Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Scientists Zero In On Antibody With Ability To Ward Off Covid-19 Infection
Financial Express: Antibody That Can Counter All Variants Of COVID-19 Discovered
A team of researchers has discovered an antibody that can counter all known variants of the COVID-19 virus. The scientists also claim the antibody can also resist distantly related viruses that infect other animals. SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus causing COVID-19, uses its spike protein to invade and infect another individual, or the host. Antibodies, produced by the host in response, bind to the spike protein to block its action and prevent infection. The researchers, led by those at The University of Texas in Austin, US, isolated the antibody ‘SC27’ from the plasma donated by four patients. These patients had breakthrough infections, which occur when a vaccinated individual gets infected. The findings of the study were published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine. (9/10)
MSN: COVID-19: New XEC Strain 'Just Getting Started' Sparks Concern Amid Summer Wave Of US Cases
A newly discovered more contagious COVID-19 strain spreading rapidly through Europe is sparking concerns among health authorities around the globe as the United States is experiencing its largest wave of cases in over two years. XEC, which was first identified in Germany, may eventually overtake the current dominant subvariant, KP.3.1.1, which is currently most common in the United States, accounting for about 42 percent of cases nationally according to data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released on Saturday, Aug. 31. (Lombardi, 9/8)
Also —
The New York Times: Teen Girls’ Brains Aged Rapidly During Pandemic, Study Finds
A study of adolescent brain development that tested children before and after coronavirus pandemic lockdowns in the United States found that girls’ brains aged far faster than expected, something the researchers attributed to social isolation. The study from the University of Washington, published on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, measured cortical thinning, a process that starts in either late childhood or early adolescence, as the brain begins to prune redundant synapses and shrink its outer layer. (Barry, 9/9)
Axios: Hospitals With COVID Surges Had Higher Death Rates
About one in five U.S. COVID deaths during the Delta wave were because of overwhelmed hospital capacity, an analysis of data from 620 facilities showed. The findings in Annals of Internal Medicine reinforce the need to minimize surges of patients during future health emergencies or staffing crises. (Goldman, 9/9)
CIDRAP: Cancer Diagnoses Lagged Into Year 2 Of Pandemic
Cancer diagnoses in the United States dropped almost 10% below expected rates in 2020 as people missed annual screenings, and medical clinics closed in the early months of the pandemic. (Soucheray, 9/9)
Politico: Covid Made Cuomo A Star. Now He’s Facing Heat From House Lawmakers.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who rose to national prominence and popularity during the height of Covid, is about to face the most high-profile scrutiny yet for his handling of the pandemic — and he plans to mount an aggressive defense. Cuomo will be publicly questioned Tuesday by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, a panel reviewing governmental responses to the public health crisis. (Reisman, 9/10)
