Health

Moderna’s new COVID-19 vaccine for South African variant ready for human testing, company says

Moderna on Wednesday announced that the COVID-19 vaccine it recently developed to address a concerning new coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa is ready to be tested in humans in clinical trials.

Moderna in a news release said that it has shipped the first batch of doses of the new jab to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to commence a Phase 1 clinical trial “that will be led and funded by the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).”

The new vaccine candidate, dubbed mRNA-1273.351, was created to better address the South African variant after the company’s existing vaccine — the second COVID-19 vaccine to see emergency approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) late last year — was found to have reduced efficacy against the mutation.

In a study published last week, the biotech giant said its existing COVID-19 jab was found to have a six-fold reduction in vaccine-induced antibodies against the B.1.351 variant. (Despite this reduction, however, “neutralizing titer levels with B.1.351 remain above levels that are expected to be protective,” the company said.)

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Moderna said Wednesday it plans to study three variations of a booster. First, it will study the variant-specific jab, which will be given at a lower dose than its original vaccine, and, also like its original vaccine, will require an evaluation and emergency use approval from the FDA before it can be distributed to the public, should the results of the trial prove promising.

Secondly, Moderna said it plans to study a combination of the original vaccine and the variant-specific one in a single jab at 50 micrograms or lower. Lastly, it will study the effects of a third dose of its original vaccine, but at a lower dosage.

“Moderna is committed to making as many updates to our vaccine as necessary until the pandemic is under control,” Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement. “We hope to demonstrate that booster doses, if necessary, can be done at lower dose levels, which will allow us to provide many more doses to the global community in late 2021 and 2022 if necessary.”

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The news of the booster comes just a month after Moderna said it was working on one. Like its first COVID-19 jab, the new vaccine candidate was also created using groundbreaking mRNA technology.

In addition to Moderna, other vaccine makers — including Pfizer, the creator of the first COVID-19 vaccine to see emergency approval in the U.S., as well as Johnson & Johnson — have said they are working on vaccines to better combat variants.

Common cold outbreaks to be expected as schools reopen, CDC warns

Outbreaks of the common cold could become more commonplace as schools reopen for in-person learning, according to a new report from the Centers for Diease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In the report recently published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, the journal of the CDC, researchers looked at school reopenings in Hong Kong as an indication of what may happen in the U.S. as students move away from remote learning. In Hong Kong, schools closed down due to COVID-19 from late January-May 2020. They reopened briefly but closed back down in July amid a surge in cases.

However, when the schools and child care centers reopened in October, cases of the common cold surged among children — despite the mandatory use of face masks and other measures in place to curb the spread of COVD-19.

The researchers suspect that the children were more susceptible to common-cold-causing rhinoviruses once they returned to in-person learning because they had spent the majority of the year away from others outside their household, decreasing the number of chances they had to be exposed to rhinoviruses and ultimately build up immunity.

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“A large number of common cold outbreaks in Hong Kong schools and childcare centers during October–November 2020 led to territory-wide school dismissals,” they wrote in the report. “Increased susceptibility to rhinoviruses during prolonged school closures and dismissals for coronavirus disease and varying effectiveness of nonpharmaceutical interventions may have heightened transmission of cold-causing viruses after school attendance resumed.”

The outbreaks — there were 482 reported between October 25 and November 28, the CDC said — largely occurred in primary schools, kindergartens, child care centers, and nursery schools.

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“Population susceptibility to rhinoviruses and other respiratory viruses, including influenza viruses, might have been increasing over time because persons were likely less exposed to the viruses when intense social distancing measures, including school dismissals, were implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This would have increased transmission potential when schools resumed,” the report’s authors wrote, noting that in September, schools in England experienced a similar occurrence. Two weeks after fully reopening schools, “a substantial increase in the detection of rhinoviruses among adults was recorded, possibly driven by transmission among children.”

Researchers aren’t sure why common cold outbreaks occurred despite the wide range of infection control measures in place when children returned to school.

“Although in general transmission modes may be similar for different respiratory viruses, how much each mode contributes to transmission of a specific virus remains unclear; therefore, the effectiveness of certain nonpharmaceutical interventions might differ between viruses,” they hypothesized. “For example, face masks were shown to be efficacious in blocking the release of coronaviruses and influenza viruses, but not rhinoviruses, in exhaled breath.”

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They also noted that rhinoviruses are more resistant to certain disinfectants than coronaviruses and influenza viruses are, which may also help to explain the outbreaks.

“Our findings highlight the increased risk posed by common cold viruses in locations where schools have been closed or dismissed for extended periods during the COVID-19 pandemic,” they concluded.

Beware of COVID-19 vaccine scams, CDC warns older adults

The Centers for Diease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently warned older Americans of scams involving the COVID-19 vaccine.

In guidance entitled “What Older Adults Need to Know about COVID-19 Vaccines,” posted on Feb. 19, the CDC said adults 65 years of age and older — one of the first groups eligible to receive the jab — should be aware that COVID-19 vaccines are “free of charge” for those living in the U.S.

“If anyone asks you to pay for access to vaccine, you can bet it’s a scam,” the CDC said in the guidance. “Don’t share your personal or financial information if someone calls, texts, or emails you promising access to the vaccine for an extra fee.”

Though the vaccine is free of charge, “your vaccination provider may bill your insurance for administering the vaccine,” the CDC noted. “No one can be denied a vaccine if they are unable to pay this cost.”

MILLIONS OF FAKE N95 MASKS SHIPPED TO MULTIPLE STATES, FEDS SAY

Since the onset of COVID-19, scammers have used the pandemic to take advantage of Americans’ fears to make a quick buck. Just last week, for instance, federal officials announced that they’ve seized some 11 million fake N95 masks as part of a federal investigation into the foreign-made knockoffs that have been distributed to hospitals, medical facilities, and beyond in at least five states.

Since the pandemic began more than a year ago, federal officials have also seen an increase in phony websites purporting to sell vaccines, as well as fake medicine produced overseas, they said.

Overall, Homeland Security Investigations has used its 7,000 agents, along with border officials, the Food and Drug Administration and the FBI, to investigate the scams, seizing $33 million in phony products and arresting more than 200 people to date. The effort is based at the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, a government watchdog aimed at enforcing international trade laws and combating intellectual property theft.

Additionally, in line with helping Americans protect themselves from scammers, the Better Business Bureau earlier this month warned vaccine recipients to avoid sharing their COVID-19 vaccination cards on social media.

The personal information from the cards, which are used to track who has and hasn’t been vaccinated, can be used by scammers to create and sell imitation cards, the BBB said at the time, citing reports of individuals in Great Britain who were caught selling fake cards on eBay and TikTok.

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“Unfortunately, your card has your full name and birthday on it, as well as information about where you got your vaccine,” the organization said. “If your social media privacy settings aren’t set high, you may be giving valuable information away for anyone to use.”

Fox Business’s Lucas Manfredi and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

California coronavirus variant may spread faster, inflict severe disease, early data suggests

Early data suggests a coronavirus variant first detected in California may be more transmissible, possibly cause more severe disease, and could have an impact on vaccine efficacy.

Study authors are awaiting approval from public health departments for publishing of a preprint, though Dr. Charles Chiu, co-study author and professor of laboratory medicine with the University of California San Francisco, shared and elaborated on the findings to Fox News.

“I am worried, concerned but not panicking about this,” Chiu said. “This is something that needs to be further investigated and I really think that at this point we don’t know enough to recommend any changes to the standard public health measures that we use to prevent infection.”

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The team sequenced viral genomes from 2,172 nasal samples from COVID-19 patients across 44 counties in California from Sept. 1, 2020 to Jan. 29, though sequencing was concentrated in major metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, Alameda, San Francisco and Santa Clara counties.

The team analyzed nasal swabs from over 2,000 genomes to gather findings.
(iStock)

The variant, dubbed B.1.427/B.1.429 or 20C/L452R, swelled to account for over 50% of cases across multiple counties over the five-month sampling period. The study notes the variant was detected in 459 of the 2,172 sampled genomes, or about 21%. The first reported case of the variant occurred in July in Los Angeles, though sequence analysis suggests it likely emerged in May 2020. This variant includes a key unique mutation dubbed L452R not seen on other concerning variants like those first identified in the U.K. Brazil and South Africa, among other mutations.

“We managed to obtain some evidence that this is a more infectious variant,” Chiu said, noting a two-fold increase in patients’ virus concentrations in the nasal swabs. “That doesn’t necessarily prove, but does suggest, that it may be more infectious.”

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Another line of evidence behind increased transmissibility involved pseudoviruses that researchers genetically engineered to include the key L452R mutation.

“We found out that those viruses were at least 40% more infectious than viruses that did not have that mutation,” Chiu continued. “The key mutation that’s found in this variant appears at least in vitro, in the lab, to be more infectious to cells.”

Public health experts say the same mitigation measures, like mask use, proper distancing, hand hygiene and prompt, widespread vaccination will help protect against variant strains of the virus.
(iStock)

Three lines of evidence combine to form clinical, laboratory and other data backing claims that the variant could be more tranmissible.

What’s more, when researchers examined 13 blood samples from recovered patients and vaccine recipients, and tested how well the antibodies neutralized the variant compared to other strains, the antibodies in the blood from two of three recovered patients were four-fold less effective in neutralizing the variant, and antibodies from six of eight vaccine recipients were two-fold less effective in neutralizing the variant.

Chiu said these vaccine recipients received two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

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Studies have suggested the South African variant dropped the Pfizer vaccine’s neutralization power by about two-thirds, while Moderna saw a six-fold reduction in neutralizing antibodies. Chiu notes that the California strain, by way of comparison, lent a “moderate” effect.

The coronavirus variant lent a “moderate” reduction in neutralizing power from the recently-approved vaccines, study authors said.
(iStock)

The retrospective analysis assessing for virulence, or severe disease associated with the strain, was a difficult analysis, but findings from 324 hospitalized COVID-19 patients at a tertiary hospital suggested an increased association with ICU stay and death. More specifically, the variant was detected among 69 patients. Chiu said 11% of hospitalized patients infected with the variant died, compared to 2% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients infected with a different strain. This difference is statistically significant, he said.

“As the number and proportion of severe cases were low in our cohort, resulting in wide confidence intervals, further investigation is needed to confirm these findings,” the study reads. “In addition, as shown for B.1.1.7, it is difficult to discriminate between whether the variant is inherently more virulent or whether the higher risk of severe disease is related to other factors such as increased transmissibility resulting [in] an influx of cases that can strain available health care resources.”

“This is still very preliminary data, but it does suggest that there may a potential association between more severe disease from infection from the variant,” Chiu said.

There are still unanswered questions, like the exact mechanism behind the key L452R mutation. While the mutation is located in the same region (the receptor binding domain) as other mutations identified in global variants of concern, it doesn’t come into direct contact with the ACE2 receptor, compared to the N501Y mutation on the B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the U.K., for instance. Instead, the mutation comes into close proximity with the ACE2 receptor, and separate early data suggests the mutation helps to stabilize the interaction between the spike protein and the ACE2 receptor.

Chiu said it’s unclear at this point whether the strain is responsible for a sharp increase in virus cases in California. State data shows California experienced a severe surge in cases from late December to mid-January, logging over 40,000 daily infections. Chiu said a so-called “genetic drift,” or a random emergence of the “right strain at the right time” could also be behind the surge. Another puzzling piece is the timing behind the state’s case surge, when the variant likely emerged earlier last spring. Researchers are still working to answer this question.

The key L452R mutation has also previously been found in Denmark, but this was not the same variant, which hosts its own set of unique mutations.

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The California variant has yet to arise to the level of a “VOC,” or variant of concern, likely because of the unknowns associated with it so far, the study author said. This decision to coin the strain a “VOC” should ultimately be left to public health authorities and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chiu said.

Chiu said researchers “urgently” need to accumulate more data to further confirm the findings, especially initial findings regarding infectivity, transmissibility and effect on neutralizing antibodies.

Cases of rare coronavirus-linked inflammatory illness in children reported in Virginia: officials

Five more cases of a rare but potentially serious coronavirus-related inflammatory condition in children have been reported in Virginia, health officials there said.

Officials with the Virginia Department of Health said Monday that the five cases have all been reported in the Richmond area, noting that the increase in what is known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) “coincides with the surge in cases of COVID-19 in the metro area.”

“Other states have also reported increases in MIS-C concurrent with increases in COVID-19 cases,” they added.

“These cases serve as an important reminder that COVID-19 can affect people of all ages. Even as our vaccination campaign continues to reach more and more people, we cannot let our guard down and we must continue to take precautions to prevent the spread of this infection,” Dr. Tom Franck, the director for the Chickahominy Health District, where at least one case of MIS-C has been identified, said in a statement.

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To date, Virginia has reported two dozen cases of MIS-C, which typically arises several weeks after a COVID-19 illness or contact with someone with COVID-19, and can lead to organ damage due to a hyperinflammatory response. MIS-C can cause inflammation in one or more organ systems, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, brain, and/or skin.

No deaths related to MIS-C have been reported in the state, per state data.

Treatments for MIS-C focus on easing the intense inflammatory response, often involving IVIg (intravenous immunoglobulin treatment), or pools of antibodies with particularly potent anti-inflammatory characteristics, as well as steroids to calm the immune system. Children with persistent inflammatory issues, or those requiring intensive care, may require more targeted anti-inflammatories or immunomodulators.

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Experts have warned that significant community transmission of COVID-19 will likely increase the prevalence of MIS-C. Parents should monitor children for telling signs of MIS-C such as fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, inflammation of the skin, eyes, hands, or feet, skin rash, or lips or eyes that appear red. Some children have puffy hands or feet, while others present enlarged lymph nodes.

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As of Feb. 8, more than 2,000 MIS-C cases have been reported nationwide, disproportionately affecting minority populations. At least 30 children have died in the U.S. after developing the condition, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Fox News’ Kayla Rivas contributed to this report.

Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine ready for rollout ‘without delay’ pending EUA, White House says

The U.S. is prepared to send out 3-to-4 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine as early as next week should the FDA grant emergency use authorization on Friday. In a briefing held Wednesday, Jeff Zients, White House COVID-19 coordinator, said that the U.S. is “ready to roll out this vaccine without delay.”

Zients said the distribution and allocation of supply would mirror the approach currently being used across jurisdictions, pharmacies and community centers with Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines. His comments come just hours after the FDA posted documents that indicated the agency found no safety concerns after reviewing Johnson & Johnson’s application.

The company has previously announced plans to deliver 20 million doses by the end of March. Zients said the White House is working with Johnson & Johnson to further “accelerate the pace and timeframe” for which they deliver the full 100 million doses required by contract by the end of June, which is the amount agreed upon in a previous contract.

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“While we await the FDA’s decision we want the American people to know that we are doing the work so that if the EUA is granted, we will waste no time getting this lifesaving vaccine into [the] arms of Americans,” he said.

When the Biden administration took office, officials learned that Johnson & Johnson had fallen behind in their production schedule, and they began work to obtain raw supply and speed production efforts, he added.

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Zients said the U.S. is averaging 1.4 million doses of vaccine administered per day, down from last week’s average of 1.7 million. He pointed to weather delays for last week’s dip and said an uptick in supply being shipped out would likely accelerate the pace.

Coronavirus experts frustrated with Fauci, media on mixed vaccine messaging: ‘We will never get to zero risk’

The Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines have been an outstanding success by any measure and represent the quickest path to a return to normal American life, but experts are worried that mixed government messaging and skeptical journalism are clouding the good news.

Instead of hearing vaccines are a direct ticket to normalcy, hedging statements from Biden administration figures like Dr. Anthony Fauci and White House press secretary Jen Psaki have cast doubt on when that will occur, even after people get vaccinated. Instead of pushing studies that vaccinated persons are far less likely to infect others because of a reduced viral load, Americans are being told to continue hunkering down.

And media reports haven’t always helped, including one headline from NBC News suggesting coronavirus was still spreading among vaccinated individuals, even though the few cases in Oregon were mild to asymptomatic. Other local news headlines have highlighted isolated instances of people dying post-vaccination, without a link to the vaccine having been confirmed.

No concerning safety issues were associated with either the Pfizer and BioNTech or Moderna coronavirus vaccines during the first month of rollouts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported last week. No deaths were attributed to the vaccines either, the health agency noted.

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“If you’re not giving people hope and you’re not giving them the idea that this is going to end soon, the mental health of the nation is going to continue to decline,” Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier said in an interview.

It’s not false hope, either, despite the grim milestone of 500,000 COVID-19 deaths this week and a year of business shutdowns, school closings, and isolation. Due partly to the vaccine — but also to potentially high natural immunity from those who already got the virus and don’t know it — the U.S. is seeing declining rates of cases and deaths. It leads the world in total vaccinations doled out.

Israel has administered at least one dose of Pfizer to nearly half of its population, and vaccinated Israelis were 95.8 percent less likely to get coronavirus and 98.9 percent less likely to be hospitalized or die than those without vaccinations. A sharp decline in hospitalization and serious illness was also reported for the first time in people aged 55 and older, according to Reuters.

But the difference is Israel is framing the vaccine as a reward that leads to getting back to normal activities, or a “carrot,” as Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel put it. The U.S. largely isn’t.

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“Israel has done a superb job of messaging on this. Israel is really giving you the big numbers, and they’re coming across very well,” Siegel said, adding, “The question is over. It’s answered. This is as good as we thought it was. The data out of Israel is irrefutable. This vaccine is safe and it works.”

For Saphier, the message is simple.

“Anyone who wants the vaccination should go out and get the vaccine because it is safe and incredibly efficacious. From a messaging standpoint, it is crucial to tell the American people why they should be vaccinated,” she said.

Israel, of course, has a small fraction of the population of the United States and is roughly the physical size of New Jersey. Still, it aggressively re-opened in the wake of its successful vaccine launch, giving access to leisure places like gyms and swimming pools to those who prove with their “vaccine passports” that they’ve been jabbed.

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“I think we could use it as a carrot rather than a stick. There’s too many sticks,” said Siegel, who got his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine in January,

In a perfect example of COVID policy not matching the deserved faith in vaccines, Siegel was required to get a negative coronavirus test before attending a New York Knicks game Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. However, his chance of having the virus after being vaccinated was far less than a non-vaccinated, asymptomatic COVID carrier getting a false negative result.

And yet there continue to be mixed messages from the Biden administration, in spite of the president’s repeated insistence that science, and science only, would guide his response. It’s gotten the attention of the New York Times, which noted polls showing significant percentages of various groups, from Republicans to minorities to health care workers, are skeptical about the vaccine.

Virologists and epidemiologists told the Times it’s because of messaging that emphasizes uncertainty and potential bad news. While not necessarily false, it’s misleading.

“They’re right to be cautious about the optimistic trends, but they’re overly cautious, and they’re right to be semi-alarmist on the variants, but they’re over-alarmist on the variants,” Siegel said.

Dr. Rebecca Wurtz of the University of Minnesota told the Times that ambiguous messaging contributes to “ambivalent feelings about vaccination.”

“Over and over again, I see statements that in theory one could be infected and spread the virus even after being fully vaccinated,” she said.

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Frustration among conservatives, even Trump-skeptical ones, is particularly mounting with Fauci, who is well-regarded by his medical peers but has come under scrutiny for his hyper-caution. He is fully vaccinated, but he still recently said he won’t dine out or travel to see his family, and he’s discouraged others who are vaccinated from doing so. He’s said he hopes for a “degree of normality” by the end of the year.

HotAir’s AllahPundit called Fauci’s approach “madness” and said the onus should be on the unvaccinated to avoid public places. The New York Times’s Ross Douthat wrote President Biden and Fauci are far too “pessimistic” given the trendlines.

“The danger of the overcautious, wait-for-Christmas public rhetoric from Biden and Fauci is that it provides cover and encouragement for fearful officials to extend the whole suite of emergency measures for many unnecessary months,” Douthat wrote.

Commentary’s Noah Rothman has also been sharply critical of the dour tone from the face of the coronavirus response.

But Fauci’s message mirrors the White House, as well as some of its media proponents.

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Biden said last week he hoped the country could be back to normal by Christmas, which would be nearly two years after the outbreak first hit the United States. Psaki has also pushed the message from the White House podium that vaccinations aren’t an automatic ticket to pre-COVID life.

“Obviously, [the vaccine] is an incredible medical breakthrough and we want every American to have one. But even after you’re vaccinated, social distancing and wearing masks are going to be essential, and we’ll need to continue communicating about that,” she said earlier this month.

In December, MSNBC medical analyst Dr. Vin Gupta admonished viewers to not feel “liberated from masks” once they got their two doses and still not to travel until summer.

Messaging behind the vaccine should not be about getting to “zero risk,” Saphier told Fox News, adding common sense dictates that vaccinated people have lower viral loads and are thus less likely to transmit the disease. Data from Israel has demonstrated the vaccine is highly effective against the asymptomatic spread of the virus.

“We will never get to zero risk,” Saphier said. “Seat belts reduce the risk in motor vehicle accidents by 45 percent, but still over a million people die in motor vehicle crashes because we still go out, we still are driving cars … The further along we go and getting more immunity, the stronger our messaging needs to be that it’s time to start resuming normal life. People are not going to go get the vaccine if nothing’s going to change.”

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Before winning the election, Biden and running mate Kamala Harris questioned the viability of a potential vaccine under the Trump administration. Media outlets declared Trump would need a “miracle” to have one ready by the end of 2020, but there wound up being two following Operation Warp Speed. Trump also publicly clashed with Fauci and other medical experts on coronavirus messages, and the reliability of the government’s potentially life-saving information became questionable.

It’s all a reminder that politics doesn’t mix well with public health.

“A huge reason that people who are choosing not to get it is because they feel the process was rushed, and why do people feel the process was rushed? The politicization of it in 2020,” Saphier said.

She added that Fauci has a “hard time commenting on things” unless there’s a strong clinical trial behind it, calling him “very smart” and thus hopefully able to relay common sense.

“I think he plays it safe, and unfortunately while that may be professionaly responsible, I don’t think that’s what the American people need right now,” she said. “I’d rather be honest with my opinion and be wrong then to leave the American people in the dark.”

A new poll shows some encouraging signs, with 60 percent of registered voters saying they either will or already got vaccinated, up from 45 percent in the same survey in November. However, there was a gap between Democrats (78 percent) and Republicans (47 percent) demonstrating politics has poisoned vaccine credibility in the minds of many voters.

Dr. Paul Offit of the University of Pennsylvania told Fox News, however, that the Biden administration is properly promoting the vaccine and the messaging around continuing to mask was proper, since most of the population is still unvaccinated. He cited a Norway study from the early 2000s that found unvaccinated people in a highly vaccinated community were actually less likely to develop measles than a single vaccinated person in a largely unvaccinated community.

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“You’re still seeing thousands of deaths per day. This is still a pandemic,” he said. “There are two ways to argue to continue to wear a mask. I don’t think you can make a good argument for altruism in the United States. People are too selfish. I think that’s not going to be a message that sells.”

Washington state detects South Africa coronavirus variant

Washington state health officials announced Tuesday that a concerning coronavirus variant first detected in South Africa had been found in northwestern King County, home to Seattle.

The variant was discovered on Monday through genomic sequencing at the UW Medicine Virology Laboratory, per a news release from the state health department. Health officials said the patient tested positive on Jan. 29, but could not disclose any other details, like travel history, because contact tracing efforts could not reach the patient.

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“The detection of these COVID-19 variants in our state reminds us that this pandemic is not over,” Dr. Scott Lindquist, acting state health officer, said in the release. “Despite the decrease in our case count, we are very concerned about the emergence of these variants and how it will affect our future case counts. As a community, we need to re-double our efforts to prevent the spread of this virus and its variants by following public health guidance.”

State data shows new confirmed cases have been gradually declining since early January, dropping below the 1,000 mark more recently.

The health department also announced 19 more cases of the B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the U.K., for a total of 39.

Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for public health in Seattle and King County, said the B.1.1.7 variant is more transmissible than previous strains, while the B.1.351 variant may lower vaccine effectiveness. Scientists in the U.K. previously estimated the B.1.1.7 variant could be up to 70% more transmissible, while researchers in South Africa have estimated the strain originating there could spread about 50% more readily.

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Several companies are exploring variant booster shots in a bid for more protection against the strains. Both Pfizer and Moderna have said protection against the B.1.351 variant in particular remains unclear. Studies have suggested the variant dropped the Pfizer vaccine’s neutralization power by about two-thirds, while Moderna saw a six-fold reduction in neutralizing antibodies.

Data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists 46 reported cases of the B.1.351 variant across 14 states, with about 1,880 reported cases of the B.1.1.7 strain across 45 states. CDC models have projected the B.1.1.7 strain will become dominant in the U.S. in the coming weeks.

Clive Davis Bell’s palsy diagnosis: What to know about the condition

Clive Davis’ rep told Page Six that the record industry legend would be postponing the second half a planned virtual pre-Grammys party following a Bell’s palsy diagnosis. Sean Cassidy told the outlet that 88-year-old Davis is currently being treated with antibiotics and steroids and “is expected to recover within six to eight weeks.”

Recovery for patients diagnosed with Bell’s palsy typically takes between two weeks to six months from the onset of symptoms, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, and in rare cases, it may never go away. For the majority that do recover, most regain full facial strength and expression.

In light of the diagnosis, Davis has postponed the second half of his pre-Grammys gala.
(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

It can strike anyone at any age, but most often occurs in pregnant women, people with diabetes or in patients with influenza, a cold, or other upper respiratory ailment. It may also occur in patients diagnosed with Lyme disease, Guillain-Barre syndrome, after an injury, sarcoidosis multiple sclerosis or a viral infection. The cause is not known, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, but it may be related to inflammation directed by the body’s immune system against the neve controlling facial movement.

CLIVE DAVIS DIAGNOSED WITH BELL’S PALSY, POSTPONES GRAMMYS PARTY

The condition may cause loss of feeling in the face, disordered facial movement, headache, tearing, drooling, loss of sense of taste, hypersensitivity to sound, and inability to close the eye, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. A diagnosis is typically made through symptom evaluation.

There are several treatment options for patient, including antivirals, physical therapy, steroids and heat therapy. There are also alternative therapies available for patients to try.

In 2016, Angelina Jolie developed the condition. She told Vanity Fair the following year that she credited acupuncture with her recovery.

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Cassidy told Page Six that Davis is a week into his diagnosis and is looking forward to hosting the second half of the gala in May.

Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine has ‘favorable safety profile,’ FDA staff finds

The Food and Drug Administration posted documents Wednesday finding a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson had a “favorable safety profile with no specific concerns identified that would preclude issuance of an EUA.”

The endorsement, which is not the same as the committee’s vote or FDA approval process, is a promising sign for the vaccine. It would mark the third COVID-19 vaccine to receive EUA in the U.S.

The vaccine candidate showed to be 66.9% effective against moderate-to-severe disease in a global trial two weeks post-vaccination, per documents posted ahead of a meeting of a panel of independent experts. The company is seeking authorization for use in individuals ages 18 and older.

JOHNSON & JOHNSON SAYS IT CAN PRODUCE 20M DOSES OF COVID-19 VACCINE BY LATE MARCH

The committee noted no COVID-19-related deaths in vaccinated individuals as of Feb. 5, though seven COVID-19-related deaths occurred in the placebo group. All seven deaths involved individuals at study sites in South Africa with at least one underlying health condition.

“These results suggest that the vaccine is efficacious against mortality associated with COVID-19,” the documents read.

HOW DO WE KNOW COVID-19 VACCINES ARE SAFE?

However, the committee noted that vaccine efficacy results had “limited interpretability” for those aged over 75 and “certain racial groups.” There was not enough data to assess vaccine efficacy in those previously infected.

The most common reactions associated with the vaccine included pain at the injection site, headache, fatigue and myalgia, which were mostly “mild and moderate,” resolving within two days post-vaccination. Participants ages 18-59 experienced reactions occurring soon after vaccination more often than those aged over 60.

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“There were no specific safety concerns identified in subgroup analyses by age, race, ethnicity, medical comorbidities, or prior SARS-CoV-2 infection,” per the documents. The committee noted five cases of urticaria, or red swelling, among vaccinated participants, compared to one in the placebo group. The committee said this non-serious event was “possibly related to the vaccine.” Further, insufficient data behind blood clots and tinnitus couldn’t pin a “causal relationship between these events and the vaccine.”

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The shot differs from Pfizer and BioNTech’s and Moderna’s, which were developed using mRNA technology, as this was derived from an adenovirus vector formula. It also requires one dose as opposed to two spaced out over several weeks.

Fox News’ Alexandria Hein contributed to this report.

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