First Edition: April 26, 2021
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
KHN:
‘We’re Coming For You’: For Public Health Officials, A Year Of Threats And Menace
Dr. Gail Newel looks back on the past year and struggles to articulate exactly when the public bellows of frustration around her covid-related health orders morphed into something darker and more menacing. Certainly, there was that Sunday afternoon in May, when protesters broke through the gates to her private hillside neighborhood, took up positions around her home, and sang “Gail to Jail,” a ritual they would repeat every Sunday for weeks. (Barry-Jester, 4/25)
KHN:
Time To Say Goodbye To Some Insurers’ Waivers For Covid Treatment Fees
Just as other industries are rolling back some consumer-friendly changes made early in the pandemic — think empty middle seats on airplanes — so, too, are health insurers. Many voluntarily waived all deductibles, copayments and other costs for insured patients who fell ill with covid-19 and needed hospital care, doctor visits, medications or other treatment. (Appleby, 4/26)
KHN:
‘Red Flag’ Gun Laws Get Another Look After Indiana, Colorado Shootings
On New Year’s Eve 2017, sheriff’s deputies in the Denver suburb of Highlands Ranch responded to a domestic disturbance. Before the night was over, four officers had been shot and Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy Zackari Parrish III was dead. The gunman was a 37-year-old man with a history of psychotic episodes whose family had previously tried to take his guns away but found themselves without legal recourse to do so. (Aschwanden, 4/26)
KHN:
From Hospital Profits To Gender Gaps, Journalists Are On The Case
KHN freelancer Christine Spolar discussed how during the pandemic the nation’s richest hospitals and health systems profited after accepting the lion’s share of the federal health care bailout grant with WESA’s “The Confluence” on Tuesday. ... Midwest editor and correspondent Laura Ungar unpacked the gender breakdown of covid vaccinations with NPR’s “Weekend Edition Sunday” on April 18. ... Midwest correspondent Lauren Weber discussed covid cases across the Midwest with “WisBusiness: The Podcast” on April 16. (4/24)
NPR:
U.S. Pledges Medical Aid To India, Where COVID-19 Is Overwhelming Hospitals
The United States will make more medical aid available to India in an effort to fight an alarming spike in COVID-19 cases. The pledge came during a phone call between White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Indian national security adviser Ajit Doval on Sunday, as India has become the epicenter of the global coronavirus pandemic and the country's health system is collapsing. "Just as India sent assistance to the United States as our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, the United States is determined to help India in its time of need," National Security Council Spokesperson Emily Horne said in a statement, which went on to say that the U.S. will allow for the export of certain raw material urgently needed for vaccine production, as well as sending test kits, ventilators and personal protective equipment, among other aid. (Lonsdorf, 4/25)
Fox News:
India Coronavirus Crisis 'Demonstrates Risk Of What Can Happen' If Pandemic Isn't Controlled, Zients Says
White House officials on Friday warned that the current coronavirus crisis in India is an example of what could happen elsewhere should the pandemic go uncontrolled. White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients made the warning during a coronavirus briefing on Friday. "This is a global pandemic. And India demonstrates the risk of what can happen if we don't get the pandemic under control everywhere," he said, adding the country serves as a prime example of "why we made the biggest investment in COVAX." (Farber, 4/24)
AP:
With OK From Experts, Some States Resume Use Of J&J Vaccine
With a green light from federal health officials, many states resumed use of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine on Saturday. Among the venues where it was being deployed: the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Among the other states ordering or recommending a resumption, along with Indiana, were Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. (Crary, 4/24)
CNBC:
J&J Covid Vaccine: U.S. Ends Recommended Pause On Use
U.S. health regulators on Friday lifted a recommended pause on the use of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine, giving state and local officials backing to distribute the doses, which are seen as critical in getting lifesaving shots to hard-to-reach communities. The announcement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration comes after the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, known as ACIP, recommended earlier Friday for the continued use of the J&J vaccine, saying the benefits of the shot outweighed the risk. The committee is an outside panel of experts that advises the CDC. (Lovelace Jr., 4/23)
The Washington Post:
Vaccine Maker Emergent's CEO Sold $10 Million In Stock Before Company Ruined Johnson & Johnson Doses
The stock price of government contractor Emergent BioSolutions has fallen sharply since the disclosure at the end of March that production problems at the firm’s plant in Baltimore had ruined 15 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine. Since then, AstraZeneca moved production of its own vaccine out of the facility, and Emergent temporarily halted new production there altogether. Those developments came after Emergent’s stock price had tumbled on Feb. 19, following the company’s published financial results. Emergent stock has fallen since mid-February to about $62 a share from $125 a share, or just more than 50 percent. (Swaine, 4/25)
The New York Times:
CDC Updates Masks And Distancing Guidance For Summer Camps
Children going to camp this summer can be within three feet of peers in the same-group settings, but they must wear masks at all times, federal health officials say. The only times children should remove their masks is when they are swimming, napping, eating or drinking; they should be spaced far apart for these activities, positioned head to toe for naps and seated at least six feet apart for meals, snacks and water breaks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the anticipated updated guidance for summer camp operators this weekend, just weeks before many camps resume operations in mid-May. Many parents have been eager to find camps for their children, who had spent months indoors in remote learning classes during the pandemic. (Caryn Rabin, 4/25)
The Hill:
CDC Issues New Guidance For Summer Camps
The CDC also says summer camps should have most of their activities outdoors. If they do activities indoors, they should leave windows and doors open. “Bringing fresh, outdoor air into your facility helps keep virus particles from concentrating inside,” the CDC said. (Oshin, 4/25)
Stat:
The FDA Will This Week Decide Whether To Ban Menthol Cigarettes
The Food and Drug Administration will decide this week whether to ban menthol cigarettes — a seeming end to a decadeslong, five-way brawl between cigarette makers, public health advocates, regulators, lawmakers, and federal judges. But in reality, no one is done throwing punches: Regardless of what the FDA decides, the fight will only intensify in the coming months. (Florko, 4/26)
AP:
FDA To Scrutinize Unproven Cancer Drugs After 10-Year Gap
Each year the U.S. approves dozens of new uses for cancer drugs based on early signs that they can shrink or slow the spread of tumors. But how often do those initial results translate into longer, healthier lives for patients? That seemingly simple question is one of the thorniest debates in medicine. It spills into public view Tuesday as the Food and Drug Administration convenes the first meeting in a decade to consider clawing back approvals from several cancer drugs that have failed to show they extend or improve life. (Perrone, 4/25)
Fox News:
Fauci Acknowledges Outdoor COVID-19 Transmission 'Low,' Expects Updated Mask Guidance
Dr. Anthony Fauci believes the Centers for Disease Control will soon provide updated COVID-19 guidance on using face masks in outdoor settings, calling it "common sense" to do so. Face masks have taken an increasingly central role in debate lately as many question the continued and widespread use of masks even as vaccinations continue to soar nationwide. A Georgia mother went viral this week after she sounded off on her local school board continuing its mask mandate through next year. (Aitken, 4/25)
The Washington Post:
Americans Give Biden Mostly Positive Marks For First 100 Days, Post-ABC Poll Finds
President Biden nears the end of his first 100 days in office with a slight majority of Americans approving of his performance and supporting his major policy initiatives, but his approval rating is lower than any recent past presidents except Donald Trump, with potential warning signs ahead about his governing strategy, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. Overall, 52 percent of adults say they approve of the job Biden is doing, compared with 42 percent who disapprove. At this point in his presidency four years ago, Trump’s rating was nearly the reverse, with approval at 42 percent and disapproval at 53 percent. Overall, 34 percent of Americans say they strongly approve of Biden’s performance, compared with 35 percent who strongly disapprove. (Balz, Clement and Guskin, 4/25)
AP:
Biden's First 100 Days: Where He Stands On Key Promises
As he rounds out his first 100 days in office, President Joe Biden’s focus on reining in the coronavirus during the early months of his administration seems to have paid off: He can check off nearly all his campaign promises centered on the pandemic. Biden has delivered on a number of his biggest campaign pledges focused on climate change and the economy as well. But some issues have proved to be tougher for the administration — including immigration, where Biden is grappling with how to enact promised reforms in the face of a steep increase in unaccompanied minors seeking to cross the border. On some of his promises, Biden is waiting for Congress to act. (Jaffe, Madhani and Vineys, 4/26)
The Washington Post:
Fauci Warns That U.S. Rates Of New Cases Still Too High
President Biden’s chief medical adviser, Anthony S. Fauci, warned Americans that 50,000 new coronavirus infections a day is still too high and urged people to get vaccinated. “That’s a precarious level, and we don’t want that to go up,” he said on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. Public attitudes toward coronavirus vaccinations have been breaking down along party lines, with many more Republicans expressing reluctance to get doses. (Schemm and Hassan, 4/26)
Los Angeles Times:
Coronavirus Crisis: COVID-19 Variants Spur More Deaths
Even as optimism abounds in the United States, where cases are in steep decline and the vaccine supply has begun to exceed the demand, the COVID-19 pandemic has reached one of its bleakest points as global vaccination campaigns sputter and new, faster-spreading variants take hold. A record 5.7 million new cases were reported worldwide over the last week, nearly double the seven-day average in late February. The death toll — now approaching 3.1 million — grew by more than 87,000. Those figures have increased pressure on the United States, which along with other wealthy countries has gobbled up most of the supply, to speed up vaccine production and distribution around the world. (Linthicum, Pierson and Baumgaertner, 4/24)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. County Continues To Report Progress In Coronavirus Fight
Los Angeles County public health authorities on Sunday reported 408 new cases of the coronavirus and five related deaths. New cases and deaths are often lower on weekends because not all laboratories report results. Even so, the figures continue to indicate that the region has so far avoided the variant-driven surge that has troubled some other states, such as Michigan. The signs of progress have buoyed hopes that authorities can vaccinate enough people at a sufficient speed to head off a potential new wave of infection. (Wigglesworth, 4/25)
Inewsource:
Donovan Prison Back On Lockdown Due To COVID-19 Infections
A COVID-19 outbreak at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in Otay Mesa has forced the facility back on lockdown, but officials are refusing to clarify the scope of the problem, leaving families and advocates frustrated at the prison’s handling of the health emergency. A spokesperson for the state corrections department confirmed Wednesday that multiple staff members at Donovan have contracted the virus, leading the facility to temporarily cancel in-person visits and reinforce restrictions on the thousands of people living there. (Plummer and Castellano, 4/23)
Axios:
The Next Wave Of The Coronavirus Pandemic: Long Covid
The research is becoming only more clear: People who have had COVID — even those who never had severe infections — are at risk of ongoing health problems, including some serious ones. Long after the majority of Americans are vaccinated, patients and the U.S. health system will likely bear the brunt of millions of people who are struggling to get back to normal. Two studies released last week emphasized how common it is for COVID survivors to require care months after their infection. (Owens, 4/26)
CIDRAP:
Double Masking Amid COVID-19 Not Backed By Research, Experts Say
A study concluding that wearing a disposable medical procedure mask under a reusable cloth face covering protects the wearer against COVID-19 infection better than a mask alone has some scientists worried that it could inadvertently lead to a false sense of security, risky behaviors, and infections. The study, one of a series on pandemic face coverings funded partially by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was published on Apr 16 in JAMA Internal Medicine. The CDC used the studies as a basis for its Apr 6 updated face covering guidelines, which call for the use of a multilayered cloth mask or a disposable mask under a cloth mask to press the edges of the disposable mask against the face. (Van Beusekom, 4/22)
Fox News:
MIT Study Challenges Indoor Social Distancing, Finds 'No Difference Between 6 Feet And 60 Feet'
A new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology challenges the widespread social distancing guidelines, asserting that the "six-foot rule" is "inadequate" in mitigating indoor transmission of COVID-19. MIT professors Martin Bazant and John Bush found that people who maintain six feet of distance indoors are no more protected than if they were 60 feet apart – even when wearing a mask. The peer-reviewed study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America, focused on factors such as time spent indoors, air filtration and circulation, immunization and variant strains. (Aitken, 4/25)
CBS News:
COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Ticks Down But Many Remain Opposed - CBS News Poll
As more Americans receive coronavirus vaccines, the percentage who express hesitancy about doing so has decreased. However, a substantial number continue to say they won't or might not get vaccinated, citing concerns about adequate testing and potential side effects, as well as recent news about clots. This reluctance, if it continues, is one reason some worry about the prospects for attaining herd immunity in the U.S. Overall, six in 10 Americans say they will get vaccinated or report having received at least one dose. That leaves four in 10 who say "maybe" (18%) or "no" outright (22%). While still notable in size, this is four points lower than the percentage who expressed hesitancy last month. It also has decreased noticeably since its February level (measured with a slightly different question). (Khanna, 4/25)
Axios:
Vaccine Hesitancy Remains High Among Essential Workers
Essential workers who are not in health care are less likely to want a vaccine than the rest of the general public, according to new figures from the Kaiser Family Foundation. As vaccines become more available, health officials are increasingly grappling with vaccine hesitancy, particularly among those most at risk. According to the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor, more than 20% of essential workers who don't work in health care settings say they will definitely not get the vaccine, compared to 7% of non-essential workers. (Reed, 4/26)
Stateline:
Republican Men Are Vaccine-Hesitant But There's Little Focus On Them
In December, Arizona Republican state Rep. Mark Finchem suffered from flu-like symptoms—headache, fatigue, body aches and chills. But it wasn’t the flu; he tested positive for COVID-19. Nearly three months later, his mother, who had recently contracted the coronavirus, died after battling throat cancer for over 40 years.Those circumstances weren’t enough to persuade Finchem, who is in his early 60s, to get a Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. Finchem remains skeptical, he said, because he distrusts the federal government and top public health officials, he’s heard mixed messages about the vaccines on social media and television news, and he worries about long-term side effects. (Wright, 4/23)
CNN:
US Covid-19 Vaccination Efforts May Start To Slow Now, Official Says. Here's Why
Covid-19 vaccination efforts may begin to slow down as more Americans get vaccinated, one US official told CNN on Sunday. More than 42% of the United States population has received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Roughly 28.5% of the population is fully vaccinated. "We're going continue to make progress, it might not be as fast as the first 50% (of the population vaccinated), I think that it's going to be slower. But I think we're going to continue to get there," Andy Slavitt, White House senior adviser for Covid-19 response, said. (Maxouris, 4/26)
Bloomberg:
The End of U.S. Mass Vaccination Is Coming Sooner Than Later
After three months of vaccination across the U.S., a majority of American adults have gotten shots, and the effort will soon shift from mass inoculation to mop-up. As of Saturday, 138.6 million people in the U.S. have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot. About 1.3 million more are getting a first dose every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the rate of new vaccinators is declining, even if it were immediately cut in half, it would mean that six weeks from now more than half of the population of the U.S. and its territories will have had a dose. (Armstrong, 4/25)
NBC News:
Even After Being Fully Vaccinated, Many Still Wrestle With A Fear Of Catching Covid
Since the start of the pandemic, Kit Breshears has been terrified of catching the coronavirus. Getting vaccinated did not magically change that. For the past 13 months, Breshears, 44, of Buffalo, Minnesota, has not stepped foot inside a store or restaurant, not even to pick up a takeout meal. Any visits with family and friends have been over Zoom. When he received his second Covid-19 shot earlier this month, he felt relief, he said — but with the pandemic still ongoing, he has found it impossible to turn off his anxiety. (Chuck, 4/25)
The Hill:
Local Doctors Push For Bigger Role As Vaccinations Enter New Phase
The Biden administration sees local doctors as key to the next phase of vaccine distribution, after many family physicians complained they've been left out despite being among the most trusted voices for vaccine-hesitant people. Ada Stewart, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, likened efforts to get local doctors more access to vaccines to a student with a raised hand who is saying, “Call on me. Call on me.” (Sullivan, 4/25)
The Advocate:
Inside The Fight Among Louisiana's Major Hospital Systems And Why It Might Become Public Soon
A behind-the-scenes war between some of the state’s largest health systems could soon spill into public view at the State Capitol, after months of negotiations broke down over an obscure but bitterly contested topic: non-compete agreements written into doctors’ contracts. The fight is years in the making, pitting Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System against Ochsner Health System – which has made heavy use of non-competes as it has grown into Louisiana’s dominant health provider – and drawing in some of the Legislature’s top leaders, including Senate President Page Cortez. (Karlin, 4/26)
Modern Healthcare:
COVID-19 Ignites Energy Efficient Healthcare Design
The COVID-19 pandemic is sparking an interest on health systems' energy costs, a new report found. The U.S. healthcare system spends $8.8 billion a year on energy, but it is an often-overlooked sector, according to a healthcare construction report from construction firm Robins & Morton. COVID-19's squeeze on hospital revenue has reignited cost-cutting initiatives, which increasingly involve reducing energy costs, cutting carbon use and infrastructure efficiency, construction experts said. (Kacik, 4/23)
Modern Healthcare:
Congress May Address Doctor Shortage In Infrastructure Bills
Physician and hospital groups are hopeful Congress will approve thousands of additional Graduate Medical Education slots this year which, if successful, would mark one of the biggest expansions to the program seen in decades. Citing a looming physician shortage, doctors and providers have lobbied Congress for more than a decade to increase the number of residents Medicare helps pay to train. That number has been frozen since 1996 until Congress approved an additional 1,000 slots in December. Lobbyists say that was the catalyst needed to break a decades-long resistance to expanding the program, with provider groups pushing for an additional 14,000 slots this year. (Hellmann, 4/23)
Stat:
AI Caught A Hidden Problem In One Patient's Heart. Can It Work For Others?
Somewhere in Peter Maercklein’s heartbeat was an abnormality no one could find. He survived a stroke 15 years ago, but doctors never saw anything alarming on follow-up electrocardiograms. Then, one day last fall, an artificial intelligence algorithm read his EKGs and spotted something else: a ripple in the calm that indicated an elevated risk of atrial fibrillation. (Ross, 4/26)
Stat:
Covid-19 Gave Scientists A Way To Study How Brain Disorders Arise
While the Covid-19 pandemic put many human research studies on hold, neuroscientist Grainne McAlonan of Kings College London saw it as a fortuitous opportunity — a chance to accelerate her search for early signs of neurodevelopmental disorders in fetuses and newborns. McAlonan knew that if a mother is infected by a virus during pregnancy, her child has a slightly greater chance of developing such disorders, including autism, although the overall risk is very low. The novel coronavirus gave her a way to study how viral infection and the immune response affect the developing brain, and why a small number of infants are susceptible to neurological changes while the vast majority are not. (Reardon, 4/26)
The Boston Globe:
As Hopes Rise For Pandemic’s Close, Some Are Preparing For Never-Ending COVID
A pandemic-weary public is dreaming of Memorial Day barbecues, summer nights at Fenway Park, and putting the long-running curse of COVID-19 behind us. But in the medical and biopharma worlds, many are eyeing a more daunting prospect: coronavirus as a never-ending threat. Governments and private investors who once shunned vaccines as an unprofitable pharmaceutical backwater are pouring billions into venerable drug giants and upstart biotechs, including some in Massachusetts, seeking to develop longer-lasting vaccines. (Weisman and Saltzman, 4/24)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Feds Allege S.F. Doctor Used Fake Botox On Her Patients
A San Francisco physician was indicted by a federal grand jury this month and charged with injecting patients with fraudulent medicines used to reduce wrinkles, according to authorities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Food and Drug Administration allege that Lindsay Marie Clark, a licensed doctor specializing in cosmetic injections, purchased from offshore pharmacies what were purported to be foreign versions of Botox and Juvaderm. The FDA has approved Botox, Juvaderm and similar medications for use, but the foreign versions the 44-year-old Clark is alleged to have purchased and used do not have FDA approval. (Cabanatuan, 4/25)
Bloomberg:
Bristol-Myers Psoriasis Drug Shows Promise In Late-Stage Trials
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.’s experimental psoriasis drug showed positive results in two late-stage trials, potentially setting it up as future rival to Otezla, Amgen Inc.’s billion-dollar pill. Bristol’s deucravacitinib is a TYK2 inhibitor for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Significantly more patients treated with the drug showed superior results for disease severity and skin clearance compared with those on a placebo, the company said Friday in a statement. (Rutherford, 4/23)
The New York Times:
Florida Family Indicted For Selling Toxic Bleach As ‘Miracle’ Coronavirus Cure
Leaders of a business masquerading as a church sold a toxic bleach solution as a religious sacrament and marketed it as a “miracle” cure for Covid-19, cancer, autism, Alzheimer’s disease and more, federal prosecutors said. A federal grand jury in Miami has indicted Mark Grenon, 62, and his three sons, Jonathan Grenon, 34; Jordan Grenon, 26; and Joseph Grenon, 32; all of Bradenton, Fla. Prosecutors said on Friday that they violated court orders and fraudulently produced and sold more than $1 million of their “Miracle Mineral Solution,” a dangerous industrial bleach solution. (Morales, 4/25)
USA Today:
Jule's Foods Recalls Cashew Brie, Other Vegan And Plant-Based Products Over Possible Salmonella Contamination
Jule's Foods is voluntarily recalling all of its products because they could be contaminated with salmonella and linked to a multistate outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration said Friday they are investigating "Salmonella Duisburg infections linked to the consumption of Jule’s Cashew Brie, a vegan, or plant-based cheese alternative." According to the CDC's food safety alert, there have been five people infected with the outbreak strain reported from three states. California and Tennessee have had two cases, and Florida has had one. Two people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported. (Tyko, 4/23)
The New York Times:
Vaccinated American Tourists May Soon Travel To Europe
American tourists who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be able to visit the European Union over the summer, the head of the bloc’s executive body said in an interview with The New York Times on Sunday, more than a year after shutting down nonessential travel from most countries to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The fast pace of vaccination in the United States, and advanced talks between authorities there and the European Union over how to make vaccine certificates acceptable as proof of immunity for visitors, will enable the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, to recommend a switch in policy that could see trans-Atlantic leisure travel restored. (Stevis-Gridneff, 4/25)
CNN:
Fully Vaccinated Americans Will Be Able To Visit European Union This Summer, European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen Tells New York Times
Americans who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be able to visit the European Union this summer, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said in an interview with The New York Times on Sunday. "The Americans, as far as I can see, use European Medicines Agency-approved vaccines," von der Leyen said, according to the Times report. "This will enable free movement and the travel to the European Union." (Hallam and Fox, 4/25)
CBS News:
United Airlines To Fly Largest Flight Schedule Since Before The Pandemic
United Airlines is preparing to fly its largest flight schedule since before the pandemic started to accommodate the nation's growing demand for summer travel, the airline announced Friday. In June, United will restart 16 flight routes, add more than 480 daily U.S flights and add nine completely new routes to more than 240 total destinations. (Powell, 4/23)
Philadelphia Inquirer:
STD Rates Continue To Spike, And Philadelphia Sexual Health Experts Are Especially Concerned
In the last four to five months, Judy Politzer, a nurse practitioner who works at a community health center in South Philadelphia, began noticing an increase in sexually transmitted diseases among patients, especially those over age 50. “I started noticing that I had to call a lot more people about their test results and have them come in and get treated with their partners,” said Politzer, who treated a syphilis infection for the first time in years during the pandemic. “I usually only have to call two people, and I was calling four or five. It just seemed like a noticeable increase.” (Ao, 4/23)
The Washington Post:
Ticks Carrying Lyme Found Near Beaches In California
Disease-carrying ticks, commonly associated with wooded areas, are also abundant near beaches in Northern California, according to a study. They weren’t found on beaches themselves, but in the brush and vegetation beachgoers may walk through to get to the sand. Daniel Salkeld, a research scientist at Colorado State University who led the study, said researchers wanted a “bird’s-eye view” of where ticks are found in Northern California and what they are infected with, such as bacteria that causes Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. (Firozi, 4/25)
Bloomberg:
U.K. Passes Vaccine Milestone; Half Of Country Gets First Dose
The U.K. has given half of its population a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, a key milestone in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s efforts to revive an economy that was among the worst-hit in the early months of the pandemic. The government has given first doses to 33.5 million people, health authorities said Saturday. That’s more more than half the Office for National Statistics’ most recent population estimate of 66.8 million. More than 12 million people have been given second doses. (Cherry and Capel, 4/24)
AP:
Spanish Man Charged With Infecting 22 People With COVID-19
A Spanish man with COVID-19 symptoms who coughed on work colleagues and told them “I’m going to give you all the coronavirus” has been charged with intentionally causing injury after allegedly infecting 22 people. Spanish police said their investigation began after a COVID-19 outbreak at the company where the 40-year-old man worked on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca. (4/25)
CNN:
At Least 82 Killed In Massive Baghdad Hospital Fire
At least 82 people died in a huge hospital fire Saturday night in Iraq's capital city of Baghdad, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said Sunday. Another 110 people were injured in the blaze at Ibn al-Khatib Hospital, according to ministry spokesman Major General Khaled Al-Muhanna. The fire is believed to have started after oxygen tanks exploded, according to two health officials at the hospital. ... Twenty-eight of the known victims were being treated in Covid-19 ICU wards, said Ali Akram al-Bayati of the Independent High Commission for Human Rights of Iraq (IHCHR). (Tawfeeq, 4/26)
Bloomberg:
Switzerland Says A Third Of Population Has Had Covid-19: NZZ
The Swiss government estimates that about one-third of the population has been infected with Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic. At the end of 2020, government scientists found antibodies in about 20% of those tested and now believe that another 10% have been infected, newspaper NZZ am Sonntag reported. “Conservatively calculated, around a third of the population has been infected since the beginning of the pandemic,” said Federal Office of Public Health spokeswoman, Simone Buchmann. (Hoffman, 4/25)