Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Mayo Clinic Blundered Badly By Allowing Pence In Without A Mask; Nurses Aren't Getting The Respect They Deserve
The Star Tribune: Pence Should Have Worn A Mask During Visit, And Mayo Should Have Insisted
Mayo Clinic is one of the world’s most-respected medical institutions, and generations of its leaders have fiercely protected and furthered that reputation. That’s why it’s so hard to understand how a self-inflicted public relations blunder occurred Tuesday with the apparent consent of its current president and CEO, Dr. Gianrico Farrugia. Vice President Mike Pence’s visit to the Rochester, Minn., medical center to laud its COVID-19 response garnered national coverage. What should have been a slam-dunk to polish Mayo’s trusted name instead raised unnecessary questions about its institutional values. (4/29)
The Washington Post: Mike Pence Didn’t Wear A Mask … To Keep His Eyes Uncovered?
“And since I don’t have the coronavirus, I thought it’d be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers, these incredible health-care personnel, and look them in the eye and say, ‘Thank you.’” — Vice President Pence, explaining his decision not to wear a mask at the Mayo Clinic, in defiance of its policy that all visitors wear masks. Well, it is worse than I thought. Mike Pence, who is heading up our coronavirus task force, does not know where the eyes are located on the face. (Alexandra Petri, 4/29)
USA Today: Coronavirus Leadership Test: Mike Pence Skips Mask, Fails As Role Model
Here’s the thing, Mr. Vice President: Real men wear masks. Not just those unmartial milksops like French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron, who believes in diplomacy, plays classical piano and can recite an alarming quantity of Molière from memory. Or like Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who after all lives in California, which is kind of the France of the United States. No, amid this coronavirus pandemic, some of the world’s most dedicated and dictatorial thugs have been seen in protective gear, including even the famously bare-chested Vladimir Putin. (Melinda Henneberger, 4/29)
CNN: Pence Unmasked Shows His Obedience To Trump
Who was that unmasked man hovering dangerously close to everyone at the Mayo Clinic? It was Vice President Mike Pence, doing his best imitation of President Donald Trump's super-troll leadership style. More importantly, he was publicly demonstrating that whatever personal strength he possessed when he agreed in 2016 to be Trump's understudy has now pathetically withered. (Michael D'Antonio, 4/29)
JAMA: Moving Personal Protective Equipment Into The Community: Face Shields And Containment Of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic arrived swiftly and found many countries unprepared. Even highly prepared countries are now facing second-wave outbreaks that have forced implementation of extreme social distancing measures. To minimize the medical and economic consequences, it is important to rapidly assess and adopt a containment intervention bundle that drives transmissibility to manageable levels. Face shields, which can be quickly and affordably produced and distributed, should be included as part of strategies to safely and significantly reduce transmission in the community setting. Now is the time for adoption of this practical intervention. (Eli N. Perencevich, Daniel J. Diekema, and Michael B. Edmond, 4/29)
WBUR: Applauding Nurses From The Windows, Exploiting Them On The Job
By botching the federal response and playing the crisis for political advantage, the Trump administration is not just failing to contain the virus — it is failing American care-workers. The administration and profit-driven hospitals are taking advantage of nurses’ ethic of care, rooted in women's historical obligation to meet the needs of the ill and vulnerable. (Nell Lake, 4/30)
Stat: Are Infertility Treatments 'Essential' During The Covid-19 Pandemic?
As the Covid-19 epidemic began to put an unprecedented strain on the U.S. health care system, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services along with many state agencies issued directives that non-essential care be discontinued. The goal was to redeploy resources that were being used for them to fight the spreading coronavirus. (Shailin A. Thomas and Arthur Caplan, 4/30)
Houston Chronicle: Let Patients Continue To See Doctor At Home Using Technology After Pandemic
Paradoxically, in forcing some patients to stay home, the pandemic is spurring a digital revolution as health care providers rapidly scaleup remote-access options for patients.A trip to the doctor is never just a trip to the doctor. Time off from work can add financial strain, missing school can affect academic performance for children, and the time and cost of commuting limits when and how families can even reach a doctor. The COVID-19 pandemic has made matters worse. (Timothy Singer and Zachary Tabb, 4/30)
