Here we go again folks! This is not going away for years! Is your business prepared to combat Covid till 2023 and beyond? -Matt

First Case of Brazilian Variant in the U.S. Found in Minnesota

The United States' first confirmed case of the highly transmissible Brazilian coronavirus variant has been detected in Minnesota, state health officials said.

A Twin Cities resident who recently traveled to Brazil became ill the first week of January and a specimen was collected Jan. 9, the Minnesota Department of Health said in a news release.

“This case marks the first documented instance of the Brazil P.1 variant in the United States,” the release said. “While this variant is thought to be more transmissible than the initial strain of the virus that causes COVID-19 disease, it is not yet known whether the variant causes more severe illness.”

Besides being more transmissible, the Brazilian variant has mutations that allow it to evade the body's immune system, meaning the current vaccines might not work against it, NPR reported. People might also get infected a second time.

More at source: WEB MD

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California may have its own highly contagious homegrown COVID-19 strain

Scientists in California believe there is a homegrown coronavirus strain in the state that could be responsible for the dramatic rise in cases, a report said on Sunday.

Two separate research groups have discovered the apparent California strain while looking for the new variant that is believed to have come from the United Kingdom, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The supposed California strain is in the same “family tree” as the U.K. strain and could be behind the state’s spread over the past few months, the paper said.

One of the labs that discovered the strain, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles said that it amounted to 24 percent of about 4,500 viral samples gathered throughout California in the last weeks of 2020.

Another analysis found that 25 percent of 332 samples taken in Northern California were of the new strain.

More at source: NY POST

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Another New Covid-19 Variant Discovered In L.A. Might Be Vaccine Resistant, Researcher Says; Strain First Identified In Denmark

Two days after the Los Angeles Public Health Department announced that the much-talked-about UK variant of Covid-19, known as B.1.1.7, had been identified in the region, the California Department of Public Health revealed that another lesser-known strain had been circulating in the county as well.

Known as L452R, the newly announced arrival was first identified in Denmark in March. It showed up in California as early as May.

Dr. Charles Chiu, a virologist and professor of laboratory medicine at UCSF who, in concert with state authorities, has been genetically sequencing test samples to identify new variants said early indications are the L452R might be less susceptible to the currently approved vaccines, but more investigation is needed.

More at source: Deadline

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(NEXSTAR) – The more contagious COVID-19 variant first reported in the U.K. will likely become the predominant strain in the U.S. by March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

The CDC warned that the strain, called B.1.1.7, could lead to a spike in cases across the U.S. It has already been detected in ten states.

The strain has been circulating in the U.K. since September and has quickly become the dominant COVID-19 strain in the region.

There are currently three known variants of the virus that causes COVID-19, including strains first detected in South Africa, called 1.351, and Brazil, called P.1.

More at source: WGNTV Chicago

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“While we’re not directly in there giving care, we’re not taking vitals, but we’re providing a clean environment. If someone were to come into a hospital and get an infection, I mean it’s one of any number of pathogens can cause illness and hurt your road to recovery,” Giboney said.

He said some of that is up to you. His teams can clean the hospital but you need to clean your home.

Owner of Top Mops Cleaning Maryann Miller said the pandemic has kept her employees busy.

“We’ve noticed with our customers, people are using their homes now than they ever have been and so that is a big change for us. They’re often home when we’re there. Just trying to follow our systems but be creative in the way that we can help clients have a more relaxed restful life even in the midst of all this,” Miller said.

She said her employees adapted to the major changes by adding....

More at source: WTVQ

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North America disinfectants and cleaning agents market to grow substantially over 2020-2026 - With respect to active ingredient, hydrogen peroxide segment currently holds 14% of North America disinfectants and cleaning agents market share and will continue to showcase an upward growth trajectory in the upcoming years. Whereas, caprylic acid segment is expected to record 6.5% CAGR over the projected timeline.

Considering the application spectrum, Commercial & institutional application segment is further divided into office spaces, commercial buildings, schools, hospitals & laboratories, and others. Of these, commercial buildings will witness an increased demand for disinfectants and cleaning agents, largely driven by growing awareness among consumers regarding health & safety.

North America disinfectants and cleaning agents market from offices segment will also record strong growth over the assessment period as offices are compelled to maintain cleanliness at workplace to ensure safety of employees from the rapidly spreading coronavirus.

Speaking of the competitive landscape, Henkel Corp., Diversey, Inc., The Clorox Company, Steris Corp., Metrex Research Corp., Cantel Medical Corp., Ecolab, Inc., Medline Industries, Inc., S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc., Reckitt Benckiser Group plc, Procter & Gamble Co., 3M Co., BASF SE, and Kao Corp. are the top contenders in North America disinfectants and cleaning agents market.

More at source: Business News Updates

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December is the deadliest month in the US since the coronavirus pandemic began -- and projections for January are 'nightmarish,' expert says

Covid-19 hospitalization numbers across the US are already at record levels. On Sunday, the country recorded its fourth-highest number of hospitalizations with more than 118,720 Covid-19 patients nationwide, according to the Covid Tracking Project.

This is the 26th consecutive day that the US has remained above 100,000 current hospitalizations.

All of the five highest days for hospitalizations have been in the last week.

Another surge of cases and hospitalizations will, inevitably, mean more deaths -- on top of an already devastating death toll.

"When you're dealing with a baseline of 200,000 new cases a day and about 2,000 deaths per day, with the hospitalizations over 120,000, we are really at a very critical point," Fauci said.

"As we get into the next few weeks," he added, "it might actually get worse."

More at source: CNN

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Merry Christmas from the very merry team at IJCSA. We wish all our members and web visitors joy and peace in the upcoming year. Wishing you all the joys of the season and happiness throughout the coming year. 

IJCSA staff will be out of the office the 24th & 25th but all online services will be open and available.