Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Covid Deaths Of Nursing Home Residents Fall To New Lows
The New York Times: U.S. Nursing Home Deaths Appear To Be At Pandemic Lows
Deaths at American nursing home residents from Covid appear to be at their lowest levels since the coronavirus first swept the United States more than two years ago, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some 67 residents died during the week ending March 27. While that number could be adjusted in the coming weeks, it mirrors the lows last reached during June 2021 before facilities were hit with the Delta and Omicron variants. Although cases among residents climbed much more sharply in the fall and winter, deaths still reached roughly 1,500 in January before steadily dropping. (Abelson, 4/4)
NPR: New Laws Say Patients Can Have Visitors Even In An Outbreak
Jean White's mother has dementia and moved into a memory care facility near Tampa, Fla., just as coronavirus lockdowns began in the spring of 2020. For months, the family wasn't allowed to go inside to visit. They tried video chats and visits from outside her bedroom window, but White said that just upset her mom, who is 87. White's mother couldn't grasp why she could hear familiar voices but not be with her loved ones in person. When the family was allowed in to see her, disruptions continued. White said the facility kept shutting down anytime a resident or staff member had the virus. (Colombini, 4/3)
In other news about the spread of covid —
San Francisco Chronicle: This Bay Area School Is Reinstating Its Mask Mandate After A COVID-19 Spike
A Bay Area elementary school has restored its mask mandate after reporting a sudden increase in COVID-19 cases. Since March 22, Coleman Elementary School in San Rafael has confirmed 23 total cases of the coronavirus across the school — 17 in students and six in employees — the district said. In response, the school informed families that it would be reinstating an indoor mask mandate through April 15. Marin County schools aligned with state guidelines that allowed lifting indoor mask mandates on March 12, though face coverings were still strongly recommended. (Vainshtein, 4/1)
Los Angeles Times: Coronavirus Cases Are Spiking Elsewhere. Will L.A. County Be Hit Hard Or Be Spared?
After dramatic declines in coronavirus cases, Los Angeles County has hit another plateau this week that comes amid the spread of the highly infectious BA.2 Omicron subvariant. BA.2 has led to new increases in cases in other areas, from a significant surge in Britain that has resulted in an increase in hospitalizations and deaths, and the apparent beginning of a wave in New York and Massachusetts. Similar trends have not yet been seen in Los Angeles County or in California overall, and officials can’t say with certainty what will come next. (Money and Lin II, 4/2)
The Boston Globe: Amid Climbing Mass. COVID-19 Cases, Health Experts Urge Booster Shots
More than two years into the pandemic, local health experts are closely watching an increase in COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts driven by a more transmissible subvariant of the virus, while rates of new vaccinations and booster shots have leveled off. Amid the rise in cases locally, specialists encouraged vaccinated people to get their booster shots to help reduce the chance of severe infection and to ease pressure on an already beleaguered health system. Dr. Paul Sax, clinical director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said a third shot of a two-dose vaccine is critical for reducing the risk of hospitalization and death. (Hilliard, 4/3)
St. Louis Public Radio: St. Louis Health Officials Say The Pandemic Is Not Over
Missouri officials have announced an end to the coronavirus pandemic emergency, saying the state is moving on from the crisis. But public health officials think it may be too early to declare victory over the pandemic. “I found it laughable,” Dr. Faisal Khan, St. Louis County's acting health director, said of the state’s announcement earlier this week. “The pandemic is certainly not over; it's certainly not entering any semblance of an endemic phase. Pronouncements of victory are premature and self-delusional.” (Fentem, 4/1)
Detroit Free Press: Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan Tests Positive For COVID-19
Despite widely available vaccines, nobody is 100% safe from contracting COVID-19 — including Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. In a Facebook post Sunday afternoon, Duggan announced he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus after waking up with a cough Saturday morning. Although an initial home test performed Saturday came back negative, Duggan said he administered a follow-up test Sunday, which yielded the positive result. "I’m really glad I got the booster shot," Duggan said in the post. "The symptoms I have are mild — much like an average cold. Fortunately, my wife Sonia has tested negative." (Wethington, 4/3)
Also —
CIDRAP: Molnupiravir Reduces COVID-19 Symptoms, Virus By Day 3, Data Show
Three new studies to be presented at the upcoming European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) conference at the end of the month demonstrate benefits of the antiviral molnupiravir against COVID-19 infections, including evidence that Merck's pill reduces symptoms of the SARS-CoV-2 virus by day 3 of administration. All three studies are based on results seen in the MOVe-OUT study, which was conducted throughout 2021 to determine the drug's efficacy against COVID-19 infections. (4/1)
Houston Chronicle: Fort Bend ISD Announces District Wide Rollout Of UV-C Disinfection Devices
All Fort Bend Independent School District buildings are equipped with UV-C disinfection devices, the district announced on Thursday. Working in partnership with bio-safety technology company R-Zero, the Fort Bend ISD has installed 135 Arc UV-C systems across its 82 campuses and 20 additional support facilities in the district. These sustainable devices were purchased with funds from the 2021-22 COVID-19 School Health Support Grant. (Varma, 4/3)
NBC News: Study: Covid's Racial Disparities Made Some White People Less Vigilant About The Virus
A new study ... published in Social Science & Medicine, found that white people surveyed in the United States in fall 2020 cared less and were even more likely to shun pandemic safety precautions after learning about the disproportionate ways it impacts Black communities and other communities of color. “When white people in the U.S. were more aware of racial disparities in Covid-19, they were less fearful of Covid-19,” said Allison Skinner-Dorkenoo, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Georgia and co-author of the study. “We found evidence of less empathy for people who are vulnerable to Covid-19 and we also found evidence of reduced support for safety precautions to prevent the spread of Covid-19.” (Adams, 4/1)
The New York Times: How Covid And Diabetes Collide In A Public Health Train Wreck
After an insect bite on his back became infected, David Donner, a retired truck driver in rural Alabama, waited six hours in a packed emergency room with his wife, before coronavirus vaccines were widely available. A few days later, they both began experiencing the telltale symptoms of Covid-19.Debra Donner quickly recovered, but Mr. Donner, 66, landed in the I.C.U. “The virus barely slowed her down, but I ended up surrounded by nurses in hazmat suits,” he said. His halting recovery has left him dependent on a wheelchair. “I walk 20 feet and I’m huffing and puffing like I ran 20 miles.” (Jacobs, 4/3)
