Top Three
Pfizer Seeks Authorization for Under 5s: Pfizer statement.
The filing with the FDA, “completed on Wednesday, included data showing three lower-dose shots of the vaccine generated a strong immune response in children as young as 6 months of age.”
"Pfizer’s data may have additional complexity. The third shot was added to its pediatric trial in December after it became clear that two shots failed to muster a sufficiently strong immune response in children ages 2 to 4. The third shot is to be given at least two months after the second shot, but the data in the trial may include a much longer time gap for some children. If there is a longer gap between shots for some children in the trial, it could start a debate about the timing of the shot — and whether there should be more time between the second and third shots."
CDC planning documents have also been updated saying a total of 10 million doses will be available for under 5s in the first wave. Pending FDA approval, shots could be delivered as soon as June 20.
White House briefing that signaled states can begin placing their orders starting tomorrow.
How Teens Navigate School During COVID-19: Via Pew.
65% of teens say they would prefer school to be completely in person after the COVID-19 outbreak is over, 9% would opt for a completely online environment, 18% say they prefer a mix of both online and in-person instruction.
28% of teens say they are extremely or very satisfied with the way their school has handled virtual learning, while a similar share report being only a little or not at all satisfied with their school’s performance.
16% of teens say they are extremely or very worried they may have fallen behind in school because of COVID-19-related disturbances.
44% of parents living in households earning less than $30,000 a year say they are extremely or very worried their teen has fallen behind in school because of COVID-19 disruptions, but this falls to 24% among those whose annual household income is $75,000 or more.
About one-in-five teens (22%) say they often or sometimes have to do their homework on a cellphone. Some 12% say they at least sometimes are not able to complete homework assignments because they do not have reliable access to a computer or internet connection.
Some 24% of teens who live in a household making less than $30,000 a year say they at least sometimes are not able to complete their homework because they do not have reliable access to a computer or internet connection, compared with 14% of those in a household making $30,000 to $74,999, and 8% of those in a household making $75,000 or more.
Challenges of Deciding Whether and How to Update COVID-19 Vaccines to Protect Against Variants: JAMA essay.
"Updating COVID-19 vaccines is easier said than done, and some observers question whether it’s the best way to tackle the unpredictable, ever-changing virus."
"In a May 2 JAMA Viewpoint, FDA officials called circulating SARS-CoV-2 “the new normal,” likely requiring consideration of annual updates of COVID-19 vaccines, as is done with influenza vaccines. “[A] greater depth and duration of protection might be achieved with a vaccine covering currently circulating variants."
“The challenge is we don’t know the rules of how this virus [SARS-CoV-2] behaves. For seasonal flu, we know the rules,” John Beigel, MD, associate director for clinical research in the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), explained in an interview. “Omicron kind of came out of nowhere. A year ago, we wouldn’t have predicted something like Omicron.”
"A multivalent COVID-19 vaccine, containing antigens from multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, would be the next step after a monovalent vaccine, but, as with the quadrivalent seasonal flu vaccines, manufacturers would have to prove that antigens from multiple variants combined were just as immunogenic as each alone."
"Instead of trying to smack down 1 variant just as another pops up, researchers and funders should prioritize creating nasal vaccines and pan–SARS-CoV-2 or even pan-sarbecovirus (the viral subgenus that contains SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV) vaccines, some scientists say. Both types of vaccines are in early clinical trials."
Federal
IES: Using Prize Competitions to Revamp IES' R&D Infrastructure
"This summer, IES will launch two new Learning Acceleration Challenges designed to identify and test interventions with the potential to dramatically improve math and science achievement."
"The first competition will focus on digital fraction interventions that improve upper elementary math performance for students with disabilities."
"The second competition is designed to identify highly effective interventions that improve outcomes for the lowest performing students in middle grades science"
"Registration for the Learning Acceleration Challenges will begin this summer (most likely August), with the goal of deploying interventions during the 2022-23 school year (most likely November)."
Covid-19 Research
Babies Less Likely to Catch COVID When Born to Vaccinated Moms: Vaccination in pregnancy linked with 33-71% lower risk of positive test by 4 months.
Trained Dogs Were Better at Detecting Positive Covid Cases Than a Rapid Antigen Test: According to a new study.
"Non-invasive detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection by canine olfaction could be one alternative to NPS RT-PCR when it is necessary to obtain a result very quickly according to the same indications as antigenic tests in the context of mass screening."
NBC News: "The dogs tested in the research accurately identified 97% of positive cases after sniffing human sweat samples. That made them more sensitive than some rapid antigen tests... The researchers found the dogs to be especially good at detecting asymptomatic infections, with a sensitivity nearing 100%."
Current Wave: “The United States is now in its fourth-biggest Covid surge, according to official case counts – but experts believe the actual current rate is much higher,” The Guardian reports.
“America is averaging about 94,000 new cases every day, and hospitalizations have been ticking upward since April, though they remain much lower than previous peaks.”
"But Covid cases could be undercounted by a factor of 30, an early survey of the surge in New York City indicates. “It would appear official case counts are under-estimating the true burden of infection by about 30-fold, which is a huge surprise,” said Denis Nash, an author of the study and a distinguished professor of epidemiology at the City University of New York School of Public Health."
State
Alabama: ACCESS Virtual Learning offers diverse courses for school's in rural areas.
Arizona: "Addressing the school transportation crisis with innovation."
"There's a carpool app that's affordable, being built to make sure we can express route kids in certain regions,” said Emily Anne Gullickson, founder and CEO of ‘A for Arizona."
Michigan: A new partnership between the Grand Valley State University (GVSU) NextEd Co-Lab and Littera Education offering tutoring for Michigan students.
Ohio: New Cleveland Mayor demands faster learning recovery for students.
Oklahoma: Bets on school counseling corps to address ‘Mental Health Deserts’
"Maples is part of the Oklahoma Counseling Corps, a new effort to increase the number of mental health professionals in Oklahoma schools. She sees children individually and serves groups of students “who can’t make it through a typical school day,” she said."
"The state put $35 million in American Rescue Plan funds toward hiring 300 counselors and other mental health professionals, with 181 districts matching it with another $35 million."
Tennessee: "Shelby County Government has dedicated more than $260,000 to pay for kids in 700 families to attend summer camps this season. It can make a big difference as the American Camp Association expects summer camp costs to rise 10 to 15% this year."
Economic Recovery
The Federal Reserve’s Monthly Beige Book: Has some interesting data points:
Almost all new cars delivered to dealers are still being pre-sold 6-8 weeks in advance.
The share of manufacturers that expect to hire more workers fell to one-third from over one-half in December.
“Worker shortages continued to force many firms to operate below capacity. In response, firms continued to deploy automation, offer greater job flexibility, and raise wages.”
"Firms that can't or won't raise their starting wage reported few applicants and high turnover."
"In response to labor challenges and continued strong demand, some companies looked to invest in automation and technology to increase production and reduce dependence on labor."
Resources
Preserving Student Privacy and Well-Being When Conducting Mental Health Surveys: Via CDT.
Student Data Privacy in 2022: Cutting through the Noise: Via DQC.
The Best Way to Use Grades for Motivating Students: Angela Duckworth in EdWeek.
Tom Brady Hits a Hole-In-One: This drone shot is bonkers. (starts at 0:16).
For the Non-Golfers: Here's a baby elephant.