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COVID-19 News from Around the Web

U.S. Sees Continued Drop in New COVID Cases
HealthDay - February 8, 2021
New coronavirus case counts are now steadily dropping across the United States, as the worst of the latest surge in the pandemic seems to be subsiding. Nationally, that daily average peaked on Jan. 8, with nearly 260,000 new cases, The New York Times reported. But by Feb. 3, that figure was 136,442, a 47 percent drop from that peak.
More contagious coronavirus variant identified in UK is spreading rapidly throughout the US, study says
CNN - February 8, 2021
A new study finds that cases of a more contagious coronavirus variant are rapidly increasing in the United States, and significant community transmission may already be occurring. Although the B.1.1.7 variant first identified in the UK is currently at a relatively low frequency in the United States, the paper says it's doubling every week and a half, similar to what was observed in other countries. The report estimates this variant is 35-45% more transmissible than strains that appeared earlier in the US, and it's doubling about every 10 days in the country.
About 275,000 women left workforce in January in ‘critical’ pandemic trend, experts say
NBC News - February 8, 2021
Even though there is still volatility in the U.S. economy in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the consistent theme is still the outsized impact on women, economic experts said. The January jobs report would seem to continue to bear that out. Some 275,000 women left the workforce last month, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, compared with 71,000 men. … Overall, nearly 2.4 million women have exited the workforce since last February, compared with less than 1.8 million men.
Schools plan for potential of remote learning into the fall
AP - February 8, 2021
Parents of schoolchildren learning from home shouldn’t necessarily count on reclaiming the dining room table any time soon. After seeing two academic years thrown off course by the pandemic, school leaders around the country are planning for the possibility of more distance learning next fall at the start of yet another school year. … President Joe Biden has made reopening schools a top priority, but administrators say there is much to consider as new strains of the coronavirus appear and teachers wait their turn for vaccinations.
J&J asks US regulators to OK its one-shot COVID-19 vaccine
AP - February 5, 2021
Johnson & Johnson asked U.S. regulators Thursday to clear the world’s first single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, an easier-to-use option that could boost scarce supplies. J&J’s vaccine was safe and offered strong protection against moderate to severe COVID-19, according to preliminary results from a massive international study. It didn’t appear quite as strong as two-dose competitors made by Pfizer and Moderna -- a finding that may be more perception than reality, given differences in how each was tested.
US virus deaths surpass 450K; daily toll is stubbornly high
AP - February 5, 2021
Coronavirus deaths in the United States surpassed 450,000 on Thursday, and daily deaths remain stubbornly high at more than 3,000 a day, despite falling infections and the arrival of multiple vaccines. Infectious disease specialists expect deaths to start dropping soon, after new cases hit a peak right around the beginning of the year. New COVID-19 deaths could ebb as early as next week, said the new director of the CDC.
The Pandemic Is in Tenuous Retreat
The Atlantic - February 5, 2021
The good news in COVID-19 data continued this week, as new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths all dropped. For the seven-day period running January 28 to February 3, weekly new cases were down more than 16 percent over the previous week, and dropped below 1 million for the first time since the week of November 5. … The US now has about 91,000 people hospitalized with the coronavirus as of yesterday, down about 40,000 from the country’s peak in early January, but still three times as many as before the fall/winter case surge.
People in the LGBTQ community more vulnerable to Covid-19, CDC warns
CNN - February 5, 2021
The LGBTQ community experiences more health disparities compared to their straight counterparts, in part due to sexual stigma and discrimination. … people who are a part of the LGBTQ community, regardless of race or ethnicity, report higher numbers of health conditions that make people vulnerable to more severe forms of Covid-19 including heart disease, asthma, high blood pressure, cancer, kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, obesity, diabetes and smoking.
Across The South, COVID-19 Vaccine Sites Missing From Black And Hispanic Neighborhoods
NPR - February 5, 2021
NPR identified disparities in the locations of vaccination sites in major cities across the Southern U.S. — with most sites placed in whiter neighborhoods. … The reasons are both unique to each place and common across the region: The health care locations that are logical places to distribute a vaccine tend to be located in the more affluent and whiter parts of town where medical infrastructure already exists. That presents a challenge for public health officials who are relying on what's already in place to mount a quick vaccination campaign.
Americans’ Views of Their Financial Situation Worsen
GALLUP - February 5, 2021
Americans' views of how their personal financial situation has changed have dropped precipitously from this time last year, reflecting the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on these perceptions. After hitting a record high one year ago, the percentage of U.S. adults who say they are now financially better off than they were a year ago has tumbled 24 points to 35%, the lowest reading since 2014. At the same time, 36% say they are worse off and 28% volunteer that their situation is the same.