A version of this story appeared in the March 25 edition of CNN’s Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction newsletter. Sign up here to receive the need-to-know headlines every weekday.

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No longer working under the Trump administration, leading US health officials have revealed to CNN the challenges they faced during the nation’s fight against Covid-19 over the past year, including tension behind closed doors and a lack of preparedness. Here are some of the most haunting revelations from CNN’s new documentary, “COVID WAR: The Pandemic Doctors Speak Out”:

More younger Brazilians now appear to be getting severely ill and dying from Covid-19, doctors say, amid a national surge in daily deaths and cases that are driving global numbers up too.

Nearly a dozen ICU physicians and nurses since mid-January across multiple hospitals in Brazil say their ICU beds are filled with more young people than ever.

“We have otherwise healthy patients that are between 30 and 50 years old, and that is the profile for the majority of patients,” said Dr. Pedro Archer, a 33-year-old intensive care physician at a public hospital in Rio de Janeiro. “That is the big differentiator in this latest wave.”

The question is: Why? There’s little data available to explain it, but experts are looking at whether the P1 variant first detected in Brazil is infecting more young people and making them sicker. A recent study shows it could be up to 2.2 times more contagious. Experts also point to an increase in parties around the new year and then Carnival holidays.

“Death for a person in their 30s is very, very painful,” said Dr. Maria Dolores da Silva, a 42-year veteran of intensive care medicine in São Paulo. “They have their whole lives ahead of them and Covid takes it.”

YOU ASKED. WE ANSWERED.

Q. How do I get my Covid-19 vaccination added to my medical record?

A. Children may not need to be vaccinated for Covid-19 for parents to send them to camps or playgrounds this summer, Fauci told CBS News on Sunday. He has previously said that elementary school-aged kids likely won’t be inoculated until the first quarter of 2022, as vaccine developers continued to study their effects in children.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said fully vaccinated people can visit another family in which not everyone is vaccinated, so long as those who are not yet vaccinated aren’t at high-risk for severe disease from Covid-19 themselves. That means it’s fine for grandparents to visit their children and grandchildren, and stay with them, have dinner with them indoors, hug them and not wear masks. Read here for more tips from Dr. Wen.

Send your questions here. Are you a health care worker fighting Covid-19? Message us on WhatsApp about the challenges you’re facing: +1 347-322-0415.

WHAT’S IMPORTANT TODAY

Paris hospitals could be overwhelmed amid Europe’s third wave  

Drug giant AstraZeneca has updated its data on how well its coronavirus vaccine works, saying it is 76% effective in preventing symptomatic Covid-19, after the US’ independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board said the company was using outdated clinical trial results.

The revision is small – down from 79% – and for over-65s, the company revised its data up, from 80% to 85%. It maintains its shot is 100% effective in preventing severe disease and hospitalizations. The data debacle is the latest of many missteps that have called AstraZeneca’s management into question, Julia Horowitz writes.

‘I spent a whole year indoors and upstairs.’ Life during the pandemic for people with disabilities 

European Union leaders will convene at a virtual summit today as they iron out plans to control vaccine exports, in an ongoing spat with the United Kingdom over the supply of doses, particularly of the AstraZeneca shot.

The EU is struggling to obtain enough doses to roll out effective inoculation programs, but other countries, including the US and UK, have also largely kept doses made in their countries to themselves. US President Joe Biden is expected to dial into the meeting, at the EU’s invitation.

India put a temporary hold on all major exports of AstraZeneca shots made by the Serum Institute of India (SII) in order to meet domestic demand, Reuters reported Thursday, citing sources. SII was manufacturing AstraZeneca vaccines for much of the developing world. CNN reached out to SII and the Ministry of External Affairs for comment, but has not received a response.

Boris Johnson’s latest gaffe could threaten Britain’s vaccine rollout

The UK’s gaffe-prone Prime Minister has made frantic attempts to row back on his comments that his country’s successful vaccine rollout was “because of capitalism, because of greed, my friends.”

The timing of these comments – made in a private call with Conservative Party backbenchers on Tuesday – could be troubling for the PM. European Commission leaders are trying to unite the EU’s 27 member states in viewing the UK as the bad guy and getting tougher with vaccine export controls that will affect the country, Luke McGee writes.

India detects new ‘double mutant’ variant

It’s unclear how many infections in India have been linked to this newly discovered variant, or whether the strain is any more dangerous. However, the health ministry said such variants typically increase infectivity and could “confer immune escape,” meaning people may be less able to fight the infection.

A “double mutant” variant is a strain that carries two mutations. India made the discovery as infections surge there, raising fears of a second wave.

ON OUR RADAR

Undertakers lower the coffin of a person who died from Covid-19 at Glen Forest cemetery in Harare, Zimbabwe on January 14, 2021.
  • Dutch people are partying like it’s 2019 as a government-backed experiment attempts to work out how the events industry can get back on its feet. 
  • The Pacific Island nation of Papua New Guinea only has about 500 doctors for a population of 9 million people. Now it’s dealing with a Covid outbreak. 
  • India sees a muted festival of Holi, the Hindu celebration of colors, on Monday as it experiences its sixth consecutive day of record-high Covid-19 cases during its second wave.  
  • Louisiana Rep.-elect Julia Letlow on Sunday urged Republicans to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, citing her own tragic experience of losing her husband. 

TOP TIPS

If you’ve been eating more and gaining weight during the pandemic, you’re not alone. Recent research showed that some people may have gained more than 1.5 pounds on average per month during Covid-19 lockdowns last March and April.

So what to do about it? “Definitely cut yourself a break,” CNN health and nutrition contributor Lisa Drayer says, adding that it’s only natural to reach for comfort foods in times of stress. But Drayer recommends some small changes that can make a big difference: Consume small and frequent meals, include protein on your plate, and walk for at least 30 minutes a day. Read here for more tips from Drayer.

TODAY’S PODCAST

Birx’s tenure at the White House was contentious. Now, she tells her side of the story to CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, for a behind-the-scenes look at what went wrong in the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic, and how that can inform public health strategy going forward. Listen now.

As more and more people in the US get their vaccinations, some are making travel plans, and airports are seeing bigger crowds. CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta speaks with Muntean, who covers aviation and transportations, about the latest guidance on travel restrictions and how to vacation safely. Listen now.