Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study Says Summer, Tropical Climates Do Keep Covid At Bay
Fox News: Novel Coronavirus Really Is Seasonal, Study Suggests
Warm temperatures and tropical climates may really help reduce the spread of COVID-19, a new study suggests. The study found that places with warm temperatures and long hours of sunlight — such as countries close to the equator and those experiencing summer — had a lower rate of COVID-19 cases, compared with countries farther away from the equator and those experiencing colder weather. The findings held even after the researchers took into account other factors that could affect both the spread of COVID-19 and the number of reported cases, such as a country's level of urbanization and the intensity of COVID-19 testing. (Rettner, 5/3)
In other news about the spread of the coronavirus —
Los Angeles Times: California Coronavirus Cases Fall As Oregon, Washington Surge
Even as Oregon and Washington face new COVID-19 surges, there is growing optimism that California remains in recovery mode as coronavirus cases continued to fall dramatically along with related deaths. California has continued to do better than any state, with the lowest per capita coronavirus case rate in the nation over the last week. Texas has double California’s rate; New York, quadruple; and Florida has nearly five times California’s case rate. Michigan still has the nation’s highest rate, 252 cases per 100,000 residents — nearly eight times California’s rate of 33 cases per 100,000 residents (the national figure i8s 102 cases per 100,000 residents over the past week). (Lin II and Money, 5/3)
San Francisco Chronicle: In One County On California's North Coast, COVID Is Surging
California’s coronavirus case rates are approaching an all-time low, but in one county on the North Coast, the numbers are moving in the wrong direction. Humboldt County, whose biggest city, Eureka, is 230 miles north of San Francisco, recorded 137 new cases last week. That was the most since early February. Over the weekend, the county health department reported 33 additional infections, bringing the total number of residents who have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began to 3,885. (Vaziri, 5/3)
New York Daily News: More COVID Cases In Past 2 Weeks Than 1st 6 Months Of Pandemic
As Americans continue to take steps toward normal life, India and several other countries are dealing with an explosion of new coronavirus infections that is likely to delay the world’s recovery from the deadly crisis, health authorities warned Monday. The number of COVID-19 cases reported around the world in the last two weeks was higher than the total of confirmed infections in the first six months of the pandemic, according to the World Health Organization. India and Brazil, which are going through their worst days since the pandemic began, account for more than half of last week’s cases, the agency said. (Oliveira, 5/3)
Also —
CIDRAP: Two B1351 COVID-19 Variant Clusters In Maryland Detailed
In January and February, the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) reported a 17-person outbreak in which all four sequenced viruses were related strains of B1351, the variant first identified in South Africa. The cases mark the state's first instance of non-travel–associated B1351, according to the Mortality & Morbidity Weekly Report late last week. (5/3)
AP: Insider Q&A: Ex-Biodefense Chief On Stopping The Next COVID
When COVID-19 hit the U.S. early last year, public health scientist Rick Bright had an up-close view of what worked and what didn’t. As head of the federal government’s biodefense agency Bright was responsible for securing tests, protective gear, drugs and vaccines. But he was demoted from that post last April after repeatedly clashing with political appointees over the response effort. Bright alleged in a still-pending whistleblower lawsuit that he was sidelined for objecting to the use of the unproven malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 patients. The drug was later deemed ineffective and too risky by health regulators. (Perrone, 5/3)
