Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Longer Looks: The Anti-Vaccine Community And COVID-19; A Different Kind Of Recession; The Privilege Of Immunity
Undark: How The Anti-Vaccine Community Is Responding To Covid-19
In early March, Melissa Floyd, a self-described health freedom educator who co-hosts “The Vaccine Conversation” podcast, was forced to abruptly change plans. She and her co-host were supposed to pack up for a live multi-city tour. But the public health crisis borne from Covid-19 delayed the start of their tour for months. Floyd and her co-host, Bob Sears, a California-based pediatrician who advocates a delayed vaccine schedule and skipping some vaccines, addressed the cancellation in a podcast episode, noting that they don’t have any personal fear of the virus. Our government agencies, Floyd said, “are talking about washing your hands, but why aren’t they talking about things you can do to boost your immune system like vitamin D? Why aren’t they talking about reducing sugar? Why aren’t they talking about eating fruits and vegetables and staying away from processed foods? (Gammon, 4/16)
Politico: Why This Recession Will Be Different (And How To Keep It Mild)
The new threat of Covid-19 has thrust new cadres of experts into the public eye, mostly from the health world. Now that we’re heading into a sharp and sudden economic downturn, with ballooning unemployment and a stock market down almost 20 percent, attention is turning to a new kind of expert: recession whizzes. Duke University’s Campbell Harvey, an economist best known for discovering a crucial bellwether of coming recessions, has suddenly found himself much in demand. Since late March, Harvey has been asked to speak multiple times to virtual audiences; 1,000 people tuned in Saturday night to hear what he thinks will happen as Covid-19 shutters the global economy. (Guinto, 4/13)
The Atlantic: The Privilege Of Immunity
When a young man named Isaac H. Charles arrived in yellow-fever-ravaged New Orleans in 1847, he did not, as one might expect, try to avoid the deadly disease, which killed as many as half of its victims at the time. He welcomed yellow fever—and, more importantly, the lifelong immunity he would have if he survived it. Luckily, he did. “It is with great pleasure,” he wrote to his cousin, “that I am able to tell you with certainty, that both [my brother] Dick & I are acclimated.” (Zhang, 4/16)
Undark: How The Covid-19 Pandemic May Reshape U.S. Hospital Design
As COVID-19 fill emergency rooms and intensive care units across the U.S., local officials have been rushing to convert hotels, convention centers, and city parks into new hospital spaces. Amid the scramble, many physicians, architects, and health care consultants are already talking about how modern hospital designs could change to avoid a repeat of the current national crisis. One clear lesson: Modern hospitals often lack the flexibility to accommodate a sudden surge of patients. In particular, many hospitals have been running out of space and resources to treat Covid-19 patients with severe symptoms, while at the same time handling those with mild symptoms and the asymptomatic who may infect health care workers and other patients. (Hsu, 4/16)
The New York Times: A Week At The Pandemic's Epicenter
Inside the underfunded, overwhelmed public hospitals that are trying to save New York. (Montgomery and Mahler, 4/15)
