Featured Headlines

US COVID-19 cases drop for first time in 3 months – CIDRAP

The summer surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the Delta (B1617.2) variant may be tapering off after causing the fourth wave of heightened pandemic activity in the United States.

Here’s What the Next Six Months of the Pandemic Will Bring – Bloomberg

The race between vaccinations and new variant strains won’t end until Covid-19 has touched almost everyone.

‘Covid hit us like a cyclone’: An Aboriginal town in the Australian Outback is overwhelmed

WILCANNIA, Australia — The nurses drove up and down the dusty streets, from one family overwhelmed by the coronavirus to the next, until they arrived at a red brick house on the edge of the Outback town.

Japan To Lift All Coronavirus Emergency Steps Nationwide – NPR

Japan’s government says the coronavirus state of emergency will end Thursday so the economy can be reactivated as infections slow. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced Tuesday that virus restrictions will be eased gradually.

As Vaccine Deadlines Approach, Hospitals Fear Staffing Shortages Will Occur – NPR

Hospitals and nursing homes around the U.S. are bracing for worsening staff shortages as state deadlines arrive for health care workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

New York hospitals fire, suspend staff who refuse COVID vaccine – Reuters

New York hospitals on Monday began firing or suspending healthcare workers for defying a state order to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and resulting staff shortages prompted some hospitals to postpone elective surgeries or curtail services.

Idaho morgues are running out of space for bodies as covid-19 deaths mount – Washington Post

Dave Salove has watched his morgue fill with bodies. Covid-19 victims have poured into the funeral home he runs in Boise, Idaho, in recent weeks, as the state contends with an unprecedented spike in deaths driven by the delta variant of the coronavirus. His 16-slot refrigeration room is over capacity. Other funeral homes have neared a tipping point, too.

Georgia professor: ‘We are teaching in COVID factories’ – Atlanta Journal Constitution

An associate professor in communications at Georgia College & State University, James Schiffman wrote a column today that speaks for the hundreds of faculty members pleading with the University System of Georgia to impose a mask mandate.

Vaccine Headlines

For People Who Got The J&J Vaccine, Some Doctors Are Advising Boosters ASAP – NPR

Last week, a panel of scientists and doctors met to discuss the Pfizer booster vaccine. Specifically, the goal was to advise the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about who needs a third shot.

Behind Israel’s Swift Rollout of Covid-19 Vaccine Boosters – WSJ Video

By getting early access to Pfizer’s vaccine, Israeli scientists had more and earlier data than their counterparts elsewhere—and were willing to act on it

For many families, the countdown has begun to coronavirus vaccines for younger children – Washington Post

For almost a year, Whitney Kuhn has been trying to escape the grip of long-haul symptoms after contracting covid-19. And she has not stopped worrying about how to protect her 10-year-old son, Tyler, from the illness she experienced.

CDC Overrules Advisors on Pfizer Booster for High-Risk Workers – MedPageToday

In a rare move, CDC overruled the recommendations of the agency’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) regarding who should get a booster of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine (Comirnaty).

NIAID issues new awards to fund “pan-coronavirus” vaccines – NIH

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded approximately $36.3 million to three academic institutions to conduct research to develop vaccines to protect against multiple types of coronaviruses and viral variants. The awards are intended to fuel vaccine research for a diverse family of coronaviruses, with a primary focus on potential pandemic-causing coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV-2.

Clinical Considerations

None Today

Official Reporting for September 28, 2021