Cases up nearly 50% as hospital beds fill again
The U.S. averaged 19,455 new COVID-19 cases per day over the last seven days, a 47.5% increase from the previous week, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. And 43 states saw an increase in cases from the week before, a sign that the pandemic endures in the United States.
Hospitalizations are rising again. Deaths, a lagging indicator, also appear ready to start climbing. More than 99% of deaths are now among people who have not been vaccinated, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, says two-thirds of U.S. counties with sustained increases in new infections are in states with low vaccine coverage.
“But the fact that we are seeing case increases in counties even in higher vaccination states is worrisome,” she tweeted. “Anywhere there are pockets of low vax coverage is at risk!”
J&J shot may get new warning
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is once again raising concerns as the Food and Drug Administration is planning to issue a warning about a possible link with an autoimmune disorder known as GuillainBarré syndrome, the Washington Post reported.
There have been about 100 instances of the possible connection between the vaccine and the syndrome, mostly among men and in many cases among those age 50 and older, the newspaper said, adding that 12.8 million doses of the J&J shot have been administered.
The CDC says on its website that people who have had Guillain-Barré Syndrome can be vaccinated against COVID-19, and that no cases of the disorder were reported in clinical trials for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. One case was reported in J&J trials.
People who have previously had GBS may receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
Use of the single-shot J&J vaccine was paused for 10 days in April while federal health agencies investigated reports of six women developing rare but severe blood clots. The agencies later determined the vaccine’s benefits outweigh its risks.
Other top headlines
Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Missouri, opened its sixth COVID-19 ward as the delta variant rages in the state’s southwest region. Chief Administrative Officer Erik Frederick tweeted that the hospital needed at most five COVID-19 wards last year, when the coronavirus was peaking across the nation. The hospital was treating 133 virus patients as of Sunday.
California will require masks at schools when classrooms open this fall, despite new guidance from the CDC that says vaccinated teachers and students don’t need to wear face coverings inside school buildings.
Japan’s prime minister on Monday ordered a COVID-19 state of emergency for Tokyo, aiming to contain a resurgence in infections and curb the movement of people during the Olympics.
Jim Nobles, Minnesota’s independent legislative auditor, says he doesn’t have the resources to satisfy a request by lawmakers for a comprehensive study of the state’s COVID-19 response. Democrats have criticized the request as political.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte apologized Monday for what he called “an error of judgment” in relaxing the Netherlands’ lockdown, a move that has led to a sharp surge in infections.
The chairman of the Miami-Dade County Commission tested positive for the coronavirus about four months after he was fully vaccinated. Jose Diaz has been a frequent presence at the Surfside condo collapse site, raising questions about exposure at the site, reported the Miami Herald.