CityMD Mistakenly Tells 15,000 NJ, NY Patients They're Immune To COVID-19 After Antibody Test CityMD Mistakenly Tells 15,000 NJ, NY Patients They're Immune To COVID-19 After Antibody Test
CityMD Mistakenly Tells 15,000 NJ, NY Patients They're Immune To Covid-19 After Antibody Test CityMD has changed its messaging after telling 15,000 New York and New Jersey patients who tested positive for coronavirus antibodies that they were immune to the virus. Someone who tests positive for coronavirus antibodies is not necessarily immune, FDA Associate commissioner Peter Pitts told ABC. Healthcare officials remain unsure of the level of immunity for those who have been exposed to the virus. The urgent care clinic released the following statement to ABC News: "All CityMD patients getting the COVID-19 antibody test are given several documents (including printed discharge ins…
Active COVID-19 Cases Drop In Westchester: Latest Rundown By Municipality Active COVID-19 Cases Drop In Westchester: Latest Rundown By Municipality
Active Covid-19 Cases Drop In Westchester: Latest Rundown By Municipality The number of active novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Westchester has dropped below 10,000 for the first time in at least 10 days. Westchester County Executive George Latimer said that there are currently 9,852 COVID-19 cases, which is the lowest mark since the outbreak hit the apex over the past two weeks. There have been 24,656 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Westchester since the outbreak began, which has resulted in 809 deaths. Latimer said that there are still more than 1,000 people hospitalized with the virus, though the number continues to drop. Latimer said that while the number o…
COVID-19: FDA OKs First At-Home Diagnostic Test COVID-19: FDA OKs First At-Home Diagnostic Test
Covid-19: FDA OKs First At-Home Diagnostic Test The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the first at-home novel coronavirus (COVID-19) diagnostic test that will allow people to collect their own samples and mail them to a lab to be tested. The FDA issued the emergency use authorization to the Laboratory Corporation of America (Labcorp) to test samples that are self-collected by patients at home using the company’s COVID-10 Test home collection kit. According to the FDA, the molecular test permits testing of a sample collected from the patient’s nose using a designated self-collection kit that contains nasal swabs and saline.…
COVID-19: FDA, FTC Target Companies Selling Products That Claim To Treat, Prevent Virus COVID-19: FDA, FTC Target Companies Selling Products That Claim To Treat, Prevent Virus
Covid-19: FDA, FTC Target Companies Selling Products That Claim To Treat, Prevent Virus The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission issued warning letters to several companies for selling fraudulent items during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. At least seven companies were told to cease and desist selling and marketing unapproved drugs they allege can treat or prevent COVID-19 that could pose health risks and violate federal law. According to the FDA, health officials are “particularly concerned that products that claim to cure, treat or prevent serious diseases like COVID-19 may cause consumers to delay or stop appropriate medical treatment, l…
COVID-19: Study Reveals How Long Social Distancing Measures May Remain In Place COVID-19: Study Reveals How Long Social Distancing Measures May Remain In Place
Covid-19: Study Reveals How Long Social Distancing Measures May Remain In Place “Social distancing,” a term unheard of prior to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, may become a part of the “new normal” through at least 2022, a group of Harvard disease researchers said. Since the outbreak began 45 days ago, health officials have urged people to stay at least six feet apart when leaving the house to pick up essential items. Since social distancing and “stay at home” orders began, there has been a “flattening of the curve of cases” which have begun to level off. According to a study published in the journal Science this week, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Heal…
COVID-19: Montefiore Nyack Hospital Starts Convalescent Plasma Therapy For Patients COVID-19: Montefiore Nyack Hospital Starts Convalescent Plasma Therapy For Patients
Covid-19: Montefiore Nyack Hospital Starts Convalescent Plasma Therapy For Patients Cutting-edge research therapy in connection with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is taking place close to home as area doctors announce they are taking part in a plasma therapy study organized by the Mayo Clinic. Doctors at Montefiore Nyack Hospital announced on Tuesday,  April 14, they have given the first dose of convalescent plasma therapy via transfusion to a COVID-19 patient in the ICU. A team led by Dr. Michal Tracz, with Highland Medical, Rockland Renal Associates and Dr. Vandana Hoon, the director of the Department of Pathology at the hospital, is working on the plasma program…
Recall Issued For Enoki Mushrooms Due To Possible Health Risk Recall Issued For Enoki Mushrooms Due To Possible Health Risk
Recall Issued For Enoki Mushrooms Due To Possible Health Risk A Brooklyn-based company is recalling Enoki mushrooms that were imported from Korea which may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The FDA announced that H&C Food Inc. is recalling 7.05-ounce Enoki mushrooms that were important from Green Co. and distributed to supermarkets in New York, Maryland, and Virginia. The mushrooms subject to recall were distributed between Saturday, Feb. 15 and Thursday, March 5. According to the FDA, the mushrooms were sold in a clear plastic packaging with a green label, UPC code of 831211204181, and “H&C Food Inc.” on the back of the package. …
COVID-19: Largest Increase In Daily Death Toll As Number Of Cases Climbs To 102,863 In New York COVID-19: Largest Increase In Daily Death Toll As Number Of Cases Climbs To 102,863 In New York
Covid-19: Largest Increase In Daily Death Toll As Number Of Cases Climbs To 102,863 In New York There were 562 newly reported deaths tied to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in New York, the most fatalities reported in a single day since the outbreak. At his daily COVID-19 briefing on Friday, April 3, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that there have been 10,482 new positive cases, bringing the state’s total to 102,863 cases, four times more than any other state. There have now been 2,935 deaths reported, up from 2,373 the day before - the biggest single-day increase since the crisis began. 
“When this started, New York had airports that were designated as entrance zones,…
COVID-19 Scams: Texts, Emails Promise Updates On Latest Cases COVID-19 Scams: Texts, Emails Promise Updates On Latest Cases
Covid-19 Scams: Texts, Emails Promise Updates On Latest Cases The global outbreak of the novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) has led to a rash of new scams from fear-mongering fraudsters, officials warned. Scams ranging from texts and emails from scammers posing as health officials and other professionals to others brewing up phony vaccines and cleaning cocktails have become more prevalent in the weeks since the COVID-19 outbreak, the United States Attorney General’s Office announced. According to the FTC, to help weed out scammers, the organization has issued a joint statement with the FDA to seven sellers of unapproved and misbranded products, cl…
COVID-19: Hospitals Ordered To Increase Bed Capacity 50 Percent; NY Secures Emergency Supplies COVID-19: Hospitals Ordered To Increase Bed Capacity 50 Percent; NY Secures Emergency Supplies
Covid-19: Hospitals Ordered To Increase Bed Capacity 50 Percent; NY Secures Emergency Supplies New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is ordering area hospitals to increase their capacity for beds by a minimum of 50 percent each as they prepare for a spike in cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the coming weeks. Cuomo also announced that the state has been busy and successful in securing emergency supplies for hospital workers, including 339,760 N-95 masks; 861,700 surgical masks; 353,500 gloves; 145,122 gowns and 197,085 face shields. (See second image above.) Globally, there have been 360,096 confirmed cases of coronavirus, which resulted in 15,485 deaths. In New York, there were mor…
COVID-19: FDA Approves Test That Can Detect Coronavirus In 45 Minutes COVID-19: FDA Approves Test That Can Detect Coronavirus In 45 Minutes
Covid-19: FDA Approves Test That Can Detect Coronavirus In 45 Minutes The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first rapid response novel coronavirus (COVID-19) test that drastically decreases wait time for results. Manufactured by California-based company Cepheid, the test can detect the virus in approximately 45 minutes, so patients will no longer have to wait days to get results back from labs. Related story: School Superintendent In Epicenter Of COVID-19 Outbreak Tests Positive Shipping will reportedly begin next week, although it's unclear which health care facilities will be getting them, or how many. Dr. David Persing, MD, Ph.D., …
NY COVID-19 Cases Surpass 10,000 As Cuomo Unveils Measures For Adding Hospitals, Equipment NY COVID-19 Cases Surpass 10,000 As Cuomo Unveils Measures For Adding Hospitals, Equipment
NY Covid-19 Cases Surpass 10,000 As Cuomo Unveils Measures For Adding Hospitals, Equipment As New York State has surpassed 10,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced measures to increase hospital capacity and acquire vital equipment such as ventilators and masks. A total of 10,356 have now tested positive in New York. With 45,437 tests having been done in the state, 22.7 percent of those tests have been positive.  "We are taking more tests in New York than anyplace else," Cuomo said at a midday news conference in Albany on Saturday, March 21. "The more tests you take, the more positives you find. We are now doing more tests p…