Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Kabul's US Embassy Locked Down As Covid Surges Locally
CNBC: Covid Outbreak Forces Lockdown At U.S. Embassy In Kabul
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul on Thursday was placed on lockdown as Covid cases surge in Afghanistan, pushing the nation’s fragile health care system to its limits. At the embassy, 114 employees have tested positive for the coronavirus and are currently in isolation, one person has died and several people have been medically evacuated. (Macias, 6/17)
Politico: G7 Host Cornwall Sees Coronavirus Cases Spike After Sunny Weekend
Coronavirus cases in the southern English region of Cornwall, which hosted last week’s G7 meeting, increased tenfold in the week leading up to the summit. In the week ending on June 11, the day the G7 kicked off, Cornwall recorded 59.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and 342 actual cases, compared with 5.6 cases per 100,000 and 32 actual cases the previous week, the i reported. There were also localized outbreaks in towns that hosted the summit, notably St. Ives, which saw a rate of 517.5 cases per 100,000, ranking among the highest in the U.K. (Adami, 6/17)
In more covid news from the U.K. and E.U. —
AP: UK Records Over 10,000 Virus Cases For First Time Since Feb
The U.K.’s latest surge in coronavirus infections gathered pace Thursday with new confirmed cases rising above 10,000 for the first time in nearly four months as a result of the spread of the more contagious delta variant. Government figures showed another 11,007 cases were reported. That’s the highest daily number since Feb. 19, when 12,027 cases were recorded, and cements talk that the country with Europe’s highest virus-related death toll is in the midst of a third wave of the pandemic. (Pylas, 6/17)
CIDRAP: Youth, Delta Variant Behind UK COVID Surge
Two new studies look at the Delta variant (B1617) behind the UK COVID-19 surge, with the first noting that young people are helping drive the exponential growth of COVID-19 cases in England. The second study describes reduced COVID-19 vaccine and antibody efficacy against the more transmissible variant. ... Young people are behind the surge, with a 5-fold higher rate of COVID-19 test positivity among children 5 to 12 years (0.35% prevalence) and adults 18 to 24 (0.36% prevalence) than in those 65 or older. (Van Beusekom, 6/17)
CNBC: Whitty: 5 Years Before Vaccine Can Hold Line Against Covid Variants
England’s top medical officer has warned that the coming winter will continue to be difficult for the country’s health system despite the country’s successful coronavirus vaccination program. A further easing of lockdown restrictions in England was delayed this week due to a surge in cases of the delta variant first discovered in India. In a speech to the NHS Confederation Thursday, Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said the current wave of Covid infections due to the delta variant would likely be followed by another surge in the winter. (Clinch, 6/18)
Fox News: EU Regulator Will Weigh COVID-19 Vaccine Candidates With Below 50% Efficacy
A top official with Europe’s regulatory agency on Thursday said it would weigh COVID-19 vaccines for approval despite the efficacy potentially falling below a 50% threshold. The comments from Marco Cavaleri, head of Biological Health Threats and Vaccines Strategy at the European Medicines Agency follow news that German biotech CureVac’s COVID-19 mRNA vaccine candidate revealed a disappointing 47% efficacy against COVID-19 disease of any severity, and failed to meet statistical success criteria in a late-stage trial. However, Dr. Franz-Werner Haas, CEO of CureVac, said "the overall vaccine efficacy may change" as the company proceeds toward a final analysis. (Rivas, 6/17)
