Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Covid Killed 155,000 More Americans In 2020-21 Than Thought, Study Finds
AP: Study Estimates More Than 150,000 Uncounted COVID-19 Pandemic Deaths
The COVID-19 pandemic’s early death toll was much higher than the official U.S. count, according to a new study that spotlights dramatic disparities in the uncounted deaths. About 840,000 COVID-19 deaths were reported on death certificates in 2020 and 2021. But a group of researchers — using a form of artificial intelligence — estimate that as many as 155,000 unrecognized additional deaths likely occurred in that time outside of hospitals. That would mean about 16% of COVID-19 deaths went uncounted in those years. (Stobbe, 3/18)
CIDRAP: Antibiotic Used In COVID Patients Tied To Increased Signs Of Antibiotic Resistance
In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 75% of hospitalized COVID patients received antibiotics on admission, primarily because of limited treatment options and concerns about bacterial coinfections. One of those antibiotics was azithromycin, a macrolide antibiotic commonly used for respiratory infections. Use of azithromycin was driven in part by a study, now retracted, that suggested it could improve outcomes in COVID patients when used in combination with the antimalaria drug hydroxychloroquine. Although subsequent trials would find the combination had no benefit for COVID patients, widespread azithromycin use continued for several months. (Dall, 3/18)
More on vaccines and RSV —
Stat: Vaccines' Indirect Benefits Overlooked In Battle Over 'Medical Freedom'
With a backlash against vaccines following the Covid-19 pandemic — and the rise of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — there has been an intense focus among some in the United States on the importance of individual autonomy and “medical freedom” when it comes to choosing which immunizations to get and when. (Branswell, 3/19)
ProPublica: How RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Agenda Risks A Return Of Childhood Plagues
Dr. Adam Ratner hovered over a gravely ill infant in a New York City intensive care unit on a grim day in 2022. The 3-month-old girl spiked a fever two days earlier and had become lethargic. Soon she was having seizures and struggling to breathe. She didn’t register Ratner’s towering frame or the bright hospital lights. Her eyes stared up and to the right, eerily frozen. (Callahan, 3/19)
Chicago Tribune: Chicago Public Health Officials Report High RSV Activity
The respiratory illness RSV is still going strong in Chicago — an unusually late showing for the virus, which can strike infants especially hard. RSV activity has moved from moderate to high in Chicago, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health. Though it’s typical for RSV to spread more widely in the winter — along with illnesses like the flu and COVID-19 — it’s often more prevalent earlier in the season. (Schencker, 3/18)
The CDC recommends taking extra precautions against polio if you travel —
The Washington Post: Here’s What You Need To Know About Polio Before You Travel
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated a travel advisory earlier this month that recommends travelers take extra precautions when visiting certain countries where polio is circulating. (Felton, 3/19)
