Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Just Kidding! 113 Rhode Islanders Got False Positives For COVID
Boston Globe: 113 Rhode Islanders Were Told They Had COVID-19 When They Didn’t
A total of 113 Rhode Islanders were told earlier this month that their COVID-19 tests came back positive when they were actually negative, the state Department of Health reported Friday. The false positive test results came from a private laboratory in New York that is partnering with the East Side Clinical Laboratory in Providence. (Fitzpatrick, 7/18)
The Washington Post: How To Understand Your Coronavirus Test Results, From Swabs To Antibodies
Americans are being swabbed by the thousands to learn if they have covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. It’s how many are determining their risk of contracting or spreading the virus to someone else. Experts say testing is a vital component to controlling the outbreak, but one test result still isn’t a green light to visit vulnerable friends or family members. The nature of covid-19, the time it takes for someone to develop symptoms and the varied ways the virus affects people make each test a snapshot in time more than a definitive answer. (Amenabar, 7/19)
Reuters: Symptom Tracker App Reveals Six Distinct Types Of COVID-19 Infection - Reuters
British scientists analysing data from a widely-used COVID-19 symptom-tracking app have found there are six distinct types of the disease, each distinguished by a cluster of symptoms. A King’s College London team found that the six types also correlated with levels of severity of infection, and with the likelihood of a patient needing help with breathing - such as oxygen or ventilator treatment - if they are hospitalised. (7/17)
Kaiser Health News: For COVID Tests, The Question Of Who Pays Comes Down To Interpretation
In advance of an upcoming road trip with her elderly parents, Wendy Epstein’s physician agreed it would be “prudent” for her and her kids to get tested for COVID-19. Seeing the tests as a “medical need,” the doctor said insurance would likely pay for them, with no out-of-pocket cost to Epstein. But her children’s pediatrician said the test would count as a screening test — since the children were not showing symptoms — and she would probably have to foot the bill herself. (Appleby, 7/20)
Kaiser Health News: As Coronavirus Patients Skew Younger, Tracing Task Seems All But Impossible
Younger people are less likely to be hospitalized or die of COVID-19 than their elders, but they circulate more freely while carrying the disease, and their cases are harder to trace. Together, these facts terrify California hospital officials. People under 50 make up 73% of those testing positive for the disease in the state since the beginning of June, compared with 52% before April 30. That shift isn’t comforting to Dr. Alan Williamson, chief medical officer of Eisenhower Health in Riverside County’s Coachella Valley. (Almendrala, 7/20)
