Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Health Experts, Leaders Acknowledge Black Trauma Even As They Worry Protests Will Worsen Pandemic
Reuters: U.S. Health Experts, Officials Warn Protests May Add To Virus Spread
Public health experts and government officials, including New York’s governor, are warning that large street protests over racial inequities and excessive police force could worsen the spread of the novel coronavirus. The protests over the death of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, in police custody in Minneapolis last Monday, have spread to cities including New York, Los Angeles, and Baltimore. (Humer, 6/1)
The Wall Street Journal: Officials Fear U.S. Protests Will Spread Coronavirus; No New Cases For Spain
New York: Leaders in the state said they were concerned about a possible resurgence of coronavirus stemming from the protests, but acknowledged the significance of the demonstrations sparked by George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. “It’s very hard to say to people, when there’s such pain, such anger, that you say don’t come out because of the pandemic,” said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. “For those who have made either presence felt, made their voices heard, the safest thing from this point is to stay home, obviously,” he added. “We don’t want people in close proximity to each other.” (Calfas and Rasmussen, 6/1)
NPR: Anti-Racism Protests Versus COVID-19 Risk: 'I Wouldn't Weigh These Crises Separately'
Tens of thousands of people, masked and unmasked, have thronged the streets of Minneapolis, Atlanta, Louisville, Ky., and other cities in the week since George Floyd died after a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck. They are the largest public gatherings in the U.S. since the pandemic forced widespread shutdowns, and many local officials warned of a possible spike in new cases in one or two weeks. "Risk of transmission is lower in open spaces, but wherever there is a gathering there is still the risk of transmitting the virus," said Dr. Elaine Nsoesie, an assistant professor of global health at Boston University. (Chappell, 6/1)
The Hill: Protests Risk Spread Of Coronavirus
“With protests, there is a high risk of spread in the sense that people are in close quarters with each other, they're screaming and yelling,” said Abraar Karan, a public health expert and internist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Health officials and experts are walking a fine line between telling protesters to go home, a warning that would almost certainly be ignored, and acknowledging the threat of the virus. The California Department of Public Health published recommendations for protesting while maintaining social distance. (Wilson, 6/1)
The Hill: Health Groups Call Police Brutality A Public Health Issue
Several leading health groups are speaking out against police brutality, calling it a public health issue that leads to poorer health outcomes for communities of color, especially during a pandemic. “Police brutality in the midst of public health crises is not crime-preventive — it creates demoralized conditions in an already strained time,” American Medical Association President Patrice Harris and Board Chair Jesse Ehrenfeld said in a statement. (Hellmann, 6/1)
Politico: Mass Protests Could Undo Hard-Won Progress In Pandemic
Mass protests over police brutality have shuttered coronavirus testing sites, complicated efforts to track people who have been exposed and set off fears among local officials that the unrest could spark fresh waves of virus infection. Testing sites in Pennsylvania, Florida, California and Illinois closed after violence broke out over the weekend, limiting cities’ ability to track the virus just as thousands of people participate in crowded demonstrations across the country. (Ollstein, Ehley, Goldberg and Lim, 6/1)
Sacramento Bee: Coronavirus Testing Sites Close Down In Some Cities Hit By Protests, Violenc
Community coronavirus testing sites are closing in several states as a precaution as protests and unrest spread over the death of George Floyd in police custody.Among the closures are sites in Illinois, California and Florida, according to reports. (Sweeney, 6/1)
Politico: Surgeon General: 'You Understand The Anger'
There will likely be a new rash of coronavirus cases following widespread protests this weekend over racism and the death of George Floyd — but people’s concerns need to be heard, Surgeon General Jerome Adams said in an interview. “I remain concerned about the public health consequences both of individual and institutional racism [and] people out protesting in a way that is harmful to themselves and to their communities,” Adams said in a phone call. (Owermohle, 6/1)
Boston Globe: Trump Vows To Crack Down On Protesters, Ignoring Issues Of Racism And Brutality Fueling Unrest
As heavily armed police officers advanced on peaceful protesters outside the White House Monday night, President Trump declared recent acts of protest across the country “domestic terror” and vowed to crack down on any future group violence in a brief speech that did not address the issue of racism or police brutality that has fueled the unrest. (Bidgood and Goodwin, 6/1)
Sacramento Bee: Pepper Balls And Tear Gas: Here’s How Police Crowd-Control Measures Affect The Body
Protesters and journalists have been met with tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper balls at rallies and riots across the U.S. over the death of 46-year-old George Floyd, who died while in police custody in Minnesota. The measures used by police, while not lethal, are designed to break up crowds and — in the case of pepper spray — can also be used by the general public for personal protection, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But they can cause permanent damage. (Fowler, 6/1)
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Impact Of COVID-19 Shutdown — And Now Police Brutality — May Cause Increase In ‘Deaths Of Despair’
Even before protesters across the country took to the streets in rage and grief over police brutality, Americans were already facing unprecedented stress, isolation, depression, and fear brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this month, as the country began to consider relaxing stay-at-home orders and reopening businesses, experts warned that the months of isolation and unemployment prompted by the coronavirus pandemic may increase deaths of despair, a term for an alarming rise in early deaths among young and mid-life Americans, from suicide, drug overdoses, and alcoholism. (Ao and Whelan, 6/1)
Modern Healthcare: Lockdowns, Curfews Limit Workers, Patients Access To Hospitals
As cities across the U.S. shut down access into and out of downtown areas in response to protests and riots over the death of George Floyd, access to hospitals is being limited for medical staff and patients. Health systems are limiting services, offering tips on how to clear police checkpoints and working with law enforcement to help staff and patients get to their facilities. (Christ, 6/1)
