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March 25, 2021 - Brief Issue 174

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

Many States Set to Beat Vaccine Eligibility Deadline (Health & Science)

AstraZeneca Clarifies Clinical Trial Results (Health & Science)

U.K. Strain Susceptible to Vaccines and Natural Immunity From Previous Infection (Health & Science)

USC Professor: Addressing U.S. Health Disparities Means Moving on from Tuskegee (Health & Science)

Eastern Europe Marks Covid-19 Toll as Deaths Increase and Case Numbers Soar, Reflecting Global Climb in Cases (Around the World)

‘It Was a Mistake,’ Merkel Says of Last Minute Easter Shutdown (Around the World)

Brazil 2nd Nation to Surpass 300,000 Deaths (Around the World)

Hong Kong Suspends Use of Pfizer Vaccine, Adding to Public Distrust of Vaccinations (Around the World)

White House Eyes Longer Eviction Ban (U.S. Government & Politics)

NYT: Governor Cuomo Provided Early Testing Access to Family Members (U.S. Government & Politics)

GlaxoSmithKline Fires Former Trump Vaccine Chief Moncef Slaoui from its Board Over Sexual Harassment Allegations (U.S. Government & Politics)

Car Dealerships Running Out of New Models Amid Supply Disruptions (U.S. Economy)

Amid Anti-Asian Hate Crimes, Asian Americans Turn to Street Patrols (U.S. Society)

Health & Science

There have been 30,010,933 coronavirus cases in the United States, and 545,281 people have died (Johns Hopkins). The United States has conducted 384,628,905 tests and distributed 169,233,125 vaccine doses, with 130,473,853 doses administered (U.S. CDC). Worldwide, there have been 124,823,795 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 2,744,837 deaths. At least 70,817,671 people have recovered from the virus.

Many States Set to Beat Vaccine Eligibility Deadline

Over 40 U.S. states are on track to match or exceed President Biden’s May 1 deadline of opening vaccine eligibility to all adults (NYT). At least 30 of those states plan on opening vaccines to all adults in March or April. The Pfizer shot is authorized for those 16 and older, and Moderna and Johnson & Johnson for those 18 plus. Cindy Prins, an epidemiologist at the University of Florida, said cases may decrease as vaccine eligibility requirements loosen and more people get their shots. “It’s not just a matter of more people getting vaccinated, but the variety of ages and kinds of people who can get vaccinated will reduce that transmission,” Prins said. 

AstraZeneca Clarifies Clinical Trial Results

After health officials raised concerns about an Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine trial possibly using outdated data, the company published a brief statement Tuesday. “The numbers published yesterday [Monday] were based on a pre-specified interim analysis with a data cut-off of 17 February,” AstraZeneca wrote, clarifying that the clinical trial results – which reported an efficacy rate of 79% – still appeared to be consistent with the latest data. The company said it would release a primary analysis including more recent data within 48 hours. 

The AstraZeneca vaccine is cheap and easy to store, so it’s expected to play a large role in global vaccination efforts (Nature). Though data on the vaccine’s efficacy varies, other trials have reported efficacy rates in the range of 60-70%. Scientists suspect that AstraZeneca’s overall effectiveness is close to that of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, 66%. 

U.K. Strain Susceptible to Vaccines and Natural Immunity From Previous Infection

An Emory University research team found that despite being highly infectious and fast-replicating, B.1.1.7, the U.K. coronavirus variant, still responds to natural immunity and currently existing vaccines (Medical Xpress, JAMA). The researchers took antibody samples from 14 Moderna vaccine recipients, 20 patients with active Covid-19 cases, and 20 previously infected patients. Using live virus assays, the researchers tested the neutralizing capacities of these samples on four coronavirus variants. Antibodies from both the vaccine and from previous infection successfully neutralized B.1.1.7. The authors emphasized the importance of continually monitoring antibody neutralization as new coronavirus variants emerge. 

USC Professor: Addressing U.S. Health Disparities Means Moving on from Tuskegee

Officials, including Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci, often point to the notorious Tuskegee study as the reason for higher levels of vaccine hesitancy among Black Americans as compared to white Americans (NPR). Over the 40-year study, which lasted from 1932-1972, syphilis-positive Black men were treated as guinea pigs and denied life-saving care, leading to many deaths before the study was shut down. But University of Southern California professor Karen Lincoln calls Tuskegee a “scapegoat” for the fraught relationship between Black Americans and healthcare. Lincoln interfaces with many Black seniors in the L.A. area, and in her conversations, people bring up modern racism and health care disparities far more often as their reasons for vaccine skepticism. 

Indeed, a series of survey studies running from 1994 to 2007 found that Black people were twice as “wary” as white people to participate in research, but were just as likely to participate when asked. There was no link between willingness to participate and the Tuskegee experiments. 

Lincoln said when it comes to coronavirus vaccines, there are many contemporary, structural barriers to healthcare that contribute to mistrust of the system. “If you continue to use [Tuskegee] as a way of explaining why many African Americans are hesitant, it almost absolves you of having to learn more, do more, involve other people – admit that racism is actually a thing today,” Lincoln said. Poverty and pharmaceutical deserts may place Black Americans at a disadvantage for getting vaccinated; vaccine appointments are also difficult to book and access, especially for lower-resource communities. And, there’s a long history of Black people receiving unequal treatment at the hands of the healthcare system. Dr. Rueben Warren of Tuskegee University in Alabama said blaming Black people for distrusting the vaccine is dangerous and counter-productive. "Prove yourself trustworthy and trust will follow," Warren said.

For Some, Covid-19 Causes or Worsens Tinnitus

A study published Monday in the International Journal of Audiology may shed light on the link between tinnitus – a ringing in the ears – and Covid-19 (NYT). Out of 60 adult Covid-19 patients reviewed, the authors found, 15% reported tinnitus as a symptom. The authors are confirming that these reports refer to new or exacerbated cases of tinnitus. 

Though the relationship between Covid-19 and tinnitus is not well understood, the U.K.’s National Health Service does list it as a symptom. Other viral infections, including measles, mumps, and rubella, can cause hearing issues. Audiologist Dr. Eldre Beukes led a research study on Covid-19 and tinnitus last year, finding that 40% of tinnitus sufferers said the virus worsened their symptoms. According to Beukes, the virus itself or the medications used to treat Covid-19 could be exacerbating tinnitus, and tinnitus is also linked to stress, which has increased for many people during the pandemic. 

Since Monday’s results were published, more Covid-19 survivors suffering from tinnitus have come forward. “In the 24 hours since we published, I’ve received about 100 emails,” said Kevin Munro, one of the study’s co-author of the study. “Almost of all of them were people saying, ‘I was so happy to read about this, because my doctor thought I was crazy when I mentioned tinnitus and now I know I’m not the only one.’”

Double Mutant Viruses Appear in India

After running genomic analysis on 10,787 SARS-CoV-2 samples from across the country, a consortium of Indian researchers reported that the amount of “double mutant” viruses – or, viruses with two different genetic mutations – has increased since late last year (BBC). In general, mutations affect the formation of the virus’ spike protein, the part that helps it infect human cells and cause Covid-19. According to a statement from the Indian Health Ministry, double mutations “confer immune escape and increased infectivity.” Officials say there are not enough of these double mutant cases in India for that to be the cause of the country’s surge in Covid-19 cases

Bonus Reads: “How a Covid-19 Vaccine That Caught Trump’s Eye Lost its Way – And Found it Back,” (WSJ); “The Future of the Pandemic in the U.S.: Experts Look Ahead,” (NPR). 

Around the World

Europe

Eastern Europe Marks Covid-19 Toll as Deaths Increase and Case Numbers Soar, Reflecting Global Climb in Cases

More than 20,000 white crosses were painted on the cobblestones of a medieval square in central Prague to remember those who have died from Covid-19, which continues to ravage Eastern and Central Europe (NYT). The Czech Republic fared well during the first wave of the pandemic, but then like many other nations in Central and Western Europe, it couldn’t contain the second and third waves of the virus and has struggled with high infection rates in the past month. The Czech Republic joined Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia and its regional neighbors in lifting restrictions last summer but they are all paying the price now. Hungary and Slovakia, both members of the European Union, have turned to Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine even though it hasn’t been approved by EU regulators yet. Hungary has also started using a Chinese-made vaccine that has not been approved by the EU as the country has become a hotspot for cases recently. The surgeon general, Cecilia Muller, said on Wednesday that Hungary’s hospitals are under “extraordinary” pressure from the rise in infections (Reuters). Serbia has purchased millions of vaccine doses from Russia and China along with Western companies. The variant B.1.1.7, first identified in Britain, is spreading quickly across the region. Poland, for example, has identified at least 60% of its recent cases as the variant. On Saturday, Poland closed all hotels and shops until further notice. 

The increase in cases in Eastern and Central Europe reflect the uptick in cases around the globe, which experts say is due to the spread of multiple variants that seem to be more contagious than the original strain of the virus (WaPo). According to the World Health Organization, global cases have been on the rise for four consecutive weeks with around 3.3 million new cases reported last week. Bonus Read: “Europe Despairs as Covid-19 Vaccine Rollout Stalls and Pandemic Grinds On,” (WSJ).

‘It Was a Mistake,’ Merkel Says of Last Minute Easter Shutdown 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel reversed her decision to shut down the German economy for two extra days over Easter as her government faces widespread anger over its chaotic and confusing anti-coronavirus restrictions and poorly run vaccination campaign. The about-face came less than 36 hours after she declared April 1 and 3 “off days,” or holidays, in order to extend the Easter holiday vacation to five consecutive days in hopes of slowing down a recent spike in infections (NYT). The original decision was announced after nearly 12 hours of deliberations between Merkel and state governors and was meant to combat the spread of variant B.1.1.7 but faced immediate backlash from opposition politicians and a public weary of lockdowns. Many Germans are also frustrated by the glacial pace of the vaccine rollout: barley 10% of German adults have received their first shot. Merkel’s government has wavered on numerous policies lately, including last week when the health minister abruptly halted vaccinations using AstraZeneca doses, only to reinstate them a few days later after the European Medicines Agency cleared it for use. Germany saw 15,813 new infections on Wednesday, a continuation of the upward trend over recent weeks. 

Americas

Brazil 2nd Nation to Surpass 300,000 Deaths 

On Wednesday Brazil reported over 300,000 confirmed Covid-19 deaths since the pandemic began, becoming the second nation to do so and making the country the epicenter of the pandemic (Reuters). The United States recorded 300,000 deaths on Dec. 14, but it also has a larger population than Brazil. President Jair Bolsonaro met with heads of other government branches to coordinate anti-virus efforts but did not propose any policies to combat the pandemic (AP). Bolsonaro has consistently downplayed the severity of the outbreak in his country and repeatedly emphasized the economy as his priority. State governors and mayors have expressed fears that April could be back to hospitals being overwhelmed as they were in March (NPR).

U.S. Virgin Islands Becomes Vaccination Destination

Tourists visiting the U.S. Virgin islands are getting a dose of Covid-19 vaccine along with the usual Vitamin D that draws people to the islands in colder months. The U.S. Virgin Islands is home to around 106,000 people and the territory has administered more than 33,000 Covid-19 vaccines to date. On Monday, governor Alberty Bryan Jr. estimated at around 3% of those vaccines have gone to tourists (NYT). “Have we become aware of the fact that people are seeking us out? Yes. And you know, we accommodate everyone,” said Angela East, the coordinator and director of the Covid-19 vaccine program at Plessen Healthcare, which has administered 44% of all Covid-19 vaccines in the territory. “We are going to give you the shot in the spirit of putting as many shots in arms as possible.” Health authorities say the ample supply of shots, high levels of vaccine hesitancy among residents, and open eligibility to anyone over the age of 16 have created an opportunity for vaccine tourism. U.S. travelers who visit the islands must submit a negative coronavirus test within five days of departure or a positive antibody test taken within four months to avoid quarantining at arrival. By contrast, travelers to Jamaica and Barbados must quarantine no matter what and U.S. travelers can’t visit the Cayman Islands unless they meet strict eligibility requirements. 

Asia

Hong Kong Suspends Use of Pfizer Vaccine, Adding to Public Distrust of Vaccinations

On Wednesday Hong Kong suspended use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine due to defects in the packaging that ranged from cracked containers to loose caps (NYT). Health officials said the halt was a precaution and that none of the defective vials were used to administer vaccines to patients. Authorities are now trying to figure out what caused the defects. The batch in question was manufactured at BioNTech’s facilities in Germany and a Chinese company called Fosun Pharma transported, stored, and distributed the shots in Hong Kong. “I’m confused as to why this is being reported for the first time in Hong Kong and we haven’t heard about it elsewhere,” said Benjamin Cowling, the division head of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Hong Kong. “Was there anything special about this particular batch? Presumably they were manufactured in exactly the same way that the other batches have been manufactured in Germany.” In a statement on Wednesday, BioNTech said it was investigating the problem but said “At this point, we have no reason to believe there is any safety risk posed to the population.” 

The suspension is a blow to the city that is already struggling to inoculate its 7 million residents and if it continues, could mean that officials do not have enough doses to cover everyone. Right now, only Chinese-made Sinovac is available, which has a reported efficacy rate of 62%; Pfizer’s vaccine has an efficacy rate of 97%. Wariness towards the Sinovac vaccine has grown after seven people who were vaccinated with it died, though authorities say the deaths were not linked to the vaccine (AP). Since vaccinations began on Feb. 26, about 5.7% of Hong Kong’s 7.2 million residents have gotten inoculated.

U.S. Government & Politics

White House Eyes Longer Eviction Ban

The White House is considering extending the federal eviction ban, which expires next week, potentially through July (WaPo). The Washington Post writes, “The issue has taken on fresh urgency at a time when the federal government is racing to distribute roughly $47 billion in new coronavirus relief to families still struggling to pay off back-due rent and ever-mounting utility bills. Lawmakers authorized roughly half of the aid as part of the stimulus adopted in December, and the rest through the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan that Biden signed into law this month — yet most of the money has not reached those who need it most as a result of implementation delays.” The Post adds “the Biden administration is also discussing some limited, additional policy tweaks to the moratorium, the two people familiar with the matter said. That includes a new education campaign to inform renters that the policy exists, as the government seeks to address a major knowledge gap that arose under President Donald Trump when he announced the eviction ban last year, according to one of the sources” as well as greater enforcement efforts.

NYT: Governor Cuomo Provided Early Testing Access to Family Members

On Wednesday, the New York Times reported that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo provided special governmental coronavirus testing to members of his family and others early in the pandemic (NYT). The Times writes, “Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s administration arranged special access to government-run coronavirus testing for members of his family and other influential people as the pandemic descended on New York last year, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter. The move to make testing of people closely tied to Mr. Cuomo a priority was carried out by high-ranking state health officials, one of the people said. It mostly happened in March 2020, as the seriousness of the virus was still becoming clear to the broader public and testing was not widely available .” The Times adds, “special treatment was the governor’s brother, the CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, and his family, who were tested several times in the pandemic’s early phase, this person said. The governor’s mother, Matilda Cuomo, and at least one of his sisters were also able to take advantage of the state-administered tests, the two people said.” The report comes as Governor Cuomo faces a series of scandals involving his handling of data on the pandemic as well as sexual harassment allegations.

GlaxoSmithKline Fires Former Trump Vaccine Chief Moncef Slaoui from its Board Over Sexual Harassment Allegations

On Wednesday, the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline fired former Trump administration vaccine chief Moncef Slaoui from the board of directors of one of its joint ventures, Galvani Bioelectronics, citing sexual harassment allegations (Politico, WSJ). Politico writes, “The company received a letter in February detailing sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct allegations against Slaoui that date back several years, to when he led GSK’s vaccine division, CEO Emma Walmsley said in an internal memo to staff. GSK enlisted an outside law firm to look into the accusations.” In the letter Walmsley wrote, “The investigation of Dr. Slaoui’s conduct substantiated the allegations and is ongoing. Dr. Slaoui’s behaviours represent an abuse of his leadership position and violate our company policies, our values, and our commitment to Trust — a commitment I know is shared by all of you.” The Wall Street Journal writes, “The alleged misconduct occurred while Dr. Slaoui was employed by Glaxo, where he led the company’s vaccines unit and sat on the board of directors before retiring in 2017.” Trump appointed Dr. Slaoui to head his administration’s Covid vaccine effort, named Operation Warp Speed, in 2020. Dr. Slaoui did not respond immediately to requests for comment from the Wall Street Journal or Politico.

Bonus Read: “DeSantis Erodes Florida’s Covid Rules — and Spring Breakers Go Wild,” (Politico).

U.S. Economy

Bonus Read: “Amazon Faces Growing Worker Pressure in Shadow of Alabama Union Vote,” (WSJ). 

Car Dealerships Running Out of New Models Amid Supply Disruptions

Car dealerships across the United States are running low on their stock of new model cars amid disruptions to the supply chain (WSJ). As we have covered in prior briefs, pandemic-related disruptions along with other factors including a recent fire at a key factory for computer chips used in cars has disrupted the supply chain that automakers rely upon. Now, that disruption is manifesting shortages on car lots. Abel Toll, a dealer operating in the northeast, told the Wall Street Journal, “Inventory will be the big challenge of this year.”

Bonus Read: “Retailers and Landlords Clash Over What Counts as a Sale,” (WSJ).

U.S. Society

Amid Anti-Asian Hate Crimes, Asian Americans Turn to Street Patrols

Amid reports of rising levels of anti-Asian hate crime, Asian-Americans in New York City and other cities have turned to street patrols to protect themselves and their communities (WSJ). The Wall Street Journal reports, “Before sunset Monday, a few dozen Asian-Americans outfitted in neon vests and jackets combed the streets of this New York City neighborhood. They weren’t police officers. They were students, retail workers and retirees equipped with little more than a cellphone in the event they came across someone being harassed or attacked. Their mission: to stop would-be attackers from hurting other Asians, whether it be by calling the police for help or stepping in themselves.” Wan Chen, one 37-year-old volunteer, told the Journal, “It’s made me feel sick,” referring to the rising hate crimes, adding, “So this is the time we need to speak up and try our best to help. If anyone tries to do anything, maybe they’ll think twice.” The Journal reports, “Volunteer groups such as this one have sprung up around the U.S., patrolling the streets of Asian communities from New York City to Oakland, Calif. They have multiple goals: to escort individuals worried about their safety where they need to go, check in on community members, and if needed, intervene if they see someone being harassed.” The turn to street patrols comes amid rising hate crimes. The Journal writes, “One analysis conducted by researchers at California State University, San Bernardino, found hate crimes targeting Asians in 16 of the largest U.S. cities increased 149% between 2019 and 2020” and notes that the New York City Police Department has described the rising anti-Asian crime as tied to people irrationally blaming Asians for the coronavirus. New York recorded 28 coronavirus related hate crimes in 2020. The NYPD has begun a task force to address anti-Asian hate crime.

Bonus Read: “Virginia County’s Assisted-living Facility Hit Hard by Virus, Worker Exodus,” (WaPo).

Analysis & Arguments

A new study examines why Covid news tends to be bad Covid news (NYT).

Jill Lepore writes on how plague stories end and what comes after a pandemic (New Yorker).

Dan Solomon writes on the new film genres emerging from 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 Senior Editor Peter Bergen.

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