Coronavirus Report: November 23, 2020
By Marsha Mullings, MPH
USA
12 million cases, 256,798 deaths
Florida
938,414 cases, 53,403 total hospitalizations, 17,991 deaths
Broward
100,075 cases, 6,589 total hospitalizations, 1,626 deaths
There were 53,213 new coronavirus cases in Florida last week.
There was an average of 7,600 daily new cases over the last week.
The daily average of new cases has risen 124% within the last month.
Florida is experiencing a considerable resurgence of coronavirus infections.
COVID-19 Vaccine
The race for an effective vaccine against COVID-19 has spurred one of the largest global research and development endeavors in modern times. Many companies will be vying for the opportunity to develop an effective vaccine, and rushing to get their product on the market ahead of their competitors. Pfizer and their collaborative partner, BioNTech, announced the availability of their vaccine candidate on November 9, 2020. They noted that the vaccine was safe and 90% effective. Since that announcement, Moderna Pharmaceutical and Astra Zeneca/Oxford University have announced the availability of their vaccine candidates. Other companies will be making announcements in the next few weeks. As the public prepares for the availability of a vaccine, some important points must be noted.
Pfizer and BioNTech initially announced a 90% vaccine efficacy. Since then, they have announced a 95% vaccine efficacy, based on late-stage clinical trials.
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine must be stored at -94°F in ultracold storage facilities. Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is not likely to be widely available in small or rural areas that lack these facilities.
Moderna announced that its vaccine candidate is 94.5% effective against coronavirus. Its vaccine requires storage at -4F, making its cold storage requirements less difficult than those for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Most laboratories, medical and pharmaceutical facilities already possess the storage equipment necessary for this vaccine candidate, so it may be more easily distributed across the country and the globe.
Astra Zeneca/Oxford University announced on Monday that their vaccine candidate is 70.4% effective against the virus and is protective in older populations. This vaccine apparently has simple storage requirements that will make distribution around the country and globe simpler than vaccines that require ultracold storage. The company has not released details about the vaccine’s storage requirements.
None of these vaccines will be widely available until the spring of 2021. Health care workers and nursing home residents may be the first to receive dosages of either Pfizer’s or Moderna’s vaccines, around mid-December. Others must wait until 2021.
It is too early to know the length of time for which any COVID-19 vaccine will be effective. We will have a clearer idea of duration of immunity after many months, and after a larger part of the population has taken the vaccine.
The availability of a vaccine is good news in the battle against this pandemic, but it is only one layer of defense. Other defense strategies must remain in place. We must continue as before, to practice social distancing, to wear a mask when out in public and to practice good hand hygiene. Above all, avoiding crowded indoor locations is critical.
For more information on coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention, visit www.FloridaHealth.org; coronavirus.jhu.edu;
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