Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Several States See Drop In Covid Cases
CIDRAP: US Hospital Cases Drop As States Grapple With COVID Vaccine Distribution
Experts with University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, who have produced several key models throughout the pandemic, said they believe most states are seeing their peak activity now, and cases will decline steadily through the spring due to both seasonality and vaccination. But the researchers said they have not factored in variants, including B117, into models. Early data, however, show that current vaccines are effective against the variants. (Soucheray, 1/22)
Houston Chronicle: Researchers: Houston's Dirty Toilets Detect Decline In Coronavirus
Researchers who study sewage to monitor the pandemic are detecting less virus in Houston than they have in months, a positive signal that could indicate a forthcoming drop in new COVID-19 cases, doctors said. The amount of viral load has declined at 28 out of 38 wastewater treatment plants across the city for the first time in five months, said Dr. Paul Klotman, president and CEO of Baylor College of Medicine. He announced the good news during a Friday video update. "It's actually a big drop," Klotman said. "What that means is, in 7 to 10 days, I think we’re going to see a pretty dramatic drop in the number of new cases." (Bauman, 1/23)
AP: Increase In COVID-19 Deaths Slows Somewhat In Texas
There has been a decrease in the number of reported new deaths in Texas due to COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, according to the state health department. There were 208 additional deaths reported Sunday after 407 new deaths were reported Saturday following three consecutive days of more than 1,200 new deaths, according the department. The death toll stands at 34,322. (1/24)
AP: Virus Hospitalizations Down To Lowest Total Since Aug. 20
Hospitalizations due to the coronavirus have fallen to its lowest total since Aug. 20, with Sunday’s update by the North Dakota Department of Health showing 49 people who are being treated in medical facilities. That’s down one from Saturday’s report. The state’s hospital tracker shows 38 staffed intensive care unit beds and 421 staffed inpatient beds available throughout North Dakota. (1/24)
AP: Wisconsin Shows Lowest Daily COVID-19 Total Since September
Wisconsin health officials on Sunday confirmed 1,119 positive tests for the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, the lowest daily total since September. The trend of lower cases and hospitalizations continues to play out in daily reports. The state Department of Health Services lists the weekly average at 1,596 cases, which is similar to numbers in mid-September. The state was averaging about 6,500 cases a day in mid-November. (1/24)
In coronavirus news from California and Georgia —
Politico: Newsom To Lift Stay-At-Home Orders Across California
Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to lift stay-at-home orders statewide Monday, allowing restaurants to reopen for outdoor dining and salons to resume appointments indoors, according to two sources close to the governor and a restaurant industry email. The change will enable those sectors to reopen in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Central Valley and Southern California for the first time since early December. Restaurateurs have been particularly vocal about their frustration with the regional dining ban after purchasing heat lamps and other equipment to get through the winter months. (Marinucci and Yamamura, 1/25)
The Washington Post: After Patrick Key's Death, Cobb County School Board Members Refuse To Wear Masks In Honor Of Teacher
For 13 seconds, eyes were fixed on the maskless members of the Board of Education in Cobb County, Ga. School district employee Jennifer Susko pleaded with those on the board who were not wearing masks to put them on in honor of Hendricks Elementary School kindergarten art teacher Patrick Key, 53, who died Christmas Day after he was hospitalized for about six weeks with covid-19. ... For the next 13 seconds, some members looked down, a few shifted in their seats. All were quiet. Most were already wearing masks, but at least two men, including Superintendent Chris Ragsdale, who were not wearing face coverings remained maskless. (Kornfield, 1/24)
In other news from North Carolina and Alaska —
North Carolina Health News: Fatal Crashes Rise In N.C. During Pandemic
The number of people dying on North Carolina’s roads increased last year, despite far fewer people driving because of the coronavirus pandemic. At times, the number of people on the state’s roads declined by as much as 40 percent, said Mark Ezzell, director of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program. The largest decline was primarily due to Gov. Roy Cooper’s stay-at-home order, which began March 30 and lasted until May 22. (Barnes, 1/25)
Anchorage Daily News: Noticeably Fewer Alaskans Were Screened For Cancer In 2020 Than In Previous Years, Their Doctors Say
Fewer Alaskans showed up for their routine cancer screening in 2020 than in previous years, their doctors say. It’s a trend that could be deadly if it persists, though it’s too early to measure the impact. Most of the medical providers the Daily News spoke with for this story said the drop in screenings was likely linked to coronavirus-related anxiety that has lasted through the pandemic, as well as a temporary ban on elective medical procedures that the state enacted in March to preserve personal protective equipment and help keep COVID-19 cases down. That ban was lifted in April, but virus case surges in the summer and fall/winter have kept anxiety over COVID-19 exposure high. (Berman, 1/24)
