Variant surges across USA as vaccine delivery improves somewhat
FDA staff reviewing Johnson & Johnson single-shot vaccine data, while data shows variant strain taking hold across the USA.
Over 42 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the United States, according to the CDC. Nearly 10 million people have received both doses. About 11 states have vaccinated 10% of their population, and 13 states have used only 2/3rds of their vaccine doses.
Here are the top stories for today:
The FDA scheduled a meeting of its vaccine advisory panel for February 26 to review data on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
South Africa hit “pause” on the rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, based on data indicating that it may not be very effective against the virus strain now dominant there. Further study is underway to assess whether the vaccine prevents severe COVID-19 cases even if it does not halt mild or moderate symptoms.
A study of 40,000 people in the United Kingdom who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine found none had serious side effects. Passing side effects — pain or swelling at the injection site or fever, aches or chills — were more common after the second dose.
The “British” COVID-19 variant is on its way to be the dominant strain across the USA, according to an analysis led by researchers at the Scripps Research Institute. Among the findings reported in a pre-published (not yet peer reviewed) paper:
The surge of variant cases corresponds to the peak travel days around Thanksgiving and the December holidays. The researchers say the data indicates “multiple introductions of B.1.1.7 into the U.S.” since late November.
The number of B.1.1.7 cases doubles in the USA every 10 days, on average. With a higher concentration of cases, the rate in Florida is 9 days. The rate in California is 12 days.
The clustering of cases “suggest movement of the virus between Florida and Georgia, Florida and Minnesota, Florida and Michigan, and between the Southeastern states of Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina,” the paper says.
One major caveat: Because the USA has not had a coordinated plan for genetic sampling during the pandemic, there is no way to know whether there are other variants playing significant roles.
Federal officials are mulling whether to require COVID-19 tests for domestic air travelers, according to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in an interview with Axios.
Anti-science campaigners are newly emboldened as the COVID-19 vaccines roll out across the USA, reports the New York Times. The movement has grown from occasional threats or protests against public health officials to active efforts that appear intended to disrupt vaccine distribution.
Some employers are ordering their workers to return to the office, at least part-time.
The Wall Street Journal reports on the “cold reality” that variant strains and other factors likely mean COVID-19 won’t go away anytime soon.
A Dallas-area member of Congress, Rep. Ron Wright, died Sunday of COVID-19. He was 67 and is the first sitting member of Congress felled by COVID.
Facebook says it will attack COVID-19 vaccine misinformation using some. of the same tactics that it used in advance of the 2020 presidential election.
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