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February 28, 2022 - Brief Issue 291

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

U.S. CDC Updates Guidance to Support Easing Mask Recommendations, but Experts Warn Omicron Isn’t the End (Health & Science)

Studies Show Pandemic Originated in Wuhan Market (Health & Science)

In U.S., Community Workers Try to Get Tests for the Vulnerable (Health & Science)

South Korea Records Deadliest Day of Pandemic (Around the World)

Hong Kong’s Morgues Can’t Keep Up with Deaths (Around the World)

​​Carnival Revelers in Rio Undeterred by Ban (Around the World)

Rising Food Prices Will Hamper Economic Recovery (Around the World)

Post-ABC Poll Shows Pessimism on Biden Administration (U.S. Government & Politics)

Capitol Fencing Returns Ahead of State of the Union and Potential Protests (U.S. Government & Politics)

New York City to End School Mask Mandate and Indoor Vaccination Requirement (U.S. Government & Politics)

Corporations Raise Prices Amid High Consumer Spending (U.S. Economy)

Many Immunocompromised Feel Left Behind as Churches Adapt to New Pandemic Stage (U.S. Society)

Sperm Banks Struggle to Recruit Black Donors, an Issue Exacerbated by the Pandemic (U.S. Society)

Walmart to Offer New Delivery Services (U.S. Society)

Mardi Gras Returns to New Orleans with Restrictions (U.S. Society)

Health & Science

There have been 78,939,203 coronavirus cases in the United States, and 948,397 people have died (Johns Hopkins). The United States has administered 552,526,931 vaccine doses, with 76.3% of all Americans having received at least one vaccine dose and 64.9% fully vaccinated. Among adults aged 18 or older 87.8% have received at least one dose, and 74.9% are fully vaccinated (U.S. CDC). 43.6% of fully vaccinated Americans have received a booster shot. Worldwide, there have been 435,501,420 cases of coronavirus, with 5,950,421 deaths.

U.S. CDC Updates Guidance to Support Easing Mask Recommendations, but Experts Warn Omicron Isn’t the End

On Friday the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic (WaPo). CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said data supports state and local officials, schools and businesses in 70% of the country to ease recommendations on mask-wearing (Politico). The new framework takes into account the fact that many people have greater protection against severe illness due to vaccination or natural immunity and that the healthcare system has more options for treatment. You can find information about your specific county by using the new “county check tool” at CDC.gov. 

But not everyone is on board with the new guidance. Many health experts worry that the return to normality is incorrectly being billed as the end of the pandemic. “Things are improving, but we still aren’t at a point where we’re getting out in front of this,” said Dr. Lynn R. Goldman, dean of the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University (NYT). Dr. Goldman said the new C.D.C. guidance was comparable to an “off ramp” from the pandemic but that new variants could still strain the public health system. 

Studies Show Pandemic Originated in Wuhan Market 

On Saturday scientists released two new studies that provide strong evidence that the coronavirus pandemic began at a market in Wuhan, China (NYT). The authors of the studies analyzed data from a variety of sources and concluded that the novel coronavirus was likely present in live mammals sold in the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in late 2019. There was no support for the other prominent theory that the virus was developed in a lab in China. “When you look at all of the evidence together, it’s an extraordinarily clear picture that the pandemic started at the Huanan market,” said Michael Worobey, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona and a co-author of both studies.  

Dr. Worobey and his colleagues estimated the latitude and longitude of 156 cases of Covid in Wuhan in December 2019. The highest density of cases centered around the market. Then the researchers mapped cases in January and February using data collected from Weibo, a social media app, and found cases occurring away from the market. The patterns seem to point to the market as the origin of the outbreak with the virus spreading to surrounding neighborhoods and then to the rest of the city. “It’s very strong statistical evidence that this is no coincidence,” Dr. Worobey said.

Neither study has been peer reviewed and some critiques question the quality of the data. Jesse Bloom, a virologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, said “I think what they’re arguing could be true,” Dr. Bloom said of the new studies. “But I don’t think the quality of the data is sufficient to say that any of these scenarios are true with confidence.” 

In U.S., Community Workers Try to Get Tests for the Vulnerable

The Biden administration has been distributing hundreds of millions of Covid-19 tests but many of the most vulnerable communities are having trouble getting them. Community workers and public health workers are stepping in to try to fill the gap. Issues like language barriers, confusion about the cost (they’re free), distrust of the tests’ accuracy, or just not knowing how to acquire the tests have stopped many people from receiving the tests. So far, around 200 million of the tests the Biden administration is mailing out for free have been shipped to homes across the country and the administration is also going to send 50 million tests to community health centers and rural clinics (WSJ). In rural areas or low-income communities, a more local effort is underway to get the tests into people's hands. “It requires a lot of work for folks like us to make sure those dots are connected,” said Ali Khan, an executive medical director at Oak Street Health, a Chicago-based network of primary-care centers that serve seniors on Medicare.

Around the World

South Korea Records Deadliest Day of Pandemic

South Korea reported 112 deaths in a 24-hour period on Saturday, its deadliest day since the pandemic began. The surge, fueled by the Omicron variant, is one of the worst in the world and the daily case count has increased 201% over the past two weeks (NYT). According to the Times, “South Korea, a nation of about 50 million people, is now reporting more cases each day than the United States, a once unimaginable development.”

Hong Kong’s Morgues Can’t Keep Up with Deaths

An Omicron surge continues to ravage Hong Kong and officials said on Monday that hospitals are struggling to move the dead to the city’s public morgues quickly enough. Bodies are piling up on gurneys in hallways, reports the New York Times. The authorities blamed transportation delays for the build up of bodies but the city’s three public mortuaries, which can take up to 3,000 bodies, are nearly at full capacity, according to the Center for Health Protection. Over the past two weeks, Hong Kong recorded an 821% spike in new cases. 

​​Carnival Revelers in Rio Undeterred by Ban

For the second year in a row, the pandemic has disrupted Carnival plans for Rio de Janeiro but revelers have still flocked to the city in Brazil anyway. Thousands of people defied an official ban on street parties and danced and mingled in the streets across the city on Saturday (AP). Some more formal events were moved indoors after the city banned “blocos,” which are the tightly packed street parties that traditionally occur. The indoor parties have been criticized by many Brazilians who say the outdoor block parties are integral to Carnival. “Stadiums are full, churches are full, evangelical temples, concerts, bars, restaurants, hotels, AirBnbs,” said Rita Fernandes, who leads an association of street blocos from the city’s most touristic areas. “This seems quite contradictory, as if the virus only spread on the streets and at Carnival.” 

Rising Food Prices Will Hamper Economic Recovery

Rising food prices will inhibit economic recovery from the pandemic this year, especially in developing countries where food takes up an important share of household consumption (WSJ). The price of staples like wheat, corn, and soybeans rose last year and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will contribute to prices rising even more, as Ukraine is one of the world’s largest producers of wheat and vegetable oils (WaPo). “We’re already seeing energy prices rise and commodities futures for wheat and corn spike. That’s going to prompt concern when costs to make and ship goods continue to set records and consumer demand continues to be above levels not seen since March 2020,” said Katie Denis, vice president of communications and research for the industry organization Consumer Brands Association. “There is no slack in the system, making weathering disruption significantly more difficult.” Households around the world will face higher grocery bills in the months ahead; John Allan, the chairman of Tesco, Britain’s largest supermarket chain, told the BBC that “the worst is yet to come.”

U.S. Government & Politics

Post-ABC Poll Shows Pessimism on Biden Administration

A new Washington Post-ABC poll finds that Americans are increasingly pessimistic about the Biden administration (WaPo). Biden’s approval rating fell to 37 percent with 55 percent voicing disapproval, a new low for Biden. Moreover 44 percent expressed strong disapproval. Meanwhile 50 percent said they’d prefer Congress to be under Republican control compared to 40 percent preferring Democratic control. The Post writes, “On his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, 44 percent approve while 50 percent disapprove. On the question of how they would vote in House races if the election were held today, 49 percent of registered voters say they would support the Republican candidate while 42 percent say they would vote for the Democratic candidate. For comparison, just ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, which saw Democrats score big gains and capture control of the House, it was Democrats who enjoyed a seven-point advantage on this same question.” The pessimism is also apparent in Biden’s handling of the pandemic. The Post writes, “ Biden’s numbers on the pandemic have been in a steady slide since last summer, when about 6 in 10 said they approved of the job he was doing. Every Post-ABC poll since has seen that support decline a little further even as the number of covid cases has dropped sharply and a general easing of mask mandates and other restrictions is underway in many parts of the country.”

Capitol Fencing Returns Ahead of State of the Union and Potential Protests

On Sunday, the Capitol Police announced that fencing would return to the U.S. Capitol in advance of President Biden’s State of the Union speech (WaPo). The Post writes, “The decision was made ‘out of an abundance of caution,’ according to the Capitol Police, who have long been preparing for the possible arrival of trucks inspired by the ‘Freedom Convoy’ that occupied downtown Ottawa for more than three weeks to protest vaccine mandates.”

New York City to End School Mask Mandate and Indoor Vaccination Requirement

On Sunday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that the city will end its school mask mandate and indoor vaccination requirement by March 7 if case numbers do not rise (NYT). Adams started, “I want to thank the millions of New Yorkers who have gotten vaccinated to help stop the spread. New Yorkers stepped up and helped us save lives by reaching unprecedented levels of vaccination.” Also on Sunday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the state’s school mask mandate would also end, beginning on Wednesday.

U.S. Economy

Bonus Read: “Who’s Requiring Workers to Be Vaccinated?,” (NYT).

Corporations Raise Prices Amid High Consumer Spending

The New York Times reports that many corporations are raising prices “with a vengeance” as demand remains high (NYT). The Times writes, “If it pans out, that trend that could have big economic implications. Planned corporate price adjustments could continue to boost inflation, which is running at its fastest pace in 40 years. The Federal Reserve is trying to assess whether businesses and households are changing their expectations in a way that might make rapid price gains a more permanent feature of the economic landscape.” The Times tracks the high prices and continued demand in car sales, tire sales, restaurants, and other industries. 

U.S. Society

Many Immunocompromised Feel Left Behind as Churches Adapt to New Pandemic Stage

The Washington Post reports that many immunocompromised Americans are feeling left behind as churches and other sites of worship begin to return to in-person services (WaPo). The Post notes that more than seven million Americans are immunocompromised in ways that raise their risk from Covid, and as some churches drop their online services and return to in-person forms of worship, many are struggling to find ways and places to worship. Andrea Ramsey, who attended a non-denominational D.C. church, told the Post that when the church ended its small online groups as part of an effort to encourage a return to in-person worship, “it felt like, wait a minute, this place that cared for me and my situation was trying to move on without us.” She added, “I have been in church situations where I’m accused of not having enough faith,” continuing, “I never got that sense from this church. It was when we were a year and a half into things I was noticing, we are not talking about vaccination from the pulpit. We’re not enforcing mask mandates.” The Post notes that immunocompromised worshipers have diverse experiences, reporting, “Many people who are immunosuppressed still choose to attend in-person services.”

Sperm Banks Struggle to Recruit Black Donors, an Issue Exacerbated by the Pandemic

The Wall Street Journal reports that sperm banks are struggling to recruit Black donors and other donors of color (WSJ). Though the difficulty of recruiting donors of color has been a longstanding issue for sperm banks, the Journal notes that the pandemic exacerbated the issue, writing, “professionals and university students, a major pool of current and prospective donors for sperm banks, left cities and were slow to return.” The Journal also notes that the pandemic disrupted recruitment at such sites as gyms and fraternities. The Journal describes the impact on donor numbers, reporting, “During one week in February, four out of the 242 available sperm donors at California Cryobank, based in Los Angeles, said they were Black or African-American. One out of 126 donors identified himself as African-American at Seattle Sperm Bank, based in Seattle. Eighteen of 360 donors in the catalog of Fairfax Cryobank, based in Fairfax, Va., identified as Black.”

Walmart to Offer New Delivery Services

The Wall Street Journal reports that Walmart is working to provide new and expanded delivery services (WSJ). The Journal writes, “The retail giant is focused on adding new ways to offer shoppers home delivery and efficiently move online inventory as the pandemic-related e-commerce surge shows signs of cooling. Walmart is building more automated fulfillment centers attached to existing stores, experimenting with autonomous trucks, using its own workers to make deliveries and expand a service where staffers leave packages inside homes.” Walmart executives told the Journal that the company expanded its online efforts as a result of the pandemic, and that the company is hoping that it can benefit from the investments even as people return to in person shopping.

Mardi Gras Returns to New Orleans with Restrictions

New Orleans is again celebrating Mardi Gras after it canceled celebrations in 2021 as a result of the pandemic, however, the celebrations come with some restrictions (WaPo). The Post writes that the “visible changes” include, “Parade routes are shorter and, breaking with tradition, most now follow the same route instead of spreading into different neighborhoods. Some of the biggest musical stars have stayed away. So, too, have many tourists: Hotel occupancy this carnival season is about 80 percent of what it was in 2020, according to the city’s tourism bureau, though the full hit won’t be known until after Tuesday.” In February 2021, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell canceled parades and limited gatherings, citing the high number of Covid cases. In 2020, when Mardi Gras proceeded as usual despite the pandemic, it turned into a superspreader event, an occurrence that colored Cantrell’s decision. However, such cancellations did not come without their cost. Kelly Schulz, senior vice president of communications for the visitors bureau, stated that the pandemic’s impact and not holding Mardis Gras was “a huge economic and emotional blow.” She noted that while in 2019, the city saw 19 million tourists spend $10 billion, in 2020 and 2021, “Pretty much all of that was lost.”

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