Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Pros, Cons Of An Early Vaccine; Modelers Of Sturgis Study Jump Off The Rails
Bloomberg: Vaccine By November? Great For Economy, Less So For Jobs
Falling cases of the coronavirus imply that the U.S. economy could improve over the next month or two as lockdowns ease and Americans resume their normal lives. There is, however, an unexpected short-term risk: that a vaccine will be ready by November. To be absolutely clear, over the medium and long term a vaccine will be a godsend for economic growth. Even if it weren’t, a lower death rate is well worth a few more quarters of higher unemployment. Nonetheless, there is a possibility that the introduction of a vaccine could actually lead to a sharp if temporary deceleration in job growth. (Karl W. Smith, 9/9)
The Wall Street Journal: The Sturgis Statistical Misfire
Holy Hell’s Angels. Last month’s motorcycle rally among the deplorables in Sturgis, South Dakota, contributed to 266,796 Covid-19 cases and $12.2 billion in public-health costs—or so claims a new study widely flogged by the media. Here is another example of how flawed statistical models can generate grossly exaggerated projections. The annual 10-day rally with live performances, races and bike shows drew 460,000 Americans from around the country to the small town of Sturgis (population: 7,000). South Dakota is among the few states that never imposed a shelter-in-place order or face-mask mandate. It has also let restaurants and bars operate without restrictions. (9/9)
Stat: An Open Letter To AstraZeneca's CEO On Transparency
Dear Pascal Soriot, I’d like to talk to you about your priorities. Your company, AstraZeneca, is investing heavily in the development of a Covid-19 vaccine — and you have said you have no intention of turning a profit on any vaccine in the midst of a pandemic. But I have concerns about your commitment to transparency. When the news broke late Tuesday that a participant in your late-stage Covid-19 vaccine trial experienced a serious reaction, the company would only confirm the trial was put on hold in order to review safety data due to a “potentially unexplained illness.” (Ed Silverman, 9/9)
Seattle Times: Job No. 1 For President Biden: Scientific Integrity
Imagine, if you would, that it is Jan. 21, 2021, and that Joe Biden is president of the United States. The nation awaits his first executive order — a formal presidential decree, binding on the executive branch, that directs departments and agencies what to do. At 9 a.m., the executive order appears. Its name? “Scientific Integrity.” Here are its opening words:“Science and the scientific process must inform and guide decisions of my administration on a wide range of issues, including improvement of public health, protection of the environment, increased efficiency in the use of energy and other resources, mitigation of the threat of climate change and protection of national security.'' (Cass R. Sunstein, 9/9)
The Washington Post: The NFL Is Ready For Some Football In This Season Of Covid-19
As our league has prepared for the kickoff of its 101st season on Thursday night, we have encountered challenges shared by businesses, schools and places of worship as they contemplate reopening after the pandemic lockdown. The league’s eagerness to return in full force has been modulated by our primary concern: the health and safety of players, coaches, staff and the public. We have worked with players, teams and medical experts to build a comprehensive game plan. Our hope is that transparency about our operations will contribute knowledge and insights that will aid the country’s pandemic response. (NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Allen Sills, 9/9)
Detroit News: Data Shows COVID-19 Is Not As Deadly As We Thought
After the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released an updated report regarding COVID-19 deaths in late August, which showed that only 6% of coronavirus deaths were solely due to the virus, some in the general public went ballistic. And rightfully so. Businesses have been shut down for months. Millions have become unemployed. Schools remain closed. Depression and suicides are rising. Since mid-March, life as we know it has been flipped upside down. And all of this was because we were told that COVID-19 was a super deadly virus that must be stopped at all costs, literally. (Christina Herrin, 9/9)
The Hill: With COVID-19 Receding, We The Patients Must Fix Health Care
With the COVID-19 danger possibly receding, the U.S. economy is beginning to return to its pre-COVID-19 health and vigor. The U.S. health care system remains dysfunctional and massively wasteful, diverting more than 1 trillion "health care" dollars from patient care to pay for federal bureaucracy. For years, polls have consistently shown that Americans' top concern is our sick health care system, with affordable insurance and inaccessible care. It is time to turn the national focus from viral response back to our collapsing system. (Dr. Deane Waldman, 9/9)
CNN: Why Canada Flattened The Curve -- And The US Didn't
It seems an awfully long time since Canadians were last lectured by the state on sexual behavior. Just as folks were headed out for Labor Day long weekend frolicking, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, warned fellow citizens to wear a mask while having sex and to avoid kissing people in order to prevent passing along a Covid-19 infection. (Michael Bociurkiw, 9/9)
The Hill: We Must Take Appropriate Measures That Allow Kids To Get Back To School
Labor Day has passed, and in most years, the entire country would now be back to school. Kids would be learning, catching up with old friends, and swapping stories from the summer. Teachers would have decorated and readied themselves for a year of struggles and smiles, learning and community. Traffic is always heaviest this time of year, because of school buses full of kids, and parents going to work, returning from summer vacations.But in far too many places, including much of Kentucky, this is not the reality. (Sen. Rand Paul, 9/9)
WBUR: This School Year, Low-Income Students Will Suffer The Most
In June 2019, 17 parents and two community-based organizations filed Mussotte v. Peyser with the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, arguing that the state had violated its constitutional duty to fund public education. This funding deficit disproportionately harmed low-income students, immigrant students and students of color, contended these families, the Chelsea Collaborative and the NAACP New England Area Conference. The lawsuit cited years of disinvestment and discrimination in the families' public schools. (Iván Espinoza-Madrigal and Lauren Sampson, 9/10)
Detroit Free Press: It Took A Lawsuit To Get My Special Needs Son The Help He Requires
The state’s failure to adequately invest in special education is just as fiscally shortsighted and tragic as the misguided decision to switch the city’s water source to the Flint River to try and save money — a decision that cost hundreds of millions and caused untold suffering. From the time he was 9 months old, I noticed developmental delays. First, it was the lack of eye contact. As he got older, he didn’t talk. He started hurting himself and others. Finally, when he was 3, we were able to have Jabari assessed. That’s when we learned he has autism. (Jeree Brown, 9/10)
