Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Make Nursing Homes The Top Priority For Regular Testing; Science Denial Just Never Stops
The Washington Post: The Staggering Coronavirus Toll At Nursing Homes Justifies Extreme Measures
Residents and staff of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities account for roughly half of 1 percent of the U.S. population, and more than a third of the covid-19 deaths. That justifies extreme measures by federal officials and states, but so far both have balked. On a call Monday with governors, Vice President Pence strongly recommended testing at nursing homes nationwide, and Deborah Birx, the White House pandemic task force coordinator, said, “We really believe that all 1 million nursing home residents need to be tested within next two weeks as well as the staff,” according to a recording of the call obtained by the Associated Press. Yet, federal officials and most governors have stopped short of mandating such tests. An exception is New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D), who has ordered twice-weekly testing for nursing home staff in his state — and warned that facilities that fail to comply risk losing their operating licenses. Other governors should follow suit. (5/14)
Stat: Is Anthony Fauci Today's Galileo Galilei, The Champion Of Science?
Defending science and scientific integrity can be a frustrating and lonely battle. As I watch Dr. Anthony Fauci do this on the news, I think of another “battler” who ultimately had the last word. In 1638, Galileo Galilei, had been under arrest for several years in his home in Arcetri, near Florence. The great scientist had been sentenced to confinement by the Roman Inquisition because he was “vehemently suspected of heresy.” (Mario Livio, 5/14)
Los Angeles Times: Rand Paul Isn't Subliterate Like Trump, But He Spreads Lies
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, once a practicing ophthalmologist, is at it again. In a Senate hearing Tuesday, he faced down Anthony Fauci, immunologist and leader in President Trump’s coronavirus task force, on topics far from his specialty. In measured, professorial speech — a far cry from Trump’s subliterate yawps — Paul, who has boasted that he likes spreading misinformation, was disseminating the kind of lies that get people killed. He took on Fauci with bothsides-ism, pretending there’s a world of public-health experts who disagree with Fauci’s warning against recklessly reopening the economy. This just isn’t true. No public-health conflict exists. (Virginia Heffernan, 5/15)
Modern Healthcare: The Payer-Provider Disconnect
Call it the big disconnect. Thousands of healthcare provider groups face financial ruin. Tens of millions of Americans are losing insurance coverage. Yet private health insurers are doing just fine, thank you. So far, Congress has responded only to the provider crisis. Social distancing has cut hospital revenue by an estimated 30% to 40%. Local physician practices, with primary care hardest hit, have seen declines of up to 90%. (Merrill Goozner, 5/14)
Stat: Covid-19 Testing For All Isn't The Right Strategy For Moving Ahead
In response to calls for Covid-19 testing of the entire U.S. population, several large universities, and even some employers, have announced plans for extensive Covid-19 testing of their employees (and students) to support a safe return to work and school. These efforts are based on expert recommendations, some of which call for repeated testing of the entire population (using the PCR test) every 14 days, or even more often. Such initiatives could require millions of tests in the U.S. each and every day. (Michael Hochman, 5/15)
The Hill: While Businesses May Open, Avoid Business As Usual
The COVID-19 global pandemic continues to spread and impact the lives of the children who are out of school, the senior citizens who are most vulnerable to the virus, and pretty much everyone in between. To halt the spread, much of the nation has been social distancing and sheltering in place for over a month now. The good news is the curve is starting to show signs of flattening in certain parts of the country, bringing to light the urgent question on everyone’s mind: when can we reopen? (Dr. Emily Landon, Dr. Shikha Jain and Dr. Vineet Arora, 5/14)
Stat: Contact Tracing Must Balance Privacy And Public Health
Contact tracing armies in California and New Jersey. Rapid-response contact tracing in Washington. Track and trace in Connecticut. Across the country, governors are putting contact tracing — the tried-and-true public health practice of finding individuals who were in contact someone with an infectious disease — front and center in their Covid-19 reopening strategies. (David Blumenthal and Richard Blumenthal, 5/15)
Los Angeles Times: Doctor Fights Coronavirus By Day, Loneliness By Night
As I make my way into my building’s elevator after a long hospital shift, a neighbor throws his arm out to stop me. “Sorry,” he says, “only one person per elevator.” Seeing my confusion, our doorman kindly but firmly corrects him. “Two per elevator is fine.” I take a step toward the open doors, but the passenger again holds up his palm. “Please,” he pleads, his eyes glancing frantically at my scrubs. “Please, just take a different one.” Speechless, I take the next elevator and arrive at my New York City apartment filled with my son’s toys, untouched since he and my wife moved out nearly 40 days ago. (Samuel Yamshon, 5/14)
The Hill: COVID-19 Could Exacerbate Eating Disorders Rates In Children — Here's How To Combat It
The COVID-19 pandemic has temporarily moved students’ classrooms to their dining room tables. This has been quite an adjustment for teachers, students and parents alike. While most districts around the country are continuing with virtual learning for at least the rest of the school year, we can’t afford to not focus on students’ physical and mental wellbeing as well as their academic success. (Joslyn Smith, 5/14)
Stat: Life With Autism Has Been Completely Upended By Covid-19
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted daily life for most people around the world. It has completely upended it for people with autism and their families. My son Muhammed — we call him Mu — is 15 years old and severely autistic... Like everyone else, Mu has good days and bad ones. But even on his good days, daily life can be a challenge. (Feda Almaliti, 5/15)
The Hill: Without Transparency, We Can't Trust Robot Operators — Especially In A Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic is exponentially increasing the need for robots in our already exceedingly robo-reliant lives... If we continue along this trajectory, our day-to-day lives will become even more robot intensive, with robots increasingly making or advising our decisions. This new reality will offer some benefits. But should we trust the operators of these intelligent robots that are becoming the fabric of our everyday lives? (Vasant Dhar, 5/14)
CNN: Restaurants Will Need A Miracle To Survive The Coronavirus Pandemic
Restaurants, especially independent ones, have been decimated by the pandemic. Without access to the same financing options as large corporate chains, restaurant owners like me have to figure out whether and how to stay open -- or just quit the business altogether... As more states begin phasing in restaurant reopening, many of us have no idea what the right move is. But we do know this: We need drastic, realistic solutions so restaurants can survive into the Covid-era future. (Rohini Dey, 5/14)
