{"id":1393546,"date":"2022-03-22T08:29:47","date_gmt":"2022-03-22T12:29:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1393546"},"modified":"2022-03-22T08:29:50","modified_gmt":"2022-03-22T12:29:50","slug":"moderna-asks-fda-to-authorize-second-booster-for-covid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/moderna-asks-fda-to-authorize-second-booster-for-covid\/","title":{"rendered":"Moderna Asks FDA to Authorize Second Booster for COVID"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmoderna-asks-fda-to-authorize-second-booster-for-covid%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1393546&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><\/div>\n<h2><strong>Monday, March 21, 2022<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>FDA Puts Out Its Most Serious Recall for 2 Rapid Tests<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued class 1 recalls on two rapid home <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/infectious-diseases\/covid-19\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">COVID-19<\/a> tests. This is the agency\u2019s most serious type of product recall. One of the products, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/medical-devices\/medical-device-recalls\/sd-biosensor-recalls-standard-q-covid-19-ag-home-tests-are-not-authorized-cleared-or-approved-fda\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SD Biosensor STANDARD Q COVID-19 Ag Home Test<\/a> (which uses a nasal swab sample to detect proteins called antigens from the coronavirus) has been taken off the market because it has not been authorized, cleared, or approved by the FDA for marketing or distribution in the United States. The other \u2014 the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/medical-devices\/medical-device-recalls\/celltrion-usa-recalls-certain-celltrion-diatrust-covid-19-ag-rapid-tests-false-positive-test-results\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Celltrion DiaTrust COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test<\/a> \u2014 has been pulled due to it producing a high number of false positives and because of incorrect labeling that says its shelf life is 18 months instead of the approved 12 months. The Celltrion test is intended to detect the presence of coronavirus based on a nasopharyngeal (deep inside the nose to the back of the throat) swab sample.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>35 Drugmakers to Make Generic Version of Oral Antiviral Paxlovid<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Approved by the FDA in December, Pfizer\u2019s oral antiviral Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir) has been shown to be 90 percent effective at reducing the risk of hospitalization or death in high-risk patients with COVID-19. The United Nations (U.N.)\u2013backed Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) announced last week that 35 pharmaceutical companies around the world will now produce cheap generic version of the medication, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/healthcare-pharmaceuticals\/generic-drugmakers-sign-make-cheap-version-pfizer-covid-pill-2022-03-17\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">according to Reuters<\/a>. The deal coordinated by Pfizer will allow the drug manufacturers to make the pills for 95 low- and middle-income countries.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>CDC Relaxes COVID-19 Protocols for Cruise Ships<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/travel\/cruises\/2022\/03\/18\/cdc-cruise-guidelines-2022-new-distancing-quarantine-updates\/7054836001\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">reported by <em>USA Today<\/em><\/a>, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday published updated voluntary guidelines for cruise ships relaxing physical distancing requirements for shore excursions and transportation, allowing cruises to resume approved \u201cpassenger interactive experiences,\u201d and changing quarantine policy based on vaccination status. If a traveler identified as a close contact is disembarking the ship within 36 hours, the cruise ship operator may allow the traveler to stay in the original cabin if the traveler will be the only person in that cabin. <em>USA Today<\/em> said that although the cruise guidelines program is voluntary, 110 cruise ships participate. The CDC also lowered its risk assessment of taking a cruise from level 3 to level 2, or \u201cmoderate risk.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Vaccines Offer Strong Protection \u2014 Even During Omicron<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Adults who received three doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine were 94 percent less likely to to be put on a ventilator or die from COVID-19 compared with adults who were not vaccinated, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/mmwr\/volumes\/71\/wr\/mm7112e1.htm?s_cid=mm7112e1_e&#038;ACSTrackingID=USCDC_921-DM78104&#038;ACSTrackingLabel=MMWR%20Early%20Release%20-%20Vol.%2071%2C%20March%2018%2C%202022&#038;deliveryName=USCDC_921-DM78104\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">report published March 18 in the CDC&#8217;s <em>Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report<\/em><\/a> shows. Based on cases reported at 21 hospitals across 18 states between March 11, 2021, and January 24, 2022, the research noted that protection was consistent throughout the delta and omicron periods. Most vaccinated patients who experienced COVID-associated invasive mechanical ventilation or who died in a hospital were older or had complex underlying conditions, commonly immunosuppression.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-wrapper ad-wrapper--audience ad-container inline-widget inline-widget--right-rail _hold-size\"><\/aside>\n<h3><strong>Black Americans Hospitalized at 4 Times Rate of White Americans When Omicron Dominated<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In January, when omicron circulation peaked, hospitalization rates among Black adults were nearly 4 times higher than the rates among white adults, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/mmwr\/volumes\/71\/wr\/mm7112e2.htm?s_cid=mm7112e2_w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">data published by the CDC March 18 in the <em>Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report<\/em><\/a>. As of January 26, 2022, 39.6 percent of Black persons received a primary vaccine series; of those, 43.9 percent of adults received a booster dose. These proportions are lower compared with 47.3 percent of white persons who received a primary series and 54.5 percent of eligible adults who received a booster dose. The report also highlighted that unvaccinated adults were 12 times more likely to be hospitalized than individuals who had their primary shots and were boosted, and those who had the primary two-dose vaccine but no booster were 3 times as likely to be hospitalized compared with the boosted. \u201cImplementing strategies that result in the equitable receipt of COVID-19 vaccinations, though building vaccine confidence, raising awareness of the benefits of vaccination, and removing barriers to vaccination access among persons with disproportionately higher hospitalizations rates from COVID-19, including Black adults, is an urgent public health priority,\u201d concluded the study authors.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Johnson &#038; Johnson Vaccine Recipients Had Lowest Breakthrough Rate<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Based on the latest five weeks of available data from the CDC, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2022\/03\/20\/health\/johnson-and-johnson-covid-19-vaccine\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CNN has found<\/a> that the J&#038;J vaccine had the lowest breakthrough infection rate of all the vaccines since the week ending December 25. Analysis by the news service revealed that, as of the week ending January 22, J&#038;J recipients had 650 infections per 100,000 people, while Moderna recipients had 750 per 100,000 and Pfizer people had 862 per 100,000. The report also spotlighted an <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamanetworkopen\/fullarticle\/2790204\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">investigation published in <em>JAMA Open Network<\/em> March 17<\/a>, showing that the J&#038;J shot was 76 percent effective overall in blocking infections and 81 percent effective in preventing COVID-related hospitalizations.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Severe COVID-19 Linked to Long-Term Depression<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cidrap.umn.edu\/news-perspective\/2022\/03\/severe-covid-19-tied-long-term-depression-anxiety\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">reported by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy<\/a>, a new observational study in six European countries,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lanpub\/article\/PIIS2468-2667(22)00042-1\/fulltext\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">published March 14 in <em>The Lancet Public Health<\/em><\/a>, ties severe COVID-19 to long-term depression. Scientists analyzed outcomes among nearly a quarter-million individuals \u2014 9,979 who received a COVID-19 diagnosis. Those with COVID-19 had a higher prevalence of depression symptoms and poorer sleep quality but not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/anxiety\/guide\/symptoms\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">symptoms of anxiety<\/a> compared with individuals without COVID-19. Patients who were bedridden for more than seven days were persistently at higher risk of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/depression\/guide\/symptoms\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">symptoms of depression<\/a> and anxiety than those without the virus.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Friday, March 18, 2022<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Moderna Seeks Authorization for Second Booster<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/investors.modernatx.com\/news\/news-details\/2022\/Moderna-Submits-Amendment-to-the-Emergency-Use-Authorization-for-an-Additional-Booster-Dose-of-its-COVID-19-Vaccine-in-the-U.S\/default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Moderna announced<\/a> that it has submitted a request to the FDA for an amendment to the emergency use authorization (EUA) to allow for a fourth dose of its COVID-19 vaccine in people 18 years of age and older who have received an initial booster of any of the authorized or approved vaccines.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>WHO Calls Recent Rise in Global COVID-19 Cases &#8216;Tip of the Iceberg&#8217;<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/health\/health-news\/who-global-rise-covid-cases-tip-iceberg-rcna20313\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NBC News reported<\/a>, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned countries to remain vigilant as infections in Asia and Europe have been climbing. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, Director-General of the WHO, told reporters, \u201cthese increases are occurring despite reductions in testing in some countries, which means the cases we\u2019re seeing are just the tip of the iceberg.\u201d Public health authorities attribute increasing case counts to the highly transmissible omicron subvariant BA.2 and the elimination of COVID-19 restrictions by many countries.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Most COVID-19 Patients Later Suffer Memory and Concentration Problems<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cidrap.umn.edu\/news-perspective\/2022\/03\/70-covid-survivors-uk-study-had-impaired-memory-focus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy<\/a> on Thursday shared details from new research published in <em>Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience<\/em> finding that 70 percent of 181 adult coronavirus survivors experienced issues with memory and concentration. Three-quarters had such severe effects that they were unable to work. Scientists noted that \u201cbrain fog and difficulty concentrating are more common than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/cough\/guide\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">cough<\/a> is at many points in the long COVID time course.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Canada Okays Moderna&#8217;s Vaccine for Younger Children<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/health-canada\/news\/2022\/03\/health-canada-authorizes-use-of-the-moderna-spikevax-50-mcg-covid-19-vaccine-in-children-6-to-11-years-of-age.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Canada authorized<\/a> the use of the Moderna Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine in children 6 to 11 years old. The decision comes about four months after the country greenlighted the Pfizer vaccine for use in this younger age group. In the United States, the Pfizer shot is the only coronavirus vaccine approved for children ages 5 to 17. Moderna has conducted clinical trials showing that its vaccine <a href=\"https:\/\/investors.modernatx.com\/news\/news-details\/2021\/Moderna-Announces-Positive-Top-Line-Data-from-Phase-23-Study-of-COVID-19-Vaccine-in-Children-6-to-11-Years-of-Age-10-25-2021\/default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">produces a robust neutralizing antibody response<\/a>. But so far, its shot is only authorized in the United States for those ages 17 and up.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>South Korea Breaks Infection Record<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/skorea-reports-record-new-daily-covid-cases-deaths-kdca-2022-03-17\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Reuters reported<\/a>\u00a0that<strong> <\/strong>South Korea tallied a record 621,328 new daily COVID-19 cases and a daily high of 429 deaths on Thursday, surpassing its second deadliest day on Tuesday when 293 coronavirus fatalities were recorded. A public survey revealed that many South Koreans expect to catch the virus, but few fear serious health consequences.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Hong Kong Increases Mortuary Capacity as Bodies Pile Up<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The government of Hong Kong announced in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.info.gov.hk\/gia\/general\/202203\/17\/P2022031700638.htm?fontSize=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">press release on Thursday<\/a> that it has adopted various measures to expand body storage capacity and speed up the procedure for identification of bodies, in order to handle the increasing number of deceased bodies in public mortuaries. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmj.com\/content\/376\/bmj.o707\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>BMJ<\/em>\u00a0on March 17 said<\/a>\u00a0that Hong Kong currently has the world\u2019s highest death rate, above 25 per 100,000 residents. Government officials point to an elderly population that is largely unvaccinated as a contributing factor.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Evidence Mounts Linking COVID-19 to Diabetes<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/covid-science-health-indiana-diabetes-e1193bc9891e45d589337f7a092f6c4d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">report from the Associated Press<\/a><strong> <\/strong>reviewed emerging data indicating that the coronavirus \u2014 like some other viruses \u2014 can attack insulin-producing cells in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/pancreatitis\/guide\/pancreas\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">pancreas<\/a> \u2014 a process that might trigger at least temporary diabetes in susceptible people.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Thursday, March 17, 2022, 1:20 P.M. EDT<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Omicron Subvariant BA.2 Accounts for Nearly One-Quarter of New Cases<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>BA.2, a subvariant of the omicron variant of COVID-19, now makes up 23 percent of infections in the United States, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">latest data from the CDC<\/a>. The increase is more than double from a week ago. In an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/covid-cases-ba2-omicron-sub-variant-cdc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">article from CBS News<\/a>, Deborah Dowell, MD, MPH, the CDC&#8217;s chief medical officer for the agency\u2019s COVID-19 response, said, \u201cAlthough the proportion of infections with BA.2 is increasing in the U.S., COVID-19 cases are now declining, so it is likely that absolute numbers of BA.2 infections are not increasing as quickly as they might seem from just looking at the proportion that are BA.2.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>CDC Data Shows Rise of COVI<\/strong><strong>D-19 in Wastewater<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2022-03-14\/are-covid-cases-going-back-up-sewer-data-has-potential-warning\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Analysis of CDC data by Bloomberg on Monday<\/a> indicates that coronavirus levels in the wastewater are climbing in several parts of the United States. One-third of the agency\u2019s wastewater sample sites shows a rise from March 1 to 10. The number of sites with swelling virus levels is almost double from the period February 1 to 10. In an email to Bloomberg, Amy Kirby, PhD, MPH, the head of the CDC\u2019s wastewater monitoring program, said, \u201cWhile wastewater levels are generally very low across the board, we are seeing an uptick of sites reporting an increase. These bumps may simply reflect minor increases from very low levels to still low levels.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She added, however, that some communities may see an increase in infections as many states have recently dropped COVID-19 restrictions.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Surge in Western Europe Puts U.S. Health Officials on the Alert<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/health\/2022\/03\/16\/covid-ba2-omicron-surge\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">investigation by the <em>Washington Post <\/em>published Wednesday<\/a>, health authorities say they are bracing for another COVID-19 wave in the United States based on the current upswing in infections in Europe. Germany, Britain, and the Netherlands have all recorded a significant rise in cases in recent days.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Biden Cancels Face-to-Face Meetings After Ireland\u2019s PM Tests Positive<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>President Biden canceled in-person meetings with Prime Minister Micheal Martin of Ireland today because the prime minister tested positive at a gala event last night, as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/03\/17\/world\/europe\/micheal-martin-irish-pm-covid-positive.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">reported by <em>The New York Times<\/em><\/a>. Biden was also in attendance at the event.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>South Korea Has Deadliest Day<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>South Korea recorded 293 deaths due to the coronavirus in a 24-hour period on Tuesday \u2014 the country\u2019s highest single-day total since the start of the pandemic, the <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/covid-health-south-korea-pandemics-23161b8f66dc2332c54a573e4f6e2430\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Associated Press reported<\/a>. The number of virus patients who are seriously or critically ill also hit a new high of 1,196. Health officials blame the uptick on the fast-spreading omicron variant and they expect the strain on the country\u2019s hospital system to increase in coming weeks.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Biden\u2019s COVID-19 Czar Stepping Down and Successor Named<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeffrey D. Zients plans to leave his post in April and will be replaced by Ashish Jha, MD, MPH, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.<\/p>\n<p>Jeffrey D. Zients, who steered President Biden\u2019s coronavirus response through successive pandemic waves and the largest vaccination campaign in American history, plans to leave the White House in April, President Biden said in a statement.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>A Link Between COVID-19 Death and Internet Access?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/22979086\/covid-pandemic-deaths-mortality-broadband-internet-access\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">article published Wednesday by <em>Vox<\/em><\/a> highlighted results from a <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamanetworkopen\/fullarticle\/2789619\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">study published March 4 in <em>JAMA Network Open<\/em><\/a> suggesting that that one of the factors most consistently associated with a high risk of death due to COVID-19 in the United States was the lack of internet access, whether broadband, dial-up, or cellular. \u201cWe believe this finding suggests that more awareness is needed about the essential asset of technological access to reliable information, remote work, schooling opportunities, resource purchasing, and\/or social community,\u201d wrote investigators. \u201cPopulations with limited internet access remain understudied and are often excluded in pandemic research.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Rise in Croup Among Kids Tied to Omicron<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/publications.aap.org\/pediatrics\/article\/doi\/10.1542\/peds.2022-056492\/185378\/COVID-19-Associated-Croup-in-Children\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">study published March 8 in <em>Pediatrics<\/em><\/a>, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, found that the incidence of croup co-occurring with coronavirus infection sharply increased in December 2021, strongly connecting it with the emergence of the omicron variant. The results were based on children admitted with COVID-19 to Boston Children\u2019s Hospital. \u201cThe relatively smaller upper respiratory tract in children compared with adults has been thought to predispose them to more severe clinical presentations resembling laryngotracheobronchitis, or croup [an infection of the upper airway characterized by a barking cough],\u201d wrote the authors.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Reinfection Was More Likely During Omicron Wave<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Based on surveillance data, researchers in South Africa observed that an increased risk of reinfection coincided with the emergence of the omicron variant in that country, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.abn4947\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">paper published Tuesday in the journal <em>Science<\/em><\/a>. They did not find any evidence, however, of increased reinfection risk associated with circulation of beta (B.1.351) or delta (B.1.617.2) variants.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Wednesday, March 16, 2022, 2:06 P.M. EDT<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Pfizer Seeks FDA Okay of 4th Shot for People 65 and Older<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Pfizer and BioNTech <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pfizer.com\/news\/press-release\/press-release-detail\/pfizer-and-biontech-submit-us-emergency-use-authorization\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">announced on Tuesday<\/a> that they have submitted an application to the FDA for emergency use authorization (EUA) of an additional booster dose for adults 65 years of age and older who have received an initial booster of any of the authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccines. The submission was based on two studies out of Israel during the omicron wave that demonstrated a fourth shot boosts the body\u2019s immune response and provides a higher rate of protection against infection and severe illness.<\/p>\n<p>Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/albert-bourla-face-the-nation-full-transcript-03-13-2022\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">told <em>Face the Nation<\/em> on Sunday<\/a>, \u201cRight now, the way that we have seen, it is necessary, a fourth booster right now. The protection that you are getting from the third, it is good enough, actually quite good for hospitalizations and deaths. It&#8217;s not that good against infections, but doesn&#8217;t last very long. But we are just submitting those data to the FDA and then we will see what the experts also will say outside Pfizer.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Pfizer Stops Clinical Trials in Russia<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Pfizer said on Monday that it would no longer initiate new clinical trials in Russia, and will stop recruiting new patients for its ongoing clinical trials there,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/healthcare\/598093-pfizer-halts-russian-clinical-trials-will-donate-profits-from-russia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">according to The Hill<\/a>. The pharmaceutical giant said that it will donate all the profits from its Russian subsidiary to programs that provide direct humanitarian support to the people of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>China Locks Down City of 17.5 Million as Cases Triple<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2022\/mar\/13\/china-shuts-down-business-centres-in-bid-to-halt-covid-outbreak\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">reported by <em>The Guardian<\/em><\/a>, the Chinese city of Shenzhen, with a population of 17.5 million, went into lockdown on Sunday as China tries to contain its worst ever outbreak. Government figures show that case numbers tripled between Saturday and Sunday. Every resident in Shenzhen is now required to be tested three times.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Rethinking Goal of Vaccinating 70 Percent of Adults<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The WHO and the U.S. government have been promoting a goal of vaccinating 70 percent of all adults regardless of age. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/goatsandsoda\/2022\/03\/14\/1086474455\/the-goal-vaccinate-70-of-the-world-against-covid-scientists-are-proposing-a-rebo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">interviews with NPR<\/a>, scientists said that a new strategy that prioritizes people over 50 may be smarter at this stage. Shabir Madhi, MBBCh, PhD, a prominent vaccine researcher at South Africa\u2019s University of Witwatersrand, told NPR, \u201cWe seem to have lost perspective as to what the major goal of vaccines is and where they are going to yield the greatest public health benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Merck\u2019s Antiviral Extensively Used Despite Lower Effectiveness<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Clinical trials have indicated that the antiviral pill Paxlovid from Pfizer is about 70 percent effective in preventing severe illness in the newly infected compared with molnupiravir (developed by Merck and Ridgeback), which is about 30 percent effective. An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/mercks-covid-19-pill-heavily-used-so-far-despite-concerns-11647250200\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">investigation by <em>The Wall Street Journal<\/em><\/a> found that both pills have been prescribed at almost equal rates since they were authorized in December 2021. Doctors told the <em>Journa<\/em>l that they often turned to molnupiravir, especially during the recent omicron surge, because Paxlovid supplies were limited.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>1 in 4 Kids With Symptomatic Infections Had Long COVID<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medrxiv.org\/content\/10.1101\/2022.03.10.22272237v1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">preprint systematic review posted to medRxiv<\/a> of 21 studies regarding long COVID in children and adolescents revealed that one-quarter of U.S. children with symptomatic infections had long COVID, with negative health consequences lasting weeks to months after contracting the virus. The most prevalent long COVID conditions were mood symptoms, fatigue, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/sleep-disorders\/sleep\/sleep-101-ultimate-guide-on-how-get-better-nights-sleep\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">sleep disorders<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff Tests Positive<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Doug Emhoff, the husband of vice president Kamala Harris, tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/statements-releases\/2022\/03\/15\/statement-by-deputy-press-secretary-to-the-vice-president-sabrina-singh\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a statement<\/a> from the Deputy Press Secretary to the Vice President, Sabrina Singh. Out of an abundance of caution, Harris (who tested negative) did not attend <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WhiteHouse\/status\/1503853647460974595\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">an event on Equal Pay Day<\/a> to celebrate Women\u2019s History Month.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Tuesday, March 15, 2022<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Some States Resist Sewage Monitoring for COVID-19<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Based on interviews with state health officials and wastewater experts across 17 states, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2022\/03\/14\/cdc-sewage-surveillance-states-00016795\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Politico found<\/a> that many states are not on board with the Biden administration\u2019s plans to monitor sewage for signs of the coronavirus. Testing wastewater can give an early warning when an outbreak is starting to grow. California, Florida, Texas, and Pennsylvania have a few testing sites in operation near major population centers; Minnesota and New Jersey have yet to determine how their monitoring will work; and Wyoming and North Dakota don\u2019t intend to participate.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>1 in 3 U.S. Child COVID-19 Deaths Were During Omicron Wave<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2022\/mar\/11\/us-child-covid-deaths-omicron-surge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>The Guardian<\/em> presented<\/a>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#demographics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">data from the CDC<\/a>\u00a0showing that 550 American children have died from the coronavirus since the beginning of the year, compared with 1,017 kids in the previous 22 months. <em>The Guardian <\/em>said that children seem to be facing increasing risks as mask mandates are abandoned and vaccination rates stall. Jason Kane, MD, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Chicago Comer Children\u2019s Hospital, told the paper, \u201cWe saw a massive surge of hospitalized young children during omicron that we didn\u2019t see in the earlier months of the pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Costco Ending Pandemic Shopping Hours for Seniors<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.costco.com\/covid-updates.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Costco announced<\/a> that as of April 18 it will no longer be offering special shopping hours for members ages 60 or older, healthcare workers, and first responders. Members who do not wish to shop during regular hours are welcome to visit Costco.com for all their shopping needs. Costco had implemented the special shopping hours in March of 2020 to help protect those most at risk of contracting severe illness from the coronavirus.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>U.K. Will Drop Remaining COVID-19 Travel Measures<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/travel\/destinations\/2022\/03\/14\/uk-drop-covid-travel-restrictions\/7039048001\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">reported by <em>USA Today<\/em><\/a>, the United Kingdom this week plans to eliminate international travel restrictions allowing all those coming from abroad to enter the country without a passenger locator form or a negative coronavirus test. The new policy goes into effect 4 a.m. this Friday. <strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>3 House Democrats Test Positive After Party Retreat<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Despite being<strong> <\/strong>vaccinated and boosted, Representatives Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania, Zoe Lofgren of California, and Rose DeLauro of Connecticut have all revealed that they have tested positive for COVID-19 over the last three days, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/live\/2022\/03\/14\/world\/covid-19-mandates-cases-vaccine#democrat-covid-lofgren-dean-delauro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">according to <em>The New York Times<\/em><\/a>. They are all experiencing mild symptoms. Although they all attended a party retreat in Philadelphia over the weekend, it is unclear at this time if they caught the virus at the event.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Monday, March 14, 2022, 12:05 P.M. EDT<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Obama Tests Positive for COVID-19<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><\/strong>Barack Obama <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BarackObama\/status\/1503092299173089288\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">tweeted on Sunday<\/a> that he tested positive for the coronavirus, but his only symptom is a scratchy throat. He and his wife Michelle (who tested negative) have been vaccinated and boosted. \u201cIt\u2019s a reminder to get vaccinated if you haven\u2019t already, even as cases go down,\u201d said the 60-year-old former president.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Pfizer CEO Says Another Booster Will Be Needed<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Albert Bourla, the CEO of Pfizer, said on Sunday that another COVID-19 booster shot would be necessary, although the FDA has yet to recommend a fourth dose, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2022\/03\/13\/pfizer-covid-booster-ceo-00016883\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">according to Politico<\/a>. Bourla stressed the need to \u201cto very diligently stay ahead of the virus\u201d and said another shot could help with the vaccine\u2019s waning protection over time.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Several European Countries See an Upswing in Cases<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>As COVID-19 infections continue to decline in the United States, analysis of data from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/nation\/2022\/03\/13\/covid-cases-rising-europe\/7026697001\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">by <em>USA Today<\/em><\/a> shows that cases rose over the past week in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Ireland have also seen an uptick in hospitalizations.<\/p>\n<p>Ogbonnaya Omenka, PhD, an assistant professor and director of diversity at the Butler University College of Pharmacy and Health Science, told <em>USA Today<\/em> that America should be on the alert. \u201cA wave in Europe, and other countries for that matter, might occur in the United States as well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>War in Ukraine May Spur New COVID-19 Surge<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/03\/12\/world\/europe\/covid-ukraine-russia-war.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">feature in <em>The New York Times<\/em> on Saturday<\/a> described how the war has forced Ukrainians into crowded and unsanitary conditions that are fertile ground for the coronavirus and other pathogens. The article also highlights how the country is also experiencing a rare outbreak of polio.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Omicron Is at Least 40 Percent More Lethal Than Flu, Research Finds<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2022-03-03\/omicron-is-40-deadlier-than-seasonal-flu-japanese-study-finds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bloomberg News reported<\/a> on a yet-to-be published study out of Japan indicating that the omicron variant of COVID-19 is at least 40 percent deadlier than seasonal flu. Overall, researchers found that omicron\u2019s case-fatality rate was around 0.13 percent, much lower than the 4.25 percent rate from earlier in the pandemic but higher than the 0.006 percent to 0.09 percent seen with the seasonal flu.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Kids With Asthma Not at More Risk of Coronavirus, Study Says<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/publications.aap.org\/pediatrics\/article\/doi\/10.1542\/peds.2021-056164\/185387\/Asthma-and-the-Risk-of-SARS-CoV-2-Infection-Among\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">paper published Friday in the American Academy of Pediatrics journal <em>Pediatrics<\/em><\/a><em>,\u00a0<\/em>researchers discovered that of 706 children who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection out of a total group pf 12,648 children, 350 (2.8 percent) had asthma and 356 (2.8 percent) did not have asthma. The study also noted that pediatric asthma patients were more likely to be tested for the virus compared with those without asthma (33 percent versus 20.9 percent).<\/p>\n<h3><strong>China Faces Worst COVID-19 Outbreak in Two Years<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>China tallied 3,400 new cases on Sunday, double the previous day \u2014 an outbreak health authorities there are calling the worst in two years, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2022\/mar\/13\/china-battles-worst-covid-outbreak-for-two-years-as-cases-double-in-24-hours\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>according to The Guardian<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0Due to increasing clusters of omicron and delta variants, Shanghai has closed its schools and several northeastern cities have gone into lockdown.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Monday, March 21, 2022FDA Puts Out Its Most Serious Recall for 2 Rapid TestsThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued class 1 recalls on two rapid home COVID-19<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":505,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1393546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1393546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/505"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1393546"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1393546\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1393546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1393546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1393546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}