Emails that Dr. Anthony Fauci broadcast in the early days of the pandemic reflect the thoughts of a patient but weary man stunned by his fame overnight.
Hundreds of emails were received from The Washington Post and other media organizations through inquiries about the Freedom of Information Act. Fauci answers hundreds of interrogators, many of whom he does not know, often with detailed answers. Fauci also corresponded several times with George Gao, a leading infectious disease official in China. Gao sent encouraging message when Fauci was blown up by Trump supporters who accused him of supporting social distancing rules, closing schools, weakening the economy, and threatening Trump’s re-election opportunities.
“Thank you for your kind message,” Fauci replied three days later. “Everything is fine, despite some crazy people in this world.”
Fauci marveled at an April 2020 story titled “‘Cuomo Crush’ and ‘Fauci Fever’ – Sexualization of These Men is a Real Thing on the Internet.” Fauci forwarded the email to someone whose identity had been redacted and asked that person to click the link
“It will blow your mind,” wrote Fauci. “Our society is really crazy.”
Also on the news:
►Alaska has started offering coronavirus vaccinations at airports in time for the summer travel season. Eligibility to vaccinate has been extended to anyone in Alaska who is 12 years or older, including visitors from other states or countries.
►At least 540 people are in quarantine following a coronavirus outbreak in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, in connection with traditional celebrations for high school graduates driving around and drinking on buses.
►Most of Ohio’s COVID-related health contracts, such as mask requirements, capacity limits, and social distancing guidelines, end today. Governor Mike DeWine announced the move on May 12, citing the effectiveness of vaccines.
📈 Today’s numbers: There are more than 33.2 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 595,200 deaths in the United States. according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The global total: over 171 million cases and 3.55 million deaths. More than 135.8 million Americans have been fully vaccinated – 40.9% of the population, according to CDC.
📘 What we read: The World Health Organization has renamed variants of COVID-19 to Greek letter names – and here’s why. Read the full story.
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Biden sponsors national “Action Month” to promote the vaccination program
President Joe Biden will update today on the progress of the country’s immunization program. The address comes as states continue to ramp up vaccinations ahead of the government’s goal of getting 70% of US adults vaccinated with at least one vaccine by July 4th, community-based and faith-based organizations, as well as corporations, social media influencers, celebrities, Athletes, universities, young people and thousands of volunteers.
Canada approves the mix of AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Moderna vaccines
Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization says people who received the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for the first dose may be offered either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna for the second dose. The council affects more than two million Canadians who received the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine before the provinces discontinued it for the first doses last month. In Canada, 41 confirmed or suspected cases of vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia have been diagnosed and five people have died.
“This is not a new concept,” said Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, “Having a multidose range in relation to the vaccines dispensed by the manufacturers is something that public health has used for many other vaccines over time.”
Indiana University requires a vaccination – but no proof
Indiana University eased its vaccination requirements after a proposal for students and employees to produce evidence of the shooting sparked protests from many state officials. According to the revised regulation, students and employees can have their vaccination certified without having to present a vaccination card. The university also said a form would be available for those requesting immunization waivers for medical or religious reasons. President Michael McRobbie said in a statement that the university’s primary concern is to ensure the health and safety of its students and staff.
“This requirement will make a ‘return to normal’ a reality for the fall semester,” he said.
Vaccinations alone may not end the pandemic, suggests a study
Constant vaccination rates have been associated with decreases in infections, hospital stays, and deaths, but a new study suggests they may not be enough to end the coronavirus pandemic. Masks and social distancing combined with widespread vaccinations have had the biggest impact on limiting infections and deaths, but infections will continue to increase if quarantine protection is lifted, a team of researchers from the University of North Carolina found a new study.
“Our study suggests that out of a population of 10.5 million, about 1.8 million infections and 8,000 deaths in 11 months from more effective COVID-19 vaccines, higher vaccination coverage, and the maintenance of NPIs (non-pharmaceutical interventions) could be prevented, such as distancing and using face masks, “they wrote.
Last month the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention released controversial new guidelines that said: Fully vaccinated Americans are not required to wear a mask, even indoors, except in crowded environments such as airplanes, buses, and healthcare facilities.
EU starts vaccination pass program
The European Union has the Digital COVID certificate from the EU in the whole region. The “digital passport” will create a single point of contact for all EU citizens so that they can keep their vaccination and COVID-19 status when they cross borders and travel. The digital passport uses unique QR codes for everyone, with those on paper accessible to those without a device. So far Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Croatia and Poland have passed technical tests and started issuing EU certificates.
New Mexico Launches $ 5 Million Grand Prize Vaccine Lottery
Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 disease “is the right thing – for yourself, for your family and for your state,” Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a statement on Tuesday There could also be some money in it.
The governor announced that the State Department of Health and the New Mexico Lottery are jointly launching a “Vax 2 the Max” competition with $ 10 million in cash and other prizes for residents vaccinated against the novel SARS-CoV accept contagious disease -2 coronavirus. The New Mexico Grand Prize, funded by federal pandemic aid funds, beats vaccine lottery prizes offered in California and Ohio. California offered a grand prize of $ 1.5 million. New Mexico is one of the poorest states in the country and, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the US Department of Commerce, ranks 48th with a per capita income of around 45,800 US dollars.
– Algernon D’Ammassa, Las Cruces Sun-News
Some states vaccinate more people in prisons than outside
Some states, including California, have vaccinated higher numbers of people in prisons than outside, while others struggle to vaccinate their prison populations.
“Education is really key,” says Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein, professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine COVID prison projectsaid that New York Times. “This part of education becomes even more important in a prison context where there is a lot of distrust in both health and correctional workers,” she said.
More than 73% of inmates in California and Kansas prisons have received at least one dose of Covid vaccine, according to the project. In contrast, according to the Times, 56% of all Californians received their first dose. The prisons are the hardest hit. People in jail are infected at a rate more than five times the overall rate in the country, the reported Initiative for Equal Justice.
Experts suggest Taiwan follows stricter social distancing
After nearly a year of very few reported COVID-19 cases in Taiwan, a recent outbreak shows that containment strategy alone will not be viable for a long-term solution to coronavirus transmission. Benjamin Cowling, Professor and Head of the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department at the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong, said CNBC that new variants were to blame.
“Probably less than 1% of their population have a natural infection, and therefore natural immunity, and … less than 1% have been vaccinated – so they are almost entirely susceptible,” Cowling said.
As of Monday, Taiwan has reported over 8,500 confirmed COVID cases and 124 deaths. Given the country’s slow progress in vaccination, Cowling suggested that Taiwanese authorities follow stricter social distancing to help control the outbreak.
Contribution: The Associated Press
