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The CDC announced new coronavirus guidelines yesterday. The CDC guidelines were the first step toward normalcy for Americans.
People who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 can now spend time together indoors and unmasked!
Under the new CDC guidelines, fully immunized people can also visit with low-risk individuals from other households even if they have yet to receive a vaccine. And if vaccinated individuals are exposed to Covid-19, there is no need to either quarantine or get tested for Covid.
In simple terms, that means grandparents can hug their grandchildren again.
The CDC considers someone “fully vaccinated” once two weeks have passed since they received the final dose of a vaccine. That would be the second shot for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Or after a single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The CDC guidelines still emphasize that even vaccinated people should wear masks in public . . . and to avoid large crowds.
Not enough data yet has been gathered about whether the vaccines stop transmission of the virus, although early data from Israel and the UK is very encouraging. CDC guidelines on travel remain unchanged.
The Big News
Millions of U.S. Businesses Started During Pandemic
More than 4.4 million new businesses have been created in the U.S. since last March. This is according to Census Bureau data. The number far exceeds the expected uptick that occurs during a recession. But it is normal to see a countercyclical self-employment pattern during deep recessions. People can’t get a job, so they employ themselves. What’s unusual about this pandemic though is how many people have been forced down this path.
Most Adults Face Long Wait for Vaccines
More than half of adults in rich countries will still be waiting to receive a first dose of coronavirus vaccine in 15 months’ time. So says the head of the world’s second-largest logistics company. Detlef Trefzger, CEO of Kuehne+Nagel, went on to say that poorer countries are unlikely to have vaccinated a majority of their populations before 2023. The company has been contracted by governments and vaccine makers as a “globally systemic” distributor of vaccines, including those from Moderna.
COVAX Delivers 20 Million Vaccines Globally
The WHO says COVAX — the international program set up to get Covid vaccines to the world — delivered 20 million doses to 20 countries in the first week of distribution. In the coming week, COVAX will deliver 14.4 million more doses to a further 31 countries. This first round of allocations covers between 2% and 3% of the population of countries receiving vaccines through COVAX.
Tamiflu for Covid?
Merck reported that an experimental Covid-19 drug had positive results in a preliminary study. The pill (being developed by Ridgeback Therapeutics) significantly reduced infectious virus in subjects in a mid-stage study after five days of treatment. Researchers hope it proves capable of treating people with Covid-19 who show symptoms. That could make it a kind of Tamiflu for the pandemic.
Buying Covid Tests From a Vending Machine
Another great idea has come out of Japan. Vending machines selling testing kits for Covid offer consumers the option of avoiding crowded clinics or having to wait for an appointment. Each vending machine holds about 60 test kits, which sell for 4,500 yen ($40). The test involves mailing a saliva sample for processing. The response has been overwhelming; the vending machines need to be emptied of money several times a day.
The Coronavirus Numbers
Here are the numbers from Tuesday at 8 a.m. ET from Johns Hopkins University:
- 117,227,110 Infected Worldwide
- 305,700,475 Vaccines Given Globally
- 2,603,942 Deaths
- 29,045,697 Infected in the U.S.
- 92,089,852 U.S. Vaccine Doses Administered
- 525,904 Deaths in the U.S.
Wall Street Bets $475 Million on This EV Stock
+$475 million. That’s how much Wall Street plans to invest in this new EV battery stock. Hedge funds. Pension funds. Silicon Valley billionaires. Even trillion-dollar sovereign wealth funds from the Middle East. Go here for urgent details.
What’s Next
European stock markets and the Dow Jones industrials rallied yesterday. Germany’s DAX rallied over 3% to a new record high. The Dow industrials are also at a record.
The Nasdaq fell 2.4% and the NDX 100 was off almost 3%. Tesla declined another 6%, while Apple fell over 4%.
So, we have a record high for the Dow just as the Nasdaq enters correction territory. We’ve not seen such a divergence in a long time. The S&P 500 is caught somewhere in between, thanks to the high weighting of the tech names. The 5 FAANGs were worth about a quarter of the S&P 500 until recently.
This tech selloff has battered celebrated stock pickers like ARK’s Cathie Wood. She has drawn a huge following on internet trading forums for her bets on so-called disruptive companies like Tesla. Her flagship ETF is down 31% since Feb. 16.
Today looks like a Turnaround Tuesday for tech. But the question is how long it will last. The strength of the economic rebound from the pandemic and the bond market will hold the answer.
Meanwhile, some of the smartest investors are SELLING Tesla. And they’re buying EV Pre-IPOs instead. Go here for details – before March 31.
Yours in Health & Wealth,
Tony Daltorio