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Moderna Says Vaccine Nonetheless Protects In opposition to Virus Variants

Moderna Says Vaccine Still Protects Against Virus Variants

Moderna’s vaccine is effective against new variants of the coronavirus that have emerged in the UK and South Africa, the company said on Monday. However, it appears to be less protective against the variant discovered in South Africa, so the company is developing a new form of the vaccine that could be used as a booster shot against this virus.

“We’re doing it today to be ahead of the curve if we have to,” said Dr. Tal Zaks, Chief Medical Officer of Moderna, in an interview. “I consider it an insurance policy.”

He added, “I don’t know if we need it and I hope we don’t.”

Moderna reported results from a study using blood samples from eight people who had received two doses of the vaccine and two monkeys who had also been immunized.

The British variant did not affect the amount of neutralizing antibodies – the type that can deactivate the virus – produced after vaccination. But with the South African form there was a six-fold decrease in those levels.

Even so, the company said, these antibodies remain “above levels expected to be protective”.

Moderna collaborated on the study with the Vaccine Research Center of the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.

The results have not yet been published or peer-reviewed but have been submitted to bioRxiv, which publishes preliminary studies online.

The company’s action is part of a race to fight a changing virus that has already wreaked havoc around the world and is now threatening to mutate in ways that make the fight even more difficult.

Several new variants of the virus have emerged, with mutations that are worrying scientists. A form first discovered in the UK is about twice as contagious as the virus identified in China a year ago, and researchers have begun to suspect it could be more deadly too.

Other variants with different mutations have emerged in South Africa and Brazil, and preliminary laboratory studies suggested that these forms may have some level of resistance to the immunity that people develop after recovering from infection or with Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccinated were vaccinated.

The British variant has been found in at least 20 states, but the Brazilian and South African versions were not discovered in the United States.

Dr. Zaks said the new version of the Moderna vaccine, which targets the South African variant, could be used as a booster if needed a year after receiving the original vaccine.

The need for such a booster can be determined by doing blood tests to measure antibody levels or by observing the population of vaccinated people to see if they will develop the new variant.

“We don’t have any data on the Brazilian variant yet,” said Dr. Zaks. “We expect it to come close to the South African, if at all. This is the one with the greatest overlap. New tribes will continue to emerge and we will continue to evaluate them. “

Noting that it took Moderna 42 days to make the original vaccine, he said the company could make a new vaccine, “hopefully a little faster this time, but not by much”.

Talks with regulators about what would be required to make a new version of the vaccine available to the public were just beginning.

“It’s early,” said Dr. Zaks.

This evolving story will be updated.

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Health

U.S. Virus Circumstances Prime 25 Million

U.S. Virus Cases Top 25 Million

Epidemiologists say the actual number of infections is likely much higher than the official numbers. Even with testing more widespread than during the first few months of the pandemic, many people who have never had symptoms may not have been tested or counted.

Ira Longini, professor of biostatistics at the University of Florida, estimates that around 20 percent of Americans had the virus – more than twice as many as reported. Statistical modeling he recently did for Florida suggests that a third of the state’s population will be infected at some point, quadrupling the reported percentage.

It would need a coordinated nationwide Study to go beyond modeling estimates and have a solid understanding of how many people actually had the virus, he said. The CDC does some serological testing, he said, but not enough to give a complete picture.

“The end result is we don’t know, but we can guess from the modeling,” said Dr. Longini.

The proportion can vary greatly from place to place. Almost one in four residents tested positive in Dewey County, SD, compared to one in 200 in San Juan County, Washington.

Many of the American metropolitan areas with the highest number of cases reported relative to their population are in the south or southwest, where the virus has spread rapidly lately, but some are in areas like the Great Plains, which got worse in the fall. The top 5 are Yuma, Ariz .; Gallup, NM; Bismarck, ND; and Lubbock and Eagle Pass, Texas.

The metropolitan areas with the most new cases per capita in the past two weeks reflect the same trend, and also highlight the virulence of the California outbreak. These areas are Laredo and Eagle Pass, Texas; Inland Empire, California; Jefferson, Ga .; and Oxnard, Calif.

More than a million people are known to have tested positive in Los Angeles County, one of the country’s hot spots in recent months. And George Rutherford, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California at San Francisco, estimated that the actual number of infections there is twice as high as one in five Angelenos.

“It’s not enough for herd immunity, but it’s enough to blunt the curve,” he said.

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New map reveals the place China’s newest virus circumstances are clustered

New map shows where China's latest virus cases are clustered

More than half a year since Covid-19 halted its spread in mainland China, new clusters of cases have appeared in and around the capital Beijing in recent weeks.

The number of newly reported cases is nowhere near as high as in many countries outside of China, including the US. Hebei, the worst-hit province, has reported more than 800 new confirmed cases since January 1. Here’s a look at the provinces that have reported confirmed coronavirus cases since December 1, with darker shades representing areas with higher numbers of cases:

The ongoing spread of the virus, particularly in Hebei province surrounding Beijing, has led authorities to lockdown several regions and urge people across the country not to travel during the upcoming New Year celebrations. The holiday officially falls in mid-February this year.

“Given the rapid response from local governments, efficient testing and tracking systems, and the ongoing adoption of vaccines, we believe the situation will eventually be brought under control,” said Ting Lu, Nomura’s chief economist, China, in a January 18 note . “However, the unusually cold weather and the upcoming Lunar New Year (LNY) rush could make the task of containing the virus more difficult.”

“The hospitality sector is expected to slow while the industrial sector may remain solid,” said Lu, adding, “Markets may need to lower expectations of strong pent-up consumer demand during the upcoming LNY vacation in mid-February.”

Hebei Province started an increase in coronavirus cases earlier this year, with daily numbers topping 90 last week. The numbers don’t include the many asymptomatic cases found by mass testing.

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C.D.C. Warns New Virus Variant Might Gasoline Enormous Spikes in Covid Circumstances

C.D.C. Warns New Virus Variant Could Fuel Huge Spikes in Covid Cases

“We know this is an overestimation of current vaccination levels,” said Michael Johansson, a researcher at the CDC. “However, we hope that by the end of this period we will reach a higher level.” ”

All viruses accumulate mutations over time; Most mutations go away, but those that offer an advantage – such as greater contagion or faster replication – can take root and spread. In particular, a more transferable variant is likely to spread quickly among the population.

The new coronavirus has accumulated worrying mutations faster than many researchers expected. Some variants also contain mutations that can easily weaken vaccine protection.

However, the immunity induced by vaccines is extremely strong and should last for years, said Paul Duprex, the Jonas Salk Chair of Vaccine Research at the University of Pittsburgh. “It won’t go from 94 percent effectiveness to 32 percent vaccine effectiveness overnight,” he said.

The variant identified in the UK differs from previous versions of the virus by about 20 mutations, including at least two mutations that may add to its greater risk of contagion. As of Jan. 15, it had been detected in more than 70 cases from 13 states – most recently in Oregon – but the actual numbers are likely to be much higher, said Dr. Butler. “CDC expects these numbers to rise in the coming weeks,” he said.

The CDC has sequenced approximately 71,000 samples of the virus, a tiny fraction of the 23 million people who have been infected in the country to date. But the agency has increased its efforts six-fold in the past two weeks, given B.1.1.7 and other variants, said Dr. Gregory Armstrong, who leads the agency’s molecular surveillance efforts.

State and local health labs have pledged to sequence approximately 6,000 samples per week, a goal they are expected to achieve in about three weeks.

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Health

What Does a Extra Contagious Virus Imply for Faculties?

What Does a More Contagious Virus Mean for Schools?

“When we look at what has happened in the UK and think about this new variant and see that all the numbers are rising, we have to remember that schools are open with virtually no changes,” said Dr Jenkins said. “I would like to see a real example of a country, state, or place like this that has managed to control things in schools.”

There are a few examples in the United States.

Erin Bromage, an immunologist at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, advised the Governor of Rhode Island and schools in southern Massachusetts on preventive measures to fight the coronavirus. The schools, which followed closely the guidelines, didn’t see many infections, even with the virus circulating at high levels in the community, said Dr. Bromage.

“When the system is properly designed and we take kids to school, they’ll be just as safe, if not more secure, than in a hybrid or remote system,” he said.

The children of the school that Dr. Visited Bromage, took extra precautions. For example, the administrators closed the school a few days before Thanksgiving to reduce the risk of family reunions, and worked remotely for the week after the vacation.

Officials tested the nearly 300 students and staff at the end of that week, found only two cases, and decided to reopen.

“That gave us confidence that our population was not representative of what we saw in the wider community,” he said. “We used data to see if we could get back together.”

The tests are costing $ 61 per child, but schools that can’t afford it might consider testing teachers only, he added, as the data suggests that the virus “is more likely to be from teacher to teacher than student wanders to teacher ”.

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Biden Outlines $1.9 Trillion Spending Package deal to Fight Virus and Downturn

Biden Set to Propose $1.9 Trillion Spending Package to Combat Virus and Downturn

WASHINGTON – Der gewählte Präsident Joseph R. Biden Jr. schlug am Donnerstag ein Rettungspaket in Höhe von 1,9 Billionen US-Dollar vor, um den wirtschaftlichen Abschwung und die Covid-19-Krise zu bekämpfen Reaktion der Regierung auf eine Pandemie, als sich Herr Biden auf sein Amt vorbereitet.

Das Paket umfasst mehr als 400 Milliarden US-Dollar zur direkten Bekämpfung der Pandemie, einschließlich Geldern zur Beschleunigung des Impfstoffeinsatzes und zur sicheren Wiedereröffnung der meisten Schulen innerhalb von 100 Tagen. Weitere 350 Milliarden US-Dollar würden den staatlichen und lokalen Regierungen helfen, Haushaltsengpässe zu überbrücken, und der Plan würde auch 1.400 US-Dollar Direktzahlungen an Einzelpersonen, großzügigere Arbeitslosenunterstützung, staatlich vorgeschriebenen bezahlten Urlaub für Arbeitnehmer und große Subventionen für Kinderbetreuungskosten umfassen.

“Während dieser Pandemie haben Millionen von Amerikanern ohne eigenes Verschulden die Würde und den Respekt verloren, die mit einem Job und einem Gehaltsscheck verbunden sind”, sagte Biden in einer Rede vor der Nation. “Es gibt echte Schmerzen, die die Realwirtschaft überwältigen.”

Er erkannte den hohen Preis an, sagte aber, die Nation könne es sich nicht leisten, weniger zu tun. “Die Gesundheit unserer Nation steht auf dem Spiel”, sagte Biden und fügte hinzu, dass sie “nicht billig ist, aber wenn wir dies nicht tun, kostet uns das viel Geld.”

Herr Biden ergriff in einer Zeit der nationalen Krise und einen Tag nach der Amtsenthebung von Präsident Trump im Repräsentantenhaus rasch Maßnahmen, um die Tagesordnung zu gestalten. Während es den politischen Wandel in Washington widerspiegelt, während die Demokraten die Kontrolle über den Kongress übernehmen, wird die Unterstützung für das Programm von Herrn Biden sofort vor Herausforderungen stehen, beginnend mit der Möglichkeit, dass ein Senatsprozess gegen Herrn Trump seine Verabschiedung verzögern könnte.

Es ist auch unklar, wie leicht Herr Biden genügend Stimmen für einen Plan mit solchen Ambitionen und Kosten erhalten kann, insbesondere im Senat. Demokratische Siege bei zwei Sonderwahlen in Georgia in der vergangenen Woche gaben Herrn Bidens Parteikontrolle über den Senat – allerdings nur mit einem Vorsprung von 50:50 nach der entscheidenden Abstimmung der gewählten Vizepräsidentin Kamala Harris. Herr Biden muss in einer Zeit knapper Überparteilichkeit alle defekten gemäßigten Demokraten mit republikanischen Stimmen entschädigen.

Herr Biden sagte, dass der Gesetzgeber zum Wohl des Landes zusammenkommen müsse und dass „Einheit kein Traum im Himmel ist – es ist ein praktischer Schritt, um die Dinge zu erreichen, die wir als Land erledigen müssen zusammen.”

Seine Rede am Donnerstag fand in einem unglaublich herausfordernden Moment statt, als die Zahl der Viren weiter zunahm, Millionen von Arbeitern aus dem Verkehr gezogen wurden und die amerikanischen Partisanendivisionen drohten, sie auseinander zu reißen. Eine Woche, nachdem ein Mob das Kapitol gestürmt hatte, um die Zertifizierung von Mr. Bidens Sieg durch den Kongress zu stören, ähnelt Washington einem bewaffneten Lager, in dem Stahlbarrikaden in der ganzen Stadt errichtet und bewaffnete Strafverfolgungsbehörden die Straßen überwachen.

Es wird erwartet, dass mehr als 20.000 Nationalgardisten Washington überfluten, bevor Mr. Biden am 20. Januar vereidigt wird.

Die wirtschaftliche Erholung von der Pandemie-Rezession hat sich angesichts des winterlichen Anstiegs des Virus und neuer Wellen von Beschränkungen der Wirtschaftstätigkeit in Städten und Bundesstaaten ebenfalls umgekehrt.

Das Arbeitsministerium berichtete am Donnerstag, dass 1,15 Millionen Amerikaner in der ersten vollen Woche des neuen Jahres neue Arbeitslosenanträge gestellt haben, ein Anstieg von 25 Prozent gegenüber der Vorwoche. Weitere 284.000 Anträge wurden für Pandemic Unemployment Assistance eingereicht, ein Notfallprogramm des Bundes für Arbeitnehmer wie Freiberufler, die normalerweise keinen Anspruch auf Arbeitslosenunterstützung haben. Die Nation hat im Dezember 140.000 Arbeitsplätze abgebaut, berichtete die Abteilung letzte Woche.

Die Adjutanten von Herrn Biden sagen, die Dringlichkeit des Augenblicks habe den gewählten Präsidenten dazu veranlasst, einen wesentlich größeren wirtschaftlichen Aufschwung vorzuschlagen, als es die Obama-Regierung bei ihrem Amtsantritt in einer Rezession im Jahr 2009 durchgesetzt hatte. Der Biden-Vorschlag ist mehr als 50 Prozent größer als der Obama – Verbessern Sie die Impulse nach Anpassung an die Inflation und kommen Sie zu mehreren Billionen Dollar wirtschaftlicher Hilfe hinzu, die der Kongress letztes Jahr unter Herrn Trump genehmigt hat.

Das Paket spiegelte den Umfang der Herausforderung wider, vor der die Wirtschaft und das Gesundheitssystem des Landes stehen. In einem Briefing am Donnerstag stellte ein Biden-Beamter fest, dass die bestehende nationale Planung und Infrastruktur für Massenimpfungen und -tests weit weniger entwickelt war, als das ankommende Team des Weißen Hauses erwartet hatte.

Herr Biden erläuterte seinen sogenannten amerikanischen Rettungsplan in einer Abendrede in Delaware, wobei er seine Präsidentschaft effektiv startete und ihn in den hellsten Scheinwerfer seit seiner Nominierungsrede im vergangenen Sommer auf dem Democratic National Convention stellte.

Der gewählte Präsident schlug einen dringenden, aber optimistischen Ton an und sagte, die Vereinigten Staaten könnten ihre gegenwärtigen Herausforderungen bewältigen.

“Aus all der Gefahr dieses Augenblicks möchte ich, dass Sie wissen, dass ich das Versprechen sehe”, sagte Mr. Biden. “Ich bin so optimistisch wie nie zuvor.”

Aktualisiert

14. Januar 2021, 21:12 Uhr ET

Der Plan wurde von fortschrittlichen Gruppen sowie von der führenden Wirtschaftslobby des Landes, der US-Handelskammer, gelobt, die in Bezug auf Ausgaben und Vorschriften häufig im Widerspruch zur Obama-Regierung stand. “Wir begrüßen den Fokus des gewählten Präsidenten auf Impfungen sowie auf Wirtschaftssektoren und Familien, die weiterhin leiden, während die Pandemie weiter tobt”, sagte die Kammer in einer Erklärung.

Die Republikaner schwiegen weitgehend zu dem Plan, der die Art der staatlichen und lokalen Hilfe umfasst, die im letzten Jahr zu einem Knackpunkt in den Konjunkturverhandlungen wurde. Der Kongress konnte sich im Dezember erst auf ein 900-Milliarden-Dollar-Paket einigen, nachdem eine solche Hilfe ausgeschlossen worden war. Herr Biden erläuterte jedoch seine Gründe für die Aufnahme einer solchen Finanzierung und sagte, es sei wichtig, Kürzungen und Entlassungen zu vermeiden, die den Kampf gegen das Virus zurückhalten und die Wirtschaft weiter schädigen würden.

“Millionen von Menschen, die ihr Leben in Gefahr bringen, sind genau die Menschen, die jetzt Gefahr laufen, ihren Arbeitsplatz zu verlieren: Polizisten, Feuerwehrleute, alle Ersthelfer, Krankenschwestern, Pädagogen”, sagte Biden.

Der “Rettungs” -Vorschlag von Herrn Biden, der vollständig durch eine verstärkte Kreditaufnahme des Bundes finanziert würde, beruht auf der Idee, dass das Virus und die Genesung miteinander verflochten sind und dass sich die Wirtschaft ohne den Einsatz von Massenimpfstoffen nicht erholen kann.

“Was die Wirtschaft braucht, ist eine erfolgreiche Einführung der Impfstoffe und eine Verringerung der Risiken sozialer und wirtschaftlicher Aktivitäten”, sagte Aaron Sojourner, Arbeitsökonom an der Carlson School of Management der University of Minnesota, der im Wirtschaftsrat des Weißen Hauses tätig war Berater unter den Regierungen Obama und Trump. „Das wird einen großen Beitrag zur Förderung der Genesung leisten. Es wird nicht den ganzen Weg gehen, aber es wird einen langen Weg gehen. “

Herr Biden, der versprochen hat, bis zu seinem 100. Tag im Amt „100 Millionen Covid-Impfschüsse in die Arme des amerikanischen Volkes zu bekommen“, sagte letzte Woche, er beabsichtige, fast alle verfügbaren Coronavirus-Impfstoffflaschen nach seinem Amtsantritt freizugeben als einige zurückzuhalten, wie es die Trump-Administration getan hatte.

Das am Donnerstag angekündigte „nationale Impfprogramm“ in Höhe von 20 Milliarden US-Dollar sieht kommunale Impfzentren im ganzen Land vor. In jüngsten Reden sagte er, er würde gerne Massenimpfstellen in Gymnasien, Sportstadien und dergleichen sehen, die möglicherweise von der Nationalgarde oder Mitarbeitern der Federal Emergency Management Agency besetzt sind.

Herr Biden forderte auch ein „Programm für Arbeitsplätze im Bereich der öffentlichen Gesundheit“, das seine Ziele, die Wirtschaft und die Reaktion von Covid-19 zu stärken und gleichzeitig die fragile Infrastruktur des Landes im Bereich der öffentlichen Gesundheit wieder aufzubauen, ansprechen soll. Der Vorschlag würde 100.000 Beschäftigte im öffentlichen Gesundheitswesen finanzieren, um Impfstoffe zu erreichen und Kontakte aufzuspüren.

Gleichzeitig ist Herr Biden daran interessiert, die Rassenunterschiede anzugehen, die durch die Coronavirus-Pandemie, die das Leben und die Arbeit von Farbigen überproportional gefordert hat, so schmerzhaft aufgedeckt wurden. Er versprach, die Mittel für kommunale Gesundheitszentren zu erhöhen und die Bemühungen zur Eindämmung der Pandemie in Gefängnissen und Gefängnissen zu finanzieren, in denen Schwarze und Latinos überrepräsentiert sind.

In seinen Ausführungen beklagte Herr Biden eine „wachsende Hungerkrise“, insbesondere unter Minderheitengemeinschaften, und sagte: „Mehr als jeder fünfte schwarze und lateinamerikanische Haushalt in Amerika berichtet, dass er nicht genug zu essen hat. Es ist falsch. Es ist tragisch. Das ist inakzeptabel. “

Er schlug eine breite Palette von Bemühungen vor, um denjenigen zu helfen, die am meisten unter dem wirtschaftlichen Rückzug gelitten haben. Sein Plan würde 106 Millionen Amerikanern, unabhängig von der Größe ihres Arbeitgebers, bezahlten Noturlaub gewähren, ein Vorschlag, an dem viele Kongressrepublikaner arbeiteten, um in einem im vergangenen Frühjahr verabschiedeten Konjunkturprogramm zurückzuschneiden. Und es würde vielen Familien Steuergutschriften gewähren, um jährliche Kinderbetreuungskosten von bis zu 8.000 USD auszugleichen.

Es bietet Mietbeihilfen in Milliardenhöhe und würde Millionen der am stärksten betroffenen Kleinunternehmen Zuschüsse gewähren. Außerdem werden vorübergehend zwei Steuergutschriften erhöht, um einkommensschwachen Arbeitnehmern und Familien effektiv mehr Geld von der Regierung zukommen zu lassen. Und es würde das erweiterte Arbeitslosengeld bis Ende September verlängern, mit einem zusätzlichen wöchentlichen Zuschlag von 400 USD.

Herr Biden forderte den Kongress außerdem auf, den föderalen Mindestlohn auf 15 USD pro Stunde anzuheben, eine Priorität, die er während seiner Kampagne darlegte.

.

Herr Biden plant, im Februar einen weiteren, größeren Satz von Ausgabenvorschlägen vorzulegen, und er legte den Grundstein, um diese Bemühungen durch Steuererhöhungen für Unternehmen und Reiche zu finanzieren. Er zog einen scharfen Kontrast zwischen dem Leid der Niedriglohnarbeiter und denen, die ohne Gehaltsscheck mit den reichsten Amerikanern zu kämpfen hatten, und sagte, es gebe eine „wachsende Kluft zwischen den wenigen Menschen an der Spitze, denen es in dieser Wirtschaft recht gut geht – und den Rest von Amerika. “

“Seit Beginn dieser Pandemie ist das Vermögen der obersten 1 Prozent seit Ende letzten Jahres um rund 1,5 Billionen US-Dollar gewachsen – das Vierfache des Betrags für die gesamten unteren 50 Prozent”, sagte er.

Das zweite Paket wird sich voraussichtlich auf die Schaffung von Arbeitsplätzen und die Infrastruktur konzentrieren, einschließlich Ausgaben in Höhe von Hunderten von Milliarden US-Dollar für Projekte im Bereich saubere Energie wie Ladestationen für Elektrofahrzeuge sowie Ausgaben für Gesundheitsversorgung und Bildung.

Herr Biden hat gesagt, er werde daran arbeiten, die Unterstützung der Republikaner für seine Pläne aufzubauen, und er werde 10 Stimmen der Republikaner im Senat benötigen, um einen Filibuster zu überwinden. Aber Top-Demokraten im Repräsentantenhaus und im Senat bereiten sich darauf vor, schnell zu einem parlamentarischen Prozess überzugehen, der als Haushaltsausgleich bekannt ist, falls sie nur eine einfache Mehrheit im Senat erhalten können. Die Republikaner nutzten das Verfahren, um einen Filibuster zu umgehen und die Steuersenkungen von Herrn Trump im Jahr 2017 zu genehmigen.

Die Weigerung der Republikaner, ein Konjunkturpaket von mehr als 1 Billion US-Dollar in Betracht zu ziehen, hielt die Größe des letzten im Dezember verabschiedeten Gesetzes zur Erleichterung des Kongresses niedrig. Die Berater von Herrn Biden sagten am Donnerstag, sie seien zuversichtlich, dass das von ihm vorgeschlagene Paket von fast 2 Billionen US-Dollar in einer Zeit, in der die Zinssätze niedrig bleiben und viele Ökonomen den Gesetzgeber auffordern, die Ausgaben zu defizitieren, um das Wirtschaftswachstum zu fördern, breite Unterstützung bei den Demokraten finden würde.

Sheryl Gay Stolberg trug zur Berichterstattung bei.

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Business

Biden Set to Suggest $1.9 Trillion Spending Bundle to Fight Virus and Downturn

Biden Set to Propose $1.9 Trillion Spending Package to Combat Virus and Downturn

The Department of Labor reported Thursday that 1.15 million Americans filed new jobless claims in the first full week of the new year, up 25 percent from the previous week. Another 284,000 applications have been filed for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, a federal emergency program for workers and freelancers who are normally not eligible for unemployment benefits. The nation cut 140,000 jobs in December, the department reported last week.

The second stimulus

Answers to your questions about the stimulus calculation

Updated December 30, 2020

The economic aid package will issue payments of $ 600 and distribute federal unemployment benefits of $ 300 for a minimum of 10 weeks. Find out more about the measure and what’s in it for you. For more information on how to get help, please visit our hub.

    • Do I get another incentive payment? Individual adults with adjusted gross income on their 2019 tax return of up to $ 75,000 per year will receive a payment of $ 600, and a couple (or someone whose spouse died in 2020) who earns up to $ 150,000 per year receives twice this amount. There is also a payment of $ 600 for each child for families who meet these income requirements. Individuals filing taxes with head of household status and earning up to $ 112,500 will also receive $ 600 plus the additional amount for children. People with incomes just above this level will receive a partial payment that decreases by $ 5 for every $ 100 of income.
    • When could my payment arrive? The finance department said on December 29 that it had started making direct deposits and would be mailing checks the next day. However, it will take a while for everyone to receive their money.
    • Does the agreement concern unemployment insurance? Legislators agreed to extend the length of time people can receive unemployment benefits and restart an additional federal benefit that is on top of the usual state benefits. But instead of $ 600 a week it would be $ 300. That will last until March 14th.
    • I am behind on my rent or expect to be soon. Do I get relief? The deal calls for $ 25 billion to be distributed by state and local governments to help backward tenants. In order to receive support, households must meet various conditions: the household income (for 2020) must not exceed 80 percent of the area median income; At least one household member must be at risk of homelessness or residential instability. and individuals must be eligible for unemployment benefits or face direct or indirect financial difficulties due to the pandemic. The agreement states that priority will be given to support for lower-income families who have been unemployed for three months or more.

The Biden “bailout” proposal, which would be funded entirely by increased federal borrowing, starts from the idea that the virus and recovery are intertwined.

Economists campaigning for more government aid to people and businesses said this week that Mr Biden’s advisors understand that the focus must be on vaccine use to get the virus under control.

“What the economy needs is a successful introduction of vaccines and a reduction in the risks of social and economic activity,” said Aaron Sojourner, labor economist at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management who served on the White House Economic Council advisers among the advisers Obama and Trump administrations. “This will go a long way toward promoting recovery. It won’t go all the way, but it will go a long way. “

Mr Biden, who has vowed to “get 100 million Covid vaccine shots in the arms of the American people” by his 100th day in office, said last week he intended to release almost all available coronavirus vaccine bottles after he took office as some hold back, as the Trump administration did.

The $ 20 billion program, which he will announce Thursday, calls for community vaccination centers across the country. In recent speeches, he said he would like to see mass vaccination sites in high schools, sports stadiums and the like that may be manned by the National Guard or Federal Emergency Management Agency staff.

Mr. Biden is also calling for a “Public Health Jobs Program” that aims to address its goals of strengthening the economy and response to Covid-19 while rebuilding the country’s fragile public health infrastructure. The proposal would fund 100,000 public health workers who “could perform critical tasks like contacting vaccines and tracing contacts,” the campaign said.

– This is a developing story. Please try again.

Sheryl Gay Stolberg contributed to the coverage.

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Health

U.S. to Require Unfavourable Virus Assessments From Worldwide Air Passengers

U.S. to Require Negative Virus Tests From International Air Passengers

Before boarding any flights, all international passengers traveling to the United States must first demonstrate a negative coronavirus test under a new federal policy that comes into effect Jan. 26.

“Testing doesn’t eliminate all risks,” said Dr. Robert R. Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a statement describing the new policy.

“However, when combined with staying at home and taking everyday precautions like wearing masks and social distancing, travel can become safer, healthier and more responsible by reducing its spread on airplanes, airports and travel destinations.”

Dr. Redfield is expected to sign the contract with the new rules on Tuesday.

The new policy stipulates that all passengers, regardless of vaccination status, must receive a test for current infections within three days prior to departure for the United States and must provide written documentation of their test results or proof of recovery from Covid. 19th

Evidence of immunization won’t be enough as the vaccines have been shown to only prevent serious diseases, said Jason McDonald, a spokesman for the CDC-vaccinated people, could theoretically still be infected and transmit the virus on a flight.

The agency will not require any further testing in the three months following a positive test, as long as the traveler has no symptoms. In this situation, a passenger may travel with documentation of the positive test result and a letter from a health care provider or public health officer stating that the traveler has now been cleared for travel.

Airlines must confirm the negative test result for all passengers or documentation of recovery before boarding. If a passenger fails to provide evidence of a negative test or recovery, or fails to take a test, the airline must refuse to board the passenger, the agency said.

“Tests before and after travel are an important layer in order to slow down the introduction and spread of Covid-19,” said a statement by the officials. “With the US already in the surge status, the passenger testing requirement will help slow the spread of the virus while we work to vaccinate the American public.”

The policy expands on a similar rule introduced in late December that requires travelers from the UK to prove a negative result on a virus test. The Trump administration introduced this restriction after reports that a more contagious variant of the coronavirus had become the source of most infections in much of this country.

This variant has now been discovered in several American states and, according to scientists, is likely to have spread even more. However, the United States genetically sequences only a tiny fraction of its virus samples – too few to give an accurate estimate of the spread of the variant in that country.

Updated

Jan. 12, 2021, 8:12 p.m. ET

The new travel policy follows the announcement by the Japanese government on Tuesday that four travelers from Brazil have imported another new variant of the virus into Japan. Two other so-called worrying variants are said to be in circulation in South Africa and Brazil.

The coronavirus outbreak>

Things to know about testing

Confused by Coronavirus Testing Conditions? Let us help:

    • antibody: A protein produced by the immune system that can recognize and attach to certain types of viruses, bacteria or other invaders.
    • Antibody test / serology test: A test that detects antibodies specific to the coronavirus. About a week after the coronavirus infects the body, antibodies start appearing in the blood. Because antibodies take so long to develop, an antibody test cannot reliably diagnose an ongoing infection. However, it can identify people who have been exposed to the coronavirus in the past.
    • Antigen test: This test detects parts of coronavirus proteins called antigens. Antigen tests are quick and only take five minutes. However, they are less accurate than tests that detect genetic material from the virus.
    • Coronavirus: Any virus that belongs to the Orthocoronavirinae virus family. The coronavirus that causes Covid-19 is known as SARS-CoV-2.
    • Covid19: The disease caused by the new coronavirus. The name stands for Coronavirus Disease 2019.
    • Isolation and quarantine: Isolation is separating people who know they have a contagious disease from those who are not sick. Quarantine refers to restricting the movement of people who have been exposed to a virus.
    • Nasopharyngeal smear: A long, flexible stick with a soft swab that is inserted deep into the nose to collect samples from the space where the nasal cavity meets the throat. Samples for coronavirus tests can also be obtained with swabs that do not go as deep into the nose – sometimes called nasal swabs – or with mouth or throat swabs.
    • Polymerase chain reaction (PCR): Scientists use PCR to make millions of copies of genetic material in a sample. With the help of PCR tests, researchers can detect the coronavirus even when it is scarce.
    • Viral load: The amount of virus in a person’s body. In people infected with the coronavirus, viral loads can peak before symptoms, if any.

The White House coronavirus task force and federal agencies, including the CDC, have been debating the expanded requirements for weeks.

The CDC currently recommends that all air travelers, including those flying within the United States, be tested one to three days prior to travel and again three to five days after travel is complete.

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Many airlines offer optional tests for passengers, but only mandate them if the destinations so require. But last week a group representing major U.S. airlines endorsed a policy requiring all passengers to be tested.

In a statement, United Airlines welcomed the move, saying testing was “the key to opening up international borders”.

“United already has procedures in place to comply with similar regulations for international jurisdictions and we will plan to expand them in light of this new mandate,” the airline said in a statement.

“In addition, United is actively working to introduce new technologies and processes to make these test requirements easier to navigate for both our employees and our customers.”

Niraj Chokshi contributed to the coverage.

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Health

Extra elements of China lock down as virus circumstances spike forward of WHO go to

More parts of China lock down as virus cases spike ahead of WHO visit

A resident is undergoing a Covid-19 coronavirus test as part of a mass test program in the basement of a residential area after new cases of the virus emerged on January 12, 2021 in Shijiazhuang, central China’s Hebei Province.

STR | AFP | Getty Images

BEIJING – Local authorities in areas near Beijing tighten restrictions on social activities as coronavirus cases rise.

The city of Langfang, which is about 1.5 hours south of downtown Beijing, urged its nearly 5 million residents on Tuesday to stay home for the next seven days. The city is located in Hebei, the same province as Shijiazhuang, a city of 11 million that closed late last week after a surge in coronavirus cases.

Shijiazhuang reported 39 new confirmed cases on Monday while Langfang disclosed one. This brings the total number of currently confirmed and asymptomatic cases in Hebei Province to more than 500 people.

Separately, two regions in the northernmost Chinese province of Heilongjiang announced lockdowns on Tuesday. The province reported one new confirmed case and 36 asymptomatic cases for Monday.

Beijing reported a confirmed case on Monday. Since mid-December, the city has reported a handful of cases in close succession, leading to tighter restrictions on some residential complexes and mass testing on the outskirts of the country’s capital.

It was not immediately clear to what extent the local economy would be affected as there was no official order to stop work. Heilongjiang accounted for just over 1% of China’s GDP in 2019, and Hebei about 3.6%. Neither of the two provinces is as economically important as the one in southeast China.

Representatives from European and American business associations in China said members were not significantly affected by the recent surge in virus cases. Economic activity generally slows in late January through February as hundreds of millions of workers return to their hometown for the New Year celebrations.

However, some provinces have started to announce bans on large-scale gatherings and events. The central government is encouraging people to remain in custody during the New Year holiday, which officially takes place in mid-February this year.

“The worsening coronavirus situation will affect economic activity and markets may need to soften expectations for strong pent-up consumer demand in the upcoming LNY holidays in mid-February,” Ting Lu, Nomura’s chief economist, said in a statement on Monday .

“With the virus situation worsening and the coldest winter in decades, the growth recovery has lost some of its momentum in recent weeks,” he said. “A full recovery in the services sector could be delayed, as weaker PMI indices for services suggest in December.”

Both official and private polls for the past month showed that the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for services remained in the expansion area but declined from November.

China’s economy contracted 6.8% in the first quarter of last year when authorities shut down more than half of the country to control the outbreak.

WHO team begins investigation

Covid-19 first appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. Authorities locked the city until the end of January 2020, but the disease soon spread to the rest of the world in a global pandemic. The coronavirus has since infected more than 90 million people and killed over 1.9 million people worldwide.

A team from the World Health Organization will come to China on Thursday to study the origins of the virus with local scientists. WHO said the study would begin in Wuhan.

A separate WHO team is working with manufacturers of Covid-19 vaccines from the Chinese pharmaceutical companies Sinovac and Sinopharm “to assess compliance with international quality manufacturing practices before the WHO lists potential emergencies,” said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Beijing has resisted the idea that Covid-19 came from China. After the domestic spread of the virus stalled in March last year, authorities have blamed foreign sources for later spikes.

For the most recent outbreak, Hebei Province started reporting cases about 10 days ago. On Sunday, an epidemiologist from the provincial disease control center told reporters that the cases likely came from foreign sources that were in contact with the province prior to December 15.

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Health

A Riot Amid a Pandemic: Did the Virus, Too, Storm the Capitol?

A Riot Amid a Pandemic: Did the Virus, Too, Storm the Capitol?

Three different groups – Capitol Police, rioters, and members of Congress – “spent long periods of time indoors without social distancing,” said Dr. Joshua Barocas, an infectious disease doctor at Boston University. The hand-to-hand combat was likely a super-spreader event, he added, “especially given the highly transferable variants that are in circulation.”

Dr. Barocas was referring to a highly contagious new variant of the coronavirus that was first identified in the UK. It was discovered in several US states but may have spread throughout the country, making events like the Capitol riot even riskier, he said.

The idea that members of Congress may have been exposed during an already difficult transfer of power particularly worried some scholars. “I’m not only concerned that this could lead to super-spread, but also to super-spread in people who are elected as elected officials,” said Dr. Tom Inglesby, director of the Center for Health Security at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

And infected members of Congress and law enforcement agencies could have spread the virus among themselves if they had protected themselves from the violence, he noted.

The transition of the president

Updated

Jan. 8, 2021, 1:53 AM ET

Kansas Republican Jake LaTurner announced on Twitter early Thursday morning that he had tested positive for the virus. Mr. LaTurner was in the chamber at the monastery with fellow Congressmen for much of the day.

At least a dozen of the roughly 400 lawmakers and staff huddled in a committee room refused to wear masks even after they were offered one or did not wear them properly under their chin, said Susan Wild, Democrat Representative of Pennsylvania.

They gathered in a committee room that quickly overcrowded and made social distancing impossible, she said. Some of the lawmakers were exposed and some shouted, “Tensions were high and people were yelling at each other.”