The New York Times -
May 20, 2021
After receiving a first dose, 4.5 percent of [nursing home] residents still contracted the virus, although most cases were asymptomatic, researchers wrote. Of those receiving the second dose, only 0.3 percent got the virus after 14 days. The benefit carried over to those in the same nursing homes who did not get vaccinated. Their rate of infection dropped to 0.3 percent from 4.3 percent. For all groups, most infections were asymptomatic; and the rate of both symptomatic and asymptomatic infections decreased over time.
CNBC -
May 20, 2021
CDC officials told lawmakers Wednesday that the agency expects data on vaccines in pregnant women this summer. Principal Deputy Director Dr. Anne Schuchat said pregnant women should have access to the vaccines because they can get sicker from Covid than other people. Covid can complicate pregnancies by leading to more time spent in the ICU and more risk of severe outcomes, including rare deaths.
NPR -
May 20, 2021
The FDA says it's now OK to store the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at normal refrigerator temperatures for up to a month. This is much longer than was previously allowed under the FDA's emergency authorization and will make storage and distribution of the vaccine easier. The FDA says the change should make the vaccine more widely available by making it easier for doctors' offices to receive, store and administer the vaccine.
CNBC -
May 20, 2021
“All 50 states have now shown decreases in the number of infections,” Fauci said in an interview with Axios, suggesting that the widespread declines will make it safer for Americans to resume activities such as indoor dining at restaurants. The U.S. is reporting an average of about 31,200 new cases per day over the past week, data compiled by Johns Hopkins University shows, down 18% from a week ago.
USA Today -
May 20, 2021
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford … During the nine-month period, 117 patients under the age of 18 either tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 at the hospital or were hospitalized for [MIS-C]. Out of the 117 children, nearly 40% of COVID-19 cases were asymptomatic, according to the study published Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal Hospital Pediatrics. About 45% of those hospital admissions were categorized as unlikely to be caused by the virus.
CBS News -
May 20, 2021
Kroger is joining Home Depot and other large retailers in dropping mask requirements for fully vaccinated customers and employees in some stores following new guidance from the CDC. Kroger, the largest U.S. supermarket chain, on Wednesday said fully vaccinated customers and most fully vaccinated employees will no longer be required to wear masks, unless a state or local ordinance requires otherwise, starting Thursday.
Yahoo! Finance -
May 20, 2021
Workers filing for new unemployment benefits fell to a new pandemic-era low in the latest week, as the labor market continued to heal from the worst days of the COVID-19 outbreak. Since the beginning of the year, weekly jobless claims have tumbled by nearly half, and have fallen precipitously from their pandemic-era high of more than 6 million last year.
CNN -
May 19, 2021
People who live in rural areas have an increased risk of hospitalization and death from Covid-19, yet as of April, the vaccination rate in rural areas lagged behind cities -- and that could hinder the end of the pandemic, according to a new report from the CDC. As of Monday, about 60% of people 18 and older have had at least one Covid-19 vaccine … Through April 10 of this year, vaccination coverage was nearly 39% in rural counties, compared to more than 46% in urban counties, according to the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published Tuesday.
NBC News -
May 19, 2021
At least 600,000 children, ages 12 to 15, have received their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccination, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC said during a media briefing Tuesday. The count comes just over a week after the FDA greenlighted it for emergency use in this age group, a total of 17 million in the U.S. — though many major pharmacies and hospitals did not start administering the shots until last Thursday, after the CDC also signed off on it.
NBC News -
May 19, 2021
As Memorial Day approaches, Americans face a summer that will be unusual busy, with pent-up demand for travel bookings fueled by the subsiding of Covid-19 infection rates, the rise of vaccination rates and the reopening of attractions, resorts and other tourist destinations. AAA predicts that 34 million Americans will take road trips 50 miles or more from home during the Memorial Day holiday, May 27-31. That is a 52 percent increase compared to last summer — although still about 9 percent below the pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
Washington Post -
May 19, 2021
Soon after federal health officials announced new guidance telling fully vaccinated people they can go without masks in many places, the nation’s largest registered nurses union issued a critical retort: The pandemic is not over. National Nurses United, which has more than 170,000 members, is calling on the CDC to revoke its recommendations, saying they put front-line workers, including nurses, at risk, even though they don’t apply to most health-care settings.
HealthDay -
May 19, 2021
People suffering from severe obstructive sleep apnea are at a greater risk of catching COVID-19, a new study finds. But researchers at Kaiser Permanente Southern California also found that the longer patients used a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask while sleeping, the more their COVID-19 risk dropped.
The New York Times -
May 19, 2021
New York will lift many capacity restrictions on businesses starting Wednesday, in response to the easing of the coronavirus pandemic in the region and rising vaccination rates. It is a moment state officials have billed as a major return to normalcy. Most businesses — restaurants, stores, salons and gyms — will be able to return to 100 percent capacity, but only if they can still maintain six feet of distance between individuals or groups. The same is true for houses of worship.
AP -
May 19, 2021
India on Wednesday reported more coronavirus deaths in a single day than any other country at any time during the pandemic, while infections continued to spread through vast rural areas with weak health systems. The Health Ministry reported a record 4,529 deaths in the past 24 hours, driving India’s confirmed fatalities to 283,248. It also reported 267,334 new infections, as daily cases remained below 300,000 for the third consecutive day. The numbers are almost certainly undercounts.
Reuters -
May 19, 2021
A top medical organisation has thrown its weight behind calls to cancel the Tokyo Olympics saying hospitals are already overwhelmed as the country battles a spike in coronavirus infections less than three months from the start of the Games. ... A jump in infections has stoked alarm amid a shortage of medical staff and hospital beds in some areas of the Japanese capital, promoting the government to extend a third state of emergency in Tokyo and several other prefectures until May 31.
AP -
May 18, 2021
President Joe Biden said Monday that the U.S. will share an additional 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines with the world in the coming six weeks as domestic demand for shots drops and global disparities in distribution have grown more evident. The doses will come from existing production of Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine stocks, marking the first time that U.S.-controlled doses of vaccines authorized for use in the country will be shared overseas.