Sustaining the Next Normal

Key Points:

• In today’s Recommendations for Industry, we discuss combatting infectious diseases in the world’s “next normal.” Read more below.
• The pandemic global death rate has now exceeded 6 million (NYT).
• 24 U.S. experts have co-authored a new roadmap as the U.S. enters its third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss this further into today’s Recommendations for Industry (CIDRAP). 
• A study published Monday in Nature demonstrated, through brain scans, that COVID-19 may cause changes in the brain, including “more loss of gray matter and tissue damage, mostly in areas related to smell” (NYT).
• Social determinants of health affected and are tied to COVID-19 death rates; Black and Brown communities were affected by limited internet access, lack of health insurance, and having a higher proportions of working-age individuals (CIDRAP).

Influenza:

• In the U.S., influenza cases remain low; but seem to be increasing in some areas.
• Globally, influenza cases remain low – same as last week.

Food Safety:

• Tomorrow, Wednesday March 9^th, Fresh Produce is holding a Virtual Town Hall, “Cyclospora: The Global Impact of an Emerging Foodborne Pathogen,” to enable participates to “gain a basic understanding of what makes Cyclospora different, and learn about the global efforts to understand and control this pathogen.” Register here.
• In the FDA’s third TechTalk podcast, the FDA will discuss “Artificial Intelligence in the New Era of Smarter Food Safety.” It will be released on March 21^st.
• Highly pathogenic avian flus, including H5N1 and H5N2, continue to spread. In Missouri, H5N1 has stricken a broiler farm (CIDRAP).
• According to the U.N., food prices have “jump[ed] 20.7% year over year” (Reuters).

Recommendations for Industry

Sustaining the Next Normal

On February 29, 2020, TAG distributed our first COVID-19 Update newsletter, providing the latest science, news, and recommendations for businesses. As we enter the third year of the pandemic, our opening sentence from that day’s article remains just as applicable today – and virtually every day since: “With the COVID-19 situation changing and new announcements being made on a daily basis, it is difficult for employers to know what they can and should be doing for protection.”

We have learned – and communicated – a lot in the last two years, so while the situation does continue to change and new announcements are made, the focus tends more toward coming out of the tunnel and setting a roadmap for what we see as fast becoming an endemic disease. It is just such a roadmap that a group of 24 experts created for “Getting to and Sustaining the Next Normal: A Roadmap for Living with COVID.” The 135-page document includes chapters on testing and surveillance, vaccines, air quality, schools/childcare, worker safety, and more. This roadmap also covers all the areas that TAG has discussed over the last two years … and all areas that are just as applicable to protections against a vast range of infectious diseases.

But as the transition to our “next normal” occurs, it is important that we not simply revert to the old normal, but rather retain what we have learned and keep protections at hand for other infectious diseases (both in public health and in food safety) and future COVID variants.

Take Hepatitis A as an example. Hepatitis A, an infectious and communicable viral disease, is preventable when precautions and preventive measures are taken. It is often thought to be transmitted through food and water contamination. While this is a significant form of transmission, there are currently widespread person-to-person outbreaks in the U.S. Like COVID-19, there is an effective Hepatitis A vaccine, which the CDC encourages people to get. In addition to encouraging employees to get the vaccine, businesses can implement COVID-like protections when outbreaks occur to reduce spread (including excluding sick workers).

For more on Hepatitis A and other infectious diseases, visit TAG’s Public Health webpage to view and download our Infectious Disease Fact Sheets.

In Case You Missed It:

• In last Thursday’s Recommendations for Industry, we discussed the impact of the national COVID plans on workforce decision-making. Read more here.
• White House Releases National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. On Wednesday, the U.S. government released the National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan laying out the “roadmap to help us fight COVID-19 in the future as we begin to get back to our more normal routines.” The 96-page plan focuses on four goals – All of which require working with Congress for resources. 
  • Protect Against and Treat Covid-19 – maintaining and continually enhancing the tools to protect against and treat COVID-19 and working with Congress for the resources to do just that. 
  • Prepare for New Variants. The administration has developed a comprehensive plan for how to monitor the virus to stay ahead of it, adapt tools swiftly to combat a new variant, and deploy emergency resources to help communities. Includes CDC tracking and sequencing, the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS), a network of researchers, and FEMA/HHS emergency response.
  • Prevent Economic and Educational Shutdowns. Giving schools and businesses tools to prevent economic and educational shutdowns, so students can remain safe in school, workers safe at work, and the economy can continue to grow (e.g., improving school ventilation, accessing tests, and hiring more teachers, nurses, and staff; the vaccination campaign and requirements.)
  • Continue to Vaccinate the World. “Fighting this virus abroad is key to America’s effort to protect people and stay ahead of new variants.” Will continue to provide vaccines to the world, help to get people vaccinated, deploy emergency supplies to countries experiencing surges in COVID-19, and advance sustainable capacity and financing for health security to fight COVID-19 variants.
• Registry data reveal symptoms, outcomes of anaphylaxis from COVID-19 vaccination. Anaphylaxis accounted for 15% of the adverse reports from clinicians after mRNA vaccinations for COVID-19, according to an abstract at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting. Anaphylaxis appeared more common following vaccination with Pfizer-BioNTech and among white women. Although most received emergency treatment, few required hospitalization, and none were treated in the ICU.

• Polls show Americans less worried about COVID-19. A new AP/NORC poll shows just 24% of Americans say they are “extremely” or “very” worried about themselves or a family member getting COVID, down from 36% in December and January. Another 34% of poll participants said they are somewhat worried about the virus. In a Washington Post-ABC News poll, 49% of Americans say the pandemic is only somewhat under control, 15% say it is not at all under control; 56% say they have fully or partly returned to pre-coronavirus life; 34% see the pandemic as largely controlled, the highest proportion since tracking began. Additionally, 60% expect and welcome some restrictions on daily life; 40% said no restrictions are needed at this point.
• Global COVID-19 cases, deaths drop, except in key hot spots. The WHO’s latest update showed that COVID-19 surges continue to intensify in locations such as Hong Kong, where Omicron variant activity got a later foothold, but cases and deaths continue to fall in most regions. Overall, cases declined 16% last week compared to the week before, reflecting a 4-week downward trend; deaths dropped by 10%.
• Ben Franklin’s vaccine lessons . Nearly 60 million American adults — or about one out of every four — remain unvaccinated against COVID-19, and a large majority of COVID deaths and hospitalizations are still occurring among the unvaccinated and unboosted. But that choice has a “long, historical tradition,” with the two most effective responses to vaccine skepticism having been government mandates and relentless, calm persuasion. While broad COVID-vaccine mandates are probably unrealistic in the U.S. today, we’re left with persuasion: taking seriously the concerns of skeptics and creating opportunities for doctors, nurses, relatives, friends and other trusted people to explain why vaccination can be counterintuitive and yet lifesaving. 

Food Safety:

• FDA declares end to investigation into outbreak associated with packaged salad.As of March 2, the FDA closed its investigation into an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to packaged leafy greens. The outbreak sickened 10 people, four of which were hospitalized. The four-state outbreak was linked to Nature’s Basket Power Greens and Simple Truth Organic Power Greens.