Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
US Suffers Deadliest Week Since April, And Thanksgiving Spike 'Isn't Even Here Yet'
CNN: Dr. Fauci Says The Full Brunt Of Thanksgiving On Covid-19 Data Isn't Here Yet
The United States hasn't seen the full impact that Thanksgiving gatherings likely will have on rising Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations, Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Monday. "The blip from Thanksgiving isn't even here yet," Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CBS' Norah O'Donnell during the Milken Institute Future of Health Summit. (Holcombe and Erdman, 12/7)
The Hill: Fauci: Christmas Could Be Worse Than Thanksgiving For COVID-19 Spread
Top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci said Monday that Christmas could be worse than Thanksgiving for COVID-19 spread. “My concerns John [Berman] are the same thing of the concerns that I had about Thanksgiving, only this may be even more compounded because it’s a longer holiday,” he said on CNN's “New Day.” Fauci noted that Thanksgiving celebrations tend to be shorter as people return to work the following week, but Christmas leads into New Year’s. (Coleman, 12/7)
AP: UN Health Agency's Advice For The Holidays: Don't Hug
The World Health Organization has an unwelcome but potentially life-saving message for the holiday season: Don’t hug. To stop the spread of the coronavirus, WHO’s emergencies chief said Monday that the “shocking” rate of COVID-19 cases and deaths, particularly in the U.S., means that people shouldn’t get too close to their loved ones this year. (Keaten, 12/7)
Also —
CNN: Deadliest Week Since April, With More Than 15,600 Deaths
As the US nears 15 million reported Covid-19 infections, it's adding case numbers at its fastest rate ever -- and officials are racing to ramp up vaccine protocols as well. Coronavirus metrics at every level have been on the rise. In the five days since December 2, the US has added more than a million new cases, bringing the total to more than 14.9 million, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. (Holcombe, 12/8)
NPR: Federal Government Releases Local Hospitalizations Data Showing Hot Spots
New data released by the Department of Health and Human Services on Monday gives the most detailed picture to date of how COVID-19 is stressing individual hospitals in the United States. The information provides nationwide data on hospital capacity and bed use at a hospital-by-hospital level. This is the first time the federal agency has released the COVID-19 hospital data it collects at the facility level. Previously, HHS only released data aggregated at the state level. (McMinn and Huang, 12/7)
