CoronavirusMWRA's Deer Island Sewage Treatment Plant is seen from Spectacle Island in Boston Harbor. Lane Turner / The Boston Globe
By Maria Elena Little Endara, The Boston Globe
The detection of coronavirus in Boston-area wastewater reached record-breaking levels in recent days, with the most recent seven-day average soaring past previous record highs set earlier this month.
On Dec. 23, the seven-day average of virus traces in the wastewater in the southern sample was 2,574 RNA copies/mL. Thats up from 1,136 copies/mL on Dec. 1, meaning the average has increased by 127% in the last three weeks.
The increase in the wastewater levels continues a trend that began around late November, but the tests found that the seven-day averages of virus traces in the wastewater have risen incredibly fast over the last three weeks.
Finish the story at BostonGlobe.com.
COVID-19: A look at the most startling pandemic numbers from 2021
From vaccinations to variants, here are some of the most shocking pandemic stats from 2021.
Staff video, USA TODAY
The Food and Drug Administration is reportedly poised to authorize a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for kids ages 12-15.
Regulators also plan to allow adolescents and adults to get the third shots five months after receiving the second dose of the Pfizers vaccine instead of the current six months, The New York Times reported, citing sources it described as familiar with the agency's deliberations. A third shot, often referred to as a booster, is also expected to be authorized for children as young as 5 with immune deficiencies.
The third dose authorization is expected "in coming days,"CNN reported, citing a source CNN said was familiar with the plan.The Times said the authorization is expected Monday.
"As the booster is already authorized for 16 and over, we are confident regulators are making every effort to look for ways to preserve a high level of protection against the virus across broad populations," Pfizer said in an email to USA TODAY.
The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions vaccine advisory committee is expected to meet next week to vote on whether to recommend the changes, the Times said. If the panel agrees, CDC director Dr. RochelleWalensky is expected to sign off immediately.
A third shot could help ease the health threat faced by millions of middle school and high school students returning to classrooms next week after the holiday break. During that break an omicron-fueled surge has driven reported daily infections across the nation to record levels.
Almost 62% of all Americans are "fully vaccinated" two shots of Pfizer or Moderna shots or one of Johnson & Johnson but only about one-third of all Americans have received a booster,according to the CDC.At least 1.8 million12- to15-years-old have tested positive for the virus,according to the CDC.
Also in the news:
Israel on Thursday became the first country to approvea fourth vaccine dose. The approval isfor people most vulnerable to COVID-19.
Michigans health department said it's not ready to join the CDC in reducing isolation restrictions for people infected with the coronavirus from 10 days to five. Officials said they will first review supporting evidence for the CDC's guidance.
The University of Miami will start the spring semester Jan. 18 with remote-only classes. School President Julio Frenk, president of the private university, said in-person classes are expected to resume on Jan. 31.
The Weatherford Hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona, won't be dropping its giant, lighted metal pine cone this New Year's Eve. The annual event, which draws thousands to downtown, was canceled because of public health concerns.
The world set a new record for cases Wednesday 1.73 million reported in a day bringing case counts to 7.33 million for the seven-day period, the first time the average has been above more than 1 million per day.Global case counts are up 48% from the previous week.
Today's numbers:The U.S. has recorded more than 53.8million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 823,000deaths,accordingtoJohns Hopkins University data.Global totals: More than 285million cases and5.4million deaths. More than 205million Americans61.9% are fully vaccinated,according to theCDC.
What we're reading:Next month, Americans will be able to request free tests from a website, and kits will be mailed to homes. The website, and other details about how and when the tests will be distributed, have not been released. Experts urge thatinsurers work with pharmacies to make the tests free to consumers up front.
Keep refreshing this page for the latest news. Want more?Sign up forUSA TODAY's free Coronavirus Watch newsletterto receive updates directly to your inboxandjoin ourFacebook group.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday warned travelers against taking cruises as clusters of COVID-19 cases increase on the ships with the emergence of the omicron variant. FromNov. 30 toDec. 14, cruise ships operating in U.S. watersreported 162 cases of COVID-19 to the CDC. FromDec. 15 toDec. 29, cruise ships sailing in U.S. waters reported 5,013 COVID-19 casesto the CDC.
"Today, CDC increased theCruise Travel Health Notice to a Level 4, recommending people avoid cruise travel regardless of vaccination status," the CDC said in a statement.
Cruise Lines International Association, the leading industry organization, said it was "disappointed" with the CDC's decision, saying it was "particularly perplexing considering that cases identified on cruise ships consistently make up a very slim minority of the total population onboard ... and the majority of those cases are asymptomatic or mild in nature."
Morgan Hines
The United States is averaging more than 300,000 new reported coronavirus cases per day for the first time, although hospitalizationnumbers are somewhat less gloomy.
AUSA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows the country reported 2.11 million cases in the seven-day period ending Wednesday, an increase of 82% over the previous week as the omicron variant, holiday gatherings and frenzied testing helped push numbers higher.
Forty-sevenstates show rising case counts and 15states reported their highest-ever counts: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and WashingtonandPuerto Rico.
The national pace of hospital admissions for likely COVID-19 patients was up 20.7% from a week earlier, alarming but far lower than the jump in infections. Experts say early data indicatesomicron might not be as severe as previous variants. That andtherise in vaccinated Americans havehad an impact the number of Americans now in the hospital with COVID-19 is running at around 65,000, or about half the number in January, theCenters for Disease Control and Preventionreported.
And Dr. Anthony Fauci saidthe average stay during the current surge at a major South African hospital is about four days, down from 8.8 days in previous surges. The numbers are similar to other preliminary reports, Fauci said.
"The pattern and disparity between cases and hospitalization strongly suggests that there will be a lower hospitalization to case ratio when the situation becomes more clear," Fauci said.
Thousands moreU.S.flights have been canceled or delayed Thursday,according toFlightAware, which tracks flight status. There have been more than8,000 cancellations and more than 39,000 delayswithin, to or from the U.S. since Christmas Eve. In a perfect stormof circumstances, between inclement weather and another coronavirus wave, travel industry experts expect the holiday travel season to come to a bumpy end for customers, andwinter isjust beginning. Read more here.
"We look at flights but see, the thing isthey'reconnected to people," said Captain Dennis Tajer, an American Airlines pilot and spokesperson for their pilots union, Allied Pilots Association. "For each one of thosepassengers, there may be five to 10 family members and friends that werecountingon thembeing at the holiday table."
Eve Chen
New York City is forging ahead with modified plans for its annual New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square on Friday despite record numbers of COVID-19 cases across the city and nationwide.In 2020, revelers were banned from thecelebration as a result of the pandemic, and only essential workers, media members and police were atTimes Square as the ball dropped.This year,the citywill require revelersto show proof of vaccination and photo ID and to wear masks.The event normally hosts 58,000 people, but this year will be limited to about 15,000 attendees and won't allow entry until 3 p.m. ET,de Blasio announced last week.
"We want to show that were moving forward, and we want to show the world that New York City is fighting our way through this,"Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday on NBC'sTODAY Show.
Christine Fernando
The number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 has reached a pandemic record high in Ohio, and Gov. Mike DeWine has ordered additional members of the state National Guard into hospitals to help with the surge.Ohio had 5,356 people in the hospital with the coronavirus Wednesday the highest per-capita hospitalization rate in the country, said Robert Wylie, chief medical operations officer at the Cleveland Clinic.More than nine of every 10 people hospitalized with COVID-19 since June have been unvaccinated, DeWine said.
If youre vaccinated, the chances of you ending up in the hospital are pretty darn slim, he said.
A Michigan school teacher traveling over the holidaysvoluntarily isolated in an airplane's tiny bathroom for five hoursafter testing positive for COVID-19 mid-flight.Marisa Fotieo was on a flight to Icelandfrom Chicagoon Dec. 20 when her throat began to hurt,TODAY reported. With rapid test kits handy, Fotieo decided to take one "and within what felt like two seconds" discovered she was positive for the virus.She filmed what it was like to quarantine in the tiny quartersin a videothat drew over 4 million views on TikTok. Shelater isolated again at the Red Cross hotel in Iceland.
"Theres 150 people on the flight, and my biggest fear was giving it to them," she told TODAY.
Asha C. Gilbert
Federal officials are defending theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention's decision to cut to five days from 10 days the amount of recommended time people should isolate after testing positive for the coronavirus. Some have rejoiced in the shortened isolation period, while others have criticized the decision, arguing the CDC turned its back on science and bowed to business interests.
The announcement came days after Delta Airline's CEO publicly asked the CDC for a shorter isolation period, and in the midst of thousands of canceled flights, which airlines have blamed on staffing shortages because ofthe latest surge in coronavirus infections.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said the new recommendation is backed by science. The most amount of COVID-19 transmission happens in the one or two days prior to developing symptoms and in the two to three days after developing symptoms, Walensky said totaling five days.The decision is backed by behavioral science, too, she said.
It really had a lot to do with what we thought people would be able to tolerate, Walensky told CNN'sKaitlan Collins.
Some professional associations have pushed back on the new guidelines, saying they'll be harmful to workers. The American Nurses Associationurged the CDC to reconsider its decision,saying guidance "is especially problematic when reliable testing is not widely available, and particularly difficult to access in places experiencing surge conditions."
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, warned Americans to stay away from large-scale New Years parties and opt for small gatherings with vaccinated and boosted people.
If you were in a situation with a family setting, in your home, with family parents, children, grandparents and everyone is vaccinated and boosted, although the risk is never zero in anything, the risk is low enough that we feel you should continue to go through with those plans, Fauci said during a news briefing Wednesday.
Cities around the world have canceled their large New Years Eve celebrations amid the rapid spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus. New York City put an attendance cap of 15,000 on its annual Times Squareparty and will require proof of vaccination. Events in Los Angeles and Seattle have also been canceled.
If your plans are to go to a 40- or 50-person New Years Eve party with all the bells and whistles and everybody hugging and kissing and wishing each other a Happy New Year, I would strongly recommend that this year we do not do that, Fauci said.
In anticipation ofsteep challenges reopening schools amid an omicron-drivensurge of infections, districts are planning toramp up COVID-19 testing whenclasses resume in January. New testing strategiescomeas COVID-19 infections andpediatric hospitalizations have shot up in a handful of states, especially in the Northeast.Witha record number of cases,even among fully vaccinated individuals,school leaders are worried not only the health of staff and students, but also aboutthe ability to stay open if too many employees fall prey to illness or quarantine. Read more here.
"We are moving closer to a safe reopening of school next week," Michael Mulgrew, head of the United Federation of Teachers in New York City schools, said."But we arenot there yet."
Erin Richards
Testing positive for COVID-19 starts a confusing, disruptive and at times frightening process one that millions of Americans will likely go through in the coming week.
First, you need to isolate. Thats a more intense version of quarantining it means cutting off contact with other people as much as possibleso you reduce the chanceof infecting them. Thisalso means forgoing travel, not going to work and even limiting contact with people in your own household who aren't infected.
The CDC says isolating is a necessary step whether youre vaccinated or unvaccinated, and whether you havesymptoms or feelfine.
Everyone who tests positive for COVID-19 should monitor their symptoms. And people who are unvaccinated or at high risk for severe disease should be extra-vigilant for symptoms that might require emergency care. Call your doctor for early treatment options.
How long should you isolate? How long will I be contagious?What if you are in close contact with someone who tested positive?Hereswhat you should know about omicron and COVID-19 this holiday season.
Contributing: Mike Stucka and Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
CDC shortens COVID-19 isolation and quarantine guidelines
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said the changes were made based on "two years of science" about the virus.
Staff video, USA TODAY
A widely shared claim on social media has brought the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's decision to retireits PCR test for COVID-19 back into the spotlight.
"CDC Withdraws Use of PCR Test for COVID and Finally Admits the Test Can Not Differentiate Between the Flu and COVID Virus," reads the screenshot of a Gateway Pundit headlineposted on Instagram on Dec. 29.
The Gateway Pundit article, posted the same day,refers to the CDC's decision in July to withdraw the PCR test in 2022 that the agency created.The screenshot was liked more than 1,000 times in less than 24 hours. Other posts also received hundreds of likes in just a few hours.
But the claim badly mangles the facts.
The CDC's PCR testwill be removed from the list of testsunder emergency use authorizationbecause the demand for it has decreased with the authorization ofother diagnostic testsnot because it confuses viruses. Experts say the test would not show false positives for COVID-19 if the person only had the flu.
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USA TODAY reached out to the user who posted the claimand to Gateway Pundit for comment.
The Gateway Pundit article claims the CDC admitted the soon-to-be-retired PCR test "can not differentiate between the flu and COVID virus."
It claimed flu cases were so low in 2020, then, because the test was counting flu cases as COVID-19. But that's nonsense. Gateway Pundit was misunderstanding the use of the term differentiate.
In an August news release, the CDC wrote the PCR test was specifically designed only to detect the viral genetic material of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 not influenza, which causes the flu.
"It does not detect influenza or differentiate between influenza and SARS-CoV-2," the website states.
In other words, it's not that the test can't tell the two apart, it's that the test was designed only to detect COVID-19.The CDC spelled this one by noting someone with the flu would not create a false positive for COVID-19 with this test.
Fact check: Made-up Jen Psaki statement on inflation started as satire
Experts told USA TODAY in July it's "technically impossible" for the CDC's PCR test to confuseSARS-CoV-2and the influenza virus.
PCR testsidentify and amplifyconverted viral RNA until the virus's genetic makeup can be detected and analyzed.
In this case, since the CDC's PCR test was made to only identify SARS-Cov-2, it cannot detect or confuse the genetic sequences of another virus such as influenza, according toDr.Petros Giannikopoulos, medical director of theInnovative Genomics Institutes COVID-19 testing consortium.
On July 21, the CDC announced it would withdraw the request for an emergency use authorization for the agency-developed PCR test after Dec. 31.
The test will be removed because the Food and Drug Administration, which is in charge of approving the use of medical devices and vaccines, has authorized "hundreds" of other COVID-specific tests similar tothe CDC's, the agency said in an Aug. 2 clarification after the announcement sparked confusion.
"CDC began distributing the CDC 2019 Novel Coronavirus Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel to fill a gap," the release said. "The wide availability of other SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests means that the CDC 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel is no longer filling an unmet need."
The discontinuation, which only applies to the CDC-manufactured test and not other diagnostic tests authorized for useby the FDA,would also let the CDC "focus its resources on public health surveillance testing and other response activities," according to the release.
Fact check: Chris Wallace's CNN+ show has not yet debuted
Jasmine Reed, a CDC spokeswoman, told USA TODAY in July the agencyalso wanted to encourage laboratories to start using tests that can detect the influenza virus and COVID-19 in the same swab to conserve time and resources.
The CDC has its own test that can detect and differentiate COVID-19 and the influenza A and B viruses. That test is not being withdrawn.
USA TODAY reached out to the CDC for comment.
Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that the CDC withdrew the use of its PCR test and admitted it can't distinguish between the flu and COVID-19. The CDC is withdrawing the test, but it has nothing to do with the flu. The agency-created PCR test simply isn't needed because hundreds of tests from private companies have addressed this need and been approved by the FDA. The CDC test properly showed positive results only for COVID-19; a person with the flu could not test positive for COVID-19 using the CDC test, experts say.
Thank you for supporting our journalism.You cansubscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here.
Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.
Related video: WHO warns world faces tsunami of Covid-19 infections
NHS bosses are warning that the number of Covid patients in hospitals is expected to keep rising for 10 days before admissions hit their peak, telling health leaders to prepare for the worst but hope for the best.
With the latest data showing there were 11,452 people with coronavirus in hospitals in England this morning up 61 per cent from last week and the highest number since 26 February fears around new year celebrations on Friday continue to mount, made worse by a shortage of rapid tests.
Earlier, health secretary Sajid Javid admitted in a letter to MPs that lateral flow supplies would continue to be constrained for two weeks to deal with huge demand. He also announced the government was upping a pre-Omicron order of 100 million rapid tests for January and February to 300 million per month.
His warning came hours before the UK Health Security Agency announced there had been another record-breaking number of daily Covid cases reported in Britain, with todays 189,213 topping Wednesdays 183,037.
The US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention has warned people of onboard infections and not attend cruises as the Covid-19 infections triggered by the Omicron variant reached record high in the country.
The virus that causes Covid-19 spreads easily between people in close quarters on board ships, and the chance of getting Covid-19 on cruise ships is very high, even if people are fully vaccinated and have received a booster, the CDC said.
The US saw more than 600,000 new cases a world record high of daily infections on Thursday.
More than 90 cruise ships have come under scanner due to ongoing Covid-19 infections, and the total number of cases was not clear immediately.
This comes at the time Covid has wreaked havoc globally with a dominant variant which is highly transmissible as the pandemic clocks two years and hundreds of economies are entering 2022 in a battered condition.
Arpan Rai31 December 2021 04:07
The government has been criticised for failing to respond to a damning report by MPs that accused ministers of mishandling the early stages of the pandemic.
The report, compiled by the Health and Science and Technology Committees, found the governments initial response to Covid-19 amounted in practice to the pursuit of herd immunity, with the delayed decision to lock down ranking as one of the most important public health failures the United Kingdom has ever experienced.
More than 50 witnesses contributed to the cross-party report, including ministers, NHS officials, government advisers and leading scientists, with the authors saying it was was vital that lessons were learnt from the failings of the past 18 months.
Our science correspondent Samuel Lovett has the full report:
Sam Hancock30 December 2021 23:58
UK international flights drop 71% from pre-pandemic levels
Sam Hancock30 December 2021 22:42
The number of Covid patients in hospitals is expected to keep rising for 10 days before admissions hit their peak, NHS bosses have warned as they told health leaders to prepare for the worst.
With the latest data showing 2,082 hospital admissions on 28 December, the highest since February, and another record rise in infections on Thursday, NHS chiefs and clinicians are concerned the spread on wards could lead to mass outbreaks among patients and staff.
Meanwhile, there are fears that added to the lateral flow test shortage in England new year celebrations on Friday night could also see a further spike in the number of cases.
Our health correspondent Rebecca Thomas and science correspondent Samuel Lovett report:
Sam Hancock30 December 2021 22:11
The government is facing calls to give NHS staff priority for lateral flow tests amid the ongoing shortage.
Royal College of Nursing (RCN) bosses, and the British Medical Association (BMA), said health workers should come first when trying to access the rapid Coronavirus tests in a bid to ease staffing issues.
The BMA said there are more than 18,000 staff absent from acute hospital trusts in England, either with Covid-19 or because they are self-isolating, adding it expected that figure to be much higher when the most recent data is published later this week.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA chair of council, said: Being unable to get the tests means staff may not be legally allowed to work, and at a time of acute workforce shortages and winter pressures this could be devastating for the care that can be given right across the NHS.
Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said he had written to Mr Javid urging him to make sure NHS staff were at the front of the queue.
It follows the Welsh governments decision to lend England 4 million lateral flow tests as ministers scramble to stock up. The full story on that is here.
Sam Hancock30 December 2021 21:59
An international conference offering advice on the importance of biosafety measures, including how to avoid lab leaks during research and experiments involving animals, was held this month at an institute of virology in Wuhan.
The event, advertised on the Chinese government-owned labs website, did not get much international publicity. It was, however, a success, according to the Institute, with more than 200 people mostly students signing up from a number of countries.
There is, of course, a strong element of irony in the lab accused of being the source of Covid-19, allegedly from manipulation of bat coronavirus, offering guidance on safety just as another virulent strain of the pandemic spreads across the world. But then again, it may, for that very reason, be the ideal place to do so.
Read our defence and security editor Kim Senguptas thinking in full:
Sam Hancock30 December 2021 21:25
WHO warns world faces 'tsunami' of Covid-19 infections
Sam Hancock30 December 2021 21:00
The UK reported a record-breaking 189,213 new Covid infections in the past 24 hours, according to the latest data.
It follows Wednesdays similarly record-breaking 183,037 positive tests.
A further 332 people died from Covid-related causes on Thursday, up from 57 the day before.
The news comes amid a shortage of Covid tests in the UK, which has sparked concerns over New Years Eve celebrations.
Sam Hancock30 December 2021 20:56
A construction worker builds a temporary field hospital in the grounds of St Georges Hospital in Tooting, south London
(AFP via Getty Images)
People wear face masks as they shop in the rain in Preston
(Getty)
A nurse puts on PPE in a ward for Covid patients at Kings College Hospital, in southeast London
(PA Wire)
A man walks past NHS signage near a Covid vaccine centre in Preston on Thursday
(Getty)
Sam Hancock30 December 2021 20:40
Anti-vaxx protesters who stormed a Covid-19 testing centre have been condemned by ministers, with health secretary Sajid Javid branding their behaviour vile.
Both Javid and home secretary Priti Patel piled criticism on the mob that marched on the Milton Keynes NHS facility shouting abuse - one of whom stole testing equipment before binning it, report Simon Murphy and our home affairs editor Lizzie Dearden.
Javid said he was appalled by the vile behaviour of the dozens of demonstrators who were filmed entering the site on Wednesday, with footage showing staff at the Milton Keynes site sheltering in cabins.
Sam Hancock30 December 2021 20:14
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Travelers walk past a sign offering free Covid-19 vaccinations and booster shots at a pop-up clinic in the international arrivals area of Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California on December 22, 2021.Image: Frederic J. Brown/AFP (Getty Images)
Despite some truly important medical advances this year, the covid-19 pandemic is far from over, both in the U.S. and even more so in poorer countries with low vaccination rates. But there is hope on the immediate horizon. Cheap, easily stored, and effective covid-19 vaccines are set to be mass-produced and distributed around the world soon enough. That includes one particularly promising vaccine developed by Texas researchers that was just authorized in India this week.
On Tuesday, Indian health regulators granted an emergency use authorization to the Corbevax vaccine, created by scientists from the Texas Childrens Hospital Center for Vaccine Development at Baylor College of Medicine. The vaccine was further developed and tested in partnership with the Indian pharmaceutical company Biological E, which will handle the local production of the vaccine. Clinical trials have shown that Corbevax is safe and estimates indicate that its more than 90% effective against the original form of the coronavirus, as well as more than 80% effective against the Delta variant.
The researchers are billing their creation as the worlds covid-19 vaccine. Its underlying technology, which uses a piece of the coronavirus spike protein thats grown from yeast cells, has long been used in vaccines, most notably the Hepatitis B vaccine. This design means it can be easily and cheaply scaled up, even in countries with limited resources. Importantly, it can be stored using standard refrigeration, which would allow for more widespread transportation and use than the mRNA vaccines that require special refrigeration.
Moreover, the vaccine technology was developed without patents, and the researchers plan to widely share their blueprints and/or co-develop the vaccine with any willing manufacturers and countries for no added financial gain. As a result, a mass-produced single dose is estimated to run about $1.50. In comparison, Pfizer and Moderna recently inked deals reportedly charging around $25 per dose in Europe.
Biological E has reportedly already produced 150 million doses of Corbevax and should be able to produce 100 million doses a month. The team has reportedly also shared its technology with manufacturers in Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Botswana.
Our vaccine development program brings together the heart and passion of scientists from so many diverse backgrounds. We are privileged to be able to gift all our know-how and bring this vaccine to many in India and around the world, Maria Elena Bottazzi, one of the vaccines lead developers and co-director of the Texas Childrens Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, told Gizmodo.
There have been ongoing efforts to provide vaccines on the cheap to low and middle-income countries, most notably the COVAX program spearheaded by the World Health Organization. But COVAX has fallen far below expectations, having obtained and distributed less than half of the 2 billion doses it intended to procure by the end of 2021. Wealthier countries have also donated doses, and the U.S. seemingly pledged earlier this year that it supported waiving patents for existing vaccines like those developed by Pfizer and Modernalikely an important step for broadening the distribution of these newer, more expensive, and more complex to produce vaccines. But talks to negotiate these waivers have stalled completely, and the U.S. has reportedly done little to actually push for them. Currently, only 58% of the worlds population has received at least one vaccine dose, while less than half are fully vaccinateda disparity thats even worse in many poorer countries.
Baylors vaccine was itself stifled by a lack of resources early on, with the team having failed to secure funding through the Operation Warp Speed initiative implemented last year in the U.S. to accelerate vaccine development. They were able to garner enough funding eventually, largely through charity, but it undoubtedly slowed their timeline. According to Peter Hotez, co-developer and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor, the lack of focus on providing a vaccine for all is one that has had serious consequencesconsequences that he hopes his teams vaccine can now start to remedy.
Its so exciting to be able to make a difference in vaccinating the world, Hotez told Gizmodo. In addition to the obvious humanitarian drive, this is the only way to prevent future variants from emerging. Had we had the funds to do this sooner, perhaps Southern Africa would have been vaccinated and Omicron might never have emerged.
There are of course still important questions about Cobrevax left to be answered. Notably, its not yet known how effective it will be against the Omicron variant, which has begun to overtake Delta as the dominant version of the virus. Omicron is concerning because its many mutations allow it to more easily infect people with some prior immunity created through vaccination or infection (on the plus side, this immunity appears to still blunt its severity). The team plans to have data on Omicron soon, however, and there is existing data suggesting that Cobrevax may be better at providing durable protection in general than some other vaccines. Its possible that Cobrevax could also be used as a booster to other vaccines, and other data has shown booster shots do restore some protection against Omicron infection.
Corbevax isnt the only vaccine that could become a boon to poorer countries. Just this week, Mexico became the latest to authorize the three-dose vaccine created by Cuba called Abdala. Abdala and another Cuban vaccine, Soberna 02, are similarly developed using long-established and cheap vaccine technology, and clinical trials have shown that the vaccines were over 90% effective against illness. Following a summer peak of the pandemic, Cubas covid-19 cases have plummeted as the vaccination rate has soared to over 90% with at least one dose. The country is still waiting for the WHO to decide whether it will approve its covid-19 vaccines, though, which will likely be needed to garner widespread use outside of the country. Should that happen, Cuba has promised to spread its technology tothe rest of the world as well.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 92% effective at preventing COVID-19 in children between the ages of 12 and 17, according to data from an ongoing population study led by researchers at the University of Arizona Health Sciences.
The findings were based on data from the Arizona Healthcare, Emergency Response, and Other Essential Workers Surveillance (AZ HEROES) longitudinal study and published Dec. 30 in the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The data was collected between July and December, when the delta variant was the predominant strain of coronavirus.
The AZ HEROES study is providing continually updated results on where we are with COVID-19. Theres almost always going to be a new variant. Were going to measure it, know when its here, and understand how its impacting our community, said Karen Lutrick, PhD, AZ HEROES co-investigator and assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the UArizona College of Medicine Tucson. As soon as something happens, were ready.
A total of 243 study participants, ages 12-17, took weekly nasal swabs and answered surveys to track symptoms and measure risk of exposure. Of the 21 participants who tested positive, 16 were unvaccinated. None of the vaccinated participants who tested positive for COVID-19 sought medical care for their symptoms.
Dr. Lutrick, who collaborates with AZ HEROES investigators from the UArizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, said observing adult and youth participants in real-world conditions differentiates studies like AZ HEROES from the highly controlled clinical trials pharmaceutical companies use to test vaccine safety and efficacy.
For us to get similar numbers as those clinical trials is exciting, Dr. Lutrick said. We want vaccination to work as well in real-world situations masked, unmasked, in the classroom, going to soccer practice as it does in clinical trials.
Children 5 years of age and older are eligible for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, 27.5% of Arizonas children and teenagers have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Dec. 22. Researchers say thatwith K-12 students back in the classroom, higher vaccination rates in this population could better protect against outbreaks among students, staff and teachers in schools.
We need to increase vaccination rates so we can keep children in school, and this study provides even more evidence that the vaccine is safe and effective for children, said Lynn Gerald, PhD, MSPH,Zuckerman Family Endowed Chair in Prevention and Lifestyle Medicine in the Zuckerman College of Public Health. Our kids have missed out on so much these past 18 months, but if we can increase vaccination rates among school-age children, they can safely participate in school and all the other activities that are so important for their emotional and mental health.
The AZ HEROES study tracks adults and children in real time to learn about COVID-19 infection and reinfection, symptoms and recovery, immunity and vaccine effectiveness. AZ HEROES initially enrolled health care personnel, first responders and other essential workers, but in July expanded to include children from 4 months to 17 years of age. Dr. Lutrick said the pediatric study would not have been possible without the enthusiastic participation of the community.
Our participants came to us faster than we could ever anticipate. Theyre so motivated, so dedicated, she said. Some of these parents have three or four kids and theyre putting the little swabs up their noses and bagging them up every Monday morning before school.
In addition to Drs. Lutrick and Gerald, the AZ HEROES research team includes principal investigator Jeff Burgess, MD, MS, MPH,professor at the Zuckerman College of Public Health and member of the BIO5 Institute; Janko Nikolich-ugich, MD, PhD, head of the College of Medicine Tucsons Department of Immunobiology and BIO5 Institute member; and College of Public Health faculty members Ed Bedrick, PhD, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics and BIO5 Institute member; Kate Ellingson, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics;Joe Gerald, MD, PhD, associate professor of public health; Purnima Madhivanan, PhD, MPH, MBBS, associate professor of public health and BIO5 Institute member;and Xiaoxiao Sun, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics and BIO5 Institute member. The study also involves collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Abt Associates, the University of Utah Health, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, the University of Miami School of Medicine and the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute.
It takes a village to run this study, said Dr. Lutrick, who added that, as a Tucsonan, she is excited to see her home state adding to the national evidence base on COVID-19 vaccination. A lot of people here in Arizona contributed to that data. These are our people. Theyre our neighbors. Its exciting watching our community come together.
To learn more about the study, visit the AZ HEROES website.
Funding is provided in whole or in part by the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (75D30120R68013, 75D30120C08379).
Thousands of sailors in the Navy Reserve have missed the deadline to get the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Navy.
A total of 3,002 Ready Reserve sailors remain unvaccinated as of Dec. 29 a day after the Dec. 28 deadline the service set for sailors in the Reserve to reach full vaccination status.
These sailors join 5,328 active duty sailors who also remain unvaccinated more than a month after the Nov. 28 deadline they faced to reach full vaccination status.
The Navy, which has encouraged all eligible sailors to also receive a COVID-19 booster shot, formed the COVID Consolidated Disposition Authority to manage the separation of sailors refusing the vaccine. Those who deny the jab also face punishment related to education benefits, promotions and bonus pay.
Still, Navy leaders claim they want to retain as many sailors as possible and have said that more than 900 active duty sailors received the COVID-19 vaccine after the Nov. 28 deadline.
Let me be clear up front: We want every sailor to receive the vaccine and stay Navy, Rear Adm. James Waters III, director of military personnel, plans and policy, told reporters this month. And if a sailor gets their shot, we will honor that and make every effort to retain them.
A total of 2,877 active duty sailors have submitted religious accommodation requests permitting them to abstain from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, as have 283 sailors in the Navy Reserve. The service, however, has approved zero religious waivers.
So far, the Navy has signed off on eight permanent medical exemptions, 253 temporary medical exemptions and 94 administrative exemptions for active duty sailors. Likewise, the service has approved nine temporary medical exemptions and 44 administrative exemptions for those in the Navy Reserve.
The Navy wont move to process sailors for separation if they have a pending or approved vaccine exemptions request. However, once a sailors request is denied, that sailors must start the vaccination process within five days to prevent the Navy from initiating the separation process.
At least 17 sailors have died from complications stemming from COVID-19.
The Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas (L), pictured here in Miami, Florida, is one of the 91 ships ... [+] that have had reported cases of Covid-19 and have met the threshold for CDC investigation. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Oh, ship. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a new warning about cruise ships: Avoid cruise travel, regardless of vaccination status. Thats because the Winter Covid-19 surge, brought to you in part by the Omicron variant, has been hitting many parts of the U.S. both on land and sea. And the Covid-19 coronavirus has been hitting boats, boats, boats this month.
Before you say, but Im vaccinated, therefore I can do whatever I want, remember the Covid-19 vaccines arent like full-body concrete condoms. While they can offer you good protection, vaccination does not equal 100% protection. The CDC warns that Even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading Covis-19 variants.
Nevertheless, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the world's largest cruise industry trade association, described the CDC decision as particularly perplexing and disagreed with the decision as the following tweet showed:
Its true that cruise ships arent the only place at risk now for Covid-19 outbreaks. Any type of crowd gathering could be problematic. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) isnt particularly susceptible to pier pressure, so to speak. It can go anywhere where there may be many people in an indoor location.
The new CDC warning shouldnt come as a surprise, though, if youve checked whos on the CDCs ship list: the CDCs Cruise Ship Guidance list. This list consists of cruises that operate in U.S. waters and dont begin with the name Tom. It includes the company operating the cruise ship, the name of the cruise line, the name of the ship, the current voyage type, the ship status when it comes to Covid-19, and any CDC Covid-19-related actions. As of December 30, there are a-boat 90 ships that have had reported Covid-19 cases and have met thethreshold for CDC investigation. Thats a boatload of ships.
The CDC uses a color scheme to indicate what the ship is going on when it comes to Covid-19. Green means that the ship has had no reported Covid-19 cases. Only 16 of the ships on the list are in the green today and 15 of these have been having only crew members and no passengers.
Orange means that there have been some reported Covid-19 cases but not enough to merit a CDC investigation. Three of the ships on the list currently are in the orange with all three being crew-only ships.
Thats left 91 cruise ships in the yellow. A ship is in the yellow if Covid-19 has been reported in at least 0.10% of the passengers or at least one crew member. These thresholds go up to at least 1.5% of passengers or 1.0% of the crew for simulated voyages that are meant as test runs with volunteer passengers and at least 1.0% of the crew for crew-only ships. A cruise line can also meet the CDC investigation threshold when it doesnt get its ship together and fails to submit a daily Enhanced Data Collection (EDC) During COVID-19 Pandemic Form. The EDC Form should include reports of confirmed Covid-19 and any Covid-19-like illnesses. And cruise lines cant use the excuse that the dog ate their form or that they werent aware of the requirement, since the CDC sends weekly email reminders and follow-up emails if the form isnt submitted by 12 noon ET. Dogs typically dont eat emails unless they end up eating your computer.
There is one color worse than yellow on the list. And thats red. A ship would be in the red if it had sustained transmission of Covid-19 or Covid-19-like illness (CLI) or the potential for Covid-19 cases to overwhelm on board medical center resources. That obviously would be a bad situation. Come sail the ocean, where the ships medical center resources may be overwhelmed would not be a good slogan. It certainly would not be as good as I like big boats and I cannot lie. Currently, though, the red seems to be a no ship situation.
Nonetheless, the ships seem to be flowing downhill. Having 91 in the yellow now is more than the 86 that were in the yellow just two days ago:
This is clearly not the best time to go on a cruise as David Lazarus a consumer columnist for the Los Angeles Times and KTLA Channel 5 suggested:
Recall the Covid-19 ship show that occurred early in 2020. According to the CDC, the virus that causes COVID-19 spreads easily between people in close quarters on board ships, and the chance of getting Covid-19 on cruise ships is very high, even if you are fully vaccinated and have received a Covid-19 vaccine booster dose. The indoor areas on cruise ships can be rather cramped and not very well-ventilated. And it can be difficult to stay outdoors throughout a cruise unless your cruise happens to be on a raft. Again while vaccination can offer good protection, it is important to layer on other Covid-19 precautions such as face mask use and social distancing as much as you can.
Testing by no means is a replacement for these other Covid-19 precautions even if you are testing yourself every hour and carrying a striking number of cotton swabs. Testing negative doesnt necessarily rule out being infected since all SARS-CoV-2 tests can have false negatives. Plus, you could always turn infectious sometime after being tested.
The current Winter surge shouldnt have been a surprise to anyone. As Ive warned for Forbes since the Summer, the colder and drier weather, the movement of activities indoors, the Holiday travel and gatherings, and the premature relaxation of Covid-19 precautions have combined to increase transmission of the SARS-CoV-2. The more transmissible Omicron variant has merely been adding fuel to the fire. The U.S. should have done more to anticipate and prepare for this surge. In other words, many people really didnt have their ship together.
Novavax CEO Stanley Erck says the company will file with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before the end of the year.
Jeff Ricchetti, the brother of Biden aide and White House counselor Steve Ricchetti, has been hired to lobby for a Taiwan-based company that developed a COVID-19 vaccine.
Jeff Ricchetti and his Washington-based lobbying firm, Ricchetti Incorporated, were registered to lobby and consult for Medigen Vaccine Biologics, based in Taipei, on Dec. 14, according to a lobbying disclosure report filed last week.
BIDEN ADVISER STEVE RICCHETTI'S LOBBYIST BROTHER COULD RAISE ETHICS CONCERNS, WATCHDOGS SAY
Charles Chen, chief executive officer of Taiwanese vaccine maker Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp. (MVC), poses for photographs with a vaccine sample at its headquarters in Taipei on June 16, 2021. (Photo by SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The specific lobbying issuesJeff Ricchetti will focus on relate to "COVID-19 vaccines accepted for foreign travelers to the United States," according to the disclosure.
Medigens vaccine has only been approved for use in Taiwan and is not listed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an accepted vaccine for those traveling into the United States. Hiring Jeff Ricchetti, Medigens first lobbyist, could signal that the company is trying to get that to change, CNBC reported.
Jeff Ricchetti has seen an influx of new clients since November 2020, when it was first announced his brother would be counselor to the president in the new Biden administration. He began lobbying the White House at the beginning of this years first quarter, with disclosures showing that he was representingpharmaceutical giants Horizon Therapeutics, GlaxoSmithKlineand VaxartInc., according to financial disclosure reports.
Medical staffers from Taiwanese vaccine maker Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp. (MVC) work at a lab in Hsinchu on June 17, 2021. (Photo by SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
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Jeff Ricchetti told CNBC in April that he does not lobby his brother and no longer planned to lobby the White House.
"I do not lobby my brother and I have not even mentioned to him the names of clients that I currently represent," he said at the time. "For the better part of the last 30years I have lobbied members of Congress and their staff, and various individuals who have served in the successive administrations. It is what I do for a living."
