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March 7, 2022 - Brief Issue 295

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

Medicine to Protect Immunocompromised Going Unused (Health & Science)

South Korea Begins Early Voting for Presidential Election (Around the World)

Taiwan Eases Restrictions (Around the World)

Spain Removes More Quarantine Requirements (Around the World)

“People’s Convoy” Reaches D.C., Struggles Due to Standard Traffic (U.S. Government & Politics)

Democrats Turn Attention to Governors’ Races (U.S. Government & Politics)

Grassroots Groups Complain that NIH Didn’t Pay Them Properly (U.S. Government & Politics)

Job Growth Shows Signs of a Post-Pandemic Economic Pivot, But Ukraine and Oil Prices Cause Worry (U.S. Economy)

Restaurants Debate Mask Policy as Covid Cases Fall (U.S. Society)

Seattle Rattled by Surging Number of Shootings (U.S. Society)

Surveys Show Medical Debt a Major Issue During Pandemic (U.S. Society)

Health & Science

There have been 79,271,466 coronavirus cases in the United States, and 958,621 people have died (Johns Hopkins). The United States has administered 555,112,353 vaccine doses, with 76.5% of all Americans having received at least one vaccine dose and 65.1% fully vaccinated. Among adults aged 18 or older 88% have received at least one dose, and 75.1% are fully vaccinated (U.S. CDC). 44% of fully vaccinated Americans have received a booster shot. Worldwide, there have been 446,464,877 cases of coronavirus, with 6,000,864 deaths.

Medicine to Protect Immunocompromised Going Unused

Evusheld, a drug developed by AstraZeneca, appears to offer long-lasting protection for immunocompromised people who have a weakened response to the coronavirus vaccine, but doses are being left unused. Because it is authorized only for emergency use, the federal government is distributing the doses. The Biden administration purchased 1.7 million doses, enough to treat 850,000 people, and had 650,000 doses ready for distribution this past week. But only 370,000 doses have been ordered by states and fewer than a quarter of those ordered have been used (NYT). The reasons seem to be varied: some patients and doctors don’t even know Evusheld exists, while others don’t know where or how to get it and in other cases, doctors aren’t clear on the government guidelines about who should receive the drug. “It is overwhelming and it’s all new,” said Dr. Mitchell H. Grayson, chief of the allergy and immunology division at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. “Providers are definitely trying to keep up, it’s just — I don’t know how well everyone’s doing with that.”

Around the World

South Korea Begins Early Voting for Presidential Election

On Friday, South Koreans began early voting in the country’s presidential election even as the country faces more than a quarter of a million new coronavirus cases a day. Voters sanitized their hands and wore gloves before casting their ballots, and election workers were dressed in full protective gear at the country’s 3,500 polling stations (NYT). Voters with Covid or people who had close contact with someone who tested positive were allowed to participate after 5 p.m. under new guidance. “The reason we allowed people with Covid to go out was based on the basic trust that they will not be in another place after leaving to vote,” Park Hyang, a senior health official, said this week. Around 1,020,000 people were in home treatment for Covid-19 on Saturday; on Friday cases hit a new record: 266,853 new cases.  

Taiwan Eases Restrictions

Taiwan eased some of its coronavirus restrictions and mask rules this week after the country avoided spikes in cases through major holidays over the past few months, including Lunar New Year and Peace Memorial Day (NYT). Now, people in Taiwan no longer need to wear masks when exercising, driving with household members, in spas, or in video broadcasts and speeches and lectures. The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control recorded fewer than 80 cases per day over the past two weeks.

Spain Removes More Quarantine Requirements

On Saturday Spain changed its quarantine recommendations: people who were in close contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus are no longer required to quarantine, even if they are unvaccinated (NYT). Spain's Health Ministry recommends that those who are exposed exercise caution and act responsibly. It’s a change that will greatly affect schools that have been forced to quarantine whole classrooms after an individual tested positive. More than 80% of Spain’s population is fully vaccinated. 

U.S. Government & Politics

“People’s Convoy” Reaches D.C., Struggles Due to Standard Traffic

On Sunday, the so-called “People’s Convoy” reached D.C. and circled the Beltway as part of its protest against pandemic restrictions (WaPo, NYT). Despite the protest organizers’ intent to be a “huge pain,” the Washington Post reports that the action was diluted in large part by the pre-existing Beltway traffic. The Post writes, “As of 1:40 p.m. Sunday, the convoy was beginning its second loop around the District. The vehicles were mostly remaining in a single lane on 495′s outer loop, going around 40 mph. Traffic was flowing around them as usual at about 55 mph.” Brian Brase, a convoy organizer, said they plan to repeat the action every day this week. On Sunday, the convoy stopped short of entering the city. Instead, the New York Times reports, “Although it was unclear whether the convoy, consisting overall of hundreds of vehicles, would ultimately enter Washington, D.C., organizers said they did not intend to drive into the capital on Sunday out of fears that ‘bad actors’ may turn it into a chaotic event reminiscent of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. They also wanted to avoid confrontation with police.” The Times also notes that the protest’s impact may also be undercut by national trend towards loosened restrictions as case numbers fall and the Omicron surge passes.

Democrats Turn Attention to Governors’ Races

Politico reports that Democratic party leaders and donors are increasingly turning their attention to governors’ races as the midterms approach (Politico). Politico writes, “their focus has intensified this past year after Republicans attempted to undermine and overturn the last election and Democratic-led federal voting rights legislation went up in smoke.” Cooper Teboe, a donor adviser, told Politico, that he’d “seen a real shift” and “Of the pool of major donors — of big, institutional donors behind the DNC and the DCCC — I’d say 50 to 60 percent of them are now putting that same effort into governors, and I expect that group of donors to only grow.” The interest is in part a result of the perceived reliance on governors as a means of fighting against voting restrictions. Politico also notes that there is a perception that governors will be important for the broader Democratic agenda including on the pandemic, writing, “Several officials pointed to the incumbent governors’ support throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and in passing the massive infrastructure bill as evidence.”

Grassroots Groups Complain that NIH Didn’t Pay Them Properly

U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to make sure that communities that have been hit the hardest by the coronavirus would receive critical information about the virus and vaccine, even if it meant “literally knocking on doors.” To implement that strategy, the White House employed small groups representing communities of color through a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Covid-19 outreach project. But now, some of those groups have said they were not paid properly and that the NIH system is broken (CNN). "We lost trust in the system," said Venus Ginés, president of Día de la Mujer Latina, who said the NIH effort has been "poorly managed from the beginning" and "poorly executed."  Community groups were made to front the money for the NIH projects and then get refunded later, often resulting in these organizations being out tens of thousands of dollars for many months. Dr. George Mensah, an NIH official, told CNN that NIH’s “strategic partnerships" with community-based organizations -- the "boots on the ground" -- play a "critical role" in "building confidence in the vaccine [and] conveying essential messages around prevention, so we take them very, very seriously."

U.S. Economy

Bonus Read: “Biden Caught Between Inflation and Calls to Ban Russian Oil,” (WSJ).

Job Growth Shows Signs of a Post-Pandemic Economic Pivot, But Ukraine and Oil Prices Cause Worry

The Wall Street Journal reports on signs that the economy may be pivoting to a recovery from the pandemic (WSJ). The Journal writes, “The U.S. labor market is pivoting toward a post-pandemic world, with a steady stream of adults joining the labor force and employment approaching levels before Covid-19 began its rapid spread. Employers added 678,000 workers to their payrolls in February, the biggest gain in seven months, the Labor Department said Friday. The jobless rate fell to 3.8% from 4.0% a month earlier, edging closer to the 50-year low of 3.5% hit just before the pandemic.” The Journal adds that “the ranks of those reporting being unable to work because of Covid-19 fell by 1.8 million.” The Journal warns, however, that the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and its impact on the economy as well as high oil prices insert a level of uncertainty into projections of such a pivot.

U.S. Society

Restaurants Debate Mask Policy as Covid Cases Fall

The Wall Street Journal reports that as the Omicron surge in cases passes, restaurants are debating what stance to take on masking now that most jurisdictions no longer require indoor masking (WSJ). The Journal writes, “Some businesses, including Texas Roadhouse Inc., the Cheesecake Factory Inc. and Applebee’s, believe that there is a benefit for business and their workers when mask mandates are removed. The facial coverings are hot and uncomfortable to work in, and not having to put them on between bites and sips makes customers more motivated to dine out, Applebee’s President John Cywinski said Wednesday.” However, other restaurants fear that moving away from masking will alienate workers, particularly amid tight labor markets, as well as some diners. 

Seattle Rattled by Surging Number of Shootings

Seattle has seen a surge in shootings over the past year, rattling the city (WSJ). The Wall Street Journal writes, “Long one of America’s safest cities, Seattle had 612 shootings and shots-fired incidents last year, nearly double its average before the pandemic. The city has just experienced its two worst years for homicides since the 1990s, when murder rates were at all-time highs.” Cities across the country, including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, have seen shootings surge over the pandemic with multiple cities marking new records for deaths - among them Albuquerque, Philadelphia, and Portland, Oregon. The Journal notes that Seattle’s murder rate “leapt above the U.S. average in 2020 for the first time in more than a decade,” adding, that “shootings are reshaping facets of life in the metro area, and kindling tensions over the best ways to reduce them.” Signs that the city has been rattled include the election of a tough-on-crime Republican as city attorney in November, a rarity in the liberal city, and of a moderate Democrat who emphasized the issue of gun violence and need for increased funding for police as mayor.

Surveys Show Medical Debt a Major Issue During Pandemic

The New York Times reports that a number of recent surveys show that medical debt remains a major issue for many Americans during the pandemic (NYT). The Times notes that “in a small online poll of 1,250 Americans conducted in February and released this week, 56 percent of adults said they had medical debt, according to Affordable Health Insurance, a website that provides information about insurance plans. Of that group, 30 percent said they had acquired medical debt from Covid treatment.” Nor is it the only such survey. The Times reports that a July study by the non-profit Commonwealth Fund 38% of its sample reported that they or a family member had trouble paying medical bills in the past year, and a December survey by Healthcare.com found that 35% of its respondents had medical debt. The Times notes, “Most major health insurers voluntarily waived costs tied to Covid-19 treatment at the beginning of the pandemic, but insurers ended these benefits as virus infections persisted into late 2021. Even when the assistance was in place, many insured people still reported facing exorbitant costs after a bout with Covid, for services like the use of an air ambulance or an extended hospital stay.”

Bonus Read: “Asian Americans Grapple With Tide of Attacks: ‘We Need Our Safety Back,’” (NYT).

Analysis & Arguments

John Cassidy writes on evidence that the economy is turning a corner (New Yorker).

Anton Jäger reviews Michel Houellebecq’s latest novel and writes on its relationship to the Covid pandemic (New Left Review).

 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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