- The BA.2 sub-lineage of the Omicron variant is estimated to compose about a quarter of new COVID cases in the U.S., and that share is expected to increase. BA.2 is the dominant variant in other countries, and is about 30% more transmissible than the original BA.1 variant.
- A new study suggests that Pfizer’s vaccine is safe in people with prior myocarditis. Increased risk of the inflammatory heart condition has been linked to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines but also to COVID-19 infection.
- A study on patients directed to quarantine after coming into close contact with an Omicron-infected patient found that the average time from exposure to diagnosis was 3.7 days. About 50% were diagnosed on the third day from exposure, with 99.1% getting diagnosed within 10 days.
- A CDC examination of new diabetes claims in insurance data and reports from hospitals suggest an association between COVID-19 and diabetes. However, there is not yet consensus on the nature and mechanism of that connection.
Congress
- Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said the House of Representatives will make a new attempt to pass the Biden Administration’s request for $15 billion in additional COVID-19 response funding. The House of Representatives had to remove this funding from the omnibus appropriations bill that passed last week over disagreements about how to offset this spending.
- The Senate voted to end federal mask mandates for airplanes and public transit. It is unclear if the House will hold a vote on the measure. President Biden stated his intention to veto the bill if it passes the House of Representatives.
- The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved the Prepare and Prevent for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats, and Pandemics Act (PREVENT). The act, among other things, commissions an investigation of the COVID response, and alters oversight of, and the powers granted to, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
White House and Federal Agencies
- The Biden Administration sent a letter to Congress explaining the consequences of not receiving additional money for the federal COVID-19 response.
- Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) posted an update about how it will soon run out of funding to compensate providers for testing, treatment and vaccines for uninsured people.
- HRSA will not adjudicate testing or treatment claims for uninsured individuals received after March 22 and will not adjudicate vaccine administration claims for uninsured individuals received after April 5.
- Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) posted an update about how it will soon run out of funding to compensate providers for testing, treatment and vaccines for uninsured people.
- White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients announced his departure from this role. He will be replaced by the dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health, Ashish Jha.
Economy, Vaccines, Testing and Treatment
- The number of reported new COVID-19 infections increased 8% globally in the last week, an increase thought to be driven by the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron as well as eased public health restrictions. The WHO warned that decreased testing rates means this figure likely underestimates the magnitude of this increase.
- The BA.2 variant is not the same as the “deltacron” recombinant virus.
- Experts suggest that the level of immunity among adults over 65—the rate of receiving boosters being a particularly important metric—is a key indicator of the likely severity of a BA.2-driven wave.
- The BA.2 sub-lineage of the Omicron variant is estimated to compose about a quarter of new COVID cases in the U.S., and that share is expected to increase.
- BA.2 is the dominant variant in other countries, and is about 30% more transmissible than the original BA.1 variant.
- COVID-19 cases are rising in Europe, with Germany even noting record numbers of daily infections due to BA.2.
- A third of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC’s) wastewater sample sites showed a rise in COVID-19 cases between March 1 and March 10. These sewage tests can detect the presence of COVID-19 a week before PCR tests can.
- Pfizer asked the FDA for emergency use authorization for a fourth vaccine dose (second booster) for people 65 and older.
- Moderna’s President said that a fourth dose of its COVID-19 vaccine would likely only be necessary for elderly and immunocompromised people.
- A study on patients directed to quarantine after coming into close contact with an Omicron-infected patient found that the average time from exposure to diagnosis was 3.7 days. About 50% were diagnosed on the third day from exposure, with 99.1% getting diagnosed within 10 days.
- A study found that patients bedridden with COVID-19 for a week or more were at increased risk for anxiety and depression for at least 16 months following infection. There is some evidence that this risk is smaller the milder the infection. The causal mechanism of this increased risk remains not well studied.
- A CDC examination of new diabetes claims in insurance data and reports from hospitals suggest an association between COVID-19 and diabetes. However, there is not yet consensus on the nature and mechanism of that connection.
- A new study suggests that Pfizer’s vaccine is safe in people with prior myocarditis. Increased risk of the inflammatory heart condition has been linked to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines but also to COVID-19 infection.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Updates
The CDC published the following reports and website updates:
- Cases in the U.S.
- COVID-19 Vaccinations in the United States
- The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ Recommendation for Use of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine in Adults Aged ≥18 Years and Considerations for Extended Intervals for Administration of Primary Series Doses of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines — United States, February 2022
- Hospitalization of Infants and Children Aged 0–4 Years with Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 — COVID-NET, 14 States, March 2020–February 2022
- Effectiveness of 2-Dose BNT162b2 (Pfizer BioNTech) mRNA Vaccine in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Children Aged 5–11 Years and Adolescents Aged 12–15 Years — PROTECT Cohort, July 2021–February 2022
- Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Approved or Authorized in the United States
- Operational Considerations for Preventing COVID-19 Transmission in Schools in non-U.S. Settings
- Find Free Masks (N95 Respirators)
