Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
When The Science Is Fast But The Virus Is Faster
The Washington Post: Coronavirus Vaccine Research Is Moving At Record Speed
In a suburb south of Boston, robots have already started manufacturing a potential vaccine against the fast-spreading coronavirus. Another candidate vaccine — developed when a similar virus terrified the world — sits in deep freeze in a repository in Houston, ready to be thawed and formulated into thousands of vials for further testing. Yet another is being put together at facilities in San Diego and Houston, with projections that it could be tested in people by summer. (Johnson, 1/30)
Politico: How The Feds Missed Their Chance At A Coronavirus Vaccine
Vaccine researchers Peter Hotez and Maria Elena Bottazzi were waiting for their phone to ring in Houston on Thursday so they could plead with federal scientific agencies to fund their vaccine, which they think could protect against the Wuhan coronavirus. The two scientists from the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development had developed the vaccine against another coronavirus, SARS — but that epidemic ended before their vaccine was ready. And once the crisis was over, most of their funding dried up. (Allen, 1/31)
Stat: Study Documents First Case Of Coronavirus Spread By A Person Showing No Symptoms
People showing no symptoms appear to be able to spread the novel coronavirus that has caused an outbreak in China and led world health authorities to declare a global emergency, researchers reported Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine. If confirmed, the finding will make it much harder to contain the virus. The case described — from Germany — could help resolve one of the major unknowns about the virus, which as of Thursday night had infected nearly 9,700 people in China and killed 213. About 100 more infections have been reported in 18 other countries, but no deaths. (Joseph, 1/30)
The New York Times: How Bad Will The Coronavirus Outbreak Get? Here Are 6 Key Factors
As the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread across China, a flurry of early research is drawing a clearer picture of how the pathogen behaves and the key factors that will determine whether it can be contained. (Sheikh, Watkins, Wu and Grondahl, 1/31)
The Washington Post: Facebook Cracks Down On Coronavirus Fake Cures
Facebook will remove posts, photos and videos that peddle harmful misinformation about the coronavirus, the company announced Thursday, seeking to crack down on a wave of content pitching false cures to the fast-spreading global health crisis. The social-networking giant said in a blog post that its efforts, building off its policies that prohibit users from causing real-world harm, would result in the removal of dangerous claims, such as those that suggest drinking bleach cures the coronavirus, as well as hashtags that promote falsehoods on its photo-sharing site Instagram. (Romm, 1/30)
The Wall Street Journal: Facebook To Ban Posts About Fake Coronavirus Cures
The willingness of Facebook to take down false content about the coronavirus stands in contrast to the way the company has handled misinformation about politics and other issues. Facebook said the move was in accordance with existing company rules requiring removal of content that might spark physical harm. Facebook most recently removed misinformation under this policy in Pakistan last year, when the company and local partners determined that online rumors about the polio vaccine were putting health workers at the risk of physical violence, a company spokeswoman said. (Seetharaman, 1/31)
CNN: Coronavirus Hoaxes Are Spreading In The US As The Outbreak Grows Worldwide
As the coronavirus outbreak grows after killing hundreds in China, officials in several US states are cracking down on false information about the spread of the disease locally. Most of the false information is originating online, spreading fear about the virus that has sickened thousands worldwide. (Karimi and Moon, 1/31)
The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Fears Drive Demand For Face Masks, But Some Experts Doubt Them
As fear about the deadly new coronavirus spreads in China, face masks have disappeared from store shelves and sold out online. At least two Chinese provinces now require them to be worn in public. Factories that make the masks in China are operating 24 hours a day to meet the demand. But medical experts say the effectiveness of masks at preventing the spread of the coronavirus is limited. Many of the masks people are wearing do little to protect them, and even the most effective have to be fitted and worn properly to have any benefit. (Wernau and Xie, 1/30)
Kaiser Health News: No Masking The Best Way To Avoid The Scary Coronavirus: Wash Your Hands
Americans are watching with alarm as a new coronavirus spreads in China and cases pop up in the United States. They are barraged with information about what kinds of masks are best to prevent viral spread. Students are handing out masks in Seattle. Masks have run out in Brazos County, Texas. Hang on. (Rosenthal, 1/31)
California Healthline: Masks Reveal Cultural Disconnect As L.A.’s Chinese Community Braces For Coronavirus
Several staff members of a small community health clinic in L.A.’s historic Chinatown spoke on the phone with patients Tuesday while wearing face masks that muffled their voices. The masks are a recent phenomenon at the clinic, located inside the Chinatown Service Center, a nonprofit community assistance organization that serves mainly Chinese immigrants. (Almendrala, 1/30)
