Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Different Takes: It's Still Too Hard To Get Covid Meds; Ideas For Maskless Covid Prevention
The New York Times: Covid Drugs Save Lives, But Americans Can’t Get Them
Almost two months after President Biden promised to make lifesaving drugs against Covid widely available to Americans, the medications remain hard to get for many, despite supplies, leaving large numbers of Americans to face increased risks of avoidable death and serious illness. That’s largely because, once again, a dysfunctional health care system that costs more and often delivers less than that of any other developed country has hindered our pandemic response. (Zeynep Tufecki, 4/22)
Bloomberg: How To Avoid Getting Covid In A Mostly Mask-Free World
This week’s lifting of mask requirements on airplanes and, in many parts of the country, on public transportation is a major turning point in the U.S. pandemic response. From now on, it seems, avoiding or minimizing Covid-19 infection will be a personal endeavor, not a societal one. This is for some people a welcome shift toward normalcy and for others a cause for anxiety and confusion. Many occupy an awkward middle space between not wanting to throw in the towel and also wanting to break free of some restrictions. About 42% of adults in the U.S. have gone back to some but not all of their pre-pandemic activities, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll. (Lisa Jarvis, 4/21)
The Washington Post: Now’s Not The Time To Dispense With Covid-19 Precautions
Too many Americans seem to believe the covid-19 pandemic is over — or at least that conditions have improved to such an extent that they can forgo precautions. This is most evident in the knee-jerk response to the court order this week lifting mask mandates in transportation settings, with many transportation agencies and corporations immediately dispensing with their requirements. This is misguided. In reality, the United States has experienced a concerning rise in cases in recent weeks because of the spread of new omicron subvariants. Failing to take this seriously could put vulnerable Americans at risk. (Lucky Tran and Oni Blackstock, 4/20)
NBC News: Covid Mask Mandate For Travel Has Been Lifted. Where Do We Go From Here?
There’s a lot to say about Monday’s decision. It was issued by a highly inexperienced judge rated unqualified by the American Bar Association. Research shows that masking yourself alone is insufficient and that universal masking provides the most protection. Monday’s decision will likely lead to increased spread of Covid, prolong the pandemic and cause sickness and long-term disability. With Covid rates on the rise, thousands of people could die as a result. (Terri Gerstein, 4/19)
The Atlantic: The Playacting Over Masks Really Needed To End
The U.S.-government mandate requiring mask wearing on transportation is now dead, and it was killed in the worst way possible. A judge deemed “not qualified” by the American Bar Association wrote a muddled decision that invalidated a regulation hated by the president who picked her, while overriding the authority of the executive branch and its expert advisers to make policy. (Tom Nichols, 4/21)
The Washington Post: A New Potential Delay In Kids' Covid Vaccines Is An Insult To Parents
Parents of young children have been asked to put up with a lot during the covid-19 pandemic — working through day-care closures, mourning lost time with grandparents, teaching 2-year-olds to wear masks. The latest insult: The Biden administration seems to think we’re too stupid to make decisions about the vaccines that could give our kids a new normal. (Alyssa Rosenberg, 4/21)
