Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'This Is Our Early Alarm Bell': Covid Mutations Could Spread Quickly
Science: Viral Mutations May Cause Another ‘Very, Very Bad’ COVID-19 Wave, Scientists Warn
For COVID-19 researchers, the new year brings a strong sense of déjà vu. As in early 2020, the world is anxiously watching a virus spread in one country and trying to parse the risk for everyone else. This time it is not a completely new threat, but a rapidly spreading variant of SARS-CoV-2. In southeastern England, where the B.1.1.7 variant first caught scientists’ attention last month, it has quickly replaced other variants, and it may be the harbinger of a new, particularly perilous phase of the pandemic. “One concern is that B.1.1.7 will now become the dominant global variant with its higher transmission and it will drive another very, very bad wave,” says Jeremy Farrar, an infectious disease expert who heads the Wellcome Trust. Whereas the pandemic’s trajectory in 2020 was fairly predictable, “I think we’re going into an unpredictable phase now,” as a result the virus’ evolution, Farrar says. (Kupferschmidt, 1/5)
Fox News: UK Coronavirus Variant Most Likely To Spread Among This Age Group, Study Suggests
A new study suggests who may be most at risk for contracting B.1.1.7: Those under 20 years of age. The study, which was conducted by researchers at Imperial College London and others and has not yet been peer-reviewed, found that those under 20 years of age are more likely to make up a higher percentage of B.1.1.7 cases — or what is identified in the study as the "Variant of Concern" or VOC. (Farber, 1/5)
Will the vaccine work on variants? —
CNN: How Mutations Could Help Coronavirus Evade Vaccines
Two new variants of the coronavirus have emerged that seem to make the virus more easily transmitted. But will they stymie vaccination efforts? ... It has to do with where the changes are, and how they affect the shape and function of the virus. All the current vaccines target what is known as the spike protein -- the structure the virus uses to get into the cells it attacks. (Fox, 1/6)
Fox News: South African Coronavirus Variant ‘Unlikely To Completely Negate’ COVID-19 Vaccines: Scientist
A scientist studying the new coronavirus variant identified in South Africa attempted to assuage concerns that existing COVID-19 vaccines will be rendered totally ineffective by the variant known as 501.V2. At least 20 mutations have been identified within the 501.V2 variant, including mutations in the much-studied spike protein that researchers have determined that the virus uses to infect human cells, per Reuters. Though these mutations "may have some effect," said Richard Lessells, an infectious diseases expert with the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform, which helped to first identify the variant in South Africa, "they are very unlikely to completely negate the effect of the vaccines." (Farber, 1/5)
And from the states —
Business Insider: Coronavirus Variant In UK Was Likely In US By Early December
None of the infected people have recently traveled outside the US. Charles Chiu, an infectious-disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco, told Business Insider that's "worrisome because it suggests the virus is circulating in our community now." Chiu thinks the variant was introduced into the US in early December or shortly afterwards. "It's very likely that it's in every state," he said. (Woodward, 1/5)
Atlanta Journal Constitution: Georgia Reports First U.K. COVID-19 Strain; State Now 9th In New Cases
As hospitals struggled with a record surge in hospitalizations Tuesday, Georgia announced its first confirmed case of the new coronavirus strain that has overwhelmed the medical system in the United Kingdom. The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) said the case was discovered in an 18-year-old man with no travel history. The teen, who was not identified, is isolating at his home, and state officials are working to identify, monitor and test the teen’s close contacts. (Scott Trubey and Hart, 1/5)
Fox News: New Coronavirus Variant Eyed As Possible Culprit Behind Outbreak At Washington State Hospital
A new variant of the novel coronavirus that’s thought to be more transmissible is now being eyed as the possible culprit behind a coronavirus outbreak at a hospital in Vancouver, Wash., that has sickened dozens. A coronavirus outbreak at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in December began with one patient who initially tested negative upon admission before testing positive days later, The Oregonian reported. Since then, at least 30 coronavirus cases have been reported among patients and staff at the hospital. As of Monday, 56 health care workers remained quarantined because of 11 confirmed cases among staffers. (Farber, 1/5)
