Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

Should I be wearing a face mask?

Should I get a COVID-19 vaccine booster?

These are just two of the many questions and concerns physicians and other health care providers frequently encounter when discussing face masks and COVID-19 vaccines with patients. The following guidance is intended to provide some suggested practices for physicians when engaging patients in these discussions.

DO encourage patients in areas with high COVID-19 Community Levels to mask up.

According to current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, all individuals 2 years and older, regardless of vaccination status, living in areas with high COVID-19 Community Levels should be masking in public. The CDC also recommends in areas with medium COVID-19 Community Levels, individuals at high risk for severe illness and immunocompromised should speak with their physician about taking additional precautions in public, such as mask wearing.

The CDCs COVID-19 Community Level recommendations do not apply in health care settings. Health care setting should continue to monitor community transmission rates and follow CDCs infection prevention and control recommendations for health care settings. Currently, most areas across the country and nearly all of Michigan are presently considered to have substantial or high transmission of COVID-19.

DO encourage patients to get vaccinated.

Based on CDC and FDA guidelines, patients should be encouraged to receive the COVID-19 vaccine to help build protection from the virus. Physicians should counsel patients, who are not candidates for the vaccination due to medical conditions, on risk mitigation strategies, such as wearing face masks indoors, social distancing and hand washing.

DO encourage eligible patients to receive COVID-19 boosters.

When recommending booster doses for patients, reassure patients that the vaccines are effective, but research has shown a slight decrease in protection over time. Remind patients that booster shots are normal for vaccines, such as the annual flu shot or Tdap booster every 10 years. COVID-19 boosters offer elevated protections and have worked well against most variants. Pursuant to the latest CDC guidance from February 2, 2022, the following individuals are currently eligible for a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine:

For further recommendations regarding to COVID-19 vaccine eligibility, special clinical considerations, and alerts, visit the

Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Approved or Authorized in the United States webpage.

DO use effective communication that is tailored to the patient.

Physicians are a trusted source of information for patients and you should share accurate, clear, and easy-to-find information that addresses common questions. In encouraging patients to getvaccinated against COVID-19 it is important to listen to patients concerns. Professional answers to patient questions and concerns matter and can help them make an informed decision about receiving the vaccine.

Physicians should consider using words which will better resonate with each patient. For example, when discussing the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination, explain the safety of the vaccine and the benefits to the patient and his or her family. Physicians should also be transparent with patients, such as discussing potential side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine or the effectiveness of cloth vs other types of face masks in preventing the transmission of COVID-19 indoors or in crowded places.

Physicians should avoid using judgmental language against individuals with face mask or vaccine concerns, which could negatively impact the patients trust and the overall physician-patient relationship. In addition, sharing facts about face masks and the COVID-19 vaccine, as opposed to personal opinions, may be more effective.

DO continue to implement COVID-19 policies and other infection prevention measures recommended by the CDC and MDHHS.

The CDC continues to recommend that medical practices and facilities use additional infection prevention and control practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, including, but not limited to, telehealth visits where medically appropriate, screening patients and visitors entering the facility for signs and symptoms of COVID-19, and implementing source control measures, such as face masks.

If a patient or visitor objects to or refuses to comply with the practices COVID-19 policies, such as refusing to wear a face mask, physicians should ensure its policies include a protocol for explaining the CDCs guidelines for health professionals, which may be different from mandates or guidelines for individuals, and that a patient must comply with the policies while inside the facility. If necessary and appropriate, the patients appointment may be rescheduled to a telehealth visit, or the patient may be referred to another physician for treatment.

DONT routinely terminate patients who refuse to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

It has been reported in the media that some physicians are refusing to treat unvaccinated patients. In other instances, some physicians have declined to treat children based on the parents vaccination status, although the American Pediatric Association advises against refusing to treat pediatric patients based on parental vaccination status or position. Generally, a physician is legally free to determine whom to treat and to end the physician/patient relationship with appropriate advance notice. Until consensus develops on any potential ethical, licensing or liability risk exposures that physicians could face by routinely declining to treat individuals who are unvaccinated or due to the vaccination status of others, physicians should consider making treatment decisions based on the facts and circumstances of each situation.

DO implement a process for handling patient claims of medical exemptions from the practices COVID-19 policies applicable to patients.

Medical practices are generally considered places of public accommodation and must comply with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act as well as Michigans Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act, when enforcing the practices own COVID-19 policies. Physicians need to have a process to address requests by patients and visitors for exemptions from the practices face mask mandate or similar policies based on medical grounds and to assess whether or not reasonable accommodations are possible. Physicians should not assume that an unmasked patient or visitor cannot medically tolerate a face mask or comply with other COVID-19 policies, but physicians are permitted to accept the patient or visitors verbal representation to that effect. Best practices advise to not request medical documentation from the patient or visitor to determine whether the patient or visitor has a disability warranting a reasonable accommodation.

DONT provide face mask or vaccine exemption letters or documentation to patients which are not medically necessary.

Several media sources have reported on several physicians who have been disciplined by various state medical boards for issuing medical exemptions to patients without an objective medical basis for the exemption. Some physicians individually oppose policies which mandate face masks or COVID-19 vaccinations. Other physicians may empathize with patients who may be negatively impacted by their refusal to comply with mandatory COVID-19 policies, such as a patient who may face termination from employment unless the patient receives the COVID-19 vaccine. Regardless, physicians should not attempt to help patients circumvent COVID-19 policies applicable to patients by drafting letters or other documentation regarding the patients medical condition that is false or misleading.

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DO's and DON'Ts for Discussing Face Masks and COVID-19 Vaccinations with Patients - Michigan State Medical Society

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A CDC study, published in September 2021, found that patients with COVID-19 had nearly 16 times the risk for myocarditis than those without the disease, although the risk varied by sex and age. Male and female COVID-19 patients under 16 had almost 37 times the risk for myocarditis than those without infection, the study suggested. The risk was 7.4 times higher for patients between 16 and 24, and 6.7 times higher for patients 25 to 39 years old. Males had a higher risk than females.

About half of children with MIS-C, a rare complication of COVID-19 infection, develop myocarditis. As of Jan. 31, the CDC had reported 6,851 cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and 59 deaths, with most cases occurring in children 5 to 13.

Studies suggest that in the general population the risk of myocarditis is significantly higher after a SARS-CoV-2 infection than after vaccination.

A study from Israel published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Aug. 25, found that vaccination with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was associated with a smaller excess risk of myocarditis (2.7 additional events per 100,000 people) than a SARS-CoV-2 infection (11 additional events per 100,000 people).

And a large study published in Nature Medicine that looked at rates of hospitalizations or death from myocarditis, pericarditis and cardiac arrhythmias following vaccination or a COVID-19 positive PCR test in the U.K. also found that infections were much more likely than vaccines to cause myocarditis and other heart complications.

[W]hilst there are some increased risks of rare heart related complications associated with vaccines these are much lower than the risk associated with getting COVID-19. For example, we estimated between 1 and 10 extra events of myocarditis in 1 million people vaccinated with a first or second dose, but 40 extra cases in 1 million people infected with COVID-19, Julia Hippisley-Cox, professor of clinical epidemiology and general practice at the University of Oxford and study lead, said in an interview for an Oxford website.

That study, though, did find differences in risk by age, with vaccine-associated myocarditis more likely among the under-40 crowd. The risks are more evenly balanced in younger persons aged up to 40years, where we estimated the excess in myocarditis events following SARS-CoV-2 infection to be 10 per million with the excess following a second dose of mRNA-1273 vaccine being 15 per million, the authors wrote, referring to the Moderna vaccine.

The unpublished study that Paul cited to support his claim that the risk of myocarditis for young males is greater for the vaccine than it is for the disease is an expanded analysis by the same team, which added data from children ages 13 to 17 and from people receiving a booster. The new data didnt change the conclusions for the overall population the risk of hospital admission or death from myocarditis is greater following COVID-19 infection than following vaccination, it says. But it found that in males under 40, the risk of myocarditis following vaccination was similar to infection and in what the authors termed a notable exception, the risk was higher than infection following a second dose of the Moderna vaccine in younger males.

Its possible, then, that the risk of myocarditis is higher after a COVID-19 vaccine than after COVID-19 for certain people, particularly younger males. But that doesnt mean people shouldnt get vaccinated. Focusing solely on myocarditis is misleading because it ignores the fact that SARS-CoV-2 infection comes with other dangers, including a medley of other heart complications.

No vaccine or medical product is 100% safe, but as CHOPs Offit told us, the choice to not get a vaccine is not a risk-free choice, either. Its just a choice to take a different risk, he said. And that different risk is the greater risk.

Elias agrees. Heart issues, whether we call it myocarditis or myocardial injury or MIS-C these issues are much more common and theyre much more severe with the infection compared to the vaccine in young people, he said. I strongly recommend that everyone whos eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine receive the vaccine as soon as possible.

Editors note:SciChecks COVID-19/Vaccination Projectis made possible by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The foundation hasno controlover FactCheck.orgs editorial decisions, and the views expressed in our articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the foundation. The goal of the project is to increase exposure to accurate information about COVID-19 and vaccines, while decreasing the impact of misinformation.

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Twitter. Joe Rogan. If anyone was going to make me look dumb on the podcast Im glad its @joshzepps, because I love him, and hes awesome. However this is why I was confused: https://theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/10/boys-more-at-risk-from-pfizer-jab-side-effect-than-covid-suggests-study. 13 Jan 2022.

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Benefits of COVID-19 Vaccination Outweigh the Rare Risk of Myocarditis, Even in Young Males - FactCheck.org

Survey design

We analyse data from the latest two waves of the National Income Dynamics Study: Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (NIDS-CRAM), a national and broadly representative longitudinal survey of adults in South Africa, to determine the proportion of adults who reported willingness or hesitancy to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The objective of the NIDS-CRAM survey was to create a nationally representative, rapid, and longitudinal dataset that could inform evidence-based policy-making during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey instrument, which is available online, includes a range of questions pertaining to employment, welfare, hunger, government assistance, and COVID-19-related beliefs [7]. The sample was drawn from a subsample of adult respondents from the latest wave of the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS), a nationally representative longitudinal survey of initially over 28,000 South African adults that tracked social and economic outcomes from 2008 to 2017. Although the original NIDS longitudinal study was administered in person, the NIDS-CRAM study was administered telephonically. Wave 1, which surveyed 7073 adults, was conducted in May and June 2020, shortly after the onset of South Africas national lockdown at the end of March. Due to attrition between Waves 1 and 2 (approximately 19%), the sample in Wave 3 was replenished with a top-up sample of 1084 respondents. Our analysis uses data from the latest two waves of NIDS-CRAM that include data on vaccination intent, Waves 4 (conducted in February/March 2021) and 5 (April/May 2021).

For context, Fig.1 illustrates the timing of the five NIDS-CRAM waves with respect to daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases and lockdown alert levels (with level 5 being the most stringent and 1 the most lenient). Important vaccine-related developments that coincided with Waves 4 (February 2 to March 10, 2021) and 5 (April 6 to May 11, 2021) are indicated in Fig.2 alongside the number of vaccine doses administered. Of note, the vaccination programme was placed on hold twice during this period. On February 7, it was announced that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine had limited efficacy against the dominant Beta variant, and the countrys doses were sold to other African Union member countries [9]. From April 13 to 28, administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was temporarily suspended in light of concerns about its possible association with cerebral venous thrombosis [10]. The total amount of administered vaccinations surpassed 125,000 by the end of Wave 4 and 415,000 by the end of Wave 5 [11]. The surveys also preceded the widespread vaccination of individuals aged 60years or older, which began on May 17 [12].

Timing of the NIDS-CRAM waves with respect to COVID-19 cases and lockdown levels in South Africa. Authors own arrangement. Source of COVID-19 case data: Our World in Data [8]. Solid line represents 7-day rolling average of daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases. L=lockdown level

Timeline of NIDS-CRAM survey dates, vaccine-related events, and administered doses in South Africa. Authors own arrangement. Source of vaccine dose data: Our World in Data [8]

Vaccine-related survey questions are provided in Additionalfile1. Our main outcome variable was COVID-19 vaccination intent. In both waves of the survey, we asked respondents to indicate the extent of their agreement with the statement if a vaccine for COVID-19 were available, I would get it, with response options being strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree, and I dont know. In Wave 5, respondents were first asked if they had already been vaccinated, and they skipped the rest of the vaccine module if so. Vaccine willingness was defined to include respondents who strongly or somewhat agreed with the statement, and vaccine hesitancy was defined to include those who strongly or somewhat disagreed, as well as those who said that they did not know.

To better understand motivations, vaccine-hesitant respondents in Wave 5 were asked whether they thought the vaccine was unsafe or could harm them. If they responded yes, they were asked how convinced they were of this, with response options being a little, somewhat, or very convinced. Finally, respondents were asked the open-ended question, Why do you believe the vaccine is unsafe or harmful? Interviewers were provided with eight categories (corresponding to findings from exploratory work on vaccine beliefs) for coding responses, but they were instructed not to read out these categories. Responses were coded to existing categories if applicable, or were captured as free text by the interviewer and then later categorised by a research psychologist using thematic analysis.

We drew on a wide range of information about respondents demographic, ethnic, social, and economic characteristics, collected in the NIDS-CRAM as well as from their records in previous NIDS waves. We included variables capturing settlement type, province, age (1824, 2559, 60 and older), gender, population group (black African, Coloured, White, and Asian/Indian), language spoken at home, and self-reported religious affiliation. We used two questions regarding COVID-19 risk beliefs in our analysis: a question asking whether respondents thought they were likely to get the Coronavirus, and a question asking whether they thought they could avoid getting the virus. Regarding medical risk factors, we included biometric data on body mass index and blood pressure from two repeated measurements from NIDS Wave 5 (2017). We also included responses to the question, Do you have any of these chronic conditions (you dont have to tell us which one): HIV, TB, lung condition, heart condition or diabetes? from NIDS-CRAM Wave 1. We also included an open-ended question from NIDS-CRAM Wave 1 asking respondents where they get information about COVID-19 that they trust. Finally, to examine variation in vaccine hesitancy by income or wealth, we relied on several measures of socioeconomic status. Due to concerns about reliability of and bias in a household income variable captured in the survey, we generated a deprivation and poverty household asset index as a proxy to capture differences in socioeconomic status (see Additionalfile2 for more details). Additionally, we used respondents report of recent hunger in the household and receipt of a means-tested state cash transfer (social grant) as proxies for socioeconomic status.

For each wave, we conducted cross-sectional analyses on aggregate and between-group variation in vaccine hesitancy. Transition matrices were used to examine individual-level changes in vaccine willingness between NIDS-CRAM Wave 4 and Wave 5. We also employed bivariate descriptive analyses as well as a multivariable linear probability model to examine the correlations between vaccination intent and a large number of demographic characteristics and individual attributes. Estimates were weighted using the relevant sampling weights, drawn from the 2017 NIDS survey, to account for the complex survey design and to adjust for non-random non-response and attrition [13, 14]. In our regression analysis of predictors of vaccine hesitancy and changes in vaccine hesitancy across the two survey waves, we included age, gender, population group, language spoken at home, religious affiliation, beliefs about COVID-19, comorbidities, and trusted information sources. Our analyses employed a 5% significance level to assess the precision of estimates.

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Longitudinal changes in COVID-19 vaccination intent among South African adults: evidence from the NIDS-CRAM panel survey, February to May 2021 - BMC...

Apart from the physiological symptoms and functional impairments that are characteristic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there are also several psychological symptoms associated with this disease. In addition to its direct effects on human mental health, the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic has also had a negative psychological impact on many around the world.

Study: Short-term improvement of mental health after a COVID-19 vaccination. Image Credit: Bits and Splits / Shutterstock.com

Vaccines against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for COVID-19, not only render protection against severe infection but are also associated with improving the mental health of vaccine recipients.

Since there is limited evidence to support this claim, a new study published on the medRxiv* preprint server assesses the short-term impacts of vaccination on the mental health of Swedish adults during a long phase of the vaccine rollout, with a primary focus on depression and anxiety.

The current longitudinal study was conducted between December 2020 and October 2021 and was based on the Omtanke-2020 study, which is evaluating the mental health impact of COVID-19 in Sweden.

A total of 27,938 individuals with depressive and anxiety symptoms were included in the current study. Monthly data were collected on the anxiety and depressive symptoms of the participants during the study period.

Here, individuals who had received either one or two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were considered to be vaccinated individuals. However, those who received a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine were excluded. Individuals without vaccination or those without data on their vaccination status were considered unvaccinated.

Assessment of depressive symptoms was done using The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), while symptoms of anxiety were measured by utilizing the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale. Each symptom was defined as significant if the cut-off was 10 on each scale.

Vaccinated participants were evaluated for anxiety and depression at three time points, of which included baseline, which was one month before the first dose of vaccine, one month after receiving the first vaccination dose, and one month after receiving the second vaccination dose, when applicable.

The unvaccinated cohort was assessed at three randomly selected time points. These were referred to as Time 0 (baseline), Time 1 (two months post-baseline), and Time 2 (four months post-baseline).

Overall, 7,925 individuals with a mean age of 52.6 years were included in the analysis, 83% of whom were women. Among the study participants, 5,079 had received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, 1,977 were vaccinated with a single dose, 305 did not receive any vaccine, and 564 did not report their vaccination status.

The prevalence of anxiety and depression was lower among the vaccinated cohort at baseline as compared to unvaccinated individuals. The difference in these symptoms between the unvaccinated and vaccinated cohorts became more significant after the first and second vaccination doses.

A short-term alleviation in depressive and anxiety symptoms was observed after COVID-19 vaccination. As compared to the results obtained after receiving their first vaccine dose, an improvement in both depression and anxiety symptoms was more significant after the second vaccination dose. This finding was irrespective of the patients gender, age, or history of a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Notably, there was no significant reduction in the prevalence of depression nor anxiety in the unvaccinated cohort, except when the prevalence of the depressive symptoms was compared between Time 2 and Time 0.

A monthly evaluation of mental health and vaccination status provided a better understanding of the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on anxiety and depression, excluding any seasonal variation on the symptoms. The long study duration, use of validated instruments, and large sample size support the authenticity of this study.

Taken together, the researchers report that COVID-19 vaccination confers an immediate positive effect on depressive and anxiety symptoms among adults. This finding prompts the initiation of similar studies in other populations worldwide.

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.

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Short-term change of depressive and anxiety symptoms in relation to COVID-19 vaccination - News-Medical.Net

ANN ARBOR, Mich. & TAIPEI, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BlueWillow Biologics, Inc., a pioneer in intranasal vaccine development, and Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corporation (MVC) (TPEx: 6547.TWO), a biopharmaceutical company focusing on the development and production of vaccines and biologics, today announced that its intranasal COVID-19 booster (BW-1019) provided protection and boosted immune response when administered following an intramuscular vaccine series in preclinical studies.

The study examined the responses in hamsters receiving various regimens of intramuscular-only, intramuscular primary and intranasal booster vaccine, and negative control group receiving no vaccination. The results, which have been published on the preprint server bioRxiv, showed that the groups receiving the intranasal booster had significant induction of virus neutralizing antibodies and showed protection against COVID-19 disease. In addition, all animals boosted intranasally with BW-1019, except that of the dose sparing group, had no detectable virus in their lungs and nasal passages.

COVID-19 has proven the importance of eliciting mucosal immunity through intranasal vaccination in order to stop the cycle of upper respiratory viral carriage and spread, said Vira Bitko, PhD, Vice President of Vaccine R&D at BlueWillow Biologics. We are excited to demonstrate that our intranasal vaccine candidate not only provides mucosal protection but also boosts the systemic immunity elicited from intramuscular vaccination against COVID-19. We have previously shown similar results in other diseases.

The intranasal COVID-19 booster combines BlueWillows proprietary nanoemulsion technology, which acts as both an efficient antigen delivery and adjuvant, with Medigens U.S. National Institutes of Health-licensed SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. BlueWillows technology platform enables its robust pipeline of vaccine candidates, which includes programs directed at HSV-2, RSV, influenza, Anthrax and food immunotherapy. The company recently announced positive interim data from a Phase 1 clinical trial in Anthrax. The platform is unique among intranasal solutions in that it does not rely on an adenovirus vector but rather utilizes the adjuvant that is proven to be safe in humans.

Charles Chen, Chief Executive Officer of Medigen, commented, "We are pleased that the jointly developed intranasal vaccine has shown strong results in this preclinical study. We are very excited to see the promising boosting effect, which may be an ideal COVID-19 vaccine candidate and complimentary to intramuscular vaccinations. We hope that it will significantly assist in preventing viral transmission of COVID-19."

We look forward to rapidly advancing this intranasal COVID-19 booster into clinical trials, added Chad Costley, MD, Chief Executive Officer of BlueWillow. The current intramuscular vaccines have saved millions of lives, but the limited durability of immune response and lack of sufficient mucosal immunity from these vaccines is now evident. In addition, to properly scale worldwide vaccination, boosters need to be less expensive and more easily administered. BlueWillows nanoemulsion adjuvant and Medigens spike protein have both already been proven safe in humans, which enables our COVID-19 vaccine candidate to rapidly advance into clinical trials.

About Medigen Vaccine Biologics (MVC) Corporation

MVC is a biopharmaceutical company using cell-based technologies for the development of vaccines and biosimilars. With a goal of national self-sufficiency, MVC also aims to provide vaccines and biopharmaceuticals to meet regional needs and with a desire to help globally against the threats of infectious diseases. MVCs pipeline includes COVID-19 vaccine (MVC-COV1901), enterovirus EV71 vaccine, dengue vaccine, and influenza quadrivalent vaccine, which have all entered late clinical stage. MVC-COV1901 vaccine's clinical study data has shown robust safety and promising immunogenicity responses and has as a result obtained Taiwan's EUA approval on July 19th, 2021, and Paraguays EUA approval on February 14th, 2022. MVC COVID-19 vaccine is indicated for adults over 20 years old and is administered in two doses 28 days apart for prevention of COVID-19. MVC will continue to collaborate with international partners to develop promising COVID-19 vaccines and assist the global community in its fight against the ongoing pandemic. MVCs large-scale production facility is state of the art and adherent to international PIC/s and GMP requirements. For more information, visit http://www.medigenvac.com.

About BlueWillow Biologics

BlueWillow Biologics is developing a new generation of safe and effective nasal vaccines to help protect humankind from respiratory infections, sexually transmitted diseases and food allergies. Our novel intranasal antigen delivery technology platform activates mucosal immunity, the bodys first line of defense, while also inducing systemic immunity. We are a clinical-stage company advancing a pipeline of proprietary programs including COVID-19, pandemic flu, RSV, HSV, anthrax and peanut allergy (www.bluewillow.com).

MVC's Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to the business of Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corporation (MVC, TPEx: 6547.TWO) including with respect to the progress, timing and completion of research, development and clinical trials for MVC's COVID 19 vaccine candidates, MVC-COV1901 and jointly developed BW-1019, and the ability to manufacture, market, commercialize and achieve market acceptance thereof. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the current expectations of MVC as applicable, as of the date of this press release and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In particular, such could be affected by, among other things, uncertainties involved in the development and manufacture of MVC's COVID19 vaccines, unexpected clinical trial results, unexpected regulatory actions or delays, competition in general, currency fluctuations, changes in global financial markets and the ability to obtain or maintain patent or other proprietary intellectual property protection. In light of these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will in fact be realized. MVC and is providing the information in this press release as the date hereof, and disclaim any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

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BlueWillow Biologics and Medigen Vaccine Biologics Announce Positive Results for Intranasal COVID-19 Booster Candidate in Pre-clinical Studies -...

RALEIGH To ensure more North Carolinians have access to the information they need to make decisions about their health and wellbeing, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has made key COVID-19 vaccine information available in the states most used languages.

In addition to a dedicated Spanish webpage for COVID-19 vaccines, vacunate.nc.gov, materials and videos in English and Spanish, NCDHHS now has COVID-19 vaccine materials in the states five other most used languages.

In a state as diverse as North Carolina where more than 11.8% of the states population uses a language other than English at home, providing information in multiple languages is part of the departments ongoing commitment to health equity.

Information outlining the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, the right to receive a free COVID-19 vaccine and the importance of vaccination for kids and teens was translated into Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Russian and Vietnamese and is available for download in the COVID-19 Communications Toolkit.

COVID-19 brought the inequities in our systems into focus, including how language can be a major barrier to getting critical health information, said Victor Armstrong, MSW, NCDHHS Chief Health Equity Officer. Delivering information in words that people understand is the first step in creating a fair and just opportunity for them to live their healthiest lives.

NCDHHS is partnering with more than 36 organizations, including those that work closely with refugee and immigrant communities, to distribute these new materials. These organizations also helped review materials to ensure the translations were accurate and culturally competent.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, NCDHHS has ensured up-to-date information on treatment, vaccination and other topics is available in English and Spanish. Since March 2021, NCDHHS has hosted six Spanish-language town halls, or Cafecitos, covering a range of COVID-19 topics. Materials for the StrongSchoolsNC school testing program were made available in the Fall of 2021 in 21 languages to meet the needs and requests of participating school districts.

NCDHHS also makes sure information about COVID-19 is accessible to North Carolinas 1.2 million people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind. All press briefings are interpreted in American Sign Language (ASL) as well as captioned. Captioned, ASL videos with information about COVID-19 and the vaccine are available on its website.

The COVID-19 website is screen reader compatible for those who are blind or low-vision.

The department is taking steps to expand services that address language access, but acknowledges it has a long way to go when it comes to information outside of COVID-19. NCDHHS plans to provide free training and technical assistance to organizations on cultural competence providers and language access, based on the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care, a set of 15 action steps that organizations take to reduce the cultural and linguistic barriers that diminish quality care and sustain health disparities.

NCDHHS encourages everyone to use the COVID-19 Communications Toolkit to share accurate information about COVID-19 with their community.

Area, state vaccination totals

As of Monday, Feb. 28, more than 75 percent of the total population of North Carolina has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 71 percent of the total population having received both doses of vaccine.

Of individuals 65 years of age and older, 96 percent of the population has received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 93 percent have received their full allotment. Of individuals 12 and older, 73 percent of the states residents have received at least one dose of a vaccine, with 69 percent being completely vaccinated.

Locally, NCDHHS data indicates that Avery County has administered a total of 9,888 first doses of vaccine, or 56 percent of Avery County residents who have received their first-dose vaccine as of February 28, with 53 percent of the overall county population, or 9,243 individuals, having received a second-dose vaccination. NCDHHS also reports that 4,825 county individuals have been vaccinated with one booster or additional dose.

According to NCDHHS, county vaccination data may change once residence is verified. All data are preliminary and may change.

Latest local, state and national COVID-19 statistics

NCDHHS on Monday, Feb. 28, reported 909 new COVID-19 cases, with 1,618 individuals currently hospitalized.

As of Monday, Feb. 28, according to available dashboard data from the NCDHHS, the total number of coronavirus cases since March 2020 are 2,589,517 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19. NCDHHS reported on Feb. 28 that Avery County has 4,376 total positive community cases. The department reports Avery with 41 deaths associated with the virus.

According to latest available data as of the week ending February 26, Toe River Health District reported Avery with 68 new positive cases, 27 active positive cases, one total contacts and 24 total deaths since Aug. 1, 2021, with no new deaths over the past seven-day period.

According to NCDHHS Dashboard data on Feb. 28, Avery County reports 86 cases per 10,000 residents over the previous 14-day period, In comparison, Mitchell County reports 34.8 cases per 10,000 residents, while Yancey County reports 66.4 cases per 10,000 residents. Watauga County reports 50.2 cases per 10,000 residents, while Ashe County reports 85.3 cases per 10,000 residents during the same 14-day period.

Public health staff is working to complete the investigations and they are contacting close contacts to contain the spread of disease, TRHD reported. The Yancey, Mitchell and Avery County health departments will keep the public informed by announcing any additional cases that may arise through our local media partners.

Mitchell County reported a total of 52 positive cases over the past 14 days as of Feb. 28, according to NCDHHS, while TRHD reported 25 new positives and 11 active positives in the week ending Feb. 26, with five total contacts and 20 deaths in the county since Aug. 1, 2021. NCDHHS reports Yancey County with 120 total cases over the past 14 days, with 51 deaths, while TRHD reported 42 new positives last week and 18 active positive cases, with zero total contacts and 32 total deaths since Aug. 1, 2021.

Nationwide, World Health Organization reports 434,154,739 million cases of COVID-19 worldwide, with the U.S. totaling 78,186,539 million cases as of Feb. 28. WHO reports that the United States has experienced 939,950 deaths related to COVID-19 as of Monday, Feb. 28.

The N.C. State Laboratory of Public Health, reporting hospitals and commercial labs report more than 25.78 million completed tests as of Monday, Feb. 28, according to NCDHHS.

The estimate of people presumed to have recovered from the virus as of Feb. 28 is more than 2,534,052 statewide, with the estimate provided each Monday afternoon by NCDHHS. NCDHHS estimates a median time to recovery of 14 days from the date of specimen collection for non-fatal COVID-19 cases who were not hospitalized, or if hospitalization status is unknown. The estimated median recovery time is 28 days from the date of specimen collection for hospitalized non-fatal COVID-19 cases.

In neighboring counties, Watauga County reports 11,718 positive tests, with 55 deaths among residents, while Ashe County reports 6,153 positive cases, with 78 deaths as of Feb. 28, according to most recently available AppHealthCare data.

In Tennessee, Johnson County reports 5,047 cases with at least 77 deaths, while Carter County reports 16,164 cases and at least 305 deaths as of Feb. 28, according to statistics from the Tennessee Department of Health.

Over the past two weeks, Caldwell County reports 334 new positive tests as of Feb. 28 with 280 total county deaths since March 2020, while Wilkes County has 411 reported cases the past 14 days and 253 total county deaths, according to NCDHHS Dashboard data.

In the past 14 days, NCDHHS reports McDowell County with 348 cases and 160 cumulative deaths, while Burke County reports 396 cases in the two-week span with 293 cumulative deaths attributed to the virus, according to NCDHHS.

Statewide, the top four counties reporting overall total positive cases are Mecklenburg County (274,809), Wake County (285,586), Guilford County (114,598) and Forsyth County (91,251), the sum of which comprises 29.7 percent of all confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in North Carolina, according to Feb. 28 NCDHHS statistics.

The reported testing numbers could be incomplete due to differences in reporting from health departments and other agencies. Sources include Toe River Health District, AppHealthCare, NCDHHS, Caldwell County Health Department and Tennessee Department of Health.

Updated news and information on the coronavirus pandemic and the states response can be found by clicking to covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard.

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COVID-19 in NC: NCDHHS makes key COVID-19 vaccine information available in state's most used languages - Avery Journal Times

Regulations making COVID-19 vaccination a condition of deployment in health and social care will be revoked on Tuesday 15 March, the Health and Social Care Secretary has confirmed today (Tuesday 1 March).

Following a public consultation, where 90% of responses supported the removal of the legal requirement for health and social care staff to be double jabbed, the government is revoking the regulations.

In January, the government confirmed its intention to revoke vaccination as a condition of deployment, subject to consultation.

When the original decision was taken to introduce COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of deployment, Delta was the dominant variant. This has since been replaced by Omicron which is less severe, with the percentage of those requiring emergency care or hospital admission approximately half that of the Delta variant.

Thanks to our hugely successful vaccination programme, the immunity built up in the population and our new antiviral and therapeutics tools, we are now in the strong position of learning to live with COVID-19. The latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that five to nine weeks after getting a booster, you are at least 85% less likely to end up in hospital than if you are unvaccinated.

With the population better protected and lower levels of hospitalizations and mortality, it was right to revisit the balance of risks and benefits that had guided the government's original decisions to introduce vaccination as a condition of deployment in health and social care. The number of restrictions, rules and regulations are now being reduced - including this requirement.

While the vast majority of NHS, social care and other healthcare staff have been double jabbed, the government is clear those working in health and social care who remain unvaccinated still have a professional responsibility to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and Get Boosted Now.

The government's priority is to ensure the most vulnerable to COVID-19 remain protected through vaccinations, antivirals and therapeutics.

The government is continuing to work closely with Royal Colleges and professional regulators to strengthen guidance and consult on updating the Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections in relation to COVID-19 requirements for CQC registered providers of health and social care in England.

The lifting of these regulations and the easing of restrictions as we learn to live with COVID-19 will help us to continue to chart a course back to normality.

Originally posted here:

Government to revoke regulations making COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of deployment - News-Medical.Net

Novavax to seek full FDA approval for Covid-19 vaccine, expects 'momentum will only accelerate' in 2022 - Washington Business Journal  The Business Journals

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Novavax to seek full FDA approval for Covid-19 vaccine, expects 'momentum will only accelerate' in 2022 - Washington Business Journal - The Business...

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of March 2, 2022, there are currently 2,143 active COVID-19 cases statewide. There have been 42 deaths reported since the last report, with a total of 6,381 deaths attributed to COVID-19.

DHHR has confirmed the deaths of a 68-year old female from Ohio County, an 83-year old male from Mercer County, a 75-year old female from Taylor County, a 57-year old female from Kanawha County, a 51-year old male from Cabell County, a 79-year old male from Monongalia County, a 67-year old female from Kanawha County, a 79-year old male from Berkeley County, an 86-year old female from Wood County, a 78-year old female from Harrison County, a 65-year old male from Wood County, a 92-year old female from Grant County, a 79-year old female from Kanawha County, an 81-year old male from Greenbrier County, a 62-year old male from Fayette County, a 58-year old male from Ohio County, and a 92-year old female from Wood County.

Included in the total deaths reported on the dashboard as a result of the Bureau for Public Healths continuing data reconciliation with the official death certificate are an 82-year old female from Braxton County, an 80-year old female from Wyoming County, a 74-year old female from Wyoming County, a 72-year old female from Wyoming County, a 73-year old female from Fayette County, an 85-year old female from Wyoming County, a 79-year old female from Berkeley County, an 81-year old female from Raleigh County, a 93-year old female from Preston County, a 60-year old male from Wood County, a 45-year old male from Monroe County, a 60-year old female from Mineral County, a 63-year old male from Greenbrier County, a 68-year old male from Tyler County, a 94-year old female from Summers County, a 40-year old male from Calhoun County, a 71-year old female from Harrison County, an 81-year old male from Marion County, a 67-year old male from Kanawha County, a 95-year old female from Hancock County, a 93-year old female from Pendleton County, an 85-year old female from Cabell County, a 100-year old female from Mercer County, an 86-year old female from Raleigh County, and a 91-year old male from Logan County. These deaths range from January 2022 through February 2022.

COVID-19 has hurt far too many West Virginia families, said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. Protect yourself and your loved ones by receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shot.

CURRENT ACTIVE CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (30), Berkeley (78), Boone (16), Braxton (19), Brooke (19), Cabell (96), Calhoun (15), Clay (13), Doddridge (8), Fayette (76), Gilmer (4), Grant (6), Greenbrier (54), Hampshire (27), Hancock (12), Hardy (12), Harrison (125), Jackson (16), Jefferson (39), Kanawha (172), Lewis (13), Lincoln (19), Logan (50), Marion (87), Marshall (26), Mason (42), McDowell (47), Mercer (120), Mineral (21), Mingo (27), Monongalia (103), Monroe (13), Morgan (11), Nicholas (60), Ohio (32), Pendleton (1), Pleasants (10), Pocahontas (3), Preston (52), Putnam (57), Raleigh (117), Randolph (21), Ritchie (23), Roane (17), Summers (11), Taylor (36), Tucker (16), Tyler (5), Upshur (55), Wayne (38), Webster (15), Wetzel (16), Wirt (4), Wood (97), Wyoming (41). To find the cumulative cases per county, please visit http://www.coronavirus.wv.gov and look on the Cumulative Summary tab which is sortable by county.

Delays may be experienced with the reporting of information from the local health department to DHHR. As case surveillance continues at the local health department level, it may reveal that those tested in a certain county may not be a resident of that county, or even the state as an individual in question may have crossed the state border to be tested. Please visit http://www.coronavirus.wv.gov for more detailed information.

West Virginians ages 5 years and older are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Booster shots are also available for those 12 and older. To learn more about the vaccine, or to find a vaccine site near you, visit vaccinate.wv.gov or call 1-833-734-0965.

Free pop-up COVID-19 testing is available today in Barbour, Berkeley, Boone, Braxton, Cabell, Clay, Doddridge, Fayette, Gilmer, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Jefferson, Lewis, Lincoln, Marion, Marshall, Mason, Mineral, Mingo, Monroe, Morgan, Nicholas, Ohio, Putnam, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie, Taylor, Tyler/Wetzel, Upshur, Wayne, and Wood counties.

Barbour County

8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Community Market, 107 South Main Street (across the street from Walgreens), Philippi, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVBBC)

1:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Junior Volunteer Fire Department, 331 Row Avenue, Junior, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

Berkeley County

8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Airborne Church, 172 Creative Place, Martinsburg, WV

8:30 AM - 4:00 PM, Shenandoah Community Health, 99 Tavern Road, Martinsburg, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

9:00 AM - 2:00 PM, 891 Auto Parts Place, Martinsburg, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

Boone County

10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Boone County Health Department, 213 Kenmore Drive, Danville, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

Braxton County

9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Braxton County Memorial Hospital (parking lot), 100 Hoylman Drive, Gassaway, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=Braxton)

Cabell County

8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Marshall University Campus (parking lot), 1801 6th Avenue, Huntington, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Cabell-Huntington Health Department (parking lot), 703 Seventh Avenue, Huntington, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

Clay County

8:30 AM - 3:00 PM, Clay County Health Department (parking lot), 452 Main Street, Clay, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVClayCounty)

Doddridge County

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Doddridge County Health Department, 60 Pennsylvania Street, West Union, WV

Fayette County

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Fayette County Health Department, 5495 Maple Lane, Fayetteville, WV

Gilmer County

8:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Minnie Hamilton Health System (parking lot), 921 Mineral Road, Glenville, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMHCT11)

Greenbrier County

9:30 AM - 3:00 PM, State Fair of WV, 891 Maplewood Avenue, Lewisburg, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVGBC)

Hampshire County

10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Hampshire Memorial Hospital, 363 Sunrise Boulevard, Romney, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

Jefferson County

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Hollywood Casino, 750 Hollywood Drive, Charles Town, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

Lewis County

8:00 AM - 3:00 PM, City Parking Lot, 95 West Second Street, Weston, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMavLewis1)

Lincoln County

9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Lincoln County Health Department, 8008 Court Avenue, Hamlin, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

Marion County

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Dunbar School Foundation, 101 High Street, Fairmont, WV

Marshall County

9:00 AM - 1:00 PM, Marshall County Health Department, 513 6th Street, Moundsville, WV (optional pre-registration: https://roxbylabs.dendisoftware.com/patient_registration/)

Mason County

8:30 AM - 3:00 PM, Krodel Park, 1186 Charleston Road, Point Pleasant, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMavCOUNTY12)

Mineral County

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Mineral County Health Department, 541 Harley O. Staggers Drive, Keyser, WV

Mingo County

9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Chattaroy Volunteer Fire Department, 8 Firefighter Avenue, Chattaroy, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMGC)

Monroe County

9:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Appalachian Christian Center, 2812 Seneca Trail South, Peterstown, WV

Morgan County

8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, The Blue (of First United Methodist Church), 440 Fearnow Road, Berkeley Springs, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMavMorgan1)

11:00 AM - 5:00 PM, War Memorial Hospital, 1 Health Way, Berkeley Springs, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

Nicholas County

9:00 AM - 3:30 PM, Summersville Regional Medical Center, 400 Fairview Heights Road, Summersville, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVNL)

Ohio County

9:00 AM - 3:30 PM, Ohio Valley Medical Center (back parking lot at the top of 22nd Street), 2000 Eoff Street, Wheeling, WV (optional pre-registration: https://roxbylabs.dendisoftware.com/patient_registration/)

Putnam County

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Putnam County Health Department (behind Liberty Square), 316 Putnam Village Drive, Hurricane, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

Raleigh County

9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Beckley-Raleigh County Health Department, 1602 Harper Road, Beckley, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=MavBeckleyRaleigh)

Randolph County

8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Randolph-Elkins Health Department (parking lot), 32 Randolph Avenue, Elkins, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVRDC)

Ritchie County

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Ritchie Regional, 135 South Penn Avenue, Harrisville, WV

Taylor County

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Grafton-Taylor Health Department, 718 West Main Street (parking lot at Operations Trailer), Grafton, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

Tyler/Wetzel Counties

11:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Sistersville Volunteer Fire Department, 121 Maple Lane, Sistersville, WV

Upshur County

8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Buckhannon Fire Department (parking lot), 22 South Florida Street, Buckhannon, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVUSC)

Wayne County

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Wayne County Health Department, 217 Kenova Avenue, Wayne, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

Wood County

8:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Vienna Baptist Church, 3401 Grand Central Avenue, Vienna, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMavWood1)

Please check with the testing site, DHHRs social media pages and the COVID-19 website https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/pages/testing.aspx for any last minute cancellations, and to find other free testing opportunities across West Virginia.

Read more:

COVID-19 Daily Update 3-2-2022 - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

New York City, one of the nations first epicenters of the coronavirus pandemic, is on the cusp of stepping into the next hopeful chapter of this crisis, and Mayor Eric Adams is leading the way. On Sunday, Mr. Adams announced that he would eliminate school mask mandates and vaccine requirements for restaurants, gyms and movie theaters by next Monday, as long as case numbers remain low.

As with so many pandemic policies, these moves are likely to please as many people as they infuriate. But with full vaccination rates in the city at 78 percent and the latest surge clearly passed, this is the right time to lift the requirement for masks in schools. Its a lot to ask young children to wear masks for several hours a day, especially when so many adults seem to struggle with it.

The vaccine requirements, which have been a cornerstone of business reopenings in so much of the city, are harder to justify parting with. They have added an extra layer of protection to indoor activities, which are inherently riskier; they have not been burdensome, and have probably nudged many reluctant people, including tourists, to get vaccinated. More important, requiring vaccines in these settings helps protect vulnerable groups who may feel unsafe dining out or going to the theater, and essential workers, who have no choice but to interact with the public.

Nonetheless, it is unlikely that New Yorkers will live with such checks forever, and if the caseloads remain low, now is as good a time as any to test the waters. By doing so, New York can be a model and set an example for other cities and states that are ready to lift Covid-19 restrictions, in a spirit of optimism and care.

To win more support for lifting these restrictions, the mayor can take steps to demonstrate his commitment to ensuring the safety of vulnerable groups, including the elderly and immunocompromised, and make clear that he is using this lull to prepare the city for potential future surges.

He can make sure that vaccinations and mobile testing sites continue to be widely available, with a clear focus on the elderly and those who live in nursing homes and other group settings. High-quality masks should also be easily available, and those who face a higher risk of infection and illness should be strongly encouraged to use them, including in schools, especially those where vaccination rates are alarmingly low. And Mr. Adams could work more aggressively to update ventilation systems in schools and other city-owned buildings. The federal government has allocated billions of dollars in Covid relief funds to public schools, which they can use to improve HVAC systems. The mayor should urge schools to make use of those funds quickly.

Once the Covid-19 vaccines win full F.D.A. approval (as opposed to emergency authorization) for younger children, city and state officials should make the shots mandatory for all public school students, just as they already do for measles, mumps, rubella and a host of other once-devastating diseases.

In the meantime, Mr. Adams can also make clear to New Yorkers that even as the city lifts restrictions, it has a plan to handle any future surges. The past two years have taught us that there is no foolproof metric for when to impose which safety measures, or when to lift them. Our technology advances, the virus evolves, and public willingness to change behavior shifts over time. But if a new variant of concern emerges or the virus surges again (or both), mask and vaccine passports will have to return. The mayor and health officials everywhere should articulate what the threshold for reversing course will be: Will it be based on hospitalization rates, or rising test-positivity ratios, or analysis of wastewater data? Will it include a subjective assessment of the publics willingness to support and comply with rules or of disease burden across communities? By making this clear now, the city can avoid unnecessary confusion and dismay later.

This virus is not going away anytime soon, as so many experts have warned. But New York is no longer in the acute phase of this crisis. We have vaccines, the promise of new medications, hard-won expertise in treating Covid-19 and a strong baseline of immunity in the population. There will never be a perfect moment to step into the next chapter of this pandemic. But at some point, we have to try moving forward. There are smart ways to do that right now, and the mayor is wise to embrace them.

See the article here:

Opinion | New York City Can End Mask Mandates and Lead on Covid-19 - The New York Times