Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
About Half Of November's Covid Deaths So Far Were In Europe
The New York Times: Europe Had Over Half Of The World’s Covid Deaths Early This Month, The W.H.O. Says
Coronavirus deaths in Europe rose 10 percent in the first week of this month and made up over half of the 48,000 coronavirus deaths reported globally in that time, even as new cases and deaths dropped or remained stable in the rest of the world, according to World Health Organization figures released this week. The highest number of deaths were recorded in Russia, which has reported record Covid tolls in recent weeks, followed by Ukraine and Romania. The numbers of new infections were highest in Russia, Britain and Turkey, according to the W.H.O. figures. (Kwai, 11/11)
CNBC: UK Covid Cases Rocketed But Are Now Coming Down Sharply
The U.K. has had the unenviable title of having one of the worst Covid-19 rates in the world, with cases soaring in recent months. But its fortunes appear to be changing. Less than a month ago, the U.K. was recording between 40,000 to 50,000 new cases every day, prompting dire warnings from experts and officials over mounting pressure on hospitals and excess deaths. (Ellyatt, 11/12)
AP: Dutch Government Expected To Announce Partial Lockdown
The Dutch government is widely expected to announce a partial lockdown Friday amid soaring COVID-19 cases that are putting the country's health care sector under renewed strain. The move comes amid a surge in coronavirus infections across Europe in recent weeks. (11/12)
NBC News: Many Latin American Travelers Shut Out From Visiting U.S. By New Vaccine Policy
As soon as Covid-19 vaccines became available for her age group in Guatemala, Ilse Samoyoa lined up with hundreds of other people for nine hours to get her shot. Samoyoa, 56, never imagined that the Sputnik vaccine she got in June would eventually bar her from traveling to the U.S. (Sesin, 11/11)
AP: 2 Athletes COVID-19 Positive In Beijing Games Warmup Events
Organizers of February’s Winter Olympics in Beijing said Friday that two foreign athletes had tested positive for COVID-19 in ongoing test events for the Games. They also expressed sympathy for a Polish luge competitor who fractured his leg at the Olympics sliding center this week in a crash that has been blamed on human error. The two who tested positive are among 1,500 competitors and staff who have come into the country since the test events began in early October, said Huang Chun, the deputy director general of the pandemic prevention office for the Games. (11/12)
Reuters: Japan Prepares Beds, Booster Shots In COVID-19 Lull Before Winter
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida outlined on Friday an urgent plan to increase hospital beds and medical resources in preparation for a possible resurgence of COVID-19 infections this winter. After a deadly fifth wave of infections almost overwhelmed the medical system during the summer, infections and deaths have fallen dramatically as vaccinations have increased to cover more than 70% of the population. (Swift, 11/12)
Bloomberg: Drones Ferry Pfizer’s Precious, Deep-Frozen Vaccine To Africa’s Remote Villages
Over the dense forests and cocoa farms of Ghana’s Ashanti region, a fleet of drones hummed en route to the African country’s central Bosomtwe District. Upon reaching their destination Sunday, the red-and-white aircraft parachuted thermal packages containing cargo that’s long been awaited by the local Kokodei community: vials of Pfizer Inc.’s Covid-19 vaccine. In the coming days, these drones will shuttle tens of thousands of the shots developed by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech SE to some of Ghana’s most rugged, remote countryside as part of an effort to provide more equitable access to doses. Every four minutes, from dawn until dusk, drones operated by Zipline Inc. will depart from its distribution centers bearing the immunizations. It's been tasked with bringing doses to 40% of Ghana's population. (Griffin, 11/11)
On the unvaccinated —
Axios: World Gets Tough On The Unvaccinated
Public officials around the world are imposing new restrictions on the unvaccinated as many nations struggle to raise their COVID vaccination rates. Unvaccinated people are five times more likely than vaccinated people to get infected and 10 times more likely to die from COVID, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many health care systems are buckling under new waves in cases among the unvaccinated. (Chen, 11/11)
Bloomberg: Singapore’s Unvaccinated May Face Medical Bills Over $18,000
Covid patients in Singapore who choose not to get vaccinated could face high medical bills, as one of the most immunized societies in the world ramps up the pressure to get more shots in arms. The government has so far shielded residents and citizens in the city-state from the cost of treatment for Covid-19 throughout the pandemic by fully covering everyone. But no longer. Amid the worst virus outbreak in the country, officials have opted to start charging Covid-19 patients who are unvaccinated by choice beginning Dec. 8. (De Wei and Koh, 11/12)
The New York Times: Germany’s Fourth Covid Wave: ‘A Pandemic Of The Unvaccinated’
The University Hospital of Giessen, one of Germany’s foremost clinics for pulmonary disease, is at capacity. The number of Covid-19 patients has tripled in recent weeks. Nearly half of them are on ventilators. And every single one is unvaccinated. “I ask every patient: Why didn’t you get vaccinated?” said Dr. Susanne Herold, head of infectious diseases, after her daily round on the ward on Thursday. “It’s a mix of people who distrust the vaccine, distrust the state and are often difficult to reach by public information campaigns.” (Bennhold, 11/11)
In non-covid news —
Reuters: Brazil Plays Down 'Mad Cow' Risk In Suspect Rio Cases
Brazil's Agriculture Ministry said that two cases reported on Thursday of a neurodegenerative disorder in patients in Rio de Janeiro state were not related to beef consumption, tamping down fears of possible "mad cow" disease causing human illness. Federal biomedical institute Fiocruz, which is investigating the possibility of Bovine Spongiform Encephalitis - the official name for mad cow disease - said the two patients are suspected of having the "sporadic" form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease not related to beef consumption. (Figueiredo and Viga Gaier, 11/11)
The Washington Post: Employers Forbidden To Contact Remote Workers After Hours In Portugal
A set of laws passed in Portugal on Friday prohibits employers from contacting remote workers after hours — except under extenuating circumstances — in an effort to promote work-life balance in an era of burgeoning remote work set off by the coronavirus pandemic, and to attract “digital nomads” from around the world. The new rules, which impose fines on violators, apply to companies with more than 10 employees. They also mandate that employers pay staff for work-related expenses incurred while working at home, such as electricity or Internet costs, and that employees and superiors meet in person every two months to avoid isolation, the Associated Press reported. The laws also establish that in jobs where remote work is possible, parents can choose to work remotely, without making prior arrangements, up until their child is 8. (Fernández Simon, 11/11)
