First Edition: May 19, 2020
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Kaiser Health News:
‘Last Responders’ Seek To Expand Postmortem COVID Testing In Unexplained Deaths
Examining dead bodies and probing for a cause of death is rarely seen as a heroic or glamorous job. Rather, as the coronavirus pandemic has unfolded, all eyes have been on the medical workers and public health disease detectives fighting on the front lines ― and sometimes giving their lives — to bring the novel coronavirus under control. But as the crusade to test for the coronavirus and trace cases continues, medical examiners and coroners play a vital — if often unsung ― role. (Andrews, 5/19)
Kaiser Health News:
The Pandemic Is Hurting Pediatric Hospitals, Too
Children have largely escaped the ravages of COVID-19, but children’s hospitals have not eluded the financial pain the pandemic has wrought on health care providers. Pediatric hospitals offered themselves as backups to their adult counterparts in case of a surge of coronavirus patients. They suspended nonemergency surgeries and stockpiled protective gear and virus test kits, according to hospital executives and financial analysts. (Wolfson, 5/19)
Kaiser Health News:
Fewer Traffic Collisions During Shutdown Means Longer Waits For Organ Donations
On Day Two of the San Francisco Bay Area’s stay-at-home orders in March, Nohemi Jimenez got into her car in San Pablo, California, waved goodbye to her 3-year-old son and drove to her regular Wednesday dialysis appointment. The roads were deserted. No traffic. Jimenez, 30, said it is hard to admit what she thought next: No traffic meant no car accidents. And that meant she’d be on the waiting list for a kidney transplant even longer. (Dembosky, 5/19)
The New York Times:
What To Know About Hydroxychloroquine
President Trump revealed on Monday that he had been taking an anti-malaria drug as a preventive measure against the coronavirus, the same medicine that he has been promoting for two months with scant evidence of its efficacy and despite several warnings of dangerous side effects. The drug, hydroxychloroquine, has been invoked by Mr. Trump repeatedly since March during White House briefings on the coronavirus pandemic despite the reservations of doctors and scientists, including some advising the president. He even called the drug, which has been promoted by some conservative pundits, a “game changer.” (Grady, Thomas, Lyons and Vigdor, 5/19)
The Associated Press:
Despite Risks, Trump Says He's Taking Hydroxychloroquine
Trump has spent weeks pushing hydroxychloroquine as a potential cure or prophylaxis for COVID-19 against the cautionary advice of many of his administration’s top medical professionals. The drug has the potential to cause significant side effects in some patients and has not been shown to combat the new coronavirus. (Miller, Marchione and Superville, 5/19)
Reuters:
Trump Says He Is Taking Hydroxychloroquine Despite FDA Warning
Trump, 73, who is tested daily for the virus, said he had asked the White House physician if it was OK to take the drug, and the doctor told him: “Well, if you’d like it.” The president, a well-known germaphobe, has nonetheless refused to wear a protective mask in the West Wing. White House physician Sean Conley said in a memo that Trump was in “very good health” and had been receiving regular COVID-19 testing, which has all been negative since one of his support staff tested positive for the disease two weeks ago. (Mason and Holland, 5/19)
The Washington Post:
Trump Says He Is Taking Hydroxychloroquine To Protect Against Coronavirus, Dismissing Safety Concerns
In announcing his decision to take the controversial drug, Trump offered only anecdotal testimonials as evidence that it works in any form as a treatment or preventive for the virus that has killed nearly 90,000 Americans and devastated the economy. “I think it’s good. I’ve heard a lot of good stories. And if it’s not good, I’ll tell you right. I’m not going to get hurt by it,” he told reporters at the White House, noting it has long been approved to treat malaria, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. “It’s been around for 40 years.” (Gearan, McGinley, Bernstein and Cha, 5/18)
The Wall Street Journal:
President Trump Says He Is Taking Hydroxychloroquine As Preventive
On Capitol Hill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) said she didn’t think it was a good idea for Mr. Trump, 73 years old, to take hydroxychloroquine. “He’s our president and I would rather he not be taking something that has not been approved by the scientists, especially in his age group and in his, shall we say, weight group,’’ she said in an interview with CNN Monday night. (Lucey and Hopkins, 5/18)
Politico:
'Crazy Thing To Do': Health Experts Alarmed By Trump's Use Of Unproven Drug
Experts worried that Trump’s latest comments would spark another dash to scoop up hydroxychloroquine, which has been on FDA’s shortage list since late March after the president began hyping the drug as a potential treatment. State pharmacy boards last month cracked down on dispensing the drug after Trump's boosterism prompted a surge in demand. Even before Trump's comments, the head of the FDA’s drug office earlier Monday expressed concern for vulnerable patients who depend on the drug. “It's a necessary drug for them and not having access would have terrible consequences," tweeted Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. (Lim and Brennan, 5/18)
The Associated Press:
Fox's Cavuto Urges Viewers Not To Take Drug Like Trump
Fox News Channel anchor Neil Cavuto strongly urged viewers on Monday not to follow the example of President Donald Trump, who revealed that he is taking a malaria drug to protect against the coronavirus. Trump said he has been taking the drug hydroxychloroquine for about a week and a half. The president, and some Fox News personalities, had earlier promoted the drug as a potential treatment for COVID-19, but the government has warned of potentially fatal side effects. (5/19)
The New York Times:
Moderna Coronavirus Vaccine Trial Shows Promising Early Results
The first coronavirus vaccine to be tested in people appears to be safe and able to stimulate an immune response against the infection, the manufacturer, Moderna, announced on Monday, offering a glint of hope to a world desperate for ways to stop the pandemic. The preliminary findings, in the first eight people who each received two doses of the experimental vaccine, must now be repeated in far larger tests in hundreds and then thousands of people, to find out if the vaccine can work in the real world. Moderna’s technology, involving genetic material from the virus called mRNA, is relatively new and has yet to produce any approved vaccine. (Grady, 5/18)
Stat:
Moderna Covid-19 Vaccine Generates Immune Response, Early Data Show
In a Phase 1 trial, eight patients who received two doses of the vaccine at the lowest and middle doses tested — 25 and 100 micrograms — developed neutralizing antibodies to the virus at levels similar to people who had recovered from infection, the company said in a statement. The data were limited and from only a small number of participants in the trial, led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. But they are still likely to be seen as encouraging. (Branswell, 5/18)
Reuters:
Coronavirus Vaccine From Moderna Appears Safe, Shows Promise In Data From Eight People
Overall, the study showed the vaccine was safe and all study participants produced antibodies against the virus. An analysis of the response in the eight individuals showed that those who received a 100 microgram dose and people who received a 25 microgram dose had levels of protective antibodies to fend of the virus that exceeded those found in the blood of people who recovered from COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. (Steenhuysen and Joseph, 5/18)
The Associated Press:
Moderna: Early Coronavirus Vaccine Results Are Encouraging
In the next phase of the study, led by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, researchers will try to determine which dose is best for a definitive experiment that they aim to start in July. In all, 45 people have received one or two shots of the vaccine, which was being tested at three different doses. The kind of detailed antibody results needed to assess responses are only available on eight volunteers so far. (Marchione, 5/18)
The Wall Street Journal:
Moderna Says Initial Covid-19 Vaccine Results Are Positive
Moderna’s vaccine is among several front-runners that have emerged from the more than 100 coronavirus vaccines in development world-wide. At least seven other vaccines have started human testing, and several companies including Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer Inc. and AstraZeneca PLC are bulking up manufacturing capacity to make doses to meet global demand if vaccines they or their partners are developing prove successful. The early data suggest Moderna’s vaccine, code-named mRNA-1273, “has a very good chance to provide protection” from Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, Moderna Chief Executive Stephane Bancel said in an interview. (Lotfus, 5/18)
Politico:
Politics Could Dictate Who Gets A Coronavirus Vaccine
The promise of a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year creates a difficult political and public health question: Who gets the vaccine first? Health care workers would be among the first to receive any vaccine so they can continue to work the pandemic’s front lines. But deciding which groups come next — the elderly, medically vulnerable people, grocery store and meat plant workers, children — is fraught with ethical dilemmas and ripe for political power plays. (Owermohle, 5/18)
Politico:
Vaccine Skeptics Threaten Europe’s Bid To Beat Coronavirus
From Bill Gates to Angela Merkel, experts and political leaders think the only way to return to normal after the pandemic is to develop a vaccine and immunize billions of people against coronavirus. But as the world races to develop a coronavirus vaccine, policymakers may struggle to convince people to get immunized. (Paun, Deutsch and Tamma, 5/18)
The Associated Press:
Trump Points To Good News As Restaurant Owners Tell Of Fears
Restaurant owners gave President Donald Trump a sobering accounting of the widespread damage the coronavirus pandemic has dealt their industry and asked him to adjust a loan program for small businesses to address their concerns. The president put a hopeful spin on the situation, saying encouraging news on vaccines and treatment efforts could “negate” the bad news. The president was in good spirits as he met Monday with the restaurant executives at the White House, noting that financial markets were up as states continued to loosen economic restrictions on businesses and following Moderna Inc.’s announcement of encouraging news in early work on vaccine development. (Superville and Freking, 5/19)
The Associated Press:
Who Got What? Details Scant On Small-Business Relief Effort
A small, overlooked federal agency is shouldering a massive relief effort for the nation’s small businesses and their workers left reeling by the pandemic. The Small Business Administration has committed to auditing every sizable emergency loan it approves. But six weeks after the $600 billion-plus program was launched, the agency has yet to make public the recipients of taxpayer aid. (Gordon, 5/19)
The New York Times:
U.S.-China Feud Over Coronavirus Erupts At World Health Assembly
A meeting of the World Health Organization that was supposed to chart a path for the world to combat the coronavirus pandemic instead on Monday turned into a showcase for the escalating tensions between China and the United States over the virus. President Xi Jinping of China announced at the start of the forum that Beijing would donate $2 billion toward fighting the coronavirus and dispatch doctors and medical supplies to Africa and other countries in the developing world. (Jacobs, Shear and Wong, 5/18)
Reuters:
Trump Threatens Permanent Freeze Of WHO Funding, Review Of U.S. Membership
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to permanently halt funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) if it did not commit to improvements within 30 days, and to reconsider the membership of the United States in the body. (5/18)
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump Threatens To Permanently Cut Funding To World Health Organization
“It is clear the repeated missteps by you and your organization in responding to the pandemic have been extremely costly for the world,” Mr. Trump wrote. “The only way forward for the World Health Organization is if it can actually demonstrate independence from China.” Mr. Trump touted the letter on his Twitter account on Monday night. “It is self-explanatory!” he wrote. The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment seeking information on the changes Mr. Trump would like to see the WHO make. (Restuccia, Lubold and Hinshaw, 5/19)
Reuters:
U.S. Savages WHO As It Promises Pandemic Review, But China Pledges $2 Billion
The World Health Organization said on Monday an independent review of the global coronavirus response would begin as soon as possible and it received backing and a hefty pledge of funds from China, in the spotlight as the origin of the pandemic. But the WHO’s chief critic, the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump, decried an “apparent attempt to conceal this outbreak by at least one member state." (Nebehay and Farge, 5/18)
The New York Times:
Trump To Tap New Company To Make Covid-19 Drugs In The U.S.
The Trump administration will announce on Tuesday that it has signed a $354 million four-year contract with a new company in Richmond, Va., to manufacture generic medicines and pharmaceutical ingredients that are needed to treat Covid-19 but are now made overseas, mostly in India and China. The contract, awarded to Phlow Corp. by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, meshes President Trump’s “America First” economic promises with concerns that coronavirus treatments be manufactured in the United States. It may be extended for a total of $812 million over 10 years, making it one of the largest awards in the authority’s history. (Stolberg and Thomas, 5/18)
Reuters:
Exclusive: CDC Plans Sweeping COVID-19 Antibody Study In 25 Metropolitan Areas
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) plans a nationwide study of up to 325,000 people to track how the new coronavirus is spreading across the country into next year and beyond, a CDC spokeswoman and researchers conducting the effort told Reuters. (Brown, 5/18)
The New York Times:
Coronavirus Contact Tracing Jobs Are On The Rise
When Jessica Jaramillo calls someone to talk about the coronavirus, she usually starts with something like this: “Hi, my name is Jessica. I’m calling on behalf of the San Francisco Department of Public Health. I’m part of a contact-tracing team, and our job is to reach people who have come into close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with Covid-19.” Ms. Jaramillo, 41, a San Francisco Public Library district manager in ordinary times, has made dozens of such calls so far, all in Spanish. She began contact tracing, or “seguimiento de contactos,” this month. (Fortin, 5/18)
The Associated Press:
Tech-Assisted COVID-19 Tracking Is Having Some Issues
Harnessing today’s technology to the task of fighting the coronavirus pandemic is turning out to be more complicated than it first appeared. The first U.S. states that rolled out smartphone apps for tracing the contacts of COVID-19 patients are dealing with technical glitches and a general lack of interest by their residents. A second wave of tech-assisted pandemic surveillance tools is on its way, this time with the imprimatur of tech giants Apple and Google. (O'Brien, 5/19)
The Associated Press:
COVID-19 Data Sharing With Law Enforcement Sparks Concern
Public health officials in at least two-thirds of U.S. states are sharing the addresses of people who have the coronavirus with first responders. Supporters say the measure is designed to protect those on the front line, but it’s sparked concerns of profiling in minority communities already mistrustful of law enforcement. An Associated Press review of those states found that at least 10 states also share the names of everyone who tests positive. (Kruesi, 5/19)
Reuters:
New Cases? Deaths? U.S. States' Reopening Plans Are All Over The Map
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has set some distinct goals the federal district needs to meet in order for her to feel comfortable ending a stay-at-home order, she told reporters last week. If the U.S. capital, which reported more than 7,200 cases and around 400 deaths by Monday, hits certain metrics, including a declining number of cases over 14 days and sustained low transmission rate, she could lift the order before it expires on June 8. (Brice, 5/18)
The Wall Street Journal:
U.S. Coronavirus Cases Top 1.5 Million As States Ease Restrictions
More than 1.5 million people in the U.S. have tested positive for the coronavirus as restrictions that helped slow the contagion’s spread were eased in more states and countries, and drugmakers raced to develop a vaccine. Some of the worst-hit U.S. states took slow steps toward normalcy, with governors in Massachusetts, Michigan, California and New York detailing more reopening plans. (Calfas and Stancati, 5/19)
CNN:
All US States Will Be Partially Reopened By Memorial Day Weekend But Only 16 States Recorded Downward Trends
By Memorial Day weekend, every US state will have begun lifting measures enacted weeks ago to curb the spread of coronavirus. Many governors have already pushed into a second phase of reopening their economies, with some states now allowing restaurants, retailers and personal service shops to reopen their doors. By now, all states but Connecticut have in some way moved toward returning to a semblance of normalcy. On Monday, Massachusetts entered the first phase of their reopening plan, giving the green light to manufacturing facilities, construction sites and places of worship as long as they abide by certain restrictions. (Maxouris, 5/19)
The Associated Press:
Oregon Supreme Court Halts Order Nixing Virus Restrictions
The Oregon Supreme Court late Monday halted a rural judge’s order earlier in the day that had tossed out statewide coronavirus restrictions imposed by Democratic Gov. Kate Brown. Baker County Circuit Judge Matthew Shirtcliff had ruled that Brown erred by not seeking the Legislature’s approval to extend the stay-at-home orders beyond a 28-day limit. The Supreme Court’s ruling stays Shirtcliff’s decision pending review by all the high court justices. (Flaccus and Selsky, 5/19)
Politico:
Florida Throws Open Its Doors — And Holds Its Breath
Over the past week, Florida reported nearly 5,460 new coronavirus cases — and 262 deaths. On Monday, the state threw open its doors to residents and tourists itching to get back to a semblance of normal. The urban centers of Miami-Dade and Broward counties, which have remained largely closed, joined the rest of the state in slowly reopening businesses as Florida became one of the largest states in the nation to test how to reopen commerce amid a pandemic. (Caputo and Ritchie, 5/18)
The Wall Street Journal:
Coronavirus Restrictions To Ease In Western New York; Data Show Impact By Neighborhood
Parts of western New York state are set to begin reopening, officials said Monday, as new data showed the contrast between how the new coronavirus has affected lower-income and wealthier neighborhoods in New York City. Data from New York City’s health department, which recorded the number of deaths in each zip code, showed the highest death rate in the city is in an area that borders East New York and Canarsie, Brooklyn. (Chapman and Honan, 5/18)
The New York Times:
New York, California And Texas Governors Show Support For Return Of Pro Sports
The governors of New York, California and Texas on Monday expressed support for a return of major professional sports from their coronavirus-related shutdowns in the coming weeks, telling leagues that they should come up with plans if they want to host in those states. A key caveat for all three states would be having no fans present. “Hockey, basketball, baseball, football, whoever can reopen. We’re a ready, willing and able partner,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York said, adding that he had been encouraging the leaders of major sports leagues to tailor their plans to television audiences. (Garcia, 5/18)
The Associated Press:
Feds Urge 'Extreme Caution' For Reopening Nursing Homes
Federal authorities are urging governors to use “extreme caution” in deciding when to resume visits at nursing homes, saying it shouldn’t come before all residents and staff have tested negative for the coronavirus for at least 28 days. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ criteria for relaxing restrictions at nursing homes come more than two months after the agency ordered homes to ban visitors. Instead of firm dates, it lists a variety of factors state and local officials should consider, such as adequate staffing levels at homes and the ability to regularly test all residents and workers. (Choi, 5/18)
The Washington Post:
Trump Administration Charts A Slow Path For Reopening Nursing Homes
The guidelines urge state and local officials to refrain from allowing virtually all visitors into nursing homes or other senior care facilities until several conditions are met. They include making sure a nursing home has no new cases of covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, for four weeks. In addition, such facilities must ensure that they have enough protective gear and access to coronavirus tests, and that nearby hospitals have sufficient space in intensive care units and other wards in the event cases spike again. The guidance also says the amount of virus is circulating in the community should be taking into account. (Goldstein, Cenziper and Sacchetti, 5/18)
The Wall Street Journal:
U.S. Offers Guide For Reopening Nursing Homes
The recommendations from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, like a previous draft version reported by The Wall Street Journal, call for a multiphase regimen, mirroring the three-phase “Opening Up America Again” guidelines for states that were issued by the Trump administration in April. The earlier draft drew concern from industry officials who felt it was too vague and included no specific requirements for coronavirus testing. The final version says a facility should have a testing plan in place before beginning reopening phases. The document suggests that the plan involve initial testing of all residents and staff, and it offers other testing recommendations as a facility moves through various stages of reopening. (Wilde Mathews, 5/18)
Stat:
As Covid-19 Lockdowns Lift, Uncertainty At Nursing Homes Only Deepens
It was late April when a Covid-19 outbreak was reported at the Seven Hills Health and Rehab Center, a nursing home just south of Cleveland. And when Mehdi Saghafi, an 89-year-old resident, was tested for the disease, the result came back positive. He was immediately transferred to a separate unit and is being kept in isolation there for 21 days, even longer than the two-week isolation period recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But his family worries Saghafi feels abandoned — and fears for his psychological health on top of any physical conditions he could develop. (Zia, 5/19)
Stat:
9 Ways Covid-19 May Forever Upend The U.S. Health Care Industry
In the U.S. alone, Covid-19 has claimed nearly 100,000 lives and 30 million jobs. Beyond grinding day-to-day life to a halt, the pandemic has prompted a reckoning throughout the country’s health care infrastructure, shattering decades-old assumptions about how Americans conceive of medicine, and the doctors, hospitals, insurance companies, and pharmaceutical manufacturers they pay to provide it. (Facher, 5/19)
NPR:
Community Health Centers Struggling As Fewer People Seek Care During Pandemic
Community health centers had been at the front lines of health care in the nation's poorest neighborhoods even before the spread of the coronavirus. But in the midst of the pandemic, patients who fear deportation or infection are forcing many centers to close. Public health officials worry that the populations that these centers serve — mostly people with low incomes and immigrants — aren't getting proper health care and testing, may be unable to quarantine themselves and could contribute to spreading the coronavirus to the wider population. (Penaloza, 5/19)
The Wall Street Journal:
Some Hospitals Prepared For Coronavirus Cases That Never Came
As the coronavirus pandemic swept from China into Europe last winter, the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center began preparing for the worst. A triage tent was brought in. An entire floor was cleared for Covid-19 cases. A satellite campus was converted to take the overflow. Health screenings started for everyone from doctors to cafeteria workers. But the onslaught that UCSF prepared for ended up arriving as a modest number of cases. The facility was one of dozens of health centers around the country that prepared for a surge in patients but have so far seen far fewer than expected. (Carlton, 5/19)
Politico:
‘Hard Stop’: States Could Lose National Guard Virus Workers
More than 40,000 National Guard members currently helping states test residents for the coronavirus and trace the spread of infections will face a “hard stop” on their deployments on June 24 — just one day shy of many members becoming eligible for key federal benefits, according to a senior FEMA official. The official outlined the Trump administration’s plans on an interagency call on May 12, an audio version of which was obtained by POLITICO. (Ollstein, 5/19)
The Washington Post:
Opportunists Benefit From The Chaotic Market For Coronavirus Protective Gear
Alexis Wong, a Hong Kong-based trader who’s been exporting medical masks since the early days of the covid-19 crisis, says the business brings out every species of crook. But she likes to joke that the market for the iconic N95 mask is in perfect balance. “You have buyers with no money and sellers with no product,” she says. The international market for desperately needed medical masks is riddled with fraud. Up and down the supply chain, from factories to hospitals, opportunists are benefiting from the chaotic market as prices have quintupled. (Butler, Eilperin and Hamburger, 5/18)
The Washington Post:
How Far Would A Million N95 Masks Go? It’s Complicated, And This Is Why.
On April 2, the New England Patriots’ team plane left China with mundane but suddenly precious cargo: 1.2 million N95 respirators, a critical type of mask that protects health-care workers treating patients who have infectious diseases. Was that a big stash? In normal, pre-covid-19 times, the answer would be yes. Most hospitals buy just a few thousand N95s per year, according to a company that negotiates purchasing contracts. (Berkowitz, 5/18)
Reuters:
As Biden Crafts U.S. Coronavirus Response Proposals, Warren Has His Ear
Presumptive Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Joe Biden has been speaking regularly with former rival Elizabeth Warren on public health and economic relief ideas as he crafts more ambitious proposals aimed at helping Americans through the coronavirus crisis. (Hunnicutt, Ax and Oliphant, 5/18)
Reuters:
Wisconsin Lawsuit Seeks Absentee Ballot Forms, Other Poll Changes Amid Coronavirus Concerns
Advocacy groups sued Wisconsin election officials on Monday, seeking to force the state to send every voter an absentee ballot request form, hire more poll workers and launch a public education effort to ensure voters understand their options ahead of November’s presidential election. The complaint is the latest salvo from voting rights activists, who have filed dozens of lawsuits around the country to increase ballot access, such as universal vote-by-mail, in light of the coronavirus pandemic. (Ax, 5/18)
The Associated Press:
Mnuchin To Face Grilling About Small-Business Lending Effort
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will likely come under tough questioning from senators Tuesday about a small business lending program included in the government’s $2 trillion relief package. Lawmakers from both parties have criticized the Payroll Protection Program, which initially provided $349 billion in forgivable loans to small companies but has been plagued by a host of problems. (Rugaber and Crutsinger, 5/19)
The New York Times:
These N.Y.C. Neighborhoods Have The Highest Rates Of Virus Deaths
New data released Monday sheds light on one of the biggest questions about the toll the coronavirus has taken on New York: Where are people dying? The data, which shows death rates in each of the city’s ZIP codes, underscores the deep disparities already unearthed by the outbreak. While the majority of the deaths across the city have been older residents, race and income have proven to be the largest factors in determining who lives and who dies. (Schwirtz and Cook, 5/18)
The Associated Press:
Stark Disparities In New York City's Virus Toll
The coronavirus has cut an unequal path of grief through New York City, hitting hardest in a ring of predominantly poorer, nonwhite neighborhoods a long subway and bus ride from Manhattan, according to data released by the city Monday. The new accounting of fatalities by neighborhood revealed that the ZIP code with more deaths per capita than any other place in New York is the one that contains Starrett City, a huge complex of apartment towers in Brooklyn that is the largest federally subsidized housing development in the country. (Hajela, Villeneuve and Matthews, 5/19)
The New York Times:
‘Way Too Late’: Inside Amazon’s Biggest Outbreak
Therese Kelly arrived for her shift at an Amazon warehouse on March 27 to find her co-workers standing clustered in the cavernous space. They were awaiting a buildingwide announcement, a rarity at the complex known as AVP1. Over a loudspeaker, a manager told them what they had feared: For the first time, an employee had tested positive for the coronavirus. Some of the workers cut short their shifts and went home. Ms. Kelly, 63, got to work, one of the hundreds of thousands of Amazon employees dealing with the spike in online orders from millions of Americans quarantined at home. (Weise, 5/19)
CIDRAP:
Prolonged COVID-19 Virus Shedding Noted In China
Patients with COVID-19 outside of Wuhan, China, shed the virus for a median of 17 days, according to a retrospective cohort study published yesterday in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases. Also, a study in the same journal found that third-generation transmission of the COVID-19 epidemic likely began on Jan 17 to 20 in Wuhan, then spread to the rest of Hubei province from Jan 23 to 24, while the mixed first- and second-generation transmissions interacted to worsen the outbreak. (Van Beusekom, 5/18)
The New York Times:
Vaccinations Fall To Alarming Rates, C.D.C. Study Shows
As states across the country relax stay-at-home orders and people return to more normal routines, some researchers worry about a spike in vaccine-preventable diseases in addition to the coronavirus’s spread. During the pandemic, the rates of childhood vaccinations have dropped significantly as many parents have been reluctant to schedule well-child visits at their doctors’ offices, for fear of contracting the coronavirus. As a result, children have fallen behind on vaccinations for diseases like measles and pertussis, better known as whooping cough. (Waldstein, 5/18)
Reuters:
Pandemic-Related Vaccination Drop Raises Concern About U.S. Measles Outbreak
Data from Michigan’s state immunization information system showed that just under half of 5-month-old infants were up to date for all recommended vaccines this month, compared to approximately two thirds of infants in May of the previous four years, the CDC researchers said in their report. (Chander, 5/18)
The Associated Press:
Pandemic Threatens To Deepen Crisis In Mental Health Care
More than three weeks after Brandon Bell stopped showing up at a New York office that serves people with schizophrenia, employees finally located him at a nearby homeless shelter. The office remains open, but patients aren’t stopping by as much during the pandemic. Group activities such as the weekly Caribbean lunch that were also an important source of food have ended because of the coronavirus. Visits from caregivers are less frequent and shorter — usually five or 10 minutes — to reduce the risk of infection. (Minchillo and Choi, 5/19)
The New York Times:
A.C.L.U. Warns Against Fever-Screening Tools For Coronavirus
Airports, office buildings, warehouses and restaurant chains are rushing to install new safety measures like fever-scanning cameras and infrared temperature-sensing guns. But the American Civil Liberties Union warned on Tuesday against using the tools to screen people for possible coronavirus symptoms, saying the devices were often inaccurate, ineffective and intrusive. In a new report, “Temperature Screening and Civil Liberties During an Epidemic,” the A.C.L.U. said that such technologies could give people a false sense of security, potentially leading them to be less vigilant about health measures like wearing masks or social distancing. (Singer, 5/19)
The Wall Street Journal:
The New Airline Travel: Fewer Flights, More Layovers, Rules For Bathrooms
A new age of air travel is taking shape. Airports and airlines are rolling out temperature checks for crew and, increasingly, passengers, as well as thermal scans to spot people with elevated body temperatures. Face masks are now de rigueur for travelers across the U.S. Passengers on Europe’s biggest budget carrier must raise their hands to use the toilet. (Sider, Katz and Cherney, 5/18)
Reuters:
Empty Middle Seat? Depends On Which Country You Are Flying In
In Thailand, you cannot have food or water in flight and must wear a mask. In Malaysia and Indonesia, the plane needs to be half-empty. In the United States and Europe, it’s not mandatory for airlines to leave the middle seat open. (Freed, Qiu and Kauranen, 5/18)
The Associated Press:
Outbreak On Edge Of Navajo Nation Overwhelms Rural Hospital
On the eve of New Mexico’s shutdown of bars and restaurants to stem the spread of the coronavirus, the city of Gallup came alive for one last night of revelry. Before the night was out in the desert oasis on the fringes of the Navajo Nation, 98 people were detained for public intoxication and sent to sober up at a detox center. Several homeless people also sought refuge in the same cinder block building, which doubles as a shelter. Somewhere in the mix, lurked the virus. (Lee, 5/19)
The New York Times:
N.Y.P.D. Shuts Down Brooklyn Yeshiva For Violating Virus Ban
The buses arrived early Monday to drop off dozens of children at a Hasidic school in Brooklyn. Neighbors watched with alarm as the children, few of them wearing masks, filed into the building, crowded into classrooms and played on the roof at recess in violation of public health orders that have kept schools across the state closed since March. “It was definitely a regular day for them, like business as usual,” said Joe Livingston, who lives across from the school building in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. “That’s dangerous.” (Stack and Schweber, 5/18)