Top Three
Novavax Study 12-17 Yr Olds: In NEJM (and Press Release) and also this great Twitter thread.
"Immune responses were about two-to-three-fold higher in adolescents than in adults against all variants studied"
COVID-19 Takes Serious Toll On Heart Health: Science on the first large study to assess cardiovascular outcomes one year after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
"In an analysis of more than 11 million U.S. veterans’ health records, researchers found the risk of 20 different heart and vessel maladies was substantially increased in veterans who had COVID-19 1 year earlier, compared with those who didn’t."
"The risk rose with severity of initial disease and extended to every outcome the team examined, including heart attacks, arrhythmias, strokes, cardiac arrest, and more. Even people who never went to the hospital had more cardiovascular disease than those who were never infected."
"For example, veterans who had had COVID-19 faced a 72% higher risk of heart failure after 12 months than those in a control group who didn’t test positive."
“In the post-COVID era, COVID might become the highest risk factor for cardiovascular outcomes,” greater than well-documented risks such as smoking and obesity, says Larisa Tereshchenko, a cardiologist and biostatistician at the Cleveland Clinic."
Mask Mandates:
Gov. Kemp looks to make masking optional in Georgia schools.
Gov. Hogan called on the Maryland State Board of Education to take action to rescind its school masking policy.
"We're continuing to convey directly to governors our recommendation that they abide by federal public health guidelines, but also our understanding that they may make decisions based on what they feel is best for their communities," White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Wednesday.
"The approach leaves the CDC in a largely observational state, neither charting a national path forward or denouncing states that do so on their own, but continuing to monitor data."
"The CDC is considering updating its guidelines on the metrics states should use when considering lifting public health measures such as mask mandates, according to four people familiar with the matter."
Via Axios, (Another) great unmasking. "We're starting to get to this place where there's almost a cultural shift in the pandemic, as well, where there's an acceptance around certain types of risk," Erica Johnson, chairwoman of the Infectious Disease Board of the American Board of Internal Medicine"
Why Liberal Suburbs Face a New Round of School Mask Battles, via NYT
Bloomberg Editorial: For Kids, Mask Mandates No Longer Make Sense
"To be clear: There’s evidence that masks may have been useful in blocking Covid infections in schools."
"One might still make a plausible case that masks make sense as a precaution. But there are worrying signs that they’re imposing steep costs on children’s social development."
"With omicron case numbers plummeting, it’s reasonable to recalculate the balance between the protection masks provide and the difficulties they impose. In doing so, it pays to keep in mind school-age children’s relatively low risk of hospitalization and death from Covid — especially if they’re vaccinated, as almost all of them should be. What’s more, there’s evidence that kids do not readily spread the coronavirus to their elders at school."
White House faces new pressure to back lifting mask rules
“I think it's the lack of guidance that has created this void, and states and communities and school districts, by necessity because they're on the front lines, are moving in to try to address the void,” said Glen Nowak, co-director of the University of Georgia’s Center for Health & Risk Communication and former head of media relations at CDC."
COVID-19 Research
Vaccine Effectiveness With Children: Fully vaccinated children aged 5 to 11 were found 73% less likely to get infected with COVID-19 when compared to unvaccinated children of the same age, according to a study released Wednesday by Multnomah County health officials.
State
California: LAUSD may expand online schools for 20,000 unvaccinated students.
DC: The Mayor announced they hired COVID coordinators in 24 schools and full-time substitute teachers in 27 schools, leaving 181 positions left to fill.
Economic Recovery
Inflation: Surges 7.5% on an annual basis, even more than expected and highest since 1982.
The average household is spending an additional $276 a month because of inflation.
Where are Americans seeing the biggest price increases? Over to Heather Long:
Used cars 40.5% y/y
Gas 40%
Rental cars 29%
Utility gas 24%
Hotels 21%
Furniture 20%
Bacon 18%
Steak 17%
Peanut Butter 15.5%
Pork 14.5%
Fish 13%
Eggs 13%
New cars 12%
Electric 11%
Chicken 10%
Oranges 10%
Resources
Will the Child Tax Credit’s Effect on Work Decrease Its Poverty Impact?: Via Niskanen
"Estimates of the number of parents who would choose to stop working in response to a permanent expansion of the 2021 Child Tax Credit vary widely, ranging from 300,000 to 1.5 million depending on various assumptions."
"New work finds that the likeliest number is at the low end of this plausible range — around 410,000."
"Even under the scenario of the largest employment decrease, the CTC would still lead to an unprecedented decrease in child poverty. In fact, I conclude that the 2021 version of the CTC would reduce poverty — and deep poverty — by more than the 2020 CTC and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) combined."
Cross: America’s School Boards Are in Crisis. Here Are 9 Ways to Fix That: Chris Cross in The 74.
Require newly elected board members to undergo an orientation session on key issues as a precondition for being sworn into office.
Adopt and enforce a code of conduct expressly crafted for and by the board.
Adopt a conflict-of-interest policy.
Create the position of parliamentarian, who is not a board member and can ensure that rules, procedures and the code of conduct are followed.
Identify the most critical education issues facing the community, and have the board focus on those issues. Ensure that every part of the community has an opportunity to articulate its major concerns.
Move board elections to a date that will enhance voter turnout.
Hold community forums prior to elections and require candidates to participate. Have them run by a professional moderator.
Establish reasonable term limits so there are opportunities for all parts of the community to be represented.
Consider having a board that is composed of elected members as well as members appointed by the highest elected official in that jurisdiction. This is done in states like Ohio and in some local areas.
A Powder-saurus: WeeWhoo!