Covid News Watch
GOP Investigation ‘Proves’ COVID Leaked From Lab + More
Republican Investigation Reportedly ‘Proves’ COVID Leaked From Wuhan Lab
COVID-19 leaked from the controversial Wuhan lab sometime before Sept. 12, 2019 — with China’s Communist Party keeping the deadly virus under wraps in the “greatest coverup of all time,” according to a damning Republican investigation into the origins released Monday.
The report shows “a preponderance of the evidence proves that all roads lead” to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the bat-research lab already eyed as a source for the pandemic, according to Rep. Michael McCaul.
“It is our belief the virus leaked sometime in late August or early September 2019,” said McCaul, the lead Republican in the House Foreign Affairs Committee who released the report.
Vaccinated People May Play Key Role in Aiding Evolution of More Dangerous COVID Variants, Study Says
According to research published last week in Scientific Reports, vaccinated people may play a key role in helping SARS-CoV-2 variants evolve into those that evade existing COVID vaccines.
The researchers concluded three specific risk factors that favor the emergence and establishment of a vaccine-resistant strain. They are: a high probability of initial emergence of the resistant strain; high number of infected individuals; and low rate of vaccination.
However, the analysis also showed the highest risk for establishing a resistant strain occurs when a large fraction of the population has already been vaccinated but the transmission is not controlled.
No Laughing Matter — Comedian Jimmy Dore Says ‘Symptoms Never Went Away’ After Second Moderna Shot
American comedian and political commentator Jimmy Dore told Joe Rogan on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast that the side effects he experienced after the second dose of Moderna’sCOVID vaccine never subsided.
Dore also said he was attacked online and called “anti-vax” when he tweeted about his adverse reaction to the shot. Dore said he got the COVID vaccine because he has an underlying health issue — a rare bone disease called hypophosphatemic osteomalacia — so his doctor recommended it.
U.S. Department of Education Releases ‘Return to School Roadmap’ to Support Students, Schools, Educators, and Communities in Preparing for the 2021-2022 School Year
U.S. Department of Education Press Release:
Today, the U.S. Department of Education released the “Return to School Roadmap,” a resource to support students, schools, educators, and communities as they prepare to return to safe, healthy in-person learning this fall and emerge from the pandemic stronger than before. The Roadmap provides key resources and supports for students, parents, educators, and school communities to build excitement around returning to classrooms this school year and outlines how federal funding can support the safe and sustained return to in-person learning.
Over the course of the next several weeks as schools reopen nationwide, the Roadmap will lay out actionable strategies to implement the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated guidance for K-12 schools, so that schools can minimize transmission and sustain in-person learning all school-year long.
CDC Study on 12- to 17-Year-Olds Who Got Pfizer Vaccine: 397 Reports of Heart Inflammation, 14 Deaths
In a study published July 30, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) acknowledged nearly 400 reports of children between the ages of 12 and 17 who experienced heart inflammation after receiving the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
The CDC study also included 14 reports of deaths after vaccination in teens. Among those who died, four were between the ages of 12 and 15, and 10 occurred in 16- to 17-year-olds.
Deaths reviewed by the CDC included two reports of pulmonary embolism, two suicides, two intracranial hemorrhages, one report of heart failure and one rare blood disorder.
Vaccinated Galveston County Woman With Pre-Existing Conditions Dies of COVID, Authorities
A Galveston County woman who was fully vaccinated against COVID-19 has died of the virus, the Galveston County Health District said.
The woman, who was between 61 and 70, had pre-existing medical conditions. She died July 15, but county officials reported the death on Friday. The health district did not provide any additional information about the woman.
Six Passengers on Royal Caribbean Cruise Test Positive for COVID Despite Vaccine Requirement, Testing
Four vaccinated adults and two unvaccinated minors tested positive for COVID-19 during routine end-of-trip screening Thursday on Royal Caribbean International’s Adventure of the Seas.
All six passengers were quarantined right away, and their travel companions and close contacts tested negative. The passengers left the ship Friday with their travel groups in Freeport, Bahamas, and they were sent home on private flights, with transportation provided directly to their homes, according to the cruise line. USA Today’s Morgan Hines, who was on the ship, was the first to report the news.
Obstetrician Groups Recommend COVID Vaccine During Pregnancy
Two leading obstetricians’ groups on Friday recommended COVID-19 shots for all pregnant women, citing concerns over rising cases and low vaccination rates.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine said vaccinations in tens of thousands of pregnant women over the past several months have shown the shots are safe and effective during pregnancy.
UK Scientists Believe It Is ‘Almost Certain’ a Coronavirus Variant Will Emerge That Beats Current Vaccines
An analysis by British academics, published by the UK Government’s official scientific advisory group, says that they believe it is “almost certain” that a SARS-Cov-2 variant will emerge that “leads to current vaccine failure.” SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19.
The analysis has not been peer-reviewed, the early research is theoretical, and does not provide any proof that such a variant is in circulation now. Documents like it are released “as pre-print publications that have provided the government with rapid evidence during an emergency.”
The paper is dated July 26, and was published by the British government on Friday.
Pfizer and Moderna Hiked Their COVID Vaccine Prices in the EU After AstraZeneca Lost Popularity There, Report Says
Pfizer and Moderna raised the prices on their coronavirus shots in their latest contract negotiations with the European Union, the Financial Times reported.
One official close to the negotiations told the FT that Pfizer and Moderna had used the “usual pharma rhetoric” to increase the price. The companies essentially said that “vaccines work so they increased the ‘value,'” the source said.
Biden Calls on Schools to Host COVID Vaccination Clinics for Kids 12 and Up + More
Biden Calls on Schools to Host COVID Vaccination Clinics for Kids 12 and Up
President Joe Biden called on school districts Thursday to host pop-up clinics in order to get more children 12 and older vaccinated against COVID-19, part of his administration’s new push to increase vaccinations as the Delta variant of the coronavirus spreads.
The president also directed pharmacies participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program to prioritize children 12 and older for vaccinations, and also to work with school districts to host vaccination clinics.
CDC Says Vaccinated May Be as Likely to Spread COVID as Unvaxxed, as Reports of Serious Injuries After Vaccines Surge
Data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed total reports of serious injuries following COVID vaccination, across all age groups, spiked by 14,717 — to 63,000 — compared with the previous week.
The data comes directly from reports submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System(VAERS), the primary government-funded system for reporting adverse vaccine reactions in the U.S.
Every Friday, VAERS makes public all vaccine injury reports received as of a specified date, usually about a week prior to the release date. Reports submitted to VAERS require further investigation before a causal relationship can be confirmed.
CDC Alarmed: 74% Of Cases in Cape Cod Cluster Were Among the Vaxxed
Breakthrough infections were responsible for three-quarters of COVID-19 cases in an outbreak during large public gatherings on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and nearly all sequenced cases were the Delta variant, researchers found.
Of 469 cases linked to multiple summer events and large summer gatherings in a small town, 346 (74%) occurred in fully vaccinated people, and almost 80% of those cases were symptomatic, reported Catherine Brown, DVM, of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and colleagues.
States Rush to Administer COVID Vaccine Doses Before They Expire
Hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 vaccine doses have been saved from the trash after U.S. regulators extended their expiration date for a second time — part of a nationwide effort to salvage expiring shots to battle the nation’s summer surge in infections.
The Food and Drug Administration sent a letter to shot maker Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday declaring that the doses remain safe and effective for at least six months when properly stored. The FDA’s move gives the shots an extra six weeks, as public officials press more Americans to get inoculated.
Similar efforts are taking place in multiple states as public health officials try to ensure that soon-to-expire shots are put into arms before they must be discarded.
The NFL Has Incentivized Getting the COVID Vaccine — So Why Is a Vocal Minority Still So Hesitant? ‘That’s Between Me and the Club.’
The Chicago Tribune via MSN reported:
Ron Rivera remains agitated. “Beyond frustrated,” to use his exact words. A year after contracting squamous cell cancer and battling it into remission, the coach of the Washington Football Team is aware his compromised immune system could make him more vulnerable to COVID-19. Yet as training camp began this week, barely half of Rivera’s players were vaccinated, representing an extreme case of hesitancy in the NFL …
A day later, Buffalo Bills receiver Cole Beasley sat down with reporters at training camp and attempted to explain at least one viewpoint on why some players continue running away from the opportunity to get vaccinated like it’s an angry defender on third down.
Beasley, who has become the megaphone on vaccine resistance in the NFL with a flurry of outspoken social media posts, read from a 403-word statement Wednesday.
‘This Virus Is a Very Powerful Thing’: Fully Vaccinated Cambridge Man Gets COVID Breakthrough Infection
Jeff Davis says his kids were exposed to COVID-19 at summer camp. Then days later, he tested positive, even though he’s fully vaccinated.
“It’s a challenging time. It’s frustrating, it’s disappointing,” Davis told WBZ-TV Friday.
He is currently in quarantine with a breakthrough case of COVID-19. His two boys, who are too young to be vaccinated, tested positive. Then, on Monday, he tested positive too.
Amid COVID Booster Debate, West Virginia to Check Immunity of Vaccinated Nursing Home Residents
West Virginia raced ahead of the country last winter to get people in nursing homes vaccinated against COVID-19, but with cases and hospitalizations on the rise again, state officials want to know whether immunity levels are falling for residents who had their shots.
Starting in August, the state plans to begin measuring the levels of disease-fighting antibodies in the blood of vaccinated nursing home residents, which could help indicate whether they need a booster shot. The process will be voluntary and the data will be shared with federal health agencies evaluating the need for boosters.
Some experts question the strategy, particularly since the federal government has not yet authorized the extra shots.
Dr. Stella Immanuel, Hydroxychloroquine Advocate, Sues CNN, Anderson Cooper for $100M
The Texas doctor who became famous in 2020 for promoting the use of Hydroxychloroquine [HQC], an anti-malarial drug, as “a cure” for COVID-19 has filed a defamation lawsuit against CNN and CNN anchor, Anderson Cooper in the amount of $100 million.
Dr. Stella Immanuel filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday claiming that, “in an effort to vilify, demonize and embarrass President [Donald] Trump, Cooper and CNN published a series of statements of fact about Dr. Immanuel that injured her reputation and exposed her to public hatred, contempt, ridicule, and financial injury.”
In the suit, Immanuel says Cooper and CNN “effectively caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands whose lives would have been spared if they had been treated early with HCQ.”
Exclusive: Republican Senators Raise Questions After Receiving Unredacted Fauci Email About Wuhan Lab
Five Republican senators are questioning why the Department of Health and Human Services redacted a portion of an email between Dr. Anthony Fauci and Peter Daszak, the president of a research organization that worked with the Wuhan Institute of Virology on coronavirus studies before the pandemic. Their inquiry is the latest attempt from the group to get public health agencies to turn over documents related to the way pandemic policies have been set behind the scenes.
The email in question gained widespread attention last month because Daszak, a key figure in research linked to the hypothesis that COVID-19 may have escaped from the Wuhan lab, thanked Fauci for downplaying the likelihood of a lab leak. It also gained attention after being released to media outlets under the Freedom of Information Act because the administration redacted a portion of the email using an exemption reserved for information related to “pending law enforcement proceedings.”
Over 25% of Los Angeles COVID Cases Are Fully Vaccinated + More
COVID in Los Angeles: Over 25% of Cases Are Fully Vaccinated People
Health officials in Los Angeles County said over 25% of new coronavirus cases are among those who have been fully vaccinated, an increase from last month according to a report Wednesday.
Health officials have called the vaccines effective and said breakthrough cases are to be expected, but the number is a noticeable increase from June when fully vaccinated individuals accounted for 20% of the county’s infections, Fox 11 Los Angeles reported.
Pfizer Projects $33 Billion in COVID Vaccine Revenues, Driven by Boosters and Vaccines for Kids
Strong sales of its COVID vaccine helped Pfizer nearly double second-quarter revenue and boost profits by 59% — beating Wall Street projections and leading the drug giant to sharply hike its 2021 sales and profit forecasts. During a July 28 second quarter earnings call, Pfizer told investors the company has increased its revenue projection, now expected to be in the range of $78 to $80 billion.
The company projected revenue from its COVID vaccine alone will hit $33.5 billion — a 29% jump from the previously estimated $26 billion. Pfizer registered $7.8 billion in COVID vaccine sales in the second quarter, bringing total worldwide sales so far this year to $11.3 billion.
The new profit forecast doesn’t include a contract struck last week with the Biden administration to provide an additional 200 million doses to the U.S.
FDA Made ‘Dangerous Error’ by Advising Against COVID Antibody Testing
On May 19 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a dangerous and totally inappropriate guidance advising against COVID-19 antibody testing pre- or post-vaccination.
This FDA guidance is dangerous because it discourages and blocks most American physicians from using a gold standard assay for immunity to COVID-19.
But, it is of paramount importance for every American citizen and resident and his/her physician to be able to assess the status of one’s immunity to COVID-19 during this pandemic for two reasons.
Why Is the FDA Attacking a Safe, Effective Drug?
The Wall Street Journal reported:
The Food and Drug Administration claims to follow the science. So why is it attacking ivermectin, a medication it certified in 1996? Earlier this year the agency put out a special warning that “you should not use ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19.” The FDA’s statement included words and phrases such as “serious harm,” “hospitalized,” “dangerous,” “very dangerous,” “seizures,” “coma and even death” and “highly toxic.” Any reader would think the FDA was warning against poison pills. In fact, the drug is FDA-approved as a safe and effective antiparasitic …
Ivermectin is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines. Merck has donated four billion doses to prevent river blindness and other diseases in Africa and other places where parasites are common. A group of 10 doctors who call themselves the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance have said ivermectin is “one of the safest, low-cost, and widely available drugs in the history of medicine.”
COVID Symptoms May Linger in Some Vaccinated People Who Get Infected, Study Finds
There’s more potentially worrisome news for vaccinated people: In very rare cases, people experiencing breakthrough infections may be at risk for long-COVID symptoms.
That’s according to a small new study of fully vaccinated health care workers in Israel, published Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine.
The study confirmed what’s already known: That it’s very rare for fully vaccinated people to get infected or sick with COVID-19. But it also found lingering COVID symptoms did develop in a handful of breakthrough cases.
California Restaurant Says It Will Serve Only Unvaccinated Customers
Not vaccinated? That’s no problem for at least one California restaurant.
Basilico’s in Huntington Beach, Orange County, has taken a stand against coronavirus vaccination policies, calling them “treasonous, anti-American stupidity,” in a sign posted outside the business.
Earlier this week, Basilico’s posted on Instagram what it called a “Declaration and Pledge of Defiance.”
CDC Says Vaccinated People Should Get Tested After Being Exposed Even if They Show No Symptoms
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that vaccinated people should get tested for COVID-19 if they have been exposed to the virus, even if they haven’t experienced any symptoms.
The revised guidelines for fully vaccinated people comes the same day that the CDC also returned to urging the fully vaccinated to wear masks indoors in some areas of the US that have high levels of transmission as the Delta variant spreads across the country.
The CDC has previously said that vaccinated people didn’t need to get tested if they had been close to an infected person unless they had symptoms.
Astrazeneca Finds Small Clot Risk After 1st Shot of COVID Vaccine
A study conducted by AstraZeneca regarding its COVID-19 vaccine found a small risk of blood clots following the first dose of the shot, but none after the second jab. The research, published Wednesday in The Lancet, comes following concerns about the shot’s safety and potential side effects.
WHO Doesn’t Recommend COVID Boosters Now, Citing Lack of Data + More
WHO Doesn’t Recommend COVID Booster Doses Right Now, Citing Lack of Data
The World Health Organization doesn’t recommend COVID-19 booster shots “at this time,” the group’s top vaccine doctor said Wednesday, citing a lack of data on their effectiveness.
Dr. Kate O’Brien, WHO’s director of immunization, vaccines and biologicals, said the organization is still researching whether a booster shot is needed to increase protection against highly contagious mutations of the coronavirus.
Executives from Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson, which make the three COVID vaccines authorized for use in the U.S., have all said Americans would eventually need a booster following their first series of vaccinations.
‘Recipes for Regulatory Corruption’: How CDC, NIH Pull in Millions From Licensing Deals, Including COVID-Related Technologies
With 27 different institutes and centers housed under the National Institutes of Health (NIH) umbrella — including the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) — NIH is the largest biomedical research agency in the world.
Operating under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), NIH currently wields a hefty annual budget of nearly $42 billion.
Within NIH, the Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) plays a “strategic role” in supporting patenting and licensing for inventions that emerge from laboratories at the NIH and also Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
‘This Week’ With Mary + Polly: ‘They Are Ramping Up Coercion to Get Vaccinated’
This week, Mary Holland, Children’s Health Defense (CHD) president, and Polly Tommey, co-producer of “Vaxxed,” cover the latest COVID headlines, including how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention corrected the number of reported deaths after COVID vaccines by dumping foreign reports, and news that 49 fully vaccinated New Jersey residents died from COVID.
Also on tap this week is news the CDC is withdrawing its Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for one of the earliest real-time PCR tests for COVID, and word that George Soros and Bill Gates are part of a consortium to buy UK COVID test maker, Mologic.
Mary and Polly also discuss a warning from immunologist and former National Institutes of Health scientist J. Bart Classen that COVID vaccines are producing symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Pfizer Raises 2021 COVID Vaccine Sales Forecast to $33.5 Billion
Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) on Wednesday raised its full-year sales forecast for the COVID-19 vaccine it developed with Germany’s BioNTech by 29% to $33.5 billion, as nations stock up on doses for the rest of the year.
The company also said it could apply for an emergency use authorization for a potential booster dose as early as August, reiterating that a third shot will likely be needed to enhance protection amid a resurgence in infections in many countries.
Woman Allegedly Pepper-Sprays Maskless Mother, Child Over COVID Fears
Police in Seattle arrested a 32-year-old woman on Monday, alleging she pepper-sprayed a mother and her child in an elevator at Pike Place Market.
Officers responded to a report of an assault at the market at around 4:30 p.m., according to a news release from the Seattle Police Department.
They arrived at Pike Place and located the woman, identified as Czarina Slape, pushing a stroller that contained a bottle of bleach and carrying a can of pepper spray.
Study: COVID Vaccine Hesitancy Holding Constant Among Some Groups
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among American adults fell by one-third in the first five months of 2021, a new study finds, but distrust of vaccines and the government are still keeping many people from getting vaccinated.
Researchers analyzed data gathered from about 1 million Americans a month between January and May as part of an ongoing national COVID-19 survey.
Those who said they would probably not or would definitely not get vaccinated were considered to be vaccine-hesitant. Who were these people?
‘There Is a Real Cost’: as COVID Shows, Barring Bedside Visitors From ICU Deprives Patients of the Best Care
For Teresa Ciappa, home was other people — and for the people in her life, Teresa Ciappa was home. Teresa hemmed pants, crocheted booties, and decorated wedding cakes for anyone who asked, and many who didn’t. To her five grandchildren, whose teddy bears she lovingly patched up, the sunny Italian emigrant was “Dr. Nonni.” Among her family and friends, Teresa was the one who kept in touch, even from across an ocean, the one who never forgot a birthday or anniversary …
The Ciappas were only allowed at Teresa’s bedside on one occasion, for her last breath. Michelle, who is 45 and lives in Columbus, Ohio, said she wonders whether her mother would have survived COVID-19 if her many loved ones had been able to visit her. “She was alone in a room. That’s the opposite of who she was,” Michelle said. “Just to be there, to give her any comfort, maybe the outcome would’ve been different.”
