First Edition: Sept. 23, 2020
Below, check out the roundup of California Healthline’s coverage and the best of the rest of the news.
Kaiser Health News:
Battle Rages Inside Hospitals Over How COVID Strikes And Kills
Front-line health care workers are locked in a heated dispute with many infection control specialists and hospital administrators over how the novel coronavirus is spread ― and therefore, what level of protective gear is appropriate. At issue is the degree to which the virus is airborne ― capable of spreading through tiny aerosol particles lingering in the air ― or primarily transmitted through large, faster-falling droplets from, say, a sneeze or cough. This wonky, seemingly semantic debate has a real-world impact on what sort of protective measures health care companies need to take to protect their patients and workers. (Lewis and Jewett, 9/23)
Kaiser Health News:
Native Americans Feel Double Pain Of COVID And Fires ‘Gobbling Up The Ground’
When the first fire of the season broke out on the Hoopa Valley Reservation in Northern California in July, Greg Moon faced a dilemma. As Hoopa’s fire chief and its pandemic team leader, Moon feared the impact of the blaze on the dense coniferous forests of the reservation, near Redwood National and State Parks, where 3,000 tribal members depend on steelhead trout and coho salmon fishing. He was even more terrified of a deadly viral outbreak in his tribe, which closed its land to visitors in March. (Green, 9/23)
Kaiser Health News:
Colleges’ Opening Fueled 3,000 COVID Cases A Day, Researchers Say
Reopening colleges drove a coronavirus surge of about 3,000 new cases a day in the United States, according to a draft study released Tuesday. The study, done jointly by researchers at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, Indiana University, the University of Washington and Davidson College, tracked cellphone data and matched it to reopening schedules at 1,400 schools, along with county infection rates. (McAuliff, 9/23)
Politico:
‘It Affects Virtually Nobody’: Trump Downplays Virus Threat To Young People
President Donald Trump claimed Monday at an Ohio campaign rally that the coronavirus poses little threat to young people and “affects virtually nobody,” as the number of Americans to have died from Covid-19 climbed toward 200,000 in the United States. “It affects elderly people. Elderly people with heart problems and other problems. If they have other problems, that’s what it really affects,” Trump told supporters at an airport outside Toledo. (Forgey, 9/22)
AP:
200,000 Dead As Trump Vilifies Science, Prioritizes Politics
“I did the best I could,” President Donald Trump said. Huddled with aides in the West Wing last week, his eyes fixed on Fox News, Trump wasn’t talking about how he had led the nation through the deadliest pandemic in a century. In a conversation overheard by an Associated Press reporter, Trump was describing how he’d just publicly rebuked one of his top scientists — Dr. Robert Redfield, a virologist and head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Dearen, 9/23)
Politico:
Pence Calls 200,000 Covid Deaths A ‘Heartbreaking Milestone’ But Says Things Could’ve Been Worse
As the U.S. passed a grim milestone of 200,000 coronavirus-related deaths, Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday sent his condolences to victims and their families while also saying things could have been worse. Six weeks from the election, Pence spoke at a Make America Great Again event in Gilford, N.H., to raise support for President Donald Trump in a state that he narrowly lost in 2016. Addressing the news of the new 200,000 death count midday, Pence called it a “heartbreaking milestone.” (Kim, 9/22)
NPR:
Where Did The 200,000 COVID-19 Victims Die? A Growing Share In Smaller Towns
When COVID-19 claimed its first 100,000 lives in the U.S., Hidalgo County, Texas, seemed to have avoided the worst of it. The county, which sits on the border with Mexico, had just 10 deaths when the U.S. crossed that tragic milestone on May 27. But the U.S. has now doubled its death count to top 200,000 victims, and Hidalgo County has become one of the deadliest hot spots for COVID-19. Despite the lack of dense urban areas there — its largest city, McAllen, has fewer than 150,000 residents — the disease has killed more than 1,500 people across the county. (McMinn, Talbot and Eng, 9/22)
The Atlantic:
Why The U.S. Stopped Caring About COVID-19 Deaths
Sometime this week, alone on a hospital bed, an American died. The coronavirus had invaded her lungs, soaking them in fluid and blocking the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide that makes up our every breath. Her immune system’s struggle to fight back might have sparked an overreaction called a cytokine storm, which shreds even healthy tissue. The doctors tried everything, but they couldn’t save her, and she became the 200,000th American taken by COVID-19—at least according to official counts. In reality, the COVID-19 death toll probably passed 200,000 some time ago. And yet “the photos of body bags have not had the same effect in the pandemic” as after other mass-casualty events such as Hurricane Katrina, says Lori Peek, a sociologist at the University of Colorado Boulder who studies disasters. “Is our national empathy—our care and love and concern for one another—at such a low level that we are not truly feeling, in our bones, in our hearts, and in our souls, the magnitude of the loss?” (Khazan, 9/22)
The Hill:
Pelosi Holds Moment Of Silence For 200,000 Who Died Of Coronavirus
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) visited a memorial on the National Mall and led a moment of silence on the House floor commemorating the 200,000 people in the U.S. who have died of COVID-19. The death toll in the United States surpassed the 200,000 mark on Tuesday, according to data provided by Johns Hopkins University. The country has faced 6.8 million cases over the course of the past six months. (Brufke, 9/22)
The Washington Post:
FDA Poised To Announce Tougher Standards For A Covid-19 Vaccine That Make It Unlikely One Will Be Cleared By Election Day
The Food and Drug Administration is expected to spell out a tough new standard for an emergency authorization of a coronavirus vaccine as soon as this week that will make it exceedingly difficult for any vaccine to be cleared before Election Day. The agency is issuing the guidance to boost transparency and public trust as it approaches the momentous decision of whether a prospective vaccine is safe and effective. Public health experts are increasingly worried that President Trump’s repeated predictions of a coronavirus vaccine by Nov. 3, coupled with the administration’s interference in federal science agencies, may prompt Americans to reject any vaccine as rushed and potentially tainted. (McGinley and Johnson, 9/22)
The Hill:
Federal Panel Delays Vote On Initial COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution
A federal advisory committee on Tuesday discussed but did not formally recommend who should get the initial doses of a limited COVID-19 vaccine when it's available. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was expected to vote on prioritization but is now waiting until more data becomes available. (Weixel, 9/22)
Politico:
Senate Democrats Introduce Bill To Investigate Political Interference In Covid-19 Response
Senate Democrats want to create a task force to investigate any political interference in government health agencies' coronavirus response. Legislation introduced Tuesday would create a task force within the Pandemic Response and Accountability Committee — an independent body created by the CARES Act — to investigate what Democrats argue are clear examples of the Trump administration impeding scientific work by agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Lim, 9/22)
The Washington Post:
The Pentagon Funneled Coronavirus Relief Funds To Defense Contractors
A $1 billion fund Congress gave the Pentagon in March to build up the country’s supplies of medical equipment has instead been mostly funneled to defense contractors and used to make things such as jet engine parts, body armor and dress uniforms. The change illustrates how one taxpayer-backed effort to battle the novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 200,000 Americans, was instead diverted toward patching up long-standing perceived gaps in military supplies. (Gregg and Torbati, 9/22)
The Washington Post:
House Democrats Seek Investigation Into Pentagon’s Coronavirus Fund
Congressional Democrats sharply criticized a Defense Department decision to repurpose a $1 billion coronavirus fund into an economic stimulus for defense contractors, a change the lawmakers say violated congressional intent. Two lawmakers asked for an investigation and public hearings on the matter following a Washington Post article that revealed the change. The funds, set aside under the Cares Act economic stimulus package passed in March, were given to the Pentagon to “prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.” But the Defense Department decided to divert most of that funding toward long-standing defense concerns such as drone technology, body armor and dress uniforms. (Gregg and Torbati, 9/22)
Politico:
Trump Schedules Rally In Virginia To Reach Rural North Carolina
President Donald Trump is slated to hold a Friday evening rally in Virginia — but the trip is really about the next state over. Advisers say the idea behind Trump's event in Newport News at the end of the week is to woo voters in neighboring North Carolina, a key battleground where absentee balloting has begun. (Isenstadt, 9/22)
Politico:
Pence Aide Blasts Former Coronavirus Task Force Member Who Criticized Trump
Vice President Mike Pence’s national security adviser on Tuesday assailed the former White House coronavirus task force adviser who recently lambasted the administration’s pandemic response and announced that she’d vote for Joe Biden this November. Retired Gen. Keith Kellogg took to the podium during a press briefing at the White House to say he was “not proud of Olivia Troye,” and pushed back on her claims that President Donald Trump was callous in the face of the public health crisis, which has now killed more than 200,000 Americans. (Niedzwiadek, 9/22)
The Hill:
Trump Mocks Biden Appearance, Mask Use Ahead Of First Debate
President Trump mocked Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s appearance and use of a face mask on Tuesday as the first presidential debate draws nearer. “He feels good about the mask, and that’s OK. Whatever makes you feel good,” Trump said at a campaign rally in Pittsburgh. “Honestly, why the hell did he spend all that money on the plastic surgery if he’s going to cover it up with a mask?” (Moreno, 9/22)
The Hill:
First Presidential Debate To Cover Coronavirus, Supreme Court
President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden will face questions about the novel coronavirus, the Supreme Court and their respective records in elected office when they meet for the first 2020 presidential debate next week. Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, the moderator of the first debate, announced the list of topics on Tuesday. The debate will also cover the economy, race and violence in U.S. cities, and the integrity of the election, according to Wallace. (Chalfant, 9/22)
Politico:
Voters To Trump And Biden Camps: Don't Come Knocking On Our Doors
Voters overwhelmingly prefer that campaigns don’t dispatch workers to knock on their doors as part of their outreach efforts, with the number rising because of the pandemic that has sickened millions of Americans. Sixty-three percent of voters now feel apprehensive about encountering canvassers outside their door, according to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll released Tuesday. Just 28 percent say they are comfortable being contacted in person by campaign volunteers. (Cadelago, 9/22)
AP:
Judge Will Rule Soon On GOP Attempt To Block Mail Ballots
Requiring Montana counties to open polling places for November’s election would be “absolutely catastrophic,” for voters and for public health, the governor’s chief legal counsel, Raph Graybill, told a federal judge Tuesday.U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen heard arguments in Missoula on a motion by President Donald Trump’s campaign and other Republican groups who want to overturn an option that Gov. Steve Bullock gave counties to hold the election by mail to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Christensen said he would rule quickly. (Hanson, 9/23)
The Atlantic:
How Abortion May Change In The Supreme Court
For feminists who believe abortion access is essential to women’s health, advancement, and self-determination, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death was a gut punch. ... For anti-abortion activists, however, the solemnity of Ginsburg’s death was mixed with ecstasy: They believe they are about to taste victory. The next six weeks, which will almost certainly see a vicious Supreme Court confirmation battle amid the final race to Election Day, may determine the future of abortion in America for a generation. (Green, 9/22)
The Washington Post:
Coronavirus Could Be Considered A Preexisting Condition If Obamacare Is Struck Down
If the Supreme Court strikes down Obamacare in November, insurers could resume discriminating against Americans with preexisting medical conditions just as they did before the law was passed. Democrats are loudly insisting that this is an especially dangerous prospect in a pandemic, as coronavirus could be considered a pre-existing condition. (Cunningham and Ellerbeck, 9/22)
The Hill:
Pelosi: Trump Hurrying To Fill SCOTUS Seat So He Can Repeal ObamaCare
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Tuesday that President Trump is rushing to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg so he can repeal ObamaCare, formally known as the Affordable Care Act. “Why the president is in such a rush is because he’s in a hurry to overturn the Affordable Care Act. And he wants to do that,” Pelosi said at The Atlantic Festival on Tuesday night. “The oral arguments start Nov. 10, a week after the election, and he wants to get a justice in there in time for that so they can hear the arguments and vote on it.” (Moreno, 9/22)
NPR:
Trump Expands Ban On Racial Sensitivity Training To Contractors
He signed an executive order that requires contracts to now include a provision that says contractors with the federal government will not have "workplace training that inculcates in its employees any form of race or sex stereotyping or any form of race or sex scapegoating" or face the cancellation of contracts. "Instructors and materials teaching that men and members of certain races, as well as our most venerable institutions, are inherently sexist and racist are appearing in workplace diversity trainings across the country, even in components of the Federal Government and among Federal contractors," the order says. (9/22)
The Washington Post:
Hospital Where Activists Say ICE Detainees Were Subjected To Hysterectomies Says Just Two Were Performed There
A hospital in rural Georgia where a physician has been accused of performing a large number of hysterectomies on immigrant detainees said its records show that just two women in immigration custody have been referred to the hospital for the procedure since 2017. Heath Clark, an attorney for ERH Healthcare, which operates the Irwin County Hospital, said both of the procedures were performed by Mahendra Amin, the physician whom activists have accused of carrying out forced sterilizations on immigrant women in U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement custody. (Miroff, 9/22)
The Desert Sun:
'I'm Afraid Of Dying Here': COVID-19 Outbreak At Adelanto ICE Detention Center In California Forces Mass Testing
Hundreds of detainees and staff at a federal immigration detention center in California are being tested for COVID-19 amid an outbreak of the highly contagious virus. Saturation testing of detainees at the 1,940-bed Adelanto ICE Processing Center in San Bernardino County was expected to be completed by Sunday, according to Gabriel Valdez, assistant field office director of enforcement and removal operations for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The facility, owned and operated by private prison company The GEO Group, is one of the largest immigration detention centers in the country. (Plevin, 9/22)
NPR:
After Aerosols Misstep, Former CDC Official Criticizes Agency Over Unclear Messaging
"We've seen the deliberate undermining of public health over the course of this outbreak for political purpose," said Khan, Dr. Ali Khan, who used to direct the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response at the CDC and is now the dean of the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. "And we have seen numerous examples now of deliberate change of guidance that's not evidence-based. ... Unfortunately, it's becoming harder to trust what CDC tells us." (Doubek, 9/22)
WYRK:
CDC Says To Avoid Large Indoor Gatherings For Thanksgiving
Like Halloween, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laid out the risks when it comes to Thanksgiving activities. Among the "Low-Risk Activities," are small dinners with people that only live in your household, having a virtual dinner with family and friends, and shopping online for deals. "Moderate-Risk Activities" include having a small outdoor dinner with family and friends in your community, visiting pumpkin patches or apple orchards (where masks and social distancing is enforced), and attending a small outdoor sporting event with safety precautions in place. (Owen, 9/23)
WKBW Buffalo, NY:
Will COVID Crash Your Thanksgiving Plans? The CDC Weighs-In
In 65 days, people across the nation will be hard at work, preparing a Thanksgiving feast. But, before you make any plans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is offering some guidance to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. On its website, the institute is laying-out the risks associated with typical holiday traditions. (9/22)
The Hill:
Fauci Warns Of Fall Coronavirus Dangers: 'We Are Entering Into A Risk Period'
Anthony Fauci, the U.S.’s top infectious diseases expert, warned Tuesday that the country is “entering into a risk period” for rising coronavirus infections as fall begins. Asked by CNN’s Sanjay Gupta “how bad … this could get” in the fall, Fauci responded, “It’s always the balance of trying not to frighten people at the same time of trying to jolt them into a realization of what needs to be done to protect themselves as individuals and the country.” (Budryk, 9/22)
The New York Times:
Despite Claims, Trump Rarely Uses Wartime Law In Battle Against Covid
As schools reopen and cold weather heightens the likelihood of a spike in coronavirus cases, nurses and doctors fear that shortages of the respirator masks, surgical gowns and disposable gloves needed to shield them from infection will return with a vengeance. President Trump has sweeping powers to compel companies to produce protective gear and to guarantee that the federal government will pay them for it — and as his election campaign intensifies, he has been boasting about aggressively using them. But in fact, most of his administration’s use of that authority, granted under the Cold-War Defense Production Act, has had nothing to do with the pandemic. (Jacobs, 9/22)
The Washington Post:
Ricin Letter Suspect Pleads Not Guilty
Pascale Cecile Veronique Ferrier, 53, was charged by complaint with one felony count of making a threat against the U.S. president. The FBI in charging papers also alleged that she was linked to similar letters sent to employees at detention facilities in Texas, where she was incarcerated last year. Ferrier, a computer programmer from Quebec, was arrested Sunday in Buffalo upon reentering the United States from Canada. She made an initial court appearance Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate H. Kenneth Schroeder Jr. of Buffalo, who entered the not guilty plea. (Hsu, 9/22)
The New York Times:
Ricin Suspect Threatened To Kill Trump Over Re-Election Campaign, Prosecutors Say
Ms. Ferrier wrote in a threatening and scornful letter sent with the ricin that she believed Mr. Trump was a dictator who was hurting the United States. “I found a new name for you: ‘The Ugly Tyrant Clown’ I hope you like it,” she wrote. “You ruin USA and lead them to disaster. I have US cousins, then I don’t want the next 4 years with you as president. Give up and remove your application for this election.” (Schmidt, 9/22)
The Wall Street Journal:
Plea Entered For Woman Accused Of Mailing Poison To White House
A Canadian woman accused of mailing ricin to the White House last week appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Buffalo, N.Y., Tuesday afternoon to face a charge of making threats against President Trump. Pascale Cecile Veronique Ferrier, 53 years old, was arrested Sunday on the U.S.-Canada border; in court, she was accompanied by a French interpreter and a court-appointed lawyer. Ms. Ferrier wasn’t required to enter a plea at the hearing, but U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder Jr. entered a not-guilty plea on her behalf and ordered her detained, after a federal prosecutor cited “serious risk of flight.” (Davis O'Brien, 9/22)
The Hill:
Pressley Applauded On House Floor After Moving Speech On Living With Alopecia
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) received a round of applause from fellow lawmakers on Tuesday after delivering an emotional speech on the House floor regarding her life with alopecia areata, a condition that causes hair loss. In the five-minute speech, the freshman congresswoman shared intimate details about coming to terms with the reality of her condition and urged support for a bill authored by herself and Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) that would allow seniors to purchase medical wigs using Medicaid funds. (Bowden, 9/22)
NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth:
Thousands Of Hurricane Laura Evacuees Still Sheltering At North Texas Hotels, Many Say Resources Are Not Coming Fast Enough
Thousands of Hurricane Laura Evacuees are currently being housed in hotels throughout the DFW area. But they said the arrival of additional daily necessities has been slow. Darchel Levy knows what it’s like to be uprooted and forced to relocate. She lives in North Texas now, but it wasn’t always home. (Sweat, 9/21)
USA Today:
First COVID-19 Vaccine Recipients Will Get Daily CDC Check-In Texts
As the United States gears up for a massive immunization effort to begin as soon as a coronavirus vaccine is available, health officials are planning the details of the rollout. While all new vaccines are closely followed once they enter the market, because a COVID-19 vaccine is likely to be released under an Emergency Use Authorization, safety considerations are front and center. (Weise, 9/22)
AP:
What A Gift: Russia Offers UN Staff Free Virus Vaccines
What do you do when Vladimir Putin offers you Russia’s new coronavirus vaccine, for free? United Nations staff in New York and around the world are now facing that choice, after the Russian president offered Tuesday to provide them the Sputnik-V vaccine in a speech to this year’s General Assembly marking the body’s 75th birthday. (9/22)
Reuters:
Fujifilm's Avigan Shown To Be Effective In Japanese Phase-3 Trial For COVID-19
Fujifilm Holdings Corp said on Wednesday a late-stage study of its antiviral drug Avigan showed it reduced recovery times for COVID-19 patients with non-severe symptoms, boosting expectations for regulatory approval in Japan. The Phase 3 clinical study of 156 patients in Japan showed that those treated with Avigan improved after 11.9 days, versus 14.7 days for a placebo group. Results of the study, conducted by subsidiary Fujifilm Toyama Chemical, were statistically significant, the company said in a release. (9/22)
The Washington Post:
These Are The Top Coronavirus Vaccines To Watch
The worldwide effort to create a vaccine for the novel coronavirus kicked off in January, soon after scientists in China posted online the genome of a virus causing a mysterious pneumonia. Vaccine development usually takes years and unfolds step by step. Experimental vaccine candidates are created in the laboratory and tested in animals before moving into progressively larger human clinical trials. These steps are now overlapping in the race to find a vaccine for a global disease that has killed hundreds of thousands of people. Human testing began in some cases before animal studies were finished. As companies launch small Phase 1 trials intended to establish the correct dose, they already are planning the Phase 3 trials that evaluate whether the vaccines are effective and safe. (Steckelberg, Johnson, Florit and Alcantara, 9/21)
The Washington Post:
Tiny Bacteria Impact Our Health In Big Ways
When you hear the word “bacteria,” you might think of germs or disease. But not all bacteria are harmful. Trillions of these microorganisms — also called microbes — live on our skin and inside our bodies, but they’re too tiny to see with the naked eye. Our microbes have important jobs, ranging from helping us digest food to protecting us from infections. The genetic material for the microorganisms — including bacteria, fungi and other microbes — that reside on or in our bodies is called the human microbiome. (Rich, 9/22)
CIDRAP:
CARB-X To Fund Development Of Drug For E Coli Urinary Infections
CARB-X announced today that it will award drug maker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) up to $7.51 million to develop a drug to treat and prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by Escherichia coli. The award will help fund development of GSK3882347, an orally bioavailable small molecule drug that targets and binds itself to a protein (FimH) found on the surface of E coli, preventing the bacteria from binding to the bladder wall and causing an infection. GSK recently began a phase 1 study to explore the drug's safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics. (9/22)
CIDRAP:
Studies Explore Asymptomatic COVID-19 Cases, Racial Inequities
Today, PLOS Medicine published two large COVID-19 studies, one a meta-analysis of 79 international studies showing that most infected patients eventually have symptoms, and the other a study of 5.8 million US Department of Veterans Affairs patients revealing that blacks and Hispanics were more likely to be infected—but not to die within 30 days—than whites. (Van Beusekom, 9/22)
USA Today:
Sam's Club Offers Telehealth Option With Seattle-Based Virtual Clinic
Sam's Club is giving its members a new way to see the doctor – virtually. The Walmart-owned warehouse club chain announced a partnership with Seattle-based virtual primary care provider 98point6 Tuesday to provide members with an exclusive introductory fee and quarterly subscription. Sam's Club members with either a Club or Plus membership level can sign up for a quarterly subscription to 98point6’s telehealth virtual clinic via a text-based app for $20 per participant for the first three months, $10 less than 98point6’s regular sign-up fee of $30. (Tyko, 9/22)
CNN:
Kentucky Hospital CEO Pleads With People To Wear Masks As The Hospital Fills Up With Covid-19 Patients
As cases surge in Kentucky and Ohio, one hospital is begging residents to wear masks and practice social distancing, as it reaches capacity due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. "Our hospital is at capacity. We are working to open a third nursing unit to care for COVID patients," wrote Kristie Whitlatch, president and CEO of King's Daughters Medical Center in Ashland, Kentucky. "Multiple nursing units dedicated to one virus are unprecedented in our 120-year history." (Asmelash, 9/22)
(New Bern, N.C.) Sun Journal:
CarolinaEast Foundation Sends Gift Cards To LA Hurricane Relief
"I hope this small gift helps you get started with your recovery,” reads a note on a Target gift card. “We were flooded out of our home during Florence in 2018 so I can sympathize with you. Best wishes!”Such are the wishes, along with simpler expressions such as “You are Louisiana Strong” and “Blessings,” that decorate the 391 gift cards that the CarolinaEast Foundation is sending to the Lake Charles Memorial in Lake Charles where Hurricane Laura devastated homes and lives on August 27. The hospital’s foundation will distribute the cards, mostly gift cards for Target and Lowes, to its staff. (Hand, 9/22)
Stat:
In Another Health Bet, Amazon Expands Virtual Care Program For Employees
Amazon is expanding a virtual health care initiative for employees called Amazon Care on Tuesday to all of its staff in Washington, marking the initiative’s transition from pilot to a more fully-fledged program. The shipping giant — which has aggressively moved into health care in recent months — launched Amazon Care as a benefit to its office workers in Seattle last September and expanded the service to include warehouse employees in May. (Brodwin, 9/22)
Stat:
Novartis Sells Bonds Tied To Expanding Access To Drugs In Poor Countries
In a first-of-its-kind move by a large drug maker, Novartis (NVS) raised approximately $2.1 billion last week by selling bonds that are tied directly to its progress in making medicines accessible in certain low- and middle-income countries. Specifically, the stated goal is to expand the number of patients who receive its brand-name medicines by at least 200% by 2025, as well as programs that market medicines to combat leprosy, malaria, Chagas, and sickle cell disease by at least 50% over the same period. If the company fails to meet those expanded access goals, however, investors will receive higher interest payments. (Silverman, 9/22)
The New York Times:
For Young People’s Sexual Health, The Pandemic Changes The Game
Experts in adolescent sexual health are concerned that the coronavirus pandemic will have serious effects on the sexual health and social behavior of young people. “I would start from the fact that our young people are not OK,” said Laura Lindberg, a researcher at the Guttmacher Institute, who was the lead author of an article on the subject in June in the journal Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. Their developmental task, she said, is to separate from their parents, connect with their peers and build relationships, and “the pandemic has just put an enormous roadblock.” (Klass, 9/21)
The Washington Post:
What Is Psychological First Aid And How Do I Practice It?
If ever there were a time for people to know the important skills that make up what mental health experts refer to as “psychological first aid,” a pandemic is it. Like regular first aid, PFA is a way of helping someone in pain — except rather than cleaning and bandaging a cut or applying ice to a sprained ankle, you tend to someone’s anxiety or distress in a way that will ease it and help restore a sense of equanimity. Many disaster responders and public health professionals have been trained in PFA, but it’s time for the rest of us to join them, so we can help our families, our friends and ourselves. (Colino, 9/22)
Fox News:
Woman, 102, Beats Coronavirus After Surviving Cancer, 1918 Flu Pandemic
The novel coronavirus was apparently no match for a 102-year-old woman in New Hampshire. Mildred "Gerri" Schappals, who lives at The Huntington at Nashua, an assisted living facility, contracted COVID-19 in May but quickly recovered. "I was surprised," her daughter, Julia Schappals, told local news station WMUR. "But then again, I was not surprised that she survived. That's how she's been her entire life, and when we asked her about it she kind of poo-pooed it." (Farber, 9/22)
USA Today:
Lady Gaga And Her Mom Get Candid On Talking Mental Health With Parents
Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, are getting candid about mental health. During a ticketed, virtual event for their book "Channel Kindness: Stories of Kindness and Community" on Tuesday night, the pop star and her mom addressed a question from an attendee who asked for advice on opening up about mental health to parents. According to Germanotta, many young people resist talking about mental health with their parents because parents don't often share their own struggles with their children. (Trepany, 9/22)
USA Today:
Hotels May Have To Lay Off More Employees Amid COVID-19, Per Survey
Nearly three-quarters of hotels will have to lay off more employees during the coronavirus pandemic if they don't receive additional government funding, according to a new survey. Seventy-four percent of respondents to an American Hotel & Lodging Association survey of its members said they would have to lay off additional employees as they await passage of further COVID-19 recovery legislation from Congress. (Oliver, 9/21)
The Wall Street Journal:
Reopening Colleges Likely Fueled Covid-19 Significantly, Study Finds
Colleges and universities that reopened for face-to-face instruction might have caused tens of thousands of additional cases of Covid-19 in recent weeks, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Indiana University, the University of Washington and Davidson College. The researchers estimated that an extra 3,200 cases a day occurred in the U.S. that likely wouldn’t have happened had schools kept classes online. (Korn and Abbott, 9/22)
The Washington Post:
29-Hour Meeting Ends With Miami School Board Voting To Reopen Schools Next Month
After a 29-hour marathon meeting that included 18 hours of public testimony, the Miami-Dade County School Board voted Tuesday to start welcoming students back for in mid-October with a staggered return for five-days-a-week instruction. Miami-Dade, the fourth-largest school district in the country, had started the school year last month with all-remote learning. It was one of only a handful of systems in the state given permission to do so by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) because of exceptionally high coronavirus rates. (Strauss, 9/22)
AP:
More Kansas Schools Ending In-Person Classes, Sports
More Kansas schools have ended in-person classes and canceled sports because of coronavirus exposure and team quarantines. Both Haysville and Derby have quarantined their high school football teams, but Derby still plans to hold Friday night’s game, the Wichita Eagle reported. Chanute has canceled football games, but is continuing in-person classes against the recommendation of the state’s reopening guide. (9/22)
USA Today:
COVID-19: How Hybrid Schedules Impact Students With Online Learning
As school districts created their plans for returning to school, a hybrid schedule, which puts students into two groups who rotate attending in-person and virtually, emerged as a popular choice. But as districts go from fully virtual to hybrid schedules, it's also splitting students into two other groups — those who are in-person part-time and those who are always virtual. (Slaby, 9/23)
The New York Times:
N.Y.C. Warns About Rising Virus Cases In Hasidic Neighborhoods
New York City’s Health Department warned Tuesday evening that Covid-19 was spreading at increasing levels in several neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens, a worrisome indicator after a couple of months of declining or flat transmission. City health officials said that they were especially concerned about a clear uptick in transmission among some of the city’s Hasidic communities, which were devastated by Covid-19 in the spring but had seen few cases in the summer. (Goldstein, 9/22)
USA Today:
Michigan City Closes Playgrounds After Discovery Of 41 Razor Blades
A group of people at a Michigan playground discovered 39 razor blades on the equipment, prompting authorities to close playgrounds across the city, police said. Officers recovered an additional two blades after they were called at about 4:40 p.m. Monday to the playground, according to a news release from the Eaton Rapids Police Department. "Some of the blades appeared to have been placed intentionally to cause harm," police said on Facebook. (Berg, 9/22)
USA Today Network:
In One Michigan County, Almost Half Of COVID-19 Cases Tied To Farm Outbreaks
Seasonal workers who packed asparagus at a west Michigan farm initially chalked up their exhaustion, dizziness and headaches to the demands of working 13 hour-shifts seven days a week. But then some workers lost their sense of taste and smell and had a hard time breathing. By mid-June, it was clear that Todd Greiner Farms in Hart was dealing with a major COVID-19 outbreak among its workforce. (Jackson, Warikoo and Gee, 9/22)