LIers join clinical trials to help understand virus, vaccines
In clinical trials, LIers help to move medicine forward
Joseph Lopez, of Rockville Centre, says he's part of an AstraZeneca vaccine clinical trial because he wants to help medical science fight the coronavirus. Credit: Howard Schnapp
Clinical trials have played a major role in developing treatments that led to a decline in virus-related deaths, health experts say.
In Nassau and Suffolk counties, trials include evaluating safety of two vaccines yet to be approved in the United States, studying effectiveness of mixing and matching vaccines in a patient and weighing various treatments used to beat COVID-19.
"Clinical trials are the only way to move medicine forward," said Dr. Sharon Nachman, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook Medicine. "Without trials, science does not advance."
NYU Langone is participating in testing the safety and effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine, approved in the European Union but not yet in the U.S. Joseph Lopez, 51, of Rockville Centre, joined the AstraZeneca trial.
"I know a lot of people who were afraid to go outside, so I wanted to give them hope," he said. "I didn’t want friends, or even strangers, hiding for the rest of their lives. I wanted to help as much as I could."
Read more about local participation in clinical trials from this story by Newsday's David Reich-Hale.
The number of new positives reported today: 19 in Nassau, 26 in Suffolk, 142 in New York City and 251 statewide.
This chart shows updated cumulative numbers for how many people have been tested for the virus in New York City and in the state.
These lines illustrate the cumulative number of people who have gotten tested for the coronavirus each day since the start of the pandemic.
Search a map of new cases, and view more charts showing the latest local trends in vaccinations, hospitalizations, deaths and more.
Fraud cost small firms as much as $79 billion in COVID aid
The U.S. Small Business Administration headquarters is seen in Washington, D.C. Credit: Alamy/Todd Bannor
Joseph Stewart has never owned a business, but in October a notice arrived at his Northport home saying he had to repay a $9,900 federal loan from a program meant to help businesses survive the pandemic.
Stewart, a bond underwriter, is among 846,600 people nationwide whose name, Social Security number and other personal information were used to fraudulently obtain disaster loans and grants, according to an estimate from the U.S. Small Business Administration's inspector general.
Newsday's James T. Madore reports fraud in SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, or EIDL, may total as much as $79 billion, the inspector general said. That’s 35% of the $225 billion in pandemic-related EIDL disaster loans and grants approved since the pandemic struck in March 2020, according to a Newsday analysis of SBA data.
LI's seniors cut off during COVID-19 are on the road to normalcy
Rosa Farfan, 75, left, and Estele Diaz, 86, dance at the Glen Cove Senior Center's picnic on June 9. Credit: Corey Sipkin
Come March 2020, retirees and elderly on Long Island were stripped of their routines that were largely built around volunteer work, adult education and senior centers. Programs were closed to non-staff or went virtual, vulnerable seniors opted to stay at home and days once filled with activity and purpose were left empty.
Now, with most restrictions ending and vaccinations in arms, senior citizens have reason to hope. Senior centers have begun reopening, Newsday's Carol Polsky reports, some with limitations, and retirees are starting to reappear in some hospitals as volunteers again.
Take Glen Cove Senior Center’s Welcome Back Picnic in a park earlier this month, for example. Rudy Francisco, 75, and his wife, Helen, 78, of Glen Cove, got notice in April the center would move from virtual programming to in-person at 40% participation, and quickly signed up.
"I looked at my wife and we’re jumping with joy. Thanks, God," he said. "It’s really mind-blowing to have to stay in the house. I don’t like the feeling, like you are in a bubble that you can’t get out of."
More to know
The Fourth of July fireworks fill the sky over Jones Beach in 2019. Credit: Newsday / Thomas A. Ferrara
Fourth of July fireworks are returning to Jones Beach this year, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Monday, citing "the hard work and dedication of New Yorkers in beating back the virus."
New York has received 90,000 rent relief applications during the first two weeks of its COVID-19-related program, according to the agency overseeing the effort.
Radio City Music Hall reopened its doors to a full-capacity, fully-vaccinated audience Saturday for the Tribeca Festival premiere of a new Dave Chappelle documentary.
Nassau Coliseum will be open to Islanders’ fans on Monday night for a watch party as the team faces the Lightning in Game 5 of their semifinal series at Amalie Arena in Tampa.
The Tokyo Olympics will allow some local fans to attend when the games open next month, officials said, with a limit of 50% capacity up to a maximum of 10,000 fans for all Olympic venues.
News for you
People disembark from a Fire Island ferry in Bay Shore in 2016. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
Take a ferry to a nearby getaway. If you're looking to get off the island for a quick getaway, you might consider traveling by boat. Here are some ideas for "vacations" that start as soon as you set foot on a Long Island ferry.
A guide to Jones Beach concerts. Live concerts are back this summer and fall. Check out the list of acts set to play at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh this year, from Jimmy Buffett to the Jonas Brothers.
This week on Newsday Live. Even with most COVID-19 restrictions lifted, many Long Islanders remain cautious. Register here for a talk on Wednesday with Nassau and Suffolk health commissioners as they answer questions about spread, masks and more. And, if you're a first-time homebuyer, you might want to register for this Thursday event featuring experts with tips for purchasing your first home. See the full lineup of Newsday Live events this week and beyond.
Plus: The Heckscher Museum of Art is celebrating its centennial, postponed from last year during the pandemic, with special exhibits and a day of music and family activities next month. Get the details.
Sign up for text messages to get the most important coronavirus news and information.
Commentary
A syringe of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is prepared. Credit: Chicago Tribune/TNS/Brian Cassella
Mandate the shot. The Newsday Opinion Editorial Board writes: Across Long Island, residents are celebrating as vaccination rates rise and life returns to normal.
But inside many of the Island's nursing homes and adult care facilities, there's little reason to let down one's guard. In too many of these places, staff vaccination rates remain stubbornly, disturbingly low, with some facilities still hovering around 40%. The same is true for some hospital staff, too.
So far, nothing — from education campaigns to incentives like gift cards — has worked. It's time to do more.
Earlier this month, the New York-Presbyterian hospital system announced it will require the COVID-19 vaccine for all who work in its facilities, including employees, contractors, students and volunteers. Northwell Health took a different tack, mandating the shot for new employees, volunteers and students, and saying it will consider a mandate for existing employees after full U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval comes.
Those moves, along with the recent decision by a federal judge to uphold a Houston hospital's vaccination requirement, have sparked an intense debate over whether health care facilities should mandate the vaccine. Keep reading.
Erin Serpico is an assistant web producer who joined Newsday in November 2018. Originally from New Jersey, she now covers community events and produces local content for newsday.com while also helping run the homepage.
