A glimmer of hope in Southern California
Covid rates steadily declining, but there’s a long way to go: hundreds still dying every day.
Around 5,000 people are hospitalized with Covid-19 in the Los Angeles area right now. That’s the good news, since it is a huge drop from nearly 9,000 just a couple weeks ago. The Los Angeles Times reports on the first real signs that social distancing and other public health measures are making a difference, although the decline is from such a high peak that there still are more than 200 dying on average each day in Los Angeles County.
A survey by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases finds wide variation about vaccine confidence among Black Americans based on age. Older people are more open to the vaccines, while those under 45 are more hesitant.
Health experts worry that Sunday’s Super Bowl could well be the next surge trigger, as people gather to watch the game and perhaps let their guard down. Please avoid gatherings, and if you are inside with anyone who doesn’t live in the same home, wear a mask, increase ventilation as much as you can, wash your hands at least every hour and use hand sanitizer when you can’t use soap and water.
And a few other items:
One of the interesting findings in data released this week by Novavax suggests that previous infection with COVID-19 may not protect against new infection by the more recently discovered South Africa variant.
Novavax reports that its candidate COVID-19 vaccine was 90% effective in its Phase 3 trial in the United Kingdom.
The company notes that the study of 15,000 volunteers was done while the virulent B.1.1.7 virus strain was widely circulating, indicating that the vaccine appears effective against a range of coronavirus variants.
A preliminary review of Phase 2b data from a separate study in South Africa indicate 60% efficacy.
A Virginia man who was awarded $40 million from the federal government last year to supply N95 masks admitted in court that he never had masks to deliver, according to the Washington Post.