Key Points:

• In today’s Recommendations for Industry, we introduce TAG’s new infectious disease and public health coverage, in addition to our COVID-19 coverage and perspectives. Read more below.
• The S. TSA is extending its mask mandate for U.S. transportation (e.g., airplanes, buses, trains, etc.) through mid-September (September 13).
• Starting tomorrow (Tuesday, May 04, 2021), the state department puts a “Do Not Travel” restriction from those coming from India.
• Over 100M individuals in the U.S. are now vaccinated. This is juxtaposed with declining vaccination rates. As such, public health experts do not believe the U.S. will achieve herd immunity.
• The double-mutant variant first identified in India has now been found in the U.S. in Michigan.
• NYT breaks down a “summer travel” perspective, including, should you consider traveling and what might that look like?
• Pfizer will send 4.5M COVID-19 vaccine doses to South Africa.
• According to the Guardian, starting in June, the E.U. plans to reopen its doors to fully COVID-vaccinated foreign tourists.
• A recent study (summarized in CIDRAP) has found that text message “nudges” reminding individuals to get their seasonal flu vaccine” increases vaccination rates. This adds to the repertoire of intervention steps that can allow us to continue encouraging public health positive messages. The complete study is available at PNAS.

TAG Introduces Public Health/Infectious Disease Coverage

Over the last year and a half, much of the world’s focus has been on COVID-19 – from proclaiming it as a global pandemic to learning about the disease and how to prevent it, to developing vaccines to fight it.

COVID-19 is not the only infectious disease that has importance. In fact, according to a report from Brown University scientists, the number of emerging infectious diseases and total number and diversity of outbreaks have increased significantly since 1980.

Two key reasons are postulated for this by the AllianceCPHA:

1. Globalization and the related increased movement of people and goods between countries and across continents have increased the potential for infectious diseases to spread quickly around the world.
2. Even though progress has been made in the prevention, surveillance, and treatment of diseases, infectious disease outbreaks remain a major public health concern.

Additionally, diseases such as viral hepatitis and tuberculosis can be prevented, but “health care systems often do not make the best use of their available resources to support prevention efforts” (US HHS HealthyPeople 2030). The U.S. health care system typically focuses on treatment of illnesses, rather than health promotion, so people don’t always receive information about prevention and healthy lifestyles.

In the past, communicable disease has been considered more an issue of developing countries and the elderly (malaria, influenza, etc.). As we have all seen through the current pandemic, communicable diseases can significantly impact us all.

For all of these reasons, TAG is transitioning its Monday newsletter to the discussion and analysis of infectious diseases, their existing and potential impacts, and recommendations for protective and preventive practices for businesses.

We are developing Fact Sheets on common infectious diseases, customized toolkits (similar to those developed for COVID-19), and other analyses and reports to help businesses keep their employees and brands protected.

Keep an eye on this space for ongoing information. Give TAG a call with your specific questions or needs.

• In Friday’s Recommendations for Industry, we provide a wrap-up of COVID news and events of the week. Read more here.
• The WHO is sending COVID-19 aide to India. India is nearing 400,000 daily new cases.
• In other global news, cases in Europe are declining while cases in Brazil are stabilizing. The P1 variant, first identified in Brazil is starting to become dominant in Brazil’s neighboring countries (including Lima, Peru, and Uruguay). In Lima, Peru, the P1 variant accounts for 40% of infections while it accounts for 75% of all new infections in Uruguay.
• While we’ve discussed this before, a new manuscript out in Clinical Infectious Disease has determined that the 2020 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally did indeed result in “widespread transmission of SARS-CoV-2 across the country.” At least 649 COVID-19 cases were identified (including secondary and tertiary spread to close contacts).
• Two recent studies, reported by CIDRAP, in England and Mexico highlight severe COVID outcomes for obese individuals, even for those who are young adults. In one study, researchers “found a significant link between BMI and age, with higher H.R.s for hospitalization.” In the other study, due to metabolic distinctions leading to the likelihood of “early-onset overweight or obesity,” “younger Mexican patients were infected early in the pandemic.”
• ^{New York will fully reopen on July 01}.
• Disneyland, in California has reopened to visitors. This is a move that California is slowly reopening too.
• Moderna has announced that its COVID-19 vaccine can be stored at refrigerator temperatures for 3 months and up to 7 months at -4F.
• Scientific American discusses that “Flu Has Disappeared Worldwide during the COVID Pandemic” and scientists and public health officials think it’s because “measures taken to keep the coronavirus from spreading also stop the flu.”
• There is a new experimental design for understanding COVID-19 disease progression and potential therapies, producing and utilizing lung organoids that can be infected with SARS-CoV-2. Read a summary of the study here.
• COVID Act Now answers some frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine including: What are the ingredients of the vaccines?
• In last Wednesday’s Recommendations for Industry, we discussed the CDC’s newly published concessions for fully vaccinated people. Read more here.
• Yesterday, the CDC announced that fully vaccinated Americans can be maskless outdoors when doing activities (biking, running) and during outdoor gatherings with friends or outdoor dining at restaurants. However, the CDC continues to recommend mask-wearing when one is in large outdoor gatherings (like concerts or sports events) because there may still be unvaccinated individuals in these circles. The CDC recommends that you continue considering current COVID-19 spread in your community, “the number of people participating in the activity, and the location of the activity.” See the charts of activities considered safe for fully vaccinated individuals both indoors and outdoors.

• NPR reports on why Michigan continues to experience the highest rate of new US COVID-19 cases. Last week, Michigan had over 70 young children in hospitals. Michigan was especially hit hard by the B117 variant.
• CIDRAP reports on a Cleveland Clinic study, published in JAMA Network Open, that found that early in the COVID-19 pandemic, early virus subgroups were associated with higher death rates. However, as the pandemic continued, “strains quickly became less diverse and the once-dominant variants were outcompeted by more transmissible variants which were tied to improved survival in hospitalized patients.” Additionally, researchers also noted that, “Early public health mitigation measures likely prevented more strains from entering the community, leading to a rapid reduction in virus strain diversity and lowering the overall death rate.” Ultimately, researchers found that “the continued evolution of SARS-CoV-2 leads to less virulence.” This study showed how different strains arrived and were outcompeted, at least in Cleveland.