Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Lessons From England On How Quickly Biden Needs To Move; Fix Vaccine Rollout So Only Essential People Get It
Bloomberg: U.K. Shows U.S. The Need For Urgent Covid-19 Action
The emergence in the U.K. of a new and more infectious variant of the Covid-19 virus sharpens an important “contrast and compare” health analysis between that country and the U.S. It sheds important new light on the immediate challenge the administration of President-elect Joe Biden will need to overcome if it is to have any realistic prospect of quelling the public health crisis by the middle of the year and of restoring inclusive and sustainable economic dynamism to the U.S. economy. It will also inform the continuing debate about what the deplorable mob attack on Congress on Wednesday means for the future of the U.S. (Mohamed A. El-Erian, 1/7)
Los Angeles Times: COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Is Slow -- How To Fix It
Health workers are of course the people who need COVID-19 vaccinations first. They are the ones most likely to be exposed, and their expertise is needed to vaccinate the rest of us and treat those who fall ill. So it was dismaying to learn that people who didn’t qualify for this initial round of shots nonetheless showed up at some Los Angeles County vaccination centers to skip the line — and succeeded. Some pretended to be health workers and were allowed to go ahead without any validating documents. Some were honest about their situation and still managed to talk their way into a shot. (1/8)
Atlanta Journal Constitution: ‘Long’ COVID’s Not Waiting For Vaccine
One-hundred fifty days. It’s a long time to have COVID-19, but it’s also five months of not being able to play soccer with my kids, five months of watching my wife singlehandedly keep our home afloat (while working full time), and five months of not being able to taste or smell. This is in addition to five months of not being able to work on the front lines as an emergency physician. The news focuses on the nearly 10,000 Georgian residents who have died from COVID-19, and rightly so. On the opposite end of the spectrum, many focus on the fact that the majority of COVID-19 infections result in mild or asymptomatic reactions – a fact for which we are all grateful. However, in the middle are thousands of people like me, suffering from months of debilitating symptoms with no end in sight. (Jeffrey N. Siegelman, 1/8)
Kansas City Star: How Does KS Gov. Kelly Explain Slow COVID Vaccine Response?
Kansans remain justifiably worried and confused about the COVID-19 vaccine — who can get it, when and where. “Where is my COVID SHOT!!!” one exasperated Facebook viewer asked online Thursday when Gov. Laura Kelly met with reporters to discuss new vaccine priority rankings.Kansans older than 65 have been moved closer to the front of the line. (1/8)
The Washington Post: Here’s Why Denying Treatment To Anti-Maskers Is A Bad Idea
Dear Carolyn: I cannot understand why some people refuse to wear masks and socially distance and believe they will not get sick. I suggest when they do get the virus and go to a hospital, doctors ask whether they have been wearing a mask and socially distancing. If they have not, they should NOT be treated if that takes a hospital bed from someone who has been doing the right thing. Your thoughts?— Wondering in VA. Wondering in VA: I understand your opinion comes from a place of justified rage and frustration, but it’s a knee-kick to our social contract. (Carolyn Hax, 1/7)
Stat: Mother Nature Is Not 'The Ultimate Bioterrorist'
Despite the menacing track record of emerging pathogens, “Mother Nature is the world’s worst bioterrorist,” a long-overused catchphrase of scientists and public health professionals, is in urgent need of retirement. Born in the maelstrom of Sept. 11, 2001, and the anthrax attacks that followed, the saying was meant to warn against fixating on bioterrorism while neglecting the risks posed by naturally emerging pathogens. (Chris Bakerlee, 1/8)
The New York Times: 10 Years Ago, A Gunman Tried To Silence Me
Ten years ago today I went to meet with my constituents in front of a grocery store in Tucson, Ariz. I was a young congresswoman, just sworn in for a third term; it had been a long and hard campaign in a charged national environment. Soon after I arrived that morning, a gunman opened fire. He shot me in the head at close range. Eighteen other people were shot that morning. Six died. What’s it like to survive in a world forever changed? How do you grieve what is lost, but move on with determination? How do you reckon with your country in a new way? These are timely questions for Americans these days. (Gabrielle Giffords, 1/8)
Stat: Even In A Virtual JPM Week, Relationships Keep Biotech Strong
Every January, the week of the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (JPM week) is a whirlwind — oftentimes in the literal sense, with players from across the life science industry dodging the downpour in Union Square as we splash our way to back-to-back meetings. (Carin Canale-Theakston, 1/8)
