logoCOVID-19 History

September 5, 2021

England will launch vaccine passports for nightclubs and other venues at the end of the month, the BBC reports. In the same period a leading UK health group says forcing every NHS worker to be vaccinated is not necessary and warns it could deepen staffing shortages, cutting against the assumption that broader mandates only help.

An NBC piece on religious exemptions quotes a bioethics professor saying he doubts most of the claims are sincere and sees them as a way to dodge the shot. The framing treats objectors as suspect by default. In Australia, retail chains reportedly threaten to withhold year-end bonuses from staff who decline the vaccine.

NPR warns that the Delta surge is overwhelming U.S. hospitals and reviving the prospect of rationed care, even as packed college-football stadiums draw superspreader worry. Away from the headlines, environmental studies report that disposable masks shed microplastics and that discarded gloves are spreading pollutants.

COVID-19: Forcing all NHS staff to have coronavirus jab 'not necessary', says leading health group
COVID-19: Forcing all NHS staf...
The government is set to launch a consultation on extending the mandatory vaccination requirement from care home staff to health service employees, sparking fears it could fuel workforce shortages.
Sky News
My year as Victoria’s deputy chief health officer: on the pandemic, press conferences and our COVID future
My year as Victoria’s deputy c...
The next months are going to remain difficult. But I’m still hopeful about the future. There will come a point when enough people are vaccinated that case numbers begin to decrease.
The Conversation
Covid-19: Vaccine passports to start in England this month
Covid-19: Vaccine passports to...
The scheme for nightclubs and other venues from the end of September aims to ensure they stay open.
BBC
The outdated machine hampering the fight against Covid-19
The outdated machine hampering...
Major backlogs in processing patient data during the pandemic are forcing the healthcare sector to reassess its relationship with fax machines.
BBC
Colorado nurse transforms Covid vaccine vials into a work of art to show appreciation for health care workers | CNN
Colorado nurse transforms Covi...
CNN
Spotlight and Anaconda staff punished if they don't get jab
Spotlight and Anaconda staff p...
The threat of missing out on end of year bonuses impacts on staff at hundreds of Spotlight, Anaconda, Harris Scarfe and Mountain Designs stores across Australia.
Daily Mail
Will College Football Games Become Covid-19 Coronavirus Superspreader Events?
Will College Football Games Be...
On social media, people have been using the word “chills” to describe the college football crowds packed into stadiums on Saturday.
Forbes
By The Numbers: Who’s Refusing Covid Vaccinations—And Why
By The Numbers: Who’s Refusing...
Hospitals are filling up with Covid patients with one thing in common: they’re not vaccinated. Here’s who they are.
Forbes
Religious exemptions to vaccine mandates could test ‘sincerely held beliefs’
Religious exemptions to vaccin...
“I don’t think most of this is sincere. I think it’s just a way to get out of having to take a vaccine,” a bioethics professor said.
NBC News
A COVID Surge Is Overwhelming U.S. Hospitals, Raising Fears Of Rationed Care
A COVID Surge Is Overwhelming ...
The delta variant is pummeling America's hospitals, taxing an already-depleted health care workforce. Once again, some states are facing the prospect of rationing medical care.
NPR
Delta Surge Drives Home Painful Truth: Covid Isn’t Going Away (Published 2021)
Delta Surge Drives Home Painfu...
The New York Times
The Best Birthday Present in 2021? A Covid Vaccine. (Published 2021)
The Best Birthday Present in 2...
The New York Times
Dynamics of antibody response to BNT162b2 vaccine after six months: a longitudinal prospective study
Dynamics of antibody response ...
The Lancet
5 ways to help keep children learning during the COVID-19 pandemic
5 ways to help keep children l...
UNICEF Global Chief of Education’s tips to help keep your child learning at home.
Unicef
Cowboys’ Zack Martin expected to miss season opener after positive coronavirus test
Cowboys’ Zack Martin expected ...
The Washington Post
Disposable masks release microplastics to the aqueous environment with exacerbation by natural weathering
Disposable masks release micro...
ScienceDirect.com
COVID-19 discarded disposable gloves as a source and a vector of pollutants in the environment
COVID-19 discarded disposable ...
ScienceDirect.com
Plastic waste associated with the COVID-19 pandemic: Crisis or opportunity?
Plastic waste associated with ...
ScienceDirect.com