Weekly Update: March 20 – 26, 2023

News

• Last Thursday, a panel of FDA advisers met and endorsed Paxlovid, a step towards full approval of the COVID-19 treatment that currently has emergency use authorization. The panel found that Paxlovid significantly decreased hospitalizations and death. While some people who took Paxlovid experienced “rebounds,” in which symptoms returned, the panel found that some people who did not take Paxlovid also experienced COVID rebounds. If you test positive for COVID-19, talk to your healthcare provider about Paxlovid or find a test-to-treat location near you.
• The Kaiser Family Foundation recently reviewed 3 years of COVID-19 data, including data related to racial disparities. Currently, people who identify as Black or Hispanic are about half as likely as their white counterparts to have received an updated bivalent booster. These racial disparities point to the continued importance of our work to build vaccine confidence, even as the third year of the pandemic comes to a close.

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Opportunities

• Our PPP partner, Sur Legal Collaborative, is hiring! Do you know someone who could be a good addition to their team as a part-time Grant Coordinator & Executive Assistant? Learn more and apply here.
• Join a national online dialogue about workers’ mental health! You can submit ideas as well as comment and vote on others’ ideas to inform the framework that will be developed by the National Task Force on Workforce Mental Health Policy. You can participate in online dialogues until April 3.

State Level Data Overview

COVID-19 vaccination rates by state

COVID-19 case rates per 100K people by state

State Snapshots

Delaware

• To help households that have seen a reduction in SNAP benefits due to an end in additional pandemic-related funds, the Food Bank of Delaware will receive over $3 million in American Rescue Plan funding to help ensure that food pantries are better stocked for families who may face renewed food insecurity.

• View data on influenza in Delaware here.

COVID-19 vaccination rates by county

COVID-19 case rates per 100K people by county

Maryland

• Maryland Latinos Unidos’ People’s Policy Series will discuss a recent report by Centro Sol and the Public Justice Center titled, “Speaking the Language.” Register for the session on March 23 at 9 AM to learn more about language access and children and adolescents in need of mental health care.
• View data on influenza in Maryland here.

COVID-19 vaccination rates by county

COVID-19 case rates per 100K people by county

Virginia

• Looking for childhood immunizations? The Staunton Augusta and Rockingham County Health Departments have various childhood vaccination clinics available this week – check out Central Shenandoah Health District’s Facebook events for more information.
• View data on influenza in Virginia here.

COVID-19 vaccination rates by county

COVID-19 case rates per 100K people by county

North Carolina

• Enlace Latino NC, a Spanish language news outlet, recently provided guidance to North Carolina residents who may face a decrease in Medicaid coverage and who want to exercise their right to appeal that decision.
• View data on influenza in North Carolina here.

COVID-19 vaccination rates by county

COVID-19 case rates per 100K people by county

South Carolina

• This Thursday, March 23 at 4 PM, PASOS is hosting a conversation via Facebook Live focusing on long COVID.
• View data on influenza in South Carolina here.

COVID-19 vaccination rates by county

COVID-19 case rates per 100K people by county

Georgia

• Sur Legal Collaborative, our PPP partner, just published a series of graphics in English and Spanish explaining how the Georgia Department of Labor may be violating language access rights guaranteed through TItle VI of the Civil Rights Acts when speakers of non-English languages face barriers to accessing unemployment benefits.
• View data on influenza in Georgia here.

COVID-19 vaccination rates by county

COVID-19 case rates per 100K people by county

• The New York Times. (2020). Coronavirus (Covid-19) Data in the United States. Retrieved [3/21/2023], from https://github.com/nytimes/covid-19-data.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). COVID Data Tracker: COVID-19 Integrated County View. Retrieved [3/21/2023], from https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view.