First Edition: Feb. 25, 2021

KHN: Have A Case Of A Covid Variant? No One Is Going To Tell You
Covid-19 infections from variant strains are quickly spreading across the U.S., but there’s one big problem: Lab officials say they can’t tell patients or their doctors whether someone has been infected by a variant. Federal rules around who can be told about the variant cases are so confusing that public health officials may merely know the county where a case has emerged but can’t do the kind of investigation and deliver the notifications needed to slow the spread, according to Janet Hamilton, executive director of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. (Jewett, Aleccia and Pradhan, 2/25)

KHN: Covid Vaccine Websites Violate Disability Laws, Create Inequity For The Blind
Many covid vaccination registration and information websites at the federal, state and local levels violate disability rights laws, hindering the ability of blind people to sign up for a potentially lifesaving vaccine, a KHN investigation has found. Across the country, people who use special software to make the web accessible have been unable to sign up for the vaccines or obtain vital information about covid-19 because many government websites lack required accessibility features. At least 7.6 million people in the U.S. over age 16 have a visual disability. (Weber and Recht, 2/25)

KHN: With GOP Back At Helm, Montana Renews Push To Sniff Out Welfare Fraud
Montana is considering becoming the latest state to intensify its hunt for welfare overpayments and fraud, a move expected to remove more than 1,500 enrollees from low-income health coverage at a time when the pandemic has left more people needing help. With Republicans now controlling both chambers of the Montana legislature and the governor’s office, a lawmaker is reviving an effort to both broaden and increase the frequency of eligibility checks to search for welfare fraud, waste and abuse. Proponents say it’s about what’s fair — weeding out people who don’t qualify, protecting safety nets for those who do, and saving the state millions. But advocates for low-income people who rely on such services and some policy analysts say such changes would unfairly drop eligible people who need the aid. (Houghton, 2/25)

KHN: In Search Of The Shot 
Too little covid vaccine and too great a demand: That’s what KHN readers from around the country detail in their often exasperating quest to snag a shot, although they are often clearly eligible under their local guidelines and priority system. Public health officials say the supply is growing and will meet demand in several months, but, for now, readers’ experiences show how access is limited. Some savvy readers report no problem getting in line for the vaccine, but others say that balky application processes and lack of information have stymied their efforts. Their unedited reports are a good snapshot of the mixed situation around the country. (2/24)

AP: Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Works Well In Big 'Real World' Test
Wednesday’s published results, from a mass vaccination campaign in Israel, give strong reassurance that the benefits seen in smaller, limited testing persisted when the vaccine was used much more widely in a general population with various ages and health conditions. ... It seemed as effective in folks over 70 as in younger people. “This is immensely reassuring ... better than I would have guessed,” said the Mayo Clinic’s Dr. Gregory Poland. Vanderbilt University’s Dr. Buddy Creech agreed: “Even after one dose we can see very high effectiveness in prevention of death,” he said. (Marchione, 2/24)

Reuters: In Boost For COVID-19 Battle, Pfizer Vaccine Found 94% Effective In Real World 
The first big real-world study of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to be independently reviewed shows the shot is highly effective at preventing COVID-19, in a potentially landmark moment for countries desperate to end lockdowns and reopen economies. Up until now, most data on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines has come under controlled conditions in clinical trials, leaving an element of uncertainty over how results would translate into the real world with its unpredictable variables. (Lubell and Rabinovitch, 2/24)

Bloomberg: Pfizer-BioNTech Shot Could Help End Pandemic, Israel Study Shows
The researchers matched each vaccinated person with someone who hadn’t gotten a shot, enabling the best analysis yet of whether extremely good results from an earlier clinical trial would hold up in the real world. The Pfizer-BioNTech shot cleared every hurdle. It was so effective, in fact, that outside experts said that with broad enough use it may be possible to halt the pandemic. “This is the kind of vaccine that gives us hope that herd immunity may be possible,” said Raina MacIntyre, a professor of biosecurity at the University of New South Wales in Sydney who wasn’t involved with the study. (Kresge and Gale, 2/24)

CIDRAP: Real-World Trial Of Pfizer COVID Vaccine Finds High 2-Dose, Good 1-Dose Protection 
Among the 596,618 patients 16 years and older vaccinated, the first dose was 46% effective against COVID-19 infection 14 to 20 days later and 92% effective 7 or more days after the second dose. Vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic illness was 57% after the first dose and 94% after the second, while it was 74% and 87% effective, respectively, at preventing hospitalization. Efficacy was 62% and 92%, respectively, at preventing severe illness and 72% at preventing death 14 to 20 days after the first dose. (Van Beusekom, 2/24)

The Hill: White House To Ship 3 Million To 4 Million Doses Of Johnson & Johnson Vaccine To States 
The Biden administration is planning to send states, pharmacies and community health centers 3 million to 4 million doses of Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus vaccine as early as next week, a White House official said Wednesday. (Weixel, 2/24)

CIDRAP: US Ready To Distribute J&J COVID Vaccine, White House Says 
"We are doing the work so if the EUA is granted we will waste no time in getting life-saving vaccines into the arms of Americans," said Jeff Zients, the Biden administration's COVID-19 czar during today’s press conference on response efforts. Zients said governors have received information about how to possibly distribute the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which, unlike the current approved and in-use vaccines, requires only one shot and standard refrigeration. (Soucheray, 2/24)

NPR: Biden Administration To Deliver 25 Million Masks To Health Centers And Food Banks
The Biden administration will distribute millions of face coverings to thousands of community health centers and food banks in an effort to help vulnerable Americans more easily mask up, officials said on Wednesday. The federal government will distribute some 25 million masks to more than 1,300 community health centers and 60,000 food pantries and soup kitchens across the country, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said at a briefing. The White House said in a press release that the masks will be available between March and May, and are expected to benefit some 12 to 15 million Americans. (Treisman, 2/24)

CNN: Biden Administration To Send 25 Million Masks To Community Health Centers And Food Pantries 
The Biden administration said Wednesday it would send more than 25 million masks to community health centers, food pantries and soup kitchens across the country in order to reach some of the nation's most vulnerable populations. "While masks are widely available in many different shapes and sizes, many low-income Americans still lack affordable access to this basic protection. That's why we're taking this important action to keep Americans safe," President Joe Biden's Covid-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said at a White House briefing. (Sullivan, 2/24)

The Washington Post: ‘It’s Up To You’ Ad Campaign Encourages Hesitant Americans To Get Coronavirus Vaccine 
For tens of millions of Americans still unsure about taking coronavirus vaccine shots, advertising industry experts and government scientists have a new message: “It’s Up to You.” That message and accompanying ad campaign — shaped by months of consumer research and backed by more than $50 million in donated funds — is to be unveiled Thursday across TV and digital video, social media and audio platforms like Pandora and Spotify. It also will include messaging tailored toward Black and Hispanic communities, where studies have found a lack of trust about the coronavirus vaccines and their long-term effects. The ads and related events will feature celebrities, scientists and members of the faith community. (Diamond, 2/25)

New York Times: A New COVID-19 Variant Is Spreading In New York, Researchers Report
A new form of the coronavirus is spreading rapidly in New York City, and it carries a worrisome mutation that may weaken the effectiveness of vaccines, two teams of researchers have found. The new variant, called B.1.526, first appeared in samples collected in the city in November. By the middle of this month, it accounted for about one in four viral sequences appearing in a database shared by scientists. One study of the new variant, led by a group at Caltech, was posted online Tuesday. The other, by researchers at Columbia University, has been submitted to a preprint server but is not yet public. (Mandavilli, 2/25)

The Hill: New Coronavirus Variant Spreading In New York City 
A coronavirus variant spreading in New York City, the U.S. epicenter of the virus last spring, may be more resistant to vaccines, The New York Times reported Wednesday. The B.1.526 variant is detectable in samples going back to at least November. Researchers at Caltech and Columbia University have conducted studies on the variant, although neither has yet been peer-reviewed or published. (Budryk, 2/24)

AP: Health Officials Report First UK COVID-19 Variant In Idaho
Public health officials have confirmed two more cases of Idaho residents infected with COVID-19 variants, including the first known case of a resident infected with the United Kingdom variant of the coronavirus. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare announced Wednesday that the person with the UK variant infection lives in Ada County and recently traveled out of state. Officials believe she was exposed during her travels, and are working to identify people she had close contact with who may have been exposed. (2/25)

Los Angeles Times: California Tops 50,000 COVID-19 Deaths Amid Fears Of New Variants
California has surpassed 50,000 COVID-19 deaths, a tally that came as Los Angeles County reported a backlog of more than 800 deaths over the autumn-and-winter surge. The count comes as daily coronavirus cases and COVID-19 deaths have dropped considerably in recent weeks, although some scientists remain concerned about the potential spread of mutant variants that are more contagious and possibly more lethal. While California has the largest number of COVID-19 deaths of any state in the nation, it ranks 32nd among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for COVID-19 deaths per capita. (Lin II and Healy, 2/24)

CNBC: Covid Variants Could ‘Undermine All Of Our Efforts’ If Virus Spreads Globally, CDC Director Says
New, highly transmissible Covid-19 variants “stand to reverse” the nation’s control of the pandemic and could “undermine all of our efforts” against the disease if the virus is left to proliferate in different parts of the globe, the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday. Top U.S. health officials have warned in recent weeks that the emergence of highly contagious variants, particularly the B.1.1.7 strain that emerged in the U.K., could reverse the current downward trajectory in infections in the U.S. and delay the nation’s recovery from the pandemic. (Higgins-Dunn, 2/24)

Becker's Hospital Review: Biden Adds Vaccine Consultant To COVID-19 Team
Lauren Silvis, who served as chief of staff for former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, was chosen as a vaccine consultant to President Joe Biden's COVID-19 response team, her current employer confirmed to Becker's Hospital Review Feb. 24. Ms. Silvis serves as senior vice president of external affairs at Tempus, a genomics-based diagnostic company headquartered in Chicago. (Gooch, 2/24)

The Hill: Moderna To Test Booster Shot Targeting South African Variant 
Vaccine developer Moderna said Wednesday it has manufactured a booster of its coronavirus vaccine that is specifically targeted to stop a variant of the disease first found in South Africa. The company said it has shipped doses to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a phase one clinical trial that will be led and funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). (Weixel, 2/24)

Stat: Moderna Ready To Test Version Of Covid Vaccine Aimed At Worrisome Variant
It will test the boosters in patients who have already received its vaccine in clinical trials, using a dose of 50 micrograms, which is half the strength of its existing Covid-19 vaccine. It also plans to test both the vaccine targeted at the variant and the combination vaccine in volunteers who have not yet been vaccinated. (Garde and Herper, 2/24)

FiercePharma: Moderna Sends COVID-19 Booster Shot For NIH Testing As It Hikes Production Targets Past 2B Doses
Moderna on Wednesday said it's now on track to produce 700 million vaccine doses this year, and it's still aiming for 1 billion at the high end. Last year, the company had said 500 million would be its minimum output this year, and it ratcheted up that minimum to 600 million in January. And for 2022, the biotech is planning for 1.4 billion doses—or perhaps even 2 billion, depending on the dose required for booster shots targeting new variants. The company has shipped a booster candidate to the National Institutes of Health for testing, according to Wednesday's statement; it's targeted specifically at the South Africa variant now worrying public health experts. (Sagonowsky, 2/24)

CIDRAP: COVID-19 Antibodies May Offer At Least Partial Protection
Americans with COVID-19 antibodies displayed 10-fold increased protection against infection 90 days after testing compared with those who had no antibodies, according to a study published today in JAMA Internal Medicine. The study tracked more than 50% of the commercial antibody and diagnostic tests administered in the United States from Jan 8 to Aug 23, 2020, covering 3,257,478 people. At the index test, 88.3% had a negative antibody test, 11.6% were positive, and 0.1% were excluded because of uncertain results. (2/24)

NPR: CDC Launches Web Tool To Help Americans Find COVID-19 Vaccines
The scramble to secure a COVID-19 vaccine appointment is chaotic and fierce. There are not yet enough doses for everyone who's eligible and wants to get vaccinated. As frustration rises, the federal government hasn't offered much besides assurances that things will get better and appeals for calm. Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in partnership with Boston Children's Hospital and Castlight Health, is launching a new tool which allows Americans to search for COVID-19 vaccine providers with stock of vaccine where they live. The tool, which builds on the existing VaccineFinder.org platform, will capture inventory data from vaccine providers around the country. (Simmons-Duffin, 2/24)

Stat: CDC Launches VaccineFinder Tool To Locate Covid-19 Vaccine Providers
On Wednesday, federal officials quietly opened up access to VaccineFinder, a site that allows the U.S. public to search nationwide for approved Covid-19 vaccine providers. On vaccinefinder.org, users can enter an address or ZIP code and select a search area — say, within 10 miles — and get a list of providers with contact information, eligibility criteria, and, when available, a link to a vaccine scheduler. Critically, users will also be able to see whether each provider has doses available. (Palmer, 2/24)

The Hill: Becerra Says He Wants To 'Build On' ObamaCare When Pressed On Medicare For All 
Health and Human Services secretary nominee Xavier Becerra pointed to President Biden's opposition to "Medicare for All" on Wednesday when pressed on his own support for the idea, saying he would follow the lead of the White House. (Sullivan, 2/24)

AP: Military Begins Delivering Vaccines In Texas, New York
The U.S. military on Wednesday began delivering shots at coronavirus vaccination centers in Texas and New York and announced that service members will start staffing four centers in Florida and one in Philadelphia next week. The expanded vaccination effort came as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with military commanders overseeing the COVID-19 response effort. He also visited the vaccination center in Los Angeles, the first staffed by the new active-duty military teams that are being developed. (Baldor, 2/25)

The Hill: Pennsylvania Health Network Prioritized Vaccines For Employees' Relatives 
One of Pennsylvania’s largest health networks gave special access for coronavirus vaccines to employees' relatives, prompting criticism from health officials who said that other groups should have been prioritized. (Castronuovo, 2/24)

AP: Health Network Allowed Employees' Kin To Skip Vaccine Line
One of Pennsylvania’s largest health networks allowed employees’ family members to skip the COVID-19 vaccine line, raising questions of fairness at a time of strong public demand and scarce supply. Geisinger’s decision to give special access to employees’ relatives earned a rebuke this week from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, which said the health care giant shouldn’t have held vaccine clinics for eligible family members of employees. (Rubinkam, 2/24)

CNN: The Florida Official Who Set Up A Vaccine Site For Affluent ZIP Codes And Created A VIP List Is Under Investigation, Sheriff's Office Says 
A Florida sheriff's office is investigating whether a Manatee County official broke the law when she organized a Covid-19 vaccine drive limited to two of the county's most affluent ZIP codes. The Manatee County Sheriff's Office said it has launched the investigation after a citizen watchdog filed a complaint regarding County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh, who last week admitted she chose the ZIP codes herself and also selected some people for the vaccination list, so she and others could access the Covid-19 vaccine. (Flores, Weisfeldt and Andrew, 2/24)

Axios: Republicans Are Least Likely To Want The Coronavirus Vaccine 
Americans of all ages, education levels, genders, races and political parties say they're more likely than not to get the coronavirus vaccine — except Republicans. ... By the numbers: 41% of Republicans say they don't plan to get a vaccine if it's available to them. Only 33% say they do plan to get vaccinated. (Owens, 2/25)

The Hill: Georgia Teachers To Be Next In Line In State For Coronavirus Vaccine 
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) will announce on Thursday the beginning of a new coronavirus vaccination tier that will include teachers, a spokesperson said. “Throughout vaccine distribution, the governor has prioritized protecting the most vulnerable and returning Georgians to normal,” Mallory Blount said Wednesday, according to The Associated Press. “Further details will be announced tomorrow.” (Budryk, 2/24)

The Hill: Poll: Majority Say Teachers Should Be Vaccinated Before Reopening Schools 
A majority of adults, 59 percent, support waiting to reopen K-12 schools until all teachers who want a coronavirus vaccine have received a dose, according to a report from the Pew Research Center released on Wednesday. Forty percent of respondents to Pew's surveyed questions were in favor of reopening as soon as possible regardless of whether or not teachers who want the vaccine have received it. (Choi, 2/24)

AP: Classroom Doors Swing Back Open At NYC Public Middle Schools
Tens of thousands of New York City middle school students will return to their school buildings on Thursday for the first time since city schools were closed in November amid a surge in coronavirus infections. Classroom doors are opening for the 62,000 students in grades 6 through 8 whose parents chose a mix of in-person and remote learning for their children. There are about 196,000 students in those grades in the city’s public schools. (2/25)

CNN: Despite US Covid-19 Cases Dropping, Infections Are Still Staggeringly High. Here's What Has Experts Worried 
A new ensemble forecast published Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests the daily Covid-19 death rate will slow in the coming weeks -- good news following more than a month of declining case and hospitalization numbers. But now is no time to let up on safety measures -- for several reasons -- according to experts. (Maxouris, 2/25)

Fox News: Cases Of Rare Coronavirus-Linked Inflammatory Illness In Children Reported In Virginia: Officials
Five more cases of a rare but potentially serious coronavirus-related inflammatory condition in children have been reported in Virginia, health officials there said. Officials with the Virginia Department of Health said Monday that the five cases have all been reported in the Richmond area, noting that the increase in what is known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) "coincides with the surge in cases of COVID-19 in the metro area." "Other states have also reported increases in MIS-C concurrent with increases in COVID-19 cases," they added. (Farber, 2/24)

San Francisco Chronicle: CDC Study Shows 68% Of A Gym's Patrons Infected During Indoor Classes
Public health experts reiterated the need for people to wear face coverings and maintain at least six feet of physical distance while working out indoors, citing an outbreak at a Chicago gym over the summer that infected at least 68% of those attending high-intensity fitness classes. At least 55 out of 81 individuals who attended classes at the gym between Aug. 24 and Sept. 1 tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a report published Wednesday by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Vaziri, 2/24)

The Hill: DC Surpasses 1,000 COVID-19 Deaths 
Washington, D.C.'s mayor proclaimed a day of remembrance Wednesday for residents who have died from COVID-19 as the city's death toll passed 1,000. Muriel Bowser (D) called on houses of worship in the District to observe the tragic milestone with a period of mourning at 6 p.m., while encouraging the city's residents to continue following masking and social distancing guidelines. (Bowden, 2/24)

Becker's Hospital Review: Walgreens To Sell At-Home Saliva COVID-19 Test
An at-home saliva-based PCR COVID-19 test made by Clinical Reference Laboratory will now be available through Walgreens, the retail pharmacy giant said Feb. 24. The test, which received emergency use authorization from the FDA, will be available through Walgreens Find Care, a digital health platform on Walgreens' mobile app. The test reported 100 percent sensitivity and specificity in its emergency use authorization filing, Walgreens said in a news release. (Anderson, 2/24)

The Washington Post: Doctors And Nurses Face Endless Covid Misinformation Battle
Atul Nakhasi couldn’t stop thinking about Dodger Stadium. The storied ballpark-turned-coronavirus-vaccination-site just 10 minutes from his apartment in downtown Los Angeles had been briefly shut down by anti-vaccine protesters, and Nakhasi, a doctor, was horrified. To him, the nearly hour-long delay amounted to an act of “public harm” and served as a chilling example of how far people who oppose vaccines are willing to go to make their point. He had to do something to respond, but what? (Chiu, 2/24)

The Washington Post: The Pandemic Put A Light On Mental Health Issues For Young Athletes — And Started A Dialogue 
Around the country, high school athletes said they’ve experienced depression and anxiety since sports in their states were canceled — losing the structure, identity and stress relief they’ve relied on much of their lives. In response, high schools have taken extra measures to provide resources and combat the stigma. Many young athletes are now discussing their mental health for the first time. (Melnick, 2/24)

The New York Times: Can Zapping Our Brains Really Cure Depression?
The brain is an electrical organ. Everything that goes on in there is a result of millivolts zipping from one neuron to another in particular patterns. This raises the tantalizing possibility that, should we ever decode those patterns, we could electrically adjust them to treat neurological dysfunction — from Alzheimer’s to schizophrenia — or even optimize desirable qualities like intelligence and resilience. Of course, the brain is so complex, and so difficult to access, that this is much easier to imagine than to do. A pair of studies published in January in the journal Nature Medicine, however, demonstrate that electrical stimulation can address obsessive-compulsive urges and symptoms of depression with surprising speed and precision. (Tingley, 2/24)

NPR: Vitamin C Fails Again As Treatment For Sepsis
Though attention has understandably been on COVID-19 over the last year, nearly as many people in the hospital have died with a different condition: sepsis. A study now casts doubt on a once-promising treatment for this disease. In 2017, scientists thought they had found a remarkable advance. A researcher in Norfolk, Va., reported that a treatment involving intravenous vitamin C, thiamine, and steroids sharply reduced the risk of death in his sepsis patients. Sepsis, which is sometimes called blood poisoning, is essentially the body's overreaction to an infection. COVID-19 can trigger a similar reaction, known as a cytokine storm. (Harris, 2/24)

Stat: Patients Report No Difference In Muscle Pain When Taking A Statin Or Placebo
Statins — among the most successful drugs ever developed — prevent deaths from heart attacks and strokes but have long been dogged by the notion that they also cause muscle pain in some people. Now that belief has been called into question by a new study. (Cooney, 2/24)

FierceHealthcare: Kaufman Hall: Hospitals Could Lose Between $53B And $122B This Year Due To Pandemic
Hospitals could lose between $53 billion and $122 billion due to the lingering effects of COVID-19, depending on the speed of vaccine distribution and complete recovery of patient volumes, according to a new report from Kaufman Hall. The report, released Wednesday and commissioned by the American Hospital Association (AHA), details several factors that will continue to depress hospital finances this year. The report comes as the AHA is pressing Congress to include more money for the provider relief fund in its next package. (King, 2/24)

Stat: Once Again, The Credit Outlook For The Pharmaceutical Industry Is Negative
For the eighth consecutive year, the credit outlook for the pharmaceutical industry is negative and more drug makers should expect that their credit ratings may fall this year, according to a new forecast from S&P Global Ratings. (Silverman, 2/24)

Axios: A New Book Blames Chemicals For A Drop In Global Sperm Counts 
A new book makes the case that sperm counts have been falling for decades — and a major reason is chemicals in the environment that disrupt the body's hormonal system. ... What's happening: In 2017, Mt. Sinai Medical School epidemiologist Shanna Swan co-authored a sweeping meta-analysis that came to a startling conclusion: Total sperm count in the Western world had fallen 59% between 1973 and 2011. (Walsh, 2/24)

The Washington Post: Antimicrobial Paint Can Kill Bacteria On Your Walls. But You Probably Don’t Need It To
You can’t turn on the TV, open a paper, surf the Internet or enter the grocery store these days without hearing or reading something about antimicrobial this or antibacterial that. Soaps, sprays, wipes, food containers and fabrics are just some of the items that promise germ-fighting superpowers. Now there is another product to add to the list: paint. ... As promising as these paints sound, there are critics, including those who say that regardless of the paint’s ability to kill bacteria, it could focus people’s energy in the wrong direction. “I don’t think antimicrobial paints are the key to preventing the spread of disease,” says Erica Marie Hartmann, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northwestern University. “Specifically, in the context of covid-19, evidence points to viruses in the air being the main way the disease spreads. Paints won’t help with that.” (Mayhew, 2/24)

The New York Times: Annie’s Pledges To Purge A Class Of Chemicals From Its Mac And Cheese 
Nearly four years after traces of chemicals believed to cause health problems in children and reproductive issues in adults were found in mass-market macaroni and cheese packets, Annie’s Homegrown has begun working with its suppliers to eliminate the offending material from their food processing equipment. The presence of the chemicals, called ortho-phthalates, rattled consumers who rely on the food staple, especially parents. Phthalates make rigid plastic more flexible material and are commonly used in tubing and conveyor belts found at food manufacturing plants and in food packaging. (Corkery, 2/19)

CNN: Tobacco Smoke Exposure Could Increase Children's Blood Pressure, Study Finds 
Children who are exposed to tobacco smoke have a greater chance of having high blood pressure, a new study has found. Researchers found 6% of children who were exposed to tobacco smoke had high blood pressure compared to 4% in children who weren't exposed, according to a study published Tuesday in JAMA Network Open. (Marples, 2/25)

The New York Times: Will Tiger Woods Play Golf Again? Doctors Predict A Difficult Recovery 
The serious lower leg injuries Tiger Woods sustained in a car crash on Tuesday typically lead to a long and perilous recovery, calling into question his ability to play professional golf again, according to medical experts who have treated similar injuries. Athletes with severe leg injuries thought to doom their careers have managed to come back — the quarterback Alex Smith returned to playing football last season after a gruesome leg break, and the golfer Ben Hogan returned decades ago after a car accident. (Kolata, 2/24)

Axios: Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy Tests Positive For COVID 
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) tested positive for COVID-19 Wednesday and is isolating at home with mild symptoms, his office announced. Details: Dunleavy originally got tested after being identified as a close contact to someone who contracted the virus and returned a negative result Sunday morning, per a statement. He still went into quarantine in his home in Wasilla, just north of Anchorage. (Falconer, 2/24)

Politico: D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Sister Dies From Covid As City Passes 1,000 Deaths
The sister of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser died on Wednesday from complications related to Covid-19, the same day the city passed 1,000 deaths from the disease. “Mercia was loved immensely and will be missed greatly, as she joins the legion of angels who have gone home too soon due to the pandemic,” Bowser wrote in a statement. (Choi, 2/24)

AP: Tennessee Lifts Restrictions On Nursing Home Visits
Tennessee’s Department of Health announced Wednesday that it will soon lift its state-specific visitation restrictions for long-term care facilities. According to a news release, nursing homes and other facilities should use the federal guidance provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services starting Feb. 28. (2/25)

The Washington Post: Tokyo Olympics Chiefs Say No Cheering Or Shouting At Torch Relay But Clapping Is Okay 
With the Olympic flame at its heart, the role of the torch relay is "to arouse joy and excitement for the Games" across the host nation. That's the message Tokyo 2020 officials put out on Thursday. But, they warned, be careful how you express your joy — and definitely don't get too excited. "We ask that spectators refrain from cheering and shouting,” Yukihiko Nunomura, a senior member of organizing committee, said at a news conference, explaining that spectators will be expected to wear masks. “Please cheer by clapping your hands,” he added. (Denyer, 2/25)

AP: Tokyo Olympic Torch Relay Plans To Kick Off In One Month
The torch relay for the postponed Tokyo Olympics is to start in a month, which should be a sign that the troubled Olympics are on track to begin on July 23.It was at this stage at the start of the torch relay just under a year ago — just after the Olympic flame arrived from Greece — that the Olympics were postponed because of the coronavirus. (Wade, 2/25)

Reuters: India's Health Workers Balk At Taking Homegrown COVID-19 Vaccine
India is struggling to convince its health and front-line workers to take a homegrown COVID-19 vaccine controversially approved without late-stage efficacy data, government data showed dashboard.cowin.gov.in on Thursday, days ahead of a wider roll-out. The country has the world’s second-highest number of COVID-19 infections after the United States, with cases recently surging as mask wearing declines and states have eased social distancing measures. A lack of confidence in a homegrown vaccine country could prevent India from meeting its target of vaccinating 300 million of its 1.35 billion people by August. (Das and Mitra, 2/24)