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May 27, 2021 - Brief Issue 205

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

The Coronavirus Daily Brief will be on hiatus May 31 and June 1 for Memorial Day.

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Top Headlines

Covid-19 Immunity Could Last for Years, Though Vaccination Remains Key (Health & Science)

German Team Proposes Explanation For Rare Vaccine-Related Blood Clots (Health & Science)

WHO Says Covid-19 Cases Are Falling Globally, But the Trend Doesn’t Hold Everywhere (Health & Science)

With Memorial Day Approaching, CDC Touts the Benefits of Vaccination (Health & Science)

Global Conflict Stopped Efforts to Control Pandemic in 2020, Says U.N. (Around the World)

Belgium Halts J&J Shots (Around the World)

Former Aide to PM Says UK Government’s Ineptitude Led to Thousands of Deaths (Around the World)

Taiwan Accuses China of Interfering with Vaccine Deals (Around the World)

Biden Urges Intelligence Officials to Press Forward in Pandemic-Origins Probe (U.S. Government & Politics)

Weekly Jobless Claims Hit New Pandemic Low (U.S. Economy)

Network and Law Firm Push Challenges to Vaccine Mandates (U.S. Society)

Health & Science

There have been 33,191,141 coronavirus cases in the United States, and 591,957 people have died (Johns Hopkins). The United States has administered 289,212,304 vaccine doses, with 49.7% of Americans having received their first vaccine dose and 39.7% fully vaccinated (U.S. CDC). Worldwide, there have been 168,462,786 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 3,499,893 deaths.

Covid-19 Immunity Could Last for Years, Though Vaccination Remains Key

Two recent studies of patients previously infected with Covid-19 suggest that immunity to the virus may last years, especially following vaccination (NYT). Immunity might be so enduring that individuals who have been both naturally infected and vaccinated won’t need booster shots. The first study, led by Ali Ellebedy of Washington University in St. Louis and published in Nature, found that although blood levels of antibodies declined in the months following infection, coronavirus-specific memory B cells – long-lasting immune cells that help the body respond to a threat it’s seen before – persisted in the bone marrow of 15 out of 19 patients seven months after infection. The levels of these memory B cells stayed stable over time. Memory B cells may contribute to decades of lasting immunity, past research has suggested; yet Ellebedy emphasized that because not all the patients had memory of the virus in their bone marrow, vaccination is critical, even after previous infection. The second study, published in BioRxiv, found that between six months and a year after infection, memory B cells continued to evolve, helping the body to produce neutralizing antibodies against a wider range of coronavirus variants. While this points to a long-lasting and robust immune response, the blood of former Covid-19 patients who weren’t vaccinated showed far less neutralizing potential against all viral variants, again demonstrating the importance of vaccination. “People who were infected and get vaccinated really have a terrific response, a terrific set of antibodies, because they continue to evolve their antibodies,” said the study’s leader, Dr. Michel Nussenzweig of Rockefeller University in New York. “I expect that they will last for a long time.”

German Team Proposes Explanation For Rare Vaccine-Related Blood Clots

In a new preprint, a German research team led by professor Rolf Marschalek of Goethe University Frankfurt laid out a hypothesis explaining the rare blood clotting reaction reported in recipients of the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines (Financial Times). Unlike mRNA vaccines, these coronavirus shots use adenovirus vectors to send the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein into the nuclei of the body’s cells. According to Marschalek’s theory, some parts of the injected spike protein splice into smaller, mutant chunks once inside the nucleus. These mutant proteins aren’t able to bind to the cell membrane and initiate an immune response, so instead, they leave the cell and bind to blood-tissue barrier cells in the body – causing severe clotting reactions, notably clots in the brain. The researchers said this is rare, occurring in about 1 in every 100,000 people. Though the rollouts of the AstraZeneca and J&J shots have been hampered by reports of blood clots, Marschalek said vaccine developers can engineer their way around the splicing problem. The J&J shot uses a protein already less likely to splice than AstraZeneca’s – but in conversation with Marschalek, the company is trying to modify its protein even further. Some scientists warn that the splicing theory needs further supporting evidence before it’s accepted as the mechanism behind vaccine-induced clotting events. 

WHO Says Covid-19 Cases Are Falling Globally, But the Trend Doesn’t Hold Everywhere

The World Health Organization reported Wednesday that global Covid-19 cases fell 14% over the past week, although this decrease wasn’t evenly distributed worldwide (WaPo). Europe saw the biggest drop in cases, at 25%, and cases also fell in Southeast Asia, despite that region making up almost half of the world’s 4.1 million Covid-19 cases. The Philippines, Japan, and Malaysia experienced the largest increases in cases. The WHO cautioned that B.1.617, a highly contagious variant first found in India, is present in at least 53 territories.

With Memorial Day Approaching, CDC Touts the Benefits of Vaccination

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky encouraged vaccinated Americans to enjoy social events over Memorial Day weekend, but urged unvaccinated people to remain cautious and get the shot as soon as possible (WaPo, NYT). “This past weekend, I got to [spend] time outside with my family, and I was encouraged to see so many others outside and to see so many of their smiles,” Walensky said Tuesday. “All of this is possible because vaccinations are going up and cases and risk of community transmission across the country are going down.” Cases are falling across the U.S., with about half of eligible Americans at least partially vaccinated, though vaccination rates are flagging as the country approaches Biden’s July 4th deadline for 70% vaccination among American adults. Health experts say the U.S.’ vaccination campaign still deserves energy and attention: "The work ahead of us Is going to be really challenging because while the people who are fully vaccinated are well protected, we still have to keep on convincing individuals who are not yet vaccinated that they are not safe," said CNN medical analyst Leana Wen (CNN). 

Bonus Read: “Why a Grand Plan to Vaccinate the World Against Covid Unraveled,” (WSJ). 

Around the World

Global Conflict Stopped Efforts to Control Pandemic in 2020, Says U.N.

The coronavirus pandemic has hindered and sometimes halted completely humanitarian operations in conflict-affected areas where hostilities made it difficult to control the spread of the virus and offer care for those infected, according to the United Nations’ top official. On Tuesday, Mark Lowcock, the U.N.’s humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, said at a virtual meeting of the Security Council that the organization’s call for a global cease fire was heeded in some areas but that many new conflicts broke out (WaPo). “In many countries, conflict has made it more difficult to control the spread of the virus and care for infected people,” Lowcock said. He cited attacks against medical facilities and health-care workers and said that the pandemic added new obstacles to aid delivery, “with flight suspensions, border closures, quarantine measures and lockdowns.” Lowcock said that 182 health workers were killed in attacks in 22 countries last year due to conflict, including in Burkina Faso, Congo, Somalia, and Syria. Just this month, the military conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza resulted in damage to health-care infrastructure and Gaza’s only coronavirus testing lab. 

Europe

Belgium Halts J&J Shots

On Wednesday Belgium said it was suspending vaccinations using Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine for people under the age of 41 after one person died in Europe from severe side-effects (Reuters). "The Inter-ministerial conference has decided to temporarily administer Janssen's vaccine to the general population from the age of 41 years, pending a more detailed benefit-risk analysis by the EMA (European Medicines Agency)," Belgium's health minister and seven regional counterparts said in a statement. The “first fatal report” was in a 37-year-old woman in Belgium who suffered from a blood clot with low platelets, said the EMA, the EU’s medicines regulator. The EMA said more than 1.34 million J&J doses had been administered in the EU and about 40,000 administered in Belgium. 

Former Aide to PM Says UK Government’s Ineptitude Led to Thousands of Deaths

During seven hours of testimony to a parliamentary committee meeting on Wednesday, Dominic Cummings, a former aide to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, told lawmakers that Johnson’s government lacked any competent plan for dealing with the pandemic in early 2020. Dominic Cummings told lawmakers Johnson was like a shopping cart that could not be guided, and that it was "crackers" that someone like him should be prime minister (Reuters). "Everybody was screaming, on quarantine - 'Have a policy, and set it out clearly and stick to it!'," Cummings said. "But nobody could find a way around the problem of the prime minister - just like a shopping trolley, smashing around from one side of the aisle to the other." Cummings’ testimony gave insight into the workings of the government as they dealt with the virus at the beginning of the pandemic and provided lawmakers with a first-hand account of Johnson’s actions as they review and investigate the government’s handling of the crisis. "When the public needed us most, the government failed," Cummings said. "Tens of thousands of people died who didn't need to die." The Prime Minister did not directly address the claims of Cummings but did say at a weekly question-and-answer session in parliament that nobody could credibly accuse him or his government of complacency, saying “we have worked flat out to minimize loss of life” (Guardian). 

Asia

Taiwan Accuses China of Interfering with Vaccine Deals

Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, accused China of interfering in its quest to secure Covid-19 vaccines as the island continues to fight hundreds of daily new cases. Taiwan had made successful deals with AstraZeneca and Moderna and was in discussions with Germany’s BioNTech for the Pfizer vaccine. “We had almost completed the contract signing with the German manufacturer at one point, but it has been delayed till now because China has interfered,” Tsai told a party meeting on Wednesday, in what the Guardian writes were “the most explicit comments to date, after months of suggestions that Beijing had been getting in the way of Taiwan’s procurement process.” Taiwan has a longstanding policy of not buying Chinese-made vaccines or other biological products, though the law allows the government to exempt some Chinese products as long as they do not negatively affect domestic industries. “Taiwan access to vaccines continues to be slowed down by Chinese interference, while they insist we buy Chinese-made ones,” said Taiwan’s presidential spokesperson, Kolas Yotaka. “If you really want to help, please don’t stand in the doorway, don’t block up the hall.” Beijing denies obstructing Taiwan’s deal with BioNTech. 

U.S. Government & Politics

Biden Urges Intelligence Officials to Press Forward in Pandemic-Origins Probe

After a U.S. intelligence report fueled interest in the lab-leak theory – a hypothesis that the novel coronavirus escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China in late 2019 – President Biden called for U.S. intelligence officials to “redouble their efforts” toward investigating the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic (WSJ, WaPo, NYT). Biden said the U.S. intelligence community, referred to as the IC, is looking into whether the virus emerged through animal-human transmission or through an accidental lab leak. “While two elements in the IC lean toward the former scenario and one leans more toward the latter – each with low or moderate confidence – the majority of elements do not believe there is sufficient information to assess one to be more likely than the other,” he said. China, having previously accused the U.S. of using the lab leak theory to direct attention away from its flawed pandemic response, said at a WHO meeting Tuesday that it had already done its part investigating the origins of the pandemic. Biden urged China to “participate in a full, transparent, evidence-based international investigation and to provide access to all relevant data and evidence.” Meanwhile support is growing among legislators including some Democrats for a Congressional probe into the issue (Politico).

Pharmaceutical Industry Pressures United States, Other Countries Against Waiving Patent Protections

In the wake of the Biden administration’s decision to waive patent protections for Covid vaccines in light of the catastrophic global case numbers, pharmaceutical companies are pressuring the United States and other countries to oppose such waivers (WSJ). The Wall Street Journal reports, “In the two weeks since the Biden administration’s move, trade groups such as the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations have sought to bolster the opposition of other developed countries adverse to a temporary waiver. The groups are telling developed countries that waivers would further strain the world’s limited supply of raw materials for vaccines, the people familiar with the lobbying said.” Pfizer, manufacturer of one of the most successful vaccines, sent a letter to Australian legislators calling waivers, “a distraction from the real solutions to improve vaccine access.” Vaccine makers are also arguing that they plan to ramp up production, suggesting that such moves will moot the need for waivers.

U.S. Economy

Weekly Jobless Claims Hit New Pandemic Low

Data on jobless claims shows that the number of claims hit its lowest point since the pandemic began last week with 444,000 claims (WSJ). The Wall Street Journal reports, “Initial unemployment claims through regular state programs dropped to 444,000 last week, marking a new low level since the pandemic hit in mid-March 2020. The number of people claiming benefits through state and pandemic-related programs also declined in the week ended May 1 to a pandemic low of 16 million people from 16.9 million a week earlier, the Labor Department said on Thursday.”

Bonus Read: “Stocks Edge Up as Worries Around Inflation Abate,” (WSJ).

U.S. Society

Network and Law Firm Push Challenges to Vaccine Mandates

Across the country, plaintiffs are mounting challenges to vaccine mandates, and many of the challenges are being pursued with support from the legal firm Siri & Glimstad and the Informed Consent Action Network, which has helped connect plaintiffs with the firm (WaPo). The Washington Post reports, “Attorneys from Siri & Glimstad — a New York firm that has done millions of dollars of legal work for one of the nation’s foremost anti-vaccination groups — are co-counsel in a case against the Durham County Sheriff’s Office. They’ve sent warning letters to officials in Rock County, Wis., as well as to the president of Rutgers University and other schools. The legal salvos show that a groundswell against compulsory immunization is being coordinated, at least in part, from a law office on Park Avenue in midtown Manhattan.” The Informed Consent Action Network is run by former daytime television producer Del Bigtree. The Post reports, “Even before the pandemic, legal services were core to these advocacy efforts. The nearly $1.3 million paid by ICAN to Siri & Glimstad in 2019 — the most recent year for which a tax filing is publicly available — was the nonprofit’s single largest reported expenditure.”

Bonus Read: “Positive Marijuana Tests Are Up Among U.S. Workers,” (WSJ).

Analysis & Arguments

Tala Schlossberg and Lindsay Crouse write that people shouldn’t embrace diet fads after the pandemic (NYT).

Dhruv Khullar writes on what lies ahead as the U.S. reopens (New Yorker).

 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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