INDIANAPOLIS — Here are Monday's latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic, including the latest news on COVID-19 vaccinations and testing in Indiana.
Registrations for the vaccine are now open for Hoosiers 5 and older through the Indiana State Department of Health. This story will be updated over the course of the day with more news on the COVID-19 pandemic.
MCPHD closed on Tuesday
The Marion County Public Health Department will be closed Tuesday, May 3 for Primary Election Day.
The closure will include COVID-19 testing and vaccination services.
Also closed will be the vital records department, which covers birth and death certificates.
Research finds new pathways to severe COVID-19 in children
New research has found new pathways to severe COVID-19 in children.
Researchers from the Murdock Children's Research Institute and the University of Melbourne collected blood samples from a small group of children as well as samples from 33 children with COVID-19 who were diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome, or MIS-C.
They found 85 proteins specific to MIS-C and 52 specific to acute respiratory distress syndrome. Both syndromes are major potential outcomes of severe COVID-19.MIS-C occurs when different parts of the body can become inflamed including the heart, lungs and brain.And acute respiratory distress syndrome is a type of lung disease.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 81.36 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of 5:30 a.m. ET Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 993,730 deaths recorded in the U.S.
Worldwide, there have been more than 513.88 million confirmed coronavirus cases with more than 6.23 million deaths and more than 11.31 billion vaccine doses administered.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness like pneumonia, or death.
People alter office wear amid COVID
After working remotely in sweats and yoga pants for two years, many Americans are rethinking their wardrobes to balance comfort and professionalism as offices reopen. They’re giving a heave-ho to the structured suits, zip-front pants and pencil skirts they wore before the COVID-19 pandemic and experimenting with new looks.
Retailers and brands are rushing to meet workers’ fashion needs for the future of work, with blazers in knit fabrics, pants with drawstrings or elastic bands, and casual twists on the button-down dress shirt.
Steve Smith, CEO of outdoor sportswear brand L.L. Bean, said people are stepping out of their “typical uniform” — whatever form that may take.
“They’re going to expect more flexible hours, to be able to work in hybrid model, and to be comfortable — as comfortable as they were at home,” he said. “Some of the office uniforms, office wardrobes, are shifting and changing. There’s no reason why it can’t be permanent.”
Data from market research firm NPD Group and retailers reflect the shifting trends.
Wire-free bras now represent more than 50% of the total, non-sports bra market in the U.S., reversing a long-term trend, according to NPD. Sales of dressy footwear have been rebounding since 2021, but they're still 34% below 2019 levels and more likely fueled by the return of social occasions, not the office, NPD said. Instead, casual sneakers are now the most common shoes for work.
Italy, Greece, New Zealand relax COVID-19 restrictions
Travelers going to southern Europe and New Zealand can see how their summer vacations just got a whole lot easier. Italy and Greece relaxed some COVID-19 restrictions before Europe’s peak summer tourist season as life increasingly returns to normal after the pandemic.
Greece’s civil aviation authority announced Sunday it was lifting all COVID-19 rules for international and domestic flights except for wearing face masks during flights and at airports. Air travelers were previously required to show proof of vaccination, a negative test or a recent recovery.
Italy did away with the health pass that had been required to enter restaurants, cinemas, gyms and other venues. Visitors to Italy also no longer have to fill out the EU passenger locator form, a complicated ordeal.
New Zealand has begun welcoming back tourists from the U.S., Canada, Britain, Japan and more than 50 other countries for the first time in more than two years after dropping most of its remaining pandemic border restrictions.
Before the spread of COVID-19, more than 3 million tourists visited each year, accounting for more than 5% of the economy. But international tourism stopped altogether in early 2020 after New Zealand imposed some of the world’s toughest border restrictions. The real test of how much the tourism industry rebounds will come during the Southern Hemisphere summer several months away.
Sen. Rand Paul wants to investigate origins of COVID-19
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul has promised to wage a vigorous review into the origins of the coronavirus if Republicans retake the Senate and he lands a committee chairmanship.
Paul spoke to supporters at a campaign rally Saturday in Kentucky, where he is seeking a third term this year. He says he’s in line to assume a committee chairmanship if the GOP wins Senate control after the November election.
With that power, he promised to “get to the bottom of where this virus came from.”
U.S. intelligence agencies remain divided on the origins of COVID-19 but believe China’s leaders didn’t know about the virus before the start of the pandemic.
Racial split on COVID-19 endures as restrictions ease in US
Black and Hispanic Americans remain far more cautious in their approach to the COVID-19 pandemic than white Americans. That's according to recent polls that reflect diverging preferences on how to deal with the pandemic as federal, state and local restrictions decline.
Sixty-three percent of Black Americans and 68% of Hispanic Americans say they are at least somewhat worried about themselves or a family member being infected with the virus compared with 45% of white Americans, according to an April poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Experts say divided opinions among racial groups reflect not only the unequal impact of the pandemic on people of color but also apathy among some white Americans.
Throughout the pandemic, Black and Hispanic communities have experienced higher rates of illness and death from COVID, said Amelia Burke-Garcia, public health program area director at NORC. Those experiences have resulted in greater levels of stress, anxiety and awareness of the risks of catching COVID-19, she said, which means people of color are more likely to feel measures like mask mandates are needed.
“We've seen these trends endure throughout the entire pandemic,” Burke-Garcia said. “What we’re seeing now as mitigation measures are being rolled back is there’s still great concern amongst Black Americans and Hispanic Americans around the risk of getting sick."
Seventy-one percent of Black Americans say they favor requiring face masks for people traveling on airplanes, trains and other types of public transportation. That’s more than the 52% of white Americans who support mask mandates for travelers; 29% of white Americans are opposed. Among Hispanic Americans, 59% are in favor and 20% are opposed. The poll was conducted before a ruling by a federal judge scuttled the government’s mask mandate for travelers.
In Indiana, Tuwanna Plant said she sees fewer and fewer people wearing masks in public, even though she said she has been diligent in always wearing one. Plant, who is Black, said she sees people treating the pandemic like it's over, and she wants the mask mandate to continue.
Plant, a 46-year-old sous chef, said she had some concerns about getting the vaccine and took every other precaution, such as cleaning and masking, to avoid getting sick but recently was hospitalized for COVID-19.
The experience scared her — she has a preexisting lung condition, and knew family members who died from COVID-19. She said she plans to get vaccinated as soon as she can.
“I called my children while I was in the emergency room,” Plant said. “I didn’t know ... if it was going to get better or worse, I didn’t know. So it was the experience for me altogether."
Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist and editor-at-large at Kaiser Health News, said people’s lived experiences deeply shape how they perceive the pandemic. Anecdotes and personal experience can have a larger impact on behavior than numbers, she said, and people of color are more likely to have had negative experiences with health care prior to and during the pandemic.
Moderna seeks to be 1st with COVID shots for kids under 6
Moderna on Thursday asked U.S. regulators to authorize low doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for children younger than 6, a long-awaited move toward potentially opening shots for millions of kids by summer.
Moderna submitted data to the Food and Drug Administration that it hopes will prove two low-dose shots can protect babies, toddlers and preschoolers — albeit not as effectively during the omicron surge as earlier in the pandemic.
“There is an important unmet medical need here with these youngest kids,” Dr. Paul Burton, Moderna's chief medical officer, told the Associated Press. Two kid-size shots “will safely protect them. I think it is likely that over time, they will need additional doses. But we're working on that.”
Now, only children ages 5 or older can be vaccinated in the U.S., using rival Pfizer’s vaccine, leaving 18 million younger kids unprotected.
Pfizer on Tuesday said it has asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize a booster dose of its COVID vaccine for children from 5 to 11 years old.
U.S. health authorities already urge everyone 12 and older to get one booster dose for the best protection against the newest variants — and recently gave the option of a second booster to those 50 and older.
2nd COVID-19 booster shot available to Hoosiers 50 and up
The Indiana Department of Health announced Wednesday that Hoosiers age 50 and older, as well as those 12 and older with weakened immune systems, are now eligible to receive a second mRNA COVID-19 booster shot at least four months after their first booster dose.
The announcement comes one day after the Food and Drug Administration authorized an extra dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for that age group and and certain younger people with severely weakened immune systems.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention later recommended the extra shot as an option but stopped short of urging that those eligible rush out and get it right away.
The IDOH is advising vaccine providers that they can begin administering second boosters of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines to people who qualify.
The CDC also says that adults who received a primary vaccine and booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least four months ago may now receive a second booster dose of either mRNA vaccine.
You can find a vaccine location at ourshot.in.gov or by calling Indiana 211 (866-211-9966). Appointments are recommended, but many sites do accept walk-ins.
Marion County COVID-19 vaccination and test clinics continue
The Marion County Public Health Department (MCPHD) continues to provide free COVID-19 vaccination and testing to anyone interested in receiving these services.
MCPHD is operating one COVID-19 testing site, which is a drive-thru clinic located at 3838 N. Rural St. in Indianapolis.
The clinic's current hours are Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. This clinic offers PCR testing only and no rapid testing. A list of additional test sites registered with the Indiana Department of Health is available at coronavirus.in.gov.
Appointments for COVID-19 testing at the MCPHD location are not required but are available by visiting marionhealth.org/indycovid or calling 317-221-5515.
MCPHD is also offering COVID-19 vaccines at its district health offices, ACTION Health Center, and four other locations in Marion County. Appointments for vaccines are not required but are recommended.
Please visit ourshot.in.gov or call 2-1-1 to find a vaccination clinic.
Marion County clinic schedule
- Northeast District Health Office, 6042 E. 21st St.
Mondays: 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Tuesdays: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. - Eagledale Plaza Health Office, 2802 Lafayette Road
Tuesdays: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. - Northwest District Health Office, 6940 N. Michigan Road
Thursdays: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. - South District Health Office, 7551 S. Shelby St.
Mondays: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Fridays: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. - ACTION Health Center, 2868 N. Pennsylvania St.
Wednesdays: 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. - Martindale-Brightwood Public Library Branch, 2435 N. Sherman Drive (ages 12-over only)
Tuesday through Friday: 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Saturdays: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. - College Avenue Public Library Branch, 4180 N. College Ave. (ages 12-over only)
Tuesday through Friday: 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Saturdays: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. - East 38th Street Public Library Branch, 5420 E. 38th St. (ages 12-over only)
Tuesday through Friday: 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Saturdays: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. - IndyGo Carson Transit Center, 201 E. Washington St. (ages 12-over only)
Tuesdays: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Wednesdays: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Thursdays: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.