to incarcerated Texans.

AIR CONDITIONING REQUIREMENTS AT DEPARTMENT
FACILITIES. The department shall ensure that each cellblock,
dormitory, and common area in a facility operated by the department
is equipped with an air conditioning unit that is operating to
maintain the air temperature at not less than 65 degrees Fahrenheit
or more than 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Representative Carl O. Sherman District 109

Carl Sherman is the democratic representative for district 109. He was elected in 2010 as the first African-American Mayor of DeSoto, Texas. He served two terms and led efforts to make Desoto one of the first cities in Texas to require police to wear body cameras. District 109 includes Cedar Hill, Dallas, DeSoto, Ferris, Glenn Heights, Hutchins, Lancaster, Ovilla, Seagoville, Wilmer, and other surrounding areas of southern Dallas County.

Representative Jeff Leach District 67

Jeff Leach is the republican representative for District 67. Representative Leach comes from Plano and is serving his fifth term in the Texas house. He is Chairman of the House committee with oversight over the Texas justice system. He also serves on the House Committee on Juvenile Justice and Family Issues. He is also the Chairman of the House committee with oversight over the Texas justice system. House District 67 consists of portions of Plano, Allen, Richardson, and Dallas in Collin County.

Representative Lynne Stuckey

Dr. Lynn Stucky is a veterinarian who now serves as the Republican representative for District 64. Dr. Stucky was raised on a Kansas farm before making Denton, Texas, his home. He spent 15 years on the Sanger ISD Board of Trustees and served on the Sanger Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He was elected to Texas House District 64 in 2016. The district includes Denton, Krum, Corinth, Shady Shores, Hickory Creek, and Lake Dallas.

Speaker Pro Tem Joe Moody

Attorney Joe Moody is the Democratic representing District 78, which covers northern El Paso County. Elected at age 27, Moody was the youngest state representative in Texas. He is the Speaker Pro tem and serves as the Vice-Chair of the Calendars Committee. He focuses attention on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence as well as redistricting issues. Representative Moody works on veterans issues, mental health, education, and equality, but criminal justice reform is his passion.

Representative Michelle Beckley

Michelle Beckley is the Democratic representative for House District 65 where she serves on the Agriculture and Livestock and the Business and Industry Committees. District 65 covers the major parts of Carrollton and Lewisville. Representative Beckley is a small business owner running the Kookaburra Bird Shop. In between running her company and serving Texans, Beckley is an active bicyclist who has completed two Ironman Triathlons.

Where does the bill stand now?

On Thursday, March 13, the House voted in a truly bipartisan fashion. 123 Representatives voted in favor of the legislation. Only eight were opposed. The bill now heads to the Senate.

Prison reform is a bipartisan issue. Both parties recognize the need to treat the incarcerated with dignity in a safe and healthy environment. Everyone deserves a second chance.

Given the partisan divide throughout our country, let’s celebrate this group of Texas Democrats and Republicans coming together to create a humane environment for incarcerated Texans.

Representative Carl Sherman shows us the importance of House Bill 357 in this April 2021 video from Texas Prisons Air Conditioning Advocates.

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The First Baptist Church Dallas website announced the program to its 14,000 congregants. Dr. Jeffress, using CDC data, “urges Christians who are fearful of COVID-19 to get the vaccine because it is nearly 100% effective and is the best way for churches to fully open.”

After church service on May 16, individuals who preregister through the Dallas Country Health and Human Service Vaccination Scheduler may receive their first dose of the Moderna vaccine.

The church will schedule the required second dose of Moderna vaccine at a second vaccine clinic day on Sunday, June 13, at 12:30 after services are complete. People who have already received the first dose of the Moderna vaccine do not need to register. They may bring their vaccination card to qualify for Moderna dose two.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins told the Dallas Morning News “the clinic is one of many efforts the county is using to target groups of people who may be hesitant to get the vaccine. In Deep Ellum, for example, he said the county is partnering with local businesses to target younger bar patrons.

Judge Clay Jenkins hopes bringing the vaccine directly to the church will help Christians overcome vaccine hesitancy.

There are three FDA-approved vaccines for Covid-19. The two messenger RNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer offer 95% protection against Covid-19. The Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna use messenger RNA (mRNA). A single strand of mRNA delivers instructions to human cells to produce an antibody against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

The Johnson and Johnson’s Janssen vaccine offers 72% protection against infection and 86% against severe disease. The Janssen vaccine uses Adenovirus 26 (AD26) as the vector to deliver DNA material into our cells to provoke an immune response.

The Moderna and Janssen vaccines are approved for those 18 years old and up. The Pfizer vaccine is approved starting at age 16 and is likely to be approved for children down to age 12 very soon.

All three vaccines are highly effective in preventing death.

First Baptist Church Dallas. Senior Pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress does not require vaccination to attend serves. Still, he encourages congregants to protect themselves as this is the safest way to get worshipers back into the church.

Here is what we know about post-vaccine immunity with the Covid-19 vaccines currently available in the United States: In phase 3 clinical trials, the Pfizer vaccine showed a 95% efficacy seven days after the second dose. The Moderna vaccine offers 94% immunity at least 14 days after dose number two. The Janssen vaccine takes effect after 14 days as well.

Two weeks after completing the vaccination course, recipients can rest assured their risk of severe disease from Covid-19 is very low.

First Baptist Church Dallas’s joint effort with Dallas Country Health and Human Service is a proactive step to help evangelicals overcome Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy. According to the Pew Research Center, white evangelical Christians are the least likely group indicating they plan to get vaccinated. Considering there are 41 million people in this category, helping evangelicals get vaccinated will improve the US chances of reaching herd immunity.

The New York Times explained the vaccine resistance as “white evangelicals present unique challenges because of their complex web of moral, medical and political objections. The challenge is further complicated by the longstanding distrust between evangelicals and the scientific community.”

First Baptist Church Dallas’s efforts to help its congregants get vaccinated is an important moment. This church is a national leader in the evangelical community. Last summer, the church received negative press coverage after hosting a Freedom Sunday service attended by Vice President Mike Pence, Governor Greg Abbott, and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson. The mostly maskless service results in a cluster of five positive Covid-19 cases.

Senior Pastor Robert Jeffress encourages all Christians to get vaccinated. He asks Christians to remember vaccination is an American issue, not a political one.

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The P.1 variant is the strain causing devasting levels of disease throughout Brazil. Scientists worldwide monitor its progression as P.1 is known to be more transmissible and shows some resistance to immune system antibodies. Dallas researchers closely monitor the Covid-19 variants circulating in North Texas to help provide data to public health workers.

According to the press release, the strain was isolated using next-generation sequencing technologies along with PCR testing. UT Southwestern genetic scientists in Dallas collaborate with local testing centers to perform Covid-19 genetic sequencing in the department of Genomics and Molecular Pathology. The medical school shares the trends with the public.

Genetic sequencing provides public policymakers with more information to better guide health policy. This comprehensive approach enables the early detection of new health threats as the research team closely monitors the coronavirus circulating strains in Texas. UT Southwestern shares the information with Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS).

Institutional genetic sequencing is a critical step for public health officials. Researchers at Texas A&M University recently identified a new Covid-19 variant called BV-1 by performing genetic sequencing on Covid strains from severe, mild, and asymptomatic infections.

While Covid testing has slowed in Texas, it remains a crucial element in our fight against the pandemic. Testing allows doctors to diagnose and treat those who have Covid-19. Testing enables health workers to do contact tracing and find others who may have been exposed. Testing with genetic sequencing provides information to the public health system to track trends in specific communities.

Genetic mutations are an expected result of a widely circulating virus. Viruses naturally mutate, and SARS-CoV-2 variants have been emerging and will continue to spread around the world. Public health agencies closely monitor these trends to identify and prepare for new threats.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tracks the various coronavirus strains and categorizes them into lineages. The viral groups are then categorized as variants of concern (VOC), variants of interest (VOI), or Variant of High Consequence. Covid-19 P.I is categorized as a variant of concern.

The CDC labels a strain as a variant of concern when it meets certain criteria. The label is applied when a variant is more transmissible, causes more severe disease, or if the strain can evade neutralizing antibodies. The CDC also monitors these strains to determine if they are resistant to our current diagnostic tests, treatments, or vaccines.

The P.1 variant has demonstrated some resistance to monoclonal antibody treatments due to a mutation called an E484K substitution in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Neutralizing antibodies from natural infection or the current vaccines are also less effective against P.1.

The identification of the P.1 variant in North Texas is an important finding. UT Southwestern pathologist stated, “An important part of forecasting is predicting how quickly the disease will spread, so knowing which variants are prevalent helps us make more accurate models.”

Right now P.1 is not widely circulating in Texas. The Uk strain, B.1.1.7, is the dominant strain in most states, including Texas. The B.1.1.7 variant accounts for 44.7% of the cases load in Texas. UT Southwestern sequencing protocols show the B.1.1.7 variant accounts for 55% of North Texas Covid-19 cases.

This data will be critically important as we move into the next phase of the pandemic. Public health systems will continue to monitor the progression of Covid variant and use this information to prepare for he growing needs of those with post-Covid conditions.

A recent report shows one out of three Covid-19 survivors continue to have symptoms after their initial infection resolves. Stories about “Covid long haulers” are popping up worldwide.

To learn more about Long Covid click here.

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Dallas County Health Services (DCHHS) is partnering with the Office of Emergency Management to offer the Covid-19 vaccine to homebound residents who are unable to get to a vaccine site physically.

Many older adults and people with disabilities face challenges finding access to Covid-19 vaccination. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends state and local agencies work together to ensure equitable vaccine access.

Dallas County is setting the bar high.

Judge Clay Jenkins reports DCHHS will work with the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department to directly bring the Janssen/Johnson and Johnson vaccine to people’s homes. Cedar Hill Fire Department, located in the southwest corner of Dallas County, was the first to party with the health department to help homebound seniors.

Dallas county will work with The Visiting Nurse Association (VNA), a local nonprofit community-based health care entity offering homebound care through Meals on Wheels to local seniors since 1934.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Janssen Covid-19 Vaccine under emergency use authorization (EUA) on February 27. Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies is the vaccine arm of Johnson & Johnson.

The Janssen vaccine is now approved for use in people 18 years and older. It only requires a single dose to be effective and is not burdened by the cold storage requirements, which slowed the distribution of the two previously approved vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer. This vaccine can be mass-produced and widely distributed to help get more shots in more arms as fast as possible.

Like the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, the Jansen vaccine does not contain a live virus. One cannot catch Covid-19 from these vaccines.

The Janssen vaccine uses much older technology by altering a common adenovirus to be used as a delivery system. Adenoviruses are the group of viruses causing the common cold. These viruses can be genetically altered to maintain their efficient ability to get into our bodies but remove their ability to make us sick. This combination makes them excellent vectors to create vaccines.

The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies proprietary vaccine technology platform, called AdVac, successfully created the Ebola vaccine currently used in the Congo and Rwanda. The AdVac system is being used to develop vaccine candidates against HIV, RSV, and Zika.

The Janssen vaccine uses Adenovirus 26 (AD26) as the vector to deliver DNA material into our cells to provoke an immune response. Scientists modify the adenovirus by removing its nucleus. They replace the nucleus with genetic instructions to recreate the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

Our bodies then produce the spike protein triggering our immune system to produce protective antibodies without causing us to get sick. Forty-four thousand people participated in Janssen’s safety and efficacy clinical trials in the United States, South Africa, and Latin America. The data shows the Janssen vaccine is 72% effective and offered 86% protection against severe disease. Some may be alarmed by the lower efficacy rate of 72% compared to the 95% efficacy offered by Pfizer and Moderna. It is important to remember these numbers are not direct head-to-head comparisons. Scientists performed the clinical trials for each vaccine in different parts of the world at various pandemic stages.

To date, Dallas County has issued 282,330 doses of the Covid-19 vaccines. Twenty-nine thousand seventy-three have gone to residents over 75 years old. People 85 and older are at the highest risk for severe illness and death from COVID-19.

This joint effort by the Dallas public service departments will help save the lives of our city’s senior and most vulnerable population.

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Dallas tried to do the right thing with Covid vaccine distribution, but Texas state officials blocked the effort.

Republican Commissioner J.J. Koch proposed prioritizing vaccine distribution in the zip codes with the highest number of Covid cases. The Dallas County Commissioners Court approved the plan until state officials from the Department of State Health Services pushed back. Texas DSHS officials vetoed the plan and threatened to reduce the number of doses delivered to the county.

Dallas County released vaccination data broken down by ZIP code showing the majority of vaccines were going to white, affluent areas. While the new Covid case data did not include racial demographics, it demonstrated 11 local zip codes with high Covid prevalence rates.

These zip codes include areas with large communities of people of color. The Dallas County health department attempted to prioritize vaccinating the predominately Black and Latinx neighborhoods at its Fair Park vaccination hub.

The Texas Tribune reports Texas state officials threatened to reduce vaccine distribution to Dallas Country unless it reversed the policy. Faced with the threat of losing crucial vaccine supply, Dallas County officials relented and changed course.

DSHS Associate Commissioner Imelda Garcia issued an attempted explanation stating, “While we ask hub providers to ensure vaccine reaches the hardest-hit areas and populations, solely vaccinating people who live in those areas is not in line with the agreement to be a hub provider.”

It is important to note the Dallas Country strategy never proposed vaccinating only the residents in the 11 zip codes. Increasing the vaccine supply in the Fair Park location would have only simply increased the vaccine supply in areas geographically closer to the affected neighborhoods.

The CDC has continued to report data showing an almost five times higher risk of severe disease and hospitalization in people of color. Dallas County attempted to focus the vaccine strategy to help these communities.

Dallas had a chance to prioritize vaccinating the communities that need it the most.

Can someone explain why Texas said no?

The post Texas Blocks Dallas Efforts to Vaccinate Communities of Color appeared first on Medika Life.

Endometriosis is when the endometrium that usually lines the inside of the uterus starts growing outside of the uterus. This tissue that typically releases during the menstrual cycle cannot exit the body, thus forming adhesions. Symptoms of endometriosis can include pelvic pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, painful bowel movements, and infertility.

“This condition can have a huge impact on a woman’s physical and emotional well-being,” says Srishti Arora, Senior Clinical Research Coordinator at Cedar Health Research. “Women deserve to know all their options for treatment.”

There are currently limited options for women with this condition. Cedar Health Research is currently working with a major pharmaceutical company that can offer alternative options for women with endometriosis.

“We are hopeful that this research can get us one step closer to finding better treatment for women.” says Srishti Arora.

Cedar Health Research is conducting research studies to evaluate new investigational medications for endometriosis. Qualified females who participate may receive study-related care at no cost and may receive compensation for travel.

To get in touch, contact us at (214) 253-8170 or CLICK HERE to fill out a contact form.

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Cedar Health Research streamlines women’s health clinical trials by combining Aspen Insights AI-technology and physician engagement opportunities. With a patient database of over 300,000 lives and a network of physicians, Cedar Health Research can quickly and effectively match qualified female patients to women’s health trials.

“With the power of Aspen Insights, physicians are provided with a pre-identified list of matched female patients based on the trial protocol,” states Todd Albin, CEO of Cedar Health Research. “Once a candidate is determined and willing to participate, they are referred to an accessible and convenient Cedar Health Research site.”

Physicians and medical practices who work with Cedar Health Research can directly recruit qualified patients from their own EMR system, making the clinical trial process seamless.

“Patient recruitment is often a bottleneck in clinical trials,” states Dr. Ezekiel Fink, Principal Investigator and Chief Medical Officer at Cedar Health Research. “With our machine learning EHR search technology, we are now able to match clinical trials to qualified candidates more quickly than ever.”

Backed by a robust patient database, unrivaled clinical research technology, and a close network of OB-GYN principal investigators, Cedar Health Research delivers unparalleled women’s health research capabilities.

To get in touch, contact us at (214) 253-8170 or CLICK HERE to fill out a contact form.

About Cedar Health Research

Cedar Health Research is a multi-specialty clinical research site-network based out of Dallas, Texas. They are powered by state-of-the-art AI technology, a world-class network of researchers, and connectivity to more than 500,000 lives through EHR and LIS database integrations. Cedar Health Research is committed to transforming the clinical research domain through the effective adoption of innovative technologies.
www.cedarhealthresearch.com

About Aspen Insights

Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, Aspen Insights is a data science and artificial intelligence firm principally engaged in the research, design, development, and integration of healthcare analytics systems, products, and services.
https://aspeninsights.com/about-us/

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