Face masks effectively limit the probability of SARS-CoV-2 transmission – Science
The effectiveness of masks in preventing the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has been debated since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. One important question is whether masks are effective despite the forceful expulsion of respiratory matter during coughing and sneezing. Cheng et al. convincingly show that most people live in conditions in which the airborne virus load is low. The probability of infection changes nonlinearly with the amount of respiratory matter to which a person is exposed. If most people in the wider community wear even simple surgical masks, then the probability of an encounter with a virus particle is even further limited. In indoor settings, it is impossible to avoid breathing in air that someone else has exhaled, and in hospital situations where the virus concentration is the highest, even the best-performing masks used without other protective gear such as hazmat suits will not provide adequate protection.
Delta variant is forcing officials to rethink Covid-19 measures, even for the vaccinated – CNN
The more dangerous and more transmissible Delta variant has spread to nearly every state in the US, feeding health experts’ concern over potential Covid-19 spikes in the fall.
Delta Variant Outbreak in Israel Infects Some Vaccinated Adults – WSJ
About half of adults infected in an outbreak of the Delta variant of Covid-19 in Israel were fully inoculated with the Pfizer Inc. vaccine, prompting the government to reimpose an indoor mask requirement and other measures to contain the highly transmissible strain.
Can airborne pollen help spread SARS-CoV-2? – MedNewsToday
New research examines the role of airborne pollen in spreading the new coronavirus. milehightraveler/Getty Images
There appears to be a correlation between high concentrations of airborne pollen and high rates of infection with SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes COVID-19. A new computer model suggests that tree pollen could facilitate the transmission of the virus in a crowd of people gathered outdoors.
Russia Breaks Daily Coronavirus Fatality Record – Moscow Times
Russia has reported the highest number of coronavirus deaths in a single day since the start of the pandemic amid the country’s Delta variant-driven third wave and introduction of mandatory vaccination to prop up sluggish take-up.
Covid-19 Killed 26 Indonesian Doctors in June—at Least 10 Had Taken China’s Sinovac Vaccine – WSJ
Epidemiologists say the deaths need to be investigated to determine whether factors such as poor hospital care or underlying illnesses played a role.
Jakarta Burials Hit Pandemic Record as Delta Variant Spreads – Bloomberg
Jakarta recorded its highest demand for burial services since the pandemic began, intensifying Indonesia’s battle against a more infectious strain of the coronavirus.
In Worst-Hit African Nation, Covid Vaccines Halted and Hospitals Hit Capacity – Bloomberg
In Namibia, which has Africa’s fastest-growing Covid-19 epidemic, vaccines are running out, hospitals and mortuaries are overwhelmed and the blame game has begun.
Europe Toughens Curbs on U.K. Visitors to Stem Virus Variant – Bloomberg
Portugal and Spain imposed new restrictions on U.K. visitors amid concern about the coronavirus delta variant as Germany pushed for a more coordinated European Union response to try to limit the strain taking hold in the bloc.
COVID-19 outbreaks expand in Australia – CIDRAP
In quickly evolving developments over the weekend, COVID-19 cases were detected in more Australian states, with capitals of three of the country’s six states now in lockdown to curb the spread.
Where Did the Coronavirus Come From? What We Already Know Is Troubling – NYT Opinion
There were curious characteristics about the H1N1 influenza pandemic of 1977-78, which emerged from northeastern Asia and killed an estimated 700,000 people around the world. For one, it almost exclusively affected people in their mid-20s or younger. Scientists discovered another oddity that could explain the first: It was virtually identical to a strain that circulated in the 1950s. People born before that had immunity that protected them, and younger people didn’t.
Vaccine Headlines
They stress the advantages of vaccination despite the “likely association” between second dose and an extremely rare heart condition. Data presented to advisersto the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adds to recent findings, most notably from Israel, of rare cases of myocarditis — inflammation of the heart muscle — predominantly in males ages 12 to 39, who experience symptoms after the second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
U.K. Study Offers New Evidence You Can ‘Mix And Match’ Coronavirus Vaccines – Forbes
An Oxford University-led study published Monday found mixing and matching doses of two different Covid-19 vaccines still generates good protection against the virus, marking the latest evidence in support of a more flexible vaccine rollout that some countries have already started to adopt.
The World Finally Accepts a Much-Maligned Covid Shot – Bloomberg
Indonesia, one of the first nations to bet its Covid-19 vaccination campaign on Sinovac Biotech Ltd., was about to announce a stunning development, one that would help vindicate a shot that’s been shrouded in controversy for months. Over in Beijing, though, the company’s chief executive officer was unaware.
As Parents Forbid Covid Shots, Defiant Teenagers Seek Ways to Get Them – NYT
Most medical consent laws require parental permission for minors to get a vaccine. Now some places are easing restrictions for Covid shots while others are proposing new ones.
Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are likely to offer long-lasting protection against Covid-19, according to a study published on Monday, indicating that people who are already inoculated with either of the mRNA vaccines may not need a booster dose for years.
How COVID-19 vaccines were made so quickly without cutting corners – Science News
Six months after the first COVID-19 shots started going into arms in the United States, the pace of vaccination has slowed. That’s prompted White House officials to scale back their goal of getting at least one dose to 70 percent of all U.S. adults by July 4; they’re now aiming for 70 percent of those 27 and older.
Clinical Considerations
None Today
Official Reporting for June 29, 2021
World Health Organization
Weekly Epi Update June 28, 2021 (latest release)
Confirmed Cases: 181,007,816
Deaths: 3,927,222
Johns Hopkins
Confirmed Cases: 181,513,857
Deaths: 3,931,850
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Total cases: 33,451,748 (+4,716 New Cases)
Total deaths: 601,506 (+111 New Deaths)
Science and Tech
Hopes Are High for the Technology that Is Leading Us Out of the Pandemic – Spiegel
The vaccine success stories at BioNTech and Moderna may only be the beginning. Doctors and researchers want to use the revolutionary mRNA technology to fight the world’s worst scourges: from cancer to dementia.
U.S. Pauses Use of Lilly’s Monoclonal Antibody Combo for COVID – MedPageToday
The U.S. government will pause distribution of the monoclonal antibodies bamlanivimab and etesevimab, authorized for high-risk COVID-19 outpatients, citing poor performance against variants, health officials announced on Friday.
FDA Authorizes IL-6 Inhibitor for Severe COVID-19 Patients – MedPageToday
Tocilizumab (Actemra), an interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitor, was authorized to treat certain hospitalized COVID-19 patients, the FDA announced late on Thursday.
One of the key mutations seen in the ‘Alpha variant’ of SARS-CoV-2 – the deletion of two amino acids, H69/V70 – enables the virus to overcome chinks in its armour as it evolves, say an international team of scientists.
Psychological and Sociological Impact
Americans Seek Urgent Mental-Health Support as Covid-19 Crisis Ebbs – WSJ
Before the coronavirus pandemic took hold, psychiatrist Garrett Sparks usually treated about a dozen patients on his overnight shift in the emergency department at Western Psychiatric Hospital, this city’s biggest mental-health hospital. On a recent Thursday evening, he saw 21 cases.
Before you hit the gym to shed some pandemic pounds, read this article
As people continue to return to gyms and broader daily life, the race to lose that weight has intersected with both beach body pressure and a synchronous kind of national high school reunion vibe in which the newly chubbier among us are eager for friends and colleagues to see us as we were pre-pandemic. A nation where 74 percent of adults are already overweight is now writhing in the triangulation of these stressors this summer — and high-body temperature is a risk factor for rhabdo.
Published Research
On pollen and airborne virus transmission – Physics of Fluids
Multiplexed, quantitative serological profiling of COVID-19 from blood by a point-of-care test – Science
Safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (CoronaVac) in healthy children and adolescents: a double-blind, randomised, controlled, phase 1/2 clinical trial – The Lancet
Misinformation, Disinformation, and Conspiracy Theories
The Family Behind the Covid Bleach Cure Was Making a Fortune – Bloomberg
When Donald Trump suggested injecting bleach, the Genesis II Church had just the “sacrament”—until Operation Quack Hack landed four elders in jail.
Coping in 2020 (and probably most of 2021)
