Category: COVID-19

Categories
-Top News COVID-19 USA

WH Covid response team to be disbanded in May

Indian-American physician Ashish Jha.(photo: twitter.com/ashishkjha46)

The US remains the worst-hit country in the world with the highest number of Covid-19 cases and deaths….reports Asian Lite News

The White House will disband its Covid-19 response team led by Indian-American physician Ashish Jha, as the public health emergency over the pandemic is set to expire on May 11, officials said.

Under President Joe Biden’s administration, the team was responsible for coordinating the nationwide rollout and distribution of vaccines, treatments and medical supplies, reports CNN.

“As a result of this administration’s historic response to Covid-19, we as a nation are in a safer, better place than we were three years ago.

“Covid no longer disrupts our lives because of investments and our efforts to mitigate its worst impacts,” CNN quoted a senior administration official as saying in a statement.

The official however, noted that Covid is not over and fighting it remains a priority for the administration.

“Transitioning out of the emergency phase is the natural evolution of the Covid response.”

The US remains the worst-hit country in the world with the highest number of Covid-19 cases and deaths.

As of Thursday, it has registered a total of 106,037,022 cases since the pandemic first erupted in early 2020, while the death toll stood at 1,152,525.

ALSO READ: US expresses solidarity with Uyghur Muslims

Categories
-Top News COVID-19 USA

Biden signs Bill to declassify info on Covid-19 origins

President Joe Biden.(photo:Instagram)

Biden Admin reiterated that they will continue to review all classified information relating to COVID-19’s origins, including potential links to the Wuhan Institute of Virology….reports Asian Lite News

President Joe Biden on Monday signed a Bill, the “COVID-19 Origin Act of 2023”, that requires the Director of National Intelligence to declassify information related to the origins of COVID.

The US President in a statement on Monday said: “My Administration will continue to review all classified information relating to COVID-19’s origins, including potential links to the Wuhan Institute of Virology; will declassify & share as much of that information as possible.” “Today, I am pleased to sign into law S. 619, the “COVID-19 Origin Act of 2023.” I share the Congress’s goal of releasing as much information as possible about the origin of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). In 2021, I directed the Intelligence Community to use every tool at its disposal to investigate the origin of COVID-19, and that work is ongoing,” Biden said in a statement released by The White House.

“We need to get to the bottom of COVID-19’s origins to help ensure we can better prevent future pandemics. My Administration will continue to review all classified information relating to COVID-19’s origins, including potential links to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. In implementing this legislation, my administration will declassify and share as much of that information as possible, consistent with my constitutional authority to protect against the disclosure of information that would harm national security,” the US President further said according to The White House release.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has rebuked Chinese officials for withholding scientific research that may reveal the origin of coronavirus, The New York Times reported.

The WHO, on Friday (Local time) also asked the Chinese official about the reasons behind not revealing the data three years ago and why, after it was published online in January, it could not be found now.

Before the data got vanished into the internet space, an international team of virus experts downloaded and began analysing the research. The team revealed that the data supports the idea that the pandemic could have begun from the illegally traded raccoon dogs, which infected the humans at China’s Wuhan Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market.

But the team couldn’t reach the final result as the gene sequences were removed from a scientific database once the experts offered to collaborate on the analysis with their Chinese counterparts, according to The New York Times.

“These data could have — and should have — been shared three years ago,” Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s director general, said. The missing evidence now “needs to be shared with the international community immediately,” he said. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Biden’s $6.8 tn Budget faces hurdles in Congress

Categories
-Top News COVID-19 USA

US House votes to declassify info on Covid-19 origin

Clamour for an in-depth investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic grows stronger amid WHA meet.(photo:indianarrative)

The move is aimed at demystifying several conspiracy theories surrounding the alleged deliberate leak of the genetically engineered SARC Cov 2 virus, a weaponised flu virus, to test its efficacy…writes T.N. Ashok

In an unprecedented move, the US Congress, dominated by the Republican Party, has passed a bill unanimously asking the Director of National Intelligence to declassify information on the origins of Covid 19 and sent the measure to President Joe Biden’s desk for approval.

The move is aimed at demystifying several conspiracy theories surrounding the alleged deliberate leak of the genetically engineered SARC Cov 2 virus, a weaponised flu virus, to test its efficacy. The alleged leak or accidental release of the virus from Wuhan lab of Hubei province of China devastated the world killing 5 million people around the globe and infecting 50 million people worldwide, the maximum being in the US and India, just as the Spanish Flu did in 1928 to 1930.

Conspiracy theories abound as a mysterious woman technician from the lab became a whistleblower claiming the virus was leaked from the lab. However, after the whistle-blower disappeared, and nothing was heard of her, the WHO officially stated that the virus had accidentally leaked from the lab.

Subsequently, investigations by the US media revealed that the Wuhan lab was funded for genetic engineering experiments by the US government. This was publicly acknowledged by the special health advisor to the President and the NIAID Director, Dr Anthony Fauci, who has since laid down office.

Fauci, the long time chief of the Laboratory of Immuno-regulation and making many contributions to basic and clinical research on the pathogenesis and treatment of immune-mediated and infectious diseases, was in the firing line as the long-time director of NIAID for not containing Covid in the US.

The House of Representatives, which was retaken by the Republicans from the Democrats in November last year with a wafer thin majority, passed a bill to require the Director of National Intelligence to declassify information on Covid’s origins.

The bill to declassify information about the virus’ origins and any information linking it to a Chinese lab was passed by the House unanimously, 419-0, with 16 members not voting. The Senate passed the measure by unanimous consent last week, media reports said.

Asked on Friday whether he would sign the legislation into law, Biden told reporters: “I haven’t made that decision yet.”

The bill, titled the Covid-19 Origin Act of 2023, comes after it was revealed that the US Energy Department had concluded, but with a low amount of confidence, that the pandemic likely originated from a laboratory leak in the Chinese city of Wuhan, according to a classified report delivered to key lawmakers on the House and the Senate Intelligence committees, two sources previously confirmed to NBC News.



The FBI believes Covid originated from the Chinese lab leak, its Director Christopher Wray said.

Wray, in a recent interview with Fox News, said that the “FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan”. He complained that the Chinese government had been doing “it’s best to try to thwart and obfuscate the work here, the work that we’re doing, and the work that our US government and close foreign partners are doing, and that’s unfortunate for everybody”.

The bill was introduced last month by Republican Senators Josh Hawley and Mike Braun.

“For nearly three years, anyone asking whether Covid-19 originated as a lab leak outbreak was silenced and branded as a conspiracy theorist,” Hawley said in a statement when filing the measure. “Now these prudent sceptics stand vindicated. The American people deserve to know the truth.”

The Chinese government has stoutly denied the claims maintaining its “openness and transparency” on the issue. “Based on the poor track record of the US intelligence agencies in forgery and deception, the conclusions they draw have no credibility whatsoever,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said earlier this month.

President Biden has directed the intelligence community to look further into pandemics origins in 2021 so as to arrive at a “definitive conclusion” on its source after agencies were conflicted on whether the virus came from human contact with an infected animal or from a laboratory accident.

ALSO READ: Biden appoints two Indian-American CEOs to Advisory Committee

Categories
Business COVID-19 Economy

Uncertainties in post Covid economic recovery 

economy.

Domestically, consumption momentum is clearly fading, and capex could follow suit amid slowing prices, rising cost of capital and slowing consumption and exports, it added…reports Sanjeev Sharma

Overall, post-Covid economic recovery may be strong in pockets, but remains weak on the aggregate, Nuvama Institutional Equities said in a report.

On a 5 year CAGR trend basis, real GDP is growing at 4 per cent, which is sluggish. The weakness is pronounced in manufacturing (2.7 per cent), whereas services (5 per cent) seems to be doing relatively well. Nominal GDP growth stands at 11 per cent on a trend basis, (similar to pre-Covid trend), aided by higher prices.

On a trend basis (5YCAGR), real GDP is growing at just 4.1 per cent despite upward revisions in FY21 and FY22. Seen differently, real GDP is running 9-10 per cent below the pre-covid trend line, which is notable given pent-up demand is arguably behind, Nuvama Institutional Equities said in a note.

“But what is more concerning is that even before the economy could regain the pre-Covid trend line; a slowdown may be setting in. Manufactured exports are already in contraction while services exports could slow down next amid a broadening global downturn,” the report said.

Domestically, consumption momentum is clearly fading, and capex could follow suit amid slowing prices, rising cost of capital and slowing consumption and exports, it added.

Near term uncertainties are rising due to global geopolitical and economic issues, El Nino and negative noise levels ahead of 2024 General elections, Prabhudas Lilladher said in a report.

High frequency indicators like GST collection, peak power demand, recovery in air Travel, PV, CV, housing, capital goods and improving capacity utilisation are positive. Rural demand has failed to pick up due to high inflation but strong rabi crop, declining inflation, and likely increase in rural spending ahead of 2024 elections will likely revive demand although EL Nino remains a key risk, it added.

“El Nino is knocking at the doors as temperatures around the country are soaring high and there are significant variations across the globe. We note that some regions in India are recording temperatures 3-5 degrees higher than normal. Both Skymet and IMD have warned of higher than expected heat in the summer months from April to June,” the report said.

Also, winter monsoons were weak this year (deficit of 37 per cent in Nov’22, 14 per cent in Dec’22 and 13 per cent in Jan’23) with major northern states like Punjab, western UP and MP receiving higher rainfall deficit. EL Nino along with weaker monsoons is expected to have multi pronged adverse impact on the Indian agriculture and economy.

“Firstly, it poses a high threat to the standing Rabi crop, especially wheat a higher temperatures can lower output. Secondly, El Nino usually leads to weaker monsoons and hence a threat of poor Kharif crop. Poor Rabi and Kharif crop output can push food inflation further up and delay rural demand recovery. Lastly, higher temperatures will lead to higher power demand which could add to higher coal imports and inflation woes for consumers,” the report said.

According to Motilal Oswal Financial Services, an analysis of 12 rural consumption indicators suggests that rural spending rose 5.3 per cent YoY in 9MFY23 v/s 0.6 per cent YoY growth in 9MFY22.

However, consumption grew at a three-quarter low of 4.6 per cent YoY in 3QFY23 v/s 6.5 per cent/5.6 per cent YoY rise in 1Q/2QFY23. The slowdown was primarily led by: four-quarter low growth in real agriculture GVA, continued fall in non-agricultural wages, sharp slowdown (nine-quarter low growth) in two-wheeler sales, continued decline in farmers’ terms of trade (negative for eight quarters now), drop in real farm exports (first decline in 10 quarters), and three-quarter low growth in real farm credit in 3QFY23.

Overall, consumption demand has started its southward journey. Both rural and urban consumption grew at a three-quarter low in 3QFY23.

ALSO READ: EVENT: CorporateConnections® Annual Meet

Categories
COVID-19 Health India News

Bill Gates appreciates India’s Covid-19 management

Bill Gates appreciated India’s COVID Management, vaccination drive and Digital Health initiatives like Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission…reports Asian Lite News

Microsoft co-founder and Philanthropist Bill Gates on Wednesday met Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya in the national capital and appreciated India’s COVID-19 management.

During his meeting, Bill Gates appreciated India’s COVID Management, vaccination drive and Digital Health initiatives like Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. He also visited the dedicated War Room named National Public Health Observatory which was shaped during Covid times.

India’s G20 health priorities, PM Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana and eSanjeevani were also discussed between Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and the Microsoft founder.

“Wonderful meeting with @BillGates. He appreciated India’s COVID-19 Management, Vaccination Drive & Digital Health initiatives like Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. We discussed India’s G20 health priorities, PM Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana and eSanjeevani,” Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted on Wednesday.

Notably, one of India’s three health priorities at the G-20 summit is hosting is to ensure access to such medical countermeasures for all in the event of another pandemic.

The Health Minister showed him the dedicated War Room named National Public Health Observatory which was shaped during Covid times. It tracked COVID cases & Vaccination speedily & efficiently and currently each health program and initiative uses Artificial Intelligence (AI).

On Tuesday, Bill Gates also met former Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and had a discussion with him about his philanthropic work specially related to children’s healthcare.

Besides Sachin, Gates also met Reserve Bank of India governor Shaktikanta Das and held discussions on wide-ranging matters.”Mr. @BillGates visited RBI Mumbai today and held wide-ranging discussions with Governor @DasShaktikanta,” RBI tweeted.

This is Gates’ first visit to India after the COVID-19 pandemic. On February 23, he expressed his happiness in coming to India.

“India gives me hope for the future. I’m excited to visit next week and see the work being done by innovators and entrepreneurs to tackle big challenges like climate change, health, and hunger,” he tweeted. (ANI)

ALSO READ: G20 FMs meet: Ukraine conflict set to top agenda, says India

Categories
Business COVID-19 STARTUPS News

Tough times ahead for Indian startups

Startup funding slows but strong core policies will help tide over uncertainties, say experts(IN)

The market disruption by the Covid-19 pandemic created phases of growth and slowdowns for startups…reports Asian Lite News

Consumer demand is expected to stay low over the coming quarters, as inflation continues to rise, creating a further slowdown phase for the startups in the country, a new report has said.

There is an ongoing risk of further escalation in the war on Ukraine and the current wheat crop being impacted by hot weather conditions, according to market research firm Redseer Strategy Consultants.

Consumer perception of the general economic condition continues to be pessimistic as per the Reserve Bank of India’s Consumer Confidence Survey of January 2023, where more than 50 per cent of consumers reported it to have worsened.

This comes at a difficult time for startups. They currently have limited ability to drive growth through discounts and other levers, which worked well during an easier funding environment.

“Therefore, startups must focus on efficient unit economics and improving profitability by sticking to their core offerings,” the report said.

One strategy that has worked for FMCG players in the face of shrinkflation has been the push towards smaller stock-keeping units (SKUs).

“Bharat-focused startups, too, need to look at revamping their SKU strategy to fit the tighter wallets of the mass-market consumers. The second strategy is to double down on the premium categories, which have lower price elasticity and have performed well against market pressures across sectors,” the findings showed.

The market disruption by the Covid-19 pandemic created phases of growth and slowdowns for startups.

As a result, most businesses experienced a net growth that spanned two pandemic waves.

However, in 2022, global inflationary pressures severely impacted consumer demand. The revenue increase was driven by higher prices, as volumes remained low across the urban and rural sectors.

“With the macroenvironment challenges expected to continue, consumer demand is likely to remain subdued for the foreseeable future,” the report said.

“We expect consumer demand over the near future to continue staying subdued, with high inflation, unemployment in the urban organised sector and falling real wages in the rural areas,” it added.

ALSO READ: SpiceJet net profit jumps to Rs 107 cr

Categories
-Top News COVID-19 USA

Energy Dept concludes lab leak caused Covid-19 pandemic

Pedestrians pass a sign advertising a COVID-19 testing site in New York, the United States, on May 12, 2022. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua/IANS)

The Energy Department now joins the Federal Bureau of Investigation in saying the virus likely spread via a mishap at a Chinese laboratory…reports Asian Lite News

New intelligence has prompted the Energy Department to conclude that an accidental laboratory leak in China most likely caused the novel coronavirus pandemic, reported The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

The shift by the Energy Department, which previously was undecided on how the virus emerged, is noted in an update to a 2021 document by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines’s office. The conclusion was a change from the department’s earlier position that it was undecided on how the virus emerged, reported WSJ.

The update, which is less than five pages, wasn’t requested by the Congress. But lawmakers, particularly House and Senate Republicans, are pursuing their own investigations into the origins of the pandemic and are pressing the Biden administration and the intelligence community for more information.

The Energy Department now joins the Federal Bureau of Investigation in saying the virus likely spread via a mishap at a Chinese laboratory, reported WSJ.

The Energy Department’s conclusion is the result of new intelligence and is significant because the agency has considerable scientific expertise and oversees a network of US national laboratories, some of which conduct advanced biological research.

Energy Department’s insights come from its network of national laboratories, some of which conduct biological research, rather than more traditional forms of intelligence like spy networks or communications intercepts.

The FBI previously came to the conclusion that the pandemic was likely the result of a lab leak in 2021 with “moderate confidence” and still holds this view.

US officials added that while the Energy Department and the FBI each say an unintended lab leak is the most likely cause of the pandemic, they arrived at those conclusions for different reasons.

The updated document underscores how intelligence officials are still putting together the pieces on how Covid-19 emerged. More than one million Americans have died in the pandemic that began more than three years ago, reported WSJ.

However, the conclusion was made with “low confidence,” and came as America’s intelligence agencies remained divided over the origins of the coronavirus, reported WSJ.

Four other agencies, along with a national intelligence panel, still believe that the pandemic was likely the result of a natural transmission, and two are undecided.

The Central Intelligence Agency and another agency that officials wouldn’t name remain undecided between the lab-leak and natural-transmission theories, the people who have read the classified report said.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan declined to confirm or deny the Journal’s reporting in an appearance Sunday on CNN. He said President Biden had repeatedly directed every part of the intelligence community to invest in trying to discern as much as possible about the origins of the pandemic.

“President Biden specifically requested that the national labs, which are part of the Energy Department, be brought into this assessment because he wants to put every tool at use to be able to figure out what happened here,” Sullivan said.

The Covid-19 virus first circulated in Wuhan, China, no later than November 2019, according to the US 2021 intelligence report. The pandemic’s origin has been the subject of vigorous debate among academics, intelligence experts and lawmakers.

The emergence of the pandemic heightened tensions between the US and China, which US officials alleged was withholding information about the outbreak. It also led to a spirited and at times partisan debate in the US about its origin.  (ANI)

ALSO READ: ‘G20 destabilized by West and used against Russia’

Categories
-Top News COVID-19 USA

Covid marks sixth leading cause of death in US in Jan

Pedestrians pass a sign advertising a COVID-19 testing site in New York, the United States, on May 12, 2022. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua/IANS)

XBB.1.5 is growing in proportion in all regions nationwide, according to the CDC. BQ.1.1 remains the second most prevalent strain at 9.4 per cent…reports Asian Lite News

The highly transmissible Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 now accounts for 85 per cent of all Covid-19 cases reported in the US this week, according to the latest estimates of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The prevalence of XBB.1.5 kept increasing since late last year — up from 79.2 per cent last week and 71.9 per cent two weeks prior, Xinhua news agency reported citing the estimates as saying.

XBB.1.5 is growing in proportion in all regions nationwide, according to the CDC. BQ.1.1 remains the second most prevalent strain at 9.4 per cent.

The CDC first started tracking XBB.1.5 in November last year, when it accounted for less than 1 per cent of cases nationwide.

Since then, the strain is spreading quickly in the US. Early study suggests XBB.1.5 has a couple of concerning mutations that suggest it is even more contagious than other strains, possibly the most transmissible one so far.

While XBB.1.5 is spreading easier, scientists said it does not seem to cause more severe disease. The US still remains the worst-ht country in the world with the highest number of Covid-19 cases and deaths.

As of Saturday morning, the country’s overall number of cases and fatalities stood at 105,169,945 and 1,144,441, respectively.

ALSO READ: 12 US states sue to expand access to abortion pill

Categories
-Top News China COVID-19

‘No new Covid variants emerged during China’s recent outbreak’

Workers line up for nucleic acid testing at the construction site of a residential area in Jiangdong New Area of Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, Sept. 2, 2022.(Xinhua/Yang Guanyu/IANS)

Imported cases during the same period mostly involved different variants to those dominant in Beijing….reports Asian Lite News

No new Covid-19 variants have emerged in China during the recent surge in infections since the country ended its zero-Covid policy, according to an analysis of cases in Beijing published in The Lancet.

The study suggests two existing Omicron sub-variants, BA.5.2 and BF.7, among the most dominant variants in Beijing during 2022, accounted for more than 90 per cent of local infections between November 14 and December 20, 2022.

Imported cases during the same period mostly involved different variants to those dominant in Beijing.

Genome analysis of 413 new Covid-19 infections in Beijing spanning the time period when China lifted its most strict pandemic control policies suggests that all were caused by existing strains.

“Our analysis suggests two known Omicron sub-variants – rather than any new variants – have chiefly been responsible for the current surge in Beijing, and likely China as a whole. However, with ongoing large-scale circulation of Covid-19 in China, it is important we continue to monitor the situation closely so that any new variants that might emerge are found as early as possible,” said Professor George Gao of the Institute of Microbiology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The results represent a snapshot of the pandemic in China, due to the characteristics of Beijing’s population and the circulation of highly transmissible Covid-19 strains there.

In the three years since Covid-19 was declared a global pandemic, the emergence of variants such as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron has caused multiple waves of cases around the world.

In the latest study, the authors analysed Covid-19 samples detected in Beijing in 2022. Genome sequences were generated using rapid, large-scale sequencing technology, and their evolutionary history and population dynamics analysed using existing high-quality Covid-19 sequences.

Analysis of the 413 new sequences revealed they all belong to existing, known COVID-19 strains.

The dominant strain in Beijing after November 14 2022 was BF.7, which accounted for 75.7 per cent of local infections. Another Omicron sub-variant, BA5.2, was responsible for 16.3 per cent of local cases.

Professor Wolfgang Preiser and Dr Tongai Maponga of the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, who were not involved in the study, said: “It is welcome to see this much-needed data from China. It is certainly reassuring that this study yielded no evidence for novel variants but not a surprise: the surge is amply explained by the abrupt cessation of effective control measures.”

However, they urge caution in drawing conclusions about China as a whole based on data from Beijing, saying that “the SARS-CoV-2 molecular epidemiological profile in one region of a vast and densely populated country cannot be extrapolated to the entire country”.

ALSO READ: US Congress reintroduces Tibet-China conflict bill

Categories
-Top News COVID-19 USA

US govt announces plan to end Covid-19 emergency declarations

It comes as lawmakers have already ended elements of the emergencies that kept millions of Americans insured during the pandemic….reports Asian Lite News

President Joe Biden informed Congress on Monday that he will end the twin national emergencies for addressing COVID-19 on May 11, as most of the world has returned closer to normalcy nearly three years after they were first declared.

The move to end the national emergency and public health emergency declarations would formally restructure the federal coronavirus response to treat the virus as an endemic threat to public health that can be managed through agencies’ normal authorities.

It comes as lawmakers have already ended elements of the emergencies that kept millions of Americans insured during the pandemic. Combined with the drawdown of most federal COVID-19 relief money, it would also shift the development of vaccines and treatments away from the direct management of the federal government.

Biden’s announcement comes in a statement opposing resolutions being brought to the floor this week by House Republicans to bring the emergency to an immediate end. House Republicans are also gearing up to launch investigations on the federal government’s response to COVID-19.

Then-President Donald Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar first declared a public health emergency on Jan. 31, 2020, and Trump later declared the COVID-19 pandemic a national emergenc y that March. The emergencies have been repeatedly extended by Biden since he took office in January 2021, and are set to expire in the coming months. The White House said Biden plans to extend them both briefly to end on May 11.

“An abrupt end to the emergency declarations would create wide-ranging chaos and uncertainty throughout the health care system — for states, for hospitals and doctors’ offices, and, most importantly, for tens of millions of Americans,” the Office of Management and Budget wrote in a Statement of Administration Policy.

More than 1.1 million people in the U.S. have died from COVID-19 since 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including about 3,700 last week.

Congress has already blunted the reach of the public health emergency that had the most direct impact on Americans, as political calls to end the declaration intensified. Lawmakers have refused for months to fulfill the Biden administration’s request for billions more dollars to extend free COVID vaccines and testing. And the $1.7 trillion spending package passed last year and signed into law by Biden put an end to a rule that barred states from kicking people off Medicaid, a move that is expected to see millions of people lose their coverage after April 1.

“In some respects, the Biden administration is catching up to what a lot of people in the country have been experiencing,” said Larry Levitt, the executive vice president for health policy at Kaiser Family Foundation. “That said, hundreds of people a day are still dying from COVID.”

Still, some things will change for Americans once the emergency expires, Levitt pointed out.

The costs of COVID-19 vaccines are also expected to skyrocket once the government stops buying them, with Pfizer saying it will charge as much as $130 per dose. Only 15% of Americans have received the recommended, updated booster that has been offered since last fall.

People with private insurance could have some out-of-pocket costs for vaccines, especially if they go to an out-of-network provider, Levitt said. Free at-home COVID tests will also come to an end. And hospitals will not get extra payments for treating COVID patients.

Legislators did extend for another two years telehealth flexibilities that were introduced as COVID-19 hit, leading health care systems around the country to regularly deliver care by smartphone or computer.

The Biden administration had previously considered ending the emergency last year, but held off amid concerns about a potential “winter surge” in cases and to provide adequate time for providers, insurers and patients to prepare for its end.

Officials said the administration would use the next three months to transition the response to conventional methods, warning that an immediate end to the emergency authorities “would sow confusion and chaos into this critical wind-down.”

ALSO READ: US’ bid to win back influence in Africa