Delta Surge Looms; Vaccine Mandate for Federal Workers; ‘Contagion’ of Anger

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Spurred on by the highly transmissible Delta variant and a flat-lined vaccination rate, the COVID-19 case count could reach 200,000 per day over the next 4-6 weeks, said former CDC director Tom Frieden, MD. (CNN)

Officials at Biogen reportedly withdrew a paper on Alzheimer’s drug aducanumab (Aduhelm) rather than agree to revisions requested by editors at JAMA. (Axios)

On Thursday, President Biden will announce a vaccine mandate for all federal employees and contractors, following similar mandates by New York, California, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. (CNN)

U.S. gymnastics Olympian Simone Biles’ abrupt withdrawal from the Tokyo Games focused more attention on the psychological toll of elite-level sports. (AP)

Laboratory data shared by Pfizer suggest a third “booster” dose of vaccine could offer more protection against the Delta variant. (CNN)

As of Wednesday at 8 a.m. EDT, the unofficial COVID-19 toll in the U.S. included 34,606,501 cases and 611,304 deaths, increases of 71,065 and 297, respectively, versus a day ago at the same time.

As another COVID-19 surge emerges, so does a “contagion” of anger, much of it directed toward the unvaccinated. (New York Times)

A 24-year-old Florida man underwent a double lung transplant after contracting COVID-19 in the spring, most likely at an indoor music concert he attended while unvaccinated. (CNN)

Adolescent boys and young men infected were six times as likely to develop myocarditis from COVID-19 infection than following vaccination. (medRxiv)

Sydney, the largest city in Australia, extended an ongoing lockdown by 4 weeks, as cases in the city continued to surge. (Reuters)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson rescinded his country’s quarantine requirement for vaccinated individuals from the European Union and the U.S., saying he wants Americans to come to England and travel “freely.” (Reuters)

China’s continued resistance to more investigation into the origin of COVID-19 dimmed hope in the ongoing search for “patient zero.” (Live Science)

France temporarily banned prion research after two lab workers contracted Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease. (Science)

Iterum Therapeutics received a complete response letter from the FDA, requesting additional clinical trial data on the oral antibiotic sulopenem before the agency can consider approval of the drug.

Sol-Gel Technologies announced FDA approval of once-daily topical tretinoin-benzoyl peroxide (Twyneo) for acne vulgaris.

Newly proposed legislation would eliminate the so-called “birthday rule” of health insurance, which can sometimes leave new parents on the hook for huge hospital bills for their babies. (NPR)

A survey of U.S. parents found that over half with children ages 3-11 were unlikely to allow their kids to get vaccinated, and most said they had not discussed the issue with their family doctors. (Fox News)

Delta-8 THC, a chemical relative of cannabis, continues to win fans as questions and controversy swirl around its legality. (AP)

The U.S. government said it sold a “unique” Wu-Tang Clan album owned by “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli. The price was not disclosed. (Wall Street Journal)

Last Updated July 28, 2021