Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Report Says Up To 4 Million Out Of Work Because Of Long Covid
NBC News: Long Covid May Be Keeping Up To 4 Million People Out Of Work, Research Suggests
Up to 4 million people may be out of work because of long Covid in the U.S, according to a report published this week by the Brookings Institution. In lost wages, that could add up to at least $170 billion per year, the report suggests. (Bendix, 8/25)
Axios: Millions Out Of Work From Long COVID: Brookings
That figure, which incorporates four new questions about long COVID from the Census Household Pulse Survey, is more than twice an earlier estimate and could help explain the lingering labor shortages in America. (Reed, 8/25)
In other news about the spread of covid —
CIDRAP: Study: Two COVID-19 Rapid Tests Accurately Diagnose Variant Infections
Two COVID-19 rapid antigen tests produce accurate results for infections with the SARS-COV-2 pre-Delta, Delta, and Omicron strains, finds a study yesterday in JAMA Network Open. University of Washington and University of Nevada researchers tested 797 adults who had symptoms characteristic of COVID-19 within the previous 5 days. They assessed the SCoV-2 Ag Detect Rapid Self-Test and BinaxNow COVID-19 Ag Card at multiple sites in King County, Washington. Testing was done from Feb 17, 2021, to Jan 11, 2022. Average participant age was 37.3 years, 58.2% were women, and 52.9% were unvaccinated. (8/25)
USA Today: COVID In Kids Under 5: Vaccination Rates Low As Hospitalizations Rise
“We’ve seen a little uptick in hospitalizations across the board in children,” said Dr. Kathryn Moffett, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at West Virginia University Medicine Children’s Hospital. “The estimate is that there is a child every day dying of COVID in the U.S.” (Rodriguez, 8/25)
KHN: Unraveling The Interplay Of Omicron, Reinfections, And Long Covid
The latest covid-19 surge, caused by a shifting mix of quickly evolving omicron subvariants, appears to be waning, with cases and hospitalizations beginning to fall. Like past covid waves, this one will leave a lingering imprint in the form of long covid, an ill-defined catchall term for a set of symptoms that can include debilitating fatigue, difficulty breathing, chest pain, and brain fog. (Szabo, 8/26)
AP: New Mexico Governor Tests Positive For COVID
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday morning and was receiving an antiviral drug treatment. Lujan Grisham said in a statement that she was experiencing mild symptoms and is working in isolation from the governor’s mansion in Santa Fe. (8/25)
USA Today: Uranium Mining May Have Put New Mexico Indigenous Tribes At COVID Risk
As a young girl, Arlene Juanico would rush to gather the laundry before the explosions started. When the alarms sounded, Juanico would hustle to grab the clean garments off the clothesline before she was enveloped by dust clouds. But Juanico’s little legs usually couldn’t get her back to shelter in time. (Cahan, 8/26)
Updates on the covid vaccine rollout —
San Francisco Chronicle: Fewer Than 15,000 Novavax Shots Have Been Given In U.S.
The U.S. has administered 14,559 of its 626,900 available doses of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine since the shots were cleared for use in mid-July, according to data published Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Vaziri, 8/25)
Anchorage Daily News: Alaska Sees Sharp Drop In Child Vaccinations, Prompting Concern About Future Outbreaks Of Preventable Diseases
The percentage of Alaska children who are up to date on their routine vaccinations has fallen considerably since the beginning of the pandemic, prompting concern among health experts about the return of certain serious illnesses that had been all but eradicated in the U.S. until recently. (Berman, 8/25)
AP: NYPD Detective Asks Supreme Court To Block Vaccine Mandate
A New York City police detective has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stop the city from firing him and other workers for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Lawyers for Detective Anthony Marciano asked the court Thursday for an emergency injunction that would block the city from enforcing a rule requiring all municipal employees to get vaccinated. (Matthews, 8/25)
