COVID-19 Timeline: March 2022
October 4, 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 March 2022 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.
Mar 1: “Sweden’s COVID Response Was Flawed But Allowed Freedoms—Commission” by Johan Ahlander and Niklas Pollard, Reuters
Sweden should have shut venues and taken other tougher measures early in the COVID-19 pandemic, though its no-lockdown strategy was broadly beneficial, a commission said on Friday [February 25].
Mar 1: “Pfizer Shots Protect Kids from Severe COVID Even in Omicron” by Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press
Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine gave children 5 and older strong protection against hospitalization and death even during the omicron surge that hit youngsters especially hard, U.S. health officials reported Tuesday [March 1].
Mar 1: “The Secret’s in the Spikes: Exploring Omicron’s Ability to Escape Antibodies” by Delthia Ricks, Medical Xpress
Unlike its cousin variants, omicron is chock-full of mutations, more than any other SARS-CoV-2 variant that has so far caused waves of infection in the pandemic. Among the 59 mutations that characterize omicron, the majority are concentrated in the business end of the virus—the spike, the protein that unlocks human cells to initiate infection.
Mar 2: “Hong Kong, Buckling Under Covid, Leaves Its Most Vulnerable in the Cold” by Vivian Wang, New York Times
As Hong Kong sinks under its fifth, and worst, coronavirus wave, the brunt is falling upon its most vulnerable: migrants, racial minorities, the working class.
Mar 2: “Covid-19 Hospitalizations Are Down, But Nurse Shortages Stretch Hospitals” by Kris Maher, Wall Street Journal
More than a month after the Covid-19 Omicron surge peaked and began to decline, and as states are lifting Covid-related restrictions, the staffing crisis at many hospitals across the country is still running high.
Mar 3: “As Vaccine Demand Falls, State Are Left with Huge Stockpile” by Jennifer McDermott, Associated Press
As demand for COVID-19 vaccines collapses in many areas of the U.S., states are scrambling to use stockpiles of doses before they expire and have to be added to the millions that have already gone to waste.
Mar 3: “How the Coronavirus Steals the Sense of Smell” by Roni Caryn Rabin, New York Times
Scientists are now beginning to unravel the biological mechanisms, which have been something of a mystery: The neurons that detect odors lack the receptors that the coronavirus uses to enter cells, prompting a long debate about whether they can be infected at all.
Mar 3: “Arthritis Drug Reduces Mortality in Severe COVID-19, Huge Clinical Trial Finds” by Kai Kupferschmidt, Science
Baricitinib, an oral drug that dampens an overactive immune system and is commonly used by people with rheumatoid arthritis, reduced hospitalized COVID-19 patients’ risk of dying by 13%, investigators of the world’s largest trial of coronavirus treatments announced today.
Mar 4: “Most EU Women Blame COVID Pandemic for Spike in Gender Violence—Poll” Reuters
Nearly three out of four European Union women think the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred an increase in physical and psychological violence against them, according to a Eurobarometer poll published on Friday [March 4].
Mar 7: “The Health Worker Shortage Is Starting to Get Real for Americans” by Tina Reed, Axios
More than half of all Americans say they’ve directly felt the effects of health care worker shortages, from canceled appointments to delayed surgeries, according to results from a CVS Health-Harris Poll National Health project provided to Axios.
Mar 7: “Mainland China Daily Local COVID Cases Climb to 2-Year High” Reuters
Mainland China has logged its highest number of daily new local symptomatic COVID-19 infections in about two years, with the highly transmissible Omicron variant putting pressure on the government’s strict policy of curbing each outbreak quickly.
Mar 7: “Novavax’s Covid-19 Vaccine Moves Closer to FDA Authorization Decision” by Joseph, Walker Wall Street Journal
Novavax Inc.’s long-awaited Covid-19 vaccine is moving toward U.S. authorization after the company said it resolved manufacturing problems that had held up its application.
Mar 7: “High Demand for Drug to Prevent Covid in the Vulnerable, Yet Doses Go Unused” by Amanda Morris and Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times
Some patients and doctors do not know Evusheld exists. Some do not know where to get it. Government guidelines on who should be prioritized for the drug are scant.
Mar 8: “WHO Says COVID Boosters Needed, Reversing Previous Call” Associated Press
An expert group convened by the World Health Organization said Tuesday it “strongly supports urgent and broad access” to booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine amid the global spread of omicron, capping a reversal of the U.N. agency’s repeated insistence last year that boosters weren’t necessary for healthy people and contributed to vaccine inequity.
Mar 9: “Hong Kong Puts Mass Testing on Hold as COVID-19 Deaths Rise” Associated Press
The city of 7.4 million people is in the grip of a spiraling omicron outbreak that has swamped hospitals and morgues and reduced hours or shut restaurants and other shops in the normally bustling financial hub.
Mar 10: “New Vaccine Findings Post Tough Questions for Parents of Young Children” by Apoorva Mandavilli, New York Times
In early February, federal regulators announced that they would evaluate Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine for the youngest children — only to scrap that plan 10 days later, citing doubts about the vaccine’s effectiveness in that age group.
Mar 11: “China Locks Down City of 9 Million Amid New Spike in Cases” Associated Press
China on Friday ordered a lockdown of the 9 million residents of the northeastern city of Changchun amid a new spike in COVID-19 cases in the area attributed to the highly contagious omicron variant.
Mar 11: “2 Years into Pandemic, World Takes Cautious Steps Forward” by Gillian Flaccus, Christopher Weber and Terry Tang, Associated Press
It was March 11, 2020 when the WHO issued its declaration, driving home the severity of the threat faced by a virus that at that point had wreaked havoc primarily in Italy and China.
Mar 14: “’Overwhelming’ Need to Study COVID Vaccine-Associated Tinnitus” by Megan Brooks, Medscape
It’s now known that tinnitus may be an unexpected side effect of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, and there is an urgent need to understand the precise mechanisms and best treatment for vaccine-associated tinnitus, researchers say.
Mar 15: “In Africa, a Mix of Shots Drives an Uncertain Covid Vaccination Push” by Stephanie Nolen and Rebecca Robbins, New York Times
Supply in the lowest-income countries is growing more plentiful, but it is often an unpredictable hodgepodge, arriving on an irregular schedule, making planning difficult. Underfunded health systems still lack the storage, personnel and transportation needed to carry out broad vaccination campaigns.
Mar 15: “CDC: Omicron Variant Fueled Rise in COVID-19 Hospitalizations Among Young Children” by Brian P. Dunleavy, UPI
The Omicron variant of COVID-19 led to children age 4 years and younger being hospitalized at a rate that was five times higher than that seen during the peak of the Delta variant-fueled surge, according to data released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Mar 15: “As Virus Data Mounts, the J.&J. Vaccine Holds Its Own” by Apoorva Mandavilli, New York Times
Roughly 17 million Americans received the Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine, only to be told later that it was the least protective of the options available in the United States. But new data suggest that the vaccine is now preventing infections, hospitalizations and deaths at least as well as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.
Mar 16: “Report: N.Y. Health Agency ‘Misled’ Public on Nursing Home COVID Deaths” by TuAnh Dam, Axios
The New York State Health Department “misled the public” and failed to publicly account for the COVID-19 related deaths of over 4,000 N.Y. nursing home residents, according to an audit released on Tuesday [March 15] by the state comptroller.
Mar 16: “WHO: Evaluation of Russia’s COVID Shot Has Been Postponed” Associated Press
The World Health Organization said Wednesday its evaluation of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine has been postponed for the time being, due to the ‘uneven situation.’
Mar 17: “U.S. Covid-19 Hospital Admissions Near a Low, But New Risks Loom” by Jon Kamp, Wall Street Journal
A tangle of encouraging trends in the U.S. and concerning signs abroad are raising questions about the Covid-19 pandemic’s trajectory. Counts of newly admitted Covid-19 patients in U.S. hospitals are nearing their lowest recorded level after any prior surge.
Mar 17: “More Than 30 Companies to Start Making Pfizer’s COVID Pill” ABC News
The Medicines Patent Pool said in a statement that agreements signed with 35 companies should help make Pfizer’s antiviral nirmatrelvir, or Paxlovoid, available to more than half of the world’s population.
Mar 18: “Moderna Seeks FDA Authorization for 4th Dose of COVID Shot” by Zeke Miller, Associated Press
Drugmaker Moderna asked the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday [March 18] to authorize a fourth shot of its COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose for all adults. The request is broader than rival pharmaceutical company Pfizer’s request earlier this week for the regulator to approve a booster shot for all seniors.
Mar 18: “Hong Kong’s COVID Infections Exceed 1 Million Amid Outbreak” Associated Press
Hong Kong’s cumulative coronavirus infections have exceeded 1 million as the city grapples with a widespread outbreak that has killed more people than the reported COVID-19 deaths in all of mainland China.
Mar 18: “Ivermectin Didn’t Reduce Covid-19 Hospitalizations in Largest Trial to Date” by Sarah Toy, Wall Street Journal
Researchers testing repurposed drugs against Covid-19 found that ivermectin didn’t reduce hospital admissions, in the largest trial yet of the effect of the antiparasitic on the disease driving the pandemic.
Mar 21: “Overwhelmed by Omicron, Hong Kong Runs Out of Space for Its Dead” by Dan Strumpf and Elaine Yu, Wall Street Journal
People are dying from Covid-19 in Hong Kong at a rate that surpasses most of the world’s worst pandemic peaks, with almost 300 deaths a day overwhelming the city’s ability to cope.
Mar 21: “Doctors Finding Hurdles to Using Pills to Treat COVID-19” by Tom Murphy, Associated Press
The goal is to get patients started on either Pfizer’s Paxlovid tablets or Merck’s molnupiravir capsules within five days of symptoms appearing. That can prevent people with big health risks from growing sicker and filling up hospitals if another surge develops. But the tight deadline has highlighted several challenges.
Mar 22: “New Research Shows Higher Risk of Developing Diabetes After Covid-19 Infection” by Sumathi Reddy, Wall Street Journal
A large new study found that people who recovered from Covid-19 within the past year are 40% more likely to receive a new diagnosis of diabetes compared to those who weren’t infected.
Mar 23: “Omicron BA.2 Variant Represents Rising Share of U.S. Covid-19 Cases” by Jon Kamp, Wall Street Journal
An easily transmitted version of the Omicron coronavirus variant known as BA.2 represents a growing share of Covid-19 cases in the U.S., including a majority in parts of the Northeast, new federal estimates show.
Mar 23: “Moderna Says Its Low-Dose COVID Shots Work for Kids Under 6” by Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press
Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine works in babies, toddlers and preschoolers, the company announced Wednesday [March 23] — a development that could pave the way for the littlest kids to be vaccinated by summer if regulators agree.
Mar 23: “Morgue Data Hint at COVID’s True Toll in Africa” by Freda Kreier, Nature
Almost one-third of more than 1,000 bodies taken to a morgue in Lusaka in 2020 and 2021 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, implying that many more people died of COVID-19 in Zambia’s capital than official numbers suggest.
Mar 24: “Rich Countries Getting New COVID Vaccine Before Poorer Ones” by Maria Cheng and Aniruddha Ghosal, Associated Press
The company behind a COVID-19 vaccine touted as a key tool for the developing world has sent tens of millions of doses to wealthy nations but provided none yet to the U.N.-backed effort to supply poorer countries, a sign that inequity persists in the global response to the pandemic.
Mar 24: “Evidence Grows That Vaccines Lower the Risk of Getting Long COVID” by Will Stone, NPR
Unfortunately, the only sure way to avoid long COVID is not to catch the virus in the first place. But there is now a growing body of research that’s offering at least some reassurance for those who do end up getting infected — being fully vaccinated seems to substantially cut the risk of later developing the persistent symptoms that characterize long COVID.
Mar 24: “Census Bureau: COVID Drove Largest Spike in U.S. Deaths in a Century” by Stef W. Kight, Axios
COVID-19 drove the largest death spike in a century, with 535,000 more deaths in 2020 than in 2019, according to newly released U.S. Census Bureau data.
Mar 25: “Weekly Covid Cases in UK Increase by 1 M, Figures Show” by Nicola Davis, The Guardian
The number of coronavirus infections across the UK rose by an estimated 1 million cases compared with the previous week, with figures in Scotland at a record high, data from the Office for National Statistics has revealed.
Mar 28: “Shanghai Starts China’s Biggest COVID-19 Lockdown in 2 Years” Associated Press
China began its most extensive coronavirus lockdown in two years Monday [March 28] to conduct mass testing and control a growing outbreak in Shanghai as questions are raised about the economic toll of the nation’s ‘zero-COVID’ strategy.
Mar 28: “Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J Face Shareholder Pressure to Broaden Covid-19 Vaccine Access” by Peter Loftus, Wall Street Journal
Socially conscious investors and global-health activists are turning to shareholders to press Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers Pfizer Inc., Moderna Inc. and Johnson & Johnson to make more of their shots available to people in poorer countries.
Mar 29: “CDC Recommends Second Booster Shot for Americans Over 50” by Erin Doherty, Axios
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky expanded the eligibility for a second COVID-19 booster shot to all Americans age 65 or older in addition to those over 50 who are immunocompromised on Tuesday [March 29], the agency announced in a statement.
Mar 29: “The BA.2 Subvariant of Omicron Accounts for Over Half of New U.S. Coronavirus Cases, the C.D.C. Estimates.” by Adeel Hassan, New York Times
According to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday [March 29], the highly contagious Omicron subvariant known as BA.2, which led to a surge of coronavirus cases in Europe, is now the dominant version of the virus in new U.S. cases.
Mar 30: “America’s Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Vaccine Approach” by Caitlin Owens, Axios
The choose-your-own-adventure vibe of the pandemic response is spreading to booster shots, with Americans 50 and older now having the option to get a fourth dose — without explicitly being encouraged to do so.
Mar 31: “44 Countries Have COVID Vaccination Rates Under 20% Despite Supply Increase” by David Lawler, Axios
COVID vaccine supply struggles are easing, but in 44 countries — most of them in Africa — less than 20% of the population is fully vaccinated. In 19, the rate is under 10%.
Mar 31: “Study: Pregnancy Nearly Doubles Risk of Breakthrough COVID” by Noah Garfinkel, Axios
Pregnancy nearly doubles the chances a person will have a breakthrough COVID-19 infection, according to new study released Thursday [March 31].
Mar 31: “Pandemic Took a Toll on Teen Mental Health, US Study Says” by Mike Stobbe, Associated Press
More than 4 in 10 U.S. high school students said they felt persistently sad or hopeless during the pandemic, according to government findings released Thursday [March 31].
Mar 31: “Novavax Asks EU Regulator to Clear COVID Vaccine for Teens” Associated Press
The pharmaceutical developer Novavax says it has asked the European Medicines Agency to extend the authorization of its coronavirus vaccine to children aged 12 to 17 amid a surge of disease across the continent.
