Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Peru's Covid Death Toll Is Three Times The Official Count
The New York Times: Peru Says Its True Covid Death Toll Is Almost Triple Its Official Count
Peru said its Covid-19 death toll is almost three times as high as it had officially counted until now, making it one of the hardest-hit nations during the pandemic relative to its population. In a report released on Monday — which combined deaths from multiple databases and reclassified fatalities — the government said that 180,764 people died from Covid-19 through May 22, almost triple the official death toll of about 68,000. The new figure would mean that more people have died in Peru relative to its population than Hungary and the Czech Republic, the countries with the highest official death tolls per person, according to a New York Times database. (Martinez, 5/31)
The Washington Post: Doctors Prepare To Ration Care As Covid Surge Leaves Malaysia In ’Total Lockdown’
Coronavirus cases are soaring. Hospitals are growing crowded. And officials are warning that doctors may soon have to decide who lives. While India’s covid-19 crisis is far from over, the number of new coronavirus infections per million people in Malaysia has overtaken that of the more populous South Asian country. Malaysia, with its roughly 32 million people, now registers more new cases per capita than any medium- or large-sized country in Asia, according to Our World in Data, which tracks publicly available figures. (Miller, 5/31)
Reuters: Long Lines And Confusion As Venezuela Begins COVID-19 Vaccination
Hundreds of senior citizens and health workers stood in long lines on Monday to get vaccinated against the coronavirus as part of Venezuela's inoculation campaign, which has been held up by payment problems and political disputes. The government of President Nicolas Maduro for months said it was unable to pay for vaccines due to U.S. sanctions, but last month announced it had come up with the funds to enter the global COVAX program. The campaign that officially began over the weekend is using vaccines provided by Russia and China. Reuters data shows that only 1.1% of the population has received at least one vaccine shot so far. (5/31)
In other covid news from around the globe —
AP: Australian Court Upholds Ban On Most International Travel
An Australian court on Tuesday rejected a challenge to the federal government’s draconian power to prevent most citizens from leaving the country so that they don’t bring COVID-19 home. Australia is alone among developed democracies in preventing its citizens and permanent residents from leaving the country except in “exceptional circumstances” where they can demonstrate a “compelling reason.” (McGuirk, 6/1)
Politico: Commission Proposes Plan To Avoid EU Travel Chaos
The European Commission Monday set out a plan to streamline travel policies across the EU ahead of the summer season. Under an agreement struck earlier this month, EU-wide COVID certificates — proving whether travelers got a test, vaccine or are immune following an infection — are set to be rolled out in July. But the deal leaves it up to individual governments whether to impose additional measures, such as quarantines or tests, and the Commission wants to avoid chaos caused by diverging policies. (Cokelaere, 5/31)
CIDRAP: No COVID-19 Cases Found After Well-Controlled Indoor Concert
No attendees at an indoor concert that employed rapid COVID-19 lateral-flow screening, N95 respirators, and a well-ventilated venue tested positive for COVID-19 in the next 8 days, showing no increased virus transmission risk associated with the event, according to preliminary findings from a randomized, controlled trial published yesterday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. A team led by researchers from the Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital (GTPUH) in Barcelona, Spain, compared the coronavirus infection rate in 465 concert-goers aged 18 to 59 who were screened for COVID-19 and fever before entry and wore an N95 respirator throughout the event with 495 participants who were screened and then asked to go home. No concert-goers or 58 staff members tested positive 8 days after the event, compared with 2 in the control group. (Van Beusekom, 5/28)
Also —
AP: Protesters Slam Choice Of Syria For Board Of UN Health Body
Dozens of medical workers in rebel-held northwest Syria on Monday protested a decision to grant President Bashar Assad’s government a seat on the executive board of the World Health Organization. They said Assad is responsible for bombing hospitals and clinics across the war-ravaged country. The decision to give Syria a seat came a decade into the country’s devastating civil war that has left untold numbers of civilians — including many health care workers — dead and injured. (Mroue, 6/1)
