'A Huge Loss': At 28, Nurse Dies Of Virus He Helped Fight

TAMPA, FL — Miguel Martinez spent much of his 28-year life caring for his mother and five siblings. It was a life that was ended by the very coronavirus Martinez helped fight against as a pediatric intensive care unit nurse at Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida in Port Charlotte.

"What a huge loss for his family, friends and the nursing community," said June Graney, a University of South Florida nursing professor. Martinez earned his nursing degree from USF and worked as a registered nurse at the HealthPark Medical Center in Fort Myers before moving to the children's hospital.

Martinez died of the virus in July, but his close friend, Victoria, is making sure his name stays alive. Victoria established a memorial scholarship in Martinez's name through the USF Foundation. It will help pay the tuition for a nursing student following in Martinez's footsteps.

"His family and friends want to commemorate his life while making it easier for students facing social and economic barriers to pursue an education in nursing at USF," Victoria said.

Martinez was just 14 years old when his father, an immigrant, died of cancer, leaving him with the overwhelming task of supporting his five siblings and mother.

While harvesting strawberries and other produce as a farmworker to earn money to feed his family, Martinez somehow managed to maintain good grades in school. He was eager to fulfill his father's dream for him to one day attend college.

"We wanted to make sure that Miguel's story lives on," Victoria said.

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The Latest

The return to pre-coronavirus pandemic normalcy may be far off, but states continue to gradually ease restrictions enacted to limit the virus's spread as a third vaccine, by New Jersey-based Johnson & Johnson, begins to make its way across the country.

By the end of March, J&J has said it expects to deliver 20 million doses to the U.S., and 100 million by summer, according to The Associated Press. Shipments to states were expected to begin Monday.

Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co has been tapped to help manufacture the J&J coronavirus vaccine under a deal brokered by the White House, President Joe Biden said from the White House on Tuesday. The deal will help increase the supply of the new vaccine and ramp up the pace of vaccinations.

Under the arrangement, Merck will dedicate two facilities in the United States to Johnson & Johnson’s shots. One will provide “fill-finish” services, and the other will make vaccines, the Post reported.

During the briefing, Biden also said his administration expects that by the end of May, enough coronavirus vaccines will be delivered so every American adult who wants a vaccine may receive one.

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He also called on Senate Democrats to rally behind a $1.9 trillion COVID-relief bill and stood by his proposed $1,400 payments to individuals, even as some party moderates sought to dial back parts of the package.

Biden took to Twitter earlier in the day to signal he wouldn't budge from his demand that lawmakers add a fresh $1,400 payment to the $600 that millions of individuals received from a December relief measure. That payments comprise nearly a quarter of the overall bill's cost.

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Meanwhile, states are easing restrictions as three new virus variants continue to circulate around the country.

Texas became the latest state to scale back mitigation measures. The Lone Star State on Tuesday lifted its statewide mask mandate and also did away with limits on the number of diners who can be served indoors.

“Removing statewide mandates does not end personal responsibility,” said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, speaking from a crowded dining room where many of those surrounding him were not wearing masks. “It’s just that now state mandates are no longer needed."

The governors of Michigan, Mississippi and Louisiana also eased up on bars, restaurants and other businesses Tuesday, as did the mayor of San Francisco, according to The Associated Press.

Also this week, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf relaxed restrictions on attending indoor and outdoor sports and entertainment events, and also eliminated out-of-state travel restrictions effective immediately on Monday.

Students and teachers could be back in the classrooms in California soon as well, as Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Legislature agreed Monday to a plan that would encourage schools to reopen across the state, The New York Times and others have reported.

Fast-tracking vaccinations and about $2 billion in incentives to lure teachers back to school this year are part of the state's agreement, according to the Times.

California has accounted for more virus-related deaths since the pandemic began than any other state, passing the 50,000 mark a week ago.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on Monday upped the state's capacity restriction for bowling alleys, movie theaters and other venues that draw larger crowds, to 60 percent from 50 percent, WKYT reported.

Reopening states have been urged to proceed with caution, however.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, urgently warned state officials and ordinary Americans not to let down their guard, saying she is "really worried about reports that more states are rolling back the exact public health measures that we have recommended."

"I remain deeply concerned about a potential shift in the trajectory of the pandemic," she told the AP. "We stand to completely lose the hard-earned ground that we have gained."

As vaccine progress continues, new ideas for ways to treat the virus are also emerging.

Could it involve cannabis? A professor at Michigan State University is researching the compounds in the plant that could possibly help relieve symptoms of COVID-19, according to a report from Fox-17 in Western Michigan.

Norbert Kaminski is working with the biopharmaceutical company GB Sciences to identify the cannabis compounds that don't have the psychotropic properties but are anti-inflammatory. The research seeks to determine if it could lead to a drug that would help with the lung inflammation that coronavirus patients often experience.

"In the case of COVID, those individuals that really have serious health problems often have had too strong an immune response, which compromises the function of their lungs," Kaminski told the news station.

Newest Numbers

As of midday Tuesday, the United States had reported more than 28.6 million cases and more than 515,300 deaths from COVID-19-related illnesses, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

At least 1,258 deaths and 49,856 new cases of coronavirus were reported in the United States on Monday, according to a Washington Post database. The Post's reporting shows that over the past week, new daily cases have risen 4.3 percent, new daily deaths have risen 4 percent and COVID-19-related hospitalizations have fallen 13.5 percent.

More than 102.3 million vaccine doses have been distributed and nearly 78.6 million administered in the United States as of Tuesday, according to the CDC. More than 51.7 million people have received one dose, and more than 26.1 million have received two.

Currently, 46,738 people are hospitalized with a coronavirus-related illness in the United States, according to the Covid Tracking Project.

As of Tuesday, 21 states and U.S. territories remained above the positive testing rate recommended by the World Health Organization to safely reopen. To safely reopen, the WHO recommends states remain at 5 percent or lower for at least 14 days.

For more live coverage on the coronavirus, follow The New York Times or The Washington Post.

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