AP -
December 9, 2020
U.K. regulators said Wednesday that people who have a “significant history” of allergic reactions shouldn’t receive the new Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine while they investigate two adverse reactions that occurred on the first day of the country’s mass vaccination program. …“As is common with new vaccines the MHRA have advised on a precautionary basis that people with a significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination after two people with a history of significant allergic reactions responded adversely yesterday,” Powis said in a statement. “Both are recovering well.”
Reuters -
December 9, 2020
President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday laid out his plan to fight the coronavirus pandemic during his first 100 days in office, saying his administration would vaccinate 100 million Americans, push to reopen schools and strengthen mask mandates. Biden, who formally introduced his public health team on Tuesday, also announced he would nominate retired Army General Lloyd Austin as the country’s first Black defense secretary.
ABC News -
December 9, 2020
The restaurant industry has permanently lost more than 110,000 eateries and drinking establishments in the over 200 days since the pandemic first brought operations to a halt. According to a new survey from the National Restaurant Association, as of Dec. 2, 17% of establishments in the industry have either closed permanently or had long-term closures. "What these findings make clear is that more than 500,000 restaurants of every business type -- franchise, chain, and independent -- are in an economic free fall"
Fox News -
December 9, 2020
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned this week to avoid hugging loved ones this holiday season to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. “It’s a horrible thing to think that we would be here as the World Health Organization saying to people, ‘Don’t hug each other.’ It’s terrible,” said Dr. Michael Ryan, WHO’s emergencies chief, during a Monday news conference, according to the Associated Press. “That is the brutal reality in places like the United States right now,” …
Good Morning America -
December 9, 2020
Researchers at Brown University say reducing the spread of aerosol transmissions is feasible by simply rolling down a window. … The study played out scenarios for a compact car with two people in it: a driver and one person sitting in the back row behind the passenger seat. When the heater was on in the vehicle and the windows were up, aerosols were also trapped, circulating between the two.
HealthDay -
December 9, 2020
Researchers conducted an online survey of nearly 2,000 U.S. adults from mid-March to mid-April 2020 … Based on the answers, each participant was categorized as a binge drinker, a non-binge drinker or a non-drinker. About 32% of respondents reported binge drinking during the pandemic … The odds of increased alcohol intake overall for binge drinkers was more than double that of people who did not drink excessively: 60% compared to 28%. This was especially true for those with depression or a history of the disease...
USA Today -
December 9, 2020
Court administrators expect an enormous backlog of cases in 2021 and perhaps beyond. Defendants are left locked up for longer periods in jail, waiting for their cases to be heard. And plaintiffs who have filed civil lawsuits claiming they’ve been harmed by a person or company can’t get them resolved any time soon. Nearly every state suspended in-person jury trials in the early months of the pandemic, starting in March.
PEOPLE -
December 9, 2020
American Airlines has just become the first U.S. air carrier to offer at-home COVID-19 test kits to passengers ahead of domestic flights. Beginning Wednesday, customers set to fly to states with coronavirus-related travel will be able to purchase a LetsGetChecked kit online starting Saturday for $129, according to ABC News. Although testing via the kit is not a requirement for American Airlines travel, those who wish to participate will do the nasal swab at home, send it in for lab analysis and receive their results within two days of the sample arriving at the lab.
Reuters -
December 8, 2020
A 90-year-old grandmother became the world’s first person to receive a fully-tested COVID-19 shot on Tuesday, as Britain began mass-vaccinating its people in a global drive that poses one of the biggest logistical challenges in peacetime history. Health workers started inoculating the most vulnerable with the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, with the country a test case for the world as it contends with distributing a compound that must be stored at -70C (-94F). Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 in a week, was the first to receive the shot, at a hospital in Coventry, central England.
Reuters -
December 8, 2020
The United States lost 15,000 people to COVID-19 last week, the deadliest seven days since April, and health officials warned that the worst is yet to come. The number of new coronavirus cases rose 19% to 1.4 million in the week ended Dec. 6, after falling the previous week as many testing centers were closed for the Thanksgiving holiday, according to a Reuters analysis of state and county reports. Rhode Island and Indiana had the highest number of cases per capita, with more than 700 people diagnosed for every 100,000 residents.
NPR -
December 8, 2020
Dr. Anthony Fauci … said Monday that family gatherings over the holidays should be limited to fewer than 10 people. Fauci made the comment while appearing via video link on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's coronavirus briefing. … "Ten may even be a bit too much," Fauci replied. "It's not only the number, it's the people who might be coming in from out of town. You want to make sure you don't have people who just got off a plane or a train. That's even more risky than the absolute number."
Gallup -
December 8, 2020
Americans' latest assessment of their mental health is worse than it has been at any point in the last two decades. Seventy-six percent of U.S. adults rate their mental health positively, representing a nine-point decline from 2019. … Although the majority of U.S. adults continue to rate their mental health as excellent (34%) or good (42%), and far fewer say it is only fair (18%) or poor (5%), the latest excellent ratings are eight points lower than Gallup has measured in any prior year.
AP -
December 8, 2020
President-elect Joe Biden’s choices for his health care team point to a stronger federal role in the nation’s COVID-19 strategy, restoration of a guiding stress on science and an emphasis on equitable distribution of vaccines and treatments. ... He hopes to return the federal response to a more methodical approach, seeking results by applying scientific knowledge in what he says will be a transparent and disciplined manner.
AP -
December 8, 2020
Food banks are doling out meals at a rapid pace and an AP data analysis found a sharp rise in the amount of food distributed compared with last year. Meanwhile, some folks are skipping meals so their children can eat and others are depending on cheap food that lacks nutrition. Those fighting hunger say they’ve never seen anything like this in America, even during the Great Recession of 2007-2009. The first place many Americans are finding relief is a neighborhood food pantry, most connected to vast networks of nonprofits.
Reuters -
December 8, 2020
The day after Christmas, the extended unemployment benefits that have kept 12 million people and their families afloat are scheduled to expire. Then, mere days after that cliff, on New Year’s Day, a national ban on renter evictions from the CDC is also set to lapse. Overnight, an unprecedented bill of $70 billion in unpaid back rent and utilities will come due, according to estimates by Moody’s Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi. In all, up to 40 million people could be threatened with eviction over the coming months, research from the Aspen Institute says.
AP -
December 8, 2020
New York City reopened classrooms to many of its youngest students Monday in what has become a frustrating, stop-and-start process in many school systems around the U.S. because of the alarming surge in the coronavirus. .. In contrast, school systems in Detroit, Boston, Indianapolis, Philadelphia and suburban Minneapolis in recent weeks abandoned in-person classes or dropped plans to bring students back because of soaring infections. The retreat in some places and the push forward in others are happening as the virus comes back with a vengeance across much of the U.S…