Category: Corona Virus Vaccine

COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy not linked to preterm birth | Image Credit: Leigh Prather - Leigh Prather - stock.adobe.com.

There is not a significant association between COVID-19 vaccination and preterm birth, according to a recent study published in Vaccines.

Pregnant women have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as physiological changes during pregnancy often impact immune responses. Compared to non-pregnant women, pregnant women have a significantly increased risk of severe illness and adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth.

COVID-19 infection has been associated with a 50% increased risk of preterm birth. COVID-19 vaccination during postpartum has also been greatly evaluated, with data indicating the vaccine does not increase the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. As the vaccine reduces COVID-19 infection risk, it may decrease preterm birth incidence.

To determine the association between COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and preterm birth, investigators conducted a systematic review. The PubMed, Embase, and Scopus articles were evaluated for literature published up to 2023.

Search terms related to COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccination, vaccination during pregnancy, maternal health, neonatal outcomes, and preterm birth were used as keywords. Eligibility criteria included being published in English and assessing the association between COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and preterm birth.

Studies evaluating this association included pregnant patients vaccinated against COVID-19, measured preterm birth-related outcomes, had clear methodology for evaluating vaccination status and timing, had a detailed explanation on preterm birth assessment, and were a clinical trial, cohort study, case-control study, or case series. Births occurring before 37 weeks gestation were considered preterm.

Articles were screened based on abstracts, then underwent full-text review by 2 independent reviewers with a third consulted to settle disagreements. Data extraction was performed by 2 researchers and included study design, participant demographics, vaccine type and dosing, vaccination timing, and outcomes related to post-COVID syndrome.

There were 6 studies published between 2021 and 2022 included in the final analysis. Of studies, 3 were prospective cohort designs and 3 retrospective cohort designs. The studies included 35,612 participants, 227 of whom were vaccinated and 608 unvaccinated.

A range of comorbidities was reported across studies. In one study, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were reported in 1.1% of participants and gestational diabetes in 9.6%. One study reported obesity in 19.6% of vaccinated patients and 22.4% of unvaccinated patients. Higher rates of previous miscarriage and cesarean delivery were reported in vaccinated women.

The average reported birth weights were 3149 g among infants born to vaccinated mothers and 3207 g among infants born to unvaccinated mothers. Five-minute APGAR scores below 7 were seen in 6.3% and 6.6% of newborns, respectively.

In one study, 96% of infants born to vaccinated mothers were born at 37 weeks of gestation or greater. Vaccination had an odds ratio (OR) of 2.87 for adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Various results were found for preterm birth risk following vaccination, with ORs of 0.59, 1.01, and 1.49 reported. These indicated reduced, neutral, and increased risk, respectively. However, the increased risk was only found for second-trimester vaccination in the single study. Overall, the pooled OR for preterm birth after vaccination was 1.03, indicating a marginal risk.

These results indicated COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy is not significantly associated with increased preterm birth risk. Investigators concluded this data should inform public health policy and reassure providers and expectant mothers.

Reference

Uta M, Craina M, Marc F, Enatescu I. Assessing the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on preterm birth: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Vaccines. 2024;12(1):102. doi:10.3390/vaccines12010102

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COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy not linked to preterm birth - Contemporary Obgyn

This article represents the opinion of the Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board.

COVID-19 still poses a risk, especially to Floridas large senior population. So why ask for trouble by avoiding the vaccine? Getting the updated dose is quick and easy. Nursing homes in particular need to take the lead as deaths and infections from the virus continue to rise.

Mask mandates and other pandemic-era restrictions are long gone. But COVID-19 continues to spread across the region and Florida. While hospitalizations have not spiked to previous waves, the number of people admitted to Florida hospitals has increased. Statewide, more than 2,000 people with COVID-19 were admitted to hospitals during the week ending Jan. 13, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 16-hospital BayCare Health System was treating about 150 virus patients in mid-January, officials reported a spike of more than 300% from early December. While those totals dont come close to earlier peaks, they represent real lives and real health care crises. They also reflect how people can better protect themselves by keeping updated on vaccines.

Federal health officials recommended new Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines in mid-September to better target virus variants. But roughly 85% of Florida adults are behind on their shots, according to the most recent federal estimates. While Floridas nursing home residents are among the most vulnerable to COVID-19, as of Jan. 21 only 27% had gotten new vaccines tailored to combat virus variants. That figure has not only dropped in recent weeks, but its far below the share of nursing home residents nationwide (38%) that have received the updated shot. The same also holds true for nursing home staff; only 6% of nursing home workers in Florida have received the update, a figure that has dropped since the new vaccines became available, even as a greater share of nursing home workers nationwide have updated their shots.

These are worrisome trendlines. Fewer people getting inoculated means the virus has more opportunities to spread and cause severe illness. Nursing homes in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties have seen at least five COVID-19 deaths and over 700 cases among residents since federal health authorities recommended the latest shot, according to a recent Tampa Bay Times analysis. Florida has the fifth-lowest percentage of nursing home residents up to date with COVID shots in the U.S., according to federal data through the week ending Jan. 14.

It hasnt helped that Gov. Ron DeSantis and his hand-picked state surgeon general have downplayed vaccines. But its been four years since the outbreak, and nobody at this stage should be waiting for responsible COVID leadership from Tallahassee. Floridians need to resist the politicization of COVID and pandemic fatigue, and realize the risks of infection are hardly rare or benign.

Nursing homes and senior communities especially need to be proactive in ensuring residents have ready, accurate information about the vaccines and access to updated shots. Residents in these communities typically congregate daily in communal dining and recreation halls, indoor settings that only heighten the risks of infection when inoculations are so lagging. Staff members at nursing homes also often hold down several jobs, opening the door to more viral contacts that employees could bring to these senior settings.

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Every death or illness is consequential. Floridians have the means to better protect themselves and a real self-interest in curbing more infections.

Editorials are the institutional voice of the Tampa Bay Times. The members of the Editorial Board are Editor of Editorials Graham Brink, Sherri Day, Sebastian Dortch, John Hill, Jim Verhulst and Chairman and CEO Conan Gallaty. Follow @TBTimes_Opinion on Twitter for more opinion news.

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COVID's still here. So is the vaccine. | Editorial - Tampa Bay Times

Thousands of frontline workers may have survived the COVID-19 pandemic if the US regulatory system had better protected them, report the authors of an analysis published yesterday in BMJ.

The study is the first in a series that discusses the lessons learned from COVID-19 and the steps needed to avert deaths in the next pandemic and improve public health.

Frontline workers are those who couldn't work from home and thus were at higher risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Black and Hispanic workers and immigrants make up high proportions of "essential" workers, or those in healthcare, meatpacking plants, agricultural production, and public transportation.

"Federal policies on workplace exposure were developed to protect the supply chain of food or other vital products, or to prevent staff shortages at healthcare facilities, rather than to protect frontline workers from virus exposure," wrote the George Washington Universityled study authors. "Some employers, with the support (and encouragement) of elected officials, put production and profits ahead of worker safety and health."

The study authors said social, legal, and economic provisions for low-wage workers were weak even before the pandemic, noting that the United States is one of only six countries without a national paid sick-leave policy and the only country in the 37-nation Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development without a national health insurance program.

Some employers, with the support (and encouragement) of elected officials, put production and profits ahead of worker safety and health.

Frontline workers "were more likely to have precarious work arrangements with unpredictable scheduling and less control over the conditions of work," they wrote. "This lack of underlying protections created a perfect storm for vulnerable workers that was only partially mitigated by emergency measures during the early stages of the pandemic."

Governmental social and economic protections during the pandemic (eg, stimulus checks, expansion of the federal child tax credit) gave workers some financial relief and better access to health insurance and to COVID-19 testing and care, averting some infections, hospitalizations, and deaths, the authors said.

But the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) continued to have limited authority. "On a national level, OSHA has only enough inspectors to visit every workplace once every 190 years," they wrote. "So many of the agency's standards are insufficiently protective that it has taken the unusual step of recommending that employers adhere to standards developed by other agencies and organisations."

In addition, guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) promulgated the disproven idea that SARS-CoV-2 was primarily transmitted through droplets and didn't incorporate traditional OSHA strategies for controlling airborne exposures (eg, ventilation, air cleaning).

"It is now clear that the CDC (as well as the World Health Organization) erred in clinging to the droplet dogma," the study authors wrote. "CDC's insistence that the virus could be controlled by limiting exposure to droplets through surgical masks, distancing, and handwashing contributed to OSHA's inability to promote optimal control measures."

Workers also had very limited access to personal protective equipment (PPE) early in the pandemic and faced reprisal for complaining about the lack of protections. When OSHA received thousands of worker complaints, it responded to only a tiny proportion of them and levied small fines that the authors said likely had little deterrent effect.

CDC's insistence that the virus could be controlled by limiting exposure to droplets through surgical masks, distancing, and handwashing contributed to OSHA's inability to promote optimal control measures.

"And at least one other opportunity was completely lost," they wrote. "The US president has the authority under the Defense Production Act to order the expansion of production from the US industrial base. During the pandemic President Trump invoked this power only once, in April 2020, in an attempt to order the meatpacking plants to continue to operate. The act couldand shouldhave been used instead to deal with the shortage of PPE early in the pandemic."

The researchers recommend a multipronged action plan to address future pandemic threats, starting with OSHA issuing two new standards on preventing workplace exposure to airborne pathogens and requiring employers to develop and implement plans to protect workers through the provision of PPE, vaccines, and other protective interventions. OSHA should also require employers covered by the airborne standard to provide paid medical leave, they said.

Other recommendations include:

"The consequences of these failures were appalling and led to tens of thousands of deaths in frontline workers," lead author David Michaels, PhD, MPH, professor at the George Washington University School of Public Health and former OSHA administrator, said in a university news release. "The risk of exposure was exacerbated by race- and labor-related economic inequality, resulting in disproportionally more of the nations Black and Hispanic workers being killed or sickened by the virus."

In a related editorial, Gavin Yamey, MD, MPH, of Duke University, and colleagues said that the United States, despite its scientific resources and decades of pandemic-preparedness exercises, struggled to produce scientific evidence on viral transmission and coordinated policies to mitigate spread.

"Poor communication of existing evidence also contributed to confusion and delayed or inappropriate actions, contributing to the partisan difference in how quickly US states instituted public health protections and in excess death rates during the pandemic,especially after vaccines became available," they wrote.

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US government failure to protect frontline workers from COVID led to thousands of deaths, scientists say - University of Minnesota Twin Cities

CHICAGO Public health leaders are urging Chicagoans to stay current with their COVID-19 vaccine, especially Black and Latino neighbors.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends anyone 6 months or older receive the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 booster, which was made available in September and more closely targets the Omicron variant, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

The updated vaccine is also intended to restore protection against severe COVID-19 cases, according to the states health department.

But according to data from the Chicago Department of Public Health, less than 14 percent of the city is up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines, and Black and Latino Chicagoans are less likely to have received the updated shot compared to their white neighbors.

About 20 percent of white Chicagoans are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines, compared to 8 percent and 8.3 percent of Latino and Black neighbors, respectively.

The West, Southwest and South sides which are Black- and Latino-majority neighborhoods have the lowest updated vaccine rates, data shows.

On the Southwest Side, about 7 percent of all neighbors have received the updated vaccine, while 9 percent of people on the Near South and Far South sides have gotten theirs.

This trend follows what was seen when the first COVID-19 vaccines rolled out in 2021.

Fewer Black and Latino Chicagoans were getting the initial doses of the COVID-19 vaccines compared to white neighbors, Block Club reported at the time. These were the demographics of people most affected by COVID-19 deaths and cases.

Structural barriers like lack of access to health care and low trust in health providers and public officials played a part back then and are still affecting peoples willingness to get vaccinated, said Dr. Geraldine Luna, medical director with the city health department.

If youre not provided with the information in the right language or cultural concordance, you cant make much out of that information, it doesnt make sense to you, she said. For decision making, this is so important.

Luna said the city has recently doubled down on partnering with community-based organizations to tell neighbors to get vaccinated through means they trust and can understand because we arent out of the woods.

The city saw an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the fall, with a peak in December, but both have been decreasing since, Luna said.

Its been downtrending with less cases reported. We dont see the hotspots that we were seeing by community. So, those are very, very good news, she said. But remember that for anyone 65 years old and over, or anyone with immune-compromised conditions, COVID-19 is still very real. There is no good reason not to get your free vaccine today.

Anyone can get a free COVID-19 vaccine through the city, regardless of immigration or insurance status, Luna said. People can call the citys hotline at 312-746-4835 to get their questions answered about the vaccine and how to get it.

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Only 14% Of Chicagoans Have Updated COVID Vaccines And Black And Latino Neighbors Lag - Block Club Chicago

Danish seniors who received the quadrivalent (four-strain) high-dose influenza vaccine (QIV-HD) had fewer hospitalizations for flu and other conditions compared to their peers who received the standard quadrivalent flu vaccine (QIV-SD), according to a post-hoc analysis published late last week in Clinical Microbiology and Infection.

The trial took place during the Northern Hemisphere's 2021-22 flu season. Researchers enrolled 12,477 participants, 6,245 who received QIV-HD and 6,232 who got the QIV-SD. Overall mean age was 71.1, and 47.1% were women. Just over 20% had underlying cardiovascular disease.

The researchers looked at a number of outcomes when comparing the two groups, beginning 14 days after vaccination until May 2022. Hospitalizations for pneumonia or influenza, respiratory hospitalizations, cardiorespiratory hospitalizations, cardiovascular hospitalizations, all-cause hospitalizations, and all-cause death.

The investigators found that receiving QIV-HD was associated with lower rates of hospitalization for flu and pneumonia10 events in the QIV-HD group compared with 33 in the QIV-SD group. Incidence rate ratio (IRR) was 0.30 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.14 to 0.64), meaning 60% greater protection.

Trends favoring QIV-HD were observed over time, even before the flu season was under way. The team found the first statistically significant reductions in flu and pneumonia hospitalizations by the third calendar week of 2022. There were 5 such events in the QIV-HD group versus 15 in the QIV-SD group. IRR was 0.33 (95% CI, 0.11 to 0.94).

The researchers concluded that the impact on less specific outcomes outside of influenza circulation periods supports earlier findings, including from similar trivalent (three-strain) flu vaccines, that suggest broader effects from flu vaccination.

"Our exploratory results correspond to a number needed to treat of 65 (95% CI 35-840) persons vaccinated with QIV-HD compared with QIV-SD to prevent one additional all-cause hospitalisation per season," the authors wrote. "Further research is needed to confirm these hypothesis-generating findings."

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Study: Cognitive slowing is associated with long COVID - University of Minnesota Twin Cities

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Appleton got $14.9M in ARPA COVID-19 aid. Here's how it was spent - Post-Crescent

The Role of Vaccination in Preventing Long COVID

Vaccination serves as a powerful tool in our ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Providing a shield against the virus, vaccines have proven effective in reducing the risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death. But, their benefits extend beyond immediate protection. Recent studies suggest that COVID-19 vaccination can also mitigate the risk of long-term health issues often referred to as long COVID.

A large retrospective study led by researchers at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia has found that COVID-19 vaccination offers moderate protection against the development of long COVID in children and adolescents. A review of electronic health records from 17 health systems in the U.S. revealed that the vaccination had an estimated effectiveness of 50.3% against probable long COVID among adolescents. Additionally, children who had recovered from COVID-19 and later got vaccinated appeared to benefit, with vaccine effectiveness against long COVID reported at 46% after a subsequent COVID-19 episode. (source)

Long COVID, characterized by a range of symptoms persisting for months or even years post-infection, has been experienced by nearly one in five U.S. adults who contracted COVID-19. Symptoms can be mild to debilitating, including fatigue, chest pain, brain fog, dizziness, abdominal pain, joint pain, and changes in taste or smell. Certain demographics, such as women, people of color, those with lower incomes, and people with disabilities, are more likely to develop long COVID. However, research indicates that staying up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines dramatically reduces the risk of developing these long-term symptoms. (source)

Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 has been associated with reduced risk of long COVID for at least 12 months in children and adolescents. This emphasizes the crucial role of vaccines in protecting not just against immediate infection, but also against potential long-term health complications. (source)

The duration of post-COVID immunity varies based on factors such as the severity of the initial infection and the emergence of new variants. While protective antibodies can last for several months, booster shots may be necessary to maintain immunity. In the early stages of infection, antigen tests may not provide accurate results, emphasizing the importance of isolation and mask-wearing until the infection is ruled out. (source)

In conclusion, vaccination plays a crucial role in preventing both immediate and long-term effects of COVID-19. Staying updated on the latest information about COVID-19 and its vaccines is essential for making informed decisions about your health and the health of your loved ones.

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The Role of Vaccination in Preventing Long COVID - Medriva

Mass. (WWLP) It has been four years since the COVID-19 pandemic began and new variants continue to emerge. For some, it may seem like an endless cycle. 22News spoke with an Infectious Disease specialist about what people need to know about the latest variant.

This virus is always changing, which can make controlling it more difficult. 22News learned whether the latest vaccines can protect you from it.

Dr. Armando Paez, the Chief of the Division of Infectious Disease at Baystate Health said, Its very important that people know that COVID-19 is still around, especially during the winter time. In addition to that, flu and RSV are circulating.

Respiratory illnesses do not appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. A new COVID variant continues to sweep the country. The dominant variant, JN.1 caused an uptick in hospitalizations and deaths. Infectious Disease specialists say the vaccine is still the best line of defense.

Dr. Paez added, Its still in the family of the omicron and that means the current vaccination recommended against COVID-19 is still effective in preventing a serious course of illness.

When it comes to the severity of respiratory illnesses here in Massachusetts, the latest state data show that influenza is currently at a moderate level and COVID-19 at a low level. When it comes to getting vaccines into arms to keep up with variants the progress is lower compared to last year. Thats raising concern for top health officials.

Just last month the CDC issued a health advisory alerting healthcare providers about low vaccination rates against influenza, COVID-19, and RSV.

CDC data show that only 2 in 5 people have received their flu vaccine so far this season and about 1 in 6 getting the latest vaccine to fight COVID. In Massachusetts, about 19% of residents are vaccinated against COVID-19 and about 38% are vaccinated against influenza. Older adults and people with certain underlying medical conditions are the most at risk for severe diseases.

Dr. Paez told 22News, Immunity doesnt last very long therefore one can get re-infected, even with the same variant. Depending on how and when the individual got vaccinated.

Paez urges people to be mindful if they are feeling ill and to continue to take the same measures to stop the spread such as washing their hands and wearing a mask.

According to the CDC one of the key reasons behind the lower vaccination rates include concerns or issues about unknown or serious side effects. Health experts say there are little to no side effects.

Kristina DAmours is a reporter who is a part of the evening 22News team. FollowKristina on X@KristinaD_WWLPand view herbioto see more of her work.

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New variants of COVID-19 continue to emerge - WWLP.com

The Brazilian Comptroller General's office (CGU) said on Thursday thatthe COVID-19 vaccination records of former President Jair Bolsonaro were forged.

Health records state that Bolsonaro, a COVID-19 skeptic who opposed the vaccine in public, received a shot of the vaccine at a public healthcare center in Sao Paulo in July 2021.

However, the CGU investigation revealed several inconsistencies in the entry, which allowed the president to dodge travel and other restrictions.

A statement from the CGU concluded that the former president had left the city the previous day and was in the capital, Brasilia, until three days after the stated entry.

A nurse who was listed in the records as having administered the vaccine denied doing so and did not work in the department that gave immunizations.

The listed batch of the Janssen vaccine was only used for clinical research and was not in stock at the health center, the CGU said.

"Regarding the vaccination that allegedly took place in Sao Paulo the only record that still remains on [Bolsonaro's] vaccination card," the regulatory body said."The conclusion was that it was fraud in the state system for registering vaccinations against COVID-19."

Despite this, the CGU said the case should be closed "for lack of sufficient evidence" to find those responsible.

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It said that many civil servants would have been able to enter the false data after accessing the computer system.

While he was president from 2019 to 2022, the far-right leader was a consistent critic of COVID-19 vaccines and insisted that he had no intention of being immunized.

The CGU's finding comes after federal police last year said they had uncovered a scheme in which a top Bolsonaro aide allegedly used a network of health system and government contacts to get hold of fake vaccination certificates for Bolsonaro and others.

Police said there was evidence Bolsonaro was "fully aware" of the fraudulent entries in the electronic vaccination records system.

The fake entries were allegedly used to allow Bolsonaro's anti-vaccine inner circle to skirt international travel requirements and other restrictions.

Until now, the pandemic has claimed more than 700,000 lives in Brazil.

rc/ab (AFP, Reuters)

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Brazil: Probe shows Bolsonaro faked his COVID vaccine record - DW (English)

A COVID-19 test is collected. Credit: Emily Beightol-Deyerle/West Virginia Air National Guard. CC BY 2.0.

In outbreak response, speed is critical as authorities seek to quickly determine the cause of a disease and prevent it from spreading. A new report is now raising fresh questions about Chinas early response to COVID-19. The Wall Street Journal revealed Wednesday that a researcher in Beijing attempted to upload the genetic sequence SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, to a US-based public database about two weeks before the Chinese government publicized the pathogens sequence, a lag that potentially robbed scientists and health officials of valuable time.

On December 28, 2019, days before the Chinese government even alerted the World Health Organization to a mysterious cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, Lili Ren, a researcher with the Institute of Pathogen Biology in Beijing, tried to upload the COVID viruss sequence to GenBank, a public database maintained by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). She never responded to technical questions from the database administrators, which ultimately prevented the full publication of her data. US House of Representatives investigators turned up the new data after seeking records from NIH about the pandemics early days.

When the SARS-COV-2 sequence was finally published in Jan. 10, scientific efforts to develop countermeasures quickly kicked into high gear. According to the new information from House investigators, that happened two weeks after Rens abortive attemptalthough one Chinese scientist has said previously that the US government knew the virus sequence on Jan. 5. With the sequence in hand, scientists were able to design an mRNA vaccine against COVID within days. After months of clinical trials, the US vaccination campaign began in mid-December 2020.

While the COVID response represented a record for vaccine development, a process that usually takes years, the Journal report raises the question of whether some public health efforts could have begun up to two weeks sooner. With COVID killing thousands of people a day in the United States alone in the early days of the campaign, a delay of weeks might have been significant.

The GenBank database submission shows that Chinese scientists knew at least by Dec. 28 that the pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan was being caused by a new coronavirus, Jesse Bloom, an expert in viral evolution at the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, told the Journal.

It underscores how cautious we have to be about the accuracy of the information that the Chinese government has released, Bloom told the newspaper. Its important to keep in mind how little we know.

Melanie Anne Egorin, the assistant secretary for legislation at the Health and Human Services Department, told House investigators last month that NIH staff, after notifying Ren of errors in her submission, never received an updated re-submission. The GenBank system then sent an automated email to Ren notifying her that her submission had been deleted from the processing queue. Egorin told Congress that a virus sequence from another submitter was received and published on Jan. 12, 2020, according to a letter released by House Republicans. House investigators faulted NIHs processes as insufficient as the agency apparently had no idea that it had an early COVID sequence.

The date of the first SARS-CoV-2 sequence publication is a matter of some dispute. While many credit Yong-zhen Zhang, a researcher at Fudan University in Shanghai, and his colleagues for posting the sequence first on Virological, a virology blog, on the evening of Jan. 10, 2020 in the United States, the pathogen sequence database GISAID claims it was actually the first to publish the sequence on the evening of January 9, US time. GISAID claims it published two sequences attributed to the Chinese Center for Disease Control that day. A 2023 Science investigation could not find corroborating evidence for GISAIDs assertion, however, and cited scientists and public records as suggesting that the Zhang team was the first to publish a sequence.

But Zhang has also alleged that the US government knew about the sequences before the Virological post. He told Time magazine in 2020 that he submitted the sequence to the US National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), the division of NIH which runs GenBank, on Jan. 5. When we posted the genome on Jan. 5, the United States certainly knew about this virus, he told the magazine. The Health and Human Services Department has not yet responded to a request for clarification on the timing of Zhangs submission and whether the US government could have moved faster to publicize the sequence data. The Science investigation also supported Zhangs assertion that he submitted the data on Jan. 5, saying that he did so without making it immediately public.

Republicans in the House have been leading multiple investigations into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically analyzing whether the virus spilled over from animals in a Wuhan wildlife market or emerged after an accident at a research laboratory. While news of Rens submission does not settle this question, it is sure to energize critics of Chinas transparency. This significant discovery further underscores why we cannot trust any of the so-called facts or data provided by the [Chinese Communist Party], House Republicans said in a statement.

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Did China keep the COVID virus sequence secret for weeks? - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists