BA.5 spreading fast in Florida; Dr. Fauci likely to retire, sources say

Welcome to today's edition of the Florida Coronavirus Watch Newsletter, which comes out once a week on Mondays with alerts for breaking COVID-19 news.

We had a few weeks of COVID cases slowing down but they're rising again across Florida, according to federal data.

BIWEEKLY UPDATE: Unlike most states which report coronavirus data directly to the public multiple times a week or daily, Florida reports every other week with the summary only listing the increase for the previous seven days, entirely skipping a week of data. State reports include only Florida residents and not visitors for cases and deaths, but do include visitors for vaccination totals.

Subtracting the state's July 1 report from the July 15 one, we get:

• New COVID-19 cases in the previous two weeks: 146,069

• Total COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began: 6,640,046 (6,614,806 per Johns Hopkins)

• New COVID-19 deaths in the previous two weeks: 771

• Total COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic began: 76,662

• Last week's testing positivity: State report: 21.2%, Johns Hopkins: 23.35%

In the latest week COVID-19 cases in Florida were about 5.7 times what the CDC says is a high level of community transmission. A Saturday report said the state had 4,308 COVID-19 patients in hospital beds, from 4,125 a week earlier.

Hospitalizations and case counts have grown so much that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends indoor masking in almost every part of Florida to prevent strain on local medical facilities. And remember, most testing is at home now, unreported, so the official counts are likely much lower than reality.

What's causing the rise? Most likely the highly transmissible BA.5 omicron subvariant, which seems to be able to evade some immunity from vaccinations and previous infections. Here's what you need to know about BA.5.

State death counts from COVID-19 tend to get updated and revised so that number may not reflect actual deaths occurring in that time period. Case numbers do not include people who self-test at home.

Sources: Florida Department of Health COVID report, U.S. Health and Human Services (hospitalizations)

BIG STORY: Dr. Anthony Fauci, the face of the nation's pandemic health response, will likely retire by the end of President Joe Biden's term in office, according to multiple reports Monday.

ALSO IN THE NEWS: Gov. DeSantis tells Moms for Liberty, a group that got its start fighting COVID mandates in schools, not to back down; a $2.6 million COVID relief fraud case is just one of six in southwest Florida; and how travelers got smarter during the pandemic.

FROM A READER: "If I am exposed can I go to my Publix and get Paxlovid right away?" Maybe! Paxlovid originally was only available by prescription, but because you have to start taking it within five days of developing symptoms time was of the essence. So on July 6, the FDA authorized state-licensed pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid to eligible patients. But you'll need to prove you're eligible.

Paxlovid has been approved for people ages 12 and older with a positive COVID-19 test who are at high risk for severe COVID reactions (or are 65 and older). You'll have to provide health records less than 12 months old, including any blood tests, so they can assess kidney or liver problems. You'll also need to bring a list of all medications you take so they can check for potentially serious interactions. If you can see your primary physician in time, you should do that.

Anything you'd like to know? Send us your questions.

COVID INFO: See our COVID-19 resource guide here. Compare the spread of COVID-19 in your area here. Here's how to tell if you have the flu, a cold, or COVID-19, and all about the tests. Here's what to do if you test positive for COVID, and what we know about long COVID.

Thank you for reading! We appreciate you trusting our statewide journalists to keep you safe and informed. If you are encouraged by our work and want to support your local journalists, please consider subscribing. Know someone who would benefit from this newsletter? Forward this email so they can sign up.

— C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY - Florida Network DOT Producer

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: BA.5 spreading fast in Florida; Dr. Fauci likely to retire, sources say