Top Three
Two Years Later, Coronavirus Evolution Still Surprises Experts. Here’s Why: Via NatGeo.
"Many experts are still amazed by how quickly the virus evolves, what it does to the human body, and how it moves in and out of other species."
"Coronaviruses usually mutate at lower rates than other RNA viruses, like influenza and HIV. Both SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 accumulate approximately two mutations each month; half to one sixth the rate seen in influenza viruses. That’s because coronaviruses have proofreading proteins that correct errors introduced into the virus’ genetic material as it replicates."
"But the virus quickly proved Gupta and his colleagues wrong. The emergence of Alpha—the first variant of concern identified in the United Kingdom in November 2020—stunned scientists. It had 23 mutations that set it apart from the original SARS-CoV-2 strain, eight of which were in the spike protein, which is essential for anchoring to human cells and infecting them."
"The next version, Beta, was first identified in South Africa and was reported as a variant of concern just a month later. It carried eight mutations on the viral spike, some of which helped the virus escape the body’s immune defenses. And when the Gamma variant emerged in January 2021, it had 21 mutations, 10 of which were in the spike protein. Some of these mutations made Gamma highly transmissible and enabled it to reinfect patients who previously had COVID-19."
"Then came Delta, one of the most dangerous and contagious variants. It was first identified in India and designated a variant of concern in May 2021. By late 2021 this variant dominated in almost every country. Its unique constellation of mutations—13 overall and seven in the spike—made Delta twice as infectious as the original SARS-CoV-2 strain, led to longer lasting infections, and produced 1,000 times more virus in the bodies of infected people."
"Early in the pandemic medical professionals noticed that the virus wasn’t just causing pneumonia-like illness. Some hospitalized patients also presented heart damage, blood clots, neurologic complications, and kidney and liver defects."
New Vaccine Findings Pose Tough Questions for Parents of Young Children: Via NYT.
"The recent studies suggest that the problem is not so much the vaccine as the dose."
"In the Pfizer trials, adolescents aged 12 to 17 were given 30 micrograms, the same dose given to adults. But children aged 5 to 11 received 10 micrograms, and those 6 months to 5 years old received just three micrograms."
"These doses may have been too low to rouse an adequate and lasting response. But federal officials who have seen the data told The New York Times that higher doses produced too many fevers in children."
"Pfizer and BioNTech are now testing a third dose in children under 12 to determine whether it can deliver the level of protection that two doses could not. The F.D.A. is still evaluating the Moderna vaccine for use in children 6 to 11"
One-third of All US Child Covid Deaths Occurred During Omicron Surge: Reports the Guardian.
"Children seem to be facing increasing risks from Covid-19 even as mask mandates drop across the country, and vaccination rates among children stall out at alarmingly low rates."
"Since the beginning of the year, 550 children have died from Covid-19 in the US, compared with 1,017 children in the preceding 22 months, according to data from the CDC."
The variant may also affect younger children in different ways than previous versions of the virus. Omicron tends to infect the upper airways, which in children are narrower and can be more easily irritated."
"The under-five age group saw record-high hospitalizations over the past few months. Omicron hospitalization rates for kids under the age of five soared five times higher at Omicron’s peak than during the Delta wave, according to recent CDC research."
Federal
HHS: Announces nearly $35 million to strengthen mental health support for children and young adults.
Where $5 Trillion in Pandemic Stimulus Money Went: Via the NYT.
COVID-19 Research
On This Day: WHO declared Covid a pandemic two years ago today.
Third COVID mRNA Vaccine Dose Needed Against Omicron: Study. "mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective in preventing adult hospitalizations from the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants, but three doses are needed to reach the same efficacy against Omicron as two doses offer against the first two strains."
Pfizer: Says it will file soon with the FDA for a fourth shot of its vaccine, noting waning protection against omicron.
COVID’s True Death Toll May Be Three Times Higher: Study "The true number of lives lost to the pandemic by 31 December 2021 was close to 18 million. That far outstrips the 5.9 million deaths that the study says were reported to various official sources for the same period," reports Nature.
Kids With Asthma Not at Higher Risk of COVID-19: Study and summary over at CIDRAP.
Long COVID19 Mini-Series: Indicators and Treatment: Via Katelyn Jetelina.
Media Habits Defined the COVID Culture War: Axios-Ipsos poll and story.
"The key factor determining how Americans have handled COVID-19 — more than race, education or even political affiliation — is where they get their news, according to an analysis of two years of data from our Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index."
"People who primarily got their news from Fox or other conservative media outlets were also more likely to be unvaccinated, and to report that they had tested positive for COVID-19 at some point during the pandemic."
"But there's also ways that preexisting American society imposed its structure on the issue," he said. "America was a very divided, partisan country before COVID came along and that structure really imposed itself on how we responded."
State
Florida: How kids at two Tampa schools made it through COVID, as told in a mural.
Illinois: Six Chicago Public Schools teachers are once again challenging the district’s rules requiring employees receive the COVID-19 vaccination or undergo weekly testing.
Maryland: Staggering learning loss, 85% of Maryland students tested were not proficient in math.
Mississippi: Dept. of Education uses $10.7 million of stimulus funds to launch a virtual tutoring program.
International
Europe:
Via the Guardian, "UK Covid cases rising among those aged 55 and over. Imperial College study finds R value higher for older people, raising concerns about waning immunity."
Colin Angus goes through the various theories about why cases might be ticking up.
Economic Recovery
Inflation:
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told CNBC that Americans will likely see another year of “very uncomfortably high” inflation as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine muddles her prior forecast that price acceleration would moderate in the months ahead. “We’re likely to see another year in which 12-month inflation numbers remain very uncomfortably high.”
Nearly one-third of Americans have added credit card debt during the pandemic — and of those, about half say inflation was the biggest reason, Axios reports.
Resources
Schools Are Exiting the Pandemic. What Now?: Rick Hess in the Dispatch.
These Schools Will Require Masks Even After California’s Mandate Ends: Via NYT.
The Force Is Strong: (maybe too strong) with this young Jedi.