Good Day BIO: COVID-19: cases, boosters, and what’s next

Today we look at the latest COVID-19 news—including what’s next for booster schedules, Novavax, and young children—and new research on consumer acceptance of gene-edited food. (739 words, 3 minutes, 41 seconds)

COVID-19: cases, boosters, and what’s next

It’s been a minute since we’ve talked about COVID-19—hello inflation, climate change, monkeypox—but with summer travels and get-togethers heating up, it’s a good time to look at the state of the pandemic.

COVID cases have been rising in the U.S.,reports the CDC—and the next waves will likely “come from the newer Omicron subvariants,” reports CNN. “Recent research suggests that they escape immunity created by vaccines and past infections.”

But if you’re vaccinated, don’t panic: People who are unvaccinated are five times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19, and 17 times more likely to die from COVID-19, says the CDC. (So, get your booster!)

What they’re saying: “Now we realize we have something that looks somewhat like influenza in that it looks like it could become an endemic virus that comes around every year,” said FDA's Dr. Peter Marks in an interview with Bloomberg. “We have to start thinking about vaccines that we can adjust strains of once a year and make it more of a flu model rather than saying, OK, every five months or four months, you’ll get another booster.”

What’s next: The FDA’s vaccine advisory committee will meet on Tuesday, June 7, to review the Emergency Authorization Request (EUA) by BIO member Novavax, which could be used as a booster as well as “an alternative first-line defense for those who've refused mRNA shots,” says Axios. The FDA will meet the following week to discuss Pfizer-BioNTech authorization for the youngest children.

The context: “The U.S. is headed for ‘a lot of unnecessary loss of life,’ the Biden administration says, if Congress fails to provide billions more dollars to brace for the pandemic’s next wave,” reports Yahoo! News. White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha will join a press briefing today at 3 PM ET.


More Health Care News:

Bio.News: FDA gives approvals for treatments from BMS, Genentech, and Servier
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave new or expanded approvals for three treatments targeting serious conditions in the past week: a drug for treating upper gastroesophageal cancers from Bristol Myers Squibb, a drug for treatment of spinal muscular atrophy in infants from Genentech, and a drug for patients with acute myeloid leukemia from Servier.”

Consumers will buy gene-edited foods ­– when they understand the benefits

Consumer acceptance of gene-edited food compared to other types of food is low, says new research from FMI, The Food Industry Association—but consumers are more receptive when the information is presented in the right way.

The key finding: Consumer acceptance of gene-edited food compared to organic, non-GMO, and conventional food is low, but consumers are more likely to purchase it when they learn details about the benefits of gene editing or bioengineering.

How the study worked: The FMI Foundation, in partnership with Dr. Vincenzina Caputo of Michigan State University and other researchers, surveyed 2,004 U.S. food shoppers in October 2021, asking them to “make simulated retail purchase decisions regarding the selection of romaine lettuce with different labels and prices.”

What happened: Consumers were more willing to purchase gene-edited or bioengineered (BE) lettuce (vs. conventional lettuce) when the products have a BE label or QR code providing additional information about the benefits, the study found.

And consumers need more information: “Around 60% of respondents indicated that they were familiar with the term ‘genetically modified’ compared to only 40% and 33% of respondents, respectively, who were familiar with the terms ‘bioengineered’ and ‘gene-edited’. More than 40% of respondents indicated that they had never even heard the term ‘gene-edited’ prior to this survey,” says the key findings.

The bottom line: Consumers are much more apt to buy gene-edited foods, as well as seek out more information on their own, Dr. Caputo explained during a summit on Tuesday to launch the research—which is why it’s critically important we continue to educate the public about gene editing and the benefits.

More Reading: GMOs and Gene Editing – Nothing to Be Afraid Of!


More Agriculture and Environment News:

Reuters: Ukraine's giant seed bank at risk of being lost as war rages
“In underground vaults near Ukraine's battlefields, the genetic code for nearly 2,000 crops is in danger of being permanently destroyed.”

President Biden’s Thursday: Meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to discuss preparations for the NATO Summit in Madrid at the end of June. White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha will join a press briefing at 3 PM ET.

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: Memorial Day recess.