First Edition: Jan. 26, 2021
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
KHN:
Why Even Presidential Pressure Might Not Get More Vaccine To Market Faster
Americans are dying of covid-19 by the thousands, but efforts to ramp up production of potentially lifesaving vaccines are hitting a brick wall. Vaccine makers Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech are running their factories full tilt and are under enormous pressure to expand production or collaborate with other drug companies to set up additional assembly lines. That pressure is only growing as new viral variants of the virus threaten to launch the country into a deadlier phase of the pandemic. (Szabo, Tribble, Allen and Hancock, 1/26)
KHN:
California’s Top Hospital Lobbyist Cements Influence In Covid Crisis
As intensive care units filled and coronavirus cases surged over the holidays, Carmela Coyle invoked a World War II-era quote attributed to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to rally her own troops: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” Coyle is head of the California Hospital Association, and her “troops” are the highly paid hospital executives she represents. Throughout the pandemic, as in the December memo in which she quoted Churchill, she has employed battlefield rhetoric to galvanize their massive political and financial clout. (Young, 1/26)
KHN:
‘We’re Not Controlling It In Our Schools’: Covid Safety Lapses Abound Across US
Computer science teacher Suzy Lebo saw covid-19 dangers frequently in her Indiana high school: classes with about 30 students sitting less than 18 inches apart. Students crowding teachers in hallways. Students and staff members taking off their masks around others. “I’m concerned,” said Lebo, who teaches at Avon High School in the Indianapolis suburbs. “We’re not controlling the virus in our county. We’re not controlling it in our state. And we’re not controlling it in our schools.” (Ungar, 1/26)
KHN:
Big Business Boosts Vaccine Effort, But It’s ‘Complex Choreography’ To Get Shots In Arms
As states await the promise of a renewed federal pandemic response and expand the number of Americans who qualify for a shot, some governors are trying to scale up their covid vaccine operations — and smooth out the kinks — with the help of the private sector. In Washington state, Starbucks, Microsoft and Costco are lending logistical expertise and manpower to public health agencies that are trying to dispatch their doses of vaccines more efficiently. (Stone, 1/26)
KHN:
Readers And Tweeters Fight Stigma And Salute Front-Line Workers
Letters to the Editor is a periodic feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection. We edit for length and clarity and require full names. (1/26)
The New York Times:
First Case Of Brazil-Based Virus Variant Found In U.S.
The variant identified in Britain is more transmissible, but just as susceptible to vaccines as the original form of the virus. But the variants in Brazil and South Africa have additional mutations that may help elude the vaccines. “The amount of concern that I have between the U.K. variant, and the South African/Brazilian is much, much different,” Dr. Fauci said. (1/26)
CNBC:
Minnesota Confirms First Known U.S. Case Of More Contagious Covid Variant Originally Found In Brazil
The patient with the Brazil variant is a resident of the Twin Cities metro area who recently traveled to Brazil, according to state health officials. The person became ill during the first week of January and the specimen was collected Jan. 9, the state said. “We’re thankful that our testing program helped us find this case, and we thank all Minnesotans who seek out testing when they feel sick or otherwise have reason to get a test,” Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm said in a statement. “We know that even as we work hard to defeat COVID-19, the virus continues to evolve as all viruses do.” (Lovelace Jr., 1/25)
CNN:
Everyday Activities Are More Dangerous Now That New Covid-19 Variants Are Circulating, Expert Says
While the US seems to be heading in the right direction on infection rates -- with 42 states reporting downward trends -- that progress could be erased if variants take hold, emergency physician Dr. Leana Wen told CNN's Anderson Cooper. Preventing that will mean extra vigilance. "If there is something more contagious among us, if we thought that going to the grocery store before was relatively safe, there's actually a higher likelihood of contracting coronavirus through those every day activities," she said. (Maxouris, 1/26)
The Wall Street Journal:
Moderna Developing Vaccine Booster Shot For Virus Strain Identified In South Africa
Moderna Inc. said its Covid-19 vaccine appeared to protect against emerging variants of the coronavirus in laboratory tests, but as a precaution it would test whether a booster shot improves immune responses and develop a new vaccine targeting the strain first identified in South Africa. The company said Monday its vaccine produced immune-system agents known as neutralizing antibodies that worked against the emerging virus variants tested, including strains first evident in the U.K. and South Africa. (Loftus, 1/25)
Politico:
Moderna Making Booster Shot To Fight Covid-19 Variants
Moderna said the development of the booster is a precaution because its already-authorized two-dose regimen still offered substantial protection against the U.K. and South African strains in the lab study. “As we seek to defeat the COVID-19 virus, which has created a worldwide pandemic, we believe it is imperative to be proactive as the virus evolves,” Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a statement. The company is starting human trials for the South African booster shot “out of abundance of caution,” he added. (Owermohle, 1/25)
FiercePharma:
Moderna To Test Different Booster Shot Against South Africa Coronavirus Variant
Moderna is weighing a second booster shot to battle back a new coronavirus variant, even as it affirms its current vaccine's activity against newly emerging mutants. While the current two-dose regimen is holding so far, it's less effective against a South African variant—which has the company exploring a third shot and a variant-specific booster. (Snyder Bulik, 1/25)
The Hill:
Moderna Says Vaccine Effective On Variants, But Tests Booster Shot
Moderna said Monday that its COVID-19 vaccine remains protective against two key variants of the virus, though out of “an abundance of caution” it is studying a new version of the vaccine to use as a booster dose against one of the variants. Two more contagious variants of the virus have caused particular concern, one first discovered in the United Kingdom and one in South Africa. (Sullivan, 1/25)
The New York Times:
As Virus Grows Stealthier, Vaccine Makers Reconsider Battle Plans
Moderna said it also planned to begin testing whether giving patients a third shot of its original vaccine as a booster could help fend off newly emerging forms of the virus. (Grady, Mandavilli and Thomas, 1/25)
The Washington Post:
New Coronavirus Variants Accelerate Race To Make Sure Vaccines Keep Up
The scientific and pharmaceutical race to keep coronavirus vaccines ahead of new virus variants escalated Monday, even as a highly transmissible variant first detected in people who had recently traveled to Brazil was discovered in Minnesota. Moderna, the maker of one of the two authorized coronavirus vaccines in the United States, announced it would develop and test a new vaccine tailored to block a similar mutation-riddled virus variant in case an updated shot becomes necessary. (Johnson, McGinley and Achenbach, 1/25)
The Washington Post:
What You Need To Know About The Coronavirus Variants
Viruses are always mutating and taking on new forms. The coronavirus has thousands of variants that have been identified. But several, including the U.K., South Africa and Brazil variants, are highly transmissible and have sparked concerns that vaccines may be less effective against them. (Iati and Fritz, 1/25)
Stat:
In A Major Setback, Merck To Stop Developing Its Two Covid-19 Vaccines And Focus On Therapies
Merck said Monday it will stop developing both of the current formulations of the Covid-19 vaccines the company was working on, citing inadequate immune responses to the shots. Work will continue on at least one of the vaccines, which is being developed in partnership with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), to see if using a different route of administration would improve how effective it is. (Herper and Branswell, 1/25)
The Hill:
Merck Discontinuing Development Of Two COVID-19 Vaccine Candidates
Merck has halted its development of two potential vaccines for the coronavirus, citing data that showed a lack of immune response, Bloomberg reported. The two vaccine candidates, which derive from technology used to develop Merck’s Ebola and measles vaccines, generated fewer antibodies than existing vaccines, according to interim trial data. (Budryk, 1/25)
NPR:
Merck Stops Developing Both Of Its COVID-19 Vaccine Candidates
Merck is halting development of its two COVID-19 vaccine candidates, saying that while the drugs seemed to be safe, they didn't generate enough of an immune response to effectively protect people against the coronavirus. Results of Phase 1 clinical studies showed that the two vaccine candidates — known as V590 and V591 — "were generally well tolerated, but the immune responses were inferior to those seen following natural infection and those reported for other SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 vaccines," Merck said in a statement about its decision. (Chappell, 1/25)
The New York Times:
Biden Raises Daily Vaccination Target And Extends Travel Bans
President Biden, under pressure to speed up the pace of coronavirus vaccination, said on Monday that he was now aiming for the United States to administer 1.5 million vaccine doses a day — a goal that is 50 percent higher than his initial target but one that the nation already appears on track to meet. The president made his comments just hours after he banned travel by noncitizens into the United States from South Africa because of concern about a coronavirus variant spreading in that country, and moved to extend similar bans imposed by his predecessor on travel from Brazil, Europe and Britain. Those bans were set to expire on Tuesday. (Stolberg, 1/25)
The Washington Post:
Biden Now Hopes For 1.5 Million Vaccinations A Day
Overall, Biden on Monday projected a relatively optimistic timeline, even while acknowledging the death toll from covid-19 could eventually reach 600,000 or even 660,000. By spring, he said, everyone who wants a vaccine should be able to get one. “It’s going to be a logistical challenge that exceeds anything we’ve ever tried in this country, but I think we can do that,” he said. “I feel confident that by summer we’re going to be well on our way to heading toward herd immunity. I feel good about where we’re going, and I think we can get it done.” (Linskey, 1/25)
Politico:
Biden Sets Sights On 1.5 Million Vaccinations A Day
“I think we may be able to get that to 1.5 million [shots] a day, rather than 1 million a day. But we have to meet that goal of a million a day,” Biden told reporters after signing an executive order tightening “Buy American” rules. Biden said he was optimistic that the vaccine would be readily available to those who want it by sometime in the spring. (Niedzwiadek, 1/25)
The Hill:
Biden Says Anyone Who Wants Vaccine May Be Able To Get It By Spring
President Biden said he thinks any American who wants a COVID-19 vaccine should be able to get one by the spring. “I think we’ll be able to do that this spring,” Biden said in a press conference with reporters. “It’s going to be a logistical challenge that exceeds anything we’ve ever tried in this country, but I think we can do that,” he added. (Hellmann, 1/25)
FiercePharma:
Pfizer's 6-Dose-Per-Vial OK Boosts Its Supply Numbers. The Catch? Special Syringes Are Required
When pharmacists discovered a sixth dose could be pulled from vials of Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine, rather than the original five, it looked like a solution to supply-constrained vaccine rollouts. But now that the FDA has approved that tactic, Pfizer's counting those extra doses toward its established orders, The New York Times reports—which means it won't help boost immediate supplies. In fact, it might actually cut them. (Kansteiner, 1/25)
The Hill:
GOP Lawmaker Wants To Ban Feds From Funding Collection Of COVID-19 Vaccine Info
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) introduced a bill on Monday to ban the federal government from funding efforts to collect information on those who are receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. The Arizona Republican's bill would prevent the government from using federal funding “to maintain or collect information that can be used to identify any individual” who has received a coronavirus vaccine. (Coleman, 1/25)
Axios:
Axios-Ipsos Poll: Trust In Federal COVID-19 Response Surges
Trust surged in the federal government since President Biden's inauguration when it comes to COVID-19 — but that's almost entirely because of Democrats gaining confidence, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index. The big picture: Americans reported the biggest improvement in their mental and emotional health since our survey began last March, and the highest trust levels since April about the federal government providing them accurate virus information and looking out for their best interests. (Talev, 1/26)
CNN:
Fauci Says He Worried Trump's Disinfectant Comment Would Make People 'start Doing Dangerous And Foolish Things'
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert, said Monday evening he was extremely worried by former President Donald Trump's dangerous April suggestion that ingesting disinfectant could possibly be used to treat Covid-19."I just said, 'Oh my goodness gracious.' I could just see what's going to happen," Fauci told CNN's Erin Burnett on "Out Front" of Trump's suggestion. (LeBlanc, 1/25)
The Hill:
Slaoui: Criticism Of Vaccine Distribution 'A Huge Misunderstanding'
The former head of the Trump administration's COVID-19 vaccine production and distribution efforts, Moncef Slaoui, said in an interview published Monday that the public and news media has a "misunderstanding" about what the federal government went through to get a vaccine finished. In an interview with Science Magazine, Slaoui defended what he said were "exceptional" results from Operation Warp Speed, which the Biden administration has taken over following the new president's inauguration. (Bowden, 1/25)
The Wall Street Journal:
New U.S. Cases Stay Below 200,000 For Ninth Straight Day
Hospitalizations in the U.S. due to Covid-19 fell below 110,000 for the first time since Dec. 13, as the country reported fewer than 200,000 new coronavirus cases for the ninth day in a row. A total of 109,936 people across the country were hospitalized due to the disease as of Monday, according to the Covid Tracking Project. The number of patients requiring treatment in intensive care units also fell slightly to 20,875. (Hall, 1/26)
AP:
US Virus Numbers Drop, But Race Against New Strains Heats Up
The U.S. is recording just under 3,100 deaths a day on average, down from more than 3,350 less than two weeks ago. New cases are averaging about 170,000 a day after peaking at almost 250,000 on Jan. 11. The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients has fallen to about 110,000 from a high of 132,000 on Jan. 7.States that have been hot spots in recent weeks such as California and Arizona have shown similar improvements during the same period. (Drew and Kunzelman, 1/26)
The Hill:
California Lifts Regional Stay-At-Home Order
California on Monday lifted its regional coronavirus stay-at-home order because of slightly improving ICU conditions, health officials announced. As a result, the state will return to the county-based restrictions established last summer. Most counties will be returning to the strictest tier. (Weixel, 1/25)
The Wall Street Journal:
New York To Ease Some Covid-19 Restrictions As Cases Decline
New York will start relaxing economic restrictions that were imposed after Thanksgiving to respond to an increase in novel coronavirus cases, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday. The Democratic governor said in Buffalo that the state would allow elective surgeries to resume in Erie County, where they were halted on Dec. 4. He also said the state Health Department would review other restrictions that cover parts of New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and New Rochelle. During the fall, the state imposed localized restrictions based on infection rates, but Mr. Cuomo abandoned the approach in favor of a metric that looked at hospital capacity. (Vielkind and De Avila, 1/25)
Stat:
Undercounting Of Covid-19 Deaths Is Greatest In Pro-Trump Areas
Some of these excess deaths are likely due to factors that were exacerbated by the pandemic, such as overdoses and suicide in response to isolation and economic hardship, or subpar health care in an overrun system. But researchers believe many are Covid-19 deaths that go uncounted. Overall, the true Covid-19 death toll is 31% higher than official figures, according to the study, which has been submitted to PLOS Medicine. The researchers found that unattributed Covid-19 deaths were significantly higher in rural areas than urban; in the South compared to other regions; and in areas with lower levels of education. All these factors tend to correlate with support for Trump. (Goldhill, 1/25)
NBC News:
Fauci Says Drop In Covid Cases Not Due To Vaccine: 'We Don't Want To Get Complacent'
Dr. Anthony Fauci on Monday said that a drop in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations in most of the country cannot likely be attributed to vaccines, meaning people should continue to be as cautious as possible. "I don’t think the dynamics of what we’re seeing now with the plateauing is significantly influenced, yet — it will be soon — but yet by the vaccine," Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on NBC's "TODAY" show. (Fieldstadt, 1/25)
Fox News:
Fauci Backs 'Double-Masking' In Coronavirus Fight, Says 'Likely More Effective'
Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser on COVID-19, said two face masks are likely more effective than one against the novel coronavirus, despite significant uncertainty on the subject. "If you have a physical covering with one layer, you put another layer on it just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective," Fauci told NBC News on Monday. (Rivas, 1/25)
CIDRAP:
Fewer Stayed Home, More Wore Masks As Pandemic Wore On
Self-reported adherence to such coronavirus-curbing behaviors as physical distancing fell substantially—while mask wearing rose significantly—from spring to fall 2020, regardless of US Census region, according to a research letter published late last week in JAMA. The study, led by scientists from Johns Hopkins University, analyzed responses to 16 waves of the national Coronavirus Tracking Survey from Apr 1 to Nov 24, 2020. The respondents were recruited from the University of Southern California's Understanding America Study, an ongoing nationwide panel of US residents. (Van Beusekom, 1/25)
AP:
Biden Orders COVID-19 Travel Restrictions, Adds South Africa
President Joe Biden on Monday reinstated COVID-19 travel restrictions on most non-U.S. travelers from Brazil, Ireland, the United Kingdom and 26 other European countries that allow travel across open borders. He also added South Africa to the list. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said South Africa was added to the restricted list because of concerns about a variant of the virus that has spread beyond that nation. “This isn’t the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel,” Psaki said. (Madhani and Miller, 1/25)
The Hill:
Biden White House To Resume COVID-19 Briefings With Health Officials
The Biden White House announced it will resume regular briefings with public health experts focused on the response to the coronavirus pandemic, reviving an approach that had fizzled out during the Trump administration even as the outbreak worsened. The White House anticipates holding three briefings each week led by public health officials and members of the administration's COVID-19 response team, press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday. The first of those briefings will take place on Monday, and will "continue regularly for the foreseeable future," she said. (Samuels, 1/25)
AP:
White House Adding Sign Language Interpreter For Briefings
The Biden administration is adding a sign language interpreter to its daily press briefings. White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced the move during Monday’s briefing, and an interpreter could be seen on the White House’s YouTube stream of the event. (Jaffe, 1/25)
The Washington Post:
Biden To Tap Nurse As Acting Surgeon General
The Biden administration has selected nurse Susan Orsega to serve as the nation’s acting surgeon general, said two people with knowledge of her selection who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the announcement. Orsega, a career-commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service corps and a longtime infectious-disease specialist, would be among the first nurses to serve in the role of surgeon general, which is often referred to as “the nation’s doctor.” The announcement of Orsega’s selection could come as soon as Tuesday, one of the people said. (Diamond, 1/25)
The Hill:
Nurse To Be Tapped By Biden As Acting Surgeon General: Report
President Biden is expected to tap a nurse as acting surgeon general after former President Trump’s surgeon general was asked to resign last week, The Washington Post reported Monday. The newly sworn-in president plans to name Susan Orsega, a nurse and officer in the U.S. Public Health Service corps, as among the first nurses to serve in the role, two people with knowledge of her selection told the Post. One source said Biden could select Orsega to serve as soon as Tuesday. (Coleman, 1/25)
AP:
Biden Replaces White House Doctor With Longtime Physician
President Joe Biden has brought back Dr. Kevin O’Connor as his physician, replacing President Donald Trump’s doctor with the one who oversaw his care when he was vice president. The White House confirmed that Dr. Sean Conley, the Navy commander who served as the head of the White House Medical Unit under Trump and oversaw his treatment when he was hospitalized with COVID-19, will assume a teaching role at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. (Miller, 1/25)
The Washington Post:
Biden Moving To Nix Trump Plan On Opioid-Treatment Prescriptions
The Biden administration is preparing to halt a last-minute plan by the Trump administration to let more physicians prescribe an opioid-treatment drug, said three officials with knowledge of the pending announcement, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the plan. The Trump plan had been hailed by physicians as loosening requirements they said had slowed their response to the nation’s worsening opioid crisis. Then-presidential candidate Joe Biden also criticized the prescribing rules and vowed to lift them if elected president. But some legal experts warned that the Department of Health and Human Services lacked the authority to issue guidelines that allowed physicians to avoid requirements mandated by Congress. (Diamond and Bernstein, 1/25)
KRQE News 13:
Some New Mexicans Receiving Bills For COVID-19 Vaccine Despite Being Free For The Public
Some New Mexicans got a surprise in the mail this week when they received a bill for the COVID-19 vaccine. The CARES Act ensures the vaccine is free, regardless of your insurance status, but some say they were still billed. When Kim Federici received her vaccination appointment notice two weeks ago from the New Mexico Department of Health, she was assigned to Optum Health’s Journal Center clinic. This weekend, she was shocked to get a bill in the mail for $34, charging her for the administration of the vaccine. (Seymore, 1/25)
Medscape:
How Likely Are Malpractice Lawsuits From Treating COVID?
Last May, Emily Reardon, a 19-year-old college freshman and former high school varsity swimmer, was brought by her parents to the Riverside Methodist Hospital emergency department (ED) in Columbus, Ohio, with severe respiratory distress and low pulse-oximetry readings. She was treated by an emergency physician. It looked like a case of COVID-19. But after testing negative three times for the virus, Reardon was sent home with her parents with a diagnosis of pneumonia and prescriptions for an antibiotic and acetaminophen. She returned 2 days later in respiratory distress with a dangerously low pulse-oximetry reading of 70%. She died 8 hours later. (Meyer, 1/25)
Live Science:
Why Cats And Dogs May Need Their Own COVID-19 Vaccines
Cats and dogs may eventually need their own COVID-19 vaccines to prevent the coronavirus from evolving further and "spilling" back to humans, according to one group of researchers. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is known to infect a number of animals besides humans, including cats, dogs, minks, tigers and gorillas. However, at this time, scientists don't think animals play a significant role in spreading the virus to people, and reports of COVID-19 in pets are rare, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (Rettner, 1/25)
NPR:
Gorilla Gets Monoclonal Antibody Therapy For COVID-19
A gorilla at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, Calif., underwent monoclonal antibody therapy after contracting COVID-19 this month. Winston, an elderly silverback gorilla, and several of his troop members tested positive for the coronavirus after they had symptoms such as mild coughing. Veterinary staff, concerned about Winston's age and underlying medical conditions, performed a diagnostic examination on him, a zoo statement said. He was found to have pneumonia and heart disease. (Jones, 1/25)
Becker's Hospital Review:
Researchers Use Device That Creates Small Hole In Heart To Treat Heart Failure
Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville are evaluating the use of a valve pressure relief device meant to alleviate the severe shortness of breath associated with congestive heart failure as part of a clinical trial, The Daily Progress reports. The device, an interatrial shunt, is a permanent implant that prevents the left ventricle from becoming backed up and placing pressure on the lungs by redirecting small amounts of blood from the left ventricle to the right ventricle. (Carbajal, 1/25)
Stat:
A Growing Share Of Lung Cancer Is Turning Up In Never-Smokers
Breast cancer wouldn’t have surprised her; being among the 1 in 8 women who develop it over their lifetime isn’t statistically improbable. Neither would have colorectal cancer; knowing the risk, Mandi Pike “definitely” planned to have colonoscopies as she grew older. But when a PET scan in November 2019 revealed that Pike, a 33-year-old oil trader, wife, and mother of two in Edmund, Okla., had lung cancer — she had been coughing and was initially misdiagnosed with pneumonia — her first reaction was, “but I never smoked,” she said. “It all seemed so surreal.” (Begley, 1/26)
The Washington Post:
Hospitals Drag Feet On New Regulations To Disclose Costs Of Medical Services
Hospitals are now required to disclose the prices they secretly negotiate with insurers. But many are dragging their feet on the new regulations, which were passed under President Donald Trump and could very well stay in place under President Biden. (Ellerbeck and Cunningham, 1/25)
Modern Healthcare:
Hospitals See Opportunity, Risk In Ambulatory Surgery Centers
Allegheny Health Network’s ambulatory surgery centers had a record year in 2020. Surgeries were up around 10% at the Pittsburgh-based integrated health system’s 10 ASCs, and Allegheny plans to move even more procedures into those facilities. Surgery centers generally have high physician and patient satisfaction given their convenience and efficiency and ASCs help ensure that more acute patients can be treated in hospitals, said Dr. Sricharan Chalikonda, Allegheny’s chief medical operations officer. Health systems continue to invest in ambulatory surgery centers. While reimbursement rates are typically significantly lower than the inpatient setting, ASCs provide lower-cost alternatives and free up inpatient capacity. (Kacik, 1/25)
Consumer Reports:
Having A Safe Birth — And A Healthy Child — During This Pandemic
Even under the best of circumstances, planning for birth requires parents to make many decisions: Where to have their baby, which providers to entrust with their care during and after pregnancy and what kind of experience they want during delivery. But planning ahead for birth has become both more complicated and more important during the pandemic. The limitations hospitals have placed on numbers of visitors, for example, may mean that you won’t be able to have as many people supporting you in person during labor as you had planned. (1/25)
Becker's Hospital Review:
Asbestos Exposure Forces Evacuation At Missouri Nursing Home
Bentonview Park Health and Rehab, a nursing home in Monett, Mo., was evacuated Jan. 22 after construction crews exposed asbestos, local NBC affiliate KSN reports. Construction crews exposed the asbestos while removing tiles, which prompted the evacuation of the facility's 57 residents. Some residents were transferred to other nursing homes temporarily while others were taken to a temporary shelter at the former Cox Monett Hospital. (Carbajal, 1/25)
The Wall Street Journal:
Budweiser Skips Super Bowl Ad, Promises Vaccine Education Instead
Anheuser-Busch said it won’t devote a Super Bowl commercial to its flagship Budweiser beer brand this year for the first time since 1983, pledging to redirect spending for the airtime to marketing campaigns related to Covid-19 vaccinations instead. Budweiser said it is committing $1 million of ad inventory to vaccine awareness and education work by the Ad Council, a nonprofit that helps make public service campaigns, and to COVID Collaborative, a coalition of experts and institutions in public health and other areas. It will also produce multimillion-dollar vaccine awareness efforts throughout the year, executives said. (Ives, 1/25)
The Washington Post:
NFL Teams With CDC On A Paper Explaining What It Learned About Containing The Coronavirus
Medical leaders of the NFL and the NFL Players Association teamed with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to release a jointly written scientific paper detailing the lessons from the league’s coronavirus protocols and operations during its nearly completed season that could be applied beyond football. The release of the paper comes after the league completed its 256-game regular season in the standard 17 weeks while operating with daily coronavirus testing of players, coaches and team staff members and strict and ever-tightening protocols. (Maske, 1/25)
CIDRAP:
NFL COVID-19 Tracking Yields Lessons For Fine-Tuning Control Measures
As part of the NFL's COVID-19 measures established last July, players and staff wore masks, physically distanced, were frequently tested, and wore proximity devices to assist with contact tracing. Through the end of November, 329 (2.9%) cases were found among about 11,400 players and staff. Through early September, fewer than 10 cases were found per week, but during the last week of September and into October, there were 41 cases, 21 from inter-team transmission linked to a single club, which led to temporary closure of the facility. The increase mirrored the national increase in cases. (1/25)
The Washington Post:
Arizona Officials Ask MLB To Delay Spring Training Due To Coronavirus Concerns
Government officials from eight Cactus League cities sent a letter to Major League Baseball late last week asking MLB to delay spring training from its scheduled mid-February start because of the high rate of coronavirus infections in Arizona’s Maricopa County. While the municipalities lack the authority to force a delay, the letter underscored the fraught public-health and policy issues MLB faces as it seeks to launch its 2021 season.“[In] view of the current state of the pandemic in Maricopa County — with one of the nation’s highest infection rates — we believe it is wise to delay the start of spring training to allow for the COVID-19 situation to improve here,” said the letter, the existence of which was first reported Monday by Phoenix television station KPNX. (Sheinin, 1/25)
AP:
New Jersey Launches Live Hotline To Address Vaccine
New Jersey launched a staffed COVID-19 vaccine hotline on Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy said. People with questions about the vaccine can call 855-568-0545 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to reach one of 250 New Jersey-based operators. (1/25)
CNN:
Portland Mayor Tells Police He Pepper-Sprayed A Man Who Harassed Him Over Mask Policies
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler told police Sunday night that he used pepper spray on a man who had been harassing him about Covid-19 mask policies outside of a restaurant. "He had no face mask on and got within a foot or two of my face while he was videoing me," Wheeler said in a voluntary statement to the Portland Police Bureau. (Holcombe and Rose, 1/26)
The New York Times:
In Israel, Infections Drop Sharply After One Shot Of Vaccine
Israel, which leads the world in vaccinating its population against the coronavirus, has produced some encouraging news: Early results show a significant drop in infection after just one shot of a two-dose vaccine, and better than expected results after both doses. Public health experts caution that the data, based on the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, is preliminary and has not been subjected to clinical trials. Even so, Dr. Anat Ekka Zohar, vice president of Maccabi Health Services, one of the Israeli health maintenance organizations that released the data, called it “very encouraging.” (Kershner, 1/25)
AP:
Australia OKs Pfizer Vaccine, To Begin In Feb.
Australia’s medical regulator has approved use of its first coronavirus vaccine, paving the way for inoculations to begin next month. The Therapeutic Goods Administration on Monday gave provisional approval for people aged 16 and over to use the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. Residents and workers at aged-care facilities, frontline healthcare workers and quarantine workers are among the groups being prioritized for the first doses. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison welcomed the development. He said Australia was among the first countries to complete a comprehensive process to formally approve a vaccine rather than just grant an emergency approval. (1/25)