Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Covid Testing, Critical To Halting Spread Of Virus, Has Slumped
AP: Pandemic Gets Tougher To Track As COVID Testing Plunges
Testing for COVID-19 has plummeted across the globe, making it much tougher for scientists to track the course of the pandemic and spot new, worrisome viral mutants as they emerge and spread. Experts say testing has dropped by 70 to 90% worldwide from the first to the second quarter of this year — the opposite of what they say should be happening with new omicron variants on the rise in places such as the United States and South Africa. (Ungar, 5/10)
Detroit Free Press: COVID-19 In Michigan Difficult To Track Right Now: Here's Why
Mutations of the omicron coronavirus variant are increasingly showing up in Michigan, state health officials say, noting at least a half dozen different subvariants had been detected as of Friday. It's almost an alphanumeric soup with names like B.1.1.529, BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2 , BA.2.12.1, BA.3, BA.4, BA.5, and XE. Each is slightly different. "Omicron is the prevailing variant and has been since ... early December in the U.S.," said Dr. Adam Lauring, an associate professor of infectious diseases and microbiology at the University of Michigan. (Jordan Shamus, 5/10)
More on the spread of covid —
Bay Area News Group: 'We've Got A Lot Of Virus Circulating Now': Santa Clara County's Health Officer
“The pandemic is still here,” said Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody. ”It is time to break out your mask and break out your tests and just be a bit more cautious than you were a month ago.” Santa Clara County is currently experiencing a weekly average of 552 cases — just slightly higher than the number of cases during the peak of the Delta wave that hit in summer 2021. The cases are being driven by two cousins of the BA.1 omicron strain that caused a major surge during winter, which are currently dominant across the rest of the country. (Greschler, 5/10)
The Boston Globe: More COVID-19 Cases Ahead? Coronavirus Levels In Eastern Mass. Waste Water Are On The Rise Again
After dipping last month, the levels of coronavirus detected in Eastern Massachusetts waste water have resumed climbing, according to the latest data from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, suggesting more COVID-19 case increases may be ahead. Officials say waste water virus data can be an important early warning signal, detecting COVID-19 infections before people get tested and the tests are officially reported. As more people are using at-home COVID-19 testing kits, whose results are usually not reported to state public health officials, waste water tests have become a key indicator of the virus’s prevalence. (Finucane and Prignano, 5/10)
The Washington Post: Cruises Are Smashing Records Despite Covid On Board: ‘Life Goes On’
Linda Klauschie, 68, was ready last month to take her first cruise since 2019 — but she also assumed her ship would probably have coronavirus cases on board. So Klauschie, a retired mental health counselor from Albuquerque who is vaccinated and double-boosted, took precautions: She wore a KN95 mask to fly to and from New Orleans, where her back-to-back week-long cruises on the Carnival Glory started. She skipped the buffet when lines were long, kept a distance from other passengers whenever possible, wore a mask during shows and spent a lot of time taking the stairs. (Sampson, 5/10)
On vaccine mandates and masks —
Los Angeles Times: L.A. School Board Delays Student COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Without Any Discussion
The Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday unanimously approved a delay of a student vaccine mandate for COVID-19 that had been scheduled to take effect next fall, under a recommendation from Supt. Alberto Carvalho. The 8:30 p.m. vote at the conclusion of a nearly 12-hour board meeting took place without comment from either Carvalho or board members. It was a striking anticlimax after board members had determinedly adopted the vaccine requirement last year — and were resolute in defending it against lawsuits. (Blume, 5/10)
The Baltimore Sun: With COVID-19 Cases Rising Rapidly In Baltimore, The City’s Health Commissioner Advises People To Resume Masking Up Indoors
Dr. Letitia Dzirasa, Baltimore’s health commissioner, said Tuesday that she strongly recommends everyone wear a mask indoors regardless of their vaccination status given a large rise in COVID-19 cases in the city. She stopped short of seeking a new mandate for masking because community transmission in Baltimore, as well as all of Maryland, is still considered low by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “We’ll start with a recommendation, and if the need arises and we continue to see this increase we will have a consideration of reinstating that mask order,” she said. “This is not a mandate. This is a warning.” (Cohn, 5/10)
The Washington Post: Johns Hopkins Students Ask For Online Exams After Covid Spike
A late-semester spike in coronavirus cases at Johns Hopkins University, spurred by recent social events, has some students pleading for the option to take exams online. After many months of strict health protocols at Hopkins, the campus in Baltimore has seen more than 500 cases in the past week and, according to its online dashboard, had filled all available isolation housing. (Svrluga, 5/10)
Also —
AP: Bill Gates Says He Has COVID, Experiencing Mild Symptoms
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said Tuesday he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms. Via Twitter, the billionaire philanthropist said he will isolate until he is again healthy. “I’m fortunate to be vaccinated and boosted and have access to testing and great medical care,” Gates wrote. (5/11)
Fortune: Bill Gates Conspiracy: Microsoft Co-Founder Says Strangers Yell At Him Over False COVID Vaccine Theories
Bill Gates says people yell at him in the street over conspiracy theories surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC on Thursday, the billionaire Microsoft co-founder said: “You almost have to laugh because it’s so crazy.” One particular conspiracy theory that has gained traction over the past two years makes false claims that Gates wants to use mass vaccination to implant microchips into people so that he can track them digitally. Gates has always denied such accusations, which have circulated widely on social media. But Gates’ denial hasn’t been enough to extinguish the theory. In May 2020, a Yahoo/YouGov poll of 1,640 U.S. adults found that almost one in three people believed the debunked microchipping conspiracy theory to be true. (Taylor, 5/5)
