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.
White House COVID response team holds news briefing
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks during a briefing with the coronavirus task force at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON โ The White House COVID-19 response team held a news briefing on Wednesday morning to provide an update on the nationโs pandemic. The briefing comes as states begin lifting virus restrictions as COVID vaccinations ramp up, and as some states -- like Michigan, New York and New Jersey -- experience another surge in virus spread. The nation has also just cleared President Bidenโs goal of administering 100 million vaccinations within his first 100 days in office. President Biden is also assembling the next big White House priority, a sweeping $3 trillion package of investments on infrastructure and domestic needs.
LIVE STREAM: White House COVID response team holds news briefing
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON โ Members of the White House COVID-19 response team are holding a news conference Wednesday to discuss ongoing virus outbreaks, their impact and the nationโs response. Related: Experts: Virus surge in Europe a cautionary tale for USIn Michigan, daily new COVID cases have been on the rise in recent weeks. Virus testing has remained steady in recent weeks, but the average positive test rate has risen above 6 percent as of Tuesday. AdAccording to Johns Hopkins University, more than 29.5 million cases have been reported in the U.S., with more than 535,000 deaths reported from the virus. Worldwide, the university reports totals of more than 120.8 million virus cases and more than 2.6 million virus deaths across the globe.
What Fauci said about J&J vaccine: โI would have no hesitancy whatsoever to take itโ
The Food and Drug Administration has approved Johnson & Johnsonโs COVID-19 vaccine for an emergency use authorization. Fauci, who is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said people should take the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine if thatโs what they are offered. Instead, the J&J vaccine uses a harmless, weakened cold virus to carry instructions into the body to trigger the immune response and a method developed a decade ago and used for an ebola vaccine. Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky is a native Michigander. Testing, efficacyThe Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been tested on nearly 44,000 people in United States, Latin America and South Africa.
US coronavirus death toll approaches milestone of 500,000
He's expected to be joined by first lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff. Her husband, Anthony Willis, died Dec. 28, followed by her mother-in-law in early January. My whole world is turned upside-down.โThe global death toll was approaching 2.5 million, according to Johns Hopkins. While the count is based on figures supplied by government agencies around the world, the real death toll is believed to be significantly higher, in part because of inadequate testing and cases inaccurately attributed to other causes early on. Despite efforts to administer coronavirus vaccines, a widely cited model by the University of Washington projects the U.S. death toll will surpass 589,000 by June 1.
Highly contagious virus variant identified in 3rd Michigan county
(NIAID-RML via AP)GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. โ A new, more contagious strain of the coronavirus has been reported in a third Michigan county for the first time. Health officials say a confirmed case of a highly contagious COVID-19 variant, known as B117, was reported in Kent County on Sunday, Feb. 7. Michiganโs first known case of the virus variant was identified on Jan. 16 in a Washtenaw County woman who had just recently traveled to the U.K. Washtenaw County officials say that all known B117 variant cases within that county are tied to the University of Michigan community. Related: University of Michigan identifies virus outbreaks at off-campus housesAdThree COVID-19 variants, including the B117 variant, have been identified in the U.S. so far.
Fauci warns against Super Bowl parties to avoid virus spread
(White House via AP)WASHINGTON โ The nation's top infectious disease expert doesn't want the Super Bowl to turn into a super spreader. Dr. Anthony Fauci, says when it comes to Super Bowl parties during the pandemic, people should โjust lay low and cool it.โHe said during TV interviews Wednesday that now isnโt the time to invite people over for watch parties because of the possibility that theyโre infected with the coronavirus and could sicken others. Big events like Sundayโs game in Tampa, Florida, between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are always a cause for concern over the potential for virus spread, Fauci said. โYou don't want parties with people that you havenโt had much contact with,โ he told NBC's โTodayโ show. "You just donโt know if theyโre infected, so, as difficult as that is, at least this time around, just lay low and cool it.โThe NFL has capped game attendance at 22,000 people because of the pandemic and citywide coronavirus mandates.
Fauci sees vaccination for kids by late spring or the summer
Vaccines are not yet approved for children, but testing already is underway for those as young as 12. If those trials are successful, Dr. Anthony Fauci said they would be followed by another round of testing down to those 9 years old. โHopefully by the time we get to the late spring and early summer we will have children being able to be vaccinated,โ Fauci said at a White House coronavirus briefing. AdโYou donโt want to have to ... go through an efficacy trial, where youโre involving tens of thousands of children," Fauci explained. Testing in the U.S. had a chaotic start, and experts say in many parts of the country it's still subpar.
Live stream: Fauci, White House COVID response team hold briefing
In this image from video, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to the president, speaks during a White House briefing on the Biden administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, in Washington. (White House via AP)(Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Virus variant from South Africa detected in US for 1st time
The mutated version of the virus, first identified in South Africa, was found in two cases in South Carolina. Neither of the people infected has traveled recently, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said Thursday. AdIn South Carolina, the state health agency said the variant was found in one person from the state's coastal region and another in its northeastern corner. The variant first found in South Africa was detected in October. Biden on Monday reinstated COVID-19 travel restrictions on most non-U.S. travelers from Brazil, the U.K. and South Africa.
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
Studies find having COVID-19 may protect against reinfection
(NIAID-RML via AP)Two new studies give encouraging evidence that having COVID-19 may offer some protection against future infections. Researchers found that people who made antibodies to the coronavirus were much less likely to test positive again for up to six months and maybe longer. The institute's study had nothing to do with cancer โ many federal researchers have shifted to coronavirus work because of the pandemic. One is a blood test for antibodies, which can linger for many months after infection. Only 0.3% of those who initially had antibodies later tested positive for the coronavirus, compared with 3% of those who lacked such antibodies.
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.
Fauci's plea 'Wear a mask' tops list of 2020 notable quotes
Made during a May 21, 2020 interview on CNN, Fauci's pleas for people to "wear a mask" to slow the spread of the coronavirus, tops a Yale Law School librarian's list of the most notable quotes of 2020. (Kevin Dietsch/Pool via AP, File)NEW HAVEN, Conn. โ A plea from Dr. Anthony Fauci for people to โwear a maskโ to slow the spread of the coronavirus tops a Yale Law School librarianโs list of the most notable quotes of 2020. โWear a mask.โ โ Dr. Anthony Fauci, CNN interview, May 21. โ Trump, in remarks at a White House Coronavirus Task Force news briefing, April 23. You have my word on that.โ โ White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, at her first press briefing, May 1.
Dr. Fauci: US may see โsurge upon surgeโ of virus this winter
As the U.S. settles deeper into the holiday season, so too is it settling into a dangerous trend of coronavirus spread. The cold winter months are pushing people indoors, where the airborne virus can spread easier than outdoors. He was referring to the countryโs current battle with increased coronavirus spread. Pfizer formally requested an emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine on Nov. 20. Related: Details on when COVID-19 vaccine could be made public for useWhile itโs not totally clear who will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and when, it is likely that school-aged children will be among the last groups in the U.S. to receive them.
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.
Lilly antibody drug fails in a COVID-19 study; others go on
U.S. government officials are putting an early end to a study testing an Eli Lilly antibody drug for people hospitalized with COVID-19 because it doesnโt seem to be helping them. Independent monitors had paused enrollment in the study two weeks ago because of a possible safety issue. In a statement Lilly notes that the government is continuing a separate study testing the antibody drug in mild to moderately ill patients, to try to prevent hospitalization and severe illness. The company also is continuing its own studies testing the drug, which is being developed with the Canadian company AbCellera. Lilly and Regeneron have asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to grant emergency use authorization for their drugs for COVID-19 while late-stage studies continue.
Possible safety issue spurs pause of COVID-19 antibody study
The paused study, called ACTIV-3, started in August and aims to enroll 10,000 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the United States, Denmark and Singapore. The pause in the Lilly study comes a day after a temporary halt to enrollment in a coronavirus vaccine study. Johnson & Johnson executives said Tuesday that it will be a few days before they know more about an unexplained illness in one participant that caused a pause in its late-stage vaccine study. Johnson & Johnson isnโt disclosing the nature of the illness. He says Johnson & Johnson gave information on the case to the independent monitoring board overseeing the safety of patients in the study, as the research protocol requires.
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.
In the open: White House advisers tussle over virus response
FILE - In this April 22, 2020 file photo, President Donald Trump watches as Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)