ABC News -
March 30, 2021
The Biden administration is extending a federal moratorium on evictions of tenants who have fallen behind on rent during the coronavirus pandemic. The CDC on Monday moved to continue the pandemic-related protection, which had been scheduled to expire on Wednesday. The moratorium is now extended through the end of June.
CBS News -
March 30, 2021
Valisure, an independent pharmacy and lab that tests drug products for quality, says it tested 260 products and found elevated levels of benzene in more than 20 of them. Benzene is a known human carcinogen, and exposure to it is known to cause blood disorders, including leukemia. The leading brand of hand sanitizer, Purell, and many others had no detectable levels of benzene.
CBS News -
March 29, 2021
There are renewed concerns that the trajectory of COVID-19 cases in the U.S is moving in the wrong direction. Hospitalization rates are on the increase and the number of cases is climbing in 33 states. Nearly 15% of the total U.S. population, however, is now fully vaccinated, according to the CDC, and almost half of seniors 65 and over are fully vaccinated. A daily record of more than 3.3 million shots was reported on Friday, pushing the total number of doses administered in the United States to more than 136 million.
NPR -
March 29, 2021
Jeff Zients, Biden's COVID-19 czar, said that 46 states and Washington, D.C., have announced plans to expand eligibility to all adults by May 1. Officials at the White House COVID-19 Response Team briefing noted an uptick in confirmed cases and hospitalizations, and urged the public to stay vigilant even as the country's vaccination rollout picks up speed.
STAT -
March 29, 2021
A doctor who helped guide the Trump administration’s pandemic response said that most U.S. deaths from Covid-19 could have been avoided. Deborah Birx, one of six health officials who talked to CNN’s Sanjay Gupta in an interview broadcast last night, said a crucial opportunity to prevent soaring deaths was missed. "I look at it this way. The first time we have an excuse," she said. "There were about a hundred thousand deaths that came from that original surge. All of the rest of them, in my mind, could have been mitigated or decreased substantially."
AP -
March 29, 2021
A joint WHO-China study on the origins of COVID-19 says that transmission of the virus from bats to humans through another animal is the most likely scenario and that a lab leak is “extremely unlikely,” according to a draft copy obtained by The AP. The findings offer little new insight into how the virus first emerged and leave many questions unanswered, though that was as expected. But the report does provide more detail on the reasoning behind the researchers’ conclusions.
STAT -
March 29, 2021
Amazon is now the developer of an authorized Covid-19 test. The company on Thursday received emergency clearance from the Food and Drug Administration for an at-home test known as the Amazon Covid-19 Collection Kit. The nasal swab and PCR-based test, developed by Amazon subsidiary STS Lab Holdco, allows users to test themselves with or without the supervision of a health care professional.
AP -
March 29, 2021
An AP analysis of state data reveals … that child abuse reports, investigations, substantiated allegations and interventions have dropped at a staggering rate, increasing risks for the most vulnerable of families in the U.S. In the AP’s analysis, it found more than 400,000 fewer child welfare concerns reported during the pandemic and 200,000 fewer child abuse and neglect investigations and assessments compared with the same time period of 2019. That represents a national total decrease of 18% in both total reports and investigations.
STAT -
March 26, 2021
Pfizer and BioNTech said Thursday they are beginning a study aimed at showing their Covid-19 vaccine can be used in children as young as 6 months. The study follows the launch of a separate and ongoing trial in children ages 12 to 15, which was fully enrolled in January. That study could lead to results by the end of the first half of the year, depending on the data, and then to an emergency use authorization. That will depend on the FDA and the CDC.
CNN -
March 26, 2021
The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines are effective in pregnant and lactating women, who can pass protective antibodies to newborns, according to research published Thursday in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. … The vaccine-induced antibody levels were equivalent in pregnant and lactating women, compared to non-pregnant women. The antibody levels were "strikingly higher" than those resulting from coronavirus infection during pregnancy, the team noted. … In addition, the team found that women passed protective antibodies to their newborns, measured in breast milk and the placenta
CNN -
March 26, 2021
Parents whose children received virtual instruction or a combination of virtual and in-person instruction were more likely to report increased risk on 11 of 17 indicators of child and parental well-being, according to the new CDC study. …Nearly 25% of parents whose children received virtual instruction or combined instruction reported worsened mental or emotional health in their children, compared to 16% of parents whose children received in-person instruction. They were also more likely to say their children were less physically active, spent less time outside and spent less time with friends.
NPR -
March 26, 2021
President Biden is doubling his original COVID-19 vaccination goal to 200 million shots in arms by his 100th day in office — which is just over a month away. When he entered office, Biden said his goal was 100 million vaccine doses in 100 days — a target many observers thought was not ambitious enough. According to federal health officials, that 100 million figure was hit on Biden's 58th day in office. About 2.5 million vaccine doses are being administered every day in the United States.
TODAY -
March 26, 2021
In addition to arm soreness and a little malaise, some people are reporting an unusual side effect following their COVID-19 vaccinations: an intense metallic taste that can last for days. The experience is "like having nickels in your mouth," said John Howard, 45, of Columbia, South Carolina. The sensation came on within minutes of receiving his first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination this past week. He tried to get rid of it with coffee, then mouthwash. Twenty-four hours later, the metal taste remained.
ABC News -
March 26, 2021
Infections among health care workers who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 are extremely rare, according to a new study. Researchers examined data from employee health records of more than 36,600 health care workers in California and found that less than 1% tested positive for COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated -- meaning both doses plus two weeks for the immunity to build -- with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.
STAT -
March 26, 2021
Experts say the best way to tackle vaccine hesitancy is for people to have conversations with those they trust, whether a doctor, pastor, family member, or friend. So STAT spoke with a number of experts on the frontlines — global vaccine scholars, physicians tackling low vaccination rates in Black communities, and multilingual doctors who are taking matters in their own hands to get out the word — to create this guide on how best to handle these sometimes difficult conversations. Their suggestions may surprise you.
STAT -
March 25, 2021
Rejecting sharp criticism from U.S. government scientists, AstraZeneca said Wednesday night that its Covid-19 vaccine was 76% effective at reducing the risk of symptomatic Covid-19, and 100% effective against severe disease, in a new analysis of its large U.S.-based clinical trial. Those estimates were just a few percentage points lower than much more sparse results the company released Monday from an earlier analysis of the study, despite dramatic statements from government scientists that AstraZeneca’s initial release may have used “outdated information” that could have been overly favorable.