Walmart ends mask mandate for vaccinated employees

 Walmart announced Friday it has ended its mask mandate for fully vaccinated employees.

The company is also ending its daily health screenings and paid COVID-19 leave, according to FOX 24 of Rogers, Arkansas.

The change in policy comes as several states lift indoor mask mandates.

Fully vaccinated employees will not be required to wear masks at any Walmart or Sam’s Club facility effective immediately unless required by a state or local mandate or ordinance, according to a company news release.

Walmart considers "fully vaccinated" to be the full two-dose regimen of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

If the employees are unvaccinated, they must continue to wear masks.

Those who work in clinical care settings or direct patient contact must wear masks whether they are vaccinated or not.

Daily health screens will come to an end Feb. 28, except for employees in California, New York and Virginia.

Walmart's COVID-19 Emergency Leave Policy which provides paid leave for COVID-19 related absences will end March 31, except where required by state or local mandates.

Ticker	Security	Last	Change	Change %
WMT	WALMART INC.	135.33	-0.75	-0.55%
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The company statement said any COVID-19 leave in process on that date will continue under the terms of the current policy, 

Walmart's decision comes the day after Amazon.com Inc. said fully vaccinated operations staff at its U.S. warehouses could work without a mask as local regulations allow, according to Reuters.

Walmart says it will continue to monitor the situation and advise of any changes.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/walmart-mask-mandate-employees

Restless Legs Syndrome Surged Early During COVID Pandemic

 Individuals with restless legs syndrome showed an increase in symptom severity in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States in 2020, but this increase had waned by 2021, according to data from 500 participants in the National Restless Legs Syndrome Opioid Registry.

Sufferers of restless legs syndrome (RLS) experience not only sleep disturbance, but also daytime sleepiness, and high levels of depression, anxiety, and panic, wrote Benjamin Wipper of Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues.

"Considering the link between RLS and psychiatric illness, it has been speculated that there may have been increases in RLS symptom severity alongside the recent rise in depression and anxiety," but this association has not been explored, they said.

In a study published in Sleep Medicine, the researchers reviewed data from 500 adult participants in the National RLS Opioid Registry, a longitudinal observational study. Participants reported RLS symptom severity before and during the COVID-19 pandemic at 6-month intervals. Survey responses were collected from the early phase of the pandemic in the United States in January/February 2020, then in April/May 2020, and then 6 months later, from September 2020 through February 2021, and also 1 year later, in March 2021 through June 2021.

Participants completed a baseline phone interview and online survey, with symptoms assessed via the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group severity scale (IRLS), the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the General Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7), and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9).

In all, 153 participants completed surveys during January and February 2020, and 155 completed surveys during April and May 2020. Baseline characteristics were similar for all participants.

In a between-subjects analysis for these time periods, symptom scores on the IRLS were significantly higher in January/February 2020; participants were approximately twice as likely to have IRLS scores of 20 or higher compared to April/May 2020 (37.7% vs. 20.9%).

The researchers also compared responses by the same participants at baseline and 6 months later, from September 2020 through February 2021, and 1 year later, from March 2021 through June 2021. In this within-subjects analysis, 51.3% of the participants had increased IRLS scores in spring 2020. Participants were significantly more likely to have IRLS scores of 20 or above in the early COVID-19 period in April and May 2020 compared with baseline (37.7% vs. 26.6%). Both PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores were higher during early COVID-19 in April and May 2020 than at baseline.

"Changes in IRLS were also significantly correlated with changes in both PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores, providing further support for the associations of RLS to both depression and anxiety," the researchers wrote. "Notably, individuals who completed surveys in January and February 2020 did not see increases in RLS severity or other mental health questionnaire values on subsequent six-month surveys completed during the pandemic or on the following iteration of surveys 1 year later. We suspect that these findings may be at least partially related to the timing of the surveys," the researchers said.

Six-month survey data for most patients were collected during a decline in cases and hospitalizations, and 1-year data in early 2021 may have reflected optimism with the availability of vaccines, they said.

The study findings were limited by several factors including the observational design, which prevented conclusions about causality, and the lack of data on the effect of COVID-19 infection on RLS symptoms, which should be investigated in future studies, the researchers said.

However, the results are the first evidence of increased RLS symptom severity during the COVID-19 pandemic, and elevated scores were associated with sleep disturbance, depression, and anxiety, they wrote. "These data suggest that clinicians should attend to RLS symptoms during the current pandemic and in future instances of socioeconomic and/or political uncertainty. Future studies need to confirm these findings in other populations of patients with RLS," they concluded.

The National RLS Opioid Registry has received research funding from the RLS Foundation, the Baszucki Brain Research Fund, Florence Petrlik Family Foundation, Diane and Richard Brainerd, Steven Silin, and Jerry Blakeley. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/968396

Protesters defy injunction order, continue to occupy key U.S.-Canada bridge

 Protesters opposing pandemic restrictions were still occupying a vital Canada-U.S. trade corridor on Friday, hours after an injunction order to end the blockade that has disrupted North America’s auto industry took effect.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised President Joe Biden quick action to end the crisis and earlier on Friday a Canadian judge ordered an end to the four-day-long blockade of the Ambassador Bridge, North America’s busiest land border crossing.

That order came into effect at 7 p.m. Eastern Time (0000 GMT) but more two than hours after the deadline, about 200 protesters, including children, milled around the entrance to the bridge, waving Canadian flags, while others set off fireworks.

Police, who started to gather in a parking lot a few blocks away from the protesters, began handing out pamphlets that outlined penalties under Ontario’s emergency order, which takes effect at midnight.

Trudeau earlier told reporters that no action was off the table.

Companies have diverted cargo to stem losses amid production cuts by companies including Ford.

Superior Court Justice Geoffrey Morawetz on Friday approved the request by auto industry associations and Windsor city authorities hoping to end the protests.

Occupying access roads leading to the bridge on Friday, protesters voiced defiance and there was little sign of them backing down.

“Canada is supposed to be a free country,” said Liz Vallee, a protester from Chatham, Ontario. “When that freedom is threatened, we must stand up.”

Vallee said she and others would stay until all pandemic mandates are lifted.

The “Freedom Convoy” protests, started by Canadian truckers opposing a vaccinate-or-quarantine mandate for cross-border drivers, are also occupying areas outside government buildings in the capital city of Ottawa and have blocked two smaller U.S. crossings.

The protests have inspired similar convoys and plans in France, New Zealand, Australia and the United States, whose Department of Homeland Security is working to ensure that a “Freedom Convoy” event due in early March in Washington, D.C., “does not disrupt lawful trade.” read more

U.S. pressure

Adding to earlier calls for action by U.S. officials and business leaders, Biden expressed concerns over auto plant closures and production slowdowns during a phone call with Trudeau, the White House said in a statement.

“The two leaders agreed that the actions of the individuals who are obstructing travel and commerce between our two countries are having significant direct impacts on citizens’ lives and livelihoods,” the statement said.

“The Prime Minister promised quick action in enforcing the law, and the President thanked him for the steps he and other Canadian authorities are taking to restore the open passage of bridges to the United States,” it added.

Trudeau told reporters that he agreed with Biden that the blockades cannot continue. “Everything is on the table because this unlawful activity has to end and it will end,” Trudeau said.

U.S.-Canada cross-border trade in vehicles and core parts totaled $51.5 billion in 2021, IHS Markit estimates.

Biden’s administration had urged Canada to use federal powers to ease the Ambassador Bridge blockade, a step Trudeau’s government has not taken. Trudeau said on Friday his government was not seriously contemplating calling in the military over the protests. read more

The leader of Ontario, where police have avoided using force to disperse protesters, sought to build pressure on Friday by threatening C$100,000 fines and up to a year in prison for non-compliance.

Announcing the penalties as part of emergency measures, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said they were needed to “make crystal clear it is illegal and punishable to block and impede the movement of goods, people and services along critical infrastructure.”

Windsor police issued a statement warning of arrests, but it was not clear if or when authorities would begin issuing fines or seeking jail sentences.

Economic losses

With car production cuts mounting, Ford, the second-largest U.S. automaker, said on Friday it had temporarily halted work at its assembly plant in Ohio. General Motors and Toyota also announced new production cuts.

The stock of Canadian autoparts maker Magna International (MG.TO) fell 6.4% on Friday after it said it had seen an initial hit from the bridge’s closure. read more

Beyond auto sector losses, the three U.S.-Canada crossings obstructed account for 33% of Canada’s trade with the United States, valued at $616 million per day, Export Development Canada said.

The bridge’s shutdown could worsen the tight supply of new vehicles in the United States and contribute to the already fast-rising price of new vehicles, IHS Markit said in a Friday report. Even if the blockade ends, a return to normal will take several weeks as shortages cascade through the supply chain, IHS Markit said.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, home to nearly a fifth of U.S. car production, told CNN: “The Canadian government has to do whatever it takes to safely and swiftly resolve this.”

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/11/protesters-defy-injunction-order-continue-to-occupy-key-us-canada-bridge.html

China Approves Use of Pfizer's COVID Drug Paxlovid

 China's medical products regulator said on Saturday it has given conditional approval for Pfizer's COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid, making it the first oral anti-coronavirus pill approved in the country to treat the disease.

The National Medical Products Administration said Paxlovid has obtained conditional approval to treat adults who have mild to moderate COVID-19 and high risk of progressing to a severe condition. Further study on the drug needed to be conducted and submitted to the authority, it said.

It is not immediately clear if China is already in talks with Pfizer to procure the pill. Pfizer did not reply to a Reuters request for comment.

The approval is a boost to Pfizer which expects $22 billion in 2022 sales of the treatment.

Pfizer executives said the company is in active discussions with over 100 countries about Paxlovid, and has the capacity to provide 120 million courses if needed.

While a number of vaccines are available worldwide to help prevent infection and serious illness, including one made by Pfizer, there are limited treatment options for people infected with COVID-19.

Pfizer in December said final trial results showed its treatment reduced the chance of hospitalisation or death by 89% in COVID-19 patients at risk of severe illness given the treatment within three days of the onset of symptoms, and by 88% when given within five days of onset.

The United States is paying around $530 for each course of Paxlovid and $700 for each course of rival COVID-19 pill molnupiravir developed by Merck & Co.

China has yet to approve any COVID-19 vaccines developed by foreign drugmakers but authorized several domestically developed shots.

https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2022-02-11/china-gives-conditional-approval-for-pfizers-covid-drug-paxlovid

Where you still have to wear a mask in NYC

 Mask or no mask?

It’s a question New Yorkers are resoundingly asking after Gov. Kathy Hochul rescinded her statewide “mask-or-vax” requirement earlier this week but allowed local municipalities to set their own rules.

Vaccinated New Yorkers can now dine in maskless after Gov. Kathy Hochul dropped the state’s “mask-or-vax” mandate.

Getty Images/Tetra images RF

Hochul’s Dec. 10 mandate, considered an emergency response to a crush of COVID-19 cases fueled by the Omicron variant, had required patrons and workers to mask up in most indoor settings, including grocery stores, offices and shops.

She rescinded that mandate Wednesday, although she added that “counties, cities and businesses” can make their own decisions on vaccination and mask requirements moving forward.

The order has sowed confusion in the Big Apple.

The federal government has not announced whether masks will be mandated in transit areas after March 18, 2022.

Getty Images

Here’s everything we know about masking in New York City.

Where are masks still required?

Masks must still be worn while on public transportation, including in taxis, and in congregate-care settings such as nursing homes, correctional facilities and homeless shelters, regardless of a person’s vaccination status.

Face coverings must also be worn in healthcare settings and schools.

Vaccinated New Yorkers are allowed to hit the gym without a mask, but companies can say otherwise.

Bloomberg via Getty Images

New Yorkers no longer have to show a vaccination card to enter into offices.

Getty Images/Tetra images RF

Federal rules still require masks at airports, train stations and other transport hubs, too – at least until March 18, when the order is due to expire.

Private establishments such as restaurants, museums, gyms and entertainment centers also can still require patrons and workers to mask up. Currently, only vaccinated people are allowed in these places and thus may still be required to mask regardless of their immunization status. For example, theatergoers are still required to be vaccinated and wear masks while attending Broadway shows at least through April 30, according to The Broadway League.

Where are masks not required?

New Yorkers are now free to scrap their face coverings in general indoor settings such as offices, shops, grocery stores and apartment-building common areas if the respective business allows it. They don’t have to be vaccinated to enter these places.

Gyms can continue to enforce mask mandates.

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Corporate offices have the discretion to enforce mask mandates.

Getty Images/Mint Images RF

Meanwhile, vaccinated New Yorkers, who are allowed to enter gyms, indoor dining restaurants and entertainment centers, may be allowed to go maskless depending on each company’s respective policies.

But what about the vaccine requirement?

Former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s controversial order forcing indoor restaurants, gyms and entertainment settings to require proof of vaccination is still in place. The mandate was recently renewed by Mayor Eric Adams.

Unvaccinated New Yorkers can still eat at outdoor dining establishments if the business allows it.

https://nypost.com/2022/02/11/heres-where-you-still-have-to-wear-a-mask-in-new-york-city/

Supreme Court declines second appeal from NYC teachers over vaccine mandate

 An emergency appeal by a cohort of New York City public school teachers to block the city’s vaccine mandate was denied by the Supreme Court on Friday, NBC News reported.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who is in charge of cases for that area, rejected the appeal but did not provide further details explaining her reasoning, the network noted.

This was the second time the teachers' request was rejected. A similar request filed by the group last year was also denied without comment by Sotomayor.

Unless they drop their objections to getting the vaccine or waive their rights in pursuing a legal challenge, the city's public school employees have said they will face termination on Monday, ABC News reported.

The public school teachers were seeking an emergency injunction because they believed that their religious freedoms were violated because the city considers certain criteria for religious exemptions, according to the emergency appeal, NBC News reported.

NBC News noted that employees who may not belong to a specific congregation or affiliation may not be able to secure a religious exemption for the vaccine mandate because a religious official must support the exemption.

While the Supreme Court has declined to take up the New York City teachers' case, the high court last month ruled against the Biden administration's vaccine-or-test mandate for businesses with at least 100 employees, which it said was an overreach.

“The Secretary has ordered 84 million Americans to either obtain a COVID–19 vaccine or undergo weekly medical testing at their own expense,” the justices wrote last month. “It is instead a significant encroachment into the Lives—and health—of a vast number of employees. ... There can be little doubt that OSHA’s mandate qualifies as an exercise of such authority.”

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/593955-supreme-court-declines-second-appeal-from-nyc-teachers-over-vaccine

Antihistamines show promise in treating long COVID-19 symptoms: UCI case report

 Antihistamines may provide relief for the millions of people suffering from the painful, debilitating symptoms of long COVID-19 that impair daily functioning. That’s the conclusion of a case report on the experiences of two such patients co-authored by nursing scholars at the University of California, Irvine.

The effects of COVID-19 on individuals range from mild symptoms to several weeks of illness to ailments including brain fog, joint pain, exercise intolerance and fatigue that last for months after the initial infection. The clinical term for these lingering long COVID-19 effects is post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2, for which there is no standard treatment.

“Patients tell us they wish more than anything that they could work and do the most basic activities they used to before they got sick with long COVID. They are desperately searching for something to help them get back on their feet,” said the report’s corresponding author, Melissa Pinto, UCI associate professor of nursing. “Currently, there is no cure for PASC, only symptom management. A number of options are being tried, with antihistamines being one of them. The possibility that an easy-to-access, over-the-counter medication could ease some of the PASC symptoms should offer hope to the estimated 54 million people worldwide who have been in distress for months or even years.”

The case report, recently published in The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, describes two healthy, active middle-aged women with PASC who found, by chance, that antihistamines led to greatly enhanced daily function, now sustained for almost a year. Both took over-the-counter antihistamines to treat other conditions – the first one had triggered her dairy allergy by eating cheese, ­and the other had run out of the allergy medication she usually took – and experienced improved cognition and much less fatigue the next morning. The first woman’s long COVID-19 symptoms also included exercise intolerance, chest pain, headaches, a rash and bruising, while the second coped with joint and abdominal pain, as well as the rashes and lesions known as “COVID toes.”

In the first case, the woman didn’t take another antihistamine for 72 hours; when her symptoms reappeared, she took the medication and again found relief. With guidance from her primary healthcare provider, who prescribed her an antihistamine, she began a daily dosage that has significantly decreased her other long COVID-19 symptoms. She reported that she has regained 90 percent of her pre-COVID-19 daily function.

In the second case, the woman took a different over-the-counter antihistamine as a substitute for what she had taken for years to manage her seasonal allergies. After noting that her long COVID-19 fatigue and cognition had improved, she continued to take it daily along with other allergy medicine. Her course of treatment, which now includes both over-the-counter medications, has also significantly reduced her additional long COVID-19 symptoms. She reported that she has regained 95 percent of her pre-illness functioning.

Previous studies, including those in the Journal of Investigative Medicine and Pulmonary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, have similarly shown the potential benefit of antihistamines as treatment for PASC.

“Most patients tell us that providers have not recommended anything that has helped. If patients wish to try OTC antihistamines, I urge them to do so under medical supervision. And because providers may not know about new potential treatments, I would encourage patients to be active in their care and consider taking research and case reports like ours to appointments with providers so they can help create a regimen that will work,” Pinto said. “The next steps for this research into antihistamine treatment are to conduct broad-based trials in order to evaluate efficacy and to develop dosage schedules for clinical practice guidelines.”

Additional co-authors on the report are Amir Rahmani and Candace Burton, UCI associate professors of nursing; Thomas Hughes and Heather Abrahim, UCI nursing science graduate students; Natalie Lambert, associate research professor of biostatistics & health data science at the Indiana University School of Medicine; Dr. Rana Chakraborty, pediatric infectious disease specialist at the Mayo Clinic; and Charles Downs, associate professor at the University of Miami School of Nursing & Health Studies.

https://news.uci.edu/2022/02/08/antihistamines-show-promise-in-treating-long-covid-19-symptoms-uci-case-report-says/