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January 28, 2021 - Brief Issue 144

The Coronavirus Daily Brief is a daily news and analysis roundup edited by New America’s International Security Program and Arizona State University.

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Top Headlines

WHO Recommends Against Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines During Pregnancy (Health & Science)

Biden Administration Takes Steps to Expand Pool of Covid-19 Vaccinators (Health & Science)

White House Advisers Predict 90,000 U.S. Covid-19 Deaths Over Coming Month (Health & Science)

Covid-19 Deaths Remain High, But New Cases Drop in U.S. (Health & Science)

New Zealand, Vietnam and Taiwan Top Charts For Coronavirus Containment (Around the World)

EU, AstraZeneca Clash Over Vaccine Prioritization (Around the World)

Vietnam Braces for its First Major Coronavirus Outbreak Amid 83 New Cases (Around the World)

Taliban Backs Afghan Vaccine Drive (Around the World)

Covid-19 Has Become the Second-Largest Cause of Death in Mexico (Around the World)

House Opens Investigation of Pandemic-Related Ventilator Purchases (U.S. Government & Politics)

Boeing Reports Record Annual Loss in 2020 (U.S. Economy)

Federal Reserve Likely to Keep Interest Rates Near Zero (U.S. Economy)

Many D.C. Nursing Home Workers Declining Vaccination (U.S. Society)

Health & Science

There have been 25,599,961 coronavirus cases in the United States, and 429,178 people have died (Johns Hopkins). The United States has conducted 296,970,597 tests and distributed 47,230,950 vaccine doses, with 20,687,970 people initiating vaccination (U.S. CDC). Worldwide, there have been 100,977,927 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 2,177,418 deaths. At least 55,857,465 people have recovered from the virus.

WHO Recommends Against Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines During Pregnancy

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new guidance this week recommended that, in general, those who are pregnant should not receive the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine (WSJ). The recommendation echoes one issued earlier this month recommending against the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in pregnancy. The WHO clarified that while no developmental or toxicological studies in animals have shown harmful effects, there is not enough data to assess the vaccine’s effectiveness or risk in pregnancy. Pregnant and breastfeeding individuals were excluded from both clinical trials. However, the WHO recommends that those who are lactating be offered the vaccines, saying that the risk to breastfeeding infants is minimal. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says pregnant people may elect to receive the vaccines if they wish. The WHO does recommend vaccination for pregnant individuals at high risk of severe Covid-19 complications, and the organization does not recommend pregnancy tests prior to vaccination or delaying pregnancy after vaccination.

Biden Administration Takes Steps to Expand Pool of Covid-19 Vaccinators

On Wednesday, President Biden’s coronavirus coordinator Jeffrey Zients outlined plans to increase the number of medical professionals eligible to deliver Covid-19 vaccines (WSJ). Mr. Zients said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will amend the Public Readiness and Preparedness (PREP) Act to allow retired doctors and nurses to administer vaccines and to allow licensed doctors and nurses to vaccinate across state lines. The decision is part of a plan to accelerate administration of Covid-19 vaccines, a top priority of the Biden administration. The administration aims to vaccinate most of the U.S. population by the end of the summer.

White House Advisers Predict 90,000 U.S. Covid-19 Deaths Over Coming Month

In the first of a series of regular health briefings to the American public, the White House projected Wednesday that as many as 90,000 more people will die from Covid-19 in the U.S. over the next four weeks (AP). The pandemic has already killed more than 425,000 people in America.

“I know this is not news we all want to hear, but this is something we must say so we are all aware,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “If we are united in action we can turn things around.” The new health briefings are designed to rebuild trust in government and bring clarity to the status of the pandemic. The briefings are set for three times a week and will feature voices from top health officials and experts.

Covid-19 Deaths Remain High, But New Cases Drop in U.S.

Although Covid-19 deaths in the U.S. are near record highs, new Covid-19 cases have decreased 33 percent over the last two weeks (NYT). Experts say the downturn in cases is a good sign that deaths, too, will begin to turn back down. Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, explained that “deaths are lagged by at least three weeks.” On a given day, the death count generally reflects infections acquired weeks earlier. Dr. Nuzzo said that she thought it likely that the death rate would drop in the coming weeks. Even so, the U.S. daily case numbers remain extremely high, and officials and experts remain on alert. The recent spike was likely a result of increased gatherings over the December and January holidays. Looking forward, officials are concerned about the spread of more infectious coronavirus variants. Despite the advent of effective vaccines, it is expected that it will be at least late summer before a majority of people in the U.S. are vaccinated. Bonus Read: “Too Many Covid-19 Patients Face Death Alone. Vaccinated Volunteers Could Change That,” (STAT).

Philadelphia Cuts Ties with College Student-Run “Disaster” of a Vaccination Effort

At the start of the Covid-19 vaccination effort, Philadelphia officials chose to partner with Philly Fighting COVID, a startup company run mainly by college-age young adults with minimal healthcare experience (WaPo). The effort was a failure. A faulty signup system left high-priority groups with cancelled vaccination appointments. The group switched to a for-profit business model and loosened its privacy policy without notifying users. Volunteers described the company as a “disaster of an operation,” with young employees taking vaccines for themselves and talk of “becoming millionaires” by billing insurance providers for vaccines the group had gotten for free. Twenty-two-year-old CEO Andrei Doroshin has disputed these allegations.

The city’s partnership with the inexperienced startup drew attention when the group backed out of commitments to host Covid-19 testing clinics in Black and Latino neighborhoods. The entire executive team of Philly Fighting COVID is white in a city with a large Black community that has so far been underserved by vaccination efforts. The city officially terminated its relationship with Philly Fighting COVID when its for-profit status was brought to light. Many in the city are questioning why the group was commissioned in the first place, given Philadelphia’s large number of prestigious medical institutions and more experienced healthcare groups.

Amid Coronavirus Pandemic, Other Drug-Resistant Pathogens Appear

As the world fights the coronavirus, biologically unrelated pathogens have spread under the radar, the New York Times reported Wednesday. In Los Angeles County, there have been around 250 cases of the notoriously drug-resistant fungus Candida auris, which had been a priority to tackle for public health researchers prior to the start of the pandemic. The CDC in December reported a cluster of the bacteria Acinetobacter baumannii in New Jersey, one of the so-called “superbugs” that has proven resilient against antibiotics. Problems with other pathogens have also emerged in India, Italy, Peru and France.

Amid a lack of screening for non-coronavirus pathogens amid the pandemic, experts fear that the past year has facilitated their spread. “Seeing the world as a one-pathogen world is really problematic,” said Dr. Susan S. Huang, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California at Irvine Medical School. The liberal use of steroids, which can compromise the immune system in ways that many pathogens can exploit, in Covid-19 treatment may have also played a role (NYT).

Around the World

New Zealand, Vietnam and Taiwan Top Charts For Coronavirus Containment

New Zealand, Vietnam and Taiwan topped the Lowy Institute’s COVID Performance Index of 98 countries rating their pandemic response. The study used confirmed cases and deaths on both a total and per capita basis to gauge success, along with tests per thousand people and confirmed cases as a proportion of tests. The study found that differing political systems played little role in public heath performance, with democracies generally performing only marginally better than more authoritarian governments. Economic development also did not play a major factor, with the “low-tech” nature of public health responses such as border closures and lockdown possibly creating “a more level playing field” between rich and poor countries. “In general, countries with smaller populations, cohesive societies, and capable institutions have a comparative advantage in dealing with a global crisis such as a pandemic,” the Sydney-based institute said in its analysis. The worst-performing countries were Brazil, Mexico and Colombia. The U.S. ranked the fifth worst. China was not included in the report owing to insufficiently available public information (Reuters).

Europe

EU, AstraZeneca Clash Over Vaccine Prioritization

The EU is clashing with AstraZeneca over vaccine distribution as the EU’s health commissioner declared on Wednesday that Britain has no claim to prioritization. EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides lashed out at Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca, after he claimed that the Anglo-Swedish company had an obligation to prioritize distribution to the U.K. “We reject the logic of first come, first served,” the commissioner said. “That may work in a butcher’s shop but not in contracts and not in our advanced purchase agreements.” The EU has expressed outrage this week over reports that AstraZeneca will cut its initial deliveries to the EU by 60% over supply chain issues. Brussels has been further incensed by the fact that AstraZeneca says it will provide doses to the UK as planned despite the cuts. British government sources said on Tuesday that it will only export vaccines once the AstraZeneca facilities in Oxford and Staffordshire had produced 100 million doses for the U.K. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson disparaged the EU vaccine development program in comments likely to further inflame tensions, saying it would have been a “great pity” had the UK joined the continent’s venture (Guardian). Bonus Read: “An Exclusive Interview With AstraZeneca's CEO on the Accusations From Europe After the Delay of Oxford Vaccine Supplies,” (Repubblica).

Suspicious Package Halts Vaccine Production at AstraZeneca Plant

An AstraZeneca facility in Wales halted vaccine manufacture after receiving a suspicious package on Wednesday morning. Police said that the package was rendered safe by the bomb squad without clarifying whether it contained dangerous materials, although it added that the contents would be analyzed. Management at the plant, which is operated by the pharmaceutical company Wockhardt UK, said that vaccine production was on schedule despite a partial evacuation of the plant in the morning. “We can now confirm that the package was made safe and staff are now being allowed back into the facility,” Wockhardt UK said in a statement. “This temporary suspension of manufacturing has in no way affected our production schedule” (Reuters).

Asia-Pacific

Vietnam Braces for its First Major Coronavirus Outbreak Amid 83 New Cases

Vietnam, whose population of 95 million people had only experienced a total of 1,551 cases until this week, is bracing for at least 30,000 new infections amid an unprecedented outbreak in the north. After 55-days of no community spread, two new clusters in Hai Duong and Quang Ninh provinces started on Wednesday with two detected cases. On Thursday, the government reported 83 new cases. One of the cases from Wednesday was a woman who had been exposed to a person who tested positive in Japan for the new, more infectious B117 strain after leaving Vietnam on January 17, raising alarm that the variant first detected in the U.K. has arrived. The new clusters have evidently spread rapidly, with 72 out of 138 contacts of one of the initial cases testing positive. The 2,340 people at the electronics factory where that patient works are now under quarantine amid a mass test and trace effort (Reuters).

The new infections come as the ruling Communist Party hosts its quinquennial party congress in Hanoi. Around 10,000 attendees and staff have been tested twice prior to the meeting’s start earlier this week as a precaution. While the remaining planned events have not yet been cancelled, top leaders have been forced to manage the new crisis from its sidelines. “We’ll do it fast but calmly, so as not to cause disorder in people’s lives, and especially to ensure the success of the congress,” said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Thursday (Vnexpress, Reuters). 

Bonus Read: "Reluctance to Spend Throttles India’s Growth Long After Covid-19 Lockdowns Ended,” (WSJ).

Middle East

Lebanese Anti-Lockdown Protesters Clash With Police

Violent anti-lockdown protests continued in Tripoli for the third consecutive night with police evidently responding with live gunfire. The Red Cross reported treating 65 people for injuries onsite while taking 35 others to the hospital. State media reported a total of 226 wounded, including both protesters and police. Videos apparently show police firing live rounds at the protesters (although police only confirmed using rubber bullets and tear gas) as protesters hurled rocks and Molotov cocktails at security forces. Police also claimed that hand grenades were used by demonstrators. The demonstrations targeted a 24-hour curfew imposed earlier this month, which was implemented amid overwhelming case numbers at Lebanon’s hospitals. Around 2,500 people have died in the country of 6.9 million, with January by far the deadliest month yet. The lockdown, however, has worsened a pre-existing financial crisis in Lebanon. “People are tired. There’s poverty, misery, lockdown and there’s no work... Our problem is the politicians,” said demonstrator Samir Agha at the Tripoli on Wednesday prior to the clashes (Reuters).

Central Asia

Taliban Backs Afghan Vaccine Drive

The Taliban militant organization on Tuesday gave its blessing to Afghanistan’s vaccine campaign as the government is set to receive a $112 million pledge from the World Health Organization. The militants would “support and facilitate” the drive at health centers, a Taliban spokesman told Reuters. The W.H.O. program, administered through its Covax program, is expected to cover 20% of Afghanistan’s 38 million people. The vaccines are expected to arrive in six months, but may arrive sooner, Afghanistan’s Deputy Health Minister Waheed Majroh told reporters. Separately, India has pledged to provide 500,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The scope of Afghanistan’s coronavirus pandemic is unclear given limited testing and medical facilities in the war torn country. Officially, the country has seen 54,854 infections and 2,390 deaths (Reuters).

Americas

Covid-19 Has Become the Second-Largest Cause of Death in Mexico

According to the National Statistics Institute, Covid-19 was the second-largest cause of death in Mexico for the first eight months of 2020, after heart disease (WSJ). During this period, Mexico registered 108,658 deaths from Covid-19, including suspected cases. Heart disease accounted for 141,873 deaths, and 99,733 died from diabetes. For a normal year based on 2012-2019 statistics, Mexico should have expected 488,343 deaths. Actual deaths exceeded this number by 181,917, or 37.9 percent. Deaths from heart disease and diabetes, which are conditions that significantly increase the risk for poor Covid-19 outcomes, were also higher than expected.

U.S. Government & Politics

Bonus Watch: “Vice President Kamala Harris Receives Second Vaccine Dose,” (Politico).

House Opens Investigation of Pandemic-Related Ventilator Purchases

The House subcommittee on economic and consumer policy has opened an investigation into the purchase of ventilators as part of the coronavirus response (WaPo). The Washington Post reports, “A House subcommittee is investigating a government deal to buy $70 million worth of ventilators for the coronavirus pandemic response that a Washington Post investigation found were inadequate for treating most covid-19 patients.” Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), who chairs the subcommittee, stated, “AutoMedx appears to be the beneficiary of a potentially tainted procurement process.” The Post summarizing previous reporting it did, writes, “Adrian Urias, AutoMedx’s co-founder and current shareholder, advised the Trump administration’s covid-19 task force on ventilator purchases. In March, when the government posted the minimum specifications that ventilator manufacturers had to meet to sell devices for the pandemic response, those specifications were nearly identical to a spec sheet listed on AutoMedx’s website at the time.”

Bonus Read: “Millions Earmarked for Public Health Emergencies Were Used to Pay for Unrelated Projects, Says Inspector General,” (WaPo).

U.S. Economy

Boeing Reports Record Annual Loss in 2020

Boeing reports that it had a record annual loss in 2020 as it wrestled with the pandemic’s impact on the aviation industry, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday (WSJ). The Journal writes, “Boeing Co. reported its biggest-ever annual loss and took a big financial hit on its new 777X jetliner designed for long-haul flights, among the businesses most harmed by the coronavirus pandemic.” The Journal describes Boeing’s struggles as a result of travel restrictions aimed at preventing the pandemic’s spread as well as safety regulations’ impacts on the Boeing 777X.

Federal Reserve Likely to Keep Interest Rates Near Zero

The Federal Reserve is likely to keep interest rates near zero, following a meeting on Wednesday (WSJ). The Wall Street Journal reports, “Federal Reserve officials are likely to acknowledge recent signs of economic weakening but keep policy on hold at a meeting that concludes Wednesday, choosing to wait and see if business activity picks up. The Fed has set short-term interest rates near zero, launched a bond-purchase program of $120 billion a month, and said it would keep stimulative measures in place until its goals of lower unemployment and 2% inflation are achieved.” In early January Fed Chairman commented, “The economy is far from our goals,” adding that it is not the time to pull back.

Bonus Read: “Unemployment Is Much Worse Than You Think — Here’s Why,” (Politico).

U.S. Society

Many D.C. Nursing Home Workers Declining Vaccination

According to D.C. officials, many workers at local nursing homes have refused vaccination challenging the city’s pandemic response efforts (WaPo). The Washington Post reports, “A large percentage of nursing home workers in D.C., Maryland and Virginia have declined to take the coronavirus vaccine, officials say, presenting a major challenge in the region’s plans to protect its most vulnerable residents. Nursing home workers were first offered the vaccine in late December and early January, along with residents of long-term care facilities and other health-care workers. Their wariness, providers and union representatives say, is fueled by online misinformation about the vaccine and historical mistrust of the medical system of which they are a part.” The Post notes, “In an internal document obtained by The Washington Post, Maryland health officials said that as of Tuesday, only about 58 percent of the doses allocated to nursing home staff and residents had been administered — even though vaccination clinics have been conducted at every facility.” Maryland’s acting health secretary Dennis R. Schrader told lawmakers, “One of the surprises in the first three weeks was that in health care and in the nursing homes, there was about a 35 to 50 percent uptake. … We had expected closer to 80 or 90 percent uptake.”

As Vaccine Distribution Continues, Retirees Hope to Emerge From Isolation

As older Americans living in retirement homes receive vaccines, many are hoping that they can soon emerge from isolation (WSJ). The Wall Street Journal writes, “With long-term care homes now at the front of the line for coronavirus vaccines, an end to the often-debilitating isolation for millions of seniors is in sight, industry executives say.” Bradley Dubin, the principal of Kandu Capital LLC, a firm that operates nine retirement communities, told the Journal, “This is the beginning of the light at the end of the tunnel for us.” The hope comes as nursing homes have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic and thus being prioritized in vaccine distribution. The Journal writes, “Residents and workers have been given priority because they have been so severely affected. More than 550,000 long-term care residents have been diagnosed with Covid-19, and about 100,000 have died, a quarter of the U.S.’s more than 400,000 deaths from the pandemic, according to federal data. Among workers at long-term care facilities such as nurses and cleaners, 472,000 have been infected, and 1,340 have died.” 

Analysis & Arguments

In a video op-ed Sanya Dosani and Adam Westbrook argue that South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem rebranded failure to contain the pandemic as “freedom” (NYT).

Alice Lu-Culligan, a M.D.-Ph.D student at Yale Medical School, and Akiko Iwasaki, a professor of immunobiology there write on how false rumors about vaccines are scaring women (NYT).

Julia Marcus argues against an overly critical view of vaccinated people letting down their guard a bit (Atlantic).

Pam LeBlanc looks at the spike in rescues as people head to the backcountry amid the pandemic (Texas Monthly).

 Readers can send in tips, critiques, questions, and suggestions to coronavirusbrief@newamerica.org.

The Brief is edited by David Sterman and Emily Schneider with Jessica Scott and Senior Editor Peter Bergen.

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