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March 30, 2022 - Brief Issue 309

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. FDA Authorizes Second Booster (Health & Science)

CDC: Pfizer and Moderna Boosters Help J&J Recipients (Health & Science)

U.S. Covid Deaths at Lowest Point Since Summer; BA.2 Dominant (Health & Science)

WHO Investigates Reports of Hearing Issues Linked to Vaccines (Health & Science)

American Scientists Warn of Race Disparities in Long Covid Studies (Health & Science)

Hong Kong Low on Coffins (Around the World)

London Police Fine Downing Street for Lockdown Parties (Around the World)

Stalled Funding Could Hurt Efforts to Address Covid’s Racial Disparities (U.S. Government & Politics)

Biden Budget Proposal Increases FDA Funding, Seeks to Prepare for the Next Pandemic (U.S. Government & Politics)

U.S. to Vaccinate Migrants at the Border (U.S. Government & Politics)

Home Price Growth Accelerated in January (U.S. Economy)

Job Openings Ease Slightly, Remain Near Records in February (U.S. Economy)

McKinsey to Permanently Cut Business Travel (U.S. Economy)

Brand Loyalty Losing Out to Lower Prices and Product Availability (U.S. Society)

MIT Reinstates Standardized Test Score Requirement (U.S. Society)

Health & Science

There have been 80,019,167 coronavirus cases in the United States, and 978,692 people have died (Johns Hopkins). The United States has administered 560,181,791 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 485,315,008 cases of coronavirus, with 6,134,229 deaths.

U.S. FDA Authorizes Second Booster

On Tuesday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a second booster shot of Pfizer and Moderna for adults 50 years and older (NYT). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention followed the announcement with an endorsement for a second booster. Adults can get the second booster shot no sooner than four months after the first booster dose and can choose between the two vaccines regardless of which shots they received earlier (WaPo). The extra doses are “especially important for those 65 and older and those 50 and older with underlying medical conditions that increase their risk for severe disease from Covid-19 as they are the most likely to benefit from receiving an additional booster dose at this time,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said (WSJ).

CDC: Pfizer and Moderna Boosters Help J&J Recipients

Americans who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine were better protected against severe illness and hospitalization if they received a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, according to a new study published Tuesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (NYT). The findings also support the added benefit of a booster dose against the Omicron variant but the report is at odds with other data collected by the CDC that suggested that a single dose of the J&J vaccine prevented infections with the Omicron variant at least as well as, if not better, than two doses of the mRNA vaccines. The findings also show that people who received a single dose of the J&J vaccine are at slightly higher risk of death than those who received two mRNA doses.

U.S. Covid Deaths at Lowest Point Since Summer; BA.2 Dominant

Fewer than 800 coronavirus deaths are being reported each day in the United States, the lowest daily average since before the Omicron wave began last fall. The seven-day average of new cases has also dropped, hovering at about 30,000 new cases per day over the last week. And, according to the New York Times, “Coronavirus hospitalizations plummeted in the last two weeks by about 36 percent, to about 18,000 per day. Intensive care unit hospitalizations have fallen too — by about 43 percent — to under 3,000.” 

As we covered in yesterday’s brief, the BA.2 subvariant of the Omicron variant has been gaining ground in many areas of the U.S. Now, according to CDC data released on Tuesday, the BA.2 subvariant is dominant across the entire country, accounting for more than 54% of cases nationwide (Politico). The Biden administration has been warning that the BA.2 subvariant could cause another surge, as is happening across Europe and has asked Congress for $22.5 billion to increase vaccine, treatment, and testing supplies. Bonus Read: “What We Know About The BA.2 Omicron Subvariant In D.C.,” (DCist).

WHO Investigates Reports of Hearing Issues Linked to Vaccines

The World Health Organization is examining a small number of cases of tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, that have been reported by people who received Covid-19 vaccines. In a newsletter, the WHO said it had been made aware of sudden hearing problems, including tinnitus, that could be associated with Covid vaccines. Out of 11 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines, the WHO recorded 367 cases of tinnitus and 164 cases of hearing loss globally by people who had received a shot within a day of reporting the issues. The reports occurred in 27 countries, including the U.S. (NBC). There is no proof that the vaccines may cause hearing problems but research into the matter has been limited.

American Scientists Warn of Race Disparities in Long Covid Studies

Throughout the pandemic there have been racial disparities in the rates of infection, hospitalization and death. Black Americans were more likely to be infected and hospitalized and die than white Americans. Now, health experts are warning that Black Americans could also experience long Covid at higher rates. Long Covid, which includes chronic symptoms like fatigue, cognitive problems, and other symptoms that linger for months after a coronavirus infection, has perplexed scientists and doctors who have banded together across disciplines to try to better understand the affliction. But Black Americans have not been sufficiently included in trails that study the effects of long Covid and they are underrepresented in treatment programs and registries. “We expect there are going to be greater barriers to access the resources and services available for long Covid,” said Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, who is the director of Yale University’s health equity office and a former chair of President Biden’s health equity task force (NYT). Nunez-Smith is also one of the authors of a new report released Tuesday, called “The State of Black America and Covid-19”. The report shows the disparities in health care available to Black communities and how it contributed to Black people being disproportionately affected by the pandemic. “The severity of Covid-19 among Black Americans was the predictable result of structural and societal realities, not differences in genetic predisposition,” the report says.

Around the World

Hong Kong Low on Coffins

Hong Kong is rushing to import more coffins as the city deals with a surge in deaths during the latest wave of the pandemic. Over 90% of all deaths linked to the coronavirus have occurred in the past 30 days. The number of bodies at public mortuaries has risen “exponentially,” said Carrie Lam, the chief executive, this week (NYT). Hong Kong has recorded about 7,400 deaths tied to the virus since 2020. Officials have already brought in 2,170 coffins from mainland China and have ordered at least 1,000 more that are set to arrive this week. Crematories are also under pressure, with daily cremation sessions having more than doubled this month. Cases and deaths seem to be declining and officials hope that the worst of the Omicron-related wave is behind them. 

London Police Fine Downing Street for Lockdown Parties 

The London Metropolitan Police Service levied 20 fines on Tuesday on people at 10 Downing Street for breaching Covid lockdown restrictions and attending social gatherings. The police did not identify who had been fined, but the notification of the fines, known as fixed penalty notices, confirmed that the social gatherings had violated the law (NYT). “We will today initially begin to refer 20 fixed penalty notices to be issued for breaches of Covid-19 regulations,” the police force said in a statement, noting that it may impose additional fines. “We are making every effort to progress this investigation at speed and have completed a number of assessments,” it added. The social gatherings caused a political scandal for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has continued to deny that he violated any rules. Downing Street said the prime minister was not among those notified that they had been fined. 

U.S. Government & Politics

Bonus Read: “Covid creeps closer to Biden as restrictions fall,” (WaPo).

Stalled Funding Could Hurt Efforts to Address Covid’s Racial Disparities

Congress’ failure to pass a bill providing new funding for the government’s Covid response efforts as multiple agencies warn they have already exhausted or are close to exhausting their allocated funds could worsen the pandemic’s racial disparities (Politico). One particular site of racialized impact regards the impact on the uninsured. Politico writes, “Public health experts, lawmakers and health officials say the White House’s decision to scale back or suspend programs that provide free testing, treatments and vaccinations will disproportionately affect the tens of millions of uninsured Americans — a majority of whom are people of color.” Representative Raul Ruiz (D-CA) stated, “I’m concerned that we’ll go back to the status quo, which we know carries with it great disparities and suffering.” Politico adds that low-income and rural white Americans are also likely to be disproportionately affected. Politico notes that over the course of the pandemic the racial disparity narrowed, writing, “Racial and ethnic gaps have narrowed considerably since the pandemic began. During the initial Covid-19 wave, Black Americans were dying at about three times the rate of white Americans. That gap began to narrow in the summer of 2020 as Covid-19 moved from more urban, densely populated areas into more rural parts of the country. The Covid death rate for white people is now higher than the rates for their Black, Latino and Asian American counterparts, and roughly even to the death rate for American Indian and Alaska Native people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” Politico points to the role of vaccination in closing the gap. Bonus Read: “Clinics, hospitals brace for end of cushion for uninsured covid care,” (WaPo).

Biden Budget Proposal Increases FDA Funding, Seeks to Prepare for the Next Pandemic

President Biden’s budget proposal would increase the Food and Drug Administration’s funding by $2.1 billion, an almost 34% increase, with much of the funding focused on preparations for the next pandemic (NYT). The New York Times writes, “The agency said $1.6 billion of the increase would go to support the Health and Human Services Department’s pandemic preparedness plan. Those funds would help the F.D.A. evaluate vaccines and bolster the rapid development of tests and the supply chain for personal protective gear.” 

U.S. to Vaccinate Migrants at the Border

The New York Times reports that the Biden administration is mandating Covid vaccination for undocumented immigrants entering the U.S., and will vaccinate those who arrive without documentation of having received a vaccine (NYT). The Times reports, “According to directions given to senior homeland security officials on Sunday, if single adults refuse to be vaccinated, they will be detained and put into deportation proceedings. If they request asylum and cannot remain in detention, they will be released with a monitoring device ‘with stringent conditions.’ If migrant families refuse vaccination, they will also be given monitoring devices with the same conditions.” Though there is little specific discussion of the government’s use of its Title 42 authority to deport migrants on public health grounds, the Times writes that some are interpreting the move towards vaccinating migrants as evidence of the government’s recognition that it has other tools that could respond to public health needs without deportation. As we covered in a prior brief, the government has faced recent pressure over its continued use of the Title 42 authority. 

U.S. Economy

Bonus Read: “8/9. That's the Fed’s record on triggering a recession while trying to fix inflation,” (Politico).

Home Price Growth Accelerated in January

The Wall Street Journal reports that the rate of home price growth continued to accelerate in January, as housing supplies hit new lows (WSJ). The Journal writes, “The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index, which measures average home prices in major metropolitan areas across the nation, rose 19.2% in the year that ended in January, compared with an 18.9% annual gain the prior month.” January also saw the lowest inventory of housing as measured by the National Association of Realtors’ tracking, which goes back to 1999. George Ratiu, senior economist and manager of economic research at Realtor.com commented, “Home prices continued rising—even in the middle of a snowy January—as buyers rushed to find a home in order to beat rising mortgage rates.”

Job Openings Ease Slightly, Remain Near Records in February

On Tuesday the Labor Department released data showing that 11.3 million job openings in February, a count that declined slightly from the month before, though the number of openings remain high and near record levels seen last year (WSJ, WaPo). The number of job openings had also slightly fallen in January. The Journal adds, “Separate private-sector estimates showed that employers had 11.2 million job openings on March 18, according to jobs site Indeed. Still, that well outnumbered the 6.3 million Americans who were unemployed but seeking workers in February, according to the Labor Department.” Americans also continued to leave their jobs at near record levels though there too the total eased a bit. The Washington Post writes, “Americans continued to switch jobs at near-record rates in February, with 4.4 million workers leaving their positions in a historically tight labor market.”

McKinsey to Permanently Cut Business Travel

In the latest sign that business travel may never recover from the pandemic, McKinsey will permanently reduce its business travel by 25% compared to before the pandemic (NYT). The New York Times writes, “McKinsey says that less travel will foster collaboration and team building, especially as employees return to the office. Before the pandemic, McKinsey had the ninth-biggest travel budget in corporate America, spending an estimated $265 million on U.S.-booked airfares in 2019, according to Business Travel News.” The Times notes that the move away from travel may also be affected by pledges regarding climate change.

U.S. Society

Brand Loyalty Losing Out to Lower Prices and Product Availability

Pandemic inflation, strains on supply chains, and rising prices have consumers abandoning brand loyalty in favor of lower prices and brand availability. The Wall Street Journal reports that this “new willingness to switch brands could shift the balances of power inside grocery stores. Big food companies like Kraft Heinz Co. and Kellogg Co. risk losing market share to competitors and store brands that are more readily able to fill in empty spots in store aisles, industry executives said.” Grocery stores are now stocking shelves with less variety of items and on occasion are choosing local products over pricy alternatives. As a result, “70% of U.S. shoppers said they had purchased a new or different brand than they had pre-pandemic, according to a survey conducted from May 2020 to August 2021.” Companies are consequently not only losing buyers, but also missing opportunities to gain new ones.

MIT Reinstates Standardized Test Score Requirement

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has reinstated the SAT or ACT requirement for admission to the selective university. The Washington Post reports on the value the school places on SAT and ACT scores, writing that “MIT said scores can yield important insights into students’ potential when considered alongside other information about their background and academic preparation.” The return of the requirement, which was lifted during the pandemic for accessibility reasons, has led to questions about whether other academic institutions will follow suit. MIT’s neighbor, Harvard University, has announced its test-optional status for the next four years. MIT, however, will start requiring standardized test scores for students who will be enrolling in fall 2023.

Bonus Read: “Spotify’s COVID-19 content advisory continues roll out two months after Joe Rogan uproar,” (TechCrunch).

Analysis & Arguments

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy and Chief Science Officer for the U.S. Covid-19 Response Team David A. Kessler issue a warning about the impact of funding shortfalls on the United States’ Covid response (NYT).

The Wall Street Journal reports on the benefits many find in wearing a mask for allergy season (WSJ).

Adam Gaffney writes on the impact the lack of Covid funding will have on the uninsured (Nation).

 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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