Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Some Colleges Have High Vax Rates, But Elsewhere, Lax Rules Irk Students
Politico: State Leaders Unmoved By College Outrage Over Lax Covid Rules
Thousands of students and educators are pleading with college, state and federal leaders for tighter Covid-19 safety measures in response to campus deaths, widespread outbreaks and growing fears of both. Some professors in Georgia are refusing to teach under lax Covid-19 rules. Students and faculty at the two largest universities in Mississippi asked the state for tougher measures. From petitions in Utah to "die-in" protests in Iowa, thousands are pushing for stricter rules at their institutions. "Nobody else has to die," Neo Koite, who organized the protest after Ahuero’s death and met with campus administrators about Covid-19 safety measures, said in an interview. (Payne, 10/10)
AP: MSU: Nearly 90% Of Students, Staff Vaccinated For COVID-19
Nearly 90% of students, faculty and staff at Michigan State University have been vaccinated for COVID-19, according to university officials. The school issued a requirement in July for everyone expected on campus this fall to be vaccinated by the end of August. Most of the approximately 67,000 students, faculty and staff have filled out a vaccine verification form. (10/10)
AP: LSU Creates Cellphone App For COVID-19 Contact Tracing
Researchers at Louisiana State University have created a cellphone app to track exposures to COVID-19.The Advocate reports the GeauxTrace contact tracing app uses the signal strength from Bluetooth software available on most cellphones and computers to assess the distance between cellphones. Users who were in the vicinity of someone who recently tested positive for COVID-19 are informed of the possible exposure. (10/10)
In K-12 school news —
San Francisco Chronicle: One Loophole Remains In Student COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate
Nevada Joint Union High School District Superintendent Brett McFadden expects the vast majority of his students and staff to abide by the COVID-19 vaccine mandate issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 1. But he also expects around 10 of his employees to quit out of personal or political opposition to it. “It’s a really small number, but the individuals who are upset about it are vocal,” said McFadden, whose district in Nevada County is about 65 miles northeast of Sacramento. “The silent, vast majority of educators are saying, ‘OK, we’ll get vaccinated.’” (Hong, 10/10)
The New York Times: Why Air Quality Monitors Are The Hot New Back-To-School Accessory
When Lizzie Rothwell, an architect in Philadelphia, sent her son to third grade this fall, she stocked his blue L.L. Bean backpack with pencils, wide-ruled paper — and a portable carbon dioxide monitor. The device gave her a quick way to assess how much fresh air was flowing through the school. Low levels of CO2 would indicate that it was well-ventilated, reducing her son’s odds of catching the coronavirus. But she quickly discovered that during lunch, CO2 levels in the cafeteria rose to nearly double those recommended by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Anthes, 10/10)
Bangor Daily News: Maine’s School COVID Outbreaks Centered In Hard-Hit Areas With Low Vaccination Rates
School outbreaks over the last month have been heavily concentrated in Maine counties with lower vaccination rates and more COVID-19 transmission, highlighting the challenge that community spread poses to children’s learning. The trend fits with predictions from epidemiologists who warned that rising case levels would challenge schools as they looked to bring back students for a fully in-person schedule. It highlights that the COVID-19 situation in communities cannot be delinked from virus outcomes in schools, which affect many students who are too young to get vaccines. (Piper, 10/11)
