CDC Study Affirms: Masks Reduce Infections

A CDC study has once again proven that wearing masks slows the spread of Covid-19.

The CDC study showed that wearing masks was linked to fewer infections and Covid-19 deaths in counties across the U.S. It was released Friday.

CDC researchers relied on county-level data from state government websites. They examined the association between mask mandates and indoor/outdoor restaurant dining. Researchers focused on the number of coronavirus infections and deaths last year between March 1 and Dec. 31.

Here are the CDC findings. . . . .

Infections and deaths declined after counties required mask use. Daily infections rose about six weeks after counties allowed restaurants to open for dining on the premises. Death rates followed two months later.

Mask mandates were linked to significant decreases in coronavirus cases and deaths within 20 days of implementation. On-premises dining, whether indoors or outdoors, at restaurants was associated with increases in case and death rates within 41 to 80 days after reopenings.

This CDC study does not prove cause and effect. However, the findings line up with other research reports. All of them show that masks prevent infection. And they show that indoor spaces foster the spread of the virus through aerosols, tiny respiratory particles that linger in the air.

In other words, it’s the same message that we’ve heard for the past year. And it’s a message that some still refuse to take to heart.

The Big News

U.S. Approves New T-Cell Test for Covid

The first test for a T-cell response to the virus behind Covid-19 has received emergency approval for use in the U.S. Adaptive Biotechnologies worked with Microsoft to create the blood test, which can be more accurate than some of the antibody tests on the market. The company says its research (not yet peer-reviewed) showed its test detects 97% of people who have had the disease. This compares with antibody tests that vary between 77% to 97%. The proportion of false negatives was less than 1%.

More Americans Willing to Get Vaccinated

Vaccine hesitancy is on the decline in the U.S. The proportion of adults in the U.S. who intend to get vaccinated has increased significantly over the last several months. This is according to a survey released Friday by the Pew Research Center. Some 69% of the public now plans to get vaccinated — or already has — up from 60% who said in November that they intended to pursue it.

Syringes Desperately Needed

Another global vaccination bottleneck: a lack of syringes. In previous years, only 5% to 10% of the estimated 16 billion syringes used worldwide were meant for vaccination and immunization. Now, the world needs from 8 million to 10 billion syringes for Covid vaccinations alone. Becton Dickinson (NYSE: BDX), the world’s largest manufacturer of syringes, said it is producing 2,000 each minute to meet orders of more than a billion.

U.S. to Investigate ‘Long Covid’

The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) said it will spend $1.15 billion over four years on research into “long COVID.” That is the long-lasting health effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The scientific community is just starting to recognize the major impact of long covid.. Now they need to unravel why it occurs.

The United States of Covid

In recent weeks, U.S. researchers have identified a host of new COVID variants. These include those found in California, New York, Washington, Louisiana and elsewhere. The findings come after a long period in which the U.S. lagged far behind in sequencing coronavirus genomes. Now, scientists have to see what danger, if any, is posed by newly identified variants.

The Coronavirus Numbers

Here are the numbers from Monday at 8 a.m. ET from Johns Hopkins University:

116,911,000 Infected Worldwide
305,669,475 Vaccines Given Globally
2,594,813 Deaths
28,999,540 Infected in the U.S.
90,351,750 US Vaccine Doses Administered
525,035 Deaths in the U.S.

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What’s Next

Nasdaq futures sustained another jolt of selling Monday morning. This signals further falls for once high-flying tech stocks. Meanwhile, Treasury bond yields climbed after the Senate passed President Biden’s $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill.

Big tech names have tumbled in recent sessions. The Nasdaq is down 8% in the past three weeks. Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) is down about a third from the peak it hit in February. And Cathie Wood’s high-profile Ark Innovation ETF (NYSE: ARKK) has sunk into bear market territory, down over 25% from its peak.

Two other items that have my attention . . .

Oil was up again after an attack on a Saudi Aramco facility. Crude oil shot above $70 a barrel for the first time in more than a year. That was after a drone strike took aim at an oil storage tank in a major Saudi Arabian port.

The year’s two largest listings are set for IPOs this week. Online game sensation Roblox (NYSE: Ticker symbol will be RBLX) is targeting a direct listing at a market cap of about $30 billion. And Korea’s largest ecommerce player Coupang (NYSE: Ticker symbol will be CPNG) should be valued above $50+ billion in its IPO.

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