One of the things that’s clear from the data [is] that even though vaccines – because of the high degree of transmissibility of this virus – don’t protect overly well, as it were, against infection, they protect quite well against severe disease leading to hospitalization and death. And I believe that’s the reason, Neil, why … Read more
Most working-age Americans who died of COVID-19 during the first year of the pandemic were so-called essential workers in labor, service and retail jobs that required on-site attendance and prolonged contact with others, according to a recently published study led by a University of South Florida epidemiologist. The study looks back on COVID-19 deaths in … Read more
BioNTech, the German pharmaceutical company that teamed with Pfizer to develop the first widely used COVID-19 vaccine, on Wednesday reported strongquarterly earnings growth on pandemic-fueled demand. The company posted net profit of nearly $3.6 billion for the final three months of 2021, up from $409 million in the same period the previous year. Quarterly revenue … Read more
Mask mandates and coronavirus restrictions are tumbling, as the Omicron variant continues to recede. Infectious disease expert Katelyn Jetelina (https://sph.uth.edu/cv/jetelina.pdf) has created a framework for how to think smartly about when and where to wear a mask. Her framework relies on two hyper-local metrics: % of positive tests, and case rates in each county. Across … Read more
New coronavirus cases in Florida dropped by more than half this week when compared to last week, the Florida Department of Health said Friday. There were 42,473 new coronavirus cases this week among Florida residents to bring the cumulative total to 5,775,171. With 1,330 more fatalities on record, 68,902 Florida residents have died. This week’s … Read more