CNBC: U.S. Covid Cases Show Signs Of Slowing, Even As Fatalities Surge Again
Covid cases are still on the rise in the U.S., but the pace of infections is showing signs of slowing, especially in some of the states that have been hit hardest by the delta variant. Though cases have climbed to their highest level since January at an average of 152,000 per day over the last week, the pace of the rise in new infections has substantially slowed over the last two weeks, data compiled by Johns Hopkins University shows. New cases increased by 11% over the last week, almost a third of the seven-day jump of 30% just two weeks ago, according to the data. (Rattner and Towey, 8/26)

AP: 100,000 More COVID Deaths Seen Unless US Changes Its Ways
The U.S. is projected to see nearly 100,000 more COVID-19 deaths between now and Dec. 1, according to the nation’s most closely watched forecasting model. But health experts say that toll could be cut in half if nearly everyone wore a mask in public spaces. In other words, what the coronavirus has in store this fall depends on human behavior. “Behavior is really going to determine if, when and how sustainably the current wave subsides,” said Lauren Ancel Meyers, director of the University of Texas COVID-19 Modeling Consortium. “We cannot stop delta in its tracks, but we can change our behavior overnight.” (Johnson and Forster, 8/26)

Fewer places are reporting their covid data —

KHN: States Pull Back On Covid Data Even Amid Delta Surge 
Two state government websites in Georgia recently stopped posting updates on covid-19 cases in prisons and long-term care facilities, just as the dangerous delta variant was taking hold. Data has been disappearing recently in other states as well. Florida, for example, now reports covid cases, deaths and hospitalizations once a week, instead of daily, as before. Both states, along with the rest of the South, are battling high infection rates. (Miller, 8/27)

Georgia Health News: Covid Data Disappearing In Georgia, Other States Despite Latest Surge 
Two state government websites in Georgia recently stopped posting updates on Covid-19 cases in prisons and long-term care facilities, just as the dangerous delta variant was taking hold. Data has been disappearing recently in other states as well. Florida, for example, now reports Covid cases, deaths and hospitalizations once a week, instead of daily, as before. Both states, along with the rest of the South, are battling high infection rates. (Miller, 8/26)

In other news about the spread of the coronavirus —

Health News Florida: FHA Survey: 68 Florida Hospitals Have Less Than 48 Hours Worth Of Oxygen 
The Florida Hospital Association is sounding the alarm, saying a survey shows 68 hospitals have less than a 48-hour supply of oxygen. Hospitals are using three to four times as much oxygen as they were before the pandemic because more than 17,000 patients are hospitalized statewide with COVID-19. The FHA survey, which was done Wednesday, shows 68 hospitals have less than 48 hours worth of supply, with about half of these have less than 36 hours. (Aboraya, 8/26)

CNBC: Texas Covid: Gov. Abbott Deploys Thousands Of Out-Of-State Medical Staff To Fight Surge
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday the state will get 2,500 additional medical personnel from across the country to help alleviate pressure on the state’s health-care system imposed by this summer’s Covid surge. Texas began requesting external assistance just two weeks ago, when Abbott announced that the Texas Department of State Health Services had coordinated a first wave of over 2,500 out-of-state workers to respond to the delta variant. With this latest addition, the state will have approximately 8,100 outside medical personnel, including nurses and respiratory therapists. (Towey, 8/26)

AP: COVID-19 Forces Idaho Hospitals Past Capacity, Toward Crisis
Hospital facilities and public health agencies are scrambling to add capacity as the number of coronavirus cases continue to rise statewide. But many Idaho residents don’t seem to feel the same urgency. Volunteers are helping with contract tracing at the Central District Health Department, and health education classrooms are being converted into COVID-19 treatment units in northern Idaho. On Thursday, some Idaho hospitals only narrowly avoided asking the state to enact “crisis standards of care” — where scarce health care resources are allotted to the patients most likely to benefit — thanks in part to statewide coordination. (Boone, 8/27)

Anchorage Daily News: ‘The Crisis We Have Been Warning About Is Here’: Alaska Reports 701 New Resident COVID-19 Cases, The Year’s Highest Daily Tally, As Hospital Counts Swell
Alaska reported 701 new COVID-19 cases in residents on Thursday, the highest daily count so far this year, and one of the highest since the coronavirus pandemic began in March 2020. Hospitalizations of COVID-positive patients are also nearing pandemic highs, according to the state hospital association. Thursday’s count of hospitalizations of people with COVID-19 was in the high 140s, according to Jared Kosin, president and CEO of the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association. Alaska’s highest COVID-19 patient count ever was 151 during the winter peak of cases. (Hollander and Krakow, 8/26)

Bangor Daily News: Maine ‘Near Crisis’ In ICUs With COVID-19 Surge
Maine hospitals had roughly 10 percent of intensive care unit beds open on Thursday with an industry leader warning the system was nearing crisis and the state’s largest providers uniting in a rare joint briefing to urge residents to wear masks and get vaccinated. The rise in infections, more of which are resulting in severe cases due to the delta variant, has quickly added stress. As of Thursday, Maine had only 34 unfilled critical care beds, according to Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Nirav Shah. That was down from 52 earlier this week, although that was largely due to an increase in patients without the virus. (Piper, 8/26)

North Carolina Health News: NC Jails And Prisons Report Delta-Driven COVID Surge
Until last week, North Carolina’s most recent surge of COVID-19 cases had largely spared the state’s prisons. No more. Even as the fast-spreading Delta variant turned the state entirely red on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s community transmission map — denoting “high” rates of spread — the state’s prisons facilities had a modest number of cases. (Thompson, 8/27)

The Washington Post: Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Linked To More Than 100 Coronavirus Infections Amid Delta Variant’s Spread
More than 100 coronavirus infections have been linked to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, an annual event that drew hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts to South Dakota as the virus’s ferocious delta variant spread misery nationwide. Health officials in South Dakota, where the rally was held from Aug. 6 to Aug. 15, said contact tracing has connected 16 cases to the event. North Dakota identified 42 cases, while Wyoming confirmed 32, Wisconsin tallied 20 and Minnesota counted 13. (Shammas, Knowles and Keating, 8/26)

The New York Times: Covid-19 Surge In Oregon: State Returns To Strict Mandates 
Facing a 990 percent increase in coronavirus hospitalizations since July 9, Oregon leaders have deployed the National Guard to hospitals, dispatched crisis teams to the hardest-hit regions of the state and ordered educators and health care workers to get vaccinated or lose their jobs. Now, in her latest mandate that will take effect on Friday, Gov. Kate Brown has gone beyond what any other state has done in battling the summer surge, requiring that both vaccinated and unvaccinated people wear masks when gathering closely in public, even when outdoors. She said more restrictions might be needed as the coming days unfold and the state tries to keep in-person schooling on track. (Olmos and Baker, 8/26)

The Oregonian: Oregon On Track For Nearly 1,200 COVID Hospitalizations, Up From Previous OHSU Projection
Following another week of historic highs in Oregon for COVID-19 cases, forecasted numbers for COVID-19 hospitalizations -- and when they will peak -- have gotten incrementally worse. Peter Graven, an Oregon Health and Science University researcher who has been modeling expected coronavirus hospitalization numbers on a weekly basis since the beginning of the pandemic, says he expects that number will peak early next month – Sept. 6 – at about 1,197. (Forrest, 8/26)

CBS News: Oregon Hospital Packed With COVID Patients As Cases Surge: "I've Never Seen So Much Death In My Career" 
"Every day we see just the body boxes roll out one after the other and then as soon as we clean the room we get somebody back in there... It's the worst we've ever seen." That's what ICU nurse Clarissa Carson told CBS News' Janet Shamlian Wednesday at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford, Oregon, where COVID-19 patients have filled the hospital. Shamlian reported constant turnover in the hospital's intensive care unit, but not because patients are getting better. (8/26)

Hawaii is also struggling —

AP: COVID-19 Surge Pummels Hawaii And Its Native Population
Kuulei Perreira-Keawekane could barely breathe when she went to a Hawaii emergency room. Nausea made it difficult for her to stand and her body throbbed with pain. Like many Native Hawaiians, she was not vaccinated against COVID-19.Perreira-Keawekane’s situation highlights the COVID-19 crisis that is gripping Hawaii as hospitals are overflowing with a record number of patients, vaccinations are stagnating and Hawaiians are experiencing a disproportionate share of the suffering. (Kelleher, 8/27)

The Wall Street Journal: Hawaii Wants Tourists To Postpone Their Trips, But Many Aren’t Yet 
Travel agents say they have been inundated with questions from would-be vacationers about how to approach their trips. Bruce Fisher, owner of Hawaii Aloha Travel in Honolulu, has seen a small number of cancellations at his agency since the governor’s announcement. But he says he hasn’t noticed a mass rush to call off trips just yet. “It all depends on what additional restrictions are going to come down,” he says. “If they decide to close beaches and parks, that’s going to be even more of a game-changer.” Earlier in August, the state limited indoor capacity in bars, restaurants and gyms to 50%. Starting this week, all large gatherings on Oahu were limited to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors. (Pohle, 8/26)

AP: Hawaii Leaders Want Official Fired For COVID Drug Remarks
State legislative leaders have called on Hawaii’s governor to fire the Maui district health officer for promoting the use of drugs to treat COVID-19 that haven’t been approved for this use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Sen. Roz Baker, a Democrat who represents south and west Maui, said Dr. Lorrin Pang was potentially harming the lives of Hawaii’s most vulnerable citizens because people will be inclined to believe him because of his position. (McAvoy, 8/27)

In related news about air travel —

CBS News: TSA Sees Lowest Air Travel Numbers Since May 
Travelers are canceling flights amid the summer surge in COVID-19 cases. The Transportation Security Administration reported its lowest air travel numbers of the summer on Tuesday and Wednesday after hitting its highest traffic of the year at the beginning of August.  More than 1.4 million people went through TSA checkpoints Tuesday and 1.5 million on Wednesday, the agency reported. It's a large decrease from the 2.2 million reported in early August. (Barnett, 8/26)

The Hill: At Least 90,000 Students Have Had To Quarantine Because Of COVID-19 So Far This School Year 
Just weeks into the new school year, at least 90,000 children in 19 states have had to or are currently quarantining or isolating after contracting COVID-19 or coming into contact with someone who tested positive for the disease. The disruptions have caused uncertainty for parents, students and school districts that had hoped to resume in-person instruction after a year marked by lockdowns and virtual learning. (Schnell and Vakil, 8/26)

USA Today: COVID Cases In Kids Are Rising As School Year Stumbles With Outbreaks
After a year of virtual school, students and parents alike were excited for the return of in-person learning. But just as quickly as the new school year started, many children were sent back home after a slew of COVID-19 outbreaks forced them into quarantine. In Florida, school districts around the state, including in Jacksonville's Duval County, are closing schools as cases rise. New Orleans School District saw 299 active COVID-19 cases and more than 3,000 students and staff in quarantine, according to district data. A Mississippi public health official said about 20,000 students across the state are in quarantine. (Rodriguez, 8/26)

Los Angeles Times: Strict COVID-19 Quarantine Rules To Be Enforced At L.A. Schools
Los Angeles County health officials will continue to enforce strict school quarantine rules amid a “sobering” 3,186 coronavirus cases at campuses countywide last week, public health officials said Thursday. The county quarantine rules, which are stricter than state guidelines, have raised concerns among some school leaders and parents about academic disruption after thousands of students and staff members were sent home in the opening days of the school year. In the Los Angeles Unified School District alone, 6,500 were in quarantine or isolation the first week of class. (Blume, Alpert Reyes and Lin II, 8/26)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Suburban Schools Take Laissez-Faire Approach To Delta Variant Despite Mounting Covid Death Toll
Jefferson and St. Bernard parish school officials appear content to let the COVID-19 Delta variant largely run its course by implementing only modest mitigation measures — and even rolling back some safeguards put in place last year to control the significantly less deadly version of the virus. Considering 11 children in Louisiana have died as a result of Covid and infection rates among school-aged children are skyrocketing, it's an approach to public health policy that one expert says has turned kids, who are largely unvaccinated, into “sitting ducks.” (Poche, 8/26)

More parents are demanding covid vaccines for their children —

The Washington Post: Pediatricians Besieged By Parents Seeking Coronavirus Shots For Kids Under 12
As the start of the school year nears, pediatricians say they are being deluged by calls from anxious parents, who are eager to get their children vaccinated against the virus that continues its deathly rampage, especially as the delta variant appears to exact a greater toll on kids. Some parents are seeking ways to get the shots before federal officials give the go-ahead, with more than 2,100 children with covid-19 hospitalized, according to a Washington Post analysis of federal data. (Sellers and Cha, 8/26)

Stat: As Some Parents Press For Vaccines Off-Label, Pediatricians Call For Patience
Just hours after the Food and Drug Administration announced full approval for the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine on Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a warning: Physicians should not vaccinate any children under the age of 12 “off-label.” But by that time, parents had already started calling their pediatricians. Full FDA approval of a drug or vaccine opens the door for off-label use, when doctors can use their discretion to provide a treatment in a way other than what it’s specifically approved for — in this case, people age 16 or older. In Raleigh, North Carolina, Patti Mulligan spoke to an administrative employee and easily made a Wednesday appointment for her 9-year-old daughter. When they showed up, they were turned away because the practice had decided not to provide off-label vaccinations. (Gaffney, 8/27)

Also —

Fox News: Louisiana Reports COVID-19 Death In Child Under 1
Louisiana health officials on Wednesday announced the death of a child under 1 due to COVID-19, marking the 11th pediatric fatality in the state since the beginning of the pandemic. The death, one of 110 new fatalities reported Wednesday, brings Louisiana’s number of COVID-19-related fatalities to 12,226. "Each COVID-19 death in Louisiana has been heart-wrenching, but the loss of such a young child, who could not be vaccinated yet, is tragic and a stark reminder of the difficult circumstance we are in throughout Louisiana," Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a news release. "Right now, we are seeing younger people hospitalized. They are getting sicker than in the previous surge and unfortunately some of them may die. Already, this week, we have confirmed 6,146 COVID cases in children and last week there were 63 pediatric cases of COVID admitted to the hospital. Even children who are not hospitalized or very sick are contagious." (Hein, 8/26)

Fox News: Louisiana High School Football Player Dies From COVID-19: Local Reports
A Louisiana community is mourning the loss of a young high school player who died after contracting COVID-19, according to local reports. Patrick Sanders, a 14-year-old Baker resident, died Wednesday, The Advocate reported. Baker Police Chief Carol Dunn told the news outlet that the entire football team is under quarantine out of an abundance of caution. (Hein, 8/26)

Oklahoman: A 'Beautiful Soul': 13-Year-Old OKC Student Dies Of COVID-19
An Oklahoma City boy who was set to begin eighth grade this year died of COVID-19 complications last week, school officials confirmed. Clarence Wayne Johnson III, was 13 years old when he died Aug. 19, Oklahoma City Public Schools’ Native American Student Services department said in a Facebook post. The department said many teachers and staff loved Clarence, who was Comanche and Kiowa, for his “beautiful soul and unforgettable smile.” (Martinez-Keel and Branham, 8/26)

Bloomberg: CVS Limits Purchases Of Covid Rapid Tests Due To High Demand
CVS Health Corp. is limiting customers’ purchases of rapid, over-the-counter Covid-19 tests, with a maximum of six packages available online and four in its pharmacies, as the spread of the delta variant spurs demand. Put in place this week, the limits apply to Abbott Laboratories’s BinaxNOW along with a test from the startup Ellume, according to an email from a CVS spokesperson. Both tests are available without a prescription. (Court, 8/26)

The Wall Street Journal: As Delta Variant Surges, So Does Demand For At-Home Covid-19 Tests 
Demand for at-home Covid-19 tests has risen sharply in recent weeks as the Delta variant surges across the U.S., causing test makers to scramble to keep pace. Abbott Laboratories said it expects supplies of its at-home test to be limited in the next few weeks as it hires workers and reboots factory lines that were slowed or idled earlier this summer. Availability on Amazon.com of Abbott’s BinaxNOW test and a similar test made by Quidel Corp. QDEL 2.80% has been spotty, and an at-home test made by Ellume USA LLC was out of stock as of Wednesday. The tests, which detect fragments of viral proteins called antigens, can be found with patchy access on store shelves and websites. (Abbott, 8/26)

Knoxville News Sentinel: COVID-19 Testing Appointments Can Be Hard To Find Around Knoxville
As delta variant cases rise throughout Knox County and East Tennessee and school is back in session, those with symptoms are finding spotty access to COVID-19 test appointments .Both rapid results and laboratory COVID-19 tests can be hard to find, which is a scary feeling when parents are determining whether to keep their kid out of school. "There is a shortage of certain types/brands of rapid tests, and there is a shortage of available appointments to administer tests," EDP Biotech spokesperson Eric Mayer said in an email to Knox News. "Many providers are working quickly to source alternative brands of tests, or open more daily appointments, to address the current pandemic spike." (Willis, 8/26)

WYMT: COVID-19 Testing Sites Coming To Regional Hospitals To Help Overrun ERs
Starting Friday, COVID-19 testing sites will open at four hospitals across [Kentucky]: Baptist Health Corbin, Pikeville Medical Center, St. Claire Regional Medical Center and a site in Danville. Gov. Andy Beshear said he had talked with CEOs of hospitals and they were frustrated the emergency rooms were overrun with people wanting a COVID test. ... The governor hopes these testing sites will free up staff who usually handle the testing, so they an attend to patients.

The Hill: DC Expands At-Home Coronavirus Testing Program 
Washington, D.C., expanded COVID-19 testing efforts on Thursday, offering 11 new sites where residents could pick up and drop off coronavirus testing kits. The development is a part of a larger initiative in D.C., called the Test Yourself DC program, which provides people the opportunity to either take a COVID-19 test kit home and drop off samples later that day, or take a COVID-19 test on site. (Vakil, 8/26)

Houston Chronicle: Don't Bring Asymptomatic Kids To The ER For A COVID Test, Texas Children's Doctors Beg Parents
Since school started earlier this month, Texas Children’s Hospital emergency centers and urgent care clinics have been filled with parents seeking COVID-19 tests for their children. But emergency rooms don’t have the capacity to test all of them, especially if they are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, said Dr. Brent Kaziny, medical director of Emergency Management at Texas Children’s Hospital. In addition to handling COVID-positive patients, the pediatric hospital is in the middle of a busier-than-usual respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season and is handling patients who come in for the “normal things,” like accidents, falls and other injuries that come with the start of school. (Garcia, 8/26)

Modern Healthcare: ICER To Review Efficacy Of COVID-19 Treatments
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review plans to review the efficacy of several of the most commonly used COVID-19 treatments. An independent review panel will deliberate and vote on a report presented during the group's Midwest Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council in April, the organization announced Wednesday. The interventions under evaluation include casirivimab and imdevimab, sold by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals under the brand name REGEN-COV. Use of this treatment, which received emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration last November, has increased in states like Florida and Texas, where vaccination rates are low while new COVID-19 cases have been spiking. (Ross Johnson, 8/26)

WMFE: Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Sites Are Not Reaching Full Capacity 
Gov. Ron DeSantis visited The Villages on Wednesday to announce the opening of another state monoclonal antibody treatment site for COVID-19 sufferers with mild symptoms. But treatment locations around Florida have the capacity to treat many more patients. Florida’s 20 or so locations have treated more than 10,000. DeSantis says none are at capacity. (Byrnes, 8/26)

Axios: Demand For COVID Treatments Surges As Cases Mount 
Demand has soared in recent weeks for monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID-19 infections. Monoclonal antibodies — the treatment then-President Trump received when he got COVID — had a slow initial uptake, but are now gaining ground in the pandemic's fourth wave. A handful of states with low vaccination rates and little willingness to take other safety precautions are leading the charge to make these treatments more available. (Reed, 8/27)

In news about ivermectin —

CNN: Arkansas Doctor Under Investigation For Prescribing Ivermectin Thousands Of Times For Covid-19 Despite FDA Warning 
The Arkansas Medical Board is investigating after a doctor said he prescribed an anti-parasitic drug "thousands" of times for treatment of Covid-19, including to inmates in an Arkansas jail. The FDA has been warning against the use of ivermectin for treatment of Covid-19 since March. The drug is used to treat parasitic infections, primarily in livestock, and the CDC recently cautioned about an increase in reports to poison centers of severe illness caused by the drug. (Sayers and Riess, 8/27)

Houston Chronicle: Houston Doctor Treats COVID Patients With Anti-Parasite Drug Ivermectin, Despite FDA Warnings
A Houston doctor says he is using the anti-parasite medication ivermectin with a combination of drugs to treat COVID-19 patients, despite warnings from federal health officials that it could cause serious harm when used to combat the virus. Dr. Joseph Varon, chief medical officer at United Memorial Medical Center, on Thursday told the Houston Chronicle that he has used ivermectin since the start of the pandemic in all COVID patients. He said he administers a low dosage based on the people’s weight with a cocktail of steroids and vitamins. (Gill, 8/26)

CNBC: Clamoring For Ivermectin, Some Turn To Pro-Trump Telemedicine Website
When users visit the telemedicine website SpeakWithAnMD.com, they are immediately hit with a warning: “Due to overwhelming demand, we are experiencing longer than usual wait times.” The demand is for ivermectin, a drug primarily used to deworm animals that has become the latest false cure for Covid-19. And the website, in partnership with the organization America’s Frontline Doctors, whose founder stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, has become well-known in the Facebook groups and Reddit communities where anti-vaccination sentiment thrives. (Collins and Zadrozny, 8/27)

Bloomberg: Previous Covid Prevents Delta Infection Better Than Pfizer Shot 
People who recovered from a bout of Covid-19 during one of the earlier waves of the pandemic appear to have a lower risk of contracting the delta variant than those who got two doses of the vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE. The largest real-world analysis comparing natural immunity -- gained from an earlier infection -- to the protection provided by one of the most potent vaccines currently in use showed that reinfections were much less common. The paper from researchers in Israel contrasts with earlier studies, which showed that immunizations offered better protection than an earlier infection, though those studies were not of the delta variant. (Fay Cortez, 8/27)

In updates on vaccine side effects —

Bloomberg: Vaccine Blood Clots Risk Is Lower Than Clot Risk From Covid-19: Study
Covid-19 patients face a much higher risk of developing blood clots than those vaccinated with AstraZeneca Plc or Pfizer Inc.’s shots, according to a large U.K. study. For every 10 million people who receive the first dose of AstraZeneca, about 66 more will suffer from a blood-clotting syndrome than during normal circumstances, according to the study published in the British Medical Journal. This figure compares with 12,614 more incidences recorded in 10 million people who have tested positive for Covid-19. (Gitau, 8/27)

CIDRAP: Large Real-World Study: Pfizer's COVID Vaccine Is Safe 
The largest real-world study of a COVID-19 vaccine to date shows that Pfizer/BioNTech's shot is safe and linked to substantially fewer adverse events than SARS-CoV-2 infection in unvaccinated patients. A team led by researchers from the Clalit Research Institute in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Harvard University matched vaccinated Israelis 16 years and older (median age, 38) with similar but unvaccinated people infected with SARS-CoV-2 from Dec 20, 2020, to May 24, 2021. They then derived risk ratios (RRs) and risk differences 42 days after vaccination (short- to medium-term) using the Kaplan-Meier estimator. (Van Beusekom, 8/26)

In other news about the vaccine rollout —

WUSF Public Media: More Floridians Are Getting COVID Vaccines Amid Surge In Cases
On a recent evening outside Greater Mount Zion AME Church in St. Petersburg, health workers with the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County administered COVID vaccines during a community outreach event. A DJ bumped dance music as neighbors and church patrons socialized and munched on southern comfort food from a local food truck. The Rev. Clarence Williams took the mic to urge people to get their shots. “Come and be a part of the solution, and not a part of the problem,” he said. (Colombini, 8/26)

Fox News: About 3 In 4 Pregnant Women In US Unvaccinated Against COVID-19
Most pregnant women in the U.S. have yet to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the latest data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As of Aug. 21, about 3 in 4 pregnant women aged 18-49 were unvaccinated, or in other words, 23.9% overall received at least one dose, per data from the agency’s Vaccine Safety Datalink. Vaccination coverage was reported lowest among Hispanic/Latina (19.2%) and Black pregnant women (11.7%), with higher coverage reported among Asian (35.2%) and White pregnant women (26.6%). (Rivas, 8/26)

AP: Nevada Coronavirus Vaccination Promotion Ends With $1M Prize
A man from the Las Vegas area won the $1 million grand prize Thursday to cap an eight-week coronavirus vaccination jackpot program that Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak created for successfully promoting coronavirus inoculations. The prize winners were introduced by their first name and last initial at a live event hosted by the governor at the Las Vegas Convention Center, by aides at a satellite gathering at the Sierra Arts Foundation’s Riverside Gallery in Reno, and streamed to the internet. (8/27)

NPR: Operation Warp Speed Promised Vaccines In The Fall. Here's What Caused Delays 
It was 17 days before Pfizer's first delivery deadline under its federal COVID-19 vaccine contract, and the company wasn't going to meet it, according to federal records and several people familiar with the matter. Officials with Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration's multibillion-dollar push to make a COVID-19 vaccine available in record time, didn't know there was a problem. Early on the morning of Nov. 10, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar was on the Today show talking to Savannah Guthrie about the "fruits of Operation Warp Speed and America's biopharmaceutical industry." (Lupkin, 8/25)

KHN: Medicaid Vaccination Rates Founder As States Struggle To Immunize Their Poorest Residents
Medicaid enrollees are getting vaccinated against covid-19 at far lower rates than the general population as states search for the best strategies to improve access to the shots and persuade those who remain hesitant. Efforts by state Medicaid agencies and the private health plans that most states pay to cover their low-income residents has been scattershot and hampered by a lack of access to state data about which members are immunized. The problems reflect the decentralized nature of the health program, funded largely by the federal government but managed by the states. (Galewitz, 8/27)

KHN: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Vaccine Approval Moves The Needle On Covid 
The Food and Drug Administration gave full approval this week to the covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech, which will henceforth be known as “Comirnaty.” It is not clear how many vaccine-hesitant Americans will now be willing to get a jab, but the approval has prompted many public and private employers to implement mandates for their workers. Meanwhile, the U.S. House, back early from its summer break, overcame a brief rebellion by some Democratic moderates to pass a budget resolution that starts the process for a giant social-spending measure addressing many new health benefits. (8/26)

AP: Supreme Court Allows Evictions To Resume During Pandemic
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority is allowing evictions to resume across the United States, blocking the Biden administration from enforcing a temporary ban that was put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic. The court’s action ends protections for roughly 3.5 million people in the United States who said they faced eviction in the next two months, according to Census Bureau data from early August. The court said late Thursday in an unsigned opinion that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reimposed the moratorium Aug. 3, lacked the authority to do so under federal law without explicit congressional authorization. (Sherman, 8/26)

The Washington Post: Supreme Court Strikes Down CDC Eviction Moratorium Despite Delta’s Rise 
In an unsigned opinion released Thursday night, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority agreed that the federal agency did not have the power to order such a ban. “It is indisputable that the public has a strong interest in combating the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant,” the majority’s eight-page opinion said. “But our system does not permit agencies to act unlawfully even in pursuit of desirable ends. . . . It is up to Congress, not the CDC, to decide whether the public interest merits further action here.” (Barnes, Siegel and O'Connell, 8/26)

NPR: The Supreme Court Blocks The Biden Administration's Latest Ban On Evictions
Congress has approved nearly $50 billion to help people pay back rent and avoid eviction. But while in some states and counties that's been working well, in many others the help hasn't reached the vast majority of renters who need it. By one estimate, 15 states still haven't managed to get even 5% of those federal dollars out the door to renters facing eviction. With the Delta variant of COVID surging in many parts of the country, the CDC issued a more limited eviction moratorium through Oct. 3. (Calamur and Arnold, 8/26)

PBS NewsHour: How Uncertainty Surrounding The Eviction Ban, Rental Assistance Affects Housing Security
A U.S. appeals court on Aug. 20 declined to end the CDC moratorium on evictions that was instituted during the pandemic, setting the ban up for a battle before the Supreme Court. But as the legal back-and-forth over the federal evictions ban continues, housing advocates and legal professionals, as well as organizations representing property owners, told PBS NewsHour their clients’ concerns extend well beyond the future of this moratorium. In some counties, judges have declined to enforce the ban and pushed on with evictions amid the pandemic, and rental assistance remains hard to access for both landlords and tenants in some parts of the country. Additionally, the moratorium only covers certain types of evictions, meaning they have continued to occur anyway, even though they are being filed at a lower rate than in years prior to the pandemic. (Vinopal, 8/26)

Detroit Free Press: GM Is Requiring Salaried Workforce To Disclose Vaccination Status
General Motors is requiring all of its U.S. white-collar employees to reveal their COVID-19 vaccination status as the automaker evaluates whether or not to mandate vaccination across its salaried workforce. Upon learning the news, UAW President Ray Curry said Thursday afternoon that the union has not asked its hourly workforce members to disclose their vaccination status and will not do so. The union encourages its members to get vaccinated, but leaves it a voluntary decision. (LaReau, 8/26)

Oklahoman: Integris Health Will Require Workers To Be Vaccinated Against COVID-19
Integris Health is joining several health systems in Oklahoma in requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for its staff. Now that the Pfizer vaccine has received full approval from the federal Food and Drug Administration, Integris Health will have a COVID-19 vaccination policy similar to its policy for annual flu shots. Staff will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or be granted an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Those seeking an exemption must request one by Oct. 15; otherwise, they are required to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 1. (Branham, 8/27)

Crain's Cleveland Business: MetroHealth To Require Employees To Get COVID-19 Vaccine By Fall
MetroHealth will require its employees, contractors and volunteers to receive COVID-19 vaccinations by Oct. 30, aligning with state and national associations that have urged hospitals in recent weeks to implement such requirements. "Protecting caregivers against COVID-19 is the right thing to do," MetroHealth president and CEO Dr. Akram Boutros said in a provided statement. "Our profession has been hailed as heroic because we were there when there was no protection from this disease. We cared for people and put ourselves at risk. We don't have to do that anymore. We can and have to take care of our patients and ourselves." (8/26)

Axios: Tampa To Require COVID Vaccinations For City Workers 
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor is the latest Florida leader to defy state law, announcing yesterday that all city workers will have until Sept. 30 to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Those who refuse will have to wear N95 masks and show the results of weekly tests. (San Felice, 8/26)

The Washington Post: NFL Says It Has Sought Vaccine Mandate For Players
The NFL said Thursday that it has proposed making coronavirus vaccinations mandatory for all players and remains interested in implementing such a requirement. The NFL Players Association has not agreed to that request, according to the league. “We still would love to see that mandate go into effect tomorrow,” Larry Ferazani, the NFL’s deputy general counsel, said in a conference call with reporters. “There’s players that have done that voluntarily and have been educated. We’re at 93 percent. We still can improve the final seven percent. We’d love to see that.” (Maske, 8/26)

In related news about vaccine mandates —

Roll Call: COVID-19 Vaccinations Required For Most Green Card Applicants
Immigrants in the U.S. applying for legal permanent residence must show proof of being vaccinated against COVID-19 under a new policy beginning Oct. 1, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency said it now classifies COVID-19 as a “Class A inadmissible condition,” and failure to vaccinate against a vaccine-preventable disease would render a person ineligible for a visa. (Simon, 8/26)

North Carolina Health News: Even Gov. Cooper Has To Prove Vaccination Status At Carrboro Eatery 
When you walk inside Pizzeria Mercato in Carrboro, you better have proof that you’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19 if you intend to sit down and have a taste of their pizzas, flank steak with roasted red pepper sauce, grilled Japanese eggplant with tomatoes and chickpeas or the other treats on the menu. Gabe Barker’s parents, Ben and Karen Barker, introduced him to the restaurant business early on at Durham’s much-loved Magnolia Grill. He insists that guests eating or drinking indoors, as well as his staff, be inoculated against the coronavirus. (Blythe, 8/27)

AP: Half Of US Workers Favor Employee Shot Mandate
Half of American workers are in favor of vaccine requirements at their workplaces, according to a new poll, at a time when such mandates gain traction following the federal government’s full approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. The poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that about 59% of remote workers favor vaccine requirements in their own workplaces, compared with 47% of those who are currently working in person. About one-quarter of workers — in person and remote — are opposed. (Olson and Fingerhut, 8/26)

USA Today: California University Professor Who Had COVID Sues To Block Vaccine Mandate
A professor of psychiatry and human behavior at the University of California-Irvine is suing the university system over its vaccine mandate, arguing that he has "natural immunity'' from having contracted the virus and does not need inoculation. Dr. Aaron Kheriaty, who had COVID-19 last year, is asking a U.S. District Court for an injunction that will allow him to work without getting vaccinated and also requesting that the policy be ruled unconstitutional, the Orange County Register reported. The UC system said in July that all students, faculty and staff would have to be vaccinated against COVID. (Miller and Ortiz, 8/26)

NBC News: 'Hell No': Some Police Officers And Their Unions Oppose Vaccination Mandates
Hours after the Food and Drug Administration fully approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine Monday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot made an emphatic declaration: "City employees are absolutely going to be required to be vaccinated." "We absolutely have to have a vaccine mandate," she said. "It's for the safety of all involved, particularly members of the public who are interacting with city employees on a daily basis." The same day, John Catanzara, the president of Chicago's Fraternal Order of Police, which represents the city's rank-and-file officers, made it clear that he did not intend to comply. (Griffith, 8/27)

The Boston Globe: Indoor Mask Mandate Starts In Boston, A Day After Janey Says COVID-19 Cases Have Stabilized
An indoor mask mandate takes effect in Boston on Friday, a day after Acting Mayor Kim Janey said COVID-19 cases and positivity rate leveled off during the past week, following a period where such metrics ticked upward as the city battled the Delta variant. “After weeks of increases, we have seen our cases and positivity stabilize during the last week,” said Janey at a Thursday City Hall news conference. Janey said the most recent 7-day average for COVID hospitalizations in the city is 93, well below the 126 average in May when the city reopened and below the city’s threshold of concern. (McDonald, 8/26)

AP: Illinois Requires Educators, Health Workers To Get Vaccine
Illinois health care workers and educators from kindergarten through college will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to weekly testing, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Thursday in announcing new safety protocols that also include a fresh statewide mandate for masks to be worn indoors. The mandates, which overlap in several places with existing rules, are a response to a spike in COVID-19 infections fueled by the highly contagious delta variant, particularly in southern and central Illinois. (Tareen, 8/27)

AP: GOP Leaders Reject Wolf's Call For Mask Mandate In Schools
Whether students and staff should be required to mask up in Pennsylvania schools will remain a local decision, at least for now, after top Republican lawmakers on Thursday rejected Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s call for a statewide mandate. The majority of districts are not requiring masks as students return to class, and just 36% of Pennsylvania residents between the ages of 12 and 17 are fully vaccinated, according to recent federal data. Children under 12 are not eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. (Rubinkam, 8/26)

Salt Lake Tribune: Utah Gov. Spencer Cox Offered To Use Executive Order To Allow Schools To Implement Mask Requirements, Which Would Circumvent State Law
Gov. Spencer Cox said he would issue an executive order allowing local education officials to require masks for students and staff in schools, but school officials told him the issue is now politicized and would be counterproductive, The Salt Lake Tribune has learned. The offer came during a virtual meeting with local health officials, superintendents from around the state, legislative leaders, and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson on Tuesday. Several people involved in the meeting said Cox’s offer was welcomed by health officials, but the superintendents pushed back because of the heated rhetoric and backlash such a move would likely bring. (Schott, 8/25)

Axios: Kentucky Governor Says He'd Issue Mask Mandate If He Had The Authority 
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday that the record-high surge in COVID-19 cases would have led to a statewide mask mandate if that authority still lay with him. Kentucky's Supreme Court recently transferred authority over pandemic-related decisions, including masking, to the GOP-controlled state legislature, according to the Democratic governor. (Chen, 8/26)

Dallas Morning News: Fort Worth ISD Adopts A Mask Mandate But Court Battle Complicates Implementation
The Fort Worth school board adopted a mask mandate defying Gov. Greg Abbott’s order, but an ongoing legal battle complicates when it can be implemented. The district briefly had a mask mandate previously but that was stopped by a local court order issued after a group of parents sued the district. Earlier on Thursday, a judge extended that temporary restraining order until Sept. 3 when Judge John Chupp holds another hearing. Superintendent Kent Scribner said he can only implement the mask mandate once the court order is lifted. In the meantime, Fort Worth will continue with its current protocols which include no mask requirements, he said. (Garcia, 8/26)

In related news about mask-wearing —

AP: Maryland Teacher On Leave After Refusing To Wear Mask
A Maryland teacher said she was placed on leave after refusing to comply with a school mask mandate. Angela Harders, a special education teacher at Paint Branch High School, said she was taking a stand against forced masking, The Washington Post reported. “Everyone should have the freedom to choose,” she said in the report Wednesday. (8/26)

NBC News: Brother And Sister Banned From High School For Not Wearing Masks
The father of two high school students in California says his children are being discriminated against because of their religious beliefs after they refused to wear masks on the first day of school and are now banned from campus. “They were sent home and told not to come back with or without a mask,” said Gary Nelson, whose children, Drew, 17, and Victoria, 16, attend the Springs Charter Schools Temecula Student Center. “If they do, they would be charged with trespassing.” (Planas, 8/26)

The Washington Post: Fort Lauderdale, Florida Man, Dan Bauman, Arrested In Assault Of Student Over School Mask Mandate 
Students gathered around the entrance gate outside Fort Lauderdale High School on Wednesday morning as Dan Bauman and his daughter argued with a resource officer over the school’s mask mandate, police records show. Fed up with the daily antics, another student spoke up. “I’ve had enough for four days,” she said, according to an arrest report. Noticing Bauman was recording her, the student reached for his phone. Bauman swiftly grabbed her hand, twisted it and pushed her against the gate, police said. Officers pulled him off the student. Fort Lauderdale police immediately arrested Bauman, who has repeatedly had law enforcement called on him for alleged mask violations, and charged him with child abuse without great bodily harm, according to the arrest report. (Peiser, 8/26)

AP: Parents Sue Missoula School District Over Mask Requirement
Several parents are suing Missoula public schools over a mask requirement as the school year in Montana is set to begin amid a new wave of COVID-19 cases. An attorney representing parents of students in Missoula said the requirement is in violation of the state’s constitution, which guarantees individuals the right to make their own medical decisions. (Samuels, 8/27)

USA Today: Businesses That Hired Inmates Who Were Allowed To Serve Time At Home During COVID Push For Clemency
Thousands of nonviolent federal prisoners were allowed to serve their time at home last year to slow the spread of coronavirus inside prison walls. But a Justice Department legal memo issued earlier this year concluded that allowing inmates to stay at home was not meant to be permanent, and they must return to prison once the pandemic is over. .... More than two dozen small business owners who hired inmates are now asking President Joe Biden to grant clemency to prisoners. Some say losing employees to prison during a national labor shortage would not only be detrimental to their business, but would also keep their companies from growing. (Philips, 8/26)

And the Florida governor says Biden should follow his lead during the pandemic —

The Washington Post: Ron DeSantis, Facing Record Covid Deaths In Florida, Says Biden Should Follow His Lead 
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said President Biden has failed to “end covid” and should follow his state’s lead, even as Florida experiences record-breaking cases, deaths and hospitalizations. ... But in a Wednesday interview with Fox News, DeSantis defended his response, saying Florida is seeing “great success” in treating covid patients with monoclonal antibodies — an effective, widely available therapy that few people are receiving. The governor, considered a potential contender against Biden in the 2024 presidential election, said the treatment should have been “a bigger part of this whole response throughout the country from the beginning.”(Bella, 8/26)

The Daily Beast: Ron DeSantis Says Biden Should Follow Florida’s Lead On COVID
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, speaking to Fox News on Wednesday, said that President Joe Biden had failed to “end COVID,” whereas his state was experiencing “great success” in treating patients. “You know, he said he was going to end COVID. He hasn’t done that. We are the first state to start the treatment centers for monoclonal antibodies. We're having great success with that. That should have been a bigger plan, a bigger part of this whole response throughout the country from the beginning. At the end of the day, he is trying to find a way to distract from the failures of his presidency,” DeSantis said. What DeSantis did not mention, however, was that Florida hospitals have operated at full capacity for weeks now, buckling under a crush of new coronavirus cases despite the availability of vaccines. Funeral homes across the state have told local TV stations that they are full to the ceiling with the bodies of COVID-19 victims. The governor has refused to implement mitigation measures to slow the spread of the virus and even barred schools and government agencies from requiring face masks or vaccines. (Montgomery, 8/25)

In other administration news —

Stat: Biden HHS Hires Outside Firms To Audit Covid-19 Grants To Hospitals 
The Biden administration has hired several separate outside contractors to police the billions in Covid-19 grants it sent to hospitals and health care providers, federal records show. The contracts, which have not previously been reported, are a sign that the federal government is beefing up enforcement on the grants that were intended to help health care providers recover from the pandemic. The Trump administration faced criticism for initially sending money out to health care providers based on past income, and not on need, and punted a difficult oversight process to the Biden team. (Cohrs, 8/27)

Modern Healthcare: U.S. Chamber Drops Health Insurer Price Transparency Lawsuit
Less than a week after the Biden administration delayed enforcement of controversial provisions of an insurer price transparency rule, a business group dropped its lawsuit seeking to block the rule. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce earlier this month sued HHS, CMS, the Labor Department, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The complaint alleged that provisions in the so-called Transparency in Coverage Rule are unlawful and overly burdensome and urged a judge to throw them out. (Bannow, 8/26)

The Washington Post: U.S. Controls On Experiments With Supercharged Pathogens Have Been Undercut Despite Lab-Leak Concerns 
A decade ago, scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health used ferrets to engineer a highly lethal flu virus. The purpose of the research — known as “gain of function” — was to better understand how viruses evolve and to help devise medicines to combat the potential disease threats .It also came with a risk: A laboratory mishap could unleash a devastating pandemic. The research, conducted in the Netherlands and at the University of Wisconsin, sparked an international controversy and led to new safeguards for such experiments. But over the past four years, NIH leaders and other U.S. officials have weakened key aspects of those controls, a Washington Post examination found. (Willman and Muller, 8/26)

CNN: FDA Blocks Sale Of 55,000 Flavored E-Cigarette Products 
The US Food and Drug Administration blocked the sale of more 55,000 flavored e-cigarette products Thursday, its first ban of e-cigarette products since it began requiring makers to apply for premarket review last September. The FDA issued marketing denial orders for the electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products, saying they pose a public health threat to youth in the US. Of the more than 55,000 products impacted by the decision, those not yet being sold may not be introduced into the market, and those already on the market must be removed or risk enforcement. (Mascarenhas, 8/26)

The Washington Post: FDA Orders Three Small E-Cigarette Makers To Pull Products From The Market
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday ordered three small e-cigarette manufacturers not to sell their flavored products, the first in a series of decisions that could imperil products sold by Juul and hundreds of other e-cigarette, hookah, cigar and pipe manufacturers. Under the FDA’s orders, the manufacturers — JD Nova Group LLC, Great American Vapes and VaporSalon — must pull 55,000 existing or planned flavored products from the market or risk enforcement. Regulators said the companies’ applications failed to provide “sufficient evidence” that their products provide a net public health benefit for adult smokers compared with the “threat posed by the well-documented, alarming levels of youth use” of flavored vapes. (Diamond, 8/26)

The Wall Street Journal: Juul, Other E-Cigarette Makers Face Judgment Day 
A shakeout of e-cigarettes is at hand. The Food and Drug Administration is nearing a deadline to decide which e-cigarettes may remain on the market in a series of rulings that have already begun to reshape the industry. The agency’s mandate is to authorize vaping products only if their manufacturers can demonstrate that they are in the interest of public health. The FDA must weigh, among other things, the potential good of adult cigarette smokers switching to a less harmful option against the potential harm of young people getting hooked on nicotine. (Maloney, 8/22)

In related news —

WQAD: New E-Cig Laws Make It Harder For Minors To Access In Illinois 
Two new laws in Illinois were passed to make it harder for minors to access vaping products. The two laws focus on a few different things; the first one prohibits ads from using cartoon characters, video game characters, and popular children's media from promoting e-cigarettes. It also makes it harder to buy e-cigarettes online. Buyers will now have to use a credit card or check in the buyer’s name. The second law allows the Department of Human Services to do compliance checks and carry out sting operations to make sure no sales are being carried out to underagers. (Wedlake, 8/24)

USA Today: 1 In 4 College Athletes Say They Experienced Sexual Abuse From An Authority Figure, Survey Finds
For Evan Cooper, who grew up playing football in Miami, becoming a star defensive back who never missed a game at a major college such as the University of Michigan was “a dream come true.” But during his time on campus in the early 1980s, he became one of the hundreds of U of M survivors who have accused late athletic doctor Robert Anderson of sexual assault and misconduct. Cooper, 59, who sued the university along with dozens of anonymous male athletes last August, said he wasn’t fully aware at the time that he was being abused, and he didn’t want to come forward and jeopardize his spot on the football team. (Yancey-Bragg, 8/26)

In news about breast cancer —

CIDRAP: Breast Cancer Screening Rates Decreased During COVID-19
Across 32 US community health centers (CHCs), breast cancer screening rates dropped 8% from 2019 to 2020, and minorities and uninsured people were disproportionately affected, according to a Cancer study today. All sites included were part of an American Cancer Society grant program that worked to address disparities in breast cancer mortality through 2020. (8/26)

Stat: Does Breast Density Matter For Older Women’s Risk Of Cancer? 
Breast density is a known risk factor for developing breast cancer, but that well-accepted research finding is derived from studies conducted in women under age 75. That makes sense because breast density declines with age, but cancer epidemiologist Dejana Braithwaite of the University of Florida’s Cancer Control and Population Sciences Program wondered about older women: How much does density drop, and how much might it matter? (Cooney, 8/27)

In updates on the western wildfires and air pollution —

The Washington Post: Wildfires Prompt Air Quality Alerts Across The West 
Thick smoke blanketed the area around Reno, Nev., in recent days, plumes wafting over the mountains from wildfires burning in Northern California and settling in the valley, fueling record bad air quality.This week, the area experienced its top three worst air pollution days on record, according to Washoe County officials. ... In several states across the West, smoke from the largest of numerous active blazes is prompting warnings about the air quality. Alerts warning the public about pollution levels remained in effect Thursday in parts of Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Wyoming, according to a map on the National Weather Service website, largely because of wildfire smoke. Such alerts were also issued in parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin because of smoke drifting from the Greenwood Fire burning in northeast Minnesota. (Firozi and Levitt, 8/26)

Axios: California Fires Emit Hazardous Smoke 
Towns in northern and central California registered some of the worst air quality in the world Thursday because of smoke from wildfires burning in the state, according to data from the federal government. Microscopic particles suspended in wildfire smoke are a danger to the public and have been linked to decreased lung function, aggravated asthma, heart attacks and premature death in people with heart and lung disease, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. (Knutson, 8/26)

In other public health news —

CIDRAP: Rates Of US Veteran Suicidal Thoughts Dipped Slightly During COVID-19
US veteran suicide ideation (SI) rates showed a slight decrease during the first year of the pandemic, according to a JAMA Psychiatry study yesterday. Among the associated risks, however, was having COVID-19, which doubled the odds of SI. (8/26)

CIDRAP: Bear Study Shows Environmental Impact Of Antibiotic Use
For the study, the researchers collected dental calculus from 57 Swedish brown bear samples at the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm. The samples dated from 1842 to 2016. Their aim was to analyze the DNA from the bears' oral microbiome, which is preserved within the calcified dental plaque, to establish how AMR levels have changed in the environment before and after mass production of antibiotics. The researchers chose to analyze bears because bears are omnivores and scavengers who are exposed to a wide range of potential sources of AMR genes and antibiotic residues that leak into the environment from hospitals and farms through wastewater. (Dall, 8/26)

The Wall Street Journal: Peloton Slashes Price On Exercise Bike, Predicts Slowing Growth
Peloton Interactive Inc. on Thursday lowered by 20% the price of its original stationary bike, a move that comes as the company expects more muted growth in the coming year. The lowest-cost Peloton Bike will sell for $1,495, down from $1,895. The higher priced Bike+ still goes for $2,495. The company sent out marketing emails minutes after disclosing the change along with its financial results. (Terlep, 8/26)

Modern Healthcare: Cigna Expands ACA Coverage To 93 New Counties
Cigna is expanding its health coverage offerings in three new states and 93 new counties for customers using the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Pending final regulatory approvals, Cigna's individual and family plans will be available in Georgia, Mississippi and Pennsylvania, as well as in additional counties in Arizona, Florida and Virginia, potentially reaching 1.5 million new customers. (Devereaux, 8/26)

In other health industry news —

Calmatters: Nurse Shortages In California Reaching Crisis Point
Around California — and the nation — nurses are trading in high-pressure jobs for a career change, early retirement or less demanding assignments, leading to staffing shortages in many hospitals. Hospitals are struggling to comply with the state’s nurse staffing requirements as pandemic-induced burnout has exacerbated an already chronic nursing shortage nationwide. But burnout isn’t the only thing compounding California’s nursing shortage: The state’s new vaccine mandate for health care workers is already causing headaches for understaffed hospitals before it is even implemented. Some traveling nurses — who are in high demand nationwide — are turning down California assignments because they don’t want to get vaccinated. (Hwang, 8/26)

Billings Gazette: Whether Montana Can Handle A 1,000% Increase In Med Students Depends On Who You Ask
The two new for-profit medical schools planned for Montana are designed to give students four years of education in the state. The promise is that when the young doctors graduate many will stay in Montana, easing the state’s pronounced physician shortage. But, students attending Rocky Vista University in Billings and Touro University in Great Falls, may only get two years in the state. The growing competition for limited clinical rotation opportunities for third- and fourth-year students, and residencies for graduates may force many Montana medical students to complete their education out of state, where studies suggest they are likely to stay. (Schabacker, 8/26)

CNBC: What To Know When Buying A Medigap Plan To Cover Medicare Costs
Signing up for Medicare sometimes means deciding that a supplement plan — aka Medigap — suits your situation. That is, you want extra insurance to at least partially cover the cost-sharing aspects of Medicare — deductibles, copays and coinsurance. However, Medigap plans do have limitations to be aware of. (O'Brien, 8/26)

Modern Healthcare: The Pros And Cons Of Surgery Outcome Guarantees
More hospitals are experimenting with outcome guarantees to attract cost-conscious employers. Geisinger has incrementally expanded its 90-day warranty on knee and hip replacements to two-year or lifetime guarantees on knee, hip and shoulder surgeries that cover avoidable complications. Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle and Hoag Orthopedic Institute in Irvine, California, have surgical warranties for privately insured patients in bundled payment contracts. (Kacik, 8/26)

KHN: Jaw Surgery Takes A $27,119 Bite Out Of One Man’s Budget
For years, Ely Bair dealt with migraine headaches, jaw pain and high blood pressure, until a dentist recommended surgery to realign his jaw to get to the root of his health problems. The fix would involve two surgeries over a couple of years and wearing braces on his teeth before and in between the procedures. Bair had the first surgery, on his upper jaw, in 2018 at Swedish Medical Center, First Hill Campus in Seattle. The surgery was covered by his Premera Blue Cross plan, and Bair’s out-of-pocket hospital expense was $3,000. (Galewitz, 8/27)

The Hill: Overdose Deaths In New Mexico Reached All-Time High In 2020 
Overdose deaths from alcohol, fentanyl and methamphetamine reached an all-time high in New Mexico in 2020, according to a new report presented to state lawmakers on Thursday. The report revealed that Fentanyl-related deaths saw a near 129 percent increase from 2019 to 2020 in preliminary figures, with numbers expected to increase. (Jenkins, 8/26)

San Francisco Chronicle: Bill To Decriminalize Psychedelics Shelved In California Legislature
A bill that would have decriminalized the use of some psychedelic drugs has stalled in the California Legislature — at least for this year — after its author pulled the proposal. The measure, SB519 by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, would have allowed the possession and personal use of hallucinogenic mushrooms, LSD, MDMA and other psychedelics, which supporters argue have therapeutic mental-health benefits. (Gardiner and Koseff, 8/26)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Safehouse Takes Its Battle Over A Philly Supervised Drug Injection Site To The U.S. Supreme Court
Seven months after a federal appellate court delivered a major setback to plans to open the nation’s first supervised injection site in Philadelphia, the nonprofit behind the endeavor is returning to court seeking new audiences and advancing new legal arguments. Safehouse attorneys announced Thursday they had filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court asking it to weigh in on whether plans to open a site designed to prevent overdose deaths by allowing people to take drugs under medical supervision run afoul of federal law. (Roebuck and Whelan, 8/26)

In updates on the opioid crisis —

NPR: Judge Challenges Sacklers' Immunity In Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy
A federal bankruptcy judge says he'll rule Friday on the fate of Purdue Pharma and its owners, members of the Sackler family, who are at the center of a national reckoning over the deadly opioid epidemic. Judge Robert Drain signaled he is likely to approve the reorganization plan for the makers of OxyContin. But he also demanded last-minute changes limiting legal immunities granted under the deal to the Sacklers and their associates. (Mann, 8/26)

Bloomberg: Sackler Immunity and a Texas Two-Step Could Tilt Bankruptcy Scales Away From Victims
The billionaire owners of OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP and lumber giant Georgia-Pacific are in high-stakes legal battles to shed billions of dollars of liabilities in bankruptcy -- the first over their company’s alleged role in America’s opioid crisis and the second for 64,000 asbestos claims.  If they are successful, it threatens to reduce the bargaining power of alleged victims of corporate abuse for years to come. The outcome could also benefit, Johnson & Johnson, which is fighting tens of thousands of health-related lawsuits. (Church and Hill, 8/25)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Teachers Health Trust: No Money For Past Claims
The health insurance trust that covers thousands of Clark County teachers and their dependents does not have the money to cover claims made prior to July, according to a recent letter to medical providers. “To be fully transparent, these claims are not currently funded,” the letter reads. “We are working tirelessly and evaluating any available option to resolve this situation.” THT Health, formerly Teachers Health Trust, is a teacher-run nonprofit providing coverage to 18,000 educators and their families, totaling about 34,000 people. Described as a “self-funded health trust,” the plan debuted in 1983 and is overseen by the teachers union, Clark County Education Association. According to the union’s most recent collective bargaining agreement with the Clark County School District, a large portion of the trust’s funding comes from contributions made by the district on a weighted scale. (Lacanlale, 8/26)

In news from Washington, Florida and California —

Reuters: Washington State Eradicates First 'Murder Hornet' Nest Of The Year
Washington state eradicated its first Asian giant hornet nest of the year by vacuuming out 113 worker hornets and removing bark and decayed wood near the nest, Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) officials said on Thursday. The so-called stinging "murder hornets," the world's largest hornets, can grow to two inches (5 cm) in length and prey on native bee and wasp populations, consuming honeybee hives and threatening agriculture. (8/26)

WUSF Public Media: $820M Left On Table For Low-Income Children, Food Assistance Groups Warn 
Florida has yet to submit an application for a federal program that would provide $820 million to the state's low-income children. The Summer Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program provides federal funding, at no cost, to states to provide grocery benefits to children who missed out on free or reduced-price meals while their schools or child care facilities were closed. “During the initial onslaught of the pandemic last March, and April, when schools shut down, one of the unintended outcomes was many children suddenly had no place to get food," said Thomas Mantz, president and CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay. (Miller, 8/26)

San Francisco Chronicle: S.F. Wants To Put Homeless Hotels Around The City. These Are The Neighborhoods Pushing Back
Many Japantown community leaders, business owners and residents are opposing San Francisco’s plan to buy a tourist hotel in the neighborhood and convert it into permanent affordable housing with social services for people experiencing homelessness. Locals say their opposition isn’t “anti-homeless,” pointing out many supported using the Buchanan Hotel to house homeless people during the pandemic. But they’re worried about the demise of tourism if one of the neigborhood’s two hotels is permanently lost, and critical of what they feel is a rushed process in a historically marginalized community. (Moench, 8/26)

KHN: Democrats Say Abortion Is On The Line In Recall Election. But Rolling Back Rights Wouldn’t Be Easy. 
As the election to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom approaches, abortion-rights groups are warning that Californians’ right to an abortion is on the ballot. Newsom, a Democrat, himself tweeted that “abortion access” is at stake. “There’s no question that if a Republican is elected, access to abortion in California will be restricted,” Jodi Hicks, president of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, said at a press conference in July. But this message is strategic and is more about firing up left-leaning voters than it is about policy, said Rob Stutzman, a Republican political strategist. (Bluth, 8/27)

Reuters: Contaminant In Moderna Vaccines Suspected To Be Metallic Particles
A contaminant found in a batch of Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccines delivered to Japan is believed to be a metallic particle, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported, citing sources at the health ministry. ... Spanish pharma company Rovi, which bottles Moderna vaccines for markets other than the United States, said the contamination could be due to a manufacturing issue on a production line. (8/27)

In other global news about covid vaccines —

Axios: Pfizer, BioNTech Sign Deal With Eurofarma To Boost Vaccine Supply In Latin America 
Pfizer and BioNTech announced on Thursday a deal with Brazilian pharmaceutical company Eurofarma to manufacture its COVID-19 vaccine for distribution in Latin America. Latin American countries have struggled to vaccinate their populations due to a low supply of doses of the COVID-19 vaccines. The new deal would boost local manufacturing and distribution of doses. (Saric, 8/26)

CNBC: Vaccine Inequality Could Cost The Global Economy Trillions: Report
The world economy is set to lose trillions in GDP because of delayed vaccination timelines, with developing economies bearing most of the losses due to the uneven rollout, the Economist Intelligence Unit said in a report. Countries that are not able to inoculate 60% of their population by mid-2022 will lose $2.3 trillion between 2022 and 2025, the EIU predicted. “Emerging countries will shoulder around two-thirds of these losses, further delaying their economic convergence with more developed countries,” wrote Agathe Demarais, the EIU’s global forecasting director. (Jacob, 8/27)

Bloomberg: Sinopharm, Sinovac Shots Protective In Guangdong Outbreak: China Researchers
China’s inactivated vaccines maintained their protective power during a recent outbreak of Covid-19 in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, providing real world evidence about their ability to stave off the highly infectious delta variant. The immunizations from state-owned Sinopharm and Sinovac Biotech Ltd. had a combined effectiveness of 70% against pneumonia caused by Covid and completely protected against severe disease caused by the delta variant, according to a pre-print study from researchers with the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The paper hasn’t yet been reviewed by outside experts. (8/27)

CNN: China Has Administered 2 Billion Covid Vaccine Shots. But Coercive Measures Are Sparking Anger 
China's coronavirus vaccination drive has surpassed 2 billion doses, authorities announced Friday, but heavy-handed tactics intended to boost inoculation rates are triggering backlash in some areas. As of Thursday, more than 889 million people had been fully vaccinated, with more than two billion shots of domestically-produced Covid-19 administered in total, an official at the National Health Commission said at a press conference Friday. That puts China on par with the United Kingdom and ahead of the United States in terms of the percentage of its population that are now fully vaccinated. (Gan and George, 8/27)

The Washington Post: How Mississippi May Be The State To Topple Nearly 50 Years Of Abortion Rights In America 
The battle plays out in dueling soundtracks. On one part of the sidewalk, longtime antiabortion demonstrator Coleman Boyd belts out a steady stream of Christian music, with lyrics about Jesus’s love for the unborn. “Your precious baby is going to be murdered in this place,” Boyd, a physician, preaches between songs. Nearby, supporters of the Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the last abortion clinic in Mississippi, turn up their own playlist of “Jagged Little Pill,” by Alanis Morissette, and other female empowerment anthems. (Wax-Thibodeaux and Cha, 8/24)

The Washington Post: Activists With ADHD Push For A World More Friendly To Those With The Disorder 
Jessica McCabe crashed and burned at 30, when she got divorced, dropped out of community college and moved in with her mother. Eric Tivers had 21 jobs before age 21.Both have been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and both today are entrepreneurs who wear their diagnoses — and rare resilience — on their sleeves. With YouTube videos, podcasts and tweets, they’ve built online communities aimed at ending the shame that so often makes having ADHD so much harder. Now they’re going even further, asking: Why not demand more than mere compassion? Why not seek deeper changes to create a more ADHD-friendly world? (Ellison, 8/21)

AP: Clean Needles Depend On The Blue Blood Of Horseshoe Crabs
It’s one of the stranger, lesser-known aspects of U.S. health care — the striking, milky-blue blood of horseshoe crabs is a critical component of tests to ensure injectable medications such as coronavirus vaccines aren’t contaminated. To obtain it, harvesters bring many thousands of the creatures to laboratories to be bled each year, and then return them to the sea — a practice that has drawn criticism from conservationists because some don’t survive the process. (Kinnard, 8/20)

AP: Mental Health Online: Police Posts Of Crises May Traumatize
The videos are difficult to watch. In one, a man dangles over the edge of an Oklahoma City overpass, his legs swinging in midair as police grab his arms and pull him from the brink. In another, a woman hangs high above the Los Angeles Harbor as a half-dozen officers drag her, head-first, up the side of the bridge. The panicked voices of cops cry out, “We got you, we got you!” just before they pin her to the ground and pull out handcuffs. The short clips were posted on official law enforcement social media accounts, part of a longstanding practice by police agencies to showcase their lifesaving efforts online — especially in 2021 as desperation grows for positive press amid accusations of excessive force and racism following George Floyd’s murder, and rising gun violence and killings. But with renewed attention on officer interactions with people who are suffering from mental health issues, experts and advocates are taking another look at these posts with an eye toward whether they exploit the very victims law enforcement just saved. (Dazio, 8/23)

The Washington Post: The Cause Of This Baby’s Collapse Was Worse Than Anything His Parents Imagined 
Blair Fox awoke with a jolt as she realized that her 2-day-old son was no longer in her hospital room. While she was napping, Teddy Joe Fox, born Sept. 18, 2018, in Los Angeles, had been taken for a routine heart test in preparation for discharge, then transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit. Doctors, she was told, had found something that merited further investigation, although nurses tried to reassure her that “it most likely wasn’t anything to be concerned about.” “It felt very scary and confusing,” recalled Blair, now 37, as she and her husband Adam, 36, waited anxiously for the results of their son’s echocardiogram. The ultrasound of the newborn’s heart revealed a small hole, a finding the couple was told was common and would probably close on its own. (Boodman, 8/21)

The Washington Post: Metabolism Isn't To Blame For Middle-Age Weight Gain 
A lot of Americans have been fretting about the extra pounds they’ve put on during the pandemic. But if you believe your sluggish middle-aged metabolism has been contributing to your weight gain, it’s time to rethink. Researchers who conducted a study recently published in Science have new and surprising insights into how metabolism actually works as we age. “Our paper provides the first road map of metabolism across the life span,” says study co-researcher Herman Pontzer, professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University in Durham, N.C., and author of “Burn.” “Metabolism is incredibly steady from 20 to 60 years old, despite the widespread perception of our metabolisms slowing as we age,” Pontzer says. (Rosenbloom, 8/26)

The Wall Street Journal: Elizabeth Holmes’s Trial Could Reveal Her Side Of Theranos Story 
Since Theranos Inc. began to unravel in 2016, the blood-testing company’s founder, Elizabeth Holmes, has sought to tell her side of the story, even pursuing the possibility of a lucrative book deal. Now, at her coming criminal fraud trial, Ms. Holmes finally will get her best shot to tell it. After Theranos began imploding five years ago—with federal investigators building cases against her for allegedly misleading investors and patients about the company’s technology—Ms. Holmes remained convinced she had done nothing wrong, people close to her at the time recalled, and wanted a venue to profess her innocence. (Weaver and Randazzo, 8/26)

The Washington Post: Joey Chestnut Has Eaten 19,200 Hot Dogs. A New Study Says He Has Lost 1.3 Years Of His Life.
By his count, Joey Chestnut has eaten an average of 1,200 hot dogs a year for the last 16 years — but he insists he’s healthy overall. On Monday, the competitive eater who holds the world record for hot dog eating had a radish salad, some grilled chicken and a protein shake. “The only way I can continue doing it is by being healthy,” Chestnut, 37, told The Washington Post. “If I start gaining weight and start having issues with my body, then I won’t be able to push my body.” (Mark, 8/25)

The New York Times: A Microscopic Video Shows The Coronavirus On The Rampage
The intruder stalks its prey with stealth and precision, preparing to puncture its quarry’s armor. Once inside, the aggressor forces its host to produce more intruders, and then causes it to explode, spewing out a multitude of invaders who can continue their rampage on a wider scale. The drama, depicted in a microscopic video of SARS-CoV-2 infecting bat brain cells, provides a window into how the pathogen turns cells into virus-making factories before causing the host cell to die. (Jacobs, 8/22)

The Wall Street Journal: Toddlers Can’t Shake Pandemic Habits. Parents Are Rattled
Like many toddlers, 1-year-old Asher Subramanyam is capable of bending the household to his routines and rituals. The Connecticut tot demands that all visitors wash their hands before leaning down for a hug. There are no exceptions, as his grandparents found out on a recent visit. “He would motion for them to wash their hands or he would come over and pretend to give them hand sanitizer,” says Asher’s father, Dr. Venkat Subramanyam. Covid-19 has created a sub-generation of children hard-wired for hygiene. Little ones have picked up all the pandemic-related behaviors grown-ups have adopted for the last 18 months—or for as long as many tykes have been around. (Hur, 8/25)

Politico: Sadness And Death: Inside The VA’s State Nursing-Home Disaster
For years, the Veterans Affairs has spent upwards of $1 billion a year funding state-run nursing homes for veterans, while requiring only a single annual safety inspection, performed by an outside contractor. Watchdogs both in and out of the VA have questioned the adequacy of the inspections for decades. Just months before the pandemic bore down, the GAO in 2019 warned that the VA inspections lack teeth, merely making recommendations about some deficiencies instead of meticulously documenting them and requiring that they be addressed. (Kenen, Vestal and Tahir, 8/24)

The Washington Post: Long Term Care Facilities Claim Pandemic Immunity In Cases Where Residents Did Not Have Coronavirus
Amanda Garrett recalls her first thought upon learning her father-in-law was violently attacked: “That doesn’t make any sense at all.” Garland Garrett Jr., 80, a former North Carolina state transportation secretary and onetime political figure in Wilmington, was an ailing man with dementia, known as “The Mayor” among staff in the secure memory unit of a local assisted-living facility. Garrett died on Sept. 12, 2020, from what the county medical examiner ruled to be blunt force trauma, including two fractures to his neck. Another resident with dementia and a history of violent outbursts aimed at staff and other residents assaulted Garrett early in the morning six days earlier, while Garrett lay in his bed, according to court records. A joint inspection by state and county licensing authorities cited the assisted-living facility, Spring Arbor of Wilmington, with the state’s highest level violation for failing to properly supervise care. (Rowland, 8/20)

The New York Times: ‘Nursing Is In Crisis’: Staff Shortages Put Patients At Risk 
Cyndy O’Brien, an emergency room nurse at Ocean Springs Hospital on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, could not believe her eyes as she arrived for work. There were people sprawled out in their cars gasping for air as three ambulances with gravely ill patients idled in the parking lot. Just inside the front doors, a crush of anxious people jostled to get the attention of an overwhelmed triage nurse. “It’s like a war zone,” said Ms. O’Brien, who is the patient care coordinator at Singing River, a small health system near the Alabama border that includes Ocean Springs. “We are just barraged with patients and have nowhere to put them.” (Jacobs, 8/21)

Bloomberg: Nurses Who Won’t Vax Threaten Staffing Shortages
It’s hard to comprehend how nurses, who see firsthand evidence of how Covid can kill people, could oppose getting a vaccine that’s been shown in numerous studies to provide extraordinary protection against severe illness and death. But it’s a problem hospital administrators all over the country find themselves facing. In the most recent survey by the American Nurses Association (ANA), fielded as part of a broader coalition of nursing groups intended to combat vaccine hesitancy in its ranks, almost 1 in 8 hadn’t gotten the vaccine or didn’t plan to, despite having had access to the shots for almost nine months. (Koons and Court, 8/26)

The Washington Post: How The U.S. Vaccination Drive Came To Rely On An Army Of Consultants 
When Gavin Newsom outsourced key components of California’s vaccine rollout to the private sector during the pandemic’s darkest days last winter, the Democratic governor promised the changes would benefit the most vulnerable. His “number one” reason for handing the reins to Blue Shield of California, an Oakland-based health insurance company, was “equity” — delivering vaccine doses to those at greatest risk, many in communities of color, he said in February. But the $15 million contract with Blue Shield, plus another $13 million for McKinsey, did not deliver on that promise, according to state and county officials, as well as public health experts. (Stanley-Becker, 8/22)

Also —

The Washington Post: China’s Covid Lockdown Led To Earlier, Greener Spring, Study Suggests 
China imposed its first pandemic restrictions on Jan. 23, 2020. Over the next 18 days, travel plummeted 58 percent. From factories to public transit, industries ground to a halt. New research published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances indicates these changes contributed to an earlier, brighter and greener spring in the country. “The vegetation basically responded immediately to the change in conditions,” said John P. Wilson, a professor of spatial sciences at the University of Southern California and an author of the study. The findings, Wilson and his co-authors wrote, show that “short-term changes in human activity can have a relatively rapid ecological impact.” (Root, 8/25)

Bloomberg: Covid Treatment Or Booster Shot? AstraZeneca Non-Vaccine Aims To Boost Immunity 
Vaccines never promised us perfect protection. Yet studies are showing that our defenses are declining faster than expected. One from Oxford University published last week showed that the efficacy of the BioNTech/Pfizer Inc. vaccine was halved after four months. Another, published Tuesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, reported that since the delta variant became predominant, the efficacy of mRNA vaccines against infection decreased to 66% from 91% among front-line workers. (Therese Raphael, 8/27)

The Boston Globe: Should The Unvaccinated Pay The Price For Their Folly? 
Show of hands, please: How many of you are fed up with people who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and think they should have to bear the full costs of their treatment if they get sick? How many think it’s only fair to hold anti-vaxxers financially liable for putting themselves and others at risk? How many believe that, with the Food and Drug Administration having given full approval to the COVID vaccine, anyone who still balks at getting a shot should be the lowest priority for care when there aren’t enough hospital beds for everyone? How many support Delta Air Lines, which announced Wednesday that unvaccinated employees will be charged an additional $200 monthly for company-provided health insurance? (Jeff Jacoby, 8/27)

The New York Times: Show Me The Data! 
Who should get vaccine booster shots and when? Can vaccinated people with a breakthrough infection transmit the virus as easily as unvaccinated people? How many people with breakthrough infections die or get seriously ill, broken down by age and underlying health conditions? Confused? It’s not you. It’s the fog of pandemic, in which inadequate data hinders a clear understanding of how to fight a stealthy enemy. (Zeynep Tufekci, 8/27)

USA Today: Black America, More Vulnerable To COVID, Needs Diligence On Vaccine
As a pediatrician, what worries me the most about the delta variant is how quickly it's spreading among children. In the past three weeks, I’ve treated a 2-week-old baby, a 9-week-old baby and a pregnant woman who delivered prematurely because of COVID-19. This shouldn't be happening. We have the tools to stem the rapid spread of COVID-19 and the delta variant. Yet too many Americans are not availing themselves of the most important one – vaccination. And vaccination rates are disproportionately low among Black Americans nationwide. Death rates have been disproportionately high for the same group. (Dr. Michael LeNoir, 8/26)

The Atlantic: Get Police Vaccinated 
President Joe Biden announced last week that his administration will require nursing homes to vaccinate their employees against COVID-19 or risk losing Medicare and Medicaid funding. These workers care for especially vulnerable individuals residing in high-risk, congregate settings—and unfortunately, their current rate of vaccination is far too low to protect those with whom they work. Mandating vaccination of nursing-home employees is a lifesaving, commonsense policy, and Biden should now apply its logic to a variety of workers in other fields who similarly interact each day with other vulnerable populations: employees of jails, prisons, Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers, and police departments. (Eric Reinhart and Amanda Klonsky, 8/26)

Stat: It's Easy To Judge The Unvaccinated. As A Doctor, I See A Better Alternative
I don’t ask “Why?” when a patient with Covid-19 tells me they are unvaccinated for the same reason I don’t ask why someone whose alcohol level is four times the legal limit decided to drive, or the badly burned grandmother with emphysema lit a cigarette with oxygen prongs below her nose. Nor do I ask it when I find myself elbow deep in a bag of chips after an overnight shift even though I am fighting high blood pressure. We humans are beautifully flawed creatures with inexplicable needs and impulses that run counter to our best interests. (Jay Baruch, 8/27)

Seattle Times: Medicare In Desperate Need Of More Mental Health Providers, Who Stand Ready To Help 
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a massive impact on Americans’ mental health. Another related crisis will worsen in the short term and have profound implications going forward: Older adults in America are facing a mental health crisis due to lack of access to Medicare providers. Currently, licensed marriage and family therapists and licensed mental health counselors are qualified to provide counseling services and are already an integral part of the mental health-care delivery system in the U.S. All 50 states issue these licenses. These professionals are recognized as eligible providers by Medicaid and private insurance plans. (Blake Edwards, 8/26)

Dallas Morning News: With Nursing Shortage, Doctors May Soon Have To Work More Closely With Nurses
A few years ago, I had a complicated surgical illness. After a year of monitoring and planning, my operation involved three surgical teams and over 10 hours of surgery. As a hospital internal medicine specialist, I have seen many complex cases, but suddenly I was the patient, face-to-face with the challenges and concerns my patients confront. Would my pain be well-controlled? Would I be able to get out of bed soon? Would I have a Foley catheter? How would I bathe? A 26-year-old night ICU nurse transformed my view of nursing. (Roberto de la Cruz, 8/27)