CNN: Americans' Perceived Risk Of Covid-19 Is Lower Than Any Time Since October, Poll Finds 
Americans' perception of risk from the coronavirus is the lowest it has been since October, a new poll has found. An Axios-Ipsos poll published Tuesday said 66% reported that they thought returning to pre-pandemic life now was a moderate risk or large risk. The poll was conducted February 5 to 8 and based on a nationally representative sample of 1,030 people age 18 and older. (Rogers and Thomas, 2/10)

The Wall Street Journal: Brutal Covid-19 Surge In The U.S. Weakens Significantly 
The most severe surge of the Covid-19 pandemic in the U.S. has weakened significantly, according to key metrics, though public-health experts and epidemiologists urge caution, given the spread of highly contagious new variants. Newly reported cases have dropped 56% over the past month, based on a seven-day average, marking a significantly steeper fall than the U.S. saw after the spring and summer surges. Hospitalizations have declined 38% since Jan 6. The seven-day average of Covid-19 tests returning positive fell over the past week to 6.93%, the lowest since Oct. 31. (Kamp and Ansari, 2/9)

Stat: Covid-19 Cases Are Falling. It Could Be A Calm Before A Variant-Driven Storm
If the U.S. Covid-19 epidemic were a marathon, the country might have made it to Mile 20. It’s been through a lot, and already, there are signs things are getting better. But there are building leg cramps that could make this last push, which isn’t actually all that short, really painful. (Joseph, 2/10)

In updates from California and Louisiana —

The New York Times: California, Besieged By Virus For Months, Has Most Deaths In U.S.
Dozens of times a day in Covid-19 wards across California, a scene like this plays out: A hospital chaplain watches as a death is announced by machine. Kristin Michealsen, a hospital chaplain in Los Angeles, stood at a man’s bedside, holding his hand. His relatives gathered at their home just minutes from the hospital — they were not allowed into the hospital ward. The patient’s heart had just stopped. Ms. Michealsen, an ordained minister, had watched a computer monitor as she accompanied the man to the edge of his life. Eighty beats per minute. Sixty. Forty. (2/10)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Mardi Gras 2020 Spawned Up To 50K Coronavirus Cases, Likely From A Single Source, Study Says
Public health officials have largely accepted that last year's Mardi Gras helped make New Orleans an early coronavirus hotspot in the U.S., even if a lack of testing made it hard to be sure. But a new study that sought to pinpoint how the virus spread through the city has found that 2020 Carnival revelry was responsible for tens of thousands of coronavirus cases, after a single person likely brought it to New Orleans in the weeks before Mardi Gras. Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute, Tulane University, LSU Health Shreveport and several other institutions said in a pre-publication report released Monday that the coronavirus probably arrived in New Orleans about two weeks before Fat Tuesday, likely from a person traveling from Texas. (Woodruff, 2/9)

Reuters: Eli Lilly's Antibody Combination Receives FDA Emergency Use Authorization For COVID-19
Eli Lilly’s combination antibody therapy to fight COVID-19 has been granted emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Lilly said on Tuesday. Lilly’s combination therapy of two antibodies, bamlanivimab and etesevimab, helped cut the risk of hospitalization and death in COVID-19 patients by 70%, data from a late-stage trial showed in January. Lilly said the therapy will be available immediately. (2/10)

The New York Times: F.D.A. Authorizes Another Antibody Treatment 
The approval of the treatment, which is manufactured by the drug maker Eli Lilly, gives doctors another option for patients with Covid-19 who are not sick enough to be hospitalized but are at high risk of becoming seriously ill. Such therapies received a publicity boost under President Donald Trump when he and several other politicians took them while sick with Covid-19, but the drugs have not been widely used in many places, even as hospitalizations soared through the fall and into the winter. Researchers are hopeful about suggestions in preliminary data that the new combination therapy may be better able to fight virus variants compared with a similar treatment already in use. (Robbins, 2/9)

In other news on drugs that may fight or prevent covid —

ABC11 Raleigh-Durham: Researchers Say Drug Tested At UNC Was Found To Effectively Treat And Prevent COVID-19 In Mice 
Scientists at the UNC School of Medicine and UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health say an orally administered experimental drug has proven effective at preventing and treating COVID-19 in mice in a lab setting. According to the scientists, the drug, EIDD-2801, halts SARS-CoV-2 replication and prevents infection of human cells in mice that are engineered to have human lung tissue. (2/9)

Reuters: Common Asthma Drug Cuts COVID-19 Hospitalization Risk, Recovery Time - Oxford Study
A commonly used asthma treatment appears to reduce the need for hospitalizations as well as recovery time for COVID-19 patients if given within seven days of symptoms appearing, researchers at the University of Oxford said on Tuesday. The findings were made following a mid-stage study of the steroid budesonide, sold as Pulmicort by AstraZeneca Plc and also used for treating smoker’s lung. The 28-day study of 146 patients suggested that inhaled budesonide reduced the risk of urgent care or hospitalization by 90% when compared with usual care, Oxford University said. (2/9)

The Hill: Cancer Drug Could Reduce COVID-19 Deaths, Study Finds 
Biotech company Veru announced Tuesday that the results of a COVID-19 treatment trial indicate that one of the firm's anti-cancer treatments was effective in reducing the risk of death among coronavirus patients. The company pointed to the results of a double-blind study involving 40 hospital patients, some of whom were given the company's VERU-111 anti-cancer treatment and others who were given a placebo, which found the drug was responsible for an 82 percent "relative reduction" in the rate of respiratory failure or death. (Bowden, 2/9)

CIDRAP: Novel Antiviral Interferon Lambda May Offer COVID-19 Outpatient Benefits
After adjusting for baseline viral load, COVID outpatients are more than four times more likely to have an undetectable viral load when treated with the experimental drug interferon lambda, according to a small study published late last week in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Interferon lambda is an antiviral protein that uses multiple pathways to attack viruses. It is most active in the liver, lungs, and intestine. (2/8)

Bloomberg: White House Announces Boost in Vaccine Shipments, New Sites
President Joe Biden’s administration will boost weekly vaccine shipments to states to 11 million from 10.5 million and launch a vaccination program through community health centers in every state and territory, White House adviser Jeff Zients said Tuesday. The administration will begin shipping doses to the centers as soon as next week. That will include a total of one million doses -- enough for 500,000 full vaccinations -- as the program ramps up in coming weeks, Zients said at a briefing. The timeline for those shipments wasn’t immediately clear. (Wingrove and LaVito, 2/9)

The Hill: White House To Ship COVID-19 Vaccines Directly To Community Health Centers 
Community health centers will be receiving coronavirus vaccines directly from the federal government next week, White House officials announced Tuesday. The goal of the new program is to focus on equitable vaccine distribution, in order to reach traditionally underserved areas. (Weixel, 2/9)

And the Biden administration prepares its public safety campaign —

The Wall Street Journal: Biden Administration Plans Covid-19 Safety Campaign Focused On Social Distancing, Mask Wearing 
The Biden administration plans to ramp up a public safety campaign focused on social distancing and mask wearing to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the coming weeks as states begin relaxing public-health measures, according to a person familiar with the matter. But the administration will delay a broad national campaign it had been planning that would promote vaccine awareness until more doses are available, the person said, and will instead launch a limited version targeting smaller groups where skepticism is pervasive. (Armour, 2/9)

In news about testing and tracing —

The Washington Post: As CDC Weighs Coronavirus Testing Requirement For Domestic Flights, Industry Voices Fierce Opposition 
U.S. public health officials are weighing whether to require domestic travelers to show proof of a negative coronavirus test before boarding their flights, drawing fierce opposition from airlines, labor unions and lawmakers but underscoring the severity of the pandemic and difficult trade-offs involved with trying to subdue it. ... Ed Bastian, chief executive of Delta Air Lines, said Tuesday on CNN that a testing requirement is a “horrible idea” and argued it would not make domestic travel safer. He is backed by a coalition of aviation groups, which released a four-page document outlining reasons requiring travelers in the United States to test negative before they board a flight would be ill-advised. (Aratani, Laris and Duncan, 2/9)

KHN: As Pandemic Surged, Contact Tracing Struggled; Biden Looks To Boost It 
Contact tracing, a critical part of efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus, has fallen behind in recent months as covid-19 cases have soared. President Joe Biden had pledged to change that. Biden proposes hiring 100,000 people nationwide as part of a new public health jobs corps. They would help with contact tracing and facilitate vaccination. Experts said it’s not clear that would be enough tracers to keep up with another surge in covid cases, even if the vaccination rate increases at the same time. (Findlay, 2/10)

CNN: US Coronavirus: About 1 In 10 Americans Have Gotten At Least Their First Covid-19 Shot. But Supply Challenges Remain 
About one in 10 Americans -- nearly 32.9 million people --- have so far received at least a first dose of the two-part Covid-19 vaccines, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows, and about 9.8 million people have been fully vaccinated. (Maxouris, 2/10)

The Washington Post: Coronavirus Live Updates: Most Americans Are Not Happy With How The Vaccination Process Is Going, Says New Gallup Poll 
Amid an unprecedented effort to vaccinate the country against the coronavirus, most Americans are dissatisfied by the daunting process to get immunized, according to a Gallup poll released Wednesday morning. Days into the Biden presidency, 66 percent of Americans were dissatisfied with the handling of the vaccine rollout, including 21 percent who were “very dissatisfied,” according to the Gallop survey of 4,098 adults conducted Jan. 25 to Jan. 31. The effort, riddled with long lines and supply shortages, has frustrated many people eligible for immunization, including health care workers and seniors, as some have been unable to book appointments. (Kornfield, 2/10)

In other news on the vaccine rollout —

The New York Times: Biden Pushes For Racial Equity In Vaccination, But Data Lags 
Federal health officials are struggling to gather accurate data on the race and ethnicity of people being vaccinated against the coronavirus, hampering President Biden’s push for racial equity in a pandemic that has taken a disproportionate toll on communities of color. Mr. Biden has repeatedly said racial equity will be at the core of his administration’s coronavirus response. On Tuesday, White House officials announced a program to ship doses of vaccine directly to a network of federally funded clinics in underserved areas, beginning next week. (Stolberg, 2/9)

NPR: Does Loose Enforcement Of COVID-19 Vaccine's Eligibility Rules Lead To Cheating?
Dr. William Moss, at Johns Hopkins University's School of Public Health, researches how to design vaccination campaigns. He said confusing, unclear eligibility categories are causing problems with the vaccine rollout in Washington state and around the country. 1"That was definitely well intentioned when it was thought out," Moss said. "But people didn't take the next step, 'How would we actually pull this off and operationalize this?'" Without a plan to roll out the vaccines in the intended order, Moss said, "You create confusion, and then you create opportunities for people to cut the line." (O'Neill, 2/9)

The New York Times: The Coronavirus Crossroads: the Vaccinated, the Stymied and the Waiting
For a vast majority of Americans, a coronavirus vaccine is like sleep for a new parent: It’s all you can think about, even if you have no idea when you will get it. People are scrolling through perpetually crashing websites at 3 a.m., or driving 150 miles each way in the snow. Others are lining up at grocery stores for hours on end, hoping to snag a leftover shot, or racing to hospitals amid rumors of extra doses. (Steinhauer, 2/8)

In updates on vaccine development —

The Hill: Scientists Ramp Up Work On Vaccine That Would Address Every Type Of Coronavirus: Report 
Scientists are ramping up research into creating a vaccine that would be effective against all types of coronaviruses as new strains have been reported around the world. A new report from the New York Times details previous and current efforts to develop a “pancoronavirus” vaccine that would protect against all types of the virus. Past enthusiasm for such a medicine was low as it was commonly believed, before the pandemic, that the coronavirus was not a serious threat and only caused mild colds. (Choi, 2/9)

PBS NewsHour: COVID-19 Vaccines Can Adapt To New Variants. Here’s What It Will Take
These vaccines can be quickly tweaked, said Dr. Drew Weissman, a physician and infectious disease expert at the University of Pennsylvania. The genome for SARS-COV-2 maps out the sequence of proteins that form the virus. The mRNA vaccines are short segments of the viral genome, so if the virus changes at all, researchers can swap out proteins to mimic those evolutionary adaptations. For 15 years, Weissman worked with biochemist Katalin Kariko to develop the research and technology for the mRNA vaccines, which have been vital in fighting the virus. (Santhanam, 2/9)

The Washington Post: Did We Underestimate Russia’s Sputnik V Vaccine? 
Not long ago, talk of the Russian-made coronavirus vaccine provoked mockery. “There’s no way in hell the U.S. tries this on monkeys, let alone people,” a Trump administration official told CNN in August, referring to initial reports about Russia’s development of the Sputnik V drug — which bypassed traditional steps in testing before its release. Even at home, where a history of political opacity and bureaucratic incompetence has left a lingering distrust of authority, many ordinary Russians shied away from getting the jab once it was made available to the public in December. But now, Sputnik V — named after the world’s first satellite that saw the Soviets initially outpace the Americans in the space race — is starting to look like it could be a global success story. (Tharoor, 2/10)

Popular Science: Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 Vaccine, Explained 
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is what’s called an adenovirus-vectored vaccine. It’s a technique that was attempted in the development of an HIV vaccine in the mid-2000s, but which proved ineffective. But over the summer, the EU authorized Johnson & Johnson’s Ebola vaccine based on the same technology, and a number of COVID vaccine candidates, including that of Oxford/AstraZeneca, use a similar approach. (Kiefer, 2/1)

Chicago Tribune: As Vaccine Code-Sharing Persists, Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady Warns People ‘Do Not Try To Game The System’ 
Chicago’s public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady on Tuesday again implored people to stop sharing vaccine appointment codes at its city-run sites, a recurring issue that she said has caused logistical headaches for her staff and taken up slots from people who are actually eligible. (Yin, 2/9)

The New York Times: N.Y.’s Vaccine Websites Weren’t Working. He Built a New One for $50.
Huge Ma, a 31-year-old software engineer for Airbnb, was stunned when he tried to make a coronavirus vaccine appointment for his mother in early January and saw that there were dozens of websites to check, each with its own sign-up protocol. The city and state appointment systems were completely distinct. “There has to be a better way,” he said he remembered thinking. So, he developed one. In less than two weeks, he launched TurboVax, a free website that compiles availability from the three main city and state New York vaccine systems and sends the information in real time to Twitter. It cost Mr. Ma less than $50 to build, yet it offers an easier way to spot appointments than the city and state’s official systems do. (Otterman, 2/9)

AP: Iowa Taps Microsoft To Create Vaccination Appointment System
Iowa public health officials selected Microsoft to create an online COVID-19 vaccination scheduling system as they seek to get past a frustrating start that has the state ranked near the bottom nationally in doses administered. The Iowa Department of Public Health posted notice online Monday that it intends to award an emergency contract to Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft. The agency told bidders that it would select a separate contractor to run a vaccine call center later this week. (Foley, 2/9)

Also —

The Hill: Uber And Walgreens To Offer Free Rides To COVID-19 Vaccine Sites 
Uber and Walgreens are partnering to offer free rides to COVID-19 vaccination sites in an effort to expand vaccine availability in communities of color. The companies said in a joint statement that Uber will offer free transportation to Walgreens and offsite vaccination clinics. Once an individual has made an appointment, they will then be able to schedule a free ride. (Williams, 2/9)

CNN: Vaccinated Workers At Massachusetts Hospital Volunteer To Sit With Covid-19 Patients 
When her husband was exposed to Covid-19 in early January, Kerri Hurley and their two children moved immediately into her mother's basement, leaving him alone to quarantine. A week later, when his oxygen levels began to drop, Hurley watched from a distance as her husband James walked out of their house and got into an ambulance alone. Hurley followed behind in the family car as the ambulance took him to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in nearby Plymouth, Massachusetts. (Sturla, 2/10)

Albuquerque Journal: Navajo Nation Seeing Early Vaccine Rollout Success
The Navajo Nation has administered about 98% of its available COVID-19 vaccines and more doses are arriving this week from the federal government. As of Tuesday, the Navajo Nation had administered 77,074 of the 78,520 vaccine doses it had received. The Navajo Area Indian Health Service, which helps coordinate the reservation’s vaccine distribution, is expecting a shipment of 28,925 doses within days. Roselyn Tso, area director for the Navajo Area IHS, credited local health care workers for managing the tribe’s vaccine clinics alongside testing programs and regular medical care. (Davis, 2/9)

KHN: Farmworker Camps To Urban Tent Cities: Tailoring Vaccine Info To Where It’s Most Needed 
Kim Wagenaar has been preparing to bring covid-19 vaccines to western North Carolina for months. She’s signed up the community health center she operates in Asheville to receive and distribute the doses. She’s ordered a subzero freezer to store the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and transport it to rural counties. She’s also allocated her staff between covid testing sites and vaccine clinics. But those logistics make up only half the equation, said Wagenaar, CEO of Western North Carolina Community Health Services. (Pattani, 2/10)

Bloomberg: House Plans Medicaid, Drug Price Reforms: Stimulus Update
Major changes to Medicaid are included in the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s stimulus proposal. State and local governments will receive $350 billion in aid, according to a draft of a stimulus bill. House Democrats have budgeted for commodity purchases to help U.S. farms. President Joe Biden backed a proposal for quicker phase-outs of planned $1,400 stimulus checks. House and Senate Democrats are clashing on the design of expanded support for the unemployed, an early sign of the intra-party squabbling in the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill in the coming weeks. The debate comes as the House continues to release elements of the bill. A dozen different House committees are working on the specific components of Biden’s plan and releasing their portions as they go along. (2/9)

Stat: House Democrats Slip Drug-Pricing Proposal Into Covid-19 Relief Bill 
House Democrats are expected to insert a controversial Medicaid drug pricing policy into a fast-moving Covid-19 relief bill, several health care lobbyists and a congressional aide briefed on the package told STAT. The policy aims to help states recoup some of the costs they incur in their Medicaid programs when drug makers hike the prices of certain drugs. (Cohrs, 2/9)

In updates on stimulus checks —

The Hill: Biden Backs House Democrats' Proposed Threshold For COVID-19 Checks 
President Biden said Tuesday he agrees with a proposal from House Democrats to begin phasing out the next round of direct coronavirus relief payments to Americans who make more than $75,000, a key sticking point among some in the party. (Samuels, 2/9)

The Washington Post: Jamie Dimon, Other CEOs Meet With President Biden At White House As Relief Plan Advances 
President Biden met at the White House on Tuesday with JPMorgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon and other leading business executives to discuss the administration’s $1.9 trillion economic relief package, as Democrats work to speed the plan through Congress. The meeting also included Doug McMillon, the CEO of Walmart; Sonia Syngal, chief executive of Gap; Marvin Ellison, chief executive of Lowe’s; and Tom Donohue of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Vice President Harris and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also took part. (Stein and Werner, 2/9)

In news about abortion —

The Hill: Democrats Urge Biden FDA To Drop In-Person Rule For Abortion Pill 
A group of House Democrats pressed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Tuesday to lift “medically unnecessary” restriction on the abortion pill that have been in place for several years. Under the FDA rule, mifepristone, which is used to end early pregnancies and treat early pregnancy loss, can only be dispensed in person, a requirement that has received renewed criticism during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Hellmann, 2/9)

Politico: Democratic Lawmakers Push FDA To Lift Restrictions On Abortion Pill 
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are asking the Food and Drug Administration to lift rules requiring people seeking medication abortion to obtain pills in-person, citing pandemic-related health risks. Democratic women on the watchdog panel, in a letter to acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock that was first shared with POLITICO, said the agency must "immediately eliminate the medically unnecessary in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone," referring to one of two drugs used in medication abortions. (Ollstein, 2/9)

In other congressional news —

The Washington Post: Lawmakers Urge Biden To Back Opioid-Treatment Measure
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is calling on President Biden to let more physicians prescribe an opioid-treatment drug, in what has emerged as an early test of his administration’s opioid strategy. The effort centers on the “X-waiver,” a two-decade-old requirement, first mandated by Congress, that physicians undergo a day’s training before being allowed to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid-use disorder. (Diamond, 2/9)

The Hill: Advocacy Group Launches Campaign To Press Congress On Paid Family Leave 
A national advocacy group is putting six figures behind a new ad campaign pressuring Congress to include paid family and sick leave in the COVID-19 relief package. The ad from PL+US, which will run in Washington, D.C., during MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and CNN’s “The Situation Room,” features emotional testimony from paid family leave advocate Mai Ton recounting her personal experience of having a newborn child at a time when her father was dying. (Easley, 2/9)

Stat: Biden Administration To Make Nursing Schools Pay For Government Mistake
The federal government miscalculated funding for hospital-based nursing schools for nearly two decades, and now the Biden administration is forcing them to pay up during the worst health care workforce crisis in decades. (Cohrs, 2/10)

In other health news from the Biden and former Obama administrations —

The Hill: EPA Alleges Political Interference By Trump Officials Over Toxic Chemical 
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday asserted that political appointees from the Trump administration interfered with a safety assessment for a chemical linked to health issues. The agency said in a statement that it was removing from its website a toxicity assessment for a compound known as PFBS due to the alleged interference. (Frazin, 2/9)

Stat: CDC Director Says 'Bruises Are Going To Take A Long Time To Heal' At Agency
The new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledged that morale at the agency suffered under the Trump administration, saying in an interview that “these bruises are going to take a long time to heal.” (Branswell, 2/10)

Politico: Former Obama HHS Secretary Joins Marijuana Industry Group 
Former Obama administration Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is the new co-chair of the National Cannabis Roundtable. Effective Tuesday, Sebelius joins former House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, atop the group's board of directors, putting a bipartisan pair of political heavyweights in place at a time of heightened industry optimism that federal marijuana restrictions could be loosened. (Demoko, 2/9)

Modern Healthcare: Oklahoma State Medical Association To Challenge State's Medicaid Managed-Care Program
The association plans to challenge the Oklahoma Health Care Authority's decision to allow UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, Humana Healthy Horizons and Centene Corp. subsidiary Oklahoma Complete Health to manage Medicaid benefits for the state's 903,000 enrollees come Oct. 1. The initiative, named SoonerSelect, covers lower-income adults, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the Children's Health Insurance Program. The group said it takes issue with private companies operating the state's Medicaid program, rather than the Health Care Authority. Through SoonerSelect, the state will pay private insurers under a capitated payment model, offering payers a set fee per enrollee to coordinate care and allowing payers to elect how they reimburse providers. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority currently reimburses providers through a fee-for-service model. (Tepper, 2/9)

Modern Healthcare: Northwell Sues Property Insurers For Not Covering Hundreds Of Millions In COVID-19 Losses
Northwell Health is suing two property insurers over their refusal to pay hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of claims the New York health system says it's owed for losses stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. New York's largest private employer argued in its federal lawsuit against Lexington Insurance Co. and Interstate Fire & Casualty Co. that the policies it purchased are designed to cover "exactly" the type of losses and expenses it sustained during the pandemic. New York City, where Northwell's facilities are located, was hit hard early on in the crisis, with approximately 200,000 coronavirus cases reported during the first three months alone. (Bannow, 2/9)

Modern Healthcare: AdventHealth May Be Liable For Non-Employed Physician, Appellate Court Rules
AdventHealth may be liable for purportedly suspect treatment advice offered by a non-employed physician, a Florida appellate court found. The state appeals court on Friday ruled that the consent agreement disavowing a physician-hospital relationship wasn't clear, which could open the door for the Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based health system to be held liable for the care. A Florida trial court previously absolved AdventHealth from responsibility for the patient's post-operative complications because, in part, the doctor was an independent contractor and Advent didn't influence treatment decisions. (Kacik, 2/9)

Modern Healthcare: Centene Reports $12 Million Loss In Q4
Centene reported a $12 million loss during its fourth-quarter in 2020, with higher than expected costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic and an extra $200 million state Medicaid risk-corridor expense cutting into its bottom-line. During the same period in 2019, the St. Louis-based insurer booked $209 million in profits. Additionally, CEO Michael Neidorff said Centene will eliminate 1,500 people from its workforce or about 6% of the company. He said the restructuring plan was announced in December and was primarily due to employee overlap, thanks to the company's recent acquisitions. (Tepper, 2/9)

Also —

Charlotte Observer: Atrium Releases New Look At Medical School Coming To Charlotte 
Atrium Health released new renderings for a planned Charlotte medical school on Tuesday, while promising more information on the school’s location next month. Atrium Health officially combined with Wake Forest Baptist Health, including the Wake Forest School of Medicine, in October. (Smoot, 2/9)

The New York Times: Study Finds People With Dementia Are Twice As Likely To Get Covid
People with dementia had significantly greater risk of contracting the coronavirus, and they were much more likely to be hospitalized and die from it, than people without dementia, a new study of millions of medical records in the United States has found. Their risk could not be entirely explained by characteristics common to people with dementia that are known risk factors for Covid-19: old age, living in a nursing home and having conditions like obesity, asthma, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. After researchers adjusted for those factors, Americans with dementia were still twice as likely to have gotten Covid-19 as of late last summer. (Belluck, 2/9)

The New York Times: Childhood Colds Do Not Prevent Coronavirus Infection, Study Finds 
The theory was simple and compelling: Children are less vulnerable to the new coronavirus because they carry antibodies to other common coronaviruses that cause the common cold. The idea might also explain why some people infected with the new virus have mild symptoms while others — presumably without antibodies to common cold coronaviruses — are much more severely affected. ... But for all its appeal, the theory does not hold up, according to a new study published on Tuesday in the journal Cell. (Mandavilli, 2/10)

Stat: Doctors, Lawmakers Urge FDA To Study Racial Disparities In Pulse Oximeters
A long-documented, under-the-radar disparity is garnering new attention as the Covid-19 pandemic stretches into another year: Some pulse oximeters, which measure oxygen levels and are critical to making decisions about patient care, aren’t as accurate in Black patients and other people of color. (Brodwin and St. Fleur, 2/10)

In updates on how the coronavirus spreads —

CIDRAP: SARS-CoV-2 Found To Last Longer On Nonporous Surfaces Like Glass, Plastic
"Based on our study, we recommend that furniture in hospitals and offices, made of impermeable material, such as glass, stainless steel, or laminated wood, be covered with porous material, such as cloth, to reduce the risk of infection upon touch," co-author Sanghamitro Chatterjee, PhD, MSc, added. The study itself goes on to suggest how these findings could be extrapolated to schools, warehouses and package sorting centers, clothes outlets, and more. (2/9)

New York Post: Very Little Spread Of COVID Found At Summer Camps: Study
Day camps are not a breeding ground for the coronavirus, according to a new study. Researchers at Duke University found very few instances of COVID-19 spreading at North Carolina summer camps where mitigation measures were strictly followed. The team analyzed data from more than 6,500 children and staffers at 54 YMCA camps — and identified just 10 kids and nine workers with confirmed infections. "Our study suggests that appropriate measures to reduce the spread of disease can create an environment where normal childhood activities such as day camp, school and after-school recreation can be provided with minimal risk," said study co-author Emily D’Agostino. (Lapin, 2/9)

In other covid research news —

Boston Globe: The Broad Institute’s New Leader Wants To ‘Double Down’ On Biology
It has been an action-packed pandemic for the Broad Institute, the biomedical research center in Cambridge with ties to both Harvard and MIT. First, the Broad set up one of the country’s first large-scale COVID-19 test processing facilities. Since March 2020, it has run more than 10 million tests for the state, nursing homes, universities, the Cambridge Public School system, and homeless shelters. The number of tests may be more than any other non-commercial lab has analyzed — though no one is certain. (Kirsner, 2/9)

Stat: Gawande Says Haven Work Helped Shape His Covid-19 Response Efforts 
The storied health tech startup Haven may have shuttered, but its famous former CEO, Atul Gawande, says the experience is still informing his current efforts to tackle Covid-19. Gawande said his time at the health care initiative gave him the technological and operational know-how he needed to roll out mass testing and vaccination sites at locations including Fenway Park and Gillette Stadium. (Brodwin, 2/9)

Fox News: Many First Report Peanut Allergy Symptoms In Adulthood, Study Finds
While a peanut allergy is commonly associated with pediatric care, a new study has found that up to one in six adults with sensitivity to peanuts developed it after age 18. The report, put forth by Northwestern University researchers in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, found that 2.9% of U.S. adults report a current peanut allergy, but only 1.8% report a physician-diagnosed allergy and or history of reaction symptoms. Additionally, among this group, two in three adults have at least one other food allergy such as tree nuts or shellfish. Researchers say the lack of physician-diagnosed allergy is concerning as that means patients do not have a current epinephrine prescription, possibly leaving them susceptible to severe reactions without having potentially life-saving treatment on hand. (Hein, 2/9)

In other public health news —

AP: In Pandemic, More People Choose To Die At Home
Across the country, terminally ill patients — both with COVID-19 and other diseases — are making similar decisions and dying at home rather than face the terrifying scenario of saying farewell to loved ones behind glass or during video calls. “What we are seeing with COVID is certainly patients want to stay at home,” said Judi Lund Person, the vice president for regulatory compliance at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. “They don’t want to go to the hospital. They don’t want to go to a nursing home.” National hospice organizations are reporting that facilities are seeing double-digit percentage increases in the number of patients being cared for at home. (Hollingsworth, 2/7)

The New York Times: How To Help When Adolescents Have Suicidal Thoughts
With some evidence suggesting that more adolescents have been reporting suicidal thoughts during the pandemic, experts and parents are looking for ways to help. One issue is that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not yet compiled and released statistics on suicide deaths, so it’s not clear whether the problem is worse than usual. But there are questions about whether suicide risks are increasing — especially in particular communities, like the Black and brown populations that have been hit hardest by the pandemic. (Klass, 2/6)

KHN: Pandemic-Fueled Alcohol Abuse Creates Wave Of Hospitalizations For Liver Disease 
As the pandemic sends thousands of recovering alcoholics into relapse, hospitals across the country have reported dramatic increases in alcohol-related admissions for critical diseases like alcoholic hepatitis and liver failure. Alcoholism-related liver disease was a growing problem even before the pandemic, with 15 million people diagnosed with the condition around the country, and with hospitalizations doubling over the past decade. (Cahan, 2/10)

Stat: To Delight Of Generic Drug Makers, Court Tosses 'Skinny Labeling' Decision
In a surprising move, a federal appeals court panel may revisit a controversial decision that has raised concerns about the ability of generic drug makers to supply Americans with lower-cost alternatives to pricey brand-name medicines. (Silverman, 2/9)

In other pharmaceutical industry news —

Stat: KalVista Pill Halts Swelling Attacks Caused By Rare Disease, Study Shows
KalVista Pharmaceuticals said Tuesday that its oral, on-demand treatment for the swelling “attacks” commonly experienced by patients with a genetic condition called hereditary angioedema achieved the goals of a mid-stage clinical trial. (Feuerstein, 2/9)

Stat: Q&A: James 'Jim' Mullen On Why He Took The Job As Editas CEO
On Monday, Editas Medicines announced that veteran biopharma executive James “Jim” Mullen was expanding his role with the gene-editing biotech, taking over as the new CEO while continuing as the company’s chairman — a role he’s held since March 2018. Mullen replaces Cynthia Collins, who became Editas’ CEO in August 2019. (Feuerstein, 2/9)

Wisconsin Public Radio: Evers Releases Plan To Lower Prescription Drug Costs 
One of the biggest health issues Wisconsin lawmakers faced before the coronavirus pandemic was high drug prices, and on Wednesday, Gov. Tony Evers announced a plan to lower medication costs for the state and consumers. Evers' plan would limit copayments on insulin, import drugs from countries where they cost less and give more funding to free clinics that provide medication patients couldn’t otherwise afford. The proposal is a glimpse into what the Democratic governor will include in his next two-year budget, which he will formally deliver in an address Feb. 16.  (Mills, 2/3)

Kenosha News: Gov. Tony Evers To Push Again For Reduced Prescription Drug Prices In Upcoming Budget 
In his upcoming 2021-23 biennial budget, Gov. Tony Evers plans to once again push for measures aimed at making prescription drugs more affordable in Wisconsin. “No Wisconsinite should have to choose between paying their bills and affording their prescription medication,” Evers said in a statement. “Picking up your prescription shouldn’t break the bank, but we know too many Wisconsinites continue to struggle to afford their medications. That’s just not right.” (Schmidt, 2/3)

Also —

Becker's Healthcare Review: 20 Most Expensive Prescription Drugs In 2021
Drug prices in the U.S. are about 256 percent higher than those in other countries, according to recent research. Below is a list of the 20 most expensive prescription drugs in the U.S., based on the official price their manufacture assigned to them, as compiled by prescription discount company GoodRx. This list excludes medications that must be administered by a healthcare practitioner. (Adams, 2/8)

King5.Com: Here's How You Can Save On Prescription Drugs 
You could be in for some sticker shock next time you go to the pharmacy. Last month, drug makers quietly raised the price on hundreds of brand-name prescription drugs. “I thought it was a misprint. I honestly was shocked,” said Kate Johnson of Gresham. Johnson saw the price of her medication for an autoimmune disorder skyrocket from $30 to $80 for a three-month supply. (Iboshi, 2/4)

MarketWatch: Medicare For Transgender-Related Health Care
Over 1.4 million adults in the United States identify as transgender. Gender-affirming surgeries and hormone therapy can be an essential part of a trans person’s transition, but those procedures can be costly, and many private insurance plans don’t cover them. For the relatively small number that qualifies for Medicare coverage — just 0.7% of transgender people are Medicare beneficiaries — Medicare can provide significant relief. Medicare ensures that medically necessary care is covered, including some gender confirmation procedures. (2/8)

Roll Call: Americans Deserve A Healthy Dose Of Bipartisanship 
Our economy remains weak. A pandemic continues to kill thousands of citizens each day. And political tensions seem to have reached an all-time high. While a plan to combat COVID-19 and provide economic relief is of utmost priority for President Joe Biden, congressional leaders in both parties would be wise to start repairing relations across the aisle by working together to pass relatively uncontroversial, overwhelmingly popular measures — such as reforms to make drugs more affordable. (Joseph Crowley and Bill Shuster, 2/5)

Stat: The Biden Administration Should Look Beyond ICER For Evaluating Drugs
As breakthrough drugs stream out of biopharmaceutical laboratories, how much they should cost and who will get access to them remain thorny issues. During his campaign for president, Joe Biden indicated that he plans to set reimbursement for specialty biologic drugs through value assessments conducted by a single independent review board, which could prove to be a problem for patients and vulnerable citizens. Review boards conducting similar value assessments can be rife with conflicts of interests and lean on methodologies that disadvantage certain drugs and the patients who may desperately need them. (William Smith, 2/9)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Pharma Raised Prescription Drug Prices As The Pandemic Threw People Out Of Work And Off Insurance
In the middle of a pandemic where the U.S. death count is approaching 500,000, pharmaceutical firms have substantially raised prices for drugs. They did this in January, at a time when millions of people in the U.S. had already lost their jobs and their health insurance, forcing patients to go without drugs or pay out of pocket. The latter option is a pipe dream for many families because 30% of the American public admit they would have difficulty paying an emergency bill of $400.Massive costs for drugs are common even for people with health insurance. Donna Talla of Springfield, Va. recently told The British Medical Journal that she’s thousands of dollars in debt for the medications she received after contracting COVID-19, despite having private insurance through her employer. “I think I’m going to have to sell my house,” Talla, 56, told The BMJ. (Daniel Hoffman, 2/9)

Grand Forks Herald: Port: Importing Canadian Price Controls Is Not The Answer For Drug Prices  
North Dakotans aren't happy about drug prices, and I get it. I'm living it. As I type these words I'm still recovering from the worst health crisis of my life and making many trips to the pharmacist. Sen. Howard Anderson Jr., R-Turtle Lake, has introduced Senate Bill 2170. It would pin our state's drug prices to the prices in four Canadian provinces. (Rob Port, 2/3)

AP: 1 Dead, 4 Hurt In Minnesota Health Clinic Shooting; Man Held
A 67-year-old man unhappy with the health care he’d received opened fire at a clinic Tuesday, killing one person and wounding four others, and bomb technicians were investigating a suspicious device left there and others at a motel where he was staying, authorities said. All five victims were rushed to the hospital, and a hospital spokeswoman confirmed the one death Tuesday night. Three remained in stable but critical condition and a fourth had been discharged. (Ibrahim and Ehlke, 2/10)

CNN: Buffalo, Minnesota Shooting: After The Deadly Shooting, Health Care Center Says 'Our Hearts Were Broken' 
For both patients and staff, the shooting at a Minnesota healthcare center that killed one person and wounded four others has been traumatic, the center said in a statement. "Our hearts were broken," Allina Health said Tuesday night. "The Wright County Sheriff's Office is leading the ongoing investigation, and we are assisting in any way we can. Right now, our focus is on supporting our staff, their families, and our patients." (Holcombe, 2/10)

In other news from the states —

The Washington Post: Chicago Strikes Deal With Teachers To Reopen School Buildings
Teachers in Chicago, home to the nation’s third-largest school district, are set to return to classrooms this week after striking a deal with the city on health and safety standards, capping months of tense negotiations that raised the specter of a strike during a school year that has already seen repeated disruptions. Chicago Teachers Union officials accepted the agreement begrudgingly after concluding that they would be unlikely to extract any more concessions from the city. Nearly 70 percent of members who cast ballots endorsed accepting the agreement, less than a day after union brass had passed a vote of “no confidence” in Mayor Lori Lightfoot. (Balingit, 2/10)

The Washington Post: DC Teachers Union Votes Against Strike 
The Washington Teachers’ Union voted Tuesday against authorizing a strike, with the union’s lawyer informing a judge that the more than 4,000-member group has no plans to participate in a strike or work stoppage. The declaration prompted the city’s lawyers to withdraw a request for a temporary restraining order against the union over allegations that the group had been deliberating on a potential strike. (Stein, 2/9)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Pandemic Unemployment Spurs Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment As Exchanges Prepare To Reopen
The private health insurance marketplaces set up by the Affordable Care Act had a busier-than-usual fall enrollment season, as people who lost their jobs — and their employer-sponsored health insurance — during the pandemic shopped for coverage. And with the marketplaces reopening for a special COVID-19 enrollment period, even more people are expected to sign up. About 5,000 more people signed up for insurance through Pennsylvania’s marketplace, Pennie, during the 2021 enrollment period compared to the year before. A total of 337,700 people signed up for coverage, including 75,000 who had never bought a marketplace plan before — a 9.7% increase in new customers. (Gantz, 2/9)

Anchorage Daily News: Alaska Public Health Experts Are Taking The Fight Against COVID-19 Misinformation To Facebook Comment Threads
As misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic seemingly spills into almost every nook and cranny of the internet, some public health professionals in Alaska are countering false claims and myths in an embattled space: Facebook comment threads. Take a recent post by public health researcher and former public health nurse Dr. Jennifer Meyer. It involves a GIF of Beyonce at the Super Bowl in 2016, decked out in a black leather costume with fireworks exploding in the background. The GIF is part of a tactic Meyer uses to grab people’s attention and loop them into the discussion. Then she’ll post credible and accurate scientific information regarding the pandemic. (Krakow, 2/10)

AP: South Africa Scraps AstraZeneca Vaccine, Will Give J&J Jabs
South Africa will give the unapproved Johnson & Johnson vaccine to its front-line health workers beginning next week as a study to see what protection it provides from COVID-19, particularly against the variant dominant there, the health minister said Wednesday. Zweli Mkhize said South Africa has scrapped plans to use the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine because it “does not prevent mild to moderate disease” of the variant. The one-shot J&J vaccine is still being tested internationally and has not been approved in any country. (Meldrum, 2/10)

In other global news —

AP: Canada To Require Negative COVID Test At Land Border Feb 15
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday that starting next week any nonessential traveler arriving in Canada by land will need to show a negative PCR-based COVID-19 test or face a fine if they don’t have one. Trudeau said customs officers can’t send Canadians back to the U.S. if they don’t have a test because they are technically on Canadian soil but said the fine will be up to $3,000 Canadian (US$2,370) and the traveler will be subject to extensive follow up by health officials if they don’t show a negative test. (Gillies, 2/9)

AP: Lying On Arrival Could Mean 10 Years In Prison In England
Anyone arriving in England and found to have lied about a recent visit to a country on the British government’s travel ban list faces up to 10 years in prison under new tough coronavirus border policies announced Tuesday. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that from Monday, residents of the U.K. and Ireland arriving in England from the places on the government’s “red list” will have to purchase a “quarantine package” that costs 1,750 pounds ($2,400) per person and covers accommodation, virus testing and other items. (Pylas, 2/9)

Bloomberg: New Delhi, India Reports No Virus Deaths For First Time Since May
India’s capital New Delhi didn’t report any coronavirus-related deaths for the first time in nine months, a milestone for a city that had emerged as a hotspot for the pandemic. With a population of about 16 million, it has reported 10,882 deaths since the city recorded its first casualty on March 13, according to health ministry data. The last time the city reported a zero figure before Tuesday was on May 11. It has 636,260 confirmed cases so far, according to a Delhi government health bulletin. Hundred new cases were reported out of 56,410 tests carried out on Tuesday. (Pradhan, 2/10)

The New York Times: China Scores A Public Relations Win After W.H.O. Mission To Wuhan
For months, China resisted allowing World Health Organization experts into the country to trace the origins of the global pandemic, concerned that such an inquiry could draw attention to the government’s early missteps in handling the outbreak. After a global uproar, the Chinese government finally relented, allowing a team of 14 scientists to visit laboratories, disease-control centers and live-animal markets over the past 12 days in the city of Wuhan. But instead of scorn, the W.H.O. experts on Tuesday delivered praise for Chinese officials and endorsed critical parts of their narrative, including some that have been contentious. (Hernandez, 2/9)

The Wall Street Journal: The World Is Still Battling Polio. What That Warning Means For Covid-19.
After decades of work, polio had been wiped out almost everywhere in the world. All that was left were pockets in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Medical experts hoped 2020 would be the last year that the main form of the virus, which can permanently paralyze or cause death, posed a threat. The coronavirus pandemic put a halt to that progress. In March, house-to-house vaccination teams working across Pakistan were forced to stop their work because of Covid-19. As a result, polio resurged, including a mutated form of the virus. It has now been detected in samples taken from sewers in 74% of Pakistan in late 2020, up from just 13% in early 2018. (Shah and McKay, 2/9)

Also —

Reuters: Europe's Oldest Person, 117-Year-Old French Nun, Survives COVID-19 
Europe’s oldest person, French nun Sister Andre, has survived COVID-19 and will celebrate her 117th birthday this week, her caregivers said. Lucile Randon, who took the name of Sister Andre when she joined a Catholic charitable order in 1944, tested positive for coronavirus in her retirement home in Toulon, southern France, on Jan. 16. She was isolated from other residents, but displayed no symptoms. (2/9)

Stat: America's Addiction Crisis, Compounded By Covid-19, Requires Action
Despite hard-fought progress in recent years, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that drug overdose deaths in the U.S. are now at their highest level ever, soaring to more than 81,000 in the 12-month period between June 2019 and June 2020. At the same time, unprecedented challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic have illuminated existing weaknesses in our health care infrastructure when it comes to preventing and treating addiction. (Paul H. Earley, 2/10)

Bloomberg: How To End Surprise Medical Bills
One gift tucked inside the $2.3 trillion Covid relief and government spending bill Congress passed during Christmas week is a ban on virtually all surprise medical bills. No longer will insured patients be hit with enormous unexpected invoices from emergency room doctors, anesthesiologists, radiologists and other health care providers who work outside health insurance networks. Charges like this have cost Americans with employer-sponsored health insurance some $40 billion a year, arousing universal outrage and bipartisan promises to crack down. After long delays and despite strenuous industry lobbying, lawmakers finally agreed to act. Doctors are now forbidden to charge patients directly for out-of-network care administered without patients’ consent, which must be given at least 72 hours in advance. Yet two crucial questions aren’t fully resolved: Who pays for the procedures if not the patients concerned, and who sets the price? (2/9)

Miami Herald: Giving Businesses Immunity From COVID Liability Would Disrespect Florida’s Healthcare Workers
For the past 35 years, I’ve worked at a leading public hospital in Florida that serves thousands of patients a day. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, our hospital has been at the epicenter of the crisis in the state. More than 500 employees have contracted COVID-19 there, and at least three have died. Even though the vaccine has been distributed to many front-line healthcare workers, we are not at the end of this health crisis. The caseload is still soaring across the state, as we’ve seen record cases and deaths in the weeks following the holiday season. That’s why I was shocked to hear that Florida’s elected leaders are considering giving blanket immunity to businesses and, potentially, even health providers and nursing homes from COVID-19 litigation. (Martha Baker, 2/9)

The Washington Post: Will Biden Follow The Science Or The Teachers Unions? 
We’re just a few weeks into Joe Biden’s presidency, and already the broken promises are piling up. Biden made two big pledges in his campaign. The first was that he would unite the country and bring Republicans and Democrats together on Capitol Hill. Already he has broken that promise — rejecting an offer from 10 Republican senators to work with him on a filibuster-proof bipartisan covid-19 relief package. Biden’s second big promise was that he would “listen to scientists and heed their advice — not silence them.” (Marc A. Thiessen, 2/9)

Atlanta Journal Constitution: Using Public Health To Solve Homelessness
On any single night just before the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 568,000 people experienced the misery of homelessness in the United States. Without federal action to assist households at risk of eviction, economists project that homelessness may increase by more than 40% after the eviction moratorium ends. Many of those at higher risk are Black or Native American, young, LGBTQ, those with disabilities, and people leaving foster care or prison. Increasingly, the elderly and working poor are also vulnerable to homelessness. Like COVID-19, homelessness disproportionately affects the most vulnerable amongst us and highlights systemic inequities. (Rosanne Haggerty and Mark Rosenberg, 2/10)

Lexington Herald Leader: We Must Break The Silence Around Nurse Suicide
While the COVID-19 pandemic rages on with new variants, the urgency for Kentucky nurses to stay on the front lines now extends to a massive vaccine campaign. Just like Florence Nightingale and Mary Jane Seacole, British-Jamaican nurse, did in the Crimean war, nurses today are working 24/7 to get the mission accomplished. Although the practice settings may change from a critical care unit one day and the next to a large parking lot tent, football stadium or drive-through clinic, the shepherding of public health in the Commonwealth remains the same. A key question is, “Who is shepherding the mental health and wellness of nurses?” What about turning up the call for action with a “warp speed mission for the mental health and wellness for Kentucky nurses,” like a “vaccine to help build up immunity” from the pandemic’s triple impact on health, daily life disruption and economic downturn. (Janie Heath, 2/9)

Stat: Back To 'Normal' Isn't Good Enough — We Must Do Better 
With the anticipation of increasing distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, Americans are looking forward to a “return to normal.” We’ve all heard these words, intended to inspire hope. And they do, for some. But the reality is that “normal” is a privilege, one that is out of reach for millions of Americans who had been pushed up against immovable barriers and into systems of oppression long before the arrival of Covid-19. (Daniel E. Dawes and Brian C. Castrucci, 2/10)

The Washington Post: Don’t Look Now, But Britain Is Vaccinating People Way Faster Than The U.S. 
America’s vaccine rollout is a mess. This isn’t because of a shortage of doses, which is a problem globally. Investigations have exposed a special brand of vaccine injustices that are distinctly American: Rich people gaming the system to jump the queue. A SoulCycle instructor cutting in line by labeling herself as an “educator.” And poorer people without Internet connections being unable to book appointments. There are indefensible geographic disparities, too. ... Perhaps the United States could learn a thing or two from Britain’s vaccine rollout — and recognize the virtues of a centralized health-care system when it comes to efficiently delivering lifesaving doses during a crisis. (Brian Klaas, 2/9)

Atlanta Journal Constitution: Outreach Key To Boosting Vaccination Rate
The COVID-19 pandemic currently ravaging our society demonstrates starkly that our system is not working as it should. Our society needs trusted institutions and individuals in efforts to achieve the levels of vaccination needed to successfully end the pandemic. In 2020, we saw the remarkable development of vaccines for the COVID-19 virus with strong scientific rigor and high ethical standards in record time. But the resulting vaccines have been met with a high degree of skepticism, suspicion, and mistrust by our citizens, especially people of color (Black, Latino and Native Americans). Thus, these scientific and technological developments are in danger of not achieving their purpose because of mistrust, misinformation and misunderstanding among Americans. A clear need in 2021 and beyond is better health literacy and improved health behavior of our citizens. Public health professionals have emphasized the substantial gains to be made in extending our years of healthy life, along with significant reductions in illness and injury. (Louis W. Sullivan, 2/9)

The Wall Street Journal: Successes And Setbacks In Covid Vaccination
Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial will attract most of the attention this week, but perhaps the more important event for the country is the saga of Covid-19 vaccinations. The federal distribution of doses to the states hasn’t been an outright disaster, and neither have state efforts to put these doses into arms. After a slow start, there have been signs of progress in recent weeks. Still, governments could be doing better, and fixing what’s wrong can save many lives. At the federal level, the main problems have been shifting information and poor advice to the states. On Jan. 12, for example, governors were told by then-Vice President Mike Pence and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar that the Trump administration would be releasing its stockpile of reserved doses. Relying on this assurance, many governors announced that their states would begin inoculating residents 65 and older. But it turned out that there was no stockpile to release, and governors had to change course. (William A. Galston, 2/9)

KFF: Seeing Others Vaccinated May Be The Best Cure For Vaccine Hesitancy
Knowing someone who has been vaccinated and seeing that the vaccine does not produce any significant adverse effects is emerging as the leading reason people are willing to get vaccinated themselves. It means that vaccine hesitancy will diminish naturally as more and more people are vaccinated, leaving smaller groups of the remaining vaccine hesitant to focus more resources on. Less than ten percent of us have been vaccinated so far. But the share of us who know someone who has been vaccinated is much higher, at 41 percent in mid-January. That really matters because half (52%) of those who know someone else who has been vaccinated say they will get the vaccine “as soon as they can” compared to 37% of those who do not know someone who’s been vaccinated. (Drew Altman, 2/10)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Finding A COVID-19 Vaccine Is The New College Admissions
Kim Barlow of Fullerton, California, is one of the millions of Americans at her wit’s end in trying to get a COVID-19 vaccine for an elderly parent and other loved ones, and she finally vented in the time-honored fashion of a letter-to-the-editor to her hometown paper, the Los Angeles Times. After days of frustration trying to get the coronavirus shot for her 66-year-old boyfriend, a Native American, and her 81-year-old mom, middle-class and white like her, she said she was infuriated to read that more upscale white people had overrun a low-income health center in South L.A. hoping to jump the line. (Will Bunch, 2/9)

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Blacks’ Resistance To COVID-19 Vaccinations Reflects The Ongoing Bias In Our Health Care System
CLEVELAND -- In the fall of 1932, fliers began appearing around Macon County, Alabama promising Black residents free blood tests and, if it was determined they had “bad blood,” they would receive free treatment from “County Health Department and Government Doctors.” Macon County was a poor and rural county. The promise of free medical care was too good an offer to pass up. Hundreds of men signed up for physical examination. The men were primarily sharecroppers, and many had never before seen a doctor. A total of 600 men were diagnosed with “bad blood” and were advised they would receive treatment. In reality, the men were never going to receive proper treatment. The promises of free treatment were a lie orchestrated by researchers at the U.S. Public Health Service. PHS researchers wanted to study the progression of untreated syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection that can cause death, in Black men. (Eric Foster, 2/10)