Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study Shows Fan-Attendance Limits Kept Football From Spreading Covid
CIDRAP: Football With Few Fans Not Tied To County COVID Spread
A new study finds that 528 National Football League (NFL) and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football games with limited in-person attendance during the 2020-21 season weren't linked to increased community COVID-19 cases, and another shows that 74% of NCAA men's basketball spectators correctly wore face coverings. (Van Beusekom, 8/17)
In other news about the spread of the coronavirus —
The Boston Globe: Holyoke Soldiers’ Home Worker Files Federal Suit Alleging ‘Inhumane Conditions’ During COVID Outbreak
A certified nursing assistant at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, where at least 77 veterans died of COVID-19 amid tragic missteps by management, has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of dozens of fellow workers, alleging they faced “inhumane conditions” last year as the virus swept through the state-run facility. The civil suit, filed Friday in US District Court in Springfield, named five former officials at the elder care facility as defendants, including former superintendent Bennett Walsh and medical director Dr. David Clinton. Walsh and Clinton already face state charges of criminal neglect in what is believed to be the first US prosecution of nursing home caregivers over their handling of the pandemic. They have pleaded not guilty. (MacQuarrie, Andersen and Krueger, 8/17)
Mississippi Center For Investigative Reporting: Diabetes And COVID In Mississippi Forge Deadly ‘Perfect Storm’
Amid the worst pandemic in a century, Mississippi is leading the nation in increased diabetes deaths per capita, according to a just-released Diabetes Care study. “It’s a perfect storm,” said Tim Moore, president and CEO of the Mississippi Hospital Association. “We already have an unhealthy population in Mississippi because of poverty and lower access to health care, and now we have a population that’s getting very sick.” Mississippi has seen more than 7,880 deaths from COVID-19, as of Tuesday. According to the state Department of Health, diabetes was an underlying condition in 1,347 of those deaths. (Mitchell, 8/17)
AP: State Sen. André Jacque, Critic Of Mask And Vaccine Mandates, Hospitalized With COVID-19
Sen. André Jacque, R-De Pere, one of the Legislature’s most conservative lawmakers and a vocal opponent of mask and vaccine mandates, tested positive for COVID-19 last week and was at the hospital on Monday with pneumonia. The positive test and hospital care came after Jacque testified on Wednesday in a packed Capitol hearing room without wearing a mask. (Bauer, 8/18)
Indianapolis Star: Cyber Attack Against Indiana COVID Tracing Survey Affects 750,000
A cyber attack company improperly obtained personal information that nearly 750,000 Indiana residents shared with the Indiana State Department of Health when they responded to the state’s online contact tracing survey, state health officials announced Tuesday. The personal information included names, addresses, email, gender, ethnicity and race, and birth dates but no medical or Social Security information, state health officials said. (Rudavsky, 8/17)
In updates on the vaccine rollout —
KHN: Federal Vaccine Program Hasn’t Helped Those Whose Lives Were Altered By Covid Shot
Angela Marie Wulbrecht jumped at the first chance to get a covid-19 vaccine, driving three hours from her Santa Rosa, California, home to a mass-vaccination site on Jan. 19. Twelve minutes after her Moderna shot, she stumbled into the paramedic tent with soaring blood pressure and a racing heartbeat. And so began a calvary of severe fatigue, brain fog, imbalance and other symptoms that are still with her eight months later. Wulbrecht, 46, had been a nurse for 23 years before the shot. She was healthy, ate a vegan diet and was an accomplished salsa dancer. Since January she’s had to leave her job and missed out on many activities with her husband and 12-year-old daughter, Gabriella. She has spent about $35,000 on out-of-pocket medical bills, despite having insurance. (Allen, 8/18)
The Washington Post: Chicago Pharmacist Charged With Selling Vaccine Cards On EBay
The Justice Department on Tuesday charged a Chicago pharmacist with selling vaccine cards online — something that law enforcement and health authorities worry will become more widespread as more institutions demand proof of vaccination. Tangtang Zhao, 34, was charged with stealing authentic cards and listing them on eBay for around $10 a card. He had 11 different buyers, the Justice Department alleged, and sold a total of 125 cards. Most of the buyers purchased between eight and 10 cards each, spending nearly $100 or more. (Zapotosky and Diamond, 8/17)
