Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Contagious Covid Variant Spreading As Cases Rise Across U.S.
CNN: Thousands Of Cases Of A Worrying Variant Have Been Reported In The US. These States Have The Highest Numbers
Thousands of cases of the B.1.1.7 variant have been reported across the US, and experts fear the strain may fuel another Covid-19 surge as states race to vaccinate more residents. The variant, first spotted in the UK, is already wreaking havoc in parts of Europe and health leaders fear that if Americans aren't careful now, the US could be next. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 11,500 cases of the variant -- but the agency has said the number is likely larger. (Maxouris, 4/1)
Bloomberg: B.1.1.7 Coronavirus Variant Is Top Strain In Five U.S. Regions, CDC Says
A more contagious strain of the coronavirus is now predominant in five U.S. regions and accounts for a quarter of new cases nationally, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The B.1.1.7 variant, first uncovered in the U.K., makes up from 4% to 35% cases depending on the region, and 26% of cases nationally, Rochelle Walensky said at a press briefing Wednesday. U.S. officials had warned it could become the predominant strain of the virus in the U.S. by early April. (Wingrove, 3/31)
The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 Live Updates: New U.S. Cases Continue To Trend Higher
The U.S. reported more than 66,000 new cases for Wednesday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and published early Thursday morning Eastern time. That was up from 61,240 a day earlier but down from 86,950 a week earlier. While dramatically lower than the highs of around 300,000 reached in early January, daily cases are trending higher. The seven-day moving average, which smooths out irregularities in the data, was 66,876 as of Tuesday, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of Johns Hopkins data. The 14-day average was 60262. When the seven-day average is higher than the 14-day average, as it has been for the past week, it indicates cases are rising. (Martin, 4/1)
Axios: Americans Are Worried About Coronavirus Variants
Americans are worried about the rapid spread of COVID-19 variants, and are still willing to take safety precautions as a result, according to new Harris Poll data. Despite the race to vaccinate as many people as possible, the variants are fueling another surge in cases across the U.S. (Fernandez, 4/1)
The New York Times: Covid Surge In Michigan Alarms Health Experts
In a rural stretch of Michigan along the shore of Lake Huron, coronavirus outbreaks are ripping through churches, schools and restaurants where the virus has infected line cooks and waitresses. For more than a week, ambulances have taken several hourlong trips each day to rush severely ill coronavirus patients to hospitals in Detroit, Saginaw or Port Huron, where beds in intensive-care units await. Even as the pandemic appears to be waning in some parts of the United States, Michigan is in the throes of a coronavirus outbreak that is one of the largest and most alarming in the country. Infection levels have exploded in recent weeks, in big cities and rural stretches alike. (Bosman, 4/1)
