Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Rising Hospitalization Trends Worry CDC As Delta Surges In US
The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Covid-19 Hospitalizations Rise As Delta Variant Spreads
Hospitalizations related to Covid-19 are rising in the U.S. after a long decline, federal data showed, providing evidence of the human toll the Delta virus variant is taking on unvaccinated Americans. Just under 2,000 new patients were admitted to hospitals each day over the week ending July 5, a 6.8% increase over admissions during the previous week and an 88% decrease over a seven-day average of 16,492 patients admitted daily in early January, according to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (McKay, 7/8)
Reuters: U.S. COVID-19 Cases Rising, Mostly Among Unvaccinated - Officials
U.S. COVID-19 cases are up around 11% over the previous week, almost entirely among people who have not been vaccinated, officials said on Thursday, as the highly infectious Delta variant becomes the dominant COVID-19 strain in the country. Around 93% of COVID-19 cases in recent days have occurred in counties with vaccination rates of less than 40%, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky told a media briefing. (O'Donnell and Mason, 7/8)
CIDRAP: US COVID-19 Cases Jump Amid Increased Delta Activity
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, said today that America has two current truths to face concerning its ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. "On one hand, we have seen successes with cases, hospitalizations, and deaths," she said during a White House press briefing. "On the other…we are now starting to see new and concerning trends in cases." (Soucheray, 7/8)
In related news about the spread of the coronavirus —
Fox News: COVID-19 Cases In US Could Surge During ‘Dangerous’ Fall, Leading To New Mandates
A top official at the World Health Organization said Thursday that COVID-19 mutations will likely lead to a surge in cases this fall, prompting parts of the U.S. to bring back health guidelines. "I could foresee that in certain parts of the country, there could be a reintroduction of indoor mask mandates, distancing and occupancy limits," Lawrence Gostin, the director of WHO’s Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law, said, according to CNBC. He continued, "We are heading for a very dangerous fall, with large swaths of the country still unvaccinated, a surging delta variant and people taking off their masks." (DeMarche, 7/8)
AP: Man Who Refused To Wear Mask On Flight Fined $10,500
A man who refused to wear a mask on an Allegiant flight departing from Utah has been fined $10,500.The passenger refused to wear a mask over his mouth and nose on the Feb. 27 flight from Provo, Utah, to Mesa, Arizona, the Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday. Flight attendants said they instructed the man to wear his mask properly seven times, but he removed it each time they walked away. (7/8)
