NFL’s new COVID-19 isolation protocol could benefit Colts
The reduction in isolation time could allow Colts quarterback Carson Wentz to return for Sunday’s key game against Las Vegas after Indianapolis placed him on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
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Indiana reports surge in COVID cases, 170 more deaths
The state reported 3,058 hospitalizations on Monday, up from 2,982 the previous day. COVID patients occupy 38.7% of Indiana’s intensive care unit beds.
ESPN has $400M in college football playoff ads at risk from COVID
The national spike in COVID-19 cases imperils hundreds of millions of dollars in college football playoff advertising for Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN sports network because of the growing risk games might be canceled, Bloomberg Intelligence estimated in a note Tuesday.
QB Wentz joins COVID-19 list as Colts try to earn playoff spot
The timing couldn’t be worse for the Colts, who have rebounded from a 1-4 start to win eight of their past 10 games. They can clinch one of the seven AFC playoff spots with a win over the Raiders.
U.S. government puts pause on Lilly’s COVID antibody therapies
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services cited new data that shows the therapies are unlikely to be effective against the Omicron variant.
Statewide hospitalizations from COVID-19 rise to 2,982
COVID-19 patients occupy 38.2% of Indiana’s intensive care unit beds, according to the latest report from the Indiana State Department of Health.
Flu making comeback in U.S. after unusual year nearly off
In CDC figures released Monday, states with high flu activity are Indiana, New Mexico, Kansas, New Jersey, Tennessee, Georgia and North Dakota.
U.S. officials recommend shorter COVID isolation, quarantine
U.S. health officials on Monday cut isolation recommendations for Americans who catch the coronavirus from 10 to five days, and similarly shortened the time that close contacts need to quarantine.
Fauci: U.S. should consider vaccine mandate for domestic air travel
The Biden administration has thus far balked at imposing a vaccination requirement for domestic air travel. Two officials said Biden’s science advisers have yet to make a formal recommendation for such a requirement to the president.
U.S. health officials acknowledge shortage of at-home COVID tests
The Biden administration, which last week announced a plan to offer 500 million at-home tests to Americans sometime next month, has faced criticism in recent days over its failure to prepare an adequate supply of tests.
New easy-to-use COVID-19 pills require early use
The challenge for possible users is getting tested, getting a prescription and starting the pills in a short window.
Flight cancellations continue due to bad weather, sick crews
Airlines have canceled roughly 4,000 flights to, from or inside the U.S. since Friday. Delta, United, JetBlue and American have all said that the coronavirus was causing staffing problems.
COVID outbreaks taking toll on college football bowls
The Fenway Bowl and Military Bowl were both canceled due to the pandemic on Sunday, and the University of Miami withdrew from the Sun Bowl.
COVID-19 variant disrupts holiday travel, but not shopping
Globally, airlines scrapped more than 2,700 flights as of Sunday evening, nearing the more than 2,800 cancellations the day before.
IU Health caring for record number of COVID-19 patients, gets help from Navy team
The state’s largest hospital system said Thursday it has resorted to turning conference rooms into patient wards as it adds hundreds of beds across its 16 hospitals.
U.S. Navy sending team to Methodist Hospital to help with rising COVID-19 cases
Medical personnel from the Navy team will include physicians, nurses and respiratory therapists. The move comes at the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency as Indiana hospitals warn they’re reaching capacity.
Biden will try to rally exhausted Americans against omicron threat
In a speech Tuesday, Biden will outline plans to expand coronavirus testing sites across the country, distribute a half-billion free at-home tests and deploy more federal health resources to aid strained hospitals, including emergency teams bound for Indiana.
Indiana hospitals make plea to Hoosiers: ‘The situation is dire’
Three large hospital systems are asking Hoosiers in a multipronged media campaign to get fully vaccinated and wear masks. It’s the latest signal that hospitals are facing a tipping point in the pandemic.
IBJ Podcast: Kids, COVID and Christmas … what’s safe?
Host Mason King talks with Dr. James Wood, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Riley Children’s Health, to talk about vaccinations for children, how latest strains of coronavirus are affecting younger kids and whether it’s safe for grandkids to gather with their grandparents at the holidays.
Indiana identifies first case of omicron variant of COVID-19
Although confirmation of the high contagious strain was confirmed this weekend, the specimen was collected 10 days ago.