Dear Patient:
I hope this finds you well. Currently there are 20 persons hospitalized at NCH with COVID and we have treated 1120 people in the hospital successfully since the beginning of the pandemic. There have been 20 pediatric patients treated in total. The incidence of COVID continues to remain low and the positivity rate at NCH the past week was 3.68%. Appropriately screened visitors are now being admitted to the hospital to visit family members. The incidence in several northern states has begun to rise, so, as season approaches we all need to remain vigilant. Please remember to get your flu shot ASAP. This will be crucial in helping to differentiate COVID from flu and also obviously protects you.
Vaccines: Work continues on several promising vaccines and they will be available free of charge in a staggered fashion when available. There are probably 6 strong vaccine candidates and they are not all the same. The FDA has established stringent criteria for approval of a vaccine and plans are in place with individual states for appropriate distribution of the vaccines when available.
CDC sets October 16 deadline for states to submit plans on coronavirus vaccine distribution
Reuters (9/22, Steenhuysen, Maddipatla) reports the CDC set a deadline of October 16 “for states to submit plans for distributing COVID-19 vaccines – even before it becomes clear when any will be available – according to a presentation to a panel of experts who make recommendations on U.S. vaccines.” Once the FDA authorizes a coronavirus vaccine, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) “will call an emergency meeting to make specific recommendations on distribution priorities, according to ACIP panel member Dr. Beth Bell of the University of Washington.”
Below is the link to the updated NCH COVID information page:
https://nchmd.org/news-and-events/newsroom/coronavirus-covid19
As always, take care and remember to wash your hands, wear a mask and practice at least 6 feet of physical distancing.
Paul Jones MD