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COVID-19 virus changes: what you need to know about new variants
The virus that causes COVID-19 changes all the time, but scientific leaders say there is no reason to panic with the known variants yet.
USA TODAY
Several states and cities lifted the COVID-19 restrictions this week.
In Montana, Governor Greg Gianforte suspended the term of the state mask on Friday. In Nevada, Governor Steve Sisolak announced on Thursday that he would gradually end a month-long “break” in economic activity designed to delay the deadly resurgence of the virus during the holiday. And in Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine has promised to cancel a curfew that has been in place since November.
Meanwhile, limited indoor meals started in New York City on Friday, and Chicago has expanded its capacity limits for indoor meals.
The reversals come as US health officials release new guidelines for schools to reopen on Friday, saying schools can safely reopen by adhering to five mitigation strategies.
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In the headlines:
►The use of the mask will be necessary for “several, several months”, even with the vaccination in progress, said Dr. Anthony Fauci on Friday on ABC’s “Good Morning America” program. As soon as 75-80% of the population is vaccinated, the country can “begin to back off a bit on strict public health measures,” he added.
►The New York Times reported on Friday that the Food and Drug Administration has agreed to allow Moderna to increase the number of doses of its COVID-19 vaccine it puts in each vial from 10 to 14. The Times reported that the change, which could increase the country’s vaccine supply by 20%, may take effect before the end of April.
►The head of the World Health Organization said on Friday that all hypotheses about the origins of the coronavirus were still being investigated and analyzed after a team of WHO researchers said earlier this week that the theory that the virus leaked from a virology laboratory in Wuhan will no longer be pursued.
► Fully vaccinated people who meet certain criteria will no longer be required to quarantine after exposure to someone with COVID-19, says the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
►The Australian Open will be able to continue, but without crowds, for at least five days after the state government of Victoria imposed a blockade starting Saturday in response to an outbreak of COVID-19 at a quarantined hotel.
📈 Today’s numbers: The United States has more than 27.4 million confirmed cases of coronavirus and 480,900 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Global totals: More than 108.2 million cases and 2.38 million deaths. More than 69 million doses of vaccine have been distributed in the United States and about 48.4 million have been administered, according to the CDC.
📘 What we’re reading: People of color were the ones who suffered most from COVID-19. But now that the vaccine is here, they are much less likely to have received their first dose – for the same reasons. Read More.
The University of Oxford plans to test its COVID-19 vaccine – which is being produced and distributed by AstraZeneca – on children for the first time, becoming the latest vaccine developer to assess whether its injection against the coronavirus is effective in young people.
The trial, announced on Saturday, seeks to recruit 300 volunteers aged 6 to 17 years, with up to 240 receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and the rest a meningitis control vaccine.
Andrew Pollard, lead researcher for the Oxford vaccine trial, says that while most children are not seriously ill with COVID-19, “it is important to establish the safety and immune response to the vaccine in children and young people, as some children can benefit from vaccination. “
– Associated Press
Ohio’s efforts to clean up accumulated death reports propelled the United States to an impressive single-day record of 5,443 COVID-19 death reports on Thursday, data from Johns Hopkins University show. The previous record was 4,436 cases reported exactly a month earlier.
Ohio recorded 63 deaths on Tuesday, 721 deaths on Wednesday and 2,559 deaths on Thursday.
Deaths in the United States have been dropping slowly since their peak several weeks ago. The nation is reporting an average of less than 100,000 new cases per day now. It is still more than 1 new case every second, but it is less than half the rate that the country reported in January.
– Mike Stucka
California released the long-awaited race and ethnicity data across the state for COVID-19 on Friday, and the results show that blacks so far account for only 2.8% of all people who have received at least one injection.
Whites received nearly 33 percent, according to data collected by the California Department of Public Health.
The data does not immediately explain the disparity. He also showed that Americans of Asian origin who received at least one dose of vaccine represent 13.1%, Latinos 15.8% and multiracials 13.9%.
California – and several other states – have been criticized in recent weeks for falling behind in disseminating data on how vaccines are being distributed among ethnic groups. The lack of data is further masking the transparency of vaccination implementation, health equity researchers say, and the data deficit is hurting the most vulnerable. To date, fewer than 20 states are reporting vaccination counts by race and ethnicity, and the data is incomplete.
CDC guidelines for reopening schools: Vaccinations are not mandatory
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say public schools can reopen safely in the midst of the pandemic if a series of security measures are taken, including keeping 6 feet of physical distance inside school buildings whenever possible. And although vaccinating teachers is important, according to the CDC, it is not an obligation for classroom teaching.
The CDC released on Friday new highly-anticipated guidelines for reopening schools that are still closed and teaching virtually as the COVID-19 virus spreads. President Joe Biden has repeatedly pointed out the guidelines as the key to his goal of reopening most schools in the first 100 days.
The guidelines – announced as a “roadmap” and “one stop shop” for reopening schools safely – are not federal mandates, but “recommendations based on the best available evidence”.
– Joey Garrison
After losing homes in COVID-19, more people are living in cars, trailers
Americans are being driven to their vehicles by woes fueled by a pandemic. And its ranks are likely to grow as the government’s safety net wears out and evictions and executions increase.
“It is in times of crisis that the fragility of our systems is exposed,” said Graham Pruss, a postdoctoral fellow at the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at the UC San Francisco Center for Vulnerable Populations.
Even before COVID, millions were struggling to get a decent place to live. The pandemic has further aggravated the housing crisis, says Pruss. He expects an increase in the number of people without permanent homes, who take refuge in cars, vans, RVs and campers – and not just in the most expensive regions of the country, such as the San Francisco Bay area, where vehicles have become increasingly another form of affordable housing, but across the country. Read More.
– Jessica Guynn
Contributing: The Associated Press