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You are here: Home / Archives for Healthcare

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Friday / Saturday, April 16-17

by Anne Laurie|  April 17, 20215:32 am| 14 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs


(Per BBC)

show full post on front page

49.1% of all American adults have received at least one vaccine shot; 31.1% are now fully vaccinated.

80.4% of all Americans age 65 or older have received at least one shot; 64.6% are now fully vaccinated. pic.twitter.com/WrR2s5KxmM

— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) April 16, 2021

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause will last at least another week. A new CDC panel meeting has been set for next Friday. Dr. Fauci says the J&J vax will be back on track soon https://t.co/sVsiDrK64o pic.twitter.com/HWCWE7a9kR

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) April 16, 2021

The US had +74,479 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the total to over 32.2 million. The 7-day moving average declined slightly to below 72,000 new cases per day. pic.twitter.com/XjzZv8JTQW

— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) April 16, 2021

Calming clarification on today's #COVID19 news, frm @CDCDirector : >1/2 new US cases involve variant viruses, but, "the B117 variant, originally id'ed in the UK, was 44% of the virus circulating during wk of Mar 27."
The B117 is very contagious but #vaccines work well against it. pic.twitter.com/buKfx1nlzW

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) April 16, 2021

In @WhiteHouse LIVE presser @CDCDirector Walensky is underscoring the need to get vaccinated "as soon as you possibly can" because variant forms of the virus now account for 1/2 all new infections.
The race is on and #SARSCoV2 still has the lead. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/AnqpX0lRtZ

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) April 16, 2021

Thread:

Time to scale up mRNA vaccine production globally, @DrTomFrieden argues. https://t.co/BzVPBLHK86

— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) April 17, 2021

======

BREAKING: The global death toll from the coronavirus has topped 3 million people, according to a count by John Hopkins University. https://t.co/oj4cuGFOvL

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 17, 2021

Global Covid-19 Infections Nearing Highest Rate Of Pandemic, WHO Says—Here’s Where Cases Are Going Up https://t.co/eGz3hjF2nN pic.twitter.com/QKMRIrorFT

— Forbes (@Forbes) April 16, 2021

“Vaccine equity is the challenge of our time. And we are failing."

— @WHO Chief @DrTedros – as UN, government, scientific & civil society leaders call for solidarity & share solutions aimed at improving equal access to #COVID19 vaccines. https://t.co/cnAqsQhQo1

— United Nations (@UN) April 17, 2021

India reports another record daily rise in COVID-19 infections https://t.co/mzaphmf65Z pic.twitter.com/i9uQIE7tM2

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 17, 2021

Analysis: India shifts from mass vaccine exporter to importer, worrying the world https://t.co/0ykADrbjhK

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 16, 2021

India's Kumbh festival attracts big crowds amid devastating second Covid wave https://t.co/hxFChX9gob

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 17, 2021

Sputnik V: How Russia's Covid vaccine is dividing Europe https://t.co/uRccI1lAez

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 16, 2021

Worshippers wear face masks and stand apart for Ramadan prayers in Mecca, in much smaller numbers than the millions of people of the past pic.twitter.com/RyJ0yOCjOB

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 17, 2021

Argentines rebel against new pandemic restrictions even as ICUs fill https://t.co/AgEcVxw8UE pic.twitter.com/0Pti3EdDPh

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 17, 2021

Canada sounds the alarm as Covid cases overtake US https://t.co/opH4kzVSva

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 16, 2021

Thread — Canada, by province:

Ontario reports another single-day record with 4,812 new cases #COVID19 and 25 more pandemic deaths Friday; 1,955 patients hospitalized, 701 in intensive care; province administered 115,634 vaccines yesterday. https://t.co/5cZIy3QGnK via @globeandmail /1

— André Picard (@picardonhealth) April 16, 2021

======

COVID: Scientists identify human genes that carry codes to fight SARSCoV2 infection https://t.co/Pl7u5aridN via @medical_xpress

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) April 17, 2021

What's behind the thrombotic events that appear to be linked to the AstraZeneca & J&J vaccines? @rkhamsi explains the leading theories. Worth your time. https://t.co/5LnFStROqk

— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) April 17, 2021

People with rare #bloodclots after a #COVID19 jab share an uncommon immune response.

Studies suggest that some of the inoculated people develop an immune response that attacks a protein called platelet factor 4 or PF4, which makes platelets form clots.https://t.co/MouAM1MJO5

— MicrobesInfect (@MicrobesInfect) April 17, 2021

Australia on Friday reported its first fatality from blood clots in a recipient of AstraZeneca's (AZN.L) COVID-19 shot, and its regulator said there was a likely link between the 48-year-old woman's death and the vaccine.​ https://t.co/bQriqHiHTE

— Reuters Health (@Reuters_Health) April 16, 2021

Why are cases rising when we have awesome vaccines?

Because it's not vaccines but *vaccination* that matters.

Those vaccines need to go into people's arms. They don't protect people simply by existing in the world.

And opening back up too soon gives the virus an edge. https://t.co/mXiVYEg6aL

— Dr. Angela Rasmussen (@angie_rasmussen) April 15, 2021

New in OFID: A survey assessing COVID-19 knowledge found that participants, overall, overestimated their own expertise, with poor performers more likely to use mass media and social networks as sources of information.

??: https://t.co/Rg5vJDzUSo#IDSAJournals @PaulSaxMD @DrJLi pic.twitter.com/mRbxBIUFY0

— IDSA (@IDSAInfo) April 16, 2021

======

The @WhiteHouse LIVE is announcing a new $4B scheme to tackle #COVID19 among American Indians and Indigenous People, mostly by beefing up the Indian Health Service and increasing access to #vaccines. pic.twitter.com/f9ZNChMhcP

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) April 16, 2021

CNN: So far, more than 26 US colleges and universities have decided that students must be vaccinated to return to campus in the fall.

— Ana Cabrera (@AnaCabrera) April 15, 2021

Alternatively, maybe don't wear a mask but instead wear a prominent sticker proclaiming: "I got vaccinated. This could be you!" But you know the idiots among us would compare it to wearing a yellow star, so sadly no.

— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) April 17, 2021

bold of them to assume they won’t be out of business in 2023 https://t.co/ZQM25AHcM2

— counterfactual (@counterfax) April 15, 2021

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Friday / Saturday, April 16-17Post + Comments (14)

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Thursday / Friday, April 15-16

by Anne Laurie|  April 16, 20215:52 am| 37 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs

Alternative headline: “vaccine thought to be 98% effective turns out to be 99.993% effective.” https://t.co/vPIjX66ig7

— Patrick Fanelli (@PatFanelli) April 15, 2021

show full post on front page

The U.S. is preparing for the possibility that a booster shot will be needed between nine to 12 months after people are initially vaccinated against COVID-19, a White House official said https://t.co/kOHpRdm672 pic.twitter.com/e0CM8TgF2j

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 16, 2021

The U.S. is opening more distance between itself and much of the rest of the world in the race against the coronavirus. The U.S. has administered almost 200 million vaccine doses as other countries struggle with stubbornly high infection rates and deaths. https://t.co/p0ANVUDO5P

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 15, 2021

It's not a difficult concept that vax'd people should still engage in mitigation behavior until the country can actually brag about having mitigated the virus. Cuz right now (and, well, the last 11 months) the biggest risk is unvax'd people who think everything's back to normal. https://t.co/N2AHQUljhX

— Zd (@Zeddary) April 15, 2021

Always a good response to Gym Jordan:

Jim Jordan's questioning of Dr. Fauci devolves into a shouting match among several committee members, eventually resulting in Maxine Waters yelling: "You need to respect the chair and shut your mouth!" pic.twitter.com/Phzr4DCGmM

— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) April 15, 2021

======

WTO chief lays out global action to increase vaccine access https://t.co/WJqRkFxkY1 pic.twitter.com/gzZgcCIiG4

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 15, 2021

India's Covid horror.

And it's still earlier days in the 2nd wave. pic.twitter.com/ajCp2wuZBf

— Sarang Shidore (@globalsarang) April 15, 2021

Migrant workers are swarming rail stations in India’s financial capital Mumbai to go to their home villages as virus-control measures dry up work in the hard-hit region. https://t.co/vPUMyN3HEY

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 16, 2021

India's desperate Covid-19 patients turn to black market for drugs https://t.co/O9TXU3pt1X

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 15, 2021

China’s success at controlling the coronavirus outbreak has resulted in a population that has seemed almost reluctant to get vaccinated. Now it is accelerating its inoculation campaign by offering incentives. https://t.co/Uy3wqovT6I

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 16, 2021

I wrote about how many public health experts in Hong Kong are concerned with the way Sinovac is being rolled out in HK but are too afraid to speak publicly for fear it will hurt their careers or even be deemed a violation of the new security law: https://t.co/tfI2uWXtX4

— Sue-Lin Wong 黄淑琳 (@suelinwong) April 16, 2021

China has made decisions abt vaccinations trickier saying it'll expedite visa apps for ppl who take Chinese vaccines “About 1/3 who took Sinovac were coerced, another 3rd did it for some sort of personal gain & the final 3rd just wanted to get vaccinated” said another expert

— Sue-Lin Wong 黄淑琳 (@suelinwong) April 16, 2021

Japan to widen coronavirus curbs, casting fresh doubt on Olympics https://t.co/y7SH5Gi8Z8

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 16, 2021

An outbreak at nightspots in Bangkok has sent new infections surging, suggesting Thailand may have been lulled into a false sense of security before mass vaccinations for COVID-19 begin. https://t.co/URj6w06ar3

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 15, 2021

Thailand uses hotels beds for COVID-19 patients after surge in cases https://t.co/8gzwEOLVQB

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 16, 2021

The World Health Organization says the pandemic death toll has surpassed 1 million in WHO’s Europe region, which includes Russia and stretches into Central Asia https://t.co/AKvPr9BYpK

— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) April 15, 2021

Around 820,000 Muscovites, or less than 10% of the capital's population, have received both doses of a coronavirus vaccine. Another 1 million have had the first vaccine dose https://t.co/HW1cyEQlnJ

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) April 15, 2021

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he took a second vaccine dose pic.twitter.com/5wsR9BJE4T

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 15, 2021

France surpasses 100,000 COVID-19 deaths as it struggles to beat back a surge of infections driven by virus variants that are overwhelming its hospitals. https://t.co/Vr8G1IyC3p

— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) April 15, 2021

PNG reports 11 COVID-19 deaths, pressuring a fragile health system https://t.co/Dk7aqEmgpA pic.twitter.com/2iN0AkJIyj

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 15, 2021

Australia considers staggered reopening of borders https://t.co/m3ZxEkfzri pic.twitter.com/QfFu2gUfNs

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 16, 2021

Brazil's hospitals running out of drugs needed to sedate #COVID19 patients. The gov't urgently seeks to import supplies amid reports of the seriously ill being tied down & intubated without effective sedatives.

Hospitals also struggling to get enough O2.https://t.co/1qt8QQ3WFz

— MicrobesInfect (@MicrobesInfect) April 15, 2021

Colombia rules out prompt opening of Venezuela border on COVID concerns https://t.co/Sem0ObRiwy

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 16, 2021

Chile sees Covid surge despite vaccination success https://t.co/NFuqBHNC1a

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 15, 2021

… Dr Susan Bueno, a professor of immunology from the Pontifical Catholic University, says the recent surge is “a multi-factor issue”, but that she thinks the new variants are having a “huge impact”.

She says the message about how to prevent contagion, such as wearing masks and washing your hands, was also somewhat neglected during the summer months in Chile. That, she explains, “is probably one of the causes of the outbreaks we are seeing now”.

There is also confusion about how the vaccine that the vast majority in the country has received works, Prof Bueno adds. More than 93% of the doses administered in Chile so far have been CoronaVac, produced by the Beijing-based biopharmaceutical company Sinovac.

Data on the efficacy of the CoronaVac vaccine is varied. Brazilian trials suggested an efficacy rate of around 50.4% but results from late-stage trials in Indonesia and Turkey suggested a much higher rate – between 65% and 83%.

A study published by the University of Chile last week (in Spanish) looked at the level of protection the vaccine offered after the first and the second doses.

It suggested CoronaVac was 56.5% effective in protecting people against infection two weeks after they had received their second dose, but the figure was only 3% in the timespan between the first and second doses.

This may give a key clue as to why cases may still be on the rise in Chile, where more than 7.6 million people have received the first jab, but the number of those who have had both the first and second doses is much lower…

St. Vincent officials are extremely worried about a COVID-19 outbreak as thousands of evacuees flee the eruption and crowd into shelters and private homes. The chief medical officer said about a dozen cases have been reported in recent days. https://t.co/brwjM6UTJK

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 15, 2021

======

Spies vs. scientists on the origin of Covid: The spies have zero answers that it was conjured in a lab. Scientists worldwide have detected the genetic sequences of animal lineage. Yet disbelieving conspiracy theorists won't accept Covid's zoonotic origins https://t.co/yTdFza1r0E

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) April 16, 2021

Scientists haven’t figured out long Covid. Here are 5 of their best hypotheses: One involves disturbances to the gut microbiome; another hypothesis suggests a lingering impact on the brain https://t.co/01Rv4vTNjv pic.twitter.com/I90WYZUvcJ

— delthia ricks ?? (@DelthiaRicks) April 15, 2021

======

Carlson is actively trying to get people killed:

No. It’s that despite much progress we’re not to the levels required for herd immunity yet and hospitalizations are rising again due to new, more contagious variants. Pay attention. https://t.co/gwhLNISUG3

— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) April 14, 2021

Red states on U.S. electoral map lagging on vaccinations https://t.co/5PPl3fdFhA

— Josh Mankiewicz (@JoshMankiewicz) April 15, 2021

A first-time look at how Covid swept through every town in New Jersey. The infection had a broad regional impact on New Jersey's municipalities during 2 devastating waves in 2020. New research https://t.co/drLkEsjBoV via @medical_xpress

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) April 15, 2021

23-year-old NBA all-star Jayson Tatum, who tested positive for COVID in January, says he now needs an inhaler to manage his symptoms. https://t.co/UQ9GsrZH7C

— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) April 14, 2021

FRAUD ALERT. We've received reports of individuals reproducing and presenting these mask exemption cards with the state of Utah seal on them to businesses and schools. These are FAKE. The state of Utah, UDOH, and local health depts do NOT provide mask exemption cards. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/GQzbgW34eD

— Utah Dept. of Health (@UtahDepOfHealth) April 13, 2021

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Thursday / Friday, April 15-16Post + Comments (37)

My Thoughts Are Less Charitable On Those Who “Opt Out”

by John Cole|  April 15, 20216:54 pm| 118 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus

Mistermix, earlier:

As I sat and enjoyed the feeling, I thought about the idiots who won’t partake in this massive free benefit. My attitude towards them is similar to the attitude I’d have towards someone who won’t visit a national park, or who won’t take a nice walk on a nature trail, or have some religious objection to riding a bike. I can sum it up as “more for me.” The more red staters who refuse vaccination, the more likely that my young relatives in red states will be vaccinated early. These anti-vax idiots make it more likely that my elementary and middle school relatives will be vaccinated before school this Fall, as soon as the EUAs come through for their age groups.

I am sure it will come as no great surprise that my thoughts on these fuckers is less charitable. Personally, I think anyone who had the opportunity to get vaccinated and chose not to for any reason other than medical advice, upon contracting the disease and needing treatment, be locked into a hermetically sealed room with meals thrown in occasionally until they either die or get better.

And let me be clear about medical advice- I mean if your doctor, a licensed physician practicing modern medicine, says you should not be vaccinated for whatever legitimate reason, whether it be pre-existing condition or whatever, then fine. That’s why everyone else is getting it- to protect those who can not protect themselves.

I am not, however, talking about the earthy chick who teaches your hot yoga class and sells DoTerra on the side whose only “medical” training is a three day homeopathic remedy retreat outside Bend, OR, that she heard about during Burning Man in her hippy days. I am not talking about your buddy from the army who read a book on biology while mining bitcoins and became a youtube certified epidemiologist over the past few months.

Look- I am not opposed to alternative “medicines” in many contexts, and think if having your pressure points manipulated or you getting cupped or having accupuncture brings you relief, good on you. I value mindfulness and am a big fan of deep tissue massages, something I get frequently for my shoulder pain when we are not in the midst of a plague.

But we are in the shit now, and this is a very deadly disease that has disrupted our lives for too long and KILLED MILLIONS worldwide. It is your fucking duty as an American citizen and to your fellow man to get vaccinated if it is medically sound (and for 95+% of the population it is).

I find these idiots, like your stay at home mom friend Karen from Marin County who refused to vaccinate her kids because it causes autism but she’s not worried because she feeds them only organic whole foods, to be absolutely fucking maddening. Every fucking school and restaurant in the god damned nation has liability insurance and special training so a handful of kids don’t die from eating a fucking peanut every year, but now we have something that is multiple orders of magnitude more serious, a solution ready and available, and motherfuckers won’t do the right thing because they’ve decided their right to be a fucking dipshit trumps other people’s rights to not die.

Tl:DR- Get vaccinated assholes.

My Thoughts Are Less Charitable On Those Who “Opt Out”Post + Comments (118)

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Wednesday / Thursday, April 14-15

by Anne Laurie|  April 15, 20215:49 am| 48 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs

‘Jen Psaki retweeted’ –

A quick check-in with U.S. adults reveals that contrary to the prevailing view on Twitter, the decision to pause the J&J vaccine?? due to a small number of blood clotting issues actually makes Americans more, not less, confident in the COVID-19 vaccines. pic.twitter.com/S8KtiVyOXR

— Echelon Insights (@EchelonInsights) April 14, 2021

show full post on front page

24 hours ago I wasn’t thrilled with the pause on the J&J vaccines. Now at least I appreciate where regulators are coming from. https://t.co/mmw28xhFvx

— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) April 14, 2021

A federal vaccine advisory committee -ACIP- says it needs more data before deciding whether Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot Covid vaccinations should resume. Panelists want data on risks, cause & frequency of a rare & severe type of blood clot https://t.co/7hRhxjgkQ8 pic.twitter.com/SmbeF4tAdl

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) April 15, 2021

But the practical importance of this pause – and how it was messaged, with a focus on informing providers – was huge. And really responsible.

I was in the ER today. One of the first patients I saw after getting briefed on the J&J decision was a young woman in her 30s.

— Craig Spencer MD MPH (@Craig_A_Spencer) April 14, 2021

She got the J&J vaccine a week ago. She had symptoms that overlap with those we were told to look out for. Today’s announcement changed my differential diagnosis & impacted my clinical management.

That’s exactly what it was meant to do. It’s also how we’ll get the data we need.

— Craig Spencer MD MPH (@Craig_A_Spencer) April 14, 2021

But more importantly, it should drastically improve our faith in the public health institutions tasked with protecting us. With how they had been politicized & over-ruled by the previous admin, this is critical.

And that’s exactly why I think today’s decision was the right one.

— Craig Spencer MD MPH (@Craig_A_Spencer) April 14, 2021

ACIP @CDCgov mtg on #JohnsonAndJohnsonVaccine — they just said NONE of the women who suffered blood clotting events were on oral contraceptives.
There goes that theory for causation.

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) April 14, 2021

My take on J&J: The FDA/CDC had a legitimate concern and to protect the public a pause was the right thing to do. But, it's also true that the US Govt for the last decade (despite my pleas) has refused to confront and knock down antivaccine aggression..and now we have a monster.

— Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD (@PeterHotez) April 14, 2021

new Monmouth University poll:

proportion who say they'll never get covid vaccine if they can avoid it

5% of Democrats
22% of independents
43% of Republicans

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) April 14, 2021


‘If they can avoid it’ is doing some heavy lifting here; IMO it means ‘I’ll get the shot(s) as soon as it’s more inconvenient to defend my FREEDUMB! against pressure from my family / boss / friends than otherwise.’ Maybe the vaccine sites could hand out stickers that say I’M ONLY HERE UNDER PROTEST?

======

New: Track #COVID19 variants across the globe on CDC’s COVID Data Tracker. Understanding variants and their spread can help us stop the virus. Learn more: https://t.co/qw5SWo5t9u. pic.twitter.com/96bdf9Ynnd

— CDC (@CDCgov) April 13, 2021

India reported more than 200,000 new coronavirus cases, skyrocketing past 14 million overall as an intensifying outbreak puts a grim weight on its fragile health care system. https://t.co/XuPrcWU18E

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 15, 2021

India's #Covid19 cases plummeted earlier this year, but new infections are growing at an alarming rate now. Deaths are on the rise too. What happened?@BBCVikas and @Anshul_Verma__ report.https://t.co/7r0HWkUZlN pic.twitter.com/7otryMZfgN

— BBC News India (@BBCIndia) April 15, 2021

Hundreds test positive for Covid at Kumbh Mela in India's Haridwar cityhttps://t.co/yS7jgSErqo

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 14, 2021

1,543 new cases have been confirmed in Thailand, taking the total to 37,453, with 97 deaths. While that is much better than most other countries, Thailand's cases in the first three months of this year were triple what the country had all of last year. https://t.co/OMOqPzJgym

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 15, 2021

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen orders a strict stay-at-home two-week lockdown in the capital Phnom Penh to slow a surge in coronavirus cases, warning “we will die unless we act responsibly.” https://t.co/hctY5t07ZT

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 15, 2021

Russia on Thursday confirmed 8,944 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of reported infections to 4,675,153 https://t.co/AVEcHRHPma

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) April 15, 2021

New coronavirus cases in Russian-annexed Crimea have nearly doubled in recent days as authorities on the Black Sea peninsula anticipate a tourist influx caused by flight restrictions to Turkey https://t.co/DCnlcNFsoN

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) April 14, 2021

German COVID-19 cases jump by most since early January https://t.co/a53N8DXseE pic.twitter.com/Lvs9T7whgv

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 15, 2021

Mix & match: Germany to give different second vaccine to AstraZeneca recipients under age 60 https://t.co/xaqg3S8N76 via @FRANCE24

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) April 14, 2021

Sweden flirted w/#COVID19 herd immunity in 2020.
Now the country, "has a 7-day average of 625 new infections per million people."
Compares with
– 521 in Poland
– 491 France
– 430 Netherlands
– 237 Italy
– 208 Germany
– 132 Norway
– 111 Denmark
– 65 Finlandhttps://t.co/ghoEu01N37

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) April 14, 2021

Australian doctors urge government to rethink mass vaccination hubs https://t.co/vL1z5KNWP0 pic.twitter.com/we9IodiNXc

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 15, 2021

<2% of 690m #COVID19 vax doses administered globally were given in Africa.
African health workers left without Covid jabs as paltry supplies dwindle https://t.co/j4RmpKxMTD

— kateelder (@kateelder) April 14, 2021

Brazil registers 3,459 COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday https://t.co/ArGhl5DIan pic.twitter.com/VaIg6KVpMJ

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 15, 2021

Why is Covid killing Brazilian babies? https://t.co/B7jfInfaBq pic.twitter.com/AhbduCBLJl

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 15, 2021

A new @CDCMMWR finds leaving the middle seat vacant on airplanes could reduce exposure to #COVID19 infections up to 57% compared to full occupancy. Learn more: https://t.co/hF2bCx3WBg. pic.twitter.com/tAHgf7rVQj

— CDC (@CDCgov) April 14, 2021

======

Scientists haven’t figured out long Covid. Here are 5 of their best hypotheses: One involves disturbances to the gut microbiome; another hypothesis suggests a lingering impact on the brain https://t.co/01Rv4vTNjv pic.twitter.com/I90WYZUvcJ

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) April 15, 2021

SARSCoV2 is viable for 21 days in blood, mucus, semen and urine, but just 24 hours in breast milk. It also remains infectious longer during winter, spring, and fall conditions than in summer. New research https://t.co/IX7sNfc5el pic.twitter.com/ihbrO2nv2C

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) April 14, 2021

======

A top health official’s suggestion to reimpose shutdowns as COVID-19 cases spike in some states is falling flat, even among Democratic governors who took tough measures during earlier virus surges. By @DavidALieb. https://t.co/daQq0ZBmZa

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 14, 2021

Homeless Americans who have been left off priority lists for coronavirus vaccinations – or even bumped aside as states shifted eligibility to older age groups – are finally getting their shots as vaccine supplies increase. https://t.co/8SGn1hCLr7

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 15, 2021

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Wednesday / Thursday, April 14-15Post + Comments (48)

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Tuesday / Wednesday, April 14-15

by Anne Laurie|  April 14, 20214:55 am| 16 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs

twin sisters, reunited at 92 after vaccinations, toast first dinner out with scotch-and-water

(Mom's on the left) pic.twitter.com/vk6knetZgb

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) April 14, 2021

Biden is set to appear alongside the Obamas, Charles Barkley, Shaq, Faith Hill, Jennifer Lopez, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Anthony Fauci in an NBC special meant to "to inform and encourage those who have vaccination concerns" on Sunday night.

— Kevin Liptak (@Kevinliptakcnn) April 13, 2021

The US administered 2.6 million vaccine shots today, bringing the total to 192 million, or 57.9 doses per 100 people. The 7-day moving average rose to 3.38 million shots per day. pic.twitter.com/8UXcSMpjbt

— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) April 14, 2021

Dr. Woodcock, acting FDA chief, says they only expect the J&J pause to last for a matter of days.

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) April 13, 2021

A behind-the-scenes peek at the decision-making that led to Biden health officials pausing Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, incl Monday night Zoom call. @lauriemcginley2 @bylenasun @FrancesSSellers https://t.co/In7z3roan6

— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) April 14, 2021

The 25 million+ doses of Pfizer and Moderna each week “is more than enough supply to continue the current pace of vaccinations of 3 million shots per day” to meet Biden’s goal for his 1st 100 days in office, which is 200 million vaccinated, virus coordinator Jeff Zients says.

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) April 13, 2021

The US had +77,720 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the total to over 32.0 million. The 7-day moving average rose to over 72,000 new cases per day. pic.twitter.com/wyAaBtD9XJ

— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) April 14, 2021

It was a real-time train wreck on public display. Often daily. https://t.co/F2fJvOheB5

— Rodger A. Payne (@RodgerPayne) April 14, 2021

======

The global death toll of the #Covid19 pandemic is fast approaching 3M people — & those are official numbers.
The pandemic, which is far from over, has killed more people than the 1957, 1968 & 2009 flu pandemics combined.
Nearly 220,000 of the U.S. deaths have occurred in 2021. pic.twitter.com/CpBJ9HHcvs

— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) April 14, 2021

World Bank, Gavi urge countries with excess COVID-19 vaccines to release them https://t.co/ExYRXg4kz7 pic.twitter.com/PpIGJEDNeJ

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 13, 2021

India's new coronavirus infections hit record as Hindu devotees immerse in Ganges https://t.co/uEUPlYLuS3 pic.twitter.com/CMC6cLvRKY

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 14, 2021

India's Maharashtra state announces 15 days of tough new Covid measures https://t.co/W2PHcDCKDd

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 13, 2021

The tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has managed to vaccinate 93% of its adult citizens against coronavirus in just 16 days. Bhutan's rapid rollout has been attributed in part to an established cold chain storage used during earlier vaccination drives. https://t.co/emwYpUKuns

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 12, 2021

Thailand reports daily record of 1,335 new coronavirus cases https://t.co/OsjQWHzCLZ pic.twitter.com/CvBsoNlJl1

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 14, 2021

'Israel may be reaching herd immunity', leading doctor says https://t.co/AjX4c6LOk6

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 14, 2021

France has halted all Brazil flights due to fears of the virus variant that is ravaging the South American nation. https://t.co/UW4Qea6psQ

— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) April 13, 2021

Some 200 Dutch tourists traded lockdown in the Netherlands for eight days of voluntary confinement in a Greek resort as part of an experiment to see if people can still enjoy a holiday with strict safety regimes, and pave the way for tourism to reopen https://t.co/RZR3Tvs8SL pic.twitter.com/o0L9IY6q63

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 14, 2021

Will the Republic of Ireland deliver the 'million a month' vaccine promise? https://t.co/03MHUzajKo

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 13, 2021

Australia returns to "war footing" amid COVID-19 vaccine turmoil https://t.co/NYTbbUletr pic.twitter.com/J6yjcfNb3x

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 14, 2021

News | COVID-19 peaks in South America: Infection surges in Chile and Uruguay show the risk of relaxing control measures, even with vaccination in full swing. ➡️https://t.co/7HGjayaEFL

— SciDev.Net (@SciDevNet) April 13, 2021

Brazil's Senate has launched an investigation into President Jair Bolsonaro's official response to the COVID-19 pandemic https://t.co/rK9uhBH1Py pic.twitter.com/onR6CsXSSj

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 14, 2021

My God.

As countries race to vaccinate against COVID-19, Haiti has yet to give one dose https://t.co/Q1XdbPtMG1

— Nathan Jensen (@NateMJensen) April 13, 2021

Muslims are celebrating Ramadan in the second year the festival has been affected by the pandemic

Here's how it looks around the world https://t.co/EuWvKcWz5e

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 13, 2021

======

The hunt for SARSCoV2: Scientists track where the virus traveled in the bodies of 11 patients who recently died of Covid and revealed where it caused the most damage. https://t.co/QY5yUFBhju pic.twitter.com/tnB2wrEMp4

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) April 13, 2021

B117 variant is more transmissible, but it doesn't increase severity, according to 2 new studies in separate Lancet journals. Scientists found no evidence patients infected w/ B117 had worse symptoms or a greater long Covid risk https://t.co/8j3haDh5Dq and https://t.co/bLry7QtudI pic.twitter.com/UTKFMvrQLr

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) April 13, 2021

'Mix and match' UK Covid vaccine trial expanded https://t.co/oJWzy4IqFG

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 14, 2021

======

Covid cases are rising in more than half of U.S. states, despite ramp-up in vaccinations https://t.co/drpeTOaFAg

— Greta Van Susteren (@greta) April 14, 2021

More young people hospitalized: What used to be a mysterious new variant 1st detected in the UK is now the leading coronavirus strain in the US. And unlike the original, the more contagious B.1.1.7 variant is hitting young people particularly hard https://t.co/P180e8vZg8

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) April 13, 2021

COVID hospitalizations in Michigan reached a record high today (worse than last spring), with 4,011 COVID-positive inpatients.

The # I'm watching is people showing up at ERs w/ COVID symptoms.

That number was 2,489 Monday.

On Dec. 1 (fall hospital peak) it was 1,826. +36% pic.twitter.com/kDKL8j1vYL

— Chad Livengood (@ChadLivengood) April 14, 2021

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Tuesday / Wednesday, April 14-15Post + Comments (16)

Press Briefing: Jen Psaki and Dr. Fauci

by WaterGirl|  April 13, 202112:35 pm| 91 Comments

This post is in: Biden Administration in Action, COVID-19 Coronavirus, Open Threads

Two BJ favorites – Jen Psaki and Dr. Fauci!

There has been lots of discussion abut J&J this morning, so I thought we might like to hear some info straight from the horse’s mouth.   I saw that TaMara said she was going to be tuning out for a bit after the news from yesterday and today, so I am thinking she won’t be putting this up.

Press Briefing: Jen Psaki and Dr. FauciPost + Comments (91)

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Monday/Tuesday, April 12-13

by Anne Laurie|  April 13, 20214:55 am| 48 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs

.@Lin_Manuel Miranda joined politicians at a new Times Square COVID-19 vaccination site meant to jump-start New York City's entertainment industry, saying it would help reopen Broadway: "We want to gather again, and we want to tell stories in the dark."https://t.co/UxZsd7VQbz

— AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) April 12, 2021

show full post on front page

Here's where we are, America.
If this doesn't make you nervous about #COVID19 trends, I give up.https://t.co/aCORFtphQD pic.twitter.com/UKGxnIXYpB

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) April 13, 2021

Biden Covid-19 adviser Andy Slavitt: “By next week we will have opened a total of 36 mass vaccination sites with a combined capability of administering 124,000 shots per day.”

— Kate Sullivan (@KateSullivanDC) April 12, 2021

The only reasonable way to talk about this involves the adjective, "evil."#Trump #COVID19 https://t.co/I2WzNksBPh

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) April 10, 2021

======

India's 161,736 new coronavirus infections are world's highest https://t.co/HYNNf4zSYz pic.twitter.com/U1e1v9KYQm

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 13, 2021

India says it is approving the use of all coronavirus vaccines that have been given an emergency nod by the WHO or regulators in the U.S., Europe, Britain or Japan. The country is seeing a crippling surge of infections that could overwhelm hospitals. https://t.co/7HxhWNa6Lw

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 13, 2021

India is experiencing its worst pandemic surge, with average daily infections exceeding 130,000. The spike is alarming because India is a major vaccine producer and critical supplier to the U.N.-backed initiative that aims to help distribute shots fairly. https://t.co/3zqK8Ek1Ue

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 13, 2021

China’s top disease control official has said the country is formally considering mixing COVID-19 vaccines as a way of further boosting vaccine efficacy https://t.co/VpW5vppLep

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 12, 2021

As #China defends the efficacy of its homegrown vaccines, 100 subjects are being recruited in #HongKong to see whether mixing the #Sinovac and #Pfizer–#BioNTech vaccines would be more effective and more safe.

The latest, with @HKUMed's Ivan Hung. pic.twitter.com/GU8edipqi8

— Kristie Lu Stout✌🏽 (@klustout) April 13, 2021

Japan's Osaka to report over 1,000 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday: media https://t.co/vd3ZoInT7Q pic.twitter.com/L17dQ50IUc

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 13, 2021

“I think the recommendation should be to be immunized, particularly for the athletes,” said Okabe, who has held leadership roles in the World Health Organisation.
Japan Olympic adviser urges COVID-19 vaccine option for athletes https://t.co/nss2mq3yMB

— Rocky Swift (@swiftrocky) April 13, 2021

Thailand reports 965 new COVID-19 cases as biggest holiday begins https://t.co/B973UNH5FN pic.twitter.com/i3HxWtJjl2

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 13, 2021

It’s not just the excess deaths, but the difference between reported deaths. The gap is usually a measure of incompetence, poverty, corruption, or all of the above. Russia is a mess, but a gap of over 600%? Horrible and dangerous. pic.twitter.com/WrsoLlpTiJ

— Mig Greengard (@chessninja) April 13, 2021

Stunning summary of the last year of living with covid. pic.twitter.com/KZ5kaNX9Ks

— James McInerney (@jomcinerney) April 10, 2021

Lofty hopes that the coronavirus pandemic would produce a more cohesive European Union as its member nations faced a common challenge have given way to the reality of division, @rcasert reports. https://t.co/YLMFR1Bmq5

— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) April 11, 2021

The anti-vax movement targeting German children https://t.co/5NTtVqXJ78

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 13, 2021

Britain offers all over-50s first COVID-19 shots in boost for PM Johnson https://t.co/2U7QqW8ChA pic.twitter.com/zI6jmmpLNT

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 13, 2021

All eyes have been on Brazil. But looks like Argentina is following suit. pic.twitter.com/hMy7wY7YVc

— Philip Schellekens (@fibke) April 11, 2021

And here's how LAC compares to the rest of the world. Note that ECA is particularly affected.

Caveats: differences in testing, population sizes, … pic.twitter.com/Yq5KjmwSpe

— Philip Schellekens (@fibke) April 12, 2021

Last week, Brazil saw its deadliest day since the start of the pandemic. The state of Sao Paulo and the city of Rio de Janeiro rank among the worst in the country for Covid-19 deaths.

Yet both plan to ease movement restrictions starting on Monday. https://t.co/0H1sNz5mhD

— CNN International (@cnni) April 12, 2021

Doctors in the Canadian province of Ontario may soon have to decide who can and cannot receive treatment in intensive care as the number of coronavirus infections sets records and patients are packed into hospitals still stretched from a December wave.​ https://t.co/VCyY5yTvBA

— Reuters Health (@Reuters_Health) April 12, 2021

======

As variants surge, a patchwork of surveillance efforts have ramped up to detect them https://t.co/s3DodY4Rbc

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 11, 2021

Scary: Many people have tested negative for SARSCoV2, yet they developed Long Covid. What's to blame? Haphazard testing protocols, delays & difficulties accessing tests & poor quality of many of the tests on the market. All have have left people without proof of infection. https://t.co/KH3QYkbbKW pic.twitter.com/MVuRhWoHle

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) April 12, 2021

New versions of COVID-19 vaccines are being tested in case they ever are needed to protect against mutated versions of the virus. The vaccines available now offer strong protection, even against some of the variants, but viruses constantly evolve. https://t.co/m9eQJqvx1x

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 12, 2021

A monoclonal antibody cocktail developed by the drug maker Regeneron offered strong protection against #Covid when given to people living w/ someone infected with the coronavirus, according to clinical trial results announced Monday https://t.co/NuSJDIQ30L

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) April 12, 2021

======

New polling shows a heavy overlap of three groups: people who don't want the vaccine, people who are indifferent about efforts to contain the virus — and people who broadly trust Donald Trump's medical advice. https://t.co/wGU9Ota5FL

— Philip Bump (@pbump) April 12, 2021

We're wearing masks because if we stop, all the anti-vaxxers will also stop wearing masks and claim to have been vaccinated (but no you can't see proof because of HIPPPPPPA). So even though it would be nice to stop, we're doing this until the pandemic is over. https://t.co/6j2LIyGDW9

— Jeff Fecke (@jkfecke) April 12, 2021

the vaccine is a social warfare nuke that lets people remove themselves from the game of hostage and kidnapper the MAGA goons have been playing for a year. you want to be an asshole infection vector? fine. I’m out of the game.

— the women of kilgore trout’s office (@KT_So_It_Goes) April 12, 2021

there is no plausible fix for this. we just went through a year where being asked to wear a mask was treated like being thrown in internment camps. the goons are not gonna go away because the GOP empowers them. the risk level has a fixed floor. get a shot & get on the fixed floor https://t.co/W2x5YMmQln

— the women of kilgore trout’s office (@KT_So_It_Goes) April 12, 2021

Texas Gov. Abbott says state is ‘very close’ to herd immunity. The data tells a different story. https://t.co/hxQNNpA9kv

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 12, 2021

Public health officials in Minnesota have traced COVID-19 cases in nine counties to a recent youth wresting tournament in Sioux Falls, South Dakota https://t.co/8RZo61FwtT

— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) April 12, 2021

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Monday/Tuesday, April 12-13Post + Comments (48)

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