Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Despite The Narrative, Young People Can Get Severely Ill From Coronavirus
NBC News: Not Just Older People: Younger Adults Are Also Getting The Coronavirus
The spread of the coronavirus through a Seattle-area nursing home seemed to underscore a key point about the disease: Older and sicker individuals are most at risk. And while it is true that nursing home residents are particularly vulnerable to serious complications from the illness, younger and middle-age adults, those in their 30s, 40s and 50s, are far from immune from catching the virus. (Edwards, 3/17)
The New York Times: Children And Coronavirus: Research Finds Some Become Seriously Ill
The coronavirus raging around the globe has tended to tread gently with children, who account for the smallest percentage of the tens of thousands of infections identified so far. Now, the largest study to date of children and the virus has found that while most develop mild or moderate symptoms, a small percentage — especially babies and preschoolers — can become seriously ill. The study, published online in the journal Pediatrics, looked at more than 2,000 ill children across China, where the pandemic began. (Belluck, 3/17)
The Washington Post: What Coronavirus Looks Like In Kids
The study provides confirmation that coronavirus infections are in fact generally less severe in kids, with more than 90 percent having mild to moderate disease or even being asymptomatic. But it contains worrisome information about one subset — infants — and suggests that children may be a critical factor in the disease’s rapid spread. The first thing to know is that children are getting infected across all age groups and genders. Among the patients studied, half were from Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, while the others were from bordering areas. They ranged in age from newborns to 18 with the median age being 7 years. (Cha, 3/17)
The New York Times: When Elders Have To Fight Coronavirus Alone
At the Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center on Manhattan’s Upper East Side on Monday morning, a trickle of older New Yorkers, some pushing walkers or riding in mobility scooters, arrived to bad news. All group activities were canceled. Lunch was strictly to go. A worker wearing a plaid shirt and a surgical mask handed a meal to a woman, then urged her to move along. “You can’t hang out at the center today.” (Leland, 3/18)
ABC News: Nursing Home Residents Adapt To Solitude As They Brace For COVID-19
As the federal government imposes strict new rules to prevent the spread of coronavirus, America’s nursing homes are trying to get creative to combat fears about what could come next. That means “hallway bingo” in Beaver Dam, Kentucky; video conferences with family at The Villages in Rockville, Maryland; and a fresh supply of puzzles and coloring books at the Avoyelles Manor nursing home in Plaucheville, Louisiana. (Mosk and Romero, 3/18)
Kaiser Health News: As Coronavirus Surges, Programs Struggle To Reach Vulnerable Seniors Living At Home
Close down group meals for seniors. Cancel social gatherings. The directive, from the Illinois Department on Aging, sent shock waves through senior service organizations late last week.Overnight, Area Agencies on Aging had to figure out how to help people in their homes instead of at sites where they mingle and get various types of assistance. (Graham, 3/18)
The New York Times: Coronavirus Is Closing Social Security Offices. Here’s How To Get Benefit Help.
The Social Security Administration operates a vast network of more than 1,200 offices around the country that help thousands of Americans every day with applications for retirement, disability and Medicare benefits. No more. Starting Tuesday, Social Security’s field office network will be closed to the public in most situations until further notice because of the coronavirus public health crisis, administration officials said. Offices that hear disability insurance appeals also are closed. (Miller, 3/17)
