for links to POSTS 1-245 in chronological order, highlight and click on

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/04/coronavirus-tracking-links-to-posts-1-245/

“With masks no longer required and mitigation measures seen by some as a thing of the past, a coronavirus resurgence is spreading among the tight circles of the Washington elite.

On Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi became the latest high-profile Washington dignitary to test positive for COVID-19…

Pelosi’s positive test comes amid a flurry of other positive cases among individuals who attended the elite Gridiron Club Dinner in Washington on Saturday.

As of midday Thursday, at least 32 guests at Saturday’s dinner have tested positive for COVID-19, Tom DeFrank, the president of the Gridiron Club, told ABC News.

Attorney General Merrick Garland, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Reps. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, and Jamal Simmons, the communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris, were among the guests at the dinner who announced this week that they have tested positive.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, one of two Republican lawmakers to attend the dinner, also announced late Thursday she tested positive…

Pelosi attended an event at the White House on Tuesday where she interacted with former President Barack Obama, who tested positive last month, as well as Biden. She also attended an event at the White House Wednesday where she again interacted with Biden. She was maskless at both events, as were other attendees.

Asked about Biden’s contact with Pelosi, White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Thursday said Biden tested negative on Wednesday night and insisted Biden wasn’t a CDC “close contact” because they weren’t within 6 feet for 15 minutes…

The District of Columbia in February officially ended its district-wide mask mandate. The White House and the U.S. Capitol quickly followed suit to make face coverings optional.

The district is currently at a “low” community level for COVID-19, per CDC standards.” (A)

“Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on Wednesday that he thinks there will be an uptick in cases of Covid-19 over the next few weeks and that it is likely that there could be a surge in the fall.

“I think we should expect, David, that over the next couple of weeks, we are going to see an uptick in cases — and hopefully there is enough background immunity so that we don’t wind up with a lot of hospitalizations,”…

Fauci reiterated that the US often follows other countries, offering the UK, which also has the BA.2 variant, as an example. He said that as well as a pullback on many mask mandates and restrictions for indoor settings, there has been a waning of immunity.

“Those conditions are also present in the United States,” he said. “So, I would not be surprised if we see an uptick in cases. Whether that uptick becomes a surge where there are a lot more cases is difficult to predict.”..

“I would think that we should expect that we are going to see some increase in cases as you get to the colder weather in the fall,” he said. “That’s the reason why the [Food and Drug Administration] and their advisory committee are meeting right now to plan a strategy, and we at the [National Institutes of Health] are doing studies now to determine what the best boost would be.” (B)

“In the latest battle of the coronavirus mutants, an extra-contagious version of omicron has taken over the world.

The coronavirus version known as BA.2 is now dominant in at least 68 countries, including the United States.

The World Health Organization says it makes up about 94% of sequenced omicron cases submitted to an international coronavirus database in the most recent week. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it was responsible for 72% of new U.S. infections last week…

BA.2 has lots of mutations. It’s been dubbed “stealth omicron” because it lacks a genetic quirk of the original omicron that allowed health officials to rapidly differentiate it from the delta variant using a certain PCR test.

One reason BA.2 has gained ground, scientists say, is that it’s about 30% more contagious than the original omicron. In rare cases, research shows it can sicken people even if they’ve already had an omicron infection — although it doesn’t seem to cause more severe disease…

Besides being more contagious, it’s spreading at a time when governments are relaxing restrictions designed to control COVID-19. Also, people are taking off their masks and getting back to activities such as traveling, eating indoors at restaurants and attending crowded events.

At this point, overall coronavirus cases in the U.S. are still on the decline. But there have been upticks in some places, including New York, Arizona and Illinois. Health officials have also noted that case counts are getting more unreliable because of the wide availability of home tests and the fact some people are no longer getting tested.

“We’re entering a phase where increasing cases or waves may be very regional and it may depend a lot on vaccination levels in the community — and not just vaccination levels but timing of the vaccinations,” Long said. “How long ago were they? Did people get boosters? Because we know the immunity to the vaccine wanes a little bit over time.”

Long said he feels “very certain” that cases will eventually go back up in the U.S., whether that’s because of BA.2 or some future variant. “If it’s BA.2,” he said, “it may be more of a wave or a speed bump than a surge.”

For now, COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths are still trending down nationally.

As the coronavirus continues to evolve, the WHO is tracking other mutants, including hybrids known as “recombinants.”

These include combinations of delta and omicron and hybrids of BA.2 and the original omicron, also known as BA.1.

One recombinant that health authorities are tracking closely is a BA.1-BA.2 hybrid called XE, which was first detected in the United Kingdom in January. About 600 cases have been reported, and scientists believe it may be about 10% more contagious than BA.2.” (M)

“Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recently addressed confusion about who needs a fourth COVID-19 vaccine shot.

The news: Walensky told NBC News that people who received the two COVID-19 vaccine doses, as well as a booster, do not need to get a fourth shot if they’ve been infected by the omicron variant.

“If you’ve had omicron disease in the last two or three months, that really did boost your immune system quite well,” Walensky said.

She said those individuals can wait two to four months for a second booster (or fourth overall shot).

She added that there are no safety issues associated with another booster shot.

She hinted that another booster shot may be needed in the fall.

The bigger picture: There is still some ongoing discourse about whether a fourth COVID-19 vaccine shot is effective at stopping the coronavirus, the Deseret News’ Ashley Nash writes.

Experts are concerned that it will be difficult to keep up with so many booster shots.

Others argue that boosters that target specific variants may be needed in the future.” (G)

“It is likely the case that there will be a recommendation for a booster in the fall,” Walensky said. “We don’t know exactly what that looks like, but we do want to make sure that people are aware of that because if they’re only going to get one boost, that may be the one to get. It may not be the same booster as we have right now.”

Walensky said a second booster is crucial for people in high-risk categories who got their first one more than four months ago. They include people who are over 65 and those who have comorbidities that put them at high risk of severe illness if they catch the coronavirus. If another booster is authorized for fall, Walensky urges those eligible to get it, though she acknowledged some people are reluctant about getting repeated shots.

“Many people are fully amenable to getting a boost right now and as well getting a boost in the fall because they really want to bolster their protection as much as possible,” she said. “For those people, if you’re over the age of 50, I would definitely encourage you to get it.”

Federal and state health officials have expressed concern that a new surge may take hold in the fall, which happened in 2020 and 2021 as the cold weather forced people indoors. November and December holidays — often marked with large gatherings — further add to the potential for a new variant to spread and again overwhelm hospitals.

In the interview, Walensky said that the nation’s public health infrastructure was poorly equipped to respond to the pandemic and other crises.

“People have failed to realize that when we started in this pandemic, we had a public health infrastructure that was frail and was underinvested in for years,” she said. “Over the last 10 years, we’ve had H1N1, Zika, Ebola and now COVID, but we in the United States have eliminated 66,000 public health jobs and we’ve lost 10% of public health funding….

Our data systems don’t talk to each other. We have no standard way in which those data are collected across different jurisdictions. We have over 3,000 jurisdictions from whom we receive data at the CDC. We really need to swiftly receive that data and feed it back to the states and jurisdictions.

And then finally, we need a laboratory infrastructure. We scaled up the genomic sequencing that we do, to tens of thousands of sequences a week. We now need places to do those sequences. CDC can’t do them all. We need to make sure we have sequencing capacity in many of our jurisdictions.” (C)

“A fourth dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine seems to offer short-lived protection against infection overall, but protection against severe illness did not wane for at least several weeks, according to a new study.

The study, published Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, looked at the health records of more than 1.25 million vaccinated people in Israel who were 60 or older from January through March 2022, a time when the Omicron coronavirus variant was the dominant strain.

The rate of severe Covid-19 infection in the fourth week after a fourth dose of vaccine was lower than in people who got only three doses by a factor of 3.5.

However, protection against severe illness did not seem to wane in the six weeks after the fourth shot, though the study period wasn’t long enough to determine exactly how long this protection lasts.

The rate of confirmed infection in the fourth week after the fourth dose was lower than in the three-dose group by a factor of 2. There seemed to be maximum protection against Omicron in the fourth week after vaccination, but the rate ratio fell to 1.1 by the eighth week, suggesting that “protection against confirmed infection wanes quickly,” the study says.

The protection provided by any vaccine naturally wanes, but a vaccine primes the immune system to make protective antibodies if it encounters threats later on.” (H)

“At first glance, the maps on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Covid-19 Integrated County View web page look great. As of April 7, most of the U.S. was in the green, with green representing “low Covid-19 Community Levels in US by County.” It almost makes it seem like people don’t have to worry about the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) any more. After all, when you are told that the risk of anything is low whether it’s getting a disease, being attacked by lemurs at a restaurant, or falling face first into some quiche, you tend to not take precautions.

However, some health experts have expressed concerns that such maps and measures may be misleading. For example, Eric Topol, MD, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, tweeted the following:

As you can see, Topol called a CDC tweet and the accompanying “County-level Covid-19 Community Levels” map “misleading.” He added that it “will give BA.2 more chance to spread.” This is presumably because Americans may take it as false reassurance that Covid-19 is no longer a threat and thus become too lax about Covid-19 precautions. In other words, it could lead to premature relaxation. Premature relaxation of Covid-19 precautions? Gee, when has that ever happened before?

Both Jonathan S. Reiner, MD, a Professor of Medicine at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Jason L. Salemi, PhD, an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the University of South Florida College of Public Health, pointed out the differences between the green-appearing Covid-19 Community Levels map and the multi-colored CDC Covid-19 Community Transmission map:

The Community Levels U.S. map may look like a giant green light whereas the Community Transmission one looks more like the background of a “Where’s Waldo” picture. Speaking of “Where’s Waldo,” Reiner pointed out that the Community Transmission maps “are not so easy to find on the CDC website.” Contrast that with the fact that the CDC tweeted out the Community Levels map without providing the Community Transmission maps alongside. Moreover, the Community Levels web site is what comes up first on Google searches…

The rush to return to normal, whatever “normal” means, and the repeated premature relaxation of Covid-19 precautions has continued to be remarkably short-sighted. The SARS-CoV-2 doesn’t really care what politicians and business leaders say. Failing to maintain proper Covid-19 precautions such as face mask use, social distancing, and Covid-19 vaccination could further extend the pandemic and increase the negative impact of the SARS-CoV-2. This is especially true with the more contagious BA.2 Omicron subvariant spreading. The CDC Covid-19 Community Levels map alone may have you seeing green as in low risk, go, go, go, and perhaps even mo’ money. But that could end up being an “off-color” conclusion.” (N)

“US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky announced a sweeping review of the nation’s lead public health agency Monday.

The review will evaluate the CDC’s structure, systems and processes, Walensky told CDC staff in an email…

“At the conclusion of this collective effort, we will develop new systems and processes to deliver our science and program to the American people, along with a plan for how CDC should be structured to facilitate the public health work we do,” Walensky wrote.

In a statement, the CDC said that during the past year, it “has worked to speed up data reporting and scientific processes throughout its pandemic response. Work is needed to institutionalize and formalize these approaches and to find new ways to adapt the agency’s structure to the changing environment.”

Walensky said in the statement, “Never in its 75 years history has CDC had to make decisions so quickly, based on often limited, real-time, and evolving science. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented opportunities across HHS to review current organizational structures, systems, and processes, and CDC is working to strategically position and modernize the agency to facilitate and support the future of public health. As we’ve challenged our state and local partners, we know that now is the time for CDC to integrate the lessons learned into a strategy for the future.

“This work will allow CDC to develop new systems and processes to deliver science and program activities to the American people, with a keen focus on the agency’s core capabilities — public health workforce, data modernization, laboratory capacity, health equity, rapid response to disease outbreaks, and preparedness within the US and around the world.”” (D)

“Countries that once led the world in coronavirus monitoring are now scaling back, leaving the world less prepared to spot future variants, experts said.

The British government on Friday shut down or scaled back a number of its Covid surveillance programs, curtailing the collection of data that the United States and many other countries had come to rely on to understand the threat posed by emerging variants and the effectiveness of vaccines. Denmark, too, renowned for insights from its comprehensive tests, has drastically cut back on its virus tracking efforts in recent months.

As more countries loosen their policies toward living with Covid rather than snuffing it out, health experts worry that monitoring systems will become weaker, making it more difficult to predict new surges and to make sense of emerging variants.

“Things are going to get harder now,” Samuel Scarpino, a managing director at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Pandemic Prevention Institute, said. “And right as things get hard, we’re dialing back the data systems.”

Since the Alpha variant emerged in the fall of 2020, Britain has served as a bellwether, tracking that variant as well as Delta and Omicron before they arrived in the United States. After a slow start, American genomic surveillance efforts have steadily improved with a modest increase in funding…

At the start of the pandemic, Britain was especially well prepared to set up a world-class virus tracking program. The country was already home to many experts on virus evolution, it had large labs ready to sequence viral genes, and it could link that sequencing to electronic records from its National Health Service.

In March 2020, British researchers created a consortium to sequence as many viral genomes as they could lay hands on. Some samples came from tests that people took when they felt ill, others came from hospitals, and still others came from national surveys.

That last category was especially important, experts said. By testing hundreds of thousands of people at random each month, the researchers could detect new variants and outbreaks among people who didn’t even know they were sick, rather than waiting for tests to come from clinics or hospitals…

On Friday, two of the country’s routine virus surveys were shut down and a third was scaled back, baffling Dr. Fraser and many other researchers, particularly when those surveys now show that Britain’s Covid infection rates are estimated to have reached a record high: one in 13 people. The government also stopped paying for free tests, and either canceled or paused contact-tracing apps and sewage sampling programs.

“I don’t understand what the strategy is, to put together these very large instruments and then dismantle them,” Dr. Fraser said.

The cuts have come as Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called for Britain to “learn to live with this virus.” When the government released its plans in February, it pointed to the success of the country’s vaccination program and the high costs of various virus programs. Although it would be scaling back surveillance, it said, “the government will continue to monitor cases, in hospital settings in particular, including using genomic sequencing, which will allow some insights into the evolution of the virus.”” (E)

“CNN: Will everyone need a Covid-19 shot every year?

Dr. Leana Wen: We don’t know yet. There are a lot of variables here, and only time — and ongoing research — will tell.

First, we don’t know how long the immune protection from the vaccine and first booster will last. There is a lot of evidence that the first booster is very important. During a time when Omicron was the dominant variant, the effectiveness of three doses against severe disease remained high, at 94%, according to a study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If this protection starts waning substantially, that would be a sign that another booster is needed.

Second, there may be new variants that develop over time. The influenza vaccine is given annually after it’s reconfigured every year for new mutations. The current vaccines work well against the Omicron subvariants, but if there are future variants that evade vaccine-induced immunity, that’s another reason for additional vaccinations.

Third, we need to monitor for how prevalent Covid-19 is. Right now, it is still rampant throughout the world, but if it ends up fading, regular booster doses may not be needed. As Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, said to CNN, “Will it ultimately get to such a low level that we might not even need a boost every year?” That’s possible, but we don’t know yet.

Fourth, we need to see whether there is a clear seasonality to future Covid-19 outbreaks. Other coronaviruses that cause the common cold are more prevalent in the winter, as are other respiratory viruses like RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and influenza. It’s likely that SARS-CoV-2 is, too, and there have been surges during winter months. This part, though, still needs to be seen in this coming fall and winter seasons.

Finally, there are logistical considerations to think about. Adding an annual vaccine is a big undertaking. The uptake of the influenza vaccine is already low; just only about half of Americans get it every year. With the misinformation and polarization around Covid-19, encouraging this level of frequency will be a big undertaking.” (F)

“While the currently available COVID-19 vaccines remain effective in protecting people from serious disease, public health experts still face a handful of important questions about the shots and their ability to continue to protect against the virus in coming years. Will a new version of the vaccine be more effective? How long does protection last? Are boosters the only way to extend that protection? Is there a better, more coordinated way to give vaccines and boosters to maximize immunity in the face of an ever-changing virus?

Those were the discussion topics that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee addressed in a day-long virtual meeting on April 6. The 28-member committee of independent experts reviewed the available data on vaccine effectiveness and tried to lay the foundation for maximizing the effect of vaccines in curbing COVID-19.

Because public health experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and regulators at the FDA are still learning about how the virus works, and what type of immunity is needed to control it, the U.S.’s vaccination strategy has relied on a game of catch-up: chasing after waves of infections first with the primary vaccinations and then with booster doses to keep those waves from cresting and overwhelming the health care system with sick patients.

For now, the vaccination schedule is a complicated algorithm depending on which vaccine people get, as well as their age and health status…

The complex guidelines in part led the FDA to call its committee together in order to come up with a more systematic and effective vaccination strategy moving forward. Currently, 70% of the U.S. population that is eligible to get vaccinated has received their primary immunization—two doses of mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, or one dose from Johson&Johnson-Janssen. Only about 50% of this group has received a booster dose.

In addition to the confusing recommendations, studies show that the immunity provided by the vaccines, including the boosters, wanes. The panel heard from CDC scientists, who reported that in studies in which blood serum from people who are fully vaccinated with their primary doses was mixed with the Omicron variant, there was a 25-fold drop in antibodies that could neutralize that variant; among those who were boosted, there was still a 6-fold drop in that neutralization activity.

That means the current booster strategy isn’t sustainable, so the committee discussed ways to establish a more structured plan for studying vaccine effectiveness and making decisions about whether, and when to change the shots or boosters…

The current policy of responding to COVID-19 waves with another booster dose “will not get us what we ultimately want, which is basically a vaccine that is more durable and more cross-protective,” says Rouphael. Most of the panel members agreed that a vaccine that targets multiple strains at once, which could also provide longer lasting immunity, might be the logical next step in the COVID-19 vaccination strategy.

The committee also stressed that rather than waiting for the pharmaceutical companies to dictate what shots they are developing, as has been the case so far, the FDA should play a more active role. “Now we have the manufacturers coming to us with proposals for how to evaluate the composition and strain of the vaccines,” said Jerry Weir, director of viral products in the FDA’s Office of Vaccines Research. “What about the idea that we better coordinate in advance what studies need to be done to inform strain selection?”  (I)

“Researchers trying to devise an updated coronavirus vaccine for use this fall would have to settle on a formula as early as June to meet that deadline, federal officials said on Wednesday, even though some clinical trials are just now getting underway.

The assessment came during a daylong meeting of outside advisers to the Food and Drug Administration, who convened to strategize about what the nation’s coronavirus vaccine policy should look like moving forward. The session underscored how deeply the road ahead is studded with uncertainties.

Among the most basic questions debated: At what point would officials decide that the existing vaccines are not working well enough? And if better vaccines are deemed necessary, when might clinical trials provide answers about suitable replacements?

The meeting captured a transition point for the Biden administration as it tries to fashion a vaccine strategy for the rest of this year. Some federal health officials are convinced that the existing vaccines need to be retooled to offer better protection than they do now. They hope to have a revised version by the fall, when they fear the virus could resurge in force.

Doses of modified vaccine could cost the federal government about $5 billion to $12 billion, one senior federal official said. Congress has moved to slice the administration’s new Covid budget request roughly in half, which the official said might not leave enough to cover that cost.

At the same time, vaccine manufacturers and federal researchers are scrambling to figure out what a revised vaccine should look like. A new study by the National Institutes of Health, for example, is analyzing how Moderna’s vaccine works if revised to target three different variants, alone or in combination. But it only just began recruiting volunteers, with results expected sometime this summer.

Robert Johnson, the director of an infectious disease division within the Department of Health and Human Services, told the panel that even once regulators decide upon a reconfigured vaccine, manufacturers would need several months to produce doses.

“If you’re not on your way to that clinical trial by the beginning of May, it is very difficult to have collectively across manufacturers enough product to meet that demand” by fall, he said. Dr. Peter Marks, who oversees vaccine regulation at the F.D.A., also described the time frame as highly compressed, saying regulators may need to settle on a new vaccine formula by May or June if they want to switch from the existing ones.

The trials underway are too small to provide efficacy data of the type that led to the authorization of the existing vaccines. But they could produce enough data for federal health officials to determine whether a reconfigured vaccine will create a stronger or more lasting immune response — a metric used to infer efficacy.

Expert after expert at the meeting described how much guesswork is involved in that effort. No one knows which variant of the virus will dominate in the fall, when federal officials consider a new surge highly likely. There is some chance that before then, another variant like Omicron will emerge and redraw the coronavirus picture in a wholly unexpected way. “Not likely, but it’s there,” Dr. Marks said of that possibility.

Trevor Bedford, a biostatistician at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, said the coronavirus had been mutating at several times the rate of the flu virus, for which vaccines are redesigned annually. While that pace may slow, the virus’s plasticity indicates it “is likely to keep on evolving,” he said.

How exactly it will do that is anyone’s guess. “There’s no guarantee that every emergent variant is going to be the basis for the next variant,” warned Dr. Michael Nelson, an immunologist at the University of Virginia Medical School.

Meanwhile, federal officials and their outside advisers continue to grapple with what the threshold is for determining that existing vaccines are not doing a good enough job. The committee’s consensus appeared to be that Covid vaccines should prevent severe disease, not necessarily infection or mild disease.”  (J)

“A bipartisan $10 billion COVID-19 supplemental is stuck in the Senate amid a dispute over a tangential pandemic-related border control policy, with both parties at a loss on how the impasse will be resolved.

“I don’t see a pathway,” Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions ranking member Richard M. Burr, R-N.C., who helped negotiate the bill, said Wednesday.

The stalemate over the so-called Title 42 policy put the final nail in the coffin for action on the supplemental this week ahead of a scheduled two-week recess, absent a move from Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer to cancel the break and hold senators in town until they reach a deal.

But both parties acknowledged delaying the recess won’t resolve the issue and thus senators would be allowed to go home or on previously scheduled foreign trips after the Senate votes on confirming Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.

“We have to have willing partners and a way to do this,” Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a member of Democratic leadership, said.

Senate Republicans are filibustering the supplemental, which would redirect $10 billion in unspent pandemic relief funds from prior laws to the Department of Health and Human Services to buy more therapeutics, vaccines and testing supplies and prepare for future virus variants, because they want to be able to offer amendments.

Specifically the entire Republican Conference has united behind an effort to secure a vote on still-unspecified language that would prevent the Biden administration from ending the Title 42 public health directive that has allowed border patrol agents to prevent asylum-seeking migrants from entering the United States…

Democratic leaders typically don’t mind giving Republicans amendment votes in exchange for their cooperation in speeding up passage of bills if the amendments are partisan and guaranteed to be rejected. But as Manchin’s support shows, a Title 42 amendment would be adopted if allowed a vote under a simple majority.

The only other obvious solution would be to raise the threshold for adopting a Title 42 amendment to 60 votes. But if the amendment is germane to the underlying bill — and Republicans have said their goal is to draft Title 42 language in consultation with the parliamentarian that is — both parties would need to agree to set a 60-vote threshold, something Republicans have no intention of doing.

Even a 60-vote threshold is risky, depending on the amendment language, given the number of Senate Democrats who have said the administration should not prematurely end Title 42 without a longer-term plan to secure the border…

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reiterated Wednesday that the U.S. supply of monoclonal antibodies to fight COVID-19 infections will run out “as soon as late May.” Testing manufacturing capacity, she said, “will begin ramping down at the end of June.” (L)

“If the United States has been riding a COVID-19 ’coaster for the past two-plus years, New York and a flush of states in the Northeast have consistently been seated in the train’s front car. And right now, in those parts of the country, coronavirus cases are, once again, going up. The rest of America may soon follow, now that BA.2—the more annoying, faster-spreading sister of the original Omicron variant, BA.1—has overtaken its sibling to become the nation’s dominant version of SARS-CoV-2.

Technologically and immunologically speaking, Americans should be well prepared to duel a new iteration of SARS-CoV-2, with two years of vaccines, testing, treatment, masking, ventilation, and distancing know-how in hand. Our immunity from BA.1 is also relatively fresh, and the weather’s rapidly warming. In theory, the nation could be poised to stem BA.2’s inbound tide, and make this variant’s cameo our least devastating to date.

But theory, at this point, seems unlikely to translate into practice. As national concern for COVID withers, the country’s capacity to track the coronavirus is on a decided downswing. Community test sites are closing, and even the enthusiasm for at-home tests, whose results usually aren’t reported, seems to be on a serious wane; even though Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced a new deal on domestic pandemic funding, those patterns could stick. Testing and case reporting are now so “abysmal” that we’re losing sight of essential transmission trends, says Jessica Malaty Rivera, a research fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital. “It’s so bad that I could never look at the data and make any informed choice.” Testing is how individuals, communities, and experts stay on top of where the virus is and whom it’s affecting; it’s also one of the main bases of the CDC’s new guidance on when to mask up again. Without it, the nation’s ability to forecast whatever wave might come around next is bound to be clouded.

We can’t react to a wave we don’t see coming. “I keep thinking back to this idea of If we don’t measure it, it won’t happen,” says Shweta Bansal, an infectious-disease modeler at Georgetown University. (As President Donald Trump once put it, “If we stop testing, we’d have fewer cases.”) In reality, “it’s very well happening, and we just don’t see it yet.” There is still no guarantee that the next wave is nigh—but if it is, the U.S. is poorly positioned to meet it. Americans’ motivational tanks are near empty; the country’s stance has, for months, been pretty much whatevs. The next wave may be less a BA.2 wave, and more a so what? wave—one many Americans care little to see, because, after two years of crisis, they care so little to respond…

Colloquially, epidemiologically, a wave is a pretty squishy term, a “know it when you see it” notion that gets subjective, fast. “There is no technical definition,” says C. Brandon Ogbunu, a mathematical modeler studying infectious-disease dynamics at Yale. And with COVID-19, there’s no consensus among experts on exactly when waves begin or end, or how sharp or tall one must be to count.” (O)

__________________

“Two years after the coronavirus became the focus of all of my coverage as a science reporter for The Times (and all of my thoughts every waking hour), it happened: I tested positive for the virus.

My case was mostly mild, as the virus generally is for any healthy 40-something individual. But the experience nevertheless gave me perspective I would not have gained from reading scientific papers or interviewing experts.

Over the past two years, I have written hundreds of articles about the coronavirus — about asymptomatic infections, tests, our body’s immune defenses, breakthrough infections and boosters. I was interviewed myself dozens of times to answer questions about the disease, the pandemic and the U.S. response to the virus.

But all along, my relationship with the virus stayed academic, impersonal. Even when the Delta variant swept through India and I lay sleepless, worrying about my parents, it was still not quite at my door…

I’ve written about many diseases — H.I.V., tuberculosis, malaria, leprosy, polio — that I’ve never had. I could have done without this experience of getting Covid. I’m not worried about these symptoms persisting for too long — vaccination significantly cuts the risk of so-called long Covid — but I’m still inordinately fond of naps.

I’m thankful to have gained a richer, broader immune defense to the virus. But mostly, I am glad to have a deeper understanding of what our readers have been experiencing.” (K)

____________________

The CORONAVIRUS CONTENT TRACKING PROJECT was started over two years ago.

PART 1. January 21, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday confirmed the first U.S. case of a deadly new coronavirus that has killed six people in China.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/01/the-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-on-tuesday-confirmed-the-first-u-s-case-of-a-deadly-new-coronavirus-that-has-killed-six-people-in-china/

In February, 2022  around the time of POST 235, “DOCTOR” tested positive!

• A.Washington elite faced with a growing resurgence of COVID-19 infections, By Arielle Mitropoulos, https://abcnews.go.com/US/washington-elite-faced-growing-resurgence-covid-19-infections/story?id=83934382
• B.US likely to see a surge of Covid-19 in the fall, Fauci says, By Naomi Thomas, https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/07/health/fauci-covid-fall-surge/index.html
• C.A 3rd COVID booster? CDC director says it could be in the cards this fall., By Elizabeth Llorente, https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2022/04/a-3rd-covid-booster-cdc-director-says-it-could-be-in-the-cards-this-fall.html
• D.CDC director announces sweeping review of agency, By John Bonifield, https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/04/health/cdc-review/index.html
• E.Cuts in Britain Could Cause a Covid Data Drought, By Carl Zimmer, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/02/health/covid-testing-uk-denmark.html?referringSource=articleShare
• F.Should you get your second booster shot now?, By Katia Hetter, https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/08/health/vaccine-covid-booster-wen-wellness/index.html
• G.CDC director clears up confusion over fourth COVID-19 vaccine shot, By Herb Scribner, https://www.deseret.com/coronavirus/2022/4/7/23013025/cdc-director-confusion-over-fourth-covid-19-vaccine-shot
• H.Protection against infection offered by fourth Covid-19 vaccine dose wanes quickly, Israeli study finds, By Jen Christensen, https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/05/health/israel-fourth-dose-study/index.html
• I.The Current COVID-19 Booster-Shot Strategy is Not Sustainable, Says FDA’s Expert Panel, BY ALICE PARK,  https://time.com/6164976/covid-19-booster-shot-strategy/
• J.F.D.A. Panel Explores Challenges of Revamping Coronavirus Vaccines, By Sharon LaFraniere, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/06/us/politics/fda-coronavirus-vaccines-variants.html?referringSource=articleShare
• K.I Reported on Covid for Two Years. Then I Got It., By Apoorva Mandavilli, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/09/insider/i-reported-on-covid-for-two-years-then-i-got-it.html
• L.Vote on COVID-19 spending bill indefinitely delayed, By Lindsey McPherson and Laura Weiss, https://rollcall.com/2022/04/06/vote-on-covid-19-spending-bill-indefinitely-delayed/
• M.What’s known about BA.2 COVID-19 variant that’s taken over, By LAURA UNGAR, https://www.thedailycitizen.com/whats-known-about-ba-2-covid-19-variant-thats-taken-over/article_b85cc4f0-5220-5980-ae62-d5327f3d52d4.html
• N.Health Experts Worry That CDC Covid-19 Maps, Measures May Be Misunderstood, Bruce Y. Lee, https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2022/04/09/experts-worry-that-cdc-covid-19-maps-measures-may-be-misleading/?sh=332d7837eb89
• O.America Is Staring Down Its First So What? Wave, By Katherine J. Wu, https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2022/04/ba2-omicron-variant-covid-surge/629474/

CORONAVIRUS TRACKING Links to POSTS 1-245

Doctor, Did You Wash Your Hands?®

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/

Curated Contemporaneous Case Study Methodology

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2019/12/9897/

Jonathan M. Metsch, Dr.P.H.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/jonathan-m-metsch-dr-p-h-2/

PART 1. January 21, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday confirmed the first U.S. case of a deadly new coronavirus that has killed six people in China.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/01/the-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-on-tuesday-confirmed-the-first-u-s-case-of-a-deadly-new-coronavirus-that-has-killed-six-people-in-china/

PART 2. January 29, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “If it’s not contained shortly, I think we are looking at a pandemic..”….. “With isolated cases of the dangerous new coronavirus cropping up in a number of states, public health officials say it is only a matter of time before the virus appears in New York City.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/01/part-2-coronavirus-if-its-not-contained-shortly-i-think-we-are-looking-at-a-pandemic-with-isolated-cases-of-the-dangerous-new-coronavirus-cropping-u/

PART3. February 3, 2020. “The Wuhan coronavirus spreading from China is now likely to become a pandemic that circles the globe…”..Trump appeared to downplay concerns about the flu-like virus …We’re gonna see what happens, but we did shut it down..” (D)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/02/part3-the-wuhan-coronavirus-spreading-from-china-is-now-likely-to-become-a-pandemic-that-circles-the-globe-trump-appeared-to-downplay-concerns-about-the-flu-like-virus/

PART 4. February 9, 2020. Coronavirus. “A study published Friday in JAMA found that 41% of the first 138 patients diagnosed at one hospital in Wuhan, China, were presumed to be infected in that hospital.….

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/02/part-4-coronavirus-so-like-sars-and-mers-other-coronaviruses-before-it-the-wuhan-coronavirus-is-spreading-in-hospitals/

PART 5. February 12, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “In short, shoe-leather public health and basic medical care—not miracle drugs—are generally what stop outbreaks of emerging infections..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/02/part-5-coronavirus-in-short-shoe-leather-public-health-and-basic-medical-care-not-miracle-drugs-are-generally-what-stop-outbreaks-of-emerging-infections/

POST 6. February 18, 2020.  Coronovirus. “Amid assurances that the (ocean liner) Westerdam was disease free, hundreds of people disembarked in Cambodia…” “ One was later found to be infected”…. “Over 1,000… passengers were in…transit home”…. “This could be a turning point””

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/02/post-6-coronovirus-amid-assurances-that-the-ocean-liner-westerdam-was-disease-free-hundreds-of-people-disembarked-in-cambodia-one-was-later-found-to-be-infect/

PART 7. February 20, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. With SARS preparedness underway in NJ LibertyHealth/ Jersey City Medical Center, where I was President, proposed that our 100 bed community hospital with all single-bedded rooms, be immediately transformed into an EMERGENCY SARS ISOLATION Hospital.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/02/part-7-coronavirus-with-sars-preparedness-underway-in-nj-libertyhealth-jersey-city-medical-center-where-i-was-president-proposed-that-our-100-bed-community-hospital-with-all-single-bedded-rooms/

PART 8. February 24, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…every country’s top priority should be to protect its health care workers. This is partly to ensure that hospitals themselves do not become sites where the coronavirus is spread more than it is contained.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/02/part-8-coronavirus-every-countrys-top-priority-should-be-to-protect-its-health-care-workers-this-is-partly-to-ensure-that-hospitals-themselves-do-not-become-sites-where-t/

PART 9. February 27, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Responding to a question about the likelihood of a U.S. outbreak, President Trump said, “I don’t think it’s inevitable…”It probably will. It possibly will,” he continued. “It could be at a very small level, or it could be at a larger level.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/02/part-9-coronavirus-responding-to-a-question-about-the-likelihood-of-a-u-s-outbreak-president-trump-said-i-dont-think-its-inevitableit-probably-will-it-possibly-will-he-contin/

Part 10. March 1, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Stop Surprise Medical Bills for Coronavirus care. (&) Lessons Learned (or not) In California and Washington State from community acquired cases.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/03/part-10-coronavirus-stop-surprise-medical-bills-for-coronavirus-care-lessons-learned-or-not-in-california-and-washington-state-from-community-acquired-cases/

PART 11. March 5, 2020.  CORONAVIRUS. “Gov. Andrew Cuomo… would require employers to pay workers and protect their jobs if they are quarantined because of the coronavirus.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/03/part-11-coronavirus-gov-andrew-cuomo-would-require-employers-to-pay-workers-and-protect-their-jobs-if-they-are-quarantined-because-of-the-coronavirus/

Part 12. March 10, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Tom Bossert, Donald Trump’s former homeland security advisor…(said) that due to the coronavirus outbreak, “We are 10 days from the hospitals getting creamed.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/03/part-12-coronavirus-tom-bossert-donald-trumps-former-homeland-security-advisorsaid-that-due-to-the-coronavirus-outbreak-we-are-10-days-from-the-hospitals-gett/

Part 13.. March 14, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “If I’m buying real estate in New York, I’ll listen to the President….If I’m asking about infectious diseases, I’m going to listen to Tony Fauci,”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/03/part-13-coronavirus-march-14-2020-if-im-buying-real-estate-in-new-york-ill-listen-to-the-president-if-im-asking-about-infectious-diseases-im-going-to-listen-to-tony-fauci

PART 14. March 17, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “ “Most physicians have never seen this level of angst and anxiety in their careers”…. One said “I am sort of a pariah in my family.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/03/part-14-coronavirus-march-17-2020-most-physicians-have-never-seen-this-level-of-angst-and-anxiety-in-their-careers-one-said-i-am-sort-of-a-pariah-in/

PART 15. March 22, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…Crimson Contagion” and imagining an influenza pandemic, was simulated by the Trump administration….in a series of exercises that ran from last January to August.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/03/part-15-coronavirus-march-22-2020-crimson-contagion-and-imagining-an-influenza-pandemic-was-simulated-by-the-trump-administration-in-a-series-of-exercises-that-2/

PART 16. March 27, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. I am not a clinician or a medical ethicist but articles on Coronavirus patient triage started me Googling………to learn about FUTILE TREATMENT

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/03/part-16-march-27-2020-coronavirus-i-am-not-a-clinician-or-a-medical-ethicist-but-articles-on-coronavirus-patient-triage-started-me-googlingto-learn-about-futile-treatme/

PART 17. April 2, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Florida allows churches to continue holding services. Gun stores deemed “essential.”  “New York’s private and public hospitals unite to manage patient load and share resources.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/04/part-17-april-2-2020-coronavirus-florida-allows-churches-to-continue-holding-services-gun-stores-deemed-essential-new-yorks-private-and-public-hospitals-unite-to-ma/

PART 18. April 9, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The federal government’s emergency stockpile of personal protective equipment (PPE) is depleted, and states will not be receiving any more shipments, administration staff told a House panel.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/04/part-18-april-9-2020-coronavirus-the-federal-governments-emergency-stockpile-of-personal-protective-equipment-ppe-is-depleted-and-states-will-not-be-receiving-any-more-shipments/

PART 19. April 13, 2020 CORONOAVIRUS. “…overlooked in the United States’ halting mobilization against the novel coronavirus: the personal aides, hospice attendants, nurses and occupational or physical therapists who deliver medical or support services to patients in their homes.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/04/part-19-april-14-2020-coronoavirus-overlooked-in-the-mobilization-against-coronavirus-the-personal-aides-hospice-attendants-nurses-and-occupational-or-physical-therapists-wh/

PART 20. April 20, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…nothing is mentioned in the “Opening Up America Again” plan about how states should handle a resurgence.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/04/part-20-april-20-2020-coronavirus-nothing-is-mentioned-in-the-opening-up-america-again-plan-about-how-states-should-handle-a-resurgence-2/

PART 21. April 23, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “We need to ask, are we using ventilators in a way that makes sense for other diseases but not this one?”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/04/part-21-april-23-2020-coronavirus-we-need-to-ask-are-we-using-ventilators-in-a-way-that-makes-sense-for-other-diseases-but-not-for-this-one-2/

POST 22. April 29, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. ..the “ACS released a list of 10 issues that should be addressed before a healthcare organization resumes elective surgeries[JM1] ….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/04/post-22-april-29-2020-coronavirus-the-acs-released-a-list-of-10-issues-that-should-be-addressed-before-a-healthcare-organization-resumes-elective-surgeries/

POST 23. May 3, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. … what Dr. Fauci really wants,…”is just to go to a baseball game. That will have to wait. The level of testing for the virus is not adequate enough to allow for such mass gatherings.’ (K)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/05/post-23-may-3-2020-coronavirus-what-dr-fauci-really-wantsis-just-to-go-to-a-baseball-game-that-will-have-to-wait-the-level-of-testing-for-the-virus-is-not-adequate/

POST 24. May 7, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie said: “there are going to be deaths no matter what”… but that people needed to get back to work.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/05/post-24-may-7-2020-coronavirus-former-new-jersey-governor-chris-christie-said-there-are-going-to-be-deaths-no-matter-what-but-that-people-needed-to-get-back-to-work/

POST 25. May 10, 2020, CORONAVIRUS. “It is scary to go to work,” said Kevin Hassett, a top economic adviser to the president. “I think that I’d be a lot safer if I was sitting at home than I would be going to the West Wing.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/05/post-25-may-10-2020-coronavirus-it-is-scary-to-go-to-work-said-kevin-hassett-a-top-economic-adviser-to-the-president-i-think-that-id-be-a-lot-safer-if-i-was/

POST 26. May 14, 2020. CORONAVIRUS, “Deep cleaning is not a scientific concept”….”there is no universal protocol for a “deep clean” to eradicate the coronavirus”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/05/post-26-may-14-2020-coronavirus-deep-cleaning-is-not-a-scientific-concept-there-is-no-universal-protocol-for-a-deep-clean-to-eradicate-the-cor-2/

POST 27. May 19, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Hospital…executives…are taking pay cuts…to help offset the financial fallout from COVID-19.” As “front line” layoffs and furloughs accelerate…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/05/post-27-may-19-2020-coronavirus-hospitalexecutivesare-taking-pay-cutsto-help-offset-the-financial-fallout-from-covid-19-as-front-line/

POST 28. May 23, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. ““You’ve got to be kidding me,”..”How could the CDC make that mistake? This is a mess.” CDC conflates viral and antibody tests numbers.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/05/post-28-may-23-2020-coronavirus-youve-got-to-be-kidding-me-how-could-the-cdc-make-that-mistake-this-is-a-mess-cdc-conflates-viral-and-anti/

PART 29. May 22, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The economy did not close down. It closed down for people who, frankly, had the luxury of staying home,” (Governor Cuomo). But not so for frontline workers!

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/05/part-29-may-22-2020-coronavirus-the-economy-did-not-close-down-it-closed-down-for-people-who-frankly-had-the-luxury-of-staying-home-but-not-so-for-frontline-workers/

POST 30. June 3,202. CORONAVIRUS. “The wave of mass protests across the United States will almost certainly set off new chains of infection for the novel coronavirus, experts say….

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/06/post-30-june-3202-coronavirus-the-wave-of-mass-protests-across-the-united-states-will-almost-certainly-set-off-new-chains-of-infection-for-the-novel-coronavirus-experts-say/

POST 31. June 9, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “I think we had an unintended consequence: I think we made people afraid to come back to the hospital,”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/06/post-31-june-9-2020-coronavirus-i-think-we-had-an-unintended-consequence-i-think-we-made-people-afraid-to-come-back-to-the-hospital/

Post 32. June 16, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Could the Trump administration be pursuing herd immunity by “inaction”?  “ If Fauci didn’t exist, we’d have to invent him.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/06/post-32-june-16-2020-coronavirus-could-the-trump-administration-be-pursuing-herd-immunity-by-inaction-if-fauci-didnt-exist-wed-have-to-invent-him/

POST 33. June 21, 2002. CORONAVIRUS….. Smashing (lowering the daily number of cases) v. flattening the curve (maintaining a plateau)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/06/post-33-june-23-2002-coronavirus-smashing-lowering-the-daily-number-of-cases-v-flattening-the-curve-maintaining-a-plateau/

POST 34. June 26, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. CDC Director Redfield… “the number of coronavirus infections…could be 10 times higher than the confirmed case count — a total of more than 20 million.” As Florida, Texas and Arizona become eipicenters!

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/06/post-34-june-26-2020-coronavirus-cdc-director-redfield-the-number-of-coronavirus-infectionscould-be-10-times-higher-than-the-confirmed-case-count-a-total-of-mo/

POST 35. June 29, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Pence: “We slowed the spread. We flattened the curve. We saved lives..”  While Dr. Fauci “warned that outbreaks in the South and West could engulf the country…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/06/post-35-june-29-2020-coronavirus-pence-we-slowed-the-spread-we-flattened-the-curve-we-saved-lives-while-dr-fauci-warned-that-outbreaks-in-the-south-and-west-could-engulf-the-co/

POST 36. July 2, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “There’s just a handful of interventions proven to curb the spread of the coronavirus. One of them is contact tracing, and “it’s not going well,” (Dr. Anthony Fauci)..

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/07/post-36-july-2-2020-coronavirus-theres-just-a-handful-of-interventions-proven-to-curb-the-spread-of-the-coronavirus-one-of-them-is-contact-tracing-and-its-not/

POST 37. June 8, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. When “crews arrive at a hospital with a patient suspected of having COVID-19, the hospital may have a physical bed open for them, but not enough nurses or doctors to staff it.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/07/post-37-june-8-2020-coronavirus-when-crews-arrive-at-a-hospital-with-a-patient-suspected-of-having-covid-19-the-hospital-may-have-a-physical-bed-open-for-them-but-not-enough-nurses-or-d/

POST 38. July 15, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Some Lessons Learned, or not. AdventHealth CEO Terry Shaw: I wouldn’t hesitate to go to Disney as a healthcare CEO — based on the fact that they’re working extremely hard to keep people safe,” (M)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/07/post-38-july-15-2020-coronavirus-some-lessons-learned-or-not-adventhealth-ceo-terry-shaw-i-wouldnt-hesitate-to-go-to-disney-as-a-healthcare-ceo-based-on-the-fact-that-theyre-worki/

POST 39. July, 23,2020. CORONAVIRUS. A Tale of Two Cities. Seattle becomes New York (rolls back reopening) while New York becomes Seattle (moves to partial phase 4 reopening)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/07/post-39-july-232020-coronavirus-a-tale-of-two-cities-seattle-becomes-new-york-rolls-back-reopening-while-new-york-becomes-seattle-moves-to-partial-phase-4-reopening/

POST 40. July 27, 2020. CORONAVIRUS.” One canon of medical practice is that you order a test only if you can act on the result. And with a turnaround time of a week or two, you cannot. What we have now is often not testing — it’s testing theater.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/07/post-40-july-27-2020-coronavirus-one-canon-of-medical-practice-is-that-you-order-a-test-only-if-you-can-act-on-the-result-and-with-a-turnaround-time-of-a-week-or-two-you-cannot-what-we/

POST 41. August 2, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Whenever a vaccine for the coronavirus becomes available, one thing is virtually certain: There won’t be enough to go around. That means there will be rationing.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/08/post-41-august-2-2020-coronavirus-whenever-a-vaccine-for-the-coronavirus-becomes-available-one-thing-is-virtually-certain-there-wont-be-enough-to-go-around-that-means-there-wi-2/

POST 42. August 11, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “I think that if future historians look back on this period, what they will see is a tragedy of denial….

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/08/post-42-coronavirus-august-11-2020-i-think-that-if-future-historians-look-back-on-this-period-what-they-will-see-is-a-tragedy-of-denial/

POST 43. August 22, 2020. CORONAVIRUS.”  “we’ve achieved something great as a nation. We’ve created an unyielding market for FAUCI BOBBLEHEADS”!! (W)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/08/post-43-august-22-2020-coronavirus-weve-achieved-something-great-as-a-nation-weve-created-an-unyielding-market-for-fauci-bobbleheads-w/

POST 44.  September 1, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The CDC…modified its coronavirus testing guidelines…to exclude people who do not have symptoms of Covid-19.” (While Dr. Fauci was undergoing surgery.) A White House official said: “Everybody is going to catch this thing eventually..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/08/post-44-september-1-2020-coronavirus-the-cdcmodified-its-coronavirus-testing-guidelinesto-exclude-people-who-do-not-have-symptoms-of-covid-19-while-dr-fauci-2/

POST 45. September 9, 2020. CORONAVIRUS.  Trump on Fauci. ‘You inherit a lot of people, and you have some you love, some you don’t. I like him. I don’t agree with him that often but I like him.’

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/09/post-45-september-9-2020-coronavirus-trump-on-fauci-you-inherit-a-lot-of-people-and-you-have-some-you-love-some-you-dont-i-like-him-i-dont-agree-with-him-that-often-but-i-like-him-2/

POST 46.  September 17, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Bill Gates used to think of the US Food and Drug Administration as the world’s premier public-health authority. Not anymore. And he doesn’t trust the Centers for Disease Control and Protection either….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/09/post-46-september-17-2020-coronavirus-bill-gates-used-to-think-of-the-us-food-and-drug-administration-as-the-worlds-premier-public-health-authority-not-anymore-and-he-doesn-2/

POST 47. September 24, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Perry N. Halkitis, dean of the School of Public Health at Rutgers University…called New York City’s 35 percent rate for eliciting contacts “very bad.” “For each person, you should be in touch with 75 percent of their contacts within a day,” he said”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/09/post-47-september-24-2020-coronavirus-perry-n-halkitis-dean-of-the-school-of-public-health-at-rutgers-universitycalled-new-york-citys-35-percent-rate-for-eliciting-con/

POST 48. October 1, 2020.   “…you can actually control the outbreak if you do the nonpharmaceutical interventions (social distancing and masks). In the United States we haven’t done them. We haven’t adhered to them; we’ve played with them.” (A)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/09/post-48-october-1-2020-you-can-actually-control-the-outbreak-if-you-do-the-nonpharmaceutical-interventions-social-distancing-and-masks-in-the-united-states-we-havent-done-t-2/

POST 49. October 4, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. RAPID RESPONSE. “The possibility that the president and his White House entourage were traveling superspreaders is a nightmare scenario for officials in Minnesota, Ohio, New Jersey and Pennsylvania…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-49-october-4-2020-coronavirus-rapid-response-the-possibility-that-the-president-and-his-white-house-entourage-were-traveling-superspreaders-is-a-nightmare-scenario-for-officials-in/

POST 50. October 6, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Monday October 5th will go down as one of the most fraught chapters in the history of American public Health (and national security).

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-50-october-6-2020-coronavirus-monday-october-5th-will-go-down-as-one-of-the-most-fraught-chapters-in-the-history-of-american-public-health-and-national-security/

POST 51. October 12, 2020. Rather than a hodge-podge of Emergency Use Authorizations, off-label “experimentation”, right-to-try arguments, and “politicized” compassionate use approvals maybe we need to designate REGIONAL EMERGING VIRUSES REFERRAL CENTERS (REVRCs).

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-51-october-14-2020-rather-than-a-hodge-podge-of-emergency-use-authorizations-off-label-experimentation-right-to-try-arguments-and-politicized-compassiona/

POST 52. October 18, 2020.  ZIKA/ EBOLA/ CANDIDA AURIS/ SEVERE FLU/ Tracking. “… if there was a severe flu pandemic, more than 33 million people could be killed across the world in 250 days… Boy, do we not have our act together.” —”- Bill Gates. July 1, 2018

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-52-october-18-2020-zika-ebola-candida-auris-severe-flu-tracking-if-there-was-a-severe-flu-pandemic-more-than-33-million-people-could-be-killed-across-the-world-in-250/

POST 53. October 20, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “a…“herd-immunity strategy” is a contradiction in terms, in that herd immunity is the absence of a strategy.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-53-october-20-2020-coronavirus-aherd-immunity-strategy-is-a-contradiction-in-terms-in-that-herd-immunity-is-the-absence-of-a-strategy/

POST 54. October 22, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. POST 54A. New Jersey’s Coronavirus response, led by Governor Murphy and Commissioner of Health Persichilli started with accelerated A+ traditional, evidence-based Public Health practices, developed over years of experience with seasonal flu, swine flu, Zika, and Ebola.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-54a-october-23-2020-coronavirus-new-jerseys-coronavirus-response-led-by-governor-murphy-and-commissioner-of-health-persichilli-started-with-accelerated-a-traditional-evidence-base/

POST 55. October 26, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. The Testing Conundrum: “ It’s thus very possible to be antigen negative but P.C.R. positive, while still harboring the virus in the body..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-55-october-26-2020-coronavirus-the-testing-conundrum-its-thus-very-possible-to-be-antigen-negative-but-p-c-r-positive-while-still-harboring-the-virus-in-the-body/

Post 56. October 30, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Trump’s now back in charge. It’s not the doctors.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-56-october-30-2020-coronavirus-trumps-now-back-in-charge-its-not-the-doctors/

POST 57. November 3, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Dr. Deborah Birx: the US is entering its “most deadly phase” yet, one that requires “much more aggressive action,”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-57-november-3-2020-coronavirus-dr-deborah-birx-the-us-is-entering-its-most-deadly-phase-yet-one-that-requires-much-more-aggressive-action/

POST 58. November 4, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…the president has largely shuttered the White House Coronavirus Task Force and doubled down on anti-science language…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-58-november-4-2020-coronavirus-the-president-has-largely-shuttered-the-white-house-coronavirus-task-force-and-doubled-down-on-anti-science-language/

POST 59. November 5, 2020. Coronavirus. “The United States on Wednesday recorded over 100,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day for the first time since the pandemic began..

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-59-november-5-2020-coronavirus-the-united-states-on-wednesday-recorded-over-100000-new-coronavirus-cases-in-a-single-day-for-the-first-time-since-the-pandemic-began/

POST 60. November 7, 2020. “White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has tested positive for the coronavirus….” (A)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-60-november-7-2020-white-house-chief-of-staff-mark-meadows-has-tested-positive-for-the-coronavirus-a/

POST 61. November 7, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Joe Biden’s top priority entering the White House is fighting both the immediate coronavirus crisis and its complex long-term aftermath…” “Here are the key ways he plans to get US coronavirus cases under control.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-61-november-7-2020-coronavirus-joe-bidens-top-priority-entering-the-white-house-is-fighting-both-the-immediate-coronavirus-crisis-and-its-complex-long-term-aftermath/

POST 62. November 8, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The United States reported its 10 millionth coronavirus case on Sunday, with the latest million added in just 10 days,…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-62-november-8-2020-coronavirus-the-united-states-reported-its-10-millionth-coronavirus-case-on-sunday-with-the-latest-million-added-in-just-10-days/

POST 63. November 9, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “New York City-based Mount Sinai Health System has opened a center to help patients recovering from COVID-19 and to study the long-term impact of the disease….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-63-november-9-2020-coronavirus-new-york-city-based-mount-sinai-health-system-has-opened-a-center-to-help-patients-recovering-from-covid-19-and-to-study-the-long-term-impact-of-the-di/

POST 64. November 10, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “It works! Scientists have greeted with cautious optimism a press release declaring positive interim results from a coronavirus vaccine phase III trial — the first to report on the final round of human testing.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-64-november-10-2020-coronavirus-it-works-scientists-have-greeted-with-cautious-optimism-a-press-release-declaring-positive-interim-results-from-a-coronavirus-vaccine-phase-iii-trial/

POST 65. November 11, 2020. CORONAVIRUS, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took a stronger stance in favor of masks on Tuesday, emphasizing that they protect the people wearing them, rather than just those around them…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-65-november-11-2020-coronavirus-the-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-took-a-stronger-stance-in-favor-of-masks-on-tuesday-emphasizing-that-they-protect-the-people-wearing-t/

POST 66. November.12, 2020. CORONAVIRUS.”… as the country enters what may be the most intense stage of the pandemic yet, the Trump administration remains largely disengaged.”… “President-elect Biden has formed a special transition team dedicated to coordinating the coronavirus response across the government…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-66-novembetr12-2020-coronavirus-as-the-country-enters-what-may-be-the-most-intense-stage-of-the-pandemic-yet-the-trump-administration-remains-largely-disengaged/

POST 67. November 13, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “When all other options are exhausted, the CDC website says, workers who are suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 (and “who are well enough to work”) can care for patients who are not severely immunocompromised — first for those who are also confirmed to have COVID-19, then those with suspected cases.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-67-november-13-2020-coronavirus-when-all-other-options-are-exhausted-the-cdc-website-says-workers-who-are-suspected-or-confirmed-to-have-covid-19-and-who-are-well-enough/

POST 68. November 14, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. The CDC “now is hewing more closely to scientific evidence, often contradicting the positions of the Trump administration.”..” “A passenger aboard the first cruise ship to set sail in the Caribbean since the start of the pandemic has tested positive for coronavirus..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-68-november-14-2020-coronavirus-the-cdc-now-is-hewing-more-closely-to-scientific-evidence-often-contradicting-the-positions-of-the-trump-administration/

POST 69. November 15, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Colorado Gov. Jared Polis will issue a new executive order outlining steps hospitals will need to take to ready themselves for a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations and directing the hospitals to finalize plans for converting beds into ICU beds, adding staffing and scaling back on or eliminating elective procedures….

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-69-november-15-2020-coronavirus-colorado-gov-jared-polis-will-issue-a-new-executive-order-outlining-steps-hospitals-will-need-to-take-to-ready-themselves-for-a-surge-in-covid-19-hos/

POST 70. November 16, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “White House coronavirus task force member Dr. Atlas criticized Michigan’s new Covid-19 restrictions..urging people to “rise up” against the new public health measures.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-70-november-16-2020-coronavirus-white-house-coronavirus-task-force-member-dr-atlas-criticized-michigans-new-covid-19-restrictions-urging-people-to-rise-up-against-the-new-pub/

POST 71. November 17, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. ”Hospitals overrun as U.S. reports 1 million new coronavirus cases in a week.” “But in Florida, where the number of coronavirus infections remains the third-highest in the nation, bars and schools remain open and restaurants continue to operate at full capacity.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-71-november-17-2020-coronavirus-hospitals-overrun-as-u-s-reports-1-million-new-coronavirus-cases-in-a-week-but-in-florida-where-the-number-of-coronavirus-infecti/

POST 72. November 18, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The Health and Human Services Department will not work with President-elect Joe Biden’s (PANDEMIC) team until the General Services Administration makes a determination that he won the election,….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-72-november-18-2020-coronavirus-the-health-and-human-services-department-will-not-work-with-president-elect-joe-bidens-pandemic-team-until-the-general-services-administration-mak/

POST 73. November 19, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…officials at the CDC…urged Americans to avoid travel for Thanksgiving and to celebrate only with members of their immediate households…” When will I trust a vaccine? to the last question I always answer: When I see Tony Fauci take one….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-73-november-19-2020-coronavirus-officials-at-the-cdcurged-americans-to-avoid-travel-for-thanksgiving-and-to-celebrate-only-with-members-of-their-immediate-household-2/

POST 74. November 20, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Pfizer…submitted to the FDA for emergency use authorization for their coronavirus vaccine candidate. —FDA issued an EUA for the drug baricitinib, in combination with remdesivir, as WHO says remdesivir doesn’t do much of anything.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-74-november-20-2020-coronavirus-pfizersubmitted-to-the-fda-for-emergency-use-authorization-for-their-coronavirus-vaccine-candidate-fda-issued-an-eua-for-the-drug-baricitinib-in/

POST 75. November 21, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The president and CEO of one of the nation’s largest non-profit health systems says he won’t be wearing a mask at work because he’s recovered from COVID-19, and doing so would only be a “symbolic gesture” because he considers himself immune from the virus….

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-75-november-21-2020-coronavirus-the-president-and-ceo-of-one-of-the-nations-largest-non-profit-health-systems-says-he-wont-be-wearing-a-mask-at-work-because-hes-recovered-from-2/

POST 76. November 23, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.” Ventilators..”just keep people alive while the people caring for them can figure out what’s wrong and fix the problem. And at the moment, we just don’t have enough of those people.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-76-november-23-2020-coronavirus-no-battle-plan-survives-contact-with-the-enemy-ventilators-just-keep-people-alive-while-the-people-caring-for-them-can-figure-out/

POST 77. November 26, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Pope Francis: “When I got really sick at the age of 21, I had my first experience of limit, of pain and loneliness.”.. “….Aug. 13, 1957. I got taken to a hospital…”….” I remember especially two nurses from this time.”…” They fought for me to the end, until my eventual recovery.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-77-november-26-2020-coronavirus-pope-francis-when-i-got-really-sick-at-the-age-of-21-i-had-my-first-experience-of-limit-of-pain-and-loneliness-aug/

POST 78. November 27, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Kelby Krabbenhoft is no longer president and CEO of Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health.” “…for not wearing a face covering… “ because “He considered himself immune from the virus.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-78-november-27-2020-coronavirus-kelby-krabbenhoft-is-no-longer-president-and-ceo-of-sioux-falls-s-d-based-sanford-health-for-not-wearing-a-face-covering/

POST 79. November 28, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Mayo Clinic. “”Our surge plan expands into the garage…”..””Not where I’d want to put my grandfather or my grandmother,” … though it “may have to happen.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-79-november-28-2020-coronavirus-mayo-clinic-our-surge-plan-expands-into-the-garage-not-where-id-want-to-put-my-grandfather-or-my-grandmother/

POST 80. November 29, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Op-Ed in the Jersey Journal. Do you know which hospital is right for you if you have coronavirus? | Opinion

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-80-november-29-2020-coronavirus-oped-in-the-jersey-journal-do-you-know-which-hospital-is-right-for-you-if-you-have-coronavirus-opinion/

POST 81. December 1, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Dr. Atlas, … who espoused controversial theories and rankled government scientists while advising President Trump on the coronavirus pandemic, resigned…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-81-december-1-2020-coronavirus-dr-atllas-who-espoused-controversial-theories-and-rankled-government-scientists-while-advising-president-trump-on-the-coronavirus-pandemic/

POST 82. December 3, 2020. CORONAVIRIUS. The NBA jumped to the front of the line for Coronavirus testing….while front line nurses often are still waiting. Who will similarly “hijack” the vaccine?

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-82-december-3-2020-coronavirius-the-nba-jumped-to-the-front-of-the-line-for-coronavirus-testing-while-front-line-nurses-often-are-still-waiting-who-will-similarly-hijack-2/

POST 83. December 4, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he will impose a new, regional stay-at-home order for areas where capacity at intensive care units falls below 15%.”… East Tennessee –“This is the first time the health care capability benchmark has been in the red..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-83-december-4-2020-coronavirus-california-gov-gavin-newsom-says-he-will-impose-a-new-regional-stay-at-home-order-for-areas-where-capacity-at-intensive-care-units-falls-below-15/

POST 84. December 6, 2020. CPRONAVIRUS. “ More than 100,000 Americans are in the hospital with COVID-19…” “We’re seeing C.D.C. …awaken from (its) politics-induced coma…”…Dr. Fauci “to be a chief medical adviser in Biden’s incoming administration..”.. “Trump administration leaves states to grapple with how to distribute scarce vaccines..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-84-december-6-2020-cpronavirus-more-than-100000-americans-are-in-the-hospital-with-covid-19-were-seeing-c-d-c-awaken-from-its-politi/

POST 85. December 7, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…Florida, Gov. DeSantis’ administration engaged in a pattern of spin and concealment that misled the public on the gravest health threat the state has ever faced..”.. “NY Gov. Cuomo said…the state will implement a barrage of new emergency actions..”… Rhode Island and Massachusetts open field hospitals… “Biden Names Health Team to Fight Pandemic”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-85-december-7-2020-coronavirus-florida-gov-desantis-administration-engaged-in-a-pattern-of-spin-and-concealment-that-misled-the-public-on-the-gravest-health-threat-the-s/

POST 86. December 9, 2020. If this analysis seems a bit incomprehensible it is because “free Coronavirus test” is often an oxymoron! with charges ranging from as little as $23 to as much as $2,315… Laws (like for free Coronavirus tests) are Like Sausages. Better Not to See Them Being Made. (Please allow about 20 seconds for the text to download. Thanx!)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-86-december-9-2020-if-this-analysis-seems-a-bit-incomprehensible-it-is-because-free-coronavirus-test-is-often-an-oxymoron-with-charges-ranging-from-as-little-as-23-to-as-mu/

POST 87. December 10, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…Rudolph W. Giuliani, the latest member of President Trump’s inner circle to contract Covid-19, has acknowledged that he received at least two of the same drugs the president received. He even conceded that his “celebrity” status had given him access to care that others did not have.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-87-december-12-2020-coronavirus-rudolph-w-giuliani-the-latest-member-of-president-trumps-inner-circle-to-contract-covid-19-has-acknowledged-that-he-received-at-l/

POST 88. December 11, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “As COVID-19 cases surge, the federal government is releasing data about hospital capacity at facilities around the country….”The new data paints the picture of how a specific hospital is experiencing the pandemic,”…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-88-december-11-2020-coronavirus-as-covid-19-cases-surge-the-federal-government-is-releasing-data-about-hospital-capacity-at-facilities-around-the-country-the-new-data-pai/

PART 89. December 12, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. THE VACCINE!!! “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” Winston Churchill

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/part-89-december-12-2020-coronavirus-the-vaccine-now-this-is-not-the-end-it-is-not-even-the-beginning-of-the-end-but-it-is-perhaps-the-end-of-the-beginning-winston-church/

POST 90. December 14, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…the first doses of a Covid-19 vaccine have been given to the American public..”…” Each person who receives a vaccine needs two doses, and it’s up to states to allocate their share of vaccines.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-90-december-14-2020-coronavirus-the-first-doses-of-a-covid-19-vaccine-have-been-given-to-the-american-public-each-person-who-receives-a-vaccine/

POST 91. December 15, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “UPMC will first give (vaccination) priority to those in critical jobs. That includes a range of people working in critical units, from workers cleaning the emergency room and registering patients to doctors and nurses.. “Finally, if needed, UPMC will use a lottery to select who will be scheduled first.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-91-december-15-2020-coronavirus-upmc-will-first-give-vaccination-priority-to-those-in-critical-jobs-that-includes-a-range-of-people-working-in-critical-units-from-workers-cleanin/

POST 92. December 17, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “..each state — and each hospital system — has come up with its own (vaccination) plan and priorities. The result has been a sometimes confusing constellation of rules and groupings that has left health care workers wondering where they stand.” (Trump appointee July 4th email “…we need to establish herd, and it only comes about allowing the non-high risk groups expose themselves to the virus. PERIOD,”)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-92-december-17-2020-coronavirus-each-state-and-each-hospital-system-has-come-up-with-its-own-vaccination-plan-and-priorities-the-result-has-been-a-sometimes/

POST 93. December 19, 2020. CORONAVIRUS.  On NPR Congresswoman Shalala (D-Florida) said she wouldn’t jump the vaccination line in Miami; then added she would get vaccinated in Washington this week. This, even though Congress has failed to pass “essential” Coronavirus legislation. So who are our “essential” workers?

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-93-december-19-2020-coronavirus-on-npr-congresswoman-shalala-d-florida-said-she-wouldnt-jump-the-vaccination-line-in-miami-then-added-she-would-get-vaccinated-in-washington-this/

POST 94. December 21, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “A doctor at an L.A. County public hospital said the number of COVID-19 patients is “increasing exponentially, without an end in sight.”.. “I haven’t done ICU medicine since I was a resident — you don’t want me adjusting your ventilator,” he said. “That’s the challenge, actually — it isn’t so much space, it’s staff…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-94-december-21-2020-coronavirus-a-doctor-at-an-l-a-county-public-hospital-said-the-number-of-covid-19-patients-is-increasing-exponentially-without-an-end-in-sight/

POST 95. December 23, 2020. “The Murphy administration may step in to force (New Jersey) hospitals to report COVID-19 outbreaks among staff.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-95-december-23-2020-the-murphy-administration-may-step-in-to-force-new-jersey-hospitals-to-report-covid-19-outbreaks-among-staff/

POST 96. December 26, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Achieving herd immunity against the coronavirus could require as much as 90 percent of the population to be vaccinated, Anthony Fauci…”…”..he hesitated to state a number as high as 90% weeks ago because many Americans still seemed skeptical about vaccine….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-96-december-26-2020-coronavirus-achieving-herd-immunity-against-the-coronavirus-could-require-as-much-as-90-percent-of-the-population-to-be-vaccinated-anthony-fauci/

POST 97. December 27, 2020. “A new variant of the coronavirus that has been spreading through the UK and other countries has not yet been detected in the United States..”.. . But if new-wave medicines like antivirals and antibody therapy contributed to the development of viral variants, it will be “a reminder for all the medical community that we need to use these treatment options carefully.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-97-december-27-2020-a-new-variant-of-the-coronavirus-that-has-been-spreading-through-the-uk-and-other-countries-has-not-yet-been-detected-in-the-united-states-but-if-ne/

POST 98. December 28, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Governor Andrew Cuomo announced new penalties in order to rein in possible vaccination fraud…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-98-december-28-2020-coronavirus-governor-andrew-cuomo-announced-new-penalties-in-order-to-rein-in-possible-vaccination-fraud/

POST 99. December 29, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “ICUs are being overwhelmed across many parts of California. Statewide aggregate ICU availability has been at 0% since Christmas Eve…. a surge on top of a surge on top of a surge.”… “hospitals are getting close to the point where they would begin putting COVID-positive patients under the care of COVID-positive staff who are asymptomatic.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-99-december-29-2020-coronavirus-icus-are-being-overwhelmed-across-many-parts-of-california-statewide-aggregate-icu-availability-has-been-at-0-since-christmas-eve-a-surge-o/

POST 100. December 29, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Front line hospital workers – in the ER, ICUs, EMS, acute medical care, behavioral health – are amongst the most courageous, heroic and dedicated colleagues you will ever meet.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-100-december-29-2020-coronavirus-front-line-hospital-workers-in-the-er-icus-ems-acute-medical-care-behavioral-health-are-amongst-the-most-courageous-heroic-and-dedica/

POST 101. December 30, 2020.CORONAVIRUS. Is there a point where the increasing Coronavirus trajectory so far exceeds the slow growth of the vaccination rate that reaching herd immunity through vaccinations becomes less likely?

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-101-december-30-2020-coronavirus-is-there-a-point-where-the-increasing-coronavirus-trajectory-so-far-exceeds-the-slow-growth-of-the-vaccination-rate-that-reaching-herd-immunity-through-vaccin/

POST 102. January 2, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “We’ve taken the people with the least amount of resources and capacity and asked them to do the hardest part of the vaccination — which is actually getting the vaccines administered into people’s arms,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, the dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health. “Ultimately, the buck seems to stop with no one,”…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-102-january-2-2020-coronavirus-weve-taken-the-people-with-the-least-amount-of-resources-and-capacity-and-asked-them-to-do-the-hardest-part-of-the-vaccination-which/

POST 103. January 4, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Dr. Fauci said “that the United States would not follow Britain’s lead in front-loading first vaccine injections, potentially delaying the administration of second doses…Dr. Moore – ”British officials “seem to have abandoned science completely now and are just trying to guess their way out of a mess.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-103-january-4-2021-coronavirus-dr-fauci-said-that-the-united-states-would-not-follow-britains-lead-in-front-loading-first-vaccine-injections-potentially-delaying-the-admin/

POST 104. January 6, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Paramedics in Southern California are being told to conserve oxygen and not to bring patients to the hospital who have little chance of survival…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-104-january-6-2021-coronavirus-paramedics-in-southern-california-are-being-told-to-conserve-oxygen-and-not-to-bring-patients-to-the-hospital-who-have-little-chance-of-survival/

POST 105. January 8, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. POST 105. January 8, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Facing a shortage of vaccinators, the Association of Immunization Managers… recommends relaxing regulation or adjusting licensing requirements. At least two states, Massachusetts and New York, have changed their laws in recent weeks to expand those who are eligible to give shots.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-105-january-8-2021-coronavirus-being-able-to-staff-vaccination-clinics-with-volunteers-from-our-reserve-workforce-means-that-staff-at-the-vaccination-sites-can-continue-to-perform-th/

POST 106. January 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. The riots at the Capitol could have been a superspreader event. “From what I saw… you had a large congregation of individuals who were in close contact for an extended period of time and almost universally unmasked…. many coming and going on buses as well, also unmasked, and hanging out in hotel lobbies.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-106-january-9-2021-coronavirus-the-riots-at-the-capitol-could-have-been-a-superspreader-event-from-what-i-saw-you-had-a-large-congregation-of-individuals-who-were-in-close/

POST 107. January 8, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Our job is to make sure the vaccine isn’t politicized the way masks were politicized,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said after getting her vaccine.   South Carolina Rep.-elect Nancy Mace, a Republican, wrote that “Congress shouldn’t be putting themselves first in line for the COVID-19 vaccination when the average American can’t get it.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-107-january-8-2021-coronavirus-our-job-is-to-make-sure-the-vaccine-isnt-politicized-the-way-masks-were-politicized-rep-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-d-n-y-said-after-getting-her-vaccine/

POST 108. January 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. (vaccination)”Line-cutters will be named and shamed. It’s inevitable, as will be the congressional hearings and front-page investigative stories ferreting out who saved their own skin at the expense of others.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-108-january-9-2021-coronavirus-vaccinationline-cutters-will-be-named-and-shamed-its-inevitable-as-will-be-the-congressional-hearings-and-front-page-investigative-stories/

POST 109.January 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “President-elect Joe Biden will aim to release nearly every available dose of the coronavirus vaccine when he takes office, a break with the Trump administration’s strategy of holding back half of US vaccine production to ensure second doses are available.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-109-january-9-2021-coronavirus-president-elect-joe-biden-will-aim-to-release-nearly-every-available-dose-of-the-coronavirus-vaccine-when-he-takes-office-a-break-with-the-trump-admini/

POST 110. January 13, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. ““The (federal) government is changing the way it allocates Covid vaccine doses, now basing it on how quickly states can administer shots and the size of their elderly population.”… “New York State sent a letter to hospitals saying if they don’t use their vaccine allocations by the end of this week, they won’t receive any further allocations.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-110-january-13-2021-coronavirus-the-federal-government-is-changing-the-way-it-allocates-covid-vaccine-doses-now-basing-it-on-how-quickly-states-can-administer-shots-and-t/

POST 111. January 14, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Visitors from Toronto to New York to Buenos Aires have long flocked to Florida for sun, surf and shopping. Now they are coming for the Covid-19 vaccine….

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-111-january-14-2021-coronavirus-visitors-from-toronto-to-new-york-to-buenos-aires-have-long-flocked-to-florida-for-sun-surf-and-shopping-now-they-are-coming-for-the-covid-19-vaccin/

POST 112. January 14, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. CHINA – “Eleven million people are under lockdown in Hebei province after a new cluster of coronavirus infections.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-112-january-14-2021-coronavirus-china-eleven-million-people-are-under-lockdown-in-hebei-province-after-a-new-cluster-of-coronavirus-infections/

PART 113. January 17, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. The Next President Actually Has a Covid Plan… New York City and other places in the state expect to exhaust their supply of doses as early as next week… Charles Barkley said during the “NBA on TNT” broadcast that pro athletes should get the first round of the vaccine…..

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/part-113-january-17-2021-coronavirus-the-next-president-actually-has-a-covid-plan-new-york-city-and-other-places-in-the-state-expect-to-exhaust-their-supply-of-doses-as-early-as-next-week/

POST 114. January 18, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “When government programs that have been unattended, underfunded and bogged down by red tape suddenly have to meet a huge demand in a crisis, they can’t cope and people suffer….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-114-january-18-2021-coronavirus-when-government-programs-that-have-been-unattended-underfunded-and-bogged-down-by-red-tape-suddenly-have-to-meet-a-huge-demand-in-a-crisis-they-can/

POST 115. January 21, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. A year ago today an unnumbered POST was headlined “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday confirmed the first U.S. case of a deadly new coronavirus that has killed six people in China.” The CORONAVIRUS CONTENT TRACKING PROJECT started with HISTORIOGRAPHY and over time moved to LESSONS LEARNED, RAPID RESPONSE, and THE VACCINATION PROGRAM. Now 115 POSTS later – the BIDEN CORONAVIRUS PLAN.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-115-january-21-2020-coronavirus-a-year-ago-today-an-unnumbered-post-was-headlined-the-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-on-tuesday-confirmed-the-first-u-s-case-of-a-deadly/

POST 116. January 22, 2021. President Biden – “We’re entering what may be the toughest and deadliest period of the virus. We must set aside politics and finally face this pandemic as one nation.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-116-january-22-2021-president-biden-were-entering-what-may-be-the-toughest-and-deadliest-period-of-the-virus-we-must-set-aside-politics-and-finally-face-this-pandemic-as-one-nation/

POST 117. January 23, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. 1.Dr. Fauci:“The idea that you can get up here….”and.. let the science speak”… “It is somewhat of a liberating feeling.” 2.updated CDC guidance:”.. providers could give the second dose up to six weeks after the first dose..” 3.Dr. Fauci: people would be “taking a chance” if they follow the CDC’s updated guidance.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-117-january-23-2021-coronavirus-1-dr-faucithe-idea-that-you-can-get-up-here-and-let-the-science-speak-it-is-somewhat-of-a-liberating/

POST 118. January 24, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Unfortunately, we’ve let this virus spread extensively and are launching the vaccination campaign at the height of the threat,” Dr. Meyers said. “The more the virus spreads before the vaccine reaches people, the fewer deaths we can prevent with the vaccine.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-118-january-24-2021-coronavirus-unfortunately-weve-let-this-virus-spread-extensively-and-are-launching-the-vaccination-campaign-at-the-height-of-the-threat-dr-meyers-sa/

POST 119. January 27, 2010. CORONAVIRUS. Amazon is offering its help to President Joe Biden with the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. Washington’s governor, Jay Inslee, included the help of companies like Starbucks, Costco and Microsoft in a plan to vaccinate 45,000 residents a day.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/to-get-each-new-post-free-and-automatically-by-email-please-use-the-subscription-portal-in-the-right-column-of-the-home-page-at-http-doctordidyouwashyourhands-com-then-you-will-get-an-email/

POST 120. January 28, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The fact that four vaccines backed by the federal government seem to be less effective against the (South African) B.1.351 variant has unsettled federal officials and vaccine experts alike. Facing this uncertainty, many researchers said it was imperative to get as many people vaccinated as possible — quickly. Lowering the rate of infection could thwart the contagious variants while they are still rare, and prevent other viruses from gaining new mutations that could cause more trouble.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-120-january-28-2021-coronavirus-the-fact-that-four-vaccines-backed-by-the-federal-government-seem-to-be-less-effective-against-the-south-african-b-1-351-variant-has-unsettled-feder/

POST 121. January 30, 2021. CORONVIRUS. Will our communities become stratified by which vaccine is distributed? 95%ters v. 72%ters? Will the easier distribution of the J&J vaccine drive its inequitable distribution to” hard-hit, marginalized, and medically underserved communities.” (thanx! to XJ/LA)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-121-january-30-2021-coronvirus-will-our-communities-become-stratified-by-which-vaccine-is-distributed-95ters-v-72ters-will-the-easier-distribution-of-the-jj-vaccine-drive-its-inequitable/

POST 122. February 1, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Dr.Fauci endorses double-masking. Dr.Osterholm disagrees!

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-122-february-1-2021-coronavirus-dr-fauci-endorses-double-masking-dr-osterholm-disagrees/

POST 123. February 4, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Nursing homes across the country are facing the same struggle, as workers have been more reluctant than residents to be vaccinated…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-123-february-4-2021-coronavirus-nursing-homes-across-the-country-are-facing-the-same-struggle-as-workers-have-been-more-reluctant-than-residents-to-be-vaccinated/

POST 124. February 5, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Dr. Osterholm ” …it may be time to..go with a ‘first-dose only’ approach, so more people over the age of 65 can have at least some protection right away. He said that would require delaying second doses until this summer.” Dr.Fauci “warned against this practice, and cautioned people about “the danger” that could come with focusing only on the first dose.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-124-february-5-2021-coronavirus-dr-osterholm-it-may-be-time-to-go-with-a-first-dose-only-approach-so-more-people-over-the-age-of-65-can-have-at-least-some-protection/

POST 125. June 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “States are rolling back Covid-19 restrictions as new cases trend down from record highs across the country. But experts warn it might be too much too soon as variants pose an increased risk and the pandemic… is far from over.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-125-june-9-2021-coronavirus-states-are-rolling-back-covid-19-restrictions-as-new-cases-trend-down-from-record-highs-across-the-country-but-experts-warn-it-might-be-too-much-too-soon/

POST 126. February 11, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “There will be more coronavirus outbreaks in the future. Bats and other mammals are rife with strains and species of this abundant family of viruses. Some of these pathogens will inevitably spill over the species barrier and cause new pandemics. It’s only a matter of time.” (A)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-126-february-11-2021-coronavirus-there-will-be-more-coronavirus-outbreaks-in-the-future-bats-and-other-mammals-are-rife-with-strains-and-species-of-this-abundant-family-of-viruses-2/

POST 127. February 12, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “… Trump only agreed to be hospitalized when aides told him that he could walk to Marine One or he could wait until his case progressed and he would be carried out.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-127-february-12-2021-coronavirus-trump-only-agreed-to-be-hospitalized-when-aides-told-him-that-he-could-walk-to-marine-one-or-he-could-wait-until-his-case-progressed-and-he/

POST 128. February 14, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new research on Wednesday that found wearing a cloth mask over a surgical mask offers more protection against the coronavirus, as does tying knots on the ear loops of surgical masks…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-127-february-13-2021-coronavirus-the-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-released-new-research-on-wednesday-that-found-wearing-a-cloth-mask-over-a-surgical-mask-offers-more-pr/

POST 129. February 15, 2021, CORONAVIRUS. “ “The CDC released its much-anticipated, updated guidance to help school leaders decide how to safely bring students back into classrooms, or keep them there.”…” For politicians, parents and school leaders looking for a clear green light to reopen schools, this is not it.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-129-february-15-2021-coronavirus-the-cdc-released-its-much-anticipated-updated-guidance-to-help-school-leaders-decide-how-to-safely-bring-students-back-into-classrooms-or/

POST 130. February 16, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “A second person who had contracted the Ebola virus died this week in the Democratic Republic of Congo, marking another outbreak just three months after the nation outlasted the virus’s second-worst outbreak in history…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-130-february-16-2021-coronavirus-a-second-person-who-had-contracted-the-ebola-virus-died-this-week-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo-marking-another-outbreak-just-three-months-aft/

POST 131. February 17, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “It really is right now – a race between how quickly new variants, particularly the U.K. variant, can spread in the United States and how quickly we can get people vaccinated”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-131-february-17-2021-coronavirus-it-really-is-right-now-a-race-between-how-quickly-new-variants-particularly-the-u-k-variant-can-spread-in-the-united-states-and-how-quickly-we/

POST 132. February 20, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “In Texas, where over 2.5 million people are still without power, the state health department said this week’s vaccine shipments wouldn’t arrive until Wednesday at the earliest.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-132-february-20-2021-coronavirus-in-texas-where-over-2-5-million-people-are-still-without-power-the-state-health-department-said-this-weeks-vaccine-shipments-wouldnt-arrive-unt/

POST 133. February 23, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Going off your meds is a surefire way to aggravate your doctor. What if a whole country did it?” The United Kingdom has veered into uncharted territory by changing tack and introducing a revised COVID-19 vaccination protocol, one that involves distributing the second dose at 12 weeks, rather than the prescribed 21 days.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-133-february-23-2021-coronavirus-going-off-your-meds-is-a-surefire-way-to-aggravate-your-doctor-what-if-a-whole-country-did-it-the-united-kingdom-has-veered-into-uncharted/

POST 134. February 24, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. The first tranche of the J&J (single dose) vaccine must go to K-12 teachers, so schools can open safely in the first 100 days of the Biden Administration. The federal government…”can set up its own vaccination centers in regions with eligible populations it’s trying to target.” We owe our front-line teachers nothing less!

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-134-february-24-2021-coronavirus-the-first-tranche-of-the-jj-vaccine-must-go-to-k-12-teachers-the-federal-governmentcan-set-up-its-own-vaccination-centers-in-regions-with/

POST 135. February 27, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “As Chief Executive Officers of New York’s major health care systems, we would like to provide facts to clear up confusion in the public and the media regarding decisions to discharge patients to nursing homes during New York’s spring coronavirus surge.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-135-february-27-2021-coronavirus-as-chief-executive-officers-of-new-yorks-major-health-care-systems-we-would-like-to-provide-facts-to-clear-up-confusion-in-the-public-and-the-medi/

POST 136. March 2, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. ““The governors of Texas and Mississippi both announced on Tuesday they would be lifting their states’ mask mandates and rolling back many of their Covid-19 health mandates..”…while “The US could experience a “fourth surge” of coronavirus before the majority of the country is vaccinated.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-136-march-2-2021-coronavirus-the-governors-of-texas-and-mississippi-both-announced-on-tuesday-they-would-be-lifting-their-states-mask-mandates-and-rolling-back-many-of-the/

POST 137. March 4, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The clamor for hard-to-get Covid-19 vaccines has created armies of anxious Americans who have resorted to hunting for leftovers on the fringes of the country’s patchwork vaccination system. They haunt pharmacies at the end of the day in search of an extra, expiring dose. They drive from clinic to clinic hoping that someone was a no-show to their appointment. They cold-call pharmacies like eager telemarketers: Any extras today? Maybe tomorrow? Some pharmacists have even given them a nickname: vaccine lurkers.” (H)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-137-march-4-2021-coronavirus-the-clamor-for-hard-to-get-covid-19-vaccines-has-created-armies-of-anxious-americans-who-have-resorted-to-hunting-for-leftovers-on-the-fringes-of-the-cou/

POST 138. March 6, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “New cases are decreasing in the third wave because we are past the holidays, not because of vaccinations. It is a common misconception that the decrease we are seeing in new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in the U.S. is due to vaccinations. The two aren’t related; at least yet.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-138-march-6-2021-coronavirus-new-cases-are-decreasing-in-the-third-wave-because-we-are-past-the-holidays-not-because-of-vaccinations-it-is-a-common-misconception-that-the-decrease/

POST 139. March 8, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. CDC Issues First Set of Guidelines on How Fully Vaccinated People Can Visit Safely with Others…” In practice, that means fully vaccinated grandparents may visit unvaccinated healthy adult children and healthy grandchildren of the same household without masks or physical distancing.” (C)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-139-march-8-2021-coronavirus-cdc-issues-first-set-of-guidelines-on-how-fully-vaccinated-people-can-visit-safely-with-others-in-practice-that-means-fully-vaccinated-grandpar/

POST 140. March 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “In West Virginia, they are bracing for the second wave….. Not coronavirus but opioid overdoses, with one scourge driving a resurgence of the other.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-140-march-9-2021-coronavirus-in-west-virginia-they-are-bracing-for-the-second-wave-not-coronavirus-but-opioid-overdoses-with-one-scourge-driving-a-resurgence-of-the-othe/

POST 141. March 11, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Today is the first anniversary of the WHO declaration that the novel coronavirus was a Public Health Emergency of International Concern… “To truly prepare itself against the next pandemic, the U.S. has to reimagine what preparedness looks like.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-141-march-11-2021-coronavirus-today-is-the-first-anniversary-of-the-who-declaration-that-the-novel-coronavirus-was-a-public-health-emergency-of-international-concern-to-trul/

POST 142. March 15, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Candida auris is a superbug, a pathogen that can evade drugs made to kill it—and early signs suggest the COVID-19 pandemic may be propelling infections of the highly dangerous yeast. That’s because C. auris is particularly prominent in hospital settings, which have been flooded with people this year due to the coronavirus.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-142-march-15-2021-coronavirus-candida-auris-is-a-superbug-a-pathogen-that-can-evade-drugs-made-to-kill-it-and-early-signs-suggest-the-covid-19-pandemic-may-be-propelling-inf-2/

POST 143. March 17, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The Trump administration sought to suppress Covid-19 testing in the United States last year by softening guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on who needed to be tested, a House panel said Monday.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-143-march-17-2021-coronavirus-the-trump-administration-sought-to-suppress-covid-19-testing-in-the-united-states-last-year-by-softening-guidance-from-the-centers-for-disease-control-a/

POST 144. March 20, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. ““The vaccine hesitancy we are seeing isn’t just about Covid vaccines,”… “It is a general reflection of Americans’ lack of trust in science, the pharmaceutical industry, and large health care institutions. We need a full court press on science and vaccine education right now to prevent more aggressive Covid-19 variants from developing and taking hold.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-144-march-20-2021-coronavirus-the-vaccine-hesitancy-we-are-seeing-isnt-just-about-covid-vaccines-it-is-a-general-reflection-of-americans/

POST 145. March 25, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Efforts to disseminate Covid-19 vaccines as widely as possible are hitting an unexpected obstacle: health-care workers who decline the shots.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-145-march-25-2021-coronavirus-efforts-to-disseminate-covid-19-vaccines-as-widely-as-possible-are-hitting-an-unexpected-obstacle-health-care-workers-who-decline-the-shots/

POST 146. March 30, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Dr. Osterholm told Becker’s: “This is the perfect storm,”…”Here is Europe locking down and having problems containing B.1.1.7, even with vaccinations and previous infection histories. Here we are opening up as wide as we can. We are literally just walking into the mouth of the virus saying, ‘Don’t worry.’” (M)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-146-march-30-2021-coronavirus-dr-osterholm-told-beckers-this-is-the-perfect-stormhere-is-europe-locking-down-and-having-problems-containing-b-1-1-7-even-with-vaccinations/

POST 147. April 5, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The pandemic helped cement the shift to “a philosophy of really focusing on the role of the physician in reasoning through ambiguous and unknown problems as the focus of education, rather than teaching students that the role of physician was to memorize a body of knowledge that was already in existence and good enough for what usually happens.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-147-april-5-2021-coronavirus-the-pandemic-helped-cement-the-shift-to-a-philosophy-of-really-focusing-on-the-role-of-the-physician-in-reasoning-through-ambiguous-and-unknown/

POST 148. April 7, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. While the Biden administration accelerates vaccinations to ward off numerous variants and as more young people are being hospitalized, states, even with increasing case rates are on paths to fully reopen. Politics v. public health!

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-148-april-7-2021-coronavirus-while-the-biden-administration-accelerates-vaccinations-to-ward-off-numerous-variants-and-as-more-young-people-are-being-hospitalized-states-even-with-increasin/

POST 149. April 10, 2021. CORONAVIRIUS. “From Michigan to Massachusetts, COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the rise again. Deaths will soon follow. “ ”.. the Biden administration is facing renewed calls to delay second vaccine doses and blanket more of the U.S. population with an initial shot.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-149-april-10-2021-coronavirius-from-michigan-to-massachusetts-covid-19-cases-and-hospitalizations-are-on-the-rise-again-deaths-will-soon-follow-the-biden-adm/

POST 150. April 10, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The use of so-called COVID-19 “vaccine passports” is quickly becoming a divisive issue across the US – with several states, including New York, embracing the idea, while others have already moved to ban them.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-150-april-10-2021-coronavirus-the-use-of-so-called-covid-19-vaccine-passports-is-quickly-becoming-a-divisive-issue-across-the-us-with-several-states-incl/

POST 151. April 14, 2021. CORONAVIRUS.   the J&J vaccination pause. “ Federal officials are concerned that doctors may not be trained to spot or treat the rare disorder if recipients of the vaccine develop symptoms of it…”  “…a standard treatment for blood clots — use of an anticoagulant drug — could be dangerous or even fatal in such cases…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-151-april-14-2021-coronavirus-the-jj-vaccination-pause-federal-officials-are-concerned-that-doctors-may-not-be-trained-to-spot-or-treat-the-rare-disorder-if-recipients-of-the-va/

POST 152. April 15, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s director said Saturday authorities are considering mixing COVID-19 vaccines because the country’s domestically made doses “don’t have very high protection rates,”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-152-april-15-2021-coronavirus-the-chinese-center-for-disease-control-and-preventions-director-said-saturday-authorities-are-considering-mixing-covid-19-vaccines-because-the-country/

POST 153. April 18, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “At least 35 hospitals across Michigan were listed Thursday as nearing capacity and three were at full capacity for COVID-19 patients..”.. We can manufacture beds. We can open up beds. We can create entire wings of the hospital if we have to, but if we don’t have staff for those beds, we’ve got nothing.”..

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-153-april-18-2021-coronavirus-at-least-35-hospitals-across-michigan-were-listed-thursday-as-nearing-capacity-and-three-were-at-full-capacity-for-covid-19-patients-we-can/

POST 154. April 19, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Breakthrough infections, which occur when fully vaccinated people are infected by the pathogen that their shots were designed to protect against, are an entirely expected part of any vaccination process.”   “Pfizer’s chief executive said that a third dose of the company’s Covid-19 vaccine was “likely” to be needed within a year of the initial two-dose inoculation — followed by annual vaccinations.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-154-april-19-2021-coronavirus-breakthrough-infections-which-occur-when-fully-vaccinated-people-are-infected-by-the-pathogen-that-their-shots-were-designed-to-protect-against-are-an/

POST 155. April 24, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. As the J&J vaccine pause is ended Senator Johnson said “The science tells us that vaccines are 95% effective. So if you have a vaccine, quite honestly, what do you care if your neighbor has one or not? I mean, what is it to you?”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-155-april-24-2021-coronavirus-as-the-jj-vaccine-pause-is-ended-senator-johnson-said-the-science-tells-us-that-vaccines-are-95-effective-so-if-you-have-a-vaccine-quite-honestly-what-do-y/

POST 156. April 28, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. As CDC revises guidance on outdoor masking, Texas Governor Abbott says “the state is “very close” to herd immunity… despite acknowledging that he does not know what the herd immunity threshold is for the virus, an uncertainty echoed by the public health community.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-156-april-28-2021-coronavirus-as-cdc-revises-guidance-on-outdoor-masking-texas-governor-abbott-says-the-state-is-very-close-to-herd-immunity-despite-ackno/

POST 157. April 25, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Ohio hospitals; “We agreed in multiple conversations, there’s nothing in fighting a pandemic that creates a competitive advantage.”…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-157-april-25-2021-coronavirus-ohio-hospitals-we-agreed-in-multiple-conversations-theres-nothing-in-fighting-a-pandemic-that-creates-a-competitive-advantage/

POST 158. May 5, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. . As populations get closer to herd immunity “ it may be helpful to introduce some nuance to what we mean by the term. Nationwide herd immunity. Regional herd immunity. Temporary herd immunity. Endemicity.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-158-may-5-2021-coronavirus-as-populations-get-closer-to-herd-immunity-it-may-be-helpful-to-introduce-some-nuance-to-what-we-mean-by-the-term-nationwide-herd-immunity-regional-he/

POST 159. May 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Without deeper sharing of expertise in how to make vaccines…waiving patent obligations is unlikely to be a game-changer… Having access to the “recipe” certainly helps, but understanding how to put it together and produce it at scale is something else.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-159-may-9-2021-coronavirus-without-deeper-sharing-of-expertise-in-how-to-make-vaccineswaiving-patent-obligations-is-unlikely-to-be-a-game-changer-having-access-to-t/

POST 160. May 13, 2021.CORONAVIRUS. “The CDC acknowledged Friday that airborne spread of COVID-19 among people more than 6 feet apart “has been repeatedly documented.”” Meanwhile states relax or eliminate indoor dining restrictions. HUH?

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-160-may-13-2021-coronavirus-the-cdc-acknowledged-friday-that-airborne-spread-of-covid-19-among-people-more-than-6-feet-apart-has-been-repeatedly-documented-meanwhile-sta/

POST 161. May 15, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Even if the spread of Covid-19 decreases enough to allow a return of most activities, there are some aspects of pandemic life that epidemiologists say will persist much longer. In particular, they say that masks are a norm that should continue, even if that view puts them at odds with the new C.D.C. guidance. More than 80 percent of them say people should continue to wear masks when indoors with strangers for at least another year, and outdoors in crowds.” 

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-161-may-15-2021-coronavirus-even-if-the-spread-of-covid-19-decreases-enough-to-allow-a-return-of-most-activities-there-are-some-aspects-of-pandemic-life-that-epidemiologists-say-wil/

POST 162. May 21, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is refusing to lift his indoor mask mandate for vaccinated residents…” “…fully vaccinated residents in New York and Connecticut are no longer required to wear masks..”..” “California says it isn’t ready to follow the federal lead and unmask, at least for another month..”.. “..Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Tuesday prohibiting state governmental entities such as counties, public school districts, public health authorities and government officials from requiring mask wearing.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-162-may-21-2021-coronavirus-new-jersey-gov-phil-murphy-is-refusing-to-lift-his-indoor-mask-mandate-for-vaccinated-residents-fully-vaccinated-resi/

POST 163. May 23, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. RWJBarnabas Health in New Jersey announced a mandate…saying supervisors and those of higher rank must get the vaccine by June 30. They will eventually require the system’s 35,000 employees to do the same.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-163-may-23-2021-coronavirus-rwjbarnabas-health-in-new-jersey-announced-a-mandatesaying-supervisors-and-those-of-higher-rank-must-get-the-vaccine-by-june-30-they-will-eventually-requ/

POST 164. May 26, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. On Wednesday, health minister Norihisa Tamura warned Olympic organizers they would have to “secure their own” hospital beds for anyone falling ill at the Games, explaining the government would not release beds set aside for Japanese covid-19 patients.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-164-may-26-2021-coronavirus-on-wednesday-health-minister-norihisa-tamura-warned-olympic-organizers-they-would-have-to-secure-their-own-hospital-beds-for-anyone-falling-ill/

POST 165. May 31,2001. CORONAVIRUS. “Like all pandemics, this one will end either with millions — maybe billions — being infected or being vaccinated. This time, world leaders have a choice, but little time to make that choice before it is made for them.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-165-may-312001-coronavirus-like-all-pandemics-this-one-will-end-either-with-millions-maybe-billions-being-infected-or-being-vaccinated-this-time-world-leaders/

POST 166. June 3, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “President Biden said Wednesday that he has asked intelligence agencies to double down on their efforts to investigate whether the coronavirus originated from human contact with an animal or in an laboratory in China, saying there is not “sufficient information” to assess whether one is more likely than the other.” 

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-166-june-3-2020-coronavirus-president-biden-said-wednesday-that-he-has-asked-intelligence-agencies-to-double-down-on-their-efforts-to-investigate-whether-the-coronavirus-originated-f/

POST 167. June 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Hospitals prevaricate on mandatory staff vaccinations.  Florida’s Governor forbids cruise ship vaccine mandates. Pfizer and Moderna apply for FDA full approval.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-167-june-9-2021-coronavirus-hospitals-prevaricate-on-mandatory-staff-vaccinations-floridas-governor-forbids-cruise-ship-vaccine-mandates-pfizer-and-moderna-apply-for-fda-full-appr/

POST 168. June 10, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Our species has a tendency to get distracted. We have a very strong appetite for distraction, and when something is not in the spotlight, when it’s not a crisis anymore, we tend to forget and move on to something else. So the biggest challenge is going to be maintaining focus on this next step of developing vaccines that anticipate pandemics.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-168-june-10-2021-coronavirus-our-species-has-a-tendency-to-get-distracted-we-have-a-very-strong-appetite-for-distraction-and-when-something-is-not-in-the-spotlight-when-it/

POST 169. June 14, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Hospitals in Washington, D.C…announced a consensus agreement to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for more than 30,000 workers, 70% of which are already vaccinated. Each of 14 hospitals will set their own deadline…” 

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-169-june-14-2021-coronavirus-hospitals-in-washington-d-cannounced-a-consensus-agreement-to-mandate-covid-19-vaccinations-for-more-than-30000-workers-70-of-which-are-alrea/

POST 170. June 17, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Dr. Ashish Jha…is worried about the potential impact  the delta variant could have in the United States… “I’m concerned about the Delta variant,”… “Why? Most contagious variant yet. Wreaked havoc in India. Spiking cases in UK. Growing rapidly in the US.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-170-june-17-2021-coronavirus-dr-ashish-jhais-worried-about-the-potential-impact-the-delta-variant-could-have-in-the-united-states-im-concerned-a/

POST 171. June 19, 2021. “A 34-year-old man (a Covid-19 survivor) has been diagnosed with India’s first known case of “green fungus” infection.”… “Green fungus is the new infection to join the earlier known cases of black, white and yellow fungus.”…”green fungus was earlier seen only as a “junior partner” in other infections… In the current patient, this fungus is acting as the aggressor.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-171-june-19-2021-coronavirus-a-34-year-old-man-a-covid-19-survivor-has-been-diagnosed-with-indias-first-known-case-of-green-fungus-infection/

POST 172. June 23, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Morgan Stanley chief executive James Gorman said: “If you can go into a restaurant in New York City, you can come into the office.”…”remote work can “dramatically undermine” the character and culture a company is attempting to build; and “virtually eliminates spontaneous learning and creativity.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-172-june-23-2021-coronavirus-morgan-stanley-chief-executive-james-gorman-said-if-you-can-go-into-a-restaurant-in-new-york-city-you-can-come-into-the-office-remote-work/

POST 173. June 26, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The daily toll of COVID-19, as measured by new cases and the growing number of deaths, overlooks a shadowy set of casualties: the rising risk of mental health problems among health care professionals working on the frontlines of the pandemic.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-173-june-26-2021-coronavirus-the-daily-toll-of-covid-19-as-measured-by-new-cases-and-the-growing-number-of-deaths-overlooks-a-shadowy-set-of-casualties-the-rising-risk-of-mental-h/

POST 174. July 1, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “..while the WHO is encouraging people to keep wearing masks even if they’re vaccinated, Dr. Anthony Fauci says it doesn’t look like the CDC currently plans to change its guidelines.” … health officials in Los Angeles recommended that “everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks indoors in public places as a precautionary measure.”..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-174-july-1-2021-coronavirus-while-the-who-is-encouraging-people-to-keep-wearing-masks-even-if-theyre-vaccinated-dr-anthony-fauci-says-it-doesnt-look-like-the-cdc-currently-pl/

POST 175. July 5, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Can a health care worker who is not against vaccines in general still harbor sincere concerns that scientists don’t yet know about all the side effects of these vaccines? Yes, says Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD — but those people should not work in health care.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-175-july-5-2021-coronavirus-can-a-health-care-worker-who-is-not-against-vaccines-in-general-still-harbor-sincere-concerns-that-scientists-dont-yet-know-about-all-the-side-ef/

POST 176. July 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Mercy Springfield ( Missouri) hospital…” ran out of ventilators for its patients over the Fourth of July weekend…”…“Mercy will require all current and future employees to be fully vaccinated.”…“The US government is deploying a Covid-19 surge team to provide public health support in southwest Missouri

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-176-july-9-2021-coronavirus-mercy-springfield-missouri-hospital-ran-out-of-ventilators-for-its-patients-over-the-fourth-of-july-weekend/

POST 177. July 12, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. the Delta variant is “the 2020 version of Covid-19 on steroids,”… “It is the most hypertransmissible, contagious version of the virus we’ve seen to date…it’s a superspreader strain if there ever was one .” but… now, there’s a Delta Plus variant…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-177-july-12-2021-coronavirus-the-delta-variant-is-the-2020-version-of-covid-19-on-steroids-it-is-the-most-hypertransmissible-contagious-version-of-the-vi/

POST 178. July 15, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Tennessee’s top vaccine official says she has been fired as punishment for doing her job in the face of political pushback.”..” More than 180 state and local public health leaders…have resigned, retired or been fired since April 1…”“Former President Trump and his GOP allies have stepped up attacks on Anthony Fauci…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-178-july-15-2021-coronavirus-tennessees-top-vaccine-official-says-she-has-been-fired-as-punishment-for-doing-her-job-in-the-face-of-political-pushback-more-tha/

POST 179. July 16, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “It, therefore, follows that the “harm principle” (“first, do no harm.”) can be used to justify compulsory vaccination programs in specific instances where the community interests or benefits are deemed to be significant.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-179-july-16-2021-coronavirus-it-therefore-follows-that-the-harm-principle-first-do-no-harm-can-be-used-to-justify-compulsory-vaccination-pro/

POST 180, July 20, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Most people will either get vaccinated, or have been previously infected, or they will get this Delta variant,”.. “And for most people who get this Delta variant, it’s going to be the most serious virus that they get in their lifetime in terms of the risk of putting them in the hospital,”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-180-july-20-2021-coronavirus-most-people-will-either-get-vaccinated-or-have-been-previously-infected-or-they-will-get-this-delta-variant-and-for-most-people-who-get-this-delta-vari/

POST 181. July 22, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Health experts fear the Tokyo Olympics could become a COVID-19 superspreader event.” “Whatever happens in Japan isn’t likely going to stay in Japan since all of the athletes and accompanying coaches and staff will be returning to their home countries.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-181-july-22-2021-coronavirus-health-experts-fear-the-tokyo-olympics-could-become-a-covid-19-superspreader-event-whatever-happens-in-japan-isnt-likely-goin/

POST 182. July 26, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R): “Folks supposed to have common sense.”…“But it’s time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks, not the regular folks. It’s the unvaccinated folks that are letting us down.” ““Beginning in mid-September, New York City will require all of its 340,000 municipal workers, including police, firefighters and teachers, to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or tested weekly.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-182-july-26-2021-coronavirus-alabama-gov-kay-ivey-r-folks-supposed-to-have-common-sense-but-its-time-to-start-blaming-the-unvaccinated-folks-not-the/

POST 183. July 29, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. When I was appointed President and CEO of Jersey City Medical Center in1989 in the peak of the HIV/ AIDS crisis, we had a dedicated, and always full, dedicated 60 bed AIDS unit, staffed by one full time nurse and numerous part-time and per diem nurses. Today, right now, hospitals caught in the Covid-19 surge, are forced to redeploy nursing staff, respiratory therapists and other clinicians, most without prior infectious diseases experience. Why are we tolerating the unvaccinated putting our hospital staffs at risk?

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-183-july-29-2021-coronavirus-when-i-was-appointed-president-and-ceo-of-jersey-city-medical-center-in1989-in-the-peak-of-the-hiv-aids-crisis-we-had-a-dedicated-and-always-full-dedicated-60/

POST 184. August 1, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The coronavirus could be “just a few mutations potentially away” from evolving into a variant that can evade existing COVID-19 vaccines, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said..” (A) “The Delta variant is more transmissible than the viruses that cause MERS, SARS, Ebola, the common cold, the seasonal flu and smallpox, and it is as contagious as chickenpox..” (I)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-184-august-1-2021-coronavirus-the-coronavirus-could-be-just-a-few-mutations-potentially-away-from-evolving-into-a-variant-that-can-evade-existing-covid-19-vaccines-cdc-director/

POST 185. August 6, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. ‘If you aren’t going to help, please get out of the way’: Biden turns up the pressure on GOP governors as Delta spreads”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-185-august-6-2021-coronavirus-if-you-arent-going-to-help-please-get-out-of-the-way-biden-turns-up-the-pressure-on-gop-governors-as-delta-spreads/

POST 186. August 8, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “One of the last things they do before they’re intubated is beg me for the vaccine. I hold their hand and tell them that I’m sorry, but it’s too late,” she added, referring to patients who have to be put on a ventilator.” (A) “There is no one definition of what the end of a pandemic means.”.. “The question of when the crisis will be over is a layered one — with different answers from local, national and global perspectives.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-186-august-8-2021-coronavirus-one-of-the-last-things-they-do-before-theyre-intubated-is-beg-me-for-the-vaccine-i-hold-their-hand-and-tell-them-that-im-sorry-but-i/

POST 187. August 11, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “As a result of the increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, the state of Florida requested 300 ventilators from the federal government.”… “An 11-month-old girl with Covid-19 is stable and no longer intubated one day after she was airlifted to a Texas hospital 150 miles away because of a shortage of pediatric beds in the Houston area.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-187-august-11-2021-coronavirus-as-a-result-of-the-increase-in-covid-19-cases-and-hospitalizations-the-state-of-florida-requested-300-ventilators-from-the-federal-government/

POST 188. August 15, 20201. CORONAVIRUS. “According to an internal CDC briefing….an estimated 1.1 million people have already gotten unauthorized booster shots…”….”If it is left up to the honor system, I think many Americans will suddenly wake up and find themselves immunocompromised enough to get a 3rd dose,”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-188-august-15-20201-coronavirus-according-to-an-internal-cdc-briefing-an-estimated-1-1-million-people-have-already-gotten-unauthorized-booster-shots/

POST 189. August 19,2021. CORONAVIRUS. “There wasn’t a single I.C.U. bed available in Alabama on Wednesday…”…”A triage plan on the Alabama health department’s website suggests that “persons with severe mental retardation” are among those who “may be poor candidates for ventilator support.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-189-august-192021-coronavirus-there-wasnt-a-single-i-c-u-bed-available-in-alabama-on-wednesdaya-triage-plan-on-the-alabama-health-depart/

POST 190, August 21, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “We’re looking, in essence, at running two systems — a COVID system and a non-COVID system of care,”..“Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and certified paramedics can now care for patients in Mississippi hospitals and emergency rooms under a new health office order issued by the Mississippi State Department of Health on Wednesday.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-190-august-21-2021-coronavirus-were-looking-in-essence-at-running-two-systems-a-covid-system-and-a-non-covid-system-of-care-emergency-medical/

POST 191. August 27, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Anthony Fauci, MD, chief medical advisor to the president and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, explained that late September gives the United States time to set up the logistics.” This is not medical science, but perhaps Political Science?

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-191-august-27-2021-coronavirus-anthony-fauci-md-chief-medical-advisor-to-the-president-and-director-of-the-national-institute-of-allergy-and-infectious-diseases-explained-that-lat/

POST 192. August 30, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Gov. John Bel Edwards on Hurricane Ida – “I hate to say it this way, but we have a lot of people on ventilators today and they don’t work without electricity,” he said.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-192-august-30-2021-coronavirus-gov-john-bel-edwards-on-hurricane-ida-i-hate-to-say-it-this-way-but-we-have-a-lot-of-people-on-ventilators-today-and-they-dont-work-withou/

POST 193. September 3, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Nurses are leaving their hospitals and becoming travel nurses at hospitals across town “because they can make $4,000, $5,000, $6,000, $7,000 a week while not having to relocate anywhere..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-193-september-3-2021-coronavirus-nurses-are-leaving-their-hospitals-and-becoming-travel-nurses-at-hospitals-across-town-because-they-can-make-4000-5000-6000-7000-a-week-wh/

POST 194. August 2, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Recently-released data is painting a grim picture of the opioid epidemic that has gripped the United States — as the country is still grappling with the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than half a million Americans. Some people are calling them twin pandemics that have collided”…“Faced with a novel health crisis, researchers are collecting data on the long-term impact of using opioids to treat COVID-19 pain…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-194-august-2-2021-coronavirus-recently-released-data-is-painting-a-grim-picture-of-the-opioid-epidemic-that-has-gripped-the-united-states-as-the-country-is-still-grappling/

POST 195. September 6, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “…there are “zero ICU beds left for children in Dallas County, Texas,”.,..”That means if your child’s in a car wreck, if your child has a congenital heart defect or something and needs an ICU bed, or more likely if they have Covid and need an ICU bed, we don’t have one. Your child will wait for another child to die… (county judge Clay Jenkins)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-195-september-6-2021-coronavirus-there-are-zero-icu-beds-left-for-children-in-dallas-county-texas-that-means-if-your-childs-in-a-car-wreck-if-your-child/

POST 196. SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. PART 1. Military helicopters and jets were overhead, as President Bush was getting ready to leave NYC. PART 2. LESSONS LEARNED memorandum by hospital CEO Jonathan Metsch goes “viral”…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-196-september-11-2021-september-11-2001-part-1-military-helicopters-and-jets-were-overhead-as-president-bush-was-getting-ready-to-leave-nyc-part-2-lessons-learned-memorandum-by-hospital/

POST 197. September 12, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Idaho officials have instituted “crisis standards of care” to help 10 hospitals and health care systems decide how to allocate personnel and resources to deal with a crush of COVID-19 patients.”… “The Washington Medical Coordination Center oversees facilitating transfers in the state, and it’s warning we could be nearing the point of “Crisis Standards of Care,” just like Idaho.” .. “These crisis models don’t actually save more lives, they just save different lives..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-197-september-12-2021-coronavirus-idaho-officials-have-instituted-crisis-standards-of-care-to-help-10-hospitals-and-health-care-systems-decide-how-to-allocate-personnel-and/

POST 198. September 15, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. A pundit said “The most elegant policy riposte to the anti-vaxxers… is to refuse to allow Medicare or Medicaid to pay their medical bills in the event they become seriously ill. Private health insurers might also follow suit.” (but is making our hospitals become the bill collectors right?)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-198-september-15-2021-coronavirus-a-pundit-said-the-most-elegant-policy-riposte-to-the-anti-vaxxers-is-to-refuse-to-allow-medicare-or-medicaid-to-pay-their-medical-bills-in/

POST 199. September 19, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Crisis Standards of Care. “… to his knowledge, no patient in Idaho has been taken off life-support therapy in order to provide that therapy to another patient who has a better prognosis.” “While that has yet to occur, if we continue on this path, it will,”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-199-september-19-2021-coronavirus-crisis-standards-of-care-to-his-knowledge-no-patient-in-idaho-has-been-taken-off-life-support-therapy-in-order-to-provide-that-therapy-t/

POST 200. September 23, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. CDC Director overrides a recommendation of its scientific advisors saying “that people can get a booster if they are ages 18 to 64 years and are health-care workers or have another job that puts them at increased risk of being exposed to the virus.”…“In a pandemic, even with uncertainty, we must take actions that we anticipate will do the greatest good.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-200-september-23-2021-coronavirus-cdc-director-overrides-a-recommendation-of-its-scientific-advisors-saying-that-people-can-get-a-booster-if-they-are-ages-18-to-64-years-and-are-heal/

POST 201. September 27, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “A multibillion-dollar institution in the Seattle area is sitting on nearly $12 billion in cash… received at least $509 million in government funds (from) a federal program that is supposed to prevent health care providers from capsizing during the coronavirus pandemic.”

“Based on our estimates…we find preventable COVID-19 hospitalizations cost $5.7 billion from June to August in 2021.”…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-201-september-27-2021-coronavirus-a-multibillion-dollar-institution-in-the-seattle-area-is-sitting-on-nearly-12-billion-in-cash-received-at-least-509-million-in-government/

POST 202. September 30, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “..NY Governor Hochul signed an executive order expanding healthcare worker eligibility requirements…to head off potential staffing shortages fueled by the state’s new COVID-19 vaccination requirements.” “The.. order allows out-of-state/ out-of-country healthcare workers to practice in New York…”..”It allows EMTs graduates to temporarily pitch in at additional healthcare settings; allows various types of healthcare workers to more easily administer and order COVID-19 vaccinations; enables telemedicine physician visits in nursing homes; permits facilities to more quickly discharge, transfer or receive patients…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-202-september-30-2021-coronavirus-ny-governor-hochul-signed-an-executive-order-expanding-healthcare-worker-eligibility-requirementsto-head-off-potential-staffing-shortages/

POST 203. October 3, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “.. more than 125,000 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in pregnant people, including more than 22,000 hospitalized cases and 161 deaths”…The risk is not just to the mother. Covid-19 in pregnancy can cause preterm birth or babies born so sick they have to go straight to the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU.” 

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-203-october-3-2021-coronavirus-more-than-125000-laboratory-confirmed-covid-19-cases-have-been-reported-in-pregnant-people-including-more-than-22000-hospitalized-cases-and-161-deaths/

POST 204. October 5, 2021.CORONAVIRUS. “News that an experimental antiviral drug from Merck appears to halve the risk of hospitalization or death from Covid-19 has bolstered hopes of finding a simple at-home treatment for the virus.”..” A more blunt assessment came from vaccine scientist Dr. Peter Hotez of Baylor College of Medicine’s National School of Tropical Medicine. “It’s not a miracle cure but a companion tool, So get vaccinated.””

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-204-october-5-2021-coronavirus-news-that-an-experimental-antiviral-drug-from-merck-appears-to-halve-the-risk-of-hospitalization-or-death-from-covid-19-has-bolstered-hopes-of-finding-a/

POST 205. October 11, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. The AAP reported nearly 226,000 new child cases over the past week ending. “Hospital care for children does not occur in isolation from that of adults. Many of the resources we use are the same—a twenty-pound baby and a two-hundred-pound man might use the same kind of ventilator, for example. Dialysis machines, which could cleanse a seven-year-old’s blood as easily as his grandfather’s, are in high demand. Pediatric resident physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists get cross-deployed to care for adults during the surges.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-205-october-11-2021-coronavirus-the-aap-reported-nearly-226000-new-child-cases-over-the-past-week-ending-hospital-care-for-children-does-not-occur-in-isolation-from-that-of-adults/

POST 206. October 15, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. to borrow from Winston Churchill about where we are with the pandemic –  “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-206-october-15-2021-coronavirus-to-borrow-from-winston-churchill-about-where-we-are-with-the-pandemic-now-this-is-not-the-end-it-is-not-even-the-beginning-of-the-end-but-it-is/

POST 207. October 17, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “…if you choose your own unauthorized booster shot, what happens if later research proves a different combination is better? That’s why experts say it’s a bad idea to become your own vaccine advisory committee and get a shot out of turn.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-207-october-17-2021-coronavirus-if-you-choose-your-own-unauthorized-booster-shot-what-happens-if-later-research-proves-a-different-combination-is-better-thats-why/

POST 208. October 22, 2021, CORONAVIRUS. “What is the “delta plus” variant?” Scientists are monitoring the delta-related variant — known as AY.4.2. — to see if it might spread more easily or be more deadly than previous versions of the coronavirus.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-208-october-22-2021-coronavirus-what-is-the-delta-plus-variant-scientists-are-monitoring-the-delta-related-variant-known-as-ay-4-2-to/

POST 209. October 28, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The quest at Mount Sinai began with a mystery.”…”America was not simply struggling to contain a once-in-a-century pandemic, caused by a virus far more dangerous than seasonal influenza. Many patients were, for unknown reasons, not recovering.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-209-october-28-2021-coronavirus-the-quest-at-mount-sinai-began-with-a-mystery-america-was-not-simply-struggling-to-contain-a-once-in-a-century-pandemic-ca/

POST 210. October 31, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Some people want the FDA to speed up. Others want it to be more cautious…There’s a fundamental tension between the right to get access to a drug people are desperate for and the right to protection from dangerous failures of quality. The first demands speed; the second requires time…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-210-october-31-2021-coronavirus-some-people-want-the-fda-to-speed-up-others-want-it-to-be-more-cautioustheres-a-fundamental-tension-between-the-right-to-get-access/

POST 211. November 4, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Colorado – “…there are patients who really ought to be in an intensive care unit but instead they’re in an emergency room. Or they ought to be in a step-down unit but instead they’re on the floor. Or they ought to be getting one-to-one nursing, and instead they’re getting two-to-one, or three-to-one nursing….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/11/post-211-november-4-2021-coronavirus-colorado-there-are-patients-who-really-ought-to-be-in-an-intensive-care-unit-but-instead-theyre-in-an-emergency-room-or-they-ough/

POST 212. November 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “They went into hospitals with heart attacks, kidney failure or in a psychiatric crisis. They left with covid-19…” “A new report shows the coronavirus pandemic had a direct increase on the number of healthcare-acquired infections in hospitals nationwide.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/11/post-212-november-9-2021-coronavirus-they-went-into-hospitals-with-heart-attacks-kidney-failure-or-in-a-psychiatric-crisis-they-left-with-covid-19-a-new-repor/

POST 213. November 13, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Since the earliest days of the pandemic, there has been one collective goal for bringing it to an end: achieving herd immunity…Now the herd is restless. And experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have set aside herd immunity as a national goal.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/11/post-213-november-13-2021-coronavirus-since-the-earliest-days-of-the-pandemic-there-has-been-one-collective-goal-for-bringing-it-to-an-end-achieving-herd-immunity-now-the-herd-is-rest/

POST 214. November 20, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “This virus is doing what this virus does,” said Michael Osterholm… “We don’t understand why surges start, we don’t understand why they end.” (A)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/11/post-214-november-20-2021-coronavirus-this-virus-is-doing-what-this-virus-does-said-michael-osterholm-we-dont-understand-why-surges-start-we-dont-understand-why-they-en/

POST 215. November 26, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Dr. Fauci on the new South African variant: “It’s not going to be possible to keep this infection out of the country. The question is: Can you slow it down?”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/11/post-215-november-26-2021-coronavirus-dr-fauci-on-the-new-south-african-variant-its-not-going-to-be-possible-to-keep-this-infection-out-of-the-country-the-question-is-can-you/

POST 216. December 1, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Covid cacophony: as states struggle to address health care staffing shortages, a federal court puts Biden administration health care worker vaccination mandate on hold. 

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-216-december-1-2021-coronavirus-covid-cacophony-as-states-struggle-to-address-health-care-staffing-shortages-a-federal-court-puts-biden-administration-health-care-worker-vaccination-mandate/

POST 217. December 3, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. President Biden Announces New Actions to Protect Americans Against the Delta and Omicron Variants as We Battle COVID-⁠19 this Winter

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-217-december-3-2021-coronavirus-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-protect-americans-against-the-delta-and-omicron-variants-as-we-battle-covid-%e2%81%a019-this-winter/

POST 218. December 5, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “In some ways, Delta is the ideal variant: It’s transmissible enough to dominate more dangerous variants, and its virulence can be controlled through vaccination. In the next few weeks, we’ll find out whether Omicron will have its own silver lining—or whether it’ll be catastrophically worse.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-218-december-5-2021-coronavirus-in-some-ways-delta-is-the-ideal-variant-its-transmissible-enough-to-dominate-more-dangerous-variants-and-its-virulence-can-be-controlled-t/

POST 219. December 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Entering uncharted territory, the U.S. counts 500,000 Covid-related deaths.”… “So yes, I am furious at the unvaccinated, and I am not ashamed of disclosing that. I am no longer trying to understand them or educate them.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-219-december-9-2021-coronavirus-entering-uncharted-territory-the-u-s-counts-500000-covid-related-deaths-so-yes-i-am-furious-at-the-unvaccinated-and-i/

POST 220 December 13, 2021. CORONAVIRUS.  Dr. Osterholm. “You cannot outrun the game clock with this pandemic. This virus will find you… We’ve seen health care systems virtually broken by this pandemic. They just couldn’t provide critical care to non-Covid patients.” (A)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-220-december-13-2021-coronavirus-dr-osterholm-you-cannot-outrun-the-game-clock-with-this-pandemic-this-virus-will-find-you-weve-seen-health-care-systems-virtually/

POST 221. December 18, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Johnson & Johnson’s Covid vaccine was going to be a shot for the world. Now, under the weight of a mountain of bad PR, one wonders if the world will want it.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-221-december-18-2021-coronavirus-johnson-johnsons-covid-vaccine-was-going-to-be-a-shot-for-the-world-now-under-the-weight-of-a-mountain-of-bad-pr-one-wonders-if-the-wor-2/

POST 222. December 20, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. So why my “inside baseball” focus on COVID-19 from the perspective of a retired hospital CEO?

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-222-december-20-2021-coronavirus-so-why-my-inside-baseball-focus-on-covid-19-from-the-perspective-of-a-retired-hospital-ceo/

POST 223. December 28, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Links for a case study of Crisis Standards of Care.

POST 224. December 29, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “crisis standards of care protocols in Maryland – “It also allows us to slim down documentation,… allows unconventional staffing models such as using nurses that have not been bedside. It also sets the expectations for the community that it’s not business as usual.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-224-december-29-2021-coronavirus-crisis-standards-of-care-protocols-in-maryland-it-also-allows-us-to-slim-down-documentation-allows-unconventional-staffing-models-such/

POST 225. January 3, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Be first, be right, be credible,” are among the most important principles for health authorities to follow in a crisis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shared in a pamphlet on crisis communication in 2018….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-225-january-3-2021-coronavirus-be-first-be-right-be-credible-are-among-the-most-important-principles-for-health-authorities-to-follow-in-a-crisis-the-centers-for-disease/

Post 226. January 5, 2022. CORONAVIRUS.  New York City – “The city’s ambulance corps are so understaffed because of the COVID-19 surge, they’re now under new orders to try to convince stable patients with flu-like symptoms not to go to the hospital.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-226-january-5-2022-coronavirus-new-york-city-the-citys-ambulance-corps-are-so-understaffed-because-of-the-covid-19-surge-theyre-now-under-new-orders-to-try-to-c/

POST 227. January 10, 2020. CORONAVIRUS.  “Stay indoors. But also return in person. Wear a mask. Not that one. The expensive one, that you can’t find. Take rapid tests. Which you also can’t find. But if you find them, don’t buy them. Rapid tests don’t work. You need PCR. There are zero appointments in your area.” (F)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-227-january-10-2020-coronavirus-stay-indoors-but-also-return-in-person-wear-a-mask-not-that-one-the-expensive-one-that-you-cant-find-take-rapid-tests-which-you-also/

POST 228. January 13, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “State officials are attempting to address California’s staffing shortage through a sweeping policy change that allows asymptomatic healthcare workers who have tested positive for the coronavirus to return to work immediately.” “Asymptomatic health professionals who had tested positive for COVID-19 should “preferably be assigned to work with COVID positive patients.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-228-january-13-2022-coronavirus-state-officials-are-attempting-to-address-californias-staffing-shortage-through-a-sweeping-policy-change-that-allows-asymptomatic-healthcare/

POST 229. January 16, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “It is now highly unlikely that the U.S. will hit the ~85-90% of Americans vaccinated to get to the other side of the pandemic…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-229-january-16-2020-coronavirus-it-is-now-highly-unlikely-that-the-u-s-will-hit-the-85-90-of-americans-vaccinated-to-get-to-the-other-side-of-the-pandemic/

POST 230. January 20, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “Dr. Fauci also said that the world is still in the first of what he considered to be the five phases of the pandemic. The first is the “truly pandemic” phase, “where the whole world is really very negatively impacted,” followed by deceleration, control, elimination and eradication.”…to paraphrase Churchill – “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”..

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-230-january-20-2022-coronavirus-dr-fauci-also-said-that-the-world-is-still-in-the-first-of-what-he-considered-to-be-the-five-phases-of-the-pandemic-the-first-is-the-truly/

POST 231. January 24, 202. CORONAVIRUS. “Florida’s top public health official in Orlando has been placed on administrative leave after sending an email to his employees noting their lackluster coronavirus vaccination rates and urging them to get the shots.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-231-january-24-202-coronavirus-floridas-top-public-health-official-in-orlando-has-been-placed-on-administrative-leave-after-sending-an-email-to-his-employees-noting-their-la/

POST 232. January 28, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “A Boston hospital’s denial of a heart transplant to a man who is unvaccinated for Covid-19 has generated national attention, but experts say mandating vaccines is in keeping with other long-standing requirements that patients have to meet to receive an organ — including getting other shots…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-232-january-28-2022-coronavirus-a-boston-hospitals-denial-of-a-heart-transplant-to-a-man-who-is-unvaccinated-for-covid-19-has-generated-national-attention-but-experts-say-m/

POST 233. February 2, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “The same virus can cause endemic, epidemic or pandemic infections: it depends on the interplay of a population’s behaviour, demographic structure, susceptibility and immunity, plus whether viral variants emerge.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/02/post-233-february-2-2022-coronavirus-the-same-virus-can-cause-endemic-epidemic-or-pandemic-infections-it-depends-on-the-interplay-of-a-populations-behaviour-demographic-struct/

POST 234. February 2, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell demanded an end to the COVID-19 state of emergency on Wednesday , saying it was time for Americans to get on with their lives after two years on a ‘hellish highway.’”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/02/post-234-february-2-2022-coronavirus-senate-republican-leader-mitch-mcconnell-demanded-an-end-to-the-covid-19-state-of-emergency-on-wednesday-saying-it-was-time-for-americans-to-get-on/

POST 235. February 17, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Over time, the U.S. health care sector has implemented various pieces of the  (pandemic) safety-assessment-and-improvement puzzle, but it has not instituted a thorough system of safety that reaches from the boardroom to the front lines and that can be maintained during times of crisis.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/02/post-235-february-17-2020-coronavirus-over-time-the-u-s-health-care-sector-has-implemented-various-pieces-of-the-pandemic-safety-assessment-and-improvement-puzzle-but-it-has-no/

POST 236. February 22, 2021. CORONAVIRUS.  MOUNT SINAI AT HOME – “We began thinking about how we could use hospital-at-home to meet the needs of our hospital system in our community, in terms of responding to the crisis of COVID-19…” 

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/02/post-236-february-23-2021-mount-sinai-at-home-we-began-thinking-about-how-we-could-use-hospital-at-home-to-meet-the-needs-of-our-hospital-system-in-our-community-in-terms-of-responding/

POST 237. February 27, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Decision-makers are increasingly embracing the reality that we will have to “learn to live with” the coronavirus. But how will they know when to impose or lift restrictions?”  “Now, the CDC’s “Covid-19 community level” metrics are based on three pieces of data in a community: new Covid-19 hospitalizations, hospital capacity and new Covid-19 cases.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/02/post-237-february-27-2020-coronavirus-decision-makers-are-increasingly-embracing-the-reality-that-we-will-have-to-learn-to-live-with-the-coronavirus-but-how-will-they-k/

POST 238. March 5, 2022, CORONAVIRUS. “Two different scientists can look at the same set of data and come up with different conclusions. That’s not to say that one person is being unscientific or ignoring the scientific process,” said Leana Wen, an emergency physician and a professor at George Washington University. “Public health policy is also a measure of values.””

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/03/post-238-march-5-2022-coronavirus-two-different-scientists-can-look-at-the-same-set-of-data-and-come-up-with-different-conclusions-thats-not-to-say-that-one-person-is-being-unscientific-or-ig/

POST 239. March 9, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “War is an infectious disease’s best friend,” says Michael Osterholm, “It challenges every public health program you can possibly have. It limits the medical care available for those who might be seriously ill, and often fosters transmission when so many people are crowded into bomb shelter locations and on trains. This is going to be the perfect storm of one serious challenge after another.” (E)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/03/post-239-march-9-2022-coronavirus-war-is-an-infectious-diseases-best-friend-says-michael-osterholm-it-challenges-every-public-health-program-you-can-possibly/

POST 240. March 15, 2022. ““China is modifying its Covid-19 playbook amid a surge in cases as it seeks to avoid strains on its healthcare system.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/03/post-240-march-15-2022-china-is-modifying-its-covid-19-playbook-amid-a-surge-in-cases-as-it-seeks-to-avoid-strains-on-its-healthcare-system/

POST 241. March 20, 2022, CORONAVIRUS. Dr. Ashish Jha will serve as the new White House COVID-19 response coordinator.” He is not, for the record, a virologist, immunologist, or vaccinologist…But he is a public health expert and a practicing internist, which means he has years of experience explaining complicated and often incomplete information to people who neither know nor care about the correct pronunciation of “adenovirus.” That’s who he imagines on the other end of his webcam.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/03/post-241-march-20-2022-coronavirus-dr-ashish-jha-will-serve-as-the-new-white-house-covid-19-response-coordinator-he-is-not-for-the-record-a-virologist-immunologist-or-vaccinologist/

POST 242. March 24, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “How worried should people be about the BA.2 variant? Will vaccines protect against it? What if someone contracted a previous variant — could they become reinfected? Is BA.2 milder than previous versions, and if so, should people try to get it? Could BA.2 cause another surge in the US, and is it time for restrictions to be put back into place?”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/03/post-242-march-24-2022-coronavirus-how-worried-should-people-be-about-the-ba-2-variant-will-vaccines-protect-against-it-what-if-someone-contracted-a-previous-variant-could-they-becom/

POST 243. March 28, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “…the US Food and Drug Administration is planning authorize a fourth dose of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines for adults over age 50 next week.”…”The decision to make fourth doses available now will bypass independent groups of scientific advisers for both the FDA and CDC, which would normally meet and publicly review the available science and then make recommendations to the agencies.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/03/post-243-march-28-2022-coronavirus-the-us-food-and-drug-administration-is-planning-authorize-a-fourth-dose-of-the-pfizer-and-moderna-mrna-vaccines-for-adults-over-age-50-next-wee/

POST 244. April 4, 2022.CORONAVIRUS. “Here’s a scary thought: America’s ability to face the pandemic’s next phase may depend on a handful of senators.”…. “When the end of the COVID-19 pandemic comes, it could create major disruptions for a cumbersome U.S. health care system made more generous, flexible and up-to-date technologically through a raft of temporary emergency measures.”
https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/04/post-244-april-4-2022-coronavirus-heres-a-scary-thought-americas-ability-to-face-the-pandemics-next-phase-may-depend-on-a-handful-of-senators/

POST 245. April 10, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. We can’t react to a wave we don’t see coming. “I keep thinking back to this idea of If we don’t measure it, it won’t happen,”…(As President Donald Trump once put it, “If we stop testing, we’d have fewer cases.”) In reality, “it’s very well happening, and we just don’t see it yet.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/04/post-245-april-10-2022-coronavirus-we-cant-react-to-a-wave-we-dont-see-coming-i-keep-thinking-back-to-this-idea-of-if-we-dont-measure-it-it-wont-happ/

April 10, 2022

for links to POSTs 1-244 in chronological order highlight and click on

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/04/coronavirus-tracking-links-to-posts-1-244/

“After five surges, and with vaccines and treatments widely available, it’s human nature to want to believe the job is done,” writes Dr. Ranney, an emergency medicine physician and academic dean at Brown University School of Public Health in Providence, R.I. “In reality, our healthcare system is in no better shape today than it was two years ago — and, in fact, it might be in worse condition.”..

“Our healthcare infrastructure should be a concern of national security. We need supply chains that work; staffing that is adequate not just during times of calm but also during moments of crisis; data systems that allow us to identify the surges before they overwhelm us; and a public health environment that not just preserves beds for emergencies but also allows us to prevent and treat disease and injury before they become a disaster,” Dr. Ranney said.” (G)

“When the end of the COVID-19 pandemic comes, it could create major disruptions for a cumbersome U.S. health care system made more generous, flexible and up-to-date technologically through a raft of temporary emergency measures.

Winding down those policies could begin as early as the summer. That could force an estimated 15 million Medicaid recipients to find new sources of coverage, require congressional action to preserve broad telehealth access for Medicare enrollees, and scramble special COVID-19 rules and payment policies for hospitals, doctors and insurers. There are also questions about how emergency use approvals for COVID-19 treatments will be handled.

The array of issues is tied to the coronavirus public health emergency first declared more than two years ago and periodically renewed since then. It’s set to end April 16 and the expectation is that the Biden administration will extend it through mid-July. Some would like a longer off-ramp…

MEDICAID CHURN

Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for low-income people, is covering about 79 million people, a record partly due to the pandemic.

But the nonpartisan Urban Institute think tank estimates that about 15 million people could lose Medicaid when the public health emergency ends, at a rate of at least 1 million per month.

Congress increased federal Medicaid payments to states because of COVID-19, but it also required states to keep people on the rolls during the health emergency. In normal times states routinely disenroll Medicaid recipients whose incomes rise beyond certain levels, or for other life changes affecting eligibility. That process will switch on again when the emergency ends, and some states are eager to move forward…

TELEHEALTH STATIC

Millions of Americans discovered telehealth in 2020 when coronavirus shutdowns led to the suspension of routine medical consultations. In-person visits are again the norm, but telehealth has shown its usefulness and gained broader acceptance.

The end of the public health emergency would jeopardize telehealth access for millions enrolled in traditional Medicare. Restrictions predating COVID-19 limit telehealth mainly to rural residents, in part to mitigate against health care fraud. Congress has given itself 151 days after the end of the public health emergency to come up with new rules….

TESTS, VACCINES, TREATMENTS, PAYMENTS & PROCEDURES

Widespread access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments rests on legal authority connected to the public health emergency.

One example is the Biden administration’s requirement for insurers to cover up to eight free at-home COVID-19 tests per month.

An area that’s particularly murky is what happens to tests, treatments and vaccines covered under emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration.

Some experts say emergency use approvals last only through the duration of the public health emergency. Others say it’s not as simple as that, because a different federal emergency statute also applies to vaccines, tests and treatments. There’s no clear direction yet from health officials….

But hospitals could take a financial hit. Currently Medicare pays them 20% more for the care of COVID-19 patients. That’s only for the duration of the emergency.” (A)

“Here’s a scary thought: America’s ability to face the pandemic’s next phase may depend on a handful of senators.

The talks between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) entered their most urgent stage yet on Wednesday, as the two spearhead an effort to allocate $15.6 billion to fight the pandemic. The Democratic leader and Republican centrist convened a larger group on Wednesday afternoon to see if there is a real chance at a bipartisan bill before the April 9 congressional recess; the meeting broke without a deal but a vow to keep talking.

Lawmakers already disagreed on how, exactly, to claw back cash from unused pots of money that Congress dispensed earlier in the pandemic, which they want to use to bankroll the new funding. But there’s also a more philosophical divide that is proving more complicated: The two parties don’t agree on how urgent it is to come up with more money during the current coronavirus lull. With those underlying problems, it’s a big question mark if Schumer and Romney can get the needed 10 Republican senators to sign on.

Senate Democrats insist that every day without action counts, as the country needs to gear up with more therapeutics, testing and vaccines. Schumer said Wednesday that the consequences of failure are “really serious, scary almost.” In remarks on Wednesday afternoon, President Joe Biden said the nation is “running a risk” if Congress doesn’t act quickly, warning testing capacity will be exhausted by the end of June and that vaccine and therapeutic supplies are also dwindling as the year drags on.” (B)

“Senate Democrats and Republicans neared agreement to slash an emergency coronavirus response package to $10 billion from $15.6 billion, as they worked to break a logjam over a stalled package of federal money urgently requested by President Biden for vaccines, therapeutics and preparation against future variants.

The day after Mr. Biden pleaded with Congress to approve the money, senators on Thursday were discussing removing as much as $5 billion in aid for the global vaccination effort as they scrambled to resolve disputes over how to finance the package. Republicans have refused to devote any new funding to the federal pandemic response effort, arguing that unspent money that has already been approved should be used, but the two parties have been unable to agree on which programs should be tapped.

Without that consensus, it was not clear that they would have the votes to move forward in the evenly divided Senate, where 60 votes — including at least 10 Republicans — would be needed.

The package now under consideration would be less than half the White House’s original $22.5 billion request.

At a news conference, the White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said the president had been clear about the urgent need for aid, adding that “we’re very hopeful that Congress is going to come to a solution.”

Asked about the possibility that funding for global efforts could be removed, she avoided saying that Mr. Biden would oppose a package without that aid. But, Ms. Bedingfield noted, “We’re not going to be able to put this pandemic behind us until we stop the spread and proliferation of new variants globally.”..

Under the emerging deal, Mr. Romney, said, most of the $10 billion would be repurposed from the $1.9 trillion pandemic law Democrats muscled through without Republican support last March. But direct funds for state and local governments would likely not be touched, after Democrats balked at this money being clawed back. Mr. Romney said negotiators had discussed taking back some funding from a program that allowed states to give grants to local businesses…

Efforts to tuck the aid into a $1.5 trillion spending package Mr. Biden signed into law earlier this month collapsed when rank-and-file Democrats and governors objected to claiming $7 billion that was supposed to go to state governments to help finance the package. Mr. Biden has warned that without another round of aid from Congress, his administration would be forced to scale back the nation’s pandemic response, jeopardizing its ability to be prepared for another variant or wave of infections.” (C)

“Romney said the $10 billion package would be “entirely balanced by offsets.”..

Republicans have insisted for months that any additional COVID relief funding would have to come out of unused pandemic relief money that Congress approved back in 2020 and 2021.

The $10 billion top line number is significantly less than the more than $22 billion the Biden administration initially requested and less than the $15.6 billion Congress was on the cusp of approving earlier in March…

Half of the new funds will be used for therapeutics, Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, a key negotiator, told reporters Thursday. The other half would be distributed to the Department of Health and Human Services for use with “broad discretion” as to how it will be spent on COVID-centric needs like research.

Blunt said that among the ways the bill is expected to be paid for is by clawing back $2.2 billion appropriated for shuttered performing arts venues, including “zoos and theaters.” The bill would also reprogram more than $2 billion originally intended for aviation manufacturing.

As of Thursday, no legislative text had been written.” (D)

“Gov. Andy Beshear has been toting oversize checks around his state in recent weeks, handing them out to city and county officials for desperately needed water improvements.

The tiny city of Mortons Gap got $109,000 to bring running water to six families who do not have it. The people of Martin County, whose water has been too contaminated to drink since a coal slurry spill two decades ago, got $411,000. The checks bear Mr. Beshear’s signature, but the money comes from the federal government, part of a huge infusion of coronavirus relief aid that is helping to fuel record budget surpluses in Kentucky and many other states.

Therein lies a Washington controversy. The funds, which Congress approved at a moment when the pandemic was still raging, are allowed to be used for far broader purposes than combating the virus, including water projects like those in Kentucky. Most states will get another round of “fiscal recovery funds” — part of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan — next month…

The rescue plan set aside $195 billion to help states recover from the economic and health effects of the pandemic. When Mr. Biden made his initial aid request, senior lawmakers in both parties negotiated a plan to pay for it partly by taking back $7 billion from states, as part of a $1.5 trillion spending bill…

Congress specified four broad purposes for the money: to respond to the pandemic’s health and economic impacts; to provide bonus pay to essential workers; to prevent cuts in public services; and to invest in sewer, water or broadband infrastructure. But states can also use the funds to replace lost revenues, which gives them great flexibility in spending the money.

Arkansas, for instance, has awarded $374,000 to a rape crisis center; $6.3 million to the Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault; and another $6.3 million to the Arkansas Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs. But the bulk of the money has gone toward improving broadband access and addressing the needs of the health care system.

“The Omicron variant came in, cases skyrocketed, hospitals filled up and so we had to utilize a significant amount of our ARPA money for expanding hospital space, home testing and other public health response,” said Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, using the acronym for the rescue plan. “So that’s obviously the first responsibility, and then we looked at these other needs.”

Other states are using the money in ways that are only tangentially related to Covid-19, but that are permissible under guidelines issued by the Treasury Department.

Alabama devoted $400 million of its allocation, or roughly one-fifth, to building two new prisons, despite a public outcry from advocates for racial justice and civil liberties. Florida devoted $2 billion, nearly one-quarter of its $8.8 billion allotment, to highway construction — a decision that has drawn criticism from the nonpartisan Florida Policy Institute.

“The intended purpose of the American Rescue Plan Act dollars was to ensure that individuals and communities could recover from the pandemic, and I think in many ways there were better uses for this money,” said Esteban Leonardo Santis, the group’s tax and revenue analyst.

Twenty states, including Kentucky, spent a total of $15 billion to build up their depleted unemployment insurance trust funds. Independent analysts say that is effectively a tax break for businesses, which otherwise may have had to make up for the lost revenues. But Mr. Beshear defended it, saying that Kentucky businesses stepped up during the pandemic. A local Toyota plant made face shields, and bourbon distillers manufactured hand sanitizer, he said…”  (E)

“The official in charge of Covid relief tells NBC News’ Lester Holt that programs like PPP were structured in ways that were “an invitation” to fraudsters.

They bought Lamborghinis, Ferraris and Bentleys. And Teslas, of course. Lots of Teslas.

Many who participated in what prosecutors are calling the largest fraud in U.S. history — the theft of hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer money intended to help those harmed by the coronavirus pandemic — couldn’t resist purchasing luxury automobiles. Also mansions, private jet flights and swanky vacations.

They came into their riches by participating in what experts say is the theft of as much as $80 billion — or about 10 percent — of the $800 billion handed out in a Covid relief plan known as the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP. That’s on top of the $90 billion to $400 billion believed to have been stolen from the $900 billion Covid unemployment relief program — at least half taken by international fraudsters — as NBC News reported last year. And another $80 billion potentially pilfered from a separate Covid disaster relief program.

The prevalence of Covid relief fraud has been known for some time, but the enormous scope and its disturbing implications are only now becoming clear…

Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who oversees Covid relief spending, told “NBC Nightly News” anchor Lester Holt in an exclusive interview that Covid relief programs were structured in ways that made them ripe for plunder.

“The Small Business Administration, in sending that money out, basically said to people, ‘Apply and sign and tell us that you’re really entitled to the money,’” said Horowitz, the chair of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee. “And, of course, for fraudsters, that’s an invitation. … What didn’t happen was even minimal checks to make sure that the money was getting to the right people at the right time.”..

No one is sure exactly how much was stolen. An academic paper released last year estimated at least $76 billion in potential fraud, and the authors said that was conservative.” (F)

“As vaccine makers seek authorization for a fourth dose of their Covid vaccines in America, existing delays with vaccination and a lack of federal funding could slow the next booster rollout across the country, experts say.

“We’re way behind the eight-ball,” said Eric Topol, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute. The rollout of the first round of boosters, authorized in the US last fall, “just fell off the cliff”, with many Americans still not realizing they are eligible or that the booster is recommended.

With a potential second booster on the horizon for vulnerable groups, the Biden administration is still struggling to drum up American public interest in additional shots – and funding from Congress to pay for Covid initiatives.

“We’re out of money pretty much for the pandemic spending, which is terrifying because we don’t know what’s coming around the corner,” said Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist at the University of Illinois Chicago.

Pfizer-BioNtech asked the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 15 March for another round of boosters for those 65 and up, while Moderna went a step further and asked on 17 March for more boosters among those 18 and up to give the FDA “flexibility” in considering who would benefit from additional shots, including vulnerable younger people, the company said.

The doses in question would be the original formulation of the vaccines. Omicron-specific vaccines are still in the trial phase, but scientists believe updating the vaccines as the virus evolves could broaden immune responses to future variants.

A $15bn funding package for testing, treatment, vaccines and more was cut unexpectedly from an omnibus spending bill in Congress on 9 March.

Health officials spoke to Democratic senators about the urgent need for Covid funding in a meeting on Wednesday, Politico reports, but the plan may meet with opposition: Republicans, who were not at the meeting, say the White House’s $22.5bn request must be accompanied with equal cuts to government spending elsewhere.

There is enough funding to give fourth doses of the vaccines to immunocompromised people, who already qualify for the shots, and for those over 65, if the shot is authorized for them in coming weeks, the coronavirus response coordinator, Jeff Zients, said at a White House briefing on Wednesday.

But wider booster campaigns would not have funding under the current budget shortfalls, and first- and second-shot campaigns could also be affected in the longer term.

The funding collapse may also affect future research on updated vaccines and treatments. “Maybe we will see a new variant that’s escaped all of these, and we need a new vaccine,” Wallace said. Without funding to create and then distribute the updated vaccines, “that is going to be an issue”.” (H)

“Pfizer’s new COVID-19 treatment came with a catch when it debuted late last year: Supplies were limited, and it can take months to make the tablets.

Company leaders say they are expanding production and expect big gains in the next several months. That could help if another wave of cases develops.

The U.S. government distributes Paxlovid, the first pill authorized to treat the coronavirus. White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients said Wednesday that the government will have 1 million treatment courses available this month. He expects that to more than double in April.

Pfizer Chief Global Supply Officer Mike McDermott says there is “an ample amount” of Paxlovid available for high-risk patients who need it.

Physicians also have several other treatment options, including a less effective capsule treatment from Merck that U.S. regulators say should be considered only if other options aren’t available or appropriate.

Dr. Raymund Razonable of the Mayo Clinic said Paxlovid supplies would have to increase if another surge materializes that’s as big as the one caused recently by the omicron variant.

Why does it take so long to make Paxlovid?

The short answer: It’s a complex drug that involves chemical reactions that need time to develop.

Pfizer’s manufacturing experts compare Paxlovid to a complicated Lego model where key parts are made at different locations and then brought together and combined.

The initial building blocks can take up to three months to make. Some chemical reactions need days to develop at a controlled temperature and pressure.

“If you put it all in together very quickly, it can all go wrong,” said Charlotte Allerton, Pfizer’s head of medicine design.

Those initial building blocks are shipped to another location that makes the main part of the drug, the active ingredient. Tack on another three months for that process.

Then the ingredient heads to an additional location that turns it into tablets and packages the medicine. That can take six weeks. Add another week for quality checks and testing.

Paxlovid production involves more than 20 different sites in over 10 countries.” (I)

“The federal program that reimburses pharmacies, clinics, doctors, hospitals and other providers for testing and treating the uninsured for Covid-19 stopped accepting new claims last week due to insufficient funds. And it will cease taking new claims for vaccinating the uninsured on April 5.

The end of this program — which launched in the early days of the pandemic — makes it tougher for the nation’s 31 million uninsured residents to contend with Covid-19. While some access to free services continues, many uninsured Americans will now have to shell out money to get a coronavirus test or receive treatment if they are sick.

Vaccinations should still be provided free of charge since the federal government pre-purchased all the vaccines, said Jennifer Tolbert, associate director for the Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured at the Kaiser Family Foundation. Providers have been able to apply for reimbursement for administering the shot.

The federal program’s cessation is expected to hit more than just the uninsured, especially if the US experiences another Covid-19 surge.

“Some patients will end up not getting these lifesaving vaccines, treatments or being able to identify if they have had any type of exposure, which is going to harm these vulnerable individuals and impact our nation’s safety and protection against Covid-19,” said Audrey Richardson, policy analyst at Families USA, a consumer health advocacy group.” (J)

“The next wave of Covid-19 is coming, and in some parts of the United States, it’s already here. Are you ready?

The culprit this time is BA.2, a subvariant of the highly infectious Omicron variant. Nobody knows for sure how much havoc it will cause, but BA.2 has already led to a surge of cases in Europe and is now the dominant version of the coronavirus in the United States and around the world.

Researchers are tracking an uptick in cases in the United States, and they’ve detected a rise in the viral particles recovered from nearly 150 wastewater-surveillance sites. Because people can shed the coronavirus even if they never develop symptoms, pieces of the virus collected in wastewater can serve as advance warning several days before official case counts rise, said Bronwyn MacInnis, who directs pathogen genomic surveillance at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Mass. Over the past two weeks, Dr. MacInnis’s group has seen a rapid increase in levels of the BA.2 subvariant in the Northeast.

“I don’t think we’re looking at a crazy lockdown scenario in this part of the world with BA.2,” Dr. MacInnis said. “But we can’t be sure that we won’t have another curveball from this virus in the future.”

American health officials have said they are hopeful that BA.2 won’t cause another major surge, in part because so many people were infected by the original Omicron wave this winter and most likely have at least some natural or vaccine immunity to protect them against severe illness and hospitalization.

But other variables could turn the BA.2 wave into a more damaging surge. One concern is that less than 70 percent of Americans over 65 have had a first booster shot, leaving a large group vulnerable, said Dr. Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research in La Jolla, Calif. And for many people who got their booster shots in the fall, immune protection may be waning. Unvaccinated people who are counting on natural immunity from a previous infection by a different variant should know that BA.2 can easily sidestep those fading immune defenses.

And then there’s the question of whether pandemic fatigue will prevent some people from taking reasonable precautions, like wearing masks and social distancing, when Covid numbers start to rise in their area.

“We know how to manage it,” said Dr. Robert Wachter, a professor and the chair of the medicine department at the University of California, San Francisco. “But the big caveat will be that there are lots of parts of the country that will not go back into careful mode. It’s wishful thinking to believe we’re going to stay in a situation as good as we are in now.”” (K)

• A.COVID pandemic’s end may bring turbulence for US health care, By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR, https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-business-coronavirus-vaccine-medicaid-fbb66b72937f3517a5d3d1ba8840f339
• B.The next phase of Covid depends on the Senate, By BURGESS EVERETT and MARIANNE LEVINE, https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/30/covid-pandemic-aid-senate-00021764
• C.Senators near a deal to slash the stalled Covid aid package to $10 billion., https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/03/31/world/covid-19-mandates-cases-vaccine#senators-near-a-deal-to-slash-the-stalled-covid-aid-package-to-10-billion
• D.Senators close in on $10 billion COVID relief deal, By Mariam Khan,Allison Pecorin, andTrish Turner, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/senators-close-10-billion-covid-relief-deal/story?id=83788292
• E.As Biden Pleads for More Covid Aid, States Are Awash in Federal Dollars, By Sheryl Gay Stolberg, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/01/us/politics/covid-relief-funds.html?referringSource=articleShare
• F.Billions in pandemic relief funds lost to fraud, By Ken Dilanian and Laura Strickler, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/biggest-fraud-generation-looting-covid-relief-program-known-ppp-n1279664
• G.https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/28/health-care-system-vulnerable-to-covid-ba2-omicron-surge/
• H.‘We’re way behind’: next US booster rollout faces delays and lack of funds, by Melody Schreiber, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/27/us-second-covid-booster-delays-funding
• I.Why Pfizer needs time to make its COVID pill, Associated Press, https://www.modernhealthcare.com/supply-chain/pfizer-coronavirus-treatment-paxlovid-timeline
• J.Americans start to feel the impact of federal Covid-19 funds drying up, By Tami Luhby, https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/02/politics/federal-covid-uninsured-tests-vaccines/index.html
• K.A New Wave of Covid-19 Is Coming. Here’s How to Prepare., By Tara Parker-Pope and Knvul Sheikh, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/30/well/live/ba2-omicron-covid.html?referringSource=articleShare

CORONAVIRUS TRACKING Links to POSTS 1-244

Doctor, Did You Wash Your Hands?®

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/

Curated Contemporaneous Case Study Methodology

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2019/12/9897/

Jonathan M. Metsch, Dr.P.H.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/jonathan-m-metsch-dr-p-h-2/

PART 1. January 21, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday confirmed the first U.S. case of a deadly new coronavirus that has killed six people in China.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/01/the-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-on-tuesday-confirmed-the-first-u-s-case-of-a-deadly-new-coronavirus-that-has-killed-six-people-in-china/

PART 2. January 29, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “If it’s not contained shortly, I think we are looking at a pandemic..”….. “With isolated cases of the dangerous new coronavirus cropping up in a number of states, public health officials say it is only a matter of time before the virus appears in New York City.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/01/part-2-coronavirus-if-its-not-contained-shortly-i-think-we-are-looking-at-a-pandemic-with-isolated-cases-of-the-dangerous-new-coronavirus-cropping-u/

PART3. February 3, 2020. “The Wuhan coronavirus spreading from China is now likely to become a pandemic that circles the globe…”..Trump appeared to downplay concerns about the flu-like virus …We’re gonna see what happens, but we did shut it down..” (D)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/02/part3-the-wuhan-coronavirus-spreading-from-china-is-now-likely-to-become-a-pandemic-that-circles-the-globe-trump-appeared-to-downplay-concerns-about-the-flu-like-virus/

PART 4. February 9, 2020. Coronavirus. “A study published Friday in JAMA found that 41% of the first 138 patients diagnosed at one hospital in Wuhan, China, were presumed to be infected in that hospital.….

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/02/part-4-coronavirus-so-like-sars-and-mers-other-coronaviruses-before-it-the-wuhan-coronavirus-is-spreading-in-hospitals/

PART 5. February 12, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “In short, shoe-leather public health and basic medical care—not miracle drugs—are generally what stop outbreaks of emerging infections..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/02/part-5-coronavirus-in-short-shoe-leather-public-health-and-basic-medical-care-not-miracle-drugs-are-generally-what-stop-outbreaks-of-emerging-infections/

POST 6. February 18, 2020.  Coronovirus. “Amid assurances that the (ocean liner) Westerdam was disease free, hundreds of people disembarked in Cambodia…” “ One was later found to be infected”…. “Over 1,000… passengers were in…transit home”…. “This could be a turning point””

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/02/post-6-coronovirus-amid-assurances-that-the-ocean-liner-westerdam-was-disease-free-hundreds-of-people-disembarked-in-cambodia-one-was-later-found-to-be-infect/

PART 7. February 20, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. With SARS preparedness underway in NJ LibertyHealth/ Jersey City Medical Center, where I was President, proposed that our 100 bed community hospital with all single-bedded rooms, be immediately transformed into an EMERGENCY SARS ISOLATION Hospital.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/02/part-7-coronavirus-with-sars-preparedness-underway-in-nj-libertyhealth-jersey-city-medical-center-where-i-was-president-proposed-that-our-100-bed-community-hospital-with-all-single-bedded-rooms/

PART 8. February 24, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…every country’s top priority should be to protect its health care workers. This is partly to ensure that hospitals themselves do not become sites where the coronavirus is spread more than it is contained.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/02/part-8-coronavirus-every-countrys-top-priority-should-be-to-protect-its-health-care-workers-this-is-partly-to-ensure-that-hospitals-themselves-do-not-become-sites-where-t/

PART 9. February 27, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Responding to a question about the likelihood of a U.S. outbreak, President Trump said, “I don’t think it’s inevitable…”It probably will. It possibly will,” he continued. “It could be at a very small level, or it could be at a larger level.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/02/part-9-coronavirus-responding-to-a-question-about-the-likelihood-of-a-u-s-outbreak-president-trump-said-i-dont-think-its-inevitableit-probably-will-it-possibly-will-he-contin/

Part 10. March 1, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Stop Surprise Medical Bills for Coronavirus care. (&) Lessons Learned (or not) In California and Washington State from community acquired cases.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/03/part-10-coronavirus-stop-surprise-medical-bills-for-coronavirus-care-lessons-learned-or-not-in-california-and-washington-state-from-community-acquired-cases/

PART 11. March 5, 2020.  CORONAVIRUS. “Gov. Andrew Cuomo… would require employers to pay workers and protect their jobs if they are quarantined because of the coronavirus.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/03/part-11-coronavirus-gov-andrew-cuomo-would-require-employers-to-pay-workers-and-protect-their-jobs-if-they-are-quarantined-because-of-the-coronavirus/

Part 12. March 10, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Tom Bossert, Donald Trump’s former homeland security advisor…(said) that due to the coronavirus outbreak, “We are 10 days from the hospitals getting creamed.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/03/part-12-coronavirus-tom-bossert-donald-trumps-former-homeland-security-advisorsaid-that-due-to-the-coronavirus-outbreak-we-are-10-days-from-the-hospitals-gett/

Part 13.. March 14, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “If I’m buying real estate in New York, I’ll listen to the President….If I’m asking about infectious diseases, I’m going to listen to Tony Fauci,”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/03/part-13-coronavirus-march-14-2020-if-im-buying-real-estate-in-new-york-ill-listen-to-the-president-if-im-asking-about-infectious-diseases-im-going-to-listen-to-tony-fauci

PART 14. March 17, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “ “Most physicians have never seen this level of angst and anxiety in their careers”…. One said “I am sort of a pariah in my family.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/03/part-14-coronavirus-march-17-2020-most-physicians-have-never-seen-this-level-of-angst-and-anxiety-in-their-careers-one-said-i-am-sort-of-a-pariah-in/

PART 15. March 22, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…Crimson Contagion” and imagining an influenza pandemic, was simulated by the Trump administration….in a series of exercises that ran from last January to August.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/03/part-15-coronavirus-march-22-2020-crimson-contagion-and-imagining-an-influenza-pandemic-was-simulated-by-the-trump-administration-in-a-series-of-exercises-that-2/

PART 16. March 27, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. I am not a clinician or a medical ethicist but articles on Coronavirus patient triage started me Googling………to learn about FUTILE TREATMENT

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/03/part-16-march-27-2020-coronavirus-i-am-not-a-clinician-or-a-medical-ethicist-but-articles-on-coronavirus-patient-triage-started-me-googlingto-learn-about-futile-treatme/

PART 17. April 2, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Florida allows churches to continue holding services. Gun stores deemed “essential.”  “New York’s private and public hospitals unite to manage patient load and share resources.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/04/part-17-april-2-2020-coronavirus-florida-allows-churches-to-continue-holding-services-gun-stores-deemed-essential-new-yorks-private-and-public-hospitals-unite-to-ma/

PART 18. April 9, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The federal government’s emergency stockpile of personal protective equipment (PPE) is depleted, and states will not be receiving any more shipments, administration staff told a House panel.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/04/part-18-april-9-2020-coronavirus-the-federal-governments-emergency-stockpile-of-personal-protective-equipment-ppe-is-depleted-and-states-will-not-be-receiving-any-more-shipments/

PART 19. April 13, 2020 CORONOAVIRUS. “…overlooked in the United States’ halting mobilization against the novel coronavirus: the personal aides, hospice attendants, nurses and occupational or physical therapists who deliver medical or support services to patients in their homes.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/04/part-19-april-14-2020-coronoavirus-overlooked-in-the-mobilization-against-coronavirus-the-personal-aides-hospice-attendants-nurses-and-occupational-or-physical-therapists-wh/

PART 20. April 20, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…nothing is mentioned in the “Opening Up America Again” plan about how states should handle a resurgence.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/04/part-20-april-20-2020-coronavirus-nothing-is-mentioned-in-the-opening-up-america-again-plan-about-how-states-should-handle-a-resurgence-2/

PART 21. April 23, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “We need to ask, are we using ventilators in a way that makes sense for other diseases but not this one?”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/04/part-21-april-23-2020-coronavirus-we-need-to-ask-are-we-using-ventilators-in-a-way-that-makes-sense-for-other-diseases-but-not-for-this-one-2/

POST 22. April 29, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. ..the “ACS released a list of 10 issues that should be addressed before a healthcare organization resumes elective surgeries[JM1] ….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/04/post-22-april-29-2020-coronavirus-the-acs-released-a-list-of-10-issues-that-should-be-addressed-before-a-healthcare-organization-resumes-elective-surgeries/

POST 23. May 3, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. … what Dr. Fauci really wants,…”is just to go to a baseball game. That will have to wait. The level of testing for the virus is not adequate enough to allow for such mass gatherings.’ (K)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/05/post-23-may-3-2020-coronavirus-what-dr-fauci-really-wantsis-just-to-go-to-a-baseball-game-that-will-have-to-wait-the-level-of-testing-for-the-virus-is-not-adequate/

POST 24. May 7, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie said: “there are going to be deaths no matter what”… but that people needed to get back to work.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/05/post-24-may-7-2020-coronavirus-former-new-jersey-governor-chris-christie-said-there-are-going-to-be-deaths-no-matter-what-but-that-people-needed-to-get-back-to-work/

POST 25. May 10, 2020, CORONAVIRUS. “It is scary to go to work,” said Kevin Hassett, a top economic adviser to the president. “I think that I’d be a lot safer if I was sitting at home than I would be going to the West Wing.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/05/post-25-may-10-2020-coronavirus-it-is-scary-to-go-to-work-said-kevin-hassett-a-top-economic-adviser-to-the-president-i-think-that-id-be-a-lot-safer-if-i-was/

POST 26. May 14, 2020. CORONAVIRUS, “Deep cleaning is not a scientific concept”….”there is no universal protocol for a “deep clean” to eradicate the coronavirus”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/05/post-26-may-14-2020-coronavirus-deep-cleaning-is-not-a-scientific-concept-there-is-no-universal-protocol-for-a-deep-clean-to-eradicate-the-cor-2/

POST 27. May 19, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Hospital…executives…are taking pay cuts…to help offset the financial fallout from COVID-19.” As “front line” layoffs and furloughs accelerate…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/05/post-27-may-19-2020-coronavirus-hospitalexecutivesare-taking-pay-cutsto-help-offset-the-financial-fallout-from-covid-19-as-front-line/

POST 28. May 23, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. ““You’ve got to be kidding me,”..”How could the CDC make that mistake? This is a mess.” CDC conflates viral and antibody tests numbers.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/05/post-28-may-23-2020-coronavirus-youve-got-to-be-kidding-me-how-could-the-cdc-make-that-mistake-this-is-a-mess-cdc-conflates-viral-and-anti/

PART 29. May 22, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The economy did not close down. It closed down for people who, frankly, had the luxury of staying home,” (Governor Cuomo). But not so for frontline workers!

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/05/part-29-may-22-2020-coronavirus-the-economy-did-not-close-down-it-closed-down-for-people-who-frankly-had-the-luxury-of-staying-home-but-not-so-for-frontline-workers/

POST 30. June 3,202. CORONAVIRUS. “The wave of mass protests across the United States will almost certainly set off new chains of infection for the novel coronavirus, experts say….

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/06/post-30-june-3202-coronavirus-the-wave-of-mass-protests-across-the-united-states-will-almost-certainly-set-off-new-chains-of-infection-for-the-novel-coronavirus-experts-say/

POST 31. June 9, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “I think we had an unintended consequence: I think we made people afraid to come back to the hospital,”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/06/post-31-june-9-2020-coronavirus-i-think-we-had-an-unintended-consequence-i-think-we-made-people-afraid-to-come-back-to-the-hospital/

Post 32. June 16, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Could the Trump administration be pursuing herd immunity by “inaction”?  “ If Fauci didn’t exist, we’d have to invent him.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/06/post-32-june-16-2020-coronavirus-could-the-trump-administration-be-pursuing-herd-immunity-by-inaction-if-fauci-didnt-exist-wed-have-to-invent-him/

POST 33. June 21, 2002. CORONAVIRUS….. Smashing (lowering the daily number of cases) v. flattening the curve (maintaining a plateau)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/06/post-33-june-23-2002-coronavirus-smashing-lowering-the-daily-number-of-cases-v-flattening-the-curve-maintaining-a-plateau/

POST 34. June 26, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. CDC Director Redfield… “the number of coronavirus infections…could be 10 times higher than the confirmed case count — a total of more than 20 million.” As Florida, Texas and Arizona become eipicenters!

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/06/post-34-june-26-2020-coronavirus-cdc-director-redfield-the-number-of-coronavirus-infectionscould-be-10-times-higher-than-the-confirmed-case-count-a-total-of-mo/

POST 35. June 29, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Pence: “We slowed the spread. We flattened the curve. We saved lives..”  While Dr. Fauci “warned that outbreaks in the South and West could engulf the country…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/06/post-35-june-29-2020-coronavirus-pence-we-slowed-the-spread-we-flattened-the-curve-we-saved-lives-while-dr-fauci-warned-that-outbreaks-in-the-south-and-west-could-engulf-the-co/

POST 36. July 2, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “There’s just a handful of interventions proven to curb the spread of the coronavirus. One of them is contact tracing, and “it’s not going well,” (Dr. Anthony Fauci)..

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/07/post-36-july-2-2020-coronavirus-theres-just-a-handful-of-interventions-proven-to-curb-the-spread-of-the-coronavirus-one-of-them-is-contact-tracing-and-its-not/

POST 37. June 8, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. When “crews arrive at a hospital with a patient suspected of having COVID-19, the hospital may have a physical bed open for them, but not enough nurses or doctors to staff it.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/07/post-37-june-8-2020-coronavirus-when-crews-arrive-at-a-hospital-with-a-patient-suspected-of-having-covid-19-the-hospital-may-have-a-physical-bed-open-for-them-but-not-enough-nurses-or-d/

POST 38. July 15, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Some Lessons Learned, or not. AdventHealth CEO Terry Shaw: I wouldn’t hesitate to go to Disney as a healthcare CEO — based on the fact that they’re working extremely hard to keep people safe,” (M)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/07/post-38-july-15-2020-coronavirus-some-lessons-learned-or-not-adventhealth-ceo-terry-shaw-i-wouldnt-hesitate-to-go-to-disney-as-a-healthcare-ceo-based-on-the-fact-that-theyre-worki/

POST 39. July, 23,2020. CORONAVIRUS. A Tale of Two Cities. Seattle becomes New York (rolls back reopening) while New York becomes Seattle (moves to partial phase 4 reopening)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/07/post-39-july-232020-coronavirus-a-tale-of-two-cities-seattle-becomes-new-york-rolls-back-reopening-while-new-york-becomes-seattle-moves-to-partial-phase-4-reopening/

POST 40. July 27, 2020. CORONAVIRUS.” One canon of medical practice is that you order a test only if you can act on the result. And with a turnaround time of a week or two, you cannot. What we have now is often not testing — it’s testing theater.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/07/post-40-july-27-2020-coronavirus-one-canon-of-medical-practice-is-that-you-order-a-test-only-if-you-can-act-on-the-result-and-with-a-turnaround-time-of-a-week-or-two-you-cannot-what-we/

POST 41. August 2, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Whenever a vaccine for the coronavirus becomes available, one thing is virtually certain: There won’t be enough to go around. That means there will be rationing.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/08/post-41-august-2-2020-coronavirus-whenever-a-vaccine-for-the-coronavirus-becomes-available-one-thing-is-virtually-certain-there-wont-be-enough-to-go-around-that-means-there-wi-2/

POST 42. August 11, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “I think that if future historians look back on this period, what they will see is a tragedy of denial….

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/08/post-42-coronavirus-august-11-2020-i-think-that-if-future-historians-look-back-on-this-period-what-they-will-see-is-a-tragedy-of-denial/

POST 43. August 22, 2020. CORONAVIRUS.”  “we’ve achieved something great as a nation. We’ve created an unyielding market for FAUCI BOBBLEHEADS”!! (W)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/08/post-43-august-22-2020-coronavirus-weve-achieved-something-great-as-a-nation-weve-created-an-unyielding-market-for-fauci-bobbleheads-w/

POST 44.  September 1, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The CDC…modified its coronavirus testing guidelines…to exclude people who do not have symptoms of Covid-19.” (While Dr. Fauci was undergoing surgery.) A White House official said: “Everybody is going to catch this thing eventually..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/08/post-44-september-1-2020-coronavirus-the-cdcmodified-its-coronavirus-testing-guidelinesto-exclude-people-who-do-not-have-symptoms-of-covid-19-while-dr-fauci-2/

POST 45. September 9, 2020. CORONAVIRUS.  Trump on Fauci. ‘You inherit a lot of people, and you have some you love, some you don’t. I like him. I don’t agree with him that often but I like him.’

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/09/post-45-september-9-2020-coronavirus-trump-on-fauci-you-inherit-a-lot-of-people-and-you-have-some-you-love-some-you-dont-i-like-him-i-dont-agree-with-him-that-often-but-i-like-him-2/

POST 46.  September 17, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Bill Gates used to think of the US Food and Drug Administration as the world’s premier public-health authority. Not anymore. And he doesn’t trust the Centers for Disease Control and Protection either….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/09/post-46-september-17-2020-coronavirus-bill-gates-used-to-think-of-the-us-food-and-drug-administration-as-the-worlds-premier-public-health-authority-not-anymore-and-he-doesn-2/

POST 47. September 24, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Perry N. Halkitis, dean of the School of Public Health at Rutgers University…called New York City’s 35 percent rate for eliciting contacts “very bad.” “For each person, you should be in touch with 75 percent of their contacts within a day,” he said”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/09/post-47-september-24-2020-coronavirus-perry-n-halkitis-dean-of-the-school-of-public-health-at-rutgers-universitycalled-new-york-citys-35-percent-rate-for-eliciting-con/

POST 48. October 1, 2020.   “…you can actually control the outbreak if you do the nonpharmaceutical interventions (social distancing and masks). In the United States we haven’t done them. We haven’t adhered to them; we’ve played with them.” (A)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/09/post-48-october-1-2020-you-can-actually-control-the-outbreak-if-you-do-the-nonpharmaceutical-interventions-social-distancing-and-masks-in-the-united-states-we-havent-done-t-2/

POST 49. October 4, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. RAPID RESPONSE. “The possibility that the president and his White House entourage were traveling superspreaders is a nightmare scenario for officials in Minnesota, Ohio, New Jersey and Pennsylvania…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-49-october-4-2020-coronavirus-rapid-response-the-possibility-that-the-president-and-his-white-house-entourage-were-traveling-superspreaders-is-a-nightmare-scenario-for-officials-in/

POST 50. October 6, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Monday October 5th will go down as one of the most fraught chapters in the history of American public Health (and national security).

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-50-october-6-2020-coronavirus-monday-october-5th-will-go-down-as-one-of-the-most-fraught-chapters-in-the-history-of-american-public-health-and-national-security/

POST 51. October 12, 2020. Rather than a hodge-podge of Emergency Use Authorizations, off-label “experimentation”, right-to-try arguments, and “politicized” compassionate use approvals maybe we need to designate REGIONAL EMERGING VIRUSES REFERRAL CENTERS (REVRCs).

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-51-october-14-2020-rather-than-a-hodge-podge-of-emergency-use-authorizations-off-label-experimentation-right-to-try-arguments-and-politicized-compassiona/

POST 52. October 18, 2020.  ZIKA/ EBOLA/ CANDIDA AURIS/ SEVERE FLU/ Tracking. “… if there was a severe flu pandemic, more than 33 million people could be killed across the world in 250 days… Boy, do we not have our act together.” —”- Bill Gates. July 1, 2018

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-52-october-18-2020-zika-ebola-candida-auris-severe-flu-tracking-if-there-was-a-severe-flu-pandemic-more-than-33-million-people-could-be-killed-across-the-world-in-250/

POST 53. October 20, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “a…“herd-immunity strategy” is a contradiction in terms, in that herd immunity is the absence of a strategy.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-53-october-20-2020-coronavirus-aherd-immunity-strategy-is-a-contradiction-in-terms-in-that-herd-immunity-is-the-absence-of-a-strategy/

POST 54. October 22, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. POST 54A. New Jersey’s Coronavirus response, led by Governor Murphy and Commissioner of Health Persichilli started with accelerated A+ traditional, evidence-based Public Health practices, developed over years of experience with seasonal flu, swine flu, Zika, and Ebola.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-54a-october-23-2020-coronavirus-new-jerseys-coronavirus-response-led-by-governor-murphy-and-commissioner-of-health-persichilli-started-with-accelerated-a-traditional-evidence-base/

POST 55. October 26, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. The Testing Conundrum: “ It’s thus very possible to be antigen negative but P.C.R. positive, while still harboring the virus in the body..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-55-october-26-2020-coronavirus-the-testing-conundrum-its-thus-very-possible-to-be-antigen-negative-but-p-c-r-positive-while-still-harboring-the-virus-in-the-body/

Post 56. October 30, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Trump’s now back in charge. It’s not the doctors.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-56-october-30-2020-coronavirus-trumps-now-back-in-charge-its-not-the-doctors/

POST 57. November 3, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Dr. Deborah Birx: the US is entering its “most deadly phase” yet, one that requires “much more aggressive action,”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-57-november-3-2020-coronavirus-dr-deborah-birx-the-us-is-entering-its-most-deadly-phase-yet-one-that-requires-much-more-aggressive-action/

POST 58. November 4, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…the president has largely shuttered the White House Coronavirus Task Force and doubled down on anti-science language…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-58-november-4-2020-coronavirus-the-president-has-largely-shuttered-the-white-house-coronavirus-task-force-and-doubled-down-on-anti-science-language/

POST 59. November 5, 2020. Coronavirus. “The United States on Wednesday recorded over 100,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day for the first time since the pandemic began..

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-59-november-5-2020-coronavirus-the-united-states-on-wednesday-recorded-over-100000-new-coronavirus-cases-in-a-single-day-for-the-first-time-since-the-pandemic-began/

POST 60. November 7, 2020. “White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has tested positive for the coronavirus….” (A)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-60-november-7-2020-white-house-chief-of-staff-mark-meadows-has-tested-positive-for-the-coronavirus-a/

POST 61. November 7, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Joe Biden’s top priority entering the White House is fighting both the immediate coronavirus crisis and its complex long-term aftermath…” “Here are the key ways he plans to get US coronavirus cases under control.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-61-november-7-2020-coronavirus-joe-bidens-top-priority-entering-the-white-house-is-fighting-both-the-immediate-coronavirus-crisis-and-its-complex-long-term-aftermath/

POST 62. November 8, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The United States reported its 10 millionth coronavirus case on Sunday, with the latest million added in just 10 days,…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-62-november-8-2020-coronavirus-the-united-states-reported-its-10-millionth-coronavirus-case-on-sunday-with-the-latest-million-added-in-just-10-days/

POST 63. November 9, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “New York City-based Mount Sinai Health System has opened a center to help patients recovering from COVID-19 and to study the long-term impact of the disease….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-63-november-9-2020-coronavirus-new-york-city-based-mount-sinai-health-system-has-opened-a-center-to-help-patients-recovering-from-covid-19-and-to-study-the-long-term-impact-of-the-di/

POST 64. November 10, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “It works! Scientists have greeted with cautious optimism a press release declaring positive interim results from a coronavirus vaccine phase III trial — the first to report on the final round of human testing.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-64-november-10-2020-coronavirus-it-works-scientists-have-greeted-with-cautious-optimism-a-press-release-declaring-positive-interim-results-from-a-coronavirus-vaccine-phase-iii-trial/

POST 65. November 11, 2020. CORONAVIRUS, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took a stronger stance in favor of masks on Tuesday, emphasizing that they protect the people wearing them, rather than just those around them…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-65-november-11-2020-coronavirus-the-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-took-a-stronger-stance-in-favor-of-masks-on-tuesday-emphasizing-that-they-protect-the-people-wearing-t/

POST 66. November.12, 2020. CORONAVIRUS.”… as the country enters what may be the most intense stage of the pandemic yet, the Trump administration remains largely disengaged.”… “President-elect Biden has formed a special transition team dedicated to coordinating the coronavirus response across the government…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-66-novembetr12-2020-coronavirus-as-the-country-enters-what-may-be-the-most-intense-stage-of-the-pandemic-yet-the-trump-administration-remains-largely-disengaged/

POST 67. November 13, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “When all other options are exhausted, the CDC website says, workers who are suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 (and “who are well enough to work”) can care for patients who are not severely immunocompromised — first for those who are also confirmed to have COVID-19, then those with suspected cases.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-67-november-13-2020-coronavirus-when-all-other-options-are-exhausted-the-cdc-website-says-workers-who-are-suspected-or-confirmed-to-have-covid-19-and-who-are-well-enough/

POST 68. November 14, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. The CDC “now is hewing more closely to scientific evidence, often contradicting the positions of the Trump administration.”..” “A passenger aboard the first cruise ship to set sail in the Caribbean since the start of the pandemic has tested positive for coronavirus..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-68-november-14-2020-coronavirus-the-cdc-now-is-hewing-more-closely-to-scientific-evidence-often-contradicting-the-positions-of-the-trump-administration/

POST 69. November 15, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Colorado Gov. Jared Polis will issue a new executive order outlining steps hospitals will need to take to ready themselves for a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations and directing the hospitals to finalize plans for converting beds into ICU beds, adding staffing and scaling back on or eliminating elective procedures….

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-69-november-15-2020-coronavirus-colorado-gov-jared-polis-will-issue-a-new-executive-order-outlining-steps-hospitals-will-need-to-take-to-ready-themselves-for-a-surge-in-covid-19-hos/

POST 70. November 16, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “White House coronavirus task force member Dr. Atlas criticized Michigan’s new Covid-19 restrictions..urging people to “rise up” against the new public health measures.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-70-november-16-2020-coronavirus-white-house-coronavirus-task-force-member-dr-atlas-criticized-michigans-new-covid-19-restrictions-urging-people-to-rise-up-against-the-new-pub/

POST 71. November 17, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. ”Hospitals overrun as U.S. reports 1 million new coronavirus cases in a week.” “But in Florida, where the number of coronavirus infections remains the third-highest in the nation, bars and schools remain open and restaurants continue to operate at full capacity.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-71-november-17-2020-coronavirus-hospitals-overrun-as-u-s-reports-1-million-new-coronavirus-cases-in-a-week-but-in-florida-where-the-number-of-coronavirus-infecti/

POST 72. November 18, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The Health and Human Services Department will not work with President-elect Joe Biden’s (PANDEMIC) team until the General Services Administration makes a determination that he won the election,….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-72-november-18-2020-coronavirus-the-health-and-human-services-department-will-not-work-with-president-elect-joe-bidens-pandemic-team-until-the-general-services-administration-mak/

POST 73. November 19, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…officials at the CDC…urged Americans to avoid travel for Thanksgiving and to celebrate only with members of their immediate households…” When will I trust a vaccine? to the last question I always answer: When I see Tony Fauci take one….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-73-november-19-2020-coronavirus-officials-at-the-cdcurged-americans-to-avoid-travel-for-thanksgiving-and-to-celebrate-only-with-members-of-their-immediate-household-2/

POST 74. November 20, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Pfizer…submitted to the FDA for emergency use authorization for their coronavirus vaccine candidate. —FDA issued an EUA for the drug baricitinib, in combination with remdesivir, as WHO says remdesivir doesn’t do much of anything.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-74-november-20-2020-coronavirus-pfizersubmitted-to-the-fda-for-emergency-use-authorization-for-their-coronavirus-vaccine-candidate-fda-issued-an-eua-for-the-drug-baricitinib-in/

POST 75. November 21, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The president and CEO of one of the nation’s largest non-profit health systems says he won’t be wearing a mask at work because he’s recovered from COVID-19, and doing so would only be a “symbolic gesture” because he considers himself immune from the virus….

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-75-november-21-2020-coronavirus-the-president-and-ceo-of-one-of-the-nations-largest-non-profit-health-systems-says-he-wont-be-wearing-a-mask-at-work-because-hes-recovered-from-2/

POST 76. November 23, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.” Ventilators..”just keep people alive while the people caring for them can figure out what’s wrong and fix the problem. And at the moment, we just don’t have enough of those people.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-76-november-23-2020-coronavirus-no-battle-plan-survives-contact-with-the-enemy-ventilators-just-keep-people-alive-while-the-people-caring-for-them-can-figure-out/

POST 77. November 26, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Pope Francis: “When I got really sick at the age of 21, I had my first experience of limit, of pain and loneliness.”.. “….Aug. 13, 1957. I got taken to a hospital…”….” I remember especially two nurses from this time.”…” They fought for me to the end, until my eventual recovery.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-77-november-26-2020-coronavirus-pope-francis-when-i-got-really-sick-at-the-age-of-21-i-had-my-first-experience-of-limit-of-pain-and-loneliness-aug/

POST 78. November 27, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Kelby Krabbenhoft is no longer president and CEO of Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health.” “…for not wearing a face covering… “ because “He considered himself immune from the virus.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-78-november-27-2020-coronavirus-kelby-krabbenhoft-is-no-longer-president-and-ceo-of-sioux-falls-s-d-based-sanford-health-for-not-wearing-a-face-covering/

POST 79. November 28, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Mayo Clinic. “”Our surge plan expands into the garage…”..””Not where I’d want to put my grandfather or my grandmother,” … though it “may have to happen.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-79-november-28-2020-coronavirus-mayo-clinic-our-surge-plan-expands-into-the-garage-not-where-id-want-to-put-my-grandfather-or-my-grandmother/

POST 80. November 29, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Op-Ed in the Jersey Journal. Do you know which hospital is right for you if you have coronavirus? | Opinion

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-80-november-29-2020-coronavirus-oped-in-the-jersey-journal-do-you-know-which-hospital-is-right-for-you-if-you-have-coronavirus-opinion/

POST 81. December 1, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Dr. Atlas, … who espoused controversial theories and rankled government scientists while advising President Trump on the coronavirus pandemic, resigned…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-81-december-1-2020-coronavirus-dr-atllas-who-espoused-controversial-theories-and-rankled-government-scientists-while-advising-president-trump-on-the-coronavirus-pandemic/

POST 82. December 3, 2020. CORONAVIRIUS. The NBA jumped to the front of the line for Coronavirus testing….while front line nurses often are still waiting. Who will similarly “hijack” the vaccine?

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-82-december-3-2020-coronavirius-the-nba-jumped-to-the-front-of-the-line-for-coronavirus-testing-while-front-line-nurses-often-are-still-waiting-who-will-similarly-hijack-2/

POST 83. December 4, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he will impose a new, regional stay-at-home order for areas where capacity at intensive care units falls below 15%.”… East Tennessee –“This is the first time the health care capability benchmark has been in the red..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-83-december-4-2020-coronavirus-california-gov-gavin-newsom-says-he-will-impose-a-new-regional-stay-at-home-order-for-areas-where-capacity-at-intensive-care-units-falls-below-15/

POST 84. December 6, 2020. CPRONAVIRUS. “ More than 100,000 Americans are in the hospital with COVID-19…” “We’re seeing C.D.C. …awaken from (its) politics-induced coma…”…Dr. Fauci “to be a chief medical adviser in Biden’s incoming administration..”.. “Trump administration leaves states to grapple with how to distribute scarce vaccines..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-84-december-6-2020-cpronavirus-more-than-100000-americans-are-in-the-hospital-with-covid-19-were-seeing-c-d-c-awaken-from-its-politi/

POST 85. December 7, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…Florida, Gov. DeSantis’ administration engaged in a pattern of spin and concealment that misled the public on the gravest health threat the state has ever faced..”.. “NY Gov. Cuomo said…the state will implement a barrage of new emergency actions..”… Rhode Island and Massachusetts open field hospitals… “Biden Names Health Team to Fight Pandemic”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-85-december-7-2020-coronavirus-florida-gov-desantis-administration-engaged-in-a-pattern-of-spin-and-concealment-that-misled-the-public-on-the-gravest-health-threat-the-s/

POST 86. December 9, 2020. If this analysis seems a bit incomprehensible it is because “free Coronavirus test” is often an oxymoron! with charges ranging from as little as $23 to as much as $2,315… Laws (like for free Coronavirus tests) are Like Sausages. Better Not to See Them Being Made. (Please allow about 20 seconds for the text to download. Thanx!)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-86-december-9-2020-if-this-analysis-seems-a-bit-incomprehensible-it-is-because-free-coronavirus-test-is-often-an-oxymoron-with-charges-ranging-from-as-little-as-23-to-as-mu/

POST 87. December 10, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…Rudolph W. Giuliani, the latest member of President Trump’s inner circle to contract Covid-19, has acknowledged that he received at least two of the same drugs the president received. He even conceded that his “celebrity” status had given him access to care that others did not have.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-87-december-12-2020-coronavirus-rudolph-w-giuliani-the-latest-member-of-president-trumps-inner-circle-to-contract-covid-19-has-acknowledged-that-he-received-at-l/

POST 88. December 11, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “As COVID-19 cases surge, the federal government is releasing data about hospital capacity at facilities around the country….”The new data paints the picture of how a specific hospital is experiencing the pandemic,”…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-88-december-11-2020-coronavirus-as-covid-19-cases-surge-the-federal-government-is-releasing-data-about-hospital-capacity-at-facilities-around-the-country-the-new-data-pai/

PART 89. December 12, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. THE VACCINE!!! “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” Winston Churchill

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/part-89-december-12-2020-coronavirus-the-vaccine-now-this-is-not-the-end-it-is-not-even-the-beginning-of-the-end-but-it-is-perhaps-the-end-of-the-beginning-winston-church/

POST 90. December 14, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…the first doses of a Covid-19 vaccine have been given to the American public..”…” Each person who receives a vaccine needs two doses, and it’s up to states to allocate their share of vaccines.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-90-december-14-2020-coronavirus-the-first-doses-of-a-covid-19-vaccine-have-been-given-to-the-american-public-each-person-who-receives-a-vaccine/

POST 91. December 15, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “UPMC will first give (vaccination) priority to those in critical jobs. That includes a range of people working in critical units, from workers cleaning the emergency room and registering patients to doctors and nurses.. “Finally, if needed, UPMC will use a lottery to select who will be scheduled first.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-91-december-15-2020-coronavirus-upmc-will-first-give-vaccination-priority-to-those-in-critical-jobs-that-includes-a-range-of-people-working-in-critical-units-from-workers-cleanin/

POST 92. December 17, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “..each state — and each hospital system — has come up with its own (vaccination) plan and priorities. The result has been a sometimes confusing constellation of rules and groupings that has left health care workers wondering where they stand.” (Trump appointee July 4th email “…we need to establish herd, and it only comes about allowing the non-high risk groups expose themselves to the virus. PERIOD,”)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-92-december-17-2020-coronavirus-each-state-and-each-hospital-system-has-come-up-with-its-own-vaccination-plan-and-priorities-the-result-has-been-a-sometimes/

POST 93. December 19, 2020. CORONAVIRUS.  On NPR Congresswoman Shalala (D-Florida) said she wouldn’t jump the vaccination line in Miami; then added she would get vaccinated in Washington this week. This, even though Congress has failed to pass “essential” Coronavirus legislation. So who are our “essential” workers?

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-93-december-19-2020-coronavirus-on-npr-congresswoman-shalala-d-florida-said-she-wouldnt-jump-the-vaccination-line-in-miami-then-added-she-would-get-vaccinated-in-washington-this/

POST 94. December 21, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “A doctor at an L.A. County public hospital said the number of COVID-19 patients is “increasing exponentially, without an end in sight.”.. “I haven’t done ICU medicine since I was a resident — you don’t want me adjusting your ventilator,” he said. “That’s the challenge, actually — it isn’t so much space, it’s staff…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-94-december-21-2020-coronavirus-a-doctor-at-an-l-a-county-public-hospital-said-the-number-of-covid-19-patients-is-increasing-exponentially-without-an-end-in-sight/

POST 95. December 23, 2020. “The Murphy administration may step in to force (New Jersey) hospitals to report COVID-19 outbreaks among staff.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-95-december-23-2020-the-murphy-administration-may-step-in-to-force-new-jersey-hospitals-to-report-covid-19-outbreaks-among-staff/

POST 96. December 26, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Achieving herd immunity against the coronavirus could require as much as 90 percent of the population to be vaccinated, Anthony Fauci…”…”..he hesitated to state a number as high as 90% weeks ago because many Americans still seemed skeptical about vaccine….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-96-december-26-2020-coronavirus-achieving-herd-immunity-against-the-coronavirus-could-require-as-much-as-90-percent-of-the-population-to-be-vaccinated-anthony-fauci/

POST 97. December 27, 2020. “A new variant of the coronavirus that has been spreading through the UK and other countries has not yet been detected in the United States..”.. . But if new-wave medicines like antivirals and antibody therapy contributed to the development of viral variants, it will be “a reminder for all the medical community that we need to use these treatment options carefully.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-97-december-27-2020-a-new-variant-of-the-coronavirus-that-has-been-spreading-through-the-uk-and-other-countries-has-not-yet-been-detected-in-the-united-states-but-if-ne/

POST 98. December 28, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Governor Andrew Cuomo announced new penalties in order to rein in possible vaccination fraud…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-98-december-28-2020-coronavirus-governor-andrew-cuomo-announced-new-penalties-in-order-to-rein-in-possible-vaccination-fraud/

POST 99. December 29, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “ICUs are being overwhelmed across many parts of California. Statewide aggregate ICU availability has been at 0% since Christmas Eve…. a surge on top of a surge on top of a surge.”… “hospitals are getting close to the point where they would begin putting COVID-positive patients under the care of COVID-positive staff who are asymptomatic.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-99-december-29-2020-coronavirus-icus-are-being-overwhelmed-across-many-parts-of-california-statewide-aggregate-icu-availability-has-been-at-0-since-christmas-eve-a-surge-o/

POST 100. December 29, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Front line hospital workers – in the ER, ICUs, EMS, acute medical care, behavioral health – are amongst the most courageous, heroic and dedicated colleagues you will ever meet.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-100-december-29-2020-coronavirus-front-line-hospital-workers-in-the-er-icus-ems-acute-medical-care-behavioral-health-are-amongst-the-most-courageous-heroic-and-dedica/

POST 101. December 30, 2020.CORONAVIRUS. Is there a point where the increasing Coronavirus trajectory so far exceeds the slow growth of the vaccination rate that reaching herd immunity through vaccinations becomes less likely?

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-101-december-30-2020-coronavirus-is-there-a-point-where-the-increasing-coronavirus-trajectory-so-far-exceeds-the-slow-growth-of-the-vaccination-rate-that-reaching-herd-immunity-through-vaccin/

POST 102. January 2, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “We’ve taken the people with the least amount of resources and capacity and asked them to do the hardest part of the vaccination — which is actually getting the vaccines administered into people’s arms,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, the dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health. “Ultimately, the buck seems to stop with no one,”…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-102-january-2-2020-coronavirus-weve-taken-the-people-with-the-least-amount-of-resources-and-capacity-and-asked-them-to-do-the-hardest-part-of-the-vaccination-which/

POST 103. January 4, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Dr. Fauci said “that the United States would not follow Britain’s lead in front-loading first vaccine injections, potentially delaying the administration of second doses…Dr. Moore – ”British officials “seem to have abandoned science completely now and are just trying to guess their way out of a mess.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-103-january-4-2021-coronavirus-dr-fauci-said-that-the-united-states-would-not-follow-britains-lead-in-front-loading-first-vaccine-injections-potentially-delaying-the-admin/

POST 104. January 6, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Paramedics in Southern California are being told to conserve oxygen and not to bring patients to the hospital who have little chance of survival…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-104-january-6-2021-coronavirus-paramedics-in-southern-california-are-being-told-to-conserve-oxygen-and-not-to-bring-patients-to-the-hospital-who-have-little-chance-of-survival/

POST 105. January 8, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. POST 105. January 8, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Facing a shortage of vaccinators, the Association of Immunization Managers… recommends relaxing regulation or adjusting licensing requirements. At least two states, Massachusetts and New York, have changed their laws in recent weeks to expand those who are eligible to give shots.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-105-january-8-2021-coronavirus-being-able-to-staff-vaccination-clinics-with-volunteers-from-our-reserve-workforce-means-that-staff-at-the-vaccination-sites-can-continue-to-perform-th/

POST 106. January 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. The riots at the Capitol could have been a superspreader event. “From what I saw… you had a large congregation of individuals who were in close contact for an extended period of time and almost universally unmasked…. many coming and going on buses as well, also unmasked, and hanging out in hotel lobbies.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-106-january-9-2021-coronavirus-the-riots-at-the-capitol-could-have-been-a-superspreader-event-from-what-i-saw-you-had-a-large-congregation-of-individuals-who-were-in-close/

POST 107. January 8, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Our job is to make sure the vaccine isn’t politicized the way masks were politicized,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said after getting her vaccine.   South Carolina Rep.-elect Nancy Mace, a Republican, wrote that “Congress shouldn’t be putting themselves first in line for the COVID-19 vaccination when the average American can’t get it.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-107-january-8-2021-coronavirus-our-job-is-to-make-sure-the-vaccine-isnt-politicized-the-way-masks-were-politicized-rep-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-d-n-y-said-after-getting-her-vaccine/

POST 108. January 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. (vaccination)”Line-cutters will be named and shamed. It’s inevitable, as will be the congressional hearings and front-page investigative stories ferreting out who saved their own skin at the expense of others.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-108-january-9-2021-coronavirus-vaccinationline-cutters-will-be-named-and-shamed-its-inevitable-as-will-be-the-congressional-hearings-and-front-page-investigative-stories/

POST 109.January 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “President-elect Joe Biden will aim to release nearly every available dose of the coronavirus vaccine when he takes office, a break with the Trump administration’s strategy of holding back half of US vaccine production to ensure second doses are available.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-109-january-9-2021-coronavirus-president-elect-joe-biden-will-aim-to-release-nearly-every-available-dose-of-the-coronavirus-vaccine-when-he-takes-office-a-break-with-the-trump-admini/

POST 110. January 13, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. ““The (federal) government is changing the way it allocates Covid vaccine doses, now basing it on how quickly states can administer shots and the size of their elderly population.”… “New York State sent a letter to hospitals saying if they don’t use their vaccine allocations by the end of this week, they won’t receive any further allocations.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-110-january-13-2021-coronavirus-the-federal-government-is-changing-the-way-it-allocates-covid-vaccine-doses-now-basing-it-on-how-quickly-states-can-administer-shots-and-t/

POST 111. January 14, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Visitors from Toronto to New York to Buenos Aires have long flocked to Florida for sun, surf and shopping. Now they are coming for the Covid-19 vaccine….

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-111-january-14-2021-coronavirus-visitors-from-toronto-to-new-york-to-buenos-aires-have-long-flocked-to-florida-for-sun-surf-and-shopping-now-they-are-coming-for-the-covid-19-vaccin/

POST 112. January 14, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. CHINA – “Eleven million people are under lockdown in Hebei province after a new cluster of coronavirus infections.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-112-january-14-2021-coronavirus-china-eleven-million-people-are-under-lockdown-in-hebei-province-after-a-new-cluster-of-coronavirus-infections/

PART 113. January 17, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. The Next President Actually Has a Covid Plan… New York City and other places in the state expect to exhaust their supply of doses as early as next week… Charles Barkley said during the “NBA on TNT” broadcast that pro athletes should get the first round of the vaccine…..

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/part-113-january-17-2021-coronavirus-the-next-president-actually-has-a-covid-plan-new-york-city-and-other-places-in-the-state-expect-to-exhaust-their-supply-of-doses-as-early-as-next-week/

POST 114. January 18, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “When government programs that have been unattended, underfunded and bogged down by red tape suddenly have to meet a huge demand in a crisis, they can’t cope and people suffer….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-114-january-18-2021-coronavirus-when-government-programs-that-have-been-unattended-underfunded-and-bogged-down-by-red-tape-suddenly-have-to-meet-a-huge-demand-in-a-crisis-they-can/

POST 115. January 21, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. A year ago today an unnumbered POST was headlined “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday confirmed the first U.S. case of a deadly new coronavirus that has killed six people in China.” The CORONAVIRUS CONTENT TRACKING PROJECT started with HISTORIOGRAPHY and over time moved to LESSONS LEARNED, RAPID RESPONSE, and THE VACCINATION PROGRAM. Now 115 POSTS later – the BIDEN CORONAVIRUS PLAN.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-115-january-21-2020-coronavirus-a-year-ago-today-an-unnumbered-post-was-headlined-the-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-on-tuesday-confirmed-the-first-u-s-case-of-a-deadly/

POST 116. January 22, 2021. President Biden – “We’re entering what may be the toughest and deadliest period of the virus. We must set aside politics and finally face this pandemic as one nation.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-116-january-22-2021-president-biden-were-entering-what-may-be-the-toughest-and-deadliest-period-of-the-virus-we-must-set-aside-politics-and-finally-face-this-pandemic-as-one-nation/

POST 117. January 23, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. 1.Dr. Fauci:“The idea that you can get up here….”and.. let the science speak”… “It is somewhat of a liberating feeling.” 2.updated CDC guidance:”.. providers could give the second dose up to six weeks after the first dose..” 3.Dr. Fauci: people would be “taking a chance” if they follow the CDC’s updated guidance.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-117-january-23-2021-coronavirus-1-dr-faucithe-idea-that-you-can-get-up-here-and-let-the-science-speak-it-is-somewhat-of-a-liberating/

POST 118. January 24, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Unfortunately, we’ve let this virus spread extensively and are launching the vaccination campaign at the height of the threat,” Dr. Meyers said. “The more the virus spreads before the vaccine reaches people, the fewer deaths we can prevent with the vaccine.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-118-january-24-2021-coronavirus-unfortunately-weve-let-this-virus-spread-extensively-and-are-launching-the-vaccination-campaign-at-the-height-of-the-threat-dr-meyers-sa/

POST 119. January 27, 2010. CORONAVIRUS. Amazon is offering its help to President Joe Biden with the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. Washington’s governor, Jay Inslee, included the help of companies like Starbucks, Costco and Microsoft in a plan to vaccinate 45,000 residents a day.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/to-get-each-new-post-free-and-automatically-by-email-please-use-the-subscription-portal-in-the-right-column-of-the-home-page-at-http-doctordidyouwashyourhands-com-then-you-will-get-an-email/

POST 120. January 28, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The fact that four vaccines backed by the federal government seem to be less effective against the (South African) B.1.351 variant has unsettled federal officials and vaccine experts alike. Facing this uncertainty, many researchers said it was imperative to get as many people vaccinated as possible — quickly. Lowering the rate of infection could thwart the contagious variants while they are still rare, and prevent other viruses from gaining new mutations that could cause more trouble.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-120-january-28-2021-coronavirus-the-fact-that-four-vaccines-backed-by-the-federal-government-seem-to-be-less-effective-against-the-south-african-b-1-351-variant-has-unsettled-feder/

POST 121. January 30, 2021. CORONVIRUS. Will our communities become stratified by which vaccine is distributed? 95%ters v. 72%ters? Will the easier distribution of the J&J vaccine drive its inequitable distribution to” hard-hit, marginalized, and medically underserved communities.” (thanx! to XJ/LA)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-121-january-30-2021-coronvirus-will-our-communities-become-stratified-by-which-vaccine-is-distributed-95ters-v-72ters-will-the-easier-distribution-of-the-jj-vaccine-drive-its-inequitable/

POST 122. February 1, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Dr.Fauci endorses double-masking. Dr.Osterholm disagrees!

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-122-february-1-2021-coronavirus-dr-fauci-endorses-double-masking-dr-osterholm-disagrees/

POST 123. February 4, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Nursing homes across the country are facing the same struggle, as workers have been more reluctant than residents to be vaccinated…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-123-february-4-2021-coronavirus-nursing-homes-across-the-country-are-facing-the-same-struggle-as-workers-have-been-more-reluctant-than-residents-to-be-vaccinated/

POST 124. February 5, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Dr. Osterholm ” …it may be time to..go with a ‘first-dose only’ approach, so more people over the age of 65 can have at least some protection right away. He said that would require delaying second doses until this summer.” Dr.Fauci “warned against this practice, and cautioned people about “the danger” that could come with focusing only on the first dose.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-124-february-5-2021-coronavirus-dr-osterholm-it-may-be-time-to-go-with-a-first-dose-only-approach-so-more-people-over-the-age-of-65-can-have-at-least-some-protection/

POST 125. June 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “States are rolling back Covid-19 restrictions as new cases trend down from record highs across the country. But experts warn it might be too much too soon as variants pose an increased risk and the pandemic… is far from over.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-125-june-9-2021-coronavirus-states-are-rolling-back-covid-19-restrictions-as-new-cases-trend-down-from-record-highs-across-the-country-but-experts-warn-it-might-be-too-much-too-soon/

POST 126. February 11, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “There will be more coronavirus outbreaks in the future. Bats and other mammals are rife with strains and species of this abundant family of viruses. Some of these pathogens will inevitably spill over the species barrier and cause new pandemics. It’s only a matter of time.” (A)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-126-february-11-2021-coronavirus-there-will-be-more-coronavirus-outbreaks-in-the-future-bats-and-other-mammals-are-rife-with-strains-and-species-of-this-abundant-family-of-viruses-2/

POST 127. February 12, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “… Trump only agreed to be hospitalized when aides told him that he could walk to Marine One or he could wait until his case progressed and he would be carried out.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-127-february-12-2021-coronavirus-trump-only-agreed-to-be-hospitalized-when-aides-told-him-that-he-could-walk-to-marine-one-or-he-could-wait-until-his-case-progressed-and-he/

POST 128. February 14, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new research on Wednesday that found wearing a cloth mask over a surgical mask offers more protection against the coronavirus, as does tying knots on the ear loops of surgical masks…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-127-february-13-2021-coronavirus-the-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-released-new-research-on-wednesday-that-found-wearing-a-cloth-mask-over-a-surgical-mask-offers-more-pr/

POST 129. February 15, 2021, CORONAVIRUS. “ “The CDC released its much-anticipated, updated guidance to help school leaders decide how to safely bring students back into classrooms, or keep them there.”…” For politicians, parents and school leaders looking for a clear green light to reopen schools, this is not it.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-129-february-15-2021-coronavirus-the-cdc-released-its-much-anticipated-updated-guidance-to-help-school-leaders-decide-how-to-safely-bring-students-back-into-classrooms-or/

POST 130. February 16, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “A second person who had contracted the Ebola virus died this week in the Democratic Republic of Congo, marking another outbreak just three months after the nation outlasted the virus’s second-worst outbreak in history…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-130-february-16-2021-coronavirus-a-second-person-who-had-contracted-the-ebola-virus-died-this-week-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo-marking-another-outbreak-just-three-months-aft/

POST 131. February 17, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “It really is right now – a race between how quickly new variants, particularly the U.K. variant, can spread in the United States and how quickly we can get people vaccinated”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-131-february-17-2021-coronavirus-it-really-is-right-now-a-race-between-how-quickly-new-variants-particularly-the-u-k-variant-can-spread-in-the-united-states-and-how-quickly-we/

POST 132. February 20, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “In Texas, where over 2.5 million people are still without power, the state health department said this week’s vaccine shipments wouldn’t arrive until Wednesday at the earliest.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-132-february-20-2021-coronavirus-in-texas-where-over-2-5-million-people-are-still-without-power-the-state-health-department-said-this-weeks-vaccine-shipments-wouldnt-arrive-unt/

POST 133. February 23, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Going off your meds is a surefire way to aggravate your doctor. What if a whole country did it?” The United Kingdom has veered into uncharted territory by changing tack and introducing a revised COVID-19 vaccination protocol, one that involves distributing the second dose at 12 weeks, rather than the prescribed 21 days.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-133-february-23-2021-coronavirus-going-off-your-meds-is-a-surefire-way-to-aggravate-your-doctor-what-if-a-whole-country-did-it-the-united-kingdom-has-veered-into-uncharted/

POST 134. February 24, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. The first tranche of the J&J (single dose) vaccine must go to K-12 teachers, so schools can open safely in the first 100 days of the Biden Administration. The federal government…”can set up its own vaccination centers in regions with eligible populations it’s trying to target.” We owe our front-line teachers nothing less!

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-134-february-24-2021-coronavirus-the-first-tranche-of-the-jj-vaccine-must-go-to-k-12-teachers-the-federal-governmentcan-set-up-its-own-vaccination-centers-in-regions-with/

POST 135. February 27, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “As Chief Executive Officers of New York’s major health care systems, we would like to provide facts to clear up confusion in the public and the media regarding decisions to discharge patients to nursing homes during New York’s spring coronavirus surge.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-135-february-27-2021-coronavirus-as-chief-executive-officers-of-new-yorks-major-health-care-systems-we-would-like-to-provide-facts-to-clear-up-confusion-in-the-public-and-the-medi/

POST 136. March 2, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. ““The governors of Texas and Mississippi both announced on Tuesday they would be lifting their states’ mask mandates and rolling back many of their Covid-19 health mandates..”…while “The US could experience a “fourth surge” of coronavirus before the majority of the country is vaccinated.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-136-march-2-2021-coronavirus-the-governors-of-texas-and-mississippi-both-announced-on-tuesday-they-would-be-lifting-their-states-mask-mandates-and-rolling-back-many-of-the/

POST 137. March 4, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The clamor for hard-to-get Covid-19 vaccines has created armies of anxious Americans who have resorted to hunting for leftovers on the fringes of the country’s patchwork vaccination system. They haunt pharmacies at the end of the day in search of an extra, expiring dose. They drive from clinic to clinic hoping that someone was a no-show to their appointment. They cold-call pharmacies like eager telemarketers: Any extras today? Maybe tomorrow? Some pharmacists have even given them a nickname: vaccine lurkers.” (H)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-137-march-4-2021-coronavirus-the-clamor-for-hard-to-get-covid-19-vaccines-has-created-armies-of-anxious-americans-who-have-resorted-to-hunting-for-leftovers-on-the-fringes-of-the-cou/

POST 138. March 6, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “New cases are decreasing in the third wave because we are past the holidays, not because of vaccinations. It is a common misconception that the decrease we are seeing in new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in the U.S. is due to vaccinations. The two aren’t related; at least yet.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-138-march-6-2021-coronavirus-new-cases-are-decreasing-in-the-third-wave-because-we-are-past-the-holidays-not-because-of-vaccinations-it-is-a-common-misconception-that-the-decrease/

POST 139. March 8, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. CDC Issues First Set of Guidelines on How Fully Vaccinated People Can Visit Safely with Others…” In practice, that means fully vaccinated grandparents may visit unvaccinated healthy adult children and healthy grandchildren of the same household without masks or physical distancing.” (C)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-139-march-8-2021-coronavirus-cdc-issues-first-set-of-guidelines-on-how-fully-vaccinated-people-can-visit-safely-with-others-in-practice-that-means-fully-vaccinated-grandpar/

POST 140. March 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “In West Virginia, they are bracing for the second wave….. Not coronavirus but opioid overdoses, with one scourge driving a resurgence of the other.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-140-march-9-2021-coronavirus-in-west-virginia-they-are-bracing-for-the-second-wave-not-coronavirus-but-opioid-overdoses-with-one-scourge-driving-a-resurgence-of-the-othe/

POST 141. March 11, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Today is the first anniversary of the WHO declaration that the novel coronavirus was a Public Health Emergency of International Concern… “To truly prepare itself against the next pandemic, the U.S. has to reimagine what preparedness looks like.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-141-march-11-2021-coronavirus-today-is-the-first-anniversary-of-the-who-declaration-that-the-novel-coronavirus-was-a-public-health-emergency-of-international-concern-to-trul/

POST 142. March 15, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Candida auris is a superbug, a pathogen that can evade drugs made to kill it—and early signs suggest the COVID-19 pandemic may be propelling infections of the highly dangerous yeast. That’s because C. auris is particularly prominent in hospital settings, which have been flooded with people this year due to the coronavirus.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-142-march-15-2021-coronavirus-candida-auris-is-a-superbug-a-pathogen-that-can-evade-drugs-made-to-kill-it-and-early-signs-suggest-the-covid-19-pandemic-may-be-propelling-inf-2/

POST 143. March 17, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The Trump administration sought to suppress Covid-19 testing in the United States last year by softening guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on who needed to be tested, a House panel said Monday.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-143-march-17-2021-coronavirus-the-trump-administration-sought-to-suppress-covid-19-testing-in-the-united-states-last-year-by-softening-guidance-from-the-centers-for-disease-control-a/

POST 144. March 20, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. ““The vaccine hesitancy we are seeing isn’t just about Covid vaccines,”… “It is a general reflection of Americans’ lack of trust in science, the pharmaceutical industry, and large health care institutions. We need a full court press on science and vaccine education right now to prevent more aggressive Covid-19 variants from developing and taking hold.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-144-march-20-2021-coronavirus-the-vaccine-hesitancy-we-are-seeing-isnt-just-about-covid-vaccines-it-is-a-general-reflection-of-americans/

POST 145. March 25, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Efforts to disseminate Covid-19 vaccines as widely as possible are hitting an unexpected obstacle: health-care workers who decline the shots.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-145-march-25-2021-coronavirus-efforts-to-disseminate-covid-19-vaccines-as-widely-as-possible-are-hitting-an-unexpected-obstacle-health-care-workers-who-decline-the-shots/

POST 146. March 30, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Dr. Osterholm told Becker’s: “This is the perfect storm,”…”Here is Europe locking down and having problems containing B.1.1.7, even with vaccinations and previous infection histories. Here we are opening up as wide as we can. We are literally just walking into the mouth of the virus saying, ‘Don’t worry.’” (M)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-146-march-30-2021-coronavirus-dr-osterholm-told-beckers-this-is-the-perfect-stormhere-is-europe-locking-down-and-having-problems-containing-b-1-1-7-even-with-vaccinations/

POST 147. April 5, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The pandemic helped cement the shift to “a philosophy of really focusing on the role of the physician in reasoning through ambiguous and unknown problems as the focus of education, rather than teaching students that the role of physician was to memorize a body of knowledge that was already in existence and good enough for what usually happens.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-147-april-5-2021-coronavirus-the-pandemic-helped-cement-the-shift-to-a-philosophy-of-really-focusing-on-the-role-of-the-physician-in-reasoning-through-ambiguous-and-unknown/

POST 148. April 7, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. While the Biden administration accelerates vaccinations to ward off numerous variants and as more young people are being hospitalized, states, even with increasing case rates are on paths to fully reopen. Politics v. public health!

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-148-april-7-2021-coronavirus-while-the-biden-administration-accelerates-vaccinations-to-ward-off-numerous-variants-and-as-more-young-people-are-being-hospitalized-states-even-with-increasin/

POST 149. April 10, 2021. CORONAVIRIUS. “From Michigan to Massachusetts, COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the rise again. Deaths will soon follow. “ ”.. the Biden administration is facing renewed calls to delay second vaccine doses and blanket more of the U.S. population with an initial shot.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-149-april-10-2021-coronavirius-from-michigan-to-massachusetts-covid-19-cases-and-hospitalizations-are-on-the-rise-again-deaths-will-soon-follow-the-biden-adm/

POST 150. April 10, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The use of so-called COVID-19 “vaccine passports” is quickly becoming a divisive issue across the US – with several states, including New York, embracing the idea, while others have already moved to ban them.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-150-april-10-2021-coronavirus-the-use-of-so-called-covid-19-vaccine-passports-is-quickly-becoming-a-divisive-issue-across-the-us-with-several-states-incl/

POST 151. April 14, 2021. CORONAVIRUS.   the J&J vaccination pause. “ Federal officials are concerned that doctors may not be trained to spot or treat the rare disorder if recipients of the vaccine develop symptoms of it…”  “…a standard treatment for blood clots — use of an anticoagulant drug — could be dangerous or even fatal in such cases…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-151-april-14-2021-coronavirus-the-jj-vaccination-pause-federal-officials-are-concerned-that-doctors-may-not-be-trained-to-spot-or-treat-the-rare-disorder-if-recipients-of-the-va/

POST 152. April 15, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s director said Saturday authorities are considering mixing COVID-19 vaccines because the country’s domestically made doses “don’t have very high protection rates,”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-152-april-15-2021-coronavirus-the-chinese-center-for-disease-control-and-preventions-director-said-saturday-authorities-are-considering-mixing-covid-19-vaccines-because-the-country/

POST 153. April 18, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “At least 35 hospitals across Michigan were listed Thursday as nearing capacity and three were at full capacity for COVID-19 patients..”.. We can manufacture beds. We can open up beds. We can create entire wings of the hospital if we have to, but if we don’t have staff for those beds, we’ve got nothing.”..

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-153-april-18-2021-coronavirus-at-least-35-hospitals-across-michigan-were-listed-thursday-as-nearing-capacity-and-three-were-at-full-capacity-for-covid-19-patients-we-can/

POST 154. April 19, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Breakthrough infections, which occur when fully vaccinated people are infected by the pathogen that their shots were designed to protect against, are an entirely expected part of any vaccination process.”   “Pfizer’s chief executive said that a third dose of the company’s Covid-19 vaccine was “likely” to be needed within a year of the initial two-dose inoculation — followed by annual vaccinations.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-154-april-19-2021-coronavirus-breakthrough-infections-which-occur-when-fully-vaccinated-people-are-infected-by-the-pathogen-that-their-shots-were-designed-to-protect-against-are-an/

POST 155. April 24, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. As the J&J vaccine pause is ended Senator Johnson said “The science tells us that vaccines are 95% effective. So if you have a vaccine, quite honestly, what do you care if your neighbor has one or not? I mean, what is it to you?”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-155-april-24-2021-coronavirus-as-the-jj-vaccine-pause-is-ended-senator-johnson-said-the-science-tells-us-that-vaccines-are-95-effective-so-if-you-have-a-vaccine-quite-honestly-what-do-y/

POST 156. April 28, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. As CDC revises guidance on outdoor masking, Texas Governor Abbott says “the state is “very close” to herd immunity… despite acknowledging that he does not know what the herd immunity threshold is for the virus, an uncertainty echoed by the public health community.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-156-april-28-2021-coronavirus-as-cdc-revises-guidance-on-outdoor-masking-texas-governor-abbott-says-the-state-is-very-close-to-herd-immunity-despite-ackno/

POST 157. April 25, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Ohio hospitals; “We agreed in multiple conversations, there’s nothing in fighting a pandemic that creates a competitive advantage.”…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-157-april-25-2021-coronavirus-ohio-hospitals-we-agreed-in-multiple-conversations-theres-nothing-in-fighting-a-pandemic-that-creates-a-competitive-advantage/

POST 158. May 5, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. . As populations get closer to herd immunity “ it may be helpful to introduce some nuance to what we mean by the term. Nationwide herd immunity. Regional herd immunity. Temporary herd immunity. Endemicity.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-158-may-5-2021-coronavirus-as-populations-get-closer-to-herd-immunity-it-may-be-helpful-to-introduce-some-nuance-to-what-we-mean-by-the-term-nationwide-herd-immunity-regional-he/

POST 159. May 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Without deeper sharing of expertise in how to make vaccines…waiving patent obligations is unlikely to be a game-changer… Having access to the “recipe” certainly helps, but understanding how to put it together and produce it at scale is something else.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-159-may-9-2021-coronavirus-without-deeper-sharing-of-expertise-in-how-to-make-vaccineswaiving-patent-obligations-is-unlikely-to-be-a-game-changer-having-access-to-t/

POST 160. May 13, 2021.CORONAVIRUS. “The CDC acknowledged Friday that airborne spread of COVID-19 among people more than 6 feet apart “has been repeatedly documented.”” Meanwhile states relax or eliminate indoor dining restrictions. HUH?

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-160-may-13-2021-coronavirus-the-cdc-acknowledged-friday-that-airborne-spread-of-covid-19-among-people-more-than-6-feet-apart-has-been-repeatedly-documented-meanwhile-sta/

POST 161. May 15, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Even if the spread of Covid-19 decreases enough to allow a return of most activities, there are some aspects of pandemic life that epidemiologists say will persist much longer. In particular, they say that masks are a norm that should continue, even if that view puts them at odds with the new C.D.C. guidance. More than 80 percent of them say people should continue to wear masks when indoors with strangers for at least another year, and outdoors in crowds.” 

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-161-may-15-2021-coronavirus-even-if-the-spread-of-covid-19-decreases-enough-to-allow-a-return-of-most-activities-there-are-some-aspects-of-pandemic-life-that-epidemiologists-say-wil/

POST 162. May 21, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is refusing to lift his indoor mask mandate for vaccinated residents…” “…fully vaccinated residents in New York and Connecticut are no longer required to wear masks..”..” “California says it isn’t ready to follow the federal lead and unmask, at least for another month..”.. “..Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Tuesday prohibiting state governmental entities such as counties, public school districts, public health authorities and government officials from requiring mask wearing.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-162-may-21-2021-coronavirus-new-jersey-gov-phil-murphy-is-refusing-to-lift-his-indoor-mask-mandate-for-vaccinated-residents-fully-vaccinated-resi/

POST 163. May 23, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. RWJBarnabas Health in New Jersey announced a mandate…saying supervisors and those of higher rank must get the vaccine by June 30. They will eventually require the system’s 35,000 employees to do the same.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-163-may-23-2021-coronavirus-rwjbarnabas-health-in-new-jersey-announced-a-mandatesaying-supervisors-and-those-of-higher-rank-must-get-the-vaccine-by-june-30-they-will-eventually-requ/

POST 164. May 26, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. On Wednesday, health minister Norihisa Tamura warned Olympic organizers they would have to “secure their own” hospital beds for anyone falling ill at the Games, explaining the government would not release beds set aside for Japanese covid-19 patients.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-164-may-26-2021-coronavirus-on-wednesday-health-minister-norihisa-tamura-warned-olympic-organizers-they-would-have-to-secure-their-own-hospital-beds-for-anyone-falling-ill/

POST 165. May 31,2001. CORONAVIRUS. “Like all pandemics, this one will end either with millions — maybe billions — being infected or being vaccinated. This time, world leaders have a choice, but little time to make that choice before it is made for them.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-165-may-312001-coronavirus-like-all-pandemics-this-one-will-end-either-with-millions-maybe-billions-being-infected-or-being-vaccinated-this-time-world-leaders/

POST 166. June 3, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “President Biden said Wednesday that he has asked intelligence agencies to double down on their efforts to investigate whether the coronavirus originated from human contact with an animal or in an laboratory in China, saying there is not “sufficient information” to assess whether one is more likely than the other.” 

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-166-june-3-2020-coronavirus-president-biden-said-wednesday-that-he-has-asked-intelligence-agencies-to-double-down-on-their-efforts-to-investigate-whether-the-coronavirus-originated-f/

POST 167. June 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Hospitals prevaricate on mandatory staff vaccinations.  Florida’s Governor forbids cruise ship vaccine mandates. Pfizer and Moderna apply for FDA full approval.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-167-june-9-2021-coronavirus-hospitals-prevaricate-on-mandatory-staff-vaccinations-floridas-governor-forbids-cruise-ship-vaccine-mandates-pfizer-and-moderna-apply-for-fda-full-appr/

POST 168. June 10, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Our species has a tendency to get distracted. We have a very strong appetite for distraction, and when something is not in the spotlight, when it’s not a crisis anymore, we tend to forget and move on to something else. So the biggest challenge is going to be maintaining focus on this next step of developing vaccines that anticipate pandemics.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-168-june-10-2021-coronavirus-our-species-has-a-tendency-to-get-distracted-we-have-a-very-strong-appetite-for-distraction-and-when-something-is-not-in-the-spotlight-when-it/

POST 169. June 14, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Hospitals in Washington, D.C…announced a consensus agreement to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for more than 30,000 workers, 70% of which are already vaccinated. Each of 14 hospitals will set their own deadline…” 

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-169-june-14-2021-coronavirus-hospitals-in-washington-d-cannounced-a-consensus-agreement-to-mandate-covid-19-vaccinations-for-more-than-30000-workers-70-of-which-are-alrea/

POST 170. June 17, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Dr. Ashish Jha…is worried about the potential impact  the delta variant could have in the United States… “I’m concerned about the Delta variant,”… “Why? Most contagious variant yet. Wreaked havoc in India. Spiking cases in UK. Growing rapidly in the US.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-170-june-17-2021-coronavirus-dr-ashish-jhais-worried-about-the-potential-impact-the-delta-variant-could-have-in-the-united-states-im-concerned-a/

POST 171. June 19, 2021. “A 34-year-old man (a Covid-19 survivor) has been diagnosed with India’s first known case of “green fungus” infection.”… “Green fungus is the new infection to join the earlier known cases of black, white and yellow fungus.”…”green fungus was earlier seen only as a “junior partner” in other infections… In the current patient, this fungus is acting as the aggressor.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-171-june-19-2021-coronavirus-a-34-year-old-man-a-covid-19-survivor-has-been-diagnosed-with-indias-first-known-case-of-green-fungus-infection/

POST 172. June 23, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Morgan Stanley chief executive James Gorman said: “If you can go into a restaurant in New York City, you can come into the office.”…”remote work can “dramatically undermine” the character and culture a company is attempting to build; and “virtually eliminates spontaneous learning and creativity.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-172-june-23-2021-coronavirus-morgan-stanley-chief-executive-james-gorman-said-if-you-can-go-into-a-restaurant-in-new-york-city-you-can-come-into-the-office-remote-work/

POST 173. June 26, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The daily toll of COVID-19, as measured by new cases and the growing number of deaths, overlooks a shadowy set of casualties: the rising risk of mental health problems among health care professionals working on the frontlines of the pandemic.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-173-june-26-2021-coronavirus-the-daily-toll-of-covid-19-as-measured-by-new-cases-and-the-growing-number-of-deaths-overlooks-a-shadowy-set-of-casualties-the-rising-risk-of-mental-h/

POST 174. July 1, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “..while the WHO is encouraging people to keep wearing masks even if they’re vaccinated, Dr. Anthony Fauci says it doesn’t look like the CDC currently plans to change its guidelines.” … health officials in Los Angeles recommended that “everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks indoors in public places as a precautionary measure.”..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-174-july-1-2021-coronavirus-while-the-who-is-encouraging-people-to-keep-wearing-masks-even-if-theyre-vaccinated-dr-anthony-fauci-says-it-doesnt-look-like-the-cdc-currently-pl/

POST 175. July 5, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Can a health care worker who is not against vaccines in general still harbor sincere concerns that scientists don’t yet know about all the side effects of these vaccines? Yes, says Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD — but those people should not work in health care.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-175-july-5-2021-coronavirus-can-a-health-care-worker-who-is-not-against-vaccines-in-general-still-harbor-sincere-concerns-that-scientists-dont-yet-know-about-all-the-side-ef/

POST 176. July 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Mercy Springfield ( Missouri) hospital…” ran out of ventilators for its patients over the Fourth of July weekend…”…“Mercy will require all current and future employees to be fully vaccinated.”…“The US government is deploying a Covid-19 surge team to provide public health support in southwest Missouri

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-176-july-9-2021-coronavirus-mercy-springfield-missouri-hospital-ran-out-of-ventilators-for-its-patients-over-the-fourth-of-july-weekend/

POST 177. July 12, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. the Delta variant is “the 2020 version of Covid-19 on steroids,”… “It is the most hypertransmissible, contagious version of the virus we’ve seen to date…it’s a superspreader strain if there ever was one .” but… now, there’s a Delta Plus variant…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-177-july-12-2021-coronavirus-the-delta-variant-is-the-2020-version-of-covid-19-on-steroids-it-is-the-most-hypertransmissible-contagious-version-of-the-vi/

POST 178. July 15, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Tennessee’s top vaccine official says she has been fired as punishment for doing her job in the face of political pushback.”..” More than 180 state and local public health leaders…have resigned, retired or been fired since April 1…”“Former President Trump and his GOP allies have stepped up attacks on Anthony Fauci…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-178-july-15-2021-coronavirus-tennessees-top-vaccine-official-says-she-has-been-fired-as-punishment-for-doing-her-job-in-the-face-of-political-pushback-more-tha/

POST 179. July 16, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “It, therefore, follows that the “harm principle” (“first, do no harm.”) can be used to justify compulsory vaccination programs in specific instances where the community interests or benefits are deemed to be significant.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-179-july-16-2021-coronavirus-it-therefore-follows-that-the-harm-principle-first-do-no-harm-can-be-used-to-justify-compulsory-vaccination-pro/

POST 180, July 20, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Most people will either get vaccinated, or have been previously infected, or they will get this Delta variant,”.. “And for most people who get this Delta variant, it’s going to be the most serious virus that they get in their lifetime in terms of the risk of putting them in the hospital,”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-180-july-20-2021-coronavirus-most-people-will-either-get-vaccinated-or-have-been-previously-infected-or-they-will-get-this-delta-variant-and-for-most-people-who-get-this-delta-vari/

POST 181. July 22, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Health experts fear the Tokyo Olympics could become a COVID-19 superspreader event.” “Whatever happens in Japan isn’t likely going to stay in Japan since all of the athletes and accompanying coaches and staff will be returning to their home countries.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-181-july-22-2021-coronavirus-health-experts-fear-the-tokyo-olympics-could-become-a-covid-19-superspreader-event-whatever-happens-in-japan-isnt-likely-goin/

POST 182. July 26, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R): “Folks supposed to have common sense.”…“But it’s time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks, not the regular folks. It’s the unvaccinated folks that are letting us down.” ““Beginning in mid-September, New York City will require all of its 340,000 municipal workers, including police, firefighters and teachers, to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or tested weekly.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-182-july-26-2021-coronavirus-alabama-gov-kay-ivey-r-folks-supposed-to-have-common-sense-but-its-time-to-start-blaming-the-unvaccinated-folks-not-the/

POST 183. July 29, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. When I was appointed President and CEO of Jersey City Medical Center in1989 in the peak of the HIV/ AIDS crisis, we had a dedicated, and always full, dedicated 60 bed AIDS unit, staffed by one full time nurse and numerous part-time and per diem nurses. Today, right now, hospitals caught in the Covid-19 surge, are forced to redeploy nursing staff, respiratory therapists and other clinicians, most without prior infectious diseases experience. Why are we tolerating the unvaccinated putting our hospital staffs at risk?

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-183-july-29-2021-coronavirus-when-i-was-appointed-president-and-ceo-of-jersey-city-medical-center-in1989-in-the-peak-of-the-hiv-aids-crisis-we-had-a-dedicated-and-always-full-dedicated-60/

POST 184. August 1, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The coronavirus could be “just a few mutations potentially away” from evolving into a variant that can evade existing COVID-19 vaccines, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said..” (A) “The Delta variant is more transmissible than the viruses that cause MERS, SARS, Ebola, the common cold, the seasonal flu and smallpox, and it is as contagious as chickenpox..” (I)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-184-august-1-2021-coronavirus-the-coronavirus-could-be-just-a-few-mutations-potentially-away-from-evolving-into-a-variant-that-can-evade-existing-covid-19-vaccines-cdc-director/

POST 185. August 6, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. ‘If you aren’t going to help, please get out of the way’: Biden turns up the pressure on GOP governors as Delta spreads”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-185-august-6-2021-coronavirus-if-you-arent-going-to-help-please-get-out-of-the-way-biden-turns-up-the-pressure-on-gop-governors-as-delta-spreads/

POST 186. August 8, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “One of the last things they do before they’re intubated is beg me for the vaccine. I hold their hand and tell them that I’m sorry, but it’s too late,” she added, referring to patients who have to be put on a ventilator.” (A) “There is no one definition of what the end of a pandemic means.”.. “The question of when the crisis will be over is a layered one — with different answers from local, national and global perspectives.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-186-august-8-2021-coronavirus-one-of-the-last-things-they-do-before-theyre-intubated-is-beg-me-for-the-vaccine-i-hold-their-hand-and-tell-them-that-im-sorry-but-i/

POST 187. August 11, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “As a result of the increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, the state of Florida requested 300 ventilators from the federal government.”… “An 11-month-old girl with Covid-19 is stable and no longer intubated one day after she was airlifted to a Texas hospital 150 miles away because of a shortage of pediatric beds in the Houston area.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-187-august-11-2021-coronavirus-as-a-result-of-the-increase-in-covid-19-cases-and-hospitalizations-the-state-of-florida-requested-300-ventilators-from-the-federal-government/

POST 188. August 15, 20201. CORONAVIRUS. “According to an internal CDC briefing….an estimated 1.1 million people have already gotten unauthorized booster shots…”….”If it is left up to the honor system, I think many Americans will suddenly wake up and find themselves immunocompromised enough to get a 3rd dose,”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-188-august-15-20201-coronavirus-according-to-an-internal-cdc-briefing-an-estimated-1-1-million-people-have-already-gotten-unauthorized-booster-shots/

POST 189. August 19,2021. CORONAVIRUS. “There wasn’t a single I.C.U. bed available in Alabama on Wednesday…”…”A triage plan on the Alabama health department’s website suggests that “persons with severe mental retardation” are among those who “may be poor candidates for ventilator support.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-189-august-192021-coronavirus-there-wasnt-a-single-i-c-u-bed-available-in-alabama-on-wednesdaya-triage-plan-on-the-alabama-health-depart/

POST 190, August 21, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “We’re looking, in essence, at running two systems — a COVID system and a non-COVID system of care,”..“Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and certified paramedics can now care for patients in Mississippi hospitals and emergency rooms under a new health office order issued by the Mississippi State Department of Health on Wednesday.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-190-august-21-2021-coronavirus-were-looking-in-essence-at-running-two-systems-a-covid-system-and-a-non-covid-system-of-care-emergency-medical/

POST 191. August 27, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Anthony Fauci, MD, chief medical advisor to the president and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, explained that late September gives the United States time to set up the logistics.” This is not medical science, but perhaps Political Science?

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-191-august-27-2021-coronavirus-anthony-fauci-md-chief-medical-advisor-to-the-president-and-director-of-the-national-institute-of-allergy-and-infectious-diseases-explained-that-lat/

POST 192. August 30, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Gov. John Bel Edwards on Hurricane Ida – “I hate to say it this way, but we have a lot of people on ventilators today and they don’t work without electricity,” he said.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-192-august-30-2021-coronavirus-gov-john-bel-edwards-on-hurricane-ida-i-hate-to-say-it-this-way-but-we-have-a-lot-of-people-on-ventilators-today-and-they-dont-work-withou/

POST 193. September 3, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Nurses are leaving their hospitals and becoming travel nurses at hospitals across town “because they can make $4,000, $5,000, $6,000, $7,000 a week while not having to relocate anywhere..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-193-september-3-2021-coronavirus-nurses-are-leaving-their-hospitals-and-becoming-travel-nurses-at-hospitals-across-town-because-they-can-make-4000-5000-6000-7000-a-week-wh/

POST 194. August 2, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Recently-released data is painting a grim picture of the opioid epidemic that has gripped the United States — as the country is still grappling with the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than half a million Americans. Some people are calling them twin pandemics that have collided”…“Faced with a novel health crisis, researchers are collecting data on the long-term impact of using opioids to treat COVID-19 pain…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-194-august-2-2021-coronavirus-recently-released-data-is-painting-a-grim-picture-of-the-opioid-epidemic-that-has-gripped-the-united-states-as-the-country-is-still-grappling/

POST 195. September 6, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “…there are “zero ICU beds left for children in Dallas County, Texas,”.,..”That means if your child’s in a car wreck, if your child has a congenital heart defect or something and needs an ICU bed, or more likely if they have Covid and need an ICU bed, we don’t have one. Your child will wait for another child to die… (county judge Clay Jenkins)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-195-september-6-2021-coronavirus-there-are-zero-icu-beds-left-for-children-in-dallas-county-texas-that-means-if-your-childs-in-a-car-wreck-if-your-child/

POST 196. SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. PART 1. Military helicopters and jets were overhead, as President Bush was getting ready to leave NYC. PART 2. LESSONS LEARNED memorandum by hospital CEO Jonathan Metsch goes “viral”…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-196-september-11-2021-september-11-2001-part-1-military-helicopters-and-jets-were-overhead-as-president-bush-was-getting-ready-to-leave-nyc-part-2-lessons-learned-memorandum-by-hospital/

POST 197. September 12, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Idaho officials have instituted “crisis standards of care” to help 10 hospitals and health care systems decide how to allocate personnel and resources to deal with a crush of COVID-19 patients.”… “The Washington Medical Coordination Center oversees facilitating transfers in the state, and it’s warning we could be nearing the point of “Crisis Standards of Care,” just like Idaho.” .. “These crisis models don’t actually save more lives, they just save different lives..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-197-september-12-2021-coronavirus-idaho-officials-have-instituted-crisis-standards-of-care-to-help-10-hospitals-and-health-care-systems-decide-how-to-allocate-personnel-and/

POST 198. September 15, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. A pundit said “The most elegant policy riposte to the anti-vaxxers… is to refuse to allow Medicare or Medicaid to pay their medical bills in the event they become seriously ill. Private health insurers might also follow suit.” (but is making our hospitals become the bill collectors right?)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-198-september-15-2021-coronavirus-a-pundit-said-the-most-elegant-policy-riposte-to-the-anti-vaxxers-is-to-refuse-to-allow-medicare-or-medicaid-to-pay-their-medical-bills-in/

POST 199. September 19, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Crisis Standards of Care. “… to his knowledge, no patient in Idaho has been taken off life-support therapy in order to provide that therapy to another patient who has a better prognosis.” “While that has yet to occur, if we continue on this path, it will,”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-199-september-19-2021-coronavirus-crisis-standards-of-care-to-his-knowledge-no-patient-in-idaho-has-been-taken-off-life-support-therapy-in-order-to-provide-that-therapy-t/

POST 200. September 23, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. CDC Director overrides a recommendation of its scientific advisors saying “that people can get a booster if they are ages 18 to 64 years and are health-care workers or have another job that puts them at increased risk of being exposed to the virus.”…“In a pandemic, even with uncertainty, we must take actions that we anticipate will do the greatest good.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-200-september-23-2021-coronavirus-cdc-director-overrides-a-recommendation-of-its-scientific-advisors-saying-that-people-can-get-a-booster-if-they-are-ages-18-to-64-years-and-are-heal/

POST 201. September 27, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “A multibillion-dollar institution in the Seattle area is sitting on nearly $12 billion in cash… received at least $509 million in government funds (from) a federal program that is supposed to prevent health care providers from capsizing during the coronavirus pandemic.”

“Based on our estimates…we find preventable COVID-19 hospitalizations cost $5.7 billion from June to August in 2021.”…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-201-september-27-2021-coronavirus-a-multibillion-dollar-institution-in-the-seattle-area-is-sitting-on-nearly-12-billion-in-cash-received-at-least-509-million-in-government/

POST 202. September 30, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “..NY Governor Hochul signed an executive order expanding healthcare worker eligibility requirements…to head off potential staffing shortages fueled by the state’s new COVID-19 vaccination requirements.” “The.. order allows out-of-state/ out-of-country healthcare workers to practice in New York…”..”It allows EMTs graduates to temporarily pitch in at additional healthcare settings; allows various types of healthcare workers to more easily administer and order COVID-19 vaccinations; enables telemedicine physician visits in nursing homes; permits facilities to more quickly discharge, transfer or receive patients…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-202-september-30-2021-coronavirus-ny-governor-hochul-signed-an-executive-order-expanding-healthcare-worker-eligibility-requirementsto-head-off-potential-staffing-shortages/

POST 203. October 3, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “.. more than 125,000 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in pregnant people, including more than 22,000 hospitalized cases and 161 deaths”…The risk is not just to the mother. Covid-19 in pregnancy can cause preterm birth or babies born so sick they have to go straight to the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU.” 

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-203-october-3-2021-coronavirus-more-than-125000-laboratory-confirmed-covid-19-cases-have-been-reported-in-pregnant-people-including-more-than-22000-hospitalized-cases-and-161-deaths/

POST 204. October 5, 2021.CORONAVIRUS. “News that an experimental antiviral drug from Merck appears to halve the risk of hospitalization or death from Covid-19 has bolstered hopes of finding a simple at-home treatment for the virus.”..” A more blunt assessment came from vaccine scientist Dr. Peter Hotez of Baylor College of Medicine’s National School of Tropical Medicine. “It’s not a miracle cure but a companion tool, So get vaccinated.””

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-204-october-5-2021-coronavirus-news-that-an-experimental-antiviral-drug-from-merck-appears-to-halve-the-risk-of-hospitalization-or-death-from-covid-19-has-bolstered-hopes-of-finding-a/

POST 205. October 11, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. The AAP reported nearly 226,000 new child cases over the past week ending. “Hospital care for children does not occur in isolation from that of adults. Many of the resources we use are the same—a twenty-pound baby and a two-hundred-pound man might use the same kind of ventilator, for example. Dialysis machines, which could cleanse a seven-year-old’s blood as easily as his grandfather’s, are in high demand. Pediatric resident physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists get cross-deployed to care for adults during the surges.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-205-october-11-2021-coronavirus-the-aap-reported-nearly-226000-new-child-cases-over-the-past-week-ending-hospital-care-for-children-does-not-occur-in-isolation-from-that-of-adults/

POST 206. October 15, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. to borrow from Winston Churchill about where we are with the pandemic –  “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-206-october-15-2021-coronavirus-to-borrow-from-winston-churchill-about-where-we-are-with-the-pandemic-now-this-is-not-the-end-it-is-not-even-the-beginning-of-the-end-but-it-is/

POST 207. October 17, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “…if you choose your own unauthorized booster shot, what happens if later research proves a different combination is better? That’s why experts say it’s a bad idea to become your own vaccine advisory committee and get a shot out of turn.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-207-october-17-2021-coronavirus-if-you-choose-your-own-unauthorized-booster-shot-what-happens-if-later-research-proves-a-different-combination-is-better-thats-why/

POST 208. October 22, 2021, CORONAVIRUS. “What is the “delta plus” variant?” Scientists are monitoring the delta-related variant — known as AY.4.2. — to see if it might spread more easily or be more deadly than previous versions of the coronavirus.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-208-october-22-2021-coronavirus-what-is-the-delta-plus-variant-scientists-are-monitoring-the-delta-related-variant-known-as-ay-4-2-to/

POST 209. October 28, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The quest at Mount Sinai began with a mystery.”…”America was not simply struggling to contain a once-in-a-century pandemic, caused by a virus far more dangerous than seasonal influenza. Many patients were, for unknown reasons, not recovering.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-209-october-28-2021-coronavirus-the-quest-at-mount-sinai-began-with-a-mystery-america-was-not-simply-struggling-to-contain-a-once-in-a-century-pandemic-ca/

POST 210. October 31, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Some people want the FDA to speed up. Others want it to be more cautious…There’s a fundamental tension between the right to get access to a drug people are desperate for and the right to protection from dangerous failures of quality. The first demands speed; the second requires time…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-210-october-31-2021-coronavirus-some-people-want-the-fda-to-speed-up-others-want-it-to-be-more-cautioustheres-a-fundamental-tension-between-the-right-to-get-access/

POST 211. November 4, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Colorado – “…there are patients who really ought to be in an intensive care unit but instead they’re in an emergency room. Or they ought to be in a step-down unit but instead they’re on the floor. Or they ought to be getting one-to-one nursing, and instead they’re getting two-to-one, or three-to-one nursing….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/11/post-211-november-4-2021-coronavirus-colorado-there-are-patients-who-really-ought-to-be-in-an-intensive-care-unit-but-instead-theyre-in-an-emergency-room-or-they-ough/

POST 212. November 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “They went into hospitals with heart attacks, kidney failure or in a psychiatric crisis. They left with covid-19…” “A new report shows the coronavirus pandemic had a direct increase on the number of healthcare-acquired infections in hospitals nationwide.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/11/post-212-november-9-2021-coronavirus-they-went-into-hospitals-with-heart-attacks-kidney-failure-or-in-a-psychiatric-crisis-they-left-with-covid-19-a-new-repor/

POST 213. November 13, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Since the earliest days of the pandemic, there has been one collective goal for bringing it to an end: achieving herd immunity…Now the herd is restless. And experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have set aside herd immunity as a national goal.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/11/post-213-november-13-2021-coronavirus-since-the-earliest-days-of-the-pandemic-there-has-been-one-collective-goal-for-bringing-it-to-an-end-achieving-herd-immunity-now-the-herd-is-rest/

POST 214. November 20, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “This virus is doing what this virus does,” said Michael Osterholm… “We don’t understand why surges start, we don’t understand why they end.” (A)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/11/post-214-november-20-2021-coronavirus-this-virus-is-doing-what-this-virus-does-said-michael-osterholm-we-dont-understand-why-surges-start-we-dont-understand-why-they-en/

POST 215. November 26, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Dr. Fauci on the new South African variant: “It’s not going to be possible to keep this infection out of the country. The question is: Can you slow it down?”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/11/post-215-november-26-2021-coronavirus-dr-fauci-on-the-new-south-african-variant-its-not-going-to-be-possible-to-keep-this-infection-out-of-the-country-the-question-is-can-you/

POST 216. December 1, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Covid cacophony: as states struggle to address health care staffing shortages, a federal court puts Biden administration health care worker vaccination mandate on hold. 

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-216-december-1-2021-coronavirus-covid-cacophony-as-states-struggle-to-address-health-care-staffing-shortages-a-federal-court-puts-biden-administration-health-care-worker-vaccination-mandate/

POST 217. December 3, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. President Biden Announces New Actions to Protect Americans Against the Delta and Omicron Variants as We Battle COVID-⁠19 this Winter

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-217-december-3-2021-coronavirus-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-protect-americans-against-the-delta-and-omicron-variants-as-we-battle-covid-%e2%81%a019-this-winter/

POST 218. December 5, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “In some ways, Delta is the ideal variant: It’s transmissible enough to dominate more dangerous variants, and its virulence can be controlled through vaccination. In the next few weeks, we’ll find out whether Omicron will have its own silver lining—or whether it’ll be catastrophically worse.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-218-december-5-2021-coronavirus-in-some-ways-delta-is-the-ideal-variant-its-transmissible-enough-to-dominate-more-dangerous-variants-and-its-virulence-can-be-controlled-t/

POST 219. December 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Entering uncharted territory, the U.S. counts 500,000 Covid-related deaths.”… “So yes, I am furious at the unvaccinated, and I am not ashamed of disclosing that. I am no longer trying to understand them or educate them.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-219-december-9-2021-coronavirus-entering-uncharted-territory-the-u-s-counts-500000-covid-related-deaths-so-yes-i-am-furious-at-the-unvaccinated-and-i/

POST 220 December 13, 2021. CORONAVIRUS.  Dr. Osterholm. “You cannot outrun the game clock with this pandemic. This virus will find you… We’ve seen health care systems virtually broken by this pandemic. They just couldn’t provide critical care to non-Covid patients.” (A)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-220-december-13-2021-coronavirus-dr-osterholm-you-cannot-outrun-the-game-clock-with-this-pandemic-this-virus-will-find-you-weve-seen-health-care-systems-virtually/

POST 221. December 18, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Johnson & Johnson’s Covid vaccine was going to be a shot for the world. Now, under the weight of a mountain of bad PR, one wonders if the world will want it.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-221-december-18-2021-coronavirus-johnson-johnsons-covid-vaccine-was-going-to-be-a-shot-for-the-world-now-under-the-weight-of-a-mountain-of-bad-pr-one-wonders-if-the-wor-2/

POST 222. December 20, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. So why my “inside baseball” focus on COVID-19 from the perspective of a retired hospital CEO?

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-222-december-20-2021-coronavirus-so-why-my-inside-baseball-focus-on-covid-19-from-the-perspective-of-a-retired-hospital-ceo/

POST 223. December 28, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Links for a case study of Crisis Standards of Care.

POST 224. December 29, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “crisis standards of care protocols in Maryland – “It also allows us to slim down documentation,… allows unconventional staffing models such as using nurses that have not been bedside. It also sets the expectations for the community that it’s not business as usual.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-224-december-29-2021-coronavirus-crisis-standards-of-care-protocols-in-maryland-it-also-allows-us-to-slim-down-documentation-allows-unconventional-staffing-models-such/

POST 225. January 3, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Be first, be right, be credible,” are among the most important principles for health authorities to follow in a crisis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shared in a pamphlet on crisis communication in 2018….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-225-january-3-2021-coronavirus-be-first-be-right-be-credible-are-among-the-most-important-principles-for-health-authorities-to-follow-in-a-crisis-the-centers-for-disease/

Post 226. January 5, 2022. CORONAVIRUS.  New York City – “The city’s ambulance corps are so understaffed because of the COVID-19 surge, they’re now under new orders to try to convince stable patients with flu-like symptoms not to go to the hospital.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-226-january-5-2022-coronavirus-new-york-city-the-citys-ambulance-corps-are-so-understaffed-because-of-the-covid-19-surge-theyre-now-under-new-orders-to-try-to-c/

POST 227. January 10, 2020. CORONAVIRUS.  “Stay indoors. But also return in person. Wear a mask. Not that one. The expensive one, that you can’t find. Take rapid tests. Which you also can’t find. But if you find them, don’t buy them. Rapid tests don’t work. You need PCR. There are zero appointments in your area.” (F)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-227-january-10-2020-coronavirus-stay-indoors-but-also-return-in-person-wear-a-mask-not-that-one-the-expensive-one-that-you-cant-find-take-rapid-tests-which-you-also/

POST 228. January 13, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “State officials are attempting to address California’s staffing shortage through a sweeping policy change that allows asymptomatic healthcare workers who have tested positive for the coronavirus to return to work immediately.” “Asymptomatic health professionals who had tested positive for COVID-19 should “preferably be assigned to work with COVID positive patients.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-228-january-13-2022-coronavirus-state-officials-are-attempting-to-address-californias-staffing-shortage-through-a-sweeping-policy-change-that-allows-asymptomatic-healthcare/

POST 229. January 16, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “It is now highly unlikely that the U.S. will hit the ~85-90% of Americans vaccinated to get to the other side of the pandemic…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-229-january-16-2020-coronavirus-it-is-now-highly-unlikely-that-the-u-s-will-hit-the-85-90-of-americans-vaccinated-to-get-to-the-other-side-of-the-pandemic/

POST 230. January 20, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “Dr. Fauci also said that the world is still in the first of what he considered to be the five phases of the pandemic. The first is the “truly pandemic” phase, “where the whole world is really very negatively impacted,” followed by deceleration, control, elimination and eradication.”…to paraphrase Churchill – “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”..

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-230-january-20-2022-coronavirus-dr-fauci-also-said-that-the-world-is-still-in-the-first-of-what-he-considered-to-be-the-five-phases-of-the-pandemic-the-first-is-the-truly/

POST 231. January 24, 202. CORONAVIRUS. “Florida’s top public health official in Orlando has been placed on administrative leave after sending an email to his employees noting their lackluster coronavirus vaccination rates and urging them to get the shots.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-231-january-24-202-coronavirus-floridas-top-public-health-official-in-orlando-has-been-placed-on-administrative-leave-after-sending-an-email-to-his-employees-noting-their-la/

POST 232. January 28, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “A Boston hospital’s denial of a heart transplant to a man who is unvaccinated for Covid-19 has generated national attention, but experts say mandating vaccines is in keeping with other long-standing requirements that patients have to meet to receive an organ — including getting other shots…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-232-january-28-2022-coronavirus-a-boston-hospitals-denial-of-a-heart-transplant-to-a-man-who-is-unvaccinated-for-covid-19-has-generated-national-attention-but-experts-say-m/

POST 233. February 2, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “The same virus can cause endemic, epidemic or pandemic infections: it depends on the interplay of a population’s behaviour, demographic structure, susceptibility and immunity, plus whether viral variants emerge.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/02/post-233-february-2-2022-coronavirus-the-same-virus-can-cause-endemic-epidemic-or-pandemic-infections-it-depends-on-the-interplay-of-a-populations-behaviour-demographic-struct/

POST 234. February 2, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell demanded an end to the COVID-19 state of emergency on Wednesday , saying it was time for Americans to get on with their lives after two years on a ‘hellish highway.’”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/02/post-234-february-2-2022-coronavirus-senate-republican-leader-mitch-mcconnell-demanded-an-end-to-the-covid-19-state-of-emergency-on-wednesday-saying-it-was-time-for-americans-to-get-on/

POST 235. February 17, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Over time, the U.S. health care sector has implemented various pieces of the  (pandemic) safety-assessment-and-improvement puzzle, but it has not instituted a thorough system of safety that reaches from the boardroom to the front lines and that can be maintained during times of crisis.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/02/post-235-february-17-2020-coronavirus-over-time-the-u-s-health-care-sector-has-implemented-various-pieces-of-the-pandemic-safety-assessment-and-improvement-puzzle-but-it-has-no/

POST 236. February 22, 2021. CORONAVIRUS.  MOUNT SINAI AT HOME – “We began thinking about how we could use hospital-at-home to meet the needs of our hospital system in our community, in terms of responding to the crisis of COVID-19…” 

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/02/post-236-february-23-2021-mount-sinai-at-home-we-began-thinking-about-how-we-could-use-hospital-at-home-to-meet-the-needs-of-our-hospital-system-in-our-community-in-terms-of-responding/

POST 237. February 27, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Decision-makers are increasingly embracing the reality that we will have to “learn to live with” the coronavirus. But how will they know when to impose or lift restrictions?”  “Now, the CDC’s “Covid-19 community level” metrics are based on three pieces of data in a community: new Covid-19 hospitalizations, hospital capacity and new Covid-19 cases.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/02/post-237-february-27-2020-coronavirus-decision-makers-are-increasingly-embracing-the-reality-that-we-will-have-to-learn-to-live-with-the-coronavirus-but-how-will-they-k/

POST 238. March 5, 2022, CORONAVIRUS. “Two different scientists can look at the same set of data and come up with different conclusions. That’s not to say that one person is being unscientific or ignoring the scientific process,” said Leana Wen, an emergency physician and a professor at George Washington University. “Public health policy is also a measure of values.””

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/03/post-238-march-5-2022-coronavirus-two-different-scientists-can-look-at-the-same-set-of-data-and-come-up-with-different-conclusions-thats-not-to-say-that-one-person-is-being-unscientific-or-ig/

POST 239. March 9, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “War is an infectious disease’s best friend,” says Michael Osterholm, “It challenges every public health program you can possibly have. It limits the medical care available for those who might be seriously ill, and often fosters transmission when so many people are crowded into bomb shelter locations and on trains. This is going to be the perfect storm of one serious challenge after another.” (E)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/03/post-239-march-9-2022-coronavirus-war-is-an-infectious-diseases-best-friend-says-michael-osterholm-it-challenges-every-public-health-program-you-can-possibly/

POST 240. March 15, 2022. ““China is modifying its Covid-19 playbook amid a surge in cases as it seeks to avoid strains on its healthcare system.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/03/post-240-march-15-2022-china-is-modifying-its-covid-19-playbook-amid-a-surge-in-cases-as-it-seeks-to-avoid-strains-on-its-healthcare-system/

POST 241. March 20, 2022, CORONAVIRUS. Dr. Ashish Jha will serve as the new White House COVID-19 response coordinator.” He is not, for the record, a virologist, immunologist, or vaccinologist…But he is a public health expert and a practicing internist, which means he has years of experience explaining complicated and often incomplete information to people who neither know nor care about the correct pronunciation of “adenovirus.” That’s who he imagines on the other end of his webcam.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/03/post-241-march-20-2022-coronavirus-dr-ashish-jha-will-serve-as-the-new-white-house-covid-19-response-coordinator-he-is-not-for-the-record-a-virologist-immunologist-or-vaccinologist/

POST 242. March 24, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “How worried should people be about the BA.2 variant? Will vaccines protect against it? What if someone contracted a previous variant — could they become reinfected? Is BA.2 milder than previous versions, and if so, should people try to get it? Could BA.2 cause another surge in the US, and is it time for restrictions to be put back into place?”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/03/post-242-march-24-2022-coronavirus-how-worried-should-people-be-about-the-ba-2-variant-will-vaccines-protect-against-it-what-if-someone-contracted-a-previous-variant-could-they-becom/

POST 243. March 28, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “…the US Food and Drug Administration is planning authorize a fourth dose of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines for adults over age 50 next week.”…”The decision to make fourth doses available now will bypass independent groups of scientific advisers for both the FDA and CDC, which would normally meet and publicly review the available science and then make recommendations to the agencies.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/03/post-243-march-28-2022-coronavirus-the-us-food-and-drug-administration-is-planning-authorize-a-fourth-dose-of-the-pfizer-and-moderna-mrna-vaccines-for-adults-over-age-50-next-wee/

POST 244. April 4, 2022.CORONAVIRUS. “Here’s a scary thought: America’s ability to face the pandemic’s next phase may depend on a handful of senators.”…. “When the end of the COVID-19 pandemic comes, it could create major disruptions for a cumbersome U.S. health care system made more generous, flexible and up-to-date technologically through a raft of temporary emergency measures.”
https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/04/post-244-april-4-2022-coronavirus-heres-a-scary-thought-americas-ability-to-face-the-pandemics-next-phase-may-depend-on-a-handful-of-senators/

April 3, 2022

for links to POSTS 1-143 highlight and click on

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/03/coronavirus-tracking-links-to-posts-1-243/

“The Biden administration will be giving elderly Americans a second COVID-19 booster shot, multiple people familiar with the plan told The New York Times.

Those above the age of 50 will be able to get a second booster of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines.

However, multiple issues complicate the plan as the administration has to calculate when the next COVID-19 wave could hit the U.S., sources told the Times. The administration will want to get the second booster to the elderly before another wave hits, but not too far before that protection could wane.

Other complications include how to explain the plan to the public and how long the second booster’s protection will remain strong, the Times noted.

White House adviser Anthony Fauci said last week that COVID-19 cases could begin increasing in the coming weeks.

“I would not be surprised if in the next few weeks we see somewhat of either a flattening of our diminution or maybe even an increase,” Fauci said on the ABC News podcast “Start Here.”

However, it is unclear how dangerous this wave could be compared to past increases as the BA.2 variant begins to become the dominant strand in the U.S.” (A)

“Major uncertainties have complicated the decision, including how long the protection from a second booster would last, how to explain the plan to the public and even whether the overall goal is to shield Americans from severe disease or from less serious infections as well, since they could lead to long Covid.

Much depends on when the next wave of Covid infections will hit, and how hard. Should the nation be hit by a virulent surge in the next few months, offering a second booster now for older Americans could arguably save thousands of lives and prevent tens of thousands of hospitalizations.

But if no major wave hits until the fall, extra shots now could turn out to be a questionable intervention that wastes vaccine doses, deepens vaccination fatigue and sows doubt about the government’s strategy. The highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.2 is helping to drive another surge of coronavirus cases in Europe and is responsible for about a third of new cases in the United States, but health officials have said they do not anticipate a major surge caused by the subvariant.

Federal health officials have hotly debated the way forward, with some strongly in favor of a second booster now and others skeptical. But they have apparently coalesced around a plan to give everyone age 50 and up the option of an additional shot, in case infections surge again before the fall. In the fall, officials say, Americans of all ages, including anyone who gets a booster this spring, should get another shot…

A second booster is at best a stopgap measure. Many experts argue that the existing coronavirus vaccines need to be modified because the virus’s variants are diminishing their power; the question is how to reconfigure them. A surge in the fall is considered highly likely, whether it comes in the form of the Omicron variant, a subvariant like BA.2 or a new lineage entirely.” (B)

“The decision to make fourth doses available now will bypass independent groups of scientific advisers for both the FDA and CDC, which would normally meet and publicly review the available science and then make recommendations to the agencies.

Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist who is director of the Scripps Translational Research Institute in California, said the decision was expected next week, ahead of an April 6 meeting of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), a group of independent experts who advise the FDA on its vaccine decisions. Boosters are on the agenda for discussion at that meeting, which will focus on future planning for boosters and variant-specific vaccines.

Topol, who was apprised of the FDA’s plans, said it was his understanding that the change would apply to both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.

Topol also said he was in favor of giving Americans the option of fourth doses.

“There are solid data from Israel for age 60+ (the only group reported on to date) for enhanced protection (vs severe illness) out to 3 months compared with 3 doses. It is reasonable to extend that and provide it as an option, since the 3rd dose has pronounced benefit in age 50+,” Topol wrote in an email to CNN.

Topol noted that the FDA’s move legitimizes what many Americans are doing anyway. Anyone who wants a fourth dose can go to a pharmacy and receive one just by saying that they need one because they are immunocompromised.

Others felt there wasn’t yet enough science available to support the decision.

Dr. Eric Rubin, editor in chief of The New England Journal of Medicine who sits on the FDA’s VRBPAC, said he hadn’t yet seen enough data on fourth doses to make a determination about whether they are needed for anyone beyond those who are already recommended to get them — adults who are severely immune deficient.

“The only data that I’ve seen has been for participants followed for just a few weeks. The most important information is going to be how well a fourth dose protects highly vulnerable people against serious disease and death, and I don’t know when that will be available,” Rubin said in an email to CNN. Rubin said the FDA might have access to that data, but he had not seen it yet.” (C)

In order to authorize a fourth shot, the FDA will consider still emerging data that don’t paint a definitive picture about whether an additional dose is necessary for most people. One the one hand, there are troubling signs that the immunity provided by the vaccines is starting to wane, which could make people more vulnerable to COVID-19’s more severe effects…

On the other hand, another small study published in the New England Journal of Medicine among younger health care workers in Isreal showed that adding a fourth dose for people vaccinated and boosted with the Pfizer-BioNTech shot may only have “marginal benefits,” according to the researchers. While the additional dose raised levels of antibodies that can neutralize the virus, including Omicron, slightly, those levels were relatively similar to peak amounts of antibodies people generated after the first booster, or third dose. The study did not focus on elderly people or those with compromised immune systems…

But whether everyone needs an additional vaccine dose, and whether or not we can anticipate getting one every year or every few years, depends on what we want the vaccines to accomplish. The vaccines were not designed to prevent people from getting infected by the virus, but to protect them from getting extremely sick with COVID-19, and to keep them from needing hospitalization and intensive care. Remembering that goal, says Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center and professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, is useful when thinking about whether a fourth dose is necessary for most people.

“We got hung up using the word ‘breakthrough’ in describing mild illness,” he says, referring to the term for any infection occurring among vaccinated and boosted people (most of which were mild or even asymptomatic). “But that’s a win—it meant the vaccine was working for you and protected you from serious illness. We have developed a zero tolerance strategy that we are going to have to get over: the idea that it’s not okay to have mild illness after you’ve been vaccinated.”

If the goal of a COVID-19 vaccine is to protect people from severe disease, Offit says that there is still insufficient data supporting the need for a booster for most healthy adults. “I think we have to accept the notion that this is a three-dose vaccine in certain groups and a two-dose vaccine in others,” Offit says.

Offit, who serves on the FDA vaccine advisory committee of independent experts that reviews data and makes recommendations to the FDA about whether or not a vaccine is safe and effective, says that trying to protect the world’s population from mild disease with continued booster doses isn’t a realistic or practical public health goal. The question becomes one of balancing any marginal benefit in protecting against mild illness against potential side effects, which for the mRNA vaccines include the risk of inflammation of heart tissue. “Everything has costs, including boosting,” he says. “If it doesn’t benefit you in terms of protection against serious illness, then you have to consider the side effects.” (D)

“When the vaccines were first launched in December 2020, emphasis was placed on their ability to protect against COVID-19 infection. But now, with the passage of time and emergence of new variants, many vaccine experts argue this was always an impossibly high standard to maintain, and moving forward, the emphasis should be on their ability to protect against severe disease.

Now, more than a year later, data shows that boosters may shore up the body’s defenses against mild infections — but only temporarily.

“These vaccines continue to demonstrate high protection against hospitalization and severe disease,” Durbin agreed. “Prevention of infection, in my opinion, is not the metric that we should use.”

“We’re going to have to learn to live with mild disease at some point,” said Offit. Frequent boosting “is not a reasonable thing to do, and it’s not something most people will do anyway.”

A better approach, said Durbin, would be to roll out a tweaked vaccine that is a better match against the new omicron variant. Vaccine makers agree, with Pfizer and Moderna both studying new versions of their vaccines they hope will work better and offer more durable protection against current and future variants.

“We can’t have vaccines every five, six months,” said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, speaking on CNBC. But until they have new-and-improved boosters ready to go, Pfizer and Moderna executives argue fourth doses will be needed by at least some older Americans soon.

In the United States, vaccination rates have stalled. Roughly a quarter of eligible adults have yet to receive their first vaccine doses, while about half of vaccinated adults have yet to receive their first boosters…

“I do think three doses will be enough for some individuals,” said Goepfert, “but it depends on the new variants that will come next.” (E)

“And this is where the latest COVID-19 booster debate gets complicated. It’s not just about whether another round of shots is needed. It’s whether a booster should be based on the original Wuhan strain of the virus (as our current vaccines are) or on the omicron variant. It also has to do with timing: Are boosters needed right now? Will we need a round of shots in the fall, as suggested by Moderna’s Bancel?

Then there’s the very American question of how it’s all going to get paid for. White House officials say there is only enough COVID-19 funding to allow the immunocompromised and seniors to get a fourth dose unless Congress agrees to provide more pandemic funds. (The Kaiser Family Foundation said Friday that there are only enough doses for 70% of seniors to get a fourth dose at this time.)

“Without more funding, we can’t procure the necessary vaccine supply to support fourth shots for all Americans,” Jeff Zients, the White House’s COVID-19 response coordinator until April 5, said at the same briefing. “Furthermore, if things change and there’s a need for a new vaccine, a new formulation — for example, a variant-specific vaccine — we won’t be able to secure doses for the American people.”

Putting aside the question of federal funding, there are still many unknowns about what the next phase of a pandemic vaccination program could look like in the U.S.

When about 275 health care workers at a medical center in Israel were given a second booster, it only slightly increased their protection against omicron, according to correspondence published March 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The workers were immunized with either the Comirnaty or Spikevax booster four months after getting their third shot of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine.

“We observed low vaccine efficacy against infections in health care workers, as well as relatively high viral loads suggesting that those who were infected were infectious,” the researchers concluded. “Thus, a fourth vaccination of healthy young health care workers may have only marginal benefits.”

Research like this can help inform pandemic policy makers. It can also raise additional questions, including: Will the current COVID-19 boosters continue to protect people against the BA.2 subvariant if they get a fourth dose now? Will the omicron-specific or pan-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in development do a better job protecting against the variants that are currently in circulation?

“The problem is the vaccines were developed against the original Wuhan strain,” said Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious-disease physician and executive associate dean of the Emory School of Medicine, told MarketWatch last month. “As variants have evolved, we’ve seen a decrease in the efficacy of vaccines. The vaccines stay the same, but the variants are changing. You can start doing a vaccine for specific variants, but then as the virus evolves, there’ll be more variants. More strategically and more important is to develop a pan-coronavirus vaccine.” (F)

“There’s a 1 in 5 chance that there will be a dangerous new coronavirus variant in the near future, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel told Bloomberg Thursday.

Driving the news: Bancel said that the new variant would be considerably more troublesome than the current versions of the coronavirus.

Why it matters: According to Bancel, this would require vulnerable populations to receive another round of coronavirus vaccines and annual booster shots to stay safe.

What he said: “I think there’s an 80% chance that the variants that we’re going to see in the future are manageable from a severity standpoint and vaccine production,” Bancel told Bloomberg.

“But I think we should always be very cautious, because there’s a 20% chance that something happens in some of the new variants that is very virulent.”

Flashback: Scientists told Newsweek in August 2021 that there was a potential “doomsday COVID variant” that would be worse than the delta variant. Not long after, the omicron variant arrived, causing widespread cases across the United States.”

“There’s simply no way you can have such low rates of vaccination around the world with the virus ping-ponging between vaccinated and unvaccinated people. I’m an immunologist. The probability of us seeing a vaccine-resistant strain is very high,” he said, according to Fortune.” (G)

“Up until late February, the CDC based its rankings of a county’s level of risk on the amount of virus spreading there and what portion of lab tests were found to be positive. The new framework instead focuses on the situation in hospitals — how many people are being admitted for COVID-19 and how much capacity is left.

Critics of CDC’s new approach say the agency seems to have moved the goalposts to justify the political imperative to let people get back to their normal lives.

“What it looks like is quite literally a changing of thresholds in order to justify a policy that I think assumes way too much risk,” says Jessica Malaty Rivera, an epidemiologist at the Pandemic Prevention Institute.

Experts in public health and infectious disease NPR interviewed say that for the average American trying to decide on behaviors like going to restaurants, the CDC’s new blueprint for navigating the pandemic leave them with an incomplete picture of their individual risk.

It also moves the U.S. away from collective response where members of a community join together in shared precautions, instead leaving vulnerable people to fend for themselves.

The debate over how to measure a given county’s COVID-19 level may seem academic, given that cases are in dramatic decline across the U.S. But the question is what the metrics will mean for how well communities predict and avert future surges — and how much life is lost.

The rationale behind the CDC’s new formula is that hospital capacity serves as a signal for how bad a local outbreak is.

“We want to prevent hospitalizations, we want to prevent our hospitals from becoming overwhelmed – so our metrics were really [developed] with that in mind,” CDC director Rochelle Walensky said while presenting the new map last month…

In its guidance, CDC does note that some people may want to be more cautious, including those who are immunocompromised or at high risk of severe disease; they’re advised to talk to their doctor about wearing a facemask or getting treatment, even if the risk level is “low” or “medium” where they live.

But this approach seems to abandon a fundamental goal of public health — to keep everyone safe through collective action, says Jason Salemi, an epidemiologist at the University of South Florida College of Public Health. Even with cases declining, he says, many people are still at high risk of severe disease, including the immunocompromised, unvaccinated kids and the elderly.

“They’re shifting from a community-wide response to really putting the onus on individuals and particularly individuals who have already borne the disproportionate burden of this pandemic,” he says…

The CDC undertook an exceedingly difficult task when it revamped its guidance: Give the U.S. a simple way of understanding COVID-19 risk.

The truth is no single metric can accomplish that.” (H)

“Experts, however, cautioned that the available data is still preliminary and has not yet shown how long the benefits of a fourth dose will last.

If the shots are authorized for seniors, how should they think about timing them?

Experts tracking Covid-19 are careful not to give specific advice on when to get a fourth dose when the safety and efficacy data are still limited.

If another surge is just around the corner, for instance, seniors may benefit from getting an extra shot as soon as it’s authorized. But if the next wave doesn’t occur until the summer or even the fall, getting a booster now could backfire because the recipients’ immunity might start to wane by the time they need protection the most. Current vaccines are based on the original strain of the coronavirus, so getting a booster now may also do little to protect against future variants.

“It would be great if we knew exactly when the next wave was going to be so we could vaccinate people beforehand,” said Dr. Amy Sherman, an infectious disease physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “But I think we’re not quite at the point where we know a clear seasonality, and we know the exact tempo and dynamics of Covid and newer variants.”

That being said, if a fourth shot is authorized for adults over 65, and it has already been several months since they got their first booster, “I would start thinking about whether I need a booster now,” Dr. del Rio said.

What does this mean for everyone else?

For people younger than 65, who are otherwise healthy, most experts agree that three doses are most likely enough for now. Those in their 20s and 30s who have already received three shots of the vaccine, for instance, will only see marginal benefits in protection from an additional shot, Dr. Gaebler said.

“Fourth doses might turn out to be advisable,” he said, “but at this point I think the focus should be on administering third doses.”

Dr. del Rio agreed. “I’m more concerned about the millions of Americans who are not vaccinated or are only partially vaccinated,” he said. “That, to me, is where we need to put our major focus.” Getting more people vaccinated, nationally and globally, could potentially have a bigger effect on reducing virus transmission and curtailing new variants so that everyone can return to normal life, Dr. del Rio said.

And there is hope that better vaccines and treatments are on the way. Pfizer and Moderna are testing new Omicron-specific versions of the Covid booster. And other researchers are investigating vaccines that boost mucosal immunity in the nose, as well as protein-based shots that may be better at protecting against the coronavirus in the future.

“We have to really think carefully about our vaccine strategies,” Dr. Sherman said. “We have to think as a society about what our goal is with repeated boosters and vaccines because none of our existing vaccines completely prevent transmission or prevent all disease. And so at what point are we comfortable with asymptomatic or mild infection in the population while still being able to protect those who are vulnerable?” (I)

With a potential second booster on the horizon for vulnerable groups, the Biden administration is still struggling to drum up American public interest in additional shots – and funding from Congress to pay for Covid initiatives.

“We’re out of money pretty much for the pandemic spending, which is terrifying because we don’t know what’s coming around the corner,” said Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist at the University of Illinois Chicago.

Pfizer-BioNtech asked the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 15 March for another round of boosters for those 65 and up, while Moderna went a step further and asked on 17 March for more boosters among those 18 and up to give the FDA “flexibility” in considering who would benefit from additional shots, including vulnerable younger people, the company said.

The doses in question would be the original formulation of the vaccines. Omicron-specific vaccines are still in the trial phase, but scientists believe updating the vaccines as the virus evolves could broaden immune responses to future variants.

A $15bn funding package for testing, treatment, vaccines and more was cut unexpectedly from an omnibus spending bill in Congress on 9 March.

Health officials spoke to Democratic senators about the urgent need for Covid funding in a meeting on Wednesday, Politico reports, but the plan may meet with opposition: Republicans, who were not at the meeting, say the White House’s $22.5bn request must be accompanied with equal cuts to government spending elsewhere.

There is enough funding to give fourth doses of the vaccines to immunocompromised people, who already qualify for the shots, and for those over 65, if the shot is authorized for them in coming weeks, the coronavirus response coordinator, Jeff Zients, said at a White House briefing on Wednesday.

But wider booster campaigns would not have funding under the current budget shortfalls, and first- and second-shot campaigns could also be affected in the longer term.

The funding collapse may also affect future research on updated vaccines and treatments. “Maybe we will see a new variant that’s escaped all of these, and we need a new vaccine,” Wallace said. Without funding to create and then distribute the updated vaccines, “that is going to be an issue”. (J)

“As the White House pleads with Republicans in Congress for emergency aid to fight the coronavirus, the federal government said that a fund established to reimburse doctors for care for uninsured Covid patients was no longer accepting claims for testing and treatment “due to lack of sufficient funds.”

Some U.S. health care providers are informing uninsured people they can no longer be tested for the virus free of charge, and will have to pay for the service.” (K)

• A.White House to announce second COVID-19 booster for older Americans: report, BY LEXI LONAS, https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/599852-white-house-to-announce-second-covid-19-booster-for-older-americans-report
• B.Biden Administration Plans to Offer Second Booster Shots to Those 50 and Up, By Sharon LaFraniere, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/25/us/politics/biden-second-booster-shot-older-americans.html?referringSource=articleShare
• C.FDA expected to OK additional Covid-19 booster shots for adults over 50 next week, By Brenda Goodman, https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/26/health/covid-19-second-booster-shot/index.html
• D.What to Know About a Fourth COVID-19 Vaccine Dose, BY ALICE PARK, https://time.com/6157560/fourth-covid-19-vaccine-dose/
• E.With 4th COVID-19 vaccine doses looming, experts say not so fast, By Sony Salzman, https://abcnews.go.com/Health/4th-covid-19-vaccine-doses-looming-experts-fast/story?id=83578268
• F.The U.S. is talking about a second round of COVID-19 booster shots, and it’s going to be even more complicated than last year, By Jaimy Lee, https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-u-s-is-talking-about-a-second-round-of-covid-19-booster-shots-and-its-going-to-be-even-more-complicated-than-last-year-11648233127
• G.There’s a 1 in 5 chance of a future dangerous COVID-19 variant, expert says, By Herb Scribner, https://www.deseret.com/coronavirus/2022/3/25/22994490/new-covid-19-dangerous-coronavirus-variant-news
• H.CDC’s new COVID metrics can leave individuals struggling to understand their risk, by WILL STONE and Selena Simmons-Duffin, https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/03/10/1085797307/cdcs-new-covid-metrics-can-leave-individuals-struggling-to-understand-their-risk
• I.Who Should Get a 4th Covid Shot?, By Knvul Sheikh, https://www.nytimes.com/article/4th-covid-shot-2nd-booster.html
• J.‘We’re way behind’: next US booster rollout faces delays and lack of funds, by Melody Schreiber, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/27/us-second-covid-booster-delays-funding
• K.Concerns rise as a U.S. reimbursement fund for testing and treating the uninsured for the virus stops taking claims., https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/03/27/world/covid-19-mandates-cases-vaccine

CORONAVIRUS TRACKING Links to POSTS 1-243

Doctor, Did You Wash Your Hands?®

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/

Curated Contemporaneous Case Study Methodology

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2019/12/9897/

Jonathan M. Metsch, Dr.P.H.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/jonathan-m-metsch-dr-p-h-2/

PART 1. January 21, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday confirmed the first U.S. case of a deadly new coronavirus that has killed six people in China.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/01/the-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-on-tuesday-confirmed-the-first-u-s-case-of-a-deadly-new-coronavirus-that-has-killed-six-people-in-china/

PART 2. January 29, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “If it’s not contained shortly, I think we are looking at a pandemic..”….. “With isolated cases of the dangerous new coronavirus cropping up in a number of states, public health officials say it is only a matter of time before the virus appears in New York City.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/01/part-2-coronavirus-if-its-not-contained-shortly-i-think-we-are-looking-at-a-pandemic-with-isolated-cases-of-the-dangerous-new-coronavirus-cropping-u/

PART3. February 3, 2020. “The Wuhan coronavirus spreading from China is now likely to become a pandemic that circles the globe…”..Trump appeared to downplay concerns about the flu-like virus …We’re gonna see what happens, but we did shut it down..” (D)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/02/part3-the-wuhan-coronavirus-spreading-from-china-is-now-likely-to-become-a-pandemic-that-circles-the-globe-trump-appeared-to-downplay-concerns-about-the-flu-like-virus/

PART 4. February 9, 2020. Coronavirus. “A study published Friday in JAMA found that 41% of the first 138 patients diagnosed at one hospital in Wuhan, China, were presumed to be infected in that hospital.….

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/02/part-4-coronavirus-so-like-sars-and-mers-other-coronaviruses-before-it-the-wuhan-coronavirus-is-spreading-in-hospitals/

PART 5. February 12, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “In short, shoe-leather public health and basic medical care—not miracle drugs—are generally what stop outbreaks of emerging infections..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/02/part-5-coronavirus-in-short-shoe-leather-public-health-and-basic-medical-care-not-miracle-drugs-are-generally-what-stop-outbreaks-of-emerging-infections/

POST 6. February 18, 2020.  Coronovirus. “Amid assurances that the (ocean liner) Westerdam was disease free, hundreds of people disembarked in Cambodia…” “ One was later found to be infected”…. “Over 1,000… passengers were in…transit home”…. “This could be a turning point””

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/02/post-6-coronovirus-amid-assurances-that-the-ocean-liner-westerdam-was-disease-free-hundreds-of-people-disembarked-in-cambodia-one-was-later-found-to-be-infect/

PART 7. February 20, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. With SARS preparedness underway in NJ LibertyHealth/ Jersey City Medical Center, where I was President, proposed that our 100 bed community hospital with all single-bedded rooms, be immediately transformed into an EMERGENCY SARS ISOLATION Hospital.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/02/part-7-coronavirus-with-sars-preparedness-underway-in-nj-libertyhealth-jersey-city-medical-center-where-i-was-president-proposed-that-our-100-bed-community-hospital-with-all-single-bedded-rooms/

PART 8. February 24, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…every country’s top priority should be to protect its health care workers. This is partly to ensure that hospitals themselves do not become sites where the coronavirus is spread more than it is contained.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/02/part-8-coronavirus-every-countrys-top-priority-should-be-to-protect-its-health-care-workers-this-is-partly-to-ensure-that-hospitals-themselves-do-not-become-sites-where-t/

PART 9. February 27, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Responding to a question about the likelihood of a U.S. outbreak, President Trump said, “I don’t think it’s inevitable…”It probably will. It possibly will,” he continued. “It could be at a very small level, or it could be at a larger level.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/02/part-9-coronavirus-responding-to-a-question-about-the-likelihood-of-a-u-s-outbreak-president-trump-said-i-dont-think-its-inevitableit-probably-will-it-possibly-will-he-contin/

Part 10. March 1, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Stop Surprise Medical Bills for Coronavirus care. (&) Lessons Learned (or not) In California and Washington State from community acquired cases.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/03/part-10-coronavirus-stop-surprise-medical-bills-for-coronavirus-care-lessons-learned-or-not-in-california-and-washington-state-from-community-acquired-cases/

PART 11. March 5, 2020.  CORONAVIRUS. “Gov. Andrew Cuomo… would require employers to pay workers and protect their jobs if they are quarantined because of the coronavirus.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/03/part-11-coronavirus-gov-andrew-cuomo-would-require-employers-to-pay-workers-and-protect-their-jobs-if-they-are-quarantined-because-of-the-coronavirus/

Part 12. March 10, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Tom Bossert, Donald Trump’s former homeland security advisor…(said) that due to the coronavirus outbreak, “We are 10 days from the hospitals getting creamed.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/03/part-12-coronavirus-tom-bossert-donald-trumps-former-homeland-security-advisorsaid-that-due-to-the-coronavirus-outbreak-we-are-10-days-from-the-hospitals-gett/

Part 13.. March 14, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “If I’m buying real estate in New York, I’ll listen to the President….If I’m asking about infectious diseases, I’m going to listen to Tony Fauci,”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/03/part-13-coronavirus-march-14-2020-if-im-buying-real-estate-in-new-york-ill-listen-to-the-president-if-im-asking-about-infectious-diseases-im-going-to-listen-to-tony-fauci

PART 14. March 17, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “ “Most physicians have never seen this level of angst and anxiety in their careers”…. One said “I am sort of a pariah in my family.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/03/part-14-coronavirus-march-17-2020-most-physicians-have-never-seen-this-level-of-angst-and-anxiety-in-their-careers-one-said-i-am-sort-of-a-pariah-in/

PART 15. March 22, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…Crimson Contagion” and imagining an influenza pandemic, was simulated by the Trump administration….in a series of exercises that ran from last January to August.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/03/part-15-coronavirus-march-22-2020-crimson-contagion-and-imagining-an-influenza-pandemic-was-simulated-by-the-trump-administration-in-a-series-of-exercises-that-2/

PART 16. March 27, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. I am not a clinician or a medical ethicist but articles on Coronavirus patient triage started me Googling………to learn about FUTILE TREATMENT

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/03/part-16-march-27-2020-coronavirus-i-am-not-a-clinician-or-a-medical-ethicist-but-articles-on-coronavirus-patient-triage-started-me-googlingto-learn-about-futile-treatme/

PART 17. April 2, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Florida allows churches to continue holding services. Gun stores deemed “essential.”  “New York’s private and public hospitals unite to manage patient load and share resources.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/04/part-17-april-2-2020-coronavirus-florida-allows-churches-to-continue-holding-services-gun-stores-deemed-essential-new-yorks-private-and-public-hospitals-unite-to-ma/

PART 18. April 9, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The federal government’s emergency stockpile of personal protective equipment (PPE) is depleted, and states will not be receiving any more shipments, administration staff told a House panel.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/04/part-18-april-9-2020-coronavirus-the-federal-governments-emergency-stockpile-of-personal-protective-equipment-ppe-is-depleted-and-states-will-not-be-receiving-any-more-shipments/

PART 19. April 13, 2020 CORONOAVIRUS. “…overlooked in the United States’ halting mobilization against the novel coronavirus: the personal aides, hospice attendants, nurses and occupational or physical therapists who deliver medical or support services to patients in their homes.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/04/part-19-april-14-2020-coronoavirus-overlooked-in-the-mobilization-against-coronavirus-the-personal-aides-hospice-attendants-nurses-and-occupational-or-physical-therapists-wh/

PART 20. April 20, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…nothing is mentioned in the “Opening Up America Again” plan about how states should handle a resurgence.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/04/part-20-april-20-2020-coronavirus-nothing-is-mentioned-in-the-opening-up-america-again-plan-about-how-states-should-handle-a-resurgence-2/

PART 21. April 23, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “We need to ask, are we using ventilators in a way that makes sense for other diseases but not this one?”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/04/part-21-april-23-2020-coronavirus-we-need-to-ask-are-we-using-ventilators-in-a-way-that-makes-sense-for-other-diseases-but-not-for-this-one-2/

POST 22. April 29, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. ..the “ACS released a list of 10 issues that should be addressed before a healthcare organization resumes elective surgeries[JM1] ….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/04/post-22-april-29-2020-coronavirus-the-acs-released-a-list-of-10-issues-that-should-be-addressed-before-a-healthcare-organization-resumes-elective-surgeries/

POST 23. May 3, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. … what Dr. Fauci really wants,…”is just to go to a baseball game. That will have to wait. The level of testing for the virus is not adequate enough to allow for such mass gatherings.’ (K)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/05/post-23-may-3-2020-coronavirus-what-dr-fauci-really-wantsis-just-to-go-to-a-baseball-game-that-will-have-to-wait-the-level-of-testing-for-the-virus-is-not-adequate/

POST 24. May 7, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie said: “there are going to be deaths no matter what”… but that people needed to get back to work.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/05/post-24-may-7-2020-coronavirus-former-new-jersey-governor-chris-christie-said-there-are-going-to-be-deaths-no-matter-what-but-that-people-needed-to-get-back-to-work/

POST 25. May 10, 2020, CORONAVIRUS. “It is scary to go to work,” said Kevin Hassett, a top economic adviser to the president. “I think that I’d be a lot safer if I was sitting at home than I would be going to the West Wing.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/05/post-25-may-10-2020-coronavirus-it-is-scary-to-go-to-work-said-kevin-hassett-a-top-economic-adviser-to-the-president-i-think-that-id-be-a-lot-safer-if-i-was/

POST 26. May 14, 2020. CORONAVIRUS, “Deep cleaning is not a scientific concept”….”there is no universal protocol for a “deep clean” to eradicate the coronavirus”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/05/post-26-may-14-2020-coronavirus-deep-cleaning-is-not-a-scientific-concept-there-is-no-universal-protocol-for-a-deep-clean-to-eradicate-the-cor-2/

POST 27. May 19, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Hospital…executives…are taking pay cuts…to help offset the financial fallout from COVID-19.” As “front line” layoffs and furloughs accelerate…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/05/post-27-may-19-2020-coronavirus-hospitalexecutivesare-taking-pay-cutsto-help-offset-the-financial-fallout-from-covid-19-as-front-line/

POST 28. May 23, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. ““You’ve got to be kidding me,”..”How could the CDC make that mistake? This is a mess.” CDC conflates viral and antibody tests numbers.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/05/post-28-may-23-2020-coronavirus-youve-got-to-be-kidding-me-how-could-the-cdc-make-that-mistake-this-is-a-mess-cdc-conflates-viral-and-anti/

PART 29. May 22, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The economy did not close down. It closed down for people who, frankly, had the luxury of staying home,” (Governor Cuomo). But not so for frontline workers!

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/05/part-29-may-22-2020-coronavirus-the-economy-did-not-close-down-it-closed-down-for-people-who-frankly-had-the-luxury-of-staying-home-but-not-so-for-frontline-workers/

POST 30. June 3,202. CORONAVIRUS. “The wave of mass protests across the United States will almost certainly set off new chains of infection for the novel coronavirus, experts say….

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/06/post-30-june-3202-coronavirus-the-wave-of-mass-protests-across-the-united-states-will-almost-certainly-set-off-new-chains-of-infection-for-the-novel-coronavirus-experts-say/

POST 31. June 9, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “I think we had an unintended consequence: I think we made people afraid to come back to the hospital,”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/06/post-31-june-9-2020-coronavirus-i-think-we-had-an-unintended-consequence-i-think-we-made-people-afraid-to-come-back-to-the-hospital/

Post 32. June 16, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Could the Trump administration be pursuing herd immunity by “inaction”?  “ If Fauci didn’t exist, we’d have to invent him.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/06/post-32-june-16-2020-coronavirus-could-the-trump-administration-be-pursuing-herd-immunity-by-inaction-if-fauci-didnt-exist-wed-have-to-invent-him/

POST 33. June 21, 2002. CORONAVIRUS….. Smashing (lowering the daily number of cases) v. flattening the curve (maintaining a plateau)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/06/post-33-june-23-2002-coronavirus-smashing-lowering-the-daily-number-of-cases-v-flattening-the-curve-maintaining-a-plateau/

POST 34. June 26, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. CDC Director Redfield… “the number of coronavirus infections…could be 10 times higher than the confirmed case count — a total of more than 20 million.” As Florida, Texas and Arizona become eipicenters!

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/06/post-34-june-26-2020-coronavirus-cdc-director-redfield-the-number-of-coronavirus-infectionscould-be-10-times-higher-than-the-confirmed-case-count-a-total-of-mo/

POST 35. June 29, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Pence: “We slowed the spread. We flattened the curve. We saved lives..”  While Dr. Fauci “warned that outbreaks in the South and West could engulf the country…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/06/post-35-june-29-2020-coronavirus-pence-we-slowed-the-spread-we-flattened-the-curve-we-saved-lives-while-dr-fauci-warned-that-outbreaks-in-the-south-and-west-could-engulf-the-co/

POST 36. July 2, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “There’s just a handful of interventions proven to curb the spread of the coronavirus. One of them is contact tracing, and “it’s not going well,” (Dr. Anthony Fauci)..

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/07/post-36-july-2-2020-coronavirus-theres-just-a-handful-of-interventions-proven-to-curb-the-spread-of-the-coronavirus-one-of-them-is-contact-tracing-and-its-not/

POST 37. June 8, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. When “crews arrive at a hospital with a patient suspected of having COVID-19, the hospital may have a physical bed open for them, but not enough nurses or doctors to staff it.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/07/post-37-june-8-2020-coronavirus-when-crews-arrive-at-a-hospital-with-a-patient-suspected-of-having-covid-19-the-hospital-may-have-a-physical-bed-open-for-them-but-not-enough-nurses-or-d/

POST 38. July 15, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Some Lessons Learned, or not. AdventHealth CEO Terry Shaw: I wouldn’t hesitate to go to Disney as a healthcare CEO — based on the fact that they’re working extremely hard to keep people safe,” (M)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/07/post-38-july-15-2020-coronavirus-some-lessons-learned-or-not-adventhealth-ceo-terry-shaw-i-wouldnt-hesitate-to-go-to-disney-as-a-healthcare-ceo-based-on-the-fact-that-theyre-worki/

POST 39. July, 23,2020. CORONAVIRUS. A Tale of Two Cities. Seattle becomes New York (rolls back reopening) while New York becomes Seattle (moves to partial phase 4 reopening)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/07/post-39-july-232020-coronavirus-a-tale-of-two-cities-seattle-becomes-new-york-rolls-back-reopening-while-new-york-becomes-seattle-moves-to-partial-phase-4-reopening/

POST 40. July 27, 2020. CORONAVIRUS.” One canon of medical practice is that you order a test only if you can act on the result. And with a turnaround time of a week or two, you cannot. What we have now is often not testing — it’s testing theater.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/07/post-40-july-27-2020-coronavirus-one-canon-of-medical-practice-is-that-you-order-a-test-only-if-you-can-act-on-the-result-and-with-a-turnaround-time-of-a-week-or-two-you-cannot-what-we/

POST 41. August 2, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Whenever a vaccine for the coronavirus becomes available, one thing is virtually certain: There won’t be enough to go around. That means there will be rationing.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/08/post-41-august-2-2020-coronavirus-whenever-a-vaccine-for-the-coronavirus-becomes-available-one-thing-is-virtually-certain-there-wont-be-enough-to-go-around-that-means-there-wi-2/

POST 42. August 11, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “I think that if future historians look back on this period, what they will see is a tragedy of denial….

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/08/post-42-coronavirus-august-11-2020-i-think-that-if-future-historians-look-back-on-this-period-what-they-will-see-is-a-tragedy-of-denial/

POST 43. August 22, 2020. CORONAVIRUS.”  “we’ve achieved something great as a nation. We’ve created an unyielding market for FAUCI BOBBLEHEADS”!! (W)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/08/post-43-august-22-2020-coronavirus-weve-achieved-something-great-as-a-nation-weve-created-an-unyielding-market-for-fauci-bobbleheads-w/

POST 44.  September 1, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The CDC…modified its coronavirus testing guidelines…to exclude people who do not have symptoms of Covid-19.” (While Dr. Fauci was undergoing surgery.) A White House official said: “Everybody is going to catch this thing eventually..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/08/post-44-september-1-2020-coronavirus-the-cdcmodified-its-coronavirus-testing-guidelinesto-exclude-people-who-do-not-have-symptoms-of-covid-19-while-dr-fauci-2/

POST 45. September 9, 2020. CORONAVIRUS.  Trump on Fauci. ‘You inherit a lot of people, and you have some you love, some you don’t. I like him. I don’t agree with him that often but I like him.’

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/09/post-45-september-9-2020-coronavirus-trump-on-fauci-you-inherit-a-lot-of-people-and-you-have-some-you-love-some-you-dont-i-like-him-i-dont-agree-with-him-that-often-but-i-like-him-2/

POST 46.  September 17, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Bill Gates used to think of the US Food and Drug Administration as the world’s premier public-health authority. Not anymore. And he doesn’t trust the Centers for Disease Control and Protection either….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/09/post-46-september-17-2020-coronavirus-bill-gates-used-to-think-of-the-us-food-and-drug-administration-as-the-worlds-premier-public-health-authority-not-anymore-and-he-doesn-2/

POST 47. September 24, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Perry N. Halkitis, dean of the School of Public Health at Rutgers University…called New York City’s 35 percent rate for eliciting contacts “very bad.” “For each person, you should be in touch with 75 percent of their contacts within a day,” he said”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/09/post-47-september-24-2020-coronavirus-perry-n-halkitis-dean-of-the-school-of-public-health-at-rutgers-universitycalled-new-york-citys-35-percent-rate-for-eliciting-con/

POST 48. October 1, 2020.   “…you can actually control the outbreak if you do the nonpharmaceutical interventions (social distancing and masks). In the United States we haven’t done them. We haven’t adhered to them; we’ve played with them.” (A)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/09/post-48-october-1-2020-you-can-actually-control-the-outbreak-if-you-do-the-nonpharmaceutical-interventions-social-distancing-and-masks-in-the-united-states-we-havent-done-t-2/

POST 49. October 4, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. RAPID RESPONSE. “The possibility that the president and his White House entourage were traveling superspreaders is a nightmare scenario for officials in Minnesota, Ohio, New Jersey and Pennsylvania…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-49-october-4-2020-coronavirus-rapid-response-the-possibility-that-the-president-and-his-white-house-entourage-were-traveling-superspreaders-is-a-nightmare-scenario-for-officials-in/

POST 50. October 6, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Monday October 5th will go down as one of the most fraught chapters in the history of American public Health (and national security).

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-50-october-6-2020-coronavirus-monday-october-5th-will-go-down-as-one-of-the-most-fraught-chapters-in-the-history-of-american-public-health-and-national-security/

POST 51. October 12, 2020. Rather than a hodge-podge of Emergency Use Authorizations, off-label “experimentation”, right-to-try arguments, and “politicized” compassionate use approvals maybe we need to designate REGIONAL EMERGING VIRUSES REFERRAL CENTERS (REVRCs).

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-51-october-14-2020-rather-than-a-hodge-podge-of-emergency-use-authorizations-off-label-experimentation-right-to-try-arguments-and-politicized-compassiona/

POST 52. October 18, 2020.  ZIKA/ EBOLA/ CANDIDA AURIS/ SEVERE FLU/ Tracking. “… if there was a severe flu pandemic, more than 33 million people could be killed across the world in 250 days… Boy, do we not have our act together.” —”- Bill Gates. July 1, 2018

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-52-october-18-2020-zika-ebola-candida-auris-severe-flu-tracking-if-there-was-a-severe-flu-pandemic-more-than-33-million-people-could-be-killed-across-the-world-in-250/

POST 53. October 20, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “a…“herd-immunity strategy” is a contradiction in terms, in that herd immunity is the absence of a strategy.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-53-october-20-2020-coronavirus-aherd-immunity-strategy-is-a-contradiction-in-terms-in-that-herd-immunity-is-the-absence-of-a-strategy/

POST 54. October 22, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. POST 54A. New Jersey’s Coronavirus response, led by Governor Murphy and Commissioner of Health Persichilli started with accelerated A+ traditional, evidence-based Public Health practices, developed over years of experience with seasonal flu, swine flu, Zika, and Ebola.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-54a-october-23-2020-coronavirus-new-jerseys-coronavirus-response-led-by-governor-murphy-and-commissioner-of-health-persichilli-started-with-accelerated-a-traditional-evidence-base/

POST 55. October 26, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. The Testing Conundrum: “ It’s thus very possible to be antigen negative but P.C.R. positive, while still harboring the virus in the body..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-55-october-26-2020-coronavirus-the-testing-conundrum-its-thus-very-possible-to-be-antigen-negative-but-p-c-r-positive-while-still-harboring-the-virus-in-the-body/

Post 56. October 30, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Trump’s now back in charge. It’s not the doctors.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/10/post-56-october-30-2020-coronavirus-trumps-now-back-in-charge-its-not-the-doctors/

POST 57. November 3, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Dr. Deborah Birx: the US is entering its “most deadly phase” yet, one that requires “much more aggressive action,”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-57-november-3-2020-coronavirus-dr-deborah-birx-the-us-is-entering-its-most-deadly-phase-yet-one-that-requires-much-more-aggressive-action/

POST 58. November 4, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…the president has largely shuttered the White House Coronavirus Task Force and doubled down on anti-science language…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-58-november-4-2020-coronavirus-the-president-has-largely-shuttered-the-white-house-coronavirus-task-force-and-doubled-down-on-anti-science-language/

POST 59. November 5, 2020. Coronavirus. “The United States on Wednesday recorded over 100,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day for the first time since the pandemic began..

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-59-november-5-2020-coronavirus-the-united-states-on-wednesday-recorded-over-100000-new-coronavirus-cases-in-a-single-day-for-the-first-time-since-the-pandemic-began/

POST 60. November 7, 2020. “White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has tested positive for the coronavirus….” (A)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-60-november-7-2020-white-house-chief-of-staff-mark-meadows-has-tested-positive-for-the-coronavirus-a/

POST 61. November 7, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Joe Biden’s top priority entering the White House is fighting both the immediate coronavirus crisis and its complex long-term aftermath…” “Here are the key ways he plans to get US coronavirus cases under control.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-61-november-7-2020-coronavirus-joe-bidens-top-priority-entering-the-white-house-is-fighting-both-the-immediate-coronavirus-crisis-and-its-complex-long-term-aftermath/

POST 62. November 8, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The United States reported its 10 millionth coronavirus case on Sunday, with the latest million added in just 10 days,…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-62-november-8-2020-coronavirus-the-united-states-reported-its-10-millionth-coronavirus-case-on-sunday-with-the-latest-million-added-in-just-10-days/

POST 63. November 9, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “New York City-based Mount Sinai Health System has opened a center to help patients recovering from COVID-19 and to study the long-term impact of the disease….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-63-november-9-2020-coronavirus-new-york-city-based-mount-sinai-health-system-has-opened-a-center-to-help-patients-recovering-from-covid-19-and-to-study-the-long-term-impact-of-the-di/

POST 64. November 10, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “It works! Scientists have greeted with cautious optimism a press release declaring positive interim results from a coronavirus vaccine phase III trial — the first to report on the final round of human testing.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-64-november-10-2020-coronavirus-it-works-scientists-have-greeted-with-cautious-optimism-a-press-release-declaring-positive-interim-results-from-a-coronavirus-vaccine-phase-iii-trial/

POST 65. November 11, 2020. CORONAVIRUS, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took a stronger stance in favor of masks on Tuesday, emphasizing that they protect the people wearing them, rather than just those around them…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-65-november-11-2020-coronavirus-the-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-took-a-stronger-stance-in-favor-of-masks-on-tuesday-emphasizing-that-they-protect-the-people-wearing-t/

POST 66. November.12, 2020. CORONAVIRUS.”… as the country enters what may be the most intense stage of the pandemic yet, the Trump administration remains largely disengaged.”… “President-elect Biden has formed a special transition team dedicated to coordinating the coronavirus response across the government…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-66-novembetr12-2020-coronavirus-as-the-country-enters-what-may-be-the-most-intense-stage-of-the-pandemic-yet-the-trump-administration-remains-largely-disengaged/

POST 67. November 13, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “When all other options are exhausted, the CDC website says, workers who are suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 (and “who are well enough to work”) can care for patients who are not severely immunocompromised — first for those who are also confirmed to have COVID-19, then those with suspected cases.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-67-november-13-2020-coronavirus-when-all-other-options-are-exhausted-the-cdc-website-says-workers-who-are-suspected-or-confirmed-to-have-covid-19-and-who-are-well-enough/

POST 68. November 14, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. The CDC “now is hewing more closely to scientific evidence, often contradicting the positions of the Trump administration.”..” “A passenger aboard the first cruise ship to set sail in the Caribbean since the start of the pandemic has tested positive for coronavirus..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-68-november-14-2020-coronavirus-the-cdc-now-is-hewing-more-closely-to-scientific-evidence-often-contradicting-the-positions-of-the-trump-administration/

POST 69. November 15, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Colorado Gov. Jared Polis will issue a new executive order outlining steps hospitals will need to take to ready themselves for a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations and directing the hospitals to finalize plans for converting beds into ICU beds, adding staffing and scaling back on or eliminating elective procedures….

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-69-november-15-2020-coronavirus-colorado-gov-jared-polis-will-issue-a-new-executive-order-outlining-steps-hospitals-will-need-to-take-to-ready-themselves-for-a-surge-in-covid-19-hos/

POST 70. November 16, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “White House coronavirus task force member Dr. Atlas criticized Michigan’s new Covid-19 restrictions..urging people to “rise up” against the new public health measures.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-70-november-16-2020-coronavirus-white-house-coronavirus-task-force-member-dr-atlas-criticized-michigans-new-covid-19-restrictions-urging-people-to-rise-up-against-the-new-pub/

POST 71. November 17, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. ”Hospitals overrun as U.S. reports 1 million new coronavirus cases in a week.” “But in Florida, where the number of coronavirus infections remains the third-highest in the nation, bars and schools remain open and restaurants continue to operate at full capacity.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-71-november-17-2020-coronavirus-hospitals-overrun-as-u-s-reports-1-million-new-coronavirus-cases-in-a-week-but-in-florida-where-the-number-of-coronavirus-infecti/

POST 72. November 18, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The Health and Human Services Department will not work with President-elect Joe Biden’s (PANDEMIC) team until the General Services Administration makes a determination that he won the election,….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-72-november-18-2020-coronavirus-the-health-and-human-services-department-will-not-work-with-president-elect-joe-bidens-pandemic-team-until-the-general-services-administration-mak/

POST 73. November 19, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…officials at the CDC…urged Americans to avoid travel for Thanksgiving and to celebrate only with members of their immediate households…” When will I trust a vaccine? to the last question I always answer: When I see Tony Fauci take one….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-73-november-19-2020-coronavirus-officials-at-the-cdcurged-americans-to-avoid-travel-for-thanksgiving-and-to-celebrate-only-with-members-of-their-immediate-household-2/

POST 74. November 20, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Pfizer…submitted to the FDA for emergency use authorization for their coronavirus vaccine candidate. —FDA issued an EUA for the drug baricitinib, in combination with remdesivir, as WHO says remdesivir doesn’t do much of anything.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-74-november-20-2020-coronavirus-pfizersubmitted-to-the-fda-for-emergency-use-authorization-for-their-coronavirus-vaccine-candidate-fda-issued-an-eua-for-the-drug-baricitinib-in/

POST 75. November 21, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “The president and CEO of one of the nation’s largest non-profit health systems says he won’t be wearing a mask at work because he’s recovered from COVID-19, and doing so would only be a “symbolic gesture” because he considers himself immune from the virus….

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-75-november-21-2020-coronavirus-the-president-and-ceo-of-one-of-the-nations-largest-non-profit-health-systems-says-he-wont-be-wearing-a-mask-at-work-because-hes-recovered-from-2/

POST 76. November 23, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.” Ventilators..”just keep people alive while the people caring for them can figure out what’s wrong and fix the problem. And at the moment, we just don’t have enough of those people.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-76-november-23-2020-coronavirus-no-battle-plan-survives-contact-with-the-enemy-ventilators-just-keep-people-alive-while-the-people-caring-for-them-can-figure-out/

POST 77. November 26, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Pope Francis: “When I got really sick at the age of 21, I had my first experience of limit, of pain and loneliness.”.. “….Aug. 13, 1957. I got taken to a hospital…”….” I remember especially two nurses from this time.”…” They fought for me to the end, until my eventual recovery.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-77-november-26-2020-coronavirus-pope-francis-when-i-got-really-sick-at-the-age-of-21-i-had-my-first-experience-of-limit-of-pain-and-loneliness-aug/

POST 78. November 27, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Kelby Krabbenhoft is no longer president and CEO of Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health.” “…for not wearing a face covering… “ because “He considered himself immune from the virus.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-78-november-27-2020-coronavirus-kelby-krabbenhoft-is-no-longer-president-and-ceo-of-sioux-falls-s-d-based-sanford-health-for-not-wearing-a-face-covering/

POST 79. November 28, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Mayo Clinic. “”Our surge plan expands into the garage…”..””Not where I’d want to put my grandfather or my grandmother,” … though it “may have to happen.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-79-november-28-2020-coronavirus-mayo-clinic-our-surge-plan-expands-into-the-garage-not-where-id-want-to-put-my-grandfather-or-my-grandmother/

POST 80. November 29, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Op-Ed in the Jersey Journal. Do you know which hospital is right for you if you have coronavirus? | Opinion

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/11/post-80-november-29-2020-coronavirus-oped-in-the-jersey-journal-do-you-know-which-hospital-is-right-for-you-if-you-have-coronavirus-opinion/

POST 81. December 1, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Dr. Atlas, … who espoused controversial theories and rankled government scientists while advising President Trump on the coronavirus pandemic, resigned…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-81-december-1-2020-coronavirus-dr-atllas-who-espoused-controversial-theories-and-rankled-government-scientists-while-advising-president-trump-on-the-coronavirus-pandemic/

POST 82. December 3, 2020. CORONAVIRIUS. The NBA jumped to the front of the line for Coronavirus testing….while front line nurses often are still waiting. Who will similarly “hijack” the vaccine?

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-82-december-3-2020-coronavirius-the-nba-jumped-to-the-front-of-the-line-for-coronavirus-testing-while-front-line-nurses-often-are-still-waiting-who-will-similarly-hijack-2/

POST 83. December 4, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he will impose a new, regional stay-at-home order for areas where capacity at intensive care units falls below 15%.”… East Tennessee –“This is the first time the health care capability benchmark has been in the red..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-83-december-4-2020-coronavirus-california-gov-gavin-newsom-says-he-will-impose-a-new-regional-stay-at-home-order-for-areas-where-capacity-at-intensive-care-units-falls-below-15/

POST 84. December 6, 2020. CPRONAVIRUS. “ More than 100,000 Americans are in the hospital with COVID-19…” “We’re seeing C.D.C. …awaken from (its) politics-induced coma…”…Dr. Fauci “to be a chief medical adviser in Biden’s incoming administration..”.. “Trump administration leaves states to grapple with how to distribute scarce vaccines..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-84-december-6-2020-cpronavirus-more-than-100000-americans-are-in-the-hospital-with-covid-19-were-seeing-c-d-c-awaken-from-its-politi/

POST 85. December 7, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…Florida, Gov. DeSantis’ administration engaged in a pattern of spin and concealment that misled the public on the gravest health threat the state has ever faced..”.. “NY Gov. Cuomo said…the state will implement a barrage of new emergency actions..”… Rhode Island and Massachusetts open field hospitals… “Biden Names Health Team to Fight Pandemic”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-85-december-7-2020-coronavirus-florida-gov-desantis-administration-engaged-in-a-pattern-of-spin-and-concealment-that-misled-the-public-on-the-gravest-health-threat-the-s/

POST 86. December 9, 2020. If this analysis seems a bit incomprehensible it is because “free Coronavirus test” is often an oxymoron! with charges ranging from as little as $23 to as much as $2,315… Laws (like for free Coronavirus tests) are Like Sausages. Better Not to See Them Being Made. (Please allow about 20 seconds for the text to download. Thanx!)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-86-december-9-2020-if-this-analysis-seems-a-bit-incomprehensible-it-is-because-free-coronavirus-test-is-often-an-oxymoron-with-charges-ranging-from-as-little-as-23-to-as-mu/

POST 87. December 10, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…Rudolph W. Giuliani, the latest member of President Trump’s inner circle to contract Covid-19, has acknowledged that he received at least two of the same drugs the president received. He even conceded that his “celebrity” status had given him access to care that others did not have.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-87-december-12-2020-coronavirus-rudolph-w-giuliani-the-latest-member-of-president-trumps-inner-circle-to-contract-covid-19-has-acknowledged-that-he-received-at-l/

POST 88. December 11, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “As COVID-19 cases surge, the federal government is releasing data about hospital capacity at facilities around the country….”The new data paints the picture of how a specific hospital is experiencing the pandemic,”…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-88-december-11-2020-coronavirus-as-covid-19-cases-surge-the-federal-government-is-releasing-data-about-hospital-capacity-at-facilities-around-the-country-the-new-data-pai/

PART 89. December 12, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. THE VACCINE!!! “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” Winston Churchill

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/part-89-december-12-2020-coronavirus-the-vaccine-now-this-is-not-the-end-it-is-not-even-the-beginning-of-the-end-but-it-is-perhaps-the-end-of-the-beginning-winston-church/

POST 90. December 14, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “…the first doses of a Covid-19 vaccine have been given to the American public..”…” Each person who receives a vaccine needs two doses, and it’s up to states to allocate their share of vaccines.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-90-december-14-2020-coronavirus-the-first-doses-of-a-covid-19-vaccine-have-been-given-to-the-american-public-each-person-who-receives-a-vaccine/

POST 91. December 15, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “UPMC will first give (vaccination) priority to those in critical jobs. That includes a range of people working in critical units, from workers cleaning the emergency room and registering patients to doctors and nurses.. “Finally, if needed, UPMC will use a lottery to select who will be scheduled first.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-91-december-15-2020-coronavirus-upmc-will-first-give-vaccination-priority-to-those-in-critical-jobs-that-includes-a-range-of-people-working-in-critical-units-from-workers-cleanin/

POST 92. December 17, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “..each state — and each hospital system — has come up with its own (vaccination) plan and priorities. The result has been a sometimes confusing constellation of rules and groupings that has left health care workers wondering where they stand.” (Trump appointee July 4th email “…we need to establish herd, and it only comes about allowing the non-high risk groups expose themselves to the virus. PERIOD,”)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-92-december-17-2020-coronavirus-each-state-and-each-hospital-system-has-come-up-with-its-own-vaccination-plan-and-priorities-the-result-has-been-a-sometimes/

POST 93. December 19, 2020. CORONAVIRUS.  On NPR Congresswoman Shalala (D-Florida) said she wouldn’t jump the vaccination line in Miami; then added she would get vaccinated in Washington this week. This, even though Congress has failed to pass “essential” Coronavirus legislation. So who are our “essential” workers?

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-93-december-19-2020-coronavirus-on-npr-congresswoman-shalala-d-florida-said-she-wouldnt-jump-the-vaccination-line-in-miami-then-added-she-would-get-vaccinated-in-washington-this/

POST 94. December 21, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “A doctor at an L.A. County public hospital said the number of COVID-19 patients is “increasing exponentially, without an end in sight.”.. “I haven’t done ICU medicine since I was a resident — you don’t want me adjusting your ventilator,” he said. “That’s the challenge, actually — it isn’t so much space, it’s staff…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-94-december-21-2020-coronavirus-a-doctor-at-an-l-a-county-public-hospital-said-the-number-of-covid-19-patients-is-increasing-exponentially-without-an-end-in-sight/

POST 95. December 23, 2020. “The Murphy administration may step in to force (New Jersey) hospitals to report COVID-19 outbreaks among staff.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-95-december-23-2020-the-murphy-administration-may-step-in-to-force-new-jersey-hospitals-to-report-covid-19-outbreaks-among-staff/

POST 96. December 26, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Achieving herd immunity against the coronavirus could require as much as 90 percent of the population to be vaccinated, Anthony Fauci…”…”..he hesitated to state a number as high as 90% weeks ago because many Americans still seemed skeptical about vaccine….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-96-december-26-2020-coronavirus-achieving-herd-immunity-against-the-coronavirus-could-require-as-much-as-90-percent-of-the-population-to-be-vaccinated-anthony-fauci/

POST 97. December 27, 2020. “A new variant of the coronavirus that has been spreading through the UK and other countries has not yet been detected in the United States..”.. . But if new-wave medicines like antivirals and antibody therapy contributed to the development of viral variants, it will be “a reminder for all the medical community that we need to use these treatment options carefully.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-97-december-27-2020-a-new-variant-of-the-coronavirus-that-has-been-spreading-through-the-uk-and-other-countries-has-not-yet-been-detected-in-the-united-states-but-if-ne/

POST 98. December 28, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Governor Andrew Cuomo announced new penalties in order to rein in possible vaccination fraud…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-98-december-28-2020-coronavirus-governor-andrew-cuomo-announced-new-penalties-in-order-to-rein-in-possible-vaccination-fraud/

POST 99. December 29, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “ICUs are being overwhelmed across many parts of California. Statewide aggregate ICU availability has been at 0% since Christmas Eve…. a surge on top of a surge on top of a surge.”… “hospitals are getting close to the point where they would begin putting COVID-positive patients under the care of COVID-positive staff who are asymptomatic.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-99-december-29-2020-coronavirus-icus-are-being-overwhelmed-across-many-parts-of-california-statewide-aggregate-icu-availability-has-been-at-0-since-christmas-eve-a-surge-o/

POST 100. December 29, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. Front line hospital workers – in the ER, ICUs, EMS, acute medical care, behavioral health – are amongst the most courageous, heroic and dedicated colleagues you will ever meet.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-100-december-29-2020-coronavirus-front-line-hospital-workers-in-the-er-icus-ems-acute-medical-care-behavioral-health-are-amongst-the-most-courageous-heroic-and-dedica/

POST 101. December 30, 2020.CORONAVIRUS. Is there a point where the increasing Coronavirus trajectory so far exceeds the slow growth of the vaccination rate that reaching herd immunity through vaccinations becomes less likely?

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2020/12/post-101-december-30-2020-coronavirus-is-there-a-point-where-the-increasing-coronavirus-trajectory-so-far-exceeds-the-slow-growth-of-the-vaccination-rate-that-reaching-herd-immunity-through-vaccin/

POST 102. January 2, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “We’ve taken the people with the least amount of resources and capacity and asked them to do the hardest part of the vaccination — which is actually getting the vaccines administered into people’s arms,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, the dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health. “Ultimately, the buck seems to stop with no one,”…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-102-january-2-2020-coronavirus-weve-taken-the-people-with-the-least-amount-of-resources-and-capacity-and-asked-them-to-do-the-hardest-part-of-the-vaccination-which/

POST 103. January 4, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Dr. Fauci said “that the United States would not follow Britain’s lead in front-loading first vaccine injections, potentially delaying the administration of second doses…Dr. Moore – ”British officials “seem to have abandoned science completely now and are just trying to guess their way out of a mess.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-103-january-4-2021-coronavirus-dr-fauci-said-that-the-united-states-would-not-follow-britains-lead-in-front-loading-first-vaccine-injections-potentially-delaying-the-admin/

POST 104. January 6, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Paramedics in Southern California are being told to conserve oxygen and not to bring patients to the hospital who have little chance of survival…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-104-january-6-2021-coronavirus-paramedics-in-southern-california-are-being-told-to-conserve-oxygen-and-not-to-bring-patients-to-the-hospital-who-have-little-chance-of-survival/

POST 105. January 8, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. POST 105. January 8, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Facing a shortage of vaccinators, the Association of Immunization Managers… recommends relaxing regulation or adjusting licensing requirements. At least two states, Massachusetts and New York, have changed their laws in recent weeks to expand those who are eligible to give shots.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-105-january-8-2021-coronavirus-being-able-to-staff-vaccination-clinics-with-volunteers-from-our-reserve-workforce-means-that-staff-at-the-vaccination-sites-can-continue-to-perform-th/

POST 106. January 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. The riots at the Capitol could have been a superspreader event. “From what I saw… you had a large congregation of individuals who were in close contact for an extended period of time and almost universally unmasked…. many coming and going on buses as well, also unmasked, and hanging out in hotel lobbies.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-106-january-9-2021-coronavirus-the-riots-at-the-capitol-could-have-been-a-superspreader-event-from-what-i-saw-you-had-a-large-congregation-of-individuals-who-were-in-close/

POST 107. January 8, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Our job is to make sure the vaccine isn’t politicized the way masks were politicized,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said after getting her vaccine.   South Carolina Rep.-elect Nancy Mace, a Republican, wrote that “Congress shouldn’t be putting themselves first in line for the COVID-19 vaccination when the average American can’t get it.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-107-january-8-2021-coronavirus-our-job-is-to-make-sure-the-vaccine-isnt-politicized-the-way-masks-were-politicized-rep-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-d-n-y-said-after-getting-her-vaccine/

POST 108. January 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. (vaccination)”Line-cutters will be named and shamed. It’s inevitable, as will be the congressional hearings and front-page investigative stories ferreting out who saved their own skin at the expense of others.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-108-january-9-2021-coronavirus-vaccinationline-cutters-will-be-named-and-shamed-its-inevitable-as-will-be-the-congressional-hearings-and-front-page-investigative-stories/

POST 109.January 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “President-elect Joe Biden will aim to release nearly every available dose of the coronavirus vaccine when he takes office, a break with the Trump administration’s strategy of holding back half of US vaccine production to ensure second doses are available.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-109-january-9-2021-coronavirus-president-elect-joe-biden-will-aim-to-release-nearly-every-available-dose-of-the-coronavirus-vaccine-when-he-takes-office-a-break-with-the-trump-admini/

POST 110. January 13, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. ““The (federal) government is changing the way it allocates Covid vaccine doses, now basing it on how quickly states can administer shots and the size of their elderly population.”… “New York State sent a letter to hospitals saying if they don’t use their vaccine allocations by the end of this week, they won’t receive any further allocations.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-110-january-13-2021-coronavirus-the-federal-government-is-changing-the-way-it-allocates-covid-vaccine-doses-now-basing-it-on-how-quickly-states-can-administer-shots-and-t/

POST 111. January 14, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Visitors from Toronto to New York to Buenos Aires have long flocked to Florida for sun, surf and shopping. Now they are coming for the Covid-19 vaccine….

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-111-january-14-2021-coronavirus-visitors-from-toronto-to-new-york-to-buenos-aires-have-long-flocked-to-florida-for-sun-surf-and-shopping-now-they-are-coming-for-the-covid-19-vaccin/

POST 112. January 14, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. CHINA – “Eleven million people are under lockdown in Hebei province after a new cluster of coronavirus infections.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-112-january-14-2021-coronavirus-china-eleven-million-people-are-under-lockdown-in-hebei-province-after-a-new-cluster-of-coronavirus-infections/

PART 113. January 17, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. The Next President Actually Has a Covid Plan… New York City and other places in the state expect to exhaust their supply of doses as early as next week… Charles Barkley said during the “NBA on TNT” broadcast that pro athletes should get the first round of the vaccine…..

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/part-113-january-17-2021-coronavirus-the-next-president-actually-has-a-covid-plan-new-york-city-and-other-places-in-the-state-expect-to-exhaust-their-supply-of-doses-as-early-as-next-week/

POST 114. January 18, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “When government programs that have been unattended, underfunded and bogged down by red tape suddenly have to meet a huge demand in a crisis, they can’t cope and people suffer….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-114-january-18-2021-coronavirus-when-government-programs-that-have-been-unattended-underfunded-and-bogged-down-by-red-tape-suddenly-have-to-meet-a-huge-demand-in-a-crisis-they-can/

POST 115. January 21, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. A year ago today an unnumbered POST was headlined “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday confirmed the first U.S. case of a deadly new coronavirus that has killed six people in China.” The CORONAVIRUS CONTENT TRACKING PROJECT started with HISTORIOGRAPHY and over time moved to LESSONS LEARNED, RAPID RESPONSE, and THE VACCINATION PROGRAM. Now 115 POSTS later – the BIDEN CORONAVIRUS PLAN.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-115-january-21-2020-coronavirus-a-year-ago-today-an-unnumbered-post-was-headlined-the-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-on-tuesday-confirmed-the-first-u-s-case-of-a-deadly/

POST 116. January 22, 2021. President Biden – “We’re entering what may be the toughest and deadliest period of the virus. We must set aside politics and finally face this pandemic as one nation.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-116-january-22-2021-president-biden-were-entering-what-may-be-the-toughest-and-deadliest-period-of-the-virus-we-must-set-aside-politics-and-finally-face-this-pandemic-as-one-nation/

POST 117. January 23, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. 1.Dr. Fauci:“The idea that you can get up here….”and.. let the science speak”… “It is somewhat of a liberating feeling.” 2.updated CDC guidance:”.. providers could give the second dose up to six weeks after the first dose..” 3.Dr. Fauci: people would be “taking a chance” if they follow the CDC’s updated guidance.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-117-january-23-2021-coronavirus-1-dr-faucithe-idea-that-you-can-get-up-here-and-let-the-science-speak-it-is-somewhat-of-a-liberating/

POST 118. January 24, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Unfortunately, we’ve let this virus spread extensively and are launching the vaccination campaign at the height of the threat,” Dr. Meyers said. “The more the virus spreads before the vaccine reaches people, the fewer deaths we can prevent with the vaccine.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-118-january-24-2021-coronavirus-unfortunately-weve-let-this-virus-spread-extensively-and-are-launching-the-vaccination-campaign-at-the-height-of-the-threat-dr-meyers-sa/

POST 119. January 27, 2010. CORONAVIRUS. Amazon is offering its help to President Joe Biden with the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. Washington’s governor, Jay Inslee, included the help of companies like Starbucks, Costco and Microsoft in a plan to vaccinate 45,000 residents a day.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/to-get-each-new-post-free-and-automatically-by-email-please-use-the-subscription-portal-in-the-right-column-of-the-home-page-at-http-doctordidyouwashyourhands-com-then-you-will-get-an-email/

POST 120. January 28, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The fact that four vaccines backed by the federal government seem to be less effective against the (South African) B.1.351 variant has unsettled federal officials and vaccine experts alike. Facing this uncertainty, many researchers said it was imperative to get as many people vaccinated as possible — quickly. Lowering the rate of infection could thwart the contagious variants while they are still rare, and prevent other viruses from gaining new mutations that could cause more trouble.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-120-january-28-2021-coronavirus-the-fact-that-four-vaccines-backed-by-the-federal-government-seem-to-be-less-effective-against-the-south-african-b-1-351-variant-has-unsettled-feder/

POST 121. January 30, 2021. CORONVIRUS. Will our communities become stratified by which vaccine is distributed? 95%ters v. 72%ters? Will the easier distribution of the J&J vaccine drive its inequitable distribution to” hard-hit, marginalized, and medically underserved communities.” (thanx! to XJ/LA)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/01/post-121-january-30-2021-coronvirus-will-our-communities-become-stratified-by-which-vaccine-is-distributed-95ters-v-72ters-will-the-easier-distribution-of-the-jj-vaccine-drive-its-inequitable/

POST 122. February 1, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Dr.Fauci endorses double-masking. Dr.Osterholm disagrees!

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-122-february-1-2021-coronavirus-dr-fauci-endorses-double-masking-dr-osterholm-disagrees/

POST 123. February 4, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Nursing homes across the country are facing the same struggle, as workers have been more reluctant than residents to be vaccinated…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-123-february-4-2021-coronavirus-nursing-homes-across-the-country-are-facing-the-same-struggle-as-workers-have-been-more-reluctant-than-residents-to-be-vaccinated/

POST 124. February 5, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Dr. Osterholm ” …it may be time to..go with a ‘first-dose only’ approach, so more people over the age of 65 can have at least some protection right away. He said that would require delaying second doses until this summer.” Dr.Fauci “warned against this practice, and cautioned people about “the danger” that could come with focusing only on the first dose.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-124-february-5-2021-coronavirus-dr-osterholm-it-may-be-time-to-go-with-a-first-dose-only-approach-so-more-people-over-the-age-of-65-can-have-at-least-some-protection/

POST 125. June 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “States are rolling back Covid-19 restrictions as new cases trend down from record highs across the country. But experts warn it might be too much too soon as variants pose an increased risk and the pandemic… is far from over.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-125-june-9-2021-coronavirus-states-are-rolling-back-covid-19-restrictions-as-new-cases-trend-down-from-record-highs-across-the-country-but-experts-warn-it-might-be-too-much-too-soon/

POST 126. February 11, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “There will be more coronavirus outbreaks in the future. Bats and other mammals are rife with strains and species of this abundant family of viruses. Some of these pathogens will inevitably spill over the species barrier and cause new pandemics. It’s only a matter of time.” (A)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-126-february-11-2021-coronavirus-there-will-be-more-coronavirus-outbreaks-in-the-future-bats-and-other-mammals-are-rife-with-strains-and-species-of-this-abundant-family-of-viruses-2/

POST 127. February 12, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “… Trump only agreed to be hospitalized when aides told him that he could walk to Marine One or he could wait until his case progressed and he would be carried out.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-127-february-12-2021-coronavirus-trump-only-agreed-to-be-hospitalized-when-aides-told-him-that-he-could-walk-to-marine-one-or-he-could-wait-until-his-case-progressed-and-he/

POST 128. February 14, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new research on Wednesday that found wearing a cloth mask over a surgical mask offers more protection against the coronavirus, as does tying knots on the ear loops of surgical masks…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-127-february-13-2021-coronavirus-the-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-released-new-research-on-wednesday-that-found-wearing-a-cloth-mask-over-a-surgical-mask-offers-more-pr/

POST 129. February 15, 2021, CORONAVIRUS. “ “The CDC released its much-anticipated, updated guidance to help school leaders decide how to safely bring students back into classrooms, or keep them there.”…” For politicians, parents and school leaders looking for a clear green light to reopen schools, this is not it.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-129-february-15-2021-coronavirus-the-cdc-released-its-much-anticipated-updated-guidance-to-help-school-leaders-decide-how-to-safely-bring-students-back-into-classrooms-or/

POST 130. February 16, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “A second person who had contracted the Ebola virus died this week in the Democratic Republic of Congo, marking another outbreak just three months after the nation outlasted the virus’s second-worst outbreak in history…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-130-february-16-2021-coronavirus-a-second-person-who-had-contracted-the-ebola-virus-died-this-week-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo-marking-another-outbreak-just-three-months-aft/

POST 131. February 17, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “It really is right now – a race between how quickly new variants, particularly the U.K. variant, can spread in the United States and how quickly we can get people vaccinated”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-131-february-17-2021-coronavirus-it-really-is-right-now-a-race-between-how-quickly-new-variants-particularly-the-u-k-variant-can-spread-in-the-united-states-and-how-quickly-we/

POST 132. February 20, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “In Texas, where over 2.5 million people are still without power, the state health department said this week’s vaccine shipments wouldn’t arrive until Wednesday at the earliest.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-132-february-20-2021-coronavirus-in-texas-where-over-2-5-million-people-are-still-without-power-the-state-health-department-said-this-weeks-vaccine-shipments-wouldnt-arrive-unt/

POST 133. February 23, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Going off your meds is a surefire way to aggravate your doctor. What if a whole country did it?” The United Kingdom has veered into uncharted territory by changing tack and introducing a revised COVID-19 vaccination protocol, one that involves distributing the second dose at 12 weeks, rather than the prescribed 21 days.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-133-february-23-2021-coronavirus-going-off-your-meds-is-a-surefire-way-to-aggravate-your-doctor-what-if-a-whole-country-did-it-the-united-kingdom-has-veered-into-uncharted/

POST 134. February 24, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. The first tranche of the J&J (single dose) vaccine must go to K-12 teachers, so schools can open safely in the first 100 days of the Biden Administration. The federal government…”can set up its own vaccination centers in regions with eligible populations it’s trying to target.” We owe our front-line teachers nothing less!

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-134-february-24-2021-coronavirus-the-first-tranche-of-the-jj-vaccine-must-go-to-k-12-teachers-the-federal-governmentcan-set-up-its-own-vaccination-centers-in-regions-with/

POST 135. February 27, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “As Chief Executive Officers of New York’s major health care systems, we would like to provide facts to clear up confusion in the public and the media regarding decisions to discharge patients to nursing homes during New York’s spring coronavirus surge.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/02/post-135-february-27-2021-coronavirus-as-chief-executive-officers-of-new-yorks-major-health-care-systems-we-would-like-to-provide-facts-to-clear-up-confusion-in-the-public-and-the-medi/

POST 136. March 2, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. ““The governors of Texas and Mississippi both announced on Tuesday they would be lifting their states’ mask mandates and rolling back many of their Covid-19 health mandates..”…while “The US could experience a “fourth surge” of coronavirus before the majority of the country is vaccinated.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-136-march-2-2021-coronavirus-the-governors-of-texas-and-mississippi-both-announced-on-tuesday-they-would-be-lifting-their-states-mask-mandates-and-rolling-back-many-of-the/

POST 137. March 4, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The clamor for hard-to-get Covid-19 vaccines has created armies of anxious Americans who have resorted to hunting for leftovers on the fringes of the country’s patchwork vaccination system. They haunt pharmacies at the end of the day in search of an extra, expiring dose. They drive from clinic to clinic hoping that someone was a no-show to their appointment. They cold-call pharmacies like eager telemarketers: Any extras today? Maybe tomorrow? Some pharmacists have even given them a nickname: vaccine lurkers.” (H)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-137-march-4-2021-coronavirus-the-clamor-for-hard-to-get-covid-19-vaccines-has-created-armies-of-anxious-americans-who-have-resorted-to-hunting-for-leftovers-on-the-fringes-of-the-cou/

POST 138. March 6, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “New cases are decreasing in the third wave because we are past the holidays, not because of vaccinations. It is a common misconception that the decrease we are seeing in new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in the U.S. is due to vaccinations. The two aren’t related; at least yet.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-138-march-6-2021-coronavirus-new-cases-are-decreasing-in-the-third-wave-because-we-are-past-the-holidays-not-because-of-vaccinations-it-is-a-common-misconception-that-the-decrease/

POST 139. March 8, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. CDC Issues First Set of Guidelines on How Fully Vaccinated People Can Visit Safely with Others…” In practice, that means fully vaccinated grandparents may visit unvaccinated healthy adult children and healthy grandchildren of the same household without masks or physical distancing.” (C)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-139-march-8-2021-coronavirus-cdc-issues-first-set-of-guidelines-on-how-fully-vaccinated-people-can-visit-safely-with-others-in-practice-that-means-fully-vaccinated-grandpar/

POST 140. March 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “In West Virginia, they are bracing for the second wave….. Not coronavirus but opioid overdoses, with one scourge driving a resurgence of the other.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-140-march-9-2021-coronavirus-in-west-virginia-they-are-bracing-for-the-second-wave-not-coronavirus-but-opioid-overdoses-with-one-scourge-driving-a-resurgence-of-the-othe/

POST 141. March 11, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Today is the first anniversary of the WHO declaration that the novel coronavirus was a Public Health Emergency of International Concern… “To truly prepare itself against the next pandemic, the U.S. has to reimagine what preparedness looks like.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-141-march-11-2021-coronavirus-today-is-the-first-anniversary-of-the-who-declaration-that-the-novel-coronavirus-was-a-public-health-emergency-of-international-concern-to-trul/

POST 142. March 15, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Candida auris is a superbug, a pathogen that can evade drugs made to kill it—and early signs suggest the COVID-19 pandemic may be propelling infections of the highly dangerous yeast. That’s because C. auris is particularly prominent in hospital settings, which have been flooded with people this year due to the coronavirus.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-142-march-15-2021-coronavirus-candida-auris-is-a-superbug-a-pathogen-that-can-evade-drugs-made-to-kill-it-and-early-signs-suggest-the-covid-19-pandemic-may-be-propelling-inf-2/

POST 143. March 17, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The Trump administration sought to suppress Covid-19 testing in the United States last year by softening guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on who needed to be tested, a House panel said Monday.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-143-march-17-2021-coronavirus-the-trump-administration-sought-to-suppress-covid-19-testing-in-the-united-states-last-year-by-softening-guidance-from-the-centers-for-disease-control-a/

POST 144. March 20, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. ““The vaccine hesitancy we are seeing isn’t just about Covid vaccines,”… “It is a general reflection of Americans’ lack of trust in science, the pharmaceutical industry, and large health care institutions. We need a full court press on science and vaccine education right now to prevent more aggressive Covid-19 variants from developing and taking hold.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-144-march-20-2021-coronavirus-the-vaccine-hesitancy-we-are-seeing-isnt-just-about-covid-vaccines-it-is-a-general-reflection-of-americans/

POST 145. March 25, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Efforts to disseminate Covid-19 vaccines as widely as possible are hitting an unexpected obstacle: health-care workers who decline the shots.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-145-march-25-2021-coronavirus-efforts-to-disseminate-covid-19-vaccines-as-widely-as-possible-are-hitting-an-unexpected-obstacle-health-care-workers-who-decline-the-shots/

POST 146. March 30, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Dr. Osterholm told Becker’s: “This is the perfect storm,”…”Here is Europe locking down and having problems containing B.1.1.7, even with vaccinations and previous infection histories. Here we are opening up as wide as we can. We are literally just walking into the mouth of the virus saying, ‘Don’t worry.’” (M)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/03/post-146-march-30-2021-coronavirus-dr-osterholm-told-beckers-this-is-the-perfect-stormhere-is-europe-locking-down-and-having-problems-containing-b-1-1-7-even-with-vaccinations/

POST 147. April 5, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The pandemic helped cement the shift to “a philosophy of really focusing on the role of the physician in reasoning through ambiguous and unknown problems as the focus of education, rather than teaching students that the role of physician was to memorize a body of knowledge that was already in existence and good enough for what usually happens.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-147-april-5-2021-coronavirus-the-pandemic-helped-cement-the-shift-to-a-philosophy-of-really-focusing-on-the-role-of-the-physician-in-reasoning-through-ambiguous-and-unknown/

POST 148. April 7, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. While the Biden administration accelerates vaccinations to ward off numerous variants and as more young people are being hospitalized, states, even with increasing case rates are on paths to fully reopen. Politics v. public health!

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-148-april-7-2021-coronavirus-while-the-biden-administration-accelerates-vaccinations-to-ward-off-numerous-variants-and-as-more-young-people-are-being-hospitalized-states-even-with-increasin/

POST 149. April 10, 2021. CORONAVIRIUS. “From Michigan to Massachusetts, COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the rise again. Deaths will soon follow. “ ”.. the Biden administration is facing renewed calls to delay second vaccine doses and blanket more of the U.S. population with an initial shot.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-149-april-10-2021-coronavirius-from-michigan-to-massachusetts-covid-19-cases-and-hospitalizations-are-on-the-rise-again-deaths-will-soon-follow-the-biden-adm/

POST 150. April 10, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The use of so-called COVID-19 “vaccine passports” is quickly becoming a divisive issue across the US – with several states, including New York, embracing the idea, while others have already moved to ban them.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-150-april-10-2021-coronavirus-the-use-of-so-called-covid-19-vaccine-passports-is-quickly-becoming-a-divisive-issue-across-the-us-with-several-states-incl/

POST 151. April 14, 2021. CORONAVIRUS.   the J&J vaccination pause. “ Federal officials are concerned that doctors may not be trained to spot or treat the rare disorder if recipients of the vaccine develop symptoms of it…”  “…a standard treatment for blood clots — use of an anticoagulant drug — could be dangerous or even fatal in such cases…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-151-april-14-2021-coronavirus-the-jj-vaccination-pause-federal-officials-are-concerned-that-doctors-may-not-be-trained-to-spot-or-treat-the-rare-disorder-if-recipients-of-the-va/

POST 152. April 15, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s director said Saturday authorities are considering mixing COVID-19 vaccines because the country’s domestically made doses “don’t have very high protection rates,”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-152-april-15-2021-coronavirus-the-chinese-center-for-disease-control-and-preventions-director-said-saturday-authorities-are-considering-mixing-covid-19-vaccines-because-the-country/

POST 153. April 18, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “At least 35 hospitals across Michigan were listed Thursday as nearing capacity and three were at full capacity for COVID-19 patients..”.. We can manufacture beds. We can open up beds. We can create entire wings of the hospital if we have to, but if we don’t have staff for those beds, we’ve got nothing.”..

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-153-april-18-2021-coronavirus-at-least-35-hospitals-across-michigan-were-listed-thursday-as-nearing-capacity-and-three-were-at-full-capacity-for-covid-19-patients-we-can/

POST 154. April 19, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Breakthrough infections, which occur when fully vaccinated people are infected by the pathogen that their shots were designed to protect against, are an entirely expected part of any vaccination process.”   “Pfizer’s chief executive said that a third dose of the company’s Covid-19 vaccine was “likely” to be needed within a year of the initial two-dose inoculation — followed by annual vaccinations.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-154-april-19-2021-coronavirus-breakthrough-infections-which-occur-when-fully-vaccinated-people-are-infected-by-the-pathogen-that-their-shots-were-designed-to-protect-against-are-an/

POST 155. April 24, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. As the J&J vaccine pause is ended Senator Johnson said “The science tells us that vaccines are 95% effective. So if you have a vaccine, quite honestly, what do you care if your neighbor has one or not? I mean, what is it to you?”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-155-april-24-2021-coronavirus-as-the-jj-vaccine-pause-is-ended-senator-johnson-said-the-science-tells-us-that-vaccines-are-95-effective-so-if-you-have-a-vaccine-quite-honestly-what-do-y/

POST 156. April 28, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. As CDC revises guidance on outdoor masking, Texas Governor Abbott says “the state is “very close” to herd immunity… despite acknowledging that he does not know what the herd immunity threshold is for the virus, an uncertainty echoed by the public health community.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/04/post-156-april-28-2021-coronavirus-as-cdc-revises-guidance-on-outdoor-masking-texas-governor-abbott-says-the-state-is-very-close-to-herd-immunity-despite-ackno/

POST 157. April 25, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Ohio hospitals; “We agreed in multiple conversations, there’s nothing in fighting a pandemic that creates a competitive advantage.”…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-157-april-25-2021-coronavirus-ohio-hospitals-we-agreed-in-multiple-conversations-theres-nothing-in-fighting-a-pandemic-that-creates-a-competitive-advantage/

POST 158. May 5, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. . As populations get closer to herd immunity “ it may be helpful to introduce some nuance to what we mean by the term. Nationwide herd immunity. Regional herd immunity. Temporary herd immunity. Endemicity.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-158-may-5-2021-coronavirus-as-populations-get-closer-to-herd-immunity-it-may-be-helpful-to-introduce-some-nuance-to-what-we-mean-by-the-term-nationwide-herd-immunity-regional-he/

POST 159. May 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Without deeper sharing of expertise in how to make vaccines…waiving patent obligations is unlikely to be a game-changer… Having access to the “recipe” certainly helps, but understanding how to put it together and produce it at scale is something else.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-159-may-9-2021-coronavirus-without-deeper-sharing-of-expertise-in-how-to-make-vaccineswaiving-patent-obligations-is-unlikely-to-be-a-game-changer-having-access-to-t/

POST 160. May 13, 2021.CORONAVIRUS. “The CDC acknowledged Friday that airborne spread of COVID-19 among people more than 6 feet apart “has been repeatedly documented.”” Meanwhile states relax or eliminate indoor dining restrictions. HUH?

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-160-may-13-2021-coronavirus-the-cdc-acknowledged-friday-that-airborne-spread-of-covid-19-among-people-more-than-6-feet-apart-has-been-repeatedly-documented-meanwhile-sta/

POST 161. May 15, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Even if the spread of Covid-19 decreases enough to allow a return of most activities, there are some aspects of pandemic life that epidemiologists say will persist much longer. In particular, they say that masks are a norm that should continue, even if that view puts them at odds with the new C.D.C. guidance. More than 80 percent of them say people should continue to wear masks when indoors with strangers for at least another year, and outdoors in crowds.” 

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-161-may-15-2021-coronavirus-even-if-the-spread-of-covid-19-decreases-enough-to-allow-a-return-of-most-activities-there-are-some-aspects-of-pandemic-life-that-epidemiologists-say-wil/

POST 162. May 21, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is refusing to lift his indoor mask mandate for vaccinated residents…” “…fully vaccinated residents in New York and Connecticut are no longer required to wear masks..”..” “California says it isn’t ready to follow the federal lead and unmask, at least for another month..”.. “..Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Tuesday prohibiting state governmental entities such as counties, public school districts, public health authorities and government officials from requiring mask wearing.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-162-may-21-2021-coronavirus-new-jersey-gov-phil-murphy-is-refusing-to-lift-his-indoor-mask-mandate-for-vaccinated-residents-fully-vaccinated-resi/

POST 163. May 23, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. RWJBarnabas Health in New Jersey announced a mandate…saying supervisors and those of higher rank must get the vaccine by June 30. They will eventually require the system’s 35,000 employees to do the same.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-163-may-23-2021-coronavirus-rwjbarnabas-health-in-new-jersey-announced-a-mandatesaying-supervisors-and-those-of-higher-rank-must-get-the-vaccine-by-june-30-they-will-eventually-requ/

POST 164. May 26, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. On Wednesday, health minister Norihisa Tamura warned Olympic organizers they would have to “secure their own” hospital beds for anyone falling ill at the Games, explaining the government would not release beds set aside for Japanese covid-19 patients.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-164-may-26-2021-coronavirus-on-wednesday-health-minister-norihisa-tamura-warned-olympic-organizers-they-would-have-to-secure-their-own-hospital-beds-for-anyone-falling-ill/

POST 165. May 31,2001. CORONAVIRUS. “Like all pandemics, this one will end either with millions — maybe billions — being infected or being vaccinated. This time, world leaders have a choice, but little time to make that choice before it is made for them.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/05/post-165-may-312001-coronavirus-like-all-pandemics-this-one-will-end-either-with-millions-maybe-billions-being-infected-or-being-vaccinated-this-time-world-leaders/

POST 166. June 3, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “President Biden said Wednesday that he has asked intelligence agencies to double down on their efforts to investigate whether the coronavirus originated from human contact with an animal or in an laboratory in China, saying there is not “sufficient information” to assess whether one is more likely than the other.” 

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-166-june-3-2020-coronavirus-president-biden-said-wednesday-that-he-has-asked-intelligence-agencies-to-double-down-on-their-efforts-to-investigate-whether-the-coronavirus-originated-f/

POST 167. June 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Hospitals prevaricate on mandatory staff vaccinations.  Florida’s Governor forbids cruise ship vaccine mandates. Pfizer and Moderna apply for FDA full approval.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-167-june-9-2021-coronavirus-hospitals-prevaricate-on-mandatory-staff-vaccinations-floridas-governor-forbids-cruise-ship-vaccine-mandates-pfizer-and-moderna-apply-for-fda-full-appr/

POST 168. June 10, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Our species has a tendency to get distracted. We have a very strong appetite for distraction, and when something is not in the spotlight, when it’s not a crisis anymore, we tend to forget and move on to something else. So the biggest challenge is going to be maintaining focus on this next step of developing vaccines that anticipate pandemics.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-168-june-10-2021-coronavirus-our-species-has-a-tendency-to-get-distracted-we-have-a-very-strong-appetite-for-distraction-and-when-something-is-not-in-the-spotlight-when-it/

POST 169. June 14, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Hospitals in Washington, D.C…announced a consensus agreement to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for more than 30,000 workers, 70% of which are already vaccinated. Each of 14 hospitals will set their own deadline…” 

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-169-june-14-2021-coronavirus-hospitals-in-washington-d-cannounced-a-consensus-agreement-to-mandate-covid-19-vaccinations-for-more-than-30000-workers-70-of-which-are-alrea/

POST 170. June 17, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Dr. Ashish Jha…is worried about the potential impact  the delta variant could have in the United States… “I’m concerned about the Delta variant,”… “Why? Most contagious variant yet. Wreaked havoc in India. Spiking cases in UK. Growing rapidly in the US.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-170-june-17-2021-coronavirus-dr-ashish-jhais-worried-about-the-potential-impact-the-delta-variant-could-have-in-the-united-states-im-concerned-a/

POST 171. June 19, 2021. “A 34-year-old man (a Covid-19 survivor) has been diagnosed with India’s first known case of “green fungus” infection.”… “Green fungus is the new infection to join the earlier known cases of black, white and yellow fungus.”…”green fungus was earlier seen only as a “junior partner” in other infections… In the current patient, this fungus is acting as the aggressor.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-171-june-19-2021-coronavirus-a-34-year-old-man-a-covid-19-survivor-has-been-diagnosed-with-indias-first-known-case-of-green-fungus-infection/

POST 172. June 23, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Morgan Stanley chief executive James Gorman said: “If you can go into a restaurant in New York City, you can come into the office.”…”remote work can “dramatically undermine” the character and culture a company is attempting to build; and “virtually eliminates spontaneous learning and creativity.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-172-june-23-2021-coronavirus-morgan-stanley-chief-executive-james-gorman-said-if-you-can-go-into-a-restaurant-in-new-york-city-you-can-come-into-the-office-remote-work/

POST 173. June 26, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The daily toll of COVID-19, as measured by new cases and the growing number of deaths, overlooks a shadowy set of casualties: the rising risk of mental health problems among health care professionals working on the frontlines of the pandemic.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/06/post-173-june-26-2021-coronavirus-the-daily-toll-of-covid-19-as-measured-by-new-cases-and-the-growing-number-of-deaths-overlooks-a-shadowy-set-of-casualties-the-rising-risk-of-mental-h/

POST 174. July 1, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “..while the WHO is encouraging people to keep wearing masks even if they’re vaccinated, Dr. Anthony Fauci says it doesn’t look like the CDC currently plans to change its guidelines.” … health officials in Los Angeles recommended that “everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks indoors in public places as a precautionary measure.”..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-174-july-1-2021-coronavirus-while-the-who-is-encouraging-people-to-keep-wearing-masks-even-if-theyre-vaccinated-dr-anthony-fauci-says-it-doesnt-look-like-the-cdc-currently-pl/

POST 175. July 5, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Can a health care worker who is not against vaccines in general still harbor sincere concerns that scientists don’t yet know about all the side effects of these vaccines? Yes, says Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD — but those people should not work in health care.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-175-july-5-2021-coronavirus-can-a-health-care-worker-who-is-not-against-vaccines-in-general-still-harbor-sincere-concerns-that-scientists-dont-yet-know-about-all-the-side-ef/

POST 176. July 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Mercy Springfield ( Missouri) hospital…” ran out of ventilators for its patients over the Fourth of July weekend…”…“Mercy will require all current and future employees to be fully vaccinated.”…“The US government is deploying a Covid-19 surge team to provide public health support in southwest Missouri

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-176-july-9-2021-coronavirus-mercy-springfield-missouri-hospital-ran-out-of-ventilators-for-its-patients-over-the-fourth-of-july-weekend/

POST 177. July 12, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. the Delta variant is “the 2020 version of Covid-19 on steroids,”… “It is the most hypertransmissible, contagious version of the virus we’ve seen to date…it’s a superspreader strain if there ever was one .” but… now, there’s a Delta Plus variant…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-177-july-12-2021-coronavirus-the-delta-variant-is-the-2020-version-of-covid-19-on-steroids-it-is-the-most-hypertransmissible-contagious-version-of-the-vi/

POST 178. July 15, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Tennessee’s top vaccine official says she has been fired as punishment for doing her job in the face of political pushback.”..” More than 180 state and local public health leaders…have resigned, retired or been fired since April 1…”“Former President Trump and his GOP allies have stepped up attacks on Anthony Fauci…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-178-july-15-2021-coronavirus-tennessees-top-vaccine-official-says-she-has-been-fired-as-punishment-for-doing-her-job-in-the-face-of-political-pushback-more-tha/

POST 179. July 16, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “It, therefore, follows that the “harm principle” (“first, do no harm.”) can be used to justify compulsory vaccination programs in specific instances where the community interests or benefits are deemed to be significant.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-179-july-16-2021-coronavirus-it-therefore-follows-that-the-harm-principle-first-do-no-harm-can-be-used-to-justify-compulsory-vaccination-pro/

POST 180, July 20, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Most people will either get vaccinated, or have been previously infected, or they will get this Delta variant,”.. “And for most people who get this Delta variant, it’s going to be the most serious virus that they get in their lifetime in terms of the risk of putting them in the hospital,”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-180-july-20-2021-coronavirus-most-people-will-either-get-vaccinated-or-have-been-previously-infected-or-they-will-get-this-delta-variant-and-for-most-people-who-get-this-delta-vari/

POST 181. July 22, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Health experts fear the Tokyo Olympics could become a COVID-19 superspreader event.” “Whatever happens in Japan isn’t likely going to stay in Japan since all of the athletes and accompanying coaches and staff will be returning to their home countries.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-181-july-22-2021-coronavirus-health-experts-fear-the-tokyo-olympics-could-become-a-covid-19-superspreader-event-whatever-happens-in-japan-isnt-likely-goin/

POST 182. July 26, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R): “Folks supposed to have common sense.”…“But it’s time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks, not the regular folks. It’s the unvaccinated folks that are letting us down.” ““Beginning in mid-September, New York City will require all of its 340,000 municipal workers, including police, firefighters and teachers, to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or tested weekly.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-182-july-26-2021-coronavirus-alabama-gov-kay-ivey-r-folks-supposed-to-have-common-sense-but-its-time-to-start-blaming-the-unvaccinated-folks-not-the/

POST 183. July 29, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. When I was appointed President and CEO of Jersey City Medical Center in1989 in the peak of the HIV/ AIDS crisis, we had a dedicated, and always full, dedicated 60 bed AIDS unit, staffed by one full time nurse and numerous part-time and per diem nurses. Today, right now, hospitals caught in the Covid-19 surge, are forced to redeploy nursing staff, respiratory therapists and other clinicians, most without prior infectious diseases experience. Why are we tolerating the unvaccinated putting our hospital staffs at risk?

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/07/post-183-july-29-2021-coronavirus-when-i-was-appointed-president-and-ceo-of-jersey-city-medical-center-in1989-in-the-peak-of-the-hiv-aids-crisis-we-had-a-dedicated-and-always-full-dedicated-60/

POST 184. August 1, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The coronavirus could be “just a few mutations potentially away” from evolving into a variant that can evade existing COVID-19 vaccines, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said..” (A) “The Delta variant is more transmissible than the viruses that cause MERS, SARS, Ebola, the common cold, the seasonal flu and smallpox, and it is as contagious as chickenpox..” (I)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-184-august-1-2021-coronavirus-the-coronavirus-could-be-just-a-few-mutations-potentially-away-from-evolving-into-a-variant-that-can-evade-existing-covid-19-vaccines-cdc-director/

POST 185. August 6, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. ‘If you aren’t going to help, please get out of the way’: Biden turns up the pressure on GOP governors as Delta spreads”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-185-august-6-2021-coronavirus-if-you-arent-going-to-help-please-get-out-of-the-way-biden-turns-up-the-pressure-on-gop-governors-as-delta-spreads/

POST 186. August 8, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “One of the last things they do before they’re intubated is beg me for the vaccine. I hold their hand and tell them that I’m sorry, but it’s too late,” she added, referring to patients who have to be put on a ventilator.” (A) “There is no one definition of what the end of a pandemic means.”.. “The question of when the crisis will be over is a layered one — with different answers from local, national and global perspectives.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-186-august-8-2021-coronavirus-one-of-the-last-things-they-do-before-theyre-intubated-is-beg-me-for-the-vaccine-i-hold-their-hand-and-tell-them-that-im-sorry-but-i/

POST 187. August 11, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “As a result of the increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, the state of Florida requested 300 ventilators from the federal government.”… “An 11-month-old girl with Covid-19 is stable and no longer intubated one day after she was airlifted to a Texas hospital 150 miles away because of a shortage of pediatric beds in the Houston area.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-187-august-11-2021-coronavirus-as-a-result-of-the-increase-in-covid-19-cases-and-hospitalizations-the-state-of-florida-requested-300-ventilators-from-the-federal-government/

POST 188. August 15, 20201. CORONAVIRUS. “According to an internal CDC briefing….an estimated 1.1 million people have already gotten unauthorized booster shots…”….”If it is left up to the honor system, I think many Americans will suddenly wake up and find themselves immunocompromised enough to get a 3rd dose,”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-188-august-15-20201-coronavirus-according-to-an-internal-cdc-briefing-an-estimated-1-1-million-people-have-already-gotten-unauthorized-booster-shots/

POST 189. August 19,2021. CORONAVIRUS. “There wasn’t a single I.C.U. bed available in Alabama on Wednesday…”…”A triage plan on the Alabama health department’s website suggests that “persons with severe mental retardation” are among those who “may be poor candidates for ventilator support.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-189-august-192021-coronavirus-there-wasnt-a-single-i-c-u-bed-available-in-alabama-on-wednesdaya-triage-plan-on-the-alabama-health-depart/

POST 190, August 21, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “We’re looking, in essence, at running two systems — a COVID system and a non-COVID system of care,”..“Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and certified paramedics can now care for patients in Mississippi hospitals and emergency rooms under a new health office order issued by the Mississippi State Department of Health on Wednesday.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-190-august-21-2021-coronavirus-were-looking-in-essence-at-running-two-systems-a-covid-system-and-a-non-covid-system-of-care-emergency-medical/

POST 191. August 27, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Anthony Fauci, MD, chief medical advisor to the president and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, explained that late September gives the United States time to set up the logistics.” This is not medical science, but perhaps Political Science?

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-191-august-27-2021-coronavirus-anthony-fauci-md-chief-medical-advisor-to-the-president-and-director-of-the-national-institute-of-allergy-and-infectious-diseases-explained-that-lat/

POST 192. August 30, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Gov. John Bel Edwards on Hurricane Ida – “I hate to say it this way, but we have a lot of people on ventilators today and they don’t work without electricity,” he said.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/08/post-192-august-30-2021-coronavirus-gov-john-bel-edwards-on-hurricane-ida-i-hate-to-say-it-this-way-but-we-have-a-lot-of-people-on-ventilators-today-and-they-dont-work-withou/

POST 193. September 3, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Nurses are leaving their hospitals and becoming travel nurses at hospitals across town “because they can make $4,000, $5,000, $6,000, $7,000 a week while not having to relocate anywhere..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-193-september-3-2021-coronavirus-nurses-are-leaving-their-hospitals-and-becoming-travel-nurses-at-hospitals-across-town-because-they-can-make-4000-5000-6000-7000-a-week-wh/

POST 194. August 2, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Recently-released data is painting a grim picture of the opioid epidemic that has gripped the United States — as the country is still grappling with the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than half a million Americans. Some people are calling them twin pandemics that have collided”…“Faced with a novel health crisis, researchers are collecting data on the long-term impact of using opioids to treat COVID-19 pain…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-194-august-2-2021-coronavirus-recently-released-data-is-painting-a-grim-picture-of-the-opioid-epidemic-that-has-gripped-the-united-states-as-the-country-is-still-grappling/

POST 195. September 6, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “…there are “zero ICU beds left for children in Dallas County, Texas,”.,..”That means if your child’s in a car wreck, if your child has a congenital heart defect or something and needs an ICU bed, or more likely if they have Covid and need an ICU bed, we don’t have one. Your child will wait for another child to die… (county judge Clay Jenkins)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-195-september-6-2021-coronavirus-there-are-zero-icu-beds-left-for-children-in-dallas-county-texas-that-means-if-your-childs-in-a-car-wreck-if-your-child/

POST 196. SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. PART 1. Military helicopters and jets were overhead, as President Bush was getting ready to leave NYC. PART 2. LESSONS LEARNED memorandum by hospital CEO Jonathan Metsch goes “viral”…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-196-september-11-2021-september-11-2001-part-1-military-helicopters-and-jets-were-overhead-as-president-bush-was-getting-ready-to-leave-nyc-part-2-lessons-learned-memorandum-by-hospital/

POST 197. September 12, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Idaho officials have instituted “crisis standards of care” to help 10 hospitals and health care systems decide how to allocate personnel and resources to deal with a crush of COVID-19 patients.”… “The Washington Medical Coordination Center oversees facilitating transfers in the state, and it’s warning we could be nearing the point of “Crisis Standards of Care,” just like Idaho.” .. “These crisis models don’t actually save more lives, they just save different lives..”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-197-september-12-2021-coronavirus-idaho-officials-have-instituted-crisis-standards-of-care-to-help-10-hospitals-and-health-care-systems-decide-how-to-allocate-personnel-and/

POST 198. September 15, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. A pundit said “The most elegant policy riposte to the anti-vaxxers… is to refuse to allow Medicare or Medicaid to pay their medical bills in the event they become seriously ill. Private health insurers might also follow suit.” (but is making our hospitals become the bill collectors right?)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-198-september-15-2021-coronavirus-a-pundit-said-the-most-elegant-policy-riposte-to-the-anti-vaxxers-is-to-refuse-to-allow-medicare-or-medicaid-to-pay-their-medical-bills-in/

POST 199. September 19, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Crisis Standards of Care. “… to his knowledge, no patient in Idaho has been taken off life-support therapy in order to provide that therapy to another patient who has a better prognosis.” “While that has yet to occur, if we continue on this path, it will,”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-199-september-19-2021-coronavirus-crisis-standards-of-care-to-his-knowledge-no-patient-in-idaho-has-been-taken-off-life-support-therapy-in-order-to-provide-that-therapy-t/

POST 200. September 23, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. CDC Director overrides a recommendation of its scientific advisors saying “that people can get a booster if they are ages 18 to 64 years and are health-care workers or have another job that puts them at increased risk of being exposed to the virus.”…“In a pandemic, even with uncertainty, we must take actions that we anticipate will do the greatest good.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-200-september-23-2021-coronavirus-cdc-director-overrides-a-recommendation-of-its-scientific-advisors-saying-that-people-can-get-a-booster-if-they-are-ages-18-to-64-years-and-are-heal/

POST 201. September 27, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “A multibillion-dollar institution in the Seattle area is sitting on nearly $12 billion in cash… received at least $509 million in government funds (from) a federal program that is supposed to prevent health care providers from capsizing during the coronavirus pandemic.”

“Based on our estimates…we find preventable COVID-19 hospitalizations cost $5.7 billion from June to August in 2021.”…

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-201-september-27-2021-coronavirus-a-multibillion-dollar-institution-in-the-seattle-area-is-sitting-on-nearly-12-billion-in-cash-received-at-least-509-million-in-government/

POST 202. September 30, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “..NY Governor Hochul signed an executive order expanding healthcare worker eligibility requirements…to head off potential staffing shortages fueled by the state’s new COVID-19 vaccination requirements.” “The.. order allows out-of-state/ out-of-country healthcare workers to practice in New York…”..”It allows EMTs graduates to temporarily pitch in at additional healthcare settings; allows various types of healthcare workers to more easily administer and order COVID-19 vaccinations; enables telemedicine physician visits in nursing homes; permits facilities to more quickly discharge, transfer or receive patients…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/09/post-202-september-30-2021-coronavirus-ny-governor-hochul-signed-an-executive-order-expanding-healthcare-worker-eligibility-requirementsto-head-off-potential-staffing-shortages/

POST 203. October 3, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “.. more than 125,000 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in pregnant people, including more than 22,000 hospitalized cases and 161 deaths”…The risk is not just to the mother. Covid-19 in pregnancy can cause preterm birth or babies born so sick they have to go straight to the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU.” 

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-203-october-3-2021-coronavirus-more-than-125000-laboratory-confirmed-covid-19-cases-have-been-reported-in-pregnant-people-including-more-than-22000-hospitalized-cases-and-161-deaths/

POST 204. October 5, 2021.CORONAVIRUS. “News that an experimental antiviral drug from Merck appears to halve the risk of hospitalization or death from Covid-19 has bolstered hopes of finding a simple at-home treatment for the virus.”..” A more blunt assessment came from vaccine scientist Dr. Peter Hotez of Baylor College of Medicine’s National School of Tropical Medicine. “It’s not a miracle cure but a companion tool, So get vaccinated.””

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-204-october-5-2021-coronavirus-news-that-an-experimental-antiviral-drug-from-merck-appears-to-halve-the-risk-of-hospitalization-or-death-from-covid-19-has-bolstered-hopes-of-finding-a/

POST 205. October 11, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. The AAP reported nearly 226,000 new child cases over the past week ending. “Hospital care for children does not occur in isolation from that of adults. Many of the resources we use are the same—a twenty-pound baby and a two-hundred-pound man might use the same kind of ventilator, for example. Dialysis machines, which could cleanse a seven-year-old’s blood as easily as his grandfather’s, are in high demand. Pediatric resident physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists get cross-deployed to care for adults during the surges.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-205-october-11-2021-coronavirus-the-aap-reported-nearly-226000-new-child-cases-over-the-past-week-ending-hospital-care-for-children-does-not-occur-in-isolation-from-that-of-adults/

POST 206. October 15, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. to borrow from Winston Churchill about where we are with the pandemic –  “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-206-october-15-2021-coronavirus-to-borrow-from-winston-churchill-about-where-we-are-with-the-pandemic-now-this-is-not-the-end-it-is-not-even-the-beginning-of-the-end-but-it-is/

POST 207. October 17, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “…if you choose your own unauthorized booster shot, what happens if later research proves a different combination is better? That’s why experts say it’s a bad idea to become your own vaccine advisory committee and get a shot out of turn.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-207-october-17-2021-coronavirus-if-you-choose-your-own-unauthorized-booster-shot-what-happens-if-later-research-proves-a-different-combination-is-better-thats-why/

POST 208. October 22, 2021, CORONAVIRUS. “What is the “delta plus” variant?” Scientists are monitoring the delta-related variant — known as AY.4.2. — to see if it might spread more easily or be more deadly than previous versions of the coronavirus.

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-208-october-22-2021-coronavirus-what-is-the-delta-plus-variant-scientists-are-monitoring-the-delta-related-variant-known-as-ay-4-2-to/

POST 209. October 28, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “The quest at Mount Sinai began with a mystery.”…”America was not simply struggling to contain a once-in-a-century pandemic, caused by a virus far more dangerous than seasonal influenza. Many patients were, for unknown reasons, not recovering.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-209-october-28-2021-coronavirus-the-quest-at-mount-sinai-began-with-a-mystery-america-was-not-simply-struggling-to-contain-a-once-in-a-century-pandemic-ca/

POST 210. October 31, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Some people want the FDA to speed up. Others want it to be more cautious…There’s a fundamental tension between the right to get access to a drug people are desperate for and the right to protection from dangerous failures of quality. The first demands speed; the second requires time…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/10/post-210-october-31-2021-coronavirus-some-people-want-the-fda-to-speed-up-others-want-it-to-be-more-cautioustheres-a-fundamental-tension-between-the-right-to-get-access/

POST 211. November 4, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Colorado – “…there are patients who really ought to be in an intensive care unit but instead they’re in an emergency room. Or they ought to be in a step-down unit but instead they’re on the floor. Or they ought to be getting one-to-one nursing, and instead they’re getting two-to-one, or three-to-one nursing….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/11/post-211-november-4-2021-coronavirus-colorado-there-are-patients-who-really-ought-to-be-in-an-intensive-care-unit-but-instead-theyre-in-an-emergency-room-or-they-ough/

POST 212. November 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “They went into hospitals with heart attacks, kidney failure or in a psychiatric crisis. They left with covid-19…” “A new report shows the coronavirus pandemic had a direct increase on the number of healthcare-acquired infections in hospitals nationwide.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/11/post-212-november-9-2021-coronavirus-they-went-into-hospitals-with-heart-attacks-kidney-failure-or-in-a-psychiatric-crisis-they-left-with-covid-19-a-new-repor/

POST 213. November 13, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Since the earliest days of the pandemic, there has been one collective goal for bringing it to an end: achieving herd immunity…Now the herd is restless. And experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have set aside herd immunity as a national goal.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/11/post-213-november-13-2021-coronavirus-since-the-earliest-days-of-the-pandemic-there-has-been-one-collective-goal-for-bringing-it-to-an-end-achieving-herd-immunity-now-the-herd-is-rest/

POST 214. November 20, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “This virus is doing what this virus does,” said Michael Osterholm… “We don’t understand why surges start, we don’t understand why they end.” (A)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/11/post-214-november-20-2021-coronavirus-this-virus-is-doing-what-this-virus-does-said-michael-osterholm-we-dont-understand-why-surges-start-we-dont-understand-why-they-en/

POST 215. November 26, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Dr. Fauci on the new South African variant: “It’s not going to be possible to keep this infection out of the country. The question is: Can you slow it down?”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/11/post-215-november-26-2021-coronavirus-dr-fauci-on-the-new-south-african-variant-its-not-going-to-be-possible-to-keep-this-infection-out-of-the-country-the-question-is-can-you/

POST 216. December 1, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Covid cacophony: as states struggle to address health care staffing shortages, a federal court puts Biden administration health care worker vaccination mandate on hold. 

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-216-december-1-2021-coronavirus-covid-cacophony-as-states-struggle-to-address-health-care-staffing-shortages-a-federal-court-puts-biden-administration-health-care-worker-vaccination-mandate/

POST 217. December 3, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. President Biden Announces New Actions to Protect Americans Against the Delta and Omicron Variants as We Battle COVID-⁠19 this Winter

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-217-december-3-2021-coronavirus-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-protect-americans-against-the-delta-and-omicron-variants-as-we-battle-covid-%e2%81%a019-this-winter/

POST 218. December 5, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “In some ways, Delta is the ideal variant: It’s transmissible enough to dominate more dangerous variants, and its virulence can be controlled through vaccination. In the next few weeks, we’ll find out whether Omicron will have its own silver lining—or whether it’ll be catastrophically worse.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-218-december-5-2021-coronavirus-in-some-ways-delta-is-the-ideal-variant-its-transmissible-enough-to-dominate-more-dangerous-variants-and-its-virulence-can-be-controlled-t/

POST 219. December 9, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Entering uncharted territory, the U.S. counts 500,000 Covid-related deaths.”… “So yes, I am furious at the unvaccinated, and I am not ashamed of disclosing that. I am no longer trying to understand them or educate them.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-219-december-9-2021-coronavirus-entering-uncharted-territory-the-u-s-counts-500000-covid-related-deaths-so-yes-i-am-furious-at-the-unvaccinated-and-i/

POST 220 December 13, 2021. CORONAVIRUS.  Dr. Osterholm. “You cannot outrun the game clock with this pandemic. This virus will find you… We’ve seen health care systems virtually broken by this pandemic. They just couldn’t provide critical care to non-Covid patients.” (A)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-220-december-13-2021-coronavirus-dr-osterholm-you-cannot-outrun-the-game-clock-with-this-pandemic-this-virus-will-find-you-weve-seen-health-care-systems-virtually/

POST 221. December 18, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Johnson & Johnson’s Covid vaccine was going to be a shot for the world. Now, under the weight of a mountain of bad PR, one wonders if the world will want it.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-221-december-18-2021-coronavirus-johnson-johnsons-covid-vaccine-was-going-to-be-a-shot-for-the-world-now-under-the-weight-of-a-mountain-of-bad-pr-one-wonders-if-the-wor-2/

POST 222. December 20, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. So why my “inside baseball” focus on COVID-19 from the perspective of a retired hospital CEO?

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-222-december-20-2021-coronavirus-so-why-my-inside-baseball-focus-on-covid-19-from-the-perspective-of-a-retired-hospital-ceo/

POST 223. December 28, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. Links for a case study of Crisis Standards of Care.

POST 224. December 29, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “crisis standards of care protocols in Maryland – “It also allows us to slim down documentation,… allows unconventional staffing models such as using nurses that have not been bedside. It also sets the expectations for the community that it’s not business as usual.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2021/12/post-224-december-29-2021-coronavirus-crisis-standards-of-care-protocols-in-maryland-it-also-allows-us-to-slim-down-documentation-allows-unconventional-staffing-models-such/

POST 225. January 3, 2021. CORONAVIRUS. “Be first, be right, be credible,” are among the most important principles for health authorities to follow in a crisis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shared in a pamphlet on crisis communication in 2018….”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-225-january-3-2021-coronavirus-be-first-be-right-be-credible-are-among-the-most-important-principles-for-health-authorities-to-follow-in-a-crisis-the-centers-for-disease/

Post 226. January 5, 2022. CORONAVIRUS.  New York City – “The city’s ambulance corps are so understaffed because of the COVID-19 surge, they’re now under new orders to try to convince stable patients with flu-like symptoms not to go to the hospital.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-226-january-5-2022-coronavirus-new-york-city-the-citys-ambulance-corps-are-so-understaffed-because-of-the-covid-19-surge-theyre-now-under-new-orders-to-try-to-c/

POST 227. January 10, 2020. CORONAVIRUS.  “Stay indoors. But also return in person. Wear a mask. Not that one. The expensive one, that you can’t find. Take rapid tests. Which you also can’t find. But if you find them, don’t buy them. Rapid tests don’t work. You need PCR. There are zero appointments in your area.” (F)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-227-january-10-2020-coronavirus-stay-indoors-but-also-return-in-person-wear-a-mask-not-that-one-the-expensive-one-that-you-cant-find-take-rapid-tests-which-you-also/

POST 228. January 13, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “State officials are attempting to address California’s staffing shortage through a sweeping policy change that allows asymptomatic healthcare workers who have tested positive for the coronavirus to return to work immediately.” “Asymptomatic health professionals who had tested positive for COVID-19 should “preferably be assigned to work with COVID positive patients.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-228-january-13-2022-coronavirus-state-officials-are-attempting-to-address-californias-staffing-shortage-through-a-sweeping-policy-change-that-allows-asymptomatic-healthcare/

POST 229. January 16, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “It is now highly unlikely that the U.S. will hit the ~85-90% of Americans vaccinated to get to the other side of the pandemic…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-229-january-16-2020-coronavirus-it-is-now-highly-unlikely-that-the-u-s-will-hit-the-85-90-of-americans-vaccinated-to-get-to-the-other-side-of-the-pandemic/

POST 230. January 20, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “Dr. Fauci also said that the world is still in the first of what he considered to be the five phases of the pandemic. The first is the “truly pandemic” phase, “where the whole world is really very negatively impacted,” followed by deceleration, control, elimination and eradication.”…to paraphrase Churchill – “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”..

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-230-january-20-2022-coronavirus-dr-fauci-also-said-that-the-world-is-still-in-the-first-of-what-he-considered-to-be-the-five-phases-of-the-pandemic-the-first-is-the-truly/

POST 231. January 24, 202. CORONAVIRUS. “Florida’s top public health official in Orlando has been placed on administrative leave after sending an email to his employees noting their lackluster coronavirus vaccination rates and urging them to get the shots.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-231-january-24-202-coronavirus-floridas-top-public-health-official-in-orlando-has-been-placed-on-administrative-leave-after-sending-an-email-to-his-employees-noting-their-la/

POST 232. January 28, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “A Boston hospital’s denial of a heart transplant to a man who is unvaccinated for Covid-19 has generated national attention, but experts say mandating vaccines is in keeping with other long-standing requirements that patients have to meet to receive an organ — including getting other shots…”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/01/post-232-january-28-2022-coronavirus-a-boston-hospitals-denial-of-a-heart-transplant-to-a-man-who-is-unvaccinated-for-covid-19-has-generated-national-attention-but-experts-say-m/

POST 233. February 2, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “The same virus can cause endemic, epidemic or pandemic infections: it depends on the interplay of a population’s behaviour, demographic structure, susceptibility and immunity, plus whether viral variants emerge.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/02/post-233-february-2-2022-coronavirus-the-same-virus-can-cause-endemic-epidemic-or-pandemic-infections-it-depends-on-the-interplay-of-a-populations-behaviour-demographic-struct/

POST 234. February 2, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell demanded an end to the COVID-19 state of emergency on Wednesday , saying it was time for Americans to get on with their lives after two years on a ‘hellish highway.’”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/02/post-234-february-2-2022-coronavirus-senate-republican-leader-mitch-mcconnell-demanded-an-end-to-the-covid-19-state-of-emergency-on-wednesday-saying-it-was-time-for-americans-to-get-on/

POST 235. February 17, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Over time, the U.S. health care sector has implemented various pieces of the  (pandemic) safety-assessment-and-improvement puzzle, but it has not instituted a thorough system of safety that reaches from the boardroom to the front lines and that can be maintained during times of crisis.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/02/post-235-february-17-2020-coronavirus-over-time-the-u-s-health-care-sector-has-implemented-various-pieces-of-the-pandemic-safety-assessment-and-improvement-puzzle-but-it-has-no/

POST 236. February 22, 2021. CORONAVIRUS.  MOUNT SINAI AT HOME – “We began thinking about how we could use hospital-at-home to meet the needs of our hospital system in our community, in terms of responding to the crisis of COVID-19…” 

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/02/post-236-february-23-2021-mount-sinai-at-home-we-began-thinking-about-how-we-could-use-hospital-at-home-to-meet-the-needs-of-our-hospital-system-in-our-community-in-terms-of-responding/

POST 237. February 27, 2020. CORONAVIRUS. “Decision-makers are increasingly embracing the reality that we will have to “learn to live with” the coronavirus. But how will they know when to impose or lift restrictions?”  “Now, the CDC’s “Covid-19 community level” metrics are based on three pieces of data in a community: new Covid-19 hospitalizations, hospital capacity and new Covid-19 cases.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/02/post-237-february-27-2020-coronavirus-decision-makers-are-increasingly-embracing-the-reality-that-we-will-have-to-learn-to-live-with-the-coronavirus-but-how-will-they-k/

POST 238. March 5, 2022, CORONAVIRUS. “Two different scientists can look at the same set of data and come up with different conclusions. That’s not to say that one person is being unscientific or ignoring the scientific process,” said Leana Wen, an emergency physician and a professor at George Washington University. “Public health policy is also a measure of values.””

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/03/post-238-march-5-2022-coronavirus-two-different-scientists-can-look-at-the-same-set-of-data-and-come-up-with-different-conclusions-thats-not-to-say-that-one-person-is-being-unscientific-or-ig/

POST 239. March 9, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “War is an infectious disease’s best friend,” says Michael Osterholm, “It challenges every public health program you can possibly have. It limits the medical care available for those who might be seriously ill, and often fosters transmission when so many people are crowded into bomb shelter locations and on trains. This is going to be the perfect storm of one serious challenge after another.” (E)

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/03/post-239-march-9-2022-coronavirus-war-is-an-infectious-diseases-best-friend-says-michael-osterholm-it-challenges-every-public-health-program-you-can-possibly/

POST 240. March 15, 2022. ““China is modifying its Covid-19 playbook amid a surge in cases as it seeks to avoid strains on its healthcare system.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/03/post-240-march-15-2022-china-is-modifying-its-covid-19-playbook-amid-a-surge-in-cases-as-it-seeks-to-avoid-strains-on-its-healthcare-system/

POST 241. March 20, 2022, CORONAVIRUS. Dr. Ashish Jha will serve as the new White House COVID-19 response coordinator.” He is not, for the record, a virologist, immunologist, or vaccinologist…But he is a public health expert and a practicing internist, which means he has years of experience explaining complicated and often incomplete information to people who neither know nor care about the correct pronunciation of “adenovirus.” That’s who he imagines on the other end of his webcam.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/03/post-241-march-20-2022-coronavirus-dr-ashish-jha-will-serve-as-the-new-white-house-covid-19-response-coordinator-he-is-not-for-the-record-a-virologist-immunologist-or-vaccinologist/

POST 242. March 24, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “How worried should people be about the BA.2 variant? Will vaccines protect against it? What if someone contracted a previous variant — could they become reinfected? Is BA.2 milder than previous versions, and if so, should people try to get it? Could BA.2 cause another surge in the US, and is it time for restrictions to be put back into place?”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/03/post-242-march-24-2022-coronavirus-how-worried-should-people-be-about-the-ba-2-variant-will-vaccines-protect-against-it-what-if-someone-contracted-a-previous-variant-could-they-becom/

POST 243. March 28, 2022. CORONAVIRUS. “…the US Food and Drug Administration is planning authorize a fourth dose of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines for adults over age 50 next week.”…”The decision to make fourth doses available now will bypass independent groups of scientific advisers for both the FDA and CDC, which would normally meet and publicly review the available science and then make recommendations to the agencies.”

https://doctordidyouwashyourhands.com/2022/03/post-243-march-28-2022-coronavirus-the-us-food-and-drug-administration-is-planning-authorize-a-fourth-dose-of-the-pfizer-and-moderna-mrna-vaccines-for-adults-over-age-50-next-wee/

March 27, 2022

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“An even more transmissible version of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus known as BA.2 now accounts for about 30 percent of new cases in New York City, health officials said on Friday.

The subvariant is more transmissible than BA.1, the Omicron version that drove a sudden spike in cases and hospitalizations in New York last December and disrupted the city’s path to economic recovery.

Dr. Ashwin Vasan, who started this week as the city’s new health commissioner, said that he and others were watching closely to see if New York was on the verge of experiencing a wave of BA.2 cases like those taking place in parts of Europe and Asia, including Hong Kong. But as of this week, he said, there is no cause for immediate alarm…

Officials will continue to monitor cases and hospitalization rates, Dr. Quinn said. But she noted that BA.2 “does not appear to cause more severe illness” than BA.1, and she and Dr. Vasan said they believed hospitals would be prepared if there were any significant increase in severe illness.

BA.1 is responsible for the majority of cases in the United States, but the share of BA.2 cases is growing, reaching about 23 percent, according to estimates published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Epidemiologists are not yet sure whether BA.2 will drive a new spike in virus cases and related hospitalizations. BA.1 proved to be intrinsically less severe than prior variants, causing less damage in the lungs, and researchers in Britain and Denmark have found that BA.2 does not carry a higher risk of hospitalization. Vaccines were also effective at reducing severe illness from BA.1, particularly among those who received a booster shot, and researchers in Britain and Qatar have found the same for BA.2.

But though 77.4 percent of New York City residents are fully vaccinated, just 36.1 percent have received an additional vaccine dose.

“It’s essential that New Yorkers go and get boosted when they’re eligible,” Dr. Vasan said.” (A)

“On Tuesday, the University of Washington’s Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, said their model does not predict a new surge in Covid-19 cases “similar to what we have seen in parts of Europe,” said Ali Mokdad, a professor of global health at IHME, on Twitter. Instead, he said, their models suggests that after the end of March there would be a steady further decline in Covld-19 transmission in the US…

Adrian Esterman, an epidemiologist at the University of South Australia, pegged the basic reproduction number for BA.2 at around 12. “That makes it pretty close to measles, the most contagious disease we know about,” he wrote on Twitter on March 10.

Though BA.2 is more contagious, it does not appear to cause more severe disease. And though it escapes some of the immune protection created by vaccinations and prior infections, it doesn’t seem to do so any more than BA.1.

Hanage says that at a population level, Omicron is much more manageable than Delta was, but it is not harmless.

“The reason why Omicron BA.2 and BA.1 are a problem at all are the sheer numbers of infections they cause,” Hanage said.” (B)

“Top U.S. infectious disease official Dr. Anthony Fauci said at a Washington Post event on Tuesday that he does not believe there will be a major surge soon, “unless something changes dramatically.”

Still, Fauci noted that cases in the United States generally lag around three weeks behind the United Kingdom, “so if we are going to see an uptick, we should start seeing it within the next week or so.”

Daniel Kuritzkes, chief of division of infectious diseases at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said there was no evidence yet that the rise of BA.2 is pointing to an increase in cases.

“I think the one concern and where people need to remain vigilant is that as we have relaxed many restrictions around masking and gathering, there is a potential opportunity for BA.2 or any variant to gain a foothold,” Kuritzkes said.” (C)

“The proportion of Covid-19 cases due to BA.2 is rising in the United States, too. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now estimates that 35% of new coronavirus cases are due to this subvariant. At the same time, restrictions are being lifted, and not a single US state requires mask mandates anymore (though masks are still required in some settings, including airports, public transportation, hospitals, nursing homes, and some schools and workplaces).

How worried should people be about the BA.2 variant? Will vaccines protect against it? What if someone contracted a previous variant — could they become reinfected? Is BA.2 milder than previous versions, and if so, should people try to get it? Could BA.2 cause another surge in the US, and is it time for restrictions to be put back into place?

To help us with these questions, I spoke with CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. She is also author of “Lifelines: A Doctor’s Journey in the Fight for Public Health.”

CNN: What do we know about BA.2, and how worried should we be about it?

Dr. Leana Wen: With any new variant or subvariant, we need to ask three questions: Is it more contagious? Does it cause more severe disease? And does it evade the protection of our vaccines?

BA.2 is related to BA.1, which is the original Omicron subvariant that led to the huge surge in cases over the winter here in the United States and across Europe. BA.1 swept through communities because of how contagious it is. BA.2 appears to be even more contagious than BA.1. The UK Health Security Agency estimates that BA.2 is growing 80% faster than BA.1. Here in the US as well, BA.2 appears to be on its way to overtaking BA.1 to become the dominant variant.

The good news is that BA.2 does not seem to cause more severe illness than BA.1. Researchers from the UK and Denmark have found BA.2 causes a level of hospitalization that’s comparable to that of BA.1, which is less likely to result in severe illness than the previously dominant Delta variant.

In addition, the vaccines we have are still effective. While vaccination may not protect as well against infection with BA.1 and BA.2, the effectiveness in that regard is partially restored with a booster dose, and the vaccines continue to provide very good protection against severe illness due to both Omicron subvariants.

What all of this says to me is that public health experts should follow the rise of BA.2 in the US closely, but that most people should not be worried. It’s likely that the US will see an increase in Covid-19 cases in the coming weeks, as this is the pattern we’ve seen before — that we lag behind the UK and Europe by a few weeks, so the increase they are seeing could be mirrored here. However, most people who are vaccinated, and in particular if they are boosted, are unlikely to become severely ill due to BA.2. Our government officials should prepare for what could be coming and increase the availability of tests and treatments, and continue to urge people to get vaccines and boosters. But I don’t think this is something that the general public should be overly concerned about at this time.” (D)

“The Biden administration is warning that the United States will soon run out of monoclonal antibodies and other COVID-19 treatments if Congress doesn’t sign off on additional funding.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Tuesday the “consequences are dire” without more money being provided to these programs.

“Fewer monoclonal antibodies sent to states, an inability to purchase additional treatments, fewer tests available to Americans, less surveillance for future variants, and a risk of running short on vaccines,” Psaki listed as possible outcomes.

America’s monoclonal antibodies supplies could expire as early as June, she added. The treatments can help protect people who are at high risk of developing a serious illness from the virus.

The administration’s push for millions more in COVID-19 funding comes as virtually all 50 states and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have eased masking rules and other requirements as cases and deaths decline…

An administration official also told reporters Tuesday that the administration is canceling plans for the additional purchase of monoclonal antibodies due to the lack of funding. Governors will also be alerted that the number of monoclonal antibody treatments sent from the federal government will be slashed by 30 percent starting next week…

The House is expected to vote on a new bill that would provide $15 billion for COVID testing, treatment and vaccines. However, the proposal is likely to stall in the Senate. Republicans have argued that any COVID funding should be redirected from other stimulus programs.(E)

“The U.S. could soon see Covid-19 cases rise again and vulnerable people are likely to need a fourth vaccine dose, one of President Joe Biden’s top health advisers warned as the White House calls for more money to fight the pandemic.

Anthony Fauci, the longtime head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a Biden adviser, said U.K. officials are already warning him of an increase there driven by the BA.2 sub-variant, easing restrictions and waning protection from vaccines, and that the U.S. tends to be a few weeks behind case curves in the U.K.

“We have all three of those factors right now in this country,” Fauci said in an interview Thursday. “I would predict that we are going to see a bit of an increase, or at least a flattening out and plateauing of the diminution of cases. And the question is how do we deal with that.”..

Without new funding, “a lot of things are going to stop. It really will be a very serious situation,” Fauci said. “It just is almost unconscionable.”…

.

The U.S. has not ordered enough shots to give all Americans a fourth dose if needed, officials said earlier this week. Fauci said that the data aren’t entirely clear, but that protection against hospitalization appears to wane after four or five months after a third shot, and would be expected to fall further.

“I would project that sooner or later, we will need a fourth,” though perhaps only for the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions, at least at first, Fauci said.

Both the cash crunch and Fauci’s warnings come as Biden’s White House Covid team prepares for a change in leadership. Response coordinator Jeff Zients and his deputy, Natalie Quillian, will leave their roles next month and be replaced by Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown School of Public Health. Fauci praised all of them, while cautioning the fall in cases is a good sign, but is not sure to last.

“It’s really in a transition stage. We are obviously going in the right direction,” Fauci said. “We have to be really careful and not declare total victory prematurely. I do believe we will be able to settle into a degree of normality.”

Jha, in tweets Thursday, also predicted that cases could rise again and new variants could emerge. “We are very likely to see more surges of infections,” he said.

The U.S. will need to be flexible, including potentially returning to recommending the use of masks in certain settings, Fauci said.

“We’d better be careful, because history has taught us that what’s gone on in the U.K. generally happens to us three or four weeks later,” he said.” (F)

“The FDA also faces requests to authorize a second booster vaccine dose for adults. But even if they are authorized, Biden administration officials said they lack the funds to purchase those shots. They said they’ve bought enough doses for Americans age 65 and older, as well as the potential initial regimen for children under 5, but can’t buy more doses for people in other age groups unless Congress passes a delayed $15 billion funding package. It’s not yet clear whether additional doses for adults will be necessary, but officials said placing orders for doses ahead of time has been an important lesson of the pandemic. White House officials have expressed worry that vaccine manufacturers will prioritize orders placed by other countries.” (G)

““There are so many things we could be doing, yet the United States has time and time again chosen to be reactive, rather than proactive, and that has cost us dearly,” said Anne Rimoin, an epidemiologist at U.C.L.A. “We’ve been wearing rose-colored glasses instead of correcting our vision.”

A key question remains how much protection people who got sick with the previous version of Omicron can count on — and for how long. A lab study published this week found that vaccinated people who were infected with Omicron had high levels of antibodies that would probably protect against BA.2. If that protection lasts, it could reduce the impact of any wave, given the country’s high levels of infection this winter.

“I think it’s reassuring,” said Dr. Dan Barouch, a virologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and a co-author of the study.

But some scientists said they worried that the immune defenses people built up during the first Omicron surge would wane, leaving them more susceptible to BA.2.

“The timing of BA.2’s emergence, and the potential waning in immunity from the BA.1 wave with masks coming off, isn’t great,” said Nathan Grubaugh, an epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health.

Even health experts who said they had become accustomed to the boom-bust cycle of pandemic funding said they were shocked that the money was drying up so soon after the country had outlined plans for adjusting to a new normal.

That money, they said, was essential for avoiding full-scale shutdowns, and instead detecting surges early enough that health officials could recommend masks or increased testing in particular areas and help hospitals prepare.

“People naturally, sensibly want to get back to their lives,” said Jeffrey Shaman, an epidemiologist at Columbia University. “The question, then, is how quickly would we be able to stand up a response?”” (H)

“On 7 January, virologist Leondios Kostrikis announced on local television that his research group at the University of Cyprus in Nicosia had identified several SARS-CoV-2 genomes that featured elements of both the Delta and Omicron variants.

Named by them as ‘Deltacron,’ Kostrikis and his team uploaded 25 of the sequences to the popular public repository GISAID that evening, and another 27 a few days later. On 8 January, financial news outlet Bloomberg picked up the story, and Deltacron became international news.

The response from the scientific community was swift. Many specialists declared both on social media and to the press that the 52 sequences did not point to a new variant, and were not the result of recombination — the genetic sharing of information — between viruses, but instead probably resulted from contamination in the laboratory.

“There is no such thing as #Deltacron,” tweeted Krutika Kuppalli, a member of the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 technical team based at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, on 9 January. “#Omicron and #Delta did NOT form a super variant.”

The story behind how a small crop of SARS-CoV-2 sequences became the focus of a brief and intense scientific controversy is complicated. And although some researchers applaud the system for quickly catching a possible sequencing error, others warn that the events of last week might offer a cautionary tale on the spread of misinformation during the pandemic.”  (I)

“The highly contagious Omicron subvariant, BA.2, is now the dominant Omicron variant around the world, the World Health Organization said this week.

Driving the news: BA.2 made up about 86% of cases reported to the WHO between Feb. 16 and March 17, the agency said in a report.

The previously dominant subvariants, BA.1.1 and BA.1, together represent less than 15% of cases globally.

Less than three weeks ago, BA.2 made up 34% of new cases and the BA.1.1 subvariant of Omicron was dominant, according to a WHO report published on March 8.” (J)

• A.The Omicron subvariant BA.2 now accounts for ‘around 30 percent’ of New York City’s cases, officials say., By Michael Gold, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/18/nyregion/nyc-omicron-ba2.html
• B.As BA.2 grows in the US, experts look to other countries to predict its impact here, By Brenda Goodman, https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/22/health/ba-2-wave-us-other-countries/index.html
• C.A third of U.S. COVID now caused by Omicron BA.2 as overall cases fall, By Michael Erman and Bhanvi Satija, https://www.reuters.com/world/us/omicron-sub-variant-ba2-makes-up-349-covid-variants-us-cdc-2022-03-22/
• D.Covid cases are rising as omicron’s ‘stealth’ subvariant spreads around the world, by Holly Ellyatt, https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/15/is-omicron-subvariant-bapoint2-to-blame-for-rising-covid-cases.html
• E.Monoclonal Antibodies Could Run Out by June Without More Funds, Psaki Warns, BY ALEXANDRA HUTZLER, https://www.newsweek.com/monoclonal-antibodies-could-run-out-june-without-more-funds-psaki-warns-1688318
• F.Fauci Warns of Potential Rise in U.S. Covid Cases as Funding Runs Dry, ByJosh Wingrove, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-17/fauci-says-u-s-covid-cases-could-soon-rise-as-funding-runs-dry?srnd=premium
• G.Washington Post.
• H.Another Covid Surge May Be Coming. Are We Ready for It?, By Benjamin Mueller, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/19/health/covid-ba2-surge-variant.html?referringSource=articleShare
• I.Deltacron: the story of the variant that wasn’t, by Freda Kreier, Deltacron: the story of the variant that wasn’t, by Freda Kreier, https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00149-9
• J.WHO: Omicron subvariant is now the dominant strain worldwide, by Erin Doherty, https://www.axios.com/who-omicron-variant-pandemic-b461e4d9-13ec-466f-9043-40e84f28bbce.html
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