Coronavirus vaccine and COVID variant updates for 03-01-2022

<p>Looks like Americans were definitely ready for the pandemic to be done. A new AP poll shows fewer people now than in January are worried they’ll get infected, only 24%. Of those who say they still worry, about two-thirds are fully vaccinated while only 40% are unvaccinated. Most Americans think the virus will stick around as a mild illness. Public support for masking requirements has also gone down, but Americans are still more likely to favor than oppose mask mandates, 50% to 28%.&nbsp;</p><br><p>They’re still worrying in Hong Kong after another record 34,466 new infections yesterday and deaths continuing to climb. Now, authorities have begun assessing the possibility of locking down the entire city. It remains to be seen whether that would be done through legislation or some other way, but just the rumor of a lockdown sent shoppers racing to supermarket shelves to stock up.</p><br><p>Pfizer’s had a pretty good effectiveness record, but it turns out in kids, not so much. Data from the NY State Department of Health shows for kids 5 to 11, effectiveness waned quickly during the Omicron surge. It still protected against severe disease, though. Within one month, effectiveness against infection fell from 68% to 12% in that young age group.</p><br><p>Schoolkids in California, Oregon and Washington won’t have to wear masks anymore. The three Democratic governors of those states made a joint announcement to that effect yesterday. Those states have had some of the strictest safety measures during the pandemic and that included masking up 7.5 million school-age children. The change begins March 12 and applies to all kids regardless of vaccination status.&nbsp;</p><br><p>COVID not scary enough for you? How about learning COVID tests can kill you? Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Centers Drug and Poison Information Center say those home test kits contain sodium azide. And they’re getting a surge of calls about poisonings from it. New York and Texas are also sounding the alarm. The chemical is mainly used in car air