Featured Headlines
India’s devastating outbreak is driving the global coronavirus surge – Washington Post
Those on the country’s front lines say the wave is worse than anything they have seen before.
Non-stop cremations cast doubt on India’s counting of COVID dead – Reuters
Gas and firewood furnaces at a crematorium in the western Indian state of Gujarat have been running so long without a break during the COVID-19 pandemic that metal parts have begun to melt.
Brazil is in a terrifying spot in the pandemic. The more contagious P.1 variant first discovered there has pushed cases to record highs in recent weeks and overwhelmed hospitals. The country’s daily average death toll is now the highest in the world.
B.1.1.7 variant: Increased transmissibility but not greater severity – MedPageToday
Viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, naturally mutate over time, producing new variants capable of spreading faster. Sometimes, these mutations may impact the virus’s ability to spread or affect disease severity. A variant of concernTrusted Source shows evidence of: increased transmissibility
greater disease severity a substantial decrease in the neutralization of virus by antibodies from vaccination or past infection
decreased protective effect of vaccines from severe disease The current variants of concern in the United States include the B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P.1, B.1.427, and B.1.429 variants.
The shadow orphan crisis of Covid-19 – Vox
More than 40,000 children likely lost parents to Covid-19. Who will help them?
Old U.S. Covid-19 Hot Spots Are the New Hot Spots – Wall Street Journal
The recent rise in Covid-19 cases in the U.S. has largely been driven by a handful of states, many of them the same places that first emerged as hot spots a year ago. Through Monday, about 75% of the previous week’s new cases in the U.S. came from Michigan, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
India Covid-19 second wave: Shortage of oxygen, beds and even cremation slots – BBC
She kept waiting and gasping but it was too late by the time help arrived. She was taken to a hospital emergency room on 16 April after her oxygen saturation level dropped. Her CT scan showed that she had developed chronic pneumonia.
A Deadly Second Wave of COVID-19 in India – The Atlantic
The number of COVID-19 cases in India began climbing dramatically last month, and daily infections now top 250,000, according to health-ministry data. Hospitals and crematoria are becoming overwhelmed, and vaccines, oxygen, and other medical supplies are becoming scarce. Larger cities have imposed new lockdowns, while at the same time, several large festivals have been allowed to take place elsewhere. India has now reported more than 15 million coronavirus infections since the beginning of the pandemic, and less than 10 percent of the population has received at least one vaccine dose. Gathered here are some images of the battle against COVID-19 in India over the past few weeks.
Vaccine Headlines
J.&J. benefits outweigh risks – NYT
The Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine should come with a warning about rare and unusual blood clots, but it should not be pulled from use, the European Union’s drug regulator said on Tuesday.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) (the Company) today announced that the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) has provided updated guidance for use of the Company’s COVID-19 vaccine and confirmed the overall benefit-risk profile remains positive. The guidance follows PRAC review of a small number of cases of a very rare adverse event involving blood clots in combination with low platelet counts that can occur within approximately one to three weeks following injection with the Company’s COVID-19 vaccine.
Clinical Considerations
None Today
Official Reporting for April 21, 2021
World Health Organization
Weekly Epi Update April 20, 2021
Confirmed Cases: 141 754 944
Deaths: 3 025 835
Johns Hopkins
Confirmed Cases: 142,242,353
Deaths: 3,033,145
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Total cases: 31,541,447 (+43,863 New Cases)
Total deaths: 564,813 (+456 New Deaths)
Science and Tech
Antipsychotic drugs may provide COVID-19 protection – MedPageToday
A group of researchers — led by scientists from the Mental Health Unit of the Virgen del Rocio University Hospital in Seville, Spain — have found that antipsychotic drugs could have a protective effect against COVID-19.
Supercomputer Shows Coronavirus Spread While Drinking Outdoors – NBC Chicago
Japanese supercomputer Fugaku showed how coronavirus droplets can be spread by people drinking and socializing outdoors at bars and restaurants
Psychological and Sociological Impact
There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing – NYT
The neglected middle child of mental health can dull your motivation and focus — and it may be the dominant emotion of 2021.
A better normal – Washington Post
The pandemic changed everything about family life. These are the parts parents want to keep.
Handshakes? Hugs? How to Navigate the New Covid Etiquette After Vaccines – Wall Street Journal
After playing a softball game earlier this month, Kevin Carlson, a Washington, D.C., real-estate agent, was introduced to a teammate’s friend as they walked off the field.
The coronavirus pandemic in the voices of those who lived it – Washington Post
Glimpses into the lives that were changed by the covid-19 outbreak
Published Research
Impact of Convalescent Plasma Therapy on SARS CoV-2 Antibody Profile in COVID-19 Patients
In Vitro Evaluation of the Activity of Terpenes and Cannabidiol against Human Coronavirus E229 – Life
Estimates and Projections of COVID-19 and Parental Death in the US – JAMA Pediatrics
Misinformation, Disinformation, and Conspiracy Theories
How to Debunk Misinformation about COVID, Vaccines and Masks – Scientific American
In the midst of a raging pandemic, the importance of science communication is indisputable. Mention “science communication,” though, and what comes to mind in this context are public service announcements touting the 3 Ws (Wear a mask, Watch your distance, Wash your hands) or the FAQ pages of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Coping in 2020 (and probably most of 2021)
