Tulane Outbreak Daily | December 30, 2020

How much coronavirus a person carries could predict how sick they’ll get – New York Times

Dozens of research papers published over the past few months have found that people whose bodies were teeming with the coronavirus more often became seriously ill and were more likely to die, compared with those who carried much less virus and were more likely to emerge relatively unscathed. Now that information could help hospitals.

People with coronavirus are still getting on planes. No one knows how many. – Washington Post

Airlines highlight the safety measures they’re taking, but those rely on honest answers — and passengers don’t always tell the truth.

Where Year Two of the Pandemic Will Take Us – The Atlantic

As vaccines roll out, the U.S. will face a choice about what to learn and what to forget.

Flying with covid-19 isn’t just reckless — it’s potentially deadly – Washington Post

Low cabin air pressure is likely a factor in coronavirus-related deaths on planes.

What we’ve learned about how our immune system fights COVID-19 – National Geographic

A year into the pandemic, our understanding of immune responses to the coronavirus has skyrocketed. But more questions—such as how long immunity lasts—still need answers.

The US has hit its highest COVID-19 peak so far – Popular Science

If you’ve lost count (or never started), we are now at week 42 of the pandemic, which officially began on March 11, 2020, when the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global event. It’s been nearly 12 months since the WHO announced there was a mysterious virus emerging in Wuhan, China, and though we understand far more about SARS-CoV-2 now, there’s still a lot left for us to parse.

Vaccine Headlines

China is set to vaccinate millions, but without any proof that its vaccines work – New York Times

Hospitals all over China have almost everything necessary for a mass vaccination drive. Millions of doses. Refrigerators to store them. Health care workers trained to administer them.

Operation Warp Speed at a crawl: Adequately vaccinating Americans will take 10 years at current pace – NBC

In other coronavirus news: Vice President-elect Kamala Harris got her shot; the pandemic has left many Americans “stuck in time.”

Clinical Considerations

SARS-CoV-2 Infection Rate Low in Patients Receiving Antitumor Therapy – Physician’s Weekly

The rate of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is 0.68 percent among patients receiving antitumor treatment, according to a research letter published online Dec. 17 in JAMA Oncology.

Official Reporting for December 30, 2020

World Health Organization

Weekly Epi Update December 22, 2020

Confirmed Cases: 80 155 187

Deaths: 1 771 128

ECDC

Confirmed Cases: 76 046 387

Deaths: 1 693 858

Johns Hopkins

Confirmed Cases: 81,996,540
Deaths: 1,789,905

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Total cases: 19,232,843 (+176,974 New Cases)
Total deaths: 334,029 (+1,783 New Deaths)

Surveillance Headlines

UNITED STATES

Colorado: first state in U.S. to confirm new, more contagious strain of COVID-19 – Denver Post

Rhode Island: Field Hospital Opened In Rhode Island To Deal With COVID-19 Surge – NPR

Southern California: Southern California Stay-At-Home Order Extended As COVID-19 Floods Hospitals – KPBS

Arizona: COVID-19 hospitalizations, ICU use hit new highs as Arizona reports about 2,800 new cases, 171 deaths – AZ Central

Dallas, Texas: COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to shatter records in Dallas County – Dallas News

EUROPE

UK: Hospital and case numbers in England surpass the first peak, despite lockdowns – NYT

Spain: Spain will keep a register of those who refuse the coronavirus vaccine – CNN

Science and Tech

Therapeutics

 

Psychological and Sociological Impact

Nurtured by Nature – Washington Post Magazine

How the pandemic has intensified our connection to the outdoors.

Published Research

Graves’ Thyrotoxicosis following SARS-CoV-2 Infection – Science Direct

ncidence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Patients Undergoing Active Antitumor Treatment in Italy – JAMA Oncology

Misinformation, Disinformation, and Conspiracy Theories

Vaccine Hesitancy

 

Coping in 2020

and now… a break from COVID news

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