Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC: 58% Of Americans Have Had Covid, With Omicron Driving Up Infections
NPR: More Than Half Of Americans Have Been Infected By COVID-19 In Past 2 Years
Most people in the United States, including most children, have now been infected with the coronavirus, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At a briefing for reporters on Tuesday, the CDC's Dr. Kristie Clarke said so many people caught omicron over the winter that almost 60% of everyone in the U.S. now have antibodies to the virus in their blood. That number is even higher for children — almost 75% of children 11 and younger have antibodies to the virus. (Neel, 4/26)
The Washington Post: A Majority Of Americans Have Had Coronavirus Infections
Before omicron, one-third of Americans had been infected with the coronavirus, but by the end of February, that rate had climbed to nearly 60 percent, including 3 out of 4 children, according to federal health data released Tuesday. The data from blood tests offers the first evidence that over half the U.S. population, roughly 190 million people, has been infected at least once since the pandemic began. That is more than double the official case count. Many of those infections are likely to have been asymptomatic or with few symptoms. The virus has killed nearly 1 million Americans and caused disruptions that have driven up death rates from other causes, including cancer and heart disease. (Sun, Keating and Achenbach, 4/26)
Stat: With Omicron, Nearly 60% In U.S. Have Been Infected During Pandemic
The updated figures come from a study that has been measuring the so-called seroprevalence of the coronavirus at various points throughout the pandemic. The study relies on testing blood samples from participants for particular antibodies that are generated only by an infection; they are different from the antibodies that Covid-19 vaccines elicit. This is the first time that the population seroprevalence is over 50%. (Joseph and Cooney, 4/26)
Also —
AP: CDC Estimates 3 In 4 Kids Have Had Coronavirus Infections
Three out of every four U.S. children have been infected with the coronavirus and more than half of all Americans had signs of previous infections, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers estimated in a report Tuesday. The researchers examined blood samples from more than 200,000 Americans and looked for virus-fighting antibodies made from infections, not vaccines. They found that signs of past infection rose dramatically between December and February, when the more contagious omicron variant surged through the U.S. (Stobbe, 4/26)
NBC News: CDC Says 75 Percent Of Children Had Covid By February
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC's director, said this should not be interpreted to mean that antibodies from prior infection equal adequate protection against future illness. "We don't know whether that protection has waned. We don't know as much about that level of protection than we do about the protection we get from both vaccines and boosters," Walensky said, adding that the agency still encourages those with detectable antibodies from prior infection to get vaccinated. (Edwards, 4/26)
