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April 4, 2022 - Brief Issue 311

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

Long Covid Could Revolutionize Medical Research (Health & Science)

Covid and Diabetes Combine in Perfect Storm for Public Health (Health & Science)

Pregnant People at Higher Risk of Breakthrough Infections, Says Study (Health & Science)

In Shanghai, Children and Parents Separated by Strict Covid Rules; Politicians Double Down (Around the World)

Global Tourism Still Struggling (Around the World)

South Korea Steers Towards Reopening (Around the World)

Senate Nearing Deal on Covid Funding (U.S. Government & Politics)

New York Governor Hochul Says State Providing 2nd Boosters for Old and Those Vaccinated with J&J (U.S. Government & Politics)

Staten Island Amazon Warehouse Unionizes - First in the Nation (U.S. Economy)

Companies Relax Covid Restrictions (U.S. Society)

Broadway Macbeth Performances Pause as Star Daniel Craig Tests Positive (U.S. Society)

Health & Science

There have been 80,155,446 coronavirus cases in the United States, and 982,566 people have died (Johns Hopkins). The United States has administered 562,085,242 vaccine doses, with 77% of all Americans having received at least one vaccine dose and 65.6% fully vaccinated. Among adults aged 18 or older 88.4% have received at least one dose, and 75.5% are fully vaccinated (U.S. CDC). 45% of fully vaccinated Americans have received a booster shot. Worldwide, there have been 491,499,802 cases of coronavirus, with 6,153,354 deaths.

Long Covid Could Revolutionize Medical Research

Long Covid, the term given to a broad array of symptoms that have been affecting people following an infection with the coronavirus, has baffled scientists and doctors who have tried to understand why symptoms persist months after infection. As countries shift strategies and people learn to live with the virus, the number of patients who suffer from long covid will only increase. So far, scientists and doctors have been working without a foundational understanding of long covid: there were no specialists or experts in the field. 

Instead, patients have been leading the charge to find information and conduct research, often in real time by logging their symptoms online and sharing results with health professionals. Harlan Krumholz, a cardiologist at Yale, explained, “The people who had the wisdom [about long covid] were the people experiencing it.” And that, Krumholz said, “opened a lot of people’s eyes to a different way of doing research” (WaPo). 

Patient advocacy groups, like Survivor Corps and the Patient-Led Research Collaborative for Long Covid, among others, are working to link patients to studies so doctors can collect and analyze data in much less time than it has taken historically. Some experts believe that the patient-centered research that is happening at warp speed in the long covid space isn’t just a trend and that it will transform the way medical research is conducted from here on out. 

Covid and Diabetes Combine in Perfect Storm for Public Health

Around 30-40% of all coronavirus deaths in the United States have occurred among people with diabetes, according to recent studies, and public health experts hope that the sobering statistic will force policymakers to finally take on the diabetes crisis. Diabetes impairs the immune system but it can also be accompanied by high blood pressure, obesity, and other medical conditions known to worsen a coronavirus infection. 

Diabetes patients who were hospitalized with Covid-19 spent more time in the ICU, were more likely to be intubated, and were less likely to survive the infection, according to several studies done so far. One study found that 20% of hospitalized Covid-19 patients with diabetes died within one month of admission. In the U.S., diabetes affects 34 million Americans–13% of all adults–but receives less funding than research for other conditions, like cancer, Alzheimers, or heart disease. Still, “it’s hard to overstate just how devastating the pandemic has been for Americans with diabetes,” said Dr. Giuseppina Imperatore, who oversees diabetes prevention and treatment at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Diabetes also disproportionately affects Latino and Black Americans, much like the pandemic has, highlighting systemic failures in public health. It’s not that diabetes itself makes Covid inherently worse but rather uncontrolled diabetes, which is really a proxy for other markers of disadvantage,” said Nadia Islam, a medical sociologist at NYU Langone Health (NYT). 

Pregnant People at Higher Risk of Breakthrough Infections, Says Study

Pregnant people who are vaccinated against the coronavirus are almost twice as likely to still get Covid-19 as those who are not pregnant, according to a new study based on medical records of nearly 14 million U.S. patients. Researchers at Epic, a Wisconsin company that maintains electronic patient records for nearly 1,000 hospitals and more than 20,000 clinics across the country, found that pregnant people who are vaccinated have the greatest risk of developing Covid among a dozen medical states, including being an organ transplant recipient and having cancer (WaPo). “If you are fully vaccinated, that’s magnificent,” said a lead author of the study, David R. Little, a physician who is a researcher at Epic, “But if you are fully vaccinated and become pregnant, you remain at higher risk of acquiring covid.” 

Bonus Read: “A New Wave of Covid-19 Is Coming. Here’s How to Prepare” (NYT).

Around the World

In Shanghai, Children and Parents Separated by Strict Covid Rules; Politicians Double Down

Video footage spreading on China’s internet over the weekend showed toddlers and infants in a medical facility in Shanghai crying as they were crowded three or four to metal-barred beds after being separated from their parents. The footage, reportedly from a facility in Shanghai’s southwestern Jinshan district that is designated for children infected with Covid-19, caused outrage among the public and drew criticism about controls in place to combat the spread of infection. The Wall Street Journal writes, “On Saturday, Zeng Qun, deputy head of the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau, said at a press conference that some children have been temporarily separated from parents who have been infected or barred from returning home due to lockdowns. Mr. Zeng called this a ‘gut-wrenching problem’ and urged authorities to help address the situation swiftly.” 

But during a visit to Shanghai on Saturday, a Chinese vice premier, Sun Chunlan, doubled down on the country’s approach to Covid. She urged improvement in the city’s coronavirus testing capacities and the expansion of makeshift hospitals and isolation centers to quarantine those infected with the virus, according to Chinese state media on Sunday (NYT). “It is an arduous task and huge challenge to combat the Omicron variant while maintaining the normal operation of core functions in a megacity,” she said. Sun’s comments dashed hopes of the city relaxing covid policies any time soon, even as residents struggle to obtain medical care and basic necessities and isolation centers are overwhelmed by patients. 

Global Tourism Still Struggling

After two years of pandemic-related losses, the global tourism industry continues to struggle due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and ongoing hostilities there and China’s “zero covid” strategy. Before the pandemic, China accounted for 17% of the world’s international tourism expenditure, but tourist hotspots don’t expect to see the return of Chinese visitors this year. Turkey, Cyprus, and Egypt were favorite destinations for Russian middle-class tourists but those countries expect little business from Russia this year. Foreign travelers are also more cautious about traveling to Europe: air tickets for international flights to Europe declined 7% in the two weeks ending on March 9 compared to the two weeks prior, according to travel consulting firm ForwardKeys (WSJ). 

South Korea Steers Towards Reopening

As South Korea’s latest Omicron-driven wave of coronavirus infections seems to retreat, the country began easing some of its social distancing rules starting today (NYT). Businesses will now be allowed to operate until midnight and people can gather in groups of up to 10. The health ministry said 87% of the population is fully vaccinated and children ages 5 to 11 can begin getting vaccinated this week. “If the decline continues for the next two weeks and the medical system is stable in handling critically ill patients, we will further adjust the social distancing rules,” said Kwon Deok-cheol, the minister of health and welfare, at a live briefing on Friday. 

U.S. Government & Politics

Senate Nearing Deal on Covid Funding

Politico reports that key senators are nearing a deal to provide a new tranche of funding for Covid response efforts (Politico). Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told Politico, “We’re close. A few more things have got to be ironed out,” adding, “We’re trying to get global stuff in there, We’re working hard on it. That’s one of the things we’re trying to get done.” The agreement will likely be for a funding package of about $10 billion. Politico writes, “The sum — the result of days of negotiations between senior senators of both parties — would leave out a major ask from the White House. It does not include $5 billion in global vaccine efforts, drawing sharp complaints from many Democrats about the nation’s preparedness to fight the pandemic abroad. Lawmakers are now talking about a figure closer to $1 billion in vaccine aid.” Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) stated, “In general, the two parties see where we are on Covid and spending and offsets, very differently,” adding, “I appreciate that Sen. Romney came out and said he wants some way to increase the international [funding]. Because to have zero international would be a huge mistake in the middle of a global humanitarian crisis.” Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) stated, “They’re pretty close to working out a deal on $10 [billion,” adding, “$10 billion is a lot of money.”

New York Governor Hochul Says State Providing 2nd Boosters for Old and Those Vaccinated with J&J

On Saturday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that New York would provide second boosters to New Yorkers over the age of 50 as well as New Yorkers who were vaccinated with the J&J vaccine (NYT). Hochul stated, “Getting vaccinated and staying up-to-date with all recommended doses is the most effective way to prevent severe illness and hospitalization, and move safely forward through this pandemic.” The New York Times writes, “New Yorkers can schedule an appointment for a free booster shot at one of more than a dozen state-run mass vaccination sites, including Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn; the Queensbury Aviation Mall-Sears in Queensbury; State Fair Art and Home Center in Syracuse; and the University at Buffalo South Campus at Harriman Hall in Buffalo. Booster shots are a dose of an mRNA vaccine — either the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna.”

U.S. Economy

Staten Island Amazon Warehouse Unionizes - First in the Nation

On Friday, vote totals showed that workers at an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island voted in favor of unionizing, making it the first Amazon warehouse in the nation to do so (WSJ). The unionization effort was led by an independent mobilization separate from major unions, organized by Chris Smalls, who made news when he was fired by Amazon after protesting working conditions during the pandemic. Smalls contended that he was fired in retaliation for his organizing while Amazon contended that he was fired for violating Covid protocols. The firing and the Staten Island warehouse have long been at the center of early mobilization around working conditions during the pandemic at Amazon facilities. The Journal writes that Amazon “said it was disappointed with the results of the Staten Island vote and is exploring whether to file objections against the National Labor Relations Board, which conducted the election. Amazon and some business-advocacy groups have suggested the NLRB may have tried to sway worker sentiment against the company through recent legal complaints related to labor incidents at the company. The NLRB has said it is independent and acts to uphold labor law.” Workers at the warehouse dubbed JFK8 will now move to a likely long process of negotiating a contract while labor organizers are expressing hope that the vote will inspire similar results in other warehouses including the re-vote at an Amazon facility in Alabama. 

U.S. Society

Bonus Read: “What the student loan payment pause has meant to Black women,” (WaPo).

Companies Relax Covid Restrictions

As states across the nation have relaxed their mask mandates and other Covid restrictions, major private companies are also relaxing their rules (WSJ). The Wall Street Journal writes, “As office occupancy nears pandemic-era highs in many U.S. cities, a number of employers have communicated new, looser safety protocols to workers. Some companies made masks optional in the office for all workers, while others dropped testing requirements for the unvaccinated or simplified the daily return-to-office questionnaires.” Among the companies loosening their rules is JPMorgan Chase & Co., which told employees that masking would be voluntary for all employees regardless of vaccination status in mid-March. Beginning today, April 4, the company will also “discontinue other measures such as mandatory testing for the unvaccinated or asking employees to report Covid-19 infections. It added that it would discontinue its policy of hiring only vaccinated individuals,” the Journal writes.

JPMorgan is not alone. The Journal notes, “Boeing Corp., suspended vaccine requirements for U.S. employees late last year in response to legal rulings on vaccine mandates. Others have allowed some unvaccinated workers to return, while maintaining broader vaccine policies. United Airlines Holdings Inc. in recent weeks said it would allow back unvaccinated employees who got religious or medical exemptions from the company’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate.” Similarly, Verizon loosened its mask requirement in March.

Broadway Macbeth Performances Pause as Star Daniel Craig Tests Positive

On Saturday, Daniel Craig, the actor known most recently for portraying James Bond who is currently starring as the titular character in Broadway’s Macbeth, tested positive for Covid (NYT). As a result, performances of Macbeth have paused. The New York Times writes, “The show, which just began previews on Tuesday and is scheduled to open April 28, had already canceled Friday night’s performance, citing another positive coronavirus test among cast members, when on Saturday it canceled both the matinee and an evening performance, citing Mr. Craig’s positive test. Then, late Saturday night, the production said that it was canceling all performances until April 8 ‘due to the detection of a limited number of positive covid test results within the company.’” Broadway actors are required to be fully vaccinated, and attendees are currently required to mask and be fully vaccinated - a rule that is currently set to last through the end of the month.

Bonus Read: “The Latest Covid Misinformation Star Says He Invented the Vaccines,” (NYT).

Analysis & Arguments

Dhruv Khullar writes on the pandemic’s impact so far and what comes next (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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