Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Covid BA.2.86 Could Be Less Worrisome Than Had Been Feared: Researchers
CNN: US Lab Tests Suggest New Covid-19 Variant BA.2.86 May Be Less Contagious And Less Immune-Evasive Than Feared
Two teams of US scientists have completed lab experiments testing the antibodies from vaccinated and infected Americans to see how well they might be able to fend off currently circulating variants of the virus that causes Covid-19, including the highly mutated BA.2.86. Their results match up almost exactly, and the news – at least when it comes to BA.2.86, which has also been dubbed Pirola – is very good. Our immune systems can recognize and fight off this variant as well as, and perhaps even a bit better than, the currently circulating offshoots of the XBB variant. (Goodman, 9/4)
More on the covid surge —
Axios: A Late Summer COVID Wave Is Here, But It's Trickier Than Ever To Track
The anticipated late summer COVID wave is here – but it's tougher than ever to measure. With the end of federal COVID case tracking and the prevalence of rapid at-home testing, virus-related hospitalization rates and wastewater analyses are the best bet for monitoring spread. (Habeshian, 9/3)
CNBC: Covid: When To Wear Masks As Cases Rise, New Variants Emerge In U.S.
An uptick in Covid cases and hospitalizations in the U.S., and the emergence of new variants of the virus, are prompting questions about whether Americans should start masking up again. One thing’s for sure: People infected with Covid should wear masks around others to prevent the spread of the virus. For those not infected, the decision to mask depends on a few things. That includes your personal risk level, Covid rates in your region and who you might make contact with, public health experts said. (Constantino, 9/1)
Wyoming Public Radio: In A Trend Similar To Previous Years, Serious COVID Cases Are Rising Again In The Mountain West
COVID-19 hospitalizations are rising across much of the Mountain West and nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This trend mirrors patterns from previous years, but healthcare experts say the U.S. is well-equipped to handle another surge in infections and emergency room visits. Spikes in coronavirus activity have been recently reported in Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico and Idaho. In Wyoming, State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist said more people are likely getting infected as they return to more normal work and school schedules from the summer season. (Walkey, 8/30)
In other covid news —
AP: Court Revives Doctors' Lawsuit Saying FDA Overstepped Its Authority With Anti-Ivermectin Campaign
A federal appeals court Friday revived a lawsuit by three doctors who say the Food and Drug Administration overstepped its authority in a campaign against treating COVID-19 with the anti-parasite drug ivermectin. ... Drs. Robert L. Apter, Mary Talley Bowden and Paul E. Marik filed the lawsuit last year. All three said their reputations were harmed by the FDA campaign. Bowden lost admitting privileges at a Texas hospital, the ruling noted. Marik alleged he lost his positions at a medical school and at a hospital for promoting the use of ivermectin. (McGill, 9/1)
KFF Health News and PolitiFact: Activist Misuses Federal Data To Make False Claim That Covid Vaccines Killed 676,000
A blog post shared on Facebook claimed that covid-19 vaccines have killed some 676,000 Americans. The post was written by anti-vaccine activist Steve Kirsch, who has made other vaccine claims debunked by PolitiFact and other fact-checkers. Kirsch’s Aug. 6 post referred to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, a federal database. (Kertscher, 9/1)
Stat: Weighted Lottery Helped Low-Income Patients Get Covid Drug
In the midst of the Covid-19 surge during the winter of 2021, the Pittsburgh-based UPMC health system received 450 doses of Evusheld — a scarce antibody cocktail being used at the time to prevent immunocompromised patients from being infected by the coronavirus. But those doses were just a fraction of a percent of what the sprawling 35-hospital system needed to protect its 200,000 immunocompromised patients. (McFarling, 9/1)
The New York Times: Long Covid Poses Special Challenges For Seniors
Ask Patricia Anderson how she is doing, and you probably will not get a routine answer. “Today, I’m working and I’m fine,” she said on a recent Tuesday. “Saturday and Sunday, I was bedridden. Long Covid is a roller coaster.” Before the pandemic, Ms. Anderson practiced martial arts and did without a car, instead walking and taking buses around Ann Arbor, Mich., where she is a medical librarian. Just before contracting Covid-19 in March 2020, she had racked up — oh, she keeps track — 11,409 steps in one day. (Span, 9/3)
