Viewpoints: Physicians Need To Accept Role In Protecting Black Lives; Please, Bring On Solid Relief Support Now
Opinion writers weigh in on these public health issues and others.
New England Journal of Medicine:
#WhiteCoatsForBlackLives — Addressing Physicians’ Complicity In Criminalizing Communities
As uprisings continue around the United States in response to police violence against Black people, we have reached a moment of reckoning for many Americans. As a nation, we are struggling to find a way forward. Many organizations have issued statements of solidarity and made promises of support, as first steps. Individual clinicians and physicians’ organizations have joined the efforts, speaking out against police violence and naming racism as a public health issue or crisis. Organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the American College of Physicians have issued statements denouncing police brutality, condemning violence against protestors, and calling for inquiries into cases of police violence against Black people. This is new territory for most medical organizations, which have traditionally been conservative, are often self-described as nonpartisan, and have historically shied away from public advocacy efforts focused on social justice. (Jamila Perritt, 11/5)
The New York Times:
Will Mitch McConnell's Senate Make America Ungovernable?
Most immediately, the coronavirus is running wild, with new cases exceeding 100,000 a day and rising rapidly. This is going to hit the economy hard, even if state and local governments don’t impose new lockdowns. We desperately need a new round of federal spending on health care, aid to the unemployed and businesses, and support for strapped state and local governments. Reasonable estimates suggest that we should spend $200 billion or more each month until a vaccine brings the pandemic to an end. I’d be shocked if a Senate still controlled by Mitch McConnell would agree to anything like this. Even after the pandemic is over, we’re likely to face both persistent economic weakness and a desperate need for more public investment. But McConnell effectively blocked infrastructure spending even with Donald Trump in the White House. Why would he become more amenable with Biden in office? (Paul Krugman, 11/5)
The Washington Post:
Even If Trump Leaves Office, Fighting The Virus Will Be Much Harder This Winter Thanks To Him
For much of the past year, President Trump’s handling of the pandemic response has been roundly criticized as cavalier, negligent and deceptive. But the election results and exit polling suggest that aspects of his approach to the coronavirus were accepted and endorsed by nearly half the electorate. The coming winter phase of the pandemic is going to be more difficult than earlier months, and people will probably be asked to accept new restrictions to curb viral transmission. How will these voters react? (11/5)
The New York Times:
On Masks And Clinical Trials, Rand Paul’s Tweeting Is Just Plain Wrong
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky recently tweeted what seemed to be a striking finding from a randomized study about the use of masks in the pandemic: “To the scolds blaming @realDonaldTrump infection on not wearing masks: the only published randomized clinical study of cloth masks shows 97% penetration of particles & higher infection rate than control. But never mind, it’s all about submission ….” The randomized clinical trial that Senator Paul and others have cited as a cautionary argument against mask-wearing did seem to reach a definite conclusion. “This study is the first RCT of cloth masks, and the results caution against the use of cloth masks,” its abstract proclaims. Case closed, right? Not at all. (Zeynep Tufekci, 11/6)
CNN:
Why Turnout For Trump Is A Major Blow To Public Health
While the presidential candidates spent November 2 making their final stops on the campaign trail, I glanced at my calendar between assignments and realized it was my seven-month anniversary of living with long-term Covid-19. (In case you're wondering, the traditional gift for this milestone is a heating pad.) (Elizabeth Yuko, 11/5)
Miami Herald:
COVID Survivors Face A Long, Uncertain Journey Back To Health
“So, are you two done with COVID yet?” I get this question a couple of times a week now from family and friends. I appreciate the concern, but I’m still not sure how to respond a month after my husband and I tested positive for COVID-19. The answer is that I think so. I hope so. But it’s too soon to say for sure. (Jill Burcum, 11/5)
Bloomberg:
Japan's New Olympic Experiment Is A Risky Mistake
If these games turn out to be spreading events, the victims won’t just be spectators. They could be any Japanese person who had the misfortune of running into someone who decided to go out for a night of baseball in a crowded stadium during a pandemic. That prospect should be enough for the government to shut down these experiments and accept a spectator-less Olympics. If it doesn’t, then the IOC should insist. For decades, the committee has argued that the games are in the best interests of host cities. Here’s a chance to prove it. (Adam Minter, 11/5)
Indianapolis Star:
Health Care Workers Literally Lose Sleep Over The Pandemic.
At the outset of COVID-19 in early March, there was overwhelming support for our health care workers. As we enter flu season and COVID-19 infections in Indiana continue to rise, there is a heightened need for 24-hour care availability for patients. While frontline and essential workers in all industries face risks as they work to keep the country running in the face of a global pandemic, shift-work fatigue is an invisible risk they face. (Mary Carney, 11/5)
Atlanta Journal Constitution:
On A Blue Wave Hobbled By Good Pandemic Hygiene
But as in other states, Republicans in Georgia had another advantage. They made a conscious decision to flout pandemic guidelines — issued but often ignored by our governor — and hold rally after rally, more unmasked than not. They followed the example of President Donald Trump, who twice drew thousands of supporters to Georgia events in the final weeks of the campaign — music-blaring, outrage-filled affairs that pushed Republicans to the polls. Social distancing was something for the other side. Democrats used Joe Biden as their model. They leaned on virtual campaigns — Zoom sessions, texting, and socially distanced events such as car rallies. (Jim Galloway, 11/6)
