Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
More Airlines Will Offer Digital Health Passes To Bring Back Passengers
FierceHealthcare: JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic Set To Roll Out COVID-19 'Health Pass' App In December
Following a successful test with United Airlines in October, four more major airlines plan to start offering passengers a digital health pass to certify they are COVID-19-free. JetBlue, Lufthansa, Swiss International Airlines, United Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic will begin the roll-out of CommonPass mobile app in December to help bring back global travel. The health pass app will be used on select flights departing from New York, Boston, London, and Hong Kong. (Landi, 11/25)
Boston Globe: Across The State, Lengthy Lines For COVID-19 Testing Reflect A Bigger Problem
Driven in part by holiday plans and fears of exposure amid a second wave, a record number of Massachusetts residents are seeking tests. At many sites, particularly the appointment-free locations meant to offer convenience, test-seekers are greeted by long lines that wind around buildings and blocks, through parking lots and playgrounds. Waits can extend for hours as staff struggle to test hundreds of people who suddenly — and urgently — want to know whether they have COVID-19. But don’t expect the lines to dissipate anytime soon. Experts warn that serious shortcomings in the state’s testing infrastructure, including inadequate space and staffing, have left providers ill-equipped to meet the demand for testing as the pandemic’s second wave crashes over the state. (Moore, 11/27)
AP: Sewage Testing Helps Health Officials For Virus Surges
A study that tests for parts of the coronavirus in sewage is giving public health workers advance notice of virus surges. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the City of Lawrence has been taking weekly sewage samples at both of its wastewater treatment plants to test for components of the virus shed in feces as part of a study contracted through the University of Kansas School of Engineering. The city has also been sharing that data with local and state health departments. (11/28)
KHN: ‘An Arm And A Leg’: How To Avoid A Big Bill For Your COVID Test
Tests for the coronavirus are supposed to be free. And, usually, they are. But sometimes … things happen. Here’s how to keep those things from happening to you. New York Times reporter Sarah Kliff has been asking readers to send in their COVID-testing bills. She’s now seen hundreds of them, and she ran down for us the most common ways things can go sideways, and how to avoid them. (Weissmann, 11/30)
