After last nights @SuperBowl@Buccaneers victory Tampa burst with celebrations all night long --- few were wearing #COVID19 masks or thinking about the B.1.1.7 variant, which has been found in that Florida city.
More Tampa @SuperBowl#COVID19 superspreading.
This was 100% predictable. The @NFL should have made 20,000 "special" (aka collectible) masks for the mobs.
3/More Tampa @SuperBowl#COVID19 superspreading.
As with every big sports victory, men partied wildly all night. Fine. But in the Age of #coronavirus masks, social distances should...SIGH
Preprint but BIG: Calif researchers study the B117 mutant #SARSCoV2 virus in USA & find, "there have been multiple introductions of B.1.1.7 into the
U.S., with the earliest dating back to the end of November, 2020."
MORE doi.org/10.1101/2021.0…
2/ "These analyses revealed large clades of closely related #SARSCoV2 lineages clustering w/in states, as well as
natl spread...consistent w/community transmission
following several of these introductions, including spread across U.S. states.
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3/ "...coincide with increased periods of travel, where the U.S. Transportation Security Admin reported
over 1 million travelers crossing checkpoints for several days during the peak Thanksgiving
season and for 12 of 18 dys surrounding the Christmas &
New Year’s holidays..."
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Just started, House Energy & Comm: HEARING ON "SAFEGUARDING AMERICAN CONSUMERS: FIGHTING FRAUD AND SCAMS DURING THE PANDEMIC" energycommerce.house.gov/committee-acti…
MORE/Witnesses
2/ Jessica Rich @GeorgetownLaw
"our outdated privacy laws undermined our ability to respond to the #pandemic ...American consumers refused to use contact tracing apps tracking the disease – largely due to privacy concerns." docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF…
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3/ William E. Kovacic @GWULaw
"The #pandemic regulatory stress test has illuminated weaknesses in the framework through which the United States and other countries address supplier misconduct
amid crisis conditions." docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF…
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Now underway Congressional HEARING ON "ROAD TO RECOVERY: RAMPING UP #COVID19#vaccines , TESTING, AND MEDICAL SUPPLY CHAIN"
Testimony includes:
Luciana Borio, M.D.
VP, In-Q-Tel
Ex-Chief Scientist, @US_FDA
Ex-Director for Med & Biodefense Prep, NSC
MORE energycommerce.house.gov/committee-acti…
2/ Luciana Borio:
"Unfortunately, we thought we were better prepared today than we were in 2001, but our systems did
not stand up to the challenge of this pandemic. We must do better. " docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF…
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3/ Greg Burel
President, Hamilton Grace
Ex-Director, U.S. Strategic National Stockpile
"Establishment of an aggressive govt investment platform driven by clear needs for critical products would
allow the us to develop & maintain this domestic base. "
MORE docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF…
Dr. Ngozi Ezike, M.D.
Director
Illinois Dept of Public Health
"Unfortunately, from the very beginning, vaccination efforts in Illinois were hampered by conflicting federal messaging and, in some cases, no messaging." #COVID19
MORE docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF…
3/ Testimony:
Dr. Joneigh S. Khaldun
Chief Med Exec
Michigan Dept of Hlth & Hu Servs
"Michigan is primed & ready to expand our #COVID19 vaccination prog, but the limited supply of #vaccine allocated to the state conts to be our largest barrier."
MORE docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF…
Jeff Zients and the @WhiteHouse#COVID19 team presented a status report this morning. First, from @CDCDirector Walensky, good news that the holiday surge in new cases, hospitalizations & even deaths appears to be over in USA -- but case levels remain very high.
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2/ The racial distribution of #COVID19 deaths in America is terribly unequal, with African Americans FAR more likely to suffer fatal disease if infected with the virus. The @WhiteHouse named addressing these disparities as its top priority.
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3/ Getting vaccines out the door, and into people's arms remains an enormously challenging feat. Delivery of #COVID19#vaccines to states is only half the problem: getting them administered is proving to be the tougher part, says @ASlavitt .
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The UK mutant B.1.1.7 form of #COVID19 first hit #Denmark on Dec. 14 -- a country that was doing a great job controlling the virus. But then is soared, by 70%/week, and the country is in ER mode.
Are we ready, America?
MORE washingtonpost.com/world/europe/u…
2/ In early December the tiny Italian town of Guardiagrele reported a cluster of 4 cases of B.1.1.7 cases & warned national authorities. It soon was spreading all over Italy, which is seeing surging numbers.
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3/ The Rep. of Ireland was a paragon of #COVID19 control, until B.1.1.7 turned up.
Now it has the highest per capita incidence of new cases in the entire world.
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