US coronavirus: Experts fear variant-fueled Covid-19 surge is weeks away, but cases will likely drop again by summer

The group called on vaccine advisers from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be promptly summoned and determine whether the data supports the group’s recommendations, including postponing second doses of vaccine after the flare. to come up.

“There is a narrow and quickly closing window of opportunity to use vaccines more effectively and potentially prevent thousands of serious cases, hospitalizations and deaths in the weeks and months to come,” the report said.

Officials, including Dr.Anthony Fauci, have said in recent days that the United States continues to immunize people with both doses and near recommended schedules, with Fauci telling CNN earlier this week, “science says directly as we continue with what we know about the clinical trial. “

Early research raises concerns about variant in California

So far, more than 1,900 cases of the coronavirus strains first spotted in the UK, South Africa and Brazil have been reported in the US, according to data from the CDC.

Meanwhile, two studies expected to be released soon also raise concerns about the impact of the variant in California.

Studies suggest that the variant may not only be more contagious, but also cause more serious illness. But the research is in its very early stages, has not been published or peer reviewed, and needs more work, the researchers said.

A team from the University of California at San Francisco tested virus samples from recent outbreaks across the state and found that it was becoming much more common: although it was not seen in any sample of September, at the end of January, it was found in half of the samples.

The researchers also found evidence to suggest that the variant is more dangerous, writing in a report that they observed “increased severity of disease” associated with the variant, including “an increased risk of high oxygen requirements.”

A second team from Unidos en Salud – a volunteer-led collaboration between UC San Francisco and other groups that offers rapid tests for Covid-19 in the Mission District of San Francisco – tested more than 8,800 people in January and sequenced the virus from over 630 positive samples. They also saw a rapid increase in the variant.

FDA may well store Pfizer vaccine at normal temperatures

Concerned about the variants, US officials continue to work to speed up vaccinations.

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech submitted data to the FDA on Friday showing that its vaccine can be safely stored at temperatures above what is currently required for long-term storage. The Times cited two sources close to the companies, who requested anonymity, saying that the FDA had informed the companies that it would accept the request.

The move could greatly facilitate logistics not only for businesses, but also for the federal government, states and other groups that have worked to distribute these vaccines.

In California, officials said they would make changes to the statewide Covid-19 vaccine appointment system after access codes distributed to underserved communities were used by outsiders to secure vaccines.

Recent data shows black and Latino residents collectively received 19% of the state’s vaccine doses while accounting for almost 60% of Covid-19 cases in California. In contrast, white residents received 32.7% of vaccine doses while accounting for about 20% of the condition’s cases.