Coronavirus weekly need-to-know: Leftover shots, COVID pill, restaurant dining & more
Each week, we offer you a round-up of our noteworthy coronavirus coverage.
More than 29.3 million people in the United States have tested positive for the coronavirus as of Saturday afternoon, March 13, according to Johns Hopkins University. That includes more than 533,000 people who have died nationwide.
Globally, there have been more than 113.3 million confirmed cases of the highly infectious virus, with more than 2.6 million reported deaths.
About 64 million Americans have received their first dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine as of March 11 — about 19% of the total population, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracker shows. More than 33.8 million of them have been fully vaccinated, or about 10% of the total population, meaning they’ve received maximum protection against COVID-19.
The number of fully vaccinated individuals reported by the CDC includes those who have received one dose of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
Here’s what happened between March 5 to March 11.
New CDC guidelines for fully vaccinated people
The CDC said that people who have received both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine — or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson shot — can gather indoors two weeks after completing their vaccination series with other fully vaccinated individuals without masks or physical distancing.
The risk of infection in such scenarios is low, the agency says. But including individuals who have not completed their vaccinations — or those who have not been vaccinated at all — in indoor gatherings can increase the chances someone gets infected.
Everything you need to know about the new guidelines, here.
Are COVID-19 vaccine side effects worse for some people?
Side effects after COVID-19 vaccination are expected, normal and a telltale sign your body is developing the immunity it needs to fend off serious coronavirus illness.
But a CDC report published last month found that among the first roughly 13.8 million doses of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine administered to Americans, more women — in this case, meaning those assigned female at birth — experienced more side effects than men, even though they received only 61% of the doses.
So, what’s behind the sex discrepancy when it comes vaccine side effects? Continue reading to learn more.
COVID-19 pill shows promise in early study results
A potential new treatment for COVID-19 still undergoing study cleared non-hospitalized coronavirus patients who had symptoms of infection faster than in patients who received a placebo — and it’s a pill.
If ongoing clinical trials continue to show similar positive results, it could be the first oral antiviral against COVID-19 to join a relatively small toolbox of treatments, potentially saving infected people from progressing to severe disease.
Here’s what the early-stage study found.
Looking for a COVID-19 vaccine? This site can help find spares
In an attempt to rid Americans of the tedious task of refreshing websites for hours on end, a team of 21 medical advisors, technology experts and business people are running a site that matches COVID-19 vaccine providers with leftover doses to people who want one.
The free service, coined Dr. B, was not only developed to bring nationwide organization to a cluttered vaccination system, but it was also designed to make access to COVID-19 vaccines “more efficient and equitable,” the group’s website says.
Read on to learn how it works.
Is it OK to exercise before or after COVID-19 vaccination?
Exercise may be the last — or first — thing on your mind in the moments before and after your COVID-19 vaccination, but should it be?
While there’s no official guidance about the do’s and don’ts of breaking a sweat around the time of coronavirus vaccination, studies on other vaccines show physical training done either before or after getting jabbed might improve immune responses.
But that cycling or kickboxing class could also hurt more than help, experts say, because it depends on how you react to any one of the three authorized COVID-19 vaccines that may cause side effects.
Does restaurant dining lead to rises in COVID-19 case and death rates?
A new CDC report found that community requirements that support mask use during the pandemic play a large role in county-level COVID-19 case and death growth rates, particularly when it comes to restaurant dining.
An analysis of mask mandates and restaurant reopenings in all U.S. counties from March to December 2020 found that significant drops in daily coronavirus cases and death growth rates occurred within 20 days of implementing mask use.
That’s because the predominant mode of coronavirus transmission is inhaling respiratory droplets expelled from infected people, the agency said, and studies have found masks help in reducing this kind of viral spread.
How does obesity raise risks for severe COVID-19?
An analysis of nearly 150,000 COVID-19 patients across the nation found that adults with obesity faced higher risks for hospitalization, invasive mechanical ventilation and death, especially among individuals younger than 65, than those in healthy and overweight categories.
About 51% of coronavirus patients in the study had obesity, compared to about 42% of adults in the U.S. population, suggesting that individuals affected by obesity are more likely to develop severe COVID-19, with risks increasing as body mass index (BMI) does, according to the CDC report.
Continue reading to learn why people with obesity face high risks for severe COVID-19.
First COVID-19 vaccine vial used in U.S. to be displayed in museum exhibit
A vial used to administer the first COVID-19 vaccine dose in the United States will be part of an exhibit on the pandemic at the Smithsonian Institution.
The National Museum of American History also acquired the vaccination card of Sandra Lindsay, a New York nurse who on Dec. 14 became the first person in the United States to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Northwell Health, which administered the first doses of vaccine, also donated empty vials of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, syringes, shipping materials and other items.
Detroit mayor disses J&J COVID-19 vaccine, says others are better. Is it true?
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan told reporters Thursday that he declined initial doses of the recently authorized Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine this week because the city has enough supplies of the Pfizer and Moderna shots needed to vaccinate eligible residents. But Duggan laid out another reason for the rejection.
“Johnson and Johnson is a very good vaccine. Moderna and Pfizer are the best. And I am going to do everything I can to make sure that residents of the city of Detroit get the best,” Duggan said last week.
However, scientific experts say the clinical trials for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines cannot be compared to that of the Johnson & Johnson shot. Here’s what the data says.
Americans’ views on the pandemic are changing dramatically
For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, a majority of Americans say the COVID-19 pandemic is improving, according to a new Gallup poll.
The survey, which was conducted Feb. 14-21, found that 60% of respondents said the pandemic is “getting a little or a lot better” with 14% saying the situation is getting worse and 26% saying it’s staying the same.
The latest survey contrasts with when Gallup first asked Americans about the pandemic in April 2020 and 56% said it was getting worse, 26% said it was getting better and 15% said it was remaining the same.
In other coronavirus coverage...
Target partners with CVS for COVID-19 vaccinee distribution effort
Native communities should avoid the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for now
Pfizer’s Newest Vaccine Plant Has Persistent Mold Issues and a History of Recalls
‘Moderna Arm’: Some People Develop Reaction To Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine
This story was originally published March 12, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Coronavirus weekly need-to-know: Leftover shots, COVID pill, restaurant dining & more."
