The Week in Review provides an overview of the past week’s top health care content, including industry news and trends, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic Laboratories news, and upcoming events.

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Industry News

FDA Covid-19 Vaccine Booster Plan Could Be Ready Within Weeks

The Food and Drug Administration expects to have a strategy on Covid-19 vaccine boosters by early September that would lay out when and which vaccinated individuals should get the follow-up shots, according to people familiar with discussions within the agency. The Biden administration is pushing for the swift release of a booster strategy because some populations—people age 65 or older and people who are immunocompromised, as well as those who got the shots in December or January shortly after they were rolled out—could need boosters as soon as this month, two of the people said. Via Wall Street Journal

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The US has seen a 1,200% increase in orders for monoclonal antibodies to treat Covid-19

As coronavirus case numbers spike, the US has seen a 1,200% increase in orders for monoclonal antibody treatments in the past month, the US Health and Human Services Department told CNN Thursday. About 75% of the orders are coming from regions of the US that have low vaccination rates. HHS said it has also seen a recent increase in the number of doctors using the treatments, also known as mabs. Earlier in the year, the federal government had sent thousands of doses to states, but many sat on the shelf due to the complicated logistics of how doctors administer the treatments. Via CNN

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Two-thirds of Americans In Highly Vaccinated Counties Living In COVID-19 Hot Spots Analysis Shows

Two-thirds of Americans in highly vaccinated counties are living in coronavirus hot spots as the delta variant spreads, an analysis from the Washington Post shows. The Post classified counties with more than 54 percent of their population fully vaccinated as highly vaccinated counties, while counties with less than 40 percent fully vaccinated were defined as low vaccination counties. Via The Hill

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Mayo Clinic News

Covid-19 or the common cold? How to tell if your child contracted Covid-19 as school starts

People who've contracted Covid-19 may also suffer from diarrhea and nausea or vomiting, symptoms that are never present if it's only the common cold, according to the Mayo Clinic. Covid-19 and the common cold are also caused by different viruses. Covid-19 is contracted from SARS-CoV-2, while the common cold can result from rhinoviruses, the Mayo Clinic noted. Via CNN

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Mayo Clinic forecast: Delta variant surge set to accelerate in Minnesota

COVID-19 hospitalizations have tripled across Minnesota in the last month, and according to the Mayo Clinic, the spread of the delta variant is likely to continue to accelerate. "The threat from the delta variant is real," said Dr. Sean Dowdy, chief value officer and co-creator of the Mayo Clinic's COVID-19 tracker. "I would be surprised if we don't see another surge in Rochester some time between mid-to-late August or September. The signs are pointing to that." Via KARE 11

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“Closer to the end of this pandemic than the beginning”: Mayo expert on delta variant, vaccines

”As we look to the next few weeks, the delta variant surge is far from behind us, and is likely to continue to accelerate, particularly in communities with low vaccination rates,” Dr. John O’Horo, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases and critical care expert, said. “What we’ve seen in other countries is it seems to hit fast and hard, so this peak will likely come in the next several weeks, and then we’ll see a period of rapid decline.” Via KEYC Mankato

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