Hospital beds across the United States are almost at full capacity as the number of COVID-19 patients rises precipitously. The burden is mostly borne by Intensive Care Units as hospital administrators warn there may be nowhere to put patients. About ten percent of Americans currently live in areas where their local hospitals’ ICU beds are full or have only 5% capacity left. Meanwhile a new study confirmed that the reasons for Black and brown Americans being disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus are because of social inequities, not genetics. The research from New York University examined more than 11,000 patient records and found that social and environmental factors for people of color determine their exposure. 

On Tuesday President elect Joe Biden laid out a three-point plan for combating the virus’ spread. His speech was a study in contrast with President Donald Trump who held a “vaccine summit” at the White House where he lauded that fact that up to 15% of Americans had gotten infected, calling the high rate of infections in the U.S. “terrific” and a “very powerful vaccine in itself.” He spent much of his time at the podium railing against his election loss. 

As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalizes its approval of a COVID-19 vaccine produced by Pfizer in collaboration with BioNTech, the question of how to distribute it to Americans now falls to state governments. The lack of a nationalized healthcare system in the U.S. means that such large-scale efforts are nearly impossible to streamline on a nationwide basis. Vaccines are coming to the U.S. at a time of deep skepticism even though it is the only way in which the pandemic will end with minimal loss of life. But a new Gallup poll shows that support for taking a vaccine has inched up to 63% in the U.S. now. 

Meanwhile in the UK where inoculations have already begun two people with a history of allergic reactions to vaccines have developed such reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine. The occurrence prompted the British government to warn against getting the vaccine for those who have a history of such allergies. A very small percentage of all populations have such reactions and they fall into the category of people such as infants and the elderly who require the protection that mass vaccinations bring. China’s vaccine has finally received formal approval from a state government and that is the United Arab Emirates whose authorities claimed a rate of 86% efficacy without sharing any data to support it. And, poorer nations are left scrambling to obtain vaccine supplies as wealthier nations rush to buy up stocks. 

As economic relief for pandemic-stricken Americans continues to stall in Congress