The politicization of mask wearing during the pandemic may have led to the deaths of "tens of thousands" of Americans because of increased spread of COVID-19, National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins tells "Axios on HBO."
What they're saying: "The evidence was pretty compelling by last March or April that uniform wearing of masks would reduce transmission of this disease. And yet, with a variety of messages through a variety of sources, mask wearing became a statement about your political party or an invasion of your personal freedom."
Americans wearing face masks in 2022 is "possible," NIAID director Anthony Fauci told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.
Why it matters: Wearing masks will likely be part of our new normal for longer than we think, even as vaccinations ramp up across the U.S. The CDC advises that you should still wear a mask, avoid crowds and wash your hands often after receiving two doses of a coronavirus vaccine.
America’s much-maligned vaccine rollout is actually going relatively well, at least compared to other wealthy countries.
The big picture: The U.S. has carried out more vaccinations than any country in the world, and given a first dose to a higher percentage of its population (12%) than all but five countries: Israel, the Seychelles, the UAE, the U.K. and Bahrain.
The United Kingdom will aim to offer all adults in the country the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of July, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday.
Why it matters: The new target comes as the country looks to ease its third nationwide lockdown. Johnson is expected to lay his roadmap for reopening on Monday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that people who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus will soon be able to download a certificate that would allow them to attend cultural events, fly abroad and go to gyms.
Why it matters: Preventing unvaccinated people or those who have only received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in the country from using those additional services or attending extracurricular activities has created a number of legal, moral and ethical questions for Israel’s government, the New York Times noted.
A new survey identifies some of the psychological barriers to taking vaccines — and how to overcome them.
The big picture: With COVID vaccine production and distribution ramping up, we're going to reach a moment when supply exceeds demand, which puts a premium on finding ways to persuade the persuadable on the value of vaccines.
Rapid at-home COVID-19 tests are fast, but the regulatory approval needed to get them in the hands of Americans has been slow to come.
Why it matters: Quick, fully at-home COVID-19 tests could make a vital contribution to stemming the pandemic — and open up a new frontier for more constant disease surveillance — but old assumptions about how diagnostics should be used are holding them back.
