Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Time For Medical Professionals And The CDC To Recognize Racism; Safer Days For Kids
Stat: How The CDC And Others Are Failing Black Women During Childbirth
The alarming number of deaths of Black women during childbirth and soon afterward once gained little national attention. That changed, partly because of the high-profile deaths of Dr. Shalon Irving and Kira Johnson, and and the delayed response to Serena Williams’ request for treatment of a post-delivery complication. (Leslie Farrington, 9/18)
Bloomberg: Covid-19 Lockdowns May Have Saved Kids’ Lives
Covid-19 the disease has mostly spared children’s lives, but it is widely expected that the measures taken to slow its spread and the economic dislocation that has followed in its wake will have all sorts of negative consequences for them. A team of researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health projected in May that pandemic-induced disruptions to health care and food provision in developing countries will result in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children — possibly causing the first annual increase in the global child mortality rate in at least 60 years. Another group of researchers from Johns Hopkins, the International Food Policy Research Institute and elsewhere forecast in July that Covid-related malnutrition would claim the lives of 128,605 children under 5 around the world — mostly in Africa — this year. Even in rich countries where malnutrition is unlikely to be a major issue, the pandemic’s mental health consequences for young people could be dire. (Justin Fox, 9/17)
The Wall Street Journal: Playing ‘Would You Rather’ In The Covid Age
Sometimes the dice seem extra-loaded. Our son-in-law tested positive just as he and our daughter welcomed their second child. We’re fairly certain he’d been infected back in March—so chances are good that the dead virus lingering in his nasal passages was responsible for his getting kicked out of the hospital maternity ward and told to quarantine. He still had no sense of smell well into summer. But the what-if factor has been hard to shake. Should my wife and I really not visit our daughter, or our new grandson? If this were March or April we would have stayed away, but now? Then again, New York is still reporting hundreds of new cases daily. How could we, a couple of compromised 60-somethings, defy the most basic protocol? What would Dr. Fauci say? We took the leap and met our 7-pound grandson, Oliver, with his parents right beside him. (Allan Ripp, 9/17)
USA Today: College Football Celebrates COVID-19 Outbreaks At LSU, Texas Tech
The truth about what has gone on at college football programs over the past few months in pursuit of playing this fall has started to dribble out into public view. It’s not a flattering picture. (Dan Wolken, 9/15)
Modern Healthcare: COVID-19 Has Exposed The Urgent Need For A National Patient Safety Authority
For this year's World Patient Safety Day (Sept. 17), we must acknowledge what the pandemic has exposed: the U.S. fails in using its extraordinary technology and information system capabilities to keep its patients and healthcare workers safe. The current crisis only emphasizes what our annual death rate from preventable medical error—upwards of 250,000 people a year—reveals. We are not resilient, resourceful or prepared to protect patients or workers. The problems could be addressed with a strong national agency that can, at once, overcome a lack of preparedness for a pandemic as well as reduce our annual death toll from medical errors. (Karen Wolk Feinstein, 9/17)
The Guardian: I Volunteered To Be A Human Guinea Pig For A Covid Vaccine. Now I'm Having Second Thoughts
In May, I volunteered to be deliberately exposed to the coronavirus to quickly test vaccines in a potential “human challenge trial”. I am not alone: more than 37,000 people from 162 countries have volunteered through 1 Day Sooner, a non-profit advocating on behalf of these volunteers. The risks in such a trial are real and uncertain, but I felt ethically compelled to take that risk if it could save others. But now, I’m having second thoughts. (Thomas Gokey, 9/17)
Stat: 'Most Favored Nation' Reference Pricing For Drugs: A Scam For Seniors
The White House announced a most favored nations executive order on Sunday, its latest attempt to lower prescription drug costs in the U.S. The new policy, which relies on international price competition, promises to provide Americans with “the same low prices” for prescription medications available in other countries. (Susan Peschin, 9/16)
