Featured Headlines
CDC Says It’s Safe For Vaccinated People To Do These Activities – NPR
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued new guidance for vaccinated people, giving the green light to resume some pre-pandemic activities and relax precautions that have been in place.
Do Vaccines Help COVID Long-Haulers? – MedPageToday
Some people suffering from long COVID have found significant symptom relief after the first dose of their COVID-19 vaccine, though the jury’s still out as to whether that’s the case for the majority of so-called long-haulers.
Why Scientists Are Infecting Healthy Volunteers With The Coronavirus – NPR
Researchers in England are deliberately exposing volunteers to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The goal is to speed up the development of new vaccines and treatments.
The Joys of Post-Pandemic Life Await. But We’re Not There Yet. – New York Times
It’s going to feel incredible resuming a Covid-free life again. We’re getting there. But don’t let impatient politicians, vaccine selfies, or overeager friends tempt you. As the video above explains, returning to pre-pandemic life is like taking a hot bath — jumping in too quickly will only get us burned.
Unlocking the Mysteries of Long COVID – The Atlantic
The quest at Mount Sinai began with a mystery. During the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic in New York City, Zijian Chen, an endocrinologist, had been appointed medical director of the hospital’s new Center for Post-COVID Care, dedicated both to research and to helping recovering patients “transition from hospital to home,” as Mount Sinai put it. One day last spring, he turned to an online survey of COVID‑19 patients who were more than a month past their initial infection but still experiencing symptoms.
Vaccine Headlines
Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine neutralizes Brazil variant in lab study – Reuters
The COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE was able to neutralize a new variant of the coronavirus spreading rapidly in Brazil, according to a laboratory study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Monday.
How Do COVID-19 Vaccines Compare?
While direct comparisons can’t be made because head-to-head trials don’t exist, people are questioning how the three COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the U.S. stack up.
Accidentally Trashed, Thawed Or Expired: Reports Of COVID-19 Vaccine ‘Spoilage’ Grow – MedPageToday
As the speed of COVID vaccinations picks up, so do the reports of doses going to waste. And it’s more than just a handful at the end of the day because of a few appointment cancellations. Health officials are trying to address the problems that lead to waste, but without slowing down the roll out of the lifesaving vaccinations.
Despite the success and optimism of the new COVID-19 vaccination campaigns being rolled out worldwide, the emergence of new viral strains threatens to undermine their effectiveness. Indeed, South Africa has been forced to rethink its strategy as its initial vaccine of choice failed to provide protection to an emerging, but now dominant, viral variant.
UK, 4 nations fast-track review of modified COVID vaccines – AP
Regulators in the U.K. and four other countries have announced new rules to fast-track the development of modified COVID-19 vaccines to ensure drugmakers can move swiftly to target emerging variants of the disease.
Women Report Worse Side Effects After a Covid Vaccine – New York Times
Men and women tend to respond differently to many kinds of vaccines. That’s probably because of a mix of factors, including hormones, genes and the dosing of the shots.
Russia’s Covid-19 Vaccine Is Embraced Abroad, Snubbed at Home – Wall Street Journal
Last summer, Russia was the first nation to announce its approval of a Covid-19 vaccine. Dozens of countries from Mexico to Iran have since ordered millions of doses of the shot, known as Sputnik V.
Clinical Considerations
Statement on NIH starting enrollment for third trial of blood clotting treatments for COVID-19 – NIH
The National Institutes of Health has launched the last of three Phase 3 clinical trials to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of blood thinners to prevent life-threatening blood clots in adults diagnosed with COVID-19. The first patient in the trial was enrolled on February 15.
CDC: Overweight And Obese Americans Make Up Vast Majority Of Coronavirus Hospitalizations – Forbes
Nearly 8 in 10 people who were hospitalized for coronavirus were either overweight or obese, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study released Monday, which also found a higher body mass index is associated with serious coronavirus outcomes, such as hospitalization, being placed on a ventilator and even death.
Official Reporting for March 9, 2021
World Health Organization
Weekly Epi Update March 1, 2020
Confirmed Cases: 116,521,281
Deaths: 2,589,548
Johns Hopkins
Confirmed Cases: 117,126,959
Deaths: 2,599,255
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Total cases: 28,813,424 (+41,675 New Cases)
Total deaths: 523,850 (+877 New Deaths)
Science and Tech
Given still-high levels of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) susceptibility and inconsistent transmission-containing strategies, outbreaks have continued to emerge across the United States. Until effective vaccines are widely deployed, curbing COVID-19 will require carefully timed nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs).
T-Cell Responses Hold Up Against SARS-CoV-2 Variants, Study Finds – Forbes
There is remarkable news regarding the immune response to SARS-CoV-2. It is clear now that the virus mutates to evade the neutralizing antibody responses. There are new results that suggest that is not the whole story. When it comes to another arm of immunity, T-cell immunity, high response to one form of the virus means high response to them all. Here we will review what that might mean for the future of Covid-19.
Psychological and Sociological Impact
COVID-19 has hijacked people’s lives, families and work. And, it has hijacked their bodies and minds in ways that they may not even be aware of. As we see it, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is a sort of zombie virus, turning people not into the undead but rather into the unsick. By interfering with our bodies’ normal immune response and blocking pain, the virus keeps the infected on their feet, spreading the virus.
Celebratory ‘Vaxications’ Are Giving the Travel Industry a Boost – Bloomberg
Pent-up demand and a surplus of spending money have itchy travelers eager to check off their bucket lists.
Published Research
Serological evidence of human infection with SARS-CoV-2: a systematic review and meta-analysis – The Lancet
Association between antecedent statin use and decreased mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 – Nature
Antibody Resistance of SARS-CoV-2 Variants B.1.351 and B.1.1.7 – Nature
Familial Clustering and Re-infection with 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV, SARS-CoV-2) in the Libyan Community – CambridgeCore
Misinformation, Disinformation, and Conspiracy Theories
Facebook: A Worthy Judge of Medical Info? – MedPageToday
Over the past few months, Facebook has used third-party fact-checkers to decide which COVID-19 news stories and op-eds are false or misleading. Recently, one determined that a Wall Street Journal opinion article by Marty Makary, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins professor and editor-in-chief at MedPage Today, was misleading. Specifically, “Three scientists analysed the article and estimate its overall scientific credibility to be very low,” according to HealthFeedback.org, Facebook’s checker in this instance.
FDA Warns Mercola for Selling Bogus COVID Treatments – MedPageToday
Among a flurry of recent FDA warning letters was one sent to Joseph Mercola, DO, a controversial alternative medicine physician, for improperly marketing COVID-19 treatments.
Coping in 2020 (and probably most of 2021)
