CNBC: Biden Slams Governors For Lifting Mask Mandates, Calls It 'Neanderthal Thinking'
President Joe Biden on Wednesday slammed states that repealed Covid-19 restrictions on businesses and rescinded mask mandates for residents, calling the moves a “big mistake. ”Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, both Republicans, announced Tuesday they would allow businesses to reopen at 100% capacity and lift mask mandates. Biden’s remarks were in response to shouted questions from the press specifically about the two states. (Feuer, 3/3)

NPR: Neanderthal Thinking: Biden Says Too Soon To Stop Wearing Masks For COVID-19
President Biden said on Wednesday that states like Texas and Mississippi are making a big mistake by ending mandates to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at a time when the nation is making a push to boost vaccinations. "The last thing — the last thing — we need is the Neanderthal thinking that in the meantime, everything's fine, take off your mask. Forget it. It still matters," Biden told reporters as he met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the Oval Office. (Rascoe, 3/3)

NBC News: 'Neanderthal Thinking': Biden Criticizes Texas, Mississippi For Lifting Mask Mandates
The governors' decision came just one day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that relaxing the guidelines could cause cases to trend upward again. Andy Slavitt, the White House senior adviser for Covid-19 response, said Wednesday that the Biden administration was "using the absolute full extent of all of the areas where we have federal control" to enforce health guidelines and that they were "actively being very, very clear on what we think needs to happen." (Egan, 3/3)

Politico: 'Neanderthal Thinking': Biden Lays Into States Lifting Covid Restrictions 
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, laid into Biden for his comments Wednesday. "President Biden said allowing Mississippians to decide how to protect themselves is 'neanderthal thinking.' Mississippians don’t need handlers," Reeves wrote in a tweet. "As numbers drop, they can assess their choices and listen to experts. I guess I just think we should trust Americans, not insult them." (Leonard, 3/3)

The New York Times: Biden Calls State Decisions To End Mask Mandates ‘Neanderthal Thinking’ 
Clay Jenkins, the county judge of Dallas County, said the governor “absolutely” decided to reopen the state to distract residents from the sky-high electricity bills and credit card balances they faced after the storm. “This gives people something to talk about other than the state’s failure to protect the power grid,” he said. (Moya, Robertson, Coulehan and Dobbins, 3/4)

And Dr. Fauci responds —

CNN: Fauci Calls Loosening Covid-19 Restrictions Inexplicable As Variants Threaten Another Surge 
While tens of thousands of Americans are infected with the coronavirus each day and more research suggests variants threaten another surge, some state leaders are loosening Covid-19 restrictions against the recommendations of health experts. The decision to rollback measures is "inexplicable," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (Holcombe, 3/4)

Also —

Politico: New Mask Wars Threaten Biden's Pandemic Response At Critical Moment 
The White House is on a collision course with red state governors over mask mandates and other coronavirus restrictions, testing the bipartisan unity that President Joe Biden has tried to tap in curbing Covid. Top administration officials on Wednesday pleaded with residents of Texas and Mississippi to remain vigilant, fearing that plans by those states’ governors to lift public health precautions will seed a resurgence of the virus. (Cancryn and Kumar, 3/3)

The Hill: Retailers Fear A Return Of The Mask Wars 
Retailers and grocery stores are fearing a resurgence of the mask wars from earlier in the pandemic as Texas and other states start scaling back coronavirus restrictions. Nationwide chains that have COVID-19 rules in place for both employees and customers are worried about the confusion and conflict that's likely to ensue as some states lift mask mandates for indoor spaces but stores keep them in place. (Gangitano, 3/3)

Houston Chronicle: Frontline Workers Fear Mask Chaos As Statewide Mandate Ends
Abbott relaxed requirements on businesses Tuesday, lifting statewide mask mandates and reducing capacity restrictions on restaurants and retailers. The order, effective March 10, sent chills through frontline workers across the region who say they still face risks on the job. Asking customers to wear masks means being met with a daily dose of attitude, said Stacy Brown, bakery manager at Phoenicia Specialty Foods, a grocery store on the ground floor of One Park Place downtown. Now she fears that attitude will spread. “We’re gonna have people come into the store, not wanting to comply just because of what (Abbott) says,” she said, noting she feels it’s especially important that her customers wear masks because as a diabetic she’s in a high-risk group. (Drane, 3/3)

The Washington Post: ‘Masks Required’ Signs Are Coming Down After Texas, Mississippi Lift Coronavirus Restrictions
Carrie Kizek and her mother, Sandra Breland, decided to skip masks while headed out to lunch Wednesday — the day after Mississippi’s governor said residents were no longer required to wear them. “If he says we don’t have to, then I’m not,” Kizek said of Gov. Tate Reeves (R).Reeves and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) rescinded coronavirus restrictions Tuesday, doing away with mask mandates and allowing businesses to operate at 100 percent capacity. The impact was immediate in both states and beyond, with “masks required” signs coming down, businesses trying to navigate the lack of restrictions, local officials pushing back and the White House weighing in. (Shammas, Wan, Fowler and Moravec, 3/3)

But many companies say masks are still required —

The Wall Street Journal: Starbucks, Target Among Companies To Still Mandate Masks In Texas Despite Lift On Covid-19 Restrictions 
Some of the biggest U.S. retail, theater, hotel and restaurant chains say they will continue mandating masks and limiting capacity in Texas after the state drops Covid-related restrictions next week. The move by Gov. Greg Abbott to “open Texas 100%” has divided the business community, with some welcoming the move, while others say it puts the state at risk of a backslide and will make it harder for businesses to enforce safety protocols. (Terlep, 3/3)

The Hill: Target, CVS Among Big Chains To Continue Requiring Masks In States That Lifted Mandates 
Several national chain retailers will keep their mask mandates in place despite governors in Mississippi and Texas lifting the states’ requirements, CBS News reported. Kroger, Target and Walgreens all announced they will keep their mask requirements, citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. (Budryk, 3/3)

CBS News: Retailers Put Brakes On Texas And Mississippi Move To Scrap Mask Mandates 
As Texas and Mississippi move to join a dozen other U.S. states without statewide mask requirements, many major retailers and employers aren't ready to nix face covering requirements amid a pandemic that killed more than 1,800 Americans on Tuesday alone. ... Kroger, the nation's largest supermarket chain, "will continue to require everyone in our stores across the country to wear masks until all our frontline grocery associates can receive the COVID-19 vaccine," a spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch in an email. The company last month said it would give each of its 500,000 workers in 35 states $100 to get immunized against COVID. (Gibson, 3/3)

And schools in Texas can still require masks, as well —

Houston Chronicle: Texas School Districts Still Can Require Masks, State Officials Confirm
Texas school districts can continue requiring students and staff to wear masks while on-campus, even after Gov. Greg Abbott’s statewide mask mandate expires next week, state education officials confirmed Wednesday. “Under this updated guidance, a public school system’s current practices on masks may continue unchanged,” the Texas Education Agency said in a statement. “Local school boards have full authority to determine their local mask policy.” (Carpenter, 3/3)

CNN: Texas Gov. Abbott Faces Backlash After Lifting Coronavirus Restrictions 
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is facing a torrent of criticism over his surprise decision to roll back his state's mask mandate and business restrictions -- moves that strategists and activists in both parties said are aimed at appeasing an impatient Republican base ahead of his 2022 reelection bid and with an eye on the 2024 presidential race. (Bradner, 3/3)

ABC News: Swift Backlash After Texas Governor Drops COVID Restrictions 
Gilberto Hinojosa, chair of the Democratic party in Texas, issued a statement pushing back on Abbott's decision. "What Abbott calls pro-business is anti-people," Hinojosa said. "Make no mistake: Opening Texas prematurely will only lead to faster COVID spread, more sickness and overcrowding in our hospitals, and unnecessary deaths. There is no economic recovery without beating the coronavirus pandemic. This will set us back, not move us forward." (Schumaker, 3/3)

NBC News: Texas Doctors Say Gov. Greg Abbott's Decision To Scrap Mask Mandate Could Result In Another Covid-19 Surge
Some of Texas’ top doctors warned Wednesday that Gov. Greg Abbott’s sudden decision to ditch the mask mandate and lift coronavirus restrictions could result in a new surge of Covid-19 infections and deaths. And while they now have enough masks, ventilators and emergency room space to treat a new wave of patients, they say there is an acute shortage of staffers who aren’t already stressed out and exhausted from battling the pandemic for more than a year. (Siemaszko, 3/3)

CBS News: Doctors And Local Officials Call Texas Governor Greg Abbott's Reversal Of COVID-19 Restrictions "Premature" 
Texas Governor Greg Abbott's announcement on Tuesday to lift statewide COVID-19 restrictions was met with criticism from doctors and some local officials who say it comes too soon in the fight against the virus. "What I see here is a premature and misguided discussion putting our community at risk, and it's unnecessary because we're headed where we need to go," said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. (Novak, 3/3)

Texas' health chief says he wasn't consulted before the announcement —

Houston Chronicle: As He Lifted Texas Mask Order, Gov. Abbott Sidelined Most Of His Health Advisers
Gov. Greg Abbott did not consult Dr. John Hellerstedt, the commissioner of the Department of State Health Services, before deciding to end the statewide mask mandate, Hellerstedt told state representatives on Wednesday. “I did not have a personal conversation with him prior to the decision,” Hellerstedt testified during a hearing before the state House’s committee on public health. The commissioner said he has daily discussions with the governor’s staff, though, and “both the governor and I are on the same page” regarding actions to prevent COVID-19, including mask-wearing and social distancing. Hellerstedt did not say whether those staff conversations included a timetable for lifting the state’s COVID restrictions. (Harris, 3/3)

And backlash followed in Mississippi, as well —

Clarion-Ledger: Governor Lifts MS Mask Mandate: Some Cities To Continue Local Orders
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said Tuesday the capital city remains under a mask mandate and cautioned residents to continue to wear a face covering since many people still haven't received a vaccine. Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker said his city's mask mandate will "remain in place for the foreseeable future," during a COVID-19 briefing Tuesday. In a Facebook post to the city of Canton's page, Mayor William Truly said lifting the mask mandate now is "premature and reckless" and that all residents, including businesses, are to continue following local, state and federal mandates. (Szymanowska, 3/3)

The New York Times: Biden Administration Steps Up Push For School Reopenings 
Having told educators that they would soon be vaccinated, the Biden administration began an aggressive push on Wednesday to drum up support for reopening schools, putting on a show of unity with the leaders of teachers unions and highlighting measures to keep students and staff safe from the coronavirus. A day after President Biden announced a new federal program to give teachers nationwide access to at least a first dose of the vaccine by the end of March, the administration sought to position itself as intent on opening schools as soon as possible while also addressing the concerns of teachers that their fears were being ignored. (Rogers and Green, 3/3)

Axios: Biden Sends Teachers To Front Of Vaccine Line 
President Biden on Wednesday used the federal government to prioritize vaccinating teachers and child care workers, an effort to get kids back in schools, WashPost reports. "My challenge to all states, territories and the District of Columbia is this: We want every educator, school staff member, child care worker to receive at least one shot by the end of the month of March," Biden said. (Owens, 3/3)

The Washington Post: Biden Announces Plan To Make Coronavirus Vaccine More Available To Teachers
In school systems where classrooms remain shuttered, or where children may only attend school once or twice a week, President Biden hopes his move to press states into prioritizing teachers for coronavirus vaccination will help them move toward normalcy. But his announcement Tuesday — and his pledge to make vaccination available to all educators and day-care workers by the end of March — was met with mixed emotions. Union leaders, who had lobbied hard for the move, applauded the action. But critics charged it comes far too late in the school year to make much of a difference for schoolchildren. (Balingit, Meckler and St. George, 3/3)

Also —

AP: It's Back To School For Jill Biden And New Education Chief
Jill Biden, the teacher in the White House, along with new Education Secretary Miguel Cardona went back to school Wednesday in a public push to show districts that have yet to transition back to in-person learning that it can be done safely during the pandemic. “Teachers want to be back,” the first lady said after she and Cardona spent about an hour visiting classrooms and other areas at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School in Meriden, Connecticut. “We want to be back. I’m a teacher. I am teaching virtually.” (Superville, 3/3)

In related news about reopening schools —

The Hill: CVS Pharmacies In Florida To Vaccinate Teachers Under 50 Despite State Age Limits
CVS pharmacies in Florida are vaccinating teachers under 50 years old despite age limits on vaccine recipients imposed by the state. The chain said that it is following new guidance from the Biden administration, The Associated Press reported. It also began vaccinating day care and preschool teachers. "We’ve aligned with updated Federal Retail Pharmacy Program guidelines by making appointments available to pre-K through 12 educators and staff and childcare workers in all 17 states where we currently offer COVID-19 vaccines. This includes Florida," a spokesperson for CVS told The Hill in a statement. (Williams, 3/3)

Boston Globe: Move To Vaccinate Mass. Teachers Intensifies Competition For Limited Shots
Governor Charlie Baker bowed to federal pressure Wednesday and made about 400,000 teachers, school staffers, and child care workers eligible to book COVID-19 shots at Massachusetts vaccination sites on March 11. But with vaccines in short supply, the move will thrust educators into a furious competition for coveted appointments. Seniors and residents with chronic health conditions already are desperately vying for a limited number of slots at the state’s 170 injection sites. (Weisman and Stout, 3/3)

Capital Gazette: For Some, Wearing Masks During High School Sports Is A Contentious Issue. Others Say It’s Common Sense. 
As the Anne Arundel County private school boys basketball teams at St. Mary’s and Indian Creek went through their motions during pregame warmups on Monday, there was a gentle reminder from the officials. It wasn’t about sportsmanship or what fouls they might be enforcing more strictly, but rather about the face masks both teams were required to wear during play. Please make sure they cover your mouth and nose, the referees said to the teenagers. (Schwartz, 3/3)

WLRN 91.3 FM: Class Of COVID-19: For Special Education Students, A Potential Side Effect Of COVID-19 School Closure 
Last spring, the coronavirus pandemic forced schools across the state to shut down, and teachers to move their lessons online, which Denise Wilson said was a struggle from the start for her son Brady. He is among the nearly 15% of public school students in Florida who have a disability and receive special education services. (Gaffney, 3/4)

WLRN 91.3 FM: Class Of COVID-19: How One School For Fragile Kids With Disabilities Navigated Closures 
When schools shut down last spring to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the closures were especially difficult for families of children with disabilities or severe medical conditions. Then came perhaps an even tougher dilemma: what to do when schools reopened in the fall. (Laurenzo, 3/3)

Fox News: Coronavirus ‘Fatigue Is Winning’ As Decline In Cases, Deaths Stalls, CDC’s Walensky Warns
The recent declines in coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths are showing signs of stalling, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned on Wednesday, adding that the country is at a "critical nexus" in the pandemic. "We knew this would happen as variants emerged and reached more people in more communities, but we can still reduce their impact," Walensky said. The U.S. is currently seeing a seven-day average of 66,010 new coronavirus cases, marking an increase of 3.5% from the week prior, while deaths also increased 2.2% from the previous week’s average. (Hein, 3/3)

Axios: The U.S. Could Be In Danger Of A Fourth Coronavirus Wave
The U.S. may be on the verge of another surge in coronavirus cases, despite weeks of good news. Nationwide, progress against the virus has stalled. And some states are ditching their most important public safety measures even as their outbreaks are getting worse. (Baker, 3/4)

CNBC: WHO Warns Of Uptick In Covid Cases Globally After Weeks Of Decline
World Health Organization officials said Wednesday that scientists are trying to understand why Covid-19 cases are suddenly ticking up across much of the world after weeks of falling infections. There were 2.6 million new cases reported across the world last week, up 7% from the prior week, the WHO said in its weekly epidemiological update that reflects data received as of Sunday morning. That follows six consecutive weeks of declining new cases all over the world. (Feuer, 3/3)

In related news —

WUSF Public Media: Florida Reports Highest Number Of New Coronavirus Cases In A Week 
Tuesday's coronavirus numbers are the highest they’ve been in a week with 7,179 people testing positive for the virus statewide since Monday's report. That's more than four times Monday's total of 1,700 — the lowest since mid-October. (Miller, 3/3)

CNN: Almost 90% Of Covid Deaths Are Happening In Countries With High Obesity Rates 
The risk of death from Covid-19 is about 10 times higher in countries where most of the population is overweight, according to a report released Wednesday by the World Obesity Forum. Researchers found that by the end of 2020, global Covid-19 death rates were more than 10 times higher in countries where more than half the adults are overweight, compared to countries where fewer than half are overweight. (Mascarenhas, 3/4)

Politico: CDC Delays Guidelines For Vaccinated People 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will not be releasing its guidance for vaccinated Americans on Thursday as originally planned, according to two senior administration officials with knowledge of the situation. After a series of meetings and calls with senior officials on the White House’s Covid-19 task force and the Department of Health and Human Services over the last two days, the CDC was told to “hold off on releasing” the recommendations, one of those sources said. The reason is still unclear but one senior administration official said the guidelines were still being finalized. (Banco, 3/3)

Fox News: Avoid Indoor Gatherings This St. Patrick’s Day, CDC Warns
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is advising against close, indoor gatherings with non-household members ahead of St. Patrick’s Day, in an effort to prevent further coronavirus spread. "Attending gatherings to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day increases your risk of getting and spreading COVID-19," the health agency says. "The safest way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year is to gather virtually, with people who live with you, or outside and at least 6 feet apart from others." (Rivas, 3/3)

In updates from the FDA —

Politico: Drug Industry Pushes FDA To Solve Growing Inspection Backlog 
The Food and Drug Administration is under increasing pressure from the pharmaceutical industry to address the growing backlog of drug inspections — nearly a year after Covid-19 prompted the agency to halt most plant visits. From March through September, FDA inspected just three plants outside the U.S., well below the 600-plus it visited in each of the prior two years, the Government Accountability Office said last month. FDA has also struggled to keep up with inspections within U.S. borders, conducting just 52 during the same seven-month period last year, compared with roughly 400 each in 2019 and 2018. (Smalley, 3/2)

Stat: FDA Releases A New Plan To Bring Its Data Skills Up To Speed
When Ram Iyer started his new job at the Food and Drug Administration in 2020, he didn’t know how soon he’d have the chance to prove himself. As the agency’s first chief data officer, he had been brought on to steer the FDA through an era characterized by ballooning datasets and new medical products. “At this point, with just two months in the agency, I have more questions and hypotheses than answers,” he said in a public meeting on June 30. (Palmer, 3/4)

The Washington Post: More Than 200,000 Americans Sign Up For ACA Health Plans During Special Enrollment Period
More than 200,000 Americans signed up for Affordable Care Act health plans during the first two weeks of an extended enrollment period President Biden ordered to help more people find insurance amid the economic ripple effects caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Figures released Wednesday by federal health officials show the number of consumers who chose coverage through HealthCare.gov from Feb. 15 to Feb. 28 — 206,236 — was nearly three times higher than during the same period last year and roughly 3½ times greater than in 2019. (Goldstein, 3/3)

USA Today: Obamacare Sign-Ups Expand During Special COVID-19 Enrollment Period
More than 206,000 Americans signed up for health insurance through the federally run HealthCare.gov in the first two weeks of the three-month special enrollment period created by President Joe Biden, the administration announced Wednesday. That compares with about 76,000 who enrolled during the same period last year, when people could only pick a plan if they had a special circumstance, such as a job loss. But it's still a small fraction of those who lack insurance coverage. (Groppe, 3/3)

CNN: Sign-Ups For Biden's Obamacare Special Enrollment Period Nearly Triple
"These numbers are an encouraging sign — but we can't slow down until every American has the security and peace of mind that quality, affordable health coverage provides," [President] Biden said. (Luhby, 3/3)

AP: Biden Encouraged By Consumer Interest In 'Obamacare' Offer
If the pace keeps up, “this special enrollment period could make a meaningful dent in the number of people uninsured,” said Larry Levitt, who tracks health insurance for the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. “The enrollment numbers so far are stronger than I would have expected.” (Alonso-Zaldivar, 3/4)

Also —

Newsweek: Obamacare 2.0, A New Healthcare Shakeup, Is On Democrats' Agenda
Joe Biden campaigned on a promise to fix Obamacare rather than make sweeping changes like enacting Medicare for All. In his first major legislative proposal, the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill currently making its way through Congress, he's already included a key component of his plan: expanding subsidies to make health insurance more affordable for more people. But it will take more than a few tweaks tucked into a budget bill to fix what's wrong with the U.S. health care system—failures that the coronavirus pandemic have exposed and underscored. America's public-health failure in the current crisis reflects the country's long, sorry record of neglect, poor organization, underfunding, and misplaced priorities when it comes to public health. Add to those woes the sky-high cost of health care, uneven access and relatively poor outcomes, it's clear the American public has been living for decades with a health system that is failing. (Freedman, 3/3)

Politico: Biden Strikes Stimulus Deal With Senate Democrats 
Senate Democrats and President Joe Biden settled a last-minute debate over Biden's $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill on Wednesday, choosing to keep federal unemployment benefit payments at $400 per week but narrow the phaseout of the measure's $1,400 stimulus checks. The breakthrough came just hours before debate was expected to kick off on the bill. But a delayed response from the Congressional Budget Office on its budgetary impacts punted the first test vote on the legislation to Thursday. The Senate is waiting for the CBO to confirm that its bill doesn’t run afoul of the rules of budget reconciliation, the process that allows passage of the package with a simple majority. (Everett and Emma, 3/3)

NBC News: Biden, Senate Democrats Agree To Limit Eligibility For $1,400 Checks
Senate Democrats plan to give $1,400 checks to fewer people under a deal struck with President Joe Biden, according to two sources familiar with it. Every American who filed individually and makes up to $75,000 would still get the full amount before it begins to reduce at incomes above that. But rather than zero out at $100,000 earnings, as the last Covid-19 relief bill does, the Senate bill would cut off payments at $80,000, the sources said. (Kapur, Thorp V, Haake and Caldwell, 3/3)

Roll Call: Draft Senate Aid Plan Would Cut Direct Funds To Cities, Counties
A new version of Senate Democrats' coronavirus relief plan would put new restrictions on some $350 billion in aid to states and localities while diverting $10 billion of the money for cities and counties to "critical capital projects" like broadband access. (Krawzak, 3/3)

CBS News: Third Stimulus Check: Will You Get A Stimulus Check — And How Much? 
President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan would provide a third round of federal stimulus checks to millions of Americans. Yet a new agreement between Mr. Biden and moderate Democratic Senators would limit the number of households that would qualify for the $1,400 checks, cutting off millions of other Americans who had been hoping for the stimulus money. Under the pending deal, confirmed by CBS News, the $1,400 direct payments would begin to phase out at $75,000 for individuals, but would cut off eligibility for single people earning more than $80,000. For couples who file jointly, the phase-out will begin for those making $150,000 and end at $160,000. (Picchi, 3/3)

The Hill: Senate Coronavirus Bill Delayed Until Thursday 
The Senate won't take up its coronavirus relief bill until Thursday, as Democrats wait to get the green light that the legislation complies with arcane budget rules.  The chamber had been expected to vote to proceed to the sweeping $1.9 trillion bill on Wednesday, but a Senate Democratic aide said they are still waiting for guidance from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) that it complies with reconciliation rules that let them bypass the 60-vote filibuster. The Senate then subsequently wrapped until noon on Thursday afternoon.  (Carney, 3/3)

Also —

Stat: Health Care Lobbyists Score Wins In Senate Covid-19 Relief Package
Health care industry lobbying groups are poised to score big wins in the Senate version of President Biden’s Covid-19 relief package, according to draft text of the bill obtained by STAT. Senators will add $8.5 billion to help rural health care providers with costs related to the Covid-19 pandemic, which was not included in the House version of the package, according to a draft of the bill circulating among lobbyists and a Senate Democratic aide. (Cohrs, 3/3)

Health News Florida: House, Senate Show Differences On COVID-19 Liability Bills
A House panel on Tuesday voted 12-6 to approve legislation that would protect nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospitals and physicians from lawsuits related to COVID-19. (Sexton, 3/3)

AP: States Rapidly Expanding Vaccine Access As Supplies Surge
Buoyed by a surge in vaccine shipments, states and cities are rapidly expanding eligibility for COVID-19 shots to teachers, Americans 50 and over and others as the U.S. races to beat back the virus and reopen businesses and schools. Indiana and Michigan will begin vaccinating those 50 and over, while Arizona and Connecticut have thrown open the line to those who are at least 55. Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are reserving the first doses of the new one-shot vaccine from Johnson & Johnson for teachers. And in Detroit, factory workers can get vaccinated starting this week, regardless of age. (Pratt and Webber, 3/4)

CNN: Seven-Day Average Of Covid-19 Vaccines Administered Surpasses 2 Million Per Day
About 80.5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in the United States, according to data published Wednesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC reported that 80,540,474 total doses have been administered, about 75% of the 107,028,890 doses delivered. That’s about 1.9 million more administered doses reported since yesterday, for a seven-day average of more than 2 million doses per day for the first time. (McPhillips, 3/3)

The New York Times: A Welcome Logistical Challenge For States As More Vaccine Arrives 
There’s been a lot of hopeful news lately about the nation’s vaccine supply. A third vaccine, from Johnson & Johnson, received emergency authorization over the weekend, and a rival drugmaker, Merck & Co., has agreed to help manufacture it. President Biden announced on Tuesday that the country would have enough doses available for every American adult by the end of May. Now state and city governments face the challenge of getting all those doses into people. (Graham and Gold, 3/4)

USA Today: Three vaccines. Increased manufacturing. How US will have enough COVID-19 vaccine for every US adult in May – or even sooner.
As vaccine experts welcomed President Joe Biden's accelerated timeline for distribution, they offered some caution about whether the companies can reach their promised doses and delivery dates. While there's never 100% certainty in manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing is especially finicky and demanding. People like to think making vaccines is like making widgets or automobiles but it’s not, said Robert Van Exan, president of Immunization Policy and Knowledge Translation, a vaccine production consulting firm. The process is complex, with so many variables that vaccine manufacturers can't count on every batch making it through to the end. (Weise, 3/4)

CNBC: Insurers Launch Program To Get 2 Million American Seniors Vaccinated
More than a dozen health insurers are launching a pilot program aimed at getting 2 million American seniors vaccinated as quickly as possible, President Joe Biden’s senior advisor on the Covid-19 pandemic announced Wednesday. The pilot program — Vaccine Community Connecters — is designed to educate seniors on the vaccines, help schedule appointments for shots and arrange transportation, advisor Andy Slavitt told reporters. (Lovelace Jr., 3/3)

In other national news about the vaccine rollout —

AP: Multi-State Review Group Authorizes J&J Vaccine
The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine has been authorized by the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday. The group — comprised of public health experts from Washington, California, Oregon and Nevada — was created last year to independently review the safety and efficacy of any coronavirus vaccine approved by the FDA before any distribution occurs in those states. (3/3)

CNN: Some US Bishops Discourage Catholics From Getting Johnson & Johnson Vaccine If Others Are Available 
As officials and health experts race to get Americans vaccinated against Covid-19, some Catholic bishops have weighed in to discourage Church members from getting the latest, single-shot vaccine from Johnson & Johnson when alternatives are available. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops, as well as at least 6 other dioceses from across the country have released statements expressing "moral concerns" over the shot due to its use of lab-grown cells that descend from cells taken in the 1980s from the tissue of aborted fetuses. (Holcombe, Burnside and Jones, 3/3)

AP: Majority Of Small Businesses Not Requiring Vaccines, Tests 
A majority of small businesses are not requiring their employees to get tested for the new coronavirus or get any COVID-19 vaccines, though the health care and hospitality industries are ahead of the curve on this requirement, according to a report released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau. The bureau's most recent Small Business Pulse Survey showed 70% of the small businesses surveyed said “no" when asked if they had required employees to test negative for COVID-19 before coming to work in the last week. Another 10% said “yes" and almost 20% said the question was not applicable. (Schneider, 3/3)

In research news —

USA Today: COVID Study: 'Moderna Arm' Vaccine Rash No Worse With Second Shot
There were concerns people who experienced the annoying rash might have a worse reaction with the second dose. A report published Wednesday finds that's not the case – and most don't have any reaction at all the second time. "We're encouraging people who've had this reaction to go in and get their second shot," said Dr. Kim Blumenthal, an allergist, epidemiologist and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who's tracking the reaction. "There was concern that if you had the reaction on the first dose, it might reoccur with the second and possibly be worse. But we now have followed enough cases to know that's not happening." (Weise, 3/3)

Axios: Firms Develop New Ways To Inoculate The Public From COVID 
British scientists are trying to develop a way to deliver COVID-19 vaccines without a needle, the Wall Street Journal reports. If annual booster shots ultimately become necessary, as some experts anticipate, alternate delivery systems could make them easier to administer, including at home, and increase uptake. (Fernandez, 3/4)

Los Angeles Times: California Will Reserve 40% Of COVID-19 Vaccine For Disadvantaged Areas To Speed Reopenings
In a major shift in policy, California officials said Wednesday night they will now devote 40% of available COVID-19 vaccines to residents in the most disadvantaged areas in a move designed to both slow the spread of coronavirus and speed up the reopening of the economy. After roughly another 400,000 doses are administered to people who live in California’s hardest hit communities — which could happen within the next two weeks — officials in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration said the state intends to significantly relax the rules for counties to exit the most restrictive tier of California’s coronavirus reopening blueprint. (Lin II and Money, 3/3)

AP: California To Give 40% Of Vaccine Doses To Vulnerable Areas
The doses will be spread out among 400 ZIP codes with about 8 million people eligible for shots. Many of the neighborhoods are concentrated in Los Angeles County and the Central Valley. The areas are considered most vulnerable based on metrics such as household income, education level, housing status and access to transportation. (Ronayne, 3/4)

San Francisco Chronicle: Reports Of Underdosing At Coliseum Vaccine Site Are False, State Officials Say
State officials are pushing back against a TV report that said thousands of people vaccinated at the Oakland Coliseum this week received doses smaller than they should be. Citing two unnamed emergency medical technicians, KTVU reported Wednesday that about 4,300 people who were vaccinated at the Oakland Coliseum before 2 p.m. on Monday “received the wrong vaccine doses” of the Pfizer vaccine because the syringes left some vaccine in the bottom of the container instead of injecting it all. (Williams, Bobrowsky and Ho, 3/3)

In other vaccine rollout updates —

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Low Vaccine Supply In Nevada Tied To Old Population Data
Experts now say there’s a simple reason why Nevada’s COVID-19 vaccine allotment has seemed low for months. Fast-growing states have been disadvantaged due to the federal government’s reliance on old population data. Weekly vaccine allocations are proportional to each state’s estimated adult population recorded in the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2014-18 American Community Survey. The 2015-19 estimates show Nevada with a 1.9 percent larger adult population, one of the biggest increases in the nation. (Scott Davidson, 3/3)

NPR: Age-Based Vaccination Rollout In Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont
A number of states are breaking with federal guidelines and starting to vaccinate people by age group, drawing criticism from essential workers and people with underlying conditions who are getting bumped back in line. In Connecticut, officials say they're trying to balance equity with speeding up the pace of vaccinations. Under a new vaccination plan that began on March 1, educators are still prioritized but essential workers like grocers, security officers and janitors, who would have been next in line, now have to wait until their age group comes up. "I am very excited honestly," said Missy Giandurco, 41, who teaches eighth-grade special education. "It's been a very stressful year and the governor made the right choice by moving it forward a little faster." (Leon, 3/3)

The Oregonian: Vaccine Allotment For Safeway, Albertsons Will Double As Oregon Pharmacies Receive Johnson & Johnson Doses 
Safeway and Albertsons pharmacies across Oregon will have their weekly COVID-19 vaccine allotment doubled this week as they begin receiving doses of the newly approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Roughly 200 total doses will be going to each of approximately 115 Safeway and Albertsons pharmacies across Oregon this week through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, according to Jill McGinnis, a spokeswoman for Safeway and Albertsons, which share a common owner. (Goldberg, 3/3)

The Oregonian: Bi-Mart In Oregon Could Start Offering COVID-19 Vaccine Thursday, Walmart By This Weekend, State Says 
A top Oregon official told state legislators Wednesday that the number of pharmacies offering COVID-19 vaccinations is about to dramatically increase, with Bi-Mart stores in the state possibly starting to offer coronavirus inoculations by Thursday and Walmart stores by Saturday or Sunday. (Green, 3/3)

Savannah Morning News: Savannah Is Getting Drive-Through COVID Mass Vaccination Center
The Savannah area is getting its first drive-through COVID mass vaccination center later this month, Gov. Brian Kemp announced Wednesday. The Georgia Emergency Management Agency is partnering with Gulfstream to host the vaccination effort, which will begin March 17 and run Mondays through Fridays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., providing up to 1,100 first doses of the Pfizer vaccine per day on the Gulfstream campus to eligible members of the public. (Landers, 3/3)

KHN: Accidentally Trashed, Thawed Or Expired: Reports Of Covid Vaccine Spoilage
As the speed of covid vaccinations picks up, so do the reports of doses going to waste. And it’s more than just a handful at the end of the day because of a few appointment cancellations. Health officials are trying to rein in waste without slowing down vaccinations. The incidents range from 335 discarded doses in Lee County, North Carolina, that were damaged in shipping, to nearly 5,000 doses that went to waste in Tennessee in February, prompting additional federal oversight. (Farmer, 3/4)

KHN: To Help Farmworkers Get Covid Tests And Vaccine, Build Trust And A Safety Net 
With more than 20 million acres of corn and soybeans, Illinois is among the top U.S. producers of those crops. To make it all happen, the state relies on thousands of farmworkers — some of whom travel to the state for seasonal work and others, like 35-year-old Saraí, who call Illinois home. Being an agricultural worker “is the most beautiful thing,” Saraí said in an interview in Spanish. (Herman and Cronin, 3/4)

Tampa Bay Times: Wealthy Florida Keys Enclave Received Vaccines In January Before Much Of The State
As Florida’s eldest residents struggled to sign up to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, nearly all those ages 65 years and older in a wealthy gated enclave in the Florida Keys had been vaccinated by mid-January, according to an emailed newsletter obtained by the Miami Herald. (Klas and Goodhue, 3/3)

Stat: Shots For Rural Black Communities Going To Wealthy White Floridians 
The winds blew southwest the day of Pahokee’s Covid-19 vaccination drive, which meant the sugarcane fields were ablaze. Growers are banned from burning excess leaves when there’s an eastward breeze, to keep fumes away from the gated communities of Florida’s Gold Coast 40 miles away. Pahokee is in the same county but, with a median personal income of $13,674, its residents live in a different world. (Goldhill, 3/4)

Tampa Bay Times: DeSantis Dropped Off 3,000 Vaccines To A Pinellas Senior Community. But Was The Distribution Fair?
Gov. Ron DeSantis held a press conference on Feb. 18 at the Mainlands of Tamarac by the Gulf, announcing the arrival of 3,000 vaccines for the Pinellas Park senior community. But the process that followed after the cameras were turned off was chaotic and questioned by some. (LeFever and Contorno, 3/3)

In other news about who's getting the covid shot —

The Baltimore Sun: Baltimore, Prince George’s Leaders Push For More Equitable COVID Vaccine Plan: ‘We Can Reverse The Course’ 
The leaders of Maryland’s two largest majority-Black jurisdictions on Wednesday urged the state to do a better job distributing vaccines in an equitable way. “Despite statements otherwise, the residents of Baltimore City are both entitled to — and deserve — the vaccines,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott said. “However our residents do not have equitable access to vaccine doses and the state is not providing an equitable share across jurisdictions.” (Wood, 3/3)

The Baltimore Sun: Who’s Getting COVID Vaccine Doses In Maryland? Here’s What The Data Shows About Racial And Geographical Gaps. 
With the expansion of the state’s mass vaccination sites and the emergency authorization of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine late last week, Maryland is preparing to ramp up its COVID-19 vaccination efforts over the next few weeks. But even as it does, the state is reckoning with inequities in the rollout of the vaccine thus far, with white Marylanders receiving nearly four times as many doses of vaccines as Black residents. (Kamidi, 3/3)

ABC News: Retired Minnesota Couple On TikTok Encourages Others To Get A Vaccine, Wear A Mask
One retired couple is helping prevent the spread of COVID-19 by going viral. Joel and Harmony Kaplan, from Edina, Minnesota, have been taking to TikTok to share video messages about the pandemic. Singing together, they encourage everyone to wear masks, to wash their hands and to get a vaccine. The lyrical duo has been married for 50 years, and they have two children and four grandchildren. On March 1, they received the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. (Yamada and Noll, 3/3)

USA Today: Convalescent Plasma Study: Treatment Doesn't Stop More Severe COVID-19
Convalescent plasma has been used widely to treat patients with COVID-19, under the assumption that the immune cells in a recovered person's blood would help the next patient fight off the virus. The Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of convalescent plasma last summer for hospitalized patients during the pandemic, though it said further research would be needed to confirm its effectiveness. A trial run by the National Institutes of Health was stopped early Tuesday, because an independent group of reviewers determined it was not providing benefit to COVID-19 patients treated and released from emergency rooms. (Weintraub, 3/3)

ABC News: New Google COVID-19 Database Could Hold Key To Disease's Mysteries 
A year into the pandemic, COVID-19 still puzzles researchers, but the public release of a new database may help scientists solve some of the mysteries lingering around this devastating disease. An international team of researchers from institutions including Boston Children's Hospital and the University of Oxford has partnered with Google to release Global. health, a platform that contains information about almost 10 million COVID-19 cases from over 100 countries. (Ou, 3/4)

KHN: Coronavirus Deranges The Immune System In Complex And Deadly Ways 
There’s a reason soldiers go through basic training before heading into combat: Without careful instruction, green recruits armed with powerful weapons could be as dangerous to one another as to the enemy. The immune system works much the same way. Immune cells, which protect the body from infections, need to be “educated” to recognize bad guys — and to hold their fire around civilians. (Szabo, 3/4)

Stat: The Short-Term, Middle-Term, And Long-Term Future Of The Coronavirus
When experts envision the future of the coronavirus, many predict that it will become a seasonal pathogen that won’t be much more than a nuisance for most of us who have been vaccinated or previously exposed to it. But how long that process takes — and how much damage the virus inflicts in the interim — is still anyone’s guess. (Joseph and Branswell, 3/4)

Modern Healthcare: Intermountain, Ascension Push For Permanent CMS Home Care Reimbursement Changes
Two large hospital systems are partnering with several home-based care companies to form a coalition to lobby Congress to make permanent COVID-19 era changes to CMS home healthcare reimbursement. Intermountain Healthcare and Ascension are forming the Moving Health Home Coalition with several home-based care companies including hospital-at-home provider Dispatch Health, home-based complex care provider Signify Health, home health provider Elara Caring, value-based complex care provider Landmark Health and senior home care service provider Home Instead. The coalition has five big policy priorities that it will lobby Congress and other policymakers to open up home-based care reimbursement after the pandemic has ended. (Gillespie, 3/3)

Crain's Chicago Business: Michigan Company Agrees To Acquire Chicago's Mercy Hospital
Flint, Mich.-based Insight has entered into a non-binding agreement to acquire Mercy Hospital & Medical Center on Chicago’s Near South Side. The deal is pending regulatory approval, but if it goes through, it would keep open a safety net facility that had threatened to close. Under the deal, terms of which are still being negotiated, a unit of the biomedical technology company, called Insight Chicago, would operate Mercy as a full-service, acute care hospital, Mercy said in a statement today. Insight intends to file an application with the state later today, the statement says. Mercy Hospital's current owner, Trinity Health, still aims to open a separate outpatient center in the area later this year. (Goldberg, 3/3)

Axios: Centene CEO Michael Neidorff Made $59 Million In Pandemic Year
Michael Neidorff, CEO of health insurance company Centene, made almost $59 million in 2020, according to calculations from the company's preliminary financial documents. That amount was roughly 1.5 times more than what Neidorff made in 2019. Neidorff's compensation is an early sign of how corporate executives, especially those in health care, reaped large, stock-heavy paydays during the coronavirus pandemic, despite the broader economic turmoil. (Herman, 3/4)

Axios: Virtual Doctor's Visits And Digital Health Tools Take Off In Pandemic 
Telemedicine and other health-related technologies have gotten huge boosts over the past year as COVID-19 upended how patients receive medical attention. Virtual doctor's appointments and therapy sessions will likely be the norm, even after more people are vaccinated. (Hart, 3/4)

AP: 7-Year-Old Alabama Girl Helps To Fund Her Own Brain Surgery
Liza Scott, 7, started a lemonade stand at her mom’s bakery last summer so she could buy some frills like toys and sequined high-heel shoes. The bouncy little girl is still in business months later, yet the money is going toward something entirely different: surgery on her brain. Last month, doctors determined a series of seizures that Liza began suffering were caused by cerebral malformations that needed repair, said her mother, Elizabeth Scott. Always eager to help out and with an eye toward entrepreneurship after a childhood spent around a small business, the little girl volunteered to help raise money for her upcoming operation. (Reeves, 3/4)

CIDRAP: Teens' Mental Health Claims Skyrocket In Pandemic
Mental health insurance claims for US teens roughly doubled early in the COVID-19 pandemic over the same period in 2019, according to a Fair Health report released yesterday. The white paper, the New York nonprofit's seventh in a series on the pandemic, is the result of analysis of more than 32 billion private healthcare claims filed on behalf of people aged 0 to 22 from January to November 2020 compared with those filed during the same period in 2019. (Van Beusekom, 3/3)

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: People Feeling Pandemic Stress, Mental Health Panelists Say
Arkansas experts discussed mental health care during the covid-19 pandemic at a free virtual event Tuesday evening hosted and moderated by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Panelists said they've seen a rise in depression and anxiety related to pandemic stressors in people who are dealing with other trauma and also in those who have never experienced significant mental health issues before. "The past 12 months have been filled with stress, fear and uncertainty, and many people are wondering about the short- and long-term effects on mental health due to covid," Managing Editor Eliza Gaines said. "To have these questions answered by Arkansas experts is a great service to our readers and community." (Eley, 3/3)

North Carolina Health News: Surviving College With Cancer 
Aimee Comanici was never allowed to dye her hair funky colors. But the day after being discharged from UNC Hospitals, her mom, Julie Gorham, gave the go-ahead. Barely a week later, Aimee ran her fingers through her wet, soapy hair and a clump of newly-purple locks came out. (Tate, 3/4)

CIDRAP: Hotels Found Effective For COVID Isolation, Quarantine For Homeless People
The use of five isolation/quarantine (I/Q) hotels in San Francisco County may have contributed to better public health outcomes among people experiencing homelessness, according to a JAMA Open Network study published yesterday. The I/Q hotels were created so that people who were experiencing homelessness and who had suspected or confirmed COVID-19 could have a place to recover and physically distance. Staff and provided resources took care of residents' general health, dietary, hygiene, and child (eg, diapers, formula) needs, and those who had substance use disorders had access to methods for reducing harm. (3/3)

Axios: The Future Of Workplace Benefits 
The pandemic exposed how workplaces across America are inhospitable to parents. But it could also spur companies to make changes. Well over a million parents have left their jobs due to child care responsibilities during the pandemic. Now, companies — large and small — are attempting to reimagine workplace benefits and add flexibility to help those parents come back. (Pandey, 3/3)

CNN: How To Help Your Kids Get Enough Sleep, Especially During The Covid Pandemic 
Getting enough sleep was tough even before the pandemic. With disrupted routines, extra screen time and the incredible amount of stress most people face now, sleep routines seem to have gone quickly but quietly downhill. And from what I'm seeing in my child psychiatry practice — kids are suffering especially hard. (Chaudhary, 3/3)

Politico: Newsom Confident MLB Fans Can Return To California Stadiums In April
California fans can likely catch Major League Baseball games in person when the season begins in April, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday. The Democratic governor said his administration is in the midst of "advanced" talks with MLB and county health officials about some fans attending games at outdoor ballparks. He said that could begin by opening day in April if California continues on its downward infection trajectory. (White, 3/3)

News Service of Florida: DeSantis Touts COVID-19 Decisions In State Of The State Address
Gov. Ron DeSantis formally launched the 2021 legislative session Tuesday with a State of the State address that touted the state’s actions during the COVID-19 pandemic and touched on hot-button issues that lawmakers will face over the next 60 days. DeSantis did not announce major new initiatives during the 28-minute speech but tried to contrast Florida with what he described as a “calamitous reality” in other states of closed schools and shuttered businesses. (Saunders, 3/3)

KHN: Reopening Of Long-Term Care Facilities Is ‘An Absolute Necessity For Our Well-Being’ 
For nearly a year, nursing homes and assisted living centers have been mostly closed to visitors. Now, it’s time for them to open back up and relieve residents of crushing isolation, according to a growing chorus of long-term care experts, caregivers, consumer groups and physicians. They’re calling for federal health authorities to relax visitation restrictions in long-term care institutions, replacing guidance that’s been in place since September. And they want both federal and state authorities to grant special status to “essential caregivers” — family members or friends who provide critically important hands-on care — so they have the opportunity to tend to relatives in need. (Graham, 3/4)

In other developments from Mississippi, California and Oregon —

ABC News: Mississippi Passes Bill Banning Transgender Student-Athletes From Female Sports Teams 
Mississippi legislators have passed a bill that would ban transgender athletes from competing on female sports teams in schools and universities -- one of over two dozen similar measures proposed by state lawmakers nationwide this year. The state House voted 81-28 Wednesday to pass the so-called Mississippi Fairness Act. It passed the state Senate last month, 34-9. The bill now heads to Gov. Tate Reeves for approval. (Deliso, 3/3)

The Washington Post: A City Gave People $500 A Month, No Strings Attached, To Fight Poverty. It Paid Off, Study Says.
Residents of Stockton, Calif., who received $500 a month from a first-of-its-kind guaranteed-income program were more likely to find full-time jobs, be happy and stay healthy, according to a year-long study published Wednesday. Supporters of universal income programs — which provide regular, unconditional payments from the government to people — say the findings should dispel common criticisms of the idea, such as that money with no strings attached disincentivizes people to work or encourages them to spend it on drugs and alcohol. (Kornfield, 3/3)

The Oregonian: OHSU Professors, Students Chant, ‘We Believe You!’ In Wake Of Social Worker’s Sexual Misconduct Case Against TikTok Doc 
About 100 people gathered Wednesday outside OHSU’s administrative offices and chanted “We believe you!” in support of the woman who has filed a harassment and sexual assault complaint against a former resident who became an internet star as the TikTok Doc. Doctors, professors, pharmacists, radiologists, medical students and other employees called for a cultural change in how leaders at Oregon Health & Science University respond to sexual misconduct allegations on campus. (Bernstein, 3/4)

Axios: COVID: Canada Vaccine Panel Recommends 4 Months Between Doses 
Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) on Wednesday recommended extending the interval between first and second doses of COVID-19 to up to four months to boost inoculation numbers. The panel said taking such action would allow about 80% of Canadians over 16 to receive a single dose by the end of June. (Falconer, 3/4)

Bloomberg: Criticized Indian Vaccine Covaxin Already In Use Found 81% Effective
An Indian coronavirus vaccine that generated controversy when it was granted emergency approval before finishing its final stage testing has shown to provide strong protection against Covid-19 in an interim analysis of an advanced clinical trial. Covaxin, which was co-developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Ltd. and the Indian Council of Medical Research, showed an efficacy rate of 81% in those without prior infection after a second dose, the company said in a statement Wednesday. That’s better than Bharat Biotech’s guidance last year of around 60% and the country’s benchmark of 50% for vaccines targeting the novel coronavirus. (Kay, 3/3)

Bloomberg: U.K. To Fast-Track Approval Of Vaccines For Covid-19 Variants
U.K. health regulators said authorized Covid-19 vaccines that are modified for new variants of the disease will be fast-tracked through the approval system. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency issued guidance -- in step with partners in Australia, Canada, Singapore and Switzerland -- that will reduce the time taken for the new vaccines to be ready for use, according to a statement on Thursday. Vaccine manufacturers will need to provide robust evidence that the modified vaccine produces an immune response, but time-consuming clinical trials will not be needed. Instead a small trial will be used to assess the main adverse effects which could take a few weeks rather than months. (Ashton and Ring, 3/4)

Bloomberg: EMA To Start Review Process For Russia’s Sputnik V Covid Vaccine
The European Medicines Agency said it has started a rolling review of Russia’s Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine to test compliance with safety and quality standards, the first major step in gaining approval for use in the European Union. “The rolling review will continue until enough evidence is available for formal marketing authorization application,” the agency said in a statement Thursday. “While EMA cannot predict the overall timelines, it should take less time than normal to evaluate an eventual application because of the work done during the rolling review.” (Fedorinova, 3/4)

Los Angeles Times: Europe's Divided Over Passes For People Vaccinated For COVID
After months of political clashes around the world over lockdowns and travel restrictions, Europe is at the forefront of a thorny new COVID-19 controversy: vaccine “passports.” As more and more people are inoculated against the novel coronavirus that has killed more than 2.5 million people across the globe, arguments are flaring over whether government-issued proof of vaccination should serve as permission for a range of coveted activities — mingling with friends, going to concerts, getting on airplanes or crossing borders. (El-Faizy, Kirschbaum and King, 3/3)

The Washington Post: Vaccinated Pope Francis Heads To Iraq Amid Covid Outbreak 
When Pope Francis embarks this week on his first trip abroad since the pandemic began, everybody on board, from priests to journalists, will be vaccinated. The plane will be packed. Aside from mask-wearing, it will look like any other papal voyage. But then Francis will arrive in Iraq — where the coronavirus is raging. (Harlan and Loveluck, 3/3)

Bloomberg: A Buggy Contact-Tracing App Is Latest Setback For Tokyo Olympics
Organizers for the Tokyo Olympics are asking athletes and teams to install a smartphone app that tracks their movements to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus when they arrive in Japan, but there’s just one problem. “It’s not a good app,” Minister for Digital Transformation Takuya Hirai said last month, following a series of high-profile glitches, including one in which the app didn’t notify users they were exposed to confirmed infections for more than four months. (Reidy, 3/3)

CIDRAP: SARS-CoV-2 Reinfects 5 In Nursing Home, Causing Worse Disease, 1 Death
Five residents of a skilled nursing facility in Kentucky were likely reinfected with COVID-19, and the disease was worse the second time, with one patient dying, according to today's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).Between the two outbreaks, which were reported in July and October 2020, each resident had at least four negative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests. (2/26)

New England Journal of Medicine: Dexamethasone In Hospitalized Patients With Covid-19
In this controlled, open-label trial comparing a range of possible treatments in patients who were hospitalized with Covid-19, we randomly assigned patients to receive oral or intravenous dexamethasone (at a dose of 6 mg once daily) for up to 10 days or to receive usual care alone. (The RECOVERY Collaborative Group, 2/25)

CIDRAP: Evidence Conflicts Over Efficacy Of Monoclonal Antibodies In Severe COVID
The New England Journal of Medicine yesterday published two studies on the effectiveness of the interleukin-6 receptor antagonists tocilizumab and sarilumab in severely ill adult COVID-19 patients, one finding a benefit to a combination of the two drugs and the other showing no benefit with tocilizumab alone. The first study, led by researchers at Imperial College London as part of an ongoing international platform trial, involved randomly assigning 803 patients in 113 intensive care units (ICUs) in six countries to receive tocilizumab, sarilumab, or usual care from April (tocilizumab) and June (sarilumab) through November 2020. (Van Beusekom, 2/26)

American Academy Of Pediatrics: Factors Associated With Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection 
Initial reports on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in children suggested that very young age and comorbidities may increase risk of severe evolution, but these findings remained to be confirmed. We aimed to analyze the clinical spectrum of hospitalized pediatric SARS-CoV-2 infection and predictors of severe disease evolution. (Ouldali et al, 3/1)

American Academy Of Pediatrics: Suicide Ideation And Attempts In A Pediatric Emergency Department Before And During COVID-19 
Elevated rates of mental health concerns have been identified during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In this study, we sought to evaluate whether youth reported a greater frequency of suicide-related behaviors during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic as compared with 2019. We hypothesized that rates of suicide-related behaviors would be elevated between the months of March and July 2020 as compared with 2019, corresponding to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Hill et al, 3/1)

Also —

CIDRAP: National Safety Program Linked To Reduced Hospital Antibiotic Use 
Implementation of a national safety program that helps US hospitals to establish antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) and clinicians to improve their antibiotic decision-making was associated with reduced antibiotic use and fewer hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile infections, according to a study today in JAMA Network Open. The study, conducted by researchers with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the University of Chicago, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), evaluated the impact of AHRQ's Safety Program for Antibiotic Use, which was established in 2017 to support hospitals in their efforts to establish ASPs and successfully implement stewardship principles. ASPs have been associated with reduced antibiotic use in individual hospitals across the country. (Dall, 2/26)

CIDRAP: Report Examines Social Science Insights On Antibiotic Use
The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) yesterday released a new report on antibiotic use in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that focuses on social science research and the emerging insights on novel ways to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The report from LHSTM's Fresh Approaches to the Study of Antimicrobials in Society project examines antibiotic use in LMICs through three different lenses: practices, structures, and networks. The idea behind the report, which combines insights gleaned from a growing body of published social science research into AMR and from a series of panel discussions held in 2020, is to formulate ideas of how these insights can be used to develop local interventions for addressing human and animal antibiotic use in a diverse range of settings. (2/25)

CIDRAP: Danish Study Finds Link Between Community C Diff, Proton Pump Inhibitors
A nationwide study in Denmark found an association between the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and increased risk of community-associated Clostridioides difficile infections (CA-CDI), Danish researcher reported today in Clinical Infectious Diseases. For the study, researchers from Denmark's Statens Serum Institute used the Danish National Microbiological Database to identify all incident episodes of CA-CDI in Danish adults from February 2010 through December 2013. They obtained data on filled prescriptions for PPIs, which neutralize or reduce the production of gastric acid, from the Danish National Prescription Registry. (2/25)

CIDRAP: WHO Experts Swap Out 2 Flu A Strains For Next Northern Hemisphere Vaccine
The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced that its influenza vaccine strain selection committee has made its recommendations for the Northern Hemisphere's 2021-22 flu season, which swaps out the two influenza A strains for both the egg-based and cell-based or recombinant vaccines. For the egg-based vaccines, they recommend replacing the current 2009 H1N1 vaccine strain (A/Guangdong-Maonan/SWL1536/2019) with A/Victoria/2570/2019 and replacing the current H3N2 component (A/Hong Kong/2671/2019) with A/Cambodia/e0926360/2020. (2/26)

The Baltimore Sun: Here’s Why Maryland Should Care About Texas COVID-19 Restrictions (Or Lack Thereof) 
Now, we all know how frustrated parents of willful children feel. They teach their kids. They model good behavior and make personal sacrifices on behalf of their families. They reinforce key life experiences whenever they can. And then, when it’s time to test that knowledge, to judge whether vital, even lifesaving, lessons have been learned, they discover that it was all for naught. They failed, not because of a lack of capacity to learn on the part of their children, but out of their offspring’s sheer obstinacy and hubris. Somewhere, the parents of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott are surely weeping. (3/3)

Los Angeles Times: Texas And Mississippi Governors Are Recklessly Reopening 
With more people vaccinated against COVID-19 every day and case numbers just a fraction of what they were at the beginning of the year, it seems as if — finally — we are are beating the pandemic. But remember what happened last time we thought that? It feels like a million years have passed since May, so I will refresh your memory. After a couple of terrible months huddling in our homes surrounded by cases of toilet paper, it seemed that the nasty little coronavirus was on retreat. Hooray! We flattened that ol’ curve but good. Pandemic restrictions were shucked off along with our pandemic PJs. But after a few short weeks of people crowding back into bars, having barbecues and going to protests, the virus came roaring back to life. After the summer surge had abated, people let down their guards once again, and I don’t have to tell you what happened. The horror of the holiday season is still playing out in death and despair even if the numbers of people fighting for their lives in the hospitals are down to pre-holiday levels. (Mariel Garza, 3/2)

Tampa Bay Times: ‘Another Success’ As Florida’s Vaccine Rollout Ramps Up
Wednesday’s opening of a new federally-run vaccination site in Tampa marked another success in the yearlong effort to fight the coronavirus. Coming in the wake of a deal brokered by the Biden administration to vastly increase supplies of a third vaccine, the development reflects what can happen with a White House engaged on stemming the pandemic. This is good news, but the effort in Florida needs more coordination. (3/4)

The New York Times: Trump Should Be A Celebrity Vaccine Ambassador 
First, the good news for America: People are getting their Covid-19 vaccine shots — or jabs, as they’ve been dubbed. Daily vaccination numbers have topped 1.9 million, with more than 50 million Americans having received at least one dose. With Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine coming online this week, those numbers are set to grow even faster. On Tuesday, President Biden announced that there would be enough vaccine for every American adult by the end of May. Now, the bad news: There’s still too much vaccine hesitancy in the land. “We’re going to go from a supply problem to a demand problem,” Dr. David Kessler, the chief science officer for the federal government’s coronavirus response, said at a conference this week. “We need to make sure that all people can trust the safety of the vaccine.” (Michelle Cottle, 3/3)

Also —

Los Angeles Times: Trust Teachers On Opening Campuses. They Deal With Sick Kids 
While the Times Editorial Board is correct that education has not been a priority for the state, it should not pit teachers against students and parents. While the current science has found that SARS-CoV-2 transmission in elementary schools is low when community transmission is also low, those findings change in middle and high school. Another distinction must be made: Science should be our guide to reopenings, but the science so far has not included meaningful studies of the actual conditions under which teachers, staff and children actually work. What teachers know firsthand is that many classrooms have poor ventilation. Protective equipment and sanitation mean little when air conditioning and ventilation systems are inadequate, when some classrooms have no actual windows for cross ventilation, or when students are crammed into rooms too small for them. (3/4)

The Washington Post: Remote Work Could Mean Fewer Women In The Office. Here’s How Companies Can Maintain Equity. 
Before covid-19 shut my office, I didn’t pay much attention to one of my most important workplace benefits. But nearly a year later, it’s a perk I can’t stop daydreaming about. Eight precious hours, five days a week, when I could forget the unfolded laundry, unemptied dishwasher and kid-related clutter from one end of the apartment to the other. In short, the luxury of being able to focus on my work. With vaccination rates rising, many businesses are making plans to reopen. And in the wake of this mandatory nationwide experiment in working from home, there’s plenty of talk about the new normal of a post-covid workplace. Hybrid or all-remote schedules make powerful recruiting tools and look great on paper — carrying the promise of improved equity by giving employees the flexibility to better juggle work and life. But as the head of a women’s college and a cognitive scientist, I have some serious reservations. (Sian Beilock, 3/3)