Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Data Suggest Virus Variant Found In UK Is Deadlier Than Earlier Versions
USA Today: British Officials Say COVID-19 Variant Discovered In UK May Be 30% More Lethal
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Friday that a coronavirus variant first detected in the country in September may be about 30% more deadly than previous versions of the disease. Johnson unveiled the worrying statistic in a London news conference. British scientists already had concluded that the variant, known as B.1.1.7, spread 30%-70% faster than the previous dominant coronavirus strain in the U.K. In addition to spreading faster, "it may be associated with a higher degree of mortality," Johnson said. (Hjelmgaard and Weintraub, 1/22)
CNN: CDC Reviewing New Data That Suggests Coronavirus Variant Identified In UK Could Be More Deadly
Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist and member of President Joe Biden's coronavirus transition team, said he has reviewed the UK report, as well as other data that has not been publicly released, and he is "convinced" that the new variant is deadlier. "The data is mounting -- and some of it I can't share -- that clearly supports that B.1.1.7 is causing more severe illness and increased death," said Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. "Already we know this variant has increased transmission, and so this is more very bad news." (Cohen, 1/24)
Fox News: Fauci Says UK COVID-19 Strain Could 'Cause More Damage,' US Will Test For Vaccine Efficacy
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has projected that due to its more contagious nature, the U.K. variant will be the dominant strain in the U.S. by March. Many are therefore concerned that the current vaccination effort might be in vain, but Fauci has cautioned that effects on vaccine efficacy remain unknown. Even in the case of reduced efficacy, Fauci believes the effect would be minimal. "When we look at the effect of the chain, this lineage that is the U.K. lineage that is in at least 20 states in the U.S., the vaccine-induced antibodies … seem to continue to be protective against the mutant strain," Fauci explained. "It is a very minor diminution, but the cushion that you have of efficacy is so large that it’s not going to negatively impact." (Aitken, 1/24)
The Hill: US Officials Caution More Data Needed On UK Coronavirus Strain
National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins and top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci warned on Saturday that more data is needed to understand if the UK coronavirus strain is more deadly and more contagious. "These are serious situations that we are following very closely," Fauci said in an interview on MSNBC. "If necessary, we will adapt to it," (Lonas, 1/23)
The New York Times: Britain’s Alarm Over Virus Variant Bolsters Case For Lockdown
Britain’s disclosure Friday that a new variant of the virus could be deadlier than the original raised a stir about why such alarming information was put out when the evidence was so inconclusive. But there is little debate over its impact: It has silenced those who called for life to go back to normal any time soon. The British government is expected to announce in coming days that it will prolong and tighten the nationwide lockdown imposed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson this month. Schools may stay closed until Easter, while travelers arriving from overseas could be required to quarantine in hotels for 10 days. (Landler and Mueller, 1/24)
In related news —
The Hill: US Passes 25M Coronavirus Cases Milestone
The U.S. on Sunday surpassed 25 million coronavirus cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The most recent data from Johns Hopkins’s indicates that 25,031,463 cases have been confirmed so far. The same data shows the U.S. has reported 417,902 deaths due to the pandemic, the most of any country in the world. (Choi, 1/24)
