Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Edition: July 13, 2020
Kaiser Health News: Adding To COVID Stress, Families Of Health Workers Fight For Denied Workers’ Comp Benefits
James “Mike” Anderson was a hospital employee in suburban Philadelphia with a low-profile though critical job: changing air filters in COVID patients’ rooms. By late March, new COVID cases in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, had ramped up to as many as 90 per day. At the hospital, Anderson handled air filters and other surfaces that might have been contaminated with the deadly virus, also known to hang in the air. (Bailey and Jewett, 7/13)
Kaiser Health News: States Allow In-Person Nursing Home Visits As Families Charge Residents Die ‘Of Broken Hearts’
States across the country are beginning to roll back heart-wrenching policies instituted when the coronavirus pandemic began and allow in-person visits at nursing homes and assisted living centers, offering relief to frustrated families. For the most part, visitors are required to stay outside and meet relatives in gardens or on patios where they stay at least 6 feet apart, supervised by a staff member. Appointments are scheduled in advance and masks are mandated. Only one or two visitors are permitted at a time. (Graham, 7/13)
Kaiser Health News: Ex-West Virginia Health Chief Says Cuts Hurt Virus Response
The former West Virginia public health leader forced out by the governor says decades-old computer systems and cuts to staff over a period of years had made a challenging job even harder during a once-in-a-century pandemic. Republican Gov. Jim Justice demanded Dr. Cathy Slemp’s resignation on June 24. He complained about discrepancies in the number of active cases and accused Slemp of not doing her job. He has refused to elaborate. (Smith and Izaguirre, 7/10)
The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Coronavirus Cases Top 3.3 Million
Total U.S. coronavirus cases topped 3.3 million Monday and the nation’s death toll exceeded 135,000, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. World-wide, more than 12.9 million confirmed cases have been recorded, according to Johns Hopkins. (Hall, 7/13)
AP: Coronavirus Deaths Take A Long-Expected Turn For The Worse
A long-expected upturn in U.S. coronavirus deaths has begun, driven by fatalities in states in the South and West, according to data on the pandemic. The number of deaths per day from the virus had been falling for months, and even remained down as states like Florida and Texas saw explosions in cases and hospitalizations — and reported daily U.S. infections broke records several times in recent days. (Stobbe and Forster, 7/12)
The Hill: COVID-19 Surge Pushes US Toward Deadly Cliff
The coronavirus is spreading at ever-faster rates in a broad array of states, putting the U.S. on the precipice of an explosion of illness that threatens to overwhelm the nation's health care system. The painful economic lockdowns imposed in March gave the country time to flatten the epidemiological curve and contain the virus. But that window of opportunity, which came at great economic cost, is quickly slamming shut. Health experts say all signs point to a deadly summer and fall unless government leaders implement a much more robust national strategy. (Wilson, 7/12)
Politico: Florida Reports 15,000 New Coronavirus Cases, Smashing National Record
In responding to the new numbers, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration has continued its messaging strategy of putting them in a positive light, an approach that has increasingly drawn criticism as Florida has emerged as one of the biggest virus hot spots in the world. “Florida COVID positive cases decline for a third day in a row to 11.25% despite a record 142,981 tests results returned in a single day,” tweeted DeSantis’ communications director, Helen Aguirre Ferré, using a figure that includes those who have been tested multiple times. “Average age of those testing positive also decreased: 38 years old.” (Dixon and Sarkissian, 7/12)
Reuters: Florida Sets One-Day Record With Over 15,000 New COVID Cases, More Than Most Countries
If Florida were a country, it would rank fourth in the world for the most new cases in a day behind the United States, Brazil and India, according to a Reuters analysis. Florida’s daily increases in cases have already surpassed the highest daily tally reported by any European country during the height of the pandemic there. It has also broken New York state’s record of 12,847 new cases on April 10 when it was the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak. (Shumaker, 7/12)
NPR: Florida Smashes U.S. State Record Of Daily New Cases: More Than 15,200
Sunday's number exceeds New York's peak of more than 12,200 new cases in one day back in April, when it was the epicenter of the outbreak. Despite the uptick in cases, many entities are continuing or resuming operations. On Saturday, as the state reported more than 10,000 new cases, two of Disney World's four area parks reopened to the public. The others are expected to open on Wednesday. (Treisman, 7/12)
The New York Times: Florida Breaks U.S. Coronavirus Record For Most New Cases In A Day
Florida on Sunday reported the highest single-day total of new coronavirus cases by any state since the start of the pandemic, with more than 15,000 new infections, eclipsing the previous high of 12,274 recorded in New York on April 4 amid the worst of its outbreak. (De Freytas-Tamura, Rojas and Fink, 7/12)
The Hill: New York City Reports Zero COVID-19 Deaths For First Time Since Pandemic Hit
New York City on Sunday reported zero new coronavirus deaths for the first time since early March, a milestone that comes as the virus spikes in other parts of the country. Preliminary health data from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene showed that no one died from the coronavirus in New York City on Saturday, the first time zero new deaths have been reported there since March 13, according to multiple reports. (Klar, 7/12)
AP: Trump Wears Mask In Public For First Time During Pandemic
Trump flew by helicopter to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in suburban Washington to meet wounded service members and health care providers caring for COVID-19 patients. As he left the White House, he told reporters: “When you’re in a hospital, especially ... I think it’s a great thing to wear a mask.” (Lemire, 7/12)
Politico: Trump Wears Mask In Public For First Time During Visit To Walter Reed
Though the move was expected and had been trailed in a series of media appearances this week, it was still a noteworthy evolution for the president, who has balked at wearing protective face coverings as a deadly pandemic surged across portions of the U.S. (Semones, 7/11)
The Washington Post: Trump Dons Mask In Public For The First Time, Months After Public Health Experts Said Everyone Should
Trump’s decision to don a mask during a trip to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center followed several months of controversy over his reluctance to abide by public health guidelines even as novel coronavirus cases surged nationwide. Before wearing the navy-colored mask Saturday, Trump had disparaged his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, for wearing a mask and publicly downplayed the importance of face coverings. (Olorunnipa, 7/11)
Politico: HHS Testing Chief: 'We Do Expect Deaths To Go Up'
HHS testing czar Brett Giroir implored Americans to wear masks in public Sunday and said “everything should be on the table” when asked if more stringent lockdowns might be needed in southern states where the coronavirus cases are shattering record after record. (Lim, 7/12)
The New York Times: Trump’s Health Officials Warn More Will Die As Covid Cases Rise
Two of the Trump administration’s top health officials acknowledged Sunday that the country is facing a very serious situation with the onslaught of rising coronavirus cases in several states, striking a far more sober tone than President Trump at this stage of the pandemic in the United States. Adm. Brett Giroir, an assistant secretary with the Health and Human Services department, and Dr. Jerome Adams, the surgeon general, both emphasized their concern about surging outbreaks, many of them in areas where people have not followed recommended public health guidelines to contain the spread of the virus. (Belluck, 7/12)
The Hill: US Testing Official: 'Dr. Fauci Is Not 100 Percent Right'
The U.S.'s top coronavirus testing official, Adm. Brett Giroir, said Sunday that infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci is “not 100 percent right” because he looks at the coronavirus pandemic from “a very narrow public health point of view.” Chuck Todd of NBC's “Meet the Press” asked the White House testing czar about a Washington Post report that cited an official saying Fauci has argued for parts of the country with surges to shut down without buy-in from the rest of the White House task force. (Coleman, 7/12)
The Washington Post: Fauci Sidelined By Trump As He Talks Bluntly About Pandemic
In recent days, the 79-year-old scientist and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has found himself directly in the president’s crosshairs. During a Fox News interview Thursday with Sean Hannity, Trump said Fauci “is a nice man, but he’s made a lot of mistakes.” And when Greta Van Susteren asked him last week about Fauci’s assessment that the country was not in a good place, Trump said flatly: “I disagree with him.” (Abutaleb, Dawsey and McGinley, 7/11)
The Hill: Surgeon General Says U.S. Can Reverse Coronavirus Surge In A Few Weeks 'If Everyone Does Their Part'
Surgeon General Jerome Adams said Sunday that the U.S. can reverse course and control the latest outbreaks of the coronavirus in just a few weeks if people follow social distancing and hygiene guidelines to prevent the spread of the potentially fatal virus. “Together we can turn this thing around in just two to three weeks if everyone does their part. More studies coming out showing the effectiveness of face coverings,” Adams said on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” adding that the disease course is about two to three weeks. (Klar, 7/12)
The Washington Post: Surgeon General Jerome Adams May Be The Nicest Guy In The Trump Administration. But Is That What America Needs Right Now?
The test now for the surgeon general, and by extension for his patient — the United States of America — is whether nice will work. Can a nice guy wrangle and guide a confused and angry nation? Should America’s Doctor wag a finger, scare us into submission? Issue orders? Doctors’ orders? Or does this worried nation need a light touch in the midst of this dangerous pandemic? (Roig-Franzia, 7/12)
Stat: The CDC Is An Apolitical Island. That's Left It Defenseless Against Trump
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the country’s top public health agency, is being kicked around by the White House. And it doesn’t have much power to kick back. (Florko, 7/13)
NPR: CDC Employees Call For Racial Justice At The Federal Agency
More than 1,000 current employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have signed a letter calling for the federal agency to address "ongoing and recurring acts of racism and discrimination" against Black employees, NPR has learned. In the letter, addressed to CDC Director Robert Redfield and dated June 30, the authors put their call for change in the context of the coronavirus pandemic's disproportionate impact on Black people and the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Rayshard Brooks. (Simmons-Duffin and Huang, 7/13)
The New York Times: Health Care Takes Center Stage In Battle For Congress During Pandemic
Dueling commercials illustrate a reality of the accelerating campaign season, which is entering a crucial period as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage: Health care is shaping up as a driving force in deciding the outcome in November. (Hulse and Cochrane, 7/12)
Politico: First Federal Execution In 17 Years Back On Track
Barring further developments, Daniel Lee, 47, is set to be executed at a federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind., on Monday afternoon for the brutal 1996 murder of a family of three in Arkansas as part of a robbery aimed at raising funds for a white supremacist organization. (Gerstein, 7/12)
AP: Feds To Execute 1st Inmate In 17 Years For Arkansas Murders
The federal government is planning to carry out the first federal execution in nearly two decades on Monday, over the objection of the family of the victims and after a volley of legal proceedings over the coronavirus pandemic. (Balsamo, 7/13)
People: Kelly Preston Dies Of Breast Cancer At 57
Kelly Preston has died. She was 57. "On the morning of July 12, 2020, Kelly Preston, adored wife and mother, passed away following a two-year battle with breast cancer," a family representative tells PEOPLE exclusively. "Choosing to keep her fight private, she had been undergoing medical treatment for some time, supported by her closest family and friends," the family rep says. (Leonard and Mizoguchi, 7/13)
CNN: Kelly Preston, Actress And Wife Of John Travolta, Has Died Following A Two-Year Battle With Breast Cancer
Actress Kelly Preston died after losing her battle with breast cancer, her husband John Travolta said in a post on Instagram Sunday. She was 57 years old. Preston had been battling breast cancer for two years, Travolta said, and "fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many. My family and I will forever be grateful to her doctors and nurses at MD Anderson Cancer Center, all the medical centers that have helped, as well as her many friends and loved ones who have been by her side." (Spells, 7/13)
Politico: Not Dangerous: DeVos Defends Schools Reopening According To CDC Guidelines
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Sunday broke with President Donald Trump’s criticism of federal guidelines for reopening schools amid the coronavirus pandemic, calling the recommendations the president described as tough, expensive and impractical “common sense.” DeVos also emphasized that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations were merely guidance, as she insisted that children needed to return to school this fall, despite surging coronavirus infections throughout swaths of the country that have contributed to new nationwide daily infection records. And she said that returning children to school would not endanger them. (Oprysko, 7/12)
AP: AP FACT CHECK: Trump Team's False Comfort On Schools, Virus
President Donald Trump’s administration is providing misguided assurances on the safety of kids in school during a coronavirus epidemic. In remarks Sunday, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos urged schools to provide full-time, in-person learning in the fall even with community transmission of COVID-19 rising in many parts of the U.S., suggesting that there is no danger “in any way” if kids are in school. (Woodward, Yen and Rugaber, 7/13)
AP: Mobile COVID-19 Testing Site Placed Outside Suburban School
Health officials have put a mobile COVID-19 testing station outside a suburban Chicago high school as the area sees an increase in cases among younger residents, a trend that has happened elsewhere in the country. (7/12)
AP: 3 School Teachers In Winkelman Get COVID-19, One Later Dies
Three school teachers in the small eastern Arizona community of Winkelman tested positive for the coronavirus last month and one of them died, according to a Phoenix television station. ABC15 reported Sunday that Kimberley Byrd shared a classroom with two other teachers at Leonor Hambly K-8. (7/12)
AP: Virus Spread, Not Politics Should Guide Schools, Doctors Say
As the Trump administration pushes full steam ahead to force schools to resume in-person education, public health experts warn that a one-size-fits-all reopening could drive infection and death rates even higher. They’re urging a more cautious approach, which many local governments and school districts are already pursuing. But U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos doubled down on President Donald Trump’s insistence that kids can safely return to the classroom. (Tanner, 7/12)
The New York Times: How To Reopen Schools: What Science And Other Countries Teach Us
As school districts across the United States consider whether and how to restart in-person classes, their challenge is complicated by a pair of fundamental uncertainties: No nation has tried to send children back to school with the virus raging at levels like America’s, and the scientific research about transmission in classrooms is limited. (Belluck, Mandavilli and Carey, 7/11)
Politico: California Teachers Fight Back Against Pressure To Reopen Schools
The California Teachers Association, one of the largest and most powerful unions in the country ... is insisting on prolonging distance learning instead of forcing its army of more than 300,000 educators back into schools. “We hope we don’t have to go there, but if it comes to it, we do retain the right to refuse to work under unsafe conditions,” said David Fisher, president of the Sacramento City Teachers Association. (Mays, 7/11)
Reuters: Dozens Of U.S. Universities Support Challenge To Trump's Order On Foreign Students: Court Document
About 60 U.S. universities on Sunday filed a brief supporting a lawsuit by two others, seeking to block a Trump administration rule barring foreign students from remaining in the country if educational institutions don’t hold in-person classes this fall. (7/13)
NPR: How To Help Kids With Anxiety During The Pandemic
As the pandemic continues, children are still mostly at home. Summer activities are canceled or up in the air, and many children are suffering confusion and stress. Parents may be stressed themselves, but there are ways to help kids feel better. (Neighmond, 7/11)
AP: Appeals Court: 1st Federal Execution In 17 Years Can Proceed
The ruling from the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturns a lower court order that had put the execution of 47-year-old Daniel Lewis Lee on hold. (Balsamo, 7/13)
AP: Churches Amid The Pandemic: Some Outbreaks, Many Challenges
Crowded bars and house parties have been identified as culprits in spreading the coronavirus. Meat packing plants, prisons and nursing homes are known hot spots. Then there’s the complicated case of America’s churches. The vast majority of these churches have cooperated with health authorities and successfully protected their congregations. Yet from the earliest phases of the pandemic, and continuing to this day, some worship services and other religious activities have been identified as sources of local outbreaks. (Crary, 7/12)
AP: Church Asks Utah Mormons To Wear Face Coverings In Public
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has asked all its members in Utah to wear face coverings when in public, a request that comes as confirmed infections in the state increase. The Deseret News reports that the Utah Area Presidency sent out the request in an email on Friday evening. (7/11)
The New York Times: A Health Worker Raised Alarms About The Coronavirus. Then He Lost His Job.
In February, he said the directors of the nursing home where he worked kept him from wearing a mask, fearing it would scare patients and their families. In March, he became infected and spoke out about the coronavirus spreading through the home. In May, he was fired amid claims that he had “damaged the company’s image.” (Bubola, 7/13)
AP: 2 Florida Strip Clubs Shut Down For Violating Covid Rules
Officials shut down two Florida strip clubs as part of a statewide crackdown on violators of an emergency order that forced bars to close in the face of rising coronavirus cases. The Tallahassee Democrat reports that the Department of Business and Professional Regulation suspended the licenses of Le Palace Otown in Orlando and Show N Tail The Legend in Panama City Beach, saying that patrons didn’t observe social distancing guidelines. (7/12)
AP: As Beach Towns Open, Businesses Are Short Foreign Workers
At this time of the year, The Friendly Fisherman on Cape Cod is usually bustling with foreign students clearing tables and helping prepare orders of clam strips or fish and chips. But because of a freeze on visas, Janet Demetri won’t be employing the 20 or so workers this summer. So as the crowds rush back, Demetri must work with nine employees for her restaurant and market — forcing her to shutter the business twice a week. (Casey, 7/12)
Stat: Google Faces Continued Scrutiny Over Use Of Health Data In Fitbit Deal
Google is again facing questions from regulators about its $2.1 billion bid for Fitbit. The biggest sticking point: How will the tech giant use Fitbit’s trove of health data? (Brodwin, 7/10)
The Wall Street Journal: As Offices Reopen Amid Coronavirus, Workers Clash Over Masks, Cubicle Barriers And Lysol
When Matt Wells returned to the office in mid-April, he was surprised to see a note pinned to a colleague’s cubicle urging people to keep their distance. “I thought it was an overreaction” to the coronavirus pandemic, he said. Now he has a note just like it on his cubicle. (Needleman, 7/11)
Los Angeles Times: Employers Balk At Frequent COVID-19 Tests For Workers. Here's Why
From nursing homes in New York and a landfill in Utah to Disney World and the Las Vegas Strip, employers are wrestling with workplace safety in the age of COVID-19 and making fraught calculations about how to safeguard their businesses and their employees. Mass testing, a crucial tool to stem the virus’ spread, seems like an obvious solution. (Court, Palmeri and Lavito, 7/10)
The Wall Street Journal: Interns Seek Solutions To Isolation During The Summer Of Coronavirus
Halfway through this most virtual summer, one thing’s certain: Many interns crave a greater sense of unity to help them feel like they’re not in this alone. Managers report that interns are requesting additional communication and events that allow them to get to know each other informally. Those running virtual summer internships that are now halfway over are still figuring out how to make the interns feel less isolated. (James, 7/12)
The Wall Street Journal: How To Exercise Safely Outdoors In The Heat
Summer’s heat doesn’t have to ruin your exercise routine. It will be hot and sweaty—that’s a given. But you can help your body adjust to higher temperatures and feel less uncomfortable. (Potkewitz, 7/12)
CIDRAP: Increased Incidence Of Stress Cardiomyopathy Linked To Pandemic
Psychological, social, and economic stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with an increased incidence of stress cardiomyopathy, also known as "broken heart syndrome," in uninfected patients, researchers from the Cleveland Clinic reported yesterday in JAMA Network Open. (7/10)
Stat: Hospitals Running Short Of Remdesivir For Covid-19 Patients
With Covid-19 patients filling her Houston hospital, pharmacist Katherine Perez wishes she had enough remdesivir to treat all those who might benefit. In June, as Texas businesses welcomed customers and coronavirus cases surged, Houston Methodist, the hospital where she works, restricted the medication to only those patients who weren’t yet on ventilators, in the hope of making the supply last longer. Even with those narrowed criteria — and with enough vials to treat 200 more patients delivered last weekend — there still isn’t enough. (Boodman, 7/10)
Stat: Telehealth Is Convenient During Covid-19. It’s Also A Magnet For Data Theft
The increased convenience of telemedicine visits during the Covid-19 pandemic is spurring calls among patients and doctors to permanently expand access across the U.S. But financial and privacy watchdogs are spreading a different message: Be careful what you wish for. (Ross, 7/13)
CIDRAP: CDC Confirms 300 More Cyclospora Cases In Bagged Salad Outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said there were 303 additional cases of cyclosporiasis in a multistate outbreak linked to bagged salads sold at major grocery stores. The CDC said 509 people in eight states have been sickened. Thirty-three people have been hospitalized, but there have been no deaths. (7/10)
AP: Dengue Prevention Efforts Stifled By Coronavirus Pandemic
To slow the spread of the coronavirus, governments issued lockdowns to keep people at home. They curtailed activities that affected services like trash collection. They tried to shield hospitals from a surge of patients. But the cascading effects of these restrictions also are hampering efforts to cope with seasonal outbreaks of dengue, an incurable, mosquito-borne disease that is also known as “breakbone fever” for its severely painful symptoms. (Milko and Ghosal, 7/12)
AP: Activists Seek To Decriminalize 'Magic' Mushrooms In DC
Last Monday, activists presented more than 36,000 signatures to the Board of Elections. If the signatures hold up through the verification process, voters in the nation’s capital will face a November ballot initiative that would decriminalize psilocybin “magic” mushrooms and other natural psychedelics like mescaline. (Khalil, 7/13)
The Washington Post: Coronavirus Is Just One Of Many Viruses Bats Carry. So Why Don't They Get Sick?
For several weeks in March, Arinjay Banerjee would eat breakfast at 6 a.m. and then drive the empty roads of Toronto to a restricted-access lab. Then he’d ready himself for work, donning three layers of gloves, a helmeted mask kitted with an air-purifying respirator and a surgical-style gown. The stringent conditions in that Toronto lab — only one level below the most secure in the biosafety hierarchy — were crucial. Banerjee, a virologist, was on a team working to isolate SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes covid-19, from one of the first patients in Canada so that they could get a jump on vaccine development. (Ehrenberg, 7/12)
The Wall Street Journal: From Flour To Canned Soup, Coronavirus Surge Pressures Food Supplies
Grocers are having trouble staying stocked with goods from flour to soups as climbing coronavirus case numbers and continued lockdowns pressure production and bolster customer demand. (Gasparro and Kang, 7/12)
AP: URI Grant To Help Reduce Food Waste, Boost Food Access
The University of Rhode Island has received a $100,000 federal grant that will help reduce food waste while improving access to healthy, locally-grown food for residents in need. The grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be used to establish the Food System Steward Program at URI, according to a statement from Democratic U.S. Sen. Jack Reed’s office. (7/12)
AP: Pandemic, Racism Compound Worries About Black Suicide Rate
Jasmin Pierre was 18 when she tried to end her life, overdosing on whatever pills she could find. Diagnosed with depression and anxiety, she survived two more attempts at suicide, which felt like the only way to stop her pain. Years of therapy brought progress, but the 31-year-old Black woman’s journey is now complicated by a combination of stressors hitting simultaneously: isolation during the pandemic, a shortage of mental health care providers and racial trauma inflicted by repeated police killings of Black people. (Tareen, 7/11)
AP: Tear Gas Used On Portland Protesters, 1 Man Injured
Federal law enforcement officers used tear gas and crowd-control munitions on people protesting near Portland’s federal courthouse during a protest that started Saturday night, Portland police said. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports that friends and family of a demonstrator say a 26-year-old man was struck in the head and injured by an impact munition fired by authorities. (7/12)
The New York Times: Man, 30, Dies After Attending A ‘Covid Party,’ Texas Hospital Says
A 30-year-old man who believed the coronavirus was a hoax and attended a “Covid party” died after being infected with the virus, according to a Texas hospital. The man had attended a gathering with an infected person to test whether the coronavirus was real, said Dr. Jane Appleby, chief medical officer at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio, where the man died. (Pietsch, 7/12)
Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Records 3,322 New Coronavirus Cases, 18 Deaths
Los Angeles County continued to report a surge in coronavirus cases Sunday, tallying 3,322 new cases of the virus and 18 related deaths.With that, the county has now recorded a total of more than 133,700 cases and 3,800 deaths. (Wigglesworth, 7/12)
