First Edition: Aug. 18, 2020

Kaiser Health News: Teen Artist’s Portraits Help Frame Sacrifice Of Health Care Workers Lost To COVID
As Xinyi Christine Zhang watched the COVID-19 death toll among health care workers rise this spring, she wanted to find a way to give solace — and thanks — to their families. The teenager, of South Brunswick Township, New Jersey, joined her church in commemorating members who had died of COVID-19. But she was driven to try to do more, something personal. (Lawrence, 8/18)

Kaiser Health News and Politifact HealthCheck: GOP Senate Ad Misrepresents Mont. Governor’s Stance On Rural Hospitals, Public Option
An attack ad, which was released in mid-July, states that Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democratic candidate for the Senate, supports a government-run health care program that would wreak havoc on the state’s health care infrastructure. “Bullock’s health care plan will force rural hospitals to close. Medicare as we know it will change, replaced by a government-run program with fewer doctors and longer wait times,” says the narrator in the dark and grainy advertisement paid for by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). (Knight, 8/18)

Kaiser Health News: Isolation, Disruption And Confusion: Coping With Dementia During A Pandemic
Daisy Conant, 91, thrives off routine. One of her favorites is reading the newspaper with her morning coffee. But, lately, the news surrounding the coronavirus pandemic has been more agitating than pleasurable. “We’re dropping like flies,” she said one recent morning, throwing her hands up. “She gets fearful,” explained her grandson Erik Hayhurst, 27. “I sort of have to pull her back and walk her through the facts.” (de Marco, 8/18)

The Hill: COVID-19 Now No. 3 Cause Of Death In US 
COVID-19 is currently the third-leading cause of death in the U.S., eight months after the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in the country. The coronavirus is behind only heart disease and cancer among causes of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (Coleman, 8/17)

AP: Texas Becomes 4th State To Surpass 10,000 Virus Deaths
Texas surpassed 10,000 confirmed coronavirus deaths Monday as the lingering toll of a massive summer outbreak continues, and health experts expressed concerns that recent encouraging trends could be fragile as schools begin reopening for 5 million students across the state. Roughly four in every five of those deaths were reported after June 1. Texas embarked on one of the fastest reopenings in the country in May before an ensuing surge in cases led Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to backtrack and impose a statewide mask order. August has seen an improving outlook, although Texas officials are now concerned that not enough people are seeking tests. (Weber, 8/17)

The Washington Post: On Democratic Convention’s First Night, Speakers Blame Trump For America’s Woes 
Democrats kicked off their virtual nominating convention Monday with a focused denunciation of President Trump, showcasing dozens of testimonials that culminated in lancing criticism from former first lady Michelle Obama, who cast Trump as incapable of meeting America’s needs and said Joe Biden would usher in racial justice and ease the coronavirus pandemic. In the centerpiece speech of the night, a searing indictment of her husband Barack Obama’s successor, Obama declared that Trump has mishandled the pandemic and failed to respond to outcries over the deaths of Black Americans. She warned that the nation would suffer more if he is elected to a second term. (Johnson, Scherer, Wootson Jr., Janes, Stanley-Becker, Sonmez and Wagner, 8/18)

The New York Times: Michelle Obama, Capping Off First Night of Democratic Convention, Hits Trump for Lacking Empathy
Casting aside her reluctance to engage in political combat, Michelle Obama delivered an impassioned keynote address to cap off the first night of the Democratic convention and offered a withering assessment of President Trump, accusing him of creating “chaos,” sowing “division” and governing “with a total and utter lack of empathy.” (Saul, 8/18)

The Hill: Whitmer Faults Trump For Fighting Other Americans More Than Virus 
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) faulted President Trump for fighting “his fellow Americans” more than the coronavirus during her speech at the Democratic National Convention. The Michigan governor called out the president for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic during the convention held virtually because of COVID-19. (Coleman, 8/17)

The Hill: Daughter Of Trump Voter Who Died Of COVID-19 Addresses Democratic Convention 
The daughter of one of President Trump's 2016 supporters who later died from COVID-19 blistered the president during a speech Monday night as part of the virtual Democratic National Convention. Kristin Urquiza, who previously penned an obituary criticizing Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) following her father's death, said Monday that her father told her before his death that he felt "betrayed" by the president due to his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. "His only preexisting condition was trusting Donald Trump," Urquiza said. (Bowden, 8/17)

Politico: Biden Says He Thought About Suicide After 1972 Death Of His Wife And Daughter
Joe Biden says he contemplated suicide following the 1972 car crash that killed his wife and daughter, opening up about his personal encounters with loss in pre-released clips on Monday from an upcoming documentary. The presumptive Democratic nominee’s life has been defined by the deaths of those close to him. Although tragedy forms a crucial part of his political outlook, Biden’s comments represent some of the most intense disclosures about his mental health struggles after the deaths of his family members. (Cohen, 8/17)

The Hill: With Biden, Advocates Sense Momentum For Lifting Abortion Funding Ban
Abortion rights advocates are pinning their hopes on presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden to help end a longstanding ban on the use of federal funds for abortion — a policy he supported for more than 40 years. Biden reversed his position by denouncing the so-called Hyde amendment last year, but its future doesn’t just depend on who wins the White House. Democrats will also need to make major gains in the Senate, keep control of the House and gain the support of more moderate Democratic lawmakers on a divisive issue. (Hellmann, 8/17)

Stat: Trump's Facebook Ad Blitz Casts Biden As Pharma's Choice 
President Trump’s reelection campaign is appealing to swing voters by attacking “Big Pharma” in a new digital advertising blitz. In Facebook and Instagram ads launched on Sunday, Trump touts a plan to lower prescription drug prices and casts his Democratic opponent, former vice president Joe Biden, as the drug industry’s preferred candidate in November’s election. (Facher, 8/18)

AP: Trump Rule On Transgender Health Blocked At The 11th Hour
The lawsuit against the Trump administration rule was brought by an advocacy group, the Human Rights Campaign, on behalf of two transgender women. One of the plaintiffs is an Army veteran, and the other a writer and activist. Judge Block dismissed as “disingenuous” arguments from HHS that its rule was legally valid, and he wrote that the agency acted “arbitrarily and capriciously” in enacting it. HHS said it was disappointed by the judge’s decision. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 8/18)

The New York Times: Judge Blocks Trump Officials’ Attempt To End Transgender Health Protections 
A federal judge on Monday blocked an effort by the Trump administration to erase protections for transgender patients against discrimination by doctors, hospitals and health insurance companies, dealing a blow to the broader legal reasoning it has used to try to roll back transgender rights across the government.Judge Frederic Block of the United States District Court in Brooklyn found that the administration’s new rule, which was finalized in mid-June by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights, appeared to be incompatible with a Supreme Court case, decided days later, establishing that employers cannot discriminate against transgender people in the workplace. (Sanger-Katz and Weiland, 8/17)

Politico: Trump-Backed Transgender Athlete Ban Paused In Idaho 
A federal judge decided Monday to temporarily block an Idaho law that bars transgender women from participating in school sports and requires testing if an athlete’s sex is in question. Idaho’s "Fairness in Women’s Sports Act" will now be on pause while the judge continues to decide whether the law violates the equal protection and due process clauses of the 14th Amendment, as well as the unlawful searches and seizures clause of the Fourth Amendment. (Quilantan, 8/17)

The Hill: Trump Says He Has Rejected Pentagon Proposal To Slash Military Health Care 
The Pentagon did not immediately return a request for comment. Under the proposal, the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness would need to save $2.2 billion in military health, a number officials settled on after months of discussions during the cost-cutting review, a defense official told Politico. (Coleman, 8/17)

Politico: Trump Rejects Pentagon's Proposed Cuts To Military Health Care 
President Donald Trump on Monday said he had rejected a proposal working its way through the Pentagon to cut military health services by $2.2 billion as part of an overall spending review. "A proposal by Pentagon officials to slash Military Healthcare by $2.2 billion dollars has been firmly and totally rejected by me," Trump tweeted on Monday night. "We will do nothing to hurt our great Military professionals & heroes as long as I am your President. Thank you!" (Diamond and Seligman, 8/17)

Politico: House To Vote On $25B Infusion For Postal Service Amid Trump Attacks 
Speaker Nancy Pelosi finalized plans Monday to provide billions of dollars in funding to the flailing Postal Service as Democrats seek to prop up the agency ahead of the November election, even while senior Republicans decry the move as partisan and unnecessary. The House will vote Saturday on legislation that will deliver $25 billion to address funding shortfalls and block organizational changes at the Postal Service that Democrats say are politically motivated and threaten to jeopardize the presidential election by inhibiting mail-in voting. (Caygle, Ferris and Levine, 8/17)

The Washington Post: Trump Says Mail-In Voting Could Be ‘Catastrophic.’ Here’s How Other Countries Do It. 
The novel coronavirus pandemic has made voting more complicated — and potentially dangerous. For many countries, remote voting, either by mail or online, could offer a solution. Some nations that have held elections during the pandemic, including Poland and South Korea, promoted mail-in voting. Ahead of the November presidential election, the Trump administration has done the opposite. (Taylor, 8/17)

NPR: Key Seniors Group Presses Postmaster General To Safeguard Voting By Mail
Just as the Democratic National Convention kicked off tonight, the AARP — the largest nonpartisan group advocating for Americans 50 and over — weighed in on the debate about the importance of voting by mail. The group is urging Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to suspend any changes to mail delivery operations. Nancy LeaMond, AARP executive vice president and chief advocacy and engagement officer, told DeJoy in a letter that her group “has become increasingly concerned that recent changes in mail processing operations may be compromising the health and safety of millions of older Americans and may unduly restrict the ability of all Americans to safely participate in the upcoming elections, whether they choose to vote from home or in-person.” (8/17)

Politico: Senate Republicans To Introduce Smaller Covid Package That Includes Billions For Postal Service 
Senate Republicans are planning to introduce a “skinny” coronavirus relief bill, amid an impasse in negotiations between the White House and top Democratic leaders. The latest GOP coronavirus relief bill is expected to include $300 in boosted weekly federal unemployment benefits until December 27, another round of money for the Paycheck Protection Program and an additional $10 billion for the U.S. Postal Service and liability protections. The proposal is also expected to include money for education and testing. (Levine, 8/17)

Politico: Former DHS Official: Trump Wanted To Withhold California Wildfire Money For Political Reasons 
President Donald Trump wanted to shut off emergency relief for California amid devastating wildfires because it was a blue state, and he tried to deliberately separate families to deter immigration, according to a scathing account given by a former administration official on Monday. In a new ad by the group Republican Voters Against Trump, Miles Taylor, former chief of staff to former Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, said Trump was “actively doing damage to our security,” recounting a number of episodes that he said revealed Trump’s inability to lead. (Choi, 8/17)

Stat: Opioid Prescriptions Written For Medicare Part D Beneficiaries Drop
In 2019, about one in four Medicare Part D beneficiaries received at least one prescription opioid. Specifically, 26% of beneficiaries, or 12.6 million of the 48.3 million people enrolled in the program, received opioids. This was a drop from the previous year, when 29% of beneficiaries received the addictive painkillers through Part D and, significantly, the fourth-consecutive year of decline. (Silverman, 8/17)

AP: FDA Flags Accuracy Issue With Widely Used Coronavirus Test
Potential accuracy issues with a widely used coronavirus test could lead to false results for patients, U.S. health officials warned. The Food and Drug Administration issued the alert Monday to doctors and laboratory technicians using Thermo Fisher’s TaqPath genetic test. Regulators said issues related to laboratory equipment and software used to run the test could lead to inaccuracies. The agency advised technicians to follow updated instructions and software developed by the company to ensure accurate results. (Perrone, 8/18)

The Hill: Delta Partnering With CVS For Employee Rapid-Response Coronavirus Testing 
Delta Air Lines is expanding its employee coronavirus testing program to include a testing option that takes fewer than 15 minutes to diagnose, the company announced on Tuesday. The airline will use CVS Health Return Ready testing, which is a rapid-response nasal swab test. It will be overseen by a CVS clinician in Delta hub crew lounges. (Gangitano, 8/18)

The Hill: Novavax Coronavirus Vaccine Candidate Begins Phase Two Trials 
Novavax on Monday announced it would proceed with phase two clinical trials to determine if its coronavirus vaccine candidate showed positive results for patients. The Maryland-based firm is one of several companies around the world working to develop a vaccine to protect against COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Its move to begin the second phase of study comes just weeks after reporting that its vaccine showed promising signs in early trials. (Wise, 8/17)

CNBC: ‘You Can’t Fix Stupid’ — Trump Trade Advisor Peter Navarro Rips Kodak Executives As Dumbest Ever
White House trade advisor Peter Navarro blasted executives at Eastman Kodak on Monday for their handling of a government loan to produce pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States. “Based on what I’m seeing, what happened at Kodak was probably the dumbest decisions made by executives in corporate history,” Navarro said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” (Stankiewicz, 8/17)

CNN: Oleandrin Treatment For Coronavirus Is 'Nonsense' Right Now, Experts Say 
Is the White House about to promote a new, unproven and sketchy coronavirus treatment? Mike Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow and an enthusiastic Trump supporter, says so. He told CNN he took part in a July meeting with President Trump to discuss oleandrin as a potential treatment for coronavirus. But such early enthusiasm for the compound, made using a toxic shrub, is not only strange, but disturbing, three infectious disease specialists told CNN Monday. (Fox, 8/18)

The New York Times: Covid-19: What If ‘Herd Immunity’ Is Closer Than Scientists Thought? 
To achieve so-called herd immunity — the point at which the virus can no longer spread widely because there are not enough vulnerable humans — scientists have suggested that perhaps 70 percent of a given population must be immune, through vaccination or because they survived the infection. Now some researchers are wrestling with a hopeful possibility. In interviews with The New York Times, more than a dozen scientists said that the threshold is likely to be much lower: just 50 percent, perhaps even less. If that’s true, then it may be possible to turn back the coronavirus more quickly than once thought. (Mandavilli, 8/17)

CIDRAP: COVID-19 Cases, Deaths May Follow Weekly Pattern 
MIT, Boston University, and Harvard Medical School researchers have identified weekly oscillations in the numbers of new daily COVID-19 cases and deaths in several countries that are more pronounced than fluctuations seen with other diseases. ... In the United States, the lag time between daily new cases and deaths was 2 days, compared with 1 day for Germany. But the authors said that the lag was not caused by epidemiologic factors but rather by possible bias in the disease surveillance system. (Van Beusekom, 8/17)

Reuters: More Infectious Coronavirus Mutation May Be 'A Good Thing,' Says Disease Expert 
An increasingly common mutation of the novel coronavirus found in Europe, North America and parts of Asia may be more infectious but appears less deadly, according to a prominent infectious diseases doctor. Paul Tambyah, senior consultant at the National University of Singapore and president-elect of the International Society of Infectious Diseases, said evidence suggests the proliferation of the D614G mutation in some parts of the world has coincided with a drop in death rates, suggesting it is less lethal. (8/17)

Reuters: Pandemic Now Driven By 20s, 30s, 40s Group, Many Asymptomatic: WHO
The World Health Organization said on Tuesday it was concerned that the novel coronavirus spread was being driven by people in their 20s, 30s and 40s, many of which were unaware they were infected, posing a danger to vulnerable groups. “The epidemic is changing,” WHO Western Pacific regional director, Takeshi Kasai, told a virtual briefing. “People in their 20s, 30s and 40s are increasingly driving the spread. Many are unaware they are infected.” (Lema and Jerome Morales, 8/17)

NPR: How Bars Are Fueling COVID-19 Outbreaks
From the early days of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak, states have wrestled with the best course of action for the nation's imperiled bars and nightclubs. Many of these businesses find their economic prospects tied to a virus that preys on their industry's lifeblood — social gatherings in tight quarters. Public health experts and top health officials, including the Dr. Tony Fauci, say the evidence is abundantly clear: When bars open, infections tend to follow. (Stone, 8/18)

The New York Times: Coronavirus Doctors Battle Another Scourge: Misinformation 
An emergency room doctor in Illinois was accused in April of profiting from naming coronavirus as the cause of a patient’s death, a rumor spreading online. An internist in New York treated a vomiting patient in May who drank a bleach mixture as part of a fake virus cure found on YouTube. ... Doctors on the front lines of the global pandemic say they are fighting not just the coronavirus, but also increasingly combating a never-ending scourge of misinformation about the disease that is hurting patients. (Satariano, 8/17)

The Hill: Study: Black Newborns More Likely To Survive When Cared For By Black Doctors 
Black newborns are more likely to survive during childbirth when cared for by Black doctors, according to a study published Monday. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that Black babies were three times more likely to die in the hospital than white newborns when cared for by white doctors. When Black doctors cared for Black babies, the mortality rate was cut in half. (Coleman, 8/17)

CIDRAP: COVID-19 Patients With Heart Disease At Risk For Complications, Death
A meta-analysis by Italian researchers published late last week in PLOS One shows that COVID-19 patients who have or are at risk for cardiovascular disease are more likely than others to develop cardiovascular complications and die from their infections.Researchers analyzed data from 21 published observational studies involving 77,317 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Asia, Europe, and the United States. At hospital admission, 12.9% of the patients had cardiovascular conditions, 36.1% had high blood pressure, 33.8% were obese, 19.5% had diabetes, and 10.7% were smokers. Of all patients, 11.7% had coronary artery disease, 9.4% had heart failure, and 5.3% had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. (8/17)

The Washington Post: I Downloaded Covidwise, America's First Bluetooth Exposure-Notification App. You Should, Too. 
There’s a new kind of app that uses your smartphone’s Bluetooth wireless signals to figure out when you’ve been in contact with someone who has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. It pops up the world’s most stressful-yet-helpful notification: “You have likely been exposed.” For the past week and a half, 35 Washington Post staff members have been helping me test America’s first exposure-notification app using technology from Apple and Google. It’s called Covidwise, and works in the state of Virginia. Made by state health departments, similar apps are also now available in North Dakota (Care19 Alert), Wyoming (also called Care19 Alert), and Alabama (Guidesafe). In total, 20 states and territories are developing apps that will cover nearly half the U.S. population. (Fowler, 8/17)

Stat: How Do You Separate Scientifically Sound Stem Cell Therapies From Scams?
For patients who’ve run out of other options, experimental, unproven therapies like stem cell treatments offer new hope. But how do you sort the scientifically legitimate from the dangerous? (Ortolano, 8/18)

CIDRAP: Information Card Boosts Patient Knowledge Of Antibiotics, UK Study Finds
Introduction of an "antibiotic information card" (AIC) for patients being discharged from the acute medical unit (ACU) of an English hospital significantly increased patient knowledge about antibiotic prescriptions but did not affect the readmission rate, UK researchers reported late last week in the American Journal of Infection Control. The card was introduced in the ACU at William Harvey Hospital from November 2019 to January 2020 as part of an effort to improve patient compliance with antibiotic regimens. (8/17)

The Hill: Dozens Of Public Health Officials Are Quitting During Pandemic 
Health officials across the country are calling it quits in the midst of a global pandemic as otherwise below-the-radar public servants become the targets of anger and frustration in a hyperpartisan age. In some cases, government health officials have quit or been removed from their jobs after clashing with elected leaders. (Wilson, 8/17)

Stat: Unity, A Biotech Seeking To Develop Anti-Aging Drugs, Fails An Early Test
Unity Biotechnology said Monday that its experimental treatment for osteoarthritis failed to improve knee pain compared to a placebo in a mid-stage clinical trial. The outcome is likely to raise new doubts about the biotech’s ability to develop drugs to reverse the symptoms and diseases associated with aging. (Feuerstein, 8/17)

Stat: How Teladoc Won: The Inside Story Of How Prescient Bets Put It Ahead Of Rivals
The unquestioned leader in a virtual care sector that has surged in the Covid-19 era, Teladoc has a relationship with more than one-fifth of the U.S. population. The telemedicine provider’s planned acquisition of diabetes coaching company Livongo is poised to make it even more of a juggernaut: The two companies had a combined market capitalization of nearly $30 billion as of the end of the day on Monday. (Robbins and Brodwin, 8/18)

Reuters: Study Links COVID-19 To Rise In Childhood Type 1 Diabetes 
Cases of type 1 diabetes among children in a small UK study almost doubled during the peak of Britain’s COVID-19 epidemic, suggesting a possible link between the two diseases that needs more investigation, scientists said on Tuesday. While the study is based on only a handful of cases, it is the first to link COVID-19 and new-onset type 1 diabetes in children, and doctors should be on the look-out, the Imperial College London researchers said. (Kelland, 8/18)

The Washington Post: Only 40 Percent Of American Kids Are Aerobically Fit 
Less than half of American adolescents are aerobically fit — about 40 percent, according to a new report from the American Heart Association. These young people have what is known, in medical terms, as good cardiorespiratory fitness, referring to the body’s ability to supply oxygen to muscles to produce energy during physical activity. (Searing, 8/17)

The Hill: Kansas Schoolteacher Created Database Of 700 Schools Reporting Coronavirus 
A Kansas high school teacher created what is believed to be the first national database tracking the effects of COVID-19 in K-12 schools, which has now chronicled the spread of the virus at more than 700 schools. What began as a personal project to assuage her anxiety about students returning to the classroom turned into a crowd-sourced database manned by around 35 volunteers, Olathe High School theater director Alisha Morris told The Washington Post.Morris told the Post she believes it is the first national database on school outbreaks. It includes schools in 41 states, as of Monday afternoon. (Bikales, 8/17)

The Hill: LA School District Unveils Coronavirus Testing, Contact Tracing Program For Students, Staff 
The Los Angeles Unified School District on Sunday unveiled a plan to provide regular COVID-19 testing and contact tracing to school staff, students and their families. The plan will begin Monday in a measured fashion, with the first test provided to staff already working at schools and their children. The program will then be expanded to provide testing to all staff and students over time, with a goal in the early phase to establish a baseline, the district said in a release. (Klar, 8/17)

AP: Unhealthy Air From Wildfire Smoke Postpones Reno Schools
After weeks of debating how best to begin the new school year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, school officials in Reno postponed reopening classrooms Monday due to unhealthy air quality and other concerns about a nearby California wildfire. Washoe County schools had been scheduled to reopen Monday for the first time since March as part of a district-wide plan to combine in-person and distance learning. (Sonner, 8/17)

The New York Times: How To Protect Children’s Eyes During Remote Learning 
More time in front of screens, whether for school or for fun and connection, can result in eye strain, fatigue and headaches, but experts offer simple ways for parents to protect their kids’ eyes during a time when screens are a bigger part of everyday life. (Hoover Greenway, 8/17)

The Washington Post: Many Parents Say Returning To Work Depends On How Schools Open 
A recent Washington Post-Schar School nationwide poll found that 50 percent of working parents said it would be “harder” or “impossible” to do their jobs if their children’s schools provide only online instruction this fall, while 50 percent said it would have no effect. Not surprisingly, working parents with younger children expected the greatest disruption, with 66 percent of those with a child entering kindergarten through second grade saying all-online schooling would make it more difficult or impossible for them to do their jobs, as did 60 percent of parents with a child in grades three to five. (Heim and Clement, 8/17)

The Wall Street Journal: University Of North Carolina Retreats To Remote Learning For Undergrads After Coronavirus Outbreaks 
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will shift all undergraduate courses for the fall to remote instruction Wednesday, following a series of Covid-19 outbreaks on and around campus since starting classes last week. UNC reported 135 new cases in the past week, including 130 among students, with multiple separate clusters. Its positive-test rate was 13.6% between Aug. 10 and Aug. 16, according to a web dashboard that tracks cases, up from 2.8% the prior week. (Korn, 8/17)

The Hill: UNC-Chapel Hill Suspends In-Person Undergrad Classes After Multiple Coronavirus Clusters 
The University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill on Monday said it is suspending in-person undergraduate classes after multiple coronavirus clusters were reported since the school welcomed students back to campus a couple of weeks ago. All undergraduate in-person instruction will shift to remote learning as of Wednesday, the school announced. (Klar, 8/17)

Politico: Colleges' Best-Laid Coronavirus Plans Quickly Come Undone
UNC is hardly the only institution experiencing an uptick in infections within days of students returning to campus. Bethel College in North Newton, Kan., reported a cluster of 46 confirmed cases of Covid-19 through mandatory entry testing. Officials said 482 people have been tested and many still await their results. At Oklahoma State University, a sorority house is under quarantine after reporting 23 cases. (Quilantan, 8/17)

The Hill: Viral Videos Show Returning College Students Partying Without Masks 
Local officials have condemned viral videos of returning students attending parties without masks or physical distancing on university campuses around the country. The videos were taken at such colleges as Oklahoma State and the University of North Georgia. (Budryk, 8/17)

CIDRAP: Red Cabbage Suspected As Source Of Bagged Salad Cyclospora Outbreak
Red cabbage grown in Florida may be the source of Cyclospora in a multistate outbreak tied to a bagged salad mix produced by Fresh Express, based on results from a new method developed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for testing agricultural water for the parasite. The outbreak was first reported in the middle of June, though health officials weren't sure which ingredient in the salad mix was contaminated. In an Aug 14 update, the FDA said trace-back investigations suggested the source was either iceberg lettuce grown in California or red cabbage grown in Florida. (8/17)

AP: Report: Nursing Home Cases Up Nearly 80% In COVID-19 Rebound
COVID-19 cases in U.S. nursing homes jumped nearly 80% earlier this summer, driven by rampant spread across the South and much of the West, according to an industry report released Monday. “The case numbers suggest the problem is far from solved,” said Tamara Konetzka, a research professor at the University of Chicago, who specializes in long-term care. She was not involved with the study. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 8/17)

The Hill: Workplace Coronavirus Outbreaks Disproportionately Affecting Nonwhite Workers: CDC 
Outbreaks of COVID-19 in workplaces are disproportionately impacting Hispanic and Latino workers, especially those employed in the manufacturing, wholesale trade and construction industries, according to an analysis released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The analysis, which focused on COVID-19 outbreaks in Utah workplaces between March and June, found COVID-19 outbreaks tied to workplaces in 15 industries. Of the 277 COVID-19 outbreaks reported to the state in that time period, 210 occurred in workplaces. (Hellmann, 8/17)

The Hill: Cuomo: New York Gyms Can Reopen At 33 Percent Capacity 
Gyms in New York can reopen at 33 percent capacity next week so long as masks are worn at all times by customers and staff, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced Monday. Gyms have remained closed since the early days of the outbreak in New York. (Hellmann, 8/17)

The New York Times: Can NY Hold Off A Second Coronavirus Wave? 
Health experts in New York City thought that coronavirus cases would be rising again by now. Their models predicted it. They were wrong. New York State has managed not only to control its outbreak since the devastation of the early spring, but also to contain it for far longer than even top officials expected. (Goodman, 8/17)

The Washington Post: Coronavirus Invaded The District And Maryland Multiple Times In March, Genetic Analysis Shows
The coronavirus’s late-winter attack on the national capital region came from multiple, separate introductions, and the pathogen quickly spread among people who had not traveled outside the region recently or had known contact with infected people, according to a genetic analysis of virus samples from more than 100 patients. The study, from Johns Hopkins University scientists, highlights the challenge in preventing the arrival and spread of the highly contagious virus within a region that anchors the Northeast Corridor and boasts three international airports and a highly mobile population. (Achenbach, 8/17)

AP: 7th Texas Execution Delayed As Attorneys Cite Pandemic
A seventh scheduled execution of a Texas death row inmate has been delayed after his attorneys raised concerns over the state’s coronavirus outbreak.John Henry Ramirez, 36, had been set for a Sept. 9 execution for the 2004 stabbing death of Pablo Castro, a 45-year-old Corpus Christi convenience store worker. Authorities say Castro was stabbed after a robbery that netted just $1.25. In his motion asking for the delay, Kretzer had cited the coronavirus pandemic as the reason for the delay, arguing that putting people together in the execution chamber could pose a health risk. (8/17)