Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Sustained Increase' In Variants Halts Covid Antibody Therapy Distribution
CNN: Eli Lilly: US Government Stops Distribution Of Covid-19 Antibody Treatment Due To Spread Of Coronavirus Variants
The US government in coordination with Eli Lilly said it will no longer distribute the Covid-19 monoclonal antibody therapy bamlanivimab for use on its own. The halt is due to the "sustained increase" in coronavirus variants in the United States. The government stopped distributing the treatment on Tuesday. Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration updated guidance to say the therapy on its own may not work as well against variants. (Christensen, 3/25)
In other covid research —
CIDRAP: Scientists Report That SARS-CoV-2 Infects Oral Cells
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, infects cells in the mouth, according to a study published today in Nature Medicine. This could change perceptions on how the virus travels to the lungs or the digestive system as well as how it is transmitted from person to person, the researchers write. The investigators created a map of the mouth's tissues and found some salivary gland and gum cells were vulnerable to the virus because of their potential to create ACE2 and TMPRSS2 proteins, or the entry points of SARS-CoV-2 infection. To confirm their suspicions, they looked at 18 COVID-19 cadavers, of which 88.9% had the virus in their salivary glands. Infection was also found in two sets of tissues, affecting five of six mucosal sites. (3/25)
Salt Lake Tribune: University Of Utah Researchers Studying Possible COVID-19 Treatment — An Old Antidepressant
A decades-old antidepressant drug may stop coronavirus from causing serious illness — and the University of Utah is enrolling patients in a study to confirm whether it works. The drug, fluvoxamine, is an early selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor — a common type of antidepressant, similar to Prozac or Zoloft — developed in the 1980s. But, infectious diseases professor Dr. Adam Spivak said Thursday, “there’s a lot of research that suggests it acts as a very strong anti-inflammatory.” (Alberty, 3/25)
CIDRAP: Experts: 3-Foot Rule In Schools Problematic In Light Of COVID Variants
Late last week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued updated guidance on school reopening, saying that 3 feet, not 6 feet, of physical distancing between students was sufficient in most elementary schools—regardless of the level of community spread of COVID-19. At the same time that CDC officials were updating school policy, they were also warning that B117, a variant strain 50% more transmissible than the wild-type virus, would likely become the dominant strain in the United States by April. In some states, such as Florida and California, the variant, which was first detected in the United Kingdom, already accounts for 25% of cases. (Soucheray, 3/25)
