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"COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis" 5th May 2021

Overnight News RoundUp

White House aims to give 70% of American adults at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose by July 4

  • The Biden administration set a new goal for the ongoing U.S. COVID-19 vaccination campaign: giving at least one shot to 70% of the adult population by July 4. To reach that goal, Biden's team said he will expand walk-up vaccinations at pharmacies and vaccination sites, open additional mobile vaccination units and accelerate a public-relations campaign aimed at boosting vaccine confidence.
  • The announcement comes as the pace of the U.S. vaccination effort has nose-dived. As of mid-April, the country was administering just under 3.4 million vaccine doses each day. By Tuesday this week, the country was administering just under 2.3 million.
  • Still, the country is currently on track to reach President Biden's latest goal. Over 56% of adults 18 and over have already received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to federal data. That number represents roughly 145 million people; to reach the 70% threshold, about 36 million additional adults would need to receive a first dose in the next two months.
  • The White House, additionally, set a goal of giving a full vaccine regimen - either two doses each of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson's - to 160 million Americans.
  • That benchmark, too, appears to be within reach. Currently, 105 million Americans have received a full course of vaccine doses, in addition to the 40 million who've received only one dose. During a press briefing, a senior Biden aide said that the administration estimated that reaching each goal would require administering about another 100 million doses to adults in the next two months, roughly three-quarters of the current pace.
  • While the administration's new goal focused on the adult population, administration officials also said they were prepared for the Food and Drug Administration's expected extension of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine's emergency use authorization for children between the ages of 12 and 15.
  • As part of their announcement, Biden aides also highlighted a number of funding opportunities aimed at bolstering vaccine access and confidence in local communities, part of a previously reported, $1.5 billion effort to encourage immunizations worldwide.
  • For the first time, the adminstration said it will send vaccines to rural health clinics and provide $100 million for those clinics to conduct vaccine outreach. It will also offer roughly $630 million in additional funding for local governments to step up outreach campaigns and hire community workers tasked with identifying and contacting people who have not been vaccinated yet, with a particular emphasis on people of colour, people with disabilities, and those in rural areas.
White House aims to give 70% of American adults at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose by July 4
White House aims to give 70% of American adults at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose by July 4
The Biden administration on Tuesday set a new goal for the ongoing U.S. Covid-19 vaccination campaign: giving at least one shot to 70% of the adult population by July 4. To reach that goal, Biden’s team said he will expand walk-up vaccinations at pharmacies and vaccination sites, open additional mobile vaccination units, and accelerate a public-relations campaign aimed at boosting vaccine confidence. The announcement comes as the pace of the U.S. vaccination effort has nosedived. As of mid-April, the country was administering just under 3.4 million vaccine doses each day. As of Tuesday, the rate had dropped to just under 2.3 million.
Unexpected places now offering COVID-19 vaccines
Unexpected places now offering COVID-19 vaccines
Seventy one fans got vaccinated during the Milwaukee Bucks vs. Brooklyn Nets basketball game Sunday, marking the latest effort by health departments to make COVID-19 vaccines convenient and even fun. The Bucks game vaccination pop-up, a partnership with the Milwaukee Public Health Department, was open to fans at least 16 years of age and is part of a series of mobile vaccination pop-ups the health department has hosted at community centers, churches, businesses and neighborhood events, according to Emily Tau, a health department spokesperson.
Covid vaccine incentives make U.S. look ‘like a nation of sulky adolescents,' doctor says
Dr. Peter Hotez said Tuesday that the optics of having to incentivize the Covid vaccine do not put the U.S. in a positive light to the rest of the world. “When people are clamoring for vaccines in India and in Brazil, it just makes us look like a nation of sulky adolescents…so if it’s absolutely necessary, sure, although it’s tough to swallow,” Hotez said. A recent survey from UCLA showed that roughly one-third of unvaccinated people said a $100 cash payment would make them more likely to get a shot.
Weird and wonderful incentives encouraging people to get vaccinated
Weird and wonderful incentives encouraging people to get vaccinated
Scientists typically estimate that an inoculation rate of at least 70% is needed for herd immunity - where entire populations are protected against a disease. Some bodies and community groups have turned to a weird and wonderful range of incentives in order to get people jabbed. For instance, New Jersey has launched "Shot and a Beer", a scheme offering a free beer to those who get their first dose in May. To claim a drink, all they have to do is turn up to a participating brewery with their vaccination card.
$100 as an Incentive to Get a Shot? Experiment Suggests It Can Pay Off.
$100 as an Incentive to Get a Shot? Experiment Suggests It Can Pay Off.
What’s the best way to persuade the millions of Americans who are still unvaccinated against Covid-19 to get their shots? Reassuring public service announcements about the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness have proliferated. But increasingly, people are realizing that it will take more than just information to sway the hesitant. In recent randomized survey experiments by the U.C.L.A. Covid-19 Health and Politics Project, two seemingly strong incentives have emerged. Roughly a third of the unvaccinated population said a cash payment would make them more likely to get a shot. Similarly large increases in willingness to take vaccines emerged for those who were asked about getting a vaccine if doing so meant they wouldn’t need to wear a mask or social-distance in public, compared with a group that was told it would still have to do those things.
The Indian Crisis
‘Horrible’ weeks ahead as India’s virus catastrophe worsens
COVID-19 infections and deaths are mounting with alarming speed in India with no end in sight to the crisis and a top expert warning that the coming weeks in the country of nearly 1.4 billion people will be “horrible.” India’s official count of coronavirus cases surpassed 20 million Tuesday, nearly doubling in the past three months, while deaths officially have passed 220,000. Staggering as those numbers are, the true figures are believed to be far higher, the undercount an apparent reflection of the troubles in the health care system. The country has witnessed scenes of people dying outside overwhelmed hospitals and funeral pyres lighting up the night sky. Infections have surged in India since February in a disastrous turn blamed on more contagious variants of the virus as well as government decisions to allow massive crowds to gather for Hindu religious festivals and political rallies before state elections.
India’s Biggest Sporting League, Mired In Controversy, Is Suspended As Covid-19 Batters The Nation
The Indian Premier League (IPL), the most popular and high-profile sporting event in the country, was suspended indefinitely on Tuesday after several players and support staff from at least three different teams tested positive for Covid-19—a development that comes after the cricket league had drawn criticism for operating in a bubble and diverting resources while the rest of the country was struggling with the pandemic.
What are the global implications of India’s second COVID wave?
India is witnessing the worst phase of the pandemic while the WHO says a highly infectious Indian variant of the virus has already spread to 17 countries. India has reported 357,229 new coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours – the 13th straight day of more than 300,000 infections – taking its overall tally to more than 20 million. Deaths rose 3,449 for a toll of 222,408, health ministry data showed on Tuesday. However, medical experts say the real numbers across the country of 1.35 billion may be five to 10 times higher than the official tally.
It’s Not Just India: New Virus Waves Hit Developing Countries
It’s not just India. Fierce new Covid-19 waves are enveloping other developing countries across the world, placing severe strain on their health-care systems and prompting appeals for help. Nations ranging from Laos to Thailand in Southeast Asia, and those bordering India such as Bhutan and Nepal, have been reporting significant surges in infections in the past few weeks. The increase is mainly because of more contagious virus variants, though complacency and lack of resources to contain the spread have also been cited as reasons.
The rise of India's 'Covid quack'
A charismatic anti-vaccination campaigner has gained popularity by claiming that medical science's approach to the pandemic is entirely wrong. But critics say Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury is endangering lives by falsely claiming he can cure Covid-19 through diet alone, report Ed Main and Reha Kansara. Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury is not one to hold back. "According to me, most deaths are not because of coronavirus itself but because of its treatment," he says in one video on his website. The Indian social media star - or former social media star, now that he's banned on several platforms - asserts that conventional medicine is a conspiracy designed to line the pockets of doctors and big business.
India’s Biggest Sporting League, Mired In Controversy, Is Suspended As Covid-19 Batters The Nation
India’s Biggest Sporting League, Mired In Controversy, Is Suspended As Covid-19 Batters The Nation
The Indian Premier League (IPL), the most popular and high-profile sporting event in the country, was suspended indefinitely on Tuesday after several players and support staff from at least three different teams tested positive for Covid-19—a development that comes after the cricket league had drawn criticism for operating in a bubble and diverting resources while the rest of the country was struggling with the pandemic.
India halts cricket league as coronavirus cases cross 20 million
India halted its hugely popular cricket league on Tuesday as COVID-19 infections surged past 20 million in the world’s second-most populous country and the opposition leader said a nationwide lockdown was now the only way out. Cricket officials suspended the money-spinning Indian Premier League (IPL) as the pandemic spirals out of control, with the country adding 10 million cases in just over four months, after taking more than 10 months to reach the first 10 million.
Did India get its COVID vaccine strategy wrong?
Did India get its COVID vaccine strategy wrong?
India on Saturday announced it will vaccinate everyone above the age of 18, covering about 600 million people, as it struggles to cope with a catastrophic second wave of coronavirus sweeping the world’s second-most populous nation. But there are few vaccines available to inoculate people, with experts criticising the government for a lack of preparedness in the fight against the virus that has killed nearly 40,000 people in April alone. More than 20 million Indians have now been infected as daily infection rates continue to break records.
COVID Restrictions Being Eased
Covid-19: Care home residents can go on outdoor trips without isolating
Care home residents in England can now go on low-risk trips - such as to relatives' gardens or a local park - without having to self-isolate for 14 days when they return. It comes after some families say they have felt "powerless" because of "restrictive" visits. One woman said her mother had not been outdoors for more than 12 months and it would be "amazing" to take her outside. Campaigners now want the rule change to become law, rather than just guidance.
Virus cases plunge and LA, San Francisco come back to life
When Angeleno Wine Co. reopened its tasting room, co-owner Amy Luftig Viste teared up seeing old friends reunited for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic had shuttered so many businesses that it left major cities looking like ghost towns. Even with limited capacity, animated conversations flowed from the tables set among barrels of aging wine and echoed off the brick walls of the winery hidden in an industrial section on the outskirts of downtown Los Angeles. “It felt like the winery had come alive again,” Luftig Viste said Sunday, the day after it reopened after being closed all but two weeks over the past 13 months. The din in the small space is destined to get louder when capacity is allowed to double to 50% as Los Angeles and San Francisco lead the way toward a broader reopening of California businesses.
In Europe, Gibraltar offers glimpse of post-pandemic life
“It’s really liberating,” said Samuel Calvente, a Gibraltar hotel worker, when asked how it feels to be mask-free outdoors. “Having that mask on all the time was claustrophobic and stressful, particularly because this is a hot, humid place in summer. Wearing a face mask in 40-degree heat when you’re sweating away is extremely unpleasant.” Weeks ago, Fabian Picardo, the chief minister of the tiny British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, announced that with a hugely advanced vaccination programme, for the first time in nine months, there were zero active COVID-19 cases among Gibraltar’s resident population – as continues to be the case – and that some of the most stringent public health measures, such as wearing face masks outside, could finally be lifted. A world-leading total of 85 percent of Gibraltar’s population is now vaccinated against COVID-19, as well as all of its 15,000 foreign workers.
"Like old times again" as Greece re-opens bars and restaurants
Greece allowed restaurants and bars to open from Monday as it took a further step towards easing coronavirus restrictions ahead of the planned start of the tourist season on May 15. Six months after the government reimposed lockdown measures in the face of a second wave of the pandemic, the chance to return to bars and tavernas was like a small step towards normality for many enjoying warm Easter weather. "When they brought me the glass of water, I thought, 'its like old times again'. It's great," said Grigoris Kirlidis as he sat at a cafe in Athens.
COVID-19: British holidaymakers could be allowed to travel to Europe within weeks
Ministers are reportedly considering a handful of countries people from the UK will be able to travel to initially in the coming weeks. Reports suggest the "green list" could include about a dozen countries, although some papers say it could be fewer than 10. Several named Malta, Gibraltar, Portugal and Israel as likely destinations, while the Daily Telegraph said Spain, Greece and France could be added by the end of June.
Coronavirus third wave fears 'diminishing' amid UK's rapid vaccine rollout
The likelihood of a major third wave of coronavirus infections in the UK is “diminishing” alongside Britain’s rapid vaccine rollout, one of the UK’s most senior scientists said today. Professor Neil Ferguson, member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said he still expects cases and “to some extent” deaths to see a slight increase in the late summer as restrictions lift, but “at a much lower level” than in the second wave. Ferguson, whose modelling on Covid infections last Spring was crucial to the Prime Minister’s decision to enforce England’s first national lockdown, said “we don’t see any prospect of the NHS being overwhelmed” unless a new variant takes hold.
Denmark to reopen further, but no rocking for Roskilde
Denmark announced plans to reopen schools and allow a range of indoor activities this week, but a cap on gatherings led to the cancellation of several summer music festivals, including the renowned Roskilde Festival. The Nordic country has avoided a third wave of COVID-19 with broad lockdown measures introduced in late December, which drove down daily infections from several thousand to between 500 and 800 in recent months. “Denmark needs to get back to normal as fast as possible, and it has to happen responsibly,” Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said on Tuesday.
COVID Restrictions Tightening
Poland tightens quarantine rules after cases of Indian COVID-19 variant
People travelling to Poland from Brazil, India and South Africa will have to quarantine, the Polish health minister said on Tuesday, as he announced cases of a COVID-19 variant first detected in India in the Warsaw and Katowice areas. The outbreaks poses a fresh risk to Poland just as it starts to emerge from a highly damaging third wave of the pandemic. "In the case of Brazil, India and South Africa, people travelling from these locations will automatically have to quarantine without the possibility of getting an exception due to a test," Health Minister Adam Niedzielski told a news conference.
Trinidad and Tobago tightens lockdown as COVID-19 cases surge
Trinidad and Tobago said on Monday it was tightening lockdown restrictions for three weeks starting at midnight as the number of new COVID-19 cases hits record highs and the Caribbean twin-island nation faces a potential shortage of hospital beds. Prime Minister Keith Rowley said that under the new restrictions, only businesses deemed essential services such as supermarkets, pharmacies and financial services would remain open, for reduced hours, in addition to the key energy and manufacturing sectors.
Singapore tightens COVID-19 curbs as overseas virus variants emerge
Singapore announced on Tuesday tighter curbs on social gatherings and stricter border measures after recording locally acquired cases of coronavirus variants, including a more contagious strain first detected in India. After reporting very few local infections for months, numbers have increased in the Asian trade and financial hub over the last week, mainly linked to an outbreak at a hospital. On Tuesday, it confirmed five new locally acquired cases.
Canada's Alberta province toughens COVID-19 restrictions
The Canadian province of Alberta will increase restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19 as a third wave of the pandemic threatens to overwhelm the hospital system within weeks, Premier Jason Kenney said on Tuesday. Stricter measures include confining schools to online learning, ordering workplaces with COVID-19 outbreaks to close for 10 days, closing salons, allowing restaurants to offer takeout service only and reducing the number of people allowed at funerals and religious services.
Tanzania, once sceptical of COVID-19, announces measures to curb new variants
Tanzania announced new anti-coronavirus measures, saying it wanted to prevent the importation of new variants, highlighting new President Samia Suluhu Hassan's more active efforts to contain the pandemic. Among the new measures, travellers, both foreigners and Tanzanians, will be required to present negative COVID-19 tests at border points. Her approach to tackling COVID-19 contrasts sharply with her late predecessor John Magufuli who dismissed fears of the infection and promoted remedies such as steam inhalation and herbal concoctions as a cure.
Greece imposes coronavirus lockdown on Kalymnos island
A rise in coronavirus infections on the Greek island of Kalymnos prompted authorities to place it under lockdown on Tuesday, a day after restrictions were eased across the country. Restaurants and bars reopened in Greece after six months on Monday, as it took a further step towards easing restrictions ahead of the official opening of the tourism season on May 15.
'Hospitals are full' as Argentina COVID-19 cases hit 3 million
'Hospitals are full' as Argentina COVID-19 cases hit 3 million
Argentina coronavirus cases hit 3 million on Sunday since the pandemic began, as medical workers said hospitals were full to capacity despite toughened government measures to bring down the spread of infections. The country's health ministry said there were 11,394 new cases over the last 24-hour period, bringing up the grim new milestone, with 156 new deaths taking fatalities to 64,252.
Nepal appeals for COVID-19 vaccines as cases rise
Nepal appeals for COVID-19 vaccines as cases rise
Nepal urgently needs at least 1.6 million AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine doses to administer second shots as the Himalayan country is recording a surge in new coronavirus cases. "People who have already got the first dose will be in difficulty if they don't receive their second dose within the stipulated time," said Samir Adhikari, a senior official of the Ministry of Health and Population in capital Kathmandu. On Monday, Prime Minister K.P.Sharma Oli urged foreign donors to supply vaccines and critical care medicines to prevent a collapse of the small country's creaky health infrastructure.
Melinda Gates urges wealthy nations to stop ‘hoarding’ Covid vaccines
Melinda Gates urges wealthy nations to stop ‘hoarding’ Covid vaccines
Melinda Gates has called on wealthy nations to stop “hoarding” coronavirus vaccines, saying it was disappointing how little was being done to prevent the pandemic from ravaging the developing world. The US philanthropist told the Financial Times that developed countries should vaccinate their populations only “up to a point” before they donate supplies to those in greater need. “You don’t need to vaccinate all the way down, say, to your teen population . . . before you send out vaccine doses,” Gates said in a pre-recorded interview with editor Roula Khalaf for the FT’s three-day Global Boardroom event.
Should pharmaceutical companies be compelled to waive their coronavirus vaccine patents?
Should pharmaceutical companies be compelled to waive their coronavirus vaccine patents?
The campaign to compel pharmaceutical companies to temporarily lift their coronavirus vaccine patents is gathering pace – and apparently making some progress. The momentum behind the campaign to remove intellectual property restrictions on Covid vaccines is growing. But would such a move really help defeat the pandemic more quickly?
Vaccine Delivery and Manufacture
EU delivers vaccine jabs to Balkans after China and Russia
The European Union started delivering EU-funded coronavirus vaccines Tuesday to the Balkans, a region that wants to join the 27-nation bloc but where China and Russia have already been making political gains by supplying the much-needed shots. The European Commission last month announced that 651,000 Pfizer-BioNTech doses will be delivered to Serbia, Bosnia, North Macedonia, Montenegro Albania and Kosovo in weekly instalments from May to August. The vaccines are funded from a 70 million euro package ($85 million) adopted by the Commission in December.
COVID-19: UK reports one further coronavirus death as 50 million vaccine jabs now delivered
The UK has reported one COVID death in its daily figures, while more than 50 million vaccine doses have now been delivered. The last time coronavirus-related deaths increased by one was on 30 August. The UK has now administered 34,588,600 first vaccine doses and 15,500,949 second doses - a total of 50,089,549. Some 1,649 COVID cases were recorded in the latest 24-hour period.
EXCLUSIVE Novavax plans to ship COVID-19 vaccines to Europe from late 2021 - EU source
Novavax (NVAX.O) has told the European Union it plans to begin delivering its COVID-19 vaccine to the bloc towards the end of this year, new guidance that could lead to a formal contract being signed as early as this week, an EU official told Reuters. A deal would see Novavax supply a total of up to 200 million doses of the vaccine, providing the EU with booster shots to help contain the coronavirus and potentially guard against new variants, according to the official, who has direct knowledge of the discussions.
Moderna plans major expansion at Massachusetts manufacturing site to help boost COVID-19 vaccine supply
With plans to boost COVID-19 vaccine production into the billions of doses next year, Moderna is making major renovations at its Massachusetts manufacturing site that will more than double its size. The mRNA developer on Tuesday said it plans to renovate its manufacturing site in Norwood, Massachusetts, from “a production and lab space to an industrial technology center.” That means expanding the facility, from 300,000 square feet to roughly 650,000 square feet through the acquisition of another building located on the same campus. The expansion will boost Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine production capacity at the facility by 50%. That increased output is expected to come into play in late 2021 and early 2022, Moderna said. The latest renovations are part of the reasoning why Moderna recently accelerated its vaccine supply forecasts. The biotech announced late last week that it now expects to produce 800 million to 1 billion doses of its mRNA vaccine this year, with plans to grow production to 3 billion doses by 2022.
With supply timelines more certain, Novavax closes in on a COVID-19 vaccine deal with Europe: report
Novavax and Europe appear to be close to finalizing a COVID-19 vaccine supply deal. The Gaithersburg, Maryland-based biotech has told the bloc that it plans to begin sending doses to Europe before the end of the year, Reuters reports. The two came to a tentative agreement in December for a supply of up to 200 million doses of the protein-based vaccine. But in late March, a EU official told Reuters the company was delaying negotiations because it was having difficulty securing raw materials to produce the shot. Three weeks ago, Novavax CEO Stanley Erck told The Observer that a shortage of 2,000-liter bags was a threat to the global supply of vaccines. As that report emerged, Novavax warned that its goal of supplying 150 million doses per month globally had been pushed from the end of the second quarter to the third.
Moderna, planning big COVID-19 capacity upgrades, pledges 500M doses to COVAX
With up to 3 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses in its sights for 2022, Moderna has locked up a deal to spread its shot far and wide starting late this year. Moderna inked a supply pact to provide up to 500 million doses of its pandemic vaccine to COVAX, the global shot distribution initiative co-led by Gavi, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Moderna will sell an initial 34 million doses for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2021, with the option to sell another 466 million doses next year, the company said in a release. The shots will go out to the 92 COVAX countries covered by an Advance Market Commitment, which helps fund purchase agreements for low- and middle-income nations. Moderna says it's in talks to set aside doses for self-financing participants in the future
Pfizer Will Seek Approval to Give Covid Vaccine to Children
Pfizer Will Seek Approval to Give Covid Vaccine to Children
Pfizer expects to apply to the Food and Drug Administration in September for emergency authorization to administer its coronavirus vaccine to children between the ages of 2 and 11, the company told Wall Street analysts and reporters on Tuesday during its quarterly earnings call. The company said it also plans to apply this month for full approval of the vaccine for use in people from ages 16 to 85. And it said it expected to have clinical trial data on the safety of its vaccine in pregnant women by early August. By early next week, the F.D.A. is expected to issue an emergency use authorization allowing the vaccine to be used in children 12 to 15 years old, a major step ahead in the U.S. fight against Covid.
FDA expected to OK Pfizer vaccine for teens within week
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for youngsters ages 12 to 15 by next week, according to a federal official and a person familiar with the process, setting up shots for many before the beginning of the next school year. The announcement is set to come a month after the company found that its shot, which is already authorized for those age 16 and older, also provided protection for the younger group. The federal official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to preview the FDA’s action, said the agency was expected to expand its emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s two-dose vaccine by early next week, and perhaps even sooner. The person familiar with the process, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters, confirmed the timeline and added that it is expected that the FDA will approve Pfizer’s use by even younger children sometime this fall.
US expected to authorise Pfizer COVID jabs for 12 to 15 year olds
The United States’s regulator is expected to authorise Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 by next week, according to a federal official and a person familiar with the process, setting up shots for many before the beginning of the next school year. The announcement by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to come a month after the company found that its shot, which is already authorised for those age 16 and older, also provided protection for the younger group.
Antibody drug neutralizes virus variants in lab study; COVID-19 antibodies detectable 12 months after infection
Antibody drug neutralizes virus variants in lab study; COVID-19 antibodies detectable 12 months after infection
An experimental monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19 being developed by Eli Lilly and Co (LLY.N) and AbCellera Biologics Inc (ABCL.O) can "potently" neutralize numerous coronavirus variants, including those first identified in the UK, Brazil, South Africa, California and New York, scientists have found in test tube experiments. The antibody - known as LY-CoV1404 or LY3853113 - works by attaching itself to a place on the virus that has shown few signs of mutating, which means the drug is likely to retain its effectiveness over time, the researchers said in a report posted on Friday on bioRxiv ahead of peer review.
Do people who have had COVID-19 need a second vaccine shot?
Do people who have had COVID-19 need a second vaccine shot?
A new study suggests that there is a strong boost to the immunity of everyone who receives the first dose of an mRNA vaccine, including those who have previously had a SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, only people who have never had a SARS-CoV-2 infection appeared to benefit from the second dose. The scientists tracked not only antibody responses to vaccination but also the creation of memory B cells, which provide longer lasting immunity against infection. People who experienced particularly negative side effects from the vaccine — such as fever, headache, and muscle pain — had stronger immune responses.
Income inequality tied to more COVID-19 cases, deaths
Income inequality tied to more COVID-19 cases, deaths
A study yesterday in JAMA Network Open identifies an association between US county-level income inequality and higher rates of COVID-19 infection and death in summer 2020. The ecological cohort study, by Stanford University researchers, analyzed coronavirus case and death data from Johns Hopkins University on 3,220 counties in 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, DC, from Mar 1, 2020, to Feb 28, 2021. County income data, obtained mostly from the 2014 through 2018 American Community Survey, were used to estimate the Gini coefficient, which measures unequal income. Coefficient scores range from 0 to 1, with 0 representing perfect income equality and 1 representing perfect income inequality, in which one person earns all the income.