On Monday, March 1, 2021, here are the latest COVID-19 numbers around the world, according to statistics aggregator, Worldometer. 

• World Cases: Over 114.8 million.
• World Deaths: 2,545,385 deaths.

Countries Outside of the US with Most Infections:

• India: 11,122,986 confirmed cases; 157,257 deaths.
• Brazil: 10,551,259 confirmed cases; 255,018 deaths.
• Russia: 4,257,650 confirmed cases; 86,455 deaths.
• UK: 4,182,009 confirmed cases; 122,953 deaths.
• France: 3,755,968 confirmed cases; 86,455 deaths.

WHO Reports Sixth Straight Weeks of Declining Cases

Global coronavirus cases fell by 11% in the week leading up to February 21, marking the sixth consecutive week of declining cases, the World Health Organization said this week, according to a CNN report.

Digital Vaccine Credentials Critical for International Travel

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) governments around the should start issuing digital vaccine credentials to support a successful restart of international travel once borders re-open. “It’s absolutely critical that we start issuing digital vaccine credentials,” IATA’s Head of Airport Passenger & Security Products, Alan Murray Hayden, said on Wednesday. He added that,

“Many airports are really operating at capacity at the moment, even though they are only carrying 10% of the normal volumes of passengers. And that’s simply because of the amount of time it currently takes to check all the bits of paper that a passenger needs to have. It takes so much time that we simply won’t be able to reopen in a sustainable way.”

France Imposes Lockdowns Due to UK Variant Spike

The health minister of France announced the French city of Dunkirk and its surrounding region will be placed under a new week lockdown in an attempt to curb the spread of the UK variant of COVID-19.

National News

Monday, March 1, 2021

• US Cases: Over 29.2 million.
• US Deaths: 525,799 deaths.

• California: 3,555,010 confirmed cases; 52,213 deaths.
• Texas: 2,657,614 confirmed cases; 44,072 deaths.
• Florida: 1,909,221 confirmed cases; 30,583 deaths.
• New York: 1,680,688 confirmed cases; 47,827 deaths.
• Illinois: 1,186,696 confirmed cases; 22,735 deaths.

J&J Vaccine Approved

On Saturday, the US FDA officially issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the third vaccine to be approved for the prevention of COVID-19. “The authorization of this vaccine expands the availability of vaccines, the best medical prevention method for COVID-19, to help us in the fight against this pandemic, which has claimed over half a million lives in the United States,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “The FDA, through our open and transparent scientific review process, has now authorized three COVID-19 vaccines with the urgency called for during this pandemic, using the agency’s rigorous standards for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality needed to support emergency use authorization.”

CDC Director Concerned About Virus’ Trajectory Shift

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said she is “deeply concerned” about the potential shift in COVID-19 cases. “Please hear me clearly. At this level of cases with variants spreading, we stand to completely lose the hard earned ground we have gained,” Walensky said during a White House COVID-19 Response team briefing on Monday. “Please stay strong in your conviction,” Walensky said. “Continue wearing your well-fitting mask and taking the other public health prevention actions that we know work.”

Friday, February 26, 2021

• US Cases: Over 29 million.
• US Deaths: 520,878 deaths.

• California: 3,540,157 confirmed cases; 51,337 deaths.
• Texas: 2,636,976 confirmed cases; 43,444 deaths.
• Florida: 1,892,301 confirmed cases; 30,485 deaths.
• New York: 1,656,533 confirmed cases; 47,497 deaths.
• Illinois: 1,181,226 confirmed cases; 22,607 deaths.

Following Weeks of Declines, Cases are Flattening

Following six consecutive weeks of declining cases, the number has now plateaued – despite a continual drop in hospitalizations and deaths. Experts are unsure whether this one-week flattening represents a small blip or a warning sign. “I’ve been watching this and have been wondering the same thing,” Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, told CNN. “We have not seen widespread increases, but there is that flattening. We’ll have to monitor this closely. The other thing we have to track is how the new variant is doing and whether that’s part of the reason.”

FDA Meeting About Approval of J&J Vaccine

Advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are scheduled to meet today to discuss a potential emergency use approval of a third COVID-19 vaccine, this one Johnson & Johnson’s single dose jab. If approved, it could lead to the vaccine’s rollout early next week.

Fully Vaccinated People Can Gather at Minimal Risk

Dr. Anthony Fauci says that two fully vaccinated people can gather at minimal risk. “You can start getting together as individual people, even though the risk is not zero, the risk becomes extremely low when you have both parties vaccinated,” said Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease said to CNN’s Chris Cuomo.

Thursday, February 25, 2021

Moderna CEO on Current Vaccine Numbers

Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said that vaccine production numbers “are far from indicative” of future production. “The numbers we are producing today are far from indicative of what we can produce in the future,” Bancel said. “We expect that the additional capacity investment, which we announced yesterday to drive to up to 1.4 billion doses in 2022 will be helpful.”

Second Doses Outpace First Doses, According to CDC

The number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the US as second doses outpaced first doses for the first time over the past week, according to the CDC.

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

FDA Says Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Meets Emergency Use Requirements

The US Food and Drug Administration said the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine has met the requirements for emergency use authorization. The vaccine was shown to be 66.9% effective at least 14 days after the single dose vaccine and 66.1% effective at least 28 days after vaccination, based on a new analysis released Wednesday. “There were no specific safety concerns identified in subgroup analyses by age, race, ethnicity, medical comorbidities, or prior SARS-CoV-2 infection,” the analysis said. The FDA said the analysis results are “consistent with the recommendations set forth in FDA’s guidance Emergency Use Authorization for Vaccines to Prevent COVID-19.”

White House Increasing Vaccine Supply

The White House is increasing its supply of COVID-19 doses being delivered to pharmacies throughout the country, according to Jeff Zients, White House Covid-19 response coordinator, said on Wednesday. “From 8.6 million doses when we took office to 14.5 million doses this week, that’s an increase of vaccine allocations to states of nearly 70% during the Biden-Harris administration,” Zients said during a White House news briefing. “In this week, we will increase the allocation to pharmacies to 2.1 million doses,” Zients said. “So, with 14.5 million doses allocated to states, tribes and territories, and 2.1 million through the federal retail pharmacy program, we’ve nearly doubled weekly supply of doses in just five weeks.”

US to See Spike in Cases by Mid March Due to Variants, says Epidemiologist Michael Osterholm. “It often takes four, six, even eight weeks of this virus circulating before it really takes off, going from kind of the small little brush pile fire to a large forest fire,” said Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

US Surpasses 500,000 COVID-19 Cases

An incredibly dire milestone – over 500,000 Americans have now died due to COVID-19. President Joe Biden spoke at a candlelighting ceremony to honor those who have lost their lives to the horrific virus.

Monday, February 22, 2021

Fauci Says Americans Might Be Wearing Masks Until 2022

“The point I was trying to make is that people ask you to make a projection when there are so many variables in there that are unpredictable,” Fauci told Gayle King on CBS This Morning on Monday. “The point I was trying to make is that people ask you to make a projection when there are so many variables in there that are unpredictable,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told Gayle King on CBS This Morning on Monday, per a CNN report.

“So, when I said we might be, I didn’t say we absolutely are going to be wearing them, I’m saying it is quite conceivable that if we actually go into the fall and the winter and there is still a degree of virus in the community, despite the fact that many people have been vaccinated – we certainly will likely, very likely be much better off then than we are now – but it is conceivable that there will be enough virus in the community that in order to be extra safe, we may have to be wearing masks under certain circumstances.”

Cases/Hospitalizations are Down, but Variants Up

Numbers of new cases and hospitalizations are down, but reports new, and more contagious variants are on the rise. “I am worried about this variant — the B.1.1.7 variant (first found in the UK),” said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.

Friday, February 19, 2021

Variants Increasing in US

More than 1,500 cases of coronavirus variants have been reported in the US, according to the CDC.

Thursday, February 18, 2021

Vaccine Makers Looking into Booster Doses

A White House adviser told the Washington Post that vaccine makers are looking into providing booster doses to better protect against coronavirus variants. Johnson & Johnson, specifically, its exploring the possibility of retooling its COVID vaccine to combat the new strains. “If you have the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, could you later have another vaccine?” said Andy Slavitt, the White House’s senior adviser for Covid response. “And I will give you two parts to that answer quickly. One is: Johnson and Johnson, people may know, is currently evaluating whether — how their vaccine performs with two doses — in other words, with their own booster. So, pending the results on that, pending what the FDA has to say if the vaccine’s approved in the first place, there will be — there may be a second shot of Johnson and Johnson.”

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

• US Cases: Over 28.3 million.
• US Deaths: 487,171 deaths.

• California: 3,447,360 confirmed cases; 45,971 deaths.
• Texas: 2,548,975 confirmed cases; 40,777 deaths.
• Florida: 1,806,805 confirmed cases; 28,384 deaths.
• New York: 1,583,618 confirmed cases; 46,188 deaths.
• Illinois: 1,163,574 confirmed cases; 22,166 deaths.

White House Outlines New Steps to Increase Testing

The Biden administration announced new steps to augment COVID-19 testing efforts across the nation. “We need to test broadly and rapidly to turn the tide of this pandemic. But we still don’t have enough testing and we don’t have enough testing in all the places it needs to be. Today, we’re taking a critical step along that path,” said Covid-19 response team testing coordinator Carole Johnson at Wednesday’s virtual Covid briefing. The plan includes $650 million in funding for testing at schools and in underserved areas; $815 million for domestic manufacturing; and almost $200 million toward genome sequencing.

Tuesday, February 16, 2021

COVID Cases are Down; Fauci Warns That Shouldn’t Make Americans Complacent

COVID-19 cases are in decline in the US, but Dr. Fauci reminds Americans that it’s important to stay vigilant. “We’ve just got to be careful about getting too excited about that because we do have the challenge of variants,” he told CNN. “One of the things that we need to make sure we do is we don’t get complacent when we see those numbers go down.”

Death Toll Could Hit 600,000 by June

An influential model now projects that more than 600,000 Americans might die from COVID-19 by June 1.

Friday, February 12, 2021

• US Cases: Over 28 million.
• US Deaths: 487,171 deaths.

• California: 3,447,360 confirmed cases; 45,971 deaths.
• Texas: 2,548,975 confirmed cases; 40,777 deaths.
• Florida: 1,806,805 confirmed cases; 28,384 deaths.
• New York: 1,550,615 confirmed cases; 45,633 deaths.
• Illinois: 1,155,883 confirmed cases; 21,985 deaths.

Majority of Americans Could be Vaccinated by Middle or End of Summer

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told NBC on Today show that he thought the pace of vaccination was going to pick up going into March and April. “The number of available doses will allow for much more of a mass vaccination approach, which is really much more accelerated than what you’re seeing now,” he said. “Hopefully, as we get into the middle and end of the summer, we could have accomplished the goal of what we’re talking about, namely the overwhelming majority of people in this country having gotten vaccinated,” Fauci added.

Vitamin C and Zinc Don’t Help COVID

Contrary to rumor, new research shows that vitamin C and zinc  do nothing to help COVID-19 patients. The findings were reported by Cleveland Clinic, and published in JAMA Network Open. “In this randomized clinical trial of ambulatory patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection, treatment with high-dose zinc gluconate, ascorbic acid, or a combination of the two supplements did not significantly decrease the duration of symptoms compared with standard of care,” the researchers wrote.

Antibody Test Results Vary Depending on When You Get Them

Antibody test results vary greatly depending on the individual and when they take the test, according to researchers from the University of California. “The sensitivity of the antibody test varied by sex and age, with significantly higher sensitivity among males than among females,” the team wrote in the journal JAMA Network Open.

Thursday, February 11, 2020

Double Masking Highly Effective at Protecting Against COVID

The CDC reports that layering a cloth mask over a medical procedural mask, such as a disposable blue surgical mask, can block 92.5% of potentially infectious particles from escaping by creating a tighter fit and eliminating leakage. “These experimental data reinforce CDC’s prior guidance that everyone 2 years of age or older should wear a mask when in public and around others in the home not living with you,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, told a White House briefing.

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

1 in 10 Americans Have Been Vaccinated with At Least One Dose

About one in 10 Americans, or nearly 32.9 million people, have been vaccinated with at least one dose of the two-shot COVID-19 vaccines, according to data from the CDC. The data show that about 9.8 million people have been fully vaccinated.

Johnson & Johnson Head Says People Will Need Annual Vaccinations

The CEO of Johnson & Johnson says that people may need an an annual COVID-19 jab for many years to come in order to be protected against variants of the virus. “Unfortunately, as (the virus) spreads it can also mutate,” Alex Gorsky told CNBC’s Meg Tirrell Tuesday during the network’s Healthy Returns Spotlight event. “Every time it mutates, it’s almost like another click of the dial so to speak where we can see another variant, another mutation that can have an impact on its ability to fend of antibodies or to have a different kind of response not only to a therapeutic but also to a vaccine.”

CDC Says Fully Vaccinated People Can Skip Quarantines

People who have received two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine can skip quarantine if they are exposed to someone with the virus, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Fully vaccinated persons who meet criteria will no longer be required to quarantine following an exposure to someone with COVID-19,” the CDC said in updates to its webpage with guidance on vaccination. “Vaccinated persons with an exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are not required to quarantine if they meet all of the following criteria.”

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

NYC to Start Vaccinating Residents with Underlying Conditions

New York City will begin vaccinating residents with underlying conditions starting on Monday, Feb. 15. NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio announced during the press conference that New York City now has administered 1,032,158 vaccinations thus far.

Perceived Virus Risk is Down

An Axios-Ipsos poll published on Tuesday shows that 66% of Americans they thought the risk of returning to pre-COVID life was moderate or high, the lowest its been since October.

Monday, February 8, 2021

COVID-19 Variants Spread

Although COVID-19 infections have dropped recently, experts now warn that due to variants, Americans should not be letting their guard down. “I’ve been on Zoom calls for the last two weeks about how we’re going to manage this,” Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN Sunday. “The big wall is about to hit us again and these are the new variants.”

House Democrats to Unveil $3,000 Child Benefit as Part of Biden Relief Package

House Democratic leaders are planning to unveil legislation Monday that would give millions of families at least $3,000 per child. House Democratic leaders will unveil legislation Monday that would give millions of families at least $3,000 per child, advancing a key provision in President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package. “The pandemic is driving families deeper and deeper into poverty, and it’s devastating. We are making the Child Tax Credit more generous, more accessible, and by paying it out monthly, this money is going to be the difference in a roof over someone’s head or food on their table,” Neal said in a statement provided to CNN.

Thursday, February 4, 2021

US States with Most Confirmed Cases:

Death Toll Could Hit 530,000 by End of Feb.

The United States’ COVID-19 death toll could reach 534,000 by February 27, according to an ensemble forecast from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Vaccines Straight to Pharmacies

The Biden administration announced Tuesday that vaccine manufacturers can now ship vials directly to pharmacies starting Feb. 11, including CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid, according to a CNN report. The White House said that 1 million doses will be distributed to 6,500 stores.

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

US States with Most Confirmed Cases:

Fauci Says 70% to 85% of Americans Need to Get Vaccinated Before Return to Normalcy

Dr. Anthony Fauci says that about 70% to 85% of the US population needs to get vaccinated against COVID-19 before the nation can return to normalcy. While Fauci hopes that many Americans will get vaccinated by the end of summer, he added that “Having said that, there is an absolute ‘but’ in that. And the ‘but’ is that we have to address the variants.”

Tuesday, February 2, 2021

Fauci Says People Can Get Reinfected with Variants, Should Get Vaccinated

Even if you have been infected with COVID-19, you have a very high chance of reinfection, if variants become dominant, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci. As a result, he’s urging all Americans to get vaccinated. “Viruses cannot mutate if they don’t replicate. And if you stop their replication by vaccinating widely and not giving the virus an open playing field to continue to respond to the pressures that you put on it, you will not get mutations,” Fauci said in a virtual news briefing with the White House Covid-19 response team.

Pfizer Expects to Deliver 200 Million Vaccine Doses to US by End of May

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer says it expects to deliver 200 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to the US by the end of May. “In the US, we had promised to provide 100 million doses by the end of the first quarter and we will be able to provide 120 right now,” Bourla said last week. “The same is with second quarter. We were planning to provide them all the way to 200 million doses by the end of the second quarter, actually beginning of the third. Right now, we will be able to provide the 200 million doses two months earlier.”

How the NFL will Make the Super Bowl Safe for Attendees

The National Football League (NFL) announced that all 25,000 fans in attendance at Super Bowl LV in Tampa, FL will all receive PPE kits. Here’s a Tweet about it:

Biden Administration to Announce Direct Vaccine Shipments to Pharmacies

The Biden administration is expected to announce that it will soon begin sending direct shipments of COVID-19 vaccines to retail pharmacies, which will expand vaccine access for Americans.

Monday, February 1, 2021

January was the Deadliest Month of the Pandemic

More than 95,000 people died from COVID-19 in the month of January – making it the deadliest month since the pandemic started. However, on a positive note, hospitalizations are the lowest they’ve been in over two months, with less than 100,000 Americans currently hospitalized with the virus.

Fauci Feels US Needs to Put Politics Aside When it Comes to COVID

Dr. Anthony Fauci doesn’t feel there should be a politics and public health should go hand-in-hand. “When you’re in a public health crisis, you’ve got to pull together, everybody rowing in the same direction,” he said. “Otherwise you’re not going to stop what is now, as we all know, this historically destructive pandemic that we’re dealing with.” The “divisive society” in the US, Fauci said, has proven that “you’ve got to separate public health measures from political ideology.”

Friday, January 29, 2021

US States with Most Confirmed Cases:

• US Cases: Over 26.3 million.
• US Deaths: 444,127 deaths.

• California: 3,260,175 confirmed cases; 39,576 deaths.
• Texas: 2,336,841 confirmed cases; 36,530 deaths.
• Florida: 1,687,594 confirmed cases; 26,037 deaths.
• New York: 1,419,485 confirmed cases; 42,200 deaths.
• Illinois: 1,116,372 confirmed cases; 21,074 deaths.

South Carolina Reports First US Cases of South African Strain

The state of South Carolina announced that the US’s first two confirmed cases of the more contagious coronavirus strain first detected in South Africa. For both people infected, there is no known travel history or connection, which unfortunately suggests there is already community spread.

Influential Model Predicts New Variants Could Add up to 85,000 Deaths by May

An influential model predicts that new coronavirus variants could add up to 85,000 deaths to the US death toll by May. Dr. Anthony Fauci says that the variants are projected to become more dominant in the US by spring. “The fact is, when you have a virus that has ability to transmit more efficiently than the wild type in the community — sooner or later, by pure viral dynamics itself — it will become more dominant than the wild type,” Fauci said.

“We have a situation where there have now been reported in very specific places, in South Carolina for example, the isolate or the mutant that is the 351 [B.1.351, the Covid-19 variant first spotted in South Africa],” Fauci added. “That seems to have a very good fitness for spread, so whether or not that’s going to ultimately take over in the sense of being dominant is unclear by now. The projection that is made with regard to the UK [variant] is that probably by the end of March, the beginning of April, it actually will become more dominant in this country.”

Efficacy of Johnson & Johnson Single-Dose Vaccine

Phase 3 trial results show that Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot vaccine was shown to be 66% effective at preventing moderate to severe disease, but 85% effective against severe disease, the company announced today. The vaccine was shown to be 72% effective at preventing moderate disease in the US.

Thursday, January 28, 2021

New York City School Enrollment Down 4%

New York City public schools are seeing a 4% loss in enrollment for the school year in grades 3K through 12th grade, due to the pandemic. “Given the current circumstances of pandemic it is no surprise that we are seeing greater fluctuations in enrollment this year,” said Katie O’Hanlon, spokesperson for the Department of Education (DOE). “However, no school district has stabilized its school system the way we have, which means that we can and will continue to offer the gold standard in health, safety, and learning in a completely transformed educational environment to our students.”

White House Says it “Will Be Months” Before Everyone Who Wants a Vaccine Can Get One

A senior adviser to the White House COVID-19 Response Team said it will “be months” before any American who wants a COVID-19 vaccine can get one. “I want to level with the public that we’re facing two constraining factors. The first is getting enough supply quickly enough, and the second is the ability to administer the vaccines quickly once they’re produced and sent out to the sites,” said Andy Slavitt, senior adviser to the White House COVID-19 Response Team. “We are taking action to increase supply and increase capacity, but even so, it will be months before everyone who wants a vaccine will be able to get one,” he added.

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Biden Administration Ramps of Vaccine Initiative

President Joe Biden announced the purchase of 200 million more vaccine doses to combat the spread of COVID, as well as augmented distribution to US states by millions of doses next week. The President described efforts to end the pandemic as a “wartime undertaking.” “We now have a national strategy to beat Covid-19. It’s comprehensive. It’s based on science, not politics. It’s based on truth, not denial, and it is detailed,” he said.

Coronavirus Task Force Denies Any Vaccine Stockpile

A senior adviser to the White House COVID-19 response team denies the claim that the White House is keeping a stockpile of vaccines. “Now we’ve gotten several questions on this so I want to be clear, as you heard us announce yesterday, any stockpile that may have existed previously, no longer exists,” Slavitt said during the first briefing from the Biden administration’s Covid response team.

Oklahoma Trying to Return Millions of Dollars Worth of Hydroxychloroquine

Oklahoma is attempting to return $2 million worth of hydroxychloroquine it purchased at the urging of former President Trump, according to a NY Daily News report. The report says that Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt purchased the anti-malaria drug from a California-based company in April and said the treatment could be used for other things if it proved to be ineffective against COVID-19 and “that money will not have gone to waste in any respect.”

However,  The Frontier reports that state’s attorney general’s office and the state health department are trying to return the drugs to private pharmaceutical wholesaler FFF Enterprises, Inc.

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Biden Says He Hopes to Ramp Up to 1.5 Million Vaccines a Day, White House Clarifies

The White House clarified a remark made by President Joe Biden about raising the bar from 1 million to 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccines a day. “The President didn’t actually say, ‘the new goal is.’ The President said, ‘I hope we can do even more than that, and that is certainly, of course, his hope. He is continuing to push our team to get as many Americans vaccinated as quickly as possible,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

Moderna Expects its Vaccine to Protect Against Variants

Moderna believes its vaccine is effective against COVID-19 variants, after it was found to create antibodies coronavirus variants first found in the United Kingdom and South Africa, the company said in a news release on Monday.

Monday, January 25, 2021

Biden to Reinstate Travel Restrictions

President Joe Biden will reinstate COVID-19 travel restrictions that were lifted by former President Trump. The restrictions will be in place for non-US citizens who have been  in Brazil, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and much of Europe, a White House said, according to a CNN report.

CDC Reviewing New Data that Suggests New Variant is More Deadly

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is speaking with health officials from the UK to learn more about data that suggests a new variant of the coronavirus could have a higher mortality rate. “The CDC has reached out to UK officials and is reviewing their new mortality data associated with variant B.1.1.7,” a CDC official told CNN Saturday, using the scientific name for the variant first spotted in the UK in November. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said “there is some evidence that the new variant may be associated with a higher degree of mortality.”

Friday, January 22, 2021

US States with Most Confirmed Cases:

Biden Looks to Tackle Pandemic on His First Full Day in Office

In President Joe Biden’s first full day in office, he outlined a national strategy to get the COVID-19 pandemic under control.

US is Capable of Vaccinating Up to 85% of Americans by End of Summer, Says Fauci

Dr. Anthony Fauci said the US “can and should” vaccinate 70-85% of adults by the start of fall. “When you put the pedal to the floor, you can get it done,” Fauci told CNN’s Chris Cuomo on Thursday night. Under the Biden administration’s current goal of 1 million vaccine shots per day, it would take until the end of 2021 to vaccine 75% of people, but Fauci’s belief can become more attainable with a single-dose vaccine – which Johnson & Johnson is working on and expected to report on Phase 3 trial findings by the end of this month.

Pfizer’s Vaccine Trial for Children is Fully Enrolled

According to CNN, Pfizer’s trial in children ages 12 to 15 is now fully enrolled with 2,359 participants. Currently, Pfizer’s vaccine is only FDA approved for people age 16 and older.

Thursday, January 21, 2021

US States with Most Confirmed Cases:

Biden Issues New Initiatives to Control COVID-19

During President Biden first full day in office today, he plans to roll out his strategy for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden plans to sign at least 10 executive orders, memorandums, and directives aimed at fighting COVID, and will present some of those plans at to the public this afternoon.

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

US States with Most Confirmed Cases:

• US Cases: Over 24.8 million.
• US Deaths: 411,657 deaths.

• California: 3,024,082 confirmed cases; 33,739 deaths.
• Texas: 2,143,599 confirmed cases; 32,930 deaths.
• Florida: 1,579,281 confirmed cases; 24,274 deaths.
• New York: 1,287,593 confirmed cases; 41,164 deaths.
• Illinois: 1,072,214 confirmed cases; 20,118 deaths.

Biden’s First Executive Order

President Joe Biden will begin his term today by asking all Americans to wear masks for 100 days and requiring the wearing of masks on federal property.

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Trump Lifts Travel Bans on Much of Europe, Brazil

On Monday, President Donald Trump lifted COVID-19 lifted travel restrictions on much of Europe, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Brazil, effective January 26. “I agree with the Secretary that this action is the best way to continue protecting Americans from COVID-19 while enabling travel to resume safely,” Trump wrote in the order, referring to Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar. President-elected Joe Biden, who takes office tomorrow, is expected to block this executive order.

Over 2 Million US Children Have Tested Positive Since Start of Pandemic

About 2.5 million children in the US have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 since the start of the pandemic, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Last week alone, 211,466 new child cases were identified through testing – an 18% increase in child cases over two weeks.

NYC to Run Out of Vaccines by Thursday

New York City is on pace to run out of vaccines by Thursday if the state doesn’t receive more doses, according to NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio. According to the mayor, as the city is vaccinating people “faster and faster,” the city needs more doses.

Monday, January 18, 2021

Incoming CDC Director Says US Death Toll will Hit 500,000 by mid-February

The US death toll from COVID-19 currently stands at well over 405,000, and the incoming Director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that it’s only going to get worse, with 100,000 more lives potentially lost in the next month. “By the middle of February, we expect half a million deaths in this country,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “That doesn’t speak to the tens of thousands of people who are living with a yet uncharacterized syndrome after they’ve recovered,” she added.

Biden Administration to Address “Bottlenecks” in Vaccine Distribution

Incoming CDC Director Dr. Walensky added that the incoming Biden administration will address “bottlenecks” in Covid-19 vaccine distribution, and reach its goal to deliver 100 million doses in 100 days. “I think that there are bottlenecks in different places across the entire system,” Walensky told “Face the Nation.”

“Different states are having different challenges — how much is being rolled out to each state, whether those states have adequate personnel, whether those states are getting vaccine to pharmacies,” she said. “Our job is to make sure that with the entire support of the federal government, that we address all of those bottlenecks wherever we are, so we can get vaccine into people’s arms.”

60% of New US Cases Have Been Reported Since Election Day

Johns Hopkins University data shows that 60% of new COVID-19 cases in the US have been reported since election day. As of Monday, JHU reports 23,937,331 Covid-19 cases in the US. Whereas, on the morning of Nov. 4 – the day after the US presidential election – there were a total of 9,573,836 cases.

Friday, January 15, 2021

Biden Outlines $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 Emergency Package

President-elect Joe Biden outlined a $1.9 trillion emergency legislation package to fund the vaccine rollout and provide direct economic relief to Americans amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “There is real pain overwhelming the real economy — one where people rely on paychecks, not their investments, to pay for their bills and their meals and their children’s needs,” Biden said in a speech in Wilmington, Delaware, in which he took aim at the nation’s searing income inequality. “In this pandemic in America, we cannot let people go hungry. We cannot let people get evicted. We cannot let nurses, educators and others lose their jobs when we so badly need them. We must act now and act decisively,” Biden said.

US Has Administered Over 12 Million Doses Thus Far

According to the CDC, the US has administered more than 12 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to 10.6 million people. Overall, that total breaks down to approximately 7 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and 5 million doses from the Moderna vaccine.

Fauci Believes 100 Million Vaccine Doses in Biden’s First 100 Days is Viable

Dr. Anthony Fauci remarked on Friday that “it’s quite feasible” the US can achieve President-elect Biden’s plan of distributing 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in his first 100 days in office.

“We’ve discussed it with the Biden team, and we think it’s quite feasible that we can do that. Right now, even now, we’ve gone from half a million a day to 750,000 a day. I believe strongly that it’s doable — and if we do it, stay on target to get the overwhelming majority of the country vaccinated,” said Fauci. “If we get about 70% to 85% of the people in the country vaccinated, we likely will get to that umbrella of herd immunity,” Fauci said. “We can start approaching some form of normality, but it’s really going to be dependent on the uptake of vaccines.”

COVID-19 Adviser Wants to Ramp Up Vaccinations

Ricky Bright, a member of President-elect Joe Biden coronavirus advisory board, remarked that the Biden administration plans to “push harder” on vaccinations. “We want to open the floodgates on vaccination and make sure everyone who wants to get vaccinated can do so as quickly as possible,” Bright told CNN’s Brianna Keilar. “It’s going to take a lot of effort, a lot of hard work, and we’re going to do as much as we can as fast as we can.”

Thursday, January 14, 2021

CDC Projects Much Deaths in Coming Weeks

Close to 40,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 in the first two weeks of January, and it’s only going to get worse. A CDC ensemble is now expecting another 92,000 Americans to die in the next three weeks. Currently, more than 130,300 people are hospitalized with the virus, according to data from the COVID Tracking Project.

Over 200 Deaths in New York

The State of New York suffered 202 deaths on Thursday and 13,661 more positive cases, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office.

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

• US Cases: Over 23.3 million.
• US Deaths: 389,790 deaths.

US States with Most Confirmed Cases:

• California: 2,758,909 confirmed cases; 30,386 deaths.
• Texas: 1,997,795 confirmed cases; 30,795 deaths.
• Florida: 1,488,586 confirmed cases; 23,075 deaths.
• New York: 1,182,351 confirmed cases; 39,808 deaths.
• Illinois: 1,033,526 confirmed cases; 19,363 deaths.

CDC to Require Negative Tests from All Air Travelers Entering US

In an effort to reduce the spread of coronavirus, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will require a negative COVID-19 test from all air passengers entering the US. The order will go into effect on January 26. “Variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus continue to emerge in countries around the world, and there is evidence of increased transmissibility of some of these variants,” the CDC said in a statement. “With the US already in surge status, the testing requirement for air passengers will help slow the spread of the virus as we work to vaccinate the American public.”

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

US Now Averaging 3,000 COVID-19 Deaths Per Day Over the Past Week

To put the COVID-19 pandemic in perspective, the US is now suffering the equivalent of the 9/11 attacks every day. And over the past week, an average of 248,650 new Covid-19 infections have been reported every day.

Monday, January 11, 2021

US Vaccine Roll Out is Still Very Low

The vaccine roll out in the US to combat COVID-19 is still going slow. Out of over 22 million doses of vaccine that have been distributed to hospitals and pharmacies across the nation, only about 6.7 million people have been vaccinated thus far.

President-elect Biden Receives Second Vaccine Dose

President-elect Joe Biden received his second dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, and expressed confidence in the coronavirus taskforce, despite the disappointment in some of their progression. “I do,” he said, reiterating that he will be unveiling his Covid-19 plan on Thursday. Biden said that 3-4,000 people dying per day is “beyond the pale.”

Friday, January 8, 2021

• US Cases: Over 22.1 million.
• US Deaths: 374,988 deaths.

US States with Most Confirmed Cases:

• California: 2,577,458 confirmed cases; 28,511 deaths.
• Texas: 1,916,872 confirmed cases; 29,724 deaths.
• Florida: 1,429,722 confirmed cases; 22,491 deaths.
• New York: 1,116,929 confirmed cases; 39,149
• Illinois: 1,008,045 confirmed cases; 18,941 deaths.

Friday, January 8, 2021

• US Cases: Over 22.1 million.
• US Deaths: 374,988 deaths.

US States with Most Confirmed Cases:

• California: 2,577,458 confirmed cases; 28,511 deaths.
• Texas: 1,916,872 confirmed cases; 29,724 deaths.
• Florida: 1,429,722 confirmed cases; 22,491 deaths.
• New York: 1,116,929 confirmed cases; 39,149
• Illinois: 1,008,045 confirmed cases; 18,941 deaths.

US Reports More Than 4,000 COVID-19 Deaths in a Day

The US has reached perhaps its most dire milestone yet, after 4,080 COVID-19 deaths were reported on Thursday – both a new record one day death toll and the first time that number has exceeded 4,000.

Thursday, January 7, 2021

Highest Single-Day Death Toll, CDC Warns it Could Get Worse

The US reported 3,865 COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, a single day record. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that the overall death toll could surpass 430,000 by the end of January.

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

• US Cases: Over 21.6 million.
• US Deaths: 366,662 deaths.

US States with Most Confirmed Cases:

• California: 2,501,232 confirmed cases; 27,430 deaths.
• Texas: 1,868,949 confirmed cases; 29,028 deaths.
• Florida: 1,392,123 confirmed cases; 22,220 deaths.
• Illinois: 991,719 confirmed cases; 18,562 deaths.
• New York: 1,082,147 confirmed cases; 38,718 deaths.

US Hospitalizations Continue to Rise

Hospitalizations in the United States, including California, which reported more than 45,000 new cases in recent days. California has been hit especially hard, but New York, like all major cities, is suffering greatly from the pandemic, with NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio now pushing from adults over the age of 75 to be prioritized for vaccination against COVID. New York City Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi elaborated that over the past 30 days, 6% of all cases are over 75 and up, but 30% of hospitalizations and 58% of deaths are in persons 75 and older. Percent positivity is also increasing in this category.

A Grim Death Toll in LA

Per a CNN report, over 1,000 people have died of Covid-19 in Los Angeles County over the past week as California grapples with surging cases and overwhelmed hospitals. “L.A. County reached the terrible milestone of more than 11,000 deaths due to Covid-19,” Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said in a statement, as she urged all residents to stay home and follow public health orders”As a community, we must commit to stopping the spread of Covid-19 in its tracks so that we can save as many lives as possible.”

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

COVID Hitting California Especially Hard

California reported that over 45,350 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, with hospitals in the state now pushed to their brink. Hospitals in California are now treating a record number of coronavirus cases, including many health workers. Per a CNN report, at Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center, 44 employees in the emergency department tested positive for the virus between December 27 and January 1. The harsh and devastating reality is, in Los Angeles County, and a person is dying of the virus every 15 minutes, according to a health official.

Monday, January 4, 2021

Over 4.2 Million Americans Vaccinated – That’s Not Enough

The US has vaccinated more than 4.2 million people with their first doses thus far, but that number is far behind what officials had hoped. That number also means herd immunity remains far off. To combat this lag, the US may start giving half doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine to people age 18 to 55, making the vaccine available to twice as many people in that age group.

A Startling Statistic

Johns Hopkins University data shows that the US has averaged 2,637 COVID-19 deaths every day. In other words, every 33 seconds an American is dying from the virus. On Sunday, more people were hospitalized with Covid-19 than any other day in this pandemic — 125,544, according to the Covid Tracking Project.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

• US Cases: Over 19.8 million.
• US Deaths: 343,614 deaths.

US States with Most Confirmed Cases:

• California: 2,234,765 confirmed cases; 24,733 deaths.
• Texas: 1,739,416 confirmed cases; 27,584 deaths.
• Florida: 1,280,177 confirmed cases; 21,309 deaths.
• Illinois: 942,362 confirmed cases; 17,470 deaths.
• New York: 972,951 confirmed cases; 37,518 deaths.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

• US Cases: Over 19.8 million.
• US Deaths: 343,614 deaths.

US States with Most Confirmed Cases:

• California: 2,234,765 confirmed cases; 24,733 deaths.
• Texas: 1,739,416 confirmed cases; 27,584 deaths.
• Florida: 1,280,177 confirmed cases; 21,309 deaths.
• Illinois: 942,362 confirmed cases; 17,470 deaths.
• New York: 972,951 confirmed cases; 37,518 deaths.

US Hits Record Heaths and Hospitalizations

The US recorded more than 3,700 new deaths from COVID-19, a chilling new high. Also, the US reported more than 124,600 hospitalizations nationwide, also a record. “The next couple of months are going to be awful,” said Dr. Jonathan Reiner, professor of medicine at George Washington University. “We’re going to lose 3,000, maybe more people a day, probably until we’re well into February. And then, we should start to see some light.

Possibly Two Cases of New Variant in Colorado

Health officials in Colorado county believe they’ve found a second case of new, more contagious coronavirus variant originally identified in UK. There is “no indication at this point” that this event has gone beyond the facility and into the larger community, according to county health director Dwayne Smith in an interview with CNN.

Vaccine Roll Out Slower than Expected

Although the Government had initially promised 20 million vaccine doses would be administered by the end of December, but data from the CDC shows that only about 11.4 million doses have been distributed, with only 2.1 million administered.

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Houses Passes Measure to Increase Stimulus Checks

On Monday, the House of Representatives Passed a measure to increase stimulus checks from $600 to $2,0000, thanks in large part to President Trump championing the increase. The bill now heads to senate. The legislation passed with a 275-134 vote. “Following the strong bipartisan vote in the House, tomorrow I will move to pass the legislation in the Senate to quickly deliver Americans with $2,000 emergency checks,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer in a statement. “Every Senate Democrat is for this much-needed increase in emergency financial relief, which can be approved tomorrow if no Republican blocks it — there is no good reason for Senate Republicans to stand in the way.”

Almost 70,000 People Vaccinated in NYC, Says Mayor

More than 67,000 people have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio said, adding that “results, again, have been great.” The city administered 12,515 vaccine doses on Dec. 23, alone.

Stocks Once Again Open High

The US stock market once again opened higher on Tuesday, on track for a second day of record highs.

Here’s how Wall Street opened:

Monday, December 28, 2020

President Trump Signs Coronavirus Relief Bill

President Trump green lit the $2.3 trillion COVID-19 relief and government funding package on Sunday night – thus avoiding a government shutdown that was set to begin on Tuesday, as CNN reported. The $900 billion for COVID relief will extend unemployment benefits for millions of Americans, and disperse $600 stimulus checks. However, because Trump signed the bill on Sunday and not Saturday, it has a negative impact – people enrolled in the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation programs will likely not receive a payment for the final week of the year.

Overall though, the signing avoids not only a government shutdown, which was set to begin on Tuesday, but job losses. For example, Southwest Airlines said the stimulus bill will allow them to avoid employee furloughs – which would have been a first in the company’s history.

Stocks Up Today After Trump Signs Off on Stimulus Package

Stocks opened higher on Monday following President Trump’s signing of the COVID-19 relief package bill.

• The Dow opened up 0.6%, or 176 points.
• The S&P 500 rose 0.7%.
• The Nasdaq Composite opened up 0.9%.

At Least 2 Million Americans Vaccinated for COVID So Far

On Saturday, the CDC Covid Data Tracker said that 9,547,925 vaccine doses had been distributed and 1,944,585 had been administered. However, Admiral Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for health at the US Department of Health and Human Services said on Good Morning America that , “the two million number is probably an underestimate.”

Giroir said that 10.8 million doses have been distributed to the states, “that two million number is delayed three to seven days, so we certainly expect that to be a multiple of two million.”

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

• US Cases: Over 18.7 million.
• US Deaths: 331,208 deaths.

US States with Most Confirmed Cases:

• California: 1,888,199 confirmed cases; 22,678 deaths.
• Texas: 1,597,473 confirmed cases; 26,019 deaths.
• Florida: 1,201,566 confirmed cases; 20,574 deaths.
• Illinois: 900,370 confirmed cases; 16,407 deaths.
• New York: 887,177 confirmed cases; 36,402 deaths.

Trump Tells Congress to Amend Stimulus Package

President Donald Trump is asking Congress to make changes to the COVID-19 relief bill it passed on Tuesday, leaving the future of the $900 billion stimulus package in doubt. Trump is demanding more money put into the pockets of Americans. “I’m asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2000 or $4000 per couple,” Trump said in a video released on Twitter. “I’m also asking Congress to immediately get rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items in this legislation or to send me a suitable bill.”

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Pfizer/Moderna Testing Vaccine Against UK Variant

Both Pfizer and Moderna are testing their vaccine against the new variant of coronavirus, which may be up to 70% more transmissible than the current strain. But has the new strain reached the US?

The variant has not been identified in the United States, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a Tuesday brief, but “given the small fraction of US infections that have been sequenced, the variant could already be in the United States without having been detected.”

Monday, December 21, 2020

• US Cases: Over 18.3 million.
• US Deaths: 325,006.

US States with Most Confirmed Cases:

• California: 1,888,199 confirmed cases; 22,678 deaths.
• Texas: 1,597,473 confirmed cases; 26,019 deaths.
• Florida: 1,201,566 confirmed cases; 20,574 deaths.
• Illinois: 900,370 confirmed cases; 16,407 deaths.
• New York: 887,177 confirmed cases; 36,402 deaths.

House and Senate Reach Deal on New Stimulus Package

Leaders in the House and Senate were finally able to reach an agreement on Sunday for a $900 billion coronavirus relief bill. The package would send direct stimulus payments of $600 to individuals, which is half of amount sent in the first package. For unemployed individuals, the federal government would provide $300 per week for 11 weeks, from the end of December through mid-March. Moreover, the Bill would reopen the Paycheck Protection Program, and provide $82 billion in school and child care funding.

Moderna Vaccine Approved

Moderna’s vaccine was approved for use and is now arriving across the US today. It became the second vaccine to receive approval by the FDA, behind Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine.

Friday, December 18, 2020

US Hits Record Hospitalizations for 12th Consecutive Day

The United States reported a record high number of coronavirus hospitalizations the 12th day in a row on Thursday. More than 114,200 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 yesterday, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

Overall, here are the numbers for US cases of COVID-19:

• US Cases: Over 17.6 million.
• US Deaths: 318,672.

US States with Most Confirmed Cases:

• California: 1,759,876 confirmed cases; 22,146 deaths.
• Texas: 1,556,006 confirmed cases; 25,401 deaths.
• Florida: 1,168,483 confirmed cases; 20,306 deaths.
• Illinois: 879,428 confirmed cases; 15,985 deaths.
• New York: 855,526 confirmed cases; 36,101 deaths.

FDA Looking to Green Light Moderna Vaccine

US officials are “rapidly” working to issuing an emergency use authorization for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. A panel voted on Thursday voted to recommend the vaccine for public use.

Thursday, December 17, 2020

US Hits a New Record in Deaths & Hospitalizations

On Wednesday, the US recorded 3,600 deaths from COVID-19, a record since the pandemic started in March 2020, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Moreover, the data revealed more than 230,000 new coronavirus infections and 113,090 new hospitalizations. — a number that’s been on the rise since Dec. 6.

US States with Most Confirmed Cases:

• California: 1,653,207 confirmed cases; 21,477 deaths.
• Texas: 1,520,038 confirmed cases; 24,890 deaths.
• Florida: 1,143,794 confirmed cases; 20,093 deaths.
• Illinois: 863,477 confirmed cases; 15,587 deaths.
• New York: 834,212 confirmed cases; 35,833 deaths.

Thursday, December 17, 2020

US Hits a New Record in Deaths & Hospitalizations

On Wednesday, the US recorded 3,600 deaths from COVID-19, a record since the pandemic started in March 2020, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Moreover, the data revealed more than 230,000 new coronavirus infections and 113,090 new hospitalizations. — a number that’s been on the rise since Dec. 6.

Overall, here are the numbers for US cases of COVID-19:

• US Cases: Over 17.4 million.
• US Deaths: 314,848.

US States with Most Confirmed Cases:

• California: 1,653,207 confirmed cases; 21,477 deaths.
• Texas: 1,520,038 confirmed cases; 24,890 deaths.
• Florida: 1,143,794 confirmed cases; 20,093 deaths.
• Illinois: 863,477 confirmed cases; 15,587 deaths.
• New York: 834,212 confirmed cases; 35,833 deaths.

Fauci Says Moderna’s Vaccine Could Receive EUA Today

Advisers to the US FDA are meeting today to discuss Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. The FDA is expected to grant emergency use authorization to this Moderna’s candidate, which boasts similar efficacy to Pfizer’s vaccine.

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Most Americans Will Likely Get Vaccine, Survey Finds

A survey found that 71% of Americans say that they will “definitely or probably” get a COVID-19 vaccine. The survey was published on Tuesday from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The number is up from 63% in September, however, African Americans, people living in rural areas, and Republicans are more hesitant about the vaccine, the survey showed.

Stimulus Package Deal Getting Closer

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer now says “the finish line is in sight” with respect to a COVID-19 relief package. “And as we race the clock to reach a final accord before the end of the year, we are close to an agreement. It’s not a done deal yet, but we are very close,” Schumer said in his floor remarks Wednesday morning.

That sentiment seems to be shared by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said that Hill leaders have “made major headway toward hammering out a targeted pandemic relief package that would be able to pass both chambers with bipartisan majorities,” and have “committed to continuing these urgent discussions until we have an agreement.”

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

FDA Panel Confirms Efficacy of Moderna Vaccine

An advisory committee from the US FDA released a document detailing data on Moderna’ COVID-19 vaccine, which may be approved for emergency use authorization (EUA) this week in the US among adults aged 18 and older. The document confirms that the vaccine is 94.5% effective against COVID-19, occurring at least 14 days following the second dose – backing the efficacy percentage previously reported by Moderna. The proposed dosing regimen is to administer two 100-microgram doses of vaccine one month apart.

Fauci on the Vaccine’s Safety

Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared on ABC this morning, and was asked how people can be sure the COVID-19 vaccine is safety, given the speed at which it was developed. Fauci said, “The speed was not at all at the sacrifice of safety. The speed was the reflection of extraordinary advances in the science of vaccine platform technology.”

Stocks Rise Due to Vaccine and Stimulus Optimism

US stocks opened significantly higher Tuesday, as hopes grow on the COVID-19 vaccine and the potential for another federal stimulus package. The markets opened today as follows:

• The Dow gained 0.6%, or nearly 170 points.
• The S&P 500 was up 0.7%.
• The Nasdaq Composite also rose 0.7%.

Monday, December 14, 2020

US Starts Vaccinating

A historic moment in the seemingly never-ending pandemic, the United States has finally starting vaccinating citizens against the COVID-19 vaccine. An ICU nurse in New York City was among the first people in the country to get a shot. “I’m feeling well. I would like to thank all the frontline workers and all my colleagues … doing their job during this pandemic all over the world,” said Sandra Lindsay, an ICU nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens. “I feel hopeful today, relieved. I hope this marks the beginning of the end of a very painful time.”

After achieving the approval of the US FDA, the CDC has authorized the vaccine to be given to people 16 and older. “We expect 145 sites across all the states to receive vaccine on Monday, another 425 sites on Tuesday, and the final 66 sites on Wednesday, which will complete the initial delivery of the Pfizer orders for vaccine,” said Gustave Perna, chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed.

Friday, December 11, 2020

FDA Pannel Green Lights Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccine

Vaccine Advisers from the US FDA voted on Thursday to recommend that the agency approves the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. Overall, 17 members of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted yes, four voted no and one abstained. The FDA is expected to issue Emergency Use Authorization as early as tomorrow (Saturday).

Fauci Reiterates that “Normality” Won’t Come Until At Least Summer 2021

As as a COVID-19 vaccine is dispensed to the public, it will still take months before the nation returns to normal, says Dr. Anthony Fauci.”If we have a smooth vaccination program where everybody steps to the plate quickly, we could get back to some form of normality, reasonably quickly. Into the summer, and certainly into the fall,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN Thursday.

“My hope and my projection is that if we get people vaccinated en masse so that we get that large percentage of the population, as we get into the fall, we can get real comfort about people being in schools, safe in school — be that K-12, or college,” he added.

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Committee Meets Today to Consider Emergency Authorization for COVID-19 Vaccine

A group of advisers are discussing emergency use authorization (EUA) of Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 candidate, and widely expected to grant such authorization. “Our team has done their initial analysis, and we do feel that preliminarily that the success criteria have been met,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn told CNN Tuesday.

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

White House Aims to Deploy Vaccine Within 96 Hours of Authorization

The US and Food and Drug Administration will meet on Thursday to discuss whether to grant emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. A decision could come within days of that meeting, and shortly thereafter, the plan is to start vaccinating Americans. After any EUA is made, “we will start to have shots in arms within 96 hours” of that decision, Gen. Gustave Perna, chief operating officer of the federal government’s Operation Warp Speed vaccine initiative, said Tuesday. “That’s what I believe with all my heart.”

Senior Leaders to Receive Vaccine First, Says Pentagon

The Pentagon confirmed that a small number of senior officials will be among the first to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. “We do intend as part of this initial phase of healthcare workers, emergency responders, etcetera, have some very small set of very visible leaders that will volunteer to take the vaccine, do it in a public way as one way of helping to message the safety and efficacy and underscore that we are encouraging all those eligible personnel to take the vaccine,” Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Thomas McCaffery, announced Wednesday.

Delta Places Nearly 700 People on No-Fly List Over Mask Wearing

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian says that almost 700 people have been placed on a no-fly list by the company for refusing to comply with the airline’s mask wearing policy.

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

President Trump to Sign EO Prioritizing Vaccine Shipment to Americans

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Tuesday which will prioritize the shipment of a COVID-19 vaccine to Americans before other nations, according to senior officials and reported by CNN. The signing is expected to take place during a vaccine summit at the White House, and is intended to quell any fears that there won’t be enough vaccine to go around to each American after dispensing begins.

Peer-Reviewed Data Confirms AstraZeneca Vaccine is 70% Effective

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate was confirmed to be 70.4% effective in an interim analysis, published in a peer-viewed journal. “Overall vaccine efficacy across both groups was 70.4%,” the researchers – from the University of Oxford, AstraZeneca and other institutions around the world – wrote in the study. “Here, we present the first interim safety and efficacy data for a viral vector coronavirus vaccine, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, evaluated in four trials across three continents, showing significant vaccine efficacy of 70.4% after two doses and protection of 64.1% after at least one standard dose, against symptomatic disease, with no safety concerns,” the researchers wrote.

Pfizer Says People Need to Take 2 Doses for 95% Efficacy

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said that while patients have some level of protection from COVID-19 after 12 days of taking the first dose, a second dose is necessary to achieve 95% efficacy. “This is a two-dose vaccine, so people need to take two doses to be able to feel confident that they’re protected at 95% — 95% chance of being protected,” Bourla said during an International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations briefing on Tuesday. “At the dose one, it’s around 50%, something like that.”

Trump Administration Official Explains Why US Passed Up on Buying More Pfizer Vaccine

An official with the White’s “Operation Warp Speed” explained why the team passed up a chance to purchase more than the current total of 100 million doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine. According to the official, the decision was made as part of a plan to “diversify” the nation’s vaccine arsenal through the purchase of millions of doses from Pfizer’s rivals. At the time, officials at “Operation Warp Speed” had no idea the Pfizer vaccine was going to be this effective.   “The plan was to diversify and don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

Monday, December 7, 2020

US Nears 200,000 Cases Per Day Average

The US infection rate is dire and a vaccine can’t come soon enough. The US is now averaging 200,000 new cases of COVID-19 each day. Health experts say that “behavior and cold weather” are the culprits for the surge. “People are going indoors, they’re not minding the three W’s,” Health and Human Services secretary, Alex Azar, told Fox News’ Chris Wallace Sunday. “Our advice is always the same. Wash your hands, watch your distance, wear face coverings.”

Rudy Giuliani Hospitalized with COVID-19

Former New York City mayor and personal attorney of President Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, has been hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19. Giuliani, 76, was admitted to Georgetown University Hospital on Sunday, according to a CNN report. Giuliani Tweeted that he is, “Getting great care and feeling good.”

Gov. Cuomo Orders New York Hospitals to Increase Capacity by 25%

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced as part of NY’s new “Surge and Flex” strategy that hospitals must increase bed capacity by 25%. The state’s positivity rate is currently 4.79%.

Friday, December 4, 2020

• US Cases: Over 14.5 million.
• US Deaths: 283,519.

US States with Most Confirmed Cases:

• Texas: 1,317,457 confirmed cases; 22,279 deaths.
• California: 1,291,214 confirmed cases; 19,588 deaths.
• Florida: 1,029,030 confirmed cases; 18,874 deaths.
• Illinois: 759,562 confirmed cases; 13,625 deaths.
• New York: 713,587 confirmed cases; 34,829 deaths.

Biden Urges Americans to Don Masks for 100 Days

President-elect Joe Biden is urging Americans to wear masks for the next 100 days to reduce the spread of COVID-19. “Just 100 days to mask, not forever. One hundred days. And I think we’ll see a significant reduction,” Biden told CNN’s Jake Tapper.

COVID-19 the Leading Cause of Death in the US This Week

COVID-19 is the leading cause of death in the US this week – surpassing heart disease, and cancer. There were an average of 1,660 deaths per day across America this week, according to the  Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and the University of Washington.

Fauci Apologizes for Suggesting UK Rushed Vaccine

Dr. Anthony Fauci today apologized for suggesting British regulators had not scrutinized the disease closely enough. There really has been a misunderstanding, and for that, I’m sorry and I apologize for that. I do have great faith in both the scientific community and the regulatory community at the UK,” Fauci told the BBC. “I do have confidence. It came out wrong and that was not the way I meant it to be,” he added.

Thursday, December 3, 2020

UK Did Not Scrutinize Pfizer Vaccine Trial as Well as US FDA Did, Says Fauci

British health regulators who authorized the Pfizer vaccine did not scrutinize the trial data as closely as the US FDA is doing in its review, according to Dr. Fauci. “The way the FDA is, our FDA is doing it, is the correct way,” Fauci said in an interview on Fox News.

“We really scrutinize the data very carefully to guarantee to the American public that this is a safe and efficacious vaccine,” he said. “I think if we did any less, we would add to the already existing hesitancy on the part of many people to take the vaccine because they’re concerned about safety or they’re concerned that we went too quickly.”

Moderna Expects 100-125 Million Doses of Vaccine Globally in Early 2021

Moderna said on Thursday it expects between 100 million and 125 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine available by the first quarter of 2021. “Today, Moderna re-affirmed its expectation of having approximately 20 million doses available in the U.S. by the end of 2020,” the company said in a statement. “Additionally, the Company expects to have between 100 million and 125 million doses available globally in the first quarter of 2021, with 85-100 million of those available in the U.S. and 15-25 million of those available outside of the U.S. These expected first quarter doses are inclusive within the 500 million to up to 1 billion doses that the Company expects to manufacture globally in 2021.”

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

First Shipments of Pfizer Vaccine to be Delivered on Dec. 15

The first shipments of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine will be delivered on December 15, according to Operation Warp Speed and reported by CNN. The date is still contingent upon a decision by the US Food and Drug Administration to authorize each vaccine for emergency use. Pfizer submitted an application to the FDA on November 20, and Moderna submitted its application 10 days later, on November 30.

CDC Advisory Panel Votes on Who Gets Vaccine First

A panel of advisers to the US CDC voted 13-1 to recommend that both health care personnel and residents of long-term care facilities to be first in line for any COVID-19 that receives emergency use authorization from the FDA.

CDC Director Suggests Mandating COVID-19 Vaccine for Certain Industries

Certain occupations and populations may benefit from a coronavirus vaccine mandate, according to CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield. “It will be a decision, I think, each industry will make,” Redfield said. “I do think there are certain industries where I think it would be important to protect their workforce, and some other industries where it may be important to make sure that they protect their costumers and consumers.”

US Surpasses 100,000 Hospitalizations

The US surpassed 100,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations on Wednesday, according to a report from the COVID Tracking Project (CTP).

Almost 50 NBA Players Test Positive

According to the NBA and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), of the 546 players tested for COVID-19 during this initial return-to-market testing phase, 48 have tested positive. The league reported that anyone who has returned a confirmed positive test during this initial phase of testing in their team’s market will be isolated until they are cleared for leaving isolation.

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

CDC Shortens Virus Quarantine Time

The CDC will issue new guidelines that recommend people who come in contact with a person infected with COVID-19 should quarantine for 10 days after exposure – down from the previous 14 days that government currently recommends.

All Americans Who Want to Be Vaccinated Can Be By June

An official with the White House’s Operation Warp Speed said today that any American who wants a COVID-19 vaccine will have one available to them by June. “A hundred percent of Americans that want the vaccine will have had the vaccine by that point in time,” said Lt. Gen. Paul Ostrowski, director of supply, production and distribution for Operation Warp Speed.

US Nursing Home Cases Surging

Nursing homes in the US have reported their highest daily cases of COVID-19 since the spring, according to a report from the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). “Our worst fears have come true as COVID runs rampant among the general population, and long term care facilities are powerless to fully prevent it from entering due to its asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic spread,” said Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of AHCA/NCAL, in a statement.

COVID-19: October/November Round-up

COVID-19: August/September Round-up

The COVID-19 Pandemic: June/July Round-up

The COVID-19 Pandemic: May Round-up

The COVID-19 Pandemic: April Round-up

Credit: Original article published here.