- Fauci says Redfield’s testimony of COVID call was ‘unequivocally incorrect’ | The Hill: Dr. Anthony Fauci has denied former CDC Director Robert Redfield’s claim that he was excluded from a conference call about the possible origins of COVID-19, saying he had nothing to do with who was on the call.
- First Nasal Monoclonal Antibody Reduces COVID-19 Inflammation – Contagion Live: A pilot study by Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that nasal administration of the fully human anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) Foralumab can modulate T cell inflammatory responses in COVID-19 by suppressing effector features in multiple T cell subsets. This treatment is unique among COVID-19 mAbs, as it stimulates regulatory T cells of the immune system to decrease inflammation.
- DOH’s successful Say Yes! COVID Test program to finish May 11 | Washington State …: The Washington State Department of Health is ending its free at-home testing program Say Yes! COVID Test on May 11. Eligibility for the program will change starting March 13 to focus on communities with more disadvantaged households. Free COVID-19 home test kits can still be ordered from the SYCT website.
- California Gov. Newsom tests positive for COVID-19 – The Seattle Times: California Governor Gavin Newsom has tested positive for COVID-19 after a personal trip to Baja California. He will work remotely and self-isolate, while First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom has tested negative.
- Covid update as of March 9, Evanston and Cook County reman in ‘low’ community risk level: In Illinois, the seven-day average of new confirmed Covid cases was 10,320 on March 5, a 4% decrease from the prior week. In Evanston, the seven-day average of new confirmed cases was 13.7 on March 8, up 45% from the prior week.
- New York City rats can carry Covid variants, new study finds – The Guardian: A new study has found that New York City rats are susceptible to three Covid variants. The CDC states that animal-to-human transmission of Covid-19 is rare, but the study’s principal investigator suggests that further research should be done to understand the potential risk of animal-to-human transmission.
- New York City rats can catch the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, study finds | CNN: A new study has found that Norway rats, which live alongside New Yorkers, can catch the virus that causes Covid-19. However, reports of the virus spreading from any types of animals to humans remain rare. Pets, zoo animals, farmed mink, and wildlife have all been reported to have Covid-19 infections. The study captured 79 rats from three sites in Brooklyn and tested them for exposure to SARS-CoV-2.
- RATS in NYC are harboring Covid, study shows – and experts fear it poses zoonotic threat to humans: A study has found that 16.5% of rats in New York City have Covid antibodies, and 4 of them are currently infected. Scientists are concerned that the rats could spread the virus to humans, as there is one rat per resident in NYC. To prevent zoonotic disease spillover, experts warn that precautions should be taken.
- NYC rats now carrying COVID-19, study reveals: A new study has found that rats in New York City are carrying COVID-19, with 13 out of 79 rats tested positive for the virus. This highlights the need for further monitoring of the rat population to prevent the spread of the virus.
- Study examines heart inflammation after COVID vaccine – EurekAlert!: Researchers found evidence of heart muscle inflammation in a small number of patients with acute myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination, but not in patients without acute myocarditis. This is the first prospective study to report comprehensive cardiac investigations and imaging in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients after COVID-19 vaccination.
- Passive Funds Beat Active at Peak of COVID Crisis, Research Finds | ThinkAdvisor: A recent study by University of Chicago economist Lubos Pastor found that actively managed mutual funds significantly underperformed their passive peers during the height of the COVID-19 crisis, contradicting the idea that active funds do better in volatile markets.
- Long COVID may be to blame for surge in women with disabilities, putting them out of work: The recent surge in US women with disabilities in the workforce during the pandemic is likely due to long COVID, which disproportionately affects women and can cause persistent symptoms that can be debilitating. This has resulted in women with disabilities outnumbering their male peers in monthly government labour figures since June 2020.
- Area counties combined for 11 COVID-19 fatalities | Local News | mankatofreepress.com: South-central Minnesota had an uptick in COVID-19 fatalities between Feb. 19-March 4, with Blue Earth County accounting for eight of the eleven deaths. The region’s pandemic death toll has risen to 585, while Minnesota’s statewide toll is now 14,449. Despite the recent increase, death counts have been lower so far this year compared to prior years in the pandemic.
- Susana Mendoza Urges Legislators to Mandate Full Pensions for Cops, Firefighters Who …: Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza testified in support of a bill that would grant Chicago police officers and firefighters full benefits if they become disabled due to COVID-19. The bill was unanimously approved by the Illinois House committee, after Mendoza shared her story of how her brother, a Chicago police detective, was denied “duty disability” benefits after he lost his kidneys due to a coronavirus infection. The bill would provide officers and firefighters with 75% of their salary and free health care.
- Legislative panel OK’s COVID-19 disability bill for Chicago’s first responders: A bill that would make it easier for Chicago’s first responders to receive full disability benefits if they were sickened by COVID-19 passed through a state legislative committee on Thursday. The bill would assume that working conditions directly led to them contracting the virus and would provide compensation for those affected.
- China writes furious letter to Hawley on COVID origins bill: ‘Political manipulation’: The Chinese government has sent a letter to Sen. Josh Hawley’s office, accusing the U.S. of “undermining international solidarity” in fighting the coronavirus and repeating Beijing’s argument that the virus could have potentially originated in a North Carolina lab. They are expressing their grave concern regarding Hawley’s bill to declassify information about COVID-19’s origin, calling it an act of “political manipulation”.
- Harrisburg mayor urges council to act on plan for COVID-19 relief money – WGAL: Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams is pushing for the city’s remaining federal COVID-19 relief dollars to be spent on projects such as affordable housing and a redesign of a rundown city pool. She is urging City Council to approve the plan quickly so that developers can begin construction.
- Lab-Leak Theory Resurfaces as House Republicans Investigate COVID-19 Origins | Chicago News: The U.S. House of Representatives held a hearing to investigate the origins of COVID-19, with Republicans claiming that Dr. Anthony Fauci had downplayed the possibility of a lab leak. Recent reports from the Department of Energy and FBI suggest that the virus may have come from a lab in Wuhan, China, but both agencies have low to moderate confidence in their assessment.
- Fauci says Redfield’s testimony of COVID call was ‘unequivocally incorrect’ | The Hill: Dr. Anthony Fauci has denied former CDC Director Robert Redfield’s claim that he was excluded from a conference call about the possible origins of the COVID-19 virus, saying that he had nothing to do with who would be on the call.
- Utah is provided more money from FEMA for COVID-19 reimbursements: FEMA has provided Utah County with $381 million in response to COVID-19 since April 2020. Recently, an additional $1.1 million was given to reimburse for costs accrued between March 2020 and May 2022.
- Video Battle of origin of COVID-19 comes to Capitol Hill – ABC News: US Congress held a hearing on COVID-19’s origins, and the US crossed 250,000 coronavirus deaths.
- COVID-19 lawsuit seeks $125M from Ontario municipalities, including Cambridge Fire Department: A lawsuit has been filed in Toronto Superior Court seeking $125.9 million from Ontario municipalities due to the impacts of COVID-19.
- Alaska courts consider rules for permanently streaming many hearings online – KTOO: The Alaska Court System is taking public testimony on a proposal to continue streaming court hearings online, even after the end of the COVID-19 emergency that prompted the first broadcasts. The proposed rule would allow the presiding judge to decide which hearings should be streamed.
- Covid-19: High court finds vaccine mandate extension to care and support workers invalid: A group of care and support workers successfully sued the government in the High Court over the vaccine mandate, which resulted in them losing thousands of dollars in payments. The Crown agreed that there was an error in decision making, and the judge ruled that the mandate was invalid.
- Only a third of accommodation workers in early 2020 were with same employer after Covid: A report from the Parliamentary Budget Office found that two-thirds of people who worked in the accommodation sector in early 2020 were no longer working with the same employer two years later due to the impact of Covid-19. 30% had moved to a different sector by the second quarter of last year.
Daily News Pulse for March 13, 2023
Summary: Princeton students have seen an overall improvement in course satisfaction since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Japan, many people are still wearing masks despite the government’s easing of guidelines.
