3 big questions about the Biden administration’s Covid response in 2022

2021 was alleged to be the yr the pandemic ended. Not less than in the US, anyway, the place well being officers administered roughly 500 million vaccine doses, greater than every other nation in addition to China or India. President Biden declared final spring that by summer season, the nation can be “nearer than ever to declaring our independence from this lethal virus.”

Issues didn’t fairly go to plan. U.S. well being officers are presently reporting effectively over 238,000 new infections every day. The emergence of the Delta variant final summer season, and the Omicron variant extra just lately, threw a wrench into the administration’s grand plans to carry again “regular” life.

Because the pandemic stretches into its third yr, Biden’s approval score has slipped. And, extra importantly, over 1,000 Individuals proceed to die from the illness every day, inching nearer to the grim milestone of 1 million.

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Briefly, the White Home has its work lower out for it, a yr after assuming management of the U.S. coronavirus response. Under, STAT lays out the three greatest questions in regards to the Biden administration’s Covid-19 technique, and whether or not 2022 can lastly be the yr the pandemic fades into the background.

1. Will the federal government broaden its focus past vaccines?

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Even earlier than there have been Covid-19 vaccines, there have been commonsense instruments used to stop the illness from spreading: Sporting masks, and avoiding indoor gatherings with massive numbers of different individuals.

However two years into the pandemic, the U.S. remains to be laser-focused on vaccines, and has largely ignored different components. Particularly, federal regulators haven’t carried out a lot to incentivize Individuals to put on higher-quality face coverings, or to keep up higher filtration and cleaner air in indoor areas.

The truth is, most of the masks which are nonetheless worn immediately aren’t actually masks in any respect, however fabric face coverings that have been used as makeshift safety again in early 2020. Nonetheless, consultants have at all times identified that masks utilized in medical or industrial settings, like a surgical masks or N95 respirator, are far superior at filtering out infectious particles. Nonetheless, there’s no masks requirement to board a practice or aircraft, or to enter a authorities constructing. As a substitute, any face masking will do.

In the meantime, the federal authorities hasn’t carried out a lot to enhance the standard of air filtration in buildings. The Occupational Security and Well being Administration has issued quite a few emergency requirements requiring staff to be vaccinated, however to this point has ignored calls to situation a agency customary for air high quality. (As a substitute, OSHA has issued quite a few imprecise encouragements to filter air to the utmost extent doable.)

We’ve seen the results already, like in a latest outbreak amongst New York Metropolis kids whose faculties relied on portable air purifiers and open home windows versus upgraded air filtration methods.

2. Will individuals who really feel sick have higher choices for exams and coverings?

Ideally, if somebody suspects they’ve Covid-19, they’d have entry to testing and coverings as quickly as doable.

Virtually, although, each are powerful to come back by. Speedy exams stay briefly provide, and so they’re dear, too. Bizarrely, the Biden administration initially scoffed on the thought of creating them accessible totally free. As a substitute, the White Home introduced a sophisticated scheme to let individuals with medical insurance pay upfront for exams, then ask their well being plan to pay them again later. Finally, although, the administration introduced a plan to purchase 500 million Covid-19 speedy exams and mail them totally free to anyone who requests the kits through a brand new authorities web site. The primary deliveries, nonetheless, received’t start till someday in January, and it’s not clear what number of exams might be accessible instantly.

Even when individuals who really feel sick do entry a speedy take a look at, and it comes again optimistic, they’ve restricted choices in addition to monoclonal antibody therapies, lots of which look like much less efficient towards instances of the Omicron variant.

The identical is true for Covid-19 antiviral therapies beneath improvement by quite a few firms together with Pfizer and Merck. These two producers’ medication lastly acquired emergency use authorizations from the FDA in late December.

Nonetheless, consultants have warned that Individuals might face a number of issues when making an attempt to entry the medication: Failure to acknowledge Covid signs, lack of entry to testing, lack of entry to a physician who can prescribe the drug, and the lack to get to a pharmacy, well being clinic, or hospital.

3. Overlook a 3rd vaccine dose — will Individuals want a fourth, too?

The Biden administration’s late-2021 Covid response was marred by the back-and-forth debate over booster photographs — whether or not they have been crucial for everyone, and whether or not the White Home interfered with the scientific strategy of getting them accepted.

That ship has sailed. Particularly with the emergence of the Omicron variant, a broad consensus has emerged that adults ought to be boosted. Now, there’s a brand new, looming query: Will Individuals want a fourth dose, and even extra doses past that?

Indicators level to sure. Peter Hotez, a number one U.S. vaccine researcher, has acknowledged the doable want for a fourth dose on a extra widespread foundation. Scott Gottlieb, the previous Meals and Drug Administration commissioner and present Pfizer board member, additionally mentioned just lately that he expects Covid-19 vaccinations to turn into an annual ritual akin to flu photographs, at the very least for some time.

Some governments made the identical acknowledgment. In Israel, one of many first nations to realize a excessive vaccination fee and one of many first nations to manage booster photographs, an knowledgeable panel has advisable a fourth dose for some medically susceptible people. The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention has already introduced that immunocompromised Individuals might be eligible for a fourth dose in some unspecified time in the future in 2022.

However administering extra booster photographs, to say nothing of fourth doses, might impede the hassle to vaccinate the remainder of the world presently final in line for vaccines, particularly massive areas of Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Center East. It might additionally complicate vaccine messaging and additional pressure the U.S. well being infrastructure.