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The proportion of COVID-19 deaths in central Europe in 2020 and 2021 would have been up to 18% to 27% higher if death certificates listing the virus as a contributing condition had coded it as the cause of death, estimates a newstudy published in PLOS One.
University of Warsaw-led researchers examined 187,300 death certificates from Austria, Bavaria (Germany), Czechia (Czech Republic), Lithuania, and Poland mentioning COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021. They performed a two-step analysis of cause-of-death association indicators (CDAIs) and contributing CDAIs to estimate the statistical strength of associations between COVID-19 and other conditions.
"Excess deaths reported to causes other than COVID-19 may have been due to unrecognised coronavirus disease, the interruptions in care in the overwhelmed health care facilities, or socioeconomic effects of the pandemic and lockdowns," the authors noted. "Death certificates provide exhaustive medical information, allowing us to assess the extent of unrecognised COVID-19 deaths."
A total of 15,700 death certificates listed COVID-19 as a contributing condition, and three of four recorded a statistically significant COVID-19 complication or pre-existing condition as the cause.
Unrecognised coronavirus deaths were equivalent to the entire surplus of excess mortality beyond registered COVID-19 deaths in Austria and the Czech Republic, and its large proportion (2531%) in Lithuania and Bavaria.
"In Austria, Bavaria, Czechia, and Lithuania the scale of COVID-19 mortality would have been up to 1827% higher had COVID-19 been coded as the underlying cause of death," the researchers wrote. "Unrecognised coronavirus deaths were equivalent to the entire surplus of excess mortality beyond registered COVID-19 deaths in Austria and the Czech Republic, and its large proportion (2531%) in Lithuania and Bavaria."
The undercount may be attributable to a lack of COVID-19 testing, atypical disease course, misclassification, or deaths from other causes such as cardiovascular disease and cancers that may have risen as strained healthcare systems prioritized COVID-19 patients or fallen owing to the reduction of risk factors such as air pollution, traffic, or other infectious diseases.
"Finally, mortality may have increased due to harmful behaviours typical of the socioeconomic instability experienced by some groups during the pandemics, lockdowns and economic slowdown, such as abuse of noxious substances, suicides and accidents," the researchers wrote.
The UK government was ill-prepared for the Covid-19 pandemic and serious errors in planning failed its citizens, an inquiry found Thursday.
Retired judge Heather Hallett, who is leading the ongoing inquiry, said the government wrongly believed in 2019 that it was one of the best-prepared countries in the world for an outbreak, and it anticipated the wrong pandemic influenza.
This belief was dangerously mistaken, Hallett said in releasing her first report. In reality, the UK was ill-prepared for dealing with the whole-system civil emergency of a pandemic, let alone the coronavirus pandemic that actually struck.
The Covid-19 pandemic has been blamed for more than 235,000 deaths in the UK through the end of 2023 one of the highest death tolls in the world.
Todays report confirms what many have always believed that the UK was underprepared for Covid-19, and that process, planning and policy across all four nations failed UK citizens, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, referring to England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The safety and security of the country should always be the first priority, and this government is committed to learning the lessons from the inquiry and putting better measures in place to protect and prepare us from the impact of any future pandemic, he said.
The first report from the three-year inquiry was focused only on pandemic preparedness. A second phase looking at the governments response, including the Partygate scandal in which then Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his staff broke their own rules by hosting work parties, is due later. A third phase will look into what lessons can be learned from how the nation handled the crisis.
The inquiry is due to hold hearings until 2026.
Hallett found that an outdated 2011 pandemic strategy for flu wasnt flexible enough to adapt to a crisis nearly a decade later, and was abandoned almost immediately.
There were fatal strategic flaws underpinning the assessment of the risks faced by the UK, how those risks and their consequences could be managed and prevented from worsening and how the state should respond, Hallett said.
There also was a lack of focus on what was needed to deal with a rapidly transmissible disease, and not enough done to build up a system to test, trace and isolate infected patients.
Hallett said in her 217-page report that the UK needs to be better prepared for the next pandemic one that could be even deadlier.
The UK will again face a pandemic that, unless we are better prepared, will bring with it immense suffering and huge financial cost and the most vulnerable in society will suffer the most, she said.
Hallett recommended that a new pandemic strategy be developed and tested every three years, and that government and political leaders should be accountable for having preparedness and resilience systems in place. She also said that outside experts should be used to prevent the known problem of groupthink.
Unless the lessons are learned, and fundamental change is implemented, that effort and cost will have been in vain when it comes to the next pandemic, Hallett said. Never again can a disease be allowed to lead to so many deaths and so much suffering.
Produced by ElevenLabs and News Over Audio (NOA) using AI narration.
Today, for the third time in two years, President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19, the White House said. The president was in Las Vegasattempting to convince voters, donors, and his fellow lawmakers that he is still the candidate best poised to defeat former President Donald Trump in Novemberwhen he fell ill with a runny nose and cough, according to a White House statement. Hes already taking the antiviral Paxlovid and will isolate at his home in Delaware.
Since Bidens first two COVID boutsan initial case and a rebound shortly thereafter in 2022much has changed for the president, and for the trajectory of the pandemic. Bidens cognitive abilities have come under more intense scrutiny, especially following a debate with Trump last month in which the president demonstrated difficulty completing sentences and holding on to a train of thought. Reported rates of COVID infections, hospitalizations, and deaths have declinedthanks in large part to vaccinationand precautions have become ever more rare. Biden is vaccinated and has superb access to medical care. Chances are, he will be fine. Yet one basic fact remains unchanged: COVID is still capable of inflicting great damage, especially upon the elderly.
In June, according to provisional CDC data, about four out of every 100,000 Americans over the age of 75 (or 0.004 percent) died with COVID-19. Thats a far cry from the staggering fatality rates of 2020 (roughly 0.17 percent for the same age group in April of that year), but still sizable in comparison with younger Americans risk. The June 2024 COVID death rate among 30-to-39-year-olds, for example, is two out of every 10 million. Hospitalizations tell a similar story for the elderly: Last month, more than 60 out of every 100,000 Americans over 75 were hospitalized with COVID. And according to the CDC, this is likely an undercount.
Still, the risks of COVID seem to increase over even just a few years of life for the elderly. People 75 or older are currently 3.5 times as likely to be hospitalized and seven times as likely to die with COVID as people ages 65 to 74. And people in their 80s can accumulate health problems with startling speed. Heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, cancer, and strokeall maladies more likely to affect older peopleincrease a persons chances of serious complications from COVID.
Biden is as likely as any American of his age to come away from this infection with minimal long-term effects. So far, according to the White Houses statement, his symptoms are mild, he has no fever, and his blood-oxygen level is normal. He was first vaccinated against COVID in 2020 and has received several shots since, most recently in September. Vaccines are proven to mitigate the most serious risks of the disease, especially among the elderly. And should things take a turn, Biden, as president, has care teams and resources at his instant disposal.
That said, as far as COVID is concerned, good for an 81-year-old is not reliably good. And COVID does not have to kill someone to have troubling, lasting effects. Even mild bouts of COVID can lead to symptoms that linger for weeks or years and range from inconvenient to debilitating. In a study published today, about 7.8 percent of patients infected since Omicron became the dominant variant in the United States developed long-term symptoms. Given current concerns about the presidents health and brainpower, any further deterioration is a sobering prospect. A report published by the National Academies of Science last month found that older Americans are especially at risk of cognitive impairment following a COVID infection. What would that mean for a man who has already shown signs of substantial declinea man subjected to the rigors of one of the most demanding jobs on the planet during the most crucial political campaign of our lifetimes, who refuses to lift the burden of American democracy from his aging shoulders?
Ten days agoafter Bidens feeble debate performance, but before a gunman attempted to assassinate his opponent at a rallythe president made a perplexing statement. Addressing the crowd at a Pennsylvania campaign event, he declared, I ended the pandemic. The reality is that COVID continues to upend lives every day. Americans should be mindful that it could still upend elections, too.
Lila Shroff contributed reporting.
The pandemic caused grief, untold misery and economic turmoil all of which could have been reduced or prevented had the UK been better prepared, the inquirys chair, Heather Hallett, concluded.
Lives would have been spared in particular those of the groups worst affected, including people with physical and learning disabilities, those with pre-existing conditions such as Alzheimers, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, and people living in deprived areas and from some ethnic minority backgrounds.
As well as the deaths directly caused by the virus, the pandemic caused human suffering indirectly, including wreaking havoc on the NHS, especially on waiting lists and elective care, and increasing levels of mental illness, loneliness, deprivation and exposure to domestic violence.
She described the pandemic as the gravest and most multi-layered peacetime emergency.
The evidence is overwhelmingly to the effect that there will be another pandemic, and it is not a question of if but when.
The next pandemic may be even more transmissible and lethal, and is likely to occur in the near to medium future.
Without fundamental change, the effort in curbing the spread of coronavirus and the human, societal and economic cost suffered from it will have been in vain.
Lady Hallett wrote: Never again can a disease be allowed to lead to so many deaths and so much suffering.
Hallett wrote that in 2019, there was widespread belief, in part resulting from groupthink in government, that the UK was not only properly prepared, but was one of the best-prepared countries in the world to respond to a pandemic.
Yet, she observed, in 2020 the UK lacked resilience, including widening health inequalities, high levels of heart disease, diabetes, respiratory illness and obesity, and an overstretched health and social care system.
She noted that proper preparation for a pandemic costs money and involves preparing for an event that may never happen yet this is vastly outweighed by the cost of not doing so. She added that the ability of the health and social care systems to respond was constrained by their funding.
There was a damaging absence of focus on useful interventions, in particular a test, trace and isolate system capable of dealing with large numbers of cases.
There was a lack of adequate leadership in rectifying contingency planning, including from the former health secretaries Jeremy Hunt and Matt Hancock.
All four nations were slow to implement what were important and necessary preparations for a pandemic, Hallett wrote, noting that resources were reallocated in 2018 towards contingency planning for a no-deal Brexit rather than implementing recommendations from Exercise Cygnus, the governments 2016 pandemic readiness exercise.
The UK had planned for an influenza pandemic, which had long been considered, written about and planned for yet Hallett noted that the Covid-19 pandemic was not without precedent, and disputed the idea pushed by some officials that it was an unforeseeable black swan event.
This preparation was inadequate for a global pandemic of the kind that struck, and although reasonable to prioritise, should not have excluded other potential pathogen outbreaks, which have been increasing in number. The international scientific community considered a coronavirus pandemic a reasonable bet before 2020, given there were four large coronavirus outbreaks that nearly became pandemics earlier in the 21st century.
The influenza response was contained in the sole government pandemic strategy, from 2011, but it was outdated and lacked adaptability, including paying insufficient attention to the economic and social consequences and to understanding which people were most vulnerable. The strategy focused on managing the impact of a milder virus where spread was inevitable rather than preventing disease and death. It was jettisoned almost immediately.
There was also too much emphasis on advising citizens and trusting them to take precautionary measures they deemed fit rather than considering which aspects of legal coercion to protect the public may be used, added Hallett.
She concluded: The processes, planning and policy of the civil contingency structures within the UK government and devolved administrations and civil services failed their citizens.
Hallett urged a fundamental reform of the way in which the UK government and the devolved administrations prepare for whole-system civil emergencies, and condemned the government reviews and changes since the pandemic as fail[ing] on a number of grounds.
She identified several significant flaws in the UKs response to the pandemic, including a failure to learn from previous outbreaks of disease and properly assess risk, a lack of a coherent strategy, and too narrow a range of scientific advice given to ministers.
She said there had been a lack of openness in government, and pandemic-readiness exercises were not subject to the level of independent scrutiny required.
She recommended taking responsibility for pandemic planning away from the Department of Health and Social Care and creating a single, independent statutory body responsible for whole-system preparedness and response, drawing on both socioeconomic and scientific expertise.
This should simplify the labyrinthine civil emergency and resilience systems based on complex spaghetti diagrams of institutions, structures and systems, and replace these with a single ministerial committee or cross-departmental group of senior officials with responsibility, accountability and a clear purpose in each UK nation.
This should be underpinned by a new UK-wide whole-system civil emergency strategy, incorporating lessons learned from three-yearly pandemic-response exercises, taking into account health inequalities, and involving the Treasury to produce an economic strategy to consider short, medium and long-term consequences.
She recommended improving risk assessment to take into account a wider range of possibilities and not just one reasonable worst-case scenario, improving data collection, and bringing in more expertise from outside the government.
Noting that she agreed with the observation by Hunt, a former health minister, that collectively we didnt put anything like the time and effort and energy into understanding the dangers of pathogens or challenging the consensus, she said in future ministers and officials must immerse themselves in the topic, understand it and ask questions about it.
The aim should be to end the culture of consensus in which orthodoxy becomes entrenched, Hallett wrote, adding that advisers should have the autonomy to express differing opinions.
Hallett will monitor closely the implementation of the recommendations in each UK nation, and expects many to be in place within six months to a year.
President Biden stood among the scores of Americans who recently tested positive for COVID-19 amid a substantial increase in summer cases across the country.
COVID infections are most likelyrising in 45 states, including Illinois,and arent declining anywhere in the U.S., NBC News reported, citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. While every summer since COVID surfaced in 2020 has experienced a wave of cases, this year's - which is evidenced by wastewater data - began earlier than in most recent years.
However, the numbers haven't reached levels seen with other surges in the past year.
"The number of cases remains lower than the number counted during the most recent fall peak or during the small peak we saw last summer in Chicago," Dr. Mary Hayden, director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Rush University System for Health, told NBC Chicago.
The White House announced that President Joe Biden began experiencing mild symptoms on Wednesday after testing positive for the coronavirus.
The uptick in cases can largely be attributed to a new series of COVID strains, nicknamed the "FLiRT" variants, which are dominating across the U.S.
The variants, identified as KP.1.1, KP.3 and KP.2, collectively make up more than 55% of COVID cases in the U.S., per the CDC's most recent variant proportions data. KP.3, in particular, made up the most cases of any variant at 24.5% of cases, the data revealed.
Similarly, emergency room visits tracked through June 29 showed COVID-related visits were up 18% from the previous week. As cases climb, here's everything you need to know - including a breakdown of the most prevalent variants, which symptoms are being heavily reported and what does the CDC recommend for those infected with COVID?
The variants are subvariants of JN.1, which rose to dominance in December 2023 and was labeled a "variant of concern," though the "FLiRT" variants have two changes in the spike protein compared to JN.1.
"The two changes in spike have been observed in earlier lineages, including XBB.1.5 lineages, which were dominant throughout 2023 and the basis for the 20232024 vaccine formulation," the CDC reported.
Health officials said that while there are no indicators the new strains cause more severe illness than other strains, the "CDC will continue to monitor community transmission of the virus and how vaccines perform against this strain."
Megan L. Ranney, dean of the Yale School of Public Health, told WebMD the spike protein changes are concerning.
The KP.3 variant quickly rose to dominance, overtaking KP.2 as the most prevalent strain in the U.S. in a matter of weeks, the CDC reported.
Its still early days, but the initial impression is that this variant is rather transmissible, Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told TODAY.com.
Some lab studies suggest the FLiRT variants may be mutated enough that previous vaccination or immunity from prior infection likely won't provide total protection, Schaffner said.
Dr. Lakshmi Halasyamani, the Chief Clinical Officer at Endeavor Health, said despite the spread of the newest variant, the main symptoms associated with COVID remain unchanged.
If you do suspect you've contracted COVID, here are some symptoms you might experience, according to the CDC:
Last year, a Chicago-area doctorsaid she's noticed shifts in the most common symptomsher patients reported as the JN.1 variant rose to dominance.
Dr. Chantel Tinfang, a family medicine physician with Sengstacke Health Center at Provident Hospital of Cook County,noted at the time that many of the cases she saw reported less of the fever, body aches and chills, and presented more with sore throat, fatigue and coughing.
"We still see some patients experiencing decreased appetite, a loss of taste or smell. So it kind of depends," she said. "One patient was just very, very tired. Like she couldn't really do much. And that's when you know ... it's different. It's not just coughing and shortness of breath. We still see that though."
She suggested consulting with your doctor if your symptoms don't begin to improve outside of the recommended isolation period.
Those who contracted COVID-19 no longer need to stay away from others for five days, according to the latest guidelines, effectively nixing the five-day isolation recommendation. In March, the agency updated its guidelines to mirror guidance for other respiratory infections.
People can return to work or regular activities if their symptoms are mild and improving and it's been a day since they've had a fever, but the CDC still recommends those with symptoms stay home.
"The recommendations suggest returning to normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, symptoms are improving overall, and if a fever was present, it has been gone without use of a fever-reducing medication," the guidance states.
Once activities are resumed, the CDC still recommends "additional prevention strategies" for an additional five days, including wearing a mask and keeping distance from others.
The agency is recommending that people should still try to prevent infections in the first place, by getting vaccinated, washing their hands, and taking steps to bring in more outdoor fresh air.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the federal ICATT program offers no-cost COVID-19 testing for uninsured people: here is a locator that folks can use to find places near them.
Dr. Mary Hayden, director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Rush University System for Health, also noted that free options remain available for those who are uninsured through local health departments and community health clinics.
Youre reading The Checkup With Dr. Wen, a newsletter on how to navigate medical and public health challenges. Click here to get the full newsletter in your inbox, including answers to reader questions and a summary of new scientific research.
More than half of states are registering high or very high levels of the coronavirus in wastewater testing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. Nationally, emergency department visits due to covid are increasing. On Wednesday, the White House announced that President Biden tested positive with his second coronavirus infection. As with his first bout, he is experiencing mild symptoms and has started Paxlovid treatment.
If this feels like dj vu, thats because it is. Covid-19 has not settled into the annual pattern favored by other respiratory viruses. If anything, it seems coronavirus waves are occurring at least twice a year, with an uptick in the summer followed by another rise in the winter coinciding with the flu and other viruses.
The current covid wave is cause for caution, not alarm. Thanks to readily available vaccines and treatments, most people do not need to alter their summer plans.
This advice applies to Mary from California. She and her friend, both in their 60s and recently retired, have been planning for ages to go to Paris for the Olympics to watch the gymnastics competition. We are vaccinated and got all our boosters, the last one in April, she wrote. Now were worried about covid again. Any advice? Please dont tell us we have to cancel our trip!
Mary shouldnt cancel her long-awaited travels. If she and her friend are in generally good health, their chances of developing severe illness is low, especially if they promptly take antiviral treatment after contracting the coronavirus.
That said, they should be aware that if they attend large events in crowded indoor spaces, they could easily be exposed. The ongoing Tour de France has been plagued with coronavirus cases, with multiple cyclists forfeiting midway through the three-week race because they became ill. Its possible the coronavirus will also disrupt the Olympics, if not among the athletes then surely among the millions of spectators descending on Paris.
I advise Mary and her friend to bring several well-fitting N95 masks or something equivalent with them. They can don them while traveling and in crowds. They can also reduce their risk of infection by opting for outdoor dining whenever possible. And they should bring plenty of rapid tests and have a plan for accessing antivirals.
Many readers want to know if they should try to get another dose of the existing coronavirus vaccine now instead of waiting for the newly formulated booster. Mark from D.C., 73, asks, If cases are rising now, why isnt the CDC recommending that everyone get the covid vaccine now?
I think there are at least four reasons it made sense for the CDC to recommend that people receive the updated booster in the fall rather than get the 2023 version at this time:
There may be a small subset of individuals who could benefit from an additional vaccine sooner. These are older people with multiple underlying medical conditions who were eligible for the spring vaccine but delayed getting it. If they are able to find the booster now, they could get it right away. Then, four months later, they could receive the updated formulation.
What about people who already received the spring booster, like Denise from New Hampshire, who asked if she should get another dose before her travels next month? In that case, Id advise her to hold off until the new shot is released, which could be as early as late August. She and others seeking optimal protection should use all the other tools at their disposal, including masks and ventilation to prevent infection, tests for early detection, and antiviral treatment to reduce the chance of severe disease.
This pattern of multiple covid spikes a year will almost certainly continue for the foreseeable future. If so, the same questions will keep popping up, including how well vaccines protect against emerging variants. Scientists should continue developing better vaccines with longer durability and broader coverage. In the meantime, those striving to avoid infection should be aware of virus levels in their community, but most no longer need to upend their plans as a result.
President Joe Biden did not wear a face mask in public a couple of times after the White House announced he had tested positive for COVID-19.The White House said the Democratic incumbent was experiencing "mild" symptoms while the president's physician said Biden would self-isolate "in accordance with CDC guidance for symptomatic individuals."What does the CDC guidance say? What does the White House say?After the announcement on Wednesday, Biden emerged bare-faced from the motorcade after arriving at the airport in Las Vegas, where he had made several appearances, and boarded Air Force One. He also was not wearing a mask, which medical professionals have said can help slow the spread of disease, as he stepped off the plane hours later at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Biden was surrounded by Secret Service agents and aides on both ends of the trip.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced Wednesday that Biden, 81, was experiencing "mild" symptoms and would stick to prearranged plans to travel to his home in Rehoboth Beach, where he would isolate himself.Biden's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, said in a separate statement that Biden had a runny nose, dry cough and a feeling of "general malaise." He said Biden was being treated with the drug Paxlovid "and will be self-isolating in accordance with CDC guidance for symptomatic individuals."What the CDC saysThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages people recovering from COVID-19 or any other respiratory illness to wear masks as part of an overall strategy to reduce transmission, but masks are not mandated.The CDC recommends that people "stay home and away from others" if they're feeling sick. They say people can resume normal activities when symptoms have started to improve and the person no longer has a fever.The CDC describes masks as an "additional strategy" for preventing disease spread, but it generally leaves it up to individuals to decide whether to use them. It calls masks "especially helpful" when someone is sick and suggests they be used as a precaution during recovery.What the White House saysThe White House has not responded to an emailed request for comment about why Biden chose not to wear a mask.How is Biden doing?O'Connor said Thursday that Biden is still experiencing mild upper respiratory symptoms from COVID-19. The president does not have a fever, and his vital signs have remained normal. He's being treated with the drug Paxlovid.Quentin Fulks, the principal deputy manager of Biden's reelection campaign, said Thursday that Biden was "feeling fine" and was making calls and doing work. Fulks spoke at a news conference on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters during a separate Zoom briefing that Biden was "being kept up to speed as appropriate by his leadership team, and certainly that includes on the national security front."___Associated Press writers Mike Stobbe in New York and Will Weissert in Washington contributed to this report.
President Joe Biden did not wear a face mask in public a couple of times after the White House announced he had tested positive for COVID-19.
The White House said the Democratic incumbent was experiencing "mild" symptoms while the president's physician said Biden would self-isolate "in accordance with CDC guidance for symptomatic individuals."
After the announcement on Wednesday, Biden emerged bare-faced from the motorcade after arriving at the airport in Las Vegas, where he had made several appearances, and boarded Air Force One. He also was not wearing a mask, which medical professionals have said can help slow the spread of disease, as he stepped off the plane hours later at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Biden was surrounded by Secret Service agents and aides on both ends of the trip.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced Wednesday that Biden, 81, was experiencing "mild" symptoms and would stick to prearranged plans to travel to his home in Rehoboth Beach, where he would isolate himself.
Biden's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, said in a separate statement that Biden had a runny nose, dry cough and a feeling of "general malaise." He said Biden was being treated with the drug Paxlovid "and will be self-isolating in accordance with CDC guidance for symptomatic individuals."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages people recovering from COVID-19 or any other respiratory illness to wear masks as part of an overall strategy to reduce transmission, but masks are not mandated.
The CDC recommends that people "stay home and away from others" if they're feeling sick. They say people can resume normal activities when symptoms have started to improve and the person no longer has a fever.
The CDC describes masks as an "additional strategy" for preventing disease spread, but it generally leaves it up to individuals to decide whether to use them. It calls masks "especially helpful" when someone is sick and suggests they be used as a precaution during recovery.
The White House has not responded to an emailed request for comment about why Biden chose not to wear a mask.
O'Connor said Thursday that Biden is still experiencing mild upper respiratory symptoms from COVID-19. The president does not have a fever, and his vital signs have remained normal. He's being treated with the drug Paxlovid.
Quentin Fulks, the principal deputy manager of Biden's reelection campaign, said Thursday that Biden was "feeling fine" and was making calls and doing work. Fulks spoke at a news conference on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters during a separate Zoom briefing that Biden was "being kept up to speed as appropriate by his leadership team, and certainly that includes on the national security front."
___
Associated Press writers Mike Stobbe in New York and Will Weissert in Washington contributed to this report.
Justin Sullivan
Health officials in Houston are reporting a significant spike in COVID-19 cases, attributing the rise to new FLiRT variants. This comes after the city saw a steady decline in cases earlier this year.
In April, the amount of COVID in Houstons wastewater was down to 30% compared to levels in July 2020. As of July 1, the viral load has reached 283% the highest level in more than five months.
The increase has been attributed to the FLiRT variants of the virus, which have been a little more adept in infecting people and facilitating transmission, according to Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Texas Childrens Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and dean of Baylor College of Medicines National School of Tropical Medicine.
The levels are reasonably high, although possibly starting to plateau, Hotez said. The point is, there is a lot of COVID transmission going on.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus is currently spreading throughout the entire state of Texas at very high levels. Due to the increase in virus transmission, Hotez recommends masking up in crowded places and staying up-to-date on COVID vaccinations and boosters.
Still, compared to the widespread transmission during the early days of the pandemic, Hotez says We are in a better place, although hospitals are still seeing a significant number of COVID cases.
If you look at a community level, fewer people are piling into hospitals and ICUs than they were at the start of the pandemic, Hotez said. On the other hand, if youre not keeping up with your annual immunizations, you as an individual are still at risk of hospitalization.
Hotez added that a new version of the COVID vaccine, which should be tailored to protect against the FLiRT variants, will be available to the public in the coming months.
A script for a biopic called Overnight Billionaire recounts the extraordinary life of Charles Huang, a Chinese villager who overcomes long odds to educate himself and become a Hong Kong corporate analyst.
After immigrating to Los Angeles, Huang builds a COVID-testing company that is key to the United Kingdom weathering the pandemic.
The draft concludes on a high note, with a TV host acknowledging to the now-fabulously wealthy Huang that his story is one in a billion.
Reality has been less rosy for the real-life Huang.
After securing a lucrative testing deal with the British government, Huang and his partners have become embroiled in multiple legal disputes over at least $2 billion Pasadena-based Innova Medical Group earned in profits during the pandemic.
Huang has alleged in civil lawsuits that two former executives defrauded Innova of more than $100 million, which they have denied. One of those executives accused Huang of squandering company funds to finance a lavish lifestyle, half-cocked business gambles and luxuries for his friends and girlfriends, according to a Los Angeles County Superior Court lawsuit filed last year by Robert Kasprzak. Huang is a high-end con artist who claims he can see the future, the lawsuit adds.
Another lawsuit, filed by Kening Xu, one of Huangs former business associates, accuses Huang of treating Innovas private equity parent as his personal property, awarding himself and others more than half its shares while making numerous reckless investments. Huang has denied the claims as baseless.
The unusually contentious litigation includes at least 10 state and federal lawsuits, among them a sexual battery complaint filed against Huang by a former employee, which he has denied. Huang also alleges he was the victim of an extortion plot being prosecuted in Pasadena that involves a purported sex tape.
Huang did not respond to a detailed list of questions, but in a statement Innova disputed the claims.
These baseless accusations come from people who have either engaged in unlawful or improper activity, vastly overstated their contributions to the company, or claim to be entitled to millions of dollars they neither earned nor deserve. The companies and Dr. Huang choose to litigate these matters in the proper venue, a court of law, when they expect to be completely vindicated and to see justice served, the statement said.
The controversy a familiar tale of what can happen to a startup suddenly flush with success and money has renewed scrutiny on Innova and its antigen test. In 2021, the Food and Drug Administration said the tests lacked adequate trial data and could present a serious risk to the public health. The company later resolved those issues with the agency.
The British government stuck by Innova, citing its own studies, but questions have lingered about the tests efficacy and how the business was able to win such large contracts. An independent inquiry into that countrys pandemic response is expected to include the contracts with Innova.
This was an enormous sum of money that was spent, and we still dont understand how Innova came to be chosen, said barrister Jo Maugham, founder of the Good Law Project, a U.K. legal advocacy group.
Daniel Elliott, right, former president and chief executive of Phoenix Motorcars Inc., speaks to President George W. Bush about his companys all-electric truck at the White House on Feb. 23, 2007. Elliott is a former business partner of Charles Huang at Innova Medical Group before the two had a falling-out.
(Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)
Huang, 60, grew up in a poor village outside Wuhan, China. The oldest son of a large family, he managed to gain entrance to Wuhan University and go on to receive an MBA and a doctorate in marketing at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland, according to a translated interview he gave to ODK Media, an Asian streaming service.
He headed to Hong Kong, where he worked on and off for more than a decade as an analyst, including covering the automotive and pharmaceutical industries. He boasts on the website of his Pasaca Capital private equity firm that he called the Asian financial crisis in 1997.
Huang also partnered with Yang Rong, the billionaire founder of Brilliance Group, a Chinese vehicle maker. Yang, also known as Benjamin Yeung, fled China in 2002 after getting into a dispute with a Communist Party leader, settling in the upscale San Gabriel Valley community of Bradbury.
Huang eventually settled with his family nearby in Arcadia. In 2009, the two men proposed building a $4-billion hybrid vehicle plant in Baldwin County, Ala., but the project fizzled.
In 2016, Huang formed Pasaca Capital Inc. to look for acquisitions, and later reconnected with an old business associate: Daniel Elliott, an entrepreneur and engineer who also had ambitions to make it big.
Elliott, who grew up in Rancho Dominguez in L.A. County, forged a career in battery technology and electric vehicles. In 2007, he was invited to the White House, where he advised President George W. Bush on electrifying the transportation sector.
Later, he was the chief executive of a company that proposed building a $372 million battery plant in Eastern Kentucky, but the project ended up in bankruptcy.
Elliott, 52, said Pasaca was in negotiations to buy Sandoz, the generic pharmaceutical business of the Swiss drug company Novartis, when the pandemic struck and Huang pitched another idea.
Charles called me in January [2020], and said, Hey, do you want to get into the COVID-testing business? and I was like, What the hell do I know about COVID testing? Elliott recalled.
Soon convinced, Elliott called on an old friend for help: Kasprzak, an attorney he had worked with on past ventures.
Huang incorporated Innova Medical Group as a subsidiary of Pasaca in March 2020.
The partners first tried to sell off-the-shelf tests that detect antibodies created by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.
When that didnt work, Elliott said, he called Dr. Deborah Birx, President Trumps coronavirus response coordinator. She told him what were needed were tests that could detect antigen proteins produced by the immune response to COVID that could be done at home.
Birx said that she doesnt recall the conversation but that at a White House meeting on March 4, 2020, she told a group of pharmaceutical executives that they needed to make the tests, with Abbott Laboratories producing its BinaxNow test by June.
Innova scoured Asia for test makers, settling on Xiamen Biotime Biotechnology in Xiamen, China. A deal was reached for the company to make 1 billion tests, Elliott said.
Elliott said he called governments around the world and made headway in Britain, with Innova submitting tests for evaluation by Operation Moonshot, a program in then-Prime Minister Boris Johnsons administration that involved mailing millions of antigen tests to households.
Innova needed a U.K. company to submit its application and hand-deliver tests to a government laboratory evaluating drug company submissions, Elliott said. Innova reached a deal with Disruptive Nanotechnology Ltd. I probably was sleeping two hours a night, recalled Elliott, who said he was constantly on the phone with government officials and the prime ministers offices at 10 Downing St.
Dr. Tim Peto, an Oxford University scientist who led the initial government study, said Innova was chosen after its test passed the threshold of performance and the company showed it could supply large quantities. It wasnt taken forward because it was clearly the best of the bunch, he said.
On Sept. 17, 2020, the government placed an initial $138 million order for tests, with Innova delivering 18 million in 15 days, Elliott said. The British military flew to China to receive them from Biotime.
The campus museum of Wuhan University in Wuhan in central Chinas Hubei province is seen on April 11, 2020. Charles Huang, founder of Innova Medical Group, attended the university.
(Sam McNeil/Associated Press)
In the ODK YouTube video, Huang called it his proudest moment. Despite numerous challenges, we conquered them all, he said.
In all, Innova would deliver about 2 billion tests to the British government, Elliott said, with the company signing additional contracts.
The total revenue from the contracts was at least $5 billion, according to a U.K. government website, with Xu claiming in his lawsuit that profits from the government contract topped $2 billion. Elliott said 178 improvements were made to the test, with the company selling them in smaller quantities in about 20 countries, including France, Brazil and Qatar.
The incredible success was liberating after all the struggles to raise funds, Huang told ODK Media: We no longer have to seek money from investors, as we are investors ourselves.
One of Innovas early acquisitions Elliott said was MPS Medical, an Orange County company it wanted to employ for making antigen tests for the U.S. market, which it didnt pursue. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was hired as a consultant to assist in expanding business internationally.
I thought we were there to build a legacy company that my kids could work in, Elliott said. We were buying other technologies and other companies.
Huang leads multiple businesses, according to a spokesperson, including drug distributor Mullan Pharmaceutical and Nanojet Technologies, a high-tech disinfectant company. Pasaca also operates a jet charter.
With his newfound wealth, Huang displayed remarkable generosity, buying Elliott a $110,715 Patek Philippe watch and giving Kasprzak a $163,705 Breguet watch, according to lawsuits filed last year against the two men in Nevada by Pasaca and Innova.
His philanthropic aspirations were even larger. In September 2021, he gave $70 million to the University of Strathclyde. An additional $40 million was donated to Wuhan University. He was recognized as Philanthropreneur of the Year in 2021 by the California Assembly.
But Elliott said he was becoming frustrated with how the company was being run and in April 2021 sent a memo, reviewed by The Times, to board members expressing his concerns.
Elliott resigned May 1, 2022, after negotiating a severance package that included $62.5 million in cash for his Pasaca stock, a Gulfstream jet and the forgiveness of $19.5 million in company loans, according to the Nevada lawsuit filed against him. He had previously received $63 million in dividends and additional compensation, the lawsuit said.
Kasprzak, Innovas chief legal officer, was named the companys chief executive, and it seemed like a good fit. In the ODK YouTube video, he praised Huang as a visionary.
The honeymoon didnt last long.
Kasprzak in his lawsuit says he reached an agreement with Huang to buy out his Pasaca shares for at least $75 million as part of his exit agreement. However, he alleges he was terminated in September and defamed by Huang, who said he was taking over as interim chief executive in an companywide email that stated: I have zero tolerance for internal and external corruption, racial discrimination, sexual harassment and all other bad behaviors.
An Innova representative denied the email was defamatory, saying Huang was making only a statement of principles and that section of the email was not directed to any person in particular.
Huang alleged he had learned that commissions he believed were going to Disruptive Nanotechnology and Nano LiquiTec, another Innova intermediary, were actually stolen by Elliott and Kasprzak, according to the Nevada lawsuits filed against the men.
The lawsuits accused the men of setting up a company in October 2020 called Nano Holdings a name they assert was intended to confuse Huang to skim 2% of commissions from the U.K. test sales.
A total of $106 million is alleged to have been stolen, largely through that scheme.
The lawsuit against Elliott cites messages between the two men allegedly discussing the scheme, including a WhatsApp message Elliott sent to Kasprzak on the day he asked Huang to sign the Nano Holdings commission agreement: You and I will make $10m EACH! In our side business this year.
The messages are presented out of context, said Elliotts attorney, Mark Holscher. Elliott alleges that Huang knew and agreed to the creation of Nano Holdings as a way to increase the two mens compensation without other Innova and Pasaca employees finding out and demanding additional compensation.
Two Pasaca business associates have signed sworn declarations viewed by The Times stating that Huang told them he knew the Nano commission payments were going to Elliott and Kasprzak, Holscher said. Huang has denied such knowledge.
Kasprzak also states in a declaration in response to the Nevada lawsuit filed against him that Huang knew the details of the Nano Holdings venture. He is alleged to have made $77 million in compensation and other benefits in addition to the stolen commissions. Kasprzak then filed his own L.A. County lawsuit in April 2023 accusing Huang of misappropriating funds from the company.
The lawsuit claimed the allegations of wrongdoing against him were a pretext to fire him without paying him the $75 million for his shares despite his allegations that Innovas success was largely due to his and Elliotts efforts. The lawsuit cites a letter sent by Boris Johnsons secretary of state for health and social care to the two men, applauding their hard work and diligence in securing the antigen tests. It does not mention Huang.
The lawsuit further states that Huang took advantage of his control over Pasaca and Innova to divvy up ownership shares to his benefit, transfer $200 million to bank accounts in Hong Kong and Singapore and make more than $200 million in bad investments.
Huang also is accused of spending funds on private jets, an $18-million Bradbury mansion dubbed the CEO house, to hire mistresses and to produce the fictionalized and idealized Overnight Billionaire movie project. All in all, it claims more than $1 billion was transferred out of Innova to Pasaca.
An Innova representative said all the allegations against Huang are false.
The Elliott and Kasprzak disputes are now being heard in separate arbitration cases. Kasprzak declined an interview through his attorney, Chris Casamassima, who said his client did not receive any improper compensation from Pasaca or anyone else, and to the contrary, he is still owed a substantial sum of money.
Also in arbitration is the lawsuit by Xu, 61, who is the nephew of Yang, Huangs former business partner. He is demanding $400 million, or about a fifth of the alleged profits, as one of the five co-venturers of the enterprise. Huang denies he owes the money.
Last week, two former Pasaca executives filed a federal lawsuit in L.A. against Huang citing accusations in Kasprzaks complaint and seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in restitution. Huang denied any wrongdoing.
Disruptive Nanotechnology has sued Elliott, Kasprzak and Huang, as well as Pasaca and Innova, alleging it was defrauded out of $500 million when its commissions were reduced. Elliott, Kasprzak and Huang deny any wrongdoing.
Amid the legal wrangling, Huang found himself the target of an alleged extortion plot. In May 2023, the Los Angeles County district attorneys office filed felony extortion charges against a married couple and Sunny Sun, a former Pasaca employee.
The alleged plot involves a purported video of Huang having sex with Sun surreptitiously recorded at a company condo, according to a Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department investigative report reviewed by The Times. Huang told investigators he had sex with Sun and had been threatened that the video would be posted online unless he paid $20 million, the report said. All three have pleaded not guilty and posted bail. A preliminary hearing has not yet been held.
Garo Madenlian, Suns attorney, said he believed his client would be exonerated. In fact, I think she is the victim, he said.
Meanwhile, Huang and another Pasaca executive have been accused of sexual battery and sex trafficking in civil litigation filed in April in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The complaint by a Jane Doe alleges she was hired to lead Pasacas public relations in 2022 despite a lack of experience. She asserts in the suit she was actually lured to the company to provide Huang sexual services.
An Innova representative said the allegations are false and part of an extortion attempt.
As for Overnight Billionaire, an Innova representative said the film was being delayed because of all the litigation.
It has a new title, One in a Billion, according to IMDb, which lists the the film as in development.
President Biden has tested positive for COVID-19, the White House confirmed Wednesday, prompting an array of questions about his health and condition.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president is vaccinated and boosted and is experiencing mild symptoms.
"He will be returning to Delaware where he will self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time," she said. "The White House will provide regular updates on the president's status as he continues to carry out the full duties of the office while in isolation."
Here's what else we know so far:
click to expand
In an update Friday, Biden's doctor said the president's primary symptoms of hoarseness and cough "have improved meaningfully."
"His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature remain absolutely normal. His oxygen saturation continues to be excellent on room air. His lungs remain clear," the letter continued.
This adds on fromThursday's update,where his doctor said the president does not have a fever and his vital signs remain normal.
In a previous note distributed by the White House, Biden's doctor said the president had mild upper respiratory symptoms Wednesday afternoon, including a runny nose and a "non-productive cough."
The doctor said Biden's respiratory rate, temperature and pulse oximetry were all normal at the time.
Biden "felt okay" for his first event in Nevada but was tested for COVID after not feeling better, the note added.
The president told reporters before departing Las Vegas, "I feel good." In a social media post, Biden thanked people for their well wishes and said that he will "continue to work to get the job done for the American people" while recovering.
As of Friday, the president has completed his fourth dose of Paxlovid, a medication used to treat COVID.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventionrecommendspeople with a respiratory virus stay home and away from others if experiencing symptoms. The agency said patients can resume normal activities when symptoms are improving and they have not had a fever for at least 24 hours.
It is unknown what variant Biden has, as identification is "still pending," according to an update from his doctor Friday.
There have, however, been recent projections of the latest variants across the U.S.
On Friday, the CDC projected that the KP.3 and KP.3.1.1 strainsare now more than half of infections nationwide. Behind them are theKP.2andLB.1variants two close relatives that are descendants of the JN.1 strain that dominated infections this past winter which make up just over 30% of infections.
CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jonathan LaPook told CBS News' John Dickerson Wednesday evening that he was "very interested" that Biden had been given a dose of Paxlovid.
"He has been on a blood thinner called apixaban, which is Eliquis," said LaPook. "And Eliquis does have an interaction with Paxlovid, which is why you have to be very careful when you give the two together. The Paxlovid can increase the level of the Eliquis."
Aside from potential health complications, the diagnosis has already caused waves on a campaign level.
CBS News senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang reported Wednesday that the diagnosis marks "a big development at a time when the president is already dealing with so much politically."
"He has a grueling travel schedule, and now he has to focus on getting better from COVID," Jiang said.
Several top Biden administration officials have also tested positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks, including second gentleman Doug Emhoff and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
On Thursday, Dr. Jill Biden's press secretary Vanessa Valdivia said in a statement that "the First Lady is tested as determined appropriate by her doctor. She is not symptomatic and up to date with her vaccines. She is currently in Rehoboth."
The nation isexperiencing a summer surgeof COVID, and the CDC reported last week that more than half of states are seeing "high" or "very high" levels of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in wastewater testing.
Editor's note: A previous version of the story incorrectly stated that first lady Jill Biden had been tested for COVID-19 and was asymptomatic.
Melissa Quinn and Alex Tin contributed to this report.
Sara Moniuszko is a health and lifestyle reporter at CBSNews.com. Previously, she wrote for USA Today, where she was selected to help launch the newspaper's wellness vertical. She now covers breaking and trending news for CBS News' HealthWatch.
