Featured Headlines
1 in 3 diagnosed with brain or mental health condition – MedNewsToday
From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been concerns that survivors may have an increased risk of neurological and mental health conditions. Initially, these concerns were based on past experienceTrusted Source with other coronaviruses, but suspected cases linked with COVID-19 soon followed.
Dr. Fauci and Rep. Jordan Spar Over Reopening – NYT Video
Spring wave of coronavirus crashes across 38 states as hospitalizations increase – Washington Post
The coronavirus pandemic in the United States has turned into a patchwork of regional hotspots, with some states hammered by a surge of infections and hospitalizations even as others have seen the crisis begin to ease. The spring wave of the pandemic has driven hospitalizations above 47,000, the highest since March 4.
Brazil COVID-19: ‘Humanitarian Crisis’ With More Than 3,000 Deaths A Day – NPR
Health officials in Brazil say many hospitals are running dangerously short of sedatives and other crucial medications used for treating gravely ill COVID-19 patients.
India, Brazil grapple with massive COVID-19 surges – CIDRAP
India’s cases topped 200,000 today with some of its major cities announcing new restrictions, as Brazil’s outbreak continues to overwhelm many of the country’s hospitals, a situation Doctors Without Borders said today is a humanitarian catastrophe.
The news received scant notice in the mainstream media, but it quickly gained a foothold in Brazil’s vast right-wing digital landscape: The vaccine on which Brazil had gone all in was a disappointment even to the country that had created it.
Brazil’s hospitals running out of sedatives as COVID-19 rages – Reuters
Brazil’s hospitals were running out of drugs needed to sedate COVID-19 patients on Thursday, with the government urgently seeking to import supplies amid reports of the seriously ill being tied down and intubated without effective sedatives.
India Confirms More Than 200,000 Coronavirus Cases In A Day – NPR
India surpassed a somber COVID milestone Thursday, confirming more than 200,000 new cases in a single day as patients and doctors grapple with a shortage of beds and cities announce curfews.
Two to a bed in Delhi hospital as India’s COVID crisis spirals – Reuters
Gasping for air, two men wearing oxygen masks share a bed in a government hospital in India’s capital New Delhi, victims of the country’s growing COVID-19 crisis.
How one restaurant’s experiment may help diners breathe safely – Washington Post
A restaurant in California’s Big Sur tries a comprehensive approach to clean its air.
UK scientists find higher risk of brain clots from COVID-19 compared with vaccines – Reuters
There is a much higher risk of brain blood clots from COVID-19 infection than there is from vaccines against the disease, British researchers said on Thursday, after the rollout of inoculations was disrupted by reports of rare clots.
Vaccine Headlines
‘Mix and match’ vaccine trial expanded – MedPageToday
A trial in the United Kingdom is investigating whether COVID-19 vaccines can be “mixed and matched.” The so-called Com-Cov study is recruiting people in the U.K. who have already had their first dose of the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine.
A federal vaccine advisory committee said Wednesday it wanted more data before deciding whether to resume use of Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine, leaving in place a pause that federal officials had recommended because of a rare and severe type of blood clot identified so far among six of the 7.5 million people who received the shot.
Covid-19 booster shot likely needed within 12 months, Pfizer’s CEO says – NBC News
People may also need annual shots to protect against the coronavirus, he said, similar to the seasonal flu.
New Side Effect From mRNA COVID Vaccines? – MedPageToday
Herpes zoster reactivation — a.k.a. shingles — following COVID-19 vaccination in six patients with comorbid autoimmune/inflammatory diseases may be a new adverse event associated with the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine, suggested a new report.
Annual Covid-19 Vaccine Booster Shots Likely Needed, Pfizer CEO Says – Wall Street Journal
Pfizer Inc. Chief Executive Albert Bourla said it is likely that people who receive Covid-19 vaccines will need booster shots within a year afterward, and then annual vaccinations, to maintain protection against the virus as it evolves.
Italy reported four clot deaths after AstraZeneca shots, data shows – Reuters
Four people died in Italy from rare blood clots after they received the AstraZeneca (AZN.L) COVID-19 vaccine, a report from the AIFA national pharmaceutical agency said on Thursday.
Clinical Considerations
None Today
Official Reporting for April 16, 2021
World Health Organization
Weekly Epi Update April 12, 2021
Confirmed Cases: 137 866 311
Deaths: 2 965 707
Johns Hopkins
Confirmed Cases: 138,827,781
Deaths: 2,984,199
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Total cases: 31,231,869 (+76,120 New Cases)
Total deaths: 561,356 (+769 New Deaths)
Science and Tech
Microbes in your gut may be new recruits in the fight against viruses – National Geographic
Microbiologists are looking at new ways to fight viral infections, including COVID-19, with the bacteria already living in your intestine.
Study bolsters the case that antibody drugs can protect against Covid-19 – NYT
A monoclonal antibody cocktail developed by the drug maker Regeneron offered strong protection against Covid-19 when given to people living with someone infected with the coronavirus, according to clinical trial results announced on Monday. The drug, if authorized, could offer another line of defense against the disease for people who are not protected by vaccination.
One year of SARS-CoV-2 evolution – Science Daily
Researchers have published an in-depth look at the SARS-CoV-2 mutations that have taken place during the past year. The review discusses the findings of over 180 research articles and follows the changes that have taken place in the SARS-CoV-2 genome, and the variants that have occurred as a result.
A Year In, Here’s What We Know About Vitamin D For Preventing COVID – NPR
When the pandemic hit, many Americans turned to vitamins and supplements in hopes of boosting their immune systems. Scientists also raced to study them. Vitamin D, perhaps more than any other, captured the attention of researchers.
Psychological and Sociological Impact
Published Research
Distinct antibody and memory B cell responses in SARS-CoV-2 naïve and recovered individuals following mRNA vaccination – Science
Misinformation, Disinformation, and Conspiracy Theories
The Most Popular J&J Vaccine Story On Facebook? A Conspiracy Theorist Posted It – NPR
Those are the publishers of four of the five most popular Facebook posts of articles about the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine this week. They’re ranked 2 to 5 in total interactions, according to data from the tracking tool CrowdTangle.
Coping in 2020 (and probably most of 2021)
The Best Frozen Pizzas: Restaurant-Quality Pies to Heat and Eat – Wall Street Journal
Mention frozen pizza and most of us think of the utilitarian discs found in the supermarket freezer case, not wood-fired creations meticulously crafted by top pizzaioli. “If you would have told me [a year ago] I would be doing frozen pizza, I would have told you I have a bridge to sell you,” said Chris Bianco, chef-owner of Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix, Ariz., credited with some of America’s best pies. But with his restaurants operating at half capacity during the pandemic, Mr. Bianco began supplementing earnings by freezing his celebrated pies and selling them nationally through the delivery site Goldbelly.
and this… because it’s Friday