Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Troubling Signs Point To Covid Advancing Among Unvaccinated
NBC News: New England Covid Cases Rise As Delta Hits The Unvaccinated
New England is not out of the woods just yet. Two-week Covid case counts are up in every state in the region except for Connecticut, according to data compiled by NBC News — a stark reminder that unvaccinated people continue to face a serious risk from the delta variant of the coronavirus even in areas with high vaccination rates. (Murphy, Arkin, and Chow, 11/15)
The Texas Tribune: At Least 28 Texas Hospitals Out Of ICU Beds Last Week, According To Federal Data
At least 28 Texas hospitals were out of ICU beds last week, according to the latest federal data. The highly contagious delta variant of COVID-19 continues to send hundreds of unvaccinated Texans to the hospital with serious illness every day, putting those facilities under enormous pressure to find room for new patients. (Astudillo and Brooks Harper, 11/15)
AP: Michigan Hospitalizations Spike; State Hits 70% Vaccine Goal
COVID-19 hospitalizations in Michigan surpassed 3,000 for the first time in more than six months Monday amid a fourth surge of infections, while state officials celebrated reaching a key vaccination goal. The number of adults hospitalized with confirmed cases was 3,040. That was up from 2,111 two weeks earlier, a sharp 44% rise that — combined with a weekly case rate that was eight-highest in the U.S. — led health leaders to again plead with people to get vaccinated. (Eggert, 11/15)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: With COVID Caseload Rising, St. Louis County Again At 'High' Risk
COVID-19 caseloads in St. Louis County surged last week, driving the county back into a federal “high” risk category for community transmission, County Executive Sam Page said Monday. The county’s 7-day average rose to 189 on Sunday from 133 a week prior, an increase of 56 cases, or 42%, according to the county health department. Doctors and health officials have worried that winter could boost coronavirus infections, as cold weather sends gatherings inside. And the virus indeed seems to be spreading more quickly now in northern states and countries, according to the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force. (O'Dea, 11/15)
ABC News: Connecticut Nursing Home COVID-19 Outbreak Results In 89 Infected, 8 Dead
A nursing home in Connecticut is recovering from a significant coronavirus outbreak, after 89 residents and staff tested positive for the virus, facility leadership reported Monday. The outbreak at Geer Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in North Canaan, Connecticut, began in late September. Eight residents with "serious underlying health issues" died as a result of the outbreak, nursing home leadership said in a statement. (Mitropoulous, 11/15)
The situation is stable in Kentucky —
AP: Beshear: Kentucky Coronavirus Cases Appearing To Plateau
After declining for seven weeks in a row, the number of new COVID-19 cases in Kentucky appear to be hitting a plateau, Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday. The state reported roughly 3,034 new coronavirus cases in the past three days. Though the total of new cases last week was higher than the previous two weeks, Beshear said there is not yet “a reason to think that there is another surge” coming. (Hudspeth Blackburn, 11/16)
Meanwhile, in schools —
The Wall Street Journal: Schools Embrace More Covid-19 Testing Over Quarantine To Keep Kids In Class
Some states and schools kicked off comprehensive testing programs during the previous school year, while others are starting to launch initiatives or have rejected the available resources. Setting up robust testing routines can be expensive and laborious, some schools have said. Some health departments and officials have been slow to roll out testing programs or to explain the benefits of in-school screening, said Sara Citrenbaum, co-director of Rapid Tests, a group that helps schools and businesses set up testing programs. “There does seem to be a disconnect between what’s being offered and actual ground-level implementation,” Ms. Citrenbaum said. (Siddiqui and Abbott, 11/15)
The Washington Post: Montgomery Children Got Diluted Vaccine Dose, Health Officials Say
Almost 100 children at a school in Montgomery County received an incorrect dose of the coronavirus vaccine at a clinic last week, the county health department said Monday. The parents of the 98 students at South Lake Elementary School in Montgomery Village were being notified Monday night that the incorrect doses were administered at a clinic at the school Wednesday, the health department said. The doses of Pfizer vaccine given at the clinic were diluted more than recommended, according to the health department. A makeup clinic will be held at the school Nov. 17 to give the affected children an additional dose. (Weil, 11/16)
KHN: Quarantine And Tracing Rules Are All Over The Map For Students
At this point in the pandemic, most parents are familiar with “covid notification” letters. But the letters’ instruction on whether your kid must quarantine or not varies wildly from school to school. In Minneapolis, students exposed to covid-19 at school are supposed to quarantine for 10 days. In the suburban Anoka-Hennepin school district, a single exposure does not trigger contact tracing or quarantining. In Andover, Kansas, schools follow quarantine protocols set by county health departments. With students from different counties attending the same school, those sitting next to each other in classrooms could be quarantined based on two sets of rules. (Mulrooney Eldred, 11/16)
And with Thanksgiving on the horizon —
The Hill: Fauci: Vaccinated Families Can 'Feel Good' About Thanksgiving Gatherings
Anthony Fauci said on Monday that families who are vaccinated against COVID-19 can “feel good about enjoying a typical” Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. President Biden’s chief medical adviser warned that the U.S. is still counting tens of thousands of new cases per day and recommended masks in indoor congregate settings. But he said the fully vaccinated should feel comfortable gathering with other vaccinated family and friends in private settings this holiday season. (Coleman, 11/15)
The Hill: 72 Percent Plan To Celebrate Holidays With Just Their Household: Poll
Most American adults intend to take COVID-19-related precautions as they prepare to celebrate the holiday season with their loved ones. Seventy-two percent of people who took part in a national survey from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center said they planned to celebrate the holidays with only members of their household compared to 79 percent last year. The poll also showed that just over half of the people surveyed would ask their guests to wear masks at holiday parties this year compared to 67 percent in 2020. (Beals, 11/15)
