Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted provided an update on Ohio’s vaccination plans following this morning’s decision to pause the administration of the Johnson and Johnson (Janssen) vaccine.

The majority of the Ohio’s Johnson and Johnson doses were [Read more…]

Our local CVS stores (Cedar/Green, Cedar/Lee) have opened up lots of appointments for COVID vaccinations. You can book appointments for as soon as tomorrow and up to 4 days ahead. At the same time you will book the 2nd shot for 3 weeks later (Pfizer).  Anyone age 16 and up is eligible. You will need your insurance and prescription cards handy when you book the appointments.

Get started at: https://www.cvs.com/vaccine/intake/store/covid-screener/covid-qns

Jordan and I want to express our tremendous hakoras hatov to Cleveland’s unbelievable Jewish community for davening for our son, Chaim Shmuel Dovid hakohen ben Tikvah Leah, Shmuel Schottenstein, for weeks on end.  Hashem has listened to all of our tefilos and I wanted to update you on his condition. B”H he is out of the COVID ICU and in the regular ICU. He was on an ECMO machine for about 6 weeks, a machine that pumps his blood and breathes for him so his lungs and body could rest and heal. They took him off the ecmo last Motza’ai Shabbos.  He still has a trache and they’re slowly weaning him off it and all the sedation he has been on.  Yesterday and today were the first days that he has begun to respond by blinking, moving his mouth, moving his head, and squeezing my daughter in law’s hand.  He’s still in a lot of pain and will have to undergo extensive rehab but B”H we are finally seeing some improvement.

We ask that you still take out a few minutes of your time to daven for him as he still needs many refuos and yeshuos.  If you want to join the Tehillim WhatsApp you can join on https://chat.whatsapp.com/Lmlaca2NOB60OWFXqU2mbs.

IY”H with our constant tefilos Hashem should give him a refuah shlaima bimheirah and return him to his wife and children.

FEMA will begin accepting applications for Funeral Assistance on Monday, April 12, 2021 through our dedicated call center. More information will be available on this page soon.

To be eligible for funeral assistance, you must meet these conditions:

• The death must have occurred in the United States, including the U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia.
• The death certificate must indicate the death was attributed to COVID-19.
• The applicant must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses after January 20, 2020.
• There is no requirement for the deceased person to have been a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien.

More information at https://www.fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance

by Ira B Taub MD, FAAP, FACC

My name is Ira Taub and I am a pediatrician who specializes in heart disease in the young. I am writing to inform the community about a COVID19 related condition called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C). This condition, first [Read more…]

In my last post, my COVID-19 vaccine advice was to chill. Only health care workers and the highest risk group were eligible to be vaccinated and for them the choice was easy. Others had the luxury of [Read more…]

Thanks to a sustained decrease in #COVID19 hospitalizations, Ohio’s curfew has been lifted. If hospitalizations begin rising again, @OhioDeptofHealth may reinstate it. It’s crucial that we all continue safety protocols to #SlowTheSpread and prevent hospitalizations from going up.

From twitter.com/GovMikeDeWine

Next week, Ohioans with certain conditions they were born with or those who were diagnosed in childhood and carried into adulthood will be able to begin receiving #COVID19 vaccines. Individuals with these conditions face a significantly higher risk for adverse COVID-19 outcomes.

Visit coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/covid-19-vaccination-program for more information on the vaccine rollout.

If you are 75 years or older AND have received some sort of care from MetroHealth in the past 2 years,

please call for an appointment at 216-778-6100 or schedule on MyChart at https://mychart.metrohealth.org/MyChart/Authentication/Login.

You must have an appointment to receive the vaccination. The vaccines will be given at MetroHealth in Severance Circle, Cleveland Heights.

If you’d like your writing to be published in Local Jewish News, please email info@localjewishnews.com.

The COVID-19 vaccine is on a lot of people’s minds. With the aid of new technology, an entire world at work with resources on a scale almost inconceivable (including $10B from the US Government), with the world’s greatest minds working on it day and night and lots of cutting of bureaucratic red tape, the first two vaccines are in use in record time.

Many are unsure what they should do – vaccinate or not? I have a simple answer for most of you. Chill. Seriously, there’s no need for most people to make this decision now because so few of you can get it now. For our health care workers and nursing home residents who can get the vaccine now (or very soon) the answer is simple due to their very high risk. The two very similar vaccines have been given in two doses to about 35,000 people in trials. Another 35,000 received placebo (saltwater). Vaccination reduces cases of symptomatic COVID-19 by an amazing 95%. Side-effects were minimal. Nobody died from the vaccine. There were a small number of allergic reactions, as is normal with vaccines. However, it seems to be less frequent with [Read more…]

A group of local physicians was very concerned by the post concerning the COVID-19 vaccine that was published in the Local Jewish News Tuesday morning. We approached Dr. Michael Lederman, who has spent his entire career in the study of virology and immunology and is one of the foremost experts in this area, for his thoughts. They appear, unedited, below. He is Professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals/Case Medical Center where he is also Professor of Biomedical Ethics, Pathology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology. He is a member of the Association of American Physicians, the American Association of Immunologists, the Infectious Diseases Society of America and is a Fellow of the American Association of Microbiology and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is editor in chief of the scientific journal Pathogens and Immunity.

A number of local physicians have approached me and asked me what I thought of Dr. Eli Fink’s piece on COVID-19 vaccines in the December 7 Local Jewish News. I took a look at it and sadly, it is loaded with misinformation reflective of a poor understanding of immunity and cell biology. Here’s the scoop: While Dr. Fink is correct that the messenger RNA platform is new for vaccines, messenger RNA doesn’t do anything that he says it does. It doesn’t last long in cells as all messenger RNAs are designed to degrade. It is completely incapable of inserting itself into our own DNA as our cells don’t have the enzymes that are needed to make this happen. Dr. Fink goes on to tell us that viral infections trigger autoimmunity by getting their genes translated into our cells’ DNA. Utter nonsense! Messenger RNAs are not translated into DNA, they are translated into proteins – that’s how these vaccines work!

COVID-19 has killed nearly 300,000 Americans to date and will kill plenty more before this is all over. It’s true that most deaths are among the elderly but even infants have died of COVID-19. These RNA vaccines work, cutting down infection risk and serious disease by 90% or more. Dr Fink says we don’t know yet that these vaccines decrease transmission of the virus. Well maybe he doesn’t know it for sure but based on how these vaccines work, I would wager his life that immunization decreases transmission of the virus. If you choose to believe Dr. Fink’s nonsense, you’ll be wagering your life too!

Michael M. Lederman MD
Professor of Medicine
Professor of Microbiology/Molecular Biology, Pathology and Biomedical Ethics
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

State curfew begins tonight at 10 p.m. The state curfew will be from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily for the next 21 days.

The curfew will not apply to those going to or from work, those who have an emergency, or those who need medical care. The curfew is not intended to stop anyone from getting groceries or going to a pharmacy. Picking up carry-out or a drive-thru meal and ordering for delivery will be permitted, but serving food and drink in person must cease at 10 p.m.

Cuyahoga County announced a new program on Wednesday. The new program run by CHN Housing Partners will be giving out $2 million dollars in utility assistance. This is in addition to the rent relief and utility assistance programs previously announced late last month. Here is what you need to know:

Covid-19 Rental Assistance:

CHN Housing Partners is the entry point for rental assistance, you can apply online, or you can call them at 833-377- RENT (7368).

Some details from the CHN website:

How does it work?

• CHN is the entry point to access rental assistance. Depending on the nature of your financial hardship, you may be referred to CEOGC or EDEN for longer term assistance, at which point you may be asked for additional information and documentation.
• If you qualify, your landlord may receive up to three months back rent.
• CHN will screen all applicants for other assistance programs that may help make your electric, gas, and water/sewer bills more affordable.

Who qualifies:

• Residents of the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County who are having difficulty making rental payments due to the economic impact of the pandemic and who meet income eligibility requirements.
• If you qualify for rental assistance, you may be required to attend more in-depth counseling provided by CHN, as a condition for payment of the rental assistance.

CHN Rental Assistance Application

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Covid-19 Home Relief Grant:

The CEOGC is processing this program.

Some information from the CEOGC website:

Cuyahoga County residents, who are at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level and have fallen behind on rent or mortgage payments, water bills, sewer payments or have any other immediate needs are encouraged to apply for assistance. Funds are available for a limited time and applicants are encouraged to reach out early.

Tip from Gesher staff & clients: You must make sure to fill out ALL fields correctly in order to submit the application!

Covid-19 Home Relief Grant Application

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Covid-19 Utility Assistance:

CHN Housing Partners will be distributing funds for all four utilities, gas, water, electric, and sewer. This program will cover past-due bills beginning from March 1st, 2020.

What you must know: The application for all four utilities is the application marked “Water/Sewer Discounts & Sewer Crisis (Disconnection Notice)” located at the bottom of the page.

Quick facts:

• Cuyahoga County households below 120% of the Area Median Income level may apply.
• You will need proof of financial impact by Covid-19 which includes: loss of income, change in child care status (school closures), positive covid-19 test result in the household. (This can be from anytime since March1st.)
• The online system is quick and easy to use. Document upload information and instructions may be found online chn.itfrontdesk.com.
• If you need assistance with this application, please call 216-774-2349.

From Cleveland Jewish News

Under the resolution, residents are advised to only leave their home to go to work or school, or for essential needs such as seeking medical care, purchasing essential items from a grocery store or pharmacy, picking up prepared food or receiving deliveries, the advisory said. Residents are also strongly advised to avoid traveling in and out of the state, and forgo having guests in their homes or residences during the upcoming holiday season.

We wanted to share a few important COVID-19 messages for those that test positive for SARS-CoV-2 or coronavirus, which causes COVID-19 or anyone that is identified as a close contact of someone who tests positive. Those who test positive are advised to isolate themselves from others to prevent transmission of the virus to others for a minimum of 10 days from symptom onset or the date of the test if there are no symptoms. Close contacts quarantine and watch for symptoms of COVID-19 that may develop over a 14 day period.

We recommend that those who are contacts of confirmed cases seek testing to ensure they are not infected; however testing does not shorten the length of the 14-day quarantine if you test negative. Local health departments will call people who test positive for COVID-19 to advise them on isolation guidelines and to identify their close contacts.

Here is a graphic describing the difference between quarantine and isolation.

Here is link to a graphic describing contact tracking.

We are also in cold and flu season, so we are urging people to get a flu vaccine from your doctor, your local drug store or the health department. Flu shots protect you and your family and are especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. They can help keep others healthy too (learn more here).

You can find a flu vaccine near you here. It’s best to call ahead to make an appointment if necessary.

Help stop the spread of viral illness in your community by following these prevention guidelines: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/stop-the-spread-of-germs-11×17-en.pdf

PDF of Cleveland Doctors Letter

As Torah observant Jews, we recognize the obligation to save lives (נפשׁ פּיקוּח (as a value that overrides nearly every other religious obligation. We likewise seek to avoid situations of נפּשׁוֹת סכּנת) threats to human life), even when undertaken for supremely important purposes – tefilla, celebrations of shabbos and yom tov and Torah study. As physicians, we are concerned that over the next few weeks and months our community will see an increase in the local spread of COVID19, which could ו”ח ּendanger the health and lives of many of our friends, neighbors and family. We write what follows both to reiterate basic public health principles and warn the community about specific risks to be avoided.

The following are the basic principles of infection control that remain as relevant now as when this pandemic began:

• COVID-19 is an airborne virus that is spread primarily through respiratory droplets: Talking, coughing, singing, and shouting generate droplets that can travel significant distances and remain on surfaces for hours. This means that our davening and simchas are not risk-free; such gatherings can be the starting point for serious outbreaks.
• Masks (when worn over both the nose and mouth) reduce the spread of these respiratory droplets and decrease the likelihood of being infected and infecting others. This is not a political opinion or ideological fad; it has been an accepted infection control practice in the clinic, hospital ward, and operating room for the past century.
• Physical distancing, even while outdoors, protects you and others from coming into contact with infectious material. By the same principle, coming close to other people – even sharing a l’chaim or leaning in to wish a “mazel tov” – can spread infection. Any crowded event, even if planned carefully and with the best of intentions, can lead to the spread of the virus. This includes such normally benign venues as a beis medrash or men’s mikva during the pre-yom tov rush.
• The virus can spread after the crowd is gone by remaining on one’s hands after touching a contaminated person or surface. If the hands come close to the eyes, nose, and mouth, minutes or even hours later, COVID-19 can enter. Sanitizing the hands thoroughly and often is essential to staying safe.
• You do not need to feel sick to be contagious. Data demonstrate COVID patients can be contagious up to two days prior to exhibiting symptoms, or can be infected without any symptoms at all, making it easy for COVID-19 to spread silently among or between households and communities. That means you don’t have to look or feel sick to get others sick. But if you do feel unwell, it is especially important to protect those around you by isolating yourself.

We ask that every member of our community re-commit to keeping everyone safe by:

• Avoiding creating or attending events in which there is crowding.
• Wearing a mask – properly and consistently – in shul, in the beis medrash and in school – and teaching your children to do the same.
• Isolating or quarantining after exposure to high risk situations, even if it means missing out on shul, school or a simcha.
• Being mindful of the risks when traveling to, or hosting guests from, other communities and geographic regions.

As physicians, we remind you to:

• Consider what we all have to lose: Local schools and shuls have invested enormous amounts of energy, time and money toward the goal of bringing us back in person. Rabbonim, doctors and lay leaders have set aside other projects to devote themselves almost exclusively to this goal. This achievement should not be taken for granted nor assumed to be permanent.
• Trust medicine and science: While there are many uncertainties in medicine, what we have written is based on the best available scientific evidence right now. As doctors, we began our careers with a commitment to “do no harm” and we are now asking the same of our community.
• Remember what this virus is capable of doing: Our friends and family in the New York area have had first-hand experience with the carnage of an out-of-control epidemic. That our community, ה”בּ ,was unaffected a few months ago does not mean that we are immune now. This virus has killed nearly 200,000 people, in the United States and over 1,000 in Israel, and while we may be tired, it is not. This is no time to let down our guard.

We conclude with wishes for year of health, success and safety for our entire community, and with earnest prayers to the Ribono Shel Olam to protect His people.

Names appear in alphabetical order and have been updated as of 9/17/2020, 4:00 PM

Mark Aeder MD General and Transplant Surgery
Josh Arbesman MD Dermatology
Daniel Asher MD Anesthesiology, Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology
David Bar-Shain MD Pediatrics, Clinical Informatics
Akiva Berger DDS General Dentistry
Nate Bergman DO Internal Medicine, Geriatrics
Yael Dahan MD Anesthesiology
Joel David DO Internal Medicine
Francine Erenberg MD Pediatric Cardiology
Ben Esraeilian DPM Podiatry
Daniel Fleksher MD Internal Medicine
Elisha Fredman MD Radiation Oncology
Rachel Garber MD Pediatrics
Sara Goldman MD Psychiatry, Adult Inpatient Psychiatry
Jessica Goldstein MD Emergency Medicine
David Gottesman MD Gastroenterology
Dovid Gutman MD Internal Medicine
Adam Haas MD Anesthesiology
Rafi Israeli MD Emergency Medicine
Avi Jacobs MD Cardiology
Lawrence Jacobs MD Cardiology
Daniel Kahn DO Nephrology
Saul Kane MD Gastroenterology
Fred Kessler MD Gastroenterology
Jonathan Klein MD Emergency Medicine
Michael Kurin MD Gastroenterology
Jeffrey Lautman MD Nephrology
David Lever MD Gastroenterology
Yehudah Lindenberg MD Neurology
David Liska MD Colorectal Surgery
Rebecca Lowenthal MD, MPH Family Medicine
Leon Margolin MD Pain Medicine
Shmuel Margolin MD Internal Medicine
Yael Mauer MD, MPH Internal Medicine, Primary care and hospital medicine
Bryan Michelow MD Plastic Surgery
Howard Nathan MD Internal Medicine, Hospitalist
Joel Peerless MD Critical Care
Meir Pollack MD Gastroenterology
Moshe Prero MD Pediatrics
Michael Rothberg MD, MPH Internal Medicine
Yosef Rudolph MD Neurology
Samuel Salamon MD Ophthalmology
Yehuda Salamon MD Anesthesiology
Amy Schechter MD Internal Medicine
Gila Schiowitz DO Pediatrics, Hospitalist
Steven Schwartz MD Geriatrics
Seth Sclair MD Gastroenterology, Transplant Hepatology
Shelly Senders MD Pediatrics
Anna Serels MD Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Marina Shpilko DO Emergency Medicine
Warren Sobol MD Ophthalmology, Retina
Benjamin Spinner MD Psychiatry, Child Psychiatry
Josh Sunshine MD Neurology
Ira Taub MD Pediatrics, Pediatric Cardiology
Yael Taub MD Emergency Medicine
Philip Toltzis MD Pediatric Critical Care, Infectious Disease
Franky Weinberger DO Rheumatology
Rachel Weinerman MD Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
Ari Wiesen MD Gastroenterology
Carly Wilbur MD Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
Brian Wolovitz MD Internal Medicine

At his 2pm press conference today, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that Ohio schools will remain closed through the rest of the school year.