Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Scientists Delve Deeper Into How Coronavirus Spreads
The New York Times: Study Finds People With Dementia Are Twice As Likely To Get Covid
People with dementia had significantly greater risk of contracting the coronavirus, and they were much more likely to be hospitalized and die from it, than people without dementia, a new study of millions of medical records in the United States has found. Their risk could not be entirely explained by characteristics common to people with dementia that are known risk factors for Covid-19: old age, living in a nursing home and having conditions like obesity, asthma, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. After researchers adjusted for those factors, Americans with dementia were still twice as likely to have gotten Covid-19 as of late last summer. (Belluck, 2/9)
The New York Times: Childhood Colds Do Not Prevent Coronavirus Infection, Study Finds
The theory was simple and compelling: Children are less vulnerable to the new coronavirus because they carry antibodies to other common coronaviruses that cause the common cold. The idea might also explain why some people infected with the new virus have mild symptoms while others — presumably without antibodies to common cold coronaviruses — are much more severely affected. ... But for all its appeal, the theory does not hold up, according to a new study published on Tuesday in the journal Cell. (Mandavilli, 2/10)
Stat: Doctors, Lawmakers Urge FDA To Study Racial Disparities In Pulse Oximeters
A long-documented, under-the-radar disparity is garnering new attention as the Covid-19 pandemic stretches into another year: Some pulse oximeters, which measure oxygen levels and are critical to making decisions about patient care, aren’t as accurate in Black patients and other people of color. (Brodwin and St. Fleur, 2/10)
In updates on how the coronavirus spreads —
CIDRAP: SARS-CoV-2 Found To Last Longer On Nonporous Surfaces Like Glass, Plastic
"Based on our study, we recommend that furniture in hospitals and offices, made of impermeable material, such as glass, stainless steel, or laminated wood, be covered with porous material, such as cloth, to reduce the risk of infection upon touch," co-author Sanghamitro Chatterjee, PhD, MSc, added. The study itself goes on to suggest how these findings could be extrapolated to schools, warehouses and package sorting centers, clothes outlets, and more. (2/9)
New York Post: Very Little Spread Of COVID Found At Summer Camps: Study
Day camps are not a breeding ground for the coronavirus, according to a new study. Researchers at Duke University found very few instances of COVID-19 spreading at North Carolina summer camps where mitigation measures were strictly followed. The team analyzed data from more than 6,500 children and staffers at 54 YMCA camps — and identified just 10 kids and nine workers with confirmed infections. "Our study suggests that appropriate measures to reduce the spread of disease can create an environment where normal childhood activities such as day camp, school and after-school recreation can be provided with minimal risk," said study co-author Emily D’Agostino. (Lapin, 2/9)
In other covid research news —
Boston Globe: The Broad Institute’s New Leader Wants To ‘Double Down’ On Biology
It has been an action-packed pandemic for the Broad Institute, the biomedical research center in Cambridge with ties to both Harvard and MIT. First, the Broad set up one of the country’s first large-scale COVID-19 test processing facilities. Since March 2020, it has run more than 10 million tests for the state, nursing homes, universities, the Cambridge Public School system, and homeless shelters. The number of tests may be more than any other non-commercial lab has analyzed — though no one is certain. (Kirsner, 2/9)
Stat: Gawande Says Haven Work Helped Shape His Covid-19 Response Efforts
The storied health tech startup Haven may have shuttered, but its famous former CEO, Atul Gawande, says the experience is still informing his current efforts to tackle Covid-19. Gawande said his time at the health care initiative gave him the technological and operational know-how he needed to roll out mass testing and vaccination sites at locations including Fenway Park and Gillette Stadium. (Brodwin, 2/9)
