Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton, says Jamaica has recorded no cases of the Delta variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19) that is blamed for a new wave of deaths and infections globally. Tufton said that the Ministry has arranged for the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Trinidad-based Caribbean … [Read more...]
Delta variant exploits low vaccine rates, easing of rules
The latest alarming coronavirus variant is exploiting low global vaccination rates and a rush to ease pandemic restrictions, adding new urgency to the drive to get more shots in arms and slow its supercharged spread. The vaccines most used in Western countries still appear to offer strong protection against the highly contagious delta variant, first identified in India and now spreading in more … [Read more...]
Nearly all COVID deaths in US are now among unvaccinated
Nearly all COVID-19 deaths in the US now are in people who weren’t vaccinated, a staggering demonstration of how effective the shots have been and an indication that deaths per day — now down to under 300 — could be practically zero if everyone eligible got the vaccine. An Associated Press analysis of available government data from May shows that “breakthrough” infections in fully vaccinated … [Read more...]
Life expectancy: How can we address uneven declines?
Not long ago, during pre-pandemic 2019, the reported life expectancy at birth for non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic White, and Hispanic populations was approximately 75, 79, and 82 years, respectively. The higher life expectancy of Hispanic people compared to others in the United States may come as a surprise to some. This phenomenon, known as the “Hispanic paradox,” was first noted in the … [Read more...]
Welcoming science back at the White House
[Reprinted: The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 11-12-2020] The result of the eagerly awaited US presidential elections held on Nov 3, 2020, is finally known: the Democratic candidate Joe Biden defeated incumbent President Donald Trump. Biden will be inaugurated as the 46th US president on Jan 20, 2021. The months leading to Biden's final election were riddled with tension within the USA, and … [Read more...]