Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Virus Sidelines Nevada Gov., Spreads At 'Truly Alarming Rate' In Kentucky
CNN: Nevada Governor Tests Positive For Covid-19
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak tested positive for Covid-19 Friday, according to a news release from his office. Sisolak, a Democrat, received a positive result from a rapid test and is awaiting results from a diagnostic PCR test, his office said. He admitted to feeling tired earlier this week, the release said, but he "attributed this to his demanding schedule." He did not experience any other symptoms. (Becker, Vera and Passantino, 11/13)
COVID continues to overwhelm many cities and states —
Courier-Journal: 'Truly Alarming': Kentucky's Weekly COVID-19 Cases Hit Record High
Kentucky again recorded a record-high weekly total of new coronavirus cases, with 1,449 additional cases and three more deaths reported Sunday. The state has set weekly records over the past month, with the rate for positive tests also increasing, sitting at 8.88% Sunday. Kentucky passed its daily record three times last week, reporting 3,303 new cases Saturday. (Austin, 11/15)
New Orleans Times-Picayune: Weekend Case, Hospitalization Numbers Show Continued Rapid Spread Of Coronavirus In Louisiana
Louisiana’s coronavirus cases continued to surge over the weekend, further solidifying the evidence that the state is starting a third major outbreak as infections are hitting record levels nationwide. The number of newly reported cases on Sunday continued a sharp climb, bringing the weekly total to nearly twice where it was just seven days ago. And that’s been accompanied by a steady increase in hospitalizations: The 753 people hospitalized with the coronavirus on Saturday is 21% higher than the number a week before. (Adelson, 11/15)
NPR: COVID-19 Hospitalizations Surge In Dakotas: 'It's Like We Opened Up A Spigot'
Hospitals are nearing capacity in North and South Dakota, two states where coronavirus has hit disproportionately hard for their small population size and where cases continue to rise daily. The Dakotas have the most new daily cases per capita of any other state this week — a record they've held or been close to for many weeks. They're also among the worst in the country for two other grim metrics: per capita deaths and per capita hospitalizations. (Silva, 11/14)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Needs Blood Donations, COVID-19 Plasma; Shortages Critical
Plasma from recovered coronavirus patients has been shown to be effective in treating the most serious coronavirus patients, but the demand is far greater than the supply. Dr. Thomas Abshire, chief medical officer with Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin, said the need for convalescent plasma in Wisconsin is about double the number of donors giving plasma. (Torres, 11/14)
Clarion-Ledger: Coronavirus In Mississippi Exposes 'Underbelly Of Poverty And Inequality'
The first plague hit long before the second one struck this year.“The COVID-19 pandemic is pulling the lid off conditions that we have not addressed for generations,” said Bill Bynum, CEO of Hope Credit Union, which serves low-income communities in Mississippi. “These rural and high-poverty areas are being hit harder, because they’re so much more fragile.” (Mitchell, 11/16)
KHN: Homeless Shelters Grapple With COVID Safety As Cold Creeps In
Ben Barnes has slept in abandoned buildings, hallways and alleys. For the past year or so, he’s been staying at the city’s largest homeless shelter, Pacific Garden Mission, in the shadows of the famous skyline. “I’ve always considered myself homeless because I don’t have a home,” he said on a recent crisp, fall day in the shelter’s sun-splashed courtyard. But he’s fortunate, said Barnes, 44. He’s never had to sleep outside when it was below zero or snowy. He always found a friend’s place, building or shelter to crash in. He knows others aren’t so lucky. (Bruce, 11/16)
Also —
The Washington Post: Local Governments Scramble To Distribute Cares Act Relief, Which Expires In December
Eight months after Congress approved $150 billion in relief funding for state and local governments, Adama Harouna wonders why so little has come to her community. As head of the tenants association at a Maryland apartment complex, Harouna, 44, helps organize a Sunday food drive where she sees some of the hardest-hit. There’s the laid-off pharmacist from Cameroon who no longer has money to send home; the single mother whose three children contracted the coronavirus; the middle-aged man wondering if he should vacate his apartment before the sheriff comes knocking. (Tan and Chason, 11/15)
Houston Chronicle: Houston Researchers Roll Out COVID-Killing Machines
The George R. Brown Convention Center was built to hold Houston’s biggest crowds, but during the pandemic its halls have grown quieter. In reviving the center, Houston First squared off with a problem facing all local venues — showing the public they’re safe. To address the problem, the local government corporation created to operate the city’s convention and performing arts facilities launched a public education campaign in August and spent about $30,000 on three mobile air filtration units for the convention center’s general assembly space, which is often used by businesses for presentations. The units, installed in September, add a layer of security for guests, said Michael Heckman, the group’s acting president and chief executive. (Drane, 11/16)
