Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Cases Rapidly On The Rise In Russia, Brazil And India; Eclectic Allies Join Forces To Protest In Germany
The Associated Press: As US, Europe Reopen More, Big Nations See Rising Virus Toll
American car makers are getting back to work and Europe is continuing to reopen. But while new coronavirus cases have been declining in many countries that were initially hit hard by the pandemic, cases are rapidly rising in other populous nations. Russia and Brazil now sit behind only the U.S. in the number of reported cases. And cases are spiking from Mexico to India. Some places have seen encouraging signs reverse: Iran reported a steady drop in new cases through April only to see them rise again in May. (Perry, 5/19)
The New York Times: Germany’s Coronavirus Protests: Anti-Vaxxers, Anticapitalists, Neo-Nazis
Outside Germany’s Parliament building, a vegan celebrity cook grabbed the mic and shouted that he was “ready to die” to stop self-serving elites from using the pandemic to topple the world order. Some distance away, a group of women discussed how Bill Gates was plotting to force immunization on the population. Youngsters sporting cardboard cutouts of the German constitution chanted: “End the corona dictatorship!” Few wore masks, and those that did came with slogans like “Merkel’s muzzle.” Even as Germany is celebrated as Europe’s foremost example of pandemic management, an eclectic protest movement that began last month with a few dozen people marching against coronavirus restrictions has ballooned into more than 10,000 demonstrators in cities across the country. (Bennhold, 5/18)
Reuters: France Reports Fewer New Coronavirus Deaths, Uptick In Cases
France reported a small dip in the daily tally of new coronavirus deaths on Monday, though it also saw a slight uptick in confirmed cases, a week after authorities started easing lockdown restrictions. France’s death toll is the fourth highest worldwide, after the United States, Britain and Italy, and its health ministry, announcing the latest figures, urged people to remain cautious and to respect social distancing rules. (5/18)
The Associated Press: Civic Group: Mexico City Virus Deaths 3 Times Those Reported
A registry of death certificates in Mexico City suggests there were 4,577 cases where doctors mentioned coronavirus or COVID-19 as a possible or probable cause of death, more than three times the official death toll in the city. The federal government acknowledges only 1,332 confirmed deaths in Mexico City since the pandemic began, less than a third as many as the investigation revealed. (Stevenson, 5/19)
The Wall Street Journal: ‘This Is A Science-Fiction Screenplay’: Europeans Re-Emerge To A New Normal
Europeans, living through the most unsettling months in memory, are breathing with relief as they leave the strains of lockdown behind. But the strange new world that awaits the continent in the pandemic’s next phase is inspiring more fear than hope. Children are playing again in town squares that fell silent for most of spring. Commuter traffic is gingerly returning to streets where, not long ago, curious ducks, foxes and wild boars wandered while the humans were hiding. (Walker, 5/19)
The New York Times: Life In China's Wuhan After The Coronavirus Lockdown Ends
They have delighted in the small things, like getting bubble tea and takeout noodles. They have rediscovered places like the neighborhood playground. They have searched for new vocabularies to describe their losses. For more than two months, the people of Wuhan, China, lived under lockdown as their city buckled beneath the weight of the coronavirus that emerged there. Then, gradually, cases ebbed. On April 8, the lockdown was lifted. (Wang, 5/18)
The Wall Street Journal: Brazil’s Nurses Are Dying As Covid-19 Overwhelms Hospitals
As the new coronavirus ripped through a government-run hospital here, Dilva Barbosa de Oliveira did all she could to save her patients. Then one day, the nurse’s body started to ache. Ms. Barbosa de Oliveira, 56, grew fatigued, as a fever spiked. She had trouble urinating, started coughing and lost her sense of taste and smell. Gasping for breath, she was rushed to the Employees of São Paulo State Hospital where she worked, this time as a patient in intensive care. She tested positive for Covid-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, and died 21 days later, on May 7. (Magalhaes, Dube and Lewis, 5/19)
Reuters: New Zealand Reports No New Coronavirus Cases For Second Straight Day
New Zealand recorded no new coronavirus cases for the second straight day on Tuesday, but authorities said it was premature to discuss moving the country to “level one” in its scale of alert. The Pacific nation, home to more than 5 million, moved to “level 2” last week, allowing cafes, shops and restaurants to reopen under strict social distancing rules. (5/19)
