Biden comes to To work on the pandemic, the CDC adjusts the vaccine guidelines and the number of deaths increases worldwide. Here’s what you should know:
Do you want to receive this weekly summary and other news about the coronavirus? sign up on here!
Headlines
Biden institutes comprehensive pandemic measures during his early days in office
Joe Biden wasted no time in dealing with the public health crisis that will invariably define his presidency. On Wednesday, just hours after taking office as America’s 46th president, he signed three executive orders relating to the pandemic. The next day, he issued ten executive orders and released his government’s 198-page plan to deal with the coronavirus. The new provisions cover everything from increasing data collection to increasing testing capacity to boost the manufacture of vaccine supplies with the help of the Defense Production Act. Biden described the strategy as “a wartime enterprise”.
Among those represented in Biden’s first wave of executive orders are essential workers. The new president instructed OSHA to apply workplace safety rules more strictly to contain the spread of the virus and potentially issue a new measure that would require employers to take more precautions. Today he plans to sign another decree that would increase protection for federal workers. New security rules are also in place within the White House. Those who work with the president wear wristbands indicating they were tested that day, and the N95 is a must for anyone working in the White House.
CDC updates vaccine administration guidelines as increasing efficiency remains a challenge
Yesterday, the CDC updated the vaccination guidelines on its website, saying that second doses of Moderna and Pfizer / BioNTech vaccines can be administered up to six weeks after the first dose if the recommended time limit is not feasible. This change fits in with the Biden administration’s plan to release all available doses of the vaccine, rather than retaining half to ensure that those who received the first installment receive the second at the right time. Those who oppose the change expressed concern about the deviation from the way vaccines were administered during clinical trials.
Biden is releasing these doses as part of his pledge to vaccinate 100 million Americans in his first 100 days in office. Data from the CDC suggest that the country has already reached a rate of approximately one million vaccines administered daily several times in the past few weeks, but it also indicates that states and cities are administering less than half of the doses they received. Rapid vaccination is more important than ever as new strains of the virus emerge. Mutations develop when a virus spreads: the more people are inoculated, the easier it will be to suppress them.
One year after the coronavirus arrived in the United States, the pandemic is hardly under control
Exactly a year ago, WIRED reporter Megan Molteni asked, “Could China’s new coronavirus become a global epidemic?” Now we know. As of this week, more than 400,000 Americans have been killed by the virus, a grim milestone that Joe Biden set at a memorial service the day before he took office. Even with hundreds of thousands of Americans being vaccinated every day, there are still many areas – from reopening schools to safe travel – where Americans are groping their way in the dark.
Worldwide, the state of the pandemic remains uncertain. Germany, previously praised for its effective response to the pandemic, has seen its death toll rise rapidly in recent weeks, after the peak of cases last month. In the United Kingdom, the situation continues to worsen: the number of deaths per capita per capita currently loses only to Portugal. Even China, where life had returned to normal during the fall, now faces a new outbreak.
Daily Distraction
Part of being a rabbi is helping people on their spiritual and emotional journeys. Rabbi Menachem Cohen found a new tool to do just that: role-playing games.
Something to read
Donald Trump is no longer online. And even if his accounts are reactivated, he will no longer be at the center of the national discourse. But, writes Jason Parham of WIRED, we are now faced with a new question: what will fill the void left by the ex-president’s disturbed tweets?
Health Check
Leaving your pet at home while you go out can be stressful for both humans and animals. We’ve put together our favorite pet cameras so you can stay close to your furry friend from afar.
One question
What community resources can be used to help more people get vaccinated?
To vaccinate as many people as possible, the authorities will need to find them where they are – in their communities. Fire departments and emergency medical service agencies may be instrumental in this, according to some doctors. Both respond to emergencies in their communities every day and are spaced according to population density. In addition, the vast majority rely on paramedics and communicate regularly and well with public health officials. Providing fire stations and EMS teams with the resources to administer Covid-19 vaccines may be an option worth exploring, as our national vaccination program appears to increase.
More from WIRED at Covid-19