Emergence of a Deadly Coronavirus

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Progress of COVID Inoculations

According to the coronavirus vaccine tracker, the U.S. has now administered 54.62 million vaccine doses with around 16.4% of the U.S. population vaccinated (with at least one dose). In the United States an average of 1.64 million doses were injected daily.

Globally 176.55 million vaccine doses have been given with the U.S., China and U.K. in the top three positions.

Source: COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker

I expect the numbers are a little depressed because of the weekend/holiday/major snow storm. Many vaccination sites were closed yesterday and also today.

Coronavirus Hackers

Pfizer aims to make two billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine this year, according to the international news agency headquartered in Paris, France.

North Korean hackers tried breaking into the computer systems of pharmaceutical company Pfizer to access information on a coronavirus vaccine, according to a South Korean lawmaker and multiple reports.

Seoul's National Intelligence Service "briefed us that North Korea tried to obtain technology involving the Covid vaccine and treatment by using cyberwarfare to hack into Pfizer," said Parliament member Ha Tae-keung following a closed-door hearing, according to Agence France-Presse.

U.N. security experts recently found that North Korean hackers stole about $316 million to improve its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. North Korea has also been linked to significant cyberattacks, which the country denies. They include a 2013 campaign that impacted the servers of South Korean financial institutions, the 2014 hacking of Sony Pictures, and the WannaCry malware attack of 2017.

Source: North Korea attempted to hack Pfizer for coronavirus vaccine information

Supposedly, North Korea has virtually no COVID LOL

More Variants Appearing

Seven new coronavirus variants have popped up in the US since last summer, according to a new study — and scientists worry they may be more contagious. They are:

* "Robin 1," which "is found in over 30 US states, but predominates in the Midwest," according to the study. It was first detected in August.
* "Robin 2," which was first found in a sample collected in early October in Alabama. Accordingly, it is most common in the Southeast.
* "Pelican," which was first detected in Oregon in late October. However, it has been found in 12 other states, and is the only variant of the seven thus far detected abroad, popping up on tests in Australia, Denmark, India and Switzerland.
* "Yellowhammer," which, like "Robin 2," is most common in the southeastern US. It first appeared in a sample from late November.
* "Bluebird," which first appeared in August and is most common in the Northeast.
* "Quail," which most commonly appears in opposing corners of the US, the Northeast and the Southwest. It was first detected in early October.
* "Mockingbird," first found in late November and prevalent in the south-central US, as well as along the East Coast.

Source: Seven new highly contagious COVID-19 variants found across US

Progress of COVID Inoculations

According to the coronavirus vaccine tracker, the U.S. has now administered 56.10 million vaccine doses with around 16.9% of the U.S. population vaccinated (with at least one dose). In the United States an average of 1.67 million doses were injected daily.

Globally 181.68 million vaccine doses have been given with the U.S., China and U.K. in the top three positions.

Source: COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker

I expect the numbers are a little depressed because of the weekend/holiday/major snow storm. Many vaccination sites were closed yesterday and also today.

Fake Masks

Federal officials said Wednesday they have seized some 11 million fake N95 masks, including 1 million earlier today, as part of a federal investigation into the foreign-made knockoffs that have been distributed to hospitals, medical facilities, and beyond in at least five states.

The fake masks closely resemble N95 masks produced by Minnesota-based company 3M. The counterfeit products have been sold to states "from coast to coast" with officials expected to seize more phony N95s in the "coming weeks," Alejandro Mayorkas, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, said during a briefing Wednesday.

So far during the pandemic, Homeland Security Investigations has used its 7,000 agents, along with border officials, the Food and Drug Administration and the FBI, to investigate the scams, seizing $33 million in phony products and arresting more than 200 people. The effort is based at the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, a government watchdog aimed at enforcing international trade laws and combating intellectual property theft.

3M, based in Maplewood, Minnesota, is among the largest global producers of the N95 mask, which has been approved by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The company delivered some 2 billion N95 masks in 2020 as the pandemic intensified, but in the earlier months, when masks were in short supply, fraudsters took advantage.

Source: Coronavirus Published 2 hours ago Millions of fake N95 masks shipped to multiple states, feds say

Progress of COVID Inoculations

According to the coronavirus vaccine tracker, the U.S. has now administered 57.40 million vaccine doses with around 17.1% of the U.S. population vaccinated (with at least one dose). In the United States an average of 1.61 million doses were injected daily. [These numbers are slightly depressed due to the snowstorm gripping the country.]

Globally 186.97 million vaccine doses have been given with the U.S., China and U.K. in the top three positions.

Source: COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker

Urgent Need to Develop Vaccine Boosters

A laboratory study suggests that the South African variant of the coronavirus may reduce antibody protection from the Pfizer Inc/BioNTech SE vaccine by two-thirds, and it is not clear if the shot will be effective against the mutation, the companies said on Wednesday.

The study found the vaccine was still able to neutralize the virus and there is not yet evidence from trials in people that the variant reduces vaccine protection, the companies said.

Still, they are making investments and talking to regulators about developing an updated version of their mRNA vaccine or a booster shot, if needed.

Source: Pfizer says South African variant could significantly reduce COVID-19 vaccine protection

We will need a booster shot in the Fall to keep this virus at bay.

Progress of COVID Inoculations

According to the coronavirus vaccine tracker, the U.S. has now administered 59.08 million vaccine doses with around 17.7% of the U.S. population vaccinated (with at least one dose). In the United States an average of 1.58 million doses were injected daily. [These numbers are slightly depressed due to the snowstorm gripping the country. Many trucks carrying the vaccine shipments were trapped in this winter mess. Many vaccination centers were closed.]

Globally 193.29 million vaccine doses have been given with the U.S., China and U.K. in the top three positions.

Source: COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker

Aerosol Transmission

University of Minnesota infectious disease expert Michael Osterholm joined with leading aerosol and occupational scientists Monday to call for clearer federal guidance on the risk of COVID-19 spreading through tiny aerosols floating in the air.

The researchers criticized the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for acknowledging the aerosol risk last fall but offering no changes in the national COVID-19 response strategy to confront it. The national strategy primarily targets the risk of people projecting larger, virus-carrying droplets at others nearby.

The group called for guidelines that address how indoor ventilation can lower risks, and an expansion in occupational groups required to wear N95 respirators — fitted masks that substantially reduce the risk of particle inhalation. More workers in health care and essential front-line industries should wear them, the group argued, especially since manufacturing has overcome a springtime shortage.

The group also called for increased filtration standards for common store-bought masks to improve public protection against smaller airborne particles.

Source: University of Minnesota's Osterholm: Respect COVID-19 aerosol threat

So even though vaccinations have begun a major roll-out in the U.S., the emergence of new and more infectious variants of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus can throw a monkey wrench into the works. Tackling the aerosol threat will provide a well needed back-up to the COVID wars.

There are a variety of vaccines being administered globally. I read an article this morning from the American Council of Science and Health which explored the question: Which Is The Best COVID-19 Vaccine?

Their bottom line was:

The best vaccine is the one in the syringe that is about to go into your arm.

A vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech cut symptomatic COVID-19 disease by 85% after the first dose, according to Israeli researchers.

Findings were outlined in correspondence published in The Lancet on Friday, drawing on results from 7,214 health care workers at the Sheba Medical Center. Researchers found the 85% reduction in disease 15 to 28 days after the first dose, and reported a 75% drop in infections within the same time period.

Source: Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine 85% effective after single dose, Israeli researchers find

Progress of COVID Inoculations

According to the coronavirus vaccine tracker, the U.S. has now administered 60.48 million vaccine doses with around 18.0% of the U.S. population vaccinated (with at least one dose). In the United States an average of 1.49 million doses were injected daily. [These numbers are slightly depressed due to the snowstorm gripping the country. Many trucks carrying the vaccine shipments were trapped in this winter mess. Many vaccination centers were closed.]

Globally 199.09 million vaccine doses have been given with the U.S., China and U.K. in the top three positions.

Source: COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker

Johns Hopkins expert says COVID-19 pandemic could end by April

A Johns Hopkins professor and surgeon says that the coronavirus could be "mostly gone" by April. Marty Makary, who teaches at the university’s School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, said in an opinion piece published in the Wall Street Journal on Friday that daily infections have declined by 77 percent since January.

"There is reason to think the country is racing toward an extremely low level of infection," Makary wrote. "As more people have been infected, most of whom have mild or no symptoms, there are fewer Americans left to be infected. At the current trajectory, I expect COVID will be mostly gone by April, allowing Americans to resume normal life."

Vaccinations and the high number of people who have already been infected in the US — more than 28 million — could contribute to herd immunity in the spring, Makary said.

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Let's see.
Number of individuals that have been infected with COVID-19 in U.S = 83.1 Million (latest CDC estimate)
Number of doses of vaccine administered in the U.S. = 60.5 Million
U.S. Population = 328.2 Million
Percentage of U.S. population either infected or vaccinated against coronavirus = 44%

April may be a reasonable estimate.

Progress of COVID Inoculations

According to the coronavirus vaccine tracker, the U.S. has now administered 61.3 million vaccine doses. In the United States an average of 1.32 million doses were injected daily. [These numbers are slightly depressed due to the snowstorm gripping the country. Many trucks carrying the vaccine shipments were trapped in this winter mess. Many vaccination centers were closed.]

Globally 202 million vaccine doses have been given with the U.S., China and U.K. in the top three positions.

Source: COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker