USA TODAY is following the news around COVID-19 when a pair of vaccines joins the U.S. fight against a virus that has killed nearly 390,000 Americans since the first reported fatality in February. Keep updating this page to get the latest updates on the coronavirus, including who is receiving Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, as well as other important news from across the USA TODAY Network. Subscribe to our Coronavirus Watch newsletter for updates right in your inbox, join our Facebook group or go through our detailed answers to readers’ questions for everything you need to know about coronavirus.
In the headlines:
► President-elect Joe Biden is scheduled to share more details on Friday afternoon about his $ 1.9 trillion spending package that aims to accelerate the distribution of coronavirus vaccines and provide economic relief caused by the pandemic. The package proposal includes a $ 20 billion investment in a national vaccination program, $ 1,400 stimulus checks and an expansion of unemployment insurance supplements to $ 400 a week. More here.
► As of Friday, the United Kingdom is banning arrivals from South America after evidence of a new variant of the coronavirus in Brazil.
► The coronavirus pandemic is designed to reduce life expectancy for Americans at birth by more than a year, according to a study by the University of Southern California and Princeton University published on Thursday. It is expected that the life expectancy of black and Latino populations will be reduced by 30% to 40% more than the white population.
► Disneyland announced it would end its Annual Passport program on Thursday, while offering refunds to pass holders for 2020 after COVID-19 kept visitors blocked from the theme park for most of the year.
► Texas has distributed more than 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, Governor Greg Abbott announced on Thursday, as the state increases mass vaccination efforts, while hospitals struggle with record numbers of patients.
► A false rumor that extra doses of vaccine were available caused people to take to the sidewalks and cars to fill the roads in New York City. And more than 100 people went to the Bay Area websites, despite not being eligible for vaccines, after a mistake with the California vaccination portal, reported the San Francisco Chronicle.
► A Nevada study released on Wednesday says that about a third of the state’s residents are unlikely to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.
📈 Today’s numbers: The United States has more than 23.3 million confirmed cases of coronavirus and more than 388,500 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Global totals: More than 93 million cases and 1.99 million deaths.
📘 What we’re reading: US health officials are asking Americans to ask their doctors about monoclonal antibodies for treatment with COVID-19. But is it a little too late? Read more here.
The CDC model projects about half a million COVID-19 deaths by February
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that the country will reach a dark milestone soon as it continues to record the highest number of daily deaths from COVID-19 than at any time during the pandemic.
The agency’s weekly set forecast predicts that 16,200 to 29,600 new COVID-19 deaths are likely to be reported in the week ending February 6, reaching 477,000 deaths in total to date.
The set forecast is made up of 39 different models from across the country, combined into an aggregate forecast to predict deaths from COVID-19 over the next four weeks.
The NIH updates the guidelines for the use of the parasite pill in the treatment of COVID-19
The National Institutes of Health announced on Thursday that it is reviewing its warning against the use of ivermectin – a pill to treat parasites, commonly found in canine heartworm medications – as a cure for coronavirus or prevention for pets or people .
Ivermectin circulated on social and mainstream media in April, after it was mentioned in studies, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned against its use. Now, an NIH panel is reviewing these warnings, saying that there is insufficient data to recommend for or against the use of ivermectin in the treatment of coronavirus.
But don’t go out and buy heartworm medication for dogs – ivermectin, the panel added, is not approved by the FDA for the treatment of any viral infections. Although the medication is currently being studied as a potential treatment for COVID-19, the panel said it “cannot draw definitive conclusions about the clinical efficacy or safety of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19.”
President-elect Joe Biden’s COVID plan requires 100 million photos in the first 100 days
President-elect Joe Biden wants Americans to receive 100 million COVID-19 vaccines during the first 100 days of his administration, a high target for reversing a slow start to the vaccine’s launch in the country.
Biden offered few details about how his government would achieve the ambitious schedule during a Thursday evening speech about his proposed $ 1.9 trillion economic recovery package. He plans to share more details on Friday about his vaccine plan.
“This will be one of the most challenging operational efforts we have ever undertaken as a nation,” said Biden. “We will have to move heaven and earth to vaccinate more people, create more places to be vaccinated, mobilize more medical teams to get vaccines in people’s arms.”
Biden proposes $ 20 billion for a national vaccination program with states, local governments and tribes and will include community vaccination centers and mobile vaccination units to reach remote areas.
– Ken Alltucker
Researchers discover new variants of the US COVID-19 virus
Research teams at two universities announced on Thursday that they had found a new variant of COVID-19.
A research team at Southern Illinois University has discovered a new variant of the COVID-19 virus that is specific and dominant in the U.S., adding to the growing list of mutations, such as discoveries in the UK and South Africa, the university said in a statement. .
“It’s here. We found it,” said Keith Gagnon, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at SIU. “It is definitely developed at home and widespread, and we are the first to characterize it.”
It may be more easily transmissible than other variants and its impact on vaccines is uncertain, the university said.
In addition, scientists at The Ohio State University have discovered a new variant of SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The new variant carries a mutation identical to the United Kingdom strain, but it probably appeared in a virus strain already present in the United States.
Contributing: The Associated Press
This article was originally published in USA TODAY: COVID: Biden assistance plan $ 1,400 checks; Disney closes passports – updates