First Edition: Aug. 9, 2021
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
KHN:
Injuries Mount As Sales Reps For Device Makers Cozy Up To Surgeons, Even In Operating Rooms
Cristina Martinez’s spinal operation in Houston was expected to be routine. But after destabilizing her spine, the surgeon discovered the implant he was ready to put in her back was larger than he wanted to use — and the device company’s sales rep didn’t have a smaller size on hand, according to a report he filed about the operation. Dr. Ra’Kerry Rahman went ahead with the operation, and Martinez awoke feeling pain and some numbness, she alleges. When Rahman removed the plastic device four days later and replaced it with a smaller one, Martinez suffered nerve damage and loss of feeling in her left leg, she claims. Martinez is suing the surgeon, implant maker Life Spine Inc., and its distributor and sales representatives, alleging their negligence led to her injuries because the right part wasn’t available during her first surgery. All deny wrongdoing. The case is set for trial in November. (Schulte, 8/9)
KHN:
‘The Vaccination Queen’: Nurse Practitioner Takes Covid Shots House To House In Puerto Rico
Abigail Matos-Pagán entered a bright-blue house in Mayagüez earlier this summer and was met by Beatriz Gastón, who quietly led the way to her mother’s small room. Matos-Pagán had come to provide a covid-19 vaccine for Wildelma Gastón, 88, whose arthritis and other health concerns confine her to bed. Wildelma Gastón asked for her rosary to be placed on her chest and motioned to her “good arm,” where Matos-Pagán injected a first dose of the Moderna vaccine. The Gastón household, made up of five family members, breathed a collective sigh of relief. Though the vaccine had been available for months, Wildelma had been unable to reach a vaccination site. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID Data Tracker, Puerto Rico’s vaccination rate in March was one of the lowest among U.S. states and territories despite receiving more than 1.3 million vaccine doses. The rollout highlighted disparities in access to medical services, and the challenges of tracking and reaching remote citizens, such as Wildelma. (Almy and Carter, 8/9)
KHN:
A California Bill Would Limit Protests At Vaccination Sites. Does It Violate The First Amendment?
A proposal sailing through the California legislature that aims to stop people from getting harassed outside of vaccination sites is raising alarms among some First Amendment experts. If it becomes law, SB 742 would make it punishable by up to six months in jail and/or a maximum fine of $1,000 to intimidate, threaten, harass or prevent people from getting a covid-19 — or any other — vaccine on their way to a vaccination site. (Bluth, 8/9)
KHN:
Déjà Vu? Consumers Scramble For Covid Tests In Hard-Hit Areas
Andrea Mosterman, an associate professor of history at the University of New Orleans, was already dismayed that she had to wait three days to secure a covid-19 test at a Walgreens near her home after being in contact with someone who had tested positive. But on Sunday, when she showed up at the pharmacy drive-thru, she was told the store had run out of test kits and none was available anywhere in the city. “I told them I had a reservation, but they said it didn’t matter,” she said. (Galewitz, Bluth and Bichell, 8/6)
KHN:
Journalists Assess The Latest Covid Surge And The Nation’s Vaccination Effort
KHN freelancer Mark Kreidler discussed why professional athletes are not taking a more affirmative role in pushing covid vaccines on Newsy on Tuesday. ... KHN Midwest correspondent Cara Anthony discussed masking mandates, vaccine efficacy and breakthrough covid cases on Illinois Public Media’s “The 21st Show” on Monday. (8/7)
AP:
Canada Begins Allowing Vaccinated US Citizens To Visit Again
Canada on Monday is lifting its prohibition on Americans crossing the border to shop, vacation or visit, but the United States is keeping similar restrictions in place for Canadians, part of a bumpy return to normalcy from COVID-19 travel bans. U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents must be both fully vaccinated and test negative for COVID-19 within three days to get across one of the world’s longest and busiest land borders. Travelers also must fill out a detailed on application on the arriveCAN app before crossing. (Baumann and Ring, 8/9)
USA Today:
Vaccinated Americans Can Enter Canada Starting Monday. Here Are 11 Things To Know Before A Trip.
Travelers can also expect longer wait times, thanks to the new public health measures and a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) union strike. Fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents will be permitted to enter Canada for nonessential travel starting Monday at 12:01 a.m. ETD. White House officials have yet to say when the U.S. will reciprocate and ease its own travel restrictions against its Canadian neighbors. For Americans planning to take a trip up north soon, here are 11 things to know. (Schulz, 8/8)
CNN:
Canada Is Reopening To US Tourists On Monday: Your Guide Before You Go
Travelers must provide proof of vaccination in English or French (or a certified translation, along with the original) for both doses, if applicable. Travelers can receive their vaccines in any country. ... All travelers 5 or older must show proof of a negative result from a Covid-19 molecular test taken within 72 hours before their arrival in Canada or show proof of a positive Covid-19 molecular test taken between 14 and 180 days, as of August 9, before their arrival. (Levere, 8/7)
AP:
Fauci Hopeful COVID Vaccines Get Full OK By FDA Within Weeks
The U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said Sunday that he was hopeful the Food and Drug Administration will give full approval to the coronavirus vaccine by month’s end and predicted the potential move will spur a wave of vaccine mandates in the private sector as well as schools and universities. The FDA has only granted emergency-use approval of the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, but the agency is expected to soon give full approval to Pfizer. (Madhani, 8/8)
USA Today:
Dr. Anthony Fauci: Expect 'A Flood' Of COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates After Full FDA Approval
As soon as the Food and Drug Administration issues a full approval for a COVID-19 vaccine, there will be "a flood" of vaccine mandates at businesses and schools across the nation, Dr. Anthony Fauci told USA TODAY's Editorial Board on Friday. Mandates aren't going to happen at the federal level, but vaccine approval will embolden many groups, he predicted. "Organizations, enterprises, universities, colleges that have been reluctant to mandate at the local level will feel much more confident," he said. (Weise, 8/6)
Politico:
Fauci Urges More Testing To Track Breakthrough Covid Cases
Anthony Fauci urged on Sunday that more coronavirus testing be done among vaccinated people to learn more about breakthrough cases. “We know now from experience here and other countries that you will have people who are asymptomatic who get into contact with an asymptomatic person who is infected, and you’ll know there will be more infections that otherwise would have gone undetected,” the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said on NBC’s "Meet the Press." “We need to do more testing.” (Greene, 8/8)
Fox News:
Fauci: Allowing Virus To Replicate Could Make 'Worse Variant' That 'Could Impact The Vaccinated'
Dr. Anthony Fauci has warned that allowing the coronavirus delta variant to circulate freely among unvaccinated individuals could lead to a more potent variant that could harm even vaccinated individuals. The delta variant has already given rise to a small variant known as "delta plus" variant that has a spike protein mutation that may cause it to spread faster. So far, the variant has appeared in only a few cases in several countries, but the original delta variant rapidly spread through the United States and became the dominant strain after only a few months. (Aitken, 8/8)
CNN:
Covid-19 Variants That Evade Protection Could Emerge In The US If More People Don't Get Vaccinated, Fauci Says
Covid-19 vaccines are protecting more than half the US population from current strains, experts say. But if too few people get vaccinated, the virus will be allowed to continue to spread -- and the result could be an even more dangerous variant, Dr. Anthony Fauci said. "Then all of us who are protected against delta may not be protected against zaida (zeta)," the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said in a Q&A with USA Today published Sunday. (Holcombe, 8/9)
Politico:
NIH Director: Vaccines Should Never Be Political
The director of the National Institutes of Health on Sunday lamented that the notion of vaccination remains so politicized amid the nation's ongoing surge of Covid cases. Speaking on ABC's "This Week With George Stephanopoulos," NIH Director Francis Collins said, "How did we get here? Why is it a mandate about a vaccine or wearing a mask becomes a statement of your political party? We never should have let that happen. Come on, America, we can separate these. We're incredibly politicized about politics. We don't need to be polarized about a virus that's killing people." (Cohen, 8/8)
Politico:
Education Secretary: 'We're Clearly At A Fork In The Road' In Opening Schools Safely
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said Sunday that the country is at a “fork in the road” when it comes to opening schools amid a resurgent coronavirus wave. “We're clearly at a fork in the road in this country,” Cardona said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “You're either going to help students be in school in-person and be safe, or the decisions you make will hurt students. While I understand the argument around not wanting to wear masks because we're fatigued, without question student safety and staff safety come first.” (Greene, 8/8)
Politico:
Biden's Infrastructure Bill On Cruise Control To Senate Passage
President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure deal cleared its final serious Senate hurdle Sunday night, putting the legislation on a glide path to passage as soon as late Monday. In a 68-29 vote, the Senate closed down debate on a bill negotiated by a bipartisan group of 10 senators that spends $550 billion in new money on the nation’s physical infrastructure. Sunday’s vote came after senators spent the weekend haggling over amendments and time agreements to consider them. (Everett and Levine, 8/8)
The Hill:
Senate Votes To End Debate On $1T Infrastructure Bill
The Senate on Sunday night voted to end debate on a roughly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, putting it on a glide path, albeit a lengthy one, to passing this week. Senators voted 68-29 to end debate on the bill, which required 60 votes. Eighteen GOP senators joined with all Democrats to help advance the legislation. (Carney, 8/8)
CNBC:
Biden Warns Of Economic Peril From Covid Despite July Job Gains
President Joe Biden resisted the temptation to take a victory lap Friday following the release of strong July jobs numbers, instead telling the country that rising Covid cases pose an urgent threat to the economic recovery. “My message today is not one of celebration,” Biden said in remarks at the White House. “It is one to remind us that we have a lot of hard work left to be done, both to beat the delta variant and to continue the advance of our economic recovery.” (Wilkie, 8/6)
The Washington Post:
For First Time, Average Pay For Supermarket And Restaurant Workers Tops $15 An Hour
The U.S. labor market hit a new milestone recently: For the first time, average pay in restaurants and supermarkets climbed above $15 an hour. Wages have been rising rapidly as the economy reopens and businesses struggle to hire enough workers. Some of the biggest gains have gone to workers in some of the lowest-paying industries. Overall, nearly 80 percent of U.S. workers now earn at least $15 an hour, up from 60 percent in 2014. (Van Dam and Long, 8/8)
Stat:
As White House Mulls FDA Commissioner Job, A Sign Of Industry Backing For Woodcock Surfaces
Shortly after the Biden administration took office, a letter-writing campaign erupted over who should be the next Food and Drug Administration Commissioner. The missives reflected a bitter divide over Janet Woodcock, a longstanding but controversial agency official who was named acting commissioner. Some praised her political savvy and experience. Others criticized her for being too sympathetic to industry. (Silverman, 8/9)
The Hill:
Biden Yet To Nominate New FDA Chief Even As Delta Surges
President Biden has yet to nominate a permanent head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at a time when the government is navigating a surge in COVID-19 cases from the delta variant. It’s unclear why the post remains vacant more than six months into Biden’s presidency, but some experts suggest politics may be getting in the way. Some Democratic senators are pushing back on the prospects of acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock being named to the permanent role, but health care experts are warning that the administration needs to fill the position immediately. (Coleman and Gangitano, 8/8)
Modern Healthcare:
Biden To Nix 'Most Favored Nation' Drug Rule
The Biden administration plans to pull the plug on a contentious Trump-era demonstration that would tie Medicare outpatient drug pay to other wealthy countries' drug prices, according to a CMS proposed rule on Friday. Hospitals had opposed the "most favored nation" drug policy, arguing that it would hurt their bottom lines and put the entire onus of lowering drug prices on hospitals rather than drug companies or Medicare. The Trump-era rule also would have created the CMS Innovation Center's first nationwide, mandatory experiment—a massive departure from the agency's usual approach to testing new payment models among a smaller subset of healthcare organizations. (Brady, 8/6)
CNBC:
Norwegian Cruise Can Require Florida Passengers To Be Vaccinated, Judge Rules
“It’s scary what’s happening in Florida,” Derek Shaffer, an attorney for Norwegian Cruise Line, said during a court hearing held Friday to request the injunction. “All of Florida is a hot spot ... All we’re doing is trying to protect our staff and passengers.” Norwegian CEO Frank Del Rio said the company is trying to ensure the safety of passengers and crew. “The health and safety of our guests, crew and the communities we visit is our number one priority, today, tomorrow and forever,” Del Rio said in a statement Sunday. (El-Bawab, 8/8)
The New York Times:
Judge Temporarily Allows Cruise Line To Require Proof Of Vaccination In Florida.
A federal judge on Sunday granted Norwegian Cruise Line’s request for a preliminary injunction, temporarily allowing the company to require proof of vaccination from passengers despite a Florida law that bans businesses from doing so.The injunction, in a lawsuit that the company filed last month against Dr. Scott Rivkees, Florida’s surgeon general and the head of the Florida Department of Health, is the latest development in a continuing battle for the cruise line industry. (Jimenez, 8/9)
USA Today:
Hospitals Raising Alarms As Admissions Spike
As COVID-19 cases surge, some hospitals across the country are raising the alarm over hospitalization rates that may push facilities to capacity. The number of people hospitalized with the virus in the U.S. has more than tripled over the past month, from an average of roughly 12,000 to almost 43,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "The delta variant is ripping through the unvaccinated," Mary Mayhew, CEO of Florida Hospital Association said. Hospitals in Jacksonville and Orlando last week crashed through their pandemic peaks, and hospitals in Miami-Dade County are at or approaching record coronavirus hospitalizations this week, Mayhew said. (Santucci, Fernando and Segarra, 8/7)
CBS News:
Austin, Texas, Activates Emergency Alert System In Response To COVID Surge
Austin, Texas, activated its emergency alert system to warn the public of a "severely worsening COVID-19 situation" as area hospitalizations continue to surge. In an alert sent via text, city authorities wrote "the Covid-19 situation in Austin is dire. Healthcare facilities are open but resources are limited due to a surge in cases." (Linton, 8/8)
Reuters:
Early Signs COVID-19 Vaccines May Not Stop Delta Transmission, England Says
There are early signs that people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 may be able to transmit the Delta variant of the virus as easily as those who have not, scientists at Public Health England (PHE) said on Friday. The findings chime with those from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which last week raised concerns that vaccinated people infected with Delta could, unlike with other variants, readily transmit it. (8/6)
The Washington Post:
Delta Defeats Other Variants As Scientists Race To Understand Its Tricks
The variant battle in the United States is over. Delta won. Since late last year, the country has been overrun by a succession of coronavirus variants, each with its own suite of mutations conferring slightly different viral traits. For much of this year, the alpha variant — officially known as B.1.1.7 and first seen in the United Kingdom — looked like the clear winner, accounting for the majority of cases by April. In second place was iota, B.1.526, first seen in New York City. A few others made the rogue’s gallery of variants: gamma, beta, epsilon. (Achenbach, Johnson, Sun and Shammas, 8/8)
NPR:
With Record-High Cases, Florida Emerges As COVID-19 Epicenter
The coronavirus is running rampant in Florida as case numbers climb to an all-time high and hospitals start to fill up. On Sunday, approximately 1 in 4 hospital beds in the state had a COVID-19 patient in it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 23,903 new coronavirus cases in Florida on Friday, the state's highest single-day total since the start of the pandemic. Two days later, numbers from hospitals reporting to the Department of Health and Human Services showed Florida's inpatient beds at more than 83% occupancy. As of Sunday, 13,793 coronavirus patients accounted for 24% of the state's inpatient beds. (Jones, 8/8)
Politico:
Cassidy Splits With DeSantis On School Mask Mandates
Sen. Bill Cassidy said Sunday he disagrees with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' opposition to mask mandates in schools. “I do disagree with Gov. DeSantis. The local officials should have control here,” the Louisiana Republican said on CNN’s "State of the Union." Cassidy, a physician, added that “when it comes to local conditions, if my hospital is full, and my vaccination rate is low and infection rate is going crazy, we should allow local officials to make those decisions best for their community.” (Greene, 8/8)
USA Today:
Pediatric Hospitals Filling Up With Cases While Kids Go Back To School
Pediatric hospitals are filling up with children in the latest COVID surge. Children's hospitals in Tennessee will be completely full by the end of this week, the health department projected, and the number of children admitted to a Jacksonville, Florida, hospital in July was more than four times the number admitted in June. In Austin, Texas, kids with symptomatic COVID-19 are also coming in sicker, with more serious symptoms than previous waves of the disease. "It shouldn't be happening," said Dr. Meena Iyer, chief medical officer at Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas. (Aspegren, 8/9)
AP:
UVA, Virginia Tech Announce New Face Mask Mandates
The University of Virginia is requiring everyone on campus to wear face masks indoors starting Monday in the wake of rising coronavirus infections from a highly contagious variant. ... Virginia Tech also announced late last week that all instructors and students will have to wear face coverings in classrooms and laboratories when classes begin Aug. 23. (8/8)
The Washington Post:
Mask And Vaccine Mandates Urged As Schools Reopen Across The Country
Public health experts are urging more businesses and local officials to enact mask and vaccine requirements to slow the spread of the coronavirus as the more contagious delta variant drives a fourth surge of covid-19 cases in the United States. “The time has come,” Anthony S. Fauci, the White House’s chief coronavirus medical adviser, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday. “We’ve got to go the extra step to get people vaccinated. You want to persuade them, that’s good … but for those who do not want, I believe mandates at the local level need to be done.” (Wang, 8/8)
USA Today:
Arkansas Judge Blocks State From Enforcing Mask Mandate Ban
A judge on Friday temporarily blocked Arkansas from enforcing its ban on mask mandates signed into law by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in April. The ban was being challenged by two lawsuits, including one from an east Arkansas school district where more than 900 staff and students are quarantining because of a coronavirus outbreak. Pediatricians and health officials have said masks in schools are needed to protect children, as the delta variant and Arkansas’ low vaccination rate fuel the state’s spiraling cases. The state on Monday reported its biggest one-day increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations since the pandemic began, and the Department of Health on Thursday said only 36 intensive care unit beds were available in the state. (Vargas and Yancey-Bragg, 8/6)
CBS News:
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson Says He Changed Mind On Mask Law Because "Facts Change"
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said Sunday he changed his mind about a bill he signed in April to ban mask mandates across the state because "facts change," and admitted that signing it at a time when COVID-19 cases were low in his state was "an error." (Poindexter, 8/8)
Reuters:
Amazon Orders All U.S. Employees To Mask Up At Work
Amazon.com Inc has ordered all U.S. employees to wear a mask at work regardless of their vaccination status, as the highly infectious Delta variant of COVID-19 sweeps the country. Companies across the United States have tightened their defenses against the virus, after the Delta variant forced the U.S. public health agency to reverse course and insist on even fully vaccinated individuals wearing masks. (8/7)
USA Today:
Vaccinated, Angry: Experts Say Insults Won't Motivate The Unvaccinated
Public health experts told USA TODAY that anger is understandable, widespread and unproductive. They worry that shaming and blaming the unvaccinated could backfire – entrenching their decision rather than persuading them to get the shots. The only way to end the death and suffering of COVID-19 is to get millions of Americans vaccinated. Mandates may help, but insults, anger and dismissiveness are widely considered a terrible way to convince people to get vaccinated. "If you’re going to call me an idiot … that isn’t encouragement,” Stephanie McClure, an assistant professor of biocultural medical anthropology at the University of Alabama, told USA TODAY. “You usually don’t get anywhere by attacking people.” (Shannon, 6/8)
The Washington Post:
Jennifer Aniston And Other Celebrities Endorse Vaccines. Experts Say Their Pleas May Not Help.
Jennifer Aniston is best known for her role in “Friends,” but these days the actress is avoiding some members of her inner circle who are not vaccinated against the coronavirus. Last week, her InStyle interview made headlines after she told the magazine that people have a “moral and professional obligation to inform” others about their vaccination status. ... Star-studded photo ops and high-profile vaccine endorsements have become a major part of public health messaging in the pandemic era. Politicians, celebrities, athletes and religious leaders have encouraged others to get vaccinated and follow scientific guidance with varying results — from helpful to ineffective to harmful, with one researcher saying friends and neighbors are the most fruitful agents for change. (Paul, 8/8)
San Francisco Chronicle:
S.F. Sheriff's Deputies Threaten Resignations Over City's Vaccination Mandate
The San Francisco Sheriff’s Department will see a wave of resignations if the city enforces its policy requiring vaccinations for its employees, according to the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, the union representing sheriff’s deputies. Mandated vaccines “will result in law enforcement officers and firefighters retiring early and seeking employment elsewhere,” the union wrote on its Facebook page Thursday. (Cassidy, 8/6)
Philadelphia Inquirer:
Pa., N.J., And Del. Leaders Weigh Vaccine-Verification Options, But Largely Hold Off On Mandates
As more employers, cities, and states move to mandate vaccines for their residents, employees, and patrons in an emerging patchwork of rules, officials governing the Philadelphia region haven’t begun setting mandates — but Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and Bucks County officials are weighing possible vaccine requirements for public workers. While Democratic-controlled New Jersey implemented its first statewide vaccine requirements this week for certain health workers, Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday his administration was “still deciding” whether to require coronavirus vaccination for some or all state employees. (McCarthy and McDaniel, 8/7)
CNN:
6 Members Of A Florida Church Died Of Covid-19 In 2 Weeks, Pastor Says. On Sunday The Church Held A Vaccination Clinic
In just two weeks, six members of a Florida church died from Covid-19. All were unvaccinated, their pastor said. Now the church is hosting a vaccination clinic. Pastor George Davis at Impact Church in Jacksonville addressed members during Sunday’s service and said the past week had been very difficult. (Jackson, 8/8)
AP:
Official: Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Is The Busiest In Years
Law enforcement officials say the first few days of this year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally have been among the busiest they’ve seen. Some 700,000 people were expected to celebrate their enthusiasm for motorcycles at the 10-day event that kicked off Friday in the western South Dakota city. “There are more people here than in the 31 years I’ve been doing this,” Meade County Sheriff Ron Merwin told the Rapid City Journal on Saturday. (8/8)
AP:
New Orleans Jazz Fest Canceled Again Due To COVID-19
With new COVID-19 cases surging in Louisiana, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival won’t be returning this year after all, organizers said Sunday. The festival, which traditionally is held in the spring, had been scheduled to run Oct. 8-10 and Oct. 15-17 this year after being canceled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. (8/8)
NPR:
Can COVID Vaccines Cause Temporary Menstrual Changes? Research Aims To Find Out
Sore arms. Headaches. Low-grade fevers. These are some of the expected side-effects of a COVID-19 vaccine — a sign that the body's mounting an immune response and learning how to fend off the novel coronavirus. But thousands of people in the U.S. think they may have had other side-effects that drugmakers and doctors never warned them about: unexpected changes in their menstrual cycles. Though many researchers and gynecologists say a causal link hasn't yet been established between the vaccines and the reported changes, that hasn't stopped the worry among some people. And so far, scientists haven't collected much data on whether or how the vaccines might affect a menstrual period. (Brumfiel, 8/9)
The New York Times:
For Seniors Especially, Covid Can Be Stealthy
The population over 65, most vulnerable to the virus’s effects, got an early start on Covid vaccination and has the highest rate in the country — more than 80 percent are fully vaccinated. But with infections increasing once more, and hospitalization rising among older adults, a large-scale new study in the Journals of Gerontology provides a timely warning: Covid can look different in older patients. “People expect fever, cough, shortness of breath,” said Allison Marziliano, lead author of the study. ... But when the researchers combed through the electronic health records of nearly 5,000 people, all over the age of 65, who were hospitalized for Covid at a dozen Northwell hospitals in March and April of 2020, they found that one-third had arrived with other symptoms, unexpected ones. (Span, 8/8)
Reuters:
U.S. Nurses' COVID-19 Grief Pours Out Online: 'I Just Don't Want To Watch Anyone Else Die'
Nichole Atherton couldn't take it anymore. The intensive care nurse watched helplessly last year as COVID-19 sufferers died in her Mississippi hospital - slowly, painfully and alone. Then in July she was again confronted with a wave of deathly ill patients, even though almost all likely could have saved themselves by getting the coronavirus vaccine. "People want to argue about masks and vaccines and freedom. I just don't want to watch anyone else die," the 39-year-old mother of two wrote on Facebook a few days ago. "I see their faces in my nightmares. And it feels like it is never ending." (Ax, 8/7)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Wisconsin Senate Leader Urges Health Care Workers To Refuse Vaccines
One of the leaders of the state Senate is calling on health care workers opposed to COVID-19 vaccine mandates to take action against them, alarming some health care officials navigating a surge of new infections. Senate President Chris Kapenga on Friday said health care executives requiring employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 are "bowing to the woke culture being pushed by the left." (Beck, 8/6)
The Washington Post:
Is Your Doctor, Dentist Or Hairstylist Vaccinated? Tips For How To Ask — And Avoid Awkwardness
It is not a violation of the oft-cited HIPAA federal privacy law to ask your doctor or dentist or other health-care workers, as well as people who provide close-contact services, including hair stylists, aestheticians, massage therapists and physical trainers, if they are vaccinated. “It’s awkward, but it’s not illegal,” said Robert Gatter, a professor with the Center for Health Law Studies at St. Louis University School of Law. “If they share it with you, that’s their choice.” But, Gostin said, it’s important to remember that “you can’t force somebody to answer.” (Chiu, 8/6)
The Washington Post:
Marjorie Taylor Greene Fans Cheered Low Vaccination Rate In Alabama, Which Tossed 65,000 Doses
As coronavirus cases and hospitalizations surged in Alabama, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) mentioned the state’s lowest-in-the-nation vaccination rate at a political fundraiser, eliciting cheers from the audience in a video posted this week. Days after the video surfaced, the state’s health leader said officials have tossed out more than 65,000 coronavirus vaccines that expired, citing low demand that experts have partly attributed to the politicization of the vaccine. Alabama has the lowest vaccination rate in the country, followed closely by Mississippi, according to data compiled by The Washington Post. (Kornfield and Wang, 8/7)
CNBC:
Doximity, Social Network For Doctors, Full Of Antivax Disinformation
Dr. Paul Malarik, a retired psychiatrist, now spends about 50 hours a month helping to administer Covid-19 vaccines at pop-up clinics near his home in San Luis Obispo, California. So he’s particularly troubled when he logs onto Doximity, a site used by doctors, and reads anti-vaccine comments. “You rarely get to the level of microchips in vaccines, but a lot of this stuff is pretty close to it,” said Malarik, who volunteers his time to mix vaccines, put shots in arms and educate the public. “They’re actively working against us.” (Levy, 8/6)
Modern Healthcare:
Returning Patients, Ongoing COVID Wave Behind Kaiser's Slim Q2 Margin
More of Kaiser Permanente's 12.5 million members returned for healthcare services once COVID-19 cases waned in the spring and early summer, contributing to an unusually slim operating margin in the second quarter of 2021. Typically, higher patient volumes would boost a health system's bottom line, but Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser operates differently than most. As an integrated system, its patients are also its health plan members, so Kaiser foots the bill for their care. The system's operating margin was just 1.5% in the quarter ended June 30, down significantly from 9.4% in the prior year period. (Bannow, 8/6)
Modern Healthcare:
Honor Technology Acquires Home Instead
Honor Technology has acquired Home Instead, the company said. The acquisition will allow the companies to pair home care provider Home Instead's network with San Francisco-based Honor Technology's home care technology and operations platform. Combined, the two organizations generate more than $2.1 billion in annual home care services revenue. The companies did not disclose the terms of the deal, which took effect Friday. The Home Instead acquisition will serve "as a foundation for a dramatic increase in innovation to benefit caregivers and clients through expanded offerings," Honor Technology said in a news release. (Christ, 8/6)
Modern Healthcare:
Hospital-At-Home Program Boosted Inpatient Capacity, Access, Study Finds
Brigham and Women's Hospital boosted inpatient capacity and access to care when providers treated acute patients at home, new research shows. The Boston-based facility's hospital-at-home program treated 65 acutely ill patients over a three-month span during the COVID-19 pandemic, which freed up 419 inpatient beds, according to a Brigham and Women's study published Friday in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. Home hospital patients dealing with infections or complications associated with heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma received daily in-home or remote visits from attending general internists, two daily in-home visits from registered nurses and they had access to 24-hour physician coverage and remote monitoring tools. (Kacik, 8/6)
The Washington Post:
Howard University To Build Center To Research Health Disparities
Howard University and several development partners will begin construction in 2023 on a new center dedicated to researching health disparities, school officials announced Thursday. The aim of the National Research Center for Health Disparities — which will be next to the school’s college of medicine — is to attract pharmaceutical companies and biomedical research organizations that are focused on treating chronic illnesses, especially those that affect communities of color. The project, which will take up 260,000 square feet, will include a laboratory and an office building. (Fadulu, 8/5)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Whistle-Blower Allegations Result In $11.4 Million Settlement By San Mateo County Medical Center
The San Mateo Medical Center and San Mateo County have agreed to pay $11.4 million after federal officials alleged the hospital submitted false Medicare claims for patients not covered by the federal health care program, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced on Friday. The settlement resolves allegations initially leveled in 2016 by whistle-blower Felix Levy, the former director of resource management at the hospital. (Cassidy and Hosseini, 8/7)
Philadelphia Inquirer:
Doctors Flee Administrative Headaches Of Private Practice
The days of the stalwart solo physician, hanging out a shingle and seeing patients as he or she sees fit, are rapidly drawing to a close. Consulting firm Avalere Health reports that almost 70% of physicians in the United States now work as employees of a hospital, health system, or private corporation. That’s a 12% increase over just two years ago, and is likely to accelerate after the COVID-19 pandemic. The report is “a stunning document” that shows just how much the profession of medicine is changing, said Richard Baron, president of the American Board of Internal Medicine, the Philadelphia-based group that certifies the expertise of internists. (Field, 8/7)
LiveScience:
Arizona Man Went A Month Without Knowing He Had The Plague
A man in Arizona went nearly a month without knowing he had contracted the plague, which can be deadly if not treated promptly, according to a new report. The man recovered, but his case underscores the need to identify infections with serious and potentially contagious pathogens, such as Yersinia pestis — the bacterium that causes plague — in a timely manner, according to the report, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (Rettner, 8/6)
The Washington Post:
Study Connects Liver Disease Risks To Rescue Workers Who Helped At 9/11 Attack In N.Y.
In the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai grouped 1,788 responders based on the time they arrived at the scene of the terrorist attack. They analyzed CT scans for signs of hepatic steatosis, also known as fatty liver disease, which can cause scarring in the liver, cancer or liver failure. Steatosis is associated with exposure to a variety of chemicals, including toxic dust. The researchers found that the sooner a responder arrived at the WTC, the more likely they were to show signs of steatosis. More than 14 percent had signs of the disease, and those who got to the site within two weeks of the attack were most likely to show liver changes. (Blakemore, 8/7)
Los Angeles Times:
Bacteria Brings Warnings At Santa Monica Pier, Mother's Beach
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health continues to advise that visitors to Mother’s Beach in Marina Del Rey and the Santa Monica Pier avoid the water due to high bacteria levels. The advisory comes nearly a month after 17 million gallons of raw sewage were discharged from the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant in Playa del Rey into the Santa Monica Bay. (Ramsey, 8/8)
AP:
Yankees COVID-19 Outbreak Continues As Rizzo Tests Positive
Newcomer Anthony Rizzo has become the latest Yankees player to test positive for the coronavirus. Rizzo is the fourth New York player within the past week to be sidelined by COVID-19, joining starting pitchers Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery and catcher Gary Sánchez. (Fleisher, 8/8)