Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Stressed-Out ERs Get Even More Crowded As Flu, RSV Slam Hospitals
The Boston Globe: Eight-Hour Waiting Times. Patients Leaving Before Being Seen. Mass. Hospital Emergency Departments Are Beyond The Brink
The emergency department at Massachusetts General Hospital was so backed up one Friday night last month that Janet Cook waited for nearly eight hours in a wheelchair in a crowded hallway before an inpatient bed opened up. That was after the 69-year-old Norfolk resident had writhed in pain for almost two hours before receiving medication. (Lazar, 11/5)
Modern Healthcare: RSV Wave Has Children's Hospitals In 'Crisis Mode'
Children’s hospitals are being pushed to the brink as they confront a surging respiratory disease outbreak in addition to rising COVID-19 cases and a mental health epidemic. It's a multifaceted threat that may recur without policy fixes. (Hudson and Kacik, 11/4)
Becker's Hospital Review: At Hospital Where Nurse Called 911, 'Zero Candidates Interviewing' For ED Roles, Says President
After staffing issues prompted a nurse at Silverdale, Wash.-based St. Michael Medical Center to call 911 on her own emergency department, representatives for the hospital are speaking publicly about staffing in that department and other issues related to the facility, the Kitsap Sun reported Nov. 3. (Gooch, 11/4)
In related news —
Becker's Hospital Review: Patients Hospitalwide More Likely To Die When ED Is Overcrowded: Study
Emergency department crowding affects death rates hospitalwide, according to a recent study from University Park, Pa.-based Penn State and the University of California San Francisco. Researchers examined more than 5 million discharge records from California hospitals between October 2015 and December 2017, according to a Nov. 4 article on Penn State's website. They compared these with the number of people in the hospitals' emergency departments to complete their analysis, which was published in the journal Health Sciences Research. (Kayser, 11/4)
Flu and RSV are wreaking havoc —
AP: US Flu Season Off To A Fast Start As Other Viruses Spread
The U.S. flu season is off to an unusually fast start, adding to an autumn mix of viruses that have been filling hospitals and doctor waiting rooms. Reports of flu are already high in 17 states, and the hospitalization rate hasn’t been this high this early since the 2009 swine flu pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So far, there have been an estimated 730 flu deaths, including at least two children. The winter flu season usually flu ramps up in December or January. (Stobbe and Babwin, 11/4)
CIDRAP: CDC Warns About Early Spike In Respiratory Viruses
Jose Romero, MD, who directs the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said mitigation steps have eased after 2 years of COVID-19 impacts that limited social interactions, and many young children are now being exposed to a host of respiratory viruses for the first time. He also warned that COVID-19 hasn't disappeared, with a rate that has now leveled off after decreasing the last few months. (Schnirring, 11/4)
The Washington Post: As Covid, Flu And RSV Cases Collide, CDC Warms Of A Tough Winter Ahead
While new coronavirus cases have leveled off in recent weeks, federal health officials warned Friday they are confronting elevated levels of other viruses that are roaring back as pre-pandemic life returns and many Americans, particularly children, lack immunity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an advisory about respiratory viruses to thousands of health-care providers in an attempt to bolster testing, treatment and vaccination. (Nirappil, 11/4)
AP: Flu Forces Alabama School District To Go Virtual For A Week
An Alabama school district is switching to virtual classes [this] week because of rising flu cases among students and teachers. Marshall County school officials have put in-person classes on hold and asked students to log in for remote learning Monday through Thursday. (Guntersville, 11/6)
CBS News/AP: Amy Schumer Reveals Son Is "Better" After Being Hospitalized With RSV
Comedian Amy Schumer revealed Sunday that her young son was hospitalized this past week with respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV. She described the experience as the "hardest week of my life." (11/6)
