Covid-19

An estimated 5,800 ‘breakthrough’ COVID-19 infections reported among 77 million people who are fully vaccinated

An estimated 5,800 people of the 77 million fully vaccinated against COVID-19 — about 0.0001% — have reported becoming sickened with the fast-spreading disease despite being inoculated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the figures on Thursday, vowing to keep “a close eye” on the so-called “breakthrough infections.” A spokesperson for the agency told NBC News that about 29% of the cases were asymptomatic while only about 7% resulted in hospitalizations, including 74 people who died. So far, slightly more than 40% of the breakthrough infections were in people 60 or older ...

Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine pause could last at least another week

The Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine could remain suspended for at least another week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel reviewing the rare cases of blood clots in those who have received the vaccine will not meet again until April 23, the agency announced Friday. The panel delayed a vote earlier this week, needing additional time to review any new cases that emerge, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said. Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine was paused after reports of six cases of blood clots in women out of some 7 million people who have received the shot in the Uni...

WATCH: Man arrested with AK-47 in Times Square subway got a COVID test first

On Friday, New York City Police arrested a man in a subway station who was allegedly carrying an assault rifle.

"A teenager from Ohio was arrested after being found with an unloaded semi-automatic rifle and ammunition in a bag while at a busy midtown subway station," News 4 reported, citing law enforcement officials. "The man, identified by several law enforcement sources as Saadiq Teague, was apprehended by officers at the subway station in Times Square around 12:45 p.m. Friday near the A/C/E line, the officials said."

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Oklahoma stuck with over a million hydroxychloroquine doses after Trump-hyped drug proved to be a bust

Last year, former President Donald Trump regularly hyped up hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug that studies have repeatedly shown to be ineffective at treating the novel coronavirus.

Following the president's lead, many Republican governors invested big in the drug, and are now stuck with unused doses after the Food and Drug Administration revoked its emergency use authorization for treating COVID patients.

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'Screaming' Ohio woman went on a punching-and-biting rampage after being asked to wear a mask: police

A woman in Ohio this week went on a rampage at a local grocery store after being asked to wear a face mask.

Local news station Fox 19 reports that 38-year-old Christeena Carpenter was arrested and charged with four counts of assault this week after going on a punching-and-biting spree at Clifton Market in Cincinnati.

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Rival vaccine makers declined request from Johnson & Johnson for help with blood clotting issues: report

According to an exclusive report from the Wall Street Journal, Johnson & Johnson requested help from rival COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna with help investigating blood clotting issues with their offering intended to curb the pandemic and were turned down.

Earlier in the week, the CDC issued a warning about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and urged a pause after a reported six patients -- all women -- developed blood clotting problems.

Friday morning, the Wall Street Journal claimed J&J reached out to their competitors and were rebuffed with the exception of AstraZeneca.

"Johnson & Johnson privately reached out to Covid-19 vaccine rivals to ask them to join an effort to study the risks of blood clots and speak with one voice about safety, " the report states before adding, "Pfizer and Moderna executives declined the offer, saying their vaccines appeared safe, the people said. The pair also objected because they didn't see the need to duplicate the efforts of regulators and companies already looking for blood-clot cases and investigating the cause, the people said. One company's concern: The safety of the Pfizer and Moderna shots could be tarnished by association, some of the people said."

The report adds, "Only AstraZeneca, which had been buffeted by similar blood-clotting concerns for weeks, agreed, the people said."

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Lockdown-defying gym linked to hundreds of COVID infections and one death

A gym in Quebec City that has defied lockdown orders during the COVID-19 pandemic has now been linked to hundreds of cases, including one death.

The CBC reports that the Canadian health officials believe the Mega Fitness Gym 24H in Quebec City served as a super-spreader center for the novel coronavirus in the weeks before it was officially shut down for defying pandemic restrictions.

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Mysterious ailment, mysterious relief: Vaccines help some Covid long haulers

An estimated 10% to 30% of people who get covid-19 suffer from lingering symptoms of the disease, or what’s known as “long covid.” This story is part of a partnership that includes NPR and KHN. It can be republished for free. Judy Dodd, who lives in New York City, is one of them. She spent nearly a year plagued by headaches, shortness of breath, extreme fatigue and problems with her sense of smell, among other symptoms. She said she worried that this “slog through life” was going to be her new normal. Everything changed after she got her covid vaccine. “I was like a new person. It was the craz...

WHO chief says COVID-19 infection rate approaching highest of pandemic so far

GENEVA (Reuters) - The number of new COVID-19 cases per week has nearly doubled globally over the past two months, approaching the highest rate seen so far during the pandemic, the head of the World Health Organization said on Friday.

"Cases and deaths are continuing to increase at worrying rates," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a briefing focused on Papua New Guinea and the western Pacific region.

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GOP obsessed with Fauci because he’s a symbol of their ‘attack on science’: Bush strategist

On CNN Thursday, former George W. Bush campaign strategist Matthew Dowd highlighted why Republicans have been so fixated on demonizing National Institutes of Health expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, as Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) did at a congressional hearing earlier in the day.

"This is far from the first time we've seen Republicans try to beat up on Dr. Fauci," noted anchor Erin Burnett. "They love these moments. We saw it from Jim Jordan (R-OH) today and Rand Paul (R-KY) not long ago. That's how it's been. Why is the GOP so obsessed with going after Dr. Fauci?"

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Ted Cruz will no longer wear a mask in the Senate despite CDC guidelines and rising coronavirus cases

As COVID-19 continues to rise across half the country and the CDC IS urging Americans to continue to practice social distancing and mask-wearing, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has decided he will no longer wear a mask while on Capitol Hill.

"At this point I've been vaccinated. Everybody working in the Senate has been vaccinated," the Texas Republican told CNN, which is false. About one in four members of Congress are refusing to be inoculated or to disclose their vaccination status as of last month. And many people who are not working in the Senate, but visiting Capitol Hill on business enter the building daily.

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Pfizer CEO says third COVID-19 booster shot ‘likely’ needed within a year of getting vaccinated

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla predicted Thursday that people who have received the company’s COVID-19 vaccine will “likely” need a third booster shot within a year to maintain protection against the virus. “It is extremely important to suppress the pool of people that can be susceptible to the virus,” Bourla told CNBC. The pharmaceutical chief said it’s also possible that people will need to get inoculated every year against coronavirus. Pfizer had said as early as February that it was testing booster shots in case it was determined they would be needed. Moderna, the competitor whose vaccine uses a...