Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Don't Celebrate Yet: Covid Cases Hit Reverse, Go Up Again
The Wall Street Journal: Newly Reported U.S. Infections Edge Up
Newly reported coronavirus cases in the U.S. edged up, as federal health officials revised their recommendations for fully vaccinated people. The U.S. reported more than 38,000 new cases for Thursday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University that was published early Friday. The data may update later. Thursday’s figure was slightly higher than the 35,878 new cases reported on Wednesday but marked the sixth consecutive day that the daily total was below 40,000. (Hall, 5/14)
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Nevada COVID-19 Cases, Deaths Above Average Again
Updated figures posted to the Department of Health and Human Services’ coronavirus website brought totals in the state to 320,150 cases and 5,523 deaths. New cases remained higher than the 14-day moving average of daily reported cases, which dropped slightly to 213. Deaths were also higher than the average daily total of three recorded over the same period. State officials have said that due to delayed reports and redistributed data, it is normal for daily increases to be higher than the moving averages. State and county health agencies redistribute the daily data after it is reported to better reflect the date of death or onset of symptoms, which is why the moving-average trend lines frequently differ from daily reports and are considered better indicators of the direction of the outbreak. (Newberg, 5/13)
Arkansas Online: State's Covid Hospitalizations, New Cases Inch Up; Ventilator Use Falls
The number of Arkansans hospitalized with covid-19 rose Thursday to its highest level in a week, while the state's count of cases rose by 192. The increase in cases was the first one in three days that was higher than the one a week earlier, although it was only higher by four. The state's official death toll from the virus since March 2020, as tracked by the Arkansas Department of Health, rose by six, to 5,783. "Our case numbers and hospitalizations continue to remain at the levels we’ve seen over the past week," Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a tweet. "We still have work to do on the vaccination front, but we had a good day with an increase of over 10,000 doses administered. I hope you’ll do your part to protect your community." (Davis, 5/13)
In other news about the spread of the coronavirus —
Reuters: COVID-19 Lab Leak Theory Cannot Be Ruled Out, Leading Scientists Say
The origin of the novel coronavirus is still unclear and the theory that it was caused by a laboratory leak needs to be taken seriously until there is a rigorous data-led investigation that proves it wrong, a group of leading scientists said. COVID-19, which emerged in China in late 2019, has killed 3.34 million people, cost the world trillions of dollars in lost income and upended normal life for billions of people. (Faulconbridge, 5/14)
CNN: NY Yankees Covid-19: How Vaccinated Members Tested Positive For Coronavirus
Eight members of the New York Yankees have tested positive for coronavirus this week despite being inoculated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the baseball team said Thursday. The eight infected Yankees include coaches, staff members and a player. Seven do not have symptoms, said Jason Zillo, the team's vice president of communications. The Yankees said the eight infected members received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two weeks ago. (Yan, De La Fuente and Close, 5/14)
Deadline: ‘Real Time With Bill Maher’ Cancels This Week’s Show After HBO Host Tests Positive For Covid-19
HBO has scrapped this week’s episode of Real Time with Bill Maher after the comedian tested positive for Covid-19. Maher, who is vaccinated and asymptomatic, tested positive during the premium cable network’s weekly PCR testing ahead of the show. ... After the story broke, Maher posted on social media that he was upset about ending his streak, going back to 1993, to have never missed an episode of Politically Incorrect or Real Time. (White and Pedersen, 5/13)
In other covid updates —
The Wall Street Journal: New York City Begins Burial Plans For Bodies In Covid-19 Mortuary
New York City officials say they will soon begin interment plans for hundreds of bodies of people who died during the Covid-19 pandemic and have been stored for months—and in some cases a year—in freezer units in a temporary mortuary. Earlier this week, a team of 10 forensic investigators in the city’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner began a final push to contact next of kin for the deceased, the officials said. (Berger, 5/13)
Fox News: Pennsylvania Attorney General Investigating Massive Coronavirus Contact Tracing Data Breach
The Pennsylvania attorney general said Wednesday his office launched investigations into a data breach stemming from coronavirus contact tracing efforts that potentially exposed the personal information of over 72,000 people. "Any allegations of sensitive personal information being mismanaged or leaked is a serious matter. My office has opened investigations into this data breach on multiple fronts and as such we will have no further comment at this time," Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a written statement shared with Fox News. (Rivas, 5/13)
CIDRAP: Most Long-Haul COVID-19 Patients Younger, Healthier, Mayo Clinic Says
The inaugural cohort of Mayo Clinic's COVID-19 Activity Rehabilitation Program (CARP) for post–COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) were mostly women, younger, had few pre-existing comorbidities, and experienced milder forms of COVID-19, but only a third were able to return to full-time work. The descriptive study, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, involved 100 CARP participants from June to December 2020 and found the most common ailments to be fatigue (80%), neurologic complaints like headaches (59%), and respiratory complaints like breathlessness (59%). Other symptoms included cognitive impairment, sleep disturbance, and mental health symptoms. A little over a third of patients (34%) said they had difficulties performing basic daily activities, and only one in three who had been employed had fully returned to unrestricted work by the time they were evaluated. (5/13)
Fox News: Erectile Dysfunction Linked To Prior Coronavirus Infection In Small Study
Researchers say penile tissue samples collected from two men who had recovered from coronavirus months prior suggest that the impact of the illness may contribute to erectile dysfunction. The study, which only involved four men, was conducted by University of Miami Miller School of Medicine researchers who said it’s the latest evidence suggesting a link between the two. "Our research shows that COVID-19 can cause widespread endothelial dysfunction in organ systems beyond the lungs and kidneys," Ranjith Ramasamy, M.D., associated professor and director of the Miller School’s Reproductive Urology Program, said in a news release posted on EurekAlert.org. "In our pilot study, we found that men who previously did not complain of erectile dysfunction developed pretty severe erectile dysfunction on after the onset of COVID-19 infection." (Hein, 5/13)
