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February 1, 2022 - Brief Issue 283
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’s Vaccine Granted Full FDA Approval (Health & Science)
Danish Study: Omicron Subvariant More Infectious (Health & Science)
NYC Offers Free Delivery of Covid Treatment Pills (Health & Science)
Canadian Prime Minister Tests Positive; Police Investigate Ottawa Anti-Vaccine Mandate Trucker Protests (Around the World)
Report on Downing Street Parties Deepens Crisis for U.K. Prime Minister (Around the World)
Lunar New Year Coincides with Omicron Surges Across Asia (Around the World)
Austria Ends Lockdown for Unvaccinated (Around the World)
Evidence from Australia: Women Experiencing Pandemic-Era Financial Stress More Likely to Face Abuse (Around the World)
New Jersey, Arkansas Governors Call for “Endemic” Approach to Covid (U.S. Government & Politics)
Seeking Warren’s Support, Biden’s FDA Pick Makes Ethics Pledge (U.S. Government & Politics)
Arkansas’ Republican Governor Praises Biden on School Policy Amid Pandemic (U.S. Government & Politics)
Social Security Administration Expands Services (U.S. Government & Politics)
As Teachers Quit, Companies Seek to Hire Them (U.S. Economy)
Extended Stay Hotels See Sustained Benefits from Pandemic Dynamics (U.S. Economy)
Joe Rogan Responds to Spotify Controversy; Spotify Adds Advisories to Podcasts Discussing Covid (U.S. Society)
As the US Economy Reopens, Inflation and Rent Rise (U.S. Society)
Health & Science
There have been 74,943,050 coronavirus cases in the United States, and 886,691 people have died (Johns Hopkins). The United States has administered 539,337,296 vaccine doses, with 75.3% of all Americans having received at least one vaccine dose and 63.8% fully vaccinated. Among adults aged 18 or older 86.9% have received at least one dose, and 74.1% are fully vaccinated (U.S. CDC). 41.5% of fully vaccinated Americans have received a booster shot. Worldwide, there have been 378,784,408 cases of coronavirus, with 5,675,725 deaths.
Moderna’s Vaccine Granted Full FDA Approval
On Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine. It is the second-most widely used in the U.S. and is the second vaccine to receive full regulatory approval (NYT). The vaccine has been in use for more than a year under an emergency-use authorization and has been shown to be highly effective at preventing infection and severe cases of Covid-19. The other vaccine that gained federal approval is the one by Pfizer-BioNTech and was approved in August. “While hundreds of millions of doses of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine have been administered to individuals under emergency use authorization, we understand that for some individuals, FDA approval of this vaccine may instill additional confidence in making the decision to get vaccinated,” Dr. Janet Woodcock, the acting F.D.A. commissioner, said in a statement on Monday (Politico).
Danish Study: Omicron Subvariant More Infectious
The BA.2 subvariant of the Omicron coronavirus variant is more transmissible than the more common BA.1 strain and is better at infecting vaccinated people, according to a Danish study. The study, which was conducted by researchers at Statens Serum Institut (SSI), Copenhagen University, Statistics Denmark, and the Technical University of Denmark and has not been peer reviewed, looked at infections in over 8,500 Danish households between December and January (Reuters). Researchers found that people infected with the BA.2 subvariant were 33% more likely to infect others, compared to those infected with BA.1. "We conclude that Omicron BA.2 is inherently substantially more transmissible than BA.1, and that it also possesses immune-evasive properties that further reduce the protective effect of vaccination against infection," the study's researchers said.
NYC Offers Free Delivery of Covid Treatment Pills
New York City officials announced on Sunday that coronavirus treatment pills are now available for free delivery to residents at home (WaPo). The FDA granted emergency-use authorization last month to Pfizer’s antiviral pill, which clinical trials found reduced hospitalizations and death for high-risk people with covid-19 by nearly 90%. “We’re also offering high-risk New Yorkers, free, at-home delivery of COVID-19 antiviral pills to prevent serious illness and keep people out of the hospital,” New York Mayor Eric Adams (D) said in a statement Sunday. He also said that coronavirus infections are declining after an omicron variant wave and noted New York’s high vaccination rates.
Around the World
Canadian Prime Minister Tests Positive; Police Investigate Ottawa Anti-Vaccine Mandate Trucker Protests
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a tweet on Monday that he tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday (Politico). Trudeau said that two of his children also have it. "I feel well and have no symptoms," Trudeau said by video-conference. "It's a challenge that my family and I are facing, but there's nothing unusual or special about it. It's a challenge too many Canadians and people around the world know all too well." Trudeau reminded people to get vaccinated (WaPo).
Ottawa police said “several criminal investigations” were underway into “threatening and “illegal” behavior during protests over the weekend (WaPo). Since Friday, big-rig trucks and other vehicles have clogged up key arteries in the Canadian capital as part of a self-described “Freedom Convoy.” Police say memorials were defaced and demonstrators displayed “illegal” and “intimidating” behavior to police and others. The demonstration was initially planned to protest rules implemented in January by the U.S. and Canadian governments that require truck drivers who cross the border to be fully vaccinated.
Report on Downing Street Parties Deepens Crisis for U.K. Prime Minister
A report on the parties held at Downing Street during the pandemic was released on Monday and has deepened the crisis for the U.K. prime minister, Boris Johnson. The report by Sue Gray, a senior civil servant, condemned Johnson for failed leadership and described “excessive” workplace drinking in the inner sanctum of the British government, even in its redacted form (NYT). Following the release of the report, Johnson faced Parliament, where there was another call for him to resign and repeated demands to release the full report from the investigator. Theresa May, Johnson’s predecessor, gave a blistering assessment Monday: “What the Gray report does show is that Number 10 Downing Street was not observing the regulations they had imposed on members of the public. So either my right honorable friend had not read the rules or didn’t understand what they meant, and others around him, or they didn’t think the rules applied to Number 10. Which was it?” “I know what the issue is,” Johnson continued. “It’s whether this government can be trusted to deliver. And I say, Mr. Speaker, yes, we can be trusted” (WaPo). But Johnson has struggled to convince both his colleagues in government and the public that any trust is warranted.
Lunar New Year Coincides with Omicron Surges Across Asia
The Omicron variant has disrupted travel across several Asian countries during the Lunar New Year, which is observed on Feb. 1 this year (NYT). Before the pandemic, as many as three billion trips were made over the holiday in China as people visit their relatives or go on vacation. But this year, restrictions on large gatherings and travel will limit the celebrations. “Large gatherings will have to wait a little longer, as the Omicron variant has forced us to maintain strict measures,” said Singapore’s prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, in a statement about the holidays. “We must continue to exercise social responsibility and take precautions.” Singapore, and Malaysia, temporarily halted ticket sales for air and bus travel due to the rise of Omicron. Chinese citizens are under strict government surveillance, which limits their movement. South Korea expects 90% of its cases to be Omicron-related by the end of February.
Austria Ends Lockdown for Unvaccinated
On Monday the Austrian government ended its lockdown for unvaccinated people even though the daily number of covid cases is at record levels. The strain on hospitals from cases of the Omicron variant was less severe, according to Karl Nehammer, the Austrian Chancellor (NYT). Even though unvaccinated individuals can now leave their homes, they are still prohibited from entering nonessential shops, restaurants, and cultural institutions for another two weeks. The lockdown was instituted in mid-November and was the one of the first ones in Europe that targeted unvaccinated people. Austria’s upper house of Parliament is expected to pass a bill later this week that will make vaccinations mandatory for everyone over the age of 18.
Evidence from Australia: Women Experiencing Pandemic-Era Financial Stress More Likely to Face Abuse
Women experiencing financial distress and hardship because of the pandemic are more likely to be on the receiving end of domestic violence and emotional abuse, a study of Australian women found. The New York Times writes that the survey of “10,000 women age 18 and older was conducted between February and April 2021 by Australia’s National Research Organization for Women’s Safety, a research and policy group. It asked the women about their experiences during the first 12 months of the pandemic” (NYT). Financial stress was deemed a determining factor in addition to income disparity between partners. The New York Times quotes: “‘Within intimate relationships where the partners have similar levels of earning power, or the woman is the primary breadwinner, some abusers may be using sexual violence as a way of exerting control over their partner,’ Rick Brown, the deputy director of the Australian Institute of Criminology, which collaborated on the study, said in a statement.” Australia has issued strict pandemic-era lockdown measures, which researchers say influenced this rise in violence against women. These findings corroborate other research which has declared the pandemic a greater negative influence on women than on men.
Bonus Read: “A coronavirus infection illuminates a migrant worker’s tale of inequality in China,” (NYT).
U.S. Government & Politics
New Jersey, Arkansas Governors Call for “Endemic” Approach to Covid
As we covered in yesterday’s brief, many countries are increasingly calling for a shift to living with Covid, treating it as an endemic disease rather than a pandemic requiring lockdowns and similar measures. Governors from both parties are expressing similar sentiments (NYT). On Sunday, New Jersey’s Democratic Governor Phil Murphy told NBC’s “Meet the Press,” “We’re not going to manage this to zero.” He added, “We have to learn how to live with this.” Arkansas’ Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson sounded a similar line on “Meet the Press” as well.
Seeking Warren’s Support, Biden’s FDA Pick Makes Ethics Pledge
Politico reports that Biden’s nominee to head the Food and Drug Administration, Robert Califf, has sent a letter to Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in which he made a series of ethics pledges as part of an effort to receive her support (Politico). Politico writes that the letter includes a pledge to “not seek employment or compensation from any pharmaceutical or medical device company that he interacts with ‘for four years’ following his time in government.” A spokesperson for Senator Warren says the Senator will support Califf if he comes up for a vote. In the letter, Califf wrote, “The Biden-Harris Administration has set the highest ethical standards of any Administration for its political appointees,” adding, “However, in response to your letter, I am willing to voluntarily extend the recusal period from two years to four years for all particular matters involving companies with which I have a previous working relationship.”
Arkansas’ Republican Governor Praises Biden on School Policy Amid Pandemic
As we have covered in prior briefs, education policy amid the pandemic has become a major site of partisan politics, but on Monday, Arkansas Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson praised the Biden administration for its work keeping schools open (WaPo). The Washington Post called the comments made at a National Governors Association meeting at the White House, “a rare Republican acknowledgment of the White House’s pandemic response.” Hutchinson stated, “Your voice has been important for a national perspective,” adding, “Our schools are opening classroom instruction, and thank you for that clarity.” Hutchinson also expressed hope for further clarity from the CDC on regulations.
Social Security Administration Expands Services
The Social Security Administration is expanding its services, which had been restricted to only an hour a day due to the pandemic (WaPo). The Washington Post explains that the agency is “allowing drop boxes at its closed field offices to accept sensitive documents and forms for more hours as it eases toward opening some facilities. The agency is putting the workaround in place while its network of 1,230 local offices remain closed until at least mid-April, apart from a smattering of in-person appointments. Most Social Security employees have been working from home since March 2020, but officials say they are trying to improve assistance to low-income elderly and disabled people who rely on their local Social Security office to navigate one of the government’s most complex systems of subsistence benefits.” The move comes as the agency is bargaining with its union over return to work plans.
Bonus Read: “Nurses made $1.5 million selling fake vaccination cards, prosecutors say,” (WaPo).
U.S. Economy
Bonus Read: “Wall Street braces for more volatility as brutal January draws to a close,” (WaPo).
As Teachers Quit, Companies Seek to Hire Them
Teachers are among those most likely to be quitting their jobs amid pandemic burnout and other issues that have helped drive the so-called Great Resignation, but the Wall Street Journal reports that companies are eager to hire them (WSJ). The Journal writes that the size of the exodus has helped drive a national teacher shortage, reporting, “The rate of people quitting jobs in education rose more than in any other industry in 2021, according to federal data. Many of those are teachers exhausted from toggling between online and classroom teaching, shifting Covid-19 protocols and dealing with challenging students, parents and administrators. According to LinkedIn, the share of teachers on the site who left for a new career increased by 62% last year.” The Journal adds, “Classroom instructors are landing sales roles and jobs as instructional coaches, software engineers and behavioral health technicians, according to LinkedIn.” Former teachers spoke of the dynamic to the Journal. Amelia Watson, who quit her job teaching 6th grade in January and shifted to a recruitment coordinator position with a staffing agency, told the Journal, “Every time I met somebody, they’d say, ‘We love teachers! I don’t know how you do it,’” adding, “That feels good, but it’s simply not enough to get you through each day.” Another former teacher, now graphic designer said of her decision to leave, “My happiness was worth more.”
Extended Stay Hotels See Sustained Benefits from Pandemic Dynamics
The Wall Street Journal reports that extended stay hotels that cater to those seeking to stay a week to three months have benefited greatly from the pandemic’s impact on demand, a dynamic that appears to be continuing (WSJ). The Journal writes of such hotels, “As the pandemic wore on and more Americans began to travel, they attracted vacationing families, project managers and information technology workers. Now as real-estate investors look beyond the pandemic, demand for extended stay properties shows no sign of fading.” The Journal notes that in January “Blackstone Inc. and Starwood Capital Group, two of the largest real-estate investors in the U.S.” agreed to purchase 111 extended stay hotels less than a year after the two purchased Extended Stay America Inc. The emphasis on extended stays is welcome news to owners. The Journal explains, “Property owners like extended stay hotels because they offer profit margins of about 50% of revenue, or nearly double the industry as a whole, said Ryan Meliker, president of Lodging Analytics Research & Consulting, a hospitality consulting firm.” Meliker told the Journal, “They’re like ATMs with a roof.”
Bonus Read: “How the Fed’s Policy Shift Is Rippling Through the Housing Market,” (WSJ).
U.S. Society
Joe Rogan Responds to Spotify Controversy; Spotify Adds Advisories to Podcasts Discussing Covid
On Sunday, in an Instagram video, prominent podcaster Joe Rogan responded to recent criticism regarding coronavirus misinformation on his podcast hosted by Spotify sparked by musician Neil Young’s demand that Spotify remove his music as a form of protest (WSJ, CNN). Rogan said his show had become, “out of control” and that he would work to present information in a more balanced fashion. Rogan also stated, “If I pissed you off, I’m sorry.” He stated, “It’s a strange responsibility to have this many viewers and listeners,” adding, “It’s nothing that I’ve prepared for. I’m going to do my best to balance things out” while also referring to a range of people including Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Dr. Michael Osterholm who he had interviewed in the past. Rogan also criticized the term misinformation, arguing against removal of people from social media for it. Rogan directly referenced Young’s protest and removal of his content from Spotify, and said he was a fan of Young’s music. He also apologized to Spotify for it “taking so much heat” from the controversy.
Meanwhile in a post on Sunday, Spotify’s Chief Executive Daniel Ek announced new measures to address concerns and protests regarding its hosting of podcasts accused of spreading Covid misinformation (Politico, WaPo). Among the changes, Ek said that podcasts that discuss coronavirus will link to a fact-based Covid-19 hub which he portrayed as a “new effort to combat misinformation.” At the same time, Ek made clear his opposition to taking on a major content moderation role, stating, “Personally, there are plenty of individuals and views on Spotify that I disagree with strongly,” adding, “It is important to me that we don’t take on the position of being content censor while also making sure that there are rules in place and consequences for those who violate them.” Ek also said that Spotify would publish its content rules and test new approaches for informing its content producers of them. Like Rogan’s statement, Ek’s statement emphasized balance, stating, “Based on the feedback over the last several weeks, it’s become clear to me that we have an obligation to do more to provide balance and access to widely-accepted information from the medical and scientific communities guiding us through this unprecedented time.”
As the US Economy Reopens, Inflation and Rent Rise
As the United States reopens, inflation is rising, and rent prices are increasing throughout the United States. This rise in living expenses is causing millions of Americans to reconsider how they live. The Washington Post reports on the close relationship between rent increase and inflation: “Higher rent prices are also expected to be a key driver of inflation in coming months. Housing costs make up a third of the U.S. consumer price index, which is calculated based on the going rate of home rentals. But economists say there is a lag of 9 to 12 months before rising rents show up in inflation measures. As a result, even if inflation were to subside for all other components of the consumer price index, rising rents alone could keep inflation levels elevated through the year, said Frank Nothaft, chief economist at real estate data firm CoreLogic” (WaPo). The Biden administration is addressing this issue by funneling unused reserves from the Emergency Rental Assistance program to assist Americans in cities like Washington, D.C., Houston, and San Diego.
Analysis & Arguments
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