Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Attempts At Herd Immunity Not Working In Sweden, Evidence Shows
Newsweek: Sweden's Coronavirus Herd Immunity 'Nowhere In Sight,' Researchers Say
Sweden, which has made headlines during the COVID-19 pandemic for not locking down like other countries, is nowhere near achieving herd immunity, according to researchers. ... Evidence suggests that being infected with the COVID-19-causing coronavirus can trigger the production of antibodies, although it's unclear whether this protects against reinfections, the authors noted. While it was hoped that 40 percent of the population of Sweden's capital Stockholm would be carrying antibodies against the virus by May 2020, the figure was in fact around 15 percent. (Gander, 8/12)
Stat: Large Study Suggests Blood Plasma Can Help Treat Covid-19, With Caveats
Infusing hospitalized Covid-19 patients with blood plasma from people who recovered from the disease appeared to show a benefit in a nationwide study, but the study’s lack of a placebo group left several experts struggling to interpret the data. The study, which enrolled more than 35,000 patients, found that quickly administering so-called convalescent plasma had a marked effect on mortality for patients with severe cases of Covid-19. Those who received transfusions within three days of diagnosis had a seven-day death rate of 8.7%, while patients who got plasma after four or more days had a mortality rate of 11.9%. The difference met the standard for statistical significance. (Garde and Herper, 8/13)
The New York Times: You Probably Won’t Catch The Coronavirus From Frozen Food
Amid a flurry of concern over reports that frozen chicken wings imported to China from Brazil had tested positive for the coronavirus, experts said on Thursday that the likelihood of catching the virus from food — especially frozen, packaged food — is exceedingly low. “This means somebody probably handled those chicken wings who might have had the virus,” said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University. “But it doesn’t mean, ‘Oh my god, nobody buy any chicken wings because they’re contaminated.’” (Wu, 8/13)
Also —
The Hill: Coronavirus Cases May Have Been Spreading In Wuhan And Seattle Weeks Before First Detected: Researchers
Thousands of cases of the novel coronavirus may have circulated undetected in both Wuhan, China, and Seattle early in the pandemic, according to research from the University of Texas-Austin published in The Lancet. The research suggests that by the time lockdowns were imposed in both cities, the early epicenters of their respective countries, the virus may have been spreading for weeks. (Budryk, 8/13)
