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Study ‘strongly’ suggests pregnant women who’ve recovered from COVID-19 pass antibodies to their unborn babies

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Study ‘strongly’ suggests pregnant women who’ve recovered from COVID-19 pass antibodies to their unborn babies

Sarah Hollingshead was already in quarantine due to a COVID-19 exposure when she has diagnosed with the virus herself.

“There was a day my husband picked up my daughter from daycare and brought her home and I couldn’t smell her head,” she said. “And I was like, oh no, I can’t smell anything.”

A COVID diagnosis can be scary on its own, but Hollingshead had an extra layer of anxiety: the assistant principal is seven-and-a-half months pregnant with her second child.

“You just hope, you know, is my baby gonna be okay,” Hollingshead said.

There’s now new, reassuring insight for recovering expectant mothers like Hollingshead.

A study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology ‘strongly’ suggests pregnant women who recover from coronavirus pass their antibodies onto their babies.

“What this is showing is your body is doing what it has to protect the babies,” said the study’s lead senior author Dr. Yawei (Jenny) Yang, who’s a pathologist with Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. “The level of antibodies, or this protection, is pretty much parallel or mimics each other in the mother and the child, so the higher the antibodies amount in the mother, the higher in the babies.”

The study also mentions these findings could have positive implications for pregnant women taking the vaccine.

“These data suggest that if the mother mounts an antibody response secondary to a vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, those antibodies could also cross the placenta into the neonate, potentially protecting both the mother and her neonate from future infection,” it reads.

Both Dr. Yang as well as Bedford fertility specialist Dr. Kevin Doody, who’s on the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s COVID-19 task force, believe this could also bode well for women who are breastfeeding.

“The good news is, it looks like if women who get COVID when they’re pregnant, that these antibodies will cross the placenta and there’s actually some evidence it could also be conveyed in the breastmilk,” Doody said.

“There’s no reason for us to assume the antibodies would not also be present in the breast milk” after either having the virus or the vaccine, Yang agreed.

Yang said it’s yet unclear how long the antibody protection lasts.

For Hollingshead and her baby, who are both doing fine, the news is a relief.

“That would be a positive to come from all of this is definitely keeping my new baby safe,” she said.

Source: www.wfaa.com

Texas officials expected to release details on 1C vaccine group in March

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Texas officials expected to release details on 1C vaccine group in March
Right now, roughly 13 million Texans are eligible, according to state estimates.
Texas health officials say the guidance around who will be included in group 1C, the next group eligible to be vaccinated, will be finalized and shared this month.

The state’s Expert Vaccine Allocation Panel, or EVAP, has discussed who to include in recent meetings. Right now, more than 3.5 million Texans have received at least one shot of the vaccine, but the state estimates around 13 million people are currently eligible.

“I think we’d love to see more people vaccinated more quickly,” said Dr. Robert Atmar, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Atmar was on the CDC committee that gave guidance for states on vaccine groups in 2020. They put people 75 years old and up, together with frontline essential workers like law enforcement, food service workers, and teachers, in 1B.

Texas didn’t follow that guidance and instead used people 65 years and older and those with health conditions.

“What we’re seeing is that in different localities are different value judgments being made,” he said. “I don’t disagree with the decision that Texas made. It was just a different decision.”

Teachers are eligible in 33 states plus Washington, D.C., and 45 states have eligibility based partially on the occupation.

Atmar says the CDC guidance targeted stopping the spread and making getting the vaccine fair or equitable for different races and incomes, while Texas’s goals appear to be focused more on stopping hospitalizations and deaths.

He says moving forward, a county-by-county decision could be considered since there is a wide range of paces.

According to the state data, some Texas counties have vaccinated more than 50% of people currently eligible, while other counties are still in the single digits.

“Some of our counties in Texas just don’t have the public health infrastructure to be able to deliver the vaccine,” Atmar said.

State officials told WFAA Monday even when the next group is announced, there’s no set point for when 1C can be able to line up and they’re still “reviewing multiple data points.”

Atmar says it should happen when supply finally catches up to demand.

“You do want to maintain the momentum and once you start seeing those numbers drop off,” he said. “Then you should move over.”

Source: www.wfaa.com

JJ Watt joining Arizona Cardinals

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JJ Watt joining Arizona Cardinals

Former Houston Texans star J.J. Watt is going to the Cardinals, Watt said on Twitter Monday morning.

The Cardinals confirmed the information shortly after.

Watt shared a photo of himself wearing a Cardinals shirt on his account.

Ian Rapoport said on Twitter, “The #AZCardinals are giving JJ Watt a 2-year deal worth $31M with $23M guaranteed,” citing a source.

Source: www.click2houston.com

Waitlist for NRG Park coronavirus vaccine clinic being expanded

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Waitlist for NRG Park coronavirus vaccine clinic being expanded

The waitlist for the NRG Park coronavirus vaccine clinic is being expanded.

Stephen Williams, director of the Houston Health Department, said Monday that the waitlist is being expanded to everyone who qualifies to receive the vaccine under phases 1A and 1B.

Phase 1A of the state’s criteria focuses on frontline health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. Phase 1B focuses on people 65 and older and people age 16 and older with medical conditions that put them at greater risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

Williams said the large number of vaccines that can be administered at the NRG Park site necessitated the widening of those who qualify for the waitlist.

Go to houstonemergency.org/covid-19-vaccines or call 832-393-4301 to join the waitlist. People with disabilities can call the Aging and Disability Resource Center at 832-393-5500. Anyone else needing registration assistance can contact the COVID-19 call center at 832-393-4220.

The expansion applies to people in Harris County, as well. Go to vacstrac.hctx.net or call 832-927-8787 to join the Harris County version of the waitlist.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said 6,000 doses of the newly approved single-dose Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine are expected to arrive in Houston this week. That’s in addition to the 9,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine that were already headed to the city.

Harris County Public Health officials said they expect to receive about 12,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week.

A year into the pandemic, Turner said that there is “light at the end of the pandemic tunnel” but people should continue to wear masks and keep their distance from others.

Source: www.click2houston.com

Congressman Dan Crenshaw introduces anti-lockdown legislation to end shutdown during pandemic

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Congressman Dan Crenshaw introduces anti-lockdown legislation to end shutdown during pandemic

U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Houston) introduced anti-lockdown legislation Monday that he said would end the economic shutdown during the coronavirus pandemic.

In order to qualify for COVID recovery aid, the End Lockdowns Now Act would require states and localities to submit economic reopening plans. Crenshaw said his legislation would also ensure that the president could not impose national lockdowns or bans on interstate travel.

According to Crenshaw, the bill also requires that the Treasury Department Inspector General take steps to recover funds if the disclosure requirements are not met.

The bill will not intervene in steps taken to protect the public under the Public Health Services Act and will allow governors the authority to limit travel to their state in the event of a disaster declaration, according to Crenshaw.

Source: www.click2houston.com

Coronavirus updates in Central Texas

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Coronavirus updates in Central Texas

COVID-19 numbers:

  • Texas: More than 2.2 million cases have been reported in the state, and more than 42,700 people in Texas have died, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
  • Central Texas counties: 
    • Travis County: At least 75,636 cases have been reported and at least 743 people have died. At least 73,519 people have recovered from the virus.
    • Hays County: At least 16,270 confirmed cases have been reported and at least 213 people have died. At least 15,577 people have recovered from the virus.
    • Williamson County: At least 34,527 cases have been reported in the county and at least 362 people have died. At least 33,250 people have recovered from the virus.
  • 11:30 a.m. – The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) has been awarded $16,433,306 in federal grants to combat the spread of COVID-19 at the airport and provide economic relief. The funding comes through the Coronavirus Relief and Response Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act of 2020.

“Quality transportation services are vital for boosting local economic growth, and now, more than ever, we must ensure airports have the support they need to get Texans from point A to point B,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I will continue doing everything I can to bolster our response to these unprecedented hardships, and I look forward to seeing the impact this funding will have on Austin and the rest of our great state.”

10:50 a.m. – The Travis County Sheriff’s Office provides an update on COVID-19 data. After 2,687 tests, a total of 308 inmates have now tested positive for COVID-19. A total of 853 employees have also tested positive.

10:40 a.m. – Austin Public Health confirmed to KVUE Monday that anyone who has received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose from APH, and has not had their second in 42 or more days, may walk up to an APH vaccination site to get that second dose. APH said this is only a temporary process due to a backlog of second appointments from the winter weather storms. APH said that since the sites that are open vary day-to-day, it recommends that people who meet the above criteria call 311, who will be able to provide information on sites that are open on a given day.

Source: www.kvue.com

How do we know the COVID-19 vaccines are safe?

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How do we know the COVID-19 vaccines are safe?

Scientists look for safety issues during the testing phase and continue their monitoring as shots roll out around the world. So far, the only serious warning to emerge is a rare risk of severe allergic reactions.

Different types of COVID-19 vaccines have been authorized and its possible side effects will differ for each — although there’s more public data on the vaccines being rolled out in Western countries than elsewhere. Countries also vary in their vaccine standards, with some allowing the use of shots before final-stage testing involving large numbers of volunteers.

But in the U.S., Britain, and European Union, regulators required any vaccine to be tested in tens of thousands of people before distribution. So far, the U.S. is using shots from Pfizer and Moderna, while Britain and Europe have cleared those plus the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Those companies’ large studies found that common side effects were minor and typical of the immune system revving up: soreness in the arm, fever, and flu-like symptoms including fatigue, chills, and headache.

But since extremely rare problems might not turn up even in large tests, the vaccines still are being monitored. The U.S. and British governments and the European Medicines Agency track reports filed by health workers and the public about suspected side effects. Extra scrutiny in the U.S. includes tracking insurance claims for red flags. And U.S. vaccine recipients can sign up for a program that sends text messages to see if they’re feeling side effects.

Those checks are proving reassuring.

People are supposed to wait around for a short time after vaccination in case they have a severe allergic reaction, called anaphylaxis. Such incidents so far have been rare, with between 2 and 5 anaphylaxis reports for every million vaccine doses in the first weeks of U.S. inoculations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Officials expected to receive reports of health problems, even deaths, that occur just by chance in the days or weeks after vaccination, given the huge numbers of people, including the frail elderly, getting inoculated.

Deaths and other serious events are investigated to see if the vaccine played a role. Authorities consider the person’s overall health and how often the reported condition occurs without vaccination. With more than 52 million vaccine doses administered in the U.S. by mid-February, the CDC said it hasn’t detected any patterns in deaths that signal a safety problem.

Source: www.click2houston.com

Should Donald Trump be allowed to hold office again? Texas voters are split.

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Should Donald Trump be allowed to hold office again? Texas voters are split.

Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

Texas voters are almost evenly split on the question of whether Donald Trump should be allowed to mount a comeback, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.

Asked whether “Trump took actions as president that justify preventing him from holding future elected office,” 45% said he did and 48% said he did not. Not surprisingly, 84% of voters who identified themselves as Democrats say he did, and 81% of Republican voters say he didn’t. Among independent voters, 38% said barring Trump would be justified, and 47% said it would not be justified.

“Almost all of the Democrats say he should be barred, along with 13% of Republicans,” said Daron Shaw, co-director of the poll and a government professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

A similar question in the February 2020 UT/TT Poll, taken after Trump’s first impeachment, produced similar results. Asked whether “Donald Trump has taken actions while president that justify his removal from office before the end of his term,” 43% of Texas voters said yes and 46% said no. Then, as now, partisan differences were stark: 80% of Democrats said yes, and 84% of Republicans said no.

“These numbers suggest he’s going to remain influential among these Republican voters,” said Jim Henson, co-director of the poll and head of the Texas Politics Project at UT-Austin. “Whether you like Donald Trump or not, these numbers show why Republicans are hanging on his every word.”

Trump is viewed about as favorably now in the state as he was in the UT/TT Poll in October 2020, right before the election: 46% of Texas voters view him favorably and 46% have an unfavorable opinion of the former president. In October, his favorable/unfavorable numbers were 49%-46%. And Trump remains in a better light than he did right before his election four years ago. In an October 2016 UT/TT Poll, 31% of Texans had a positive opinion of him while 58% had a negative one.

“He has completely consolidated his Republican base in Texas,” Shaw said.

The University of Texas/Texas Tribune internet survey of 1,200 registered voters was conducted from Feb. 12-25 and has an overall margin of error of +/- 2.83 percentage points. Numbers in charts might not add up to 100% because of rounding.

Source: www.click2houston.com

Thousands still without water after winter storm

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Thousands still without water after winter storm

The historic freezing temperatures might be gone but many Houstonians are still without running water.

In a press conference on Sunday, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said he believes the number of tenants and homeowners struggling is likely in the thousands.

Coaquies Davis, who lives at the Sterlingshire apartments in northeast Houston, said she’s been without water for about 11 days.

“I feel so frustrated. It hard on us and our kids. I’ve been keeping them inside because you can’t get too dirty if you can’t bathe,” Davis said.

The water issue at the Villas Del Paseo apartment complex in southwest Houston is too much for some residents.

Jaider Vera suffered significant water damage in her apartment due to a busted pipe and like others at the complex had no running water.

Dozens of residents gathered as part of a demonstration Sunday afternoon alongside Houston Tenants Union to protest the complex’s response.

“The tenants have unanimously decided that they’re not going to pay rent tomorrow until they fix the water,” said Dominica, a volunteer for the Houston Tenants Union.

Turner did not comment on the issues of each individual complex but said some of the issues are being caused by a shortage in supplies.

“Plumbers are being stretched thin,” he said.

Source: www.click2houston.com

Texas plants released nearly as much pollution during winter storm

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Texas plants released nearly as much pollution during winter storm

Oil refineries, chemical manufacturers, and petrochemical plants across Texas — mostly in the upper Gulf Coast — warned state regulators that they may have released millions of pounds of pollutants and greenhouse gases into the air due to last week’s winter storm.

The arctic freeze in Texas claimed the lives of dozens of Texans, and more than 4.5 million customers were without power for days last week due to blackouts implemented by the state’s grid operator. Plants tripping offline in the extreme cold led the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to order power outages to avoid overloading the grid.

The storm and power outages also hit industrial plants, mostly those that produce products derived from oil and natural gas, such as gasoline, diesel, and the building blocks of plastic. Those facilities spewed 3.5 million pounds of additional pollution in the air during the power crisis, according to an analysis of notices by Texas environmental groups Environmental Defense Fund, Environment Texas, and Air Alliance Houston.

Industrial plants typically shut down in advance of hurricanes to keep workers safe, avoid spills and prevent even worse emissions. Many plants did the same ahead of Winter Storm Uri, but emergency shutdowns still caused a significant amount of pollutants and climate-warming greenhouse gases such as nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, and volatile organic compounds.

During emergency shutdowns and the subsequent re-starts when a storm passes, chemical plants and refineries typically emit pollution well above what their state permits allow as they burn off waste gases.

Power outages and system failures also contributed to excess emissions, companies said in their reports to the state.

Nearly 200 facilities in 54 counties reported excess air emissions between Feb. 11 and Monday, according to the analysis.

“Texas is not ready for increasingly extreme weather, and the state’s failure to prepare is hurting communities, especially those near high-risk chemical facilities,” Elena Craft, senior director for climate and health at Environmental Defense Fund, said in a statement.

Neighborhoods near industrial facilities are often majority Black and Latino in Texas due to the legacy of government-imposed segregation and wealth inequality, which in turn has resulted in disproportionate health impacts from air pollution for Black and Latino residents.

One study by the University of Washington and University of Minnesota researchers found that Black and Hispanic populations experience over 50% more pollution than they generate, while white populations experience 17% less pollution than they generate.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the state’s environmental regulatory agency, reported power failures at 39 of its more than 200 air quality monitors, including 14 in the Houston area, according to a storm report by the Environmental Protection Agency. The monitors were all operational as of Sunday, according to the TCEQ. The agency deployed additional mobile air monitoring vans to sample pollutants this week.

Source: www.click2houston.com

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