A group of high-profile scientists published a letter calling for renewed investigation into the origins of COVID-19 — including the theory that it spilled out of a virology lab.
Why it matters: The possibility that SARS-CoV-2 was created in a Chinese lab and accidentally escaped — rather than emerging naturally from an animal — was initially dismissed as a conspiracy theory. But the letter shows a potential lab leak is increasingly being taken seriously.
Some retailers across the U.S. will continue requiring masks in stores, despite new coronavirus guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxing mask mandates for fully vaccinated people.
The latest: Starbucks announced that masks will be "optional" for fully vaccinated customers starting May 17 "unless local regulations require them by law." Employees will still be required to wear face coverings and restrooms will remain closed to the public in stores where indoor seating is not available.
Diagnostics that can identify biomarkers of disease in the blood are helping speed drug trials for intractable conditions like Alzheimer's.
Why it matters: Blood biomarker diagnostics can help pharmaceutical companies identify the right patients to enroll in drug trials for difficult-to-diagnose neurological conditions without resorting to more expensive and invasive methods like brain scans or spinal taps.
The Taiwanese government on Saturday raised the coronavirus alert levels for two cities, Taipei and New Taipei City, after authorities reported a surge in new infections.
The state of play: People in the two cities will be required to wear masks outdoors, and indoor and outdoor gatherings will be limited to five and 10 people respectively, per the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control.
NIAID director Anthony Fauci said Friday that children who have not been vaccinated for the coronavirus will need to wear masks in schools this fall, CNN reports.
What they're saying: Fauci said that children in schools need to wear masks "when they're out there playing with their friends and, you know, particularly in an indoor situation."
Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian said in a CNN interview that all new hires will be required to be vaccinated for the coronavirus.
Why it matters: The decision makes Delta the first major U.S. airline to require vaccines. The company said that more than 60% of its employees are vaccinated and it wants "to help maintain this trajectory."
People insured with Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program aren't using mental health care services at the same rate as the rest of the population, new data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services show.
Why it matters: Virtual mental health visits skyrocketed last year, but vulnerable populations went with out treatment during a time period when stress, substance abuse, anxiety and depression were at all-time highs.
Hispanic Americans are more likely than Black or white Americans to say, if unvaccinated, they want to get a shot as soon as possible, per new KFF polling.
Why it matters: The disproportionate level of vaccine enthusiasm among those who aren't yet vaccinated suggests that Hispanics may be facing additional access issues.
Last fall, Missouri voters approved expanding Medicaid coverage in their state. But Republican Gov. Mike Parson said Thursday the expansion is dead in the water after the state's General Assembly refused to fund it.
State of play: The move to block expansion — estimated to potentially extend coverage to 275,000 additional Missourians — is the latest reminder of how entrenched opposition to the ACA remains in deep-red states.
The CDC announced Thursday that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks indoors.
Why it matters: The U.S. is entering a new stage in the pandemic where the public — vaccinated or not — will need to assess its own risk tolerance in shared spaces.
The Rev. Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse, told me for "Axios on HBO" that more Christians need to get vaccinated.
Using the cadence of an altar call, he gave this preacher's plea: "I want people to know that God loves them. ... He will forgive you and God will accept you into his presence."
Three-quarters of people between 18-29 say vaccination should be required to return to campus or work, according to new Generation Lab/Axios polling, and 37% would refuse to come back unless those conditions are in place.
Why it matters: Young workers have put pressure on CEOs to take action on social and political issues and have plenty of capital to exert it on reopening policy.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) told Fox News that he plans to pardon "any Floridian" who faces "outstanding infractions" for violating COVID-19 guidance like mask mandates and social distancing.
