Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Data Show Covid XBB.1.5 Now Behind Half Of New US Infections
Reuters: Omicron Subvariant XBB.1.5 Makes Up Nearly Half Of U.S. COVID Cases- CDC
The fast-spreading Omicron XBB.1.5 is estimated to make up nearly half of U.S. COVID-19 cases, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed on Friday, putting it on track to become the dominant subvariant in the country. It is estimated to account for 49.1% of COVID cases in the country in the week ended Jan. 21, a jump from 37.2% last week. (1/20)
CIDRAP: US Sees Little Sign Of Post-Christmas COVID Bump; XBB.1.5 Continues Rise
Most US COVID-19 markers declined last week, but health officials are closely watching the continued steady rise of the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant, which is already dominant in much of the East and rising in all regions of the country. In its pandemic updates today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also unveiled two new dashboards for tracking hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits for three respiratory diseases: COVID-19, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). (Schnirring, 1/20)
The Washington Post: Covid, Flu, RSV Declining In Hospitals As 'Tripledemic’ Threat Fades
So many patients sick with RSV had inundated Connecticut Children’s Medical Center that they had to be treated in hallways and playrooms. Facing their busiest season in memory last fall, hospital leaders floated a plan to enlist the National Guard to set up tents outside. Doctors braced for a dire winter — a looming disaster some dubbed a “tripledemic” — with flu season revving up, coronavirus roaring back and the holidays providing fuel for viruses to spread. But no such surge materialized. The RSV wave has receded in Connecticut and across the country. Flu cases have rapidly dwindled. Covid hospitalizations rose briefly after Christmas, only to fall again. (Nirappil, 1/22)
Knowable Magazine: Viral Interference: Why Did Flu, RSV Disappear During Early Pandemic?
Even more surprising, one particular version of the flu may have gone extinct during the early COVID pandemic. The World Health Organization’s surveillance program has not definitively detected the B/Yamagata flu strain since March 2020. “I don’t think anyone is going to stick their neck out and say it’s gone just yet,” said Richard Webby, a virologist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. But, he added, “we hope it got squeezed out.” Such an extinction would be a super rare event, Webby said. (Dance, 1/21)
On mask-wearing —
San Francisco Chronicle: Feds Tell Pharmacies To Give Unused N95s To Health Care Providers
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services is asking pharmacies across the nation that received N95 masks meant to be distributed for free to local communities now to give their unused inventory to health care providers in their region. (Vaziri, 1/20)
AP: Navajo Nation Rescinds Mask Mandate On Vast Reservation
The Navajo Nation has rescinded a mask mandate that’s been in effect since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, officials announced Friday, fulfilling a pledge that new tribal President Buu Nygren made while campaigning for the office. The mandate was one of the longest-standing anywhere in the U.S. and applied broadly to businesses, government offices and tourist destinations on the vast reservation, which extends into New Mexico, Utah and Arizona. The tribe at one point had one of the highest coronavirus infection rates in the country and among the strictest measures to help prevent the spread of the virus. (Fonseca, 1/20)
San Francisco Chronicle: COVID In California: Wachter Says He Will Mask ‘Likely Forever’ In Some Situations
In his most recent COVID-19 risk analysis for his social media followers, UCSF’s Chair of Medicine Dr. Bob Wachter said he is once again ready to let down his guard. “I’m changing my behavior. In the Bay Area, I’m now OK with indoor dining & removing my mask for small group gatherings,” he said in a long Twitter thread posted on Thursday. (Vaziri, 1/20)
More on the spread of covid —
The Washington Post: NIH Biosecurity Report Urges Tighter Oversight Of Pathogen Research
Scientists advising the National Institutes of Health on Friday released a draft report urging intensified government oversight of experiments on dangerous pathogens, including broadening the definition of the kinds of pathogens that could trigger a pandemic. The new report from two biosecurity working groups echoes their preliminary recommendations released last fall, which said the definition of “enhanced potential pandemic pathogens” should cover not just the most lethal viruses and bacteria, but also less deadly pathogens that are extremely transmissible — a description that fits the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. (Achenbach, 1/20)
CIDRAP: 'A Failure Of Border Control': Restrictions Didn't Stop SARS-CoV-2 From Flying To UK
SARS-CoV-2 genetic material was discovered in the wastewater of nearly all planes arriving at three international airports in the United Kingdom, despite COVID-19 travel restrictions in place during that time, reveals a study published yesterday in PLOS Global Public Health. (Van Beusekom, 1/20)
On the vaccine rollout —
NPR: COVID Vaccine Strategy To Get An Overhaul By FDA
The Food and Drug Administration is considering a major shift in the nation's COVID-19 vaccine strategy, NPR has learned. The goal is to simplify vaccination against COVID and perhaps adopt an approach similar that used for the flu vaccine, with annual updates to match whatever strain of the virus is circulating. This is according to a federal official who spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. (Stein, 1/23)
CIDRAP: US Adults Cite Misbeliefs About Eligibility, Immunity For Not Getting COVID Booster
An online survey of 1,200 previously vaccinated US adults reveals that the most-cited reasons for not getting a bivalent (two-strain) COVID-19 booster dose were lack of awareness about eligibility and overestimations of their own existing immunity. (Van Beusekom, 1/20)
