REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. — Ending his most recent COVID-19 isolation, President Joe Biden on Sunday left the White House for the first time since becoming infected with the coronavirus last month, settling in for a meeting with first lady Jill Biden in their home state of Delaware.
The president tested negative Saturday and Sunday, according to his doctor, clearing the way for him to emerge from an isolation that lasted longer than expected because of a rebound case of the virus.
“I’m feeling great,” Biden said before boarding Marine One outside the White House.
The Bidens were expected to spend the day in Rehoboth Beach, a popular vacation destination.
Biden originally tested positive on July 21, and he began taking the anti-viral medication Paxlovid, which is intended to decrease the likelihood of serious illness from the virus. According to his doctor, Biden’s vital signs remained normal throughout his infection, but his symptoms included a runny nose, cough, sore throat and body aches.
After isolating for several days, Biden tested negative on July 26 and July 27, when he gave a speech in the Rose Garden, telling Americans they can “live without fear” of the virus if they get booster shots, test themselves for the virus if they become sick and seek out treatments.
But Biden caught a rare rebound case of COVID-19 on July 30, forcing him to isolate again. He occasionally gave speeches from a White House balcony, such as when he marked the killing of an al-Qaida leader or a strong jobs report.
He continued to test positive until Saturday, when he received his first negative result. While the president was isolating in the White House residence, the first lady remained in Delaware.
The Bidens are scheduled to visit Kentucky on Monday to view flood damage and meet with families.
Senate Democrats are embracing a “Don’t Test, Don’t Tell” policy this weekend as they try to ram a $764 billion spending bill through the 50-50 chamber — knowing that even one COVID-19 positive could blow up their plans.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has set a Saturday test vote for the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, which needs all 50 Democrats on board so Vice President Kamala Harris can cast a tiebreaking vote in its favor.
“They’re not going to delay it if a member has gotten COVID,” a senior Senate aide told Puck News. “Counterparts are saying they’re not going to test anymore. It’s not an official mandate but we all know we’re not letting COVID get in the way. The deal is happening. Less testing, just wear masks and get it done.”
Another source told the outlet that even if a senator did catch the virus, “you can bring your ventilator and still vote.”
Unlike the House, the Senate does not allow proxy voting, meaning members who cannot make it to the floor due to illness are out of luck.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer set a test vote on Saturday for the Inflation Reduction Act.AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib
Earlier in the week – before moderate Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) got on board with Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-WV) climate and energy plan – the Democratic leader insisted his party was “going to stay healthy” ahead of a potential vote.
“We’re not talking about a plan B,” Schumer said at the time.
Concerns about having all 50 Democrats and Democrat-voting Independents present on the Senate floor have grown in recent weeks, as several senators have tested positive for COVID or been absent for other health reasons.
In late June, Senate President Pro Tempore Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) fell in his Virginia home and broke his hip – keeping him out of Washington until this week. He ultimately underwent two surgeries.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema agreed to a compromise for the spending plan — likely giving Democrats 50 votes for the bill in the Senate.AP Photo/J. Scott ApplewhiteFile
Just a week before, Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota seriously injured his hand during a yard work incident.
In early July, Schumer and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) tested positive for COVID-19, both reporting mild symptoms. Days later, Manchin and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska also reported positive tests.
Ironically, Schumer accused Senate Republicans of not taking COVID-19 seriously in the fall of 2020, when a spate of positive tests threatened to derail the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
“Every Senator and relevant staff must have negative tests on two consecutive days and have completed the appropriate quarantining period, and there should be mandatory testing every day of the [confirmation] hearing,” Schumer said in a statement on Oct. 5 of that year. “Testing must be administered by an independent entity, such as the Attending Physician of the United States Congress. Failure to implement a thorough testing approach would be intentionally reckless, and could reasonably lead some wonder if Chairman [Lindsey] Graham and Leader [Mitch] McConnell may not want to know the results.”
If the bill clears the planned Saturday test vote, a series of debates and votes on Republican amendments is expected to follow before a potential vote on final passage sometime Sunday. The legislation would then go to the House.
Sinema agreed to support the measure on Thursday after a provision taxing profits earned by hedge fund, venture capital and private equity executives known as carried interest was removed. In exchange, a 1% tax on corporate stock buybacks was added.
Despite its name, several economic experts — and even the White House — have suggested the Inflation Reduction Act would have little impact on the historic price spikes being felt across the country.
At age 75, Elton John looked to be in fine form when he brought his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour to Soldier Field in Chicago on Friday.
The legendary British crooner turned back the clock and delivered many of his hits from his six-decade career.
The tour — which kicked off in the US in Allentown, Pennsylvania, back in September 2018 — has endured several postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic and, at times, John’s health.
He’s still standing! Elton John, 75, looked to be in fine form when he brought his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour to Soldier Field in Chicago on Friday night
John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight) and his band kicked into the set opener with a rousing rendition of Bennie And The Jets, all while he flashed his megawatt smile from behind the piano.
But with the band sounding tight and full of energy, it didn’t take long before he got up from his seat to engage with the audience.
Decked out in a black tuxedo blazer, filled with an assortment of embroideries and black pants, the Pinner, Middlesex, England native worked the crowd with both the music and his banter.
His look wouldn’t be complete without wearing his trademark flashy glasses, which on this night were large framed and red-tinted.
Wowing the crowd: The legendary crooner wowed the crowd by playing many of his greatest hits, which began with set opener Bennie And The Jets
Delays: The tour — which kicked off in the US in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in September 2018 — has endured several postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic and John’s health
With the massive crowd all pumped up after the high-octane energy of the set opener, John and company didn’t lose any momentum when they followed up with Philadelphia Freedom.
As his show went on, John delivered renditions of his other hit songs that included I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues, Rocket Man, Candle In The Wind, Sad Songs (Say So Much), Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me, Crocodile Rock, I’m Still Standing and Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting.
Following the show in Chicago, John and the band will have a brief one-month break from being on the road.
They will return to the stage on September 7 when the tour resumes with a couple of shows at Rogers Center in Toronto, Canada.
Piano man: Decked out in a black tuxedo blazer, cropped in the front with plenty of embroideries, and black pants, the British singer–songwriter spent much of the show behind the piano singing his heart out
Farewell: The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour is intended to be his final trek around the world
After the September 2018 kickoff to the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which is intended to be John’s final trek around the world, the band played consistently for about a year-and-a-half.
But then, when COVID-19 was deemed a pandemic in March 2020, the tour came to a screeching halt, which happened right after his show in Sydney, Australia, on March 7 of that year.
Between the pandemic and John’s recurring health problems, including surgery on his hip due to a fall ‘on a hard surface’, the tour ended up being sidelined until January 19, 2020, when he hit the stage at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
Enthusiasm: John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight) looked to be full of excitement and enthusiasm during the show, which is the last show of this leg of tour; it resumes on Sept 7
After restarting in the Big Easy, the tour made its way around parts of the US until April 28 in Miami.
From there, John and his band took a three-week hiatus before picking back up in Europe with a show in Fornebu, Norway, on May 21.
The European leg continued on through July 4 in Watford, England, and then John took an eleven-day break before resuming in the US with Friday’s show in Philadelphia.
The tour will make its final stop in the United States on November 20 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
The five-year Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour is slated to formally wrap up in Stockholm, Sweden, on July 8, 2023.
End in sight: When it all comes to and end with a show in Stockholm, Sweden on July 8, 2023, , John’s tour will have spanned five years
Since Alex Stosic’s heart failed in 2021, everyday tasks like waking up and getting dressed take hours and require a herculean effort.
Key points:
Mr Stosic is one of more than 87,000 people waiting for elective surgeries in Victoria
Quarterly government statistics show the wait has stabilized despite a rise in emergency department presentations
Ambulance Victoria faced its busiest quarter on record, for the third time in a row
For more than a year, the normally energetic 71-year-old Frankston man, who runs his own business with his wife, has been living with his heart only operating at a fifth of its usual capacity.
Earlier this year his surgery for a new valve was deemed semi-urgent, also known as category 2, which meant treatment was recommended within 90 days.
But he has been waiting more than 150 days.
Since his body shut down, Alex has lost more than 30 kilograms, is struggling to keep his small business running and has barely been able to see his grandkids, who live in regional Victoria.
“I can only take about 20 or 40 steps and I have to have a significant rest,” he said.
“Even working on the computer, I can really only do a few hours and then I have to have a rest.”
While waiting for surgery, Alex Stosic is only able to work on his computer in short bursts.(ABC News: Danielle Bonica)
Normally Alex is on the tools in his small business, which specializes in removing scratches from surfaces like glass, but since he fell ill he has only been able to do accounts.
“It certainly limits my lifestyle and limits what I can do,” he said.
Alex Stosic’s dog Suzie Q barely leaves his side since he got sick.(ABC News: Danielle Bonica)
The poor state of Alex’s physical health has left him and his wife Maureen basically housebound, which has taken a heavy toll on his mental health and prevented him from seeing his three children and five grandkids as much as he used to.
In Victoria, elective surgery is defined as any necessary surgery that can be delayed for at least 24 hours.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, elective surgery has repeatedly been put on hold to help the state’s health system cope with an influx of cases, which has led to a backlog.
At the beginning of April, the Victorian government announced a $1.5 billion investment package to address that backlog, but as the most recent wave of Omicron ramped up, individual hospitals began deferring all but category 1 cases again.
The latest quarterly data, released today, shows that at the end of June 87,275 people were on the waiting list, slightly down from the three months earlier.
That is due in part to the more than 41,000 elective surgeries conducted during the quarter, almost 50 per cent more than the previous three months.
But the waitlist is dramatically higher — about 21,000 people more — than the same time a year earlier.
And while the hospital waitlist showed small signs of stabilization, other areas of the health system were put under increasing pressure.
Busiest quarter in Ambulance Victoria during ‘unprecedented’ demand
The three-monthly data, released by the government a week later than expected, showed hospital emergency department presentations had risen by 5.1 per cent in the three months to June 30.
That took the number to 486,701 emergency presentations, an increase of more than 23,000 on the last quarter.
The surge is being attributed to a number of factors, including deferred care from lockdowns and a more severe influenza season than previous years.
“What we are seeing in Victoria at the moment is unprecedented demand,” Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said.
The average stay in hospital also rose, with sicker patients staying in beds for longer.
The number of code-1 callouts for paramedics has continued to rise.(AAP: Diego Fedele)
For the third quarter in a row, Ambulance Victoria experienced its busiest three months on record.
Urgent code 1 call-outs rose to 97,982, up by nearly 5,000 on the previous quarter. That’s 16 per cent more than the same period a year earlier.
Only about 64 per cent of those urgent code-1 cases were responded to within the benchmark 15 minutes, a drop on last quarter.
The pressure has led to at least seven code red escalations being called in as many months, in comparison to the nine called between 2017 and 2021.
Authorities have continued to urge Victorians to save triple-0 for emergencies only, with Ambulance Victoria saying about 500 callers each day did not need paramedics.
The Health Minister thanked paramedics, healthcare workers and those in the hospital system for their work during a time when up to 2,000 hospital staff are furloughed each day.
“This is our third COVID winter,” Ms Thomas said.
“All winters are hard in our hospital system, but indeed this winter has proven particularly challenging.”
A study published in June showed deadly ambulance ramping was already on the rise before the pandemic hit.
The Opposition has criticized the government for the delay in releasing the statistics and called for more to be done to address problems within the system.
“This isn’t just because of COVID,” Shadow Health Minister Georgie Crozier said.
“It’s years of under-investment and mismanagement by the Andrews Labor government.”
The government has announced a suite of measures as part of its $12 billion pandemic repair plan, including the expansion of virtual EDs, new paramedics and the overhaul of the crisis-riddled triple-0 system.
Alfred among hospitals restricting operations due to Omicron wave
The Alfred Hospital, where Alex Stosic is due to be treated, put out a statement in mid-July saying that because of the winter wave of Omicron, it was making operational changes such as deferring some elective surgeries and procedures.
It was one of a number of health services across the state to implement similar measures.
“It should never have got to this,” the opposition’s Ms Crozier said.
“These are huge numbers of Victorians who are waiting for this vital surgery, and while they’re waiting, they’re waiting in pain.”
Despite the way the wait has been affecting his life, Alex described his attitude as “stoic.”
Frankston man Alex Stosic was in good health in the years before he fell ill.(Supplied: Alex Stosic)
“Provided I readjust my whole lifestyle, I can cope,” he said.
“I feel there’s people there who are probably worse off than me who have contracted COVID and need ventilators — I don’t need a ventilator.”
The keyhole surgery he requires is relatively new, meaning only a handful of surgeons are able to perform it.
In the meantime, Alex said he was not able to do much except wait for the phone call about the surgery likely to put his life back on track.
He said he was extremely grateful to the paramedics, doctors and other healthcare workers who saved his life and stabilized his organs after his body first shut down last year, and was trying to remain patient.
Alex Stosic’s life revolves around waiting for news he can have surgery.(ABC News: Danielle Bonica)
“I’ve always had an attitude that you can play the cards that you’re dealt with and they’re the only cards you can play,” he said.
“I’ve been dealt these cards so I just have to play them.
“The only thing I can do is live a fairly sedentary, restricted life and hope that somehow we get the hospital system and COVID under control so I can get in there and get my operation.”
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Tennis star Novak Djokovic’s wife slammed Racquet Magazine for questioning the unvaccinated player’s decision to continue entering tournaments in countries he is barred from traveling to due to Covid-19 regulations.
Djokovic, 35, withdrew from the upcoming hard-court tournament in Montreal Thursday because he is not vaccinated against Covid-19 and is therefore not allowed to enter Canada.
For the same reason, as things stand now, he will also not be able to compete in the US Open later this month.
Racquet Magazine responded to the news Djokovic had pulled out of the Montreal Open by tweeting: ‘Dunno why this guy keeps entering tournaments hoping they’ll change their rules for him.’
His wife, Jelena, 36, was quick to come to his defense as she took aim at the publication as she quote tweeted: ‘Is this a real, international tennis magazine?! Wow.’
She also tagged the ATP Tour and one of their publicists, Nicola Arzani, along with a series of emojis displaying bewilderment and embarrassment.
The magazine responded, claiming they would ‘love’ to see the Serbian play in New York at the US Open later this month.
Hi Jelena! We’d love to see your husband play in New York, along with the rest of the tennis world, ‘she posted it. ‘Hopefully he’ll decide he can follow the rules.’
Tennis star Novak Djokovic’s wife, Jelena (left) came to the tennis star’s defense on Twitter
She slammed Racquet Magazine for questioning why the unvaccinated player continued to enter tournaments in countries he is barred from traveling to due to Covid-19 regulations
The Wimbledon champion will not be able to compete in the US Open as things currently stand
Jelena was quick to hit back with the specifics, questioning the logic behind the original tweet.
Hi! Based on tennis rules and ranking – Novak’s entry in the tournament was automatic,’ she said. ‘So, what was the logic behind your tweet?’
Racquet replied by insisting Djokovic should withdraw from all the events he cannot play due to his unvaccinated status now rather than wait until the last minute.
Jelena was quick to hit back with the specifics, questioning the logic behind the original tweet
It wrote: ‘As of right now, he’s also automatically entered into Cincy and the USO—is he gonna withdraw from them now knowing he doesn’t want to follow rules or wait until the last minute like he’s just done for Montreal?
‘Or maybe after the draw is made like he did in Indian Wells?
‘Not trying to disrupt your Friday night, but since you came our way, it’d be great to get him to take his stand by withdrawing from those events now so the whole tennis world isn’t talking about him not getting a shot for weeks to eat.
‘A stand is only a stand if one takes it.’
The publication claimed Djokovic should withdraw from the events he cannot play in now
Djokovic’s wife continued the spat as she argued that the publication should take a stand itself and stick to writing about tennis.
‘His most important stand is to be a tennis champion,’ she said. ‘And he took it. I mean, a stand is a stand.
‘Given that you are a tennis magazine- maybe focus on that in the weeks to come? Take a stand. Be what you are meant to be. A tennis magazine that writes about tennis.’
The 36-year-old fired back that the magazine should ‘take a stand’ itself
Djokovic has said he won’t get the shots, even if that means he can’t go to certain tournaments. He missed the Australian Open in January after being deported from that country and needed to sit out two events in the United States earlier this year.
Unvaccinated foreign citizens can’t go to Canada or the US, so Djokovic pulled out of Montreal a day before the draw is scheduled to take place for the tournament and is expected to have to sit out the US Open, which starts in New York on August 29.
However, the 21-time Grand Slam winner said on social media earlier this week that he remains hopeful he will be allowed in the tournament and will be ready to go should he get the OK.
‘I am preparing as if I will be allowed to compete, while I await to hear if there is any room for me to travel to US,’ Djokovic wrote. ‘Fingers crossed!’
He proved he was preparing a he posted a video to his Instagram of him practicing.
Djokovic said he remains hopeful he will be allowed to play at the US Open in August
It is not the first time Jelena has been embroiled in an online slanging match as she was previously involved in a debate after prominent tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg called her husband an ‘anti-vax poster boy.’
After Djokovic’s win in the Wimbledon men’s final, Rothenberg asked him whether he would get vaccinated soon in order to compete at the US Open in August.
‘You do still have time to get vaccinated before New York to make it in time for the US. Is that something you’ve completely closed your mind to as an option going forward?’ asked Rothenberg in the post-match press conference.
Djokovic’s reply was strong and succinct: ‘Yes.’
Rothenberg then took to Twitter to label the star Serb an ‘anti-vax poster boy’ who has played in his last Grand Slam for the year, unless there is a ‘swift change in US immigration law’.
Jelena didn’t take too kindly Rothenberg’s description of her husband and kicked off the very public online spat by taking issue with the description.
It is not the first time Jelena has been embroiled in an online slanging match over her husband
While PCR tests are still available and remain the “gold standard” for testing, many have turned to rapid antigen tests (RATs) out of convenience or as part of a requirement to return to work or school.
They can provide results within minutes, don’t require a healthcare worker or lab to process, and help to catch COVID-19 cases that otherwise would have gone undetected.
But with these benefits comes a range of limitations – the biggest one being that they can provide false negative or false positive results.
Recently, some doctors have warned people against relying on a negative RAT result.
Meanwhile, the makers of RATs have hit back, blaming false negatives on a lack of education about how and when to properly use the tests.
So is there any evidence that indicates the effectiveness of RATs has been impacted? And does it have to do with people using them incorrectly?
Australia faces ‘an education gap’ that was ‘never filled’ after RATs went on the market
Pathology Technology Australia, the peak body for test manufacturers and suppliers, defended the performance of rapid tests against new variants of Omicron, accusing critics of “fearmongering”.
“Nothing has changed, we’re yet to see any evidence that clearly indicates performance has been impacted by the subvariants,” chief executive and clinical biochemist Dean Whiting said in a statement.
“There is an education gap in Australia that was never filled after RATs became available.”
“I think a lot of the false negative results are due to incorrectly collecting the sample,” Mr Whiting said.
Here are the essentials to taking a RAT.
Store the test at 2C-30C
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) warns that tests “may not work properly” if they have been exposed to excessive light or heat, or if the packaging is damaged.
The instructions for a RAT specifically say to store it in a cool, dry place at 2 degrees Celsius up to 30C.
Do not freeze the kit and do not store it in direct sunlight.
Check the expiration date
According to the TGA, RATs can be stored for 12 months from the date of manufacture.
Do not use the test after its expiration date.
Blow your nose
David Speers, a clinical microbiologist and head of the microbiology department at PathWest, told ABC Radio Perth this will clear any excess mucous so that it won’t interfere with the results.
“What you want to do is sample the lining of the nose — you’re not sampling the secretions as such,” he said.
Only open the kit right before use
If you open the kit components, don’t suddenly delay taking the test and leave it out until you decide to.
When you open the kit, take the test straight away.
Don’t contaminate the test
Whether it’s with your fingers or your kitchen tiles after dropping it (there’s no five-second rule here), the tip of the swab should not touch anything.
So make sure it doesn’t come into contact with any other surfaces.
Swabbing at the wrong angle and depth
You’ve made it to the hardest part.
It’s easy for many to get the angle or depth wrong when it comes to swabbing.
Mr Whiting said he has seen many people wave the swab around the inside of their nostrils when taking a RAT.
“This is not the way the manufacturer intended for you to use the test,” he said.
“The manufacturer intended you to put the swab at least 1.5cm up your nose and swish it around five times, then do the other side.”
A guide published by the Public Health Laboratory Network (PHLN) and the Department of Health says to insert the swab tip 2cm to 3cm into each nostril.
The key is to insert the swab all the way up your nostril until you feel it rub against the back of your nose.
Watery eyes and the urge to sneeze indicate you’re taking the test correctly. (Supplied: John Hopkins Medicine)
Rather than going directly upwards with the swab, make sure the swab passes horizontally.
Then rotate the swab gently against the walls of the nasal passage five times, for 15 seconds in each nostril.
“You will know when you’re doing this correctly because it’s slightly uncomfortable,” Mr Whiting said.
“If your eyes aren’t watering or you’re not resisting the urge to sneeze, then you’re not taking the sample correctly.”
Swirl the swab in the tube for 10 seconds
Hold the solution tube firmly with one hand.
Once you’ve inserted the swab into the tube, swirl it around in the fluid for 10 seconds.
Then pinch the swab tip through the tube to remove any remaining fluid.
For some testing kits, you will need to snap the end of the swab. The swab will indicate where to do this.
Don’t add too many drops to the device
Remove the test device from its protective package and place it on a well-lit, flat surface.
Keep the tube vertical with the cap pointed down.
Squeeze three drops of liquid from the tube into the well on the device.
Some tests say two drops, while others may say four. Make sure you follow the instructions of the manufacturer of your test.
Adding too many drops or too few will affect the timeline and the test will be inaccurate.
Follow the no earlier than 15, no later than 20 rule
Keep the test device on a flat surface.
Read the result at 15 minutes.
Do not read it earlier than this, or after 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, the result might become inaccurate.
Misreading the result
Two lines mean you have tested positive for COVID
A line at C only means you have tested negative for COVID
A line at T but not C means your test is faulty
No means lines your test is faulty
Your RAT result will look like one of these.(Supplied: Antibodies.com)
Dispose of the kit correctly
Make sure you place the swab, tube and test device into the plastic bag provided and seal everything in there.
Then you can dispose of it in the rubbish bin.
As more variants emerge and evolve over the pandemic, many are wondering whether we’re likely to get a variant that can elude testing.
Epidemiologist and biostatistician from the University of South Australia Adrian Esterman said at some point in time, we would likely get a variant that was much harder to detect with existing tests.
But because of Australia’s diverse population and geographical spread, Mr Whiting believes RATs are going to remain highly useful, especially in rural and remote areas.
Australia may have seen the worst of the most-recent wave of COVID-19’s Omicron variant, which has swept through aged care facilities and strained hospitals, according to federal Health Minister Mark Butler.
Key points:
COVID-19 hospitalizations are high, but appear to be declining
Australia may have reached its winter peak sooner than expected
Millions of Australians overdue for a booster shot haven’t received one
Mr Mark Butler said ahead of a national cabinet meeting this morning he was cautiously optimistic COVID-19 cases have peaked.
“The data we’re seeing right now indicates we might have reached the peak earlier than we expected to,” Mr Butler said.
“We’re being a bit cautious about that because what we’ve seen through the pandemic is the ‘school holiday effect’, which shows numbers and transmission takes a slightly different course because of different activity in the school holidays.”
The Health Minister said hospital admissions were down, though remained high: about 5,000 admissions across the country.
State and territory health departments reported 66 COVID-19-related deaths yesterday.
In recent weeks, Australia has had one of the highest infection rates in the developed world, exacerbated by the emergence of more infectious strains of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
The federal government has renewed a push to encourage people to receive their booster shots, including a fourth dose for people, because vaccination rates have plateaued.
Mr Butler said there were still five million Australians eligible for a third dose who had not received it and had gone more than six months since their second dose.
“I’d really, really encourage anyone who is eligible for a booster shot — whether it’s a third dose or a fourth dose — [to] get it now. Get the vaccine that is in front of you,” he said.
Mr Butler said fourth-dose vaccination rates had shot up since eligibility was expanded three weeks ago to include anyone aged over 30 years, and recommended for those older than 50 years.
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President Joe Biden experienced a “rebound” Covid infection after taking the antiviral drug Paxlovid — and he’s not the only one.
Some patients who took Pfizer’s Paxlovid after contracting the coronavirus have reported the same phenomenon: Days after they finished a five-day course of the oral drug and felt better, their Covid symptoms or a positive test result returned.
Health experts say Paxlovid’s rebound effect doesn’t impact every patient or make it any less effective at its job, which is fighting severe illness from Covid. Still, like with so much about the pandemic, you might have some questions: How severe are rebound cases? Why do they happen? How common are they, and should you still feel comfortable taking the drug?
The answer to that last question is a resounding “yes,” doctors say. Here’s why, and what else you need to know about Paxlovid rebound cases:
Who can take Paxlovid?
In December 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration made Paxlovid available under an emergency use authorization to treat mild-to-moderate Covid cases in a specific group of eligible patients. You can get Paxlovid if you check all three of these boxes:
You tested positive for Covid
You’re at least 18 years old, or at least 12 years old and weigh at least 88 pounds
You have one or more risk factors for severe Covid
That includes patients 65 and older — such as Biden, 79 — or those with underlying conditions like cancer, diabetes or obesity. You may not be able to take Paxlovid if you take certain medications that can interact with the drug and cause serious side effects, according to the FDA.
You can obtain Paxlovid prescriptions from your healthcare provider or through the Biden administration’s “Test to Treat” program, which gives free Covid antiviral pills to patients who test positive at pharmacies across the country.
If you’re eligible, you should start taking Paxlovid as soon as possible after testing positive for Covid, and within five days of experiencing Covid symptoms. You’ll need to take three pills, twice a day, for five days.
Pfizer’s clinical trials last November suggest that Paxlovid does its job: The drug was 89% effective at preventing hospitalization among people who were at risk of developing severe illness.
Notably, that trial was conducted before Covid’s omicron variant emerged — but Pfizer said in January that Paxlovid still works against omicron, citing three laboratory-based studies. It appears to also work against omicron subvariants like BA.5, with no current data showing otherwise, according to Barbara Santevecchi, a clinical assistant professor of infectious diseases at the University of Florida’s College of Pharmacy.
How common are rebound cases, and what are they like?
Some people who take Paxlovid test negative for Covid after finishing their five-day treatment, but then test positive or experience symptoms again two to eight days later, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Roughly 5% of the tens of thousands of Paxlovid users have experienced rebound cases so far, White House Covid response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said at a news conference last month. They appear to be very mild: A June CDC study found that less than 1% of patients taking Paxlovid were admitted to the hospital or emergency department for Covid in the five to 15 days after they finished the treatment.
Patients also appear to recover from rebound cases without any additional Covid treatment, the CDC says.
A UC San Diego School of Medicine study released in June identified “insufficient drug exposure” as the most likely cause. In that scenario, Paxlovid stops the virus in its tracks for five days, but doesn’t stick around long enough to purge the infection entirely — allowing the virus to temporarily replicate again once the drug is gone.
Dr. Davey Smith, the study’s senior author and an infectious disease specialist at UCSD Health, hypothesizes that some people may metabolize Paxlovid more quickly, or that the drug might need to be taken for more than five days to fully clear the virus in every patient . But there’s no clinical data to back that up yet, he says.
“We don’t know if it’s safe or efficacious to do double the amount of time of Paxlovid, doing two courses,” Smith tells CNBC Make It. “That’s getting too far out over your skis without the clinical research to guide it.”
If you experience a rebound case, you do need to reenter quarantine until you test negative again. The CDC advises isolating for at least five more days before checking the agency’s current isolation guidelines. You should also wear a mask for 10 days after rebound symptoms begin, the CDC advises.
Halfway through the year, and Victoria is in the grip of another COVID-19 wave.
It’s believed about half of people with the virus haven’t been officially recorded, leading to a worrying number of people in hospital during the state’s deadliest month on record.
But as the state inches out of winter, there are signs the worst could be behind us.
Here’s what authorities have had to say.
Only about half of cases are being reported to authorities
The true number of COVID-positive people in the community could be about double the official number.(ABC News: Danielle Bonica)
Gone are the days when the number of people infected with COVID-19 each day dictated the level of public health measures in place across the state.
It is now estimated only about 45 per cent of people infected with the virus are officially reported to the Department of Health.
Authorities believe that it is due to a range of possible reasons — not everyone displays symptoms, not everyone with symptoms will test, the tests are not entirely sensitive, and not everyone who tests positive will report their test result.
“We don’t know what we don’t know,” Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said.
“If people haven’t notified with a positive RAT to the department, we don’t know that they are COVID cases.”
About 10 per cent of the cases we do know about at the moment are people being infected for a second or third time, a much higher proportion than in the January Omicron arises.
“Maybe that doesn’t sound like a lot, but an additional 10 per cent burden for those who’ve already had an infection is quite significant,” Professor Sutton said.
But we appear to be past the peak of new infections
While the official infection rate may not be an accurate reflection of the exact number of people in the community with the virus, the Chief Health Officer is now optimistic of turning a corner.
“We’re certainly seeing a peak in our case numbers,” Professor Sutton said.
The seven-day average of new infections was last week 11,703, which had fallen on Monday to 10,199.
“We look to be on the downslope there with about a 10 per cent reduction in case numbers compared to last week, so that’s good news,” Professor Sutton said.
Hospitalizations are plateauing but tough times lie ahead
The state saw a significant spike in hospitalizations as winter took hold.
Burnet Institute modeling suggests one explanation for the recent spike is the number of cases going undiagnosed or unreported to the health department.
Once an infection is reported to authorities, Victorians can have access to a range of treatments and therapies which can significantly reduce the risk of serious illness.
“There’s too big a proportion of those presenting to hospital, clearly with COVID, and either testing positive on arrival either at the emergency department during their admission in hospital or as they’re arriving, who haven’t taken oral therapies,” Professor Sutton said.
Experts have repeatedly stressed that access to the antivirals at the start of infection is essential to slowing the illness.
The most recent modeling by the Burnet Institute suggested the state was approaching a peak of hospitalizations in early August, of between 900 and 1,000 patients in hospital with the virus.
But as case numbers have begun to decrease, Professor Sutton said the number of people in hospital was “plateauing, if not past the peak.”
He cautioned “the pressures on the health system will be substantial for some weeks to come.”
“Mask-wearing, meeting outdoors, ventilation, getting your vaccine if you’re eligible — they still make a difference on this downslope,” he said.
“So please see this through the lens of our healthcare workers who continue to battle at the frontline.”
Deaths are still surging, particularly in older Victorians
While the number of people in hospital is lower than in the January Omicron peak, July was the month with the highest COVID-related death toll since the pandemic began in both Victoria and the country.
Of the 4,661 deaths recorded in the state since the pandemic began, 3,050 were reported in 2022.
“We still do have a significant number of deaths, that average has gone up in recent weeks,” Professor Sutton said.
Experts and authorities have partially attributed the rise to the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of the Omicron strain, which appear to be more infectious.
Department of Health data shows the BA.4/BA.5 sub-variants were detected in 89 per cent of clinical genomic samples in the two weeks to July 28 and in 87 per cent of all wastewater detections to July 21.
Professor Sutton said another reason for the high mortality rate was “we’ve seen a higher proportion of the very elderly as part of this wave.”
“They are over-represented in our hospital numbers compared to previous peaks and about half of our hospitalized cases are over 75 years of age,” he said.
The older demographic of those infected generally means a longer stay in hospital. A person aged 25 has an average length of stay in a hospital bed of two and a half days, compared to four days for a 75-year-old.
Data released in mid-July showed one third of deaths in the first half of 2022 occurred in unvaccinated people, despite them only making up less than 5 per cent of the population.
Only about 73 per cent of eligible Victorians have had a third dose of a vaccine, and only about 32 per cent have had a fourth shot.
Safety measures will remain important long into the future
The SARS-COV-19 virus which causes COVID-19 has shifted and changed as the pandemic has dragged on.
Professor Sutton cautioned that “in all likelihood, we are facing a new variant and another wave every three, four, five months.”
“I think that will be the picture across the world for some time to come,” he said, adding more effective vaccines would spell an end to the current state of play.
He said that meant measures such as mask-wearing, physical distancing, good ventilation and regular testing would remain important well into the future.
“Even if we can’t avoid it for the rest of our lives, deferring the period of time when we’re getting a COVID infection, reducing the frequency in the number of times that we might get COVID … remains a critically important thing, “he said.
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The White House doctor said President Biden “continues to feel well” but tested positive for coronavirus again on Sunday – a day after he came down with a “rebound” case of COVID-19.
Dr. Kevin O’Connor said the president, 79, will continue to remain in isolation at the White House.
“He will continue to conduct the business of the American people from the Executive Residence,” O’Connor wrote in a letter released by the White House.
“As I have stated previously, the president continues to be very specifically aware to protect any of the Executive Residence, White House, Secret Service and other staff whose duties require (albeit socially distanced) proximity to him,” the physician wrote.
The president announced that he again tested positive for the coronavirus in a Twitter posting on Saturday.
President Biden FaceTimed families that were at the Capitol fighting for burn pits legislation and sent them pizza.Twitter/ @POTUSBiden announced July 30, 2022 that he has tested positive for COVID-19 again.Twitter/ @POTUS
He first tested positive on July 21 when he began quarantining and starting on a regiment of the antiviral drug Paxlovid.
Biden tested negative last Tuesday and summarized his public duties.
O’Connor said in a letter Saturday that the president was among a “small percentage” of Paxlovid recipients who had their symptoms “rebound.”
