An informed guide to the pandemic, with the latest developments and expert advice about prevention and treatment. (Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here.) U.S. Covid cases, seven-day average
China’s worst surge since 2020China is grappling with its worst spate of Covid-19 infections since the coronavirus first emerged more than two years ago in central China. Sustained outbreaks have erupted in two-thirds of the country’s provinces, prompting two of the country’s largest cities, Shenzhen and Shanghai, to impose stringent restrictions.
The latest wave is proving the toughest test yet of China’s “Covid zero” policy, my colleague Keith Bradsher reports from Beijing. The seven-day average rate of new cases in mainland China, now at 1,584, has more than quintupled in recent days, and Chinese officials are enacting some of their strictest methods yet in hopes of halting the spread.
The country has comparatively lower rates of vaccination among older adults and has far fewer intensive care hospital beds relative to its population than most industrialized countries. In China’s vast rural areas, hospitals and medical facilities are often basic, and a major outbreak could quickly overwhelm hospitals. China has responded to the current surge in cases by mobilizing its vast Communist Party apparatus to deploy workers and resources. In Jilin Province, where many cases have been recorded, workers are building temporary facilities to house thousands of people who test positive. Across the country, workers are corralling and testing millions of citizens every day. But that testing program is starting to be overwhelmed. China’s virus containment strategy is focused on moving quickly to lock down buildings or neighborhoods. In response to even a single case, officials may seal all the entrances to a store, an office building or even a convention center. Everyone inside must then stay there for up to several days as they are tested for the coronavirus and sent into isolation if their results are positive. In recent days, many cases have been tied to the Omicron variant, and more than half of those infected have not had symptoms, according to data released by the government. But they are still infectious. Particularly in southern China, many have reacted to the Omicron outbreak by blaming nearby Hong Kong, where a surge in cases has overwhelmed hospitals and morgues. The Hong Kong government said today that it did not have the testing capacity to carry out the strict strategy handed down by Beijing. Dr. Zhang Wenhong, an infectious disease expert in Shanghai, has been one of the few prominent advocates of easing “Covid zero” precautions, but even he said in an online posting today that now was not the time. “It is very important for our country to continue to adopt the strategy of Covid zero in the society in the near future to suppress the fifth wave of the extremely fast-spreading Omicron epidemic to a completely controllable level,” he wrote. “But this does not mean that we will permanently adopt the strategy of citywide lockdown and full testing.” The race for a Covid vaccine for childrenFor nearly a year, Moderna’s vaccine has been limited to adults, while tens of millions of children and teenagers received Pfizer shots. But Moderna may now be poised for a comeback, as the company prepares to submit data this week on how well its vaccine works for children. The company is hoping it has found what some scientists are calling the “Goldilocks” dose: strong enough to offer lasting protection, but not so strong that it causes widespread worrisome side effects, such as high fevers. Last month, an effort to approve Pfizer’s vaccine for children under 5 collapsed when the company’s data showed convincingly that two low doses failed to protect adequately against symptomatic infection. Moderna is proposing substantially higher dosing than Pfizer in three pediatric age groups: 100 micrograms — the full adult dose — for those ages 12 to 17; 50 micrograms in children 6 to 11; and 25 micrograms in those under 6. Regulators are considered likely to review the firm’s data for all three age groups simultaneously. Moderna’s chief medical officer, Dr. Paul Burton, told The Times in an interview that the dosage was safe. “We have not seen anything untoward right now, so we feel confident in the safety profile,” he said, adding that initial results showed a 50-microgram Moderna dose prompted a “robust immune response” in children 6 to 11. More than 22 million people in the U.S. under 18 are now fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, but uptake has been leveling off. Only roughly one in four children ages 5 to 11 are fully vaccinated. But there is still a demand to protect the youngest children as more of the country unmasks, more parents return to workplaces and the summer travel season approaches. Compared with adults, “there is no question that in children the benefit of an effective vaccine is less, because fewer get really sick,” said Dr. Eric Rubin, an infectious disease expert at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “But it will benefit some individuals,” he said. “It will save some lives.” According to the C.D.C., 336 children in the U.S. under the age of 5 have died of Covid since the start of the pandemic. Is your boss using carrots or sticks?As Covid cases fall, companies are trying once more to bring employees back to the office. Some, like The Times, are dangling incentives like free pizza. Others are using more forceful nudges to disincentivize working from home. How is your company approaching the push and pull? And how do you feel about it? If you’d like to share your story, click here. We may feature your response in an upcoming newsletter. What else we’re following
What you’re doingMy 9-year-old son’s school lifted the mask mandate last week. On the same day it was lifted, I could see a big smile on his face upon his return home. When I asked him what the reason behind the big smile was, he replied back, “Best feeling ever with no mask on in the class.” — Zaki Kababieh, Brooklyn Let us know how you’re dealing with the pandemic. Send us a response here, and we may feature it in an upcoming newsletter. Nancy Wartik and Amelia Nierenberg contributed to today’s newsletter. Email your thoughts to briefing@nytimes.com. Did a friend forward you the briefing? Sign up here.
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