Louisiana
COVID variant Cicada detected in Louisiana
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – A COVID variant called Cicada has been detected in Louisiana, prompting health officials to monitor its spread.
The variant gets its name from the insect because doctors say it has been lurking underground, surfacing slowly and retreating without triggering a major wave.
“I think it’s just possibly the next surge or wave, but it’s not going to cause any more increased hospitalization or deaths from this variant,” said Dr. Rubin Patel, CEO of Patient Plus Urgent Care.
COVID numbers declining
Patel said COVID numbers have tailed off dramatically over the last two months. The Cicada variant makes up about 10% of all COVID cases in the country.
Researchers are watching Cicada closely. The variant carries 70 to 75 mutations in its spike protein, the part of the virus that helps it enter human cells. That level of mutation raises questions about how well existing vaccines will hold up against it.
“The vaccine hasn’t been created against this variant. The variants previously, that’s what’s in the vaccine. So yes, it’s not going to be as effective, but whether it’s herd immunity, whether it’s vaccine immunity, whether it’s just an individual that’s had multiple versions of COVID, you’ll have some protection in that manner,” Patel said.
Variant affecting children
Health officials are saying the variant seems to be mostly infecting children, but doctors say researchers are still trying to understand why.
The symptoms look familiar: fever, chills, cough, congestion, shortness of breath, nausea, and fatigue — the same signs seen with other variants.
“The biggest thing is it’s not causing any more significant hospitalizations or deaths,” Patel said.
Patel said COVID has a history of spiking around August when school is back in session.
“They’re wondering if this could, with its, like you were saying, with the spike protein and all the mutations within it, could it become that new, that new surge, that new wave that dominates over 50% of the cases?” Patel said.
Doctors say there is no need to panic yet, but they urge people to stay alert, especially when kids head back to school in the fall.
The Louisiana Department of Health recommends staying up to date on all vaccinations, practicing good hand hygiene, and staying home when sick.
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BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – The Baton Rouge Police Department confirmed two people are in critical condition and multiple others have been hurt following a shooting at the Mall of Louisiana.
The shooting is believed to have happened near the food court.
Paramedics have been called to the scene. They are setting up a triage near JC Penney.
Police are looking for one to two shooters.
Right now, they are clearing out the drive to get in and out of the mall for emergency responders only.
Gov. Jeff Landry released a statement:
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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DESTIN, Fla. — A North Carolina man allegedly headed to do a mass shooting at a large Louisiana festival was arrested in Okaloosa County Wednesday evening.
Federal authorities contacted the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office in regards to the man. The department was told the man would be in the area.
The man’s name has not been shared by authorities.
Deputies found the man at a Destin Hotel. They took him into custody as a “fugitive from justice.”
The man will be extradited to Louisiana to face state charges, deputies say.
Louisiana
Mom whose 3 children were killed in Louisiana mass shooting still has bullet lodged in face — and sometimes thinks kids are alive
The mother of three of the eight children massacred by deranged Army veteran dad Shamar Elkins in Louisiana still has a bullet lodged in her head and is struggling with her memory — sometimes believing her kids are still alive, according to a relative.
Christina Snow, the girlfriend of 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, was shot in the face early Sunday when the former National Guardsman went on a shooting rampage at two nearby homes in Shreveport.
Three of Snow’s children she shared with Elkins — Braylon Snow, 5, Khedarrion Snow, 6, and Sariahh Snow, 11 — were killed in their home.
Elkins fired a bullet through Snow’s nose which is lodged in her head, and doctors aren’t ready to risk surgery, according to her cousin Jamarckus Snow.
The mom is now dealing with heartbreaking memory loss about the fate of her kids.
“One day, she’ll remember they’re dead. I heard yesterday she woke up and was like, ‘I got to get my kids ready for school.’ She’ll lose memory of what happened,” he told NBC News.
“One day, she’ll know, and the next day, she’s thinking her kids is still there.”
Follow the latest updates on the Louisiana father who killed 8 children in Shreveport shooting:
Elkins fatally shot his seven children — the three he shared with Snow and his four daughters with his wife, Shaneiqua Pugh: Jayla Elkins, 3, Shayla Elkins, 5, Kayla Pugh, 6, and Layla Pugh, 7.
He also killed Mar’Kaydon Pugh, 10, the son of his wife’s sister, who was staying at their house.
The vet turned his gun on Pugh and Snow, too, severely wounding both women, who are still in the hospital.
Elkins shot himself in the driveway of his former military mentor as law enforcement closed in.
The motive for the shooting remains unclear, but Elkins was suffering from mental health issues and was scheduled to appear in court on Monday after Pugh asked him for a divorce.
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