Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Time To Take Even More Precautions Against Contagious Mutations
CNN: Everyday Activities Are More Dangerous Now That New Covid-19 Variants Are Circulating, Expert Says
While the US seems to be heading in the right direction on infection rates -- with 42 states reporting downward trends -- that progress could be erased if variants take hold, emergency physician Dr. Leana Wen told CNN's Anderson Cooper. Preventing that will mean extra vigilance. "If there is something more contagious among us, if we thought that going to the grocery store before was relatively safe, there's actually a higher likelihood of contracting coronavirus through those every day activities," she said. (Maxouris, 1/26)
The Washington Post: What You Need To Know About The Coronavirus Variants
Viruses are always mutating and taking on new forms. The coronavirus has thousands of variants that have been identified. But several, including the U.K., South Africa and Brazil variants, are highly transmissible and have sparked concerns that vaccines may be less effective against them. (Iati and Fritz, 1/25)
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The Washington Post: New Coronavirus Variants Accelerate Race To Make Sure Vaccines Keep Up
The scientific and pharmaceutical race to keep coronavirus vaccines ahead of new virus variants escalated Monday, even as a highly transmissible variant first detected in people who had recently traveled to Brazil was discovered in Minnesota. Moderna, the maker of one of the two authorized coronavirus vaccines in the United States, announced it would develop and test a new vaccine tailored to block a similar mutation-riddled virus variant in case an updated shot becomes necessary. (Johnson, McGinley and Achenbach, 1/25)
Bloomberg: Trailing The First Vaccines, Next Generation Turns To Variants
The rapid rollout of vaccines from front-runners including Pfizer Inc. is forcing those trailing behind to shift their focus to fighting potentially more dangerous versions of the coronavirus and find other ways to deploy their technologies. Imperial College London is unlikely to go ahead with a late-stage trial in the U.K. to test its experimental Covid-19 shot, now that three vaccines have been approved in the country, according to Robin Shattock, the professor leading the research. Instead, his team will aim to provide a boost to first-generation shots, protect people against new variants and combat future threats, he said. (Paton, 1/26)
Politico: New Virus Variants Threaten Biden’s Pandemic Plans
The Biden administration is rushing to prevent the spread of new strains of the coronavirus that scientists worry could be more transmissible or render vaccines less effective. The government is already collaborating with Moderna to develop vaccine booster shots aimed at strains first identified in South Africa and the United Kingdom. President Joe Biden on Monday also unveiled travel restrictions, implementing new limits for South Africa and reinstating bans for much of Europe that former President Donald Trump had stripped back. (Owermohle and Cancryn, 1/25)
