What We’re Reading: CDC Loosens COVID-19 Restrictions; New York DNA Database; Racial Disparities in Monkeypox

COVID-19 Restrictions Loosened by CDC

The CDC announced on Thursday that it would be relaxing recommendations on battling the COVID-19 pandemic to put more responsibility on individuals rather than on schools, businesses, and other institutions. Schools and institutions no longer need to screen individuals who appear healthy as a means of stopping the spread and social distancing has also been dropped. The CDC is now focusing on protecting vulnerable populations rather than those who have acquired some form of immunity through vaccinations. Some infectious disease experts have shared their concerns, The Washington Post reported, pointing out that a wave of cases or a new variant could call these moves into question.

New Genetic Database Forming in New York City

The Mount Sinai Health System will be kickstarting an effort to create a database of genetic information to be studied by both researchers and Regeneron. The database will be used to search for treatments for illnesses such as schizophrenia and kidney disease. This database would need the consent of patients to include their genetic sequencing, as Mount Sinai aims to include 1 million patients, or roughly 1 in 10 New York City residents. However, privacy concerns are arising from such a database, as genetic databases have been used by detectives to solve crimes in the past. Mount Sinai maintains that it aims to keep the information anonymous.

Disparities in Affected Individuals With Monkeypox

Racial disparities in monkeypox cases have been revealed in Georgia and North Carolina with new data emerging on those most affected. STAT reported that 82% of patients in Georgia and 70% of patients in North Carolina with monkeypox are Black, with no apparent racial or ethnic disparities in other localities that have released data. This racial disparity has been further exacerbated by the lack of vaccine access for people of color, as only 22% of vaccine doses in North Carolina have been given to Black men. Men who have sex with men have been the demographic most affected, as almost all cases in both states and nationally have come from this group.