Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Cases Swell In Midwest; Northeast Uptick Watched Carefully
The Washington Post: Coronavirus Cases Are Climbing In Midwest States With Previously Low Infections
The novel coronavirus is surging in several Midwestern states that had not previously seen high infection rates while average daily deaths remained elevated Monday in Southern and Western states hit with a resurgence of the disease after lifting some restrictions earlier this summer. Missouri, Montana and Oklahoma are among those witnessing the largest percentage surge of infections over the past week, while, adjusted for population, the number of new cases in Florida, Mississippi and Alabama still outpaced all other states, according to a Washington Post analysis of health data. (Gearan, Wagner and Dupree, 8/4)
The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Counts Smallest Daily Rise In Coronavirus Cases In Weeks
The U.S. reported more than 47,000 new coronavirus cases, the smallest daily increase in almost four weeks, despite signs of an uptick in new infections in some Northeast and Midwest states. Total coronavirus cases world-wide surpassed 18 million Monday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, with the U.S. accounting for more than one-quarter of the tally. The U.S. death toll was approaching 155,000. (Prang and de Avila, 8/3)
NPR: Mississippi On Track To Become No. 1 State For New Coronavirus Cases Per Capita
Mississippi is heading for a title that no state would want: It is on track to overtake Florida to become the No. 1 state for new coronavirus infections per capita, according to researchers at Harvard. The state already faces high levels of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and obesity. As a result, the challenges specific to the coronavirus pandemic are "layered on top of our existing challenges," says Dr. LouAnn Woodward, who is the top executive at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. (Shapiro and Pao, 8/3)
Los Angeles Times: California Has The Most Coronavirus Cases Of Any State, But There Are Signs Of Hope, Newsom Says
Over the last two weeks, California saw an average of 121 deaths per day, Newsom said. On Friday, the state reported 214 fatalities, 21% more than the previous record, set two days prior. Still, there are some early signs of hope, Newsom said. The number of people hospitalized statewide has fallen about 10% over two weeks, and admissions to intensive care units have fallen by 5%, he said. (Nelson and Miller, 8/3)
