Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Masks Again Recommended By Officials In NYC, Other Major Cities
Bloomberg: New York City Recommends Masks As Covid-19, Flu, RSV Rise
The New York City Health Commissioner on Friday issued a health advisory urging residents to mask up in public indoor and crowded outdoor settings. (Barton, 12/9)
NPR: Authorities Are Urging Indoor Masking In Major Cities As The 'Tripledemic' Rages
Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, noted this past week that the simultaneous combination of viruses has been straining healthcare systems across the country. The center's map that tracks COVID-19 community levels has been showing more orange recently, a color indicating an area of "high" infection, Walensky told NPR's Alisa Chang on All Things Considered. (Kim, 12/11)
Fox News: Fauci Acknowledges Americans Have Mandate 'Fatigue': 'People Don't Like To Be Told What To Do'
In an interview with Fox 5 New York, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert said that while he believes future decisions about implementing restrictions should be left up to the discretion of local health authorities, he knows that people "don't like being told what to do." (Musto, 12/10)
Covid, flu, and RSV are surging across the U.S. —
Politico: ‘The Situation In The Hospitals Is Grim’: States Face Brutal Virus Fallout
State health officials are warning people that time is running out to get vaccinated before gathering with family over the holidays as Covid-19 cases surge nationwide alongside unseasonably severe waves of flu and respiratory syncytial virus. The guidance comes after two excruciating holiday seasons that sent Covid-19 cases and deaths skyrocketing. And it underscores the ongoing struggle of public health officials at the state and federal level to get Americans vaccinated against the flu and Covid. (Messerly, 12/11)
AP: Hospitalizations Signal Rising COVID-19 Risk For US Seniors
Coronavirus-related hospital admissions are climbing again in the United States, with older adults a growing share of U.S. deaths and less than half of nursing home residents up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations. These alarming signs portend a difficult winter for seniors, which worries 81-year-old nursing home resident Bartley O’Hara, who said he is “vaccinated up to the eyeballs” and tracks coronavirus hospital trends as they “zoom up” for older adults, but remain flat for younger folks. (Johnson and Ungar, 12/11)
The Atlantic: It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Another COVID Surge
Here we go again: For the first time in several months, another wave seems to be on the horizon in the United States. In the past two weeks, reported cases have increased by 53 percent, and hospitalizations have risen by 31 percent. Virus levels in wastewater, which can provide an advance warning of spread, are following a similar trajectory. (Tayag, 12/11)
CIDRAP: US Flu Surge Continues Amid Jump In COVID Activity
The nation's flu activity remained at very high levels last week, as hospitalizations soared and states reporting seven more pediatric deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest update. (Schnirring, 12/9)
Also —
CIDRAP: Early-Pandemic COVID-19 Infections Linked To Depression
Patients who contracted COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic were 1.67 times more likely to show clinically significant levels of anxiety after 13 months, according to a British study published in Scientific Reports. (Soucheray, 12/9)
