Coronavirus vaccine and COVID variant updates for 02-10-2022

<p>If this guy finally says it, you know it must be true. Dr. Anthony Fauci said the U.S. is exiting the “full-blown” pandemic phase of the COVID crisis. He said things that limit COVID-19, including vaccinations, medical treatments, and prior infection, will alter the situation significantly in the coming months. He also very uncharacteristically said decisions will increasingly be made at local levels and there’ll be more people making their own decisions on how they want to deal with the virus.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>New York’s Governor announced the state will end a mandate requiring face coverings in most indoor public settings. They will, however, keep masking rules in place for schools. Since December 10, masks have been required for grocery stores, shops, and offices. Other Democratic governors have taken similar steps recently. &nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The CDC says if the Pfizer vaccine gets emergency use authorization for children 6 months to 5 years old, the plan is to initially roll out about 10 million doses, but they’ve secured enough for all 18 million kids in this age group. It’s specially formulated for them. What remains to be seen is the willingness of parents to get their kids of that age vaccinated. So far, the uptake on vaccinations for kids age 5 to 12 has been modest. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The South African doctor who discovered the Omicron strain isn’t impressed with how she was treated. She says she was pressured into describing the variant as more dangerous than it really is. Right out of the gate, she reported mild symptoms for those in her country. But she says she was told by scientists and politicians all over the world that her description was wrong, and she should stop using the word mild. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>She’s not alone. A Pew Research study shows Americans are increasingly critical of how elected and public health officials handled the pandemic. 60% now say they’ve felt confused by the inconsistent recommendations. 49% say the CDC is doing a fair or poor job. And positive ratings