Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Testing Policies Might Miss Infections Among Pregnant Women
Fox News: Over Half Of Coronavirus-Infected Pregnant Women Showed No Symptoms, CDC Report Says
While data is limited around birth outcomes and COVID-19, two new federal reports found that more than half of pregnant women infected with the virus were asymptomatic, or showed no symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday published an early release for two reports relating to pregnancy and COVID-19. (Rivas, 9/18)
The New York Times: Coronavirus May Increase Premature Births, Studies Suggest
Pregnant women who are infected with the coronavirus and hospitalized are at risk for developing serious complications, and may face an elevated risk for delivering their babies prematurely, according to new studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They may also be at greater risk of losing the pregnancy or having a stillbirth. The troubling findings are consistent with some earlier reports that pregnant women may be at increased risk for severe illness when they become infected with the new coronavirus. But some experts warned that the findings, drawn from relatively small numbers of patients, including many hospitalized because of Covid-19, may not be representative of all pregnant women who are infected. (Rabin, 9/17)
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GMA: Pine Sol Now Approved To Kill Coronavirus On Surfaces: EPA
Clorox wipes are still in short supply due to increased demand as Americans continue to clean off frequently used surfaces to combat the spread of coronavirus, but another household cleaner has been added to the list of effective products. Pine-Sol Original Multi-Surface Cleaner received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) "for kill claims against SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, on hard non-porous surfaces," the Clorox Company announced in a press release about its cleaning product. (McCarthy, 9/17)
The Hill: Eyeglasses May Help Protect Against Coronavirus: Study
Eyeglasses could offer additional protection against transmission of coronavirus, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Ophthalmology. Researchers found that of 276 patients admitted to a Wuhan, China hospital over 47 days, only 16 wore glasses. The city was the original epicenter of the virus, which is believed to have originated in a so-called "wet market" there. Researchers hypothesized glasses may reduce susceptibility to the virus by discouraging wearers from touching their faces or helping block transmission of the virus through the tear ducts. (Budryk, 9/17)
CIDRAP: High COVID-19 Viral Load In Hospital Patients Tied To Higher Risk For Death
High SARS-CoV-2 viral load at hospital admission may place patients with and without cancer at higher risk for death, a new multicenter observational study published in Cancer Cell suggests. Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine used surrogate markers to measure the viral load of SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, in 100 cancer patients and 2,914 patients without cancer admitted to one of three New York City hospitals from March 15 to May 14. (9/17)
