Friday, July 16, 2021 | Kaiser Health News

The Hill:
Surgeon General Says He’s Lost 10 Family Members To Coronavirus 

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Thursday made a personal plea with Americans to get vaccinated and stop spreading misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic, revealing the toll the virus has taken on his family. “It’s painful for me to know that nearly every death we are seeing now from COVID-19 could have been prevented,” Murthy said in remarks in the White House briefing room. “I say that as someone who has lost 10 family members to COVID-19, and who wishes each and every day that they had the opportunity to get vaccinated.” (Samuels, 7/15)

NPR:
The U.S. Surgeon General Is Asking You To Help Fight COVID-19 Misinformation

With about a third of adults in the U.S. still completely unvaccinated, and cases of COVID-19 on the rise, the U.S. surgeon general is calling for a war against “health misinformation.” On Thursday, Dr. Vivek Murthy released the first surgeon general’s advisory of his time serving in the Biden administration, describing the “urgent threat” posed by the rise of false information around COVID-19 — one that continues to put “lives at risk” and prolong the pandemic. Murthy says Americans must do their part to fight misinformation. (Brumfiel, 7/15)

The Washington Examiner:
Surgeon General Calls On Tech Platforms To Counter COVID-19 Misinformation

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on Thursday about health misinformation focused heavily on misinformation regarding the coronavirus pandemic. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, health misinformation has led people to resist wearing masks in high-risk settings. It’s led them to turn down proven treatments and to choose not to get vaccinated. This has led to avoidable illnesses and deaths,” Murthy told reporters Thursday. (Hogberg, 7/15)

Reuters:
White House Slams Facebook As Conduit For COVID-19 Misinformation 

Facebook is not doing enough to stop the spread of false claims about COVID-19 and vaccines, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday, part of a new administration pushback on misinformation in the United States. Facebook, which owns Instagram and WhatsApp, needs to work harder to remove inaccurate vaccine information from its platform, Psaki said. (7/15)

In related news about misinformation —

Salt Lake Tribune:
Cox Says Anti-Vax ‘Propaganda’ From Right-Wing Media Is ‘Killing People’

Gov. Spencer Cox said the anti-vaccination “propaganda” coming from right-wing media is likely harming efforts to get more Utahns vaccinated against COVID-19. “I think it’s harmful. It’s certainly not helpful,” Cox said Thursday, during his monthly KUED news conference. Cox noted that Utah’s vaccination rate has started to tick up recently, but that’s been accompanied by a sharp increase in new COVID-19 cases. (Schott and Pierce, 7/15)

The Washington Post:
Four Pinocchios For Ron Johnson’s Campaign Of Vaccine Misinformation 

Johnson has emerged as the leading vaccine skeptic in Congress this year. For months, the senator has been peddling misinformation about coronavirus vaccines, undeterred by fact checkers, federal health agencies, medical experts and a growing body of scientific research. More cases and research studies have accumulated since our fact checks were published, but Johnson’s statements remain unsupported by science. (7/15)

Politico:
Biden’s Covid Surge Teams Begin Rolling Out To A Hostile Heartland

The Biden administration’s coronavirus surge teams have yet to materialize in states across the Midwest and South where the highly contagious Delta variant is leading to a rapid rise in hospitalizations, according to four state health officials and two senior administration officials. The administration has sent a surge team to Nevada, but multiple local health officials there said they aren’t sure if the federal aid — including help with Covid testing and door-to-door visits to promote vaccines — could help the state respond to the spread of Delta, or whether it would have an immediate and significant impact. Nor had the officials decided whether they need the assistance. (Banco and Goldberg, 7/16)

The New York Times:
After A Steep Plunge In Virus Cases, Every State Is Seeing An Uptick

The number of new coronavirus cases is increasing in every state, setting off a growing sense of concern from health officials who are warning that the pandemic in the United States is far from over, even though the national outlook is far better than during previous upticks. The 160 million people across the country who are fully vaccinated are largely protected from the virus, including the highly contagious Delta variant, scientists say. In the Upper Midwest, the Northeast and on the West Coast — including in Chicago, Boston and San Francisco — coronavirus infections remain relatively low. (Smith and Bosman, 7/15)

ABC News:
WHO Warns Of ‘Strong Likelihood’ Of New, Possibly More Dangerous Variants 

The World Health Organization warned Thursday that the surging COVID-19 pandemic in many parts of the world increases the likelihood that new, potentially dangerous variants may emerge in the future. “The pandemic is nowhere near finished,” said Professor Didier Houssin, chair of the WHO Emergency COVID-19 Committee. (Acholonu, 7/15)

From the states —

CNN:
Louisiana’s Latest Covid-19 Surge Features More Unvaccinated People In Their 30s And 40s

For Dr. Frank Courmier, the latest Covid-19 surge hitting his Louisiana hospital is different from the three preceding waves — the people now getting sick are younger. “We’re getting people in their third and fourth decades, otherwise healthy with no real preexisting conditions coming in, unvaccinated and very sick, very fast,” Courmier told CNN. “We see almost no vaccinated patients.” (Marquez, Dolan and Levenson, 7/15)

San Francisco Chronicle:
S.F. Officials Sound Alarm On Rising Cases In Black, Latino Communities As Delta Variant Spreads

As the more contagious delta variant continues driving up COVID-19 infections among the unvaccinated, San Francisco officials Thursday pleaded anew for residents to get their shots — particularly Black and Latino residents who officials said are more than twice as likely to contract COVID compared to the citywide population. The highly infectious delta variant of the virus will lead to at least 250 more deaths, with most being African American and Latino, Mayor London Breed said at a news conference in the Bayview neighborhood. (Ho, 7/15)

WJCT 89.9 FM Jacksonville:
Northeast Florida Is CDC Hotspot For COVID As Delta Variant Spreads 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers Northeast Florida’s six-county area a COVID-19 hotspot, an area where the virus is spreading rapidly. The more transmissible delta variant is taking hold in counties with low vaccination rates like Baker, which saw a 267% increase in cases over the past two weeks. UF Health Jacksonville director of Infection Prevention Chad Neilsen said Wednesday on WJCT’s First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross that his hospital’s COVID-19 ward is seeing a 10% to 15% rise in admissions per day. (Corum, 7/15)

The Washington Post:
Covid Cases Are On The Rise In The D.C. Region. Experts Say Several Factors Are To Blame. 

New coronavirus cases are slowly increasing in Virginia, Maryland and the District, and public health experts say the rise is being fueled by three factors: relaxed restrictions on gatherings and mask mandates, persistent pockets of unvaccinated people and a rise in the highly contagious delta variant. Experts say it is too soon to tell if the increase represents a temporary blip from July Fourth parties and vacations, or the start of a lasting trend as the pandemic stretches into its 17th month. (Portnoy, Wiggins and Fadulu, 7/15)

In sports news —

The New York Times:
Yankees’ Shutdown Emphasizes Staying Power of the Coronavirus

The Yankees have reached the 85 percent vaccination rate M.L.B. requires to operate under relaxed Covid protocols, but General Manager Brian
Cashman said the team had again experienced breakthrough cases, two months after an outbreak of nine cases, mostly within the coaching staff. … The Red Sox are one of seven M.L.B. teams that have not reached the 85 percent vaccination threshold. Another one of those teams, the Philadelphia Phillies, put four players on the Covid-19 injured list before Sunday’s game in Boston, but that game was played. This one was postponed, the league said, to allow for continued testing and contact tracing. (Kepner, 7/15)

The Atlantic:
Post-Vaccination Infections Come in 2 Different Flavors

The first thing to know about the COVID-19 vaccines is that they’re doing exactly what they were designed and authorized to do. Since the shots first started their rollout late last year, rates of COVID-19 disease have taken an unprecedented plunge among the immunized. We are, as a nation, awash in a glut of spectacularly effective vaccines that can, across populations, geographies, and even SARS-CoV-2 variants, stamp out the most serious symptoms of disease. The second thing to know about the COVID-19 vaccines is that they’re flame retardants, not impenetrable firewalls, when it comes to the coronavirus. Some vaccinated people are still getting infected, and a small subset of these individuals is still getting sick—and this is completely expected. (Wu, 7/12)

AP:
AP Source: 4 NFL Teams Remain Under 50% Vaccinated

Four NFL teams remain under 50% vaccinated less than two weeks from the start of training camp, a person familiar with the vaccination rates told The Associated Press. Washington, Indianapolis, Arizona and the Los Angeles Chargers had the four lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the league as of Thursday, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity, because the league hasn’t released the numbers. (Maaddi, 7/16)

In other news about the spread of the coronavirus —

Noticias Telemundo:
COVID-19 Found In The Bodies Of Migrants Recovered At Southern Border 

About 40% of undocumented immigrants who died on their way to the U.S. and ended up in a Falfurrias, Texas, morgue had contracted COVID-19 prior to their deaths. A Noticias Telemundo Investiga report shows an increased incidence of coronavirus in the bodies of migrants recovered in border states, as the number of deceased John and Jane Does rises this summer. (Franco, 7/15)

NBC News:
‘Horrific’: 2 Unvaccinated Covid Patients Require Lung Transplant, Partial Lung Removal

The families of two unvaccinated men who underwent major lung surgery after they contracted the coronavirus are encouraging others to get the shots and re-evaluating their own vaccine hesitancy. A 24-year-old Georgia man who was hesitant about getting vaccinated against Covid-19 underwent a double lung transplant after months in the hospital battling the virus. His mother urges people to protect themselves and get the shots. (Burke, 7/15)

Los Angeles Times:
L.A. County Will Require Masks Indoors Amid COVID-19 Surge

Starting Saturday night, residents will again be required to wear masks in indoor public spaces, regardless of their vaccination status. The latest order not only puts the county further at odds with both the California Department of Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — both of which continue to maintain that vaccinated people need not cover their faces indoors — but puts officials in the precarious position of asking the inoculated to forfeit one of the benefits recently enjoyed. “This is an all-hands-on-deck moment,” said Dr. Muntu Davis, the county’s health officer. (Money, Lin II and Hernandez, 7/15)

Los Angeles Daily News:
Pandemic-Weary LA County Crestfallen Over News Of Masks’ Return, Mere Weeks After Restrictions Eased

Disappointment. It was in the air on Thursday; July 15, as medical leaders lamented the the reluctance of so many Los Angeles County residents to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, stalling the onset of the much-coveted herd immunity. It was on the lips of business owners– just starting to see the fruits of returning foot traffic after the human and economic toll of the pandemic — worried what renewed mask-wearing indoors would mean to their clientele. (Carter, 7/15)

Los Angeles Times:
Be Wary Of Travel To Nevada, Florida Amid COVID Surge, L.A. County Health Officer Says

The Los Angeles County health officer has suggested that residents reconsider travel to states with the nation’s worst rates of coronavirus transmission, including Nevada and Florida. “I do want to recommend — especially if you’re unvaccinated — reconsider traveling to places where the seven-day COVID-19 case rates are increasingly high, like Nevada, our neighbor, or Missouri, Florida, Arkansas and Louisiana and others,” Dr. Muntu Davis said in his briefing to the county Board of Supervisors this week. (Lin II and Money, 7/15)

Politico:
Newsom Faces Backlash Over Masks In California Schools

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing sudden backlash over his student mask rules, the latest sign that the recall-threatened leader must tread lightly as schools prepare to open next month. Students will return to classrooms just as recall ballots land in mailboxes across the state, and Newsom has to strike the right tone with parents and voters after a tumultuous stretch marked by some of the nation’s longest school closures. The governor has built momentum this summer, making his ouster a long shot, but schools remain a sensitive political topic in California. (Mays, 7/15)

And Hawaii and Chicago hit the pause button —

AP:
Hawaii Keeps Indoor Mask Requirement Amid COVID-19 Surge

Hawaii Gov. David Ige said Thursday he will maintain a requirement that people wear masks indoors as the spread of the COVID-19 delta variant fuels a spike in cases. Ige told a news conference the number of new cases in Hawaii has exceeded 100 during three of the last five days. That contrasts to the past couple of months when the seven-day average of new hovered around 50. (7/16)

AP:
Chicago Restarts COVID Travel Rules With Cases Up In States

Rising COVID-19 infections in other states have prompted Chicago to restart a travel order after several weeks without travel restrictions, city officials announced Tuesday. The Chicago Department of Public Health said starting Friday unvaccinated travelers from Missouri and Arkansas have to either quarantine for 10 days or have a negative COVID-19 test. (7/16)

Bloomberg:
Half Of Covid Hospital Patients Develop Complication, Study Says

One in two people hospitalized with Covid-19 develop another health complication, a U.K. study showed, in the broadest look yet at what happens to those sick enough to need inpatient treatment. Though complications were most common in those over the age of 50, the study found a significant risk for younger people as well. Among 19- to 29-year-olds hospitalized with Covid, 27% experienced a further injury or attack in an organ system in the body, while 37% of 30- to 39-year-olds experienced a similar complication, the researchers said in The Lancet on Thursday. (Kresge, 7/15)

The New York Times:
Covid Is Especially Risky For People With H.I.V., Large Study Finds

People living with H.I.V. are more likely to become severely ill with Covid-19 and more likely to die if hospitalized than others infected with the coronavirus, according to a large new study. Nearly half of H.I.V.-infected men older than 65 who are hospitalized for Covid-19 may die, the study found. The results, released ahead of an AIDS conference in Berlin, suggest that people with H.I.V. should be first in line for vaccines, along with older adults and others with weak immune systems, scientists said. (Mandavilli, 7/15)

CIDRAP:
Learning Disabilities Tied To Higher Risk Of COVID-19 Hospitalization, Death

Adults with learning disabilities who were diagnosed as having COVID-19 were five times more likely to be hospitalized and eight times more likely to die during England’s first COVID wave, according to a study in BMJ. The researchers noted that data from the second wave (September 2020 to early February 2021) showed similar results. (7/15)

Fox News:
MRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Effective In Cirrhosis Patients, Study Finds

U.S. veterans experiencing cirrhosis, or damage to the liver, and who also received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine saw high levels of protection against virus-related hospitalization and death, a study found. The findings come as federal health authorities said the two groups of concern relating to potential use of booster shots include people 75 and older and those with a weakened immune system, or immunocompromised patients. The study authors at hand noted “patients with cirrhosis have immune dysregulation that is associated with vaccine hyporesponsiveness.” Ongoing research by the FDA and a CDC panel is working to determine if, when and for whom booster shots could be necessary. However, for now, the FDA and CDC said “Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time,” citing highly effective vaccines. (Rivas, 7/14)

NBC News:
Can Vaccinated People Get Long Covid? Doctors Say Risk Is ‘Very, Very Small’

Coronavirus infections leading to long-haul Covid-19 in fully vaccinated people are probably very rare, experts say. The Covid-19 vaccines have been shown to significantly reduce infections, as well as the risk of severe consequences of the illness, including hospitalization and death. That means that if a fully vaccinated person does become infected, the illness is much more likely to be mild. (Edwawrds, 7/15)

In updates on remdesivir —

Axios:
Gilead’s Remdesivir May Not Shorten All COVID Hospital Stays 

Veterans who had COVID-19 last year and were given Gilead’s coronavirus drug remdesivir (marketed as Veklury) stayed in the hospital longer than other similar patients who did not receive it, according to a new study in JAMA Network Open. “Perhaps [patients] were being kept in the hospital to finish remdesivir,” said Mike Ohl, one of the study’s authors and an infectious disease physician at the VA Medical Center in Iowa City who has treated COVID patients. “We shouldn’t be keeping people in the hospital just to complete remdesivir if they’re otherwise ready to leave.” (Herman, 7/15)

CIDRAP:
COVID-19 Remdesivir Study Finds Long Hospital Stay, But Context Matters 

Remdesivir, the only antiviral fully approved for COVID-19 treatment by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), was associated with a longer hospital stay yet no improvement in survival rates, according to a real-world observational study of military veterans today in JAMA Network Open. The researchers suggest that the prescribed regimen (5 or 10 days) may have led to longer hospitalizations as patients finished the treatment course, and a related commentary agrees. (McLernon, 7/15)

Scientific American:
There Are Few Good COVID Antivirals, But That Could Be Changing 

In an interview with Scientific American, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he was cautiously optimistic that the new Antiviral Program for Pandemics (APP) would save lives and prevent surging hospitalizations. “It’s an ambitious program,” he said. “But if we can block the virus early on, then we can avoid the progression to advanced stages of the disease, which are so devastating to so many.” (Schmidt, 7/15)

The Hill:
WHO Chief: ‘Premature’ To Rule Out COVID-19 Lab Leak Theory

The World Health Organization (WHO) chief said on Thursday that there was a “premature push” to rule out the COVID-19 lab leak theory without enough evidence. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus acknowledged to reporters during a briefing that the theory that COVID-19 originated from a lab is possible, in remarks that strayed from the WHO’s controversial report designating the hypothesis as “extremely unlikely.” (Coleman, 7/15)

Reuters:
China Should Provide Raw Data On Pandemic’s Origins – WHO’s Tedros

The head of the World Health Organisation said on Thursday that investigations into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic in China were being hampered by the lack of raw data on the first days of spread there and urged it to be more transparent. A WHO-led team spent four weeks in and around the central city of Wuhan with Chinese researchers and said in a joint report in March that the virus had probably been transmitted from bats to humans through another animal. (7/16)

And in pandemic news from the White House —

CBS News:
More Than 600,000 White Flags Will Be Placed On The National Mall To Honor Americans Who Died From COVID-19 

More than 600,000 white flags will cover the National Mall in Washington, D.C., honoring each person who has died from COVID-19 in the United States. There have been 33,948,497 COVID-19 cases and 608,141 deaths in the U.S. The art installation, “In America: Remember,” was created by Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg, who first placed white flags outside of the capital’s RFK Stadium in October 2020. (O’Kane, 7/15)

Politico:
GOP Messaging Guru Luntz Advised Biden’s Covid Task Force

Frank Luntz, the Republican communications specialist known for his Fox News focus groups, has for months shared research with the Biden White House to help develop its strategy for reaching people reluctant to get the Covid vaccine. In an unofficial capacity, Luntz invited members of the White House Covid task force into focus groups. He was also invited to be a guest on several briefing calls the White House held with TV networks where they discussed how certain terms used on air risked politicizing the pandemic, according to Andy Slavitt, who until June served as senior adviser to the Covid task force. (Korecki, 7/14)