Category: Corona Virus

In 2015, Ralph S. Baric, arguably the worlds most accomplished coronavirologist, published groundbreaking research with Shi Zhengli, the leading coronavirus researcher at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

They had mixed components of different coronaviruses and created an artificial virus, or chimera, that could infect human cells. The research helped crystallize the threat posed by bat coronaviruses lurking in nature. But the experiments were dangerous too. In 2014, while their research was underway, the Obama administration enacted a pause on so-called gain-of-function research that could increase the virulence or transmissibility of certain viruses. Baric and Shi even flagged the dangers of the research themselves, writing, Scientific review panels may deem similar studiestoo risky to pursue.

The experiments were done in Barics well-secured laboratory in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Afterward, however, Shis team at the WIV continued to utilize Barics cutting-edge research techniques. Their work was funded in part with a US research grant.

Baric testified that he had specifically warned Shi Zhengli that the WIVs critical coronavirus research was being conducted in labs with insufficient biosafety protections.

Amid competing theories about the origins of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19including whether it could have originated in a Wuhan laboratoryBaric has become a figure of intense interest. After all, he had pioneered techniques the WIV was using, including one that allows researchers to invisibly splice components of viruses together without leaving a trace.

For the last three years, as the COVID-19 origins debate has grown increasingly toxic, a small army of global sleuths and Freedom of Information petitioners have taken aim at Barics emails and research documents, hoping to uncover information about the true genetic-engineering capabilities of the WIV scientists, the ongoing research they were pursuing, and the viral genome sequences they had in their possession prior to the pandemic.

Through it all, Baric has kept mostly silentuntil now. On January 22, he gave a six-hour interview to investigators from two Republican-led House committees: the Oversight and Accountabilitys Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, and Energy and Commerces Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Though the committees have not yet made his testimony public, Vanity Fair has exclusively reviewed his statements. While not formally under oath, Baric was required by federal law to answer truthfully. (Through a University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill spokesperson, Baric declined to comment for this article.)

While there is little in the 212-page transcript that is likely to markedly shift the debate on how COVID-19 originated, the picture that emerges is of an American scientist who is deeply wary of his Chinese counterparts and has no way of knowing if or how they may have made use of the groundbreaking research techniques he developed.

Perhaps most notably, Baric testified that he had specifically warned Shi Zhengli that the WIVs critical coronavirus research was being conducted in labs with insufficient biosafety protections. When he urged her to move the work to a more secure biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) lab, he testified that she did not heed his recommendation. Because the WIV continued to perform coronavirus research at what he considers an inappropriately low biosafety level, Baric said of a laboratory accident, You cant rule that out. You just cant.

Clearly, the market was a conduit for expansion, Baric testified. Is that where it started? I dont think so.

In an email turned over to the Select Subcommittee as part of its investigation, Baric told Peter Daszak, president of the scientific nonprofit EcoHealth Alliance, that it was a load of BS to suggest that the WIV conducted coronavirus research in labs with sufficient biosafety protocols.

Baric told congressional investigators that he believes its far more likely that SARS-CoV-2 spilled over naturally from animals to humans, given the sheer abundance of viruses in nature. But he also said in his testimony that he disagrees with the most widely promulgated spillover argument: that the virus leapt from infected animals to people at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where it first burst into public view in December 2019. The argument does not hold up, he said, because genomic evidence suggests that COVID-19 was already circulating in the human population by mid-to-late October. Clearly, the market was a conduit for expansion, he testified. Is that where it started? I dont think so.

Baric also weighed in on a controversy that has pitted Dr. Anthony Fauci against Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), who has leveraged his credentials as an eye doctor to position himself as a crusader against Americas scientific and medical establishments. In contentious Senate hearings, Fauci has repeatedly denied Pauls claims that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which Fauci led at the time, had funded gain-of-function research at the WIV. However, Baric told investigators that the experiment in dispute, in which technicians created a chimeric virus that made lab mice sicker, was absolutely gain-of-function research: You cant argue with that. He also said he felt that the experiments results should have triggered regulatory review.

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Virologist Testified Lab Leak Was Possible in Wuhan: You Can't Rule That Out - Vanity Fair

There were 5,615 COVID hospitalizations in the most recent week data available.

April 30, 2024, 3:16 PM ET

4 min read

Weekly COVID-19 hospitalizations have hit their lowest level ever reported since the pandemic began, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There were 5,615 COVID hospitalizations in the most recent week data that is available. In comparison, there were over 150,000 weekly admissions at the peak of the Omicron variant circulating in early 2022.

"The significant decline in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths to these new lows is encouraging, showing that our public health measures and vaccination efforts have paid off," said Dr. John Brownstein, chief innovation officer at Boston Childrens Hospital and an ABC News medical contributor.

Forecasts of new hospitalizations from the CDC indicate that admissions will likely remain stable for the next four weeks.

"Its important to continue monitoring for new variants and maintaining protective health behaviors to prevent possible surges," Brownstein added.

The news comes as the requirements for hospitals to report respiratory illness data, like COVID hospital admissions, expire at the end of April. Federal officials plan to use other data sources such as wastewater, laboratory tests and emergency department data to stay informed about the spread of illnesses.

"A key lesson we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is the importance of having reporting systems in place before an active emergency," a CDC spokesperson said in part of a statement. "These data have a significant and ongoing value for protecting patient health and safety as well as public health," the statement continued.

Data from the CDC shows that about 22.6% of adults as well as 14% of children have received the updated COVID vaccine, which is formulated to better protect against current sub variants. Older adults over the age of 65 were recommended to receive an additional updated COVID vaccine this spring due to their increased risk of severe disease, according to the CDC.

The Food and Drug Administrations independent panel of advisors is set to meet in mid-March to discuss the recommended strains to be selected in the next formulation of COVID vaccines. As the virus has evolved since the beginning of the pandemic, vaccines have been adjusted to better protect against current strains.

COVID deaths have also been steadily declining this year, reaching new lows. There were an estimated 231 deaths from COVID in the most recent week data that is available, according to the CDC. However, death data are delayed and may be incomplete.

At the height of the pandemic, there were over 25,000 Americans dying weekly from the virus as the Delta variant swept across the country.

"It's crucial that we maintain robust surveillance and data collection to quickly respond to any changes in the virus's behavior," Brownstein said.

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COVID-19 hospitalizations hit record low, the CDC says - ABC News

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has opened in Belfast today where it will hear several weeks of testimony.

It will look at decision making in Northern Ireland during the pandemic and how it contributed to the handling of the crisis.

Families who lost loved ones to Covid-19 during the pandemic walked to the opening day of hearings this morning.

There was emotional testimony on the steps of the inquiry as they talked about their relatives and the questions they want answered.

They include whether a different approach to the pandemic could have saved lives and whether delays in the provision of healthcare led to some people dying of otherwise curable forms of cancer.

Among those due to give evidence are representatives of bereaved families, health professionals, current and former senior civil servants, and Stormont politicians.

The inquiry is likely to examine tensions between the parties who made up the Stormont Executive at the time and whether it fed into Covid decision making.

The inquiry will sit for three weeks in Northern Ireland.

Among the areas it will cover is the Stormont government's response to the emerging crisis.

That will include the initial reaction, subsequent decision making, and both the political and civil service performance.

There is also likely to be a considerable focus on rules around public gatherings and funerals including .

There was an outcry in Northern Ireland when large crowds of republicans, including senior Sinn Fin politicians, attended the funeral of former IRA leader Bobby Storey.

The public prosecution service later decided not to bring any charges due to what it said was a lack of "clarity and coherence" within the regulations.

This incident was raised during the inquiry today.

Former DUP agriculture minister Edwin Poots also caused controversy when he claimed there was a higher incidence of the infection in nationalist areas.

'Significant underestimation'

Counsel to the Inquiry Clair Dobbin KC said Covid-19 had struck Northern Ireland during a "fragile" time politically.

The power-sharing Executive had just been re-established after a three-year collapse and had to confront an unprecedented public health emergency just months later.

She questioned whether there had been a "significant underestimation of the speed and scale of what was unfolding" and little evidence of urgency.

In the early days of the pandemic, the inquiry heard that the Executive appeared to be reacting not leading with people left people to make their own decisions.

Ms Dobbin said the June 2020 funeral of veteran IRA leader Bobby Storey had undermined political consensus and asked whether it had damaged public confidence in the restrictions in place at the time.

The inquiry was also told that ministerial WhatsApp messages had been deleted on devices belonging to both Arlene Foster and Michelle O'Neill, who were first and deputy first ministers at the time.

They apparently did not receive a message from the inquiry that all such communications were to be kept as potential evidence.

A barrister for bereaved families later described this as a "sorry revelation".

Peter Wilcock KC for the families said at times it appeared that "party politics mattered more to some senior politicians than following the science".

He was particularly critical of Sinn Fin for attending Mr Storey's funeral at the same time as ordinary families were being denied by Executive decisions they had helped take.

Documents produced to the inquiry also showed deep frustration on the part of Northern Ireland's Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride.

In a communication with Health Minister Robin Swann in Autumn 2020, Mr McBride described - what is believed to be a reference to other executive ministers - as "dysfunctional".

He added: How will we ever get through this with an enemy within. I've a good mind to walk off and leave them to it, as no doubt do you.

"But then those that really matter, those whom they seem to have forgotten they represent, are really depending on us."

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Ms Foster and Ms O'Neill, who were first and deputy first ministers at the time, are expected to give evidence in the weeks ahead.

Inquiry chair Heather Hallett met eight bereaved families in Belfast last night ahead of the proceedings.

One of the first groups she will hear from - Northern Ireland Covid Bereaved Families for Justice - represents around 150 families.

Brenda Doherty is a founding member.

Her 82-year-old mother Ruth Burke was the first woman to die of the infection in Northern Ireland.

Ms Doherty said she hoped it was important to have the inquiry in Belfast to look specifically at Northern Irelands experience.

She said that Northern Ireland had at times too closely followed UK rules when the circumstances were different and that there should have been greater cross border partnership to better tackle the pandemic.

Ms Doherty said: "Recommendations cant sit on the shelf and gather dust, were always the last tram.

"So actually to have them here, to have the chair meet the families who are taking part in a listening exercise, because its our voices that need to be heard."

She said her family was still dealing with the trauma of losing their mother during lockdown with all the restrictions that accompanied the death and funeral.

Ms Burke contracted the virus while in hospital and was the fourth person to die in Northern Ireland and the first woman.

"It was a closed coffin, we didnt get to bring her home, we met her at the cemetery gates," she said.

"My brothers and her grandsons still struggle with the fact that they didnt get to carry her," she added.

At the time, ten family members were allowed in the cemetery but only Ms Doherty and her sister were allowed at the graveside.

"I went to touch the coffin and I was told that I couldnt touch it and I couldnt be there til mummy was in a hole in the ground, so I didnt even get to touch her coffin," Ms Doherty said.

"And after that the cemetery gates were closed for three weeks and we werent allowed in until the restrictions at cemeteries were lifted," she said.

"For us as a family, mummy dying without any of us there, we will never, ever get over that," she added.

Ms Doherty said: "Theres a lot of guilt, and the families that we support I would say the guilt is not ours to carry, we were only following guidelines.

"But you still feel guilty and I dont think my mummy would have understood why none of us were there.

"She was as sharp as a nail, but I think if someone was trying to explain to her that she had to die without any of us, she wouldnt have been able to comprehend why that was."

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Families walk to opening day of NI Covid-19 inquiry - RTE.ie

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) This week marks a post-pandemic turning point, as hospitals are no longer required to report COVID-19 admissions to the government.

Almost as soon as the masks went on in 2020, the federal government began tracking the COVID virus in communities. States and hospitals were required to report positive tests and hospital admissions.

Last year they ended the test reporting requirement, but added that hospitals report flu and RSV in addition to COVID.

So with the sunset of these requirements, the reporting from hospitals becomes voluntary, said VDH Respiratory Disease Program Manager Elena Diskin. [The] CDC has strongly encouraged hospitals to continue reporting voluntarily, given the value of these data.

The data fueled dashboards such as the CDCs weekly FluView report, in which you could see how widespread flu activity was in your region.

So, I think its really important for folks, especially those who need to watch more closely their own health or the health of those around them, to monitor the trends of respiratory viruses, Diskin said.

Diskin said VDH can still track the spread of viruses because mandatory reporting was just one piece of the puzzle.

So, emergency department visits are one of the faster ways to see changes in those trends, she said. And thats really what we would point to as kind of are key indicator right now.

Still, Diskin hopes hospitals will continue to provide the data. They can do it voluntarily. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has also proposed a new rule that would, in effect, reinstate required reporting beginning Oct. 1.

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Hospitals no longer required to report COVID-19 admissions - WAVY.com

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In a significant development, AstraZeneca the pharmaceutical giant behind one of the world's most widely used COVID-19 vaccines has admitted for the first time that its product carries a rare risk of Thrombosis Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, triggering blood clots and low blood platelet counts. This admission comes amid mounting concerns over the safety profile of the AstraZeneca vaccine, known as Covishield in India and Vaxzevria in Europe.

The acknowledgement surfaced in UK court documents, where AstraZeneca conceded that its adenovirus vector technology-based vaccine could, in very rare cases, lead to TTS, a serious blood clotting disorder. The revelation has sparked renewed scrutiny and raised questions about the vaccine's overall risk-benefit profile. Legal actions have been initiated against AstraZeneca, with about 51 cases lodged in the UK High Court by individuals and families affected by adverse reactions to the vaccine.

In India, where Covishield constitutes a significant portion of the national vaccination drive, the admission has prompted discussions about vaccine safety and public confidence. Dr. Ishwar Gilada, an infectious disease expert, emphasised the rarity of TTS, with incidence rates estimated at one in 50,000.

Despite the rare risk of TTS, experts emphasise the overwhelming benefits of vaccination in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccines, including Covishield, have played a crucial role in preventing severe illness, hospitalisations, and deaths associated with the virus.

The admission by AstraZeneca underscores the need for ongoing monitoring and assessment of COVID-19 vaccines to ensure their safety and effectiveness in the global fight against the pandemic.

(With inputs from multiple agencies)

**

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In a First, AstraZeneca Acknowledges Rare Blood Clot Risk in COVID-19 Vaccine | Weather.com - The Weather Channel

SHANGHAI (AP) The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China staged a sit-in protest outside his lab after authorities locked him out of the facility a sign of Beijings continuing pressure on scientists conducting research on the coronavirus.

Zhang Yongzhen wrote in an online post Monday that he and his team had been suddenly notified they were being evicted from their lab, the latest in a series of setbacks, demotions and ousters since the virologist published the sequence in January 2020 without state approval.

When Zhang tried to go to the lab over the weekend, guards barred him from entering. In protest, he sat outside on flattened cardboard in drizzling rain, pictures from the scene posted online show. News of the protest spread widely on Chinese social media and Zhang told a colleague he slept outside the lab but it was not clear Tuesday if he remained there.

I wont leave, I wont quit, I am pursuing science and the truth! he wrote in a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo that was later deleted.

AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports a leading scientist in China is protesting his eviction from his lab.

In an online statement, the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center said that Zhangs lab was being renovated and was closed for safety reasons. It added that it had provided Zhangs team an alternative laboratory space.

But Zhang wrote online that his team wasnt offered an alternative until after they were notified of their eviction, and that the lab offered didnt meet safety standards for conducting their research, leaving his team in limbo.

Zhangs latest difficulty reflects how China has sought to control information related to the virus: An Associated Press investigation found that the government froze meaningful domestic and international efforts to trace it from the first weeks of the outbreak. That pattern continues to this day, with labs closed, collaborations shattered, foreign scientists forced out and Chinese researchers barred from leaving the country.

When reached by phone on Tuesday, Zhang said it was inconvenient for him to speak, saying there were other people listening in. In an email Monday to collaborator Edward Holmes seen by AP, Zhang confirmed he was sleeping outside his lab after guards barred him from entering.

An AP reporter was blocked by a guard at an entrance to the compound housing Zhangs lab. A staff member at the National Health Commission, Chinas top health authority, said by phone that it was not the main department in charge and referred questions to the Shanghai government. The Shanghai government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Zhangs ordeal started when he and his team decoded the virus on Jan. 5, 2020, and wrote an internal notice warning Chinese authorities of its potential to spread but did not make the sequence public. The next day, Zhangs lab was ordered temporarily shut by Chinas top health official, and Zhang came under pressure by Chinese authorities.

Around the time, China had reported several dozen people were being treated for a respiratory illness in the central city of Wuhan. Possible cases of the same illness had been reported in Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan involving recent travelers to the city.

Foreign scientists soon learned that Zhang and other Chinese scientists had deciphered the virus and called on China to release the sequence. Zhang published it on Jan. 11, 2020, despite a lack of government permission.

Sequencing a virus is key to the development of test kits, disease control measures and vaccinations. The virus eventually spread to every corner of the world, triggering a pandemic that disrupted lives and commerce, prompted widespread lockdowns and killed millions of people.

Zhang was later awarded prizes in recognition for his work.

But Zhangs publication of the sequence also prompted additional scrutiny of his lab, according to Holmes, Zhangs collaborator and a virologist at the University of Sydney. Zhang was removed from a post at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and barred from collaborating with some of his former partners, crippling his research.

Ever since he defied the authorities by releasing the genome sequence of the virus that causes COVID-19 there has been a campaign against him, Holmes said. Hes been broken by this process and Im amazed he has been able to work at all.

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Chinese scientist who first published COVID sequence stages protest after being locked out of lab - The Associated Press

On May 11, 2023, ICE released the Post Pandemic Emergency COVID-19 Guidelines and Protocols, which supersedes the Pandemic Response Requirements (PRR) 10.0 released on November 1, 2022.

On November 1, 2022, ICE released a revised version of the PRR, which includes several updates and points of clarification to the previous version of the PRR released on June 13, 2022.

On June 13, 2022, ICE released a revised version of the PRR, which includes several updates and points of clarification to the previous version of the PRR released on April 4, 2022.

On April 4, 2022, ICE released a revised version of the PRR, which includes several updates and points of clarification to the previous version of the PRR released on Oct. 19, 2021.

On October 19, 2021, ICE released a revised version of the PRR, which includes several updates and points of clarification to the previous version of the PRR released on March 18, 2021.

On March 16, 2021, ICE released a revised version of the PRR, which includes several updates and points of clarification to the previous version of the PRR released on October 27, 2020.

On October 27, 2020, ICE released a revised version of the PRR, which updated the definition of and procedures surrounding severe psychiatric illness in ICEs identification of aliens at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19; adjusted ICE procedures in notifying the detainee and his or her legal counsel within 12 hours that the detainee falls within the populations identified as potentially being at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and/or subclasses certified in Fraihat v. ICE; added a requirement for non-dedicated ICE detention facilities to evaluate new admissions within five days of entering custody to determine if the detainee falls within the population identified as potentially at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19; added a section on ICE procedures for handling vulnerable populations at high risk, to include performance standards for screening, testing and custody determinations, to include requiring all new arrivals into ICE detention be tested for COVID-19 within 12 hours of arrival (collection timeframe may extend to 24 hours if facility collection logistics require additional time); included updated procedures for the use of safe cleaning products, as well as reporting requirements and ICE investigations if adverse reactions to cleaning products are experienced by detainees; amended detainee transfers by discontinuing the transfer of ICE detainees except in certain circumstances, with transfers required to clear quarantine protocols and ICE Health Services Corps, and transfers for any other reasons requiring pre-approval by the local ERO Field Office Director; highlighted that extended lockdowns must not be used as a means of COVID-19 prevention practice; and established that medical isolation is operationally distinct from administrative or disciplinary segregation, or any punitive form of housing.

On September 4, 2020, ICE released a revised version of the PRR, a dynamic document that was developed in consultation with the CDC and is updated as new information becomes available and best practices emerge. This version of the PRR updates the list of COVID-19 symptoms recognized by the CDC; provides additional guidance on protocols for asymptomatic staff who have been identified as close contacts of a confirmed COVID-19 case; clarifies that whenever possible, ICE will limit transfers of both ICE detainees and non-ICE detained populations to and from other jurisdictions and facilities unless necessary for medical evaluation, medical isolation/quarantine, clinical care, extenuating security concerns, to facilitate release or removal, or to prevent overcrowding; updates isolation protocols for COVID-19 cases to incorporate the latest CDC guidance on discontinuing transmission-based precautions using a symptom-based or time-based strategy rather than a testing-based strategy; and provides additional information on testing for asymptomatic individuals with known or suspected recent exposure.

On July 28, 2020, ICE released a newly revised version of the PRR, which identifies additional populations potentially at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19; provides updated guidance on personal protective equipment (PPE); updated guidance on hygiene practices; offers additional guidance when transporting a detainee with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19; includes direct reference to CDC guidance for individuals in medical isolation in detention facilities; and includes an updated testing section based on recently released CDC guidance.

On June 22, 2020, ICE ERO released a revised version of the PRR, which expanded the list of COVID-19 symptoms; identified additional vulnerable populations potentially at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19; provided that if single isolation rooms are unavailable, individuals with confirmed COVID-19 should be isolated together as a cohort separate from other detainees, including those with pending test results and that suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases maintain separation of groups by common criteria; and added facility compliance measures and updated visitation protocols.

On April 10, 2020, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) released the COVID-19 Pandemic Response Requirements (PRR), a guidance document developed in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that builds upon previously issued guidance. Specifically, the PRR sets forth specific mandatory requirements expected to be adopted by all detention facilities housing ICE detainees, as well as best practices for such facilities, to ensure that detainees are appropriately housed and that available mitigation measures are implemented during this unprecedented public health crisis.

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ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations Post Pandemic Emergency COVID-19 Guidelines and Protocols - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Newsroom

One of Chinas leading coronavirus researchers has staged a sit-in protest outside his Shanghai lab after reportedly being kicked out, state media reported Tuesday.

Virologist Zhang Yongzhen is widely credited as the first scientist to sequence the SARS-Cov-2 virus genome, an essential step to understanding the virus and making vaccines to combat it. But Zhang, who continues to research similar viruses, has seemingly been sleeping outside his lab in recent days.

Authorities said they informed the lab it would have to close due to construction and gave the scientist two days to move everything into another facility. But Zhang, in a now-deleted Weibo post, claimed that a student informed him about the eviction, not the authorities, and that the other lab did not have the proper containment equipment and security needed to safely work with highly contagious and risky viruses.

It is unclear whether Zhang is still outside the Shanghai lab, and on Tuesday he told the Associated Press it was inconvenient for him to talk publicly about the protest. Meanwhile, state authorities have prevented most media from getting near the lab.

But Zhangs rare protest underscores the tense dynamic between the Chinese government and the public health officials and scientists who study COVID-19. China has repeatedly said it supports transparent research into the origin of the virus and is committed to sharing the data with the world, but observers outside China argue that has not been the case.

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Chinese COVID researcher stages sit-in protest after lab eviction - Semafor

BEIJING (AP) The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China said he was allowed back into his lab after he spent days locked outside, sitting in protest.

Zhang Yongzhen wrote in an online post early Wednesday that authorities had tentatively agreed to allow him and his team to return to his laboratory and continue their research for the time being.

Zhang had been staging a sit-in protest outside his lab since the weekend after he and his team were suddenly notified they had to leave their lab, a sign of Beijings continuing pressure on scientists conducting research on the coronavirus.

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Chinese scientist who published COVID-19 virus sequence allowed back in his lab after sit-in protest - Daily Independent

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Peter Daszak testifying: The man behind EcoHealth Alliance and the COVID-19 origins controversy - Washington Examiner