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As many as 60% of Covid-19 cases in the U.S. have gone unreported, and the coronavirus has infected nearly 1 in 5 Americans, according to a new model out of the University of Washington. The model, which aims to mitigate biases in data capture, estimates that 65 million people, or 19.7% of U.S. residents, had been infected as of March 7. The findings, which appear in Monday’s issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicate the U.S. is unlikely to reach community level protection without continuing an ambitious vaccination campaign. (Baumann, 7/26)

Wildfire smoke exposure likely contributed to an increase in Reno, Nevada’s COVID-19 cases last year, researchers suggested, noting that the findings could inform policies to tamp down harmful effects from air pollution amid the pandemic. Exposure to tiny particles in smoke (specifically measuring 2.5 µm in diameter or smaller, PM2.5) "increases susceptibility to respiratory viruses" causes airway inflammation, and boosts "the spread and survival of bacterial, fungal, and viral bioaerosols," including those containing the virus causing COVID-19, study authors wrote in findings recently published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology. (Rivas, 7/26)

Texas reported 4,320 COVID-19-related hospitalizations on Saturday, a high not seen since mid-March, when the state’s numbers began trending downward. The total marks an increase of over 1,000 hospitalizations from the prior week, when the state reported just shy of 3,000. Last week, the state’s health commissioner noted a 150% increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations between June 27 and July 20. Dr. John Hellerstedt, the commissioner of the department of state health services, noted that the delta variant makes up most new cases in Texas. He urged residents who haven’t yet received a COVID-19 vaccine to seek out the shot. (Hein, 7/26)

Louisiana’s ongoing surge of COVID continued to escalate over the weekend, with an additional 6,225 cases reported since Friday, marking one of the largest increases in case counts since the pandemic began. Though vaccinations are also increasing, it’s not enough to stem the flood of patients into hospitals, according to weary health care workers now well into their fourth surge in the past 18 months. “It’s so fast we can’t really grasp it,” said Dr. Catherine O’Neal, chief medical officer at Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge and associate professor at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine. “I don’t know where we’ll be in three days, but I’m afraid we’ll reach crisis standards of care if we don’t make some changes quickly.” (Woodruff, 7/26)

State health data shows 3,098 new cases of the coronavirus in Oregon since Monday, July 19, and 12 COVID-19 deaths. The number of Oregonians hospitalized with COVID-19 now stands at 207, up from 148 one week ago. New cases went up 53%, the second week in a row at that rate or higher. Even as models project hospitalizations in excess of 300 by the end of September, state officials have no plans for reinstating statewide measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus. (Zarkhin, 7/26)

The number of Utahns hospitalized with COVID-19 continued its summer surge over the Pioneer Day weekend, and the head of a Logan hospital says her staff is feeling the strain. “We have high volumes of patients in the hospital, and we’re really nervous about our COVID numbers rising, because we remember what it was like when it was really bad — and I fear that we’re heading there again,” Dr. Taki May, medical director of Intermountain Logan Regional Hospital, said Monday. The Utah Department of Health reported Monday that 343 Utahns were hospitalized for COVID-19 — 52 more than on Thursday, before the holiday weekend. Of that number, 152 are in intensive care, up 24 from Thursday. (Means, 7/26)

A continued spike in virus-related hospitalizations is causing particular worry among Alaska’s hospital administrators. They say the state could be headed for a surge in hospital admissions that threatens Alaska’s fragile health care network. “Right now, based on the trends we’re seeing, the likelihood of a significant COVID surge is increasing by the day,” Jared Kosin, president of the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association, said Monday. “And our health care system is in a far more fragile state than it was a year ago. We’re extremely concerned.” (Berman, 7/26)

The fourth COVID-19 wave is like a sequel to a movie that no one ever wanted to watch in the first place, said Dr. Gina Blocker, attending emergency physician at Baylor St. Luke’s Hospital. “This feels like a part two with additional scenes,” said Blocker, who feels this recent surge could have been avoided had more Houstonians been vaccinated. In Harris County, the number of active coronavirus cases has nearly tripled — from 3,076 to 8,431 — since the beginning of July, as the hypercontagious delta variant spreads rapidly among young, and primarily unvaccinated, Texans. (Garcia, 7/26)

Jonathan Lotz, the grandson of Rev. Billy Graham, is hospitalized and in critical condition due to COVID-19, according to social media posts by his mother. Anne Graham Lotz, the founder of AnGeL Ministries in Raleigh, said Sunday that her son is in the intensive care unit at an unidentified hospital. She asked for people to pray for her son’s recovery. (Shen-Berro, 7/25)

Nearly a year and a half into the pandemic, researchers are still struggling to find effective, easy-to-use drugs to treat Covid-19.Ten drugs have been cleared or recommended in the U.S. for use. Two of those later had their authorizations rescinded after they failed to work. The government recently paused shipments of a third because it wasn’t effective against new variants. The best medicines for early treatment are cumbersome to administer, and drugs for those in the hospital can only do so much for patients who are already severely ill. (Walker, 7/26)