COVID-19 Timeline: November 2021
June 2, 2022
At Bioethics.com we have kept up with the spread of COVID-19 and the related bioethical questions that this pandemic brings. The posts that follow highlights news from November 2021 and were originally posted at Bioethics.com. These posts focus on the bioethical issues that medical professionals, bioethicists, public health officials, and scientists grappled with as SARS-CoV-2 swept the globe.
Nov 1: “COVID-19 Vaccines More Protective Than Past Infection, Study Shows” by Mike Strobbe, Los Angeles Times
“Health officials on Friday offered more evidence that vaccinations provide better protection against COVID-19 than immunity from a prior infection.”
Nov 1: “Moderna Confirms FDA Delayed Covid-19 Vaccine in Adolescents to Review Myocarditis Risk” by Felicia Schwartz, The Wall Street Journal
“The Food and Drug Administration is delaying a decision on Moderna Inc.’s application to authorize use of its Covid-19 vaccine in adolescents to assess whether the shot leads to a heightened risk of myocarditis, the company said.”
Nov 1: “Nursing Home Residents Overlooked in Scramble for Covid Antibody Treatments” by JoNel Aleccia, Kaiser Health News
“Across the country, medical directors of skilled nursing and long-term care sites say they’ve been scrambling to obtain doses of the potent antibody therapies following a change in federal policy that critics say limits supplies for the vulnerable population of frail and elder residents who remain at highest risk of covid infection even after vaccination.”
Nov 2: “China Locks 30,000 Visitors Inside Shanghai Disneyland After One Guest Got Covid-19” by Natasha Khan and Erich Schwartzel, The Wall Street Journal
“More than 30,000 visitors to the Shanghai Disneyland theme park were kept within the park’s gates on Sunday [October 31] and forced to undergo Covid-19 testing after a customer tested positive for the virus, a move that underscores China’s eradication efforts.”
Nov 2: “Labs with No One to Run Them: Why Public Health Workers Are Fleeing the Field” by Anna Maria Barry-Jester, Kaiser Health News
“Across California, public health departments are losing experienced staffers to retirement, exhaustion, partisan politics and higher-paying jobs. Even before the coronavirus pandemic throttled departments, staffing numbers had shrunk with county budgets.”
Nov 2: “CDC Advisors Endorse Pfizer’s Covid-19 Vaccine for Kids 5-11” by Helen Branswell, STAT News
“Children aged 5 to 11 can begin to be vaccinated against Covid-19 within the next day or two after an expert panel advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Tuesday [November 2] that Pfizer’s pediatric vaccine should be used in this age group.”
Nov 2: “Pfizer and Moderna Shots Are Less Effective in People with Weak Immune Systems, a Study Finds.” By Benjamin Mueller, The New York Times
“Coronavirus vaccines were significantly less effective in protecting people with weakened immune systems than they were for other people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Tuesday [November 2], buttressing the agency’s call for immunocompromised adults to receive third or fourth doses of vaccines.”
Nov 2: “Covid-19’s Global Death Toll Tops 5 Million in Under 2 Years” by Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press
“The global death toll from COVID-19 topped 5 million on Monday, less than two years into a crisis that has not only devastated poor countries but also humbled wealthy ones with first-rate health care systems.”
Nov 4: “US Mandates Vaccines or Tests for Big Companies by Jan. 4” by David Koenig, Associated Press
“Tens of millions of Americans who work at companies with 100 or more employees will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Jan. 4 or get tested for the virus weekly under government rules issued Thursday [November 4].”
Nov 4: “Gene Common in South Asian People Doubles Risk of Covid Death, Study Finds” by Hannah Devlin, The Guardian
“Scientists have identified a gene that doubles the risks of respiratory failure and death from Covid and could explain why people of south Asian heritage are more vulnerable to the disease.”
Nov 4: “Molnupiravir: First Pill to Treat Covid Gets Approval in UK” by Jim Reed, BBC
“The first pill designed to treat symptomatic Covid has been approved by the UK medicines regulator. The tablet – molnupiravir – will be given twice a day to vulnerable patients recently diagnosed with the disease.”
Nov 5: “Covid-19 Lockdowns Ripple Across China—‘I Wonder How Long I Can Hang On’” by Liyan Qi and Natasha Khan, The Wall Street Journal
“As the Delta variant puts China through one of its biggest Covid-19 outbreaks since it first closed off Wuhan in early 2020, new lockdowns and other strict controls are rippling across the country.”
Nov 5: “Inside the World’s Most Blatant Covid-19 Coverup: Secret Burials, a Dead President” by Joe Parkinson, The Wall Street Journal
“Tucked away in a northern suburb of this sprawling East African city is a burial site that is evidence of one of the world’s great coronavirus coverups.”
Nov 5: “Pfizer Says COVID-19 Pill Cut Hospital, Death Risk by 90%” by Matthew Perrone, Associated Press
“Pfizer Inc. said Friday that its experimental antiviral pill for COVID-19 cut rates of hospitalization and death by nearly 90% in high-risk adults, as the drugmaker joined the race for an easy-to-use medication to treat the coronavirus.”
Nov 8: “Covid-19 Vaccines and Myocarditis Link Probed by Researchers” by Peter Loftus, The Wall Street Journal
“Researchers aren’t certain why the messenger RNA vaccines, one from and partner and the other from Moderna Inc., are likely causing the inflammatory heart conditions myocarditis and pericarditis in a small number of cases.”
Nov 9: “Singapore Will Stop Covering the Medical Bills of Unvaccinated COVID-19 Patients” by Rachel Treisman, NPR
“Singapore’s government has been covering the medical bills of COVID-19 patients throughout the pandemic. But it says unvaccinated people will soon be on their own.”
Nov 9: “Exclusive: Amid Spike in Cases, EU to Shortly Approve First COVID Antibody Drugs-Sources” by Francesco Guarascio, Reuters
“The European Union drugs regulator is set to authorise the use of two monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID-19 patients in coming days, two EU sources told Reuters, in its first approvals of such therapies.”
Nov 9: “U.S. Opens Borders to Vaccinated Europeans, Others, After More Than 18 Months” by Benjamin Katz and Eric Sylvers, The Wall Street Journal
“Airlines started flying thousands of Europeans and others to the U.S. after Washington reopened its borders to citizens of 33 countries who had been barred by Covid-19 restrictions for more than 18 months.”
Nov 9: “Regeneron’s Antibody Drug Cut Risk of Covid-19 by 82%, Company Says” by Joseph Walker, The Wall Street Journal
“Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. said its monoclonal antibody drug continued to provide strong protection against Covid-19 infection for eight months, reducing the risk of contracting the disease by 81.6% compared with a placebo in a long-term study.”
Nov 10: “Pfizer-BioNTech Seek FDA Authorization for COVID Boosters for All Adults” by Yacob Reyes, Axios
“Pfizer and BioNTech said Tuesday [November 9] that they have asked the Food and Drug Administration to expand authorization of their COVID-19 vaccine booster to include anyone 18 and older.”
Nov 11: “Germany Hits Record New COVID Cases in 24 Hours” AFP, posted on Medical Xpress
“Germany registered a record 50,196 new COVID-19 infections Thursday [November 11], according to health authorities. It is the first time Germany has exceeded 50,000 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, and comes as infections and deaths have soared since mid-October.”
Nov 12: “Long COVID: More Clues Coming, But No ‘Aha” Moments Yet” by Kathleen Doheny, Medscape
“Now, experts estimate that from 10% to 30% of COVID survivors may develop this condition, called long COVID. It is diagnosed when signs and symptoms of COVID that can’t be explained by other causes are present 4 weeks after the initial infection.”
Nov 12: “World Gets Tough on the Unvaccinated” by Shawna Chen, Axios
“Public officials around the world are imposing new restrictions on the unvaccinated as many nations struggle to raise their COVID vaccination rates.”
Nov 12: “AstraZeneca Plans to Start Selling Covid-19 Vaccines at Profit” by Cecilia Butini, The Wall Street Journal
“AstraZeneca said it would start pricing its Covid-19 vaccine to make it profitable, ending a period in which it had pledged to roll out the shots at cost during the pandemic.”
Nov 15: “Eastern European Countries Are Being Hit by a Wave of Covid Deaths” The Economist
“About 90 patients have been evacuated to Denmark, Germany, Hungary and elsewhere. Teams of doctors are also flying in from all over Europe to help their beleaguered colleagues.”
Nov 15: “Covid-19 Cases Rise in Pockets of North and West, Halting Delta Variant’s Decline in U.S.” by Jon Kamp and Kris Maher, The Wall Street Journal
“Covid-19 cases are climbing in places like the upper Midwest, Southwest and parts of the Northeast, hindering the nation’s progress in ending a surge triggered by the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus.”
Nov 15: “Austria and Germany Impose Restrictions on Unvaccinated People as COVID Cases Surge” by Scott Neuman, NPR
“Austria has placed some 2 million unvaccinated people on partial lockdown, while neighboring Germany has reintroduced free coronavirus testing, as the two countries contend with soaring rates of COVID-19 amid a Europe-wide wave of new infections.”
Nov 16: “Pfizer Asks US Officials to OK Promising COVID-19 Pill” by Matthew Perrone, Associated Press
“Pfizer said Tuesday it is asking U.S. regulators to authorize its experimental pill for COVID-19, setting the stage for a likely launch of the promising therapy in the coming weeks.”
Nov 16: “Pfizer Agrees to Let Other Companies Make Its COVID-19 Pill” by Maria Cheng, Associated Press
“Drugmaker Pfizer Inc. has signed a deal with a U.N.-backed group to allow other manufacturers to make its experimental COVID-19 pill, a move that could make the treatment available to more than half of the world’s population.”
Nov 16: “Slovakia to Restrict the Unvaccinated to Tame COVID Surge” Associated Press
“Slovakia is planning new restrictions on unvaccinated people in an effort to tame the latest surge of coronavirus infections that has caused a “critical” situation in the country’s hospitals, the prime minister said Tuesday [November 16].”
Nov 16: “Why Health-Care Workers Are Quitting in Droves” The Atlantic
“The nation has avoided the most apocalyptic scenarios, such as ventilators running out by the thousands, but it’s still sleepwalked into repeated surges that have overrun the capacity of many hospitals, killed more than 762,000 people, and traumatized countless health-care workers.”
Nov 17: “NIH Begins Long-Term Study of Children with COVID-19” by Carolyn Crist, Medscape
“The National Institutes of Health has begun a long-term study of the effects of COVID-19 on children and young adults.”
Nov 17: “Covid-19 Boosters Become Available to All Adults Across Several States, Cities” by Felicia Schwartz, The Wall Street Journal
“Several cities and states have begun offering Covid-19 boosters to all adults, moving beyond federal guidelines in a bid to prevent another wave of cases as people head inside during the cold weather.”
Nov 18: “Growing Evidence Supports Repurposing Antidepressants to Treat COVID-19” by Megan Brooks, Medscape
“Mounting evidence suggests selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) are associated with lower COVID-19 severity.”
Nov 18: “Pfizer, US Ink $5.29B Deal for Possible COVID-19 Treatment” by Tom Murphy, Associated Press
“The U.S. government will pay drugmaker Pfizer $5.29 billion for 10 million treatment courses of its potential COVID-19 treatment if regulators authorize it, the nation’s largest purchase agreement yet for a coronavirus therapy.”
Nov 18: “SKorea Sees Record Virus Jump as Thousands Take College Exam” by Kim Tong-Hyung, Associated Press
“South Korea reported its biggest daily jump in coronavirus infections since the start of the pandemic as hundreds of thousands of masked students flocked to schools on Thursday for the country’s highly competitive college entrance exam amid growing concerns about the delta-driven spread.”
Nov 18: “Mask-Wearing Cuts New COVID-19 Cases by 53%, Study Says” by Carolyn Crist, Medscape
“When people wear face masks to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, the number of new COVID-19 infections drops by 53%, according to a new study published Thursday in the British Medical Journal.”
Nov 18: “New Reconstruction Points to Animal Origins for Covid-19” by Betsy McKay, The Wall Street Journal
“A scientist known for investigating viral origins has reconstructed the first known weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic, adding to a growing body of evidence that the virus behind it jumped from infected animals to humans rather than emerging from laboratory research.”
Nov 19: “Scientists Mystified, Wary, as Africa Avoids COVID Disaster” by Maria Cheng and Farai Mutsaka, Associated Press
“When the coronavirus first emerged last year, health officials feared the pandemic would sweep across Africa, killing millions. Although it’s still unclear what COVID-19’s ultimate toll will be, that catastrophic scenario has yet to materialize in Zimbabwe or much of the continent.”
Nov 19: “OSHA Suspends Implementation of Vaccine Mandate” by Ralph Ellis, Medscape
“Responding to a federal court order, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is suspending implementation and enforcement of its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for organizations with 100 or more employees.”
Nov 22: “Why People with Mental Illness Are at Higher Risk of COVID” by Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR
“The decision to prioritize people with psychiatric diagnoses in the early rollout of boosters came after a growing number of studies linked mental health disorders with higher risk of both COVID-19 infection and of serious outcomes.”
Nov 22: “The New COVID War: Redefining Vaccinated” by Caitlin Owens, Axios
“As health officials push COVID booster shots, a debate is quickly emerging around whether the definition of “fully vaccinated” should be changed to include an additional dose of the vaccine.”
Nov 22: “FDA Clears Pfizer, Moderna Covid Booster Shots for All Adults” by Katherine Ellen Foley, Politico
“The Food and Drug Administration on Friday [November 19] cleared both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 booster shots for all adults.”
Nov 23: “Covid-19 Breakthrough Hospitalizations Concentrated Among Most Vulnerable” by Jon Kamp and Melanie Evans, The Wall Street Journal
“Breakthrough cases of Covid-19 are hitting older people and those with underlying health conditions particularly hard, according to a new review of data by The Wall Street Journal that sharpens the picture of who remains at risk despite vaccinations.”
Nov 23: “CDC: Rising Cases, Holidays Led to Approval of Boosters for All” by Lindsay Kalter, Medscape
“Health officials authorized booster shots for all US adults last week in response to an increase in COVID-19 cases, along with concern about upcoming holidays and winter months, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, said Monday [November 22].”
Nov 23: “Booster Snafu: Shots Lagged Data by Months” by Caitlin Owens, Axios
“Federal officials waited months before making all American adults eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot — meaning millions of Americans may not have the strongest possible protection as they head into holiday travel.”
Nov 23: “Companies Are Telling Unvaccinated Workers to Pay More for Health Insurance” by Andrea Hsu, NPR
“Now, as Covid cases climb once again, more companies are putting aside carrots and turning to sticks in an effort to protect their workers.”
Nov 26: “Omicron Identified as Covid-19 ‘Variant of Concern,’ Triggering Global Fears” by Gabriele Steinhauser, The Wall Street Journal
“The World Health Organization said a new strain of the coronavirus first detected in southern Africa was a global “variant of concern” and that preliminary evidence suggested that it presented a higher risk of a person catching Covid-19 for a second time.”
Nov 26: “Children and COVID: New Cases Increase for Third Straight Week” Medscape
“New cases of COVID-19 in children rose for the third consecutive week, while vaccinations among 5- to 11-year-olds continued to steadily increase, according to new data.”
Nov 26: “New Omicron Variant Stokes World Fears, Triggers Travel Ban” by Raf Casert, The Sentinel
“The discovery of a new coronavirus variant sent a chill through much of the world Friday as nations raced to halt air travel, markets fell sharply and scientists held emergency meetings to weigh the exact risks, which were largely unknown.”
Nov 29: “Scientists Rapidly Identified the Omicron Variant. But Firm Answers About Its Impact Could Take Weeks” by Andrew Joseph, STAT News
“The emergence of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, with a suite of mutations that suggests it might be extra transmissible and be able to evade at least some immune protection, has the world eager for answers about what it means for the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Nov 29: “Peru Has the World’s Highest COVID Death Rate. Here’s Why” by Jason Beaubien, NPR
“Peru’s per capita death rate from COVID is now the worst in the world, far higher than any of its neighbors and twice the rate of the United States.”
Nov 29: “Once Rare, Lung Transplants for COVID-19 Patients Are Rising Quickly” by Kerry Sheridan, NPR
“About one in 10 lung transplants in the United States now go to COVID-19 patients, according to data from the United Network for Organ Sharing, or UNOS. The trend is raising questions about the ethics of allocating a scarce resource to people who have chosen not to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.”
Nov 29: “WHO Warns That New Virus Variant Poses ‘Very High’ Risk” by Jamey Keaten, Raf Casert and Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press
“The World Health Organization warned Monday that the global risk from the omicron variant is ‘very high’ based on the early evidence, saying the mutated coronavirus could lead to surges with ‘severe consequences.’”
Nov 29: “Doctor: Many South Africans Ill in Surge Have Mild Symptoms” by Andrew Meldrum, Associated Press
“South Africa’s rapid increase in COVID-19 cases attributed to the new omicron variant is resulting in mostly mild symptoms, doctors say.”
Nov 30: “Merck’s COVID-19 Pill May Be Less Effective Than First Hoped” by Brenda Goodman, Medscape
“According to an analysis by scientists at the FDA, the experimental pill cut the risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 by about 30%, compared to a placebo, and the pill showed no benefit for people with antibodies against COVID-19 from prior infection.”
Nov 30: “US Panel Backs First-of-a-Kind COVID-19 Pill from Merck” by Matthew Perrone, Associated Press
“A panel of U.S. health advisers on Tuesday narrowly backed a closely watched COVID-19 pill from Merck, setting the stage for a likely authorization of the first drug that Americans could take at home to treat the coronavirus.”
Nov 30: “Omicron Fuels the Case for COVID Boosters” by Tina Reed, Axios
“The emergence of the Omicron COVID variant is turbocharging the push for vaccine boosters, and experts say a booster may soon become a requirement to be considered ‘fully vaccinated.’”
Nov 30: “Omicron Variant Sends Policy Makers Scrambling as Science Lags Behind” by Gabriele Steinhauser and Brianna Abbott, The Wall Street Journal
“Scientists are racing to catch up with the policy response to the Omicron variant, as virologists study its many mutations and drugmakers test it against their Covid-19 vaccines and treatments.”
Nov 30: “Greece Will Mandate the COVID-19 Vaccine for Anyone Over 60, or Make Them Pay Fines” by Joanna Kakissis, NPR
“Greece announced Tuesday that everyone 60 and older must be vaccinated by mid-January or face monthly fines of 100 euros (roughly $114).”
