Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Fauci Warns Covid Rate Still Too High
The Washington Post: Fauci Warns That U.S. Rates Of New Cases Still Too High
President Biden’s chief medical adviser, Anthony S. Fauci, warned Americans that 50,000 new coronavirus infections a day is still too high and urged people to get vaccinated. “That’s a precarious level, and we don’t want that to go up,” he said on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. Public attitudes toward coronavirus vaccinations have been breaking down along party lines, with many more Republicans expressing reluctance to get doses. (Schemm and Hassan, 4/26)
Los Angeles Times: Coronavirus Crisis: COVID-19 Variants Spur More Deaths
Even as optimism abounds in the United States, where cases are in steep decline and the vaccine supply has begun to exceed the demand, the COVID-19 pandemic has reached one of its bleakest points as global vaccination campaigns sputter and new, faster-spreading variants take hold. A record 5.7 million new cases were reported worldwide over the last week, nearly double the seven-day average in late February. The death toll — now approaching 3.1 million — grew by more than 87,000. Those figures have increased pressure on the United States, which along with other wealthy countries has gobbled up most of the supply, to speed up vaccine production and distribution around the world. (Linthicum, Pierson and Baumgaertner, 4/24)
The Oregonian: B.1.1.7 Variant Now Responsible For Most COVID-19 Cases In Oregon, Officials Say
The more contagious B.1.1.7 variant of the coronavirus has now become the dominant strain in Oregon -- and is helping fuel a fourth surge in COVID-19 despite four out of every 10 Oregonians having received at least one dose of vaccine, public health officials say. “As the governor has said repeatedly, this really is a race between vaccination and the spread of COVID, especially the spread of the B.1.1.7 variant, which we believe now is a majority of cases in the state,” Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen told a group of lawmakers last week. (Green, 4/25)
The Baltimore Sun: Anxious Maryland Scientists On The Hunt For Next Coronavirus Variant
Half of all COVID-19 cases across the country and in Maryland now result from coronavirus variants, with the dominant ones proving a bit more dangerous because they are more contagious and lead to more hospitalizations. But scientists and public health experts warn that until enough people are inoculated against the disease to end the pandemic, there is a chance mutations will become much more dangerous. (Cohn, 4/26)
Inewsource: Donovan Prison Back On Lockdown Due To COVID-19 Infections
A COVID-19 outbreak at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in Otay Mesa has forced the facility back on lockdown, but officials are refusing to clarify the scope of the problem, leaving families and advocates frustrated at the prison’s handling of the health emergency. A spokesperson for the state corrections department confirmed Wednesday that multiple staff members at Donovan have contracted the virus, leading the facility to temporarily cancel in-person visits and reinforce restrictions on the thousands of people living there. (Plummer and Castellano, 4/23)
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Axios: The Next Wave Of The Coronavirus Pandemic: Long Covid
The research is becoming only more clear: People who have had COVID — even those who never had severe infections — are at risk of ongoing health problems, including some serious ones. Long after the majority of Americans are vaccinated, patients and the U.S. health system will likely bear the brunt of millions of people who are struggling to get back to normal. Two studies released last week emphasized how common it is for COVID survivors to require care months after their infection. (Owens, 4/26)
