Israeli hospital: 98% of staff who got 2nd shot have high-level COVID antibodies * * * timesofisrael

A new serological study conducted at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan has shown 98% of hospital workers who received the second dose of the coronavirus vaccine have developed a high level of antibodies to fight off the virus.

Trump admin enlists private firm to review some Covid-19 tests The decision cuts scientists at the Food and Drug Administration out of the process. David Lim POLITICO

The Department of Health and Human Services is paying a private firm to review the accuracy of some Covid-19 tests — the latest example of the department’s political leadership attempting to bypass scientists at the Food and Drug Administration.

Latest on worldwide spread of the coronavirus The world is on the brink of "catastrophic moral failure" in sharing COVID-19 vaccines, the head of the World Health Organization said, urging countries and manufacturers to spread doses more fairly. Reuters Staff U.S.

France is on track to reach its target of vaccinating 1 million people by the end of January and has enough doses to increase the total to 2.4 million by the end of February.

Who is ‘essential’? Food and farm workers left in limbo in vaccine priorities Labor advocates point to resistance from officials and other difficulties in getting food and farm workers to be prioritized. POLITICO

The nation’s food workers, hit hard by Covid-19 infections throughout the crisis, are finding resistance in the race to get vaccinated.

Some states are seeing higher numbers of Covid-19 cases as others ease restrictions While some states are seeing improving outlooks in their battle against Covid-19, other parts of the nation are hitting tragic records. Travis Caldwell, CNN CNN

(CNN) While some states are seeing improving outlooks in their battle against Covid-19, other parts of the nation are hitting tragic records. ...

Fauci says new vaccines could be ready for possible approval within weeks, not months Amid frustration and delays of administering current vaccines, Fauci said President-elect Biden's goal of 100 million doses in 100 days is achievable. NBC News

WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the nation’s foremost public health experts, said Sunday that the U.S. is “weeks away, not months away” from considering the approval of new coronavirus vaccines.

Americans are being more careful to avoid catching and spreading the coronavirus but are still not being careful enough to slow the pandemic, especially with worrisome, apparently more contagious new variants looming.

That's the conclusion of the latest findings, released Friday, from the largest national survey tracking behavior during the coronavirus pandemic.

"It's good news-bad news," says David Lazer of Northeastern University, who is helping run the survey with colleagues at Harvard, Rutgers and Northwestern universities.

"The good news is we've improved a lot in terms of mask-wearing and social distancing. The bad news is, to bend the curve they really need to be much better," Lazer says.

Study: In pandemic era, older adults isolated but resilient Since the pandemic’s descent, they have generally been viewed as among those at higher risk — older Americans, some of them medically vulnerable, figuring out how to navigate life in a... AP NEWS

Since the pandemic’s descent, they have generally been viewed as among those at higher risk — older Americans, some of them medically vulnerable, figuring out how to navigate life in a COVID-saturated, increasingly isolated world.