Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Estimate: Nearly Twice As Many Had Covid Than US Case Counts Reveal
The Washington Post: 140 Million Americans Have Had Coronavirus, According To Blood Tests Analyzed By CDC
More than 140 million Americans have had the coronavirus, according to estimates from blood tests that reveal antibodies from infection — about double the rate regularly cited by national case counts. The estimates, compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, show that about 43 percent of the country has been infected by the virus. The study shows that the majority of children have also been infected. (Keating, 2/28)
More mutations are popping up —
Bangor Daily News: New Variant Of Omicron Detected In Maine
Maine health officials have identified a new “lineage” of the COVID-19 omicron variant called BA.2 in two instances. Early data suggest the BA.2 variant is more contagious than the original omicron variant, identified as BA.1, according to Nirav Shah, the director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. According to Shah, the differences in transmissibility appear to be smaller than the difference between the original strain of omicron and delta. (Whaley, 2/28)
CIDRAP: New Lineage Of SARS-CoV-2 Detected In Canadian Deer
An investigation led by Canadian Food Inspection Agency scientists has identified a new and highly divergent lineage of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 in white-tailed deer (WTD) in that country. The findings, which are not peer-reviewed, are published as a preprint study on bioRxiv. (2/28)
In other news about the spread of the coronavirus —
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin COVID-19 Hospitalizations Continue To Drop To New Lows
Fewer than 100 patients remain in intensive care with COVID-19, according to Wisconsin Hospital Association data Monday. This is the lowest level this year and the lowest since last summer. The WHA also reported that just more than 500 total patients remain hospitalized with COVID-19, which is the lowest total this year and fewest since last summer. (Bentley, 2/28)
AP: Kentucky Health Chief Warns Of COVID Complications In Kids
Kentucky parents should be aware of the risk of developing multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children who have been infected with COVID-19, Kentucky’s public health commissioner says. “This condition is rare but serious, ” Dr. Steven Stack said Monday at a news conference. It occurs about two to six weeks after the COVID-19 infection itself, he added, and can occur after mild or even asymptomatic COVID-19. (3/1)
The Washington Post: What Is Long Covid? Current Understanding About Risks, Symptoms And Recovery
The condition known as long covid continues to frustrate its sufferers, baffle scientists and alarm people who are concerned about being infected by the coronavirus. The term, a widely used catchall phrase for persistent symptoms that can range from mild to debilitating and last for weeks, months or longer, is technically known as Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, or PASC. But scientists say much remains unknown about long covid, which is also referred to colloquially as “long-haul covid,” “long-term covid,” “post-covid conditions” and “post-covid syndrome,” among other names. (Chiu, 2/28)
On covid treatments —
CIDRAP: Study: 90% Of Young ECMO-Eligible COVID Patients At A US Hospital Died Amid Rationing
Nearly 90% of adult COVID-19 patients who were eligible for—but didn't receive—extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) during the height of the pandemic died in the hospital owing to a lack of resources, even though they were young and had few underlying health issues, according to a natural experiment published late last week in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. (Van Beusekom, 2/28)
Florida Times-Union: UF Health Jax Seeks COVID Patients For A Clinical Trial On Ivermectin And Two Other Drugs
UF Health Jacksonville is part of a nationwide COVID-19 clinical trial studying whether three drugs approved to treat other conditions — including the controversial ivermectin — may help prevent hospitalizations and deaths in people with mild to moderate coronavirus symptoms. About 200 people are expected to be enrolled in the UF Health component of the trial, with about 15,000 participating nationwide, according to Carmen Isache, the study's principal investigator in Jacksonville and associate professor at UF College of Medicine-Jacksonville. (Cravey, 2/28)
AP: Nevada Emphasizes Therapeutics As New COVID-19 Cases Plummet
As Nevada’s COVID-19 case rates plummet to their lowest levels since last summer, state health officials are turning more attention to therapeutic treatments for those who can’t get vaccinated or are most at risk of severe illness or death. It’s the latest step in the evolution of a nearly two-year effort to combat the virus after the omicron variant pushed caseloads to new highs in January, said Julia Peek, deputy administrator for Nevada’s Division of Public and Behavioral Health. It comes as governments across the country lift restrictions and move away from emergency measures. (Sonner, 2/28)
