Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Rationing Of Care Worsens In Alaska
AP: 2nd Hospital In Alaska Begins Rationing Care
A second hospital in Alaska is beginning to ration health care as the state deals with a spike in coronavirus cases. Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corp. in Bethel announced the move Wednesday as it reported it is operating at capacity. Rationing of care had already been imposed by Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, which is the state’s largest hospital. (9/30)
AP: Doctors: Pandemic Has Dire Effects On Idaho Kids, Babies
Idaho’s unchecked spread of the highly contagious delta variant is sending more kids and babies to hospitals with complications from COVID-19, state health care professionals said Wednesday. Major hospitals and health care clinics in southwestern Idaho are seeing more premature babies born to COVID-19-positive mothers, more children requiring hospitalization and more kids of all ages experiencing mental health problems because of the pandemic, several doctors from Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, St. Luke’s Health System, Primary Health Group and Mountain States Neonatology said during a news conference. (Boone, 9/29)
Bangor Daily News: Breakthrough Hospitalizations A Reflection Of Maine’s High Vaccination Rate
An increasing number of fully vaccinated people in Maine with COVID-19 are filling ICU beds across the state. Yet those numbers are more representative of Maine’s high vaccination rate than the ineffectiveness of the vaccine, according to health officials. About 30 percent of those with the coronavirus being treated in the ICU at Northern Light’s 10 hospitals were vaccinated as of Tuesday morning. Four out of 13 patients on ventilators were also vaccinated — about 30 percent. While waning immunity could play a role, the far more significant reason for the number of vaccinated patients appears to be the numerical reality of Maine’s high vaccination rate, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Nirav Shah said Wednesday. Maine has the third highest rate of fully vaccinated people in the country, a factor that is undoubtedly leading to more hospitalized vaccinated people. (Marino Jr., 9/30)
Oklahoman: As COVID Cases Slow, Oklahoma Still Struggles With ICU Beds, Leaders Say
COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are coming down in Oklahoma after the state’s rapid, delta-variant fueled spike over the summer. On Tuesday, Oklahoma’s seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases reported was 1,690, down from a peak of just over 2,800 at the end of August. Hospitalizations, which had topped 1,500 in August, were still over 1,000 on Tuesday across the state. “I’m hopeful that our state will continue to see positive progress in our pandemic response,” Health Commissioner Dr. Lance Frye said in a statement Monday. “We are cautiously optimistic about this downward trend and are thankful for the hard work of Oklahomans across the state that got us here." (Branham, 9/29)
CNN: For The First Time Since June, The Number Of Projected Covid-19 Deaths In The US Is Decreasing
For the first time since June, the rate of new Covid-19 deaths in the US is expected to decrease over the next four weeks, according to an ensemble forecast from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And for the third week in a row, Wednesday's CDC forecast predicted that hospitalizations will decrease as well -- a bit of hope as the more transmissible Delta variant continues to spread. (Holcombe, 9/30)
KHN: Covid Is Killing Rural Americans At Twice The Rate Of Urbanites
Rural Americans are dying of covid at more than twice the rate of their urban counterparts — a divide that health experts say is likely to widen as access to medical care shrinks for a population that tends to be older, sicker, heavier, poorer and less vaccinated. While the initial surge of covid-19 deaths skipped over much of rural America, where roughly 15% of Americans live, nonmetropolitan mortality rates quickly started to outpace those of metropolitan areas as the virus spread nationwide before vaccinations became available, according to data from the Rural Policy Research Institute. (Weber, 9/30)
In other news about the spread of the coronavirus —
AP: Reopening Of 'Aladdin' On Broadway Halted By COVID-19 Cases
The hit Broadway show “Aladdin” was canceled Wednesday night when breakthrough COVID-19 cases were reported within the musical’s company, a day after the show reopened following some 18 months of being shuttered due to the pandemic. It was a worrying sign for Broadway’s recovery. “Through our rigorous testing protocols, breakthrough COVID-19 cases have been detected within the company of ‘Aladdin’ at the New Amsterdam Theatre,” the show announced on social media. “Because the wellness and safety of our guests, cast and crew are our top priority, tonight’s performance, Wednesday, Sept. 29 , is canceled.” (Kennedy, 9/30)
Philadelphia Inquirer: At Last Minute, Pa. Lawmakers Vote To Extend Dozens Of COVID-19 Waivers
The Pennsylvania legislature unanimously voted Wednesday to extend dozens of regulatory waivers put into place last year to help health-care providers fight COVID-19. Without action, the waivers would have expired Thursday, potentially exacerbating ongoing staffing crises in hospitals and long-term care institutions, which are again facing rising COVID-19 cases. Health-care workers and their advocates had warned any lapse in the relaxed rules would have renewed administrative burdens and made fighting the ongoing pandemic more difficult. Wednesday’s action will keep the waivers in place until March 2022 while the legislature considers a number of bills that would make the regulatory suspensions permanent. Gov. Tom Wolf will sign the bill. (Ohl, 9/29)
Dallas Morning News: Big Data, Big Impact: How Dallas Researchers And Providers Are Targeting Vaccines To Fight COVID
Big data is making a big difference in the fight against COVID-19 in Dallas, and the potential promise goes well beyond the pandemic. Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation, a nonprofit research and data analytics company, is helping providers target their outreach efforts to the most vulnerable residents. PCCI tracks real-time data on vaccinations and COVID-19 cases, and overlays it against underlying health conditions and socioeconomic factors. That creates “a vulnerability index” and other tools that allow officials to assess which areas face the greatest risks — not just at the ZIP code level but in areas as small as census blocks. (Schnurman, 9/29)
KHN: A Covid Test Costing More Than A Tesla? It Happened In Texas
When covid-19 struck last year, Travis Warner’s company became busier than ever. He installs internet and video systems, and with people suddenly working from home, service calls surged. He and his employees took precautions like wearing masks and physically distancing, but visiting clients’ homes daily meant a high risk of covid exposure. “It was just like dodging bullets every week,” Warner said. (Pattani, 9/30)
