What you need to know about the coronavirus on Thursday, December 24

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One count, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), shows that about 9.5 million doses were distributed on Wednesday morning and just over a million people were vaccinated – not even close to what was originally stated goal of Warp Speed.
But the vaccines may be late for some as the virus continues to rage in the US. California became the first state to exceed two million confirmed cases on Wednesday – more than most countries. And an ensemble forecast released by the CDC on Wednesday now projects that there will be 378,000 to 419,000 deaths from coronavirus in the US by January 16.

Health officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci, long-term director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, have said vaccines will help put the pandemic behind us – but most Americans, who won’t get vaccinated until next year, should be in the coming months vigilant with masks and social distance measures – especially during holiday gatherings.

We are off tomorrow for Christmas, but will be back with the briefing on Monday December 28th. Happy Holidays everyone and Happy Birthday to Dr. Fauci, who turns 80 today.

YOU ASKED. WE ANSWER.

Q: Can people try to cut the line to get vaccinated?

A: Concierge medical services in California have already reported that wealthy residents are willing to pay thousands to skip the line for the vaccine. Gavin Newsom has vowed to monitor the situation and ensure ethical standards are upheld so that “those with influence crowd out those who deserve the vaccines the most.”

It’s an issue that each state will have to address individually, but in the grand scheme of a nationwide vaccination campaign it’s not the most troubling concern.

On the one hand, it is an indicator of high demand, which means that more vaccines are being accepted. On the other hand, those who administer the vaccine have plenty to worry about without being tasked with checking everyone’s identification, occupation, or medical history.

Send your questions here. Are you a health professional fighting Covid-19? Send us a message on WhatsApp about the challenges you are facing: + 1347-322-0415.

WHAT IS IMPORTANT TODAY

Highly allergic populations could participate in new Covid vaccine studies

The frequency of allergic reactions to Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine is greater than what would be expected for other vaccines, said Dr. Moncef Slaoui, Chief Scientific Advisor to Operation Warp Speed, Wednesday.

Slaoui said the last time he was informed of allergic reactions was Tuesday, when there were six cases, but the data on immunizations against the coronavirus falls short of the actual figures. Discussions are underway between the vaccine makers and the National Institutes of Health to consider conducting clinical trials of Covid-19 vaccines in highly allergic populations, such as those who must always carry an EpiPen, he added.

Genetics experts are concerned that coronavirus vaccines may not work as well against the UK variety

Michael Worobey, a biologist at the University of Arizona, has seen more than 100,000 different strains of the virus that causes Covid-19. But when he saw the new variant from the UK, he remarked something different: “This is the first variant I saw in the entire pandemic where I stepped back and said, ‘Ho.”

Health officials have downplayed the possibility that the coronavirus vaccines won’t work against the British strain, but Worobey and other scientists think it’s a possibility – and it’s just a possibility – that this new variant is, to some extent, the vaccines. Pfizer and Moderna are testing the vaccine to see if it works against the new variant.

She is one of the millions of girls who will not return to class

Because she could not continue her studies remotely due to a lack of electricity in her house in Mombasa, and because her mother’s income from selling vegetables on the street was reduced, Bella began to trade sex for money to meet the family income. to fill. Now three months pregnant, the 19-year-old said she will not be able to resume her education when Kenyan schools fully reopen in January.

The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization estimates that nearly 24 million children and adolescents, including 11 million girls and young women like Bella, could leave education next year due to the economic impact of the pandemic. Not only does that reality threaten to reverse decades of progress toward gender equality, but it also exposes girls around the world to child labor, teenage pregnancy, forced marriage and violence, experts say.

Wombats, snails, ferrets: the animals that brought us joy during the pandemic

In 2020, shelters reported so many foster and adoption requests that some ran out of animals for the first time ever. But it’s not just cats and dogs that enjoy our attention more; people have embraced more unconventional pets, formed bonds with wildlife, and developed communities around their local animals.

With many schools and workplaces moving online, lengthy lockdowns, and increased isolation, comfort can come in the form of a kangaroo, wombat, ferret, or even a snail. Here are a few stories from people who found joy in the most unexpected of creatures this year.
Two of the four wombats who lived with Emily Small in her Melbourne apartment during the lockdown.

ON OUR RADAR

  • The UK has issued a travel ban on anyone who has visited or traveled through South Africa in the past 10 days due to an “increased risk of a new strain of coronavirus”.
  • A Brazilian researcher has said that the Chinese CoronaVac vaccine is “the safest currently tested,” but is not releasing research data.
  • Japan has recorded a new record high Covid-19 cases as experts urge the public to cancel vacation trips.
  • South Korea has signed contracts with Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceutical company Janssen to import Covid-19 vaccines.
  • The Delta CEO gave an employee who fought with Covid-19 for months on a first-class trip around the world.
  • A historic number of parcels and rising Covid-19 rates for employees are causing significant backlogs to the US Postal Service’s processing facilities before Christmas.
  • Actor Kirk Cameron has been criticized for organizing caroling protests in Southern California over stay-at-home mandates as Covid-19 cases are in the state wave.

BEST ADVICE

Want to hang out with some friends (without a mask) this winter? Make a Covid-19 bubble

Doctors are urging Americans to settle in their bubbles, as cases of Covid-19 increase this winter.

Social distance calling can help you stay safe and healthy by seeing other people in person. But they only work if everyone follows the same strict rules.

Here’s what a bubble is, what the ground rules should be, how to handle tricky conversations with friends and family, and what happens if someone breaks (or bursts) the bubble.

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