COVID-19 News and Updates
COVID in the News:
COVID-19 Testing:
On January 28, 2022, Maine Governor Janet Mills announced the launch of a new pilot project with The Rockefeller Foundation to mail 125,000 free COVID-19 tests directly to the homes of Maine people most in need, improving access to testing in vulnerable Maine communities.
Through Project Access COVID Tests (ACT), 25,000 Maine households will receive five at-home rapid tests free of charge. No payment information is required — both the tests and shipping are free to eligible residents – and the tests will be delivered through Amazon approximately one week after ordering.
Maine is one of six states partnering with The Rockefeller Foundation on Project ACT to increase access to testing as demand remains high due to the Omicron surge.
Eligibility is based on ZIP codes that are the most socially vulnerable in Maine, according to the U.S. CDC’s social vulnerability index, with additional consideration given to rural ZIP codes with low vaccination rates and limited access to testing. The program is limited to one order per residential address during this first phase of the project.
Visit the Project ACT website to learn more.
COVID-19 in Maine:
COVID cases in Maine and across the country continue to rise. Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have increased by 40% this past week across the United States, with hospitalizations in the state of Maine increasing by 15%.
As of the weekend, the state had 422 people hospitalized from COVID-19, with 104 in the ICU and 33 ICU beds available across the state. The remaining 33 includes pediatric units, and does not accurately represent adult ICU availability. Hospitals across downeast Maine are still at or approaching a state of crisis care and need our support.
The majority of these hospitalizations continue to be in the unvaccinated population.
Omicron and Vaccine Efficacy:
The good news is that while breakthrough COVID-19 cases in vaccinated individuals have become more prevalent with Omicron, very few of those cases are becoming hospitalizations. The vaccines are still proving quite effective against the new variants. As stated above, the vast majority of COVID-19 hospitalizations remain in the unvaccinated population.
It is important to note that with how quickly COVID-19 mutates, previous infection alone provides very little protection against severe disease. Rates of re-infection are on the rise, and as such vaccination is crucial to protecting ourselves and our communities against the disease.
Furthermore, the boosters have been shown to be extremely effective, including against Delta and Omicron. The CDC released a series of studies last week showing that while the original two shot series of mRNA vaccine (such as Pfizer and Moderna) provide a 57% efficacy against severe disease after six months, the addition of a third booster provided roughly 90% efficacy against severe COVID-19.
Pfizer is currently testing an Omicron specific vaccine to address any potential concerns of wane in efficacy over time.
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is currently approved for all people ages 5 and older.
The booster is available to everyone 12 years and older at least 5 months after completing the primary COVID-19 vaccination series.
Helpful Links:
Masking and COVID-19 Variants:
The CDC updated its recommendations last week regarding best masking practices and COVID-19 due to the increased transmissibility of the new Omicron variant.
Cloth masks alone are no longer sufficient to protect you from the spread of the virus. However, the good news is that wearing the correct mask with a proper fit (sealed around the cheeks, chin, and nose) is still very effective against spread.
All masks do provide a degree of protection, but to get the best possible protection the CDC and other healthcare professionals are currently recommending N95 and KN95 masks for the best protection.
Local healthcare providers are reporting a shortage of the N95s and are requesting that the public still purchase the alternative KN95s. The KN95 masks provide excellent filtration and protection against the virus if worn for a period of roughly 18 hours per mask.
It should be noted that, due to demand, there have been a large number of fake N95 and KN95 respirators for sale, including on larger sites like Amazon and other third-party sellers. Project N95 is a good verified source for providing trusted PPE (linked below).
If the above respirators are not available to you at present, there are ways to make both the fitted multi-layered cloth masks and the disposable surgical masks more effective at protecting you from COVID-19.
Mask braces are available to help increase the fit of your mask (both commercially made and DIY). Cloth masks with a good fit and multiple layers worn over a surgical mask act in a similar fashion to the mask braces and help to increase overall fit and filtration.
Helpful Links:
Additional information on masking from the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/types-of-masks.html
How to spot a counterfeit N95: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/usernotices/counterfeitResp.html
New York Times article on counterfeit masks: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/30/health/covid-masks-counterfeit-fake.html
Project N95: https://shop.projectn95.org/)
Example mask brace from Fix the Mask: https://www.fixthemask.com/
Featured in the Field:
This Week: Teens for Vaccines
There is a groundswell of support for vaccination among the youth of the United States and abroad.
This is exemplified by the nonprofit Teens for Vaccines Inc. Inspired by the testimonies of youth against the anti-vaccination sentiment, their mission has been to “educate and empower teens to get vaccinated and be champions of public health.”
They have been doing spectacular work to combat COVID misinformation, and have a kid and teen friendly social media presence at:
Website: https://teensforvaccines.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teensforvaxx/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teensforvaccines
Twitter: https://twitter.com/teensforvaxx?s=21
Thanks again everyone, stay safe, and remember to take care of each other. ~ Nina
Nina Duggan is Healthy Acadia’s COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Project Coordinator. They will be sharing weekly updates about COVID-19 in the state of Maine and beyond, along with resources you may find useful on testing, vaccination, and best practices in preventative measures. Click here to read last week’s post.
Sign up here to receive Nina’s weekly updates via email.
Follow Healthy Acadia on TikTok (@healthyacadia) for more updates!
Additionally, if you or anyone you know has any questions or concerns about COVID-19 or the available vaccines please call or text our COVID-19 Peer Support line at 207-271-6023.
The line is staffed Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.