New COVID-19 cases down even further
Latest data shows lowest new case count in 11 months; more evidence that vaccines work against variants, and clues to the origin of misinformation.
More than 600,000 12-15 year olds have already been vaccinated against COVID-19 in the first week of vaccine availability, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky reported Tuesday.
The ending of mask mandates in many places leaves some people who are immunocomprised in an awkward position. Increasing data suggests that the vaccines may not generate a sufficient immune response to protect against COVID-19 for some people with conditions such as transplants or certain cancers.
The USA recorded 17,723 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, the lowest since June 2020. Texas, Arizona, Minnesota and Massachusetts have each had at least one day with no reported COVID-19 deaths - for the first time in more than a year.
Rural areas lag far behind urban centers on vaccinations: CDC data indicates that rural areas throughout the USA were about 40% behind urban areas on vaccination rates, as of mid-April. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says the recent push to deliver vaccines via local pharmacies, community health centers and mobile outreach should help reduce this gap.
White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci reviewed the latest data showing that the three vaccines in use are effective against all known “variants of concern.” The most recent data “suggests” that the vaccines work even against the B.1.617 variant sweeping India, Fauci told reporters. He has previously shown data indicating that the level of protection increases more than five-fold after the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna (mRNA) shots.
In Missouri, healthcare providers will not be required to disclose to patients whether they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or not.
The FDA published an unusual public statement disputing a company’s claims about clinical trial results for a candidate COVID-19 drug.
Some of the misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines and other current topics in the news appears to be driven by a network run by a Chinese real estate developer living in New York, according to a report in the Washington Post.
A COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Sanofi and GSK showed positive immune responses in Phase 1/2 trials. A Phase 3 study is in the works.
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Schedule note: Because I will be attending a conference (in person!) there likely will be only three editions next week, probably on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. My “normal” schedule now is to publish four editions most weeks, usually skipping either Thursday or Friday, depending on news. Comments? Let me know.