Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
One Day, One Million-Plus Covid Cases: Biden To Speak About Historic Surge
USA Today: Biden Addresses Nation Amid Rising COVID Cases Following The Holidays
President Joe Biden will address the American public Tuesday about the omicron variant as COVID-19 cases continue multiplying to record levels following the holidays. Nearly 1 in 100 Americans have tested positive for the virus in just the last week, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Over one million cases were reported in the U.S. on Monday alone, although many of the cases were likely backlogged from the New Year's weekend. (Tebor, 1/4)
Omicron is spreading like wildfire —
USA Today: New Infections Shatter Single-Day Record With Over 1 Million Cases
A substantial increase in coronavirus infections was expected when this week's numbers came out, but nothing like this. The intensely rapid spread of the omicron variant and a backlog of cases from the New Year's weekend has resulted in U.S. health authorities tallying more than three times as many new cases as in any previous wave of the coronavirus -- over 1 million reported on Monday alone. About 1 of every 100 Americans will have been reported as a positive case in just the last week, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. (Ortiz, Bacon and Tebor, 1/3)
The Washington Post: More than 103,000 Americans hospitalized with covid, matching worst of summer surge
More than 103,000 Americans were hospitalized with covid-19 on Monday, according to Washington Post figures, the highest number since late summer, when the delta variant of the coronavirus triggered a nationwide surge in cases. The figure reflects the 27 percent rise in covid-19 hospitalizations in the United States in the past week, while the daily average of new cases during the same period more than doubled. Average daily new deaths from covid-19 declined by 8 percent. (Jeong and Hassan, 1/4)
The New York Times: How Full Are Hospital I.C.U.s Near You?
See how the pandemic has affected recent hospital capacity in the map below, which shows data reported by individual hospitals. Health officials have said that the data should not discourage sick people from seeking care. (Conlen, Keefe, Sun, Leatherby and Smart, 1/4)
Nearly every corner of the country is struggling —
Salt Lake Tribune: Utah Reports More Than 14,000 New Coronavirus Cases, Likely A ‘Dramatic Undercount,’ Expert Says
Nearly two years after the first confirmed coronavirus case was reported in Utah, the state reported 4,659 new cases Thursday, almost breaking a record for the amount of cases reported in a single day. A whopping 14,754 new cases were reported following the long New Year’s weekend, including Thursday’s tally. Another 3,799 new cases were recorded Friday, 3,267 were recorded Saturday and 3,123 were recorded Sunday. The new cases amounted to an average of 3,688.5 per day, according to the Utah Department of Health. “The amount of omicron in our communities is intense right now,” Dr. Eddie Stenehjem, an infectious diseases physician at Intermountain Healthcare, said. (Pierce, 1/3)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: St. Louis Area Sees Record COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations
The spread of COVID-19 showed no sign of slowing Monday as St. Louis County officials reported a record for new daily infections and local hospitals reported a record number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus. The worrisome numbers come after weeks of surging COVID-19 cases locally and across the U.S., compounded by the new, highly contagious omicron variant, holiday travel and gatherings, and colder winter weather driving people indoors. In St. Louis County, the state’s most populous county, the rolling seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases hit 1,696, a record in the daily case rate since the global coronavirus pandemic reached the metropolitan area in March 2020. (Benchaabane and Merrilees, 1/3)
New Orleans Times-Picayune: Louisiana COVID Cases Reach New Multi-Day Record In Wake Of Christmas, New Year's Holidays
Louisiana health officials on Monday reported the largest multiday increase in coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, as the highly-infectious omicron variant continued to spread following holiday gatherings and as many of the state's schoolchildren returned to classrooms. The Louisiana Department of Health said it logged 24,433 new cases since Thursday, or an average of 6,108 per day over the four-day period. The only days with higher one-day totals since the start of the pandemic were on Wednesday and Thursday of last week. (Woodruff, 1/3)
The CT Mirror: CT Positivity Rate Hits 21.5%, Hospitals Fill With Unvaccinated COVID Patients
Connecticut’s daily COVID positivity rate reached 21.5% Monday, setting another record as the highly contagious omicron variant continued its spread throughout the state. Hospitalizations increased by 301, bringing the total to 1,452. Of those, 68.8% were people who are not fully vaccinated, state officials said. The data include numbers from Friday, Saturday and Sunday. “I know people are scared and are concerned with hearing about a new variant yet again,” Dr. Manisha Juthani, the state’s public health commissioner, said at a press conference in Stamford Monday morning. “The good news is, if you’re vaccinated and particularly if you’re boosted, the majority of people are having mild symptoms.” (Carlesso and Golvala, 1/3)
AP: 1st Case Of The Omicron Variant Is Detected On Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation reported 10 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and no deaths Monday, but tribal health officials say the first case of the omicron variant has been detected on the vast reservation. ... The reservation covers 27,000 square miles (70,000 square kilometers) and extends into parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. (1/4)
Chicago Tribune: Chicago Area Hospitals Delaying Elective Surgeries, Days After Plea From Pritzker
Chicago-area hospitals are postponing many elective surgeries, as Illinois on Sunday set a record for COVID-19 hospitalizations. The news of postponed surgeries comes just days after Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Health and Hospital Association urged hospitals to delay nonemergency procedures as needed, without risking patient harm. They issued the plea in anticipation of a post-holiday, omicron-driven surge and potential shortage of staffed intensive-care beds. (Schencker, Petrella and Mahr, 1/3)
Philadelphia Inquirer: Philly Hospitals React To COVID-19 Surge By Canceling Procedures, Tightening Visitor Policies
Health care staff shortages and near-capacity COVID-19 units are straining Philadelphia area hospitals even as they prepare for a bigger wave of cases following the holiday season. Some hospitals have begun canceling non-urgent procedures to reserve their depleted staff for critically ill patients, while others have tightened visiting policies that had loosened during the summer. Inside hospitals, workers described scenes dramatically different from just a few weeks ago. Most hospitalized patients are unvaccinated. But workers are also seeing people who were vaccinated against COVID-19 — but not boosted — filling beds faster than the hospital can discharge patients who’ve recovered. (Gantz and Whelan, 1/4)
In related news about the surge —
Los Angeles Times: L.A. County See Delays In 911 Ambulance Calls
Los Angeles County is beginning to see delays in ambulance response to 911 calls, as more employees are unable to work due to COVID-related illnesses and ambulances are forced to wait to offload patients at hospitals, health officials said Monday. “People should reach out to their physicians for suggestions to treat mild COVID symptoms,” the county Department of Health Services said in a statement to The Times. “Do not seek COVID testing at emergency departments but at established sites.” Meanwhile, hospitalizations of children with coronavirus infections in L.A. County have tripled in the last month. (Lin II, Money, Blume and Alpert Reyes, 1/3)
The Hill: DeSantis Calls For States To Be Allowed To Buy Monoclonal Antibody Treatments
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) called on the federal government to allow states to purchase monoclonal antibody treatments on Monday as his state and the country are slammed with COVID-19 cases. The governor said during a press conference in Fort Lauderdale that the state is waiting to obtain enough doses to open five to 10 more monoclonal antibody treatment sites. But with the federal government in “control” of the supply, that plan is “all contingent on the federal government sending the doses we need,” he said. (Coleman, 1/3)
Fox News: Houston-Area Hospitals Could Run Out Of Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Against Omicron: Report
Hospitals in Houston reportedly say they could run out of the antibody treatment sotrovimab within the next two weeks. Sotrovimab has been proven effective against the omicron variant of the coronavirus. The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) told Fox News on Saturday that its four-hospital network is "using sotrovimab with the patients who need it most and are waiting on the next shipment." The Houston Chronicle reported Friday that Houston Methodist West Hospital has enough supply to meet demand until Jan. 13. (Musto, 1/2)
NPR: Congress' Doctor Urges Lawmakers To Work Remotely And Upgrade Masks As Omicron Rages
The chief doctor for Congress is urging lawmakers and staff to take greater precautions in protecting themselves from the coronavirus as the Capitol grapples with an explosive spike in COVID-19 cases. The Capitol's attending physician Brian Monahan said on Monday that the Capitol COVID-19 testing center's seven-day "positivity rate went from less than 1 percent to greater than 13 percent" since the end of November. In a letter to congressional offices, Monahan advised members to shift towards remote work, noting that hundreds of people have been infected. For those choosing to remain on the Hill, he suggested cloth face coverings should be swapped out with more robust N95 or KN95 masks. (Romo, 1/3)
The Washington Post: USS Milwaukee Covid Outbreak: Navy Ship Returns To Sea With Coronavirus-Positive Sailors Isolated On Board
The U.S. Navy combat ship that was sidelined by a coronavirus outbreak among its crew last month has returned to sea, even as some sailors on board remain positive for the virus, officials said on Monday. The USS Milwaukee, a littoral combat ship with a crew of 105 plus a detachment of Coast Guard personnel and an aviation unit, had been at port in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, since Dec. 20, after stopping at the U.S. military base there to refuel. The Associated Press reported that about 25 percent of the ship’s sailors had tested positive. (Thebault and deGrandpre, 1/3)
