Looking up at the glass ceiling of New York City’s Javits Center yesterday, watching the sun stream through as I waited for my first COVID-19 vaccine dose alongside hundreds of others, I felt hope stirring in my chest.
I got the same feeling when I read my colleague Charlotte Alter’s latest story. In it, Charlotte compares the remarkably different mood in New York City this spring—with vaccines here and the promise of normal(ish) life around the corner—compared to last, when sirens screamed 24/7 and field hospitals were set up around the city. It feels like a different world now.
That’s not just a New York phenomenon, of course. Nearly a third of Americans have received at least one vaccine dose and about 20% are fully vaccinated. Across the country, vaccinated families are reuniting, and people are cautiously emerging from isolation, ready for better times ahead. The economy seems to be rebounding, and analysts are predicting strong recoveries across industries.
It’s important to note, though, that the pandemic is not over. The number of Americans vaccinated climbs each day, but fully vaccinated people are still in the minority—particularly on a global scale. COVID-19 is still spreading, mutating and causing worrying surges in some states (New York among them). We are still living in a pandemic, and it could get worse if we prematurely abandon measures like masking and social distancing.
It is possible, though, to both acknowledge that serious reality and embrace the optimism of the season. After a heartbreaking year, we all need hope; it can be just the motivator required to carry us through the next few months until, if all goes well, a majority of people in the U.S. are protected from the virus.
"The last year has been winter for our economy, winter for our public health, and winter for our democracy,” Charlotte says. “But I really think spring is finally here."
TK (Note: these numbers have not been updated by the CDC since yesterday's Coronavirus Brief was sent out.)
[CHART TK]
Two new studies help explain why AstraZeneca’s vaccine has been linked to rare blood clotting, leading countries around the world to pause or restrict its use. In some people, the research suggests, AstraZeneca’s vaccine may prompt the body to produce antibodies that stick to platelets—cells in the blood involved in the clotting process—and create potentially fatal clots that block blood flow. This risk appears particularly high among people younger than 30, which has led some regulators to recommend that providers give other shots to younger adults. AstraZeneca’s vaccine has not yet been authorized for use in the U.S.
Fewer than 1 million Johnson & Johnson vaccines were allocated to U.S. states, territories, federal agencies and cities for next week compared to nearly 5 million this week, the Wall Street Journal reports . The reason for the drop isn’t entirely clear; a recent manufacturing error at a Johnson & Johnson plant is not to blame, since the facility had not yet received authorization to supply the U.S. with doses, and the company hasn’t offered an explanation. But the dramatic decline comes at an inopportune time, as many U.S. states are expanding their vaccine eligibility and need supplies to back up that shift. Company spokespeople said Johnson & Johnson is still on track to deliver its promised 100 million doses by mid-2021.
TODAY'S CORONAVIRUS OUTLOOK
The Global Situation
More than 133.9 million people around the world had been diagnosed with COVID-19 as of 1 a.m. E.T. today, and more than 2.9 million people have died. On April 8, there were 839,226 new cases and 14,605 new deaths confirmed globally.
Here's how the world as a whole is currently trending:
Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
And here is every country with over 2 million confirmed cases:
In most countries with solid access to vaccines, death rates are starting to drop as the elderly—the people most likely to die from COVID-19—get their immunizations. That isn’t happening in Italy, as the Washington Post notes. Despite months of vaccinating, Italy’s death rates are around where they were at the end of 2020. That may be because the country has vaccinated too many young, healthy workers and not enough of its sizable elderly population, experts told the Post.
Germany today inched closer to a nationwide lockdown, as Chancellor Angela Merkel sought to standardize disease precautions across the country’s states. German health officials are also set to begin negotiations to buy the Russian-developed Sputnik V vaccine, Reuters reports. The vaccine has not yet been approved by European Union regulators, and German officials would reportedly not follow through with the purchase without that approval, Still, with roughly 26,000 new cases reported yesterday, Germany appears to be doing whatever possible to stem the virus’ spread.
The Situation in the U.S.
The U.S. had recorded more than 31 million coronavirus cases as of 1 a.m. E.T. today. More than 560,000 people have died. On April 8, there were 79,254 new cases and 974 new deaths confirmed in the U.S.
Here's how the country as a whole is currently trending:
Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
For months, conversations about vaccine rollout have focused on supply: how to increase it and when we’ll have enough of it. But there are now signs that we should be shifting our focus to demand. In Mississippi, the New York Times reports, there were more than 73,000 open vaccine appointment slots listed on the state scheduling website yesterday. That’s good, in one respect—it shows how far supply has come—but having that many available appointments also suggests that demand is waning now that many vaccine-eager people have already gotten their shots.
One important step to increasing demand? Reaching Gen Z, STAT reports. There’s been a noticeable lack of vaccine information on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, which means many younger Americans are being left out of public messaging campaigns. A recent STAT/Harris Poll survey found that about 21% of Gen Z respondents did not want to get vaccinated and 34% said they wanted to “wait awhile and see” before getting their own shots.
All numbers unless otherwise specified are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of April 9, 1 a.m. E.T. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
What to Do If You Miss Your Second Dose
The two-dose COVID-19 vaccines are supposed to be given a few weeks apart. But is it ever too late to get your second shot? Read more here.
Working Toward an At-Home COVID-19 Treatment
If you were sick with the flu, your doctor might send you home with a prescription for the antiviral medication Tamiflu, and instructions to rest. As STAT reports, researchers are working toward a similar treatment for COVID-19—but it may be a ways off. Read more here.
You Can Stop Deep Cleaning Now
Remember wiping down your groceries and quarantining your mail? CDC guidance from this week suggests those precautions may have been overkill, in a shift that is music to many scientists’ ears, according to the New York Times. Read more here.
Thanks for reading. We hope you find the Coronavirus Brief newsletter to be a helpful tool to navigate this very complex situation, and welcome feedback at coronavirus.brief@time.com. If you have specific questions you'd like us to answer, please send them to covidquestions@time.com.
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Today's newsletter was written by Jamie Ducharme and edited by Elijah Wolfson.
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