Quarantine traps visitors inside Shanghai Disney Resort
China’s “Zero COVID” strategy led to an abrupt lockdown at the Shanghai Disney Resort on Monday that sent hundreds of visitors unsuccessfully scrambling for the exit gates, Reuters reports. At 11:39 a.m. local time, all the people at the main theme park and surrounding shopping areas were told that they were required to remain inside until they provided a negative test result. Several social media posts showed that the rides continued to operate while the guests were subjected to mandatory testing. Those who tested negative were allowed to leave the resort, but are required to isolate and test for three additional days, per China’s strict COVID policy. If they test positive during that time, they will be required to enter a quarantine facility. There were a total of 10 confirmed cases reported in Shanghai on Oct. 30, all in people who were asymptomatic.
CDC director Walensky has a rebound infection
Rochelle P. Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has experienced a rebound infection after testing negative for the coronavirus following her initial infection last week. She had recently completed a course of the antiviral Paxlovid. The agency said in an update on Monday that Walensky “experienced mild symptoms from her recent COVID-19 infection, completed a course of Paxlovid, and, after a period of isolation, tested negative for the virus. On Sunday, Dr. Walensky began to develop mild symptoms and has again tested positive. Consistent with CDC guidelines, she is isolating at home and will participate in her planned meetings virtually.”
Another variant to watch? BA.5.2.6 arrives in the U.S.
Less than a month since the Centers for Disease Control and Protection started tracking BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, the highly contagious omicron subvariants make up nearly a third of the total coronavirus variants circulating in the United States, according to data published Friday. But federal health officials also added another subvariant to the mix, BA.5.2.6, which made up 2.8% of the cases last week. The immune-evasive strain is the “top emerging lineage” in Europe, according to data from GISAID. In two weeks, it has gone from appearing in 4% of sequenced cases in Ireland to 28%. BA.5.2.6 is also growing in proportion in Ukraine, France, and the United Kingdom. Parts of the U.S. are reporting nearly double the national average of the new subvariant, including Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, where BA.5.2.6 accounted for more than 5.5% of the sampled cases last week.
Even people who don’t take Paxlovid can see symptoms return, study shows
Many reports have documented people experiencing rebound COVID-19 infections after completing a course of the antiviral Paxlovid — including high-profile patients such as President Biden and Anthony Fauci — but new research shows that even people who do not take the medication can experience a return of symptoms after two days of testing negative. In a study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine tracked 13 defined COVID-19 symptoms for 29 days in 158 untreated study participants. They found that more than one-third of the participants who reported complete resolution of symptoms for at least two consecutive days reported a return of symptoms.“It is clear that COVID-19 has waxing and waning of symptoms, whether they are treated or not,” said the study’s lead author Davey M. Smith, an infectious disease specialist at UCSD Health who earlier this year led a study that suggested Paxlovid rebound was likely due to insufficient drug exposure. The team’s latest research aims to shed more light on the frequency of reinfections. “COVID rebound is a real phenomenon. It is complex, involving multiple factors, and its biological underpinnings remain unclear. More research is required,” said Smith.
Workers bust out of iPhone factory lockdown in China
Workers forced into a lockdown at Apple’s largest iPhone assembly factory after a COVID outbreak fled during the weekend, the BBC reported. About 10 people were shown on video jumping a fence outside the plant in the central city of Zhengzhou to begin the long walk back to their hometowns to avoid being caught on public transportation. Factory owner Foxconn, a supplier to Cupertino-based Apple, has not disclosed how many of its workers are infected. The Taiwan-based company said Sunday it would not prevent workers from leaving. Chinese President Xi Jinping has maintained rigid zero-COVID policy, under which cities are empowered to act swiftly to quell any coronavirus outbreaks.
Wachter staying on Twitter, for now
UCSF Department of Medicine chair Dr. Bob Wachter, a prominent voice on Twitter for his COVID expertise, tweeted on Saturday that he is “staying put for now” on the platform despite concerns in the wake of Elon Musk’s $44 billion purchase. The finalization of the deal Thursday reportedly led some users to jump ship to other social media services over fears that harassment, misinformation and hatred could increase under Musk’s control. Wachter said he he still finds value in being on Twitter. “But the downsides are already obvious, and if they grow it’ll likely be time to find an alternative,” he tweeted. In a phone interview Sunday, he said that the main questions for him are whether the platform continues to be “valuable as a source of good information,” and “does anything get in the way of my tweeting about what I’m seeing?” While the answer so far is no, he added, “I’ll have to see how it goes.” Read the full story.
How to have the COVID conversation
A reader whose relative didn’t disclose COVID symptoms until after an in-person visit wrote to The Chronicle’s Pandemic Problems Advice team asking how to stay safe and encourage people to be more up-front. Experts consulted by The Advice Team said this problem tracks with a study published in JAMA Nework Open that found more than 40% of Americans lied or misled others about their COVID status or precautions. Read more about their recommendations.
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Published on The Perfect Enemy at https://bit.ly/3zyAVUB.
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