Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Different Takes: Proof Masking Works; The Case Against Vaccine Mandate Religious Exemptions
The Atlantic: The Masks Were Working All Along
The most urgent question in the world for the past 20 months has been: What’s the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus? But it’s a frustrating question to answer definitively, since even the most logical solutions have been shrouded in what I’ve called the fog of pandemic. (Derek Thompson, 9/4)
The New York Times: Christian Exemptions To Vaccine Mandates Lack Sound Basis
Religious exemptions to employer mandates are a precious right in our democracy. This is why it is especially important not to offer such exemptions to coronavirus vaccine mandates. They make a mockery of Christianity and religious liberty. Now that the Food and Drug Administration has fully approved the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, government agencies, universities and businesses are instituting vaccination requirements. This has prompted a wave of requests from individuals to opt out of such requirements by claiming a religious exemption. (Curtis Chang, 9/6)
USA Today: Why Mandated, Universal Masking Is Needed To Stop COVID
The delta variant is driving COVID-19 infections back up, even among younger patients, including people in their 20s to 50s and our children. Intensive care units in many communities across the country are once again overflowing. If you watch the news, chances are you’ve heard all of this can be resolved based on the behavior of just one group of people. You’ve probably heard that we have entered a new era called “the pandemic of the unvaccinated. ”As advocates for public health, registered nurses want to be extremely clear: There is no such thing as a pandemic of the unvaccinated. (Bonnie Castillo, 9/7)
NBC News: Covid Vaccination Status Is The New Social Dividing Line In America. It Demands Its Own Etiquette
Last week, I suggested going on a walk with a friend I hadn’t seen in a while.“That would work,” she replied by text. “A few questions for you. Are you vaccinated? Do you wear a mask at all times when you are inside public spaces? Also, we need to walk at least three feet apart if the above answers are yes.” (Ilene Prusher, 9/5)
Newsweek: Mitigating Long-Term Effects Of The Pandemic On Children Of Color
As a mother of two boys aged 13 and 12, I have been thinking a lot about how my sons have been handling the pandemic, and what the lingering effects will be, especially on their mental health as they get older. As an epidemiologist, in the past year, I received funding to study the physical, mental and social impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, particularly among marginalized populations. As more people continue to receive the coronavirus vaccine in the U.S., there is hope for protection from the short and long-term physical effects of the virus and a return to "normal" life after the pandemic. However, the effects on mental health, especially among children in communities of color, cannot be ignored. (Marcelle Dougan, 9/4)
