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March 31, 2022 - Brief Issue 310
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
Moderna ‘Happy’ with Results from Children’s Vaccine Trial, May Not be Enough for FDA (Health & Science)
In U.S., Guidance About Second Booster Met with Indifference (Health & Science)
States Close Testing Sites But Experts Worry About Another Surge (Health & Science)
Asia Attempts to Live with the Virus (Around the World)
China’s Workers Quarantined in Facilities They Built (Around the World)
Biden Gives Speech on Covid; Announces One-Stop Shop for Covid Resources; Gets Second Booster; Pressures Congress on Funding (U.S. Government & Politics)
Biden Considering Phasing Out Use of Title 42 Border Authority (U.S Government & Politics)
21 States Sue to Block Public Transport Mask Mandate (U.S. Government & Politics)
Rental Car Supply Issues Likely to Continue (U.S. Economy)
Fewer Americans Are Wearing Masks Outside the Home (U.S. Society)
Workers’ Positive Drug Tests Hit Two-Decade High (U.S. Society)
Health & Science
There have been 80,057,322 coronavirus cases in the United States, and 978,872 people have died (Johns Hopkins). The United States has administered 560,419,082 vaccine doses, with 76.9% of all Americans having received at least one vaccine dose and 65.5% fully vaccinated. Among adults aged 18 or older 88.3% have received at least one dose, and 75.4% are fully vaccinated (U.S. CDC). 44.8% of fully vaccinated Americans have received a booster shot. Worldwide, there have been 486,990,475 cases of coronavirus, with 6,139,477 deaths.
Moderna ‘Happy’ with Results from Children’s Vaccine Trial, May Not be Enough for FDA
Moderna announced last week that in a trial, two shots of its Covid-19 vaccine reduced cases of symptomatic disease by 43.7% in children six months to two years old and by 35.7% in children two years to six years old. While those numbers are below the 50% threshold the U.S. Food and Drug Administration set for adults, Moderna said the two doses met a metric called immunobridging, meaning that they produced a strong immune response like that seen in young adults (Politico). “We believe these latest results from the KidCOVE study are good news for parents of children under 6 years of age,” Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a statement.
According to Politico, “The pharmaceutical company said that its 25 microgram dose — about a quarter of what is given to adults — produced an immune response in all children 6 years old and younger that was similar to what was seen in adults ages 18 to 25. Pfizer’s clinical trial data showed the vaccine generated an immune response in children 6 to 24 months old comparable to young adults, but not for those between 2 and under 5 years old.”
But some experts say that the data might not be enough for the FDA. Peter Hotez, a professor of pediatrics and molecular virology & microbiology at the Baylor College of Medicine said, “Given the other data that surrounds it, I don’t know that it’s a slam dunk that the FDA will move forward in terms of releasing it for emergency use,” and added, “We’re still learning about the relationship between virus neutralizing antibodies and effectiveness.” The FDA said it will hold an advisory committee meeting when Moderna completes its application.
In U.S., Guidance About Second Booster Met with Indifference
The general public and many doctors and health practitioners have greeted news of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration greenlighting a second booster dose with less fanfare than previous vaccine announcements. People 50 and older are now authorized to receive a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines at least four months after their first dose and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their guidance to reflect the FDA’s decision (WaPo). But with uptake of the first booster shot being slower than expected–and desired–experts are split on whether the FDA authorization of a second booster will make a difference. About one-third of the population over the age of 65 are fully vaccinated but haven’t gotten a booster. Only about 40% of people between the ages of 50 and 64 have gotten a booster shot.
The Washington Post writes, “Multiple doctors described a relatively newer phenomenon, where some patients say they may wait for cases to begin surging again or for a life event — such as traveling — before getting an extra dose.” “It’s not vaccine hesitancy, it’s vaccine strategy,” Janis Orlowski, the chief health care officer for the Association of American Medical Colleges, told The Health 202.
States Close Testing Sites But Experts Worry About Another Surge
Across the United States, local officials are scaling back efforts to control and track the spread of the coronavirus. In Illinois, free Covid-19 testing sites are being closed after two years of operations. Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, and Ohio are no longer releasing daily data on hospitalizations, infections, and deaths (NYT). Some states are even beginning to shutter vaccination campaigns. And while it appears that the virus is in retreat in recent weeks, with cases falling, many experts worry that the subvariant of the Omicron variant, known as BA.2, will cause another surge–but the U.S. will be ill-prepared to deal with it. Indeed, as we covered yesterday, BA.2 is already dominant across the country and infections are edging up in several regions in defiance of the national downward trend. Only about 65% of Americans have received initial shots and less than one-third have had a first booster shot.
It will be difficult to ramp up efforts like testing sites and vaccination campaigns again once they are shut down. “We have to be cautious in how we move forward,” said Dr. Ben Weston, chief health policy adviser for Milwaukee County, Wis., where he has kept vaccine clinics open. “Imagine that we’re a boat at sea and we just got off the largest tidal wave we’ve ever been on. It would be a strange time to throw out the life jackets.”
Around the World
Asia Attempts to Live with the Virus
Asian nations are trying to learn to live with the coronavirus after over two years of fighting it. South Korea is currently experiencing a huge wave of cases–the largest of any developed country to date and numbers that are three times higher per capita than previous peaks in the U.S. and U.K. And yet, health officials are considering downgrading the way Covid-19 is categorized as an infectious disease (WSJ). “South Korea could become the first country to transition to endemic,” said Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease physician and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. “They have one of the highest vaccination rates among adults, high trust in the public health system and the right tools to emerge from the pandemic.”
Singapore, once home of some of the region’s strictest measures, is now removing restrictions despite high case numbers because 92% of its total population is vaccinated. “Our fight against Covid-19 has reached a major turning point,” Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a speech last week. “We will be making a decisive move towards living with Covid-19.”
China’s Workers Quarantined in Facilities They Built
China is battling its largest outbreak of the coronavirus since the original outbreak in Wuhan, and Jilin, an industrial province in northeastern China, is at the forefront. More than 2,000 cases were detected in Jilin on Tuesday, according to China’s National Health Commission. Of those, 1,150 were symptomatic cases and those patients have been put into medical isolation. Some of those people were rural migrant workers who were constructing the makeshift hospitals that are being used to treat Covid patients (NYT). The New York Times reported that messages spreading online in China have claimed there is a lack of medical treatment and economic support for migrant workers who test positive. The Times writes: “One infected worker who posted the plea online said in a telephone interview that he had been locked up in the same hospital he had just built as a day laborer, along with dozens of other infected workers. He said he had a fever and sometimes could not get medicine while medical staff members struggled to tend to 300 patients. He said that he was not being paid for his time in quarantine and would miss the spring planting season on his farm.” At a news conference on Monday, Jilin city officials said that workers at the Covid hospital building site had been infected but that the spread of the virus had been stopped and “the workers’ rights have been effectively protected and assured.”
Bonus Read: “International Tourists Flock Back to New York, With One Big Exception,” (NYT).
U.S. Government & Politics
Biden Gives Speech on Covid; Announces One-Stop Shop for Covid Resources; Gets Second Booster; Pressures Congress on Funding
On Wednesday, President Biden announced the launch of a new website - www.covid.gov/ - which will serve as a one-stop shop for Covid-related resources (WaPo). Biden announced the site as part of a speech on Wednesday on the state of the pandemic and the United States’ response. The White House said the website will provide information on vaccines, testing, treatments and masks, and the Washington Post writes that it will also include “information on local virus spread, guidance on travel rules and restrictions, and a new tool to help Americans locate places to receive immediate antiviral treatments if they have covid.” Earlier on Wednesday, White House Chief of Staff Ronald Klain tweeted regarding the website as did the White House twitter.
Also on Wednesday, the White House announced that President Biden would receive his second booster shot, an announcement that Biden reiterated during his speech, receiving the shot once he finished speaking, as journalists asked him questions about the administration’s response to Ukraine among other issues (NYT, Politico). The announcement followed the FDA’s authorization of and the CDC’s recommendation of second booster shots for adults over 50, which we covered in yesterday’s brief. Politico writes, “Biden, 79, received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in December 2020 and the second in January 2021, both on live television. The president received the Pfizer booster in September 2021.”
Biden also used his speech to pressure Congress regarding stalled efforts to provide further funding for Covid response efforts as various parts of the government report that they have spent or are close to having spent all their allocated funds (NYT). Biden stated, “This isn’t partisan. It’s medicine.” The New York Times writes that the White House’s strategy, as presented in the speech, “depends on the availability of vaccines and therapeutics, though, and the administration says it is out of money for both. The White House has been pleading with Republicans in Congress to approve $22.5 billion in emergency aid to purchase new vaccines and therapeutics, and to reimburse doctors who care for uninsured Covid-19 patients.” Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), who is leading talks with the Democratic leadership on the issue, however, stated, “We’re looking at all the pots of money that hasn’t been spent,” adding, “And we’re going to provide some flexibility between ourselves and the Democrats on those buckets, but we’re making progress and hopefully we’ll get there soon.”
Biden Considering Phasing Out Use of Title 42 Border Authority
Politico and the New York Times report that the Biden administration is considering halting its use of Title 42 authority to deport migrants on pandemic-related public health grounds (Politico, NYT). Politico writes, “The decision is not yet final, though administration officials have suggested in private conversations with lawmakers and advocates that a phase out is their most likely path. Earlier this month, the Biden administration announced it would no longer apply Title 42 to unaccompanied migrant children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border.” According to Politico, an announcement could come on today, Thursday, and as Biden received his second booster shot, he replied to a reporter’s question on the issue of Title 42 authority by saying there would be a decision on it “soon.” We have covered the increasing pressure on the administration to cease its use of Title 42 authority in recent briefs.
21 States Sue to Block Public Transport Mask Mandate
On Tuesday, twenty-one states represented by Republican Attorneys General filed a lawsuit seeking to block the federal mandate that people wear masks on public transportation (NYT). The New York Times writes, “The lawsuit comes a few weeks after the Transportation Security Administration extended its mask requirement for airplanes and other forms of public transportation through April 18. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had recommended the extension, even though it suggested in February that most Americans could stop wearing masks.” The plaintiffs are the states of Florida, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia. On Tuesday, Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, widely rumored to be a contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, stated, “Every U.S. citizen should have the right to fly unmasked.”
U.S. Economy
Rental Car Supply Issues Likely to Continue
The Washington Post reports that the shortage of rental cars - dubbed the “rental car apocalypse” - will likely continue at least into the summer (WaPo). The Post reports that experts expect improvement but not a return to the pre-pandemic situation in the near future. The Post writes, “That is because the shortage of semiconductor chips that has held up auto manufacturing persists, leaving rental car companies to operate with lower inventory after they sold off chunks of their fleets in the early days of the pandemic. Building that stock back up has been more difficult than expected.” Greg Scott, spokesman for the American Car Rental Association, told the Post, “The supply chain problems have not resolved themselves. There are some instances where the supply of new cars has improved, but it’s not back where it needs to be and it won’t be for a long time.” The situation will pose issues for travelers, who may want to plan their rental car use early, and has increased prices. The Post reports, “Prices have increased so much that two members of Congress, Reps. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), wrote letters to the chief executives of Avis and Hertz this month demanding information about price hikes and ‘possible predatory business practices.’”
U.S. Society
Fewer Americans Are Wearing Masks Outside the Home
According to a recent poll, fewer Americans are choosing to wear masks outside their homes. This decision comes with fatigue of entering the third year of the pandemic alongside less precautious CDC guidelines. The New York Times reports that “about a third of Americans said this month that they still avoided others as much as possible, compared with over half of them just two months earlier.” The poll also inquired about nonessential travel, which was up in March compared to peak-Omicron times in January. Still, adults “60 and older were most likely to report that they took precautions more than two years into the pandemic.” Experts say going forward, vaccines will remain “one of the best ways to control the pandemic and lower caseloads.”
Workers’ Positive Drug Tests Hit Two-Decade High
The Wall Street Journal reports that American workers are testing positive for drug use at the highest rate in two decades (WSJ). The increase is driven primarily by positive marijuana tests amid growing state acceptance and decriminalization of marijuana and loosened screening at many companies in part as a result of the pandemic’s effects on the labor market. The Journal reports, “Overall, the proportion of U.S. workers who tested positive for the various drugs Quest screened for in 2021 rose to 4.6%, the highest level since 2001, according to Quest, which analyzed nearly nine million overall urine tests last year on behalf of employers. That percentage is more than 31% higher than the low of 3.5% a decade ago, in the early days of a resurgent heroin epidemic in the U.S.” The Journal notes, “Of the more than six million general workforce urine tests that Quest Diagnostics Inc., one of the country’s largest drug-testing laboratories, screened for marijuana last year, 3.9% came back positive, an increase of more than 8% from 2020, according to Quest’s annual drug-testing index.” The Journal adds, “That figure is up 50% since 2017. Since then, the number of states that legalized marijuana for recreational use grew to 18 from eight, plus the District of Columbia. Despite the increase in positivity last year, fewer companies tested their employees for THC, the substance in marijuana primarily responsible for its effects, than in recent years, said Barry Sample, Quest’s senior science consultant.”
Bonus Read: “Feeling Angry on the Road? Here’s Why,” (WSJ).
Analysis & Arguments
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