NIH halts convalescent plasma trial after no benefit found: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-plasma/u-s-nih-halts-trial-testing-covid-19-blood-plasma-idUSKCN2AU29B . This result confirms the conclusions of other trials.
Mask mandate fight continues: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2021/03/03/covid-19-texas-mississippi-join-states-rolling-back-mask-mandates/6905305002/ . This is not an issue of freedom or individual rights. It is reckless endangerment of others based on politics. More: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/virus-expert-just-warned-of-coming-covid-disaster/ar-BB1ecXFS?li=BBnb7Kz .
Abbott just doesn’t give a damn about Texans: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/03/03/abbott-mask-order-texas-advisers/ . Expert advice does not matter. Past experience does not matter. I remain astonished at the callous disregard for human life. And by the way, the entire country will suffer from Texas’ coming surge.
The two-dose debate: https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/04/health/covid-19-vaccine-two-dose-strategy/index.html . The expanding US vaccine production capability is outmoding this debate. This is because we are focused on vaccinating Americans first. Globally it is a different issue. Also, the relevant question going forward is whether variants will be able to avoid the existing vaccines.
The most overlooked COVID protection: eye coverings: https://bestlifeonline.com/covering-eyes-covid-news/ .
Shippers prepared to deliver on new rollout timeline: https://www.axios.com/fedex-ups-shipping-biden-vaccines-5fc8cd8e-303d-4761-b3d2-25b2da4f6c1d.html .
The vaccination timeline for those under 16: https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/540884-fauci-lays-out-timeline-for-vaccinating-teens-children .
Vaccination may “cure” COVID long-haulers: https://bgr.com/2021/03/03/coronavirus-vaccine-side-effects-long-covid-cure/ . Those who improve after vaccination are roughly one-third of total patients. Understanding why they improve might help with treatment for the two-thirds who do not improve.
How does protection differ among the 3 approved vaccines?: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/dr-fauci-has-a-stunningly-simple-way-to-explain-how-johnson-and-johnsons-covid-19-vaccine-differs-from-pfizers-and-modernas-shots/ar-BB1ecEP6?li=BBnb7Kz .
Heading off vaccine preference issues: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-03-03/johnson-and-johnson-vaccine-rollout-faces-potential-equity-efficacy-concerns . These issues are creating problems in the EU regarding concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine. https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-vaccines-america-differences-570fe1d0-a489-48af-a976-950a02488aba.html .
The scaling issues of mRNA vaccines: https://www.wsj.com/articles/mrna-covid-19-vaccines-are-fast-to-make-but-hard-to-scale-11614776401 .
CDC says persons experiencing an allergic reaction to the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines may use J&J as their second dose: https://bestlifeonline.com/allergic-reaction-johnson-johnson-news/ . Since J&J is a one-dose vaccine, there is less here than meets the eye. It’s just common sense.
CDC to issue revised guidance for those who are fully vaccinated: https://bestlifeonline.com/cdc-covid-guideline-change-news/ .
COVID prefers to bind to respiratory cells with the A blood type: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-03-03/scientists-discover-why-blood-type-may-matter-for-covid-infection .
Searching for animal reservoirs of COVID: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00531-z .
What we know (and don’t know) about COVID-19: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210224-the-knowns-and-unknowns-of-covid-19 . This is a nice overview of the pandemic and the disease.
Safe swimming during the pandemic: https://www.usms.org/fitness-and-training/articles-and-videos/articles/covid-19-vaccines-and-coronavirus-variants-what-swimmers-need-to-know .
WSJ: Vaccine skepticism, Indian-style: https://www.wsj.com/articles/indias-covid-19-vaccine-is-found-effective-boosting-national-efforts-11614787370 .
COVID grief, Italian-style: https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/in-italy-the-coronavirus-devastates-a-generation/ .
WSJ: Another head rolls in Texas: https://www.wsj.com/articles/texas-power-grid-operator-fires-ceo-11614834450 .
House prepares to pass landmark voting rights legislation: https://apnews.com/article/bills-campaign-finance-voting-rights-legislation-elections-a74d9d8cce567d751021ed66cee2b85f . This should be nonpartisan protection and expansion of the principle of “one person, one vote”. It is not because the Republicans see their path to power as voter suppression, a policy they have followed at the state and federal levels for many years.
Democrats must realize that their control of both houses of Congress and the Presidency comes about rarely. This House vote will put enormous pressure on Senate Democrats to bypass the filibuster and pass this legislation. That pressure will fall squarely on Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema.
Update: The bill passed on a near party-line vote: https://apnews.com/article/bills-campaign-finance-voting-rights-legislation-elections-a74d9d8cce567d751021ed66cee2b85f . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/house-democrats-republicans-clash-over-voting-rights-bill-11614780715 .
House passes police reform bill: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/house-passes-expansive-policing-overhaul-bill-named-in-honor-of-george-floyd/ar-BB1ede1i?li=BBnb7Kz .
House cancels Thursday session due to security threat: https://news.yahoo.com/citing-march-4-security-threat-house-cancels-thursday-session-231603977.html . The QAnon crowd has taken a page out of The Second Coming of Christ playbook. Since Trump did not regain power on January 6, or January 20, the fruitcakes look to March 4 (Inauguration Day until 1937) for Orange Julius to reclaim his power. More: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-congress-security-idUSKBN2AV21D . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/security-defense-officials-to-face-more-questioning-on-capitol-riot-failures-11614781480 .
Senate Democrats make last-minute adjustments to stimulus package: https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-bills-coronavirus-pandemic-3e33dc675d613552a0fa9878c954e918 . About 9 million households are cut out of this round of stimulus checks based on the lower income limits: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2021-03-03/millions-of-us-households-would-not-get-covid-19-payments-under-new-biden-plan . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/senate-poised-to-move-ahead-with-covid-19-aid-bill-11614784868 .
COVID’s a winner in the Dance Your PhD contest: https://www.cnet.com/news/dance-your-ph-d-winners-deliver-fire-finnish-rap-and-coronavirus-pirouettes/ .