Updates
Convalescent Plasma Strikes Out As COVID-19 Treatment-NPR
More than half a million Americans have received an experimental treatment for COVID-19 called convalescent plasma. But a year into the pandemic, it's not clear who, if anyone, benefits from it. That uncertainty highlights the challenges scientists have faced in their attempts to evaluate COVID-19 drugs. NPR, … Continue Reading
March 09, 2021
US COVAX Pledge Is 'Down Payment On A Larger Strategy'-Devex
U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration announced last month a $4 billion commitment to COVAX, the global COVID-19 vaccine distribution facility, which will be followed by a broader strategy to strengthen health systems, according to one of Biden’s top advisers. The $4 billion was split in half. The first $2 billion “tranche” is intended “just to get vaccines out the door,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday. “The other $2 billion, we are seeking to leverage contributions … Continue Reading
March 09, 2021
Pregnancy And COVID: What The Data Say-Nature
Yalda Afshar was about two months pregnant when reports of COVID-19 began to emerge in the United States in February last year. As an obstetrician managing high-risk pregnancies at the University of California, Los Angeles, Afshar knew that respiratory viruses are especially dangerous to pregnant women. There was very little data on the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and, as cases racked up, she felt like she was flying blind, both while advising her patients and in navigating her own worries … Continue Reading
March 09, 2021
Mexico To Rely Heavily On Chinese Vaccines-The Associated Press
Mexico announced a huge bet on Chinese vaccines Tuesday, without making public any information about their efficacy. Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said the Mexican government has signed agreements for 12 million doses of the yet-unapproved Sinopharm vaccine and increased to a total of 20 million doses its contracts for the Coronavac dose made by China’s Sinovac. Deliveries of Sinovac have already started, with the full 20 million doses expected by July. The Sinopharm vaccines are … Continue Reading
March 09, 2021
China Launches COVID-19 Vaccination Certificates For Cross-Border Travel-Reuters
China has launched a digital COVID-19 vaccination certificate for its citizens planning cross-border travels, joining other countries issuing similar documents as they seek ways to reopen their economies. As vaccines are globally being rolled out, a few countries, including Bahrain, have already introduced certificates identifying vaccinated people and the European Union agreed to develop vaccine passports under pressure from tourism-dependent southern countries. Reuters, … Continue Reading
March 09, 2021
Pandemic Aid Package Includes Some Relief From High Health Plan Premiums-NPR
As President Joe Biden's pandemic relief package steams through Congress, Democrats have hitched a ride for a top health care priority: strengthening the Affordable Care Act with some of the most significant changes to insurance affordability in more than a decade. The bill would spend $34 billion to help Americans who buy insurance on the health plan marketplaces created by the ACA through 2022, when the benefits would expire. The Senate sent its relief package, one of the largest in … Continue Reading
March 08, 2021
In 2018, Diplomats Warned Of Risky Coronavirus Experiments In A Wuhan Lab. No One Listened.-Politico
On January 15, in its last days, President Donald Trump’s State Department put out a statement with serious claims about the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic. The statement said the U.S. intelligence community had evidence that several researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology laboratory were sick with Covid-like symptoms in autumn 2019—implying the Chinese government had hidden crucial information about the outbreak for months—and that the WIV lab, despite “presenting itself as a … Continue Reading
March 08, 2021
Spring-Break Partying Falls Victim To COVID-19 Crisis-The Associated Press
Colleges around the U.S. are scaling back spring break or canceling it entirely to discourage partying that could spread the virus and raise infection rates back on campus. Texas A&M University opted for a three-day weekend instead of a whole week off. The University of Alabama and the University of Wisconsin-Madison also did away with spring break but are giving students a day off later in the semester. The Associated Press, … Continue Reading
March 08, 2021
A Pandemic Expert Weighs In On The Long Road Ahead For Covid-19 Vaccine Distribution-STAT
Though nearly 300 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered around the globe so far, the world still has a long way to go before we can think about declaring the pandemic over. Vaccine distribution remains wildly inequitable, with wealthy countries vaccinating at far higher rates than low- and middle-income countries. STAT, … Continue Reading
March 08, 2021
House Poised To Pass Biden's $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 Relief Bill On Tuesday-NPR
House Democrats are expected to pass the final version of a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package on Tuesday, thus delivering on Democrats' campaign promises and cementing a major legislative victory for the Biden administration. The Senate voted 50-49 to approve the plan on Saturday, with all Democrats voting in support of the measure — and all Republicans opposed — following a marathon debate of more than 24 hours. NPR, … Continue Reading
March 08, 2021
What The CDC Says You Can Do Now That You’re Vaccinated-The Washington Post
Federal health officials released guidance Monday that gives fully vaccinated Americans more freedom to socialize and pursue routine daily activities, providing a pandemic-weary nation a first glimpse of what a new normal may look like in coming months. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said people who are two weeks past their final shot face little risk if they visit indoors with unvaccinated members of a single household at low risk of severe disease, without wearing masks or … Continue Reading
March 05, 2021
Multitude Of Coronavirus Variants Found In The US — But The Threat Is Unclear-Nature
For the scientists who have spent the past year poring over hundreds of thousands of coronavirus genomes, the United States has been an enigma. Despite having world-leading genome sequencing infrastructure and experiencing more COVID infections than any other country, the United States has until recently lagged far behind in sequencing coronavirus genomes and spotting worrisome variants. But in recent weeks, US researchers have identified a host of new variants, including in California, New … Continue Reading
March 05, 2021
U.S. Adds A Strong 379,000 Jobs In Hopeful Sign For Economy-Politico
U.S. employers added a robust 379,000 jobs last month, the most since October and a sign that the economy is strengthening as confirmed viral cases drop, consumers spend more and states and cities ease business restrictions. The February gain marked a sharp pickup from the 166,000 jobs that were added in January and a loss of 306,000 in December. Politico, … Continue Reading
March 05, 2021
After Mixed Messages, Europe Warns Against Vaccine Shopping-The Associated Press
First, France’s president suggested that the AstraZeneca vaccine was “quasi-ineffective” in protecting older people from COVID-19. Now, Emmanuel Macron’s government is begging people to take it. Germany finds itself in a similar situation. Berlin shifted gears on its cautious policy this week after an independent vaccine panel said the AstraZeneca shots should be used in people over 65. Top German officials on Friday argued against “vaccine shopping” and urged people to take whatever potential … Continue Reading
March 05, 2021
Canada Approves J&J's COVID-19 Vaccine, Says Benefits Outweigh Risks-Reuters
Canada’s drug regulator has approved Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, the fourth such shot to be given the green light, the government said on Friday, amid frustration over the slow start to the country’s inoculation program. The single-dose shot, which has been authorized for adults in Canada, was 66% effective at preventing moderate and severe disease, Supriya Sharma, a senior health ministry official, said at a briefing to announce the approval. Reuters, … Continue Reading
March 05, 2021
Senate Democrats Agree To Extend Unemployment Benefits Through September-NPR
Senate Democrats are updating President Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package to extend the current $300 weekly federal unemployment benefits through the end of September, adding an extra month of coverage for those who have lost jobs during the pandemic. The version of the legislation that passed the House would have increased the payments to $400 per week through the end of August. The change is a compromise between progressive members who wanted enhanced benefits for several more … Continue Reading
March 04, 2021
When Will Children Be Able To Get COVID-19 Vaccines?-The Associated Press
When will children be able to get COVID-19 vaccines? It depends on the child’s age, but some teenagers could be rolling up their sleeves before too long. The Pfizer vaccine already is cleared for use starting at age 16. That means some high schoolers could get in line for those shots whenever they become eligible in their area, either because of a medical condition or once availability opens up. The Associated Press, … Continue Reading
March 04, 2021
Nigeria Receives COVID-19 Vaccines Amid Confusion Over Rollout-Devex
On Tuesday, Nigeria received 3.92 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca. It is the first shipment for the over 16 million doses allocated to the country through the COVAX Facility, aimed at vaccinating 20% of the population. Nigeria is expected to receive an additional 42 million doses of approved vaccines through the African Union’s African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team, but details on the timeline of shipments are not yet clear. Devex, … Continue Reading
March 04, 2021
Europe Starts Formal Review Of Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 Vaccine-Reuters
Europe’s medicines regulator said on Thursday it had started a rolling review of Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, an important display of confidence in the shot that paves the way for its potential approval across the 27-nation bloc. Hungary became the first EU country to grant the Russian vaccine emergency national approval in January, Slovakia has ordered shipments, and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis has said his country could move to use Sputnik V. Reuters, … Continue Reading
March 04, 2021
The Short-Term, Middle-Term, And Long-Term Future Of The Coronavirus-STAT
When experts envision the future of the coronavirus, many predict that it will become a seasonal pathogen that won’t be much more than a nuisance for most of us who have been vaccinated or previously exposed to it. But how long that process takes — and how much damage the virus inflicts in the interim — is still anyone’s guess. STAT, … Continue Reading