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COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake and Intentions Following US Food and Drug Administration Approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine
From the Webpage: "Despite the availability of safe and effective COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccines, 25% of American adults remained partially vaccinated or unvaccinated against COVID-19 at the beginning of 2022. Lack of a formally approved COVID-19 vaccine was a common reason given for non-vaccination in polls prior to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the biologics license application--also called 'full approval'--for the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) COVID-19 vaccine. Understanding the repercussions for vaccination intentions after FDA full approval is important for informing vaccination interventions and policy in future infectious disease outbreaks. The primary objective of this survey with unvaccinated US adults was to assess vaccination intentions in response to full approval of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine and any demographic associations with these intentions."
American Medical Association
Scherer, Aaron M.; Parker, Andrew M.; Gidengil, Courtney A.
2022-04-11
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MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, April 8, 2022: COVID-19 Mortality and Vaccine Coverage -- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China, January 6, 2022-March 21, 2022
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This early release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Mortality and Vaccine Coverage -- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China, January 6, 2022-March 21, 2022." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from MMWR can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-04-08
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, April 8, 2022
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This issue of MMWR contains the following: "Monkeypox in a Traveler Returning from Nigeria -- Dallas, Texas, July 2021"; "Cardiac Complications After SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] Infection and mRNA [messenger ribonucleic acid] COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Vaccination -- PCORnet, United States, January 2021 - January 2022"; "Notes from the Field: SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant Infection in 10 Persons Within 90 Days of Previous SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant Infection -- Four States, October 2021 - January 2022"; "Notes from the Field: Enteropathogenic 'Escherichia coli' Outbreak at a Child Care Center -- Oregon, August 2021"; "Erratum: Vol. 71, No. 6," and "QuickStats: Rate of Deaths Attributed to Unintentional Injury from Fire or Flames, by Sex and Urban-Rural Status -- National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2020." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-04-08
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Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of Facilities' COVID-19 Pandemic Readiness and Response in Veterans Integrated Service Networks 2, 5, and 6
From the Report Overview: "This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program (CHIP) report examines key clinical and administrative processes that are associated with promoting quality care. Comprehensive healthcare inspections are one element of the OIG's overall efforts to ensure that the nation's veterans receive high-quality and timely VA [Veterans Affairs] healthcare services. The inspections are performed approximately every three years for each medical facility. The OIG selects and evaluates specific areas of focus each year. Starting in July 2020, the OIG added pandemic readiness and response as an issue for examination. CHIP staff have aggregated findings that relate to COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] readiness and response from these routine inspections to ensure that the information is provided in a comprehensive manner, given the constantly changing landscape as infection rates and demands on facilities continually shift. To promote this objective, CHIP staff have combined the findings of inspected medical facilities by Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs), which are regional systems that provide oversight of medical centers in their area.1 This report is the fourth in a series. It provides a descriptive evaluation of VISN 2, 5, and 6 facility responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. This examination is based on findings from healthcare inspections performed during the third and fourth quarters of fiscal year 2021 (April 1 through September 30, 2021). The report also provides a more recent snapshot of the pandemic's demands on facility operations based on data compiled as of September 2021. Additionally, it includes information on COVID-19 vaccination efforts, based on a review of VA's vaccination statistics as of September 29, 2021."
United States. Department of Veterans Affairs. Office of Inspector General
2022-04-07
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Provider Relief Fund: Frequently Asked Questions [Updated April 7, 2022]
From the Summary: "The Provider Relief Fund (PRF) was established in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act, P.L. 116-136) to reimburse, through grants or other mechanisms, eligible health care providers for increased expenses or lost revenue attributable to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The CARES Act provided $100 billion to prevent, prepare for and respond to coronavirus, domestically and internationally. The amounts were subsequently increased by $78 billion, with $75 billion added in the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (PPPHCEA, P.L. 116-139) and $3 billion in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116- 260). The latter was the first time the Provider Relief Fund was referred to in statute and required changes to the fund's reporting requirements and requirements for future fund allocations. The answers to the frequently asked questions (FAQs) in this report provide overview information on the PRF, how funds have been allocated, and the fund's requirements for provider reporting. In addition, this report describes the use of the PRF to pay providers for providing COVID-19 testing, treatment, and vaccines to uninsured individuals and the use of the fund to pay providers for costs associated with vaccinating individuals who are underinsured (e.g., who do not have insurance that covers vaccine administration)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Heisler, Elayne J., 1976-
2022-04-07
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U.S. Border Patrol Encounters at the Southwest Border: Titles 8 & 42 [April 7, 2022] [infographic]
From the Document: "When the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) encounters a migrant entering illegally between ports of entry, they are processed for removal under Title 8 (immigration law) and asked whether they fear persecution or intend to seek asylum. However, at the start of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in March 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an order requiring USBP to use an additional procedure at the border under Title 42 (public health code). The policy prohibits the entry of certain migrants to prevent the introduction of COVID-19 into border facilities and the United States. Individuals subject to the order are not held in congregate areas for processing and not given a credible fear interview to pursue the asylum process. Instead they are swiftly expelled to Mexico or their counties of origin. The focus of this infographic is on the Southwest border; migrants arriving at the Northern border between ports of entry are subject to the same processes but make up a small share of total USBP encounters."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Singer, Audrey
2022-04-07
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Impact of COVID-19 on Mortality in Italy: Retrospective Analysis of Epidemiological Trends
From the Abstract: "Despite the available evidence on its severity, COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] has often been compared with seasonal flu by some conspirators and even scientists. Various public discussions arose about the noncausal correlation between COVID-19 and the observed deaths during the pandemic period in Italy. [...] This paper aimed to search for endogenous reasons for the mortality increase recorded in Italy during 2020 to test this controversial hypothesis. Furthermore, we provide a framework for epidemiological analyses of time series. [...] We analyzed deaths by age, sex, region, and cause of death in Italy from 2011 to 2019. [...] Our findings support the absence of historical endogenous reasons capable of justifying the mortality increase observed in Italy during 2020. Together with the current knowledge on SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2], these results provide decisive evidence on the devastating impact of COVID-19. We suggest that this research be leveraged by government, health, and information authorities to furnish proof against conspiracy hypotheses that minimize COVID-19-related risks." This article was originally published on the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) Public Health and Surveillance website: [https://publichealth.jmir.org/2022/4/e36022].
JMIR Publications
Rovetta, Alessandro; Bhagavathula, Akshaya Srikanth
2022-04-07
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Evaluation of Department of Defense Military Medical Treatment Facility Challenges During the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic in Fiscal Year 2021 (DODIG-2022-081)
From the Webpage: "The objective of this evaluation was to determine the challenges and concerns encountered by medical personnel working at DoD Military Medical Treatment Facilities (MTF) during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. [...] On March 13, 2020, the President of the United States declared the COVID-19 outbreak an emergency. Since March 2020, the DoD's COVID-19 response operations supported the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services as part of the whole-of-government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On November 9, 2020, the Secretary of Defense issued guidance stating that the Military Departments are responsible for readiness, giving the Military Departments the 'unilateral authority to deploy military medical personnel from the MTFs to support wartime and related operational missions with feasible notice to the DHA [Defense Health Agency].' In 2021, the DoD also supported Operation Allies Refuge and Operation Allies Welcome. [...] We analyzed interview responses and documentation provided by senior officials at 30 MTFs, the Military Medical Departments, the Defense Health Agency (DHA), and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs). Based on this information, we identified the most serious reported challenges and future concerns for the MTFs. We also identified whether challenges reported by MTF officials in a 2020 DoD Office of Inspector General (OIG) report remained challenges in 2021."
United States. Department of Defense. Office of the Inspector General
2022-04-06
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Evaluation of Department of Defense Military Medical Treatment Facility Challenges During the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic in Fiscal Year 2021 [Redacted]
From the Document: "The objective of this evaluation was to determine the challenges and concerns encountered by medical personnel working at DoD Military Medical Treatment Facilities (MTF) during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. [...] On March 13, 2020, the President of the United States declared the COVID-19 outbreak an emergency. Since March 2020, the DoD's COVID-19 response operations supported the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services as part of the whole-of-government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On November 9, 2020, the Secretary of Defense issued guidance stating that the Military Departments are responsible for readiness, giving the Military Departments the 'unilateral authority to deploy military medical personnel from the MTFs to support wartime and related operational missions with feasible notice to the DHA [Defense Health Agency].' In 2021, the DoD also supported Operation Allies Refuge and Operation Allies Welcome."
United States. Department of Defense. Office of the Inspector General
2022-04-05
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Long Covid Impact on Adult Americans: Early Indicators Estimating Prevalence and Cost
From the Executive Summary: "While most patients recover from COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], as many as half experience lingering symptoms six or more months after their initial infection.1 Long Covid is the patient-preferred term used to describe this experience of post-infection illness. Long Covid includes a broad range of symptoms that can be disabling, prevent the patient's recovery to pre-infection health, and thwart the patient's return to the workforce. Using mathematical models, publicly available data, patient-led research, and the published natural histories of other post-infection illnesses, specifically myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/ CFS), Solve M.E. estimates the prevalence and cost of Long Covid on adult Americans, presented here. Most importantly, these estimates differentiate between persons with milder symptoms and those experiencing disability or inability to work. While noting limitations of population and serology data, including under-reporting and gender bias, these mathematical models and analyses were developed with a specific emphasis on the impacts of this mass disabling event on American labor markets and labor shortages."
Solve ME/CFS Initiative
2022-04-05
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Memorandum on Addressing the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19
From Section 1. Policy: "My Administration has made combating the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and guiding the Nation through the worst public health crisis in more than a century, our top priority. When I came into office, COVID-19 was wreaking havoc on our country -- closing our businesses, keeping our kids out of school, and forcing us into isolation. Today, America has the tools to protect against COVID-19 and to dramatically decrease its risks. We move towards a future in which COVID-19 does not disrupt our daily lives and is something we prevent, protect against, and treat."
United States. Office of the White House Press Secretary
Biden, Joseph R., Jr.
2022-04-05
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: Estimated Budgetary Effects of the Bipartisan COVID Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022
This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Appropriations on April 4, 2022. From the Document: "Title I of the legislation would provide funding for federal agencies to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic. Title II would rescind or repurpose about $10,465 million in unobligated balances from a variety of accounts and specify requirements for the budgetary treatment of section 1206 and sections 1209 through 1211. In keeping with those requirements, and at the direction of the Senate Committee on the Budget, those four sections are considered authorizing legislation rather than appropriation legislation. As a result, the estimated budgetary effects of section 1206 and sections 1209 through 1211 are subject to pay-as-you-go procedures. However, section 1206 also requires the estimated budgetary effects stemming from that section to be excluded from the pay-as-you-go scorecards maintained by the Senate and the Office of Management and Budget."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-04-04
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Consolidated Department of Defense Coronavirus Disease 2019 Force Health Protection Guidance
From the Executive Summary: "Consistent with Task Force and OMB [Office of Management and Budget] guidance, this Guidance includes policies and procedures that incorporate the best available data and science-based measures and activities that focus on health and safety and on workplace operations. DoD uses the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and requirements from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other relevant Federal agencies as the starting point for developing COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] policy and guidance. The Department began publishing FHP [Force Health Protection] guidance and policy to address COVID-19 in January 2020. In February 2021, the Secretary of Defense directed the review of all guidance and policy memoranda previously issued for COVID-19. The review was completed in April 2021, and subsequent updates align DoD COVID-19 policy and guidance with current Task Force, OMB, CDC, and OSHA [Occupational Safety and Health Administration] guidance as appropriate. The DoD COVID-19 Task Force is responsible for recommending updated DoD COVID19 policy. The Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff co-chair the DoD COVID-19 Task Force which assembles as needed for meetings virtually and in person and includes representatives from senior leadership across the Department, including the Secretaries of the Military Departments (MILDEPs), Under Secretaries of Defense, and Combatant Commanders."
United States. Department of Defense
Cisneros, Gilbert R., Jr.
2022-04-04
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MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, April 01, 2022: Cardiac Complications After SARS-CoV-2 Infection and mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination -- PCORnet, United States, January 2021-January 2022
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This Early Release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Cardiac Complications After SARS-CoV-2 Infection and mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination -- PCORnet, United States, January 2021-January 2022." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from MMWR can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-04-01
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, April 1, 2022
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This issue of MMWR contains the following: "Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey -
United States, January-June 2021"; "Overview and Methodology of the Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey - United States, January-June 2021"; "Use of Tobacco Products, Alcohol, and Other Substances Among High School Students During the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Pandemic - Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey, United States, January-June 2021 "; "Mental Health, Suicidality, and Connectedness Among High School Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey, United States, January-June 2021 "; "Perceived Racism and Demographic, Mental Health, and Behavioral Characteristics Among High School Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey, United States, January-June 2021"; and "Disruptions to School and Home Life Among High School Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey, United States, January-June 2021." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-04-01
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, April 1, 2022
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This issue of MMWR contains the following: "Universal Hepatitis B Vaccination in Adults Aged 19-59 Years: Updated Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices -- United States, 2022"; "Assessment of Epidemiology Capacity in State Health Departments -- United States, 2021"; "Use of At-Home COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Tests -- United States, August 23, 2021-March 12, 2022"; "Effectiveness of Homologous and Heterologous COVID-19 Booster Doses Following 1 Ad.26.COV2.S (Janssen [Johnson & Johnson]) Vaccine Dose Against COVID-19-Associated Emergency Department and Urgent Care Encounters and Hospitalizations Among Adults -- VISION Network, 10 States, December 2021-March 2022"; "'Notes From the Field': Xylazine-Related Deaths -- Cook County, Illinois, 2017-2021"; and "'QuickStats': Percentage of Office-Based Physicians Who Had Telephone or Internet/Email Consults with Patients -- National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, United States, 2018 and 2020." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-04-01
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Cost-Effective Proactive Testing Strategies During COVID-19 Mass Vaccination: A Modelling Study
From the Webpage: "As SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] vaccines are administered worldwide, the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic continues to exact significant human and economic costs. Mass testing of unvaccinated individuals followed by isolation of positive cases can substantially mitigate risks and be tailored to local epidemiological conditions to ensure cost effectiveness. [...] Using a multi-scale model that incorporates population-level SARS-CoV-2 transmission and individual-level viral load kinetics, we identify the optimal frequency of proactive SARS-CoV-2 testing, depending on the local transmission rate and proportion immunized. [...] Assuming a willingness-to-pay of US$100,000 per averted year of life lost (YLL) and a price of $10 per test, the optimal strategy under a rapid transmission scenario (Re ∼ 2.5) is daily testing until one third of the population is immunized and then weekly testing until half the population is immunized, combined with a 10-day isolation period of positive cases and their households. Under a low transmission scenario (Re ∼ 1.2), the optimal sequence is weekly testing until the population reaches 10% partial immunity, followed by monthly testing until 20% partial immunity, and no testing thereafter. [...] Mass proactive testing and case isolation is a cost effective strategy for mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic in the initial stages of the global SARS-CoV-2 vaccination campaign and in response to resurgences of vaccine-evasive variants."
ScienceDirect (Online service)
Du, Zhanwei; Wang, Lin; Bai, Yuan . . .
2022-04
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Consular Affairs: State May Be Unable to Cover Projected Costs If Revenues Do Not Quickly Rebound to Pre-Pandemic Levels, Report to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "From fiscal years 2013 through 2019, consular fees fully funded consular operations, according to State documentation. However, the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic caused State's revenues from passport and visa fees to drop. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review consular fees. This report examines, among other things, how State managed the decline in consular fee revenues, projections regarding State's ability to meet the targeted threshold in the future, and the extent to which State's processes for estimating key data meet the key elements of economic analysis. [...] GAO recommends that State (1) assess what actions would allow it to cover future consular costs; (2) measure the statistical variability of unit costs; and (3) document its cost, demand, and revenue estimates."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-04
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Pandemic Patterns: California is Seeing Fewer Entrances and More Exits
From the Executive Summary: "Since the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic began, fewer people have been moving into California from other states and more have been leaving. At the end of September 2021, entrances to California were 8% lower than at the end of March 2020. Exits, following a dip in the first half of 2020, stood 12% higher at the end of September 2021 than at the end of March 2020 -- representing a return to a steady pre-pandemic rate of increase of approximately 4% per year since 2016. Net domestic migration, defined as the difference between entrances and exits, went from 40,000 net exits per quarter prior to the pandemic to 80,000 afterward. This brief uses data through the end of September 2021. These trends are present throughout the state. Since the end of March 2020, new entrances to the state have dropped in 40 of 58 California counties, and when Californians move, they are slightly more likely to leave the state than they were before the pandemic began (true for nearly every county). But the Bay Area stands out, for several reasons. Since the end of March 2020, new entrances to Bay Area counties have dropped more quickly than in other parts of the state. Before the pandemic, San Francisco County was the only net receiver of population from other US states. Today, all California counties lose population to domestic migration. In addition, whereas in every other economic region the move rate fell since the pandemic began, Bay Area residents moved (to any destination) at higher levels (up 0.3 percentage points, to 4.2%), driving a 21% increase in Bay Area exits."
California Policy Lab
Holmes, Natalie; White, Evan
2022-04
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Compound Risk Analysis of Natural Hazards and Infectious Disease Outbreaks
From the Executive Summary: "The multiyear nature of the coronavirus disease [2019] (COVID-19) pandemic provides the conditions for a compound event. The likelihood of a natural hazard occurring in a country affected by COVID-19 is high. This compound risk scenario is not theoretical, but one which has played out across the member countries of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC). Flooding in Afghanistan in May 2020, in the Kyrgyz Republic in May 2020, and in Georgia in August 2020 are some examples. Similarly, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in February 2021 affected Pakistan and Tajikistan. CAREC member countries will continue to face compound risk, not just for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, but on an ongoing basis, as various types of natural hazards potentially co-occur and compound each other. Compound risk occurs when two or more shock events overlap, inducing additional pressure on social and physical vulnerability and/or initiating a chain of further stressors. In theory, the impact of a compound event are potentially much higher than those of two events occurring discretely. Damage to physical and social infrastructure and existing emergency needs occupy the bandwidth of government, civil society, households, and businesses. Additional pressure from a new shock may deepen existing vulnerabilities and undermine response efforts."
Asian Development Bank
2022-04
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Athena Agenda: Advancing the Apollo Program for Biodefense
From the Executive Summary: "The exploitation of wildlife through hunting and trade facilitates opportunities for animal-human interactions and zoonotic disease transmission. Furthermore, advances in DNA sequencing, gene-editing, and synthetic biology (among others) hold the promise of profound advances in healthcare, crop and environmental sustainability, and economic growth. Unfortunately, these are dual-use technologies that could yield accidental, unintended, and deliberate misuse by creating deadly pathogens or disrupting ecological balances. [...] 'The Athena Agenda: Advancing The Apollo Program for Biodefense' contains additional recommendations to execute The Apollo Program, building on the Commission's previous work and taking into consideration the efforts of current and former Administrations and Congresses. This report provides the following specific governance and technology recommendations to implement The Apollo Program for Biodefense and identifies the US government organizations responsible for leadership and accountability, though certain actions may require or benefit from public-private partnerships."
Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense
Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense
2022-04
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Using Donald Trump's COVID-19 Vaccine Endorsement to Give Public Health a Shot in the Arm: A Large-Scale Ad Experiment
From the Abstract: "We report a large-scale randomized controlled trial designed to assess whether the partisan cue of a provaccine message from Donald Trump would induce Americans to get COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccines. Our study involved presenting a 27-second advertisement to millions of U.S. YouTube users in October 2021. Results indicate that the campaign increased the number of vaccines in the average treated county by 103. Spread across 1,014 treated counties, the total effect of the campaign was an estimated increase of 104,036 vaccines. The campaign was cost-effective: with an overall budget of about $100,000, the cost to obtain an additional vaccine was about $1 or less."
National Bureau of Economic Research
Larsen, Bradley; Hetherington, Marc J., 1968-; Greene, Steven H., 1972- . . .
2022-04
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COVID-19 and the Russian Invasion of Ukraine: A Working Paper on the Consequences of the Current Crisis
From the Introduction: "The impact of current events goes beyond the borders of one state or continent, rather affecting the whole world. The provision of food goods and production supplies, as well as maintaining price stability, have become the world's most important challenge after the second year of the Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. Moreover, Russia's war on Ukraine has exacerbated the global economic situation, with its repercussions coinciding with those of the pandemic and the recession that countries are still trying to recover from. Wheat prices have risen over the past year as a result of the decline in the proportion of global crops and supply in the face of strong and growing demand, making the consequences of this war extremely serious for wheat and grain markets in general and supply chains. On its first day, the war led to a 6% increase of wheat prices, and this increase may not be the last in the coming period, due to concerns about the consequences of the war on farmers and producers. Moreover, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has resulted in high oil and gas prices, increased transport and insurance costs, instability of trade and disruption of traffic in Russian and Ukrainian ports, as well as restriction of bank transfers to and from Russia only."
Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry; Ghurfah al-Tijārīyah al-Miṣrīyah li-Muḥāfaẓat al-Iskandarīyah
2022-04
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COVID-19: Current and Future Federal Preparedness Requires Fixes to Improve Health Data and Address Improper Payments, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "By the end of March 2022, the U.S. had about 80 million reported cases of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] and over 980,000 reported deaths, according to CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]. The country also experiences lingering economic repercussions related to the pandemic, including rising inflation and ongoing supply chain disruptions. As of February 28, 2022 (the most recent date for which data were available), the federal government had obligated $4.2 trillion and expended $3.6 trillion for pandemic relief. These amounts reflect 91 and 79 percent, respectively, of the total amount of COVID-19 relief funds provided by the CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act and five other relief laws. The CARES Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to report on its ongoing monitoring and oversight efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This report--GAO's 10th comprehensive report--examines the federal government's continued efforts to respond to, and recover from, the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, GAO's March 17, 2022 testimony included 10 new legislative suggestions to enhance the transparency and accountability of federal spending, which we reiterate here."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-04
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China's Faltering 'Zero COVID' Policy: Politics in Command, Economy in Reverse
From the Introduction: "After COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] emerged in Wuhan two years ago, it spread rapidly around the world, infecting hundreds of millions and taking over six million lives. After subduing the initial outbreak, China shut its door to the pandemic by imposing a strict regime of residential lockdowns and business shutdowns, quarantines, mass testing, and stringent border controls. The response--which Beijing calls 'dynamic clearing' (动态 清零), but is widely known as zero COVID--succeeded in keeping the virus at bay for nearly two years. It is a policy that Chinese president Xi Jinping and his minions have used to fortify China's aspirations to global leadership and to solidify Xi's unchallenged political position atop the Chinese Communist Party. The policy's initial effectiveness--after the initial Wuhan outbreak killed several thousand Chinese citizens--provided a wellspring of propaganda for Beijing to declare the superiority of its policies and political system as competitors, most notably the United States, struggled at times to contain the disease."
Atlantic Council of the United States. Global China Hub
Mark, Jeremy; Schuman, Michael, 1968-
2022-04
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Science & Tech Spotlight: Wastewater Surveillance
From the Document: "Wastewater surveillance can be an efficient way to detect community-level disease outbreaks and other health threats. It has the potential to identify a COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] outbreak 1 to 2 weeks sooner than clinical testing and allow for a more rapid public health response. However, the lack of national coordination and standardized methods pose challenges to wider adoption. [...] Wastewater surveillance, also known as wastewater-based epidemiology, is the monitoring of pathogens (e.g., viruses), as well as pharmaceuticals and toxic or other chemicals by testing sewage (see fig. 1). Public health officials can use this approach to monitor for outbreaks, identify threats (e.g., antibiotic-resistant bacteria), and, in response, support the mobilization of resources. Pathogens and chemicals can enter sewer systems through human waste. Wastewater surveillance programs collect sewage samples from these systems and treatment plants and send them to laboratories for testing. Officials can use test data, for example, to assess whether there is a viral outbreak or increasing drug use and then decide what actions to take to protect public health. These actions might include increased clinical testing in an area, or alerting local clinics and hospitals to prepare for an increase in patients."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-04
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Despair and Resilience in the U.S.: Did the Covid Pandemic Worsen Mental Health Outcomes?
From the Abstract: "The COVID [coronavirus disease] pandemic was an unprecedented shock to U.S. society at a time when the nation was already coping with a crisis of despair and related deaths from suicides, overdoses, and alcohol poisoning. COVID's impact was inequitable: Deaths were concentrated among the elderly and minorities working in essential jobs, groups who up to the pandemic had been reporting better mental health. Yet how the shock has affected society's well-being and mental health is not fully understood. Exploring the impact by comparing 2019 to 2020 as reflected in nationally representative data sets, we found a variety of contrasting stories. While data from the 2019 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and the 2020 Household Pulse Survey (HPS) show that depression and anxiety increased significantly, especially among young and low-income Americans in 2020, we found no such changes when analyzing alternative depression questions in the 2019-20 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Nevertheless, for the same period determinants of mental health were similar in the NHIS, BRFSS, and HPS data. We also explored whether the pandemic affected physical health and behaviors by examining Emergency Medical Services (EMS) data calls related to behavior, overdoses, suicide attempts, and gun violence. [...] Our results highlight two findings: (1) Scholars investigating mental and behavioral health trends must be cautious about relying too heavily on a single dataset; results generated from different data may differ considerably. (2) High metropolitan rates of depression and anxiety may be correlated with higher rates of suicide and overdose years later."
Brookings Institution. Global Economy and Development
Graham, Carol, 1962-; Dobson, Emily; Hua, Tim . . .
2022-04
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Economic Case for Federal Investment in COVID-19 Vaccines and Therapeutics Remains Strong
From the Document: "Vaccines and therapeutics have greatly reduced rates of severe illness and death from COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. On March 2, the Biden administration formally requested [hyperlink] an additional $22.5 billion in COVID-19 response funding, most of which would have supported additional investments in the development, manufacturing, and procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics. The Biden administration subsequently stated [hyperlink] that, without new funding, it would have to wind down most federal efforts related to the production and procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics. Congressional negotiations are ongoing and appear on track to produce a much smaller [hyperlink] package of funding, if any new funding is approved at all. [...] We argue that there is a strong economic case for continued federal investment in COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics. In brief, the private sector on its own will invest too little because COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics generate enormous benefits for public health and the macroeconomy that private firms can only very partially capture. Preexisting uninsurance and underinsurance, especially among vulnerable populations, also hinder access to preventive measures and treatment. Direct federal investment in development, manufacturing, and procurement of vaccines and therapeutics--and in ensuring affordable access to these products--has been key to overcoming these challenges to date and will remain important in the future. Over the longer term, policymakers could consider assigning the health insurance system a larger role in paying for these activities, but doing so in a sensible way will take time and require legislative changes."
Brookings Institution; University of Southern California. Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics
Athey, Susan; Conti, Rena M.; Fiedler, Matthew . . .
2022-04-01
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Taking Stock After Two Years of Covid-19
From the Executive Summary: "When it became known in early 2020 that Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] was becoming a global pandemic, it also became clear that governmental responses to the pandemic would have significant effects on democracy and human rights. At that time, International IDEA [Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance] (supported by the European Union) began a programme to track what governments did and how that affected democracy and human rights. Now, with two years of data from International IDEA's Global Monitor of Covid-19's Impact on Democracy and Human Rights (Global Monitor), we can take stock of what has happened, and in which areas the events align with or differ from our expectations about how a pandemic might affect these vital areas of public life. This report uses data from the Global Monitor to specifically examine the effects of the pandemic responses in six broad areas: (1) emergency legal responses and civil liberties, (2) freedom of movement, association, and assembly, (3) freedom of expression and media integrity, (4) privacy rights and contact tracing applications, (5) women's rights and minority rights, and (6) vaccination and fundamental rights. In each of the sections, the report describes the global trends in each of these areas, highlights cases that illustrate both positive and negative examples, and considers what the upcoming challenges will be."
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
Gibaja, Alberto Fernández; Hirakawa, Atsuko; Hudson, Alexander . . .
2022-04
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Digital Health Credentials and COVID-19: Can Vaccine and Testing Requirements Restart Global Mobility?
From the Introduction: "More than two years into the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, rising vaccination levels and widespread testing in many countries are giving governments and the public increasing confidence in international travel. A central part of these efforts to restart mobility are digital health credentials, which verify a person's vaccination, testing, and/or recovery status and thus help minimize the risk that travelers will be carrying the virus or its variants. Such digital credentials are increasingly common, both for international travel and to access domestic services and venues. [...] This report examines the implications of digital health credentials for international travel and domestic access to services and venues, before exploring the implications for specific groups of people on the move (tourists and business travelers, students, labor migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, and unauthorized migrants). Finally, it offers policy recommendations to facilitate mobility and minimize risks for people on the move, along with key principles that should underpin long-term planning around digital credentials."
Migration Policy Institute
Huang, Lawrence
2022-04
