Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
US Just Had Worst Week Of Pandemic As COVID Races Through Nation
CNN: US Hits Highest 7-Day Average Of Coronavirus Cases Since The Pandemic Began
The latest surge of Covid-19 infections has pushed the seven-day average of new daily cases to heights not seen since the pandemic began. The seven-day average of new cases hit 68,767 on Sunday, topping the previous peak of 67,293 reported on July 22. The two highest single days of new cases were Friday and Saturday, with more than 83,000 new cases added each day. Health experts say the resurgence of cases that they had warned would strike in the fall and winter is here, and that it could be the worst the US has seen so far. (Holcombe, 10/26)
Time: The U.S. Just Set A New Daily Record For COVID-19 Cases
Just days before a momentous and unpredictable Presidential election, the United States has reached a new record high in the number of daily COVID-19 infections, surpassing the peak in mid-July during the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic’s domestic toll. As of Oct. 24, there was a weekly average of 23.0 infections per 100,000 residents, up from 20.5 on July 19 and ticking rapidly upward. The country also set a new single-day record on Oct. 23 with 83,757 new cases. (Wilson, 10/25)
ABC News: As Cases Increase, US Coronavirus Deaths Surpass 225,000
The U.S. death toll from the novel coronavirus passed another grim milestone Sunday as the number of cases crossed the 225,000 mark. The Center for Systems, Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University reported there were 225,111 COVID-19 related deaths across the country as of Sunday afternoon. (Pereira, 10/25)
The Washington Post: New Wave Of Coronavirus Cases, Hospitalizations Strains Health Systems
With coronavirus hospitalizations surging in much of the United States and daily cases hitting all-time highs, the pandemic is putting new strain on local health systems, prompting plans for makeshift medical centers and new talk of rationing care. In Texas, authorities are scrambling to shore up resources in El Paso, where intensive care units hit full capacity on Saturday and where covid-19 hospitalizations have nearly quadrupled to almost 800 in less than three weeks. In Utah, the state hospital association warned that if current trends hold, it will soon have to ask the governor to invoke “crisis standards of care” — a triage system that, for example, favors younger patients. (Knowles and Dupree, 10/25)
AP: Fear And Anxiety Spike In Virus Hot Spots Across US
Preslie Paur breaks down in tears when she thinks of her state’s refusal to mandate face masks. The South Salt Lake City, Utah, woman can’t work at her special education job due to an autoimmune disease. Her husband, also a special ed teacher, recently quit because his school district would not allow him to work remotely to protect her and their 5-year-old son, who has asthma. “I feel forgotten,” Paur said. “We’re living in a world we no longer fit in. We did everything right. We went to college, we got jobs, we tried to give back to our community, and now our community is not giving back to us. And I’m very scared.” (Ramer and Sainz, 10/25)
How the states are faring —
The Washington Post: El Paso Imposes Curfew After ICU Beds Reach Capacity
The dreaded cold-weather surge of coronavirus infections is beginning to overwhelm health-care providers in some areas of the country, prompting a return to stay-at-home restrictions and the construction of makeshift field hospitals. El Paso imposed a new curfew on residents Sunday after intensive care units reached full capacity, while Utah’s hospital association warned that it would soon have to begin rationing care if current trends do not improve. (Noori Farzan, 10/26)
The Oklahoman: Mayor Says Personal Decisions Matter As OKC-Area COVID-19 Hospitalizations Peak, Triggering State 'surge' Plan
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt says personal decisions matter as the metro area experiences a critical surge in COVID-19 illnesses. The state increased the OKC metro to a "Tier 2" alert Friday, triggered by three consecutive days of COVID-19 patients making up more than 15% of the patients in area hospitals. "Over 300 of our friends and neighbors in the Oklahoma City metro are currently in the hospital for COVID-19," Holt said by text. (Crum, 10/23)
The Hill: New York Surpasses Half A Million COVID-19 Cases
New York has reported more than half a million COVID-19 cases, becoming the fourth state in the U.S. to pass the bleak milestone after California, Florida and Texas. Reuters reported that New York has had 80 percent more cases in the last month than the preceding month and recorded over 2,000 in a single day twice recently. However, these numbers are far from the state’s record on April 10 when 12,847 cases were recorded. (Choi, 10/25)
The Hill: How California Turned The Corner On COVID-19
While COVID-19 infections spike uncontrollably across the country, California has turned the corner. After a brutal summer as one of the worst coronavirus hot spots, the most populous state in the country is once again being touted as a success story. (Weixel, 10/24)
