Earlier in the pandemic, we were bombarded with headlines that made it feel like animals everywhere—not just humans—were catching COVID-19. Millions of mink were culled in Denmark after the virus began spreading on farms there. White-tailed deer across the U.S. kept getting infected. Cats, big and small, caught the virus in zoos and homes.
But now? As the highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.5 continues to spread widely among people, we’ve heard crickets about how animals are faring.
As my colleague Jeffrey Kluger found out this week, that’s likely a good sign for the animal kingdom. Scientists are discovering that Omicron and its subvariants appear to be transmitting less easily among animals and causing less severe disease than the original version of the virus. One study from April looked at 79 pets (mostly dogs and cats, plus one rabbit) living with humans infected with Omicron and found just 10% tested positive for the virus, and none showed any symptoms. Another ongoing study has tested 100 animals so far and has only turned up two cases.
These are, of course, small sample sizes. As scientists continue to determine the scope of infections in animals, they’re also developing a few theories as to why non-humans might be better protected against Omicron. One idea is that after so many mutations, the coronavirus’ spike protein may engage less effectively with cell receptors in animals. Or it could be that the latest subvariants don’t multiply as effectively at these animals’ body temperature compared to humans’ body temperature.
Understanding how the virus affects animals—particularly those with which humans have more interaction—is critical to controlling the spread of infections. “Obviously we see only the tip of the iceberg,” Amélie Desvars-Larrive, an assistant professor at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna in Austria who has studied this topic, told Jeffrey, since far fewer animals are tested for SARS-CoV-2 than humans. “Active monitoring and surveillance of animals is crucial.”
More than 580.5 million people around the world had been diagnosed with COVID-19 as of 9 a.m. E.T. today, and more than 6.4 million people have died. On August 3, there were more than 1.1 million new cases and 4,190 new deaths confirmed globally.
Here's how the world as a whole is currently trending, in terms of cases:
And in terms of deaths:
Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
And here's every country that has reported over 10 million cases:
The U.S. had recorded more than 91.7 million coronavirus cases as of 9 a.m. E.T. today. More than 1.03 million people have died. On August 3, 205,725 new cases were reported and 1,115 new deaths were confirmed in the U.S.
Here's how the country as a whole is currently trending in terms of cases:
And in terms of deaths:
Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
All numbers unless otherwise specified are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of Aug. 4. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
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WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Yesterday, the Biden Administration called for an “all-hands-on-deck” effort to study Long COVID, reports my colleague Jamie Ducharme. A new Long COVID research action plan from the administration recommends setting up an Office of Long COVID Research and Practice to help tackle the issue of long-term symptoms following a case of COVID-19. About one in five U.S. adults with a known prior infection currently has symptoms of Long COVID.
In June, children as young as six months old finally became eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. But with the highly contagious BA.5 subvariant making the rounds, what should parents do if their kid gets COVID-19 in between shots? As Betsy Ladyzhets reports for TIME, pediatricians mostly recommend sticking to the original vaccine schedule after the child fully recovers.
As we head into back-to-school season, anonymous sources tell CNN that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to soon loosen its COVID-19 guidance, which applies to schools. The expected updates may include de-emphasizing regular COVID-19 testing in schools as a way to monitor the spread of the virus, and instead focus on community-level tracking. (CNN’s sources emphasize that the guidance is not yet finalized.) The reported plan comes as some colleges ease their pandemic restrictions, including eliminating mask and testing requirements, which the Wall Street Journal wrote about yesterday.
If you’re in need of a heartwarming read, the LA Times dives deep into the new friendships people formed during the pandemic. “In the midst of a new COVID surge with Omicron subvariant BA.5, these friendships continue to be a guiding light through this dark time in history,” journalist Lisa Boone writes.
Thanks for reading. We hope you find the Coronavirus Brief newsletter to be a helpful tool to navigate this very complex situation, and welcome feedback at coronavirus.brief@time.com. If you have specific questions you'd like us to answer, please send them to covidquestions@time.com.
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Today's newsletter was written by Kyla Mandel and edited by Mandy Oaklander.
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