XEC: Perhaps the Most Contagious COVID Variant Yet

When they hear about this, the "COVID is over" crowd will start gaslighting and denying even more than usual!

But I trust Dr Eric Topol, and I also believe that forewarned is forearmed.

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An even more contagious COVID strain is 'just getting started' amid California wave

By Rong-Gong Lin II at the Los Angeles Times via AOL, 8/30/24:

"The summer surge of the coronavirus subvariants nicknamed FLiRT has given way to ever more contagious strains, a key reason behind the current high levels of COVID in California and nationwide.

"And doctors and scientists are keeping an eye on yet another subvariant — XEC — that could surpass the latest hyperinfectious subvariant, KP.3.1.1, now thought to be the most common nationwide. XEC was first detected in Germany and has since seized the attention of doctors and scientists worldwide.

"XEC "is just getting started now around the world and here," said Dr. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla. "And that's going to take many weeks, a couple months, before it really takes hold and starts to cause a wave.˜

"XEC is definitely taking charge. ... That does appear to be the next variant," Topol added. "But it's months off from getting into high levels."

"While XEC has shown up in the United States, its prevalence is low and it is not being individually tracked on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's variant tracker website. A lineage must be estimated to circulate above 1% nationally over a two-week period for it to be tracked.

"The expected midyear wave began in May, when the winter's dominant subvariant, JN.1, gave way to a number of subvariants nicknamed FLiRT — a cheeky name based on the letters of two key mutations, F456L and R346T, Topol said. (Focus only on the letters and add an "i" as a connector, and you get FLiRT, which includes the officially named KP.2 subvariant.)

"Then, "the FLiRT eventually gave way to new variants that had even more growth advantage," Topol said.

"A successor subvariant, KP.3, had a different mutation — Q493E — and dropped R346T. It was nicknamed FLuQE, pronounced “fluke.” And an even more contagious subvariant — KP.3.1.1 — had a mutation that was deleted, giving it the unofficial moniker deFLuQE, or “de-fluke.”

"The "S31 deletion," Topol said, is "what's made that a kind of very pathogenic, very immune evasive variant. That S31 deletion has been studied — particularly by the Sato lab in Japan — and that's the culprit that's making this wave prolonged and getting into a lot of people who otherwise might have ... not gotten sick."

"The KP.3.1.1 is definitely an outlier for growth advantage," he added. "It's not over yet, obviously. And we're going to have new variants beyond KP.3.1.1."

"KP.3.1.1 is still estimated to be the nation's most common subvariant. For the two-week period that began Aug. 18, KP.3.1.1 was estimated to make up 42.2% of coronavirus samples nationwide, up from 19.8% a month ago, according to the CDC.

"The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines that just came out just before the Labor Day weekend are designed against KP.2, a predecessor of KP.3.1.1, so they are a relatively close match for the main circulating variants. XEC, however, won't be as closely aligned.

"The new vaccines are still way better for the current season compared to the shot released a year ago, which targeted XBB.1.5, but the difference between what the latest vaccine is designed against and XEC, is "pretty substantial ... and we'll see how it plays out," Topol said.

"It would be surprising if this doesn't turn out to be the next challenge," Topol said. Still, "any booster will help induce a higher level of immunity."

"Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious diseases for Kaiser Permanente Southern California, said she thought the new vaccines would still provide some good protection against XEC "because there is some overlap, because these are all sub, sub, sub-grandchildren of the original Omicron. So there is still going to be some level of protection there."

"We're not like in a new Greek letter — they're not that much different; it's not like something completely new," Hudson said.

"XEC is a recombination of two different, little-discussed subvariants: KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, Hudson said. "It's definitely one that I have my eye on," she said.

"But this is a little bit different, and it does seem to be showing what we call a growth advantage over the JN.1, or the deFLuQE variants, or the FLiRT variants," Hudson said.

"It's going to be a little hard to know where this is going to go, because right now, KP.3.1.1 really still is the predominant variant," Hudson said. "So we have to really monitor not only what's happening within the U.S., but also what's happening in Europe as they get more towards their colder seasons."

"Besides Germany, XEC has been reported elsewhere in western Europe, including the Netherlands, and has spread relatively quickly, Hudson said.

"We'll really have to watch — because the overall info on it is not super robust now — but I would imagine over the next couple of weeks, particularly if it starts to creep up higher and higher, we will be hearing a little bit more about it," Hudson said.

"COVID has proved to be far more wily than the flu. Instead of one fall-and-winter wave, as flu typically delivers, COVID seems to bring two waves each year.

"There are several reasons for that difference. "One is that the virus keeps evolving, and it takes that long for a variant to really pick up steam and to become dominant," Topol said.

"The second is that our immunity — at least in terms of infection — is short-lived, allowing many who recover in the winter to get COVID again in the summer, Topol said. (Luckily, protection against hospitalization and death has been more durable, explaining why hospitals are no longer strained despite high levels of coronavirus circulating nationwide.)

"And finally, few people are adhering to precautionary measures that were far more common years ago, Topol said. Fewer people are wearing masks in crowded indoor settings, staying up to date on their vaccinations or even staying home when sick.

"As of spring, 22.5% of U.S. adults and 29.1% of a subset of seniors 65 and older got the COVID-19 vaccination for the 2023–24 season. Vaccination rates were higher for the flu, estimated to cover 48.5% of adults and 50.6% of seniors.

"In California as of July 31, 37% of seniors had received the updated COVID-19 vaccine for the 2023–24 season, as did 18.7% of those age 50 to 64, and 10.1% of the youngest adults."

COVID + Bird Flu: Common Sense Needed

An excellent article from the UK Guardian citing Gregg Gonsalves:

US repeating Covid mistakes with bird flu as spread raises alarm, experts say

"The US is making the same mistakes with the H5N1 bird flu virus as with Covid, even as the highly pathogenic avian influenza continues spreading on American farms and raising alarms that it could mutate to become a pandemic, public health experts argue in the New England Journal of Medicine.

“We’re closing our eyes to both the Covid pandemic and to a potential nascent bird flu [pandemic] on the horizon,” said Gregg Gonsalves, associate professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health and co-author of the article. “Our ability to react swiftly and decisively is the big problem.”

"Beyond the outbreaks – of Covid, bird flu, mpox, measles and other dangerous pathogens – the inability or refusal to learn the lessons of each crisis is the most pressing health issue facing America, he said. “The social epidemic of forgetting is probably the more worrisome public health event of 2024.”

"A lack of testing, opaque data, political divides, poor healthcare access and a sense of hubris – all have plagued the Covid response, and now these errors are playing across the bird flu response, Gonsalves said.

“We have not really done anything to address what’s happening in terms of the onward spread of bird flu across the US – we’re back to the same old mistakes,” he said. “Right now, the imminent risk is low and we haven’t seen human-to-human transmission. But the point is, we don’t wait for that to happen. Right?”

"Global officials have feared an H5N1 pandemic ever since the first case was detected among people in 1997.

"Highly pathogenic influenza viruses have been closely watched for decades because of their pandemic potential, and it was partly because of its monitoring for pandemic-potential pathogens like these that the US ranked No 1 for pandemic preparedness in 2019.

"Yet when struck by a new respiratory virus, SARS-CoV-2, the US fared much worse than other countries in the global north, with at least 1.2 million deaths and millions more sickened and disabled by the virus.

"Experts are still unraveling the reasons why – and trying to draw attention to these failures before the next avoidable crisis.

"A lack of testing and monitoring of the virus plagued the Covid response, from the limited and faulty tests in the early days to the lack of testing that persisted. Similarly, scientists now know H5N1 circulated in cattle for months before being detected, and reporting indicates infections among farm workers may have gone unreported as well. Some employers at farms have been reluctant to cooperate with health officials – much like the meatpacking industry was with Covid, Gonsalves said.

"The confusing and byzantine structure of federal, state and local agency responsibility also creates significant challenges. Although there were calls for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be granted greater powers to lead federal responses to pandemics because of Covid, no such changes have been made.

"Agencies still struggle with jurisdiction and collaboration, and there are also substantial differences between federal, state and local approaches. With Covid, “we had a patchwork of state responses, some of which were more robust than others, and we paid for it”, Gonsalves said.

"The curbs on public health powers only worsened because of Covid. At least 26 states introduced new laws putting limits on public health authorities during the pandemic.

"Iowa and Tennessee, for example, now prohibit mask requirements in schools, and health officials can’t close schools in Wisconsin.

"That’s deeply troubling because the next pandemic could greatly affect school-aged children, which has been true of influenza historically, Gonsalves said. “We’re fixated on what just happened, not having any sort of imagination of what a new pandemic could bring.”

"The next pandemic virus could spread even faster and be even more lethal – and that’s true even if the virus itself isn’t more virulent, because of the lack of funding for, trust in, and authority of public health, he said.

"Recent decisions from the US supreme court, including invoking the “major questions” doctrine and overturning the Chevron precedent, mean federal agencies would likely need explicit permission from Congress, which can be divided and slow to act, to take quick action and stem new outbreaks.

“We’re basically being told, ‘Ignore what just happened over the past four-plus years, ignore what’s happening now with bird flu, and let’s tie your hands behind your backs in terms of being able to respond when the time comes,’” Gonsalves said.

"Political fractures only worsened during the Covid pandemic and threaten to derail efforts to contain outbreaks of infectious diseases.

"Growing anti-vaccine sentiment could block the development and distribution of new and existing pharmaceuticals, like vaccines, once they have gone through the complicated and expensive process of development. Operation Warp Speed, a massive and successful project to produce Covid vaccines quickly, wound down instead of becoming a regular fixture in pandemic response.

"Inequities have hampered vaccine distribution even now. “We have a fractured healthcare system, which means if you can’t get a vaccine because you don’t have insurance right now, you’re shit out of luck,” Gonsalves said.

"Those who can afford it may access quality health care in the US, but serious gaps remain for those who are uninsured or under-insured. The US health system has “the most fancy tertiary care in the world”, he said, but it stumbles on primary care, preventive medicine and public health. “We’re not good at the basics.”

"Vast inequality meant some patients were able to access some of the most sophisticated care in the world while others struggled to find enough masks, ventilators and treatments. While other countries softened the worst of the pandemic’s blows with social safety nets, many Americans were left to fend for themselves, Gonsalves said. And the focus on individual health overlooks the role of public health, which is collective by definition.

"Despite these fatal missteps, the US has never had a Covid commission to analyze what went wrong, as countries like the UK have done. There was a bipartisan effort to create an inquiry similar to the 9/11 Commission, but it fizzled.

"It was America’s sense of misplaced and persistent confidence that it was handling the pandemic as well as possible that perhaps most damaged its response, Gonsalves said. “We have a vastly overinflated view of our abilities, capacities and willingness to do the right thing.”

"Officials have reiterated, for instance, that “we have the tools” – yet treatments and vaccines quickly become outdated as the virus evolves, while access issues and misinformation persist and other precautions, like isolating for the duration of illness, are no longer recommended.

"There’s still time to correct these mistakes, the experts said.

“Everybody is exceedingly grateful that we are not stuck in a loop of 2020, in which our hospitals were overflowing, morgues were overflowing and we had no recourse against the virus,” Gonsalves said. But “we can do a lot more”, from updating respiratory virus guidance with the latest evidence on transmission to improving indoor air quality.

"The Covid pandemic has been “one of the most important historical events in the United States in the past 100 years, in terms of public health. We’ve all suffered,” Gonsalves said. “The best way to avoid the pain that we’ve felt in the past four years is being prepared.”

Antivaxxers: Still Hurting Themselves -- and Others

"Safer to get the virus than get the shot"? Unbelievable that people still think in this misguided way in the year 2024!

From Axios:

More Americans embrace COVID vax untruths: Poll 

"Growing numbers of Americans are buying into misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, according to a new national survey, with more than one in five believing it's safer to get the virus than to get a shot."

"Why it matters: Belief in misconceptions is stoking vaccine hesitancy with the nation facing a summer surge of infections, more COVID-related hospitalizations, and updated shots now reaching pharmacy shelves.

"The big picture: The findings from the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center are further evidence of how intense backlash to the government's at times muddled COVID response eroded trust in public health, jeopardizing preparedness efforts to address future crises.

• "The proliferation of vaccine misinformation on social media has also outpaced efforts to counter it, Columbia University researchers found earlier this year.

"What they found: 28% of respondents to Annenberg's survey incorrectly believe that COVID-19 vaccines have been responsible for thousands of deaths, up from 22% in June 2021. The percentage who know this is false declined to 55% from 66%.

• "22% believe the false idea that it's safer to get a COVID infection than to get the vaccine, up from 10% in April 2021, months after the shots were rolled out.

• "The percent of those incorrectly believing that the COVID-19 vaccine changes people's DNA nearly doubled to 15% from 8% in April 2021.

"Yes, but: Two-thirds of Americans still say the benefits of taking COVID-19 vaccines outweigh the risks. But that's a lower percentage than those who said the same for the mpox vaccine (70%), RSV shots for adults 60 and older (74% when asked in October 2023), and the childhood measles, mumps, rubella vaccine (89% in August 2023).

• "Just under half of those surveyed said they'd likely take a combined mRNA vaccine to protect against flu, RSV, and COVID-19 if one were offered and the Centers for Disease Control recommended it."

Blaming Israel for Polio?!

What a disgracefully disingenuous and hypocritical headline at Salon:

Israel's military assault may trigger a polio epidemic in Gaza if vaccines can't reach people.  

The original headline that I saw earlier was worse. It said "Israel's War in Gaza may trigger...", so they must've gotten blowback and then changed the headline.

But blaming Israel for polio is outrageous, since it was Hamas who started the war on October 7, 2023. And if they were that worried about the wellbeing of "the Palestinians", they should have thought about them rather than slaughtering Jews in a savage pogrom!

The only ones to blame are Hamas and the 'Palestinians' they are suddenly worried about.

Returning to 2020 Pandemic Measures

Why not? Because the "shrugging off" and apathy about COVID by most Americans certainly isn't working, is it?

I've been using 2020 measures this entire time to protect myself and others, and so far it's worked for me, so why take chances?

When Biden went on "60 Minutes" in 2021 and proclaimed the pandemic over and said that nobody wears masks any more, it was as if that was the go-ahead for people to go back to selfish behavior again. The end of the public health emergency made it worse. And look where we are now.

So I'm very happy to see more articles like this reminding citizens that COVID is not over, and that everyone has to work together to fight this virus -- the way we used to. 

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By Aron Solomon at The Hill, 8/28/24

Summer COVID surge shows we may have to return to 2020 pandemic measures 

"As summer 2024 draws to a close, the U.S. finds itself once again grappling with a surge in COVID-19 infections.

"This wave has taken many people by surprise, particularly as the country has largely consigned the pandemic to the past. While public life has pretty much returned to pre-pandemic norms — something almost none of us would have believed in the summer of 2020 — the virus itself has not.

"Mutations of the virus continue to occur, and new variants are emerging, posing ongoing challenges to public health and safety. As we look ahead to the remainder of 2024 and into early 2025, we need to take stock of where we are, understand the factors driving this resurgence and better anticipate how the pandemic might evolve. 

"The recent surge in COVID-19 cases has disrupted summer travel plans, overwhelmed healthcare facilities in certain areas, and left many Americans dealing with the familiar symptoms of fever, cough and fatigue. The summer months, typically associated with lower respiratory virus activity, have instead seen a significant uptick in COVID-19 infections. Several factors contribute to this unexpected surge.

"One factor is the high transmissibility of newer variants. The virus has continued to mutate, with certain variants displaying enhanced ability to spread, even among populations with high vaccination rates. While vaccines remain effective at preventing severe disease and death, breakthrough infections are becoming more common, especially as immunity from earlier vaccinations wanes. 

"Second, the widespread relaxation of public health measures has created an environment conducive to transmission. Mask mandates, social distancing guidelines and restrictions on large gatherings have all but disappeared. This return to normalcy, while massively psychologically and economically beneficial, has provided the virus with ample opportunities to spread. 

"Finally, the pervasive sense of pandemic fatigue has led to a serious decline in vigilance. Many people, weary of the pandemic’s disruptions to their lives, have become markedly less cautious. This complacency, coupled with the underestimation of the virus’s ability to adapt, has allowed COVID-19 to regain a foothold. 

"The federal government’s response to the latest surge has been tepid at best. After years of intense focus on COVID-19, there is a palpable desire in Washington to move on. This has resulted in a fragmented approach, with responsibility for managing the current wave largely devolving to state and local governments. While some have reinstated certain precautions, others have continued with business as usual, leading to inconsistent messaging and outcomes. 

"Moreover, the federal government’s decision to end the public health emergency earlier this year has had unintended consequences. The end of the emergency declaration led to a reduction in federal funding for testing, contact tracing, and vaccination efforts, just as these tools are once again needed. The lack of a coordinated national strategy has hampered efforts to control the surge and has left healthcare providers scrambling to manage increased caseloads with fewer resources. 

"Looking ahead, the trajectory of the pandemic remains uncertain, but there are several key trends and scenarios to consider. 

"The virus is likely to continue mutating, with new variants emerging that could potentially evade immunity from previous infections or vaccinations. This means that COVID-19 will remain a moving target, requiring ongoing surveillance and adaptation of public health strategies. The development of updated vaccines and treatments will be critical in staying ahead of the virus, but the speed at which these can be rolled out will determine their effectiveness. 

"We can and should also expect periodic surges in COVID-19 cases, particularly in the fall and winter months, when respiratory viruses typically thrive. These surges may not reach the levels seen during the height of the pandemic, but they could still cause significant disruption, particularly in areas with low vaccination rates or limited healthcare capacity. Localized outbreaks, driven by specific variants or super-spreader events, will likely become regular features of the landscape. 

"The healthcare system, already strained from years of dealing with the pandemic, is also going to face additional pressure if the current surge continues into the fall and winter. Hospitals and clinics will need to balance the demands of COVID-19 patients with the resumption of regular medical care that had been postponed during the pandemic’s earlier phases. This balancing act could lead to increased wait times, resource shortages and burnout among healthcare workers. 

"And we can’t underestimate how public fatigue with COVID-19 precautions will grow, making it more difficult to reimpose restrictions or encourage preventive behaviors. This resistance could be particularly strong in regions that have experienced relatively low case numbers or where political leaders have downplayed the severity of the virus. Overcoming this fatigue will require clear and consistent communication from public health officials, as well as community-level engagement to reinforce the importance of ongoing vigilance. 

"We are also making a big mistake if we ignore the economic and social implications of continued COVID-19. The virus’s persistence may lead to renewed disruptions in the travel industry, supply chains and workforce participation. Along with this, the psychological toll of a prolonged pandemic, with the associated uncertainty and anxiety, could have lasting effects on mental health and societal cohesion. Policymakers will need to address these challenges proactively, with a focus on resilience and support for affected populations. 

"So where do we realistically go from here, given that it is clear that COVD-19 is far from over?  While much progress has been made in terms of vaccination and treatment, the current surge is a stark reminder that complacency is not an option. The road ahead will require a renewed commitment to public health, both from government leaders and from individuals. 

"We all need to prepare for not only the possibility of continued disruptions but for another new normal that might be a little closer to 2020 than how we’ve recently been living. That means preparing for future waves and the long-term implications of a world in which COVID-19 remains a persistent, if manageable, threat."

Aron Solomon is the chief strategy officer for Amplify. He has taught entrepreneurship at McGill University and the University of Pennsylvania. 

The Language Police Strike Again

These continual instructions and indoctrinations get more and more laughable. Sorry, I'm still not about to change my use of ordinary words to cater to your delusions. 

They say "the language we use matters" -- except when it's your regular language, and then they demand you use their contrived language!

Here's the latest ridiculousness:

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Vermont asks public to stop calling kids 'son' and 'daughter' to promote 'health equity'

"MONTPELIER, Vt. (TND) — The Vermont Department of Health on Wednesday asked the public to avoid referring to children as “son” or “daughter” and instead use gender-neutral language.

"The suggestion is included in a social media post about “inclusive language for families.” That post also encouraged use of the term “family members” rather than “household members” to include incarcerated individuals, step siblings and the like.

“The language we use matters!” the department wrote. “When talking about family, it's important to use terms that cover the many versions of what family can look like.”

"Included in the post is a link to sign up for the department’s Health Equity Newsletter.

"VDH lists several social justice pillars on its website as key values to the state department. These include equity, inclusion and harmony.

“We aim to center health justice and address racism and all forms of oppression in our programs and policies, our approach to collaboration, and how we build and nurture our workforce,” the site reads in part."

Kamala Harris: An Empty (Pant)Suit

If intelligent voters actually believe that Kamala Harris is suddenly changing her mind on the Biden policies she's been supporting since 2020, then I have a bridge I can sell you.

She can say whatever she wants to a gullible public, but on January 20, if heaven forbid she is sworn in as President, she will be for open borders, against a border wall, against fracking, for EVs, and for price controls -- among other things.

She's a female John Kerry, who famously said "I voted for it before I voted against it", and she's making it up as she goes along.

Today's COVID Response: "A Collective Shrug"

Take a big swig of Pepto Bismol before reading this Politico article. Talk about COVID denial -- this is unbelievable. 

What good is the CDC and our Congress if nobody who represents us is willing to talk about a virus that continues to impact millions of American lives?

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Democrats and Republicans greet Covid spike with a collective shrug; Any current debate on [Covid] is relatively meaningless,” said one pollster. 

By Adam Cancryn and Lisa Kashinsky, 08/28/2024 05:00 AM EDT  

"Democrats and Republicans can agree on one thing coming out of their respective conventions: Almost no one cares about Covid anymore.

"Infections are running rampant after the Democratic confab in Chicago, with staffers on Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, reporters and other convention-goers all stricken — and in at least one case claiming the positive test was “worth it.” Cases also cropped up after the Republican National Convention in July.

"And yet the single most-animating issue of the 2020 election is an afterthought for the major-party nominees coming out of two of the 2024 campaign’s biggest milestones — even as the virus remains an ever-present threat that’s shaped broader debates over key electoral issues like strength of the economy and the future of families’ health and child care.

"Both campaigns have struggled with how — and how much — to address a pandemic that the U.S. never fully defeated, but that few Americans still want to dwell on.

"Former President Donald Trump has bemoaned in speeches and interviews that he “never got the credit that we really deserved” for helping accelerate vaccine development in 2020, even as he later cast doubt on the shots’ importance and has more recently maneuvered to gain the backing of prominent vaccine critic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his supporters. Harris lauded President Joe Biden for bringing the pandemic “under control” when she took over his campaign but has hardly mentioned Covid since. Both parties have blamed the other for allowing deaths to spike under their watches.

 “It’s very difficult to talk about politically, because it’s still present and neither side wants to acknowledge that this pandemic is still around,” said Matthew Bartlett, a Republican strategist and former Trump administration appointee with a background in global health.

"But “if it continues to worsen,” Bartlett said, “both parties will be forced to address it.”

"The rhetorical vacuum around Covid comes even as cases have surged over the summer, hospitalizing thousands and killing nearly 700 people in one week in late July. Though that is far less than during the height of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, Covid still ranks as a top-10 cause of death — and more broadly, a disease capable of disrupting people’s everyday lives.

"Yet Americans have never been less interested in the virus. Just a fraction of adults are seeking out new Covid vaccines each year, and even fewer wear masks or take the basic precautions that were once seen as standard.

“Voters do not like it being brought up at all,” said Celinda Lake, a Democratic strategist and pollster for Biden’s 2020 campaign, who marveled at the near-total absence of masks at a Democratic convention where roughly 20,000 people crammed into Chicago’s United Center for a week. “They want to get over it.”

"With Covid receding from voters’ collective conscious — even as reports of post-convention cases keep coming — strategists posit it’s likely best for both candidates if talk of the pandemic fades away with it.

“Trump would be smart to just not talk about it,” said Mark Graul, a Wisconsin-based Republican consultant. And given the “relation” between the pandemic and the Biden-led economic recovery effort that voters now associate more with soaring inflation than rapid job growth, Graul said, “I’m not so sure it’s a smart move for [Harris] either.”

"Lake, who has conducted focus groups across the battleground states, added that the only voters who bring up Covid now unprompted tend to be hardcore Trump supporters eager to bash the Biden administration’s response. And even those who might be inclined to side with Democrats on the issue prefer health care messaging that excludes mention of the pandemic.

"Inside a Biden White House that has now reoriented itself around electing Harris, senior officials have continued to keep an eye on Covid, wary of a particularly dangerous flare-up during the key stretch of the election that could force the virus back into the public consciousness and damage Democrats politically.

"But much of the day-to-day work has been shifted out of the White House and back to a Health and Human Services Department far less tied to political dynamics of the moment.

"The Food and Drug Administration just approved updated Covid vaccines that are now rolling out widely. Those will be central to a just-launched fall campaign led by HHS called “Risk Less. Do More.” encouraging people to get both their Covid booster and flu shot in tandem. The administration also plans to restart its distribution of free Covid tests at the end of September.

"Biden and Harris, though, are not expected to play much of a public role in that effort, driven in large part by a recognition that most Americans mulling their vote ahead of November don’t want to hear about Covid — and a White House that has little desire to remind them."