Texas sues its capital over masks; one year of pandemic

Thursday marked one year because the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. 

Since then, life within the United States has drastically changed. From distant work and college schedules to new methods to attend occasions and church providers, COVID-19 has altered how we reside. And some of the modifications may go on lengthy after the virus is gone.

Since the primary case in January 2020, the U.S. has suffered a devastating loss – practically 530,000 deaths, together with 29 million instances. And now virus variants are creeping throughout the nation, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows.

There are indicators of hope. The U.S. is as soon as once more reporting lower than one COVID-19 dying per minute, a USA TODAY evaluation of Johns Hopkins University knowledge reveals. The U.S. additionally reported much less than 400,000 new infections within the week ending Wednesday, a stage not seen since mid-October. Vaccinations are selecting up velocity too, and states are easing eligibility necessities to get them. In a televised handle Thursday night time, President Joe Biden will direct states to make all adults eligible by May 1.

There was some unsettling vaccine information Thursday, nonetheless, together with considerations about blood clots linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine and a clinic at a grocery store “vaccinating” with empty syringes.

Also within the information: 

►Nearly 1 in 5 Americans — 19% — say they misplaced a relative or shut good friend to the coronavirus, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The numbers had been significantly increased for Black (30%) and Hispanic (29%) respondents, one more instance of the pandemic’s disproportionate affect on minority teams.

►The European Medicines Agency has licensed Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose COVID-19 vaccine, giving the European Union’s 27 nations a fourth licensed vaccine to fight the pandemic, together with choices from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca-Oxford.

►Kroger mentioned Thursday that one of its Little Clinic places in Virginia by accident “vaccinated” some customers with empty syringes. The Cincinnati-based grocer, which operates greater than 220 Little Clinics in supermarkets in 9 states, did not say what number of photographs had been concerned however mentioned all of the purchasers had been contacted and later given the vaccine.

►Two weeks after the second dose, proof signifies the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is at the very least 97% efficient in stopping symptomatic illness, extreme/essential illness and dying, the makers and the Israel Ministry of Health say.

►A video that shows a ride-sharing passenger ripping off her masks, coughing on a driver, trying to steal his cellphone and breaking the motive force’s masks has prompted a police investigation and bans from each Uber and Lyft.

📈 Today’s numbers: The U.S. has over 29.2 million confirmed coronavirus instances and greater than 530,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The world totals: More than 118.3 million instances and a pair of.62 million deaths. More than 131.1 million vaccine doses have been distributed within the U.S. and 98.2 million have been administered, according to the CDC.

📘 What we’re studying: USA TODAY’s panel of consultants have totally different definitions of what the top of the pandemic means. But they agree it’s getting closer.

USA TODAY is monitoring COVID-19 information. Keep refreshing this web page for the newest updates. Want extra? Sign up for our Coronavirus Watch newsletter for updates to your inbox and join our Facebook group.

Texas AG sues capital metropolis to carry masking guidelines

The Texas legal professional normal is suing the state’s capital for protecting masks mandates in place.

AG Ken Paxton filed suit Thursday against the city of Austin and Travis County, in search of a brief restraining order to dam enforcement of “unlawful and invalid” masks guidelines that embody fines for violators of as much as $2,000. The native ordinances require companies to implement masks necessities and for individuals to put on face coverings in public areas to cut back transmission of the coronavirus.

The go well with argues that an government order by Gov. Greg Abbott lifting the state’s masks mandate, which went into impact Wednesday, supersedes native guidelines.

— Chuck Lindell, Austin American-Statesman

Record progress for UK variant in US 

The U.S. on Thursday reported a file enhance of 437 instances of coronavirus variants because the earlier report simply two days earlier, a USA TODAY evaluation of CDC data reveals. Variant cases are increasing quickly whilst common coronavirus infections have been falling throughout most of the nation.

South Dakota reported its first two instances of the B.1.1.7 variant first seen within the United Kingdom, leaving Vermont as the one state to not have a identified variant case.

The U.S. now has 3,701 instances of the B.1.1.7 variant, by far the commonest within the nation. The quantity has doubled since Feb. 24, with Florida on the forefront with 690.

— Mike Stucka

Biden will get excessive marks for pandemic response, even from some Republicans, ballot says

More than six out of each 10 Americans approve of the job President Joe Biden is doing dealing with the pandemic, an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll found.

Results of the survey, performed March 3-8, had been launched Thursday, the identical day Biden signed into regulation a $1.9 trillion stimulus invoice and hours earlier than he deliberate to ship a nationally televised handle. The White House mentioned the primary spherical of $1,400 coronavirus relief payments will be direct-deposited into bank accounts this weekend.

“This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country,” Biden mentioned as he signed the invoice within the Oval Office.

Biden has made the pandemic response the central problem of the early half of his time period, which has featured a drastic decline in COVID-19 instances and deaths after the large post-holiday surge. The U.S. is now averaging 2.2 million vaccine photographs a day, about twice the quantity when President Donald Trump left workplace Jan. 20.

Among the 62% of survey respondents who permitted of Biden’s dealing with of the pandemic, 30% had been Republicans and 22% Trump supporters.

“There’s a sense of progress,” mentioned Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, which performed the ballot. “There are Trump people, who obviously didn’t vote for (Biden), but have come on board because of COVID.”

Four former presidents and their wives promote vaccinations in adverts

Four of the 5 residing former presidents and their wives have taped public service bulletins urging Americans to get a COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as attainable.

The PSAs from the Ad Council and the business-supported COVID Collaborative characteristic Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter together with first girls Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton and Rosalynn Carter. All have acquired a COVID-19 vaccine.

One advert options pictures of the previous presidents and their spouses with syringes of their higher arms as they urge Americans to “roll up your sleeve and do your part” by getting vaccinated.

Notably absent from the adverts are President Donald Trump and spouse Melania Trump, who had been vaccinated away from the cameras in January whereas he was nonetheless in workplace. 

Game on to lights out: How sports activities turned the other way up one year in the past

For an American sporting tradition accustomed to enjoying by means of ache and preserving the billions of {dollars} and numerous livelihoods inside it, the pandemic started merely as background noise. A distraction, as a soccer coach may say. One year and numerous warning flags, shutdowns and false begins faraway from March 2020, we all know higher. USA TODAY sports activities took a better take a look at the unsettling days and frantic hours final March when the sports activities world went from recreation on to lights out. Read more here.

Denmark halts use of AstraZeneca vaccine amid studies of deadly blood clots

Denmark has suspended the use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine as authorities examine studies of sufferers growing life-threatening blood clots after vaccination. Danish Health Minister Magnus Heunicke emphasised the suspension was a “precautionary measure” as well being officers look into “signs of a possible serious side effect in the form of fatal blood clots,” but have yet to link them to the vaccine.

“We act early, it needs to be thoroughly investigated,” he mentioned in a tweet Thursday.

The AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine is being relied upon heavily in the U.K. and European Union’s immunization rollouts.

The news comes a few days after Austria suspended a batch of the vaccine after a person died from a blood clot 10 days after vaccination and another one was hospitalized with a pulmonary embolism, according to a European Medicines Agency statement. The agency said “there is currently no indication that vaccination caused these conditions.”

In a statement e-mailed to USA TODAY, AstraZeneca said: Regulators have clear and stringent efficacy and safety standards for the approval of any new medicine, and that includes COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca. The safety of the vaccine has been extensively studied in Phase III clinical trials and Peer-reviewed data confirms the vaccine has been generally well tolerated.”

– Adrianna Rodriguez

Five symptoms that could predict ‘long haul’ COVID problems

A brand new research suggests coronavirus signs felt within the first week of an infection could also be a predictor of how long they will last. Patients with COVID-19 who felt greater than 5 signs of their first week of sickness had been extra prone to change into so-called “COVID lengthy haulers,” which researchers certified as having signs for longer than 28 days, in line with the research printed within the peer-reviewed journal Nature Medicine.

The five symptoms experienced during the first week that were most predictive of becoming a long hauler were fatigue, headache, hoarse voice, muscle pain and difficulty breathing.

“Long COVID is common. It affects a large proportion of patients and has a wide distribution of symptoms,” mentioned Dr. Michael Wechsler, a pulmonologist at National Jewish Hospital.

– Adrianna Rodriguez

More states easing, dropping vaccine eligibility necessities

More states are following Alaska’s lead and trimming or dropping vaccine eligibility necessities. Alaska lifted eligibility necessities for the state Tuesday, and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox mentioned all adults in his state might be eligible to obtain COVID-19 vaccines April 1. Georgia will increase COVID-19 vaccine standards beginning Monday to everybody 55 years and older, plus youthful adults who’re chubby or have severe well being situations. And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis mentioned the state will quickly drop the age requirement there to 55 after which most likely open it as much as the remaining quickly after.

Black group fights again towards vaccine lies on social media

Hairstylist Katrina Randolph has heard nearly each COVID vaccine conspiracy concept making the rounds on social media, so each time a shopper slides into her chair, she snips away at fears and misconceptions. 

No, the vaccine isn’t an effort to sterilize Black individuals. It can’t alter your DNA. It received’t implant a microchip to trace your actions. And no, individuals of colour aren’t getting used as guinea pigs. Randolph has put herself on the entrance strains of the Black group’s struggle towards COVID vaccine misinformation, half of a community of barbershops and sweetness salons working with Dr. Stephen B. Thomas, who runs the Maryland Center for Health Equity on the University of Maryland School of Public Health.

The Health In-Reach and Research Initiative – or HAIR – used to deal with educating individuals about continual ailments similar to diabetes and colon most cancers, Thomas says. 

Now it’s taking up one thing simply as harmful and extra insidious: Viral misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines that’s contributing to Black Americans getting vaccinated at a much lower rate than white Americans.

– Jessica Guynn

Democratic-led states fared poorly early in pandemic, then rallied forward

States led by Republican governors fared higher within the first few months of the pandemic, however the pattern reversed in early June, and from mid-year by means of early December, states with Democratic governors had a decrease incidence of coronavirus infections and deaths, a brand new research discovered.

The report, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, says researchers theorized Democratic-led states would do poorly early on as a result of of entry factors within the U.S. coasts, that are largely Democratic strongholds. That certainly occurred, however whereas most states issued stay-at-home mandates when infections skyrocketed in March and April, Republican governors had been slower to reply and stored the orders in place for a shorter time, the researchers mentioned. They additionally identified Democratic governors had been extra prone to require the use of masks.

“Future policy decisions should be guided by public health considerations rather than political ideology.,” the research concluded.

COVID-19 vaccine now accessible at some Target shops

The COVID-19 vaccine has arrived at Target shops in 17 states. The retailer introduced Wednesday the rollout of vaccines for those who are eligible at more than 600 CVS in-store pharmacies at Target places in components of the nation. CVS Health acquired pharmacies in Target shops for $1.9 billion in 2015.

Target instructed USA TODAY that choose shops within the following states are providing vaccines by appointment by means of CVS: Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. Which of the vaccines can be found varies by location.

– Kelly Tyko

Contributing: Mike Stucka, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

Source Link – rssfeeds.usatoday.com

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