COVID-19 has killed more than 430,000 Americans, and infections have continued to mount despite the introduction of a pair of vaccines late in 2020.Keep refreshing this page for the latest updates. Sign up for our Coronavirus Watch newsletter for updates to your inbox, join our Facebook group or scroll through our in-depth answers to reader questions.
In a study released Thursday, another COVID-19 candidate vaccine was shown to be safe and roughly 90% effective against the virus that causes the disease
Novavax, a Gaithersburg, Maryland-based biotechnology firm, released the interim results from two clinical trials of its two dose candidate vaccine, one in the United Kingdom and another in South Africa.
The South African variant Thursday reached the U.S., identified in South Carolina. There is no evidence infections from the variant cause more severe disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement, adding that “preliminary data suggests this variant may spread more easily and quickly than other variants.” There’s also concern vaccines might be less effective against this variant.
But, there’s still good news: early safety data from the first month of COVID-19 vaccination finds the shots are as safe as the studies suggested they’d be.
►New U.S cases of the coronavirus have fallen 35% from their Jan. 11 peak, a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. The average number of daily cases has fallen to about 162,000, from 249,000. And there are positive signs for hospitalization: The COVID Tracking Project said Wednesday that about 107,000 Americans were hospitalized because of the virus Tuesday, down from a peak of more than 130,000 three weeks ago.
With 22M Americans vaccinated, CDC data shows shots are going well; South Africa variant reaches US. Latest COVID-19 updates.
Elinor Aspegre
COVID-19 has killed more than 430,000 Americans, and infections have continued to mount despite the introduction of a pair of vaccines late in 2020. USA TODAY is tracking the news. Keep refreshing this page for the latest updates. Sign up for our Coronavirus Watch newsletter for updates to your inbox, join our Facebook group or scroll through our in-depth answers to reader questions.
In a study released Thursday, another COVID-19 candidate vaccine was shown to be safe and roughly 90% effective against the virus that causes the disease.
Novavax, a Gaithersburg, Maryland-based biotechnology firm, released the interim results from two clinical trials of its two dose candidate vaccine, one in the United Kingdom and another in South Africa.
The South African variant Thursday reached the U.S., identified in South Carolina. There is no evidence infections from the variant cause more severe disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement, adding that “preliminary data suggests this variant may spread more easily and quickly than other variants.” There’s also concern vaccines might be less effective against this variant.
But, there’s still good news: early safety data from the first month of COVID-19 vaccination finds the shots are as safe as the studies suggested they’d be.
►New U.S cases of the coronavirus have fallen 35% from their Jan. 11 peak, a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. The average number of daily cases has fallen to about 162,000, from 249,000. And there are positive signs for hospitalization: The COVID Tracking Project said Wednesday that about 107,000 Americans were hospitalized because of the virus Tuesday, down from a peak of more than 130,000 three weeks ago.
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►New York may have undercounted COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents by thousands, according to a new report from the state attorney general.
►Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who made clear in December that he would wait his turn to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, was quietly vaccinated last week at the recommendation of medical personnel, his office said.
►The Georgia Department of Public Health imposed a six month vaccine supply suspension Wednesday on a main rural county provider that’s been vaccinating educators, against current state guidelines, WSB-TV reported.
►United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is calling attention to the wide disparity in distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, referring to it as a “global emergency” and saying less than 20,000 of the 70 million doses so far administered have gone to people in African countries. Guterres warned against “vaccine nationalism,” pointing out the coronavirus will inevitably mutate if it continues circulating in parts of the globe.
The U.S. has more than 25.7 million confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 433,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: More than 101.4 million cases and 2.19 million deaths. About 48.4 million vaccine doses have been distributed in the U.S. and 26.2 million have been administered, according to the CDC.
