Update: Task Force distributed erroneous report of new super-virulent COVID strain

Two new, awful records: More than 300K new cases today and over 4,000 new deaths yesterday

Let’s be real. The pandemic is getting worse.

And confusion does not make it better

On Friday, a White House task force report suggesting that the USA had its own super-contagious strain of the novel coronavirus started circulating. Only later, we learned that this was an accurate report of what the task force published, but the facts of that report were wrong.

From the New York Times:

“The erroneous report originated at a recent meeting where Dr. Birx, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, presented graphs of the escalating cases in the country. She suggested to other members of the task force that a new, more transmissible variant originating in the U.S. might explain the surge, as another variant did in Britain.”

So, we can set that one aside, but it doesn’t change the grim facts about the pandemic.

New variant strains of the novel coronavirus are fueling even faster spread of COVID-19 in Ireland and the United Kingdom, while the USA remains the country with the longest-running surge — more cases, more deaths than anywhere else.

• Former CDC Director Tom Frieden looked at the latest information about variant strains in multiple locations and posted:

  Dr. Tom Frieden @DrTomFrieden

  Exponential increases in the pandemic with variant virus strains in UK, Ireland. I've never seen an epidemic curve like this, and the curve is with lockdown. If the variant becomes common the US, it's close to a worst-case scenario, with a baseline of full hospitals.

• The incoming administration plans to get all the vaccine doses that are in warehouses into people’s arms as fast as possible after the January 20 inauguration.

• In some small amounts of good news:

  • Scientists say that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine appears to be effective against the UK and other variants.

  • Evidence is building that immunity against COVID-19 may be long-lasting.

• Losing your sense of smell or taste may be good news. A new study finds that most people who have this symptom have milder cases of the disease. However, not everyone who gets COVID-19 experiences this sensory disruption.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield says he expects many COVID-19 cases to occur among people who were in the U.S. Capitol during the assault on Wednesday, especially as they travel back to their homes in other states.

  • Many of the lawmakers sheltering during the siege refused to keep their faces covered.

  • At least one member of Congress who was there tested positive for COVID-19 after the attack ended.

  • The San Francisco Chronicle walked through the situation with epidemiologists, who explained what to expect.

Got questions? Let me know, and I’ll try to get the answers. I’ll publish over the weekend if there is major news to add.