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By Jonathan Wolfe
A U.S. federal judge struck down the moratorium on evictions that was enacted by Congress last spring.
A pair of U.N. reports said the pandemic had contributed to soaring hunger and declines in maternal health care worldwide, threatening tens of millions of people.
The U.S. birthrate declined by 4 per cent in 2020, and the pandemic may be accelerating the decline.
Get the latest updates here, as well as maps and a vaccine tracker.
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Second wave vaccines
As terrifying outbreaks erupt around the world, governments are scrambling to tap into the global supply of vaccines. But with so few doses to go around, many countries, particularly those in the developing world, are looking toward an upcoming "second wave" of vaccines.
Several have potential: Novavax, based in Maryland, is expected to apply for U.S. authorization in the next few weeks. The Indian pharmaceutical company Biological E is testing a vaccine that was developed by researchers in Texas. And researchers in Brazil, Mexico, Thailand and Vietnam are starting trials for a Covid-19 shot that can be mass-produced in chicken eggs.
My colleague Carl Zimmer, who covers science for The Times, told me that experts are particularly curious about an RNA vaccine from a small German company called CureVac, which entered the RNA vaccine business before BioNTech and Moderna. CureVac could announce results from its late-stage vaccine trial as early as next week.
"Moderna and Pfizer-Biotech demonstrated that RNA vaccines can work incredibly well," Carl said. "They are about as good as a vaccine can be, in terms of protection, as far as we can tell right now. So it's possible that CureVac might also be really effective, too."
To be sure, the trial results are not in yet. "And CureVac does have some differences in how it creates its RNA," Carl said. "So we'll have to see if those differences translate into how well the vaccine performs."
But if it works, CureVac's shot would have an important advantage over the other RNA vaccines: While Pfizer and Moderna must be kept in a deep freezer, CureVac's vaccine remains stable in a refrigerator and can sit for 24 hours at room temperature before it is used, properties that may make it easier to deliver to hard-hit places around the world.
If successful, Carl said CureVac could be ready to deliver 1 billion doses by next year. But there's still a huge demand for the raw materials needed to create RNA vaccines, so even if the results are good, Carl said, "it will definitely still be a scramble."
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Biden backs waiving vaccine patents
As the gap in vaccinations between the world's richest and poorest countries widens, it's creating a stark split-screen: People are busy lining up summer vacations in the U.S. and Europe while residents gasp for oxygen in India.
That contrast increased pressure on President Biden to act, and today his administration said it would support waiving intellectual property protections for Covid-19 vaccines to help produce more doses globally.
Previously, the U.S. had been a major holdout over a proposal at the World Trade Organization to suspend intellectual property protections. But this afternoon, Katherine Tai, the U.S. trade representative, announced the administration's support.
Ms. Tai said that the U.S. would participate in negotiations over the matter at the W.T.O., adding that they would take time. Further discussions are expected in the coming weeks, as India and South Africa, which proposed the waiver, are preparing a revised plan.
Activists have also said that the waiver must be accompanied by the process known as "tech transfer," in which patent holders supply technical know-how and personnel. "This is a start," said Gregg Gonsalves, a Yale University epidemiologist who has been pressing for the waiver. "We need the writing of the text of this waiver now to be transparent and public, but as we have always said, we need tech transfer now."
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Vaccine rollout
Canada authorized the Pfizer vaccine to be used in people as young as 12. Its regulatory agency said it lowered the minimum age from 16 after a review of data from clinical trials in the U.S.
The governor of New York outlined new seating rules for vaccinated baseball fans, and said Broadway would start to reopen on Sept. 14.
Moderna said a "tweaked" version of its vaccine successfully neutralized concerning variants in lab trials, the Guardian reports.
A social science experiment suggests $100 vaccination incentives can pay off.
See how the vaccine rollout is going in your county and state.
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What else we're following
A total of 186,200 restaurants, bars and other eligible businesses applied for help from a new $28.6 billion federal aid program in its first two days.
A software engineer in Seattle wanted to help her parents, so she created a hub for Covid resources across India.
Here's why some hospitals around the world don't have enough oxygen to keep their patients alive.
In Britain, more than one in five adults experienced some form of depression in the first months of this year during a strict lockdown, The Guardian reports.
The Atlantic looked at liberal communities that have continued to embrace strict Covid policies, even when they are not supported by science.
Infections are surging among climbers trying to scale Mount Everest.
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What you're doing I came out as trans to my parents over the pandemic. It's been like pulling teeth to get medical attention. I have been on several waiting lists to have my first trans health appointment for almost a year. I lost my primary care physician back in October. I know I'm not the only one struggling to have my non-Covid health care needs met. It's difficult for everyone right now. But I feel frustrated. Like becoming myself has been put on hold.
— Lief Laible, Philadelphia
Kris~ Dreamweaver
www.poetrypoem.com/Dreamweaver
6th May 2021.
By Jonathan Wolfe