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November 9, 2021 - Brief Issue 260
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 Help Scientists Understand Chronic Fatigue (Health & Science)
Pfizer-BioNTech Expected to File for Authorization of Boosters (Health & Science)
Singapore Won’t Cover Covid Costs for Unvaccinated (Around the World)
German Economy Lagging Behind Rest of Europe (Around the World)
Russians Return to Work, Covid Deaths Remain High (Around the World)
Thousands Protest Covid Measures in New Zealand (Around the World)
Florida Governor DeSantis Proposes Slate of Bills to Resist Federal Vaccine Mandate (U.S. Government & Politics)
Big Bird, Big Vaccination Kerfuffle (U.S. Government & Politics)
Winter Heating Bills May Be Next Front for Inflation (U.S. Economy)
Survey: Coronavirus Misinformation is Widespread (U.S. Society)
A School District Considers Post-Pandemic Virtual Schooling (U.S. Society)
Health & Science
There have been 46,614,298 coronavirus cases in the United States, and 755,724 people have died (Johns Hopkins). The United States has administered 432,111,860 vaccine doses, with 67.5% of all Americans having received at least one vaccine dose and 58.4% fully vaccinated. Among adults aged 18 or older 80.7% have received at least one dose, and 70.1% are fully vaccinated (U.S. CDC). 12.8% of fully vaccinated Americans have received a booster shot. Worldwide, there have been 250,511,488 cases of coronavirus, with 5,059,488 deaths.
Long Covid Could Help Scientists Understand Chronic Fatigue
The way people recover from viral infections is not well understood, but scientists hope that the funding opportunities and public awareness around “long covid” will help them understand other chronic diseases, too. “How many people have long-term nagging or even disabling symptoms after other viral illnesses, such as flu?” asked Harlan M. Krumholz, the Harold H. Hines Jr. professor of medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine (WaPo). “We don’t have a good handle on that.” A recent study found that as many as one-third of Covid survivors reported symptoms ranging from breathing problems to headaches and fatigue three to six months after diagnosis. Health experts worry that even as gains are made in treatment options for Covid-19, long haul Covid will continue to create an ongoing public health crisis. The National Institutes of Health earlier this year launched a $1.15 billion initiative to study long Covid but NIH Director Francis S. Collins said the $1.15 billion investment in research would go beyond long Covid to “improve our understanding of other chronic post-viral syndromes and autoimmune diseases, as well as other diseases with similar symptoms.”
Pfizer-BioNTech Expected to File for Authorization of Boosters
Pfizer and German partner BioNTech are expected to seek authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for their coronavirus vaccine booster shot for anyone 18 and older. Three officials familiar with the situation told the Washington Post that the request could be filed as soon as this week and is likely to win backing from the FDA. If approved, it would mean that the Biden administration’s goal of providing booster shots for all adults, announced in late August, could be fulfilled. Under the current guidelines, people are eligible for Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech boosters if they are over 65 or at high risk because of underlying medical conditions or high higher risk of exposure because of working conditions.
Around the World
Singapore Won’t Cover Covid Costs for Unvaccinated
On Monday Singapore’s health ministry said that it would no longer cover the costs of medical care for Covid-19 in patients who are eligible to get vaccinated but chose not to (NYT). “We will begin charging Covid-19 patients who are unvaccinated by choice,” starting Dec. 8, the ministry said in a statement on Monday. Those who are not eligible to be vaccinated and children under 12 are exempt from the rule. The ministry said 134 of 280 intensive care beds for Covid patients are occupied as the number of severe cases, mainly among the unvaccinated, remains high.
German Economy Lagging Behind Rest of Europe
Germany’s economy was once the driver of growth across the European continent, but as the rest of Europe emerges from the pandemic, Germany is lagging behind its neighbors for the first time since the late 1990s and early 2000s. Supply chain issues and labor shortages are contributing to problems with German manufacturing and demand for German exports has decreased. The Wall Street Journal writes, “German industrial output in August was about 9% below its 2015 level, compared with a 2% increase for the eurozone as a whole, according to the European Union’s statistics agency. In Italy, whose manufacturers are closely tied with Germany’s, industrial output rose about 5% over the six-year period. The International Monetary Fund recently lowered its forecast for German economic growth in 2021 to 3.1%, from 3.6%. It expects Germany’s economy to recover roughly in line with France and the U.K. through 2022, then fall behind starting in 2023.”
Russians Return to Work, Covid Deaths Remain High
On Monday Russians returned to work following a mandated, nine-day break but authorities were unsure whether the measure helped combat a surge in coronavirus infections and deaths. Daily death tolls remained high throughout the non-working period. “Too early to draw a conclusion. It will be clear in about a week,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters (AP). Russia’s coronavirus task force reported 39,400 new infections and 1,190 deaths on Monday.
Thousands Protest Covid Measures in New Zealand
On Tuesday thousands of people gathered outside the country’s parliament building to protest against Covid-19 vaccine mandates and government lockdowns. Security around the parliament building, known as the Beehive, was beefed up and all but two entrances were closed off. The demonstration was peaceful but most of the protestors were unmasked and held signs decrying what they saw as the government’s attempt to limit their freedom. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said last month that teachers and workers in the health and disability sectors would have to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. She is traveling to Auckland tomorrow where lockdown measures that were put in place nearly three months ago will finally ease (Reuters).
U.S. Government & Politics
Florida Governor DeSantis Proposes Slate of Bills to Resist Federal Vaccine Mandate
On Monday, Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis announced four bills aimed at blocking the federal government’s ability to mandate vaccinations in the state (Politico). Politico writes that the bills which will be considered during a special legislative session on November 15th “would create several exemptions that employees can use to opt out of the federally enforced employer mandates, including an expected pregnancy, religious concerns and health safety concerns backed with a doctor’s note. They would also create an exemption for people who were already infected with Covid-19 and create an opt-out for employees who promise to wear employer-provided protective gear such as face masks.” The bills also include a ban on local vaccine mandates and strengthen a rule banning school mask mandates without parental permission. Politico writes, “Businesses that refuse to follow the state law would be subject to an investigation by state Attorney General Ashley Moody. Employers found in violation of the law could face a fine of up to $50,000.”
Big Bird, Big Vaccination Kerfuffle
Over the weekend Sesame Street’s Big Bird announced he was vaccinated, drawing criticism from Republicans (NPR, WaPo). The Twitter account for the big yellow Muppet, wrote on Saturday, “I got the COVID-19 vaccine today! My wing is feeling a little sore, but it'll give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others healthy.” The tweet drew criticism from Republicans including Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who tweeted, “Big Bird coming over to vaccinate your kids” with a scary gif of Big Bird breaking down a door. Cruz also described the tweet as “government propaganda.” The criticism continued criticism aimed at Dr. Anthony Fauci’s appearance on Sesame Street to promote vaccination which drew similar complaints. A congressional candidate in Florida, tweeted, “Big Bird & Elmo are at least a step UP from Fauci, but using them to push the drug is just as reprehensible nonetheless.” As the Washington Post and various Twitter users noted, it is not the first time Sesame Street has provided information on the coronavirus or promoted vaccination nor is it the first time Big Bird has received a vaccine.
U.S. Economy
Winter Heating Bills May Be Next Front for Inflation
The New York Times reports that winter heating bills may be the next site of inflation (NYT). The Times writes, “With consumers already dealing with the fastest price increases in decades, another unwelcome uptick is on the horizon: a widely expected increase in winter heating bills. After plunging during the pandemic as the global economy slowed, energy prices have roared upward. Natural gas, used to heat almost half of U.S. households, has almost doubled in price since this time last year. The price of crude oil — which deeply affects the 10 percent of households that rely on heating oil and propane during the winter — has soared by similarly eye-popping levels.” Nina Fahy, an analyst for the research consultancy Energy Aspects told the Times that consumers will likely see a “marked increase” in prices. Rising heating prices will likely in turn become tied to ongoing debates over the extent of inflation amid the pandemic and whether it reflects sustained inflationary pressures or more limited disruptions that will resolve with time. The Times explains, “The increase in home heating costs is sure to hover over economic debates in Washington about inflation. White House allies, fighting to push through the president’s sweeping agenda, assert that the current surge in consumer prices mostly reflects pandemic disruptions that will dissipate next year. Federal Reserve officials, who have been trying to put in place a policy framework less keenly sensitive to inflation, will be pushed to gauge whether that contention is well founded.”
Bonus Read: “Top Fed Official Says Continued High Inflation Would Be Problematic for Central Bank,” (WSJ).
U.S. Society
Survey: Coronavirus Misinformation is Widespread
A survey published by the Kaiser Family Foundation on Monday reports that misinformation regarding the coronavirus is widespread (WaPo). The Washington Post writes, “About 78 percent of adults said they had heard at least one out of eight different false statements about the coronavirus that they believed to be true or were unsure about being true, according to the findings. A third of adults believed or were uncertain about at least four false statements. False statements included coronavirus numbers being over exaggerated by health officials and vaccines being laced with microchips.” The survey also found that Republicans and the unvaccinated were more likely to believe in misinformation. There was also a correlation based on information sources. The Post writes, “The number of adults who held about four misconceptions was small — between 11 and 16 percent — if they trusted coronavirus information from news outlets such as CNN, NPR or MSNBC, researchers said. However, the share of adults who believed in at least four misconceptions about the coronavirus was larger if they trusted information from One America News, Fox News and Newsmax.” The survey, according to its methodology “was conducted October 14-24, 2021, among a nationally representative random digit dial telephone sample of 1,519 adults ages 18 and older (including interviews from 309 Hispanic adults and 305 non-Hispanic Black adults), living in the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii.”
A School District Considers Post-Pandemic Virtual Schooling
The Washington Post reports that after a year of remote, virtual schooling due to the pandemic, some school districts are considering maintaining virtual schooling options even once the pandemic goes away (WaPo). For example, Fairfield County, South Carolina switched to virtual schooling as a result of the pandemic and now, according to the Post, has “decided to open a full-time virtual school, one designed to outlast the pandemic.” The Post writes that virtual schooling was an “absolute hit” with some Fairfield families. J.R. Green, Fairfield County school superintendent, told the Post, “This will be the new normal.” Fairfield County is not alone in continuing virtual schooling this year, though the Post notes it is less clear how many schools will continue if the pandemic wanes. The Post writes, “A Rand Corporation survey conducted in June found 26 percent of districts said they would run a virtual school this year, compared with just 3 percent before the pandemic. The school systems that served primarily families of color — Fairfield County itself is around 90 percent Black — reported particularly high demand from parents for a virtual option,” but adds “Research before the pandemic often showed poorer outcomes for students in virtual schools versus brick-and-mortar ones. Only 3 percent of parents, in another Rand survey conducted in July, said they would send their youngest school-age child to full-time virtual school if the pandemic were over.”
Analysis & Arguments
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