Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Children In Minority Communities More Likely To Get Infected
The New York Times: Why The Coronavirus More Often Strikes Children Of Color
One of the notable features of the new coronavirus, evident early in the pandemic, was that it largely spared children. Some become severely ill, but deaths have been few, compared to adults. But people of color have been disproportionately affected by Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, and recent studies have renewed concern about the susceptibility of children in these communities. (Caryn Rabin, 9/1)
CNN: Coronavirus Symptoms Can Last Much Longer Than Initially Thought, Experts Say
Months into the pandemic that has infected more than 6 million Americans, the public and experts alike are learning the impacts of Covid-19 can drag on longer than expected. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that most Americans who have tested positive for coronavirus can return to work or school 10 days after the onset of symptoms, unless the illness requires hospitalization. But new research suggest that the virus and its symptoms are often no where near finished by that benchmark. (Holcombe, 9/2)
The Wall Street Journal: Key To Preventing Covid-19 Indoors: Ventilation
Add this to the Covid-19 prevention toolbox: strong ventilation. After urging steps like handwashing, masking and social distancing, researchers say proper ventilation indoors should join the list of necessary measures. Health scientists and mechanical engineers have started issuing recommendations to schools and businesses that wish to reopen for how often indoor air needs to be replaced, as well as guidelines for the fans, filters and other equipment needed to meet the goals.“We didn’t focus on it enough initially,” said Abraar Karan, a doctor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston who treated Covid-19 patients. “We told everyone to stay home. We weren’t thinking about people congregating in public spaces.” (McCabe, 9/1)
Stateline: Summertime Visitors Swarm State Parks And Budgets
Several states, including New Mexico, banned out-of-state residents at their parks. As COVID-19 cases ballooned in neighboring Arizona and Texas, New Mexico decided to close all campgrounds this summer and barred out-of-state visitors from state parks, said Susan Torres, a spokesperson for the state's Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. And Ute Lake State Park closed to visitors for two weeks in August after several employees tested positive for COVID-19. (Bolstad, 9/2)
Also —
Kaiser Health News: When The Pandemic Closes Your Gym, ‘Come For The Party, Stay For The Workout’
Evaristo “Risto” Grant counted down from 10 as his clients held their plank positions and shook with the effort. Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” blared in the background. Grant paced around his clients on their yoga mats, shouting words of encouragement. It looked and sounded like any normal gym session. Except it wasn’t. Grant’s gym consisted of a few yoga mats and equipment underneath a strip of scaffolding in Carl Schurz Park, which borders the East River in Manhattan. People on their evening quarantine walks strolled by, many glancing with amusement at the signs Grant had taped to the scaffolding: “Get your sexy back … no more cookies!” and “Come for the party, stay for the workout!” (Lawrence, 9/2)
NPR: Making Gyms Safer: Why The Virus Is Less Likely To Spread There Than In A Bar
After shutting down in the spring, America's empty gyms are beckoning a cautious public back for a workout. To reassure wary customers, owners have put in place — and now advertise — a variety of coronavirus control measures. At the same time, the fitness industry is also trying to rehabilitate itself by pushing back against what it sees as a misleading narrative that gyms have no place during a pandemic. In the first months of the coronavirus outbreak, most public health leaders advised closing gyms, erring on the side of caution. As infections exploded across the country, states ordered gyms and fitness centers closed, along with restaurants, movie theaters and bars. State and local officials consistently branded gyms as high risk venues for infection, akin to bars and nightclubs. (Stone, 9/2)
