HASC President/CEO George W. Greene (from left) joined Cedars-Sinai researchers Jeffrey Golden and Jonathan Grein for a briefing on emerging coronavirus variants last week. Jim Holmes, CEO at Redlands Community Hospital, is at right.

A Cedars-Sinai research team recently offered HASC members a briefing on emerging coronavirus variants and their effect on this winter’s surge — and the possible impact they may have on the pandemic’s course in coming months.

Identified by the Cedars team, a new California strain was barely present in October but by January accounted for close to 50 percent of COVID-19 cases presenting at Cedars, said Jeffrey A. Golden, MD, vice dean of research and graduate education at the hospital.

The variant spread rapidly but is not necessarily more dangerous or deadly. There’s a lot scientists still don’t know about it – or about emerging strains identified in the U.K., Brazil, South Africa and elsewhere, the team said.

“We can’t say there’s any one reason why these different mutations are spreading or being seen,” Golden related. 

Golden is a scheduled panelist at HASC’s April 29-30 Annual Meeting on the topic, Better Together: Let’s Stop Pandemics.

HASC member CEO Jim Holmes also attended the Feb. 23 session. He asked the team whether new virus strains might ”change clinical care for patients in ICUs.”

Team member Jonathan Grein, MD said no substantial changes are yet being recommended. That could change, however.

“There’s still a lot to learn,” Grein said. “This is a very rapidly evolving topic — we learn more almost every single day.”

A one-hour video lets HASC members review the session. It offers a fascinating and sometimes technical deep dive on epidemiology, replication kinetics, vaccine efficacy and other topics.

The video is offered to members via this password-protected link. Members can use their existing username and password for HASC’s website to access the video.

To receive new access credentials, email HASC Publications Director Erik Skindrud at eskindrud@hasc.org.

HASC continues to link members with critical resources and information during the ongoing pandemic. With any questions, please contact HASC V.P., External Affairs & Strategic Communications Adam Blackstone.

Contact:
Adam Blackstone
(213) 538-0700
ablackstone@hasc.org