REGIONAL- The entire northeast Arrowhead region of Minnesota has been upgraded from low to medium COVID activity status by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control this week, based on increased numbers of hospitalizations.
The CDC-designated health service area of St. Louis, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, and Pine counties in Minnesota and Douglas County in Wisconsin now has a reported COVID hospitalization rate of 11.5 per 100,000 population, triggering the increased warning. Forty-four cases were admitted to the service area’s hospitals last week, a 25.7 percent increase over the week before.
Statewide, the Minnesota Department of Health reported a second consecutive week of over 400 hospitalizations last week, among the highest of any week this year and on par with admissions throughout much of 2022.
The increased spread of the COVID-19 virus is also evident in the U of M’s wastewater sampling. Here in northeast Minnesota the COVID viral load in wastewater jumped by 51 percent last week, and has gone up a whopping 133.9 percent since Thanksgiving, the third-highest rate of any region in the state. Increased socialization and indoor activity have been associated with COVID case increases throughout the pandemic.
Case data for Minnesota from MDH for the week following the Thanksgiving holiday went up for all age groups. The lag in reporting hospitalization rates doesn’t allow for direct comparison, but in the week immediately prior to Thanksgiving the rates continued climbing, reaching their highest level since last February. MDH reported 20 hospitalizations in St. Louis County for that week.
New COVID variant
The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota recently reported that a new subvariant of the Omicron variant, JN.1, could “supercharge” a rise in COVID-19 activity with its increasing share of the viral pool, jumping from 8 percent to 21 percent in only two weeks. JN.1 is now the second-most detected variant and a CDC update suggests that the new variant is either more transmissible than older ones or better at evading the immune system, although it doesn’t appear to carry any higher health risks.
Lab data suggest that the updated COVID booster is effective in protecting against JN.1.
Telehealth service
With COVID-19 continuing its upward surge, the Minnesota Department of Health has raised its level of disseminating information about vaccines, treatments, a COVID telehealth option, and updated resources.
A press release from MDH emphasized the importance of getting an updated booster, particularly for those who are at increased risk from COVID due to underlying health conditions.
MDH noted that there are several authorized antiviral medications to treat mild to moderate COVID in people who are more likely to get sick, but that treatment needs to be started within a few days of the onset of COVID symptoms to be effective.
MDH also touted its partnership with Cue Health for a free telehealth test-to-treat program for Minnesotans. The service is accessible by downloading the Cue Health app to your smartphone, using the Cue Health website, or calling 1-844-609-2415. You will be connected with a licensed clinician who can do an evaluation to determine if treatment is a good option. If so, a prescription can be sent directly to the patient’s local pharmacy.
The Cue Health test-to-treat program:
• Is free and available from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.
• Does not require health insurance to receive treatment
• Is available to all Minnesotans regardless of residency or citizenship status.
• Works with all COVID-19 test results, including rapid at-home tests.
Research notes
In research reported by CIDRAP, a study of children 18 and under in Toronto found that 40 percent of those infected with COVID remained capable of transmitting the virus a day after their symptoms had disappeared. Researchers suggested their findings support consideration of infection prevention and control procedure for up to 10 days following the onset of symptoms, which could have implications for parents making decisions about when a child is ready to return to school or group care after COVID.
Research has also found that Long COVID has a negative impact on the finances of households, according to a study by the University of South Carolina and Montana State University. Households headed by an adult with long COVID were two to four times more likely to report financial hardships. In 17 percent of such cases, an individual had been laid off of work, 23 percent have lost earnings, and 16.8 percent reported general financial difficulties. Families who had lower income before the pandemic were more vulnerable to job losses and earnings losses, researchers said. They recommended consideration of expanded paid sick leave, improved workplace accommodations, and wider access to disability insurance as policies to mitigate household financial impacts.