First Edition: Sept. 14, 2020
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Los Angeles Times:
Because Of Fire, West Coast Has Four Of The World’s 10 Most Polluted Cities
Smoke has suffused the sky for days, replacing a bright yellow sun with a hazy red orb and raining down flakes of ash on much of the West Coast, where four cities on Sunday were among the 10 most polluted places in the world. Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle ranked eighth, sixth and third, respectively, but the dubious honor of worst air of any big city on the globe went to Portland, Ore., where smoke was blowing in from more than 30 blazes burning across the state. (Vives, Gerber and Hennessy-Fiske, 9/13)
The Oregonian:
Portland’s Air Quality Is Off The Charts Sunday, And Parts Of Oregon Are Just As Bad Due To Wildfires
The breathability of Portland’s air significantly worsened overnight and into Sunday, reaching 516 on the air quality index in the hardest hit parts of the city, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. That measurement is off the charts, which top out at 300 to 500 and categorize those numbers as “hazardous.” (Green, 9/13)
The Spokesman-Review:
Record-Breaking Poor Air Quality Continues To Affect Spokane On Sunday
After record-breaking smoke conditions Saturday, experts say hazardous conditions will continue through midweek, with a bit of relief Monday. As of Sunday afternoon, Spokane’s hourly Air Quality Index reading had reached 499, which is just below the upper extreme of the 500-point scale air agencies use to monitor quality. That followed a 24-hour period Saturday that saw the worst air quality since regulators began measuring particulates in 1999. (Epperly, 9/13)
Idaho Statesman:
Smoke Made Boise Air ‘Very Unhealthy’ Sunday, And It Won’t Clear For Several Days
Wildfire smoke from blazes burning across the West settled into Boise this weekend, and the thick haze isn’t likely to lift for several days, according to the local weather experts. Parts of California, Oregon and Washington have experienced “hazardous” air quality — the worst possible air quality index rating — as multiple large fires burn there. Mild smoke made its way to Idaho last week, but on Sunday, the Treasure Valley crossed the threshold to the next-worst category, “very unhealthy.” (Blanchard, 9/13)
ABC7 San Francisco:
Poor Air Quality Causing Headaches, Taking Toll On Bay Area Residents' Mental Health, Psychologist Says
Doctor of clinical psychology Andrea Zorbas is seeing an increase in patients reporting headaches and signs of depression. The poor air quality is to blame. "In Seattle, Washington where it's raining all the time people get seasonal affective disorder and that is a form of depression caused by clouds, rain, fog and we are kind of experiencing that now," said Zorbas. (Pena, 9/13)
CNBC:
The West Coast Is Suffering From Some Of The Worst Air In The World — These Apps Show How Bad It Is
As record-breaking fires wreak havoc on the Western United States, they’re also releasing massive amounts of smoke and ash into the atmosphere, adding to the region’s health woes. Portland, Oregon suffered from the worst air quality in the world for days. It’s currently second only to Vancouver, Canada, which is choking on smoke from the U.S. blazes. Seattle ranks third, San Francisco seventh and Los Angeles ninth, according to IQAir. To find out where and when it’s safe to go outside again, residents are flocking to air quality apps and websites like AirNow and PurpleAir in addition IQAir. (Kolodny, 9/12)
The New York Times:
As Wildfires Burn Out Of Control, The West Coast Faces The Unimaginable
Across a hellish landscape of smoke and ash, authorities in Oregon, California and Washington State battled to contain mega-wildfires on Sunday as shifting winds threatened to accelerate blazes that have burned an unimaginable swath of land across the West. The arrival of the stronger winds on Sunday tested the resolve of fire crews already exhausted by weeks of combating blazes that have consumed around 5 million acres of desiccated forests, incinerated numerous communities and created what in many places was measured as the worst air quality on the planet. (Fuller and Healy, 9/13)
AP:
Groups Turn To Hotels To Shelter Fire Evacuees Amid Virus
Fearing one disaster will feed another, relief groups are putting some people who fled their homes during West Coast wildfires into hotels to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, stringing up shower curtains to separate people in group shelters and delivering box lunches instead of setting up buffets. Large disaster response organizations like the American Red Cross are still operating some traditional shelters in gyms and churches, where they require masks, clean and disinfect often and try to keep evacuees at least 6 feet (2 meters) apart. The groups say they can reduce the risk of COVID-19 in a shelter but can’t keep people safe if they don’t evacuate from the flames. (Boone and Cline, 9/13)
KGW:
More People Seeking Medical Care And Advice For Breathing Issues Amid Hazardous Air Quality
Hazardous air conditions stretch far beyond the flames all across the West Coast. California's governor made a grim comparison when it comes to the impact it's having on our lung health. “The air we're breathing right now is equivalent to smoking 20 packs of cigarettes. [It] is profound and consequential,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said. (Falkers, 9/13)
AP:
In Defiance Of Nevada Governor, Trump Holds Indoor Rally
Eager to project a sense of normalcy in imagery, Trump soaked up the raucous cheers inside a warehouse Sunday night. Relatively few in the crowd wore masks, with a clear exception: Those in the stands directly behind Trump, whose images would end up on TV, were mandated to wear face coverings. “We are not shutting the country again. A shutdown would destroy the lives and dreams of millions Americans,” said Trump, before using his inflammatory moniker for the coronavirus. “We will very easy defeat the China virus.” (Lemire and Ritter, 9/14)
Politico:
Trump Fumes Over Biden Ad, Media Coverage At Nevada Rally
President Donald Trump set the tone early on at his rally in northern Nevada Saturday night, warning that he was prepared to "be really vicious" in the final weeks of the presidential campaign. Fuming over a new ad about his alleged disparagement of U.S. military personnel, Trump arrived here with a torrent of insults ready to go. “Pathetic Joe. He’s a pathetic human being to allow that to happen,” Trump said of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and the ad Biden's campaign released last week, which seized on comments Trump reportedly made about America’s fallen soldiers. (Orr, 9/13)
The Washington Post:
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak Slams Trump For Holding Indoor Rally, Defying State’s Covid-19 Rules
Shortly before President Trump took the stage on Sunday night in Henderson, Nev., for his first indoor rally in months, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak blasted the president for flouting the state’s coronavirus restrictions by packing hundreds of supporters, many without masks, into a building. The Democratic governor noted that Trump and his campaign were violating Nevada’s ban on gatherings of 50 people or more, tweeting that the president’s rally at Xtreme Manufacturing was “shameful, dangerous and irresponsible.” (Bella, 9/14)
The Hill:
Nevada Governor: Trump 'Taking Reckless And Selfish Actions' In Holding Rally
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) took aim at President Trump's decision to hold an indoor rally in his state Sunday evening, accusing the president of taking "reckless and selfish actions" that he said put lives in danger. Sisolak wrote on Twitter as Trump took the stage in Henderson, Nev., that Trump's rally at which many attendees appeared to be maskless and violating both local social distancing orders and White House recommendations, that the president "appears to have forgotten that this country is still in the middle of a global pandemic." (Bowden, 9/13)
The Hill:
Biden Leans Into COVID-19 To Argue Trump Mishandled Economy
Joe Biden is seeking to force President Trump to play defense on the one issue where he’s had a consistent polling advantage: the economy. The Biden campaign is increasingly using the coronavirus pandemic to make the case that Trump has failed voters on economic issues. In recent days, it has sought to connect COVID-19’s economic fallout, from record-high unemployment to the closures of businesses and schools, directly to Trump. (Parnes, 9/13)
Politico:
Trump Team Says History Will Vindicate Him On Coronavirus
President Donald Trump’s allies on Sunday blamed anybody but him for his handling of the deadly virus that has killed more than 193,000 Americans. In interviews across the morning political talk shows, Trump officials portrayed the president as a calm leader throughout the pandemic and singled out China, corporate media — including CNN and Jake Tapper, specifically — and Democrats for what they asserted was lying and politicizing the coronavirus. (McCaskill, 9/13)
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump Executive Order Takes New Aim At Drug Prices
The order, part of Mr. Trump’s broader focus on prescription drugs ahead of the November election, is unlikely to have an immediate effect because it requires federal rulemakings that could take months to complete. But if Mr. Trump wins a second term and goes ahead with the rules with wide applications, the move could be significant, since most developed nations have far lower drug prices than the U.S. does. (Restuccia and Burton, 9/13)
Politico:
Trump Unveils Plan To Slash Drug Costs Tied To What's Paid Abroad
The order directs federal health officials to carry out demonstration projects for Medicare Part B, a move that would bypass the monthslong process of rulemaking and could start the price cuts before Election Day. It also would develop a similar rule for Medicare Part D, or those drugs that patients pick up at the pharmacy counter. The Part D rule would apply to drugs without much competition for which seniors pay prices higher than those in comparable OECD countries. (Owermohle, 9/13)
NPR:
Trump Signs New Executive Order On Prescription Drug Prices
President Trump signed an executive order Sunday that he says lowers prescription drug prices "by putting America first," but experts say the move is unlikely to have any immediate impact. The move comes nearly two months after the president signed a different executive order with the exact same name, but held it back to see if he could negotiate a better deal with drug companies. "If these talks are successful, we may not need to implement the fourth executive order, which is a very tough order for them," Trump said at the time. (Keith, 9/13)
Stat:
With Election Looming, Trump Releases Major, Last-Ditch Drug Pricing Order
The policy vastly expands an older, controversial drug pricing policy that Trump has been teasing for months. Effectively, it will force drug makers to offer their medicines to Medicare at the same prices they do in other countries, as a so-called most favored nations policy. Where an earlier version would only have applied to Part B drugs, which are administered in doctors offices, the new version also applies to Part D drugs, which are sold in pharmacies. (Florko, 9/13)
Politico:
Trump Officials Interfered With CDC Reports On Covid-19
The health department’s politically appointed communications aides have demanded the right to review and seek changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s weekly scientific reports charting the progress of the coronavirus pandemic, in what officials characterized as an attempt to intimidate the reports’ authors and water down their communications to health professionals. In some cases, emails from communications aides to CDC Director Robert Redfield and other senior officials openly complained that the agency’s reports would undermine President Donald Trump's optimistic messages about the outbreak, according to emails reviewed by POLITICO and three people familiar with the situation. (Diamond, 9/11)
USA Today:
COVID-19: Scientists Decry White House Meddling In CDC Publication
Scientists and physicians reacted with words such as “aghast,” “despicable” and “outrageous” over the weekend as news spread that White House appointees interfered with a basic national public health report when it conflicted with President Donald Trump's coronavirus messaging. Michael Caputo, the Health and Human Services assistant secretary for public affairs, acknowledged Saturday that since June, he and an advisor have been scrutinizing and at times pushing for changes to a weekly health report distributed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Weise and Weintraub, 9/13)
The Washington Post:
Trump Officials Seek Greater Control Over CDC Reports On Coronavirus
Michael Caputo, the top HHS spokesman, said in an interview Saturday that he and one of his advisers have been seeking greater scrutiny of the CDC’s weekly scientific dispatches, known as the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, for the past 3½ months. The adviser, Paul Alexander, has sent repeated emails to the CDC seeking changes and demanding that the reports be halted until he could make edits. The emails, first reported late Friday by Politico, describe the CDC documents, widely known as the MMWR, as being “hit pieces on the administration.” Caputo confirmed the authenticity of the emails. (Sun, 9/12)
The Hill:
Scientists And Physicians Outraged Over Reports Trump Officials Meddled With Coronavirus Data
Scientists and physicians are expressing frustration and outrage following reports that top politically appointed Trump administration officials have demanded the right to edit and change weekly Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) scientific reports on the coronavirus pandemic ahead of their public release. The CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports are developed by scientists at the department to inform medical officials and the general public about the spread of COVID-19 and who is most at risk. According to a report from Politico on Saturday, the CDC has increasingly agreed to allow politically-appointed officials to review mortality weekly reports and, in a few cases, alter the wording in the documents. (Seipel, 9/13)
Politico:
House Democrats Probing $250M Coronavirus Messaging Contract
Senior House Democrats have launched an investigation into the Trump administration’s awarding of a $250 million communications contract to help “defeat despair and inspire hope” over the coronavirus pandemic, as they questioned the political motivations behind the taxpayer-funded messaging campaign. The lawmakers are also calling on the administration to halt the contract while it’s under investigation, according to a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar that was shared with POLITICO. (Lippman and Diamond, 9/11)
NPR:
Woodward Addresses Criticism That He Should've Detailed Trump Interviews Earlier
Famed journalist Bob Woodward is addressing criticism he's received for not promptly sharing with the public what the president told him about the coronavirus and the government's response in a series of interviews earlier this year. "I've done this almost for 50 years, and I think I have a public health responsibility, like any citizen does — or maybe a journalist has more of a responsibility. If at any point I had thought there's something to tell the American people that they don't know, I would do it," [he said]. (Sprunt, 9/14)
The New York Times:
In Visiting A Charred California, Trump Confronts A Scientific Reality He Denies
When President Trump flies to California on Monday to assess the state’s raging forest fires, he will come face to face with the grim consequences of a reality he has stubbornly refused to accept: the devastating effects of a warming planet. To the global scientific community, the acres of scorched earth and ash-filled skies across the American West are the tragic, but predictable, result of accelerating climate change. Nearly two years ago, federal government scientists concluded that greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels could triple the frequency of severe fires across the Western states. (Shear and Davenport, 9/13)
NPR:
Scientist Who Denies Climate Change Hired At NOAA By Trump Administration
David Legates, a University of Delaware professor of climatology who has spent much of his career questioning basic tenets of climate science, has been hired for a top position at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Legates has a long history of using his position as an academic scientist to publicly cast doubt on climate science. His appointment to NOAA comes as Americans face profound threats stoked by climate change, from the vast, deadly wildfires in the West to an unusually active hurricane season in the South and East. (Hersher and Palca, 9/12)
Reuters:
WHO Reports Record One-Day Increase In Global Coronavirus Cases, Up Over 307,000
The World Health Organization reported a record one-day increase in global coronavirus cases on Sunday, with the total rising by 307,930 in 24 hours. The biggest increases were from India, the United States and Brazil, according to the agency’s website. Deaths rose by 5,537 to a total of 917,417. (Shumaker, 9/13)
Reuters:
Pandemic Preparedness Panel Slams Collective Failure To Heed Warnings
A collective failure by political leaders to heed warnings and prepare for an infectious disease pandemic has transformed “a world at risk” to a “world in disorder”, according to a report on international epidemic preparedness. “Financial and political investments in preparedness have been insufficient, and we are all paying the price,” said the report by The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB). “It is not as if the world has lacked the opportunity to take these steps,” it added. “There have been numerous calls for action ... over the last decade, yet none has generated the changes needed.” (Kelland, 9/14)
The Wall Street Journal:
Gilead Reaches Deal To Buy Immunomedics For $21 Billion
Gilead Sciences Inc. will pay $21 billion to buy biotech Immunomedics Inc. and its prized breast-cancer drug, the company said Sunday, a sign of the value of the cancer-drugs business. Immunomedics has a market value of roughly $10 billion following a recent surge in its stock, meaning that Gilead is paying up to secure ownership of the company. Gilead agreed to pay $88 a share in cash for Immunomedics, whose shares closed at $42.25 Friday. That represents a 108% premium. (Lombardo and Rockoff, 9/13)
Reuters:
Gilead To Buy Cancer Drugmaker Immunomedics For $21 Billion
Gilead Sciences Inc. will acquire biopharmaceutical company Immunomedics Inc IMMU.O for $21 billion, a move that will strengthen its cancer portfolio by gaining access to a promising drug, the two companies said in a joint statement on Sunday. The deal provides Gilead access to Immunomedics’ breast cancer treatment drug, Trodelvy, which was granted an accelerated FDA approval in April. (9/13)
Politico:
AstraZeneca To Resume U.K. Coronavirus Vaccine Trials After Safety Concern
AstraZeneca is resuming late-stage clinical trials of its coronavirus vaccine in the U.K. less than a week after they were paused when a single participant became ill. The company on Saturday said U.K. regulators and an independent committee found it was safe to resume the clinical trials, which had been halted there and other sites, including the U.S., on Sept. 6. The company said it is still working with international health authorities to resume the trials outside the U.K. (Roubein, 9/12)
Stat:
AstraZeneca Resumes Covid-19 Vaccine Trials In The U.K.
The illness that triggered the international pause, which occurred in a woman who was in the vaccine arm of the U.K. trial, has not been officially disclosed, though AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot told a group of investors on Wednesday that her symptoms were consistent with transverse myelitis, a serious condition involving inflammation of the spinal cord that can cause muscle weakness, paralysis, pain and bladder problems. ...It’s not uncommon for clinical trials to be paused. This is the second known hold of studies of the AstraZeneca vaccine. A woman in the U.K. trial was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in July, but that event, which triggered the first pause, was deemed not to be related to the vaccine.(Branswell, 9/12)
Stat:
The Ethics Of Pausing A Vaccine Trial In The Midst Of A Pandemic
The revelation that AstraZeneca paused its clinical trials for a Covid-19 vaccine has focused attention on the company and the clinical trial process. The hold occurred after a participant in the trial developed symptoms consistent with a rare but serious spinal inflammatory disorder called transverse myelitis. To better understand the ethics of vaccine trials in the time of coronavirus, I talked with Ruth Faden, a Johns Hopkins bioethicist with a special interest in vaccine development. (Skerrett, 9/11)
The New York Times:
Vaccine Makers Keep Safety Details Quiet, Alarming Scientists
The morning after the world learned that a closely watched clinical trial of a coronavirus vaccine had been halted last week over safety concerns, the company’s chief executive disclosed that a person given the vaccine had experienced serious neurological symptoms. But the remarks weren’t public. Instead, the chief executive, Pascal Soriot of AstraZeneca, spoke at a closed meeting organized by J.P. Morgan, the investment bank. (Thomas, 9/13)
Fox News:
WHO Scientist Calls AstraZeneca Coronavirus Trial Pause 'Good Wake-Up Call'
A top scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday said the pause in pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine study is a “good wake up call,” given “ups and downs in research.” The company suspended its Phase III trial this week after a participant in the United Kingdom experienced a serious adverse reaction. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, WHO chief scientist, on Thursday said clinical trial protocols have an operating procedure for managing any side effects among participants. (Rivas, 9/12)
Stat:
Pfizer And BioNTech Announce Plan To Expand Covid-19 Vaccine Trial
Pfizer and BioNTech are moving to enlarge the Phase 3 trial of their Covid-19 vaccine by 50%, which could allow the companies to collect more safety and efficacy data and to increase the diversity of the study’s participants. The companies said in a press release that they would increase the size of the study to 44,000 participants, up from an initial recruitment goal of 30,000 individuals.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will have to approve the change before it goes into effect. (Herper, 9/12)
Fox Business:
Pfizer CEO Says Coronavirus Vaccine Could Be Distributed To Americans Before Year's End
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said on Sunday that it is a “likely scenario” that the company’s coronavirus vaccine could be distributed to Americans before the new year if it’s proven by federal regulators to be safe and effective. "I cannot say what the FDA will do, but I think is a likely scenario and we are preparing for it," Bourla said in an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “We started already manufacturing and we have already manufactured hundreds of thousands of doses, so just in case we have a good study readout, conclusive and FDA, plus the advisory committee feels comfortable, that we will be ready." (Manfredi, 9/13)
NPR:
Why A COVID-19 Vaccine That's Only 50% Effective Could Still Help Stop The Pandemic
As we get closer to a COVID-19 vaccine, it's exciting to imagine a day when the virus is gone. But a vaccine will not be a magic bullet. In fact, it may be only about 50% effective. Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief of the National Institute of Health and Infectious Disease, has tried to set realistic expectations when discussing the importance of a vaccine. "We don't know yet what the efficacy might be. We don't know if it will be 50% or 60%," Fauci said during a Brown University event in August."I'd like it to be 75% or more," Fauci said, but he acknowledged that may not be realistic. (Aubrey, 9/12)
Fox News:
China OKs Human Trials For Nasal Spray Coronavirus Vaccine
China has approved the first phase of human trials for a potential COVID-19 vaccine administered through a nasal spray. The inoculation is being developed by researchers at Xiamen University, Hong Kong University, and vaccine maker Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise, according to Bloomberg News. This is the 10th such candidate from China to proceed to the crucial stage of human testing. (Musto, 9/12)
NPR:
Why Are So Many Americans Hesitant To Get A COVID-19 Vaccine?
Part of this concern comes from those who feel politics are influencing the processes vaccines must go through. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have told states a potential vaccine may be ready for distribution as soon as late October — right before Election Day. But when speaking with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly, Dr. Moncef Slaoui, chief scientific adviser to Operation Warp Speed, said there is a "very low chance" a vaccine will be ready by then. (9/10)
AP:
First US Spring Flight To Antarctica Aims To Keep Out Virus
The first U.S. flight into Antarctica following months of winter darkness arrived Monday with crews taking extra precautions to keep out the coronavirus. Antarctica is the only continent without the virus, and there is a global effort to make sure incoming scientists and workers don’t bring it with them. (Perry, 9/14)
The Washington Post:
GWU Recruits Blacks For Covid Clinical Trial
Mark M. Spradley searched online for a vaccine clinical trial the way most people go shopping. Spradley, heeding an inner call to public duty, combed through the National Institutes of Health’s website and signed up for a trial underway at George Washington University because he was eager to become part of a massive, accelerated effort to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus that causes the disease covid-19. (Kunkle, 9/13)
The New York Times:
Are Fever Checks A Good Gatekeeper For Covid?
In recent weeks, a new cadre of gatekeepers armed with thermometer guns has appeared at the entrances of hospitals, office buildings and manufacturing plants to screen out feverish individuals who may carry the coronavirus. Employees at some companies must report their temperature on apps to get clearance to come in. And when indoor dining resumes at restaurants in New York City later this month, temperature checks will be done at the door. (Caryn Rabin, 9/13)
The New York Times:
The Doctor Tackling A Coronavirus Mystery In Children
When the coronavirus arrived in the United States, it took many doctors and medical professionals by surprise. Alberto Paniz-Mondolfi was not one of them. He also wasn’t shocked when, a few months later, small numbers of infected children began exhibiting strange, widespread inflammatory symptoms. As someone who spent years fighting epidemics in South America, he learned how pathogens spread and what they can do. “When you deal with these guys, you kind of develop an instinct,” he said. “It’s like you can smell them.” (Wenner Moyer, 9/9)
CIDRAP:
Child-To-Child SARS-CoV-2 Spread Rare In German Schools, Study Finds
In another study yesterday in Eurosurveillance, German researchers report that child-to-child transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, appeared very uncommon after schools and childcare facilities in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg reopened. To gain a better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in schools and childcare facilities in Baden-Wurttemberg after they reopened in May, the researchers compiled and analyzed data from infected children (ages 0 to 19 years) who had been to those schools and childcare facilities from May 25 to Aug 5. (9/11)
AP:
Study: Kids Infected At Day Care Spread Coronavirus At Home
Children who caught the coronavirus at day cares and a day camp spread it to their relatives, according to a new report that underscores that kids can bring the germ home and infect others. Scientists already know children can spread the virus. But the study published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “definitively indicates — in a way that previous studies have struggled to do — the potential for transmission to family members,” said William Hanage, a Harvard University infectious diseases researcher. (Stobbe, 9/11)
AP:
Poll: Pandemic Takes Toll On Mental Health Of Young Adults
The coronavirus pandemic has taken a harsh toll on the mental health of young Americans, according to a new poll that finds adults under 35 especially likely to report negative feelings or experience physical or emotional symptoms associated with stress and anxiety. A majority of Americans ages 18 through 34 — 56% — say they have at least sometimes felt isolated in the past month, compared with about 4 in 10 older Americans, according to the latest COVID Response Tracking Study conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. Twenty-five percent of young adults rate their mental health as fair or poor, compared with 13% of older adults, while 56% of older adults say their mental health is excellent or very good, compared with just 39% of young adults. (Mumphrey and Sincol Kelleher, 9/11)
CIDRAP:
Swiss Study Finds Lower Aerobic Capacity In Soldiers With COVID-19
A study of Swiss Army personnel found reduced aerobic capacity in recruits with symptomatic COVID-19 1 to 2 months after diagnosis, Swiss and British researchers reported yesterday in Eurosurveillance. The study looked at 199 recruits (median age 21 years) belonging to two companies heavily affected by a COVID-19 outbreak at a Swiss Army base in March and April. The participants were sorted by infection status into three groups: convalescent recruits with symptomatic COVID-19 (n = 68), asymptomatic recruits with evidence of viral infection (n = 77), and a naïve group without clinical symptoms or evidence of infection (n = 54). The researchers then compared the results of a fitness test—which included an endurance run—conducted a median of 45 days after COVID-19 diagnosis with the results of the same test conducted 3 months before the outbreak. (9/11)
Fox News:
Uncontrolled Blood Pressure On Rise In US: Study
A recent study representative of the U.S. population found that uncontrolled blood pressure rose by 10% in 2017-18 compared to several years prior. Researchers from the University of Alabama published their findings on Wednesday in the JAMA Network. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a common, but dangerous condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, and the CDC says those with hypertension “might be at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19," though the study authors said it's uncertain. (Rivas, 9/12)
The Washington Post:
Weight Loss Can Lead To Big Health Improvement
If you’re obese, losing just 5 percent of your weight starts you on the path to better health, but new research finds that losing 13 percent of your weight may make a good-size dent in your chances of developing several unhealthy conditions. For instance, the odds of developing Type 2 diabetes were at least 42 percent lower among obese people who lost that much weight than for those who did not lose weight, according to a report from the European and International Congress on Obesity. (Searing, 9/13)
AP:
Experts: Revamped OxyContin Hasn't Curbed Abuse, Overdoses
A panel of government health advisers said Friday there’s no clear evidence that a harder-to-crush version of the painkiller OxyContin designed to discourage abuse actually resulted in fewer overdoses or deaths. The conclusion from the Food and Drug Administration advisory panel comes more than a decade after Purdue Pharma revamped its blockbuster opioid, which has long been blamed for sparking a surge in painkiller abuse beginning in the 1990s. (Perrone, 9/12)
Boston Globe:
BrainGate, Brain-Machine Interface Company, Donated To Tufts University
For more than a decade, scientist and entrepreneur Jeff Stibel’s company BrainGate has been developing ways to connect the human brain directly to computers. But Stibel doesn’t think the world is ready for his technology, because of the potential for abuse. So he’s giving away the company. (Bray, 9/11)
Stat:
When Private Equity Firms Invest In Women's Health Clinics, Who Benefits?
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to surge in the United States, Americans are becoming more aware of the deficits in their health care delivery system. Invisible to many, however, is the rapidly expanding role that private equity is playing in health care — especially for women. (Borsa, Bruch and Richardson, 9/14)
Yahoo News:
Hilary Swank Sues After She's Denied Coverage For Ovarian Cysts
Hilary Swank is suing the SAG-AFTRA health plan after she was denied coverage for the treatment of ovarian cysts. The Oscar-winning actress spoke out about her decision, slamming the “antiquated” policies that view “the role of women’s organs solely as a means for procreation.”“I’m truly exhausted by the way women’s ovarian and cyclical health issues continue to be treated by healthcare insurance companies,” the 46-year-old actress began. “I have experienced it in my own life, and I continually read about it across social media and in the press.” (Ryder, 9/10)
The Washington Post:
Dozens Of National Airport Workers May Have Been Exposed To Coronavirus
Dozens of workers at Reagan National Airport may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus after attending services at an Alexandria church last month. The possible exposures took place at the Kidane Mehret Church in Alexandria between Aug. 14 and Aug. 17, but it wasn’t until a week later, on Aug. 21, that city health officials were notified of a confirmed case of the virus linked to the church. (Aratani, 9/12)
Politico:
United CEO Sees Low Air Travel Until A Widely Available Vaccine
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said on Sunday that, while he believes it’s safe to fly now, he doesn't see air travel returning to prepandemic levels until a coronavirus vaccine is developed and widely distributed. “Our view is, demand is not coming back, people are not going to get back and travel like they did before until there is a vaccine that’s been widely distributed and available to a large portion of the population,” Kirby said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “I hope that happens sooner, but our guess is that's the end of next year.” (Naranjo, 9/13)
USA Today:
Southwest Airlines Escorts Mother, 2-Year-Old From Flight Over Mask
A woman traveling from Fort Myers, Florida, to Chicago said she was escorted off her Southwest Airline flight on Saturday because her 2-year-old son was snacking prior to takeoff and wasn't wearing his mask. Jodi Degyansky, 34, wants airlines to have more compassion for parents who have toddlers that might have difficulty donning their masks for a long time. "We are trying to get used to it, but he's 2," Degyansky said. (Montoya, 9/13)
The Wall Street Journal:
Is It OK To Reveal Your Anxiety Or Depression To Your Boss?
Workers everywhere are having a tough time. Should they ask for help on the job? The share of adults reporting symptoms of anxiety or depression ballooned during the pandemic, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, rising to 40.9% by mid-July. A similar national survey from the first half of 2019 put that number at 11%. For many, 2020 has ushered in fears of falling sick and losing a job, tension over the coming election and racial inequality, and a feeling of being overwhelmed by an untenable work-life juggle. (Feintzeig, 9/13)
NPR:
Redesigning The Office To Maximize Health
Office designers are scrambling now to try to get more members of the workforce safely back to their desks. Clear plastic sneeze guards have become familiar, as have floors taped off at 6-foot increments. But by 2025 or so, after the immediate threat of the coronavirus has likely passed, which short-term fixes will be part of the new normal? And what other design changes could be coming our way? While the scale of the current pandemic is new, the need for architects to prioritize human health is not, says Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg, director of the Institute for Health in the Built Environment. "We've designed buildings for 100-year floods," he says. "Now we have to learn to design for the 100-year flu." (Vaughn, 9/14)