New York Times: "From the pandemic’s earliest days, the C.D.C. was subject to extreme politicization"

"In November, an independent team of academics and public-health experts who called themselves the Covid Rapid Response Working Group gathered on Zoom to puzzle over what had by then become the pandemic’s most vexing challenge: how to make all schools safe for full-time, in-person learning as quickly as possible. Schools had not proved to be a hotbed of coronavirus transmission, but beyond that the research was complicated, and communities were divided about how to balance the risks. Some people wanted a full reopening, immediately, no exceptions. Others were terrified to return at all.

So far, there was no national plan for how to move forward. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was advising everyone to wear masks and remain six feet apart at all times. But that guidance was a significant impediment to any full-bore reopening, because most schools could not maintain that kind of distance and still accommodate all their students and teachers. It also left many questions unanswered: How did masks and distancing and other strategies like opening windows fit together? Which were essential? Could some measures be skipped if others were followed faithfully?"

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/16/magazine/cdc-covid-response.html

Danielle Allen, head of the Safra Center at Harvard, led Covid Rapid Response Working Group. You may recall that she also recently declared she would be running for MA Governor.

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/06/boston-globe-harvard-professor-danielle.html

You can listen to Danielle on an episode of  "Toward a More Perfect Union"

https://player.captivate.fm/episode/5230abc8-a5e5-4ec6-89b3-2f1e1beeaa11

listen to Danielle Allen on an episode of  "Toward a More Perfect Union"

CDC Reports: masks and ventilation improved school COVID-19 case load; care in handling backyard poultry

 

"Schools in Georgia that required teachers and staff to wear masks and improved ventilation reported fewer COVID-19 cases, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study released on Friday.

The research, conducted by the CDC and the Georgia Department of Public Health, determined that COVID-19 incidence was 37 percent lower in schools that mandated masks for teachers and staff. Schools that implemented at least one ventilation strategy saw a 39 percent reduction in coronavirus cases among students and staff.

The ventilation improvements ranged from dilution methods, which refer to running fans and keeping doors and windows open, to filtration with or without purification. Schools that used dilution methods saw 35 percent less COVID-19 incidence, and others that used dilution and filtration methods together saw 48 percent fewer cases."

Continue reading the article online

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/554732-cdc-study-schools-that-required-masks-improved-ventilation-reported-less

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an advisory on Thursday warning people against getting too close to backyard poultry, citing concerns that the chickens may be spreading salmonella.

In an investigation notice, the CDC noted that backyard poultry owners should take precautionary measures when handling their animals after 163 confirmed cases of salmonella were reported in 43 states.

"Don’t kiss or snuggle backyard poultry, and don’t eat or drink around them," the CDC wrote. "This can spread Salmonella germs to your mouth and make you sick."

Continue reading the article online

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/public-global-health/554669-cdc-urges-against-kissing-and-snuggling-poultry-in

 

The Hill: "CDC clarifies mask guidance for schools"

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending the continued use of masks and social distancing in schools after issuing new guidance last week that stated vaccinated people do not need to wear masks.

On Saturday, the CDC released an Operational Strategy for K-12 schools in which it pointed to data that suggest schools that abide by mask mandates and social-distancing requirements have been able to safely remain open.

In the post clarifying mask guidance for schools, the CDC argued that schools need to make efforts to remain open as a way to combat "systemic health and social inequities" among students of color."

Continue reading online ->  https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/public-global-health/553776-cdc-clarifies-mask-guidance-for-schools

Direct link to CDC guidance for schools -> https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/operation-strategy.html#fully-vacc

MA News: "Effective April 30, the outdoor mask order will be relaxed"

"With Massachusetts continuing to keep COVID in check and lead the nation in vaccinations, our Administration  announced plans to continue with our phased process to safely reopen our economy.

Effective April 30, the outdoor mask order will be relaxed."

Press Release:  https://www.mass.gov/news/baker-polito-administration-announces-plans-for-continued-reopening

Shared from Twitter:  https://t.co/hHgdGPrVEZ

Press release video: https://youtu.be/zSW3Vwp1Ro4

CDC update on facial covering guidance:  https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/04/27/nation/cdc-expected-unveil-new-guidance-wearing-masks-outdoors/

Boston Globe coverage  https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/04/27/metro/baker-relaxes-outdoor-mask-mandate-mass-announces-timeline-lifting-most-capacity-restrictions-reopening-bars-other-businesses/

CommonWealth Magazine coverage:   https://commonwealthmagazine.org/health/massachusetts-will-fully-reopen-on-august-1/

and also:  https://commonwealthmagazine.org/health/baker-laissez-faire-on-vaccine-requirements/

MA News: "Effective April 30, the outdoor mask order will be relaxed"

"no vaccines are 100% effective at preventing illness"

"These “breakthrough” infections occurred among people of all ages. Just over 40 percent were in people 60 or older, and 65 percent occurred in women. Twenty-nine percent of infected people reported no symptoms, but 7 percent were hospitalized and just over 1 percent, 74 people, died, according to the CDC.

Public health officials have said breakthrough infections were expected, since manufacturers have warned loudly and often that the vaccines are not 100 percent protective. The Pfizer and Moderna versions have consistently been shown to be above 90 percent effective, most recently for at least six months. Studies have also shown they are nearly 100 percent effective at ensuring that the small fraction of vaccinated patients who do contract the virus will not get severe cases or require hospitalization."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/how-did-that-happen-catching-covid-19-even-after-being-vaccinated/2021/04/23/a31983a6-a21b-11eb-a774-7b47ceb36ee8_story.html

For more info on this from the CDC:

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/health-departments/breakthrough-cases.html

FDA and CDC Lift Recommended Pause on Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19

Following a thorough safety review, including two meetings of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have determined that the recommended pause regarding the use of the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 Vaccine in the U.S. should be lifted and use of the vaccine should resume.

The pause was recommended after reports of six cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals following administration of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. During the pause, medical and scientific teams at the FDA and CDC examined available data to assess the risk of thrombosis involving the cerebral venous sinuses, or CVST (large blood vessels in the brain), and other sites in the body (including but not limited to the large blood vessels of the abdomen and the veins of the legs) along with thrombocytopenia, or low blood platelet counts. The teams at FDA and CDC also conducted extensive outreach to providers and clinicians to ensure they were made aware of the potential for these adverse events and could properly manage and recognize these events due to the unique treatment required for these blood clots and low platelets, also known as thrombosis-thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS).

The two agencies have determined the following:

• Use of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine should be resumed in the United States.
• The FDA and CDC have confidence that this vaccine is safe and effective in preventing COVID-19.
• The FDA has determined that the available data show that the vaccine’s known and potential benefits outweigh its known and potential risks in individuals 18 years of age and older.
• At this time, the available data suggest that the chance of TTS occurring is very low, but the FDA and CDC will remain vigilant in continuing to investigate this risk.
• Health care providers administering the vaccine and vaccine recipients or caregivers should review the  Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers Administering Vaccine (Vaccination Providers)external icon and Fact Sheet for Recipients and Caregiversexternal icon, which have been revised to include information about the risk of this syndrome, which has occurred in a very small number of people who have received the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine.

Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine fact sheet for recipients

https://www.fda.gov/media/146305/download

Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine fact sheet for healthcare providers

https://www.fda.gov/media/146304/download

Updated CDC guidance on cleaning

"Cleaning with a household cleaner that contains soap or detergent reduces the amount of germs on surfaces and decreases risk of infection from surfaces. In most situations, cleaning alone removes most virus particles on surfaces. Disinfection to reduce transmission of COVID-19 at home is likely not needed unless someone in your home is sick or if someone who is positive for COVID-19 has been in your home within the last 24 hours."

Continue reading the article online

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/disinfecting-your-home.html

Updated CDC guidance on cleaning

For additional info from the Town of Franklin

https://www.franklinma.gov/home/pages/vaccination-and-covid-19-data

Vaccination is important for adults with underlying health conditions

"Vaccination is important for adults with underlying health conditions because they are at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

Vaccines for COVID-19 are recommended for people who haven’t had a bad reaction to any ingredients in the vaccine.

Get more information for certain conditions, including those that cause weakened immune systems, autoimmune conditions, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and Bell’s palsy": Vaccination Considerations for Persons with Underlying Medical Conditions | CDC

Vaccination is important for adults with underlying health conditions

Next year juniors/seniors in high school - check out the CDC Museum Disease Detective Camp

"Do you know a rising high school junior or senior interested in public health? @CDCgov Disease Detective Camp is an incredible experience, and this year it is offering a new, web-based Public Health Academy for remote learners!"

"All students to who will be high-school juniors or seniors during the 2021-2022 school year and at least 16 years old on the first day of the camp session to which they are accepted.

As the CDC Museum remains closed due to COVID-19 precautions, we are not able to predict yet if in-person programming will be available the summer of 2021. If the museum is not reopened for in-person programming, the CDC Museum will offer only online courses. A final decision on in-person programming will be made May 3, 2021; all applicants will be notified of the decision by email."

Details and reg links:  https://t.co/z1Fk2qnM9a

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmaccannell/status/1376196094632267778

Next year juniors/seniors in high school - check out the CDC Museum Disease Detective Camp

National News: CDC review of documents; AI and the bias issue

"Federal health officials have identified several controversial pandemic recommendations released during the Donald Trump administration that they say were “not primarily authored” by staff and don’t reflect the best scientific evidence, based on a review ordered by its new director.

The review identified three documents that had already been removed from the agency’s website: One, released in July, delivered a strong argument for school reopenings and downplayed health risks. A second set of guidelines about the country’s reopening was released in April by the White House and was far less detailed than what had been drafted by the CDC and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A third guidance issued in August discouraged the testing of people without covid-19 symptoms even when they had contact with infected individuals. That was replaced in September after experts inside and outside the agency raised alarms."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/03/15/cdc-removes-some-trump-era-guidance/

"Hundreds of people gathered for the first lecture at what had become the world’s most important conference on artificial intelligence — row after row of faces. Some were East Asian, a few were Indian, and a few were women. But the vast majority were white men. More than 5,500 people attended the meeting, five years ago in Barcelona, Spain.

Timnit Gebru, then a graduate student at Stanford University, remembers counting only six Black people other than herself, all of whom she knew, all of whom were men.

The homogeneous crowd crystallized for her a glaring issue. The big thinkers of tech say A.I. is the future. It will underpin everything from search engines and email to the software that drives our cars, directs the policing of our streets and helps create our vaccines."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/15/technology/artificial-intelligence-google-bias.html

Patience still needed, but there is hope on the horizon after folks are vaccinated

 

"Americans got their first peek Monday at what life may be like in a post-vaccinated world with new federal guidelines that say people who are fully vaccinated can gather privately indoors without masks and without physical distancing.

The much-anticipated recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, described as a first step toward returning to everyday activities, identify someone as fully vaccinated two weeks after their final shot. The timing of the announcement — just weeks before the beginning of spring — comes as many people are tempted to visit family or interact with friends after months of careful isolation." 

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/03/09/metro/new-cdc-guidelines-stir-hope-return-almost-normal-after-covid-19-vaccination/

 

Direct link to the CDC guidance

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html

Related article on the guidance (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/03/08/nation/fully-vaccinated-people-can-gather-without-masks-cdc-says/

CDC guidance summary table

The Intercept: "Teachers Unions Aren’t the Obstacle to Reopening Schools"

Tracy O'Connell Novick (@TracyNovick) tweeted

"This piece from @onesarahjones gets at the heart of one of the things I have found most disheartening about the pandemic. It gave us a chance to refocus on the vast inequities in our society, and instead it's making them wider."

Sarah writes: (Bold my emphasis)

"Public opinion does not, of course, dictate scientific consensus. Even so, the science isn’t as settled as many claim. While it’s true that kids aren’t as likely to fall seriously ill with COVID and aren’t as likely to spread the virus, the risk isn’t zero. As The Intercept reported in January, three recent studies indicate that the risks posed by reopening schools vary depending on rates of community transmission. According to one of the studies, reopening schools in Florida did lead to higher incidences of COVID infection among school-age children. Teachers in a school building can also spread the virus to one another and to parents if mitigation strategies aren’t sound."

Follow the link to read the full article =  https://t.co/tTKdfw6Cgk

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/TracyNovick/status/1365815338366087169

The Hill: "CDC signs off on Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine"

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday formally accepted the recommendation from its advisory panel that Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine can be given to people ages 18 and older in the United States.

The announcement by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky will allow vaccinations to begin as soon as the doses are received.

Walensky called the decision "another milestone toward an end to the pandemic."

"This vaccine is also another important tool in our toolbox to equitably vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible," Walensky said in a statement.

Continue reading the article online

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/540918-cdc-accepts-panels-endorsement-of-johnson-johnson-coronavirus-vaccine

CDC gets to ventilation (finally)

"The CDC has posted new recommendations on the importance of good ventilation in preventing coronavirus spread in schools and daycares. Its top recommendation: Open a window."

 

Continue reading the article by CNN:  https://t.co/3KWU65kxhK

 

Go directly to the CDC guidance page

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/ventilation.html

CDC gets to ventilation (finally)

"Things are tenuous. Now is not the time to relax restrictions."

"Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sounded the alarm Friday over what she described as potentially stalling progress in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, noting that fast-spreading variants of the virus are becoming more prevalent in the United States.

Speaking at a White House briefing on Friday, Walensky said the stall threatens to erase progress the US has made in recent weeks in decreasing cases and hospitalizations, even as the rollout of lifesaving vaccines ramps up.

Walensky said the number of new cases has been increasing in the past three days, compared with the prior week. She also shared new estimates that suggest the more-transmissible U.K. coronavirus variant now makes up about 10 percent of US cases."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/02/26/nation/now-is-not-time-relax-restrictions-cdc-chief-walensky-sounds-alarm-stalling-progress-pandemic/

Coverage from The Hill = https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/540700-cdc-director-warns-decline-in-cases-may-be-stalling-in-concerning-shift

CDC: "Essential Elements of Safe K-12 School In-person Instruction"

From the Executive Summary of the CDC guidance on reopening schools released recently: (RED text for my emphasis)

"As communities plan safe delivery of in-person instruction in K-12 schools, it is essential to decide when and under what conditions to help protect students, teachers, and staff and slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It is critical for schools to open as safely and as soon as possible, and remain open, to achieve the benefits of in-person learning and key support services. To enable schools to open safely and remain open, it is important to adopt and consistently implement actions to slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2 both in schools and in the community. This means that all community members, students, families, teachers, and school staff should take actions to protect themselves and others where they live, work, learn, and play. In short, success in preventing the introduction and subsequent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in schools is connected to and facilitated by preventing transmission in the broader community."

There is no easy short list, the essential elements to reopen safely are complex. Take time to read through them to understand them.

Find and read the full CDC guidance doc

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/operation-strategy.html

The Hill: "Five things to know about new CDC coronavirus guidelines"

 

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) put out a flurry of new guidance this week, with advice on topics such as mask wearing and quarantining after COVID-19 exposure.

The guidelines are in response to threats from new, more contagious virus strains, but they also indicate what life post-vaccine might look like in the U.S.

Here are five things to know about the agency's advice."

Continue reading the article online

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/538705-five-things-to-know-about-new-cdc-coronavirus-guidelines

Direct link to the CDC COVID-19 page  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

What are the COVID-19 symptoms?

"Symptoms of covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, can range from mild to severe. The most common include fever, a dry cough or shortness of breath, but there are other indications you could need to be tested or have a conversation with your doctor.

Not everyone experiences the same symptoms, and the order in which they appear can vary. Some people don’t show any symptoms — what health experts call “asymptomatic” cases — but still could spread the virus to others.

Although this list is not inclusive of every possible symptom, it includes what physicians and health experts have determined are the most common. Some of these symptoms will coincide with one another. Symptoms of a coronavirus infection can emerge anywhere from two to 14 days after exposure to the virus."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/12/02/covid-symptoms/

You can also use the CDC symptom checking

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html

Town of Franklin's COVID-19 Information Portal

https://www.franklinma.gov/home/pages/coronavirus-information-portal

"asymptomatic and infectious before developing their symptoms"

Via The Hill comes a CDC study showing focus should include asymptomatic individuals as they contribute to more than 50% of the cases.

Question  
What proportion of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread is associated with transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from persons with no symptoms? 

Findings  
In this decision analytical model assessing multiple scenarios for the infectious period and the proportion of transmission from individuals who never have COVID-19 symptoms, transmission from asymptomatic individuals was estimated to account for more than half of all transmission. 

Meaning  
The findings of this study suggest that the identification and isolation of persons with symptomatic COVID-19 alone will not control the ongoing spread of SARS-CoV-2.

Continue reading the article in The Hill

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/533421-more-than-half-of-coronavirus-cases-spread-by-people-without-symptoms-cdc

Go direct to JAMA for the CDC study details

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2774707

The Hill: "CDC issues new guidance about vaccinations for people with underlying health conditions"

From The Hill

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Saturday issued a new guidance stating that people with underlying health conditions can receive a coronavirus vaccine.

The guidance explains that “adults of any age with certain underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19.”  

Thus, the CDC added that those vaccines that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration “may be administered to people with underlying medical conditions provided they have not had a severe allergic reaction to any of the ingredients in the vaccine.” 

Continue reading the article online

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/531722-cdc-issues-new-guidance-about-vaccinations-for-people-with-underlying

Direct link to CDC guidance  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/underlying-conditions.html