Notations On Our World (Weekly Edition): On #COVID; Health Security & Other Thoughts

 

 

We present the following courtesy of Johns Hopkins and the EPA:

COVID-19 Clinical Practice Blood Abnormalities Found in People with Long Covid (Science) An ambitious study of people with Long Covid has turned up a host of abnormalities in their blood. The clues add to a body of evidence hinting at drivers of the condition and potential treatments worth testing. They also suggest that, as many scientists and patients have suspected, Long Covid shares certain features with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), another condition thought to follow an infection. The new study, posted as a preprint last week, was modest in size, examining just 99 people with Long Covid. Public & Global Health A Complicated Fall Vaccine Campaign: Updated Covid Boosters, Flu Shots, and how to Time the Jabs (STAT News) For the health officials who steer vaccination campaigns, it’s going to be a complicated fall. The U.S. plan to roll out updated Covid-19 boosters will not only coincide with the logistical tangle of the regular flu shot drive, but will also face questions about when people should get the new shots to provide themselves with the best protection through our third Covid winter. It’s a balancing act that health officials run into every year with flu. The Pandemic Legacy of Antimicrobial Resistance in the USA (Lancet Microbe) The COVID-19 pandemic inflicted a new burden on health systems worldwide and compounded existing health challenges across many aspects of global health. According to the annual Tripartite AMR Country Self-Assessment Survey 2020–21, 151 (94%) of 161 countries ascribed the pandemic as having impacted their national response to tackling antimicrobial resistance. A new special report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is among the first to show country-level estimates of the effect of COVID-19 on antimicrobial resistance in the USA. Science & Technology Should Parents Delay Kids’ Second COVID Vaccine? Here’s What the Research Says (Nature) More than two years into the pandemic, the United States and Canada have become the first nations to approve two mRNA vaccines for children as young as six months. But the vaccines, made by Pfizer–BioNTech and Moderna, have proven less effective against the Omicron variant. So some parents are considering extending the interval between initial doses — a trick that might make the vaccines more potent. Biological Agents & Infectious Diseases Polio May Have Been Spreading in New York Since April (New York Times) Polio may have been circulating widely for a year, and was present in New York’s wastewater as early as April, according to a new report from the U.S. CDC. A wastewater sample collected in April in Orange County, N.Y., tested positive for the virus, pushing back the earliest known detection in the area. Officials had previously announced that the virus had been found in wastewater samples dating back to May in neighboring Rockland County. Changes in the genome of the virus suggest that this version has been circulating, somewhere in the world, for up to a year. Genetically similar versions of the virus were detected in Israel in March and in Britain in June. Human Monkeypox without Viral Prodrome or Sexual Exposure, California, USA, 2022 (Emerging Infectious Diseases) The 2022 multicountry monkeypox outbreak has been linked primarily to intimate contact among men who have sex with men (1,2). We describe a case of monkeypox in a traveler who returned from the United Kingdom to the United States who did not report recent sexual contact. Domestic Preparedness & Response Inside the 100-day U.S. Struggle to Stop Monkeypox (Washington Post) The behind-the-scenes clash with Bavarian Nordic, which has not previously been reported, was just the latest episode in a monkeypox response beset by turf wars, ongoing surprises and muddled messaging, with key partners frequently finding themselves out of sync as they race to catch up to a rapidly unfolding crisis. For two months, the Biden administration has been chased by headlines about its failure to order enough vaccines, speed treatments and make tests available to head off an outbreak. And 100 days after the outbreak was first detected in Europe, no country has more cases than the United States — with public health experts warning the virus is on the verge of becoming permanently entrenched here. See Also: ‘What Aren’t we Facing?’: Immunization Leader Lays Bare Challenges to the Monkeypox Response (STAT News)   Biden Administration Will Stop Buying Covid-19 Vaccines, Treatments and Tests as Early as this Fall, Jha Says (CNN)  The Biden administration has been planning for how to get past the crisis phase of the Covid-19 pandemic and will stop buying vaccines, treatments and tests as early as this fall, White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said. "One of the things we've spent a lot of time thinking about … [and working on]... is getting us out of that acute emergency phase where the US government is buying the vaccines, buying the treatments, buying the diagnostic tests." Global Health Security In an Effort to Address its Missteps During Covid, CDC Plans an ‘Ambitious’ Agency Overhaul (STAT News) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an agency that has had its reputation battered by a series of missteps in the Covid-19 pandemic, and a slow response to the monkeypox outbreak, will undergo an “ambitious” overhaul, Director Rochelle Walensky announced Wednesday. In an email to staff, Walensky said the renewal effort will focus on making the agency more nimble and responsive to needs that arise in health emergencies. The priority will be to gather data that can be used to rapidly dispense public health guidance, rather than craft scientific papers. Global Health Security The Forgotten Virus: Zika Families and Researchers Struggle for Support (New York Times) Most Brazilians know as soon as they see them: These are Zika babies, whose mothers were infected with the virus while pregnant during a virulent outbreak of the mosquito-borne illness in 2015 and 2016. The chief signifier at birth was microcephaly, unusually small heads that hinted at the devastating brain damage the virus caused while they were still in utero. Seven years later, they are now children, many of them nearly as big as their mothers. The sight of them visibly startles people who have not thought about them for years. After the Zika epidemic did not turn into a pandemic that swept the globe, Brazil and the rest of the world moved on. Medicine & Public Health Why a Century-Old Vaccine Offers New Hope Against Pathogens (New York Times) The BCG vaccine has long been known to have broad effects on the immune system, and is still given to infants in the developing world and in countries where tuberculosis is prevalent. Scientists observed many years ago that the vaccine seems to train the immune system to respond to a variety of infectious diseases, including viruses, bacteria and parasites, and reduces infant mortality. As new threats like monkeypox and polio re-emerge and the coronavirus continues to evolve, the potential of the old vaccine to provide a measure of universal protection against infectious diseases has gained renewed interest among scientists. FEMA BULLETIN Week of Aug. 16, 2022 View as Webpage | Subscribe  In this Edition: FEMA Announces Agency's Office of Disability Integration and Coordination Director U.S. Fire Administration Podcasts Now Available FEMA Unveils Save Your Family Treasures Pilot Class FEMA Releases Mass Care Agreements Guide Automatic Extensions for Entities in SAM Grants System FEMA Co-Hosts Tribal Consultation Upcoming Deadlines and Reminders Important Deadlines & Reminders Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program consultation at 1:30 p.m. ET.  FEMA Announces Agency's Office of Disability Integration and Coordination Director   FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell announced Sherman Gillums, Jr. will serve as the director for the agency’s Office of Disability Integration and Coordination.    The office serves to ensure the agency’s commitment to equity and inclusion of people with disabilities before, during and after disasters. In his role, Gillums will provide program and policy guidance to the administrator while leading the workforce in supporting equitable access of programs and services for people with disabilities.   “People with disabilities are disproportionately impacted by natural disasters and FEMA’s people-first approach mandates that we are consistently identifying ways to provide all survivors with resources they can access in ways that meet their needs,” said Administrator Criswell. “We are proud to have Mr. Gillums join the FEMA workforce, leading our disability integration team, to build and expand on our efforts to serve people with disabilities in preparedness, response and recovery.”   Gillums most recently served as chief strategy and operations officer with the National Alliance on Mental Illness. He oversaw the organization’s efforts to provide timely access to mental healthcare for underserved communities and foster an understanding of mental illness. Gillums also served in leadership positions with the Paralyzed Veterans and AMVETS, two of the nation’s largest congressionally chartered veteran’s service organizations.   Gillums attended the University of San Diego School of Business and completed his executive education at Harvard Business School and served as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps for 12 years.   To learn more about how FEMA is helping people with disabilities before, during and after disasters, visit fema.gov. U.S. Fire Administration Podcasts Now Available   Every day, FEMA’s U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) supports and strengthens fire and emergency medical services and stakeholders to prepare for, prevent, mitigate and respond to all hazards.   From providing free training and education programs for fire departments and emergency medical service (EMS) organizations, to an extensive library and publications on a wide variety of fire and EMS topics, USFA, National Fire Academy and the National Emergency Training Center enhance and expand the knowledge and skills of fire and emergency services personnel.   To expand the available resources and engage new audiences, USFA recently launched a podcast!   Hosted by USFA, the podcast features our nation's fire and emergency medical services experts. The podcast covers existing and emerging topics and strategies to reduce fire and life safety risks to our communities and emergency responders.   You can subscribe to the podcast for free on Apple or Google podcast platforms.    To learn more about the U.S. Fire Administration, visit USFA.fema.gov.  FEMA Unveils Save Your Family Treasures Pilot Class   Old photographs of your great grandfather, vintage vinyl albums, handmade quilts, beloved books. These are just some family treasures that may be in your home when disaster strikes.    While it may not be possible to completely restore these items, it is often possible to save them. Teaching people how to save family treasures is some of the work being done by FEMA and the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative.   This partnership leads the Heritage Emergency National Task Force, which is made up of more than 60 organizations and federal agencies. Together, they work to protect our cultural heritage from the damaging effects of disasters and other emergencies.   Last month, FEMA and the Initiative held the first "Save Your Family Treasures" class at FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute designed to train our specialists on techniques that the public can use to save water-damaged items.   To learn more about this pilot class and the work being done to save survivors family treasures, watch the video or read the recent blog post. FEMA Releases Mass Care Agreements Guide   FEMA recently released How to Develop Agreements for Mass Care Services: A Guide for State, Local, Tribal and Territorial Governments and Non-Governmental Organizations.  Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) provide a range of vital resources, capabilities, innovative technology and expertise to state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) governments during a disaster.   The guide provides guidance to SLTT governments and NGOs to better understand why memorandums of agreement and memorandums of understanding are important. In addition, the guide provides resources for improving delivery of mass care services and emergency assistance. The guidance will help enable SLTT governments and NGOs to work together to identify resources and capability gaps and determine what services and support they can provide to each other.     Tools and resources provided in the guide include:  Best practices for initiating, developing and implementing memorandums of agreement and/or understanding. Tools to identify, categorize and organize resources and capabilities.  Case studies highlighting the effective use of memorandums between SLTT governments and NGOs. Process highlighting major milestones in developing and implementing a memorandum of agreement. An example memorandum. A template for developing memorandums in accordance with the guidance provided in the document.    Additionally, this guide addresses GAO findings from September 2019 that FEMA and the American Red Cross need to ensure key mass care organizations are included in coordination and planning.     To read the full guide, visit fema.gov. For questions, email fema-HQ-mass-care@fema.dhs.gov. Automatic Extensions for Entities in SAM Grants System   The Office of Management and Budget has authorized an extension to active System for Award Management (SAM) registrations through Dec. 1. All vendors and grant applicants doing business with FEMA are required to be registered with SAM. Registration is free but needs to be renewed annually. These extensions will help entities avoid re-registration.   An automatic 60-day extension will be added to any existing SAM.gov entity registration currently set to expire between Aug. 1 – 31 and Sept. 1 – 30. No action is required on the part of entity registrants. For example, an entity set to expire on Sept. 1 will now remain active until Oct. 31. The need for additional extensions for entities expiring in October 2022 will be assessed in mid-September.   Entity administrators impacted by this change will receive an email from samadmin@sam.gov with the subject line “60-Day SAM.gov Extension Granted for [Entity Name/DUNS/CAGE].” The new expiration dates will be included in the SAM entity management extracts and available through web services after the records are extended.   For more information, visit FEMA.gov and SAM.gov. FEMA Co-Hosts Tribal Consultation   FEMA and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) will host a virtual consultation with tribal nations on the new Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program at 1:30 - 3 p.m. ET on Aug. 17.   The webinar, led by FEMA and CISA senior leadership, addresses cybersecurity risks and threats to information systems owned or operated by, or on behalf of, tribal nations. Tribal governments received $6 million in fiscal year 2022 funding under the grant program. Additional funding will be available in fiscal years 2023-2025.   FEMA conducts eligibility reviews, issues guidance and manages grant awards, while CISA provides subject-matter expertise.    To review the full agenda and a framing paper with questions for tribal leader consideration, visit FEMA.gov. To submit written questions or comments in advance of the consultation, email gpd-comms@fema.dhs.gov on or before 1 p.m. ET on Aug. 17.   For FEMA Tribal Liaisons contact information, visit FEMA.gov. Upcoming Deadlines and Reminders   FEMA Launches Flood Insurance Campaign Amid Hurricane Season   Too many people think flooding only happens somewhere else—or to someone else. It’s always been true that anywhere it can rain, it can flood. However, rare weather events are becoming increasing common and severe.   Prepare this hurricane season with emergency plans and supplies and consider the best preparation of all: flood insurance. Protect the life you built.   Help support and protect your community by getting involved in FEMA’s FloodSmart hurricane season campaign and promote the resources available on FloodSmart.gov on your social media platforms and networks. Use the hashtags #FloodSmart #FloodInsurance to join the conversation.   Remember, the benefit of flood insurance is to help lessen the financial burden of rebuilding lives after a storm. After an NFIP policyholder files a flood insurance claim, the policyholder can discuss advance payment with their insurer.  ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. FEMA Kicks-Off Hazard Mitigation Assistance Summer Engagement Series   On Aug. 4, FEMA kicked-off its 2022 Hazard Mitigation Assistance Summer Engagement Series.  The 10-part series features experts and special guests who will provide information and insights on the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities and Flood Mitigation Assistance programs. The engagement series will run until Oct. 4.    The webinars provide an overview of the fiscal year 2022 Notice of Funding Opportunity for BRIC and FMA and are designed for regional leaders and key stakeholders in states, local communities, tribes and territories and other interested individuals to learn more about the grant programs and grant application strategies.   To register, visit Hazard Mitigation Assistance 2022 Summer Engagement Series and find the webinar best suited for your jurisdiction. For special accommodations, contact fema-hmacomms@fema.dhs.gov.