Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Covid Trend Line Quickly Curving Up: New Cases Double In Just 3 Weeks
New Covid-19 cases are on the rise in a number of states across the U.S., worrying health officials and epidemiologists as many Americans remain unvaccinated and the highly transmissible Delta variant spreads. The U.S. is averaging more than 23,000 new cases a day, double the seven-day average of around 11,300 cases three weeks ago, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University. On 17 of the past 18 days, the seven-day case average was higher than the 14-day average, also suggesting cases have been rising nationally. (Ansari, 7/13)
The COVID-19 curve in the U.S. is rising again after months of decline, with the number of new cases per day doubling over the past three weeks, driven by the fast-spreading delta variant, lagging vaccination rates and Fourth of July gatherings. Confirmed infections climbed to an average of about 23,600 a day on Monday, up from 11,300 on June 23, according to Johns Hopkins University data. And all but two states — Maine and South Dakota — reported that case numbers have gone up over the past two weeks. (Hollingsworth and Funk, 7/14)
Top infectious disease specialists say the spread of the delta variant across unvaccinated pockets of the country is causing flare-ups and leading to an increase in hospitalizations as cases climb. Nationwide, cases are once again on the rise as the highly transmissible variant takes hold as the dominant strain in the U.S. The seven-day average of newly confirmed Covid cases has climbed to about 23,300 a day, almost double the average from a week ago, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Mendez, 7/13)
Superspreader events that first seeded the coronavirus in the United States are keeping the pandemic smoldering, with experts pointing to human behavior and social circles as the main drivers. The problem persists even as the country nears the milestone of having half of its population fully vaccinated. At a church camp in South Texas in late June, an outbreak was linked to more than 125 cases of Covid-19. Eighty-five infections in central Illinois were traced back to a summer camp in mid-June. (Chow, 7/14)
In other updates on the spread of the coronavirus —
More than two dozen states have experienced increases in COVID-19 cases over the past seven days, according to data from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine's Coronavirus Tracking Center. States with the highest seven-day average increases in cases also have some of the country's lowest vaccination rates. In Missouri, the rate of new cases over the past week was 127 for every 100,000 residents, only 46% of the state's population have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and just 40% have been fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the U.S. overall, new cases were 31 per 100,000, 56% of people have gotten at least one shot and 48% are fully vaccinated, CDC data show. (Ross Johnson, 7/13)
Dr. Sergio Segarra says when Covid-19 patient numbers in the Miami hospital he works in dipped below 20 last month, he began feeling optimistic. "I remember seeing articles in the news about hospitals in California with empty Covid units and I longed for that experience," Segarra, the chief medical officer with Baptist Health's Baptist Hospital, said. "It's an experience we were working our way towards that unfortunately has taken a rather sad turn." (Maxouris, 7/14)
