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The FDA halted emergency approval for convalescent plasma as a COVID-19 therapy, after NIH officials — including Francis Collins and Anthony Fauci — protested that evidence of its efficacy is still weak. (New York Times)
As of 8:00 a.m. ET Thursday, the unofficial U.S. tally reached 5,530,247 cases and 173,193 deaths — up 47,424 and 1,360, respectively, from a day ago.
Georgia now leads the U.S. in virus cases, according to a White House report. The federal report urged the state to ramp up measures to slow the spread, stating that its “small gains are fragile.” (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
The Department of Health & Human Services killed an FDA push to regulate lab-developed tests — including those for SARS-CoV-2 infection or exposure — sparking worries over wider use of faulty tests. (Politico)
Asked about Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine, Fauci called the claims “bogus.” (Newsweek)
In yet-again-revised guidelines for school reopening, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) emphasized a need for federal assistance in places with high levels of community spread and in low-income communities, to subsidize academic resources in settings unsafe for in-person learning.
New York City’s teachers union threatened to strike if officials did not meet a list of safety requirements, including universal testing of all students and staff, adequate ventilation and personal protective gear in all schools. Around 90% of teachers in Detroit supported a similar position. (New York Daily News, Detroit Free Press)
Several undergraduate students from UConn were evicted from on-campus housing after throwing a pandemic party, which occurred in a packed dorm room and had no masks or social distancing. (Hartford Courant)
Misleading health information on Facebook got 3.8 billion views during the pandemic. (Reuters)
A Sturgis motorcycle rallygoer who spent hours in a saloon during the event tested positive for COVID-19. (CNN)
“I feel like I have a scarlet letter on my chest”: people who have recovered from COVID-19 say that while their symptoms have subsided, they can’t shake the stigma. (NBC News)
In other news:
Source: MedicalNewsToday.com
