SPOTLIGHT: INDIA

• India has seen near exponential growth in daily new cases and deaths due to COVID-19. The public healthcare system has effectively collapsed, while private hospital systems are also facing resource issues. Nationwide shortages of oxygen have caused hundreds of deaths and hospitals are overwhelmed, turning away patients. The densely populated cites of India already had a low number of hospital beds per-capita compared to Western hospitals. The COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated this issue.
• On 27 March, India recorded 62,000 new cases. One month later, the daily case count stood at 360,000. The seven-day rolling average for daily deaths continues to rise, and is currently at 2700. Official tallies for new cases and deaths are both significant undercounts. Experts estimate the true death count is two to five times higher than reported.
• Despite being a major COVID-19 vaccine producer, less than 10 percent of Indians have received even one dose. Amid the surge in cases, the country has halted exports of vaccines to use domestically instead. This will leave major shortfalls to those countries relying on Indian production and export.
• A "double mutant" variant known as B.1.617 could possibly be responsible for much of the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19. It contains mutations found in two other strains that may make it more contagious and vaccine-resistant.
• Global Guardian is actively assisting clients in India with tele-medicine, security and medical evacuations, and sourcing of oxygen concentrators.

UNITED STATES LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• The European Union announced that during the summer, vaccinated travelers from the U.S. would be able to enter the bloc, a welcome sign for global re-opening of the tourist and business-travel economy. No firm date has been announced for when this could go into effect.  
  
• Federal regulators recently ended the pause on the J&J vaccine after studying reported blood clots. Women between 30 and 39 appear to be at greatest risk, with 11.8 cases per million doses given. There have been seven cases per million doses among women between 18 and 49. The FDA will add a warning label to the vaccine.
  
• Nearly 2.75 million shots were administered on average in the last seven days. This is down compared to the 3.3 million doses administered per day on average two weeks ago. The decline is likely due to the pause in use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. So far, around 141 million people have received at least one vaccine dose.
  
• At current pace, 70% of the population will have been at least partially vaccinated by mid-July, with herd immunity, estimated between 70-90% reached in mid-August. These projections will likely improve as the J&J vaccine rollout resumes.

For the latest United States case counts, click here.

United States Latest Developments 

• The CDC and FDA recommended the U.S. pause distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after reports that at least six people (all women aged 18-48) developed dangerous blood clots after receiving the vaccine. The pause is expected to last days or weeks while the situation is reviewed. At least 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the U.S.
• Nearly 3.4 million shots were administered on average in the last seven days. This compares with just over 2.8 million doses administered per day on average two weeks ago. So far, around 122 million people have received at least one vaccine dose. 
• At current pace, 70% of the population will have been at least partially vaccinated by early June, with herd immunity, estimated between 70-90% reached in mid-July. These projections continue to improve as more vaccine supply reaches states. 
• On 2 April, the CDC issued updated guidance on travel for those who are fully vaccinated. For international travel, you do not need to self-quarantine after arriving back in the U.S. but still need to get tested before boarding a flight back to the U.S. from abroad.

For the latest United States case counts, click here.

United States Latest Developments 

• The Biden administration hit its goal of 100 million shots in its first 100 days on 19 March, six weeks early. They have set a new goal, 200 million doses by the 100th day. The country appears to be on track to meet this goal as vaccine supply ramps up.
• Nearly 2.8 million shots were administered on average in the last seven days. This compares with just over 2.5 million doses administered per day on average two weeks ago. So far, around 96 million people have received at least one vaccine dose.
• At current pace, 50% of the population will have been at least partially vaccinated by early May, with herd immunity, estimated around 70%, reached in mid-June. These projections continue to improve as more vaccine supply reaches states. 
• Pfizer announced strong preliminary results for it's vaccine in 12-15 year old children, noting a 100% efficacy against COVID-19 in the clinical trial. 

For the latest United States case counts, click here.

The U.S. government has moved up its estimate for when every adult in  America would have access to a vaccine, up to 01 May from the end of May previously. 

Johnson & Johnson's single-dose vaccine received Emergency Authorization Approval (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In an effort to increase production, the Biden administration brokered a deal in which Merck would help manufacture J&J's vaccine.

The vaccination rollout continues to improve, with just over 1.3 million shots administered on average in the last seven days. This compares with just under one million doses administered per day on average two weeks ago. So far, around 27 million people have received at least one vaccine dose.

While new cases and hospitalizations have dropped and leveled off respectively over the past two weeks, daily deaths remain high, with the seven-day rolling average hovering above 3,000. The U.S. has now recorded over 406,000 deaths.

While new cases and deaths saw drop-offs due to the holidays, they have since rebounded as backlogged data gets reported. Hospitalizations, a more reliable metric, continue to increase across the country. There are more than 131,000 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, an increase of ten percent from the same period 14 days ago. ICU's in several hospital systems are overwhelmed, most notably in Southern California. Los Angeles County has told EMTs not to bring people who have little chance of survival into hospitals and to conserve oxygen out in the field.

New cases and hospitalizations continue to rise across the country. The U.S. saw a record high 251,000 new cases on 18 December. Over the past week, there has been an average of 216,000 cases per day, an increase of seven percent from the average two weeks earlier. Hospitalizations are up 13 percent across the country compared to the same period two weeks ago. At least 115,000 Americans are hospitalized with COVID-19.