ReportWire

Tag: COVID-19

  • NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn’t happen this week

    NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn’t happen this week

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    A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts:

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    IRS special agent job ad misrepresented online

    CLAIM: An online job ad shows that all new employees that the IRS intends to hire after a funding boost in the Inflation Reduction Act will be required to carry a firearm and use deadly force if necessary.

    THE FACTS: The job description does not apply to most potential new employees that the IRS will hire in the coming years, and the vast majority of IRS workers are not armed. A legitimate job ad for special agents within the small law enforcement division of the IRS that works on criminal investigations was misrepresented online following the passage this month of a $740 billion economic package that includes nearly $80 billion for the IRS. Many posts in recent days shared a screenshot that features the IRS logo and the text, “Major Duties.” The listed duties on the image include being able to “carry a firearm and be willing to use deadly force, if necessary.” Social media users claimed that the image was a job ad for thousands of new IRS employees that will be hired as a result of the bill. “The IRS is looking to fill 87,000 positions,” one Facebook user who shared the image wrote. “Requirements include working min ‘50 hours per week, which may include irregular hours, and be on-call 24/7, including holidays and weekends’ and ‘Carry a firearm and be willing to use deadly force, if necessary.’” Another Twitter user wrote: “Want to be one of the new 87,000 IRS agents? Are you willing to carry a firearm and use DEADLY FORCE? This is not at all concerning.” These social media users are falsely depicting a legitimate job ad for a special agent with IRS Criminal Investigation as a generic ad for all new positions. While that language does not currently appear on the IRS web page advertising the special agent role, a search of the Internet Archive shows that the same language can be found on the page as recently as Aug. 11. Justin Cole, a spokesperson for IRS Criminal Investigation, told the AP that the screenshots circulating online appear to show the special agent web page and confirmed that the language had been on the site but was removed. He said it was removed in error amid the spate of misinformation about IRS employees carrying weapons, but the language will be added back to the web page. Special agents with IRS Criminal Investigation, who investigate criminal tax violations and other related financial crimes, are the only IRS employees who carry firearms, according to Anny Pachner, a spokesperson for the division. Special agents compose a small sliver of the IRS workforce. There are about 2,000 special agents within the agency, which has roughly 80,000 total employees. The division dates back to 1919 and has always employed armed agents. The agency is currently hiring 300 special agents, according to the online job posting. Among the agents’ duties are executing search and arrest warrants, as well as seizures, per the posting. This is very different from the work of other IRS employees. For instance, revenue agents work on complex audits of corporations, while customer service representatives answer tax-related questions, according to the IRS. Neither roles are law enforcement positions. The claim that the IRS is going to hire 87,000 new agents in general due to the Inflation Reduction Act is also misleading, as the AP has previously reported. The figure comes from a prior Treasury Department proposal to hire roughly that many IRS employees over the next decade, but there is no explicit mandate for such a workforce in the act, officials and experts say. Many new IRS hires will replace employees who are expected to retire or quit, and not all of them will be auditors, nor will a majority of them be gun-carrying agents.

    — Associated Press writer Josh Kelety in Phoenix contributed this report.

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    Post falsely claims NYC tap water contaminated with polio

    CLAIM: Polio has been found in New York City tap water.

    THE FACTS: The virus that causes polio has been detected in New York sewage samples, not tap water. After the New York City and New York state health departments announced last week that poliovirus has been found in city sewage samples, a post claiming that polio had been found in the city’s tap water began spreading on social media. “Under Biden, they are now finding Polio in tap water,” reads the post, which received more than 112,000 likes on Instagram. It includes a screenshot of a tweet featuring a promotional video in which Mayor Eric Adams touts the city’s tap water. The tweet captions the Adams video: “Do you all remember that time when Mayor Adam’s told everyone in New York City to drink the tap water? Anyways, they found Polio in the New York City water.” But poliovirus was found in sewage samples, not tap water, and people cannot contract polio by drinking the city’s tap water, multiple city and state officials said. “New Yorkers should know that wastewater is not the same as drinking water, and it cannot be a source of infection or transmission,” Samantha Fuld, a spokesperson for the New York State Department of Health, told the AP in an email. Wastewater — used water from toilets, sinks, showers and household appliances — does not come in contact with the city’s drinking water, she said, adding there are no plans to test tap water for poliovirus. Edward Timbers, director of communications for the city’s Department of Environmental Protection, confirmed to the AP in an email that the city’s wastewater cannot end up in its tap water and that the presence of poliovirus in sewage samples does not imply that the virus is also in drinking water. “There are two separate systems in NYC,” he said. New York City drinking water is treated with purifying agents to ensure that it is safe to consume and free of pathogens, according to the city’s 2021 Drinking Water Supply and Quality Report. Polio can be spread through water contaminated with feces from an infected person, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though it typically spreads through person-to-person contact. The state Department of Health began monitoring wastewater for signs of poliovirus through repeated sampling after a Rockland County, New York, resident developed paralysis as a result of poliovirus earlier this summer, Fuld said. According to the state agency, the CDC has confirmed the presence of poliovirus in sewage samples from New York City, Rockland County and New York’s Orange County. Dr. Kimberly Thompson, a polio expert and president of health nonprofit Kid Risk, Inc., explained that repeated samples of poliovirus found in wastewater are indicators that the virus is spreading, since it can be transmitted through an infected person’s feces. A similar false claim purporting monkeypox was found in Georgia drinking water also spread on social media this month.

    — Associated Press writer Melissa Goldin in New York contributed this report.

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    Posts misrepresent failed attempt to recall Los Angeles District Attorney

    CLAIM: Los Angeles County disqualified nearly 30% of recall ballots or ballot signatures in the attempted recall of the county’s progressive District Attorney George Gascón.

    THE FACTS: The county didn’t disqualify ballots or ballot signatures. It disqualified nearly 200,000 of about 716,000 signatures on petitions calling for a vote to recall Gascón. Los Angeles County election officials on Monday said that a proposal to recall the county’s progressive DA had failed after recall organizers did not gather enough valid petition signatures to schedule an election. Recall organizers needed to gather nearly 570,000 valid petition signatures to schedule an election, but county officials found only about 520,000 were valid after disqualifying nearly 200,000 signatures turned in. That news was misrepresented online this week when Donald Trump Jr. and others falsely claimed that the county had disqualified “ballots” or “ballot signatures.” The former president’s son made both claims, one on Twitter and one on his father’s Truth Social platform. “So in Los Angles they just disqualified almost 30% of ballot signatures BUT they expect you to believe that LESS THAN 1% of Ballots were faulty in the 2020 Presidential Election!” Trump Jr. tweeted Monday, misspelling Los Angeles. The petition signatures that the county deemed invalid were collected in the community to try to demonstrate voter support for scheduling a recall election. A Monday news release from the county said the signatures were found to be invalid for various reasons, including signers not being registered to vote, signing more than once, listing different addresses than their voter registrations, using signatures that didn’t match their voter registration signatures, and living outside the county. The recall committee said it would review rejected signatures and the verification process and “seek to ensure no voter was disenfranchised.” Joshua Spivak, an expert on recall elections and a senior fellow at the Hugh L. Carey Institute at Wagner College, said the signature rejection rate was “within the range” of past California recalls. He pointed out that most of the rejections happened not because of the signatures themselves, but because the signers were not registered voters or signed multiple times. A representative for the Trump Organization did not respond to a request for comment.

    — Associated Press writer Ali Swenson in New York contributed this report. ___

    Denmark didn’t ‘ban’ COVID-19 vaccines for children

    CLAIM: Denmark has banned COVID-19 vaccines for children.

    THE FACTS: Danish residents under the age of 18 will no longer be automatically eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, but there is no overall ban for that age group, as minors who are at high risk will still be able to get the shots after a medical assessment. Social media users are misrepresenting changes to the Danish Health Authority’s fall and winter vaccine program for those under 18 as a “ban.” “Denmark coming clean that kids shouldn’t be vaccinated with a TOTAL BAN on Covid vax for kids,” a Twitter user falsely claimed. But Denmark’s guidance around COVID-19 vaccines for children is only being modified. The agency’s vaccine program states that since children and young people “very rarely become seriously ill” from the COVID-19 omicron variant, those under the age of 18 will no longer receive the first dose beginning July 1. Starting Sept. 1, youths will no longer get the second dose, although those who are at risk of developing serious illness can still get the vaccine after a medical assessment. “The Danish Health Authority does not currently plan on recommending vaccination to persons under the age of 18 as a group,” Lotte Bælum, a spokesperson for the agency, told the AP in an email. “Children and young people who are at increased risk of a serious course of covid-19 will continue to have the option of vaccination after individual assessment.” The country will begin the fall and winter COVID-19 vaccination program in October. Around 81% of Denmark’s population of 5.8 million has received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and nearly 62% have received a booster, according to the Danish Ministry of Health. In April, the AP reported that due to Denmark’s high vaccine coverage, the country was ending broad vaccination efforts, but people over the age of 50 or older will receive invitations to receive a vaccine. The Danish Health Authority still recommends that people who are completely unvaccinated receive primary vaccination.

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    Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck

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    Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck

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  • NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn’t happen this week

    NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn’t happen this week

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    A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts:

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    Photo altered to include judge who approved Mar-a-Lago warrant

    CLAIM: A photo shows Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein who was convicted of sex trafficking, with U.S. Magistrate Bruce Reinhart, the judge who approved the FBI search warrant for Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

    THE FACTS: This image has been manipulated by combining two separate, unrelated photos. Social media users are sharing the manipulated image that puts Reinhart and Maxwell together, making it appear she is rubbing his foot as he holds a bottle of bourbon and package of Oreos. “Ghislaine Maxwell and Judge Bruce Reinhart… looking awful cozy!” read one tweet of the image shared by hundreds. But reverse image searches show that the original photo of Maxwell was with Epstein, not Reinhart. That photo was released in 2021 as evidence in her trial and published by various news outlets. Maxwell was sentenced in June to 20 years in prison for helping Epstein sexually abuse underage girls. The AP identified the photo of Reinhart on a Facebook profile under his name. The caption indicates he was watching a football game. The manufactured image is circulating amid attention on Reinhart for approving the FBI search warrant for Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Reinhart is a former federal prosecutor and has served as a magistrate in West Palm Beach, Florida, since March 2018. Reinhart did at one point represent associates of Epstein. For example, court records reviewed by the AP show he was an attorney for Sarah Kellen, Epstein’s personal assistant. The search at Mar-a-Lago was part of an investigation into whether Trump took classified records from the White House to his Florida residence, according to people familiar with the matter, the AP reported.

    — Associated Press writer Angelo Fichera in Philadelphia contributed this report.

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    Monkeypox wasn’t found in Georgia drinking water

    CLAIM: A news report shows that monkeypox has been detected in drinking water.

    THE FACTS: The clip comes from an Atlanta-area news broadcast explaining how wastewater — not drinking water — can be tested for evidence of monkeypox’s spread. But the July 26 broadcast is being mischaracterized online to push the false claim that monkeypox has been found in residents’ tap water. The video shows a reporter explaining that the public works department in Fulton County, which encompasses Atlanta, is launching new efforts to try to detect monkeypox in the community. While the news report is playing in the video, a viewer filming their TV screen can be heard in the background saying “there’s monkeypox in the water.” TikTok and Twitter users are sharing the clip out of context to suggest it means that drinking water is contaminated or being intentionally tampered with. But the county’s tests have nothing to do with drinking water, nor did they reveal that the virus had been found in that supply. “The testing that we’re doing in wastewater for monkeypox DNA is completely separate from drinking water,” said Marlene Wolfe, an environmental microbiologist and epidemiologist at Atlanta’s Emory University, who is involved in the testing initiative. “We have not tested drinking water, we are not planning to test drinking water, we don’t have any expectations or concerns about monkeypox spreading through drinking water.” Experts say monkeypox is primarily spread through skin-to-skin contact such as sexual activity, or contact with items that previously touched an infected person’s rash or body fluids. Dr. Mark Slifka, a microbiology and immunology expert and professor at the Oregon National Primate Research Center, confirmed that “there is really no way” that monkeypox can be transmitted through drinking water. “Historically, there has been no evidence of monkeypox spread through drinking water and currently during this global outbreak, there is absolutely no evidence for monkeypox being spread through drinking water,” Slifka wrote in an email. Wolfe said that people infected with monkeypox excrete virus DNA through skin lesions, saliva, feces and urine, which, much like COVID-19, can enter wastewater through sewage that is produced after showering, flushing toilets and more. That water can be tested using PCR technology to determine whether certain viruses are being spread. This method has also been widely used for earlier detection of new COVID-19 waves. Data released after the news report found that wastewater samples from two areas in Fulton County have tested positive for monkeypox. Meanwhile, drinking water comes from separate reservoirs that go through different quality and treatment processes to make it drinkable. “That’s a totally different department. We only handle wastewater,” said Patrick Person, a Fulton County water quality manager. He added that wastewater is also eventually sanitized before being returned to the environment.

    — Associated Press writer Sophia Tulp in New York contributed this report.

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    Tweet misrepresents Kenyan president’s speech

    CLAIM: Video shows outgoing Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta publicly admitting that his deputy president, William Ruto, will win the presidential elections on Aug. 9.

    THE FACTS: A tweet in English gave an incorrect description of the video, where Kenyatta speaks his mother tongue, Kikuyu. Kenyans headed to the polls on Tuesday to select a successor to Kenyatta, who has spent a decade in power. One candidate in the race is Raila Odinga, an opposition leader, who is backed by Kenyatta, his former rival. The other candidate is Ruto, Kenyatta’s deputy who fell out with the president. While Kenyatta was commissioning a dam project last week in Gatundu, a town in Kiambu County, he addressed the crowd from a car’s sunroof on Aug. 1. A Twitter user shared a video of Kenyatta’s speech and provided a false description in English: “President Uhuru Kenyatta publicly admits that DP@WilliamsRuto will WIN the August 9, Elections,” the tweet states. The AP translated the video, confirming that Kenyatta does not mention that Ruto will win. Instead, Kenyatta cautioned people against voting for Ruto. Kenyatta encouraged residents to vote for leaders allied with Odinga, a tweet from Kenya’s State House notes. “You are told to refuse us because they claim they are hustlers and they will bring you this and that,” Kenyatta said in the video. “Ask yourself what you are given. And when someone enters that house they look at you with a mean eye,” he continued, referring to the State House, the official residence of Kenya’s president. Ruto often refers to himself as a “hustler” who rose from humble beginnings, compared to Kenyatta and Odinga, who have elite backgrounds, the AP has reported. Multiple media outlets in Kenya also reported on the speech and made no mention of Kenyatta telling residents Ruto will win.

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    WHO chief is vaccinated against COVID-19, contrary to false claim

    CLAIM: Video shows World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus saying he isn’t vaccinated against COVID-19.

    THE FACTS: The clip is from a documentary and shows part of an interview, filmed weeks after Ghebreyesus was vaccinated, in which he says at one point that he waited for better global vaccine equity before receiving his own shot. But the clip is circulating on social media without context to falsely claim that it shows the WHO leader expressing that he had not been vaccinated against COVID-19. “Tedros not jabbed?” reads one tweet, which garnered more than 8,000 likes. The 35-second clip shows a portion of a 2021 interview of Tedros by Jon Cohen, a writer for the publication Science. The interview was included in a documentary, “ How to Survive a Pandemic,” which runs more than 100 minutes. The clip shows Cohen asking Ghebreyesus when he was vaccinated, and then cuts to the WHO director-general responding: “You know, still I feel like I know where I belong: in a poor country called Ethiopia, in a poor continent called Africa, and wanted to wait until Africa and other countries, in other regions, low-income countries, start vaccination. So I was protesting, in other words, because we’re failing.” But the documentary never claimed Ghebreyesus was not vaccinated, nor did Ghebreyesus’ response indicate as much. In the full June 12, 2021, interview — which was edited for the documentary — Ghebreyesus in fact did reply that he was vaccinated on May 12, according to the Science article by Cohen that followed. Ghebreyesus also publicly posted a photo on Twitter showing him receiving his vaccine that day, which he followed with a post about vaccine equity. The date was not included in the portion of the response shown in the documentary, Cohen confirmed to the AP. Cohen responded to the erroneous claim about Ghebreyesus’ vaccination status on Twitter, calling it a “lie,” and pointing to his written interview. The filmmaker, David France, said in an interview with the AP that the important part of Ghebreyesus’ answer was his explanation that he had waited for better vaccine equity before getting his own shot. But, he said, Ghebreyesus’ explanation that he had waited was clearly in the past tense. “In the context of the film, it was the wait — and the reason for the wait — that was the core part of his answer, and that’s what we included,” France said.

    — Angelo Fichera

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    Earth spinning faster is no cause for concern, scientists say

    CLAIM: The Earth is spinning faster and days are getting shorter, a change that is noticeable and cause for immediate concern.

    THE FACTS: While the Earth on June 29 did indeed record its shortest-ever day since the adoption of the atomic clock standard in 1970 — at 1.59 milliseconds less than 24 hours — scientists say this is a normal fluctuation. Still, news of the faster rotation led to misleading posts on social media about the significance of the measurement, leading some to express concern about its implications. “They broke news of earth spinning faster which seems like it should be bigger news,” claimed one tweet that was shared nearly 35,000 times. “We so desensitized to catastrophe at this point it’s like well what’s next.” Some Twitter users responded to these tweets with jokes, as well as skepticism about the magnitude of the measurement. Others, however, voiced worries about how it would affect them. But scientists told the AP that the Earth’s rotational speed fluctuates constantly and that the record-setting measurement is nothing to panic over. “It’s a completely normal thing,” said Stephen Merkowitz, a scientist and project manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “There’s nothing magical or special about this. It’s not such an extreme data point that all the scientists are going to wake up and go, what’s going on?” Andrew Ingersoll, an emeritus professor of planetary science at the California Institute of Technology, agreed with this assessment. “The Earth’s rotation varies by milliseconds for many reasons,” he wrote in an email to the AP. “None of them are cause for concern.” The slight increase in rotational speed also does not mean that days are going by noticeably faster. Merkowitz explained that standardized time was once determined by how long it takes the Earth to rotate once on its axis — widely understood to be 24 hours. But because that speed fluctuates slightly, that number can vary by milliseconds. Scientists in the 1960s began working with atomic clocks to measure time more accurately. The official length of a day, scientifically speaking, now compares the speed of one full rotation of the Earth to time taken by atomic clocks, Merkowitz said. If those measurements get too out of sync, the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service, an organization that maintains global time, may fix the discrepancy by adding a leap second. And despite recent decreases in the length of a day over the last few years, days have actually been getting longer over the course of several centuries, according to Judah Levine, a physicist in the Time and Frequency Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. He added that the current trend was not predicted, but agreed it’s nothing to worry about. Many variables impact the Earth’s rotation, such as influences from other planets or the moon, as well as how Earth’s mass redistributes itself. For example, ice sheets melting or weather events that create a denser atmosphere, according to Merkowitz. But the kind of event that would move enough mass to affect the Earth’s rotation in a way that is perceptible to humans would be something dire like the planet being hit by a giant meteor, Merkowitz said.

    — Associated Press writer Melissa Goldin in New York contributed this report.

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    Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck

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    Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck

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  • NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn’t happen this week

    NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn’t happen this week

    [ad_1]

    A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts:

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    Congress didn’t exempt its members from IRS audits

    CLAIM: Members of the U.S. Congress recently voted to exempt themselves from IRS audits of their personal finances.

    THE FACTS: Congress has not voted on any such measure, according to spokespeople for the IRS, the Speaker of the House and the House Ways and Means Committee. The unsupported claim that U.S. lawmakers voted to exempt themselves from IRS audits spread online this week after a tweet from an account that has posted numerous bogus claims was interpreted as real. “BREAKING,” read the Aug. 17 tweet, which amassed more than 13,000 shares. “In order to safeguard democracy, Congress has voted to exempt itself and its members from upcoming IRS audits.” Hours later, the same account hinted that it had been a joke, writing that “a shocking number of American adults” can’t spell or recognize the word “satire.” Still, the tweet was not deleted or labeled and the false claim has since circulated as real on Twitter and Instagram. A review of recent legislation passed in Congress found no bills matching this claim. The Inflation Reduction Act, which became law last week and sparked an onslaught of misinformation about the IRS, did not include any such provision. Terry Lemons, communications and liaison chief at the IRS, confirmed to The Associated Press that the claim was false, and that “all tax filers are treated equally under the tax law.” Henry Connelly, spokesperson for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, said the claim was “nonsense.” Dylan Peachey, a spokesperson for the House Ways and Means Committee, also confirmed the claim was false.

    — Associated Press writer Ali Swenson in New York contributed this report.

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    Posts exaggerate adult fentanyl deaths in the U.S.

    CLAIM: Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for adults in the U.S.

    THE FACTS: Fentanyl overdose deaths, while high, are not the leading cause of deaths among all adults in the U.S., experts say. Heart disease and cancer kill more people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Social media users, including some Republican elected officials, claimed that the synthetic opioid is the No. 1 killer of adults in the U.S. “Fentanyl is the leading cause of death among American adults,” Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, wrote on Twitter. “Until @POTUS secures our southern border, this crisis will only get worse.” The congresswoman’s tweet was also shared by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. This is not the case, according to experts and CDC data. “It absolutely is not the leading cause of death for all adults,” said Kenneth Leonard, director of the University at Buffalo Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions. “I wouldn’t minimize fentanyl as a problem, but it’s certainly hard to say it’s the leading cause of death,” said Lewis Nelson, a professor of pharmacology, physiology and neuroscience at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. That distinction goes to heart disease and cancer, said Dan Ciccarone, a professor of family and community medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. About 71,000 people died from overdosing on synthetic opioids like fentanyl in 2021, up from almost 58,000 in 2020, according to the CDC. In comparison, the CDC estimates that in 2020, almost 700,000 people died from heart disease, roughly 600,000 from cancer and around 350,000 due to COVID-19. Spokespeople for McCarthy did not respond to the AP’s request for comment. Andrea Coker, a spokesperson for Van Duyne, wrote in an email that while heart disease may be the leading killer of older American adults, the “cdc is stating fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans 18-45.” As part of her response, Coker provided a link to an analysis conducted by the Ohio-based nonprofit Families Against Fentanyl that determined fentanyl was the top killer of people ages 18-45 in 2019 and 2020. The group analyzed publicly available CDC data by comparing synthetic opioid deaths to other causes of death over the last few years, according to spokesperson Moira Muntz. The CDC has not verified that fentanyl is the top killer among people in that age group, said Jeff Lancashire, a spokesperson for the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. The agency uses death certificates to determine the leading causes of death in the U.S. In its datasets, fentanyl deaths are included as part of a larger category of deaths attributed to synthetic opioids. Synthetic opioids, which include drugs like fentanyl and tramadol, are different from natural opioids, like morphine, and semi-synthetic opioids, such as oxycodone, according to the CDC. While fentanyl accounts for the majority of synthetic opioid deaths, the CDC lacks breakout data on deaths caused by fentanyl specifically, Lancashire said. Drug overdose deaths are spread over four different cause of death categories, though the majority of them land in the “accidental” category. The rest are classified as suicides, homicides or undetermined. According to preliminary 2021 data, accidents were the leading cause of death among 18-45 year-olds, with accidental synthetic opioid overdoses amounting to less than half of those deaths, Lancashire wrote. “It doesn’t appear that fentanyl alone is the leading cause of death among 18-45 year olds and definitely is NOT the leading cause of death among all adults,” he wrote. “However, we don’t break down the leading causes in such a way that we can rank fentanyl anywhere.”

    — Associated Press writer Josh Kelety in Phoenix contributed this report.

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    Florida didn’t ban ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ as fake list suggests

    CLAIM: The state of Florida banned “To Kill a Mockingbird” in schools, along with a number of other popular titles on a “Banned Book List.”

    THE FACTS: Florida hasn’t forced schools to stop teaching Harper Lee’s classic novel “To Kill a Mockingbird,” despite misleading posts that amassed thousands of shares on social media. The false claim erupted after various social media users shared a list of book titles and said it showed books banned in Florida, including “To Kill a Mockingbird” and other well-known titles such as “A Wrinkle in Time,” “The Giver,” and “Of Mice and Men.” Bryan Griffin, press secretary for Florida’s Republican governor, confirmed in several tweets that the claim was false. “The State of Florida has not banned To Kill a Mockingbird,” Griffin tweeted. “In fact, Florida RECOMMENDS the book in 8th grade.” The tweet linked to Florida’s state Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking, or BEST, standards, which include the book as a sample text for eighth grade students. Jeremy Redfern, deputy press secretary for the governor, told the AP in an email that there is no banned book list at the state level, and that the “Banned Book List” circulating online was fake. “The state sets guidelines regarding content, and the local school districts are responsible for enforcing them,” Redfern said. The Palm Beach County School District temporarily removed “To Kill a Mockingbird” from classrooms to review it earlier this year, but has since returned it, according to the Florida Freedom to Read Project. The Palm Beach County School District told the AP in an email that it had reviewed 2.5 million books over the summer and was in compliance with Florida’s parental rights legislation. The Florida Freedom to Read Project, which tracks book removals across Florida school districts, said its research did not find any other recent bans of the title in Florida schools, though it relies on documentation from the state’s school districts, which have not all responded in recent months. “There is no way for us to say for sure that the title is still available in every district, but it definitely isn’t banned across the state,” said Stephana Ferrell, cofounder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project. Tasslyn Magnusson, an independent researcher who tracks book banning attempts nationwide, also said she was not aware of any recent bans on “To Kill a Mockingbird” in Florida school districts. She said the widely shared “Banned Book List” also didn’t match up with her own data.

    — Ali Swenson

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    Flawed calculation fuels falsehood on Pfizer vaccine and pregnancies

    CLAIM: Pfizer documents show that 44% of pregnancies reported during its COVID-19 vaccine trial ended with miscarriages.

    THE FACTS: The claim is based on a flawed calculation that, among other issues, twice counted some of the same reported miscarriages — which also were not established to be caused by the vaccine. Thousands of social media users in recent days spread the erroneous claim that newly released documents showed that nearly half of all pregnancies in the Pfizer vaccine trial resulted in miscarriages. “Massacre: Nearly Half of Pregnant Women in Pfizer Trial Miscarried,” one widely shared headline claimed. The claim first appeared Aug. 12 in a blog run by Naomi Wolf, an author who has gained attention in recent years for spreading COVID-19 misinformation. The blog post falsely claimed that documents from the Food and Drug Administration revealed “chilling data showing 44 percent of pregnant women participating in Pfizer’s mRNA COVID vaccine trial suffered miscarriages.” Asked for comment, the Daily Clout noted in a statement to the AP that it had issued a correction. The post was updated to say in a footnote that the 44% figure is “incorrect.” As of Friday, the post was no longer accessible. The original blog post cited a more than 3,600-page document of Pfizer information dated March 2021 and submitted to the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. The blog post pointed to 22 references in the document to spontaneous abortions, or a pregnancy loss without outside intervention before the 20th week of pregnancy. The blog also noted that a table within the same document showed 50 pregnancies that occurred among trial participants after receiving their first dose. Using those numbers, the blog wrongly concluded that nearly half of pregnancies in the trial resulted in miscarriages. But Jeffrey Morris, director of the division of biostatistics at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, told the AP in an email that the post’s methodology contained “numerous mistakes.” The blog’s 22 references to miscarriages actually count about half of the same events twice, Morris said. That’s evident by comparing the unique ID numbers of the clinical trial participants for each of the reports. For example, a single miscarriage reported by one participant in October 2020 was recorded in a “Listing of Adverse Events” as well as a subsequent “Listing of Serious Adverse Events,” though they refer to the same instance. Such reported adverse events are also not confirmed to be caused by the vaccine, but are simply events that occurred after a participant received a shot. Beyond that, Morris pointed out that, of the unique miscarriage events in the document, only three of the subjects appear in the table that lists 50 pregnancies that occurred after participants received their first dose. That means the table is not a listing of all participants who were pregnant during the clinical trial, and therefore can’t be used to calculate the miscarriage rate as the website did. Miscarriages are not uncommon: It’s estimated that about 10% to 20% of known pregnancies result in miscarriage. The AP has previously debunked similar claims that misrepresented Pfizer data to assert that the vaccine was dangerous to pregnancies. In reality, a 2021 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that COVID-19 vaccine exposure did not increase the odds of a spontaneous abortion. And a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine the same year found that the risk of spontaneous abortion after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination was consistent with the expected risk of spontaneous abortion. A Pfizer spokesperson declined to comment on the specific claim. The FDA did not return a request for comment.

    — Associated Press writer Angelo Fichera in Philadelphia contributed this report.

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    Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck

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    Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck

    ___

    This story was first published on August 26, 2022. It was updated on August 29, 2022, to make clear that the Palm Beach County School District responded on Aug. 25, 2022, that it had reviewed 2.5 million books over the summer and was in compliance with Florida’s parental rights legislation.

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  • NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn’t happen this week

    NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn’t happen this week

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    A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts:

    ___

    Germany hasn’t stopped using COVID-19 vaccines

    CLAIM: Germany has halted the use of all COVID-19 vaccines because they are unsafe.

    THE FACTS: Germany continues to use COVID-19 vaccines and is expected to receive updated booster shots that also target omicron strains, according to health officials. Social media users in recent days have amplified a false claim that Germany has discontinued all COVID-19 vaccines. “BREAKING NEWS — GERMANY HALTS ALL C19 VACCINES, THEY ARE UNSAFE AND NO LONGER RECOMMENDED !!” reads one tweet shared more than 6,000 times. “NO ONE CAN GET IT & the vaccine license has been put on pause!!” On Telegram, posts advancing the erroneous claim included a news broadcast-style video in which a man identified as Stephan Kohn, a political scientist, pretends to be the new president of the Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s disease control agency. Kohn claims in the video that the government passed a “moratorium” and that COVID-19 vaccines are “not recommended any longer.” But that video was part of an event called “BasisCamp.live,” a fictional exercise that took place in Berlin in August. The Robert Koch Institute has actually been headed by Lothar Wieler since 2015. The suggestion that Germany has halted immunizations is false, a representative for the Federal Ministry of Health told the AP. “Germany has not banned or paused the COVID-19 vaccinations in Germany,” Kira Nübel said in an email. Nübel noted that Germany is currently slated to receive millions of more doses of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. The country will also receive deliveries of new combination or “bivalent” booster shots from Pfizer, which the European Commission authorized this week. The updated shots contain half the original vaccine that’s been used since December 2020 and half a formulation that targets today’s dominant omicron versions, BA.4 and BA.5, as the AP has reported.

    — Associated Press writer Angelo Fichera in Philadelphia contributed this report. ___

    Illinois law doesn’t make murder, other crimes ‘non-detainable’ offenses

    CLAIM: Suspects facing serious charges including second-degree murder, kidnapping, robbery, burglary and arson will no longer be held in custody until trial under a new, first-in-the-nation Illinois law abolishing cash bail statewide.

    THE FACTS: Judges in Illinois will still have discretion to order suspects for these and other serious crimes held in jail pending trial if they are deemed a threat to public safety or a flight risk, but the new law does impose higher standards to meet those conditions. Social media posts and conservative news outlets have been distorting how Illinois’ Pretrial Fairness Act, which is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, will work. The posts list a range of violent crimes that they say will be considered “non-detainable,” including second-degree murder, kidnapping, robbery, burglary and arson. The posts also include dire warnings that Illinois communities will soon devolve into a real life version of “The Purge,” a horror movie where all crime is allowed on one night a year. “On January 1, 2023, Illinois will take its place in history when they become the first state to test out ‘The Purge’; in real life,” an Instagram user wrote on Monday. “The ironically named ‘SAFE-T’ act will charge and release criminals without cash bail for 12 now non-detainable offenses.” Illinois’ new law ends cash bail, or payments imposed by a judge, as a condition of a person’s release pending trial. It’s among the most contentious parts of the “Safe-T Act,” a wide-ranging criminal justice bill Illinois lawmakers passed in 2021 in response to the nationwide reckoning on racism and police brutality. But the law doesn’t create a new classification of “non-detainable” offenses, as critics claim. Suspects can still be jailed pretrial if they are considered a public safety risk or likely to flee to avoid criminal prosecution, said Lauryn Gouldin, a criminal law professor at Syracuse University in New York who studies pretrial detention and bail. The new law states: “Detention only shall be imposed when it is determined that the defendant poses a specific, real and present threat to a person, or has a high likelihood of willful flight.” Additionally, those charged with “forcible felonies,” ones in which probation isn’t an option if convicted, can also be detained pretrial under the law following a required court hearing, said Benjamin Ruddell, director of criminal justice policy at the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, which was among the local advocacy groups that supported the measure. That includes serious crimes such as first-degree murder and criminal sexual assault. Those arrested for forcible felonies such as second-degree murder, robbery, burglary, arson, kidnapping and aggravated battery — the crimes often cited by opponents of the bill on social media — are not required to have a detention hearing since they are offenses subject to probation. The suspects could, however, still be held in custody until trial if a judge determines they are a threat or flight risk. “Contrary to the false arguments advanced by opponents, the new pretrial system will not simply release every person arrested for a crime,” Jordan Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, wrote in an email. Still, the new law does impose higher standards for determining who is considered a public threat or a flight risk, and critics are concerned it will make it nearly impossible to detain a suspect ahead of trial. Prosecutors will now have to show a defendant poses a threat to a “specific, identifiable person or persons,” rather than a more general threat to the community, or they’d have to show that the person has a “high likelihood of willful flight.” “This is a much higher burden than commonly used today in courts throughout the country,” says Jon Walters, an assistant state’s attorney in the office of Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow, who has been a vocal critic of the new law. “The new standards could potentially be insurmountable.”

    — Associated Press writer Philip Marcelo in New York contributed this report.

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    UK didn’t cancel all funerals on same day as queen’s service

    CLAIM: All funeral services in the U.K. have been canceled on Sept. 19, the day Queen Elizabeth II is set to be buried.

    THE FACTS: While some families are opting to postpone or reschedule services set for the day of the queen’s funeral, Sept. 19, there has been no countrywide cancellation order for private funerals on that day. Following the announcement that Monday would be observed as a public holiday in the U.K. to commemorate the queen’s burial, some social media users shared the inaccurate claim that all coinciding funerals would be canceled in deference to Britain’s longest-serving monarch. “Omg so all funerals due on the 19 th have been cancelled !My heartfelt sympathy with all those bereft families involved,” one Twitter user declared, receiving more than 22,000 likes and nearly 4,000 shares. But this isn’t the case. No blanket cancellation orders have been issued to cover funerals scheduled for the day, according to representatives from three of England’s funeral and crematorial industry groups. “There is no truth in this coverage,” Brendan Day,​ secretary of the U.K.’s Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities, wrote in an email to the AP. “The advice being circulated is that all funerals booked for the 19th September proceed as arranged.” Terry Tennens, chief executive of the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors, and Deborah Smith, a spokesperson for the National Association of Funeral Directors, both confirmed that there was no countrywide call for cancellations. Tennens called the situation a “mixed picture” and added that he knew of two local authorities that opted to close their crematoriums that day, but also noted that crematoriums operated by authorities in at least five other localities would remain open, as would cemeteries and crematoriums run by private operators. “Some funerals will go ahead, others are moving to a different date – led by the needs & wishes of the bereaved families involved and in consultation with their chosen funeral venue,” Smith wrote in an email. The government on Saturday announced that Sept. 19 would be deemed a national bank holiday “to allow individuals, businesses and other organisations to pay their respects to Her Majesty and commemorate Her reign” on the day of her state funeral. Time off is not mandated for bank holidays and “the government cannot interfere in existing contractual arrangements between employers and workers,” according to the guidance. Tanya Khan, a spokesperson for the U.K. government’s Cabinet Office, confirmed that organizations and businesses are “under no obligation” to close offices or otherwise cancel or postpone events, and that those decisions were at the discretion of employers. The queen died at Balmoral Estate, her summer residence in Scotland, on Thursday at age 96, ending her 70-year reign.

    — Associated Press writer Sophia Tulp in New York contributed this report.

    ___

    Mourning period for queen doesn’t affect tech devices

    CLAIM: Nintendo and Apple devices as well as the Roblox gaming platform are displaying on-screen messages explaining that they are disabled during the national period of mourning for the late Queen Elizabeth II.

    THE FACTS: These messages aren’t real, and there are no such interruptions. As the U.K. mourns the death of Elizabeth, some social media users are spreading baseless claims that its national period of mourning is hobbling tech devices and gaming platforms. “Don’t play Roblox in the UK,” read one widely shared tweet, which featured an image designed to look like an alert message on the gaming platform. The image featured a photo of the late queen and the text, “Disconnected: Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022. This experience is unavailable for the Royal period of Mourning and will continue to be until Monday 19 September.” An Instagram post made the same claim about Nintendo, featuring an image of a handheld game console from the brand with a similar message on its screen. Meanwhile, Twitter users falsely claimed Apple iPads would display the message for any users who selected British English in their language settings. “Friendly warning, DO NOT set your iPad’s language to British English or it will go into mourning mode for the next couple of days,” read the tweet, which was shared more than 8,000 times. While some posters shared the images in jest, others seemed to believe the false claims, asking if there were exceptions for emergencies or expressing gratitude that they used Android devices. However, the claims are unfounded. “There’s no truth to the rumor,” a Nintendo representative confirmed to the AP in an email. “There have been no changes to where Roblox is available globally,” said Roblox spokesperson William Nevius. Apple did not respond to a request for comment, but an AP journalist’s iPhone displayed no such message when its language settings were changed to U.K. English. Apple’s tracking page for system issues reported no ongoing issues on Wednesday. The mourning period for the queen extends beyond the date of Sept. 19 mentioned in the false posts. Elizabeth’s funeral is scheduled for that day, and the mourning period will extend for a week after that, according to the royal family.

    — Associated Press writer Ali Swenson in New York contributed this report.

    ___

    Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck

    ___

    Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck

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  • Chexout Named to Inc. 5000 2022 List of Fastest Growing Private Companies

    Chexout Named to Inc. 5000 2022 List of Fastest Growing Private Companies

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    Virginia-based SaaS Provider Emerging as a “Backbone” of U.S. Public Health Infectious Disease Surveillance Data Management, Control and Modernization Initiatives

    Press Release
    –

    Aug 16, 2022


    VIENNA, Va., August 16, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Chexout, the nation’s leading provider of infectious disease surveillance and clinic data management software designed exclusively for Public Health, announced its inclusion in Inc. Magazine‘s prestigious Inc. 5000 annual list of America’s fastest-growing private companies. Chexout debuts at 221st on the list of 5,000 with a three-year growth rate of 2,402%, placing them as the 15th fastest-growing company in health services, the 7th fastest-growing company headquartered in Virginia, and the 8th fastest-growing company in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

    The Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the United States was first introduced by Inc. Magazine in 1982. Over the years, the Inc. 5000 list has become a measure of entrepreneurial success in the United States. Companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 have been ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2018 to 2021. Notable companies previously named to the list include Microsoft, Oracle, Under Armour, Pandora, and Patagonia.

    To be selected as one of the 5000 fastest-growing companies out of over 7 million privately held companies in the U.S. is a tribute to Chexout’s commitment to serving its customers’ mission. The Inc. 5000 recognition puts Chexout in the top 0.00003 of all privately owned companies in America in terms of multi-year growth. This year’s list is particularly special because it showcases organizations that have flourished amidst a uniquely challenging economic landscape.

    “Being cited as an INC. 5000 honoree represents a ‘win-win’ for both Chexout and our Public Health clients. Chexout’s software modernizes the way Public Health agencies manage infectious disease surveillance and prevention protocols through interoperability and a fully integrated software that provides patient-facing services through to reporting to State and Federal Electronic Disease Surveillance Systems (EDSS). Our technology has enabled Public Health agencies to respond effectively during an unprecedented need for Public Health services,” said Chexout CEO Joseph Paulini. 

    Early in the Covid-19 pandemic, Chexout was chosen from a field of nearly 50 companies for the 2020 Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Contact Tracing Pilot. The pilot was canceled by the Administration in May 2020, but Paulini said the selection validated Chexout’s software as the most advanced disease surveillance software available.

    David Harvey, National Director of the National Coalition of State STD Directors and a national advocate for infectious disease prevention and control, said, “Chexout has been a steadfast partner, investing in next-generation Public Health data system modernization and disease surveillance for STDs and other reportable diseases for over a decade prior to the Covid pandemic. Their experts thoroughly understand the needs of state and local health departments and will continue to be an integral partner in being prepared for emerging infectious disease crises in the days, weeks, and months ahead.”

    “COVID taught our nation’s leaders that a chronically underfunded Public Health put us all at risk, and if we have learned anything, it’s that being unprepared for the next pandemic is not an option. Chexout stands ready to work with Public Health no matter the challenges ahead,” Paulini noted.

    About Chexout

    Chexout is a Healthcare IT SaaS, revolutionizing public health communications, case management, contact tracing, disease surveillance and reporting, infectious disease prevention, and patient care and coordination. Chexout offers a comprehensive suite of products that generate substantial cost saving, productivity, and patient management efficiencies for healthcare providers.

    Chexout brings a high-value proposition to health providers by cost-effectively filling gaps in available services with a HIPAA/HITECH-compliant suite of products and by acting as a universal translator of data from EMRs, EHRs and Labs. For more information, visit http://www.chexout.com. 

    MEDIA CONTACT:
    Nancy Rose Senich
    +1-202-262-6996 cell./text
    nsenich@chexout.com 

    Source: Chexout

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  • iatrixAir Announces Partnership With Stumbaugh & Associates for Safe and Healthy Air in Commercial-Public Restrooms and Sports Locker Rooms

    iatrixAir Announces Partnership With Stumbaugh & Associates for Safe and Healthy Air in Commercial-Public Restrooms and Sports Locker Rooms

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    Press Release
    –

    Jun 23, 2022


    PASADENA, Calif., June 23, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    iatrixAir, Inc., a provider of safe and healthy indoor air quality solutions for commercial-public restrooms and sports locker rooms, and Stumbaugh & Associates are partnering to provide safe and healthy air solutions for commercial-public restrooms and high school, college, and major league sports locker rooms.

    “Stumbaugh & Associates’ decades of experience in designing and installing commercial-public restrooms and sports locker rooms makes them the ideal partner for us,” said Marc McConnaughey, President/CEO of iatrixAir. “This partnership will allow our iatrixAir Priority 100UV Air Exchanger and Priority 10 Air Monitoring Cellular Gateway, using AeroTru3 complete space-rapid detection technology, to be installed at U.S. West Coast customers. “

    Recently, guidelines were released to establish the Indoor Air Quality Building Challenge, which allows for businesses to use tax credits to install indoor air quality solutions similar to the LEEDS energy conservation tax credit program. 

    Mark Herzer, owner/CFO of Stumbaugh & Associates Inc., commented, “I believe that there is a real public safety need to improve and secure the air in commercial-public restrooms and, with our 50-plus years of experience, Stumbaugh is uniquely positioned to provide and install iatrixAir’s advanced air exchange solution. With over 9,000 installations in the past four years, we are uniquely qualified to handle any type of restroom design or installation from small to large.”

    “Powerful light-based technologies will become the safest and most cost-effective way to combat airborne pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi/molds, and provide safe and healthy indoor air,” according to McConnaughey. 

    iatrixAir, Inc. is on a mission to advocate and advance a data-driven approach to stopping airborne pathogens by using a combination of technologies, which includes rapid detection and first-pass inactivation through faster air exchanges. 

    ABOUT iatrixAir, Inc.

    Established in March 2020, iatrixAir® automates indoor air quality in commercial and public restrooms and high school, college, and major league sports locker rooms through our patent-pending cellular-based air sensor gateway and exchanger that detects, removes, and destroys airborne pathogens faster than industry standards. Faster Is Safer.

    ABOUT Stumbaugh, Inc.

    Established in 1965 and founded in Alhambra, California, Stumbaugh & Associates, Inc. has become the largest provider of restroom partitions and accessories in California, with offices in Burbank, San Diego, Fremont, and Sacramento. Stumbaugh & Associates attributes its success to providing the highest level of customer service in the construction industry.

    For more information, visit www.stumbaugh.com or www.iatrixair.com.

    Contact: 
    Henry Artime
    Public Relations Contact      
    henryartime@gmail.com

    Source: iatrixAir, Inc.

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  • A New T-Cell activation assay based on Hyris qPCR Technology marks a disruptive approach for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 specific cellular immunity

    A New T-Cell activation assay based on Hyris qPCR Technology marks a disruptive approach for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 specific cellular immunity

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    A scientific paper recently published in Nature Biotechnology reveals new research regarding how we track and monitor T-cell patients’ immunity to SARS-CoV-2, leveraging the unique characteristics of Hyris System™. The study results from a joint effort of an international research team from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Singapore Duke-NUS Medical School, laboratory diagnostic service providers Synlab, and Hyris.

    Press Release
    –

    Jun 15, 2022


    LONDON, June 15, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    With over 460 million global cases thus far, 6 million of which have resulted in death, the COVID-19 pandemic from SARS-CoV-2 proved to be a dire health crisis on a global scale. In this concerning scenario, the unprecedented effort by the international scientific community is even more remarkable and led – in record time – to the deployment of mRNA and viral vector-based vaccines. With more than 10 billion total vaccine doses administered worldwide, vaccination campaigns have already started to attenuate this global crisis. In order to maximize vaccine effectiveness, the efficacy and duration of protective immunity will need to be systematically assessed and monitored as widely as possible.

    A team of internationally renowned medical scientists recently published a related paper in Nature Biotechnology, addressing the efficacy and sensitivity of a new type of assay to detect SARS-CoV-2 cellular immunity.

    “To date, antibody tests have been the typical, if not the only clinical endpoints commonly used to measure the immune response to SARS-CoV-2,” explains Antonio Bertoletti, Professor at Duke-NUS Medical School. “Both the humoral (antibodies) and cellular immune response act in coordination to achieve long-term protection from viral infections. Antibodies are important for preventing infection, protecting the body from disease, while cellular immunity is essential to eliminate virus-infected cells, thus helping to fight the disease itself,” concludes Professor Bertoletti. 

    Therefore, according to the study, measuring the T-cells’ response is a new disruptive approach to fighting SARS-CoV-2. An individual negative to an antibody test could still be protected thanks to responsive T-cells.

    This new study thus shows the relevance of a quantitative PCR approach to T-cell testing, thanks to the joint effort with SYNLAB, one of the world’s leading providers of laboratory diagnostic services, and Hyris, a global biotech company focused on AI-powered genetic analysis.

    The research leveraged Hyris’ signature technology, the disruptive Hyris System™.

    “These highly scalable screening methods will be particularly important, to monitor the magnitude and duration of functional cellular immunity towards emerging variants, thus helping to prioritize revaccination strategies in vulnerable populations,” states Cristina Lapucci, Head of Genetics and Molecular Biology at SYNLAB Italy.

    “We have been very committed to putting our System at such prestigious partners’ service,” says Stefano Lo Priore, Founder and CEO at Hyris. “Many medical institutions worldwide already adopted our technology, embracing the unprecedented simplicity, connectivity, and scalability of the Hyris SystemTM.”

    The rapid deployment of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines to a large proportion of the population now suggests new approaches to measure the duration of the immune response, and the potential need for vaccine boosters should be evaluated.

    “The assays used in our study rely on the quantification of CXCL10 mRNA after incubation of whole blood with SARS-CoV-2 specific peptides. The levels of induced CXCL10 transcripts correlate robustly with the IFN-gamma produced by activated antigen-specific T cells, serving as a proxy to detect cellular immunity in COVID-19 recovered and SARS-CoV-2 vaccinated subjects,” points out Ernesto Guccione, PhD, Professor of Oncological Sciences, and Pharmacological Sciences, at Icahn Mount Sinai.

    “This is particularly important after the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants like Omicron that evade most of the neutralizing ability of antibodies, but not that of T-cells,” continues Megan Schwarz, a graduate student at Icahn School Mount Sinai and first author of the manuscript. “Precise measurement of cellular responses underlying virus protection, therefore, represents a crucial parameter of immune defence.”

    “The solutions already present on the market are usually performed based on the traditional fluorescence methodologies typically used in the immunological domain,” adds Jordi Ochando, PhD, Assistant Professor of Oncological Sciences, Medicine (Nephrology), and Pathology, Molecular, and Cell-Based Medicine at Icahn Mount Sinai. “This research demonstrates that CXCL10 mRNA expression confirms data obtained with traditional methods (i.e., ELISpot) compared with naïve, COVID-19 convalescent and SARS-CoV-2 vaccinated subject,” he concludes.

    This study could prove a key solution to further support the scientific community playing a strategic role in facing this global challenge.

    Contact a Hyris expert to discover how to perform beyond your current diagnostic capability at info@hyris.net.

    Source: Hyris

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  • Extreme Weather, Wildfires, a Pandemic: 211info Call Center Staff Reflect on Two Years on the Frontlines

    Extreme Weather, Wildfires, a Pandemic: 211info Call Center Staff Reflect on Two Years on the Frontlines

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    PORTLAND, Ore., May 17, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Over the past two years, operators working in Oregon’s 211info call center have handled a myriad of crises – extreme weather events, historic wildfires, a housing crisis – all set against the backdrop of and exacerbated by a global pandemic.

    The team at 211info has served as Oregon Health Authority’s go-to public information line for COVID-19 testing, vaccines, wildfire evacuation response, and more. In addition to emergency statewide support, 211info has answered the call for tens of thousands of families across the state who struggle to find food, shelter, childcare, and financial assistance on a daily basis.

    Kerry Hoeschen recently stepped into the role of Statewide Emergency Management Director, where she leads 211info’s emergency planning, processes and partnerships. Like two-thirds of the organization’s staff, Hoeschen came aboard after COVID-19 had reached Oregon. 

    While many calls Hoeschen and her team take are straightforward referral and information requests, others take an especially heavy toll on operators. She says, “The nature of the work means that more often than not, staff members don’t get to find out the outcome. The lack of closure can be really tough.”

    “There are calls that sit with you because there’s just no help or no good help available – either because the resources aren’t there or the person is completely incapable of accessing them,” she explains.

    Anthony Bencivengo has been taking calls for 211info since 2019 and currently works the after-hours line: “Sometimes I lie up at night wondering how many of the people I talked to today were actually able to get the help that they needed.”

    Kelly Wheeler is 211info’s Emergency Programs Manager. Wheeler and her team take calls and track unmet needs across the state in relation to homeless services. She says it helps her to remember where 211info fits into the ecosystem of support services and to communicate resource gaps with the right agencies. “I try to remind myself we did all we can do. We’re just one piece of this…[And] we can show the state that these are the programs that need funding.”

    Elected officials and policymakers from the local to state level rely on 211info for this data and gap analysis to better understand what is happening across Oregon.

    The Oregon Legislature recently approved an additional $2M in funding to ensure 211info is able to continue to operate 24/7. Hoeschen says the additional funding means they have a team that’s prepared and ready to produce a robust and quick response for the next crisis that hits Oregon.

    “Extreme weather events happen when they happen – and it’s not on our schedule,” says Hoeschen, noting Oregon’s recent historic April snowfall. “This funding means that if there’s a substantial earthquake at 11:58 p.m., someone is available to answer that line. It means we’ll be there.” 

    Help for the Helpers 

    While two-thirds of 211info’s staff have come on as a result of the pandemic, staff members like Wheeler – who has been with the nonprofit for almost 10 years – remember what it was like pre-COVID: “Things felt smaller and lighter in the ‘before-times’ and, although heavier now, are more impactful.”

    Wheeler acknowledges that the work can be very stressful but says it helps to know she’s making an impact on the lives of those in her community.

    Bencivengo agrees. “Self-care is extremely important in this job. I really make a point of taking good care of myself and giving myself time to clear my mind.” For Bencivengo, that means going for a walk after work each day and finding connections via 211info’s employee affinity groups. “The LGBTQ+ and Spanish Speakers affinity groups meet once a month and are an appreciated oasis,” Bencivengo adds.

    Bencivengo, Hoeschen, and Wheeler describe a supportive work environment where team members are encouraged to prioritize their own mental health. One call center manager begins each shift by leading his team through yoga stretches. Others send around funny animal videos and memes. Client kudos and thank-you messages are shared broadly with staff, and 211info offers all of its employees mental health days and an additional week of paid time off.

    Hoeschen also recognizes the importance of celebrating the wins. She recalls walking a 75-year-old through the vaccine enrollment process. “She was very emotional at the prospect of being reunited with her grandkids after almost two years.” 

    Hoeschen says the team has fielded many calls just like this one: “We saw a lot with vaccine roll-out, especially with the older population. Our team essentially became tech support.”

    Bencivengo says they’ve learned how to empathize and comfort and help people find solutions. “This job teaches you a lot about how to work with people. It’s grown my heart and it’s grown my empathy. I wouldn’t have chosen anything else to be doing with my last couple of years.”

    Bencivengo says some of the most gratifying calls are from people who have used the service before. “I recently took a call from someone who said they called us when they first came to Oregon, looking for emergency shelter and again when they were looking for help with a security deposit and access to stable housing. The third time they reached out they were housed and had kids and were now looking for childcare. Each time they called, they were in a better place – and each time they’d gotten resources.”

    More to Give

    Bencivengo currently works the after-hours line and says the work has taught them a lot about the realities of living with a very low income. “For a while I did both 211 and tenant organizing with an all-volunteer tenant union, helping tenants understand and advocate for their rights. I also worked with tenants to push for legislative change and to organize unions in their buildings. I found it deeply cathartic to help people navigate within the system while also working to change the system,” Bencivengo explains, adding, “I think it’s important to understand how the system is working on the ground. I feel like I’m much better prepared to work for systemic change.”

    For many of the frontline workers taking calls, this work is deeply personal. Wheeler’s brother has experienced bouts of homelessness and substance abuse.

    During one of Oregon’s extreme cold events, Wheeler’s team member James helped an unhoused individual with transportation to a shelter: “We were having trouble finding this person as they were walking around to stay warm. They had also indicated that they have congestive heart failure, which makes the cold weather potentially life-threatening.

    “I was watching the chat and noticed that this person was in my neighborhood, within a few blocks of my home,” James recalls. “I asked our management team if I could go find this person and wait with them until transportation arrived. This is not our normal protocol, but I felt the risk involved and the proximity to me warranted taking other steps.”

    James connected the individual to 211info’s homeless services and mobile housing teams. A week later, the individual recognized James and approached him with a message of gratitude: “You saved my life.”

    It’s these experiences that keep the 211info team coming back day after day. Wheeler put it simply: “As long as I have something to offer, I’m going to keep doing this work.”

    ###

    About 211info: 211info is a nonprofit organization funded by state and municipal contracts, foundations, United Ways, donations and community partners in Oregon and Southwest Washington. As Oregon Health Authority’s designated COVID-19 hotline for the state, 211info also serves as a central resource for residents looking for information about COVID-19. Learn more at 211info.org. 

    Media Contacts:
    Dan Herman
    Email: dan.herman@211info.org
    Phone: 360-521-6527

    Kerry Hoeschen
    Email: kerry.hoeschen@211info.org
    Phone: 971-319-9793

    Source: 211info

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  • Eco Earth Sciences Inc. Unveils Breakthrough Covid-19 Aerosol Mitigation Solution Paving the Way to a New Normal

    Eco Earth Sciences Inc. Unveils Breakthrough Covid-19 Aerosol Mitigation Solution Paving the Way to a New Normal

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    AURORIS™ & PLASMASPHERE™ ADDRESSES AIRBORNE (AEROSOL) & SURFACE CONTAMINATION AND DRAMATICALLY IMPROVES INDOOR AIR QUALITY

    Press Release
    –

    Feb 10, 2022


    TORONTO, February 10, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    ECO Earth Sciences Inc., alongside their production partners, Reversomatic Manufacturing Limited, are excited to unveil a new source mitigation and indoor air quality solution. The new Auroris™ and PlasmaSphere™ devices dramatically improve indoor air quality while significantly lowering the risk of COVID-19 spread. 

    Despite the many challenges that the global pandemic has created, it has also given rise to incredible innovation. This was also true a century ago during the Spanish Influenza pandemic when the invention of the steam radiator allowed windows to open regardless of the weather, increasing direct ventilation, improving indoor air quality, and contributing to the end of the pandemic. Today, ECO Earth Sciences Inc. is excited to announce a breakthrough development that will significantly reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread indoors while also dramatically improving indoor air quality. 

    Air quality has never been more important. With 90% of our time spent indoors, research by the EPA has found that the air we breathe can be up to five times more contaminated compared to outside air. While there are many mitigation and purification measures available, most all are reactive, requiring the contaminant or pathogen to find a pathway to the device. Auroris™ and Plasmasphere™ target viruses and other airborne contaminants at their source.

    Patrick Kehoe, CEO of ECO Earth Sciences Inc. reports, “We were guided by nature, and we essentially turned the inside out. While the preoccupation has been on attempting to purify or resuscitate stale, contaminated indoor air, we turned our attention to creating the best possible indoor air quality experience while continuously targeting and removing the threat.”

    Auroris™ effectively acts as the room’s lungs, allowing indoor spaces to breathe; continuously delivering fresh air directly into a room while continuously removing stale, contaminated air. To further improve the quality of the air, advanced three-stage purification ensures the freshest indoor air experience possible.

    In nature, the air has a natural disinfection mechanism that has existed since the beginning of time. Energy from the sun, the waves, and the wind extract electrons from water vapor in the air creating non-thermal plasma. PlasmaSphere™ by Auroris™ emulates this same natural process by first purifying the incoming air, then enriching the plasma energy levels of the fresh incoming air. This combination of purification and energy enrichment targets aerosol contaminants and boosts indoor air quality levels to match those found only in the most pristine natural environments.

    This revolutionary new technology can be used across any interior, providing schools, businesses, and homeowners with the ability to dramatically improve indoor air quality and mitigate airborne pathogens. Auroris™ and PlasmaSphere™ also operate independently, complementing and enhancing the performance of ALL existing systems and can be used regardless of HVAC system type or age.

    Speaking on the launch, Kehoe added, “We have made incredible progress in improving indoor air quality. Our new technology now offers customers the opportunity to enjoy the cleanest air possible and ensure that indoor spaces are made as safe as possible. This has a huge impact not only on the spread of viruses and other pathogens indoors but in reducing environmental sensitivities, absenteeism as well as a pronounced increase in alertness and productivity.”

    The Safe Air Space Program, also by Auroris™, will identify businesses, schools, facilities, and workplaces that have implemented the necessary measures to Mitigate, Monitor, and Report the quality of their indoor air.

    Auroris™, is the only commercially available air quality device that collects bioaerosol particulates such as viruses (including COVID-19), bacteria, allergens, and molds down to 0.1 microns. Third Party testing and verification provide assurance that the space is safe.

    Kehoe added, “I fully support the measures taken by all levels of government to date. Our healthcare resources are finite, and our healthcare workers have been pushed to the limit.

    However, many in our business community have suffered immeasurably during this pandemic and they as well as the individuals and institutions who provide the necessary investment capital, need certainty moving forward. Our focus must now be on learning to live with the virus and on recovery.

    In the coming weeks, we will be petitioning all levels of government to support solutions that address public safety and facilitate a return to a new normal. 

    If we are now able to mitigate viral contamination in our occupied spaces and provide irrefutable third-party evidence that our facilities are clear of the virus, then these businesses should be exempt from any future orders or interruptions.”

    To learn more about Auroris™, Plasmasphere™ or the Safe Air Space program, please visit www.ecoearthsciences.com/auroris

    CONTACT

    Patrick F Kehoe
    patk@ecoearthsciences.com
    (905) 208-1489

    Source: ECO Earth Sciences Inc.

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  • ioAirFlow Announces New COVID-19 Risk Assessment Solution for Schools

    ioAirFlow Announces New COVID-19 Risk Assessment Solution for Schools

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    Canadian startup’s focus on air quality, COVID-19 transmission risk mitigation in response to international calls for better monitoring in buildings

    Press Release
    –

    Jan 18, 2022


    WINNIPEG, Manitoba, January 18, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    In response to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, Canadian data intelligence company ioAirFlow is heeding the call from health organizations worldwide for better building ventilation monitoring to mitigate the transmission risk of COVID-19 in schools.

    Founded in 2016, Winnipeg, Canada-based ioAirFlow was launched on the premise of improving air quality, efficiency and performance gaps in commercial buildings. The company’s solution includes a rapidly deployable and affordable test solution that can run in virtually any building worldwide.

    Their most current building performance monitoring platform provides detailed and actionable analysis specific to CO2 monitoring and ventilation efficacity, with a focus on identifying areas of higher transmission risk of COVID-19 and other airborne infectious diseases.

    “There has never been a more critical time to improve air quality and reduce COVID-19 transmission risk”, said ioAirFlow CEO Matt Schaubroeck. “In North America, it is widely accepted that buildings and workplaces with poor indoor air quality accelerate the spread of airborne diseases like COVID-19 due to inadequate ventilation and outdated mechanical and HVAC systems.”

    Last month, a study from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology indicated that “poorly ventilated school classrooms record up to six times as many COVID-19 cases compared with those which are regularly aired.”

    In response, major health and building standards organizations, including the Centre for Disease Control and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) have released international pleas for more trending and monitoring of ventilation, temperature, and humidity levels in schools and classrooms to mitigate risk of airborne pathogen transmission. 

    “We wanted to test our district’s schools to ensure that our space was safe for students and teachers”, said Tim Stefanishyn, Superintendent of the Whiteshell School District. “ioAirFlow’s data analysis allowed us to understand how the buildings’ ventilation systems were operating and what we could do to improve the indoor air quality of the spaces.”

    Since launching its platform in June 2021, ioAirFlow has been implemented in numerous buildings across North America, including a growing number of schools. The newest releases aim to enable buildings not currently equipped with permanent building monitoring systems to monitor indoor environmental quality and efficiency metrics and make smarter and safer building improvements. 

    “The lack of data available around air quality in schools is a significant barrier to having students and teachers back to a safe in-person learning environment”, said Albert Behr, industry-leading technology commercialization expert. “The solution developed by ioAirFlow is a much-needed technology application to bring reliable and affordable air quality data to buildings that desperately need it to navigate the realities of living in the COVID-19 pandemic.”

    About ioAirFlow

    ioAirFlow’s digital analysis platform identifies indoor environmental quality issues in commercial buildings including performance, energy efficiency, and air quality measurements. Using wireless sensors and a proprietary data analysis platform, the company identifies building problems faster and more accurately than manual energy audits, and at a fraction of the cost of permanent monitoring solutions.

    Source: ioAirFlow

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  • FIGHT for VETERANS 2022, TWO (2) DAY LIVE STREAMING NFT SOCIAL ARTS EXHIBITION & AUCTION PRODUCED by ROYSTER is RESCHEDULED for FEBRUARY 2022 DUE to ALARMING COVID-19 CONCERNS

    FIGHT for VETERANS 2022, TWO (2) DAY LIVE STREAMING NFT SOCIAL ARTS EXHIBITION & AUCTION PRODUCED by ROYSTER is RESCHEDULED for FEBRUARY 2022 DUE to ALARMING COVID-19 CONCERNS

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    Due to skyrocketing numbers of COVID-19 infections and concerns for spectators’ safety, Blockchain Sports, Inc., and Roy Jones Jr. Promotions, Inc., have decided to reschedule the star studded, action packed — Fight for Veterans 2022 until the end of February.


    LAS VEGAS, January 9, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    “With the United States averaging more than 400,000 new cases a day for the first time since the pandemic, as much as we want to — we simply cannot with good a conscience put 8,000 spectators in a room three weeks from now. It will allow all the fighters time to get in better shape and put on a greater show!” Legendary four division, ten (10-) time World Champion, Roy Jones Jr. (https://www.instagram.com/royjonesjrofficial)

    Roy Jones Jr. left his mark in boxing history when he won the WBA heavyweight title, becoming the first former middleweight champion to win a heavyweight title in 106 years. Jones was named “Fighter of the Decade” for the 1990s by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

    “We are extremely saddened that we will not be able to host Fight for Veterans 2022 between January 28-29, 2020, as originally planned.” (https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/12/31/2359732/0/en/Fight-for-Veterans-2022-A-Two-2-Day-Historical-First-Live-Streaming-Star-Studded-NFT-Artwork-Auction-Event-Produced-and-Directed-by-Royster-Productions-LLC.html) This event means more to me than anything. The opportunity to give back to my fellow brothers and sisters in arms forever, and to the family members who supports us through and through, you have my undying respect and gratitude. We will return when the COVID-19 situation is more stabilized. The fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health of individuals in the U.S. However, even before the pandemic, mental health was a long-term and growing concern for veterans. Illness, grief, job loss, social isolation, uncertainty, and other pandemic-driven stressors have contributed to an increase in psychological distress on an unusually wide scale. The need for spiritual guidance is at a record high. The goal of our planned event was to bring about a strong positive vibe, to reinforce our endeavoring appreciation for our nation’s active service men, women, and Veterans. For our 19 million veterans, that means ensuring that they have access to the support and resources for a future of security, opportunity, and dignity. So many of our veterans carry the scars from their service — both visible and invisible — and it is everyone’s responsibility to help them heal, and to encourage them to keep fighting, to never give up.” – BCG CSO Lt Col. (Ret.) Dennis P. Donegan

    The event has been blessed with so much talent, and so many great performers that are willing to take the stage and show their heartfelt admiration for our Veterans. An incredible lineup of world champion exhibition fighters, and professional fighters. In addition to our event partner Roy Jones Jr., the Fight for Veterans 2022 has received interest and commitments from great boxing legends such as Antonio Tarver, Evander Holyfield Jr., David Moore, and Riddick Bowe, in addition to special performances by NBA star Nick Young and former TMZ Van Latham to name a few. Combined with incredible speed, power, and athleticism, our line-up of greatest of all-times #GOATS4VETERANS and sporting icons have captured world championship titles in multiple weight classes and reinforced their incredible commitment and dedication by coming back and reclaiming their title as world champions on multiple occasions. 

    Antonio Tarver, who portrayed Mason “The Line” Dixon in the 2006 film Rocky Balboa (https://rocky.fandom.com/wiki/Mason_Dixon), knows first-hand how people with mental health disorders feel. In a compelling interview, the great champion said: “I want to tell my story. The greatest story never told is mental health.” 

    “There is widespread awareness of the damage that results to fighters from head trauma; provided, however, there is another possible cause for many of these symptoms: post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”).  PTSD is known to cause depression, fear, and severe anxiety. Very few fighters have a safety net when it comes to pensions, health care, and other benefits. These are the same challenges that our Veterans are faced with. For all too many veterans, returning from military service means coping with symptoms of PTSD.” – BCG CSO Lt Col. (Ret.) Dennis P. Donegan

    1.53 million veterans are uninsured and 2 million cannot afford healthcare, a new study by Harvard and Public Citizen found in 2020. https://www.citizen.org/news/1-53-million-veterans-are-uninsured-and-2-million-cant-afford-care-new-harvard-public-citizen-study-finds. Two years into the pandemic these numbers are even more alarming.

    According to a recent article in October of 2021 in Newsweek; some 37,000 Veterans are homeless. https://www.newsweek.com/37000-us-veterans-are-homeless-i-was-one-them-opinion-1647352

    Through our Fight for Veterans 2022 #fightforveterans, we will not alone be able to make much of a difference. But we hope we can make a difference for someone out there! We hope that our NFT social fabric, our meta fabric concept, through our SPE platform, and under the #fightforveterans initiative, website: https://www.FFV2022.com, can help support key veterans organizations in front of compassionate caring donors and corporations and to help connect these honorable, and dedicated charities and their initiatives raise much needed funds and awareness this winter.

    We are committed to hosting the world’s first live streaming NFT Artwork Auction in honor of our Veterans across a dynamic social media platform.  We want to emphasize that NFTs not only plays a prominent role in the buying, selling, and ownership of digital artwork, but can help solve social problems, and what it can bring to the future of philanthropy by adding the social fabric to the mix. 

    “Blockchain-based NFTs have become a powerful fundraising vehicle for nonprofits. By adding social components to the digital artworks and connecting social media threads, the value of such digital artwork may be compounded by the social status of owning such a NFT as it connects real social matters of concern with real faces and real voices. Through our Monolith NFTs we believe new opportunities exist to reinforce social challenges facing our society and empower key voices.” Our platform will serve and empower women veterans, transgender, veterans suffering from depression and mental disorders and their families during their transition from military to civilian life. As we create awareness, we hope to be able to service reputable veterans’ organizations in their fight against homelessness, PTSD, and Substance abuse.” We are proud to offer our services and technology to help our veterans’. The Health and Safety of our Veterans, their families, nonprofit organizations and our community is paramount.  We ask for and appreciate everyone’s support and patience as we work through COVID protocols that will ensure the SAFETY of ALL and the result will be an event the likes have never been seen before. WE PROMISE AN EVENT FILLED WITH GREAT FIGHTERS, FOR GREAT FIGHTERS AND ON BEHALF OF GREAT FIGHTERS.” – BCG CSO Lt Col. (Ret.) Dennis P. Donegan

    Acting manager of Royster Productions LLC, Shawn Royster, applauds the decision of Blockchain Sports, Inc., and Roy Jones Jr. Promotions, Inc. “We are committed to producing the best show money can buy, with an exceptional boxing exhibition line-up and world class musical performances – we will continue to build a show worthy to its cause.” – Shawn Royster, Manager of Royster Productions LLC.

    https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/large-events/considerations-for-events-gatherings.html

    The event is being produced by Royster Productions, LLC., (Website: http://www.roysterproductions.com)

    For full details of this star studded two (2) day historical, special event, please check, website: https://www.FFV2022.com by the 14th of January for new details on February 25-26 fight schedule, musical performances, PPV and ticket sales.

    The Blockchain Sports, Inc., a premier sports development co.

    1 Maiden Lane, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10038

    BCG CSO Lt Col. (Ret.) Dennis P. Donegan Info@FFV2022.com (Website: https://specialforcesgreenberetmemorial.org/lieutenant-colonel-ret-dennis-donegan)

    and, 

    Roy Jones Jr. Promotions, Inc., (RJJ) (Website: https://royjonesjr.com) a premier promoter of boxing and all combat sports worldwide. RJJ has already made a huge impact in the boxing community in a few short years. Creating exhilarating content for UFC Fight Pass, CBS Sports, Showtime, ESPN and beIN Sports in some of the finest venues across the country, RJJ has proven it is conquering the sweet science of the sport.

    3874 Silvestri Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89120

    Michelle Meke. Info@roysterproductions.com

    Source: Royster Productions, LLC.

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  • OptiMed of Kalamazoo Provides COVID Boosters for Ages 12+

    OptiMed of Kalamazoo Provides COVID Boosters for Ages 12+

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    Press Release
    –

    Jan 6, 2022


    KALAMAZOO, Mich., January 6, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as of Jan. 5, 2022, recommends COVID-19 boosters for individuals ages 12-17 to maintain immunity longer. COVID-19 boosters help strengthen protection against Omicron and other SARS-CoV-2 variants. 

    “It is critical that we protect our children and teens from COVID-19 infection and the complications of severe disease,” states Dr. Rochelle Walensky, CDC Director.

    “It is critical that we protect our children and teens from COVID-19 infection and the complications of severe disease,” states Dr. Rochelle Walensky, CDC Director. “Today, I endorsed ACIP’s vote to expand eligibility and strengthen our recommendations for booster doses. We now recommend that all adolescents aged 12-17 years should receive a booster shot five months after their primary series. This booster dose will provide optimized protection against COVID-19 and the Omicron variant. I encourage all parents to keep their children up to date with CDC’s COVID-19 vaccine recommendations.” 

    To be eligible for the booster, it must be after five months since the primary series was completed. The primary series is two (2) prior doses of mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) – OR – one (1) prior dose of J&J vaccine. Visit vaccines.gov to find a location closest to you or schedule an appointment at OptiMed by clicking here. OptiMed offers clinics every Tuesday and throughout the year.

    About the COVID Clinics: By choosing to vaccinate against COVID-19, you are helping to protect yourself, your family, friends, and the community. OptiMed offers vaccine clinics throughout the year. Visit www.optimedhp.com/covid19-vaccine to learn more about the upcoming clinics offered including First Dose, Second Dose, Third Dose, Boosters, and Doses for Children.

    About OptiMed:  OptiMed Health Partners, headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan, is an independently owned and operated national health care organization. For more than 25 years, OptiMed leverages personalized attention to detail to deliver customized solutions that optimize patient outcomes while partnering with other health care organizations to usher in a new standard of excellence. To learn more about OptiMed’s innovative and personalized care, visit www.optimedhp.com.

    Source: OptiMed Health Partners

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  • Japan companion robots help the lonely smile and patients in recovery during COVID’s isolating times

    Japan companion robots help the lonely smile and patients in recovery during COVID’s isolating times

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    Japan companion robots help the lonely smile and patients in recovery during COVID’s isolating times – CBS News


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    Japan has long had a reputation for being robot-obsessed. It is now, in increasing numbers, turning to so-called “companion robots,” AI-packed androids that exist simply to make us happy — or less lonely in COVID times. Lucy Craft spoke to the inventors and people ready to embrace “man’s best robot friend.”

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  • NYC man asks neighbor out via drone amid virus lockdown

    NYC man asks neighbor out via drone amid virus lockdown

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    NYC man asks neighbor out via drone amid virus lockdown – CBS News


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    Singles are finding ways to make an emotional connection despite coronavirus restrictions discouraging people from meeting in person. One New York City couple managed to communicate via everything from drone to protective bubble after spotting each other on their respective roof and balcony. Meanwhile, dating apps are pushing others to video chat. Jamie Yuccas reports on the dating scene’s transformation amid the pandemic.

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  • Drones monitoring public spaces raise privacy concerns

    Drones monitoring public spaces raise privacy concerns

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    Drones monitoring public spaces raise privacy concerns – CBS News


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    All over the world, public health and safety groups are turning to drones to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Officials are using them to monitor spaces and enforce social distancing rules. A recent study found that in the U.S., nearly 1,600 agencies now have drones. Errol Barnett reports on the privacy concerns that come with using the technology.

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  • Scripted Launches in Pacific Northwest: Allowing Patients Convenient, Affordable, and Accessible Healthcare at Their Local Pharmacy

    Scripted Launches in Pacific Northwest: Allowing Patients Convenient, Affordable, and Accessible Healthcare at Their Local Pharmacy

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    With Scripted, your local pharmacist can now prescribe treatments such as UTI medications, ED medications, inhalers and more

    Press Release
    –

    Oct 7, 2021


    CHICAGO, October 7, 2021 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Scripted (www.scripted.co) announced its new service to transform healthcare into an on-demand approach, where local pharmacists can prescribe and fill medications for common tests and treatments for patients in the same visit. 

    Through partnering with pharmacies in local communities, Scripted provides an easy solution to health needs without having to schedule a doctor’s appointment. In compliance with state regulations, pharmacists using Scripted are able to assess common conditions like urinary tract infections and erectile dysfunction, and issue refill or new prescriptions for common medications such as asthma inhalers and hormonal birth control pills. 

    Scripted’s consultation prices start as low as $19, with most services being $39. The availability of particular treatments varies by state. 

    “Patients have wanted healthcare to be simple for decades,” said James Lott, Founder and CEO of Script Health. “Pharmacists are in nearly every community, and with Scripted, they can make common tests and treatments accessible to everyone.” 

    Scripted, currently being rolled out in ID and (Seattle) WA, allows patients to find prescribing partner pharmacies near them. To set up an appointment, patients book a consultation with a Scripted pharmacy on www.scripted.co. Upon receiving a text message confirmation, Scripted directs them to fill out a HIPAA-compliant, digital self-assessment of their symptoms and their health history. Alternatively, patients may also walk in without an appointment to get care.

    “We helped a woman traveling to Yellowstone (national park) who had spoken to their physician about a UTI before leaving,” said Sally Myler, PharmD, owner of Corner Drug Pharmacy (in Driggs, ID). “She thought her prescription for a UTI would be here but it wasn’t. We used Scripted to provide a new script for her right away rather than waiting for later in the day. She felt better and saved time on her vacation.”

    Launched in 2019, Scripted parent company Script Health is a health tech startup that aims to provide easy access to essential and life-saving treatments. The company has successfully completed startup accelerator programs and gained funding from Techstars, Softbank, and the University of Chicago.

    For further information, visit www.scripted.co or contact info(at)scripthealth(dot)co.

    Source: Scripted

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  • Surge in COVID Labor Day travel

    Surge in COVID Labor Day travel

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    Surge in COVID Labor Day travel – CBS News


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    Even though holiday travelers exceeded last year’s Labor Day numbers, the Delta variant has impacted the roads and skies this year. Correspondent Errol Barnett has the latest.

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  • What to Expect at the Countless Weddings You’re Invited to This Year (Don’t Worry, There’s Still Dancing!)

    What to Expect at the Countless Weddings You’re Invited to This Year (Don’t Worry, There’s Still Dancing!)

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    Press Release
    –


    updated: Jun 10, 2021


    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 10, 2021 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Big weddings are finally back thanks to an ease in restrictions, with half (51%) of couples getting married this year inviting 100 or more guests, and one in five (22%) inviting 150 or more, research by INDOCHINO reveals. And as 41% of this year’s weddings are rescheduled dates from 2020, guests are set to be invited to more celebrations than ever before.

    The survey of 1,549 people getting married who recently ordered custom suits for their wedding uncovered what guests should expect when they RSVP*. Despite recent CDC guidelines, guests should look for matching masks for their outfits, with four in ten (39%) couples requiring face coverings for at least a part of the celebrations. More than a third (36%) will require guests to be vaccinated and one in five (20%) will request a Covid test prior to the event.

    Long distance friends and family may expect to receive wedding invites, with 45% allowing guests from out of state, if they are vaccinated. Another 45% are allowing out of state guests with no restrictions.

    Weddings themselves are likely to take place in the fresh air, as 40% of couples say they are moving their event outdoors in light of the pandemic. 40% are modifying the seating arrangements and 28% are removing the buffet. Guests need not worry however, as many traditional wedding elements remain. 96% are planning a group photo, 89% are tossing the bouquet and 86% are keeping the dance floor.

    “After an extraordinary year of staying home, keeping our bubbles small and missing out on life events, it’s a huge relief to see that big celebrations such as weddings are making a comeback,” said Drew Green, President and CEO of INDOCHINO. “And although events might look a little different this year as couples take important safety precautions, I personally can’t wait to bust some dad moves on the dance floor!”

    Of the 41% forced to postpone their wedding due to Covid, 87% found reorganizing their big day stressful. That may not be surprising given that 78% had to make compromises along the way. 71% reduced the guest list and almost half (47%) altered their budget to accommodate the disruption. Perhaps adding to—or a result of—the stress, a staggering 81% of those polled have changed weight since the start of the pandemic. 45% gained weight and 36% lost weight.

    Despite all this, 60% of couples agree that despite the stress caused, reorganizing brought them closer together. Just 4% regret postponing their wedding, and 30% are now more excited than ever about their big day.

    The wedding boom is already being felt in the formalwear industry, which saw steep declines when the pandemic struck in March 2020. As vaccines started to roll out from March 2021 onwards, INDOCHINO’s wedding business has surged far beyond any previous levels, with wedding appointments in its showrooms increasing by 60% compared to 2019. And the custom apparel brand doesn’t see any signs of business slowing, noticing a trend for fall weddings across North America as couples compete for venue availability.

    “This year’s weddings will be extra special as everyone has a sort of renewed appreciation for life,” Green continued. “Whether you’re the groom or a guest, it’s a warm summer or cool fall wedding, or you either want a fashion forward or a classic look… thanks to our extensive fabric assortment and made-to-measure approach, we’re here to help everyone look and feel extra special in great fitting, personalized clothing.”

    ###

    *INDOCHINO polled customers who ordered suits between January 2021 and May 2021. 96% of respondents are getting married in 2021.

    Download wedding images here. 

    ABOUT INDOCHINO

    As the global leader in made to measure apparel, INDOCHINO has developed the shopping experience of the future. Born out of the belief that you don’t need to spend a fortune on a custom wardrobe, INDOCHINO was the first company to disrupt the retail sector by making perfect-fitting, personalized apparel on a mass scale.

    Customers take on the role of designer, picking out every detail of their garments to make them truly one-of-a- kind. These are made to their precise measurements and shipped directly to their door, hassle free. The company’s Omni-channel approach allows them to shop online or in person at any INDOCHINO showroom.

    For more information, visit www.indochino.com.

    MEDIA CONTACT

    Sarah Mayer | pr@indochino.com

    Source: INDOCHINO

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  • Tehama County to Auction 100 Tax-Defaulted Properties Online Through Bid4Assets.com

    Tehama County to Auction 100 Tax-Defaulted Properties Online Through Bid4Assets.com

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    Press Release
    –


    updated: Apr 30, 2021


    RED BLUFF, Calif., April 30, 2021 (Newswire.com)
    –
    The Tehama County, California, Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office will host an internet-based tax-defaulted properties sale through online auction site Bid4Assets.com this May. The online nature of the sale eliminates the risk associated with COVID-19 while exposing available properties to a national buyer pool and greatly increasing the chance those properties will be returned to the tax rolls.

    “The ability to conduct our tax sales online has been a huge advantage in years past and has dramatically increased bidding, which means more properties will return to the tax rolls,” said Dana Hollmer, Tehama County Treasurer-Tax Collector.

    Online bidding begins May 14, 2021, at 8 a.m. PT (11 a.m. ET) and ends May 17 at staggered times with over 100 properties available. Bidders must register a free Bid4Assets account and fund a $2,500 deposit before they are able to participate in this sale. Deposits are due no later than Monday, May 10, 2021. To view more details about this auction, including a full property list, go to www.bid4assets.com/tehama21.

    Minimum bids will range from $900 to $21,000. All auctions are no-reserve, meaning the highest bid at or above the minimum will win the property. Tehama County’s 2020 sale was postponed in response to COVID-19.

    “We’ve enjoyed a great relationship working with Tehama County,” said Jesse Loomis, Bid4Assets’ CEO. “This year, the sale is not just about increasing revenues and efficiencies for the county, it’s about keeping bidders safe amidst a pandemic. With 100 properties, there are some great opportunities for real estate buyers to acquire property in this rapidly growing county.”

    About Bid4Assets

    Bid4Assets (http://www.bid4assets.com) is an online auction site based in Silver Spring, Maryland. The privately held company auctions distressed real estate for the federal government, county tax-collectors, financial institutions and real estate funds. Bid4Assets is particularly active with county governments in California, where it has conducted tax-defaulted property sales for the counties of Monterey, Humboldt, Yolo, Napa, Riverside, Imperial, Siskiyou, Fresno, Kings, Tulare, Santa Cruz and Los Angeles, to name a few. Since its inception in 1999, the company has sold more than 125,000 properties nationwide and grossed over a billion dollars in auction sales.

    Media Contact:
    Jon Amar
    jon@onwordstrategic.com
    925-270-6511

    Source: Bid4Assets Inc.

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  • CounselorDirect Announces Partnership With The State of Georgia’s Rental Assistance Program

    CounselorDirect Announces Partnership With The State of Georgia’s Rental Assistance Program

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    Press Release
    –


    updated: Apr 29, 2021


    IRVINE, Calif., April 29, 2021 (Newswire.com)
    –
    CounselorDirect, powered by HOTB Software, a leading large enterprise software solution developer for federal and state governments, announced its partnership with the state of Georgia’s Rental Assistance Program, which provides emergency rental assistance to tenants and landlords.   

    HOTB’s SaaS platform CounselorDirect enables the state of Georgia to streamline its rental fund allocation program and provides it with a comprehensive software solution that simplifies providing tenants with rental and utility assistance. The solution allows for secure operational tools and compliance processes to be observed and tenant and landlord data to be securely organized.   

    The CounselorDirect platform includes the ability to handle everything from application, eligibility, automated underwriting, approval, cash flow management, and automated status updates. Additionally, CounselorDirect is providing the fundamental tools needed by the state of Georgia to help allocate $552 million from the U.S. Treasury’s Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program to provide relief to individuals, families, and landlords whose finances have been negatively impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “We are providing the most powerful and secure platform to Georgia’s Rental Assistance Program to assist in managing and navigating the complex task of allocation on both the side of the tenant and landlord,” said Andy Firoved, CEO, HOTB. “CounselorDirect’s full functionality capability has a proven track record and our turn-key solution goes well beyond anything else on the market. Our partnership with the state of Georgia is a strong testament to the success, innovation, and competency of CounselorDirect.”  

    The Georgia Rental Assistance Program, run by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, is allocating its funds from the U.S. Treasury and is providing up to 15 months of rental assistance and utility assistance, paid directly to landlords and service providers on behalf of tenants. The program is working towards keeping individuals and families in their homes during the pandemic and is helping to ensure that those greatly affected by the pandemic are housed.   

    About HOTB Software  

    Having its founding in developing large and complex enterprise software solutions for federal and state governments that have appropriated more than $6 billion in program and assistance on behalf of the U.S. Treasury and over 14 state agency clients, HOTB provides the leading and most comprehensive enterprise and compliance risk mitigation software applications. HOTB software applications allow information security and governance professionals to reclaim control over sensitive and regulated data through powerful collaboration, process, and automation. In an environment with increasingly complicated regulations, the result of using our applications is fulfilling compliance and passing accreditations and audits with less effort, time, and expense.  

    About Georgia Department of Community Affairs   

    The Georgia Department of Community Affairs is devoted to lending a helping hand to communities on their journey to growth and prosperity, helping lay the groundwork for economic opportunities and local development efforts across the state. Their programs reflect diverse efforts to provide an array of community-focused services at the state and local levels. 

    Contact:
    Jason Connolly  
    jconolly@hotbsoftware.com 

    Source: HOTB Software

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