Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Free At-Home Covid Test Kits Again Available Through Federal Website
The Biden administration is making rapid Covid tests available for free again this winter through a limited round of ordering. Households can now order a total of four rapid Covid tests for free at CovidTests.gov. Orders will start shipping next week, just days before families gather for the Christmas holiday, and deliveries will continue in the following weeks, according to the White House. (Kimball, 12/15)
For Americans across the country preparing to gather and socialize with family and friends during the end-of-year holiday season, the White House has a clear warning: Covid-19 is not over, and you had better protect yourself. (Lee, 12/15)
The company that made the test kits, Detect, Inc., has recalled three lots of the Detect COVID-19 Test. A total of 11,102 tests shipped to customers from July 26 to August 26 have been recalled. There are over 20 versions of at-home COVID test kits approved by the FDA. Impacted lots from Detect include HB264, HY263 and HY264. (Martin, 12/14)
More on the surge of covid, flu, RSV, and strep —
The omicron subvariants that have become dominant in recent months present a serious threat to the effectiveness of the new boosters, render antibody treatments ineffective and could cause a surge of breakthrough infections, according to a new study. (Kimball, 12/14)
Instead, [covid's] been eclipsed by two more familiar foes — RSV and the flu — which both arrived early and, in some cases, hit harder than usual. Now scientists are trying to understand why. Their theories range from an immunity gap brought on by pandemic precautions, to the way the three respiratory viruses interact, to how COVID infections have impacted people’s immune systems. The answers will determine whether the unusual virus behavior is a blip or the new normal, and may inform ongoing debates about the benefits of mask-wearing. (Bartlett, 12/14)
Several children's hospitals in the U.S. have detected increases in invasive group A strep infections, a severe and sometimes life-threatening illness that occurs when bacteria spread to areas of the body that are normally germ-free, such as the bloodstream. Children's hospitals in Arizona, Colorado, Texas and Washington told NBC News they are seeing higher-than-average numbers of cases this season compared to past years. (Bendix, 12/14)
New COVID-19 cases in Clark County and statewide continued to increase this week but at a slower rate, while hospitalizations dipped, new state data shows. For the second week in a row, Clark County is experiencing medium community levels of COVID-19 — a federal designation based on cases and hospitalizations — after resting for months at low levels. (Hynes, 12/14)
Purchase College, part of the State University of New York system, mandated masking indoors as respiratory viruses have been spreading rapidly in the state and around the country. (John Milton, 12/14)
