HealthDay -
March 10, 2021
Blumenthal's team documented all allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, among employees at the health system that includes Mass General and Brigham and Women's Hospital, both in Boston. Among more than 52,800 employees surveyed after a first dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, 2% had an allergic reaction, and anaphylaxis occurred at a rate of 2.47 per 10,000 individuals. "To put this in perspective, this is largely comparable to anaphylactic reactions from common antibiotics,”...
AP -
March 10, 2021
As states ramp up vaccination distribution in the fight against the coronavirus, volunteers are needed to do everything from direct traffic to check people in so vaccination sites run smoothly. In return for their work, they’re often given a shot. Many people who don’t yet qualify for a vaccine — including those who are young and healthy — have been volunteering in hopes of getting a dose they otherwise may not receive for months. Large vaccination clinics across the country have seen thousands trying to nab limited numbers of volunteer shifts.
AP -
March 9, 2021
Fully vaccinated Americans can gather with other vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or social distancing, according to long-awaited guidance from federal health officials. The recommendations also say that vaccinated people can come together in the same way — in a single household — with people considered at low-risk for severe disease, such as in the case of vaccinated grandparents visiting healthy children and grandchildren.
Fox News -
March 9, 2021
The U.S. hit a record on Saturday for single-day doses administered at 2.9 million, White House officials overseeing the country’s COVID-19 vaccination effort announced on Monday. Andy Slavitt, the White House COVID-19 response team’s senior adviser, claimed the pace marks the fastest worldwide. … The country is now vaccinating a seven-day average of nearly 2.2 million Americans, up from 900,000 when the Biden administration first took office, Slavitt added.
CNBC -
March 9, 2021
About 78% of people who have been hospitalized, needed a ventilator or died from Covid-19 have been overweight or obese, the CDC said in a new study Monday. Just over 42% of the U.S. population was considered obese in 2018, according to the agency’s most recent statistics. … “As clinicians develop care plans for COVID-19 patients, they should consider the risk for severe outcomes in patients with higher BMIs, especially for those with severe obesity,” the CDC wrote.
CNN -
March 9, 2021
The next two months could determine whether the US will experience another surge in coronavirus cases, according to the director of the CDC. After months of devastation, steep decreases have been reported in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations. More people are getting vaccinated, and the government on Monday released guidance on safe activities for fully vaccinated people. But now infection numbers have plateaued at very high levels -- with the US averaging 60,000 new cases daily in the past week.
AP -
March 9, 2021
Several million people stand to save hundreds of dollars in health insurance costs, or more, under the Democratic coronavirus relief legislation on track to pass Congress. Winners include those covered by “Obamacare” or just now signing up, self-employed people who buy their own insurance and don’t currently get federal help, laid-off workers struggling to retain employer coverage, and most anyone collecting unemployment. Also, potentially many more could benefit if about a dozen states accept a Medicaid deal in the legislation.
Pew Research Center -
March 9, 2021
Among those who say their financial situation has gotten worse during the pandemic, 44% think it will take them three years or more to get back to where they were a year ago – including about one-in-ten who don’t think their finances will ever recover. … Adults with upper incomes have fared better. About four-in-ten (39%) say their family’s financial situation has improved compared with a year ago; 32% of those with middle incomes and just 22% of lower-income adults say the same.
USA Today -
March 9, 2021
Recent studies indicate that adults with Down syndrome, specifically those 40 and older, are three to 10 times as likely to die from COVID-19 than the general population. … advocates said many states still aren’t sufficiently emphasizing the population.
NPR -
March 8, 2021
The Senate approved President Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan Saturday, securing additional aid for American families, workers and businesses. … Individuals earning up to $75,000 and couples earning up to $150,000 would receive the full direct payments of $1,400 per person. But those payments would phase out for individuals and couples who make more than $80,000 and $160,000, respectively. … Federal unemployment benefits would be extended through Sept. 6 at the current rate of $300 per week, and the first $10,200 of those benefits would be tax-free for households that earn $150,000 or less.
Good Morning America -
March 8, 2021
A new study from the CDC found that mask mandates were linked to a decrease in COVID-19 cases and deaths, while allowing dining at restaurants was linked to an increase in both. The findings come as some states, including Texas and Mississippi, have recently made moves to lift their mask mandates and other restrictions, like dining capacity.
Pew Research Center -
March 8, 2021
[A] new Pew Research survey finds public intent to get vaccinated is on the rise. Overall, 19% of adults say they have already received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Another 50% say they definitely or probably plan to get vaccinated. Taken together, 69% of the public intends to get a vaccine – or already has – up significantly from 60% who said they planned to get vaccinated in November.