Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Burnout Among Health Care Workers Is Getting Worse But Just Look At Their Compassion
The Philadelphia Inquirer: For Health-Care Workers During COVID, The Burnout Is Real, And It’s Getting Worse
COVID-19 continues to spike in Philadelphia. It is exhausting. Winter looms, cold weather, and isolation. The pandemic is frustrating. I am an emergency physician here in Philadelphia, and I share the moments of frustration and exhaustion. The men and women who work in health care, like all Philadelphians, have grit. Grit sustains us. It helps us navigate catastrophes and tragedies. Despite the chaos and the heartache, I am surrounded by people powered by grit. (Anish Agarwal, 12/2)
Chicago Tribune: A Viral COVID-19 Photo Shows The Best Of Humanity In The Worst Of Times
The picture of the doctor and the elderly man offers a glimpse of what is in store if we move too quickly. It signifies that the pandemic fatigue many are experiencing in this second wave of the virus is the equivalent of a minor inconvenience. The photo released by Getty Images captured the poignant moment during a shoot documenting the strain of COVID-19 on doctors and nurses at United Memorial Medical Center in Houston. But it could have been any city, any town or any hospital where doctors and nurses are filling the role of comforter in addition to their medical duties. (Dahleen Glanton, 12/2)
The Wall Street Journal: We Decide How Much Covid
A curious email arrived after Saturday’s column, from a state official overseeing medical care for millions of Medicaid beneficiaries, including nursing-home inmates, in a state whose nursing-home deaths from Covid-19 are nothing to brag about. I will withhold his name, but he said my column was “ill-informed,” “inaccurate” and “unscientific rubbish” without stating any claim that he was disagreeing with. He suggested I had gotten my information from Steve Bannon and Ben Carson, though I mentioned neither man. Apparently because I cited a Senate hearing on treating early-stage Covid with a variety of drugs including hydroxychloroquine, he wrote: “I suggest if infected you pledge to stay home, take hydroxychloroquine, and not go to the hospital for more intensive treatment.” This person is a medical doctor. (Holman W. Jenkins, 12/1)
The Washington Post: Sweden's Pandemic Experiment Flopped. Now It Faces A Wave Of Pain.
Sweden's initial response to the coronavirus pandemic was mild, keeping younger schoolchildren in class, allowing businesses and restaurants to stay open with distancing, limiting public gatherings to 50 people or fewer and hoping the population would develop immunity to a sufficient level that tighter restrictions would not be needed. Now, Sweden is caught up in a surge of infections and rising deaths, and a needed reconsideration is underway. There are important lessons, including: Don’t try this if you want to save lives. (12/1)
The Washington Post: Cancel Your Winter Holiday Travel Plans Now
Americans have a hard truth to face, and the sooner we do it the better: We must cancel travel over the winter holidays and find different ways to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah. It’s clear what lies ahead. In November, the United States added 4 million new coronavirus infections, while hospitalizations broke records daily for more than two weeks in a row. All projections indicate that December will be worse than November. So there’s no reason to wait to issue a warning. (Leana S. Wen, 12/1)
The Hill: Let The Littlest State Lead Us On COVID-19
With hospital beds filled and field hospitals scrambling to open, Gov. Gina Raimondo on Monday ordered Rhode Island to begin a two-week pause in an attempt to stop out-of-control coronavirus spread in her state. The governor ordered bars, gyms, movie theaters and the like closed — but she is keeping schools open. Raimondo should be praised for recognizing what too many state and local leaders ignore: Hard data have proven, and America’s scientists have reached consensus, that students in classrooms are not significant spreaders of COVID-19. (Tressa Pankovits, 12/1)
The Washington Post: Rand Paul Is Wrong. Anthony Fauci Owes No One An Apology.
You might think Sen. Rand Paul would be pleased to hear Anthony S. Fauci, the government’s top infectious-disease expert, change his position on whether to keep schools open during the pandemic. A few months ago, this was one of the main issues on which the two sparred: The Kentucky Republican wanted to keep them open; Fauci was more reluctant. Now, with the benefit of data more clearly showing that schools have not been a major source of covid-19 spread, Fauci has become more bullish on in-person education. “Close the bars and keep the schools open,” Fauci said on ABC News on Sunday, before adding that there is no “one size fits all” solution to the problem. (Robert Gebelhoff, 12/1)
