Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Good And Bad News From Studies On Covid Variants
Reuters: British Variant Of COVID-19 Not As Severe As Feared
A highly contagious variant of COVID-19 first identified in Britain does not cause more severe disease in hospitalised patients, according to a new study published in the medical journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases on Monday. The strain, known as B.1.1.7, was identified in Britain late last year and has become the most common strain in the United States, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study analysed a group of 496 COVID-19 patients who were admitted to British hospitals in November and December last year, comparing outcomes in patients infected with B.1.1.7 or other variants. The researchers found no difference in risks of severe disease, death, or other clinical outcomes in patients with B.1.1.7 and other variants. (4/13)
The Wall Street Journal: U.K. Strain Doesn’t Result In More Severe Covid-19 Among Hospitalized Patients, Study Finds
People infected late last year with the variant, known as B.1.1.7, had more virus in their bodies than patients infected with older strains, a sign the newer variant is more infectious, according to the study published online Monday by the medical journal the Lancet Infectious Diseases. But the patients hospitalized with B.1.1.7 didn’t die at higher rates or have worse outcomes overall. The findings add to scientists’ understanding of B.1.1.7’s impact, which has become especially important now that the strain has come to dominate cases in the U.K., U.S. and some other countries. (Abbott, 4/12)
ABC News: In Rare Instances, South Africa Variant May Evade Pfizer Vaccine, Researchers Say
The first real-world study pitting COVID-19 variants against the Pfizer vaccine showed that the variant first detected in South Africa may be able to evade some vaccine protection, new research conducted in Israel found. While "breakthrough" COVID-19 cases, meaning people who get infected or sick despite being vaccinated, are extremely rare, health experts have been monitoring a handful of virus variants to see if current vaccines offer robust protection against them. (Schumaker, 4/12)
In regional news —
The New York Times: Two Worrisome Variants Make Up Over 70 Percent Of Cases Analyzed In N.Y.C., City Officials Say
New York City health officials said on Monday that infections with the coronavirus variant that first emerged in Britain, B.1.1.7, have been increasing in every borough, but slightly more in southern Brooklyn, eastern Queens, and Staten Island. Genetic analysis shows that B.1.1.7 now accounts for about 30 percent of cases sequenced citywide. The data, which was included in new maps and a report released by the city, represents the first time officials have offered a ZIP-code level look at how worrisome variants have been spreading in New York, overtaking original versions of virus and clustering in some parts of the city more than others. (Otterman, 4/12)
Los Angeles Times: Is California Coronavirus Variant Preventing A Spring Surge?
California had one of the lowest average daily coronavirus case rates in the nation over the most recent seven-day period, while Michigan’s case rate — the worst in the nation — was 12 times higher than California’s, placing growing strain on hospitals there. One factor that may be helping California — for reasons not fully understood — is the presence of the California variant. The California variant here might be helping to keep a lid on the U.K. variant, which is believed to be more transmissible than the conventional strains of the coronavirus and likely results in more severe illness and, as a result, a greater chance of death. (Lin II, 4/12)
In other pandemic news —
NPR: CDC Studies Find Racial, Ethnic Disparities In COVID-19 Hospitalizations
Days after declaring racism a serious public health threat, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a pair of studies further quantifying the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color. The studies, published Monday in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, examine trends in racial and ethnic disparities in hospitalizations and emergency room visits associated with COVID-19 in 2020. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said at a regular White House COVID-19 Response Team briefing that the new literature underscores the need to prioritize health equity, including in the country's accelerating vaccine rollout. (Treisman, 4/12)
