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The summer travel season is looking uncertain as the delta variant surges in Europe. Holly Ellyatt has the story. A CDC advisory group discussed whether fully vaccinated Americans with weakened immune systems need a booster dose of a Covid vaccine. Meg Tirrell has details on the $26 billion opioid settlement reached this week.
| | Delta is one of the most infectious respiratory diseases known, CDC director says | The delta variant is "one of the most infectious respiratory viruses we know of, and that I have seen in my 20-year career," CDC Director Walensky said Thursday. People infected with delta could have up to 1,000 times more viral load in their nasal passage than those infected with the original strain, making it much more transmissible. The seven-day average of new cases is up about 53% from last week, currently at 37,674 new cases per day. Hospitalizations are up 32% from last week at about 3,500 per day and deaths have also increased 19% in the same time frame to about 240 per day.
-Rich Mendez | | | | Local officials across U.S. are starting to reimpose Covid mask rules | From Los Angeles to Massachusetts, local officials across the country are pleading with Americans to once again wear masks inside as the delta variant rips through the U.S., particularly in areas with low vaccination rates. Local leaders in at least five states have reinstated mask mandates, issued facial covering recommendations or threatened the return of strict public health limits for all residents. These measures defy federal health guidelines that say vaccinated people don't have to follow those protocols in most settings.
-Robert Towey | | | | Europe's travel industry is on a knife edge as Covid surges, again | As Covid vaccines rolled out across Europe, hopes were high for a rebound in summer tourism. Instead, the season is looking highly uncertain as the delta variant surges in Europe, prompting a plethora of varying rules and restrictions, traffic-light systems designating country risk as well as possible quarantines and vaccine entry requirements. The Netherlands and Spain have seen big surges in cases, largely reopening nightclubs in late June.
-Holly Ellyatt | | | | J&J, drug distributors reach potential $26 billion opioid settlement with states | But it's not a completely done deal. At least 14 states expressed support for the settlement, which would resolve thousands of state and local claims against the companies for their alleged role in the opioid epidemic. But the size of the settlement - and whether the whole thing goes through - is dependent on how many states sign on, and then how many cities and counties they convince to join as well. One state, Washington, has already rejected the deal for being unsatisfactory, and plans to take the companies to trial in September.
-Meg Tirrell | | | | CDC group weighs Covid booster shots for immunocompromised people | The CDC's advisory group debated this week whether fully vaccinated Americans with weakened immune systems need a booster dose after data showed they are less likely to have antibodies to fight the disease and more likely to suffer from a breakthrough infection. People who are immunocompromised, which includes organ transplant recipients as well as cancer and HIV patients, already get booster shots for the flu and other diseases. A recommendation from the CDC's advisory committee won't likely come until after the shots get full FDA approval.
-Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | | | | U.S. life expectancy dropped by 1.5 years in 2020, biggest drop since WWII | The Covid-19 pandemic drove average life expectancies in the U.S. down by about 18 months last year, marking the largest annual decline since World War II, according to new CDC data. Hispanics saw the biggest drop in life expectancy last year with a 3-year drop, followed by Black Americans at a 2.9-year drop. Both groups are overrepresented in jobs that were deemed essential during pandemic lockdowns, which translated to a larger drop in life expectancy that white Americans.
-Rich Mendez | |
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