Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Delta-Plus Is Here; US Testing Strategy Reevaluated As Variants Spread
Politico: Biden Admin Preps For Next Pandemic As Delta Variant Surges
The Biden administration is rethinking its approach to Covid-19 testing as the pandemic enters an uncertain phase — one in which new infections have dropped to the lowest level since the spring of 2020, but the highly contagious Delta variant is driving fresh outbreaks. Federal health officials, along with testing labs and test makers, are weighing how to implement the lessons they have learned from this pandemic to prepare for the next one. That includes what types of government incentives could help keep companies prepared to quickly develop tests in the face of a new emergency, and whether to stockpile key testing supplies. The administration also recently retooled the leadership of its Covid-19 testing and diagnostic workgroup. (Lim, 7/1)
New Orleans Times-Picayune: First Case Of Delta-Plus, 'Double-Whammy' Variant Of COVID, Detected In Louisiana
The Delta variant of COVID-19 has spawned a new, troubling variant known as Delta-plus that has been identified for the first time in Louisiana, according to officials at Ochsner Health. Delta-plus is thought to have the same higher rate of transmission as the Delta variant, which was originally identified in India and is about two times as infectious as the original coronavirus strain. But it also has a characteristic of variants from South Africa and Brazil that makes it harder for antibodies to block it from entering cells. (Woodruff, 6/30)
In state news about the spread of the coronavirus —
Houston Chronicle: Several Houston-Area Kids Infected With COVID Delta Variant, Hospitals Say
Texas Medical Center hospitals are seeing an uptick in patients infected with the COVID-19 Delta variant, and infections are prevalent among young children and adults who have not been immunized. At Texas Children’s Hospital, fewer than 10 kids have been diagnosed with the Delta variant, which epidemiologists say is more transmissible than the original strain of SARS-CoV-2. Doctors have diagnosed 48 cases of the Delta variant at Houston Methodist since the end of April. “The big concern with Delta is that it could spread like wildfire,” said Dr. James Versalovic, interim pediatrician-in-chief at Texas Children’s Hospital. (Wu, 6/30)
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Nevada Has Higher COVID Case Rate Than Any Other State
Nevada on Wednesday reported 558 new coronavirus cases and three deaths on yet another day where the state’s major COVID-19 metrics continued to rise. Updated data posted by the state Department of Health and Human Services on the state’s coronavirus website pushed the state’s case total to 333,712 and showed the two-week moving average of new COVID-19 cases increasing to 268 per day. The state’s death total increased to 5,681. The three deaths reported were above the two-week moving average of two per day. Nevada’s case count continues to rise at a significant rate, and the state now has a higher seven-day case rate per 100,000 people than any other state in the country, according to data from the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention. (Dylan, 6/30)
AP: Arkansas Has Biggest One-Day Virus Case Spike In 4 Months
Arkansas reported its biggest one-day spike in coronavirus cases in four months Wednesday, an increase the state’s governor said was being fueled by the delta variant of the virus. The state reported 686 new virus cases, bringing its total since the pandemic began to 349,385. The state’s active cases, meaning those that don’t include people who have recovered or died from the virus, increased by 398 to 3,763. (6/30)
Axios: Why The Delta Variant Has Northwest Arkansas Doctors On Edge
The Delta variant of COVID-19 is rapidly spreading in NWA and surrounding areas, state epidemiologist Jennifer Dillaha tells Axios. "We suspect that it is spreading in every county in Arkansas and, if not, it soon will be," she says. The variant is beginning to cause another surge in cases and hospitalizations, Dillaha and David Ratcliff, chief medical officer at Washington Regional Medical Center, told Axios. (Golden, 6/30)
Salt Lake Tribune: Utah Reports 574 New Cases Of COVID-19 — The Most In More Than Two Months
Utah reported 574 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday — the most in a single day since April 20, when there were 592. The rolling seven-day average stands at 372 a day. There were also three more deaths, bringing the overall total to 2,371. The Utah Department of Health reported 39 coronavirus deaths in the month of June, the smallest one-month total in the past 15 months. (There were nine deaths reported in March 2020; the first COVID-19 death in Utah was reported on March 22, 2020.) (Pierce, 6/30)
AP: California Virus Cases Rising As Delta Variant Spreads
California broadly reopened its economy barely two weeks ago and since then an especially contagious coronavirus variant has spread among the unvaccinated, a development that has health officials on edge and already has prompted Los Angeles County to strongly recommend everyone resume wearing masks inside. The nation’s most populous state is averaging close to 1,000 additional cases reported daily, an increase of about 17% in the last 14 days. Officials expected an increase when capacity limits were lifted for businesses and most mask restrictions and social distancing requirements were eliminated for vaccinated people. (Taxin and Dazio, 7/1)
