Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Newly Calculated Death Rate From Wuhan Lower Than Previous Estimates, Providing Some Hope
The New York Times: Coronavirus Death Rate In Wuhan Is Lower Than Previously Thought, Study Finds
A new study reports that people who became sick from the coronavirus in the Chinese city where the outbreak began likely had a lower death rate than previously thought. The study, published Thursday in the journal Nature Medicine, calculated that people with coronavirus symptoms in Wuhan, China, had a 1.4 percent likelihood of dying. Some previous estimates have ranged from 2 percent to 3.4 percent. (Belluck, 3/19)
The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Death Rate In Wuhan Lower Than Initial Estimates, New Study Finds
The rate cited in the study is also lower than a crude calculation of the global death rate, which has ranged between approximately 2% and 4%. That calculation is based on the number of confirmed cases and deaths world-wide, which change daily. Yet it is still deadlier than seasonal flu, which has a mortality rate of about 0.1%. The true mortality rate for Covid-19 still remains to be seen.A true death rate for a virus is important for public-health officials trying to slow and contain it, as well as for medical professionals who are caring for patients. High death rates also provoke public fear. (McKay, 3/19)
Stat: Understanding What Works: How The Coronavirus Is Being Beaten Back
With Europe and the United States locked in deadly battle with the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, a number of countries that were hit early by the virus are doing a far better job of beating it back. China, which is now diagnosing more cases in returning travelers than in people infected at home, reported no new domestically acquired cases on Wednesday, for the first time in more than two months. South Korea, which had an explosive outbreak that began in February, is aggressively battering down its epidemic curve. Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan have together reported only about 600 cases. (Branswell, 3/20)
The Washington Post: Why Coronavirus Is Killing Far More Men Than Women
With over 200,000 coronavirus cases worldwide and thousands of deaths, a striking pattern is appearing in the hardest-hit countries: More men are dying than women. Nowhere is this trend more pronounced than in Italy. Men make up nearly 60 percent of people with confirmed cases of the virus and more than 70 percent of those who have died of covid-19, according to the country’s main public health research agency. (Mooney, Kaplan and Kim, 3/19)
NPR: People With Mild Symptoms Can Spread Coronavirus, European Researchers Warn
People infected with the coronavirus can spread it easily, even if they're not yet experiencing severe symptoms of the disease, according to virologists watching the pandemic unfold in Europe. "In this infection, we see very high levels of virus in the upper airway, in the nose and throat," says Marion Koopmans, head of the department of virus science at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands. She is involved with the public health response to the outbreak in the Netherlands. Those high levels of the virus mean that the coronavirus can infect others "the moment you start to sneeze, you start to cough," she says. (Brumfiel, 3/19)
Kaiser Health News: Was The Novel Coronavirus Really Sneaky In Its Spread To The U.S.? Experts Say No.
Unveiling a series of policies meant to mitigate the threat of COVID-19, President Donald Trump also sought to respond to criticism that his administration has been slow to deal with what is now a worldwide pandemic. In particular, the president defended his administration on the issue of insufficient testing resources and what experts say is a looming shortage of medical equipment and personnel. (Luthra, 3/19)
Reuters: Explainer: What Is Herd Immunity And Will It Affect The Pandemic?
With the new coronavirus outbreak, current evidence suggests that one infected person on average infects between two and three others. This means that, if no other measures are taken, herd immunity would kick in when between 50% and 70% of a population is immune. “But it doesn’t have to be –- and it won’t be –- this way,” said Matthew Baylis, a professor at the Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences at Liverpool University. (3/19)
ProPublica: What Coronavirus Means For Pregnancy And Other Things New And Expecting Mothers Should Know
Over the next three months, nearly a million women in the United States will give birth to nearly a million babies — a huge influx of mostly healthy, highly vulnerable patients into a hospital system that’s about to come under unprecedented strain. Pregnant women, not surprisingly, are anxious. Those in their third trimester, looking to deliver during an epidemic, are close to frantic. (Martin, 3/19)
The New York Times: How To Donate Blood As Coronavirus Threatens The U.S. Supply
The nation’s blood supply faces a dire shortage.“It’s an unprecedented situation,” said Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer of biomedical services at the American Red Cross. “We are already actively triaging units, determining which hospitals can and can’t get blood.” While donor blood is not being used to treat coronavirus patients, transfusions are still needed for cases such as trauma, organ transplants or complications of childbirth. (Wartik, 3/19)
USA Today: Some Severe Cases Of Coronavirus Could Result In Brain Damage, Inability To Walk
Acute respiratory distress syndrome, also known as ARDS, is a common killer among critically ill patients hospitalized with COVID-19. But even if they survive, it’s a long road to recovery. Patients develop ARDS in the late stages of the infection when the virus has caused significant damage to the lungs. In the process of trying to fight off the virus, the body sends immune cells to the lungs causing an inflammatory reaction. (Rodriguez, 3/19)
Los Angeles Times: Why We Should Learn To Accept The Coronavirus Craziness
Thanks to the new coronavirus, our plans for the future, once so clear and reasonable, now seem hazy and improbable. Who knows when our kids will go back to school, or when we will return to the office? Nobody can say how long dine-in restaurants will remain closed, or when we can finally meet friends for a much-needed drink. When can we pray with our congregations again? Throw a birthday party? Go to the movies? (Netburn, 3/19)
CNN: Disinfecting Wipes Are Being Flushed Down Toilets And Causing Major Pipe Problems
Disinfecting wipes are helping people combat the spreading of germs amid the coronavirus pandemic. But some experts say the wipes, arguably the supply that's been used to clean surfaces in homes the most, are harming sewers. Why? Because people are flushing wipes down toilets, rather than dumping them in the trash. Now, public agencies around the nation are urging people to solely throw their wipes in the trash, warning that not doing so could cause blockages and damage to sewer systems. (Kaur, 3/20)
The Associated Press: Filthy Lucre: Paper Money Shunned For Fear Of Virus Spread
In a world suffering a pandemic, cash is no longer king. A growing number of businesses and individuals worldwide have stopped using banknotes in fear that physical currency, handled by tens of thousands of people over their useful life, could be a vector for the spreading coronavirus. (Sweet, 3/20)
ABC News: Coronavirus Restrictions Put Extra Burden On The Blind Community: Experts
The novel coronavirus outbreak has forced millions of people around the world to limit what and who they touch and stay in place for the time being -- all methods to try to tamp down on the spread of the virus in the absence of a vaccine or treatment. But for the blind community, in particular, these restrictions create additional obstacles that may contribute to their already vulnerable state, experts said. (Pereira, 3/20)
The New York Times: Stuck At Home, Americans Turn To Foster Pets For Companionship
When the Animal Care Centers of NYC put a call out on Friday for applications to its fostering program, it was looking to fill 200 available slots, a spokeswoman for the shelter said. Two thousand people applied. “One of the reasons we found that people are unable to adopt pets in New York City is because they are never home,” the spokeswoman, Katy Hansen, said. “They say it is not fair to the animal, or they are not able to spend enough time with them.” (Garcia, 3/19)
The Washington Post: How To Avoid Stress-Eating In A Time Of Coronavirus
You’re mostly stuck inside, your children are home from school, and the coronavirus pandemic is making the future seem less certain by the day. If you’re like 27 percent of Americans, you might seek comfort in a familiar place: the refrigerator. (Iati, 3/19)
