The CDC EPIC (Emergency Partners Information Connection) Extra contains info on the new Variant of Concern – Omicron - and what can be done to protect against it. There is also information on the current recommendations on COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. There are many links to more in-depth information on the topics. View/Download Full Document
After about a 10 day pause in the Johnson and Johnson (Janssen) Vaccine being administered in the US, on April 23, the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practice (APIC), recommended to the CDC & FDA to restart J&J vaccinations again. The pause was due to reports of multiple cases of a new syndrome that identified as an apparently rare cerebral venous sinus thrombosis with thrombocytopenia, later called TTS, and potentially associated with the J&J COVID-19 vaccine. This turned out to be...
THE FDA & CDC have recommended a pause in administering J&J (Janssen) COVID vaccinations after the VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) had reports of six (6) women, between the ages of 18 and 48, developing a rare type of blood clot between 6 & 13 days after receiving the J&J vaccine. This article contains an overview of the HAN Alert Recommendation and why it is so important, some information about this rare clot, adenovirus- vector COVID vaccines, a chart...
The Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) Vaccine started distribution this month and has been used at vaccination sites throughout the US. This vaccine is a different type of vaccine, called a virus vector vaccine; it requires only one shot to achieve full vaccination. The vaccine is also easier to store since it needs only refrigeration and has a longer shelf life. This article covers what is known about the vaccine and what is not, including how the vaccine was developed and...
The available information about COVID-19 is updating/changing on a daily, if not hourly, basis. In an attempt to make this updated info available more quickly, this document provides a list, divided into topics, each with links and a synopsis of what each site represents. There are way too many available articles/sites to include them all, so these pages represent some of what I perceive are the best on the subject, at least at the moment selected. Most of the sites also...
The two mRNA vaccines have been out for more than a month and 4,263,056 individuals have already completed their vaccination series, while millions more await their second shot in the series, and even more are waiting to begin their vaccinations. This update covers what is known about the current vaccines and what is not, that even after vaccination, it is essential that everyone continue their current protective behaviors, particularly with the finding of COVID-19 Variants in both Canada and the...
A year into the COVID Pandemic, and the SARS-CoV-2 virus has mutated millions of times as it transmitted between people. It is what viruses do to survive & thrive. Several of those mutations have resulted in COVID Virus Variants. These variants have been identified by genetic sequencing in the few countries that have been doing aggressive testing for just these changes. Three global variants have been officially identified and, at least temporarily, named. This article outlines why this happens, what...
There is an ongoing and escalating issue with hand sanitizers manufactured in some factories in Mexico, and sold in stores throughout the U.S, that pose a danger to those who use them. This is due to either methanol being added or substituted for ethyl or isopropyl alcohols, or subpotent percentages of appropriate alcohols in them.
EMS1 article by Mike Taigman - Leaders from Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service and Snohomish County Fire District detail how they’re monitoring the COVID-19 surge and preparing for the worst-case scenario.
A new COVID-19 resource page on EMS.gov provides easy to find links to the most relevant and up-to-date information from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), NHTSA Office of EMS and other Federal agencies involved in the response to the pandemic. This includes guidance for treating potential COVID-19 patients, information on PPE use and supplies and processes for handling healthcare providers who have been exposed to coronavirus.
FirstWatch Medical Director, Silvia Verdugo Puts COVID-19 in Perspective in JEMS Interview
