COVID-19 weekly news: April 27 – May 3 2021

COVID-19: Who’s at higher risk of serious symptoms?

The risk of developing dangerous symptoms of COVID-19 may be increased in people who are older and also in people of any age who have other serious health problems — such as heart or lung conditions, weakened immune systems, obesity, or diabetes. This is similar to what is seen with other respiratory illnesses, such as influenza.

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New CDC guidance for vaccinated adults. What does it mean?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced updated COVID-19 guidance for masking outdoors and for fully vaccinated people. For instance, fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a protective mask outdoors, except in certain crowded settings and venues.

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Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: COVID-19 vaccine confidence and the importance of that second dose

“About 8% of people who got their first dose have not returned for the second dose and this is concerning when you're getting close to 1 in 10," says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "When you measure in the short term, one dose in a healthy person offers about 80% protection. But that's not 95% protection, like you get after two doses."

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What to know about youth summer camps during COVID-19

"Testing prior to attending camp one to three days before camp starts is another strategy that can help reduce the risk of someone coming to the camp who's infected and going on to transmit to others," says Dr. Rajapakse. "And, certainly, if anyone is feeling ill or having symptoms in any way, they should not be attending."

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Samantha Rossi

Samantha Rossi is a Digital Marketing Manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories. She supports marketing strategies for product management and specialty testing. Samantha has worked at Mayo Clinic since 2019.