Friday, February 25, 2022

State to Draw Down Emergency Staffing Support

Directing COVID Resources to Disabled Individuals

U.S. Suicide Rates Decline for Second Year

Illinois COVID-19 Update

Briefly Noted

State to Draw Down Emergency Staffing Support

The state plans to reduce its emergency staffing support over the next month, according to a Feb. 25 media statement issued by the Governor’s Office.

Directing COVID Resources to Disabled Individuals

Yesterday, the Biden Administration outlined key steps to increase equity and accessibility in the distribution of critical COVID-19 resources, including tests and masks, to disabled individuals and older adults.

To increase response to and recovery from COVID-19 among members of the disability community, the Administration’s plans include:

• Expanding the Community Living’s Disability Information and Access Line to provide self-testing support and guidance to people with disabilities.
• Introducing new COVID-19 testing guidance in American Sign Language.
• Working to identify short- and long-term solutions that will improve at-home testing accessibility.
• Asking test developers that received an Emergency Use Authorization to provide accessible instructions.
• Distributing free masks to community health centers and rural health clinics.
• Providing schools with guidance and strategies that provide for safe in-person learning, particularly for vulnerable students.

U.S. Suicide Rates Decline for Second Year

Between 2019 and 2020, suicide rates have decreased by 3% overall, with the rate among females declining by 8% and males by 2% during this time, according to a study published in a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report. The data also show overall suicide rates declining in large metropolitan areas.

However, despite the two-year decline, the overall suicide rate still remains 30% higher when compared to 2000, with nearly 46,000 lost to suicide in 2020. Suicide remains among the 10 leading causes of death among those aged 10 to 64 years, with 12.2 million U.S. adults reporting serious suicidal thoughts in 2020 and 1.2 million attempting suicide. Additionally, suicide rates did not go down across the board during this time. Rates did increase among those between the age of 25 and 34 years, Hispanic men and non-Hispanic, multiracial women.

The report noted that while the recent reduction in the suicide rate is encouraging, factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic—including “social isolation, economic decline, family stressors, new or worsening mental health symptoms, and disruptions to work and school,” raise concerns about suicide risk once again increasing in the United States. The report stressed a “comprehensive approach to suicide prevention is urgently needed in all states to continue to build on the progress that began in 2019.”

Illinois COVID-19 Update

The state’s indoor mask requirement will end as anticipated on Monday, Feb. 28 at 12:01 a.m., according to a media statement issued by the Governor’s Office. The press release noted that since the Governor announced his intention to lift the indoor mask requirement, hospitalizations have been reduced by half and ICU bed availability has increased 24%. Weekly COVID-19 case rates have gone down 70%.

The Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,074 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases, including 51 additional deaths.

Most recent IDPH hospitalization data show 1,143 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 211 patients were in the ICU and 103 patients were on ventilators.

The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total tests is 1.8%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity is 2.4%.

The state reports more than eight million people in Illinois are fully vaccinated, with an average of approximately 16,000 COVID-19 vaccines administered daily. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily in Illinois is 16,309 doses. IDPH reported that 76.5% of adults (18 years and older) have been fully vaccinated, while 86% have received at least one vaccination dose. For the Illinois population 12 years and older, 75.3% have been fully vaccinated, while 84.6% have received at least one vaccination dose. For the Illinois population 5 years and older, 71.6% have been fully vaccinated and 80.7% have received at least one dose.

Briefly Noted

Weekly visits to the emergency department for eating disorders increased among females between 12 and 17 years during 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Visits for these mental health conditions, as well as depression and obsessive-compulsive disorders, also increased in 2021.

Research recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that COVID-19 patients living in socially vulnerable ZIP codes were more frequently treated in intensive care, more frequently received mechanical ventilation and experienced higher rates of organ dysfunction, failure and in-hospital death.