Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
India's Covid Death Toll Passes 400,000
AP: India Confirms 400K Dead, Half In Past 2 Months
India has confirmed 400,000 deaths from COVID-19, half of them in the past two months as the virulent delta variant infected hundreds of thousands daily. Still, the grim figure announced Friday is believed to be a fraction of the true total. It is second only to the United States and Brazil. (7/2)
Fox News: 'Black Fungus' Infections Robbing India's COVID-19 Survivors Of Sight
Thousands of COVID-19 patients in India have been diagnosed with mucormycosis, or so-called "black fungus" that’s leaving some with vision loss. The rare but serious fungal infection is caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes, which live throughout the environment and typically do not agitate otherwise healthy people, but can be problematic in those who have health issues or take medications that lower the body’s ability to fight off germs and sickness. In India, a health care system overwhelmed by recent coronavirus surges and short medical supplies may be contributing to the spread, as may attempts to treat COVID-19 with steroids in patients with undetected or uncontrolled diabetes. (Hein, 7/1)
Axios: The Growing Threat Of Drug-Resistant, Invasive Fungi
Large numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations and more immunocompromised people in general are fueling a global spread of a different threatening microbe: invasive fungi. These infections cause more than 1.6 million deaths worldwide every year, and the microorganisms responsible for them are starting to evade the small supply of antifungal drugs. (O'Reilly, 7/1)
In other global developments —
Bloomberg: 6 Fully Vaccinated People Died Of Covid-19 In Seychelles, Most-Vaccinated Nation
The coronavirus has killed six fully vaccinated people in the Seychelles, which is suffering heightened Covid-19 infections despite inoculating a greater proportion of its people than any other nation. Of those, five had taken Covishield, a version of the AstraZeneca Plc vaccine made in India, and one had been given Sinopharm, Jude Gedeon, the island nation’s public health commissioner said at a press conference on Thursday. Covishield has mainly been reserved for people over 60 in the Seychelles. All of those who died had serious underlying conditions, he said. (Gappy and Sguazzin, 7/1)
AP: Africa's COVID-19 Envoy Blasts EU, COVAX Over Vaccine Crisis
The African Union special envoy tasked with leading efforts to procure COVID-19 vaccines for the continent is blasting Europe as Africa struggles amid a crushing third surge of infections, saying Thursday that “not one dose, not one vial, has left a European factory for Africa.” Strive Masiyiwa also took aim at the global effort meant to distribute vaccines to low- and middle-income countries, accusing COVAX of withholding crucial information including that key donors hadn’t met funding pledges. He didn’t name which donors. (Anna, 7/1)
CNN: Vaccine Inequality Is Hurting Asia's Poor -- And The Rest Of The World
Crowded factories in Asia's manufacturing hubs seemed curiously immune to coronavirus as it spread through most of the world last year. By the end of 2020, Thailand and Vietnam had reported fewer than 200 deaths between them, and Cambodia and Laos didn't report any at all. But that changed this spring as many parts of Asia battled stubborn Covid-19 outbreaks that have infiltrated factories and other businesses critical to the global supply chain, threatening to disrupt the already strained flow of international trade. (Yeung, 7/1)
Bloomberg: Thailand Needs Sinovac Vaccine Due To AstraZeneca Exports To Meet Goal
Thailand won’t be able to meet its monthly vaccination target of 10 million doses as deliveries from AstraZeneca Plc, the backbone of its inoculation program, will be 40% to 50% fewer than expected because some supplies are allotted for export. AstraZeneca will deliver 5 million to 6 million doses per month for use in Thailand starting in July because a portion of local production by Siam Bioscience Ltd., its manufacturing partner in Southeast Asia, will be shipped to other countries in the region, Nakorn Premsri, director of the National Vaccine Institute, said at a seminar on Friday, citing a letter from the company. (Thanthong-Knight, 7/2)
CNBC: Three Middle East Countries Led The World On Vaccines Early. Then They Went In Different Directions
Vaccination campaigns in several Middle East nations raced ahead of the rest of the world at the beginning of 2021. Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain topped the list when it came to doses administered per 100 people at the start of the year. Six months later, all three are still among the top 10 most vaccinated countries — but charts show their Covid infection trends have varied greatly. (Ng, 7/2)
