Featured Headlines
Covid-19 Is Killing Hundreds of Pregnant Women and Babies in Brazil – WSJ
Expectant mothers are at greater risk; doctors face agonizing decisions on when to deliver babies prematurely
Peru says its true Covid death toll is almost triple the official count – NYT
Peru said that its Covid-19 death toll is almost three times as high as it had officially counted , making it one of the hardest-hit nations during the pandemic relative to its population.
With recent surge, Uruguay battles to contain coronavirus – Washington Post
It is a sharp turnaround for Uruguay, which for most of 2020 seemed to have the virus under control. Like many other countries, it declared a health emergency in March 2020 and the government quickly took precautionary measures, including closing its borders, limiting public transportation and closing shopping malls and offices. Authorities rushed to control outbreaks, isolating infected people and having medical personnel track their previous contacts.
The coronavirus variant discovered in India has a new name: Delta – NYT
If you haven’t yet mastered the name of the latest coronavirus variant to set nations on edge — B.1.617.2, as evolutionary biologists call it — then fear not: The World Health Organization has proposed a solution.
The Pandemic in the U.S. Has Vastly Improved. For These Families, the Worst Has Just Begun – NYT
Families losing a loved one to the coronavirus now described a surreal, lonely kind of grief, as the threat from the pandemic lessens in the United States.
South Africa races to halt third Covid wave as its economic outlook improves – CNBC
South African economic activity has rebounded quicker than expected in recent months and the rand is the strongest-performing emerging market currency this year, but the country is racing to roll out Covid-19 vaccines as a third wave looms.
FDA Authorizes Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for Emergency Use in Adolescents – FDA
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to include adolescents 12 through 15 years of age. The FDA amended the EUA originally issued on Dec. 11, 2020 for administration in individuals 16 years of age and older.
Covid Long-Haulers Baffle Doctors With Symptoms Going On and On – Bloomberg
Tasha Clark tested positive for Covid-19 on April 8, 2020. The Connecticut woman, now 41, was relieved that her symptoms at the time — diarrhea, sore throat and body aches — didn’t seem particularly severe. She never got a fever and wasn’t hospitalized. So she figured that if the virus didn’t kill her, within weeks she’d go back to her job and caring for her two children.
A Look Back, And Ahead, At COVID-19 In The U.S. – NPR
As we observe our second Memorial Day of the pandemic, NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly talks with infectious diseases expert Saskia Popescu of George Mason University about what lies ahead for the U.S.
China on Monday reported a sudden surge in COVID-19 infections in the country’s south, with 18 new local cases on May 30 in the city of Guangzhou, causing a flurry of flight cancellation.
Merkel Ready to Give Up Special Lockdown Powers as Covid Ebbs – Bloomberg
Chancellor Angela Merkel is ready to allow Germany’s controversial lockdown law to lapse, the latest sign that the pandemic is releasing its grip on Europe’s largest economy.
Malaysia reverses course, locking down for two weeks as virus cases surge – NYT
Malaysia will begin a two-week national lockdown on Tuesday that will shut most of the economy and limit the movement of people, in an effort to contain the country’s worst coronavirus outbreak since the start of the pandemic. [Related: Malaysia Doctors May Have to Decide Who Lives Amid Record Cases – Bloomberg]
Vaccine Headlines
Moderna Seeks Full FDA Approval for Its Covid-19 Vaccine – Bloomberg
Moderna Inc. said it is seeking a full approval for its Covid-19 vaccine, a move that could make a shot cleared on an emergency basis during the pandemic into a stable source of revenue for years to come.
France, England Widen Availability of COVID-19 Vaccines – VOA
To fight a rise in cases caused by the coronavirus variants, France and England moved Monday to increase vaccinations. France is now allowing all adults to receive COVID-19 vaccinations. President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, were vaccinated Monday.
Long lines and confusion as Venezuela begins COVID-19 vaccination – Reuters
Hundreds of senior citizens and health workers stood in long lines on Monday to get vaccinated against the coronavirus as part of Venezuela’s inoculation campaign, which has been held up by payment problems and political disputes.
Sinovac Shot Controls Covid in Brazil Town After 75% Covered – Bloomberg
A study of a small Brazilian town vaccinated with the shot made by Sinovac Biotech Ltd. showed it can control Covid-19 outbreaks more effectively than expected from clinical testing, giving another boost to the Chinese-made inoculation that’s relied on by dozens of developing countries.
Clinical Considerations
As U.S. COVID-19 Cases Ease, Questions Remain About Lingering Effects – NPR
A blood circulation disorder called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, known as POTS, is affecting some people who continue to experience the lingering effects of COVID-19.
Official Reporting for June 1, 2021
World Health Organization
Weekly Epi Update May 31, 2021
Confirmed Cases: 170,363,852
Deaths: 3,546,870
Johns Hopkins
Confirmed Cases: 170,771,941
Deaths: 3,551,306
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Total cases: 33,079,543 (+12,663 New Cases)
Total deaths: 591,265 (+240 New Deaths)
Science and Tech
Could a simple pill beat COVID-19? Pfizer is giving it a go – The Conversation
While the focus has been largely on vaccines, you might have also heard Pfizer is trialling a pill to treat COVID-19.
Around the world, dogs are being trained to sniff out the coronavirus. – NYT
At Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, Labradors are being trained to sniff out Covid-19 in humans, as part of a global corps of dogs to be used to detect the virus. Preliminary studies, conducted in several countries, suggest that their detection rate may surpass that of the rapid antigen testing often used in airports and other public places.
Covid Forced America to Make More Stuff. What Happens Now? – Wired
A software entrepreneur pivoted to making masks at the start of the pandemic. The experience opened his eyes: “I thought, ‘Wow, the US really is behind.’”
Published Research
Safety, Immunogenicity, and Efficacy of the BNT162b2 Covid-19 Vaccine in Adolescents – NEJM
Misinformation, Disinformation, and Conspiracy Theories
Vaccine Hesitancy
One U.S. State’s Laser Focus on Data Helps Shrink Racial Vaccine Gap – Bloomberg Prognosis
North Carolina is among the best-performing U.S. states when it comes to distributing vaccines evenly among Black and White residents. That’s partly because the state is by far the best at collecting demographic data.
Coping in 2020 (and probably most of 2021)
When Grandma finds a sale on masks
