A grim warning from Israel: Vaccination blunts, but does not defeat Delta – Science

The sheer number of vaccinated Israelis means some breakthrough infections were inevitable, and the unvaccinated are still far more likely to end up in the hospital or die. But Israel’s experience is forcing the booster issue onto the radar for other nations, suggesting as it does that even the best vaccinated countries will face a Delta surge.

‘We’re In A World Of Hurt’: NIH Director Is Latest Official Predicting U.S. Will Surpass 200,000 Daily Covid Cases – Forbes

Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health, on Sunday became the latest public health official to predict the U.S. will break 200,000 daily coronavirus cases – numbers last seen in January – as he warned unvaccinated Americans remain “sitting ducks” for the highly infectious Delta variant.

The U.S. Virgin Islands face their worst surge since the start of the pandemic. – New York Times

As coronavirus cases and hospitalizations rise across the country, some areas with low vaccination rates have been hit hard, like Louisiana, Florida and Mississippi. The same is true for the U.S. Virgin Islands, where only about a third of residents are vaccinated. In recent days, the islands have seen their highest numbers of confirmed cases and hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic.

Covid Hospital Deaths Hit Previous Peaks in Hot-Spot Areas – Bloomberg

The number of people dying with Covid-19 in U.S. hospitals is hitting previous highs in some hot-spot states with low-to-average vaccination rates, upending hopes the virus has become less lethal.

Hospitalizations of Americans under 50 have reached new pandemic highs – NYT

Among Americans under age 50, average daily hospital admissions have hit a pandemic high, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Young kids more likely than older kids to spread COVID-19 to household – CIDRAP

A Canadian study today in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that while younger children are less likely than older children to be the index COVID-19 patient in their home, they are more likely to spread it to household members.

Texas requests five mortuary trailers in anticipation of Covid deaths – NBC News

With Covid-19 surging across the state, Texas has requested five mortuary trailers from the federal government in anticipation of an influx of dead bodies, state officials told NBC News.

US COVID-19 cases back to pre-vaccination levels – CIDRAP

For the first time since February, the United States reported more than 900,000 COVID-19 cases last week—with the country represented 20% of global cases—a sign the pandemic surge caused by the Delta (B1617.2) variant has stalled the progress made by an aggressive vaccine rollout that dampened cases this spring and summer.

Iceland has been a vaccination success. Why is it seeing a coronavirus surge? – Washington Post

Vaccine opponents have gleefully pointed to Iceland as proof that the shots are a “failure.” But contrary to online misinformation and conspiratorial social media posts, infectious-disease experts say Iceland’s outbreak actually illustrates how effective the vaccines are at preventing the virus’s most severe impacts.

One Virus Case Puts New Zealand Into Nationwide Lockdown – Bloomberg

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern put the nation into a three-day lockdown after the discovery of the first community case of Covid-19 since February.

Delayed Wuhan Report Adds Crucial Detail to Covid Origin Puzzle – Bloomberg

A study documenting the trade in live wild animals at Wuhan wet markets stayed unpublished for more than a year.