COVID-19 killed more than 425,000 Americans and infections continued to increase, despite the introduction of a pair of vaccines in late 2020. USA TODAY is following the news. Keep updating this page to get the latest updates. Subscribe to our Coronavirus Watch newsletter for updates to your inbox, join our Facebook group or go through our detailed answers to readers’ questions.
With more and more students returning to classes this week, evidence from the United States and other countries indicates that schools can operate safely with precautions and should open for face-to-face classes as soon as possible, say researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. .
In an article published on Tuesday on the JAMA Network, researchers wrote that wearing masks and maintaining social distance have proven effective in limiting coronavirus transmission in schools, but activities such as indoor sporting events can promote dissemination and should be reduced.
“The preponderance of evidence available in the fall term has been reassuring,” wrote the three researchers. “There is little evidence that schools have contributed significantly to the increase in transmission in the community.”
Still, returning university student populations may be at even greater risk than in the fall – not to mention neighboring communities, where the research suggested further outbreaks in university cities.
In the headlines:
►Soulou Smith, longtime NBA writer, known for his basketball vision and friendly demeanor, died on Tuesday of COVID-19. He was 48 years old.
►Eli Lilly announced that his cocktail of monoclonal antibodies reduces hospitalizations by 70% for patients with high-risk COVID-19.
►Alaska and Kentucky detected the first known cases of the coronavirus variant in their states, identified last year in the UK, officials said on Tuesday. The diagnoses increase to 25 the total number of states that notify cases of the variant.
►The global total of coronavirus cases exceeded 100 million on Tuesday, according to the Johns Hopkins University panel. The USA, with just over 4% of the world population, has more than 25% of infections and almost 20% of deaths.
📈 Today’s numbers: The United States has more than 25.4 million confirmed cases of coronavirus and more than 425,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Global totals: More than 100.2 million cases and 2.15 million deaths. About 44.4 million doses of vaccine have been distributed in the United States and 23.5 million have been administered, according to the CDC.
📘 What we’re reading: Luck, prediction and science: how an unknown team developed a COVID-19 vaccine in record time.
Paramedic of the year accused of stealing vaccines
The Florida Paramedic of the Year in Florida was charged with stealing COVID-19 vaccines for first aid. Joshua Colon, 31, was arrested after confessing to intentionally stealing three doses of the Moderna vaccine and then forging paperwork in an attempt to cover his actions, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Grady Judd said Colon told authorities he stole the vaccines earlier this month at the request of his supervisor, Captain Tony Damiano, who fetched the vaccine for his elderly mother. Damiano, who is under investigation, was sent to California to help respond to the pandemic, Judd said.
“He might as well give in,” said Judd of Damiano. “You can run, but you can’t hide. The deal is over.”
– Sara-Megan Walsh, The Ledger
Biden hopes to vaccinate the majority of the population by autumn
President Joe Biden has announced that he will increase the minimum weekly vaccine supply to states over the next three weeks by 16%, to 10 million. Biden has an agreement underway to buy an additional 200 million doses, which would give the United States a total of 600 million doses ordered for the two-dose vaccines. This is enough to inoculate 300 million Americans and more than enough for the country’s approximately 260 million adults. Biden said he expects the new supply to be fully delivered by mid-summer and that the majority of the population will be vaccinated in late summer or early fall.
Antibody cocktail can change the game for high-risk patients
While vaccines may help slow the COVID-19 pandemic in the coming months, drugmaker Eli Lilly announced on Tuesday that her treatments could help save lives in the meantime. The Indianapolis-based drug giant says its cocktail of monoclonal antibodies reduces hospitalizations by 70% for high-risk patients. A monoclonal antibody mimics one of the natural antibodies that the immune system uses to fight the virus. Former President Donald Trump, as well as former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, all received monoclonal antibodies shortly after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
– Karen Weintraub
High risk: schools often ignore public health guidelines for classroom learning
Many school districts and states that offer face-to-face classes have ignored the recommendations of public health officials or have written their own questionable safety rules – creating a gunpowder box where COVID-19 can get sick and kill. An analysis of federal and state data found more than 780 complaints covering more than 2,000 public and private elementary and high schools. Among the complaints: Officials reported sick children going to school, students without a mask and teachers less than 6 feet away and administrators minimizing the dangers of the virus and punishing teachers who spoke.
“The response to the virus has been politicized,” said Dr. Chandy John, a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases at Indiana University School of Medicine. “There is a desire to ignore data and facts and go with everything you hear from the Internet or from political leaders who have no scientific knowledge.”
– Laura Ungar, Kaiser Health News
January is already the deadliest month for the pandemic in the USA
The 4,087 COVID-19 deaths reported Tuesday – the fourth biggest day in the history of the pandemic – have already made January the deadliest month of the pandemic, shows a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins University data. In the first 26 days of January, the United States recorded 79,261 deaths. The total number of deaths in December, which had been the deadliest month, was 77,486 deaths in December. At this rate, January could end with about 94,500 reported deaths.
Some states have been devastated. California’s worst previous month was 6,772 deaths in December, but the state already reported 12,282 deaths in January. January is already the deadliest month for 15 other states: Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
– Mike Stucka
Oklahoma Department of Health sues company that promised N95 masks
In March, the Oklahoma Department of Health ordered more than 2 million N95 masks from a piano bar owner in Tulsa, who promised he could get China’s coveted PPE in large quantities and quickly.
They ordered the masks from Casey Bradford’s new company, PPE Supplies LLC. In the second order, they even paid half in cash – $ 2.125 million – after he promised delivery in 10 days.
The Oklahoma Department of Health sued Bradford and PPE Supplies LLC on Tuesday in the Oklahoma County District Court. Health officials received less than 10,000 masks for PPE supplies and only $ 300,000 of the deposit back, according to the breach of contract process. The Department of Health is asking for the rest of its money back – $ 1.825 million, plus interest. It is also seeking punitive damages for “misconduct”.
“Bradford intentionally and intentionally misrepresented facts to the Claimant that prompted him to place purchase orders and advance a deposit,” the suit alleges.
– Nolan Clay, The Oklahoman
The double mask ‘makes sense’, says Dr. Anthony Fauci
The double masking was highlighted last week, during the inauguration of President Joe Biden, where several high-profile officials and celebrities were photographed wearing two masks.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading infectious disease specialist, says it’s probably more effective at preventing spread: “So if you have physical coverage with one layer, you add another layer, it makes sense that it would probably be more effective, “Fauci told NBC News’ TODAY” on Monday. “That’s why you see people wearing double masks or making a version of an N95.”
The same is true of a study published in the scientific journal Matter in July, which found that the use of two masks can increase protection against virus particles by 50% to 75%. It not only added an extra layer of protection, it also made the mask fit the face better, said study author Dr. Loretta Fernandez.
Americans’ renewed interest in double masking also emerges as variants that appear to be more contagious emerge from the UK, South Africa, Brazil and California.
– Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY.
Contributing: The Associated Press
This article was originally published in USA TODAY: COVID news: CDC; reopening of schools; Eli Lilly; Biden; vaccine; Fauci