Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Though Covid Is Rising, The Public Isn't Changing Its Habits: Poll
The summertime rise in COVID cases and hospitalizations is making some Americans rethink if the pandemic is over, but it isn't persuading them to start wearing masks again or test for the virus, according to the latest Axios-Ipsos American Health Index. (Bettelheim, 8/17)
If you've noticed a sudden rise in the number of people wearing masks while you're out and about lately, here's why: COVID-19 is on the upswing once again, according to closely watched metrics. The late summer spread comes as a new variant, EG.5, is now the dominant form in the U.S., per CDC estimates 鈥 though it's unclear if that variant is directly responsible for the rising numbers. (Fitzpatrick and Beheraj, 8/17)
On E. coli and salmonella outbreaks 鈥
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that a relatively new strain of E. coli is responsible for multiple outbreaks of foodborne illness in recent years, including those related to romaine lettuce and other leafy greens. (Reiley, 8/16)
Visit any grocery store and you can expect that the produce, meat and other products that line the shelves are not contaminated. But sometimes that鈥檚 not the case. Each year the federal government launches dozens of investigations into foodborne disease outbreaks traced to germs like salmonella, listeria, E. coli and others. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 48 million people fall ill annually as a result. And of those who get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die. (Schmid, 8/17)
On vibrio and dengue outbreaks 鈥
The death of a Long Island resident has been linked to a bacteria found in raw shellfish or seawater that has also been blamed for two deaths in Connecticut, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday. The Vibrio vulnificus bacteria was identified in a Suffolk County resident who died recently, Hochul said. 鈥淲hile rare, the vibrio bacteria has unfortunately made it to this region and can be extraordinarily dangerous,鈥 Hochul said in a news release. (8/16)
Florida health officials sent a warning about a rise in cases of dengue fever, issuing a new alert after two local cases in Broward County. The two cases in the South Florida county, which includes Fort Lauderdale, brings to 10 the number of locally acquired cases this year, the Florida Department of Health said in a new surveillance report. Eight cases have been confirmed in Miami-Dade County, also under alert for the virus. (Alltucker, 8/16)
