Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Holiday Season Ushers In Another Unwelcome Covid Surge
The Washington Post: Covid Hospitalizations Rising Post-Thanksgiving After An Autumn Lull
A post-Thanksgiving uptick in covid-19 patients at U.S. hospitals is arriving even as health systems contend with waves of feverish, coughing people stricken with RSV and influenza infections. Covid hospitalizations last week reached their highest level in three months, with more than 35,000 patients being treated, according to Washington Post data tracking. National hospitalizations had stagnated throughout fall but started rising in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. All but a few states reported per capita increases in the past week. (Nirappil and Dupree, 12/4)
News4Jax.com: COVID-19 Cases Spike Across Florida After Thanksgiving Holiday
Some Northeast Florida counties have seen a spike in COVID-19 cases following the Thanksgiving holiday, according to the Florida Department of Health. Across Florida, FDOH reported 18,761 new cases this week, which is unlikely to include people who test themselves at home. St. Johns and Nassau counties have the two highest positivity rates in the state. (Parker, 12/3)
Tulsa World: COVID-19: Thanksgiving Week Data Reflects Infection Spike
Data from Thanksgiving week reflect a substantial spike in the state’s COVID-19 infection activity. New weekly cases were up by more than 600, which pushed the seven-day new case average up by 90. Active cases were up by more than 800, and the three-day hospitalization average in the Tulsa region was up by 17. (Bishop-Baldwin, 12/5)
NBC Chicago: After Thanksgiving, Illinois Sees Highest Single-Day COVID Case Total Since Summer
Amid concerns that a spike in COVID cases could occur after the Thanksgiving holiday, Illinois officials reported their highest single-day total since the summer. According to metrics from the Illinois Department of Public Health, the state reported 5,724 cases of the virus on Wednesday, the highest number of cases reported in a single day since Aug. 11. (11/30)
The Boston Globe: The Level Of Coronavirus Detected In Mass. Waste Water Just Shot Up
Officials say waste water data from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority can be an early warning signal, detecting changes in the number of COVID-19 infections before people get tested and the results officially reported. (Mohammed, 12/2)
San Francisco Chronicle: COVID In California: Bay Area Wastewater Samples Show Big Surge Is Under Way
Surveys of coronavirus levels in Bay Area wastewater suggest another COVID-19 surge is not only under way but may top last summer’s omicron BA.5 wave in the number of people infected. (Vaziri and Kawahara, 12/2)
