Young Doctor Is Among Latest COVID Casualties

The US has now reached the unwanted milestone of 200,000 COVID deaths, and one of those deaths out of Houston is drawing national attention. Adeline Fagan, a 28-year-old medical doctor, died after battling the coronavirus for about two months, reports the Houston Chronicle. Coverage:

• The fight: Fagan was a native of central New York who was in the second year of her residency as an OB-GYN at a Houston hospital, reports Syracuse.com. She tested positive in early July and was hospitalized when her condition worsened. Last month, she had to go on a ventilator.
• ER rotation: Her family says Fagan mostly delivered babies, but she'd just finished a rotation treating COVID-19 patients in the ER before she fell ill, reports CNN, citing a GoFundMe page.

• Dad's wish: "Even in this darkest of times, there are good people willing to share a piece of themselves for the sake of another," wrote her father, Brant Fagan. "If you can do one thing, be an 'Adeline' in the world. Be passionate about helping others less fortunate, have a smile on your face, a laugh in your heart, and a Disney tune on your lips."
• Fall surge: Tuesday is the official start of autumn, and the New York Times reports that a feared fall surge in coronavirus cases appears to be upon us. The number of new cases is up 15% over the last 10 days, the biggest increase since late spring. The US has more than 6.8 million confirmed cases. Minnesota, Montana, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Puerto Rico saw record rises in new cases in the week ending Monday, per USA Today.
• CDC controversy: The Washington Post takes a look at a new CDC controversy in which the agency officially declared that the virus is primarily spread through airborne transmission, only to reverse itself. The story asserts that evidence of airborne transmission has been mounting for months, and many health experts were happy with the initial CDC statement. They see the reversal as a missed opportunity.

(More coronavirus stories.)