Majority Of Planet Has Covid Antibodies From Vaccines Or Infections: WHO

Bloomberg: More Than Two-Thirds Of People Have Covid Antibodies, WHO Says
More than two-thirds of the world’s population probably have significant levels of Covid-19 antibodies, meaning they have either been infected or were vaccinated, the World Health Organization said. So-called seroprevalence rates surged to 67% in October from 16% in February of 2021, the WHO said, in a summary of studies from around the globe. Given the emergence of the fast-spreading omicron variant, the figure is probably even higher now. (Mulier, 6/2)

Politico: Can Long Covid Lead To Death? A New Analysis Suggests It Could
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is analyzing more than 100 deaths that could be attributed to long Covid by looking at death certificates from across the country over the last two years, according to two people familiar with the matter. The National Center for Health Statistics, a division within the CDC, collects death certificates from states after they have been completed by a coroner, medical examiner or doctor. NCHS is now reviewing a batch of those files from 2020 and 2021. The review at the CDC, the details of which POLITICO obtained, is the first of its kind and indicates that long Covid and the health complications associated with it could lead to death. NCHS is set to publish preliminary data from its analysis in the coming days. (Banco, 6/3)

Prisons are still struggling with covid outbreaks —

Sacramento Bee: COVID Outbreaks Emerging Again In California State Prisons
Outbreaks are underway at several state prisons among both inmates and staff, data from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation show, amid a broader surge of COVID-19 spreading across California and nationwide. Prisons reported nearly 1,500 new inmate COVID-19 cases between May 1 and May 29, an almost 20-fold increase compared to just 75 infections reported over the preceding four weeks, according to a CDCR online data tracker. (McGough, 6/1)

Stat: Unpacking Biden’s Moves To Improve Prisons’ Covid Response
The Biden administration is trying to finally unsnarl the federal Bureau of Prisons’ response to the coronavirus pandemic, but experts say its latest moves also underscore just how much is still broken about the government’s response to Covid-19 in prisons. As part of an executive order on reforming the criminal justice system last week, President Biden tasked the attorney general with updating the prison system’s protocols for testing, identifying alternatives to facility-wide lockdowns used to contain the spread of the virus, and expanding the data that is shared by the Bureau of Prisons regarding vaccination, testing, and deaths behind bars. The order also directs the attorney general to compile a tally of all incarcerated people who would be eligible for early release. (Florko, 6/3)

In other news about the spread of covid —

AP: Alameda County Reinstates Mask Mandate Amid California Surge
Northern California’s Alameda County said Thursday it will reinstate an indoor mask policy as COVID-19 hospitalizations steadily increase in the nation’s most populous state. Daily new hospital admissions of patients with COVID-19 have exceeded last summer’s peak and the mandate is meant to “reflect the seriousness of the moment” during another surge in coronavirus cases in California, Alameda County’s health officer, Dr. Nicholas Moss, said in a statement. (6/3)

Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Moves Closer To Possible Mask Requirement As Coronavirus Hospitalizations Rise
With coronavirus-positive hospitalizations in Los Angeles County on the rise, officials said the nation’s most populous county could be poised to see a new universal indoor mask mandate later this month if the upward trends continue. “Our weekly case rate and the rate of increase in hospital admissions are of concern,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Thursday. “If we continue on the current trajectory … we’re likely to move into the CDC high [COVID-19] community level within a few weeks towards the end of June, indicating increased stress on the healthcare system.” (Lin II, 6/2)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Atlanta’s COVID-19 Risk Increases Following Memorial Day Weekend
The risk of COVID-19 infection is rising in metro Atlanta, and Memorial Day Weekend likely added gasoline to an already increasing flame. The latest data from state health officials shows a spike in positive COVID-19 cases after Georgians returned home from gatherings and traveling. There were more than 5,300 confirmed cases across the state Wednesday, which is more than double the average number of infections over the past few weeks. (Hansen, 6/3)

AP: West Virginia Scaling Back Coronavirus Testing Sites
West Virginia is scaling back its community testing events for the coronavirus, Gov. Jim Justice said. Justice said Thursday that the decision was made due to the availability and convenience of at-home test kits for COVID-19. The state has provided free community testing since the start of the pandemic in 2020. (6/3)

CIDRAP: Study Says Dogs 97% Sensitive At Detecting COVID-19 In Patients
Compared with reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing, dogs can detect COVID-19 infections via scent with high sensitivity (97%)—though lower specificity (91%)—even when patients are asymptomatic, according to a study in PLOS One yesterday. (6/2)

The Hill: These Members Of Biden’s Cabinet Have Now Caught COVID-19 
More than half of President Biden’s Cabinet members have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past few months. None of the officials experienced severe symptoms, and all recovered quickly. All were also fully vaccinated, and all but one had received a booster shot when they became infected. Here are the Cabinet members who have tested positive for COVID-19 since late 2021. (Gans, 6/2)