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April 28, 2021 - Brief Issue 189

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

CDC Loosens Outdoor Mask Guidance for People Fully Vaccinated Against Covid-19  (Health & Science)

Moderate Alcohol Intake Probably Won’t Make Covid-19 Vaccine Less Effective, Though Habitual Heavy Drinking Could (Health & Science)

With Billions of Promised Doses, Novavax Might Become a More Prominent Figure in Global Vaccine Rollout (Health & Science)

India Breaks Global Record for New Cases Six Days in a Row (Around the World)

Brazil Rejects Russia’s Sputnik V Vaccine Over Safety Concerns (Around the World)

Lockdowns in South Asia Brought Clearer Skies, Cleaner Water (Around the World)

Biden Administration Advances Covid Safety Rules for Workplaces (U.S. Government & Politics)

How the Pandemic Changed Where Americans Live (U.S. Society)

Health & Science

There have been 32,176,908 coronavirus cases in the United States, and 573,383 people have died (Johns Hopkins). The United States has conducted 429,561,249 tests and administered 232,407,669 vaccine doses, with 42.7% of Americans having received their first vaccine dose and 29.1% fully vaccinated (U.S. CDC). Worldwide, there have been 148,795,400 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 3,137,554 deaths. At least 86,318,246 people have recovered from the virus.

CDC Loosens Outdoor Mask Guidance for People Fully Vaccinated Against Covid-19 

President Biden and federal health officials announced Tuesday that according to updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fully vaccinated people can now forgo masks outdoors during activities such as exercising, gathering in small groups, or dining (WaPo, Politico, NPR, NYT). CDC director Rochelle Walensky said states that still have outdoor mask mandates can lift these requirements for fully vaccinated people, except in the case of crowded outdoor events like concerts. As scientist Linsey Marr of Virginia Tech explained, “We know that transmission outdoors is much less likely to occur than indoors, because the virus cannot accumulate in the air outdoors.” The CDC refrained from saying fully vaccinated people can remove their masks in every outdoor setting, but the agency did condone these individuals gathering in small groups outside and eating outdoors even with unvaccinated friends and family. Health officials emphasized the importance of keeping up social distancing and masking in public and getting vaccinated as soon as possible. 

Moderate Alcohol Intake Probably Won’t Make Covid-19 Vaccine Less Effective, Though Habitual Heavy Drinking Could

Alcohol and Covid-19 vaccine efficacy became a point of contention when a Russian official announced in December that people should avoid alcohol two weeks before and 42 days after getting vaccinated (NYT). There is little information on alcohol and Covid-19 vaccines specifically, though previous research on alcohol and immune function suggests that heavy alcohol intake – more than four drinks in a day for men, three for women – may, especially if routine, weaken the body’s immune response to a shot. Heavy alcohol consumption is known to suppress immune activity, which is crucial for developing resistance to a disease. But past research also indicates that moderate drinking – no more than two standard drinks a day for men, one for women – is unlikely to interfere with an immune response. One study from UC Riverside actually identified an immune-boosting effect of moderate drinking. Dr. Angela Hewlett of the University of Nebraska Medical Center said many patients have questions about alcohol intake before getting the shot, but “having a celebratory beverage in moderation is fine.”

U.S. Officials Drafting Recommendations as WHO Continues Probe Into Virus’ Origins 

After a joint report from the World Health Organization and China published in March drew criticism from some experts, who believed the report – an investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic – wasn’t thorough enough, officials from U.S. federal agencies will be weighing in with their recommendations for the WHO’s next phase of investigation (WSJ). Some experts, including WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, thought the original report too quickly dismissed the hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing Covid-19, leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. U.S. scientists and officials also worried that WHO investigators weren’t given sufficient access to viral illness data from before December 2019. At the end of March, the U.S. joined 13 other countries in calling for “a timely, transparent evidence-based process for the next phase” of WHO’s research. The new recommendations from Washington − coming from experts in eight agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of State − are expected to be released to WHO soon. U.S. officials will likely suggest further investigation into the lab leak theory, which Wuhan Institute of Virology coronavirus specialist Shi Zhengli has denied.  

Biden Urges Americans to Get Vaccinated; Former Trump Advisors Want Him to Follow Suit

During a Covid-19 address Tuesday, President Biden encouraged Americans to get vaccinated, saying “it’s never been easier” (WaPo). Describing vaccination as a “patriotic duty,” Biden touted his July 4 goal for when friends and families might be able to get together for backyard Independence Day picnics. Meanwhile, as polls show flagging vaccine enthusiasm among Republicans, advisors to former president Donald Trump are pushing him to issue a public service announcement to strengthen faith in the vaccine (CNN). In West Virginia, where demand for vaccines is slowing, Governor Jim Justice said the state will offer $100 savings bonds as an incentive for young people to get vaccinated (NPR). 

U.K. Study Shows Humans Can Spread SARS-CoV-2 to Cats

A recent study published by the British Veterinary Association found evidence of SARS-CoV-2 in domestic cats owned by people with suspected cases of Covid-19 (EurekAlert). Researchers analyzed a set of 387 oropharyngeal swabs from cats in the U.K. and identified the virus in two cats, both of which exhibited symptoms of mild or severe respiratory disease. This suggests that humans can infect their pets with the virus. “Given the ability of the coronavirus to infect companion animals, it will be important to monitor for human-to-cat, cat-to-cat and cat-to-human transmission," said lead author Dr. Margaret Hosie of the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research.

With Billions of Promised Doses, Novavax Might Become a More Prominent Figure in Global Vaccine Rollout

Though a U.K trial of the vaccine produced by Novavax, a shot that uses a lab-made version of the Covid-19 spike protein to train the immune system, found it to be just as protective against early coronavirus strains as the mRNA-based Pfizer and Moderna shots, the company has yet to bring any of its vaccine to market (Politico). But Novavax might start to play a larger role in global vaccine distribution; the company has pledged 100 million doses to the U.S., as well as 1.1 billion to middle- and low-income nations like India. Novavax isn’t yet part of the U.S.’ vaccine strategy − the Biden administration isn’t sure how quickly the company can ramp up manufacturing, a senior official said − though some experts see the shot taking hold in the U.S., especially after Johnson & Johnson’s recent issues with public image. “In the short to medium term, at least, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has taken a reputational hit and people are more hesitant to take it,” global health law professor Lawrence Gostin of Georgetown University. “In addition, J&J has had major production problems at its Baltimore plant. And as a result I think Novavax is going to be a reasonably significant player.” Novavax executives say they expect their shot to be part of future booster shots and variant-specific re-vaccinations. 

Bonus Read: “Covid-19 Can Affect the Brain. New Clues Hint at How,” (Science News).

Around the World

India Breaks Global Record for New Cases Six Days in a Row

India reported more than 300,000 new confirmed covid-19 cases for the sixth day in a row on Tuesday as the country struggles under a second wave of the virus. Medical facilities, especially in larger cities, have been overwhelmed by patients; some hospitals have stopped admitting patients as oxygen, hospital beds, ventilators, and medicines are all in short supply (WaPo). Some hospitals have had patients die after oxygen supplies ran out. Public outcry at the government’s handling of the pandemic has grown, even as the government has attempted to stifle it by petitioning social media companies to remove critical posts. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has faced backlash for permitting crowded election rallies and religious festivals to occur while boasting that the end of the pandemic was near just weeks before the latest increase in cases (NYT). 

Covid Lockdowns in South Asia Brought Cleaner Skies, Water

Lockdowns across South Asia last year in response to the pandemic likely affected the timing of snowmelt in the Indus River basin of Pakistan and India, researchers reported on Monday (NYT).  With people driving less and using less electricity generated from coal, emissions of soot and other pollutants were cut. That also meant less soot was deposited on the snow; normally the soot absorbs sunlight that causes faster melting. The cleaner snow in 2020 was able to reflect more sunlight and resist melting, which in turn delayed runoff into the Indus River of more than one and a half cubic mils of melt water, according to researchers. That’s similar to the volume of some of the largest reservoirs in the U.S. Timing the melt water runoff in the spring and summer is crucial for managing the water supply that serves more than 300 million people. Slower runoff is beneficial for maintaining a steady flow throughout the year. A paper describing the findings was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

International Students From China, Iran, Brazil, South Africa to be Allowed Into U.S. 

A rebound in international student enrollment at U.S. schools this fall is a possibility after the U.S. State Department said in an update online on Monday that students and academics from China, Iran, Brazil, and South Africa would be allowed into the country with the proper visas (WSJ). The State Department calls it a “national interest exemption,” meaning the government has determined it’s in the U.S.’s best interest to allow these individuals in. Enrollment of international students at American colleges and universities was severely limited last fall as hundreds of thousands of students were unable to secure new visas or travel into the country. According to the Wall Street Journal, “Visa records show the number of students here on F-1 or M-1 visas, which include those at colleges, vocational programs and K-12 schools, fell by 18%, to 1.25 million, while visa records for newly enrolled students tumbled by 72%.” Now, U.S. embassies and consulates have slowly resumed visa services.

U.S. Government & Politics

Bonus Read: “The Arcane Legislative Maneuver ‘Sucking Up All the Oxygen in D.C.,’” (Politico).

Biden Administration Advances Covid Safety Rules for Workplaces

On Monday, following weeks of delay and resultant pressure from Democrats and advocates, the Labor Department sent new workplace safety rules regarding Covid to the Office of Management and Budget for review (Politico). Politico writes, “The rules are expected to require employers to supply their workers with masks, have a written plan to avert exposure in the workplace and take other precautions that could kick up complaints from businesses over costs as more states relax pandemic restrictions.”

Biden Signs Executive Order Requiring Federal Contractors Pay $15 an Hour 

President Biden signed an executive order Tuesday requiring federal contractors pay a minimum wage of $15 per hour (WSJ). According to the White House, the order will affect hundreds of thousands of people and comes into effect Jan. 30, 2022. It comes after a plan to raise the overall federal minimum wage failed to win inclusion in the Covid stimulus package.

U.S. Economy

UPS Reports Increase in Quarterly Revenue

On Tuesday, United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) reported an increase in its quarterly revenue last quarter despite supply disruptions driven in part by the pandemic among other factors (WSJ). The Wall Street Journal reports, “The package-delivery giant on Tuesday posted revenue of $22.91 billion, up 27% from a year earlier and ahead of Wall Street expectations.” UPS attributed the increase to growth on the part of small businesses.

U.S. Society

How the Pandemic Changed Where Americans Live

The Wall Street Journal writes that the pandemic has changed where Americans are living, in particular driving an exodus from cities (WSJ). The Journal writes, “Some young people are leaving cities earlier than is typical, while some older people are speeding up retirement moves. Fewer newcomers are giving cities a try, meaning the people moving out aren’t being replaced by fresh residents. Suburbs are emerging as the winners from these changes, marking the end of a decade-long growth trend for big cities.” As a result some cities are facing declining property tax revenue. Notably, much of the movement is focused in higher income neighborhoods.

Analysis & Arguments

Maraget Sullivan argues that Tucker Carlson’s portrayal of masks is particularly dangerous (WaPo).

Steven Kurutz profiles a barber whose pandemic project was turning his basement into a video store (NYT).

David Graham argues the U.S. faces not so much a vaccine hesitancy problem as a Covid denial problem (Atlantic).

 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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