A study of NCAA athletes supports CDC revised quarantine guidelines when testing is performed during the 5th day or later. Brooke Thorington has more and how LSU Health New Orleans participated in the study.
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State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter gave an update on the status of the state’s COVID vaccination campaign. Matt Doyle has the story.
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Louisiana will remain under the current modified Phase Two COVID restrictions for at least another 28 days. Matt Doyle has the story.
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Health officials are seeing strong demand for the COVID-19 vaccine. Ochsner Health System says they have scheduled 113-thousand vaccine appointments over the next two months. Louisiana Hospital Association President Paul Salles says if you are 70 and over and wishing to get vaccinated, schedule an appointment
Sallas says the Louisiana Health Department will expand eligibility in phases as the state gets more vaccines so check the L-D-H’s website for updates. He says you can schedule an appointment online or by phone in advance…
There are over two-thousand COVID patients hospitalized. Salles says it is critically important that Louisianians take proper precautions and practice social distancing…
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A study, of NCAA athletes and the length of COVID quarantine, supports the CDC revised quarantine guidelines from 14 to 10 days after a negative test on the 5th day or later. Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine Dr. Catherine O’Neal co-authored the study.
The probability of developing a positive result after the tenth day was less than five percent.
The CDC reviewed data of 620 athletes that tested positive for COVID, it showed 49-percent tested positive by day two of quarantine and 73-percent tested positive by day 5. Thus, more supporting data to reduce the quarantine hardship to ten days when testing is performed during the quarantine.
O’Neal says it’s important to recognize in trying to control the pandemic that it’s extremely common to be asymptomatic and still test positive for COVID.
The study also indicates that despite close contact associated with athletics, more student-athletes reported COVID exposure at social gatherings versus athletics. O’Neal says it supports one can play sports but only when strict CDC mitigation guidelines are followed…
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Just under 140,000 COVID-19 vaccines have now been officially administered in Louisiana.
State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter says vaccination of members of the public over 70 and some essential workers, also known as group 1B, is going well. This week 210 pharmacies in every parish of the state will receive 35,785 doses. Unfortunately…
That’s due to the slow pace of vaccine allocations by the feds. This week the number spiked as Louisiana freed up more vaccines held in reserve.
Roughly half of the vaccines the state is receiving are being held back at the moment. Kanter says that’s because the feds can’t promise us how many doses we will receive three to four weeks in the future…
The Trump Administration agreed to a request by the incoming Biden Administration to release reserve vaccines, but even with that policy, it’s unclear how many doses the state will receive in the coming weeks.
Kanter also says they’re developing better policies to make sure every ounce of vaccine is administered before it expires.
Kanter also noted the nursing home resident and staff vaccination program is going well with Walgreens administering 6,144 doses and CVS administering 6,414.
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Governor Edwards extends the current modified Phase Two COVID public health order for another four weeks.
Edwards says most businesses will remain limited to 50 percent capacity as the state rides out the brutal third wave of the pandemic.
Despite the dramatic recent spike in cases, Edwards reiterated comments that the state cannot enforce its way to COVID compliance, it needs people to voluntarily follow mitigation measures and discontinue small group gatherings that are driving the current surge.
Edwards appealed to residents to lean on services like Zoom to avoid in-person socializing and called on businesses to do everything they can to maximize the number of workers who can work from home.
Edwards says every region of the state has a positivity rate above ten percent.
While businesses will be allowed to remain open at half capacity Edwards says that doesn’t mean you have to go inside. He encourages curbside or delivery service …
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LSU men’s basketball begins a three-game homestand tonight as they host Arkansas at the Maravich Center at 6 PM. The Tigers beat the Razorbacks in the PMAC by two points last season and but also lost to the Hogs in Fayetteville giving up 99 points. Tigers coach Will Wade says he didn’t prepare his team well enough to face Arkansas last season so he studied up on their head coach Eric Musselman
LSU enters the game with 8-2 record, 3-and-one in conference play, while the Razorbacks are 10-and-2, two and two in the SEC. The Hogs lead the league in scoring at 88 points per game and Wade says they like to push the ball up the court
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When the Saints and Buccaneers play on Sunday, New Orleans will look to complete a three-game sweep of Tampa Bay this season. Bucs head coach Bruce Arians has faced the same team three times in one season on multiple occasions and says that each game is different.
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A key for the Bucs will be to put pressure on quarterback Drew Brees, which is no easy task. Arians says it’s tough to get to Brees because he makes quick decisions.
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Tampa Bay will benefit from the return of former LSU linebacker Devin White, who will suit up for Tampa Bay on Sunday. White missed the Bucs’ last two games as he was on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Arians calls White one of the best in the league.