First Edition: March 8, 2021
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
KHN:
On Vacci-Dating: Singles Seem Enamored Of Sharing Vaccination Status Online. Is That Wise?
As cold weather descended upon Washington, D.C., last fall, I deleted my dating apps. I had tried a few video-chat dates when the pandemic was new last spring. They were fun and novel at the time, and felt like a “quarantine experience.” By summer, I went on several physically distant dates in the park. But once the temperature started dropping, meeting outside lost its appeal. First dates are awkward enough without shivering as your breath freezes to your mask, all while trying to uncover the title of someone’s favorite book. So I bailed. (Knight, 3/8)
KHN:
Biden’s Criticism Of Trump Team’s Vaccine Contracts Is A Stretch
During a March 2 news conference on the covid-19 pandemic, President Joe Biden claimed that former President Donald Trump’s administration did not ensure there would be enough vaccines for the American public. “When I came into office, the prior administration had contracted for not nearly enough vaccine to cover adults in America,” said Biden. “We rectified that.” (Knight, 3/8)
KHN:
Journalists Dissect Covid Vaccines And Variants
KHN correspondent Rachana Pradhan discussed vaccine production and supply chains on KERA’s “Think” with host Krys Boyd, C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” and PBS’ “NewsHour Weekend.” She also joined Newsy to discuss how federal rules restrict patients and their doctors from knowing whether someone has been infected by a covid-19 variant. (3/6)
Roll Call:
Senate Passes Massive COVID-19 Relief Bill, Sending Changes Back To House
The Senate approved a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package Saturday, sending it back to the House where Democratic leaders will need to convince their members to back changes to unemployment insurance and tax rebate checks. The 50-49 party-line vote capped off the more than 24 hours of continuous voting, courtesy of the fast-track process Democrats are using to advance the pandemic aid package. (Shutt, 3/6)
CNN:
Stimulus Update: House To Vote On Biden's $1.9 Trillion Covid Relief Plan Tuesday
The House is scheduled to vote Tuesday on the Senate version of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill, a timeline that could see the sweeping legislation signed into law early this week. On Monday evening, the House will vote on the terms for the bill's consideration, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said in a statement, and the chamber will vote to approve the changes made in the Senate the following day. (LeBlanc, 3/8)
CNBC:
Covid Relief: Biden Says Stimulus Checks Coming This Month After Bill Passes
President Joe Biden said Saturday that Americans will start getting their stimulus checks this month, as Democrats rush to send more aide out. “When we took office 45 days ago, I promised the American people that help was on the way. Today, I can say we’ve taken one more giant step forward in delivering on that promise that help is on the way,” Biden said in an afternoon press conference. (Bursztynsky, 3/6)
Stat:
FDA Authorizes New Test To Detect Past Covid-19 Infections
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday issued an emergency authorization for a new test to detect Covid-19 infections — one that stands apart from the hundreds already authorized. Unlike tests that detect bits of SARS-CoV-2 or antibodies to it, the new test, called T-Detect COVID, looks for signals of past infections in the body’s adaptive immune system — in particular, the T cells that help the body remember what its viral enemies look like. Developed by Seattle-based Adaptive Biotechnologies, it is the first test of its kind. (Palmer, 3/5)
Politico:
Biden Team Plots The Country’s First National Covid Testing Strategy
The Biden administration is preparing to launch the first of several Covid-19 testing hubs to coordinate and oversee a $650 million expansion of testing in K-8 schools and congregate settings like homeless shelters. The Department of Health and Human Services hopes to open the first hub in April, as part of a public-private partnership that could eventually add up to 25 million tests per month to the nation’s testing totals, two sources briefed on the plans told POLITICO. Administration officials discussed details of the program on Tuesday during a call with industry, government agencies and state and local health departments. They held a second industry call on Thursday. (Lim, 3/7)
The Washington Post:
Maryland Company 'Retires' A Fever Scanner After FDA Warning
The maker of a fever-scanning system used in a dozen NFL stadiums across the United States said Friday it is pulling one of its other devices off the market after the Food and Drug Administration warned that the company had not been approved to market the device to scan multiple people at once. The company, Certify Global, was among seven manufacturers whose products were tested in research first reported Thursday by The Washington Post. The research found critical flaws in thermal-imaging systems’ ability to accurately detect people’s skin temperature. Companies have advertised the systems as a powerful first line of defense in screening people for covid infections. (Harwell, 3/5)
Politico:
Biden’s FDA Looks To Tackle Heavy Metals In Baby Food
The Biden administration said Friday it plans to clamp down on toxic heavy metals commonly found in baby food. The move comes after a House Oversight subcommittee last month released a report finding that major baby food companies sold products that their own internal testing showed contained arsenic, lead and cadmium at levels far higher than what most health experts consider safe for infants. The findings panicked parents already under considerable stress during the pandemic. (Evich, 3/5)
The Washington Post:
Biden's FDA Takes Baby Steps Toward Limiting Toxic Heavy Metals In Commercial Baby Foods
The FDA statement also said the agency will increase inspections and testing of baby and toddler foods for heavy metals and make public the results. It will support research that identifies “additional steps that industry can take to further reduce levels,” the agency said in a statement. The guidance marks a first step toward expanding FDA oversight over commercial baby food. (Reiley, 3/5)
CNN:
Disneyland And Other California Amusement Parks Can Reopen April 1
Disneyland Resort in Southern California will be allowed to reopen with capacity limits starting April 1, state Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly announced Friday. ... "We feel like now is the appropriate time to begin to reintroduce these activities in some fashion, and in a guarded way, in a slow and steady way," Ghaly said in a teleconference. ... There will be a time limit on indoor rides, though most are fairly short and already socially distanced. Thrill-seekers will be generally required to queue up outside and enter in groups. (Mossburg, 3/7)
Orange County Register:
Disneyland, Universal And Other California Theme Parks Can Reopen April 1
California theme parks can reopen April 1 under updated guidelines from the state’s health department following a year of coronavirus closures that cost the parks billions and forced them to shed tens of thousands of jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new California theme park guidelines and opening date are part of a “refresh” of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s four-tier Blueprint for a Safer Economy. California theme parks have been closed since March 2020 under COVID-19 health and safety reopening guidelines issued by the state. Many parks have partially reopened for special events and food festivals without rides. (MacDonald, 3/5)
AP:
California OKs Reopening Of Ball Parks, Disneyland
California has cleared a path for fans to hit the stands at opening-day baseball games and return to Disneyland nearly a year after coronavirus restrictions shuttered major entertainment spots. The state on Friday relaxed guidelines for reopening outdoor venues as a fall and winter surge seemed to be ending, with COVID-19 infection rates, hospitalizations and deaths plummeting and vaccination rates rising. (Beam and Ronayne, 3/6)
NPR:
California Set To Open Ballparks, Arenas And Theme Parks In April
The state of California updated its plans Friday to allow outdoor events at stadiums, ballparks and theme parks to begin to reopen April 1. Sports facilities and amusement parks will reopen at reduced capacity, contingent on county-level infection rates. The California Department of Public Health released its Blueprint for a Safer Economy guidelines last August, which has dictated the opening and closing of businesses at the county level ever since. For counties in the state's most restrictive Purple Tier, outdoor sports and live performances will be limited to 100 people or less and attendees must live in the region. Reservations will be required and concessions sales won't be available, a CDPH statement said. Attendance is capped at 20% in the Red Tier and 33% in the Orange, both of which can welcome in-state visitors. (Jones, 3/5)
CNBC:
U.S. Hits Record Daily Covid Vaccinations But Health Officials Warn Against Loosening Restrictions
The United States administered a record number of Covid-19 vaccines over the weekend as public health officials call on state leaders to keep social distancing measures in place in order to avoid a new surge that could undermine progress in fighting the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention administered 2.9 million vaccines on Saturday, a record, and 2.4 million on Sunday, according to the agency’s latest tally. The numbers are subject to revisions as more data becomes available to public health officials. (Macias, 3/7)
CNN:
Here's How Close The US Is To A Possible Covid-19 Surge, Expert Warns
The US is in the "eye of the hurricane" right now, according to epidemiologist Michael Osterholm. After months of devastation, it appeared things were heading in the right direction with officials reporting several weeks of steep declines in Covid-19 cases and lowered hospitalization numbers. But now case declines have stopped and infection numbers plateaued at very high levels -- with the US averaging roughly 60,000 new cases daily in the past week. Multiple governors have eased Covid-19 safety measures despite health officials' warnings. Spring break events are kicking off across the country, threatening the potential for further spread of the virus. (Maxouris, 3/8)
The New York Times:
In Oregon, Scientists Find A Virus Variant With A Worrying Mutation
Scientists in Oregon have spotted a homegrown version of a fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus that first surfaced in Britain — but now combined with a mutation that may make the variant less susceptible to vaccines. The researchers have so far found just a single case of this formidable combination, but genetic analysis suggested that the variant had been acquired in the community and did not arise in the patient. (Mandavilli, 3/5)
CIDRAP:
Americans' COVID-19 Optimism Grows, But CDC Head More Wary
Six out of 10 Americans say the pandemic is improving, according to the latest Gallup poll, which represents the most optimistic portrait of American's attitude surrounding COVID-19 in the past year. Twenty-six percent of those polled say the pandemic is staying the same, and 14% believe it is getting worse. (Soucheray, 3/5)
CBS News:
Fauci Says Vaccine Supply Will Be "Dramatically Increased" In Weeks Ahead
Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Biden, said Sunday that the number of vaccine doses available will sharply rise in the coming weeks following federal approval of a third coronavirus vaccine. "We need to gradually pull back [on restrictions] as we get more people vaccinated, and that is happening every single day, more and more people, and particularly as we get more doses, which are going to be dramatically increased as we get into April and May," Fauci said on "Face the Nation" of scaling back mitigation measures. (Quinn, 3/7)
The Hill:
Fauci Predicts High Schoolers Will Receive Coronavirus Vaccinations This Fall
Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, predicted on Sunday that high school students across the country will be able to receive COVID-19 vaccines in the early fall of this year. “The tests are being done to determine both safety and comparable immunogenicity in high school students. We predict that high school students will very likely be able to be vaccinated by the fall term,” Fauci told CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “Maybe not the very first day, but certainly the early part of the fall for that fall educational term,” Fauci continued. (Pitofsky, 3/7)
CNN:
Governors Defend Easing Statewide Covid Restrictions As Health Officials Warn Americans To Stay Vigilant
A number of governors on Sunday defended easing Covid-19 restrictions in their states against top health officials' warnings that Americans should remain vigilant against highly transmissible variants and that the US could see another spike in cases. In some of the more extreme rollbacks, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, both Republicans, lifted mask mandates and allowed businesses to operate at full capacity in their states -- stances President Joe Biden blasted as "neanderthal thinking." (Duster, 3/7)
Politico:
Ohio Governor Defends Continuing Mask Mandate
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Sunday defended continuing his state's mask requirements in the wake of such mandates being eliminated in Texas and Mississippi. Speaking to Martha Raddatz on ABC's "This Week," he said, "You know with the vaccine, we're now on the offense, that's the great thing. But in Ohio, we can't give up the defense. We have found that these masks work exceedingly well." (Cohen, 3/7)
The Washington Post:
Anti-Maskers Encouraged Kids To Burn Their Face Coverings On The Capitol Steps In Idaho
Cheering parents watched as children tossed surgical masks into a fire outside the Idaho Capitol in Boise on Saturday as more than 100 people gathered to protest mask mandates as an affront to their civil liberties. The rally was one of several held statewide in opposition to the coronavirus-related requirements, which health experts have said remain crucial even as vaccines are distributed and the number of new reported cases has dropped. (Bellware, 3/7)
Axios:
Why It's So Hard To Sign Up For Vaccinations Online
The verdict from Americans trying to get the COVID vaccine is in: the sign-up websites are awful. Appointment systems are a vital part of getting Americans vaccinated, but a series of missed opportunities, at every level, left local governments scrambling. And the frustrating, confusing process now carries the risk that some people will simply give up. (Harding McGill and Hart, 3/8)
The New York Times:
A FEMA Site In Florida Gave Some Unused Shots To Young People. Before Long, It Was Mobbed.
Few eligible people were trickling in to a remote Federal Emergency Management vaccination site in South Florida on Saturday. So when some younger people without proof of eligibility showed up, workers at the site went ahead and gave them shots, thinking there was no danger of running out for the day. Word quickly spread around town: The site in Florida City, just north of the Florida Keys, was vaccinating any state resident 18 or older. Get down there fast. (3/7)
AP:
Indiana Health Officials Tout 8,200 Vaccinations At Speedway
More than 8,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the first two days of a vaccination clinic at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, state health officials announced Sunday. The state’s first mass vaccination clinic runs four days through Monday and all appointments have been booked. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb received a shot at the site on Friday. (3/7)
Roll Call:
Vulnerable Groups Still Falling Behind In Vaccination Effort
The Biden administration has argued it can distribute the coronavirus vaccine both quickly and equitably, but federal data shows little progress in getting doses to minority communities as states prioritize getting shots into as many arms as quickly as possible. (Macagnone, 3/5)
AP:
Michigan Makes Homeless People Vaccine-Eligible
People who are homeless will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccines in Michigan starting Monday. Health officials say it’s a critical step in curbing infections and making sure vulnerable populations have access. “Our vulnerable populations are high priority for us right now,” Ingham County Health Officer Linda Vail said, according to the Lansing State Journal. “This opens the door to make sure that population is also vaccinated and we don’t continue to have outbreaks in shelters.” (3/7)
Axios:
Pfizer CEO: "It Will Be Terrible" If COVID Vaccine Prices Limit Access
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told "Axios on HBO" that it "will be terrible for society" if the price of coronavirus vaccines ever prohibits some people from taking them. Widespread uptake of the vaccine — which might require annual booster shots — will reduce the risk of the virus continuing to spread and mutate, but it's unclear who will pay for future shots or how much they'll cost. (Owens, 3/7)
Axios:
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla Has Taken The Coronavirus Vaccine
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla tells "Axios on HBO" that he recently received his first of two doses of the company's coronavirus vaccine. Bourla told CNBC in December that company polling found that one of the most effective ways to increase confidence in the vaccine was to have the CEO take it. (Owens, 3/7)
Fox News:
COVID-19 Pill Effective In Preliminary Testing May Be 'Holy Grail' Of Pandemic, Dr. Marc Siegel Says
A new possible medication to treat coronavirus-positive patients could be enough to turn the pandemic on its head, Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel revealed Sunday on "Fox & Friends Weekend." First-stage testing of the experimental COVID-19 pill called Molnupiravir, by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, showed promising signs of effectiveness in reducing the virus in patients. "It may be the holy grail on this because it was just studied in phase two trials and it literally stopped the virus in its tracks," he explained. "And there wasn't any virus found in the patients that were studied." (Stabile, 3/7)
CIDRAP:
Nearly A Quarter Of Kids With COVID Or MIS-C Had Neurologic Involvement
Among US children and teens hospitalized with COVID-19 or its related multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), 22% had neurologic conditions, most of them transient but 12% of them life-threatening or fatal, according to a study today in JAMA Neurology. A team led by researchers at Boston Children's Hospital studied 1,695 patients with COVID-19 younger than 21 years admitted to 61 hospitals, 616 (36%) of whom also had MIS-C, from Mar 15 to Dec 15, 2020. Neurologic involvement was identified in 365 (22%) of patients from 52 hospitals. (3/5)
CIDRAP:
GAO Spotlights FDA's COVID-Related Drug Inspection Backlog
In 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was unable to complete more than 1,000 of its drug inspections, putting the quality of drugs sold on the US market at risk, according to a US Government Accountability Office (GAO) testimony report to a House subcommittee yesterday. Concerns over this backlog have been raised by industry stakeholders as the pandemic has continued, and in GAO's testimony to the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies, it underscores its inspection-related recommendations from January while adding further insights into inspection trends and potential barriers. (McLernon, 3/5)
The Washington Post:
Can Some Drugs Delay Aging? Scientists Focus On Those That Target Frailty And Age-Related Disease.
In fall 2014, about two dozen geroscientists — researchers who study the confluence of aging, biology and disease — gathered in a remote 15th-century Spanish castle-turned-luxury hotel in the province of Toledo to discuss turning a provocative idea into reality: a study in humans showing that a drug could put the brakes on aging. In recent years, many experts in the aging field have come to believe that certain medications acting at the cellular and metabolic level can slow aging by staving off its most striking effects — frailty and age-related diseases, for example — and extend healthy life in doing so. Now they are setting out to prove it. (Cimons, 3/6)
Stat:
Multiple Founders Of Time’s Up Healthcare Resign
At least four founding members of Time’s Up Healthcare resigned Thursday from the organization following a lawsuit that suggests two other founders did not respond appropriately to reports of sexual harassment and assault in their separate jobs at Oregon Health and Science University. Both Esther Choo and Laura Stadum are mentioned in a legal complaint filed in February in an Oregon federal court by an anonymous employee of the Veterans Affairs hospital, in which the employee alleges that a resident who is well-known on Twitter and TikTok harassed her, sending her “sexually-charged social media messages” and once pushed his erect penis against her body. (Sheridan, 3/5)
CNN:
Spring Break Could Be A Perfect Storm For Spreading Coronavirus Variants. Don't Let That Happen
Highly contagious variants will soon have a ridiculously easy chance to spread rapidly across the US. Spring break starts for hundreds of universities this month. And typical spring break revelry could lead to countless more Americans getting infected as coronavirus variants threaten to outpace vaccinations. "It's the perfect storm," said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. (Yan, 3/6)
CNN:
Why Are Whales Much More Cancer-Resistant Than Humans? The Answer Is In Their Genes, New Study Suggests
Cancer should be a near certainty for whales, the longest-living and largest mammals there are -- but scientists are finding that cetaceans are excellent at protecting themselves against the deadly disease. Just how do they do that? It could all come down to good genes, according to a new study published by The Royal Society. (Giuliani-Hoffman, 3/5)
CNBC:
Cuomo Dismisses Calls For Resignation As ‘Anti-Democratic’ But Will Sign Law Stripping His Emergency Covid Powers
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo dismissed calls Sunday for his resignation in the wake of new allegations of inappropriate workplace conduct, but will sign a bill stripping his emergency powers to fight the Covid-19 pandemic as he faces growing political pressure from his own party. The Democratic governor, grappling with waves of criticism and calls for his resignation over dueling crises in his administration, also vowed he was “not going to be distracted” in the fight against Covid. (Breuninger, 3/7)
AP:
Daytona Motorcycle Rally Goes On Despite Pandemic
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Daytona Beach’s annual Bike Week has brought tens of thousands of motorcyclists to the city and its neighbors this weekend — and few of them are wearing masks. The city made a bargain with its bars — 60% capacity indoors in return for the permits necessary for temporary outdoor sales and entertainment. The city is trying to avoid what happened at the Sturgis, South Dakota, motorcycle rally in August — that event led to a disputed number of infections around the country, ranging from several hundred to tens or hundreds of thousands. (3/6)
Los Angeles Times:
California COVID Paid Sick Leave Doesn't Sync With CDC Rules
Federal and state measures that required most businesses to offer two weeks of paid leave to recover from the coronavirus, or to quarantine in case of exposure, expired Jan. 1. Golden State employees have since been left with three days of mandated sick leave for any illness, the state minimum, although employers may choose to give more. With the virus continuing to infect thousands of Californians every week and dangerous variants spreading, the Legislature is set to vote in the coming weeks on whether to reinstate the two-week obligation. That follows weeks of debate in Sacramento that has drawn worker advocates and business groups into unusually broad coalitions, for and against. (Roosevelt, 3/7)
The Washington Post:
E.U. Medical Official Urges Caution Over Some States’ Preliminary Approval Of Russia’S Sputnik V
A top medical official with the European Union cautioned against some member states’ approval of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine ahead of the bloc’s own official review process. Christa Wirthumer-Hoche, head of the European Medicines Agency’s managing board, told Austrian television that the review of the vaccine began March 4 and data packages were arriving from the manufacturer. With vaccines in short supply across the continent, however, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic have moved to approve it unilaterally. (Noack and Schemm, 3/8)
AP:
Canada Clears Johnson & Johnson Vaccine, First To Approve 4
Canada is getting a fourth vaccine to prevent COVID-19 as the country’s health regulator has cleared a Johnson & Johnson shot that works with just one dose instead of two, officials said Friday. Health experts are eager for a one-and-done option to help speed vaccination. Canada has also approved vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca and Health Canada is the first major regulator to approve four different vaccines, said Dr. Supriya Sharma, Health Canada’s chief medical adviser. (Gillies, 3/5)
AP:
3,000 At Romania Anti-Vaccination Protest Amid COVID-19 Rise
Around 3,000 anti-vaccination protesters from across Romania converged outside the parliament building in Bucharest on Sunday as authorities announced new restrictions amid a rise of COVID-19 infections. It has been less than six weeks since COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed in Bucharest, but rising infections have prompted authorities to reimpose tighter restrictions for a 14-day period effective as of Monday. (McGrath, 3/7)
CIDRAP:
Officials To Explore COVID Vaccine Supply Gaps, Boosting Production
Though deliveries of COVAX vaccine started at a brisk pace this week, with developed countries ramping up their programs, the demand far exceeds the supply, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today. At a briefing today, WHO officials said they and their partners will hold a global summit on Mar 8 and 9 to look at gaps in the supply chain and examine ways to boost production. Also, officials raised concerns about a COVID-19 surge in Brazil, where the P1 variant is dominant. (Schnirring, 3/5)
Stat:
European Commission Probes Teva For Allegedly Using Patents To Thwart Competition
In its latest bid to ensure competition among drug makers, the European Commission has opened a formal investigation into whether Teva Pharmaceutical (TEVA) illegally prevented rival companies from introducing versions of a top-selling medicine. The probe is focused on two issues. The first is whether Teva used various patent maneuvers to thwart generic manufacturers from being able to market copycat versions of the Copaxone multiple sclerosis treatment. The EC also wants to determine if the drug maker ran a campaign directed at hospitals and doctors to create “false perceptions” of similar multiple sclerosis medicines. (Silverman, 3/5)
The Washington Post:
Israel Opens Up — But Only To The Vaccinated
Israel, which has partially vaccinated more than half of its population and 90 percent of people 50-years of age and older, threw open much of its economy Sunday for those who have received their shots. Those who have yet to be inoculated, or who are not eligible because they are under 16, still have restrictions to contend with. (Hendrix, 3/8)
Reuters:
In Japan, Vending Machines Help Ease Access To COVID-19 Tests
In Japan, convenience is king and getting tested for COVID-19 can be highly inconvenient. Part of solution, as it is for a range of daily necessities in Tokyo, has become the humble vending machine. Eager to conserve manpower and hospital resources, the government conducts just 40,000 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests a day, a quarter of its capacity, restricting them to people who are quite symptomatic or have had a high chance of being infected. That’s led to the public to rely heavily on private clinics or buying PCR tests by other means. (Sakai and Swift, 3/8)