Category: Corona Virus

Photo: RNZ

Keep testing and stay home if you're unwell is an expert's advice as thousands more cases are notified.

Latest figures show more than 6000 cases, that's double the number of cases from the week before and as of Sunday there were 314 Covid patients in hospital.

The hardest hit regions are: Canterbury, Counties Manukau, Waitemat and Southern.

The country is experiencing its highest peak in Covid-19 cases since December 2022, Professor Michael Baker told RNZ in late May.

Otago University Biochemistry Professor Kurt Krause said it was important to continue testing for Covid-19 so that health experts knew if the cases were "a ripple" or "a major wave".

He believed a major outbreak was unlikely.

Kurt Krause Photo:

The data on cases also helped to protect vulnerable people in the community such as those who were elderly or had compromised immunity.

The latest strain was a distant Omicron variant. JN1 was the biggest strain at present with a few other minor strains which were closely related to it.

"It's just this continual drifting into new and different variants and combinations of Covid that we've been living through for the past three years.

"There's good evidence this latest strain is more contagious than previous strains but there really isn't good evidence that it's more dangerous than any of the other strains we've had."

Prof Krause said rapid antigen tests lasted about a year and it was not recommended to rely on expired ones.

However, some manufacturers had found old ones had lasted longer than they expected.

He recommended people keep a supply even though they will no longer be free after 30 June.

Asked what people should do if they suspected they might have Covid but a RAT test was negative, he said he would like a culture to develop that people stayed home if they were sick.

People should stay home to protect both themselves and their co-workers and if they needed to go out briefly wear a mask.

"Please stay home if you're sick."

People should also consider they might have another winter virus such as influenza-A or another respiratory virus.

"It's not just Covid out there."

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Covid-19: Cases are rising but expert doesn't expect major outbreak - RNZ

How the COVID-19 virus came into existence remains a source of controversy more than three years after it first emerged in China. The mystery surrounding its origins comes down to two conflicting theories: Did it originate in wild animals and jump to humans, or was the virus created in a Chinese lab?

The first COVID-19 cases emerged in Wuhan, China, which also happens to be where two places are located: the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a lab. The city is also the location of a so-called "wet market" that sells wild animals, like bats, which are known to carry viruses like COVID.

Add to that, Chinese secrecy over efforts by international health organizations to investigate the origin of COVID-19, and it all quickly became political.

The World Health Organization has said it believes COVID most likely spread from bats to humans, but Chinese authorities restricted their ability to thoroughly investigate it.

The FBI later said it had "moderate confidence" that COVID-19 came from a Chinese lab leak, and the U.S. Department of Energy has said it believes albeit with "low confidence" that the virus escaped from a lab.

In his testimony before the House Oversight Committee today, former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci addressed the lab leak theory.

"I cannot account nor can anyone account for other things that might be going on in China, which is the reason why I have always said and will say now: I keep an open mind as to what the origin is," Dr. Fauci said.

The competing COVID-19 origin theories present a real problem because experts say that not knowing where the virus came from could impede how we prepare and handle future pandemics.

Congress

2:13 PM, Jun 03, 2024

"We're stuck on this origins debate and have lost sight of why we want to know the answer. The reality is, is even if we had definitive evidence there were a lab leak, there's very little one can do under international law diplomatically to hold China accountable for that," said Thomas Bollyky with the Council on Foreign Relations. "If we knew for sure it was the wildlife trade here too, that doesn't absolve the Chinese government. There have been restrictions on wildlife trade for a long period of time. What's ultimately important is that nations find a way to start working together on these concerns and to make outbreaks less likely."

Adding to all of this is an op-ed piece in Monday's New York Times by Dr. Alina Chan, a molecular biologist from MIT and Harvard. In the article, she laid out five key points as to why she believes COVID-19 likely started in a lab.

However, there is still scant, public hard evidence of where COVID came from no smoking gun, so to speak.

In the end, that leaves everyone vulnerable, as countries have not come together to figure out what actually went wrong and what steps need to be taken to prevent another pandemic like COVID-19 from happening again.

Continued here:

Congressional hearing highlights 2 competing theories of COVID-19's origin - Scripps News

WASHINGTON, D. C. - A congressional subcommittee led by Ohios Brad Wenstrup spent hours on Monday grilling and occasionally insulting former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci over the governments response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Wenstrup, a Cincinnati Republican and physician, kicked off the hearing by accusing Fauci of overseeing one of the most invasive regimes of domestic policy the U.S. has ever seen, in an effort to stop the spread of the disease thats killed more than 1 million Americans, and of trying to sway public opinion against the lab leak theory of its origin.

Americans were aggressively bullied, shamed and silenced for merely questioning or debating issues such as social distancing, masks, vaccines, or the origins of COVID, said Wenstrup. Any dissent from your chosen scientific position was immediately labelled as anti-science. Anything less than complete submission to the mandates could cost you your livelihood, your ability to go into public, your childs ability to attend school.

It was Faucis first public testimony about the coronavirus pandemic before Wenstrups panel after privately answering its questions in January. Fauci spent much of the hearing trying to shoot down Republican claims that he ignored science and behaved irresponsibly.

He called allegations that he tried to cover up the origins of the coronavirus and used grant money to bribe scientists to change their minds about it absolutely false and simply preposterous, and denied using a personal email account for official business.

Vaccine technology research his agency funded enabled development of safe and highly effective vaccines less than 11 months after the new virus was identified, said Fauci, calling it an unprecedented accomplishment in the history of vaccinology that saved tens of millions of lives worldwide.

He said he tried to fight misinformation about the spread of the virus and techniques that could be used to fight it, such as ex-President Donald Trumps suggestion that bleach be injected into the human body.

I think one of the things that was really a problem with the response was the degree of divisiveness that we had in the country about a lack of a coherent response, where we were having people for reasons that had nothing to do with public health as science, refusing to adhere to public health intervention measures, said Fauci.

Fauci said that since the pandemic started, he and his family have experienced repeated harassment, as well as multiple credible death threats, which has required him to have protective services essentially all the time.

Every time someone gets up and says that Im responsible for the death of people throughout the world, the death threats go up, Fauci said in response to questions from Michigan Democrat Debbie Dingell. I think this is a powerful disincentive for young people to want to go into public health and maybe even science and medicine in the public arena.

When Champaign County Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, accused Fauci of trying to discredit theories that the virus started in a Chinese lab, Fauci said We dont know where it started and thats the reason why I keep an open mind. After Jordan suggested that Fauci kept former Centers for Disease Control director Robert Redfield Jr. out of a Coronavirus Task Force call because he supported the lab leak theory, Fauci denied doing so and said the call was organized by a British researcher, so they should ask him.

The hearings most contentious moment occurred when Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene told Fauci the subcommittee should be recommending you to be prosecuted. We should be writing a criminal referral because you should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity. You belong in prison.

California Democrat Robert Garcia followed up by calling Fauci an American hero whose efforts have saved millions of lives in the United States and around the world. He called Taylor Greenes remarks crazy and irresponsible.

The Committees top Democrat, Californias Raul Ruiz, who is a physician, said the subcommittee should be trying to improve the nations preparedness for future pandemics instead of focusing on efforts to prove that the virus came from a Chinese lab that got U.S. research money, which requires them to prove the lab leak theory to be true.

Their accusations are without evidence, but it doesnt matter to them, said Ruiz. Intentionally misleading the public is propagating disinformation and its wrong and dangerous, not only because it manufactures distrust in our public health leaders and our public health agencies, but also because it targets Dr. Fauci and other public health officials for violent death threats.

Wenstrup said the American public deserves a lot better from their government, than they got in the response to coronavirus, and said public health issues like the pandemic should be agnostic, not political. He called for reform of the federal grant giving process.

We can fix our problems, but we have to take a good hard look at what we did and what we didnt do, be honest with ourselves and be better in our messaging to the American people, especially when it comes to health, said Wenstrup. And thats why I felt it was very important that we dont do things like mandates, but let patients have the conversation with the doctor that they know and trust and make sure that were getting the doctors all the information and data that they need.

Sabrina Eaton writes about the federal government and politics in Washington, D.C., for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.

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Death threats and disinformation: Anthony Fauci testifies before House coronavirus subcommittee - cleveland.com

Representative Raul Ruiz (D-CA), Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD), and others spoke with reporters about the release of a Democratic staff report intended to debunk Republican claims that former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci helped fund research that led to the COVID-19 pandemic. close

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Reps. Ruiz and Raskin News Conference on Coronavirus Subcommittee Democratic Findings - C-SPAN

There are two new COVID-19 variants circulating, and scientists believe theyre more transmissible than previous ones. Together, theyre known as FLiRT and some estimates suggest they account for more than a third of current COVID-19 cases.

With The Show to talk about these new variants, and what they could mean as were heading into summer and the summer travel season, is Dr. Nick Staab, assistant medical director with the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.

Nick Staab

Nick Staab

MARK BRODIE:Dr. Staab, good morning.

DR. NICK STAAB: Good morning, Mark.

BRODIE:So what, what is new about these, these two new variants, they're being called FLiRT, what is different about them than what we have seen previously?

STAAB:So, you know what we know about these COVID viruses, is that as they evolve, they become more transmissible and they're able to evade our natural immunity, whether that immunity is from vaccination or from natural infections. This is just the normal way that viruses evolve. So these new variants are more transmissible and they are able to evade some of our immune mechanisms.

BRODIE:So does that mean that even if people are, for example, up to date on their, on their boosters and maybe they've had COVID in the recent past, they still could, could get catch this version of it.

STAAB:Yeah, that's correct. So, you know what we're encouraging is the most, the latest recommendation is that those who are elderly over the age of 65, if it's been more than two months since their last COVID vaccine, that they get another booster to boost that immunity. And then the FDA will be meeting tomorrow [Wednesday] to consider our 2024-25 vaccine. And as soon as those are available, the best protection is to get that vaccine.

BRODIE:So for folks who, who are up to date at the moment, it sounds like there's not much else to do in terms of vaccination between now and maybe like later this year.

STAAB:That's true. There's not much to do, but there are things we can do, right? The, the same things we've been talking about for, for years now, if you are sick, stay away from others, if you are at high risk, whether it's because you're immunocompromised or have other underlying health conditions that put you at increased risk, you know, avoiding large crowds as we start to see what is usually a summer surge of COVID cases is a smart idea.

BRODIE:Are you expecting an increase in COVID cases over the course of the summer here in Maricopa County?

STAAB:You know, we've seen it every summer. So there's no reason to think that we're not gonna see it this summer. We're still waiting for COVID to fall into a regular seasonal pattern like we see with influenza, but we're still not there yet. So, I think it is likely, especially with this variant,, that we see an increase in cases.

BRODIE: How well do we really understand what's going on? I mean, there's not seemingly not as much testing happening as there as there has been. People aren't really required to quarantine anymore if they, if they do test and are positive, like, do we have a good sense of what the situation is?

STAAB:You know, we can look at how our health care system is being used and how we're seeing COVID cases in the health care system to get a good sense of that. It's what we do typically with influenza. So we're staying in close touch with our health care partners even reporting from hospitals is not what it used to be during the emergency. So we're using more typical means of surveillance to just keep an eye on those COVID cases. And, and we're not seeing an increase in severe cases in hospital, which is a good sign.

BRODIE: I wanted to ask you about that because as we've talked about over the last few years, yes, the, you know, the variants as time goes along tend to become more transmissible, they often tend to be also less severe in terms of symptoms and risks. Is that what we're seeing here with, with these new 22, new variants?

STAAB:We think so. So again, it's probably too early with these variants to, to say for sure that that's the case. But that is what we typically see with coronaviruses. You have to remember that we've had other human coronaviruses before. SARS, COVID-2, the virus that causes COVID, we know what's kind of typical in their evolution and, and this is what we expect to see more transmissibility, less severity because of the changes in the virus and because of our immune protections that we've built up as a population having been through this for several years.

BRODIE:So we've seen in some parts of the country that there are, there is an uptick of, of COVID cases, especially with these flirt variances. What are you seeing so far, you know, early, not even officially summer, but, you know, it feels like summer outside, s sort of early summer season here in the valley.

STAAB:So if you look at our COVID numbers again, we don't have complete reporting of all the COVID cases out there, but we have a sample and that sample is showing a, an uptick in cases. So we're starting to see an increase in cases here locally, like is being reported elsewhere. You know, we have the reverse phenomenon here in Maricopa County that the rest of the country has, you know, during our summer, we spend more time indoors, than outdoors. And so, that is probably why kind of in hotter areas in the country, we start to see an increase in cases, as we congregate indoors more together.

BRODIE:Well, and as you referenced earlier, I mean, a lot of people from the Phoenix area travel elsewhere where it's maybe not going to be 110 degrees in the beginning of June. So does that also increase the risk of, you know, transmissibility from, you know, folks maybe elsewhere where perhaps there are, there is also an uptick in, in this, in this variant.

STAAB:Absolutely. So, so travel mixing of, of populations is is how all diseases all communicable diseases increase transmissions. So, you know, whether it's COVID or measles, when we see that these infections are on the rise in certain places, the potential for bringing them back here to Maricopa County in the Phoenix area is, is there any time you travel. So traveling is, is definitely a time to think about your own risk factors. Again, make sure you're up to date on vaccines and, and just practicing some common sense disease transmission behaviors, how about that.

BRODIE:So you mentioned that you've been, you know, sort of tracking this based on how people are using the health care system. How is the health care system being affected by this variant or even, you know, some of the variants you've had in the past. Like, obviously, I would imagine it's not under the kind of strain that it was in like 2020 or 2021. But what has the impact been on the health care system in Maricopa County, you know, from these, these most recent variants.

STAAB:You know, certainly from the height of COVID-19, our health care systems have rebounded. They've been able to keep up with staffing, better than we went that we saw during the pandemic. But we still have a health care system that, that sees seasonal strain, whether it's from influenza and COVID during the winter or you know, other environmental-related impacts during the summer. So certainly we're starting to see an increase in heat-related illness in our emergency department. So, all of these things put different strains on the health care system. But, but we're seeing a that our health care systems have definitely rebounded from where we were during the pandemic. So, you know, I, I think we're in a good spot. We stay in close communication with our health care systems to make sure that they're not seeing strain that, that we're unaware of.

BRODIE:All right, that is Dr. Nick Staab, assistant medical director with the Maricopa County Department of Public Health. Dr. Staab, thanks as always for your time. I appreciate it.

STAAB:Thank you, Mark

KJZZ's The Show transcripts are created on deadline. This text may not be in its final form. The authoritative record of KJZZ's programming is the audio record.

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New COVID-19 variants account for more than a third of current cases. Here's what you need to know - KJZZ

WASHINGTON, D.C. Dr. Anthony Fauci, who led the governments response to the coronavirus pandemic, rejected Republican criticism of his handling of the pandemic at a hearing on Monday, including accusations that the virus may have been created in a Chinese lab with U.S.-funded research.

The hearing was the culmination of a 15-month probing the roots of the virus and the nations response to the pandemic, led by Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, chair of the House Oversight Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.

The subcommittee has spent more than a year on the investigation, which has produced 115 investigative letters, 30 transcribed interviews, 27 hearings and more than 1.5 million pages of documents, according to Wenstrup.

Wenstrup has said that the pandemic response went wrong from the start, when public health officials such as Fauci, then director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), began basing policy on what Wenstrup said were merely scientific guesses.

Doctor Fauci, under your leadership, the United States health agencies adopted specific policy aims as a single dogmatic truth without the benefit of debate. Out of a desire for a single narrative, Wenstrup said at the June 3 hearing.

According to Wenstrup, that single narrative included that the virus emerged from nature, rather than from a laboratory, and that vaccine mandates and social distancing were necessary.

Fauci defending his record, as well as social distancing and other policies that he said were based on the science available at the time. For example, he said the 6-foot social distancing guidance came from studies about the distance that virus could be carried in droplets. The CDC later updated its guidance after coronavirus was discovered to spread through aerosols, which can travel more than 6 feet.

The accusation being circulated that I influenced these scientists to change their minds by bribing them with millions of dollars in grant money is absolutely false, he said at the hearing. The second issue is a false accusation that I tried to cover up the possibility that the virus originated from a lab.

Faucis testimony will be included in the subcommittees final investigation report, expected to come out late this year.

We are following the facts. Holding wrongdoers accountable and planning for a better, more prepared future, Wenstrup said.

After the hearing, Democrats said the investigation had uncovered no evidence that Fauci did anything wrong, and that the hearing missing an important opportunity to discuss best practices for the next pandemic.

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Fauci testifies before Congress for pandemic investigation - Spectrum News 1

WASHINGTON >> Longtime government scientist Anthony Fauci pushed back against Republican accusations tying him to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic while testifying before the House Oversight and Accountability Committees Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic today.

In his first appearance before Congress since he retired in December 2022, Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, sought to defend himself from GOP accusations that he tried to cover up the origins of COVID-19 and used his personal email for official government work.

He said the idea that he sought to cover up a theory that the virus originated in a lab in Wuhan, China, was simply preposterous and emphatically told the subcommittee that I do not do government business on my private email.

The subcommittee has been investigating the origins of the virus and the governments potential involvement for 15 months, but do not appear to have found anything connecting Fauci to the start of the virus in China. However, their investigation did lead to the federal government last month recommending EcoHealth Alliance, a company that received federal funding and that worked with the Wuhan Institute of Virology, be debarred.

During a contentious hearing frequently interrupted by protesters, Republican subcommittee Chair Brad Wenstrup accused Fauci of covering up the origins of the virus and trying to dissuade people that the virus came from a lab.

While the origins of the virus remain unknown despite multiple investigations, one theory is that the virus originated in a lab in Wuhan, China, and somehow leaked from that lab, creating the global pandemic.

Fauci denied Wenstrups accusations, pointing to emails he sent in February 2022, when his colleagues first floated the idea that the virus could have had lab origins and Fauci immediately instructed his colleagues to elevate those concerns to the highest levels.

It is inconceivable that anyone who reads this email could conclude that I was trying to cover up the possibility of a laboratory leak, Fauci said, adding, I always kept an open mind to the different possibilities.

EMAILS

Republicans also seized on claims that Fauci used his personal email for official business, which would violate the agencys code of conduct.

The 83-year-old immunologist told the subcommittee that to the best of my knowledge I have never conducted official business using my personal email.

Lawmakers also grilled Fauci on allegations that EcoHealth Alliance President Peter Daszak did not keep up with reporting and monitoring requirements around experiments conducted in Wuhan, China, and omitted key information in applying for federal grants.

I repeat on the record that I am not trying to protect Daszak, Fauci told Wenstrup.

Last month, the subcommittee sought testimony from David Morens, a top NIAID official, who used his personal email to communicate with Daszak and others involved in the COVID-19 origins debate.

Fauci said he did not engage in that email exchange, but Republicans were skeptical that he was unaware of their communication.

I have a hard time believing that all of this occurred without your knowledge and approval, Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., said of Morens effort to obscure the Freedom of Information Act and hide his correspondence with Daszak.

The Energy and Commerce oversight subcommittees top Democrat Kathy Castor, D-Fla., accused Republicans of playing into political conspiracy theories and purposefully smearing Fauci for political gain.

She used the hearing to advocate for lawmakers to reauthorize the expired pandemic preparedness law, which lapsed on Sept. 30 of last year. In the last few months U.S. public health agencies have been tracking a new strain of bird flu as well as continuing to monitor COVID-19.

HES NOT A DOCTOR

During one of the more contentious moments in the hearing, Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene accused Fauci of not being a real doctor, telling the panel he belonged in prison.

Her remarks caused panel leadership to pause the hearing and remind members to be respectful. Wenstrup told the panel that he instructed Greene to refer to Fauci as a doctor to which Greene replied, hes not a doctor!

Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., then held up signs of Greenes previous statements in which the lawmaker said she didnt believe in evolution and that she was sure COVID-19 was created in a lab in an attempt to paint Greene as a conspiracy theorist.

Garcia lost both of his parents to COVID-19 and said he takes the origins of the virus very seriously, but argued that conspiracy theorists have obfuscated efforts to find the truth.

Democrats, however, were also quick to fire rhetorical shots.

Some of our colleagues in the House of Representatives are treating you, Dr. Fauci, like a convicted felon, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said.

Alluding to former President Donald Trump, he added, Actually, you probably wish they were treating you like a convicted felon. They treat convicted felons with love and admiration. Some of them blindly worship convicted felons.

A few Republicans tried to unsuccessfully back Fauci into a corner.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York repeatedly asked Fauci how many royalties hes earned from pharmaceutical companies since the start of the pandemic. Fauci replied that hes received about $100 from a monoclonal antibody he developed 25 years ago.

Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., accused Fauci of suppressing the lab leak theory, and said the panel had the emails to prove it. Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-Md., interjected to say the panel has no such emails.

Michigan Democrat Debbie Dingell highlighted the harassment Fauci and his family have received since this investigation started. Fauci detailed the death threats and stalking hes received, and now its at the point where he must always have protective services. His voice broke when he described the threats to his three daughters.

The audience was an active participant in todays hearing as well. Many activists showed up, at least one wearing a Fire Fauci T-shirt. One protester who said she was a doctor interrupted the hearing so many times, accusing the National Institutes of Health of covering up the origins of the virus, that she had to be escorted from the room by Capitol Police.

Excerpt from:

Fauci faces skeptical GOP to bat back COVID-19 accusations - Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies hearing on Capitol Hill on May 17, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Rose Layden/Pool/Getty Images/TNS)

Former National Institutes of Health official Anthony Fauci has faced many hostile questions from members of Congress, but when he appears before a House panel on Monday, hell have something new to answer for: a trove of incendiary emails written by one of his closest advisers.

In the emails, David Morens, a career federal scientist now on administrative leave, described deleting messages and using a personal email account to evade disclosure of correspondence under the Freedom of Information Act.

i learned from our foia lady here how to make emails disappear after i am foiad but before the search starts, so i think we are all safe, Morens wrote in a Feb. 24, 2021, email. Plus i deleted most of those earlier emails after sending them to gmail.

The pressure is on as Fauci himself prepares to appear June 3 before a House subcommittee exploring the origins of covid-19. The NIH, a $49 billion agency that is the foremost source of funding in the world for biomedical research, finds itself under unusual bipartisan scrutiny. The subcommittee has demanded more outside oversight of NIH and its 50,000 grants and raised the idea of term limits for officials like Fauci, who led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, an NIH component, from 1984 to 2022.

Lawmakers are likely to put Fauci on the spot about Morens emails at a time when Republicans are questioning NIHs credibility and integrity. Even Democrats have cautioned the agencys leaders.

When people dont trust scientists, they dont trust the science, Rep. Deborah Ross (D-N.C.) told Morens.

The subcommittee has yet to turn up evidence implicating the NIH or U.S. scientists in the pandemics beginnings in Wuhan, China. Nor has its work shed light on the origin of the virus.

But in a May 28 letter to NIH Director Monica Bertagnolli, the subcommittees chairman, Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), said the evidence suggests a conspiracy at the highest levels of NIH and NIAID to avoid public transparency regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rep. Jill Tokuda, a subcommittee Democrat from Hawaii, said the evidence shows no such conspiracy. She predicted the bipartisan criticism of Morens, 76, will give way to a clash of intentions at the hearing as Republicans try to pin covid on Fauci.

For them, I think this is their moment to, again, bring a lot of these baseless, false allegations to the front, Tokuda said.

On May 29, Wenstrup asked Fauci to turn over personal e-mails ahead of his testimony.

Here are things to know as the subcommittee gears up for Faucis appearance.

The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic is supposed to be investigating how the pandemic started and the federal governments response. That includes such hot-button issues as vaccination policies and school closures.

A central question is whether the covid virus leaped from animals to humans at a market in Wuhan, China, or spread from a leak at the nearby Wuhan Institute of Virology. The Wuhan lab received funding from an NIH grant recipient called EcoHealth Alliance.

The congressional probe is in some ways an extension of the nations political, cultural, and scientific battles arising from the pandemic.

The Republican-led subcommittee has been examining NIHs performance and that of Fauci, who advised both former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, becoming the face of many of the governments most polarizing pandemic policies.

The panel called for the government to cut off EcoHealths funding, a process the Department of Health and Human Services recently initiated.

EcoHealths president, Peter Daszak, was Morens friend and the recipient of many of the emails under scrutiny. A wildlife biologist credited with helping to develop the first covid antiviral drug, remdesivir, Daszak said he and his organization did nothing wrong.

We were so accurate in our predictions that a bat coronavirus would emerge from China and cause a pandemic, that when it did, were dragged in front of the crowd with their pitchforks and blamed for it, Daszak said in an interview.

The Republican-led subcommittee is challenging NIHs credibility. The agency performs and funds a wide variety of medical and scientific research, work that is often the foundation of new medicines and other treatments, and has long enjoyed bipartisan support from Congress. The agency is home to the " Cancer Moonshot, a Biden priority.

As head of NIAID and a presidential adviser, Fauci helped guide the public during the pandemic on measures to avoid infection, such as mask-wearing and maintaining physical distance.

But at a May 22 hearing, Wenstrup said Faucis NIAID was, unfortunately, less pristine than so many, including the media, would have had us all believe.

In his letter to Bertagnolli, Wenstrup said there was evidence that a former chief of staff of Faucis might have used intentional misspellings such as a variant of EcoHealth to prevent emails from being captured in keyword searches by FOIA officials.

Wenstrups office did not respond to questions or an interview request.

An aide to the top Democrat on the subcommittee, Rep. Raul Ruiz of California, said he was unavailable for an interview.

The emails show a pattern of trying to shield communications from public disclosure.

We are all smart enough to know to never have smoking guns, and if we did we wouldnt put them in emails, and if we found them wed delete them, Morens wrote on June 16, 2020.

The best way to avoid FOIA hassles is to delete all emails when you learn a subject is getting sensitive, he wrote on June 28, 2021.

David Morens, a former top adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci at the National Institutes of Health, testifies before Congress on COVID-19 origins, May 22, 2024. (C-SPAN)

Some of Morens emails included sexual or sexist remarks, including one from December 2020: Beverage is always good, and best delivered by a blonde nymphomaniac. In another email, discussing how former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky got her job, he remarked, Well, she does wear a skirt.

Morens apologized at the May 22 hearing and called some of what he wrote misogynistic.

Some of the emails Ive seen that you all have provided look pretty incriminating, he testified.

Asked if he ever sent information related to covid to Faucis personal email, he said he didnt remember but might have.

Morens said some of his comments were snarky jokes intended to cheer up his friend Daszak, the EcoHealth president, who was receiving death threats over media coverage of his organizations relationship with the Wuhan lab.

Morens testified that he didnt knowingly delete official records.

Ross, the North Carolina representative, said the emails inflict serious damage on public trust for the entire scientific enterprise. She said the dangers can be seen in eroding public confidence in vaccines, contributing to recent outbreaks of measles.

Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) said Morens showed disdain for the Freedom of Information Act. The subcommittees investigation has been an unfounded effort to pin the blame for the pandemic on NIH and NIAID, and Morens emails have helped blur the issues, she said.

No, as Democrats have emphasized.

In a way, Morens correspondence undercuts allegations that people at the top of NIAID covered up a lab leak in Wuhan.

None of Morens emails describe any effort to suppress evidence of a lab leak and, in an email sent from a private account, he ridiculed the idea, calling it false to the point of being crazy. But the subcommittees senior Democrat, Ruiz, criticized Morens for dismissing the lab leak theory.

Unless and until we see specific evidence on the origins of the virus that causes covid, the scientific process requires that we examine all possible hypotheses with objectivity, Ruiz said.

KFF Health News senior correspondent Arthur Allen contributed to this report.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs of KFF the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism.

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After grilling an NIH scientist over COVID emails, Congress turns to Anthony Fauci - Anchorage Daily News

Advice is evolving along with the coronavirus. Here's the latest from staff and wire reports.

What's the latest?

COVID will still be here this summer. Will anyone care?

Is it COVID, spring allergies or a cold?

For most of this year, the JN.1 variant of the coronavirus accounted for an overwhelming majority of COVID-19 cases. But now an offshoot variant called KP.2 is taking off.

Thousands believe COVID vaccines harmed them. Is anyone listening?

The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled as constitutional the law under which Gov. Tim Walz declared a peacetime emergency during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Patients with COVID-19 had lower viral loads if treated with metformin, according to new University of Minnesota research that argues for broader use of the cheap anti-diabetes drug and against the controversial use of ivermectin.

Pharmacies received emergency authority during the COVID-19 pandemic to vaccinate most Minnesotans, and now they want funding and permission to make that gig permanent.

A new M Health Fairview clinic is confronting an exhausting disorder that has afflicted more children since the pandemic and caused alarming spikes in heart rate, blood pressure and breathing.

An analysis of mortality statistics suggests the death count in the United States from COVID-19 is higher than the 1.1 million officially linked to the disease, according to University of Minnesota research.

Omicron, now two years old, has proved to be not only staggeringly infectious, but an evolutionary marvel. Read more here.

What Minnesotans should know about the new COVID-19 vaccine, targeted to the omicron descendant XBB.1.5.

Mayo Clinic is reporting an additional benefit of vaccination beyond protection from COVID-19 infection a lower likelihood of severe symptoms if people end up with long COVID.

Some people who experience cognitive issues after long COVID continue to struggle with brain function for at least two years, a study shows. Research shows a majority of people experiencing long COVID symptoms have reported brain fog a collection of symptoms, including impaired attention, concentration, memory and processing speed. Read more here.

A study published in the scientific journal Nature suggests people with a specific version of a gene were far more likely to experience an asymptomatic infection than those without. The relevant set of genes is known as the human leukocyte antigen, or HLA. Read more here.

What are symptoms?

Symptoms include sore throat, runny nose, coughing, head and body aches, fever, congestion, fatigue and, in severe cases, shortness of breath. Fewer people lose their sense of taste and smell now than did at the start of the pandemic.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, said that patients were often surprised that diarrhea, nausea and vomiting could be COVID symptoms as well and that they sometimes confused those issues as signs that they had norovirus.

Where can I get tested for COVID-19?

The Minnesota Department of Health's free COVID-19 at-home test ordering program has ended. People who do not have health insurance can find no-cost tests using the CDC's COVID-19 Testing Locator. You may find home rapid tests at pharmacies including Walgreens and CVS, grocery stores, health care providers and online.

Where can I see Minnesota COVID-19 updates?

See Minnesota's weekly pandemic update with new numbers Thursdays at 11 a.m.

How do I get antiviral treatments?

Oral antivirals are no longer being distributed by the federal government but are available in pharmacies for free or at low cost for the majority of patients until the end of 2024, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. There is also a new monoclonal antibody treatment called Pemgarda that has been authorized for the prevention of serious illness from COVID-19 in people who have a suppressed immune system. For more information, go to MDH: COVID-19 Medications.

Where can I get a vaccine?

Check the state of Minnesota's vaccine page or vaccines.gov. The white COVID-19 vaccination cards have been phased out, now that vaccines are not being distributed by the federal government.

How can I make a COVID-19 vaccine appointment for kids in Minnesota?

Minnesota has a webpage (mn.gov/vaxforkids) to help parents and guardians find a vaccine and answer questions. U.S. regulators cleared doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccines for children younger than age 5. Read CDC vaccine advice here.

What should I do if I've been exposed?

To be confident you do not have COVID-19, FDA recommends two negative antigen tests for individuals with symptoms or three antigen tests for those without symptoms, performed 48 hours apart. Read more here.

The CDC updated its guidance March 1 to adopt a unified approach to addressing common respiratory viral illnesses, such as COVID-19, flu and RSV.

What should I do if I test positive for COVID-19?

If you feel sick, stay home and away from others until 24 hours after you are fever-free (without fever-reducing medications) and your symptoms are getting better, according to Minnesota Department of Health guidelines. (The Mayo Clinic has guidelines for home care here.) Then layer on added prevention strategies (such as masks, distancing and tests) for the next five days. Talk to your doctor right away about medications that can help you recover faster, especially if you are in a high-risk group.

How does getting vaccinated affect the menstrual cycle?

A study of nearly 20,000 people around the world shows that getting vaccinated against COVID can change the timing of the menstrual cycle. Vaccinated people experienced, on average, about a one-day delay in getting their periods, compared with those who hadn't been vaccinated.

What is the Novavax vaccine?

Novavax shots used in Australia, Canada, parts of Europe and dozens of other countries are a protein vaccine that's made with a more conventional technology than the other U.S. options. Protein vaccines have been used for years to prevent other diseases including hepatitis B and shingles.

How do variants work?

At first, SARS-CoV-2 followed the slow and steady course that scientists had expected based on other coronaviruses. Its evolutionary tree gradually split into branches, each gaining a few mutations. Evolutionary biologists kept track of them with codes.

But then one lineage, initially known as B.1.1.7, defied expectations. When British scientists discovered it, in December 2020, they were surprised to find it bore a unique sequence of 23 mutations. Those mutations allowed it to spread much faster.

Within a few months, several other worrying variants came to light around the world each with its own combination of mutations, each with the potential to spread quickly and cause a surge of deaths. To make it easier to communicate about them, the WHO came up with its Greek system. B.1.1.7 became alpha.

Alpha came to dominate the world, whereas beta took over only in South Africa and a few other countries before petering out. Beta did not descend from alpha. Instead, it arose with its own set of new mutations from a different branch of the SARS-CoV-2 tree. The same held true for all the Greek-named variants, up to omicron.

It's likely that most of these variants got their mutations by going into hiding. Instead of jumping from one host to another, they created chronic infections in people with weakened immune systems. These victims harbored the virus for months, allowing it to accumulate mutations. When it eventually emerged from its host, the virus had a startling range of new abilities finding new ways to invade cells, weaken the immune system and evade antibodies.

What is the omicron variant?

First identified in Botswana and South Africa in November 2021, the omicron variant surged around the world. Scientists first recognized omicron thanks to its distinctive combination of more than 50 mutations. Some of them were carried by earlier variants such as alpha and beta. Read more here.

All the most significant COVID-19 variations today are descending from omicron. After the original omicron virus evolved in the fall of 2021, its descendants split into at least five branches, known as BA.1 through BA.5. As it spread and caused an unprecedented spike in cases, it drove most other variants to extinction. Over the next few months, the subvariants took turns rising to dominance.

What is KP.2?

KP.2 belongs to a subset of COVID variants scientists have nicknamed "FLiRT," drawn from the letters in the names of their mutations. They are descendants of JN.1, and KP.2 is "very, very close" to JN.1, said Dr. David Ho, a virus expert at Columbia University.

Experts said that even if you had JN.1, you may still get reinfected with KP.2 particularly if it's been several months or longer since your last bout of COVID. KP.2 could infect even people who got the most updated vaccine, Ho said, since that shot targets XBB.1.5, a variant that is notably different from JN.1 and its descendants. Still, the shot does provide some protection, especially against severe disease, doctors said, as do previous infections.

What is JN.1?

JN.1 is the fastest-growing variant to emerge in past two years. The World Health Organization designated it a variant of interest due to its rapid growth and potential to add to the respiratory virus burden in the Northern Hemisphere. The latest booster formulation should provide good protection against it, according to the organization.

The strain emerged in August from the ultra-mutated BA.2.86, or Pirola variant. While Pirola wasn't especially remarkable, a hallmark mutation that produced JN.1 has resulted in greater transmissibility and immune evasiveness, University of Tokyo scientists reported.

What is BA.2.86?

BA.2.86 stood out in the omicron family tree because of how much it morphed, with more than 30 mutations on its spike protein.

What is "Eris"?

The WHO in summer 2023 designated the omicron subvariant EG.5, which includes a similar EG.5.1 strain, as one of its "variants under monitoring." Twitter users and some media outlets nicknamed the subvariant "Eris." The virologist and researcher Stuart Turville, an associate professor at Sydney's University of New South Wales, called the EG.5 variant "a little bit more slippery" and "competitive" than its counterparts. Read more here.

What is Arcturus?

XBB.1.16, also known as Arcturus, is a subvariant of the omicron variant of COVID-19. It appears to be correlated with increased cases of conjunctivitis, the inflammation of the outer membrane of the eye better known as pink eye. Read more here.

What is the "kraken variant"?

XBB.1.5 is a descendant of the omicron XBB subvariant which is itself a cross between two earlier strains: BA.2.75 and BA.2.10.1. Read more here.

What is "long COVID" and how many people get it?

Long COVID is the term used to describe an array of symptoms that can last for months or longer after the initial coronavirus infection. A study zeroed in on a dozen symptoms that may help define long COVID: fatigue; brain fog; dizziness; gastrointestinal symptoms; heart palpitations; sexual problems; loss of smell or taste; thirst; chronic cough; chest pain; worsening symptoms after activity and abnormal movements.

The federal definition of long COVID is symptoms that linger for four or more weeks. Cases vary in their duration, intensity and symptoms, but they often involve fatigue, headaches, dizziness and cognitive problems (or brain fog) especially after exertion or exercise.

About 10% of people appear to suffer long COVID after an omicron infection, a lower estimate than earlier in the pandemic, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Some people who experience cognitive issues after long COVID continue to struggle with brain function for at least two years, a study shows. In the United States, millions of people have reported symptoms of long COVID. Research shows a majority of people experiencing long COVID symptoms have reported brain fog a collection of symptoms, including impaired attention, concentration, memory and processing speed. Read more here.

The Defense Department will buy an Edina firm's drug for radiation exposure that could also treat long COVID.

There is evidence that vaccination may reduce the chances of developing long COVID.

How often do COVID vaccines cause heart problems in kids?

While the COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna do seem to be associated with an increased risk of myocarditis, the latest data indicate that the absolute risk remains very small and that most cases are mild and resolve quickly. Read more here.

Do masks work?

Ordinary surgical and paper masks work when worn properly, said Chris Hogan, a University of Minnesota researcher who has studied mask effectiveness and is editor of the Journal of Aerosol Science.

Generally, the CDC says masks should "fit snugly over your mouth, nose and chin."

If you decide to keep wearing your multi-layer homemade or cloth mask, experts advise washing them every day. But proceed with caution. Read more here.

What about N95s?

Masks are best at keeping your exhaled particles away from others. Respirators, like the N95, also keep others' particles away from you. Any bona fide N95 has been certified to filter at least 95% of particles.

Many doctors and public health experts are now advocating for their use among the general public. Early in the pandemic, people were discouraged the masks over fear there wouldn't be enough for health care workers. That's no longer the case. Read more about N95 and KN95 respirators here.

How does pregnancy affect immunity?

Pregnant women who are vaccinated are nearly twice as likely to get COVID-19 as those who are not pregnant, according to a study, and have the greatest risk among a dozen medical states, including being an organ transplant recipient and having cancer.

Dr. David R. Little, a researcher at Wisconsin-based Epic, said the findings buttress CDC recommendations that additional precautions against the virus should be taken during pregnancy, such as wearing masks and maintaining safe distances. Read more here.

Should pregnant women get the vaccine?

The CDC urged all pregnant women to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Expectant women run a higher risk of severe illness and pregnancy complications from the coronavirus.

A research study based on data from Bloomington-based HealthPartners and medical centers across the country finds that pregnant women who received COVID-19 vaccines did not experience an increased risk of miscarriage.

If you're thinking of getting pregnant, there's no evidence that any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, influence your chances of getting pregnant despite a myth suggesting otherwise.

Do pregnant women who get vaccinated pass the protection to their babies?

COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy can protect babies after they're born and lead to fewer hospitalized infants, a U.S. government study suggested.

Are the vaccines safe?

A review of 6.2 million vaccine recipients in Minnesota and seven other U.S. regions found no significantly elevated rates of conditions such as stroke or heart attack immediately following COVID-19 vaccination. Bloomington-based HealthPartners participated in the study, which looked for elevated rates of 23 potential side effects in the first three weeks after people received Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.

What's going on with Johnson & Johnson shots?

U.S. regulators strictly limited who can receive Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine due to the ongoing risk of rare but serious blood clots. The FDA said the shot should be given only to adults who cannot receive a different vaccine or specifically request J&J's vaccine.

Can I get a vaccine incentive?

Those programs have ended.

Who qualifies for an extra shot?

Federal officials approved an extra dose for those undergoing cancer treatment, who've received organ transplants or had other conditions that depress the body's immune system. These doses are not considered to be boosters.

Can kids get long COVID?

Yes, but studies indicate they're less likely than adults to be affected by symptoms.

Kids can develop other rare problems after a coronavirus infection, including heart inflammation or a condition known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome. Because of the potential for long-term consequences, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends follow-up doctor visits after children recover from an initial coronavirus infection.

What is the Docket app?

Read more here:

What to know about the latest COVID variants, Minnesota testing, vaccines - Star Tribune

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Comparing risk of post infection erectile dysfunction following SARS Coronavirus 2 stratified by acute and long COVID ... - Nature.com