COVID-19 Briefing for 12-22-2020

Here is an update for this morning on how humanity is dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic that is caused by SARS CoV-2. The story is told through links to news outlets, research papers, and videos. They are presented without comment.


VIDEO: SARS-CoV-2 UK variant: Does it matter? (12-21-2020) [LINK]



COVID-19 Numbers from Macon County Public Health

Here are the latest COVID-19 Numbers and Demographics Report from Macon Public Health, along with a couple of charts by Macon Media to show you the long-term trends since April 17th.


Cases

1287 Detected
(+76 from Friday and +180 from last Monday and +378 in four weeks)

257 Active
(+76 from Friday and +134 from last Monday and +203 in four weeks)

1021 Recovered
(unchanged from Friday and +46 from last Monday and +174 in four weeks)

9 Deaths
(unchanged from Friday and unchanged from last Monday and unchanged in four weeks)

Testing

7708 by MCPH
(+4 from Friday and +179 from last Monday and +825 in four weeks)

4742 by Others
(+168 from Friday and +237 from last Monday and +1077 in four weeks)

12450 total
(+821 from Friday and +416 from last Monday and +1902 in four weeks)

92 tests pending results
(-145 from Friday and -192 from last Monday and +2 in four weeks)

Videos





Dr John Campbell: Update (12-21-2020)






Dr John Campbell: Viral mutation news (12-21-2020)






Dr John Campbell: Update (12-20-2020)





Michael Mina: Rapid Testing, Viruses, and the Engineering Mindset | Lex Fridman Podcast #146





Episode 36 Osterholm Update COVID-19: The Miracle in Brainerd



Inside this California hospital, a ‘constant battle’ against covid-19



UK Coronavirus Mutation | A Doctor Explains



Boris Johnson briefing after over 40 countries ban UK arrivals BBC News live (12-21-2020)



The WHO gives a COVID-19 update as new virus strain spreads in the UK





LIVE: Senate Takes Up $900 Billion Covid-19 Relief and Spending Bill as Vote Nears







Stories About Vaccines



Phased Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccines [LINK]

Do You Still Need the Vaccine If You've Already Had COVID-19? [LINK]

Debunking COVID-19 vaccine myths [LINK]

German health minister says vaccines effective against new coronavirus strain [LINK]

U.S. Has Administered 556,208 Vaccine Shots in First Week [LINK]

Pelosi, McConnell to get vaccine, urge members to do same [LINK]

Why Vaccinated People Still Need to Wear a Mask [LINK]

German health minister says vaccines effective against new coronavirus strain [LINK]

More Than 1.8 Million People Vaccinated, Moderna Shot Approved: Covid-19 Tracker [LINK]

Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine shots leave warehouses, widening US push to immunize [LINK]

Johnson and Johnson Takes Big Step Forward With Its Vaccine Trial, Has Potential to Be Single Shot [LINK]

First shipments of Moderna vaccine roll out, a new weapon in U.S. Covid-19 response [LINK]

Adults over 75, frontline essential workers should be in second Covid-19 vaccine priority group, says CDC advisory panel [LINK]

No serious side effects from China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine: Egyptian official [LINK]


CDC Health Stats on first 100k doses in UK [LINK]

U.S. slashed vaccine numbers for several states due to confusion over FDA requirement [LINK]

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccine Status: Moderna to start dosing tomorrow; Oxford to get UK approval next week [LINK]

Viral targets for vaccines against COVID-19 [LINK]




Research Papers, Clinical Trials, Vaccines, and News About Testing



The engines of SARS-CoV-2 spread [LINK]

Threat Assessment Brief: Rapid increase of a SARS-CoV-2 variant with multiple spike protein mutations observed in the United Kingdom [LINK]

Particle Testing Has Scientists Expecting a New Surge of COVID-19 Infections – Here’s Why [LINK]

Structural stability of SARS-CoV-2 virus like particles degrades with temperature [LINK]

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control Threat Assessment Brief: Rapid increase of a SARS-CoV-2 variant with multiple spike protein mutations observed in the United Kingdom [LINK]

Concern about loved ones might motivate people to mask up and get vaccine [LINK]

NERVTAG meeting on SARS-CoV-2 variant under investigation VUI-202012/01 [LINK]

Potential lessons from the Taiwan and New Zealand health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic [LINK]

Glycyrrhizin effectively neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 in vitro by inhibiting the viral main protease [LINK]

Sterilizing immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in hamsters conferred by a novel recombinant subunit vaccine [LINK]

SARS-CoV-2-Specific Antibody Profiles Distinguish Patients with Moderate from Severe COVID-19 [LINK]



Medical Professions and the Medical System




Hospitals Are Still Short on Masks and Other Protective Gear
Health care workers are urging the incoming Biden administration to use the Defense Production Act to increase domestic manufacturing of personal protective equipment. [LINK]

Heartbreaking Photos From COVID-19 Medical Frontlines [LINK]

Readmission and Death After Initial Hospital Discharge Among Patients With COVID-19 [LINK]

Distressing video shows California hospital overwhelmed by COVID patients [LINK]

CDC appointees describe messaging winning out over science at the agency [LINK]

Hospitals at the brink as states brace for surge in COVID-19 deaths (video) [LINK]

Stillwater Medical Center to convert conference room to hold COVID patients (Oklahoma) [LINK]

COVID-19 crushing county's ERs: Too many patients, too few beds, not enough staff (San Diego County, California) [LINK]

Radio host dies after struggling to find ICU bed [LINK]

Babies and children 'forgotten and failed' in Covid response, say health workers [LINK]

Doctors say BJC prioritizing older employees for COVID-19 vaccine, not frontline workers (Missouri) [LINK]

Nursing Homes Grapple With Staff Hesitant to Get the Covid-19 Vaccine [LINK]



COVID-19 in the USA

Doctor Charged In Fake Covid ‘Miracle Cure’ Scheme Selling $3,995 Kits With Hydroxychloroquine Pills He Got For $1 [LINK]

US Public Attitudes Toward COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates [LINK]

Congress agrees to $900 billion Covid stimulus deal after months of failed negotiations [LINK]

EXPLAINER: Are New Coronavirus Strains Cause for Concern? [LINK]

Student with mom who's high risk for COVID-19 takes exams in hazmat suit [LINK]

Unprecedented coronavirus outbreaks at L.A. County supermarkets further strains the essential service (California) [LINK]

Police, firefighters, teachers will be next in line for COVID-19 vaccine [LINK]

Minnesota bar vows to stay open despite lawsuit, ban on indoor dining [LINK]

Buncombe County Schools pauses in-person learning because of COVID-19 community spread (North Carolina) [LINK]

Michigan movie theaters, casinos, bowling alleys to reopen Monday [LINK]

US considers lifting coronavirus restrictions for British travellers amid pressure from airlines and UK [LINK]

U.S. Ban on U.K. Flights Isn’t Needed, Virus Team Member Says [LINK]

TN Gov. Lee signs order limiting indoor public gatherings to 10 people, other measures [LINK]

Questions arise in vaccine distribution as Georgia tops 500,000 COVID-19 cases [LINK]

Businesses, lacking legal immunity, fear COVID-19 lawsuits [LINK]

COVID-19 in Tennessee: 16,036 cases, 111 deaths reported for Dec. 19 and 20 [LINK]


Florida reports 8,401 coronavirus cases, 97 deaths on Sunday [LINK]

Mostly virus-free Kauai hit by pandemic after travel resumes (Hawaii) [LINK]

From restaurants to retailers, virus transformed economies [LINK]

Birx travels, family visits highlight pandemic safety perils [LINK]

Racism targets Asian food, business amid COVID-19 pandemic, report suggests hate and discrimination against Asians went up by 46% in LA and 14% in New York [LINK]



COVID-19 Around the World

Patient in Rome found with new COVID-19 strain identified in UK [LINK]

'This is deadly serious' - New coronavirus variant 'out of control', health secretary warns (United Kingdom) [LINK]

Italy bans flights to/from UK, effective immediately. [LINK]

Most Texans want the vaccine, study finds [LINK]

Canada becomes the latest country to prohibit inbound flights from UK. France, Germany, Italy have already banned flights from UK due to rise in cases [LINK]

Romania ravaged by COVID as its doctors work abroad [LINK]

New coronavirus strain: What is it and should we be worried? - The Irish Times - Dec. 20, 2020 [LINK]

Turkey bans flights from UK, Denmark, Netherlands and S.Africa amid new virus strain [LINK]

S. Korea: New virus cases under 1,000 on fewer tests, further rise looming amid bigger wave of pandemic [LINK]


Colombia bans all flights from the United Kingdom, orders recent U.K. travelers to 14 days isolation [LINK]

‘Covid Can’t Compete.’ In Afghanistan, the Virus Is an Afterthought. [LINK]

Ontario will enter province-wide lockdown as of Christmas Eve, sources say (Canada) [LINK]

New COVID-19 strain: Saudi Arabia suspends international flights, closes land and sea ports [LINK]

Europe's coronavirus crisis is resurging. For months, 3 Nordic nations kept it under control — without lockdowns [LINK]

Sweden to ban travel from UK over new Covid strain [LINK]

South Africa’s second coronavirus wave is fueled by a new strain, teen ‘rage festivals’ [LINK]

India May Start Covid Vaccination In January, Says Health Minister [LINK]

Europe Moves to Isolate U.K. as Mutant Virus Ruins Christmas [LINK]

Victoria closes border to Greater Sydney residents as NSW COVID cluster explodes (Australia) [LINK]

Japan reports 2,496 new COVID-19 cases and 37 deaths for December 20th (as of 8PM JST) [LINK]

Emergence and rapid spread of a new severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) lineage with multiple spike mutations in South Africa [LINK]



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Published at 3:30am on Tuesday, December 22, 2020