Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
NEJM: Symptom-Based Screening Misses Many Cases In Military
CNN: Many Military Covid-19 Cases Are Asymptomatic, Studies Show
Covid-19 can spread quickly among active military members and recruits -- and two new reports detail how this has happened in some past outbreaks. The papers, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday, reveal that many military personnel and recruits who test positive for coronavirus infection show no symptoms at all, which suggests asymptomatic spread of the disease has likely played a big role in outbreaks. (Howard, 11/11)
AP: Fever, Symptom Screening Misses Many Coronavirus Cases
Temperature and COVID-19 symptom checks like the ones used at schools and doctor’s offices have again proved inadequate for spotting coronavirus infections and preventing outbreaks. A study of Marine recruits found that despite these measures and strict quarantines before they started training, the recruits spread the virus to others even though hardly any of them had symptoms. None of the infections were caught through symptom screening. (Marchione, 11/11)
ABC News: Broad Study Of Marine Recruits Shows Limits Of COVID-19 Symptom Screening
A research study of more than 1,800 young Marine recruits has found that symptom-based screening methods like temperature checks and screening questions rarely detect individuals infected with COVID-19 who are not showing any symptoms. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the joint study by Navy medical researchers and Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine, has implications for schools, colleges and businesses that often rely on these measure in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus in group settings and it indicates that the possible addition of testing might be a more reliable way to reach that goal. (Martinez, 11/11)
