A team of researchers at a German research hospital found that four common cold coronaviruses that infect humans by the same protein mechanism that SARS-CoV-2 uses evade the immune system just like the flu virus. .
But, according to the researchers, a good sign for COVID-19 is that coronaviruses evolved about four times slower than influenza viruses.
However, SARS-CoV-2 is mutating at a faster rate than the coronaviruses in the study and is unlikely to decrease until the worldwide infection rate drops dramatically.
Therefore, vaccine producers such as Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson are already working on enhancers to make their vaccines more effective against variants.
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NY, CT among 22 states with more than a 10% increase in new cases
New York and Connecticut are among 22 states that have seen the number of new cases rise more than 10 percent week-on-week, according to new data from the Department of Health and Human Services. Meanwhile, New York and Connecticut join New Jersey in the list of states with the highest case rates nationwide (7-day daily average: 310, 225, and 321 per 100,000 population, respectively). Among these states, New Jersey had the highest RT-PCR test positivity in the last seven days (8.8%).
Increased cases in Connecticut
The Connecticut State Department of Public Health reminds residents to be vigilant against COVID-19, as case rates have risen over the past two weeks.
DPH has relocated several Connecticut cities that had seen COVID-19 case rates drop or were back on red alert, as the average daily COVID-19 case rate has increased across the board. ‘state up to 25 cases / 100,000 residents a day.
More than 90% of the Connecticut population lives in a city with an average daily case rate of more than 15 cases per 100,000 residents. It is estimated that 40% of these new cases are variant B.1.1.7.
Fauci sets out a scenario of when experts could loosen recommendations for facial masks
If a new study shows that vaccines prevent the transmission of COVID-19, inoculated Americans could be “much more liberal” in deciding whether or not to wear a face mask, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top American expert on infectious diseases.
But he also said he cannot begin recommending the removal of facial masks until daily COVID infections are drastically reduced.
NJ Transit vaccinating bus drivers, traffic workers
New Jersey Transit bus drivers and traffic workers will receive COVID-19 vaccines on Saturday. All public transportation workers in the state were eligible for the first time on March 15th. At least 21 NJ Transit employees have died from coronavirus complications, including 11 bus drivers and a train operator.
The first U.S. priest to die of COVID is remembered
Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay, a Brooklyn pastor of Mexican descent, became the first U.S. priest to die as a result of COVID-19.
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio will lead a memorial Mass in Bushwick, Brooklyn, on Saturday at St. Brigid.
5,000 will attend rock concerts in Barcelona after the COVID-19 screen
Five thousand music lovers will attend a rock concert in Barcelona after a screening of COVID-19, to test its effectiveness in preventing outbreaks at major cultural events.
Saturday’s program has the permission of the Spanish health authorities. The concertgoers will undergo an antigen test hours before the concert.
Those who give a negative will be able to attend the covered concert and mix freely, although masks will be mandatory. The concert is an expanded version of a December case study based on a concert for 500 people that organizers said showed no contagion.
New York COVID tracking initiative
New York is allocating $ 600 million to its COVID tracking initiative. During the first two weeks of March more plotters were hired as cases increased in the post-holiday period.
Thanks to the renewed effort, the city managed to achieve its goal of reaching at least 90% of the people who tested positive, a goal it had not achieved since Thanksgiving.
NY introduces the “Excelsior” digital pass to help businesses reopen the premises
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday the launch of Excelsior Pass, a free, voluntary platform developed in partnership with IBM that uses secure technology to confirm the recent negative PCR result or test antigen. of vaccine. The goal is to help keep track of the reopening of business venues and events in accordance with the guidelines of the State Department of Health.
Similar to the mobile airline boarding pass, people will be able to print their pass or store it on their smartphones using the Excelsior Pass Wallet app. Each pass will have a secure QR code, which companies and participating sites will be able to scan using a complementary application to verify proof of negative COVID-19 test results or vaccination test.
Stimulated by the blockade, Spain does a test 4 days a week
Experimenting with the reduction of one working day a week is about to reach the whole country in Spain. A three-year pilot project will use € 50 million ($ 59 million) from the European Union’s massive coronavirus recovery fund to compensate companies as they resize their workforce or reorganize production workflows to adapt -a 32-hour work week.
Although several companies have already adopted the trend, the pandemic has accelerated it. Supporters claim that shorter hours could benefit the reconciliation of work and personal life and that three-day weekends could increase consumption. But critics argue that an economy shaken by a pandemic is no reason for experiments.
The Israelis gather for Easter, celebrating the freedom of the virus
Israelis will once again hold numerous family gatherings this weekend to celebrate the Passover, the Jewish holiday that commemorates the biblical flight of the Israelites from Egypt.
This is thanks to a highly successful coronavirus vaccination campaign that has inoculated 80% of the country’s adult population. Authorities have reopened restaurants, hotels, museums and theaters and allow indoor meetings for up to 20 people. This is a sharp change from last year, when Israel was in the first of three closures, with people largely confined to their homes.
China explains the results of the origin of COVID, before the WHO report
Chinese officials on Friday briefed diplomats on the ongoing investigation into the origin of COVID-19, ahead of the expected release of a long-awaited World Health Organization report.
The briefing appeared to be an attempt by China to spread its opinion on the report, which has been embroiled in a diplomatic dispute. The United States and others have raised questions about Chinese influence and the independence of the results, and China has accused critics of politicizing a scientific study.
When did you realize that the COVID pandemic changed everything?
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Answer the 7 main questions about the COVID vaccine
You had questions about COVID-19 vaccines and 7 On Your Side gives you answers from top doctors in the pandemic.
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