COVID Week 48: Birth dearth, Texas mask-off and more

• LEDE: The CDC has updated some of its guidance, mainly relaxing what it says the fully vaccinated can do.

• I know I was nowhere near alone in joking a year ago about how there would be a birth explosion early this year with high schools closing and hormone-laden kids having much more free time on their hands. Well, while we don't know about high school kids, we do know that overall, whether because bars and other adult hook-up sites also closed, or more possibly increased unemployment and economic uncertainty, or what, that demographic researchers predict we'll have a 300,000 baby birth dearth.

• New COVID variants continue to pop up. (More reason Strangeabbott was engaged in so-called "Neanderthal thinking.")

• Stat looks at the short-, medium-, and long-term future of the virus. Nickel version is that Stat expects it to ultimately become a flu-like endemic disease, but says the road there will be bumpy in both short and medium terms.

The medium-term issue has three elements. One is how quickly new variants evolve. The second is, as with seasonal flu vaccines, how well new vaccines track the variants. The third is, how many people get them?

Long-term? Does it become like the flu, or like the cold?

• Skeptical Raptor explains the working details of adenovirus vaccines, which are currently the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZenica ones.

• Florida Man and Trump Mini-Me Ron DeSantis has the state's top two elected Dems asking for an FBI investigation of vaccine distribution.

• The Raptor also reports that the FDA has told Mercola to shut up on peddling fake COVID relief.

• I wondered why Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan was trending on Twitter last week. Orac explains. To me, it's like he's a White man as Detroit mayor wanting to make sure he's all in on "protecting Black Detroit." That said, he's scientifically illiterate and should just STFU. Worse, Orac notes that he was formerly CEO of Detroit Medical Center, a position where he theoretically should have learned to ask questions from medical staff before making pronouncements.

Orac adds that many Catholics are bitching about the J&J vaccine for another reason: fetal stem cells. The hierarchy is trying to thread a moral needle. Shock me that the bishop of Tyler (yes, our Tex-ass Tyler) says to hell with moral needles and says this is "EVIL."

• Is WHO covering for China? Is Biden concerned about that, or is he in part covering for WHO? It's kind of confusing, but read on.

• The Chronic chronicles Legiscritters' reactions to Strangeabbott's masklessness order.

• The Trib notes that most larger cities will still require masks in municipal buildings. Smaller towns, from what I see, are following Strangeabbott. Many villages and hamlets never required them in the first place.

• Strangeabbott blamed Biden on Ill Eagles and COVID.

• Yours truly ripped HEB a new one on going maskless. It eventually caved, thanks to people like me.

• HEB PR is still not good. I missed the "require," which is in the presser, and saw only the later "expect," and Tweeted HEB and D Mag. Motivated reasoning got the best of me. Glad HEB caved in to pressure.

To add to this story, and also contra a hint in HEB PR, retailers can require (there's that word!) customers use either pickup or delivery services before letting them in without masks due to alleged medical reasons. Claims that the antimaskers have to be admitted cuz HIPAA are lies.

• Isobella Harkrider documents the COVID variants now in Texas.

• Will Trumplanders in Texas and elsewhere actually get vaccinated?

• The Dallas Observer plays sucker to Strangeabbott when it talks about a "lockdown." We never had one.

• Restaurants don't like the maskless mandate.

• The Texas court system will go semi-full speed ahead. Were I a potential juror in an in-person trial? I'd cite "medical condition" to get out!

• A Williamson County hospital hosted a 24-hour "vax-a-thon." Great idea.