Vol 4, Issue 6 

 

SPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOL TESTING

Lumen High School: A multi-tiered approach to school testing

An illustration of Shauna Edwards, the founder and executive director of Lumen High School, surrounded by handwritten words that describe the school's values: belonging, empowerment, tenacity, flexibility, discovery and learning together.
Read the Lumen Spotlight!
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K-12 Cases & Hospitalizations

A Spanish language edition of this weekly report is available. Lea el informe aquí.

Cases and hospitalizations increased in the K-12 population. Here are the key findings from the DOH report on cases and hospitalizations among those ages 0-19 from September 10 to September 24, 2022:

  • There were a total of 2,930 cases reported for this period (155.4 cases per 100,000). 
  • The total number of cases (2,930) increased by almost 7% compared with the previous two-week reporting period (2,746). 
  • The highest case rates were in Educational Service District (ESD) 101.
  • The highest case rates were among 0 to 3-year-olds (178.2 cases per 100,000).
  • There were 47 hospitalizations for this reporting period (2.5 hospitalizations per 100,000).
  • The total number of hospitalizations (47) increased by 24% compared with the previous two-week reporting period (38).

Related: Experts warn of King County COVID surge, say few people have gotten updated booster

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Expect rapid antigen COVID-19 tests to continue to have their shelf life extended

Before you throw away your expired COVID-19 tests, be sure to check if the shelf life was extended. This one-page information sheet has expiration details by test type, as well as helpful information on quality controls to ensure the test is working properly. The FDA continues to track COVID-19 test performance data, which informs their decision-making on expiration date extensions. Expect the tests to continue to receive expiration date extensions as additional performance data is available.

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COVID-19 NEWS

Will there be a COVID winter wave? What scientists say

Nature – 3 October 2022. Some US states are already beginning to see an uptick in cases, notes epidemiologist Jennifer Nuzzo at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. The United Kingdom’s weekly population survey of SARS-CoV-2 infections, a gold-standard in COVID data, has also documented an increase in COVID prevalence in its past two reports. Hospitalizations of people who test positive for SARS-CoV-2 are rising quickly — although from low levels — in Britain and other European countries.

Covid will be a leading cause of death in the U.S. indefinitely, whether or not the pandemic is ‘over’

NBC News – 19 September 2022. “If we were to see the number of deaths from Covid down to what we see on an annual basis for flu — somewhere in the 20,000-a-year range — we’ll then say that the pandemic is clearly over,” said Dr. Eric Toner, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Flu is expected to flare up in U.S. this winter, raising fears of a ‘twindemic’

NPR – 23 September 2022. The strongest indication that the flu could hit the U.S. this winter is what happened during the Southern Hemisphere’s winter. Flu returned to some countries, such as Australia, where the respiratory infection started ramping up months earlier than normal, and caused one of the worst flu seasons in recent years.

Heart risk factors, not heart disease itself, may increase odds of COVID-19 death

American Heart Association News, 4 October 2022. The results suggest the increased risk of death among heart disease patients studied is less that they have plaque-lined arteries, and more that they have risk factors contributing to COVID-19’s hyperinflammation

COVID Vaccine Myths Drive Low Rates of Uptake Among U.S. Kids

US News, 4 October 2022. Among the COVID-specific misconceptions were claims that the vaccines might cause infertility, of which there is no evidence, or that they might change a person’s DNA, which is false. Other concerns were that the vaccines frequently cause allergic reactions, which are actually rare, and that the vaccines were riskier than getting COVID, which is false. Some worried the vaccines were responsible for thousands of deaths. There is no evidence of this.

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Handwritten text that reads: Introducing the Swab and Jab Science Club!
Jab, a cartoon COVID vaccine syringe, says: "Welcome back to everyone’s favorite place – school! Last year, we focused on the journey of learning to return. Now that we’ve returned, we’re focusing on the learning itself… …By starting our very own Swab and Jab Science Club!"
Swab, a cartoon COVID-19 testing swab, smiles and says: "That’s right, Jab! And guess what? Everyone is welcome in our science club. Because we’re going to explain things in ways that all our friends can understand!"
Masky, a cartoon surgical mask, says: I’ll be leading the EXPLORERS!" (which will cater to grade levels Grades 1-3)
Swab, a cartoon COVID-19 testing swab, says: "I’ll be with the SEEKERS!" (which will cater to grade levels Grades 4-6)
Jab, a cartoon COVID-19 vaccine syringe, says: "And I’ll be with the ADVENTURERS!" (which caters to Grades 7+)

We want to hear from you!

Questions, topics, or concepts about COVID-19 and testing that you want to learn more about from Swab and Jab? 

 

Contact the Swab and Jab Science Club!
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