COVID forecaster predicts annual surges
Have you posted a "vaccine selfie"? Writer welcomes the flurry of Instagram shots, while another calls on former president to become "celebrity vaccine ambassador."
COVID-19 is poised to become a recurring, seasonal infection in the United States, warns epidemiology leader Dr. Christopher Murray of the University of Washington. In JAMA, Murray says that the combination of emerging variants, challenges getting enough Americans vaccinated, and human behavior suggest that the health system must be prepared for annual COVID-19 surges. He says that businesses and others must take the lead on heading off or at least, preparing for these surges.
While the White House said it expected all three COVID-19 vaccines to be distributed evenly, the CDC updated its guidance to indicate that the single-injection Johnson & Johnson vaccine may be the best choice for mobile clinics and for transient or difficult-to-access groups such as homeless or incarcerated people.
Businesses operating in Texas are scrambling to figure out what to do as the state’s mask mandate ends next week. Airlines and other businesses regulated by the federal government are required to keep mask orders in place. Target said it would continue to require all persons inside their stores to mask-up, while grocery chains Albertsons and Tom Thumb said they would “encourage” but not require masks, acording to the Dallas Morning News. Mississipi also is dropping its mask mandate.
A correction: The Texas mask mandate and other public health measures end next Wednesday, March 10, not today, as reported in yesterday’s newsletter.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops raised concerns about the J&J vaccine because of the role of fetal cells in its production.
Saudi Arabia’s health ministry says that pilgrims who want to attend this year’s Hajj must be vaccinated, Al Jazeera reports.
The White House announced a program to help 2 million “vulnerable seniors” get to and from vaccination sites, building on existing “health navigator” programs run by major insurance companies. These programs assist people with scheduling appointments, transportation and follow-up. Watch the full COVID-19 briefing.
Pilots of cargo planes used to transport vaccines and other COVID-19 supplies around the world want to get vaccinated themselves. Representatives of pilots for UPS and FedEx say their members are contracting COVID-19 at higher rates than others. “By the end of February, 963 of the more than 8,100 pilots at these two companies have tested positive,” according to STATNews.
The CEO of a California hospital has lost his job in the wake of a vaccine allocation scandal. The hospital allowed teachers and staff from a wealthy school district to pose as healthcare workers to get early COVID-19 vaccines as a “thank you” for the school district’s fundraising on behalf of the hospital, local media report.
The CDC documented a case of a traveler from the United Kingdom to Dallas who tested negative but apparently was infected with the B.1.1.7 variant when he arrived on December 30. The person had tested negative prior to traveling. The CDC report cites the importance of “properly timed” testing in relation to potential exposure and onset of symptoms, especially considering the potential ambiguity of COVID-19 antigen (“rapid”) tests.
A New York Times op-ed column says former President Trump has a unique opportunity to become a “celebrity vaccine ambassador,” since white Republican Trump supporters are one of the largest blocs of “vaccine-hesitant” Americans.
Vaccine selfies are becoming a “thing”: “The pictures are so ordinary but they feel so extraordinary,” says an opinion article in the Washington Post.
What’s your top concern about COVID-19 right now? Leave a comment and start the conversation.