Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Why Are People Taking Ivermectin For Covid?; Australia Struggling With Delta
Seattle Times: Why Vaccine Skeptics Are All In On Ivermectin
The family of Randy Clouse, a 61-year-old Auburn, Ill., man who has been on a ventilator for almost four weeks, asked a judge last month to order the hospital caring for Clouse to give him ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug that has not been shown to help those infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes covid-19. As his attorney told a local TV station, “They’ve given him remdesivir, they’ve given steroids. That’s their protocol, they’re done with the protocol. We’ve asked the court to allow ivermectin.” A different court in Ohio ruled last week that a hospital there had to give the drug to Jeffrey Smith after his wife sued to allow the treatment. (Jennifer Reich, 9/7)
The New York Times: Covid Zero Is No Longer Working For Australia
Australia was, until recently, heralded for its effective suppression of Covid-19; through strict border closures, prolonged lockdowns and its fortune as a remote island continent, the country was able to avoid a large-scale outbreak. The Delta variant has, however, turned that success upside down. (Edward Cliff and Brian Fernandes, 9/8)
The Washington Post: It’s Time For Biden To Reset The Battle Against Covid-19
It is time for President Biden to reset the battle against covid-19. The nation’s high expectations for recovery were dashed this summer by the onslaught of the delta variant and the irresponsibility of a large share of unvaccinated people who fell ill. The country has the tools to fight back; it is now suffering through a self-inflicted epidemic. In his planned address to the nation Thursday, Mr. Biden can launch a fresh campaign to use those tools, and the country must help him carry it out, aggressively and wisely. (9/8)
Los Angeles Times: Firefighters, Police Should Support COVID Vaccine Mandates
It does not bode well for Los Angeles or the end of the pandemic that so many city firefighters and police officers have refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and are opposing the city’s vaccine mandate for employees. The Times recently reported that a group of city firefighters have launched a protest effort, Firefighters for Freedom, “to stop the mandated vaccinations for all city employees as well as the citizens of this great country.” Some 350 firefighters are working with an attorney to block the mandate. And “hundreds” of sworn and civilian Los Angeles Police Department staff have joined Roll Call 4 Freedom, a subgroup of the firefighters’ effort. (9/8)
The Baltimore Sun: As Schools Open And Delta Surges, Here’s What My Family Experienced When COVID Came Calling — So You Can Prep Your Own
As schools in Maryland and across the country resume operation in-person amid the incredibly infectious delta variant of the coronavirus, parents of elementary school children are particularly anxious — and with good reason. Our kids are not yet eligible for vaccination, and in many cases, they’re returning to schools that are operating at full capacity, with packed classrooms, inadequate ventilation and poor pandemic protocols. My daughter’s Baltimore City school confirmed a case of COVID before the first day was even over, and they’re not even set to begin asymptomatic testing of students until next week. (Tricia Bishop, 9/7)
The Boston Globe: American COVID Boosters And Global Vaccinations — How To Ensure Both Get Done
Over the next few months, the Biden administration will offer all fully vaccinated Americans a COVID-19 booster shot — assuming it can get approval, based on limited data, from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Meanwhile, about 47 percent of Americans — and over 70 percent of people around the world — are still not fully vaccinated. Can the United States boost the already vaccinated while vaccinating the unvaccinated? (Govind Persad, William Fiske Parker and Ezekiel J. Emanuel, 9/9)
Modern Healthcare: Florida CEO Urges Crucial COVID-19 Vaccine Conversations Amid Personal Loss And Protests
COVID-19 hit home for me some time ago, but never as hard as it did on Friday the 13th. With 209 people battling COVID-19 and 574 other patients with serious to severe medical conditions in the hospital that day, the entire team at Sarasota Memorial Hospital was stretched beyond thin. Staff, space and supplies were reaching a critical tipping point. (David Verinder, 9/8)
