University of Michigan study suggests COVID-19 won't completely disappear
ANN ARBOR โ New research from the University of Michigan shows that reinfections of seasonal coronaviruses are common, suggesting that the virus behind COVID-19 could be endemic. โThe frequency of reinfections with the different seasonal coronaviruses suggests that SARS-COV-2 is not going to completely disappear.โAdThe researchers used data on 3,418 individuals from the Household Influenza Vaccine Evaluation from the years 2010-2018. Upon evaluating the data, the team found 1,004 seasonal coronavirus infections. Additionally, 27 percent of the reinfections occurred within one year of the initial infection, which researchers say is a relatively short period of time given the virusโ seasonal nature. โIn our study, participants had high levels of anti-spike protein binding antibody to seasonal coronaviruses, but these antibodies did not correlate with protection from infection,โ Petrie said in a release.
J&Jโs 1-dose shot cleared, giving US 3rd COVID-19 vaccine
The FDA said J&Jโs vaccine offers strong protection against what matters most: serious illness, hospitalizations and death. The J&J vaccine also is easier to handle, lasting three months in the refrigerator compared to the Pfizer and Moderna options, which must be frozen. Like other COVID-19 vaccines, the main side effects of the J&J shot are pain at the injection site and flu-like fever, fatigue and headache. All COVID-19 vaccines train the body to recognize the new coronavirus, usually by spotting the spikey protein that coats it. Itโs the same technology the company used in making an Ebola vaccine, and similar to COVID-19 vaccines made by AstraZeneca and Chinaโs CanSino Biologics.
Biden marks 50M vaccine doses in first 5 weeks in office
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON โ Days after marking a solemn milestone in the pandemic, President Joe Biden is celebrating the pace of his efforts to end it. On Thursday, Biden marked the administration of the 50 millionth dose of COVID-19 vaccine since his swearing-in. โWeโre halfway there: 50 million shots in 37 days," Biden said. โWeโll have the vaccine waiting,โ Biden said, predicting that point could come within 60 to 90 days. โWe have a plan to roll it out as quickly as Johnson & Johnson can make it," Biden said.
Judge bans enforcement of Biden's 100-day deportation pause
A federal judge late Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, indefinitely banned President Joe Biden's administration from enforcing a 100-day moratorium on most deportations. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)HOUSTON โ A federal judge late Tuesday indefinitely banned President Joe Biden's administration from enforcing a 100-day moratorium on most deportations. Biden proposed the 100-day pause on deportations during his campaign as part of a larger review of immigration enforcement and an attempt to reverse the priorities of former President Donald Trump. Even without a moratorium, immigration agencies have wide latitude in enforcing removals and processing cases. AdIt was not immediately clear if the Biden administration will appeal Tipton's latest ruling.
Biden wants to quadruple refugee admissions set by Trump
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON โ President Joe Biden wants to raise refugee admissions to 62,500 for the current budget year, overriding former President Donald Trumpโs record-low limit of 15,000, a U.S. official and others said Thursday. Trump set the ceiling on refugee admissions in October when the 2021 budget year started, and it runs until September 30. Biden's proposal of 62,500 would replace that, and the president has already announced plans to raise admissions to twice that amount in 2022. Trump targeted the refugee program under his anti-immigration policies, dropping admissions yearly until they reached a record low of 15,000. Biden, who co-sponsored legislation creating the refugee program in 1980, has said reopening the doors to refugees is โhow we will restore the soul of our nation.โAd___Watson reported from San Diego.
Biden says US is securing 600 million vaccine doses by July
President Joe Biden speaks during a visit to the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Bethesda, Md. โ President Joe Biden said Thursday that the U.S. will have enough supply of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the summer to inoculate 300 million Americans. He toured the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory that created the COVID-19 vaccine now manufactured by Moderna and being rolled out in the U.S. and other countries. The U.S. is on pace to exceed Bidenโs goal of administering 100 million vaccine doses in his first 100 days in office, with more than 26 million shots delivered in his first three weeks. On the tour, Biden was shown the lab bench where researchers sequenced the virus and developed the precursor of the Moderna vaccine.
Harris speaks with Trudeau in first foreign leader call
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks after receiving her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the National Institutes of Health, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in Bethesda, Md. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON โ Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday, marking her first call to a foreign leader since entering the White House. The detained Canadians are a top priority for Trudeau, and Canada has pushed Washington to apply pressure on Beijing to release them. AdA senior official familiar with the call said Harris proactively brought up the two detained Canadians herself โ something that was appreciated by Trudeau and Canadian officials. Canada has traditionally been the first foreign stop for new U.S. presidents, and Biden's first call to a foreign leader was to Trudeau, made the Friday after he was sworn in.
Fauci: US taking hard look at variant of coronavirus
FILE - In this Dec. 22, 2020, file photo Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, prepares to receive his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. Dr. Anthony Fauci endorsed the decision of U.S. officials to require negative COVID-19 tests before letting people from Britain enter the U.S. He declined to weigh in on whether that step should have been taken sooner. He said the variant strain is something โto follow very carefullyโ and โweโre looking at it very intensively now.โHe said: โDoes it make someone more ill? Fauci spoke on CNN's โState of the Union.โ
US clears Moderna vaccine for COVID-19, 2nd shot in arsenal
The U.S. is poised to give the green light as early as Friday, Dec. 18, to a second COVID-19 vaccine, a critical new weapon against the surging coronavirus. Britain, Canada and a few other countries already have cleared the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, with a European Union decision due Monday. The FDAโs main messages:--Both the new Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech shot require two doses several weeks apart. --In a study of 30,000 volunteers, the Moderna vaccine was more than 94% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in people 18 and older. Like with the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, expect sore arms, fever, fatigue and muscle aches, which are signs the immune system is revving up.
US clears Moderna vaccine for COVID-19, 2nd shot in arsenal
The U.S. is poised to give the green light as early as Friday, Dec. 18, to a second COVID-19 vaccine, a critical new weapon against the surging coronavirus. FDAโs decision could help pave the way for other countries that are considering the Moderna vaccine, the first-ever regulatory clearance for the small Cambridge, Massachusetts, company. The FDAโs main messages:--Both the new Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech shot require two doses several weeks apart. --In a study of 30,000 volunteers, the Moderna vaccine was more than 94% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in people 18 and older. But there was a hint that Modernaโs shot might provide some protection against asymptomatic infection.
FDA plans to OK 2nd COVID-19 vaccine after panel endorsement
Modernaโs shot showed similarly strong effectiveness, providing 94% protection against COVID-19 in the companyโs ongoing study of 30,000 people. Modernaโs vaccine uses the same groundbreaking technology as Pfizer-BioNTechโs shot. At that one timepoint, swabs from 14 vaccine recipients and 38 placebo recipients showed evidence of asymptomatic infection, said Modernaโs Dr. Jacqueline Miller. After the FDA acts, U.S. officials plan to move out an initial shipment of nearly 6 million Moderna doses. The governmentโs Operation Warp Speed program has orders for 200 million doses of Modernaโs vaccine.
The Latest: Biden announces Buttigieg as transportation pick
President-elect Joe Biden speaks at a drive-in rally for Georgia Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON โ The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):7:55 p.m.President-elect Joe Biden has formally announced former rival Pete Buttigieg as his pick to be secretary of transportation. ___1:30 p.m.President-elect Joe Biden says heโs spoken with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after the Electoral College affirmed his victory Monday. ___8:40 a.m.Two foreign leaders who had not congratulated President-elect Joe Biden have now done so. ___7:30 a.m.Top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci says President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris should be vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as possible.
Years of research laid groundwork for speedy COVID-19 shots
How could scientists race out COVID-19 vaccines so fast without cutting corners? A head start helped -- over a decade of behind-the-scenes research that had new vaccine technology poised for a challenge just as the coronavirus erupted. Both shots -- one made by Pfizer and BioNTech, the other by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health -- are so-called messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccines, a brand-new technology. U.S. regulators are set to decide this month whether to allow emergency use, paving the way for rationed shots that will start with health workers and nursing home residents. Traditionally, making vaccines required growing viruses or pieces of viruses โ often in giant vats of cells or, like most flu shots, in chicken eggs โ and then purifying them before next steps in brewing shots.
2nd virus vaccine shows striking success in US tests
Moderna said its vaccine appears to be 94.5% effective, according to preliminary data from an ongoing study. Modernaโs vaccine is being studied in 30,000 volunteers who received either the real thing or a dummy shot. Earlier this year, Fauci said he would be happy with a COVID-19 vaccine that was 60% effective. Modernaโs vaccine also starts off frozen, but the company said Monday it can be thawed and kept in a regular refrigerator for 30 days, easing that concern. Both Moderna's shots and the Pfizer-BioNTech candidate are so-called mRNA vaccines, a brand-new technology.
Microsoft: Russian, North Korean hackers target vaccine work
(AP Photo/Hans Pennink)BOSTON โ Microsoft said it has detected attempts by state-backed Russian and North Korean hackers to steal valuable data from leading pharmaceutical companies and vaccine researchers. Chinese state-backed hackers have also been targeting vaccine-makers, the U.S. government said in July while announcing criminal charges. Two others were North Koreaโs Lazarus Group and a group Microsoft calls Cerium. The Lazarus Group posed as job recruiters while Cerium targeted spear-phishing emails that masqueraded as missives from World Health Organization representatives, Microsoft said. Optimism about a COVID-19 vaccine has grown since pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced earlier this week that preliminary data showed its vaccine to be 90% effective.
The Latest: Trump says he may fire disease specialist Fauci
___5:30 p.m.Joe Biden is denouncing disruptive demonstrations by supporters of President Donald Trump across the country. Trump tweeted a video of the caravan and declared, โI LOVE TEXAS!โ Biden also referenced reports that Trump supporters shut down a major roadway in New Jersey. ___12:25 p.m.Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris says Black voters are critical to defeating President Donald Trump and electing Joe Biden president. ___11:55 a.m.President Donald Trump is braving flurries and a stiff wind chill as he rallies thousands of supporters in Michigan. Bidenโs return to Philadelphia underscores the significance of Pennsylvania, the Rust Belt state that helped deliver President Donald Trump the White House four years ago.
NIH study looks at potential COVID-19 treatments
DETROIT โ While much of the attention is focused on efforts to find a coronavirus vaccine, there is also an intense effort underway to find more effective treatments. The fastest path to finding better treatments is looking at drugs that are already approved for different conditions. Oct. 21, 2020: Michigan coronavirus cases up to 150,989; Death toll now at 7,086A new study by the National Institutes of Health reviewed over 130 drugs and selected three to test in hospitalized patients battling COVID-19. NIH director Francis Collins said the new study will focus on drugs to help calm down an overreacting immune system. All of the patients enrolled in the clinical trial will also receive Remdesivir, which is now standard in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
Whistleblower who alleged White House virus failures resigns
WASHINGTON โ A high-ranking government whistleblower who alleges the Trump administration fumbled its coronavirus response resigned Tuesday, saying he has been forced out. Attorneys Debra Katz and Lisa Banks said NIH superiors ignored a national coronavirus testing strategy that Bright developed because he had become politically toxic within the Trump administration. The Food and Drug Administration ultimately revoked emergency authority for using the malaria drug to treat coronavirus patients. Trump, infected with the coronavirus and hospitalized over the weekend, is now back at the White House. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge.โ He says he plans to return to the campaign trail.
FDA publishes vaccine guidelines opposed by White House
In the new guidelines posted on its website, the FDA said vaccine makers should follow trial participants for at least two months to rule out any major side effects before seeking emergency approval. That standard had been a sticking point between the FDA and White House officials, who said it could unreasonably delay the availability of COVID-19 vaccines. On Monday Trump said vaccines are coming โmomentarily,โ in a video recorded after he returned to the White House. The White House attempt to block the guidance followed a string of instances in which the Trump administration has undercut its own medical experts working to combat the pandemic. Beyond exposing the rift between the White House and FDA, the delay in releasing the guidelines may have had limited practical effect.
US experts vow โno cutting cornersโ as vaccine tests expand
President Donald Trump is pushing for a faster timeline, which many experts say is risky and may not allow for adequate testing. FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn pledged that career scientists, not politicians, will decide whether any coronavirus vaccine meets clearly stated standards that it works and is safe. In one of the largest studies yet, Johnson & Johnson aims to enroll 60,000 volunteers to test its single-dose approach in the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. J&Jโs vaccine is made with slightly different technology than others in late-stage testing, modeled on an Ebola vaccine the company created. Going forward, โwe need uniformity throughout the country.โIn a testy exchange, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky insisted public health officials were wrong that a lockdown could change the course of the pandemic.
Vaccine by Nov. 3? Halted study explains just how unlikely
But public fears that a vaccine is unsafe or ineffective could be disastrous, derailing the effort to vaccinate millions of Americans. DOING THE MATHThe FDA already has told manufacturers it won't consider any vaccine that's less than 50% effective. On the other hand, if equal numbers from the vaccine and placebo groups got infected, the DSMB might declare a vaccine futile, he told The Associated Press. These panels also can calculate infections even before that 150 threshold is met, at set time points in each study. Several vaccine candidates made by Chinese companies are in late stages of testing in various countries, but with smaller numbers of volunteers.
Flashpoint 8/16/20: Kamala Harris picked as Joe Bidens running mate ahead of Democratic National Convention
All rights reserved)DETROIT As schools continue to scramble to reopen, the coronavirus pandemic knocks out college football, a staple of autumn in Michigan. On Sunday, Dr. Francis Collins, head of the National Institutes of Health will make an appearance on Flashpoint and discuss the coronavirus pandemic. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has selected US Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate. Harris was selected as Democrats prepare for this weeks Democratic National Convention. Segment OneDr. Francis Collins, head of the National Institutes of HealthSegment TwoMichigan Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell; Portia Roberson, CEO of Focus: HOPE; Bankole Thompson, editor-in-chief of The PuLSE Institute and Jill Alper of Alper StrategiesSegment ThreeFlashpoint host Devin Scillian wraps up this weeks episode
Henry Ford Health System seeks 30K volunteers for Moderna COVID-19 vaccine study
DETROIT The Henry Ford Health System is seeking 30,000 volunteers to participate in its Moderna vaccine study to determine whether a two-dose vaccine could prevent COVID-19 infection in those who are exposed. The National Institutes of Health officials said Henry Ford Health is the only hospital in Michigan selected as a trial site for phase three of the Moderna mRNA-1273 Coronavirus Efficacy (COVE) vaccine study. Henry Ford Health System is proud to be part of the fight against this deadly virus, said Adnan Munkarah, executive vice president and chief clinical officer of Henry Ford Health System. Our best hope of controlling COVID-19 is with a vaccine, said Dr. Marcus Zervos, division chief of Infectious Disease for Henry Ford Health System. Each participants health and safety are our top priorities, Munkarah said.
Experimental COVID-19 vaccine is put to its biggest test
Final-stage testing of the vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., began with volunteers at various U.S. sites given either a real shot or a dummy without being told which. In Washington, the White House disclosed that national security adviser Robert OBrien has the coronavirus the highest-ranking U.S. official to test positive so far. In Binghamton, New York, nurse Melissa Harting received one of the first injections of the Moderna vaccine candidate. But the U.S. requires its own tests of any vaccine that might be used in the country. Every month through the fall, the government-funded COVID-19 Prevention Network will roll out a new study of a leading candidate, each with 30,000 volunteers, to test not only whether the shots work but whether they are safe.
Moderna launches phase 3 vaccine trial in 30,000 Americans at 89 sites
One of those is known as the Moderna vaccine. Dawn Baker was the first phase three volunteer to receive the Moderna vaccine Monday morning in Savannah, Georgia. Shes one of 30,000 Americans expected to take part in the trial at 89 locations across the country. The Moderna vaccine is a messenger RNA vaccine. Phase three is the pivotal phase to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of any drug.
Summer may decide fate of lead shots in virus vaccine race
Many scientists dont expect a coronavirus vaccine to be nearly as protective as the measles shot. If the best COVID-19 vaccine is only 50% effective, "thats still to me a great vaccine, said Dr. Drew Weissman of the University of Pennsylvania. About 15 experimental COVID-19 vaccines are in various stages of human studies worldwide. Nothing is going to be easy.The Oxford shot, with a 10,000-person study underway in England, already encountered that hurdle. EXPECT IMPERFECT PROTECTIONAnimal research suggests COVID-19 vaccines could prevent serious disease but may not completely block infection.