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Jessica Flores
| USA TODAY
How the new RNA technology is used to create the COVID-19 vaccines
The COVID-19 vaccine uses new technology that has never been used in traditional vaccines. Here’s how an mRNA vaccine works.
Just the FAQ, TODAY
US TODAY is watching the news surrounding COVID-19 as some vaccines take part in the US fight against a virus that has killed more than 345,000 Americans since the first deaths in February. Keep updating this page for the latest coronavirus updates, including who gets the vaccinations from Pfizer and Moderna, as well as other top news from across the US TODAY Network. Sign up for us Coronavirus Watch Newsletter for updates directly in your inbox, join our Facebook group or browse our in-depth answers to questions from the reader for everything you need to know about the coronavirus.
In the headings:
► As of Friday, more than 20 million cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in the United States. More than 346,000 died, according to Johns Hopkins University data, with the U.S. killing only a single unimaginable 300,000 milestone. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, had earlier warned that the country could reach 450,000 deaths before February 1, days shortly after the one-year anniversary of the first known COVID-19 death in the US.
► Dr Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading expert on infectious diseases, told Newsweek it is “quite possible” that the COVID-19 vaccine may be needed if you travel to other countries. “Everything will be on the table for discussion,” Fauci said. Israel announced earlier this month that residents receiving the COVID-19 vaccine would receive a “green passport” that would give them “certain benefits and freedoms”, such as traveling abroad, the Jerusalem Post reported.
► A Wisconsin health care provider says a pharmacist intentionally removed 57 vials of the Moderna vaccine from a refrigerator, causing it to be discarded. Local police announced an arrest on Thursday night, but did not identify him. According to Aurora Medical Center, 500 vials were tampered with; those who received the shots are notified. Apart from the fact that the vaccination is less effective or possibly ineffective, no adverse effects are predicted.
► Republican Senator David Perdue announced on Thursday that he will be quarantined after coming into contact with someone during his campaign who tested positive for COVID-19, a striking development just five days before voters entered his political fate. a run-off race in Georgia would definitely.
► Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday blocked for the third time a rapid transition from increasing stimulus checks to $ 2,000, calling the proposal – a key demand by President Donald Trump – “socialism for rich” people.”
► The West Virginia Virginia Guard says it accidentally injected 42 people with Regeneron antibody instead of a Moderna coronavirus vaccine.
📈 Today’s numbers: California has surpassed 25,000 coronavirus deaths since the onset of the pandemic on Thursday, the third state to do so after New York and Texas, health officials said. New York has nearly 38,000 deaths and Texas has more than 27,000, according to a version by Johns Hopkins University.
📰 What we read: Heart failure in children is another rare COVID-19 complication. Here’s what to look for.
In the US: 20M confirmed cases of COVID-19 since pandemic begins
According to Johns Hopkins University data, the number of confirmed U.S. coronavirus cases has exceeded 20 million. This is almost twice as much as the country 2, India, and almost a quarter of the more than 83 million businesses worldwide.
COVID-19 deaths have also increased in the country and now amount to more than 346,000.
India and Brazil follow behind the US in coronavirus cases at more than 10 million and 7 million respectively. The increase comes as officials rush to vaccinate millions of Americans, but begin to slow down and rumble.
Police in New York have prevented crowds of any size from gathering in Times Square. Referring to concerns about the spread of COVID-19, police closed the Crossroads of the World at midnight to vehicles and pedestrians, saying they would disperse any spectators in a so-called “frozen zone” – the blocks around the ball that historically shrug. -to shoulder crowds.
Nevertheless, modest crowds gathered just outside the police station, which got the feeling of a tailgate as midnight approached. Many said they wanted to end a challenging year on their own terms.
Small groups of revealers, some with shiny hats, filmed their distant views of Times Square on their phones and cheered at midnight. There were kisses and toasts, but police quickly broke up the crowds along Broadway after the ball fell.
New Year’s Eve: Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen, many tequila shots were the perfect send-off to the awful 2020
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he was concerned about the relatively low number of nursing homes that had chosen to take the vaccine and warned that the opportunity might not even return. Nursing homes get three visits for the vaccine, DeWine said. After the first stop, nursing homes will be hit again to administer second doses to everyone who received the vaccine for the first time, and to give an initial dose to someone else who wants it. After that, only second doses will be distributed, he said.
“Everyone makes their own choice about this, but we want to make it clear that the opportunity may not come back for a while,” he said.
– Rick Rouan, The Columbus Dispatch
Lawyer Aurora Health in Wisconsin says an employee who has now been fired deliberately removed 57 vials of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine from a refrigerator this past weekend, causing them to become ineffective and discarded. Each vial contains enough vaccine for 10 vaccinations. Initially, Aurora was ‘led to believe’ the removal was a mistake. But on Wednesday, an employee “admitted that they had deliberately taken the vaccine out of the fridge”, according to a statement from the healthcare provider. The employee was fired and Aurora said he had “notified appropriate authorities for further investigation”.
Teachers should be one of the essential workers next in line for a COVID-19 vaccine, an advisory panel for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended last week. And some countries plan to promote vaccinations as a way to promote the reopening of schools quickly. The problem: the introduction of the vaccine has faced delays across the country, raising the question of whether teachers will have the opportunity in time to make a difference in the current school year. Not all states wait for the protection of teachers before learning in the classroom.
“We strongly advocate for schools to be open before teachers are vaccinated,” Lisa Piercey, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health, said Wednesday. “We have almost nine, ten months of data showing that schools are not a primary or even an important place of dispatch.”
– Elinor Aspegren
Contributions: Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY; Associated Press