Green house nursing home

US nursing homes, once the deadliest COVID-19 sites in the US, have experienced a significant fall in cases and deaths since December in a trend largely attributed to the rollout of millions of vaccine doses, federal government figures show. The weekly rate of COVID-19 cases at nursing homes fell 89 percent between early December and the second week of February, the US Health and Human Services Department said. By comparison, the nationwide case rate fell 58 percent and remains higher than figures reported before late October. Nursing home cases are at the lowest level since the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in May began requiring the country's more than 15,500 facilities to report cases each week. The 3,505 new cases reported in the second week of February are nearly half as many recorded the week before and just one-tenth as many counted in one December week, the highest of the pandemic, the figures show. More than 170,000 US citizens have died in nursing homes and … [Read more...] about Deaths in US nursing homes fall sharply

SINGAPORE: Every day, Tamimi Pohan battles to do things we think nothing of, like going to the toilet on his own. Even the act of switching on the light at home is nigh impossible, as the switch is too high for him to reach. Having brittle bone disease means this 14-year-old must rely on a wheelchair for his daily activities. His mother, Sarina Siregar, wishes he could be like any normal teenager. “I want him to be enjoying himself … like I see (with) other children,” she said. More than anything, he wishes to be more independent. “I’ve thought of independence, but achieving it is quite far away,” he said. Technology may have some solutions, the series Gadg(AID) discovers. Here are seven areas where existing technology, meant to bring convenience to the masses, could be tailored to bring independence to persons with physical disabilities, like Tamimi. ( Watch it here. ) WATCH: Google Home changed my life: 14-year-old with brittle bone disease (5:47 ) 1. CAN’T … [Read more...] about Is technology up to helping the disabled with problems of daily living?

Presented by Facebook Welcome to The Hill’s Morning Report. Today is Tuesday! We get you up to speed on the most important developments in politics and policy, plus trends to watch. Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver are the co-creators. Readers can find us on Twitter @asimendinger and @alweaver22. Please recommend the Morning Report to friends and let us know what you think. CLICK HERE to subscribe! Total U.S. coronavirus deaths reported each morning this week: Monday, 513,091; Tuesday, 514,657. The U.S. is set to begin administering doses of Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot COVID-19 vaccine today, marking a momentous milestone in the national effort to combat the pandemic as health officials warn that variants could wipe away all progress made over the past month. Johnson & Johnson’s began shipping nearly 4 million doses across the country on Monday, the first batch of the expected 20 million doses the pharmaceutical giant is slated … [Read more...] about The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – J&J vax rollout today; third woman accuses Cuomo

OTTAWA—Provinces have an “opportunity” to vaccinate younger people sooner with the recently approved AstraZeneca vaccine, based on advice from government-appointed experts and the looming expiration date on thousands of doses arriving this week, says Canada’s top public health officer. Speaking Tuesday at the federal government’s weekly vaccine briefing, officials confirmed 500,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine are set to arrive in Canada on Wednesday. But 300,000 of those doses will expire on April 2 and — for now — the federal government’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is recommending against their use for people over 65, citing limited data. That presents an “opportunity” for provinces to use the shots for younger residents who might not have been called to receive their vaccines for months, said Dr. Theresa Tam, the chief public health officer at the Public Health Agency of Canada. “One of the key ways to roll this vaccine out fast is in that … [Read more...] about Under 65? Your COVID-19 vaccination may be sooner than you expected

SINGAPORE: When 78-year-old Liong May Swan tied the knot with her sweetheart, 81-year-old Tom Iljas, her wedding accessories included a wheelchair with a strap around her waist, and a green wrist-band stating she was a “fall risk”. As the bride recited her vows before an intimate crowd on Mar 28, her speech was punctuated by pauses and stutters. These were not wedding nerves — they were side effects of the stroke she suffered 12 days before the wedding. Their solemniser paired his formal shirt with a face mask, while their handful of guests gathered in a nondescript room in Alexandra Hospital — where Liong had been warded since March 25, when she was transferred from the National University Hospital. Owing to the COVID-19 safety measures, the couple had to cancel their original wedding ceremony at a restaurant in Dempsey, but they insisted on proceeding with the solemnisation. They were not going to wait for the global pandemic to pass. In January, Iljas, a Swedish … [Read more...] about A stroke and COVID-19 didn’t stop them marrying at 80. Here’s a lesson in love