Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Covid's US Body Count Nears Sum Of Civil War, WWII, And Korean War
San Francisco Chronicle: U.S. Death Toll Approaches Combined Total Of Civil War, WW2 And Korea
The U.S. has recorded 1,060,408 deaths due to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, according to data published Wednesday by Johns Hopkins University, almost matching the combined toll of three major wars. (Vaziri, 10/5)
More on the spread of covid —
San Francisco Chronicle: More Than 86% Of U.S. Children Infected To Date, CDC Reports
Approximately 86.3% of children in the U.S. have antibodies from surviving a prior COVID-19 infection as of Aug. 20, according to updated seroprevalence estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Vaziri, 10/5)
Stat: How The Splintering Of Omicron Could Shape Covid's Next Phase
The United States is in a (relative) Covid-19 lull, with cases and hospitalizations falling as the wave driven by the BA.5 lineage of the Omicron variant recedes. But as if we needed a portent of an anticipated fall and winter wave, Covid is on the rise in some European countries. (Joseph, 10/6)
San Francisco Chronicle: New COVID Variants Could Fuel California Winter Surge, Experts Say
The BA.5 omicron subvariant is still the dominant strain in the U.S. after appearing in late spring and quickly crowding out its rivals, accounting for nearly 90% of cases in late August. However, its share has since fallen to 81%, while the omicron offshoot BA.4.6 is slowly growing, responsible for 13% of cases for the week ending Oct. 1. (Hwang, 10/5)
Las Vegas Review-Journal: County, State See Uptick In COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations
For the first time in 12 weeks, COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations increased in both Clark County and Nevada, according to new state data, though it’s too soon to say if the upticks mark the start of a fall surge. (Hynes, 10/5)
The Boston Globe: After A Brief Climb, Levels Of Coronavirus Waver In Eastern Mass. Waste Water
The levels of coronavirus detected in Eastern Massachusetts waste water are wavering after a brief steep climb, according to the latest data from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. (Finucane and Huddle, 10/5)
On long covid —
Axios: Long COVID Is Still Disabling Millions Of Americans, CDC Reports
Of the nearly 24 million adults in the U.S. who currently have long COVID, more than 80% are having some trouble carrying out daily activities, according to CDC data released Wednesday. (Moreno, 10/6)
ABC News: 4 Out Of 5 People With Long COVID Have Trouble Performing Day-To-Day Activities: CDC
As of Sept. 26, 81% of adults with ongoing symptoms of COVID lasting three months or longer -- or four out of five adults -- are experiencing limitations in their daily activities compared to before they had the virus. (Kekatos, 10/6)
