AP: US Regulators Give Full Approval To Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine
The U.S. gave full approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, a milestone that may help lift public confidence in the shots as the nation battles the most contagious coronavirus mutant yet. The vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech now carries the strongest endorsement from the Food and Drug Administration, which has never before had so much evidence to judge a shot’s safety. More than 200 million Pfizer doses already have been administered in the U.S. — and hundreds of millions more worldwide — since emergency use began in December. (Neergaard and Perrone, 8/23)

Stat: FDA Grants Full Approval To Covid-19 Vaccine Developed By Pfizer
The vaccine is the first of the pandemic vaccines used in the United States to transition from emergency use status to full licensure, a major victory for a partnership that decided to forgo funding through the government’s Operation Warp Speed program on the belief that the development project could move faster without being part of the government fast-tracking program. The FDA said the vaccine was now approved for use in people ages 16 and up, the only group for which Pfizer now has the required six months of followup safety data. Study of the vaccine in 12- to 15-year-olds began later, and the six-month followup is still underway. Until it can be submitted to the FDA and an extension of the license can be issued, the vaccine will continue to be used in 12- to 15-year-olds under the emergency use authorization. (Branswell, 8/23)

CNBC: FDA Grants Full Approval To Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid Vaccine
Up until now, the mRNA vaccine, which will be marketed as Comirnaty, was on the U.S. market under an Emergency Use Authorization that was granted by the FDA in December. Since then, more than 204 million of the Pfizer shots have been administered, according to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Federal health officials had been under mounting pressure from the scientific community and advocacy groups to fully approve Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine ever since the drugmakers submitted their application to the agency in early May. The companies submitted a Biologics License Application, which secures full approval, to the FDA on May 7 for patients age 16 and up. (Lovelace Jr., 8/23)

The Hill: Surgeon General: Vaccine Requirements At Business, Colleges 'A Very Reasonable Thing To Do'
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Sunday said vaccine requirements at businesses and colleges are “a very reasonable thing to do,” as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reportedly set to fully approve the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as soon as this week. Murthy, when asked on CNN’s “State of the Union” if he would urge business and colleges to consider mandating the vaccine once it receives full approval, said such a requirement could “create a safe environment.” (Schnell, 8/22)

CNN: Full Covid-19 Vaccine Approval Won't Just Boost Confidence. It'll Likely Lead To New Business Requirements, Surgeon General Says 
With the "imminent" full approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine expected, more businesses will likely issue vaccine mandates to help prevent the Delta variant from sending the country further backward in this pandemic, doctors say. "For businesses and universities that have been thinking about putting vaccine requirements in place in order to create safer spaces for people to work and learn, I think that this move from the FDA ... will actually help them to move forward with those kinds of plans," US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy told CNN on Sunday. (Caldwell and Yan, 8/22)

CNN: As Covid-19 Hospitalizations Rise, Doctors Hope Vaccine Approval And Boosters Can Stave Off The Surge 
As Americans face a daunting surge of Covid-19 hospitalizations -- with the rates for children and adults under 50 hitting their highest levels yet -- officials are hoping full approval of the vaccines could encourage more people to get vaccinated. Full approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is "imminent," a senior federal official told CNN last week. Once it happens, it could help allay concerns for those who are vaccine hesitant, as all three vaccines available in the US have so far been distributed under emergency use authorization. (Silverman, 8/23)

WLWT: Health Officials Call Expected Full FDA Approval Of Pfizer Vaccine 'Game Changer'
Federal officials believe the Food and Drug Administration will give full approval to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine sometime this week. Local health officials said that would be a game-changer. COVID-19 vaccines are currently being administered under emergency use authorization. But that could change for the Pfizer vaccine in a matter of days. "Certainly it's going to have an impact that we're going to save people's lives first. Get people immunized so we can't pass it on. But more importantly, slow the mutation and passage of delta," said public health expert Dr. O'dell Owerns. (Lair, 8/23)

And on how the approval process works —

Voice of America: How Does FDA Approve Vaccines? 
Some experts say that this approval, which is a much longer and more complicated process, may encourage some skeptics to get vaccinated."We recognize that for some, the FDA approval of COVID-19 vaccines may bring additional confidence and encourage them to get vaccinated," Dr. Peter Marks, the director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the FDA, told VOA via email. ... "The full approval process has less to do with getting additional scientific evidence and more to do with some of the logistics," said Dr. David Dowdy, an epidemiologist at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. He told VOA the process included steps such as specifying the labeling of the vaccine and the specific wording on packaging. (Sarai, 8/11)

ABC News: Surgeon General Defends US Booster Shot Plan As Much Of The World Awaits Vaccines
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy defended the Biden administration's plans to begin rolling out booster shots for many Americans the week of Sept. 20, despite criticism from the World Health Organization and others that the U.S. should not offer booster shots to Americans while many countries lag in vaccine access. "We have to protect American lives and we have to help vaccinate the world because that is the only way this pandemic ends," Murthy told ABC "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz. (Cherner, 8/22)

Axios: Surgeon General Says Boosters Won't Interfere With Global Vaccination Effort 
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday that the United States can administer COVID-19 booster shots to Americans while still assisting in the global vaccination effort. Administering third doses of the COVID-19 vaccines to Americans while many countries struggle with vaccine shortages poses ethical concerns. (Saric, 8/22)

On the science behind the boosters —

The New York Times: The U.S. Is Getting A Crash Course In Scientific Uncertainty 
At no point in this ordeal has the ground beneath our feet seemed so uncertain. In just the past week, federal health officials said they would begin offering booster shots to all Americans in the coming months. Days earlier, those officials had assured the public that the vaccines were holding strong against the Delta variant of the virus, and that boosters would not be necessary. As early as Monday, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to formally approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which has already been given to scores of millions of Americans. Some holdouts found it suspicious that the vaccine was not formally approved yet somehow widely dispensed. For them, “emergency authorization” has never seemed quite enough. (Mandavilli, 8/22)

Axios: Booster Shots Are Rolling Out Before Vaccine Experts Weigh In 
Experts who evaluate drugs are getting pushed into a corner. Months after the FDA approved a controversial Alzheimer's drug against the advice of an expert panel and its own statisticians, the Biden administration is pushing for nationwide coronavirus vaccine boosters before independent experts have weighed in. (Herman, 8/23)

Also —

NBC News: U.S. Says People Should Wait 8 Months Before A 3rd Vaccine Dose. But Some Aren't Holding Off.
Kris Fredrick, an engineer at a television station in Amarillo, Texas, felt relieved when he got a second dose of the Moderna vaccine Feb. 1. But when the delta variant of the coronavirus started to spread across the U.S., Fredrick became unsettled. He has diabetes and hypertension, so he was worried he remained vulnerable to serious illness. He was concerned about the “anti-vaccine and anti-science sentiment” in his town, and he grew even more alarmed when he learned that two local hospitals were purportedly not requiring their employees to get vaccinated. (Arkin and Silva, 8/21)

Reuters: Israel Finds COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Significantly Lowers Infection Risk 
A third dose of Pfizer (PFE.N)'s COVID-19 vaccine has significantly improved protection from infection and serious illness among people aged 60 and older in Israel compared with those who received two shots, findings published by the Health Ministry showed on Sunday. The data were presented at a meeting of a ministry panel of vaccination experts on Thursday and uploaded to its website on Sunday, though the full details of the study were not released. (8/22)

Politico: States Can’t Block Federal Funds For Districts That Mandate Masks, Education Secretary Says
Public schools who want to institute mask mandate rules can't be denied federal funds, even if their state governments try to pressure them out of mask mandates, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said. The Florida state government threatened to withhold funds for schools in Broward and Alachua counties if they imposed mandatory mask rules. But the Biden administration has proposed using federal funds to make up the difference, with Cardona specifying Sunday that the schools "do not have to get the green light for [their] governor to use these funds." (Choi, 8/22)

In news on mask mandates in schools —

WUSF Public Media: Sarasota County School Board Votes To Require Masks
After nearly 50 parents, educators and health care professionals spoke during the public comment period, the Sarasota County School Board voted 3-2 to require students to wear masks in class for the next 90 days. The decision, which came after a meeting of more than five hours, allows for an opt-out exemption for students with a doctor's note or special needs students on an Individualized Education Plan. (Miller, 8/22)

The Baltimore Sun: One-Third Of Maryland School Districts Won’t Require Masks As State, Local Leaders Avoid Mandates 
Despite strong recommendations from both health and education leaders, masking will not be required in every Maryland school to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, as political leaders defer decisions about mandates to others amid vocal opposition. The result could be a logistical nightmare for schools, with hundreds of students quarantined at home without access in most districts to the online classes they had last year. (Bowie and Miller, 8/21)

AP: Schools In Florida's Capital City Impose Mask Mandate
The school superintendent in Florida’s capital city announced Sunday that masks will be required for students in prekindergarten through eighth grade, becoming the seventh district to defy Gov. Ron DeSantis ban on such COVID-19 mandates. Leon County Superintendent Rocky Hanna said the district has seen positive tests for the coronavirus skyrocket since school opened Aug. 11 in Tallahassee and its immediate suburbs. He said parents who don’t want their elementary or middle school student to wear a mask will need to get a signed note from their child’s physician or psychologist by Friday. (Spencer, 8/22)

NBC News: 'It's Impossible': Lack Of Covid Safeguards Overwhelm School Nurses
Florida's Hillsborough County Public Schools have had students in classrooms for only two weeks, and yet Katherine Burdge, a school nurse for the district, said she's more stressed out than at any other point during the coronavirus pandemic. The district, the eighth largest in the U.S., has had to isolate or quarantine more than 13,485 students and employees since the start of August, and more than 2,650 of them have tested positive for Covid-19. In response, the Hillsborough County school board ordered a more restrictive mask mandate Wednesday after hours of debate, defying Gov. Ron DeSantis' order that masking decisions be made by parents. (McCausland, 8/22)

WUSF Public Media: Alachua, Broward Officials Given 48 Hours To Reverse Mask Mandates Or Lose Pay 
The state Board of Education on Friday followed up on its threat to financially penalize local school officials who impose student mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic, detailing how it is targeting salaries of school board members in Alachua and Broward counties. State board Chair Tom Grady and Vice Chair Ben Gibson signed orders that gave the two districts 48 hours to reverse course on requiring parents to submit doctor notes to opt out of mask mandates. If local officials don't comply, the state will withhold district funds in amounts equal to the collective monthly salaries of the school board members. (Dailey, 8/22)

CNN: How Three School Districts Are Defying State Restrictions On Mask Mandates 
The debate over masks in schools has reared its head once again with the new academic year, and a handful of states have taken steps to restrict local officials' ability to implement their own masking requirements, either through the governor's office or state legislatures. These restrictions -- made despite guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommending masks for everyone in schools regardless of vaccination status -- have prompted showdowns between state officials and some local school districts, who say they're trying to protect their communities, particularly students who are ineligible for vaccines. (Andone, 8/23)

In mandates, isolation rules elsewhere —

AP: Arizona AG Says Businesses Can Require COVID-19 Vaccines
Private Arizona businesses can require their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 but must allow reasonable religious and medical exemptions under state and federal law, state Attorney General Mark Brnovich wrote in a legal opinion. And they can impose vaccine requirements on patrons as well, as long as they provide reasonable accommodation for customers who can’t take a vaccine because of a disability or don’t discriminate against someone who won’t take a vaccine for religious reasons, the Republican wrote in Friday’s opinion. (8/22)

AP: Navajo Nation Issues Vaccine Mandate For Tribal Workers
All Navajo Nation executive branch employees will need to be fully vaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19 by the end of September or be required to submit to regular testing, according to an executive order announced by President Jonathan Nez on Sunday. The new rules apply to full, part-time and temporary employees, including those working for tribal enterprises like utilities, shopping centers and casinos. Any worker who does not show proof of vaccination by Sept. 29 must be tested every two weeks or face discipline. (8/22)

Mississippi Clarion Ledger: COVID-19 Isolation Order Includes Fully Vaccinated Who Are Infected
Any Mississippian, regardless of vaccination status, who tests positive for COVID-19 is required to immediately isolate at home, according to an order issued Friday by State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs. The statewide order that is effective immediately, came the same day the Mississippi State Department of Health reported 5,048 new infections — the highest one-day case count since the virus first arrived in the state in March 2020. (Haselhorst, 8/22)

Northwest Georgia News: Four Georgia Mayors Take On Gov. Kemp’s No-Virus Mandates Order
The Democratic mayors of four Georgia cities are asking Gov. Brian Kemp to impose a mask mandate inside state buildings to show he is interested in the health of Georgians as well as the economy. An open letter sent to the Republican governor Friday by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson and Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz came one day after Kemp issued an executive order prohibiting local governments from imposing any restrictions related to COVID-19.Kemp cited the need to protect small businesses from government interference. (Williams, 8/20)

Also —

KHN: Journalists Investigate Vaccine Mandates And Health Worker Burnout 
KHN Midwest correspondent Lauren Weber discussed how public health workers are struggling to deal with the pandemic on the “Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic” podcast on Aug. 12. She also spoke about covid-19 news on WAMU’s “1A” on Aug. 13. ... KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner talked about the misunderstandings of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) on Wisconsin Public Radio’s “Central Time” on Aug. 9. (8/21)

KHN: Readers And Tweeters Ponder Vaccines And Points Of Fairness
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories. (8/23)

Fox News: Surgeon General: COVID-19 Numbers 'Deeply Concerning,' Says Vaccines 'Doing Their Job'
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Sunday called the number of novel coronavirus cases nationwide "deeply concerning," adding that there are more children being hospitalized in the United States with COVID-19 than at any other time during the pandemic as a result of the highly contagious delta variant. More than 151,000 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in the U.S. each day – up over 1,000% from June, according to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately 18% of the new transmissions are those involving children, data show. The surge in cases has been driven by the delta variant, Murthy told Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday." (Pagones, 8/22)

Politico: Health Worker Crunch Pressures States Battling Delta Variant
Hospitals and lawmakers in states gripped by the Delta variant are offering nurses tens of thousands of dollars in signing bonuses, rewriting job descriptions so paramedics can care for patients and pleading for federal help to beef up their crisis-fatigued health care workforces. The alarming spread of new cases is draining the pool of available health workers in ways not seen since the pandemic’s winter peak, forcing officials to improvise and tear up rules dictating who cares for whom. Governors and hospital directors warn that the staffing crisis is so acute that patients, whether suffering from Covid-19, a heart attack or the effects of a car accident, can no longer expect the level of care that might have been available six weeks ago. (Goldberg and Miranda Ollstein, 8/23)

In news on surges around the US —

Des Moines Register: Iowa COVID Spread Substantial In All 99 Counties, CDC Recommends Masks
Every person in Iowa, vaccinated or not, should wear a mask when in public indoor spaces because of the level of spread of COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC recommends the measure to stem the tide of the disease when there is substantial spread of the virus — 50 or more confirmed COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents in the prior week, or a positive test rate of 8% or greater. At 100 or more new cases per 100,000 people, or 10% or greater positive test rates, spread is considered high. Ten Iowa counties have substantial spread of the COVID-19 causing coronavirus. The other 89 counties have high spread, according to the CDC's data as of Aug. 20. (Coltrain, 8/22)

Bloomberg: Delta Covid-19 Case Wave In U.S. Northeast May Be Nearing Its Peak
Parts of the U.S. Northeast may be near the peak of the latest Covid-19 wave, though there are still key areas of concern. Hospitalizations and deaths are likely to mount in the weeks to come. Cases in Connecticut and Massachusetts have probably topped out, according to the consensus of forecasts published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet New York and New Jersey still are expected to see infection rates increase. (Levin and Young, 8/20)

The New York Times: Covid Cases Overwhelm The Gulf Coast, Leaving Region With No I.C.U. Beds. 
The Gulf Coast, a tourist haven that draws throngs of revelers to beaches across several Southern states, has been sorely afflicted as the Delta variant tears through the region, which has relatively low rates of vaccination and often lax safety measures. But even compared to other parts of the South that are struggling against the latest wave of the virus, the Gulf Coast stands out like an angry red scar on maps that depict coronavirus hot spots and hospitalizations. (Levin and Slotnik, 8/23)

The Advocate: 'Spreading Like Wildfire': Rural Louisiana, With Lowest Vaccination Rates, Confronts Delta Surge
In Grant Parish, for instance, only 24% of the roughly 22,000 residents are fully vaccinated, the third-lowest rate in the state. And that’s after the region saw a notable recent uptick in vaccinations, prompted by the delta variant’s rapid spread, which took the pandemic to never-before-seen levels of hospitalizations in Louisiana. Louisiana’s vaccination rate is now just under 40%, well above Grant Parish, but well below the U.S. as a whole, where nearly 52% of people are fully vaccinated. (Karlin, 8/23)

USA Today: COVID Situation In Florida Is A 'Crisis,' And Getting Worse
Florida became the third state in the U.S. to reach 3 million cases of COVID-19, a total surpassed by only 15 countries in the world. Cases in the state fell very slightly this week, with 150,740 compared to 151,764 last week, but deaths were on the rise. The state saw 1,486 deaths this week compared to 1,071 the week before. Florida reported an all-time death record, with 1,486 deaths in the past week – nearly 15% above the previous record of 1,296 deaths in a week of January. Northeast Florida is bearing the brunt of the state's COVID surge, with Baptist Health's five hospitals in the area seeing more than double the number of patients with COVID they saw at the previous peak of the pandemic last summer. (Santucci and Fernando, 8/21)

AP: Official: Map Showing Low COVID Rates In Nebraska Misleading
Nebraska currently appears relatively safe on some national websites tracking the spread of COVID-19, but state health officials say those maps aren’t accurate. The problem is that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been using different data for Nebraska since the state retired its website that reported virus figures daily and started reporting updates weekly with fewer details. So two-thirds of Nebraska’s counties shouldn’t be colored blue on the CDC map, indicating low COVID-19 transmission rates, at a time when cases are surging statewide, the Omaha World-Herald reported. (8/22)

Salt Lake Tribune: ‘Sense Of Betrayal’ — Latter-Day Saint ICU Doctor Laments That More Aren’t Vaccinated
The delta variant of COVID-19 is surging across the country, filling Utah hospitals with mostly unvaccinated patients battling the disease. The new emergency prompted top leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to issue yet another, even more forceful, message last week to members to wear masks and get vaccinated. Dr. Samuel Brown, a Latter-day Saint intensive care unit physician-scientist at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, is witnessing the pandemic’s devastating toll, up close and all too personally. (Fletcher Stack and Noyce, 8/21)

In news on where covid first hit —

Bay Area News Group: First U.S. COVID Deaths Earlier -- And In Different Places -- Than Previously Thought
In a significant twist that could reshape our understanding of the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, death records now indicate the first COVID-related deaths in California and across the country occurred in January 2020, weeks earlier than originally thought and before officials knew the virus was circulating here. A half dozen death certificates from that month in six different states — California, Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Oklahoma and Wisconsin — have been quietly amended to list COVID-19 as a contributing factor, suggesting the virus’s deadly path quickly reached far beyond coastal regions that were the country’s early known hotspots. Up until now, the Feb. 6, 2020, death of San Jose’s Patricia Dowd had been considered the country’s first coronavirus fatality, although where and how she was infected remains unknown. (Blair Rowan and DeRuy, 8/22)

The Wall Street Journal: More Children Are Hospitalized With Covid-19, And Doctors Fear It Will Get Worse
Hospitals in the South and Midwest say they are treating more children with Covid-19 than ever and are preparing for worse surges to come. Cases there have jumped over the past six weeks as the highly contagious Delta variant spreads primarily among unvaccinated people. That is leading to more sick kids in places where community spread of the variant is high, public-health experts say. (Toy and Wernau, 8/22)

Fox News: Over 121,000 New Pediatric COVID-19 Cases Reported Over Week Span
Over 121,000 children tested positive for COVID-19 last week, data revealed, marking a 5% increase in cases since the beginning of the month. The new cases, which includes data reported up to Aug. 12, brings the total number of COVID-19 cases involving children in the U.S. to over 4.4 million, representing about 14.4% of the nation’s total, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). For the week ending Aug. 12, children accounted for 18% of new cases, according to the data. However, despite the increasing cases, the AAP notes that severe illness due to COVID-19 remains uncommon in children. (Hein, 8/21)

NBC News: 'My Missing Piece': Nurse Who Lost Baby To Covid Highlights Risks For Pregnancies
Vanessa Alfermann never got a chance to hold her son, Axel, before he died. A nurse at Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis, Alfermann contracted coronavirus from her husband, Ryan, in November — mere weeks before the vaccine was available to health care workers. The virus led to a rushed trip to the hospital and an emergency birth at 20 weeks. Axel did not survive. (McCausland, 8/21)

In news on other people affected by covid —

NBC News: Jesse Jackson And Wife, Jacqueline, 'Responding Positively' To Covid-19 Treatment
The Rev. Jesse Jackson and his wife, Jacqueline, are “responding positively” to medical treatment after having been hospitalized with Covid-19, their family said Sunday. Doctors at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago were “carefully monitoring” their conditions because of their ages, said their son Jonathan Jackson. Jesse Jackson is 79, and Jacqueline Jackson is 77. Both were vaccinated in January. “Both are resting comfortably and are responding positively to their treatment,” he said in a statement. (Stelloh, 8/22)

Houston Chronicle: Rep. Troy Nehls, Texas Congressman And Former Fort Bend Sheriff, Tests Positive For COVID
U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls is the latest member of Congress to contract COVID-19. The Sugar Land Republican and former Fort Bend County sheriff told his Facebook followers on Saturday he was experiencing symptoms after a close family member had become ill with COVID earlier in the week. He tested positive and on Saturday started receiving the Regeneron monoclonal antibody treatment that Gov. Greg Abbott also received earlier in the week to avoid more serious complications from the virus. (Wallace, 8/22)

Dallas Morning News: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Announces Negative COVID-19 Test, Four Days After Testing Positive
Just four days after announcing his positive COVID-19 diagnosis, Gov. Greg Abbott said Saturday that he is now testing negative for the virus. Abbott announced the news in a video posted to Twitter just before 5 p.m. “I’m told that my infection was brief and mild because of the vaccination I received, so I encourage others who have not yet received a vaccination to consider getting one,” Abbott said. Abbott, 63, has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 since late last year. He received the Pfizer-BioNTech shot. (Marfin, 8/21)

Nashville Tennessean: Phil Valentine, Radio Host Who Was A Vaccine Skeptic, Dies Of COVID
Phil Valentine, a conservative talk radio host from Tennessee who had been a vaccine skeptic until he was hospitalized from COVID-19, has died. He was 61. "We are saddened to report that our host and friend Phil Valentine has passed away," Super Talk 99.7, who employed the popular conservative talk radio host, wrote on Twitter on Saturday. "Please keep the Valentine family in your thoughts and prayers." Valentine had been a skeptic of coronavirus vaccines. But after he tested positive for COVID-19, and prior to his hospitalization, he told his listeners to consider, “If I get this COVID thing, do I have a chance of dying from it?” If so, he advised them to get vaccinated. He said he chose not to get vaccinated because he thought he probably wouldn’t die. (Schmitt, 8/22)

AP: Titans Coach Mike Vrabel Tests Positive For COVID-19
Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel said Sunday he has tested positive for COVID-19 and has quarantined pending further testing. Vrabel, who disclosed this spring that he was vaccinated, told reporters he woke up with a sore throat and an earache. He went to the team headquarters Sunday morning to be tested, and the result came back positive. Another rapid test also turned up positive, so Vrabel was given a PCR test, which he expects will return Monday as positive. (Walker, 8/22)

AP: Though Young And Healthy, Unvaccinated Father Dies Of COVID
Healthy and in their 30s, Christina and Josh Tidmore figured they were low-risk for COVID-19. With conflicting viewpoints about whether to get vaccinated against the virus filling their social media feeds and social circles, they decided to wait. On July 20, Josh came home from work with a slight cough initially thought to be sinus trouble. On Aug. 11, he died of COVID-19 at a north Alabama hospital as Christina Tidmore witnessed a doctor and her team frantically try to resuscitate her husband. (Chandler, 8/21)

In news on how to avoid covid, and what to do if you catch a breakthrough case —

Axios: CDC Recommends COVID-19 High-Risk Groups Avoid Cruise Ships
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday said that travelers who are at increased risk for severe illness from the coronavirus should avoid traveling on cruises. The CDC also said that individuals who are not fully vaccinated should avoid taking cruises. Additionally, unvaccinated passengers should self-quarantine for at least seven days after cruise travel, even if they test negative. (Gonzalez, 8/20)

CNN: Breakthrough Covid Infection: What To Do If You're Vaccinated And Test Positive 
Covid-19 vaccines are very effective against preventing infection, but no vaccine is 100% effective. Fully vaccinated people can and do become infected. It's not known exactly how many of these breakthrough infections are occurring, as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is not collecting national data this comprehensive. Based on reports from 25 states that do keep track of these data, the Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that the rate of breakthrough infections is well below 1%. (Hetter, 8/21)

The New York Times: The Surgeon General Said Misinformation On Social Networks Is Damaging Americans’ Health
Dr. Vivek Murthy, President Biden’s surgeon general, renewed the administration’s attack on coronavirus misinformation of Sunday, two days after The New York Times reported that Facebook had shelved a study showing that its most-viewed link during the first three months of the year was to an article that suggested a link between a Covid-19 vaccine and a Florida doctor’s death. “The speed, scale and sophistication with which it is spreading and impacting our health is really unprecedented,” Dr. Murthy said of coronavirus misinformation during an appearance on CNN on Sunday. “And it’s happening largely, in part, aided and abetted by social media platforms.” (Stevens, 8/23)

NPR: Facebook's Most Viewed Article In Early 2021 Raised Doubt About COVID Vaccine
A news story suggesting the COVID-19 vaccine may have been involved in a doctor's death was the most viewed link on Facebook in the U.S. in the first three months of the year. But Facebook held back from publishing a report with that information, the company acknowledged on Saturday. The social media giant prepared the report about the most widely viewed posts on its platform from January through March of 2021, but decided not to publish it "because there were key fixes to the system we wanted to make," spokesperson Andy Stone tweeted on Saturday. (Bond, 8/21)

Houston Chronicle: Fact-Checking Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's False Claim That Black Texans Are Driving COVID Surge
The raw numbers, though, tell a different story. About 24.1 million people are eligible for the vaccine in Texas, according to state population estimates. Texas has a below-average vaccination rate, with roughly 15.9 million people — or 66 percent — receiving at least one dose to date. About 13.2 million Texans, or 55 percent of the eligible population, are fully vaccinated. Most of the roughly 8 million people who have not been vaccinated are white. While exact numbers are difficult to determine, given Texas’ troubled history collecting race data on vaccines, it’s estimated that there are about three times as many white Texans as Black Texans who are eligible for the vaccine but may not have received it — about 4.9 million to 1.6 million, the state health department data shows. (Harris, 8/20)

The New York Times: A Hospital Finds An Unlikely Group Opposing Vaccination: Its Workers
Their movement started discreetly, just a handful of people communicating on encrypted apps like WhatsApp and Signal. But in just days it had ballooned tenfold. And within two weeks, it had turned into a full-blown public protest, with people waving picket signs to denounce efforts to push them to receive coronavirus vaccines. But these were not just any vaccine resisters. They were nurses, medical technicians, infection control officers and other staff who work at a hospital in Staten Island, which has the highest rate of Covid-19 infection of any borough in New York City. Outside Staten Island University Hospital this week, as passing cars and fire trucks honked supportively, employees chanted, “I am not a lab rat!” (de Freytas-Tamura, 8/22)

On the rare cases where vaccine exemptions are excusable —

Philadelphia Inquirer: Medical Exemptions For COVID-19 Vaccines, Explained
From the start, U.S. health officials have advised that recipients of COVID-19 vaccines be monitored for 15 minutes afterward in case of a severe allergic reaction — 30 minutes for those with a history of serious allergies. The precaution was prompted in part by an ingredient in the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines called polyethylene glycol (PEG), a substance known to provoke allergic reactions in a small number of people. (Avril, 8/23)

Fox News: AstraZeneca Antibody Therapy Prevents COVID-19 In Trial, Company Says
AstraZeneca released Phase 3 data showing promising results for a combination antibody therapy that prevents COVID-19, possibly opening the door to an alternative option for people who may not see the full protective benefits from the currently authorized vaccines. The PROVENT pre-exposure prophylaxis trial showed AZD7442 reduced the risk of developing symptomatic COVID-19 by up to 77% compared to a placebo. The combination of two long-acting antibodies is, according to the company, the first modified to potentially provide long-lasting protection with demonstrated clinical trial success. Also of note, over 75% of the trial participants had comorbidities, including some associated with reduced vaccine effectiveness. (Hein, 8/21)

The Washington Post: Monoclonal Antibodies Are Free And Effective Against Covid-19, But Few People Are Getting Them 
Monoclonal antibodies are free to patients and there have been almost no side effects. They are accessible on an outpatient basis, via a single infusion or four injections. Hospitals, urgent-care centers and even private doctors are authorized to dispense them. But Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, maker of the only authorized, free monoclonal antibodies, said it is reaching fewer than 30 percent of eligible patients, up from fewer than 5 percent a month ago. (Bernstein and McGinley, 8/20)

The Texas Tribune: Texas Doctors Turn To Antibody Infusions To Slow COVID-19 Hospitalizations
The infusions are, in fact, more available and accessible to Texans than ever before, with ever-loosening restrictions on who may qualify, more people hearing about them and an increasing number of doctors across the state learning about the therapy and prescribing it to their patients suffering from COVID-19. (Brooks Harper, 8/23)

On the push against ivermectin —

Axios: FDA Urges People To Stop Taking Ivermectin To Treat COVID-19 
The Food and Drug Administration on Saturday urged people to stop taking ivermectin — a drug used to treat parasites in animals — to respond to or prevent the coronavirus. The Mississippi State Health Department on Friday sent a letter warning health workers of the increase in poisonings from people taking ivermectin. "The Mississippi Poison Control Center has received an increasing number of calls from individuals with potential ivermectin exposure taken to treat or prevent COVID-19 infection," state officials said in the letter. (Gonzalez, 8/21)

The New York Times: Ivermectin Should Not Be Used To Treat Covid, F.D.A. Says 
Ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug commonly used for livestock, should not be taken to treat or prevent Covid-19, the Food and Drug Administration said on Saturday. The warning came a day after the Mississippi State Department of Health issued a similar statement in response to reports that an increasing number of people in Mississippi were using the drug to prevent a Covid infection. (Medina, 8/21)

And related to monoclonal antibody treatments —

Axios: AP Asks DeSantis To Stop Aide's "Harassing Behavior" Toward Reporter
The Associated Press’ incoming CEO is asking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to put a stop to his press secretary’s "harassing behavior" that she says has endangered one of the organization's journalists in our state. DeSantis aide Christina Pushaw’s Twitter account was temporarily suspended for violating rules on abusive behavior after she encouraged her followers to target longtime Florida reporter Brendan Farrington. Farrington wrote a story last week pointing out that the hedge fund of one of DeSantis’ top donors has invested millions in Regeneron, which manufactures a COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatment that DeSantis has been promoting around the state. (Montgomery, 8/23)

The Wall Street Journal: Pelosi, Centrist Democrats In Standoff With Key Vote Ahead 
Centrist House Democrats were locked in a weekend standoff with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) over when to vote on a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure bill, imperiling the chamber’s ability to advance a sweeping segment of President Biden’s agenda in votes expected early this week. A group of nine centrist Democrats has been at an impasse with Mrs. Pelosi and liberal Democrats for more than a week over a strategy to tie together the infrastructure bill, already passed with bipartisan support in the Senate, and Mr. Biden’s $3.5 trillion package of healthcare, education and climate provisions currently being crafted. That bill is expected to rely on just Democratic support under a process tied to the budget. To unlock that process, Mrs. Pelosi needs nearly all of her caucus on board for a procedural step planned for this week in the House. (Peterson, 8/22)

The Washington Post: Pelosi Faces Tough Budget Decisions As Democrats Split Over Plan For $3.5 Trillion Measure 
House Democrats are preparing to take the first steps Monday toward adopting a roughly $3.5 trillion spending plan that would enable sweeping changes to the nation’s health care, education and tax laws, but new rifts among party lawmakers threaten to stall the package’s swift advance. The budget blueprint encompasses many of Democrats’ most cherished policy promises from the 2020 campaign, including pledges to expand Medicare, rethink immigration, and spend new sums to combat climate change. Its adoption this week would inch Congress closer to delivering on President Biden’s broader economic agenda. (Romm, 8/22)

And in news on former President Trump —

CNBC: Trump Booed At Alabama Rally After Telling Supporters To Get Vaccinated
Former President Donald Trump was booed at a rally on Saturday in Alabama after telling supporters they should get vaccinated. “And you know what? I believe totally in your freedoms. I do. You’ve got to do what you have to do,” Trump said. “But, I recommend: take the vaccines. I did it. It’s good. Take the vaccines.” Some boos rang out from the rally crowd, who were largely maskless. (Smith, 8/22)

Axios: U.S. Uninsurance Rate Unchanged During Pandemic Despite Layoffs 
Despite layoffs, losses of income and employer-backed insurance during the pandemic, the uninsurance rate did not change between March 2019 and April 2021 thanks to increased enrollment in public coverage, according to a new report out today by the Urban Institute. More than one in 10 adults (11%) overall were still uninsured in April 2021, including nearly 20% of adults in states that have not expanded Medicaid. (Fernandez, 8/23)

In environmental news —

CBS News: Orlando Declares Water Shortage Linked To Rise In Florida COVID-19 Cases 
A flood of COVID-19 cases in Florida is leading to a water shortage in Orlando, with the city asking residents to cut their usage for at least several weeks to conserve resources for hospitalized patients. A surge in hospitalized patients in the state is creating "a regional shortage of liquid oxygen," the Orlando Utilities Commission announced Friday. Liquid oxygen is also used to treat water, and its diversion to hospitals is straining the region's water supplies. City officials are asking residents to stop watering their lawns and washing their cars to save water for COVID-19 patients. (Ivanova, 8/20)

KHN: As Temperatures Rise, So Do The Health Risks For California’s Farmworkers
Leoncio Antonio Trejo Galdamez, 58, died in his son’s arms on June 29 after spending the day laying irrigation pipes in California’s Coachella Valley. News of his death reverberated through the largely Latino community near the Mexican and Arizona borders — another casualty in a dangerous business. “Farmworkers are at the front lines of climate change. And, in some instances, we’re seeing a perfect storm battering our workers: covid-19, wildfire smoke and heat,” said Leydy Rangel, a spokesperson for the United Farm Workers Foundation. (Green and de Marco, 8/23)

On maternal health —

Houston Chronicle: Texas Is Boosting Healthcare Access For New Moms, But There's A Catch
Doctors and health care advocates have been trying for years to expand Medicaid in Texas, especially for new moms who can experience life-threatening depression and physical complications in the months after giving birth. So when Republicans this spring agreed to a modest boost in postpartum benefits, from two months to six, many were elated. Even Gov. Greg Abbott, a critic of the government health program, was celebrative, hosting a ceremonial signing of House Bill 133 into law with fellow conservatives. (Blackman, 8/23)

AP: WVa Partnership Gets $1M Grant To Assist Rural Maternal Care
A partnership dedicated to improving health outcomes for pregnant women and their babies in West Virginia has been awarded a $1 million federal grant. Sen. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito announced the funding for the West Virginia Perinatal Partnership from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (8/23)

And in public health news influenced by covid —

San Diego Union-Tribune: A San Diego Health System Delays Procedures Due To Staff Shortage, COVID
Scripps Health has begun delaying some medical procedures and is considering consolidating some of its outpatient locations due to a shortage of qualified workers even as COVID-19 continues to increase demand for hospital beds, officials said. Chris Van Gorder, the health system’s chief executive officer, said in an email that the number of delayed operations remains very small — nowhere near the near-total shutdown of elective medical work undertaken in 2020. (Sisson, 8/21)

The Atlantic: Will Pandemic Fatigue Change How We Process Disasters? 
Last week, the psychologist Steven Taylor was at a socially distanced get-together with some relatives and their friends when the conversation turned to the chaos in Afghanistan. Someone mentioned the sickening footage of desperate Afghans clinging to American military aircraft as they departed. Then one man made a remark that caught Taylor off guard: The videos, he said, were funny. Others agreed. Taylor was appalled. It was one of the most disturbing things he’d heard all week. Worse, he doesn’t think it was an isolated instance of casual sadism. Taylor studies disaster psychology at the University of British Columbia, and he knows how intense, sustained stress can desensitize the mind. What most concerned him about the incident was what it suggested about the pandemic’s effects on our experience of other disasters and, more broadly, our ability—or inability—to empathize. (Stern, 8/22)

KHN: Pandemic Unveils Growing Suicide Crisis For Communities Of Color 
Rafiah Maxie has been a licensed clinical social worker in the Chicago area for a decade. Throughout that time, she’d viewed suicide as a problem most prevalent among middle-aged white men. ntil May 27, 2020. That day, Maxie’s 19-year-old son, Jamal Clay — who loved playing the trumpet and participating in theater, who would help her unload groceries from the car and raise funds for the March of the Dimes — killed himself in their garage. “Now I cannot blink without seeing my son hanging,” said Maxie, who is Black. (Pattani, 8/23)

The Wall Street Journal: Remote Work May Now Last For Two Years, Worrying Some Bosses 
With the latest wave of return-to-office delays from Covid-19, some companies are considering a new possibility: Offices may be closed for nearly two years. That is raising concerns among executives that the longer people stay at home, the harder or more disruptive it could be to eventually bring them back. (Cutter, 8/22)

Also —

AP: State Drops 'Do Not Eat' Advisory For Illinois River Fish
Illinois public health officials have dropped a “do not eat” advisory for sport fish in the Illinois River for the first time since the 1970s. The Illinois Department of Public Health relaxed the warning because concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, have declined, the Chicago Tribune reported. The toxic contaminants were banned in 1979 but stick around in the environment, prompting the advisory. (8/22)

CIDRAP: Two Wisconsin H1N2v Flu Cases Linked To County Fair
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today reported two variant H1N2 (H1N2v) flu cases, both involving patients 18 or older who attended the same county fair in Wisconsin that had swine exhibits. One adult was hospitalized, and both have recovered from their infections. No human-to-human cases have been linked to either person. (8/20)

The New York Times: Why Hospitals And Health Insurers Didn’t Want You To See Their Prices 
This year, the federal government ordered hospitals to begin publishing a prized secret: a complete list of the prices they negotiate with private insurers. The insurers’ trade association had called the rule unconstitutional and said it would “undermine competitive negotiations.” ... But data from the hospitals that have complied hints at why the powerful industries wanted this information to remain hidden. It shows hospitals are charging patients wildly different amounts for the same basic services: procedures as simple as an X-ray or a pregnancy test. (Kliff and Katz, 8/22)

On happenings in the health industry —

Axios: Illumina CEO On Closing A Merger The FTC Sued To Block 
Illumina CEO Francis deSouza tells Axios that his company is not trying to defy U.S. or European regulators by completing its $7.1 billion purchase of cancer testing company Grail, despite doing so amidst ongoing government reviews. Illumina argues that the merger could make early cancer detection more affordable and widely available, but there are concerns that it could be anticompetitive. (Primack, 8/20)

Stat: Flagship, Orbimed, ARCH Top List Of High-Performing Biotech VC Firms 
Flagship Pioneering is on track to return its investors’ money an eye-popping 15 times over, according to public records gathered by STAT. The Cambridge-based firm’s fourth fund, which officially launched in 2012, reported the highest investment multiple of any fund included in a new STAT report published on Monday that looks at returns for 17 major biotech venture capital firms during 2020. Other top performers were Alta Partners’ 2018 fund and ARCH Venture Partners’ 2007 fund, each of which returned at least $5 for each $1 an investor put in. (Sheridan, 8/23)

Axios: LumiraDx Slashes Takeover Price, Citing A Slowdown In COVID Testing 
London-based LumiraDx has slashed $2 billion off the size of a proposed takeover by a SPAC, citing decreases in COVID-19 testing volume. The move tracks with reduced sales forecasts by industry giants like Abbott and Quest Diagnostics, but also feels like it's on a bit of a lag. (Primack, 8/22)

Modern Healthcare: Clinical Decision-Support Tech Companies Raised $1.1B So Far This Year
Clinical decision-support software companies raised more than $1 billion during the first half of 2021—double the amount raised during the same period last year. Investors poured $1.1 billion into companies that sell clinical decision-support tools—products that analyze data and provide recommendations on patient care—during the first six months of 2021, up from $545 million during the same period in 2020, according to a second-quarter report from market research firm Mercom Capital Group. (Kim Cohen, 8/20)

Modern Healthcare: Geisinger Offers AI-Enabled Payment Plans For Patients
Geisinger is giving patients options to pay medical bills by viewing their out-of-pocket expenses. The Danville, Penn.-based system this week introduced a billing solution that allows patients to customize their payment plans. Patients with out-of-pocket balances of more than $250 after insurance can choose customized payment plans offered at no fees or interest. (Ross Johnson, 8/20)

Modern Healthcare: Google Says Health Projects Will Continue—Even If Google Health Won't
Google is unwinding its three-year-old Google Health division as it reorganizes health projects and teams across the company. Alphabet's Google created the Google Health division in 2018, shortly after announcing Dr. David Feinberg, then CEO of Geisinger Health, would join the company as a vice president. Feinberg, who was tapped to become CEO of Cerner this week, was charged with bringing Google's health efforts under a single umbrella. (Kim Cohen, 8/20)

In news on key health industry figures —

The Boston Globe: Biotech Founder David Sabatini Placed On Leave After Harassment Probe
A prominent biology professor and biotech founder at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has been placed on administrative leave following an investigation into claims of sexual harassment, according to a letter from the dean of MIT’s School of Science that was sent to biology faculty members Friday. Dr. David Sabatini, who leads the Sabatini Lab at MIT’s Whitehead Institute, “is no longer associated” with the institute or the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Dr. Nergis Mavalvala wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Globe. Mavalvala wrote that the investigator’s report “raises very serious concerns about sexual and workplace harassment.” (Stoico, 8/21)

Stat: SENS Research Foundation Removes Aubrey De Grey 
Antiaging science’s most prominent prophet, Aubrey de Grey, has been removed from his post as chief science officer at SENS Research Foundation, the organization he co-founded more than a decade ago, over concerns he was interfering in an investigation of sexual-harassment allegations against him. Since June, De Grey had been on administrative leave, while the foundation conducted an independent inquiry into the allegations. And though that investigation remains ongoing, the SENS Foundation board of directors decided to “separate from Dr. de Grey, effective immediately,” according to a statement issued late Saturday evening. A spokesperson for the foundation confirmed that he is no longer an employee. (Molteni, 8/22)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Penn Medicine Apologizes For Notorious Doctor Who Conducted Experiments On Holmesburg Prison Inmates
The dean of Penn Medicine on Friday issued an apology for the work of Dr. Albert Kligman, a longtime faculty member who was a pioneer of anti-acne medication but has since become notorious for conducting medical research on inmates, most of them Black, at Philadelphia’s Holmesburg Prison. The apology was included in a statement by J. Larry Jameson, the dean of Penn Medicine, posted online. Jameson also outlined steps that Penn Medicine is taking to address the harm caused by Kligman’s conduct, “which are not now, and never were, morally acceptable.” (Moran, 8/21)

Stat: A Lucky Few Seem 'Resistant' To Covid-19. Scientists Ask Why 
Her husband collapsed just before reaching the top of the stairs in their small one-bedroom house in São Paulo, Brazil. Frantic, Thais Andrade grabbed the portable pulse oximeter she had purchased after hearing that a low oxygen reading could be the first sign of the novel coronavirus. Erik’s reading was hovering eight points lower than it had that morning. He also looked feverish. “When he hit 90% [on the oximeter], I said we can’t wait anymore,” Andrade recalled. “I called an ambulance.” (Kalaichandran, 8/23)

NPR: Antibody Levels Help Predict Immunity After COVID Shot
When Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke recently at a White House briefing about the need for COVID-19 booster shots, buried in his slide show of charts and data points was a little-noticed scientific paper that offers evidence for a reliable way to predict how much protection a COVID-19 vaccine offers. The study appeared on a preprint server earlier this month without much fanfare, but many interested in the future of COVID-19 vaccines had been eagerly awaiting the results. (Palca, 8/23)

On the funding impact of covid —

North Carolina Health News: COVID-19 Drove Funding To Science, Health Studies 
At sunrise, when the North Carolina sky slowly wakes up to light blue, Kevin Saunders gets into his white coat and is ready to dive into his research. As a director of research at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Saunders studies the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) with hopes of discovering a vaccine that could prevent transmission of the virus and the disease that goes along with it. (Huang, 8/23)

Also —

Fox News: Eating 1 Hot Dog Claims 35 Minutes Off Life, Study Suggests
Researchers released a nutritional index this week aiming to inform guidelines and help Americans achieve healthier and more environmentally stable diets. The index ranked foods by minutes gained or lost off healthy life per serving, with processed meats and sugary drinks among the biggest offenders. Findings included over 5,000 foods in the U.S. diet classified by health burden and environmental impacts. "We use the results to inform marginal dietary substitutions, which are realistic and feasible," authors wrote. "We find that small, targeted, food-level substitutions can achieve compelling nutritional benefits and environmental impact reductions." (Rivas, 8/21)

The Hill: Kentucky High Court Clears Way For Legislature To Rein In Governor's COVID-19 Emergency Powers
The Kentucky Supreme Court on Saturday issued a ruling clearing the way for several bills limiting Gov. Andy Beshear’s (D) coronavirus-related emergency powers after telling a circuit court that it should not have issued an injunction against the legislation. One of the bills that took aim at Beshear’s emergency powers would require the Kentucky legislature to vote to extend the governor’s COVID-19 regulations and emergency orders or have them face expiration after 30 days, the Louisville Courier Journal reported. (Vakil, 8/22)

AP: Beshear Critics Vow To Work With Governor To Fight Pandemic
Top Republican lawmakers are promising to work with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear to fight COVID-19 after a court ruling cleared the way for new limits on the Democratic governor’s emergency powers. Beshear’s allies said they’ll be watching to see if the governor’s critics follow through. Kentucky Republicans cheered the state Supreme Court ruling Saturday. The ruling ordered a lower court to dissolve an injunction that for months had blocked the GOP-backed laws. It comes as the highly contagious delta variant drives up coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in Kentucky. (Schreiner, 8/22)

AP: Beshear Names Aug. 22-28 Healthcare Heroes Appreciation Week
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has declared the week of Aug. 22 to 28 as Healthcare Heroes Appreciation Week. The declaration is in honor of the doctors, nurses, hospital and clinic staff, and others who have helped the Bluegrass state during the COVID-19 pandemic. “They are heroes, they have earned that title,” Beshear said at a press briefing Thursday, urging local businesses and community members to find ways to show gratitude for healthcare workers. (8/23)

In news from elsewhere around the US —

WUSF Public Media: Tampa COVID Antibody Treatment Site Sees Long Lines
The new monoclonal antibody treatment site in Tampa had closed to walk-in COVID-19 patients within hours of opening on Friday. The site, located at Kings Forest Park near the Florida State Fairgrounds, was opened as part of a statewide effort to expand availability of the therapy in an attempt to curb COVID hospitalizations in Florida, which have consistently hit all-time highs in recent weeks. (Colombini, 8/22)

Albany Herald: Hospitals At Breaking Point As COVID Ravages Dougherty County, Region
As a mobile morgue was scheduled to roll into the city on Monday, officials outlined this week a hospital system that is stretched to the limit with a record number of COVID-19 patients. “Today we had more patients in our hospital than we have had since the beginning of the pandemic,” Dr. Kathy Hudson, chief medical officer at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, said as she began her remarks during a Friday news conference with medical and community leaders. “We have 161 people in Albany, 34 in Americus and four in Sylvester. That’s 199 patients in the hospital with COVID-19. That’s a 50 percent increase over last week.” (Mauldin, 8/21)

AP: Maryland Gov. Hogan, Cancer Survivor, Gets 3rd Vaccine Dose
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a cancer survivor, said Sunday he’s received a third shot of the coronavirus vaccine and he’s urging the federal government to make booster shots available earlier than currently planned. Hogan appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” and said he received the additional dose this week on the recommendation of his doctors. (8/22)

WJCT 89.9 FM Jacksonville: Can A Duval Student Ask To Sit Away From One Who's Unmasked? District Says 'No' 
More than 8,000 students have opted out of wearing masks within Duval County Public Schools within the second week of school — a small number representing only about 6.5 percent of the 125,000 students on campus. But teachers say the numbers are disproportionately dispersed classroom-to-classroom. In teacher Andrew Mathis' classes at Oceanway Elementary, he says about eight of his 47 students — 16 percent — have opted-out of wearing masks. "Our elementary children aren't vaccinated and now some are also without masks," Mathis told The Times-Union. "I know the district wanted to make masks a mandate. Last year I found it easy to enforce. It wasn't a problem to say, 'Put your mask on.' Everyone was doing the same thing." (Bloch, 8/22)

Bloomberg: Ardern Further Extends New Zealand Lockdown As Outbreak Grows
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern further extended a strict, nationwide lockdown as an outbreak of the delta strain of coronavirus continues to grow. The entire country will remain at Level 4 restrictions, the highest level of lockdown, until midnight Aug. 27. ... Ardern said her government still plans to “stamp out” the current outbreak, which on Monday grew by 35 cases to a total of 107. (Brockett, 8/23)

Axios: Australian Police Arrest Over 250 Anti-Lockdown Protesters 
Australian police on Saturday arrested more than 250 protesters who were condemning coronavirus-related lockdown policies in the country, AP reports. Sydney issued strict COVID protocol for more than two months, with Melbourne and Canberra entering lockdown in early August. Australia is currently facing its worst COVID-19 resurgence to date, and on Saturday reported its highest ever single-day rise in cases since the start of the pandemic. (Gonzalez, 8/21)

Noticias Telemundo: Latin American Countries Begin Offering COVID Booster Shots 
Chile, Uruguay and the Dominican Republic have begun vaccinating their citizens with a third dose of coronavirus immunizations as COVID-19 continues to ravage Latin America and the Caribbean. Their experience bears watching now that the U.S. has determined booster shots will be needed around eight months after the first immunization period. (Franco, 8/21)

Axios: COVID: Antibody Tests Surveillance Program Launched In U.K. 
The British government announced Sunday that it's launching a national surveillance program to measure antibodies in people who test positive for COVID-19. The U.K. Health Security Agency said in a statement that its program would improve understanding of immunity and the protection provided by antibodies generated following coronavirus infection and vaccination. (Falconer, 8/22)

Bloomberg: U.K. Covid Testing Companies Face Removal Over Misleading Prices
Almost a fifth of companies advertising Covid-19 tests for travelers returning to the U.K. from abroad face removal from the government’s list of providers over misleading prices, the health department said. Some 82 private travel testing companies will be issued a two-strike warning and could be removed from the government’s website, Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said on Monday in an emailed statement. (Marley, 8/23)

Bloomberg: China Hits Covid Zero Cases With Draconian Curbs
It’s been just over a month, and China has once again squelched Covid-19, bringing its local cases down to zero. It was more difficult this time, even though the leaders of the world’s most populous nation used the same playbook they followed to quell more than 30 previous flare-ups. The arrival of the more infectious delta variant has raised the stakes, as the pathogen refines its ability to escape curbs and flout vaccination. It’s unclear how long the victory will last. (8/23)

AP: Lebanese Hospitals At Breaking Point As Everything Runs Out
Drenched in sweat, doctors check patients lying on stretchers in the reception area of Lebanon’s largest public hospital. Air conditioners are turned off, except in operating rooms and storage units, to save on fuel. Medics scramble to find alternatives to saline solutions after the hospital ran out. The shortages are overwhelming, the medical staff exhausted. And with a new surge in coronavirus cases, Lebanon’s hospitals are at a breaking point. The country’s health sector is a casualty of the multiple crises that have plunged Lebanon into a downward spiral — a financial and economic meltdown, compounded by a complete failure of the government, runaway corruption and a pandemic that isn’t going away. (El Deeb, 8/23)

Axios: India Approves World's First DNA-Based COVID-19 Vaccine 
India's drug regulator on Friday granted emergency approval to the world's first DNA-based coronavirus vaccine. The three-dose, needle-free vaccine was developed by pharmaceutical company Zydus Cadila. The company added that it is also the first vaccine to be approved in the country for teens between the ages of 12 and 18. (Gonzalez, 8/21)

Also —

The Washington Post: Afghan Refugee Goes Into Labor On U.S. Evacuation Flight, Gives Birth At Ramstein Air Base 
An Afghan woman gave birth just moments after landing on an evacuation flight, the U.S. Air Mobility Command said early Sunday. The unidentified woman delivered a baby girl in the cargo bay of a U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft, shortly after landing at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Saturday. “The mother went into labor and began having complications. The aircraft commander decided to descend in altitude to increase air pressure in the aircraft, which helped stabilize and save the mother’s life,” Air Mobility Command said. After landing in Germany, she was treated by medics who came aboard and delivered the child in the cargo bay of the aircraft. (Suliman, 8/22)

The Baltimore Sun: Asian Americans Are Invisible Victims Of COVID 
COVID-19 has claimed more than 600,000 lives in the U.S. yet hidden in that number is how deadly the pandemic has been for Asian Americans. Emerging evidence shows that the COVID-19 mortality rate for Asian Americans is the highest among all races and ethnicities for some subpopulations. Yet sadly, this loss remains largely invisible. (Lanlan Xu, 8/ 20)

Los Angeles Times: FDA Must Fast-Track COVID-19 Vaccine For Kids Under 12 
If the Food and Drug Administration continues on its current path, a COVID-19 vaccine for children under 12 probably won’t be available until early 2022 — an eternity in this pandemic. Kids infected by the highly contagious Delta variant have overwhelmed children’s hospitals in parts of Florida and Texas. A record number of children — more than 1,900 — are hospitalized in the U.S. Unless younger children are vaccinated, more school outbreaks will occur, leading to repeating cycles of closures, quarantines and reopenings. Those who have lost one year of school may lose another, with children from low-income families and students of color continuing to suffer the greatest educational losses. (Bernard Black and Martin Skladany, 8/23)

Stat: Covid-19 Booster Shot Delivery Must Avoid Vaccine Roll-Out Mistakes 
With news that Covid-19 booster shots are in Americans’ imminent future, the chaos and uncertainty of the initial vaccine rollout are making a reprise. Whether boosters for everyone in the U.S. are necessary, justified, or ethical are important questions, but are different from the issue at hand. President Biden’s decision — that everyone be equally eligible for a booster eight months after the initial shot — risks reproducing many of the flaws that plagued the first roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccines, such as failing to establish clear priorities and methods of distribution. (Jennifer S. Bard and Chloe Reichel, 8/20)

Chicago Tribune: COVID-19 Booster Puts Health Care Workers In A Vexing Ethical Dilemma 
The Biden administration recently announced plans to approve booster shots to be administered eight months after the second Moderna or Pfizer vaccine shot. Health care workers who received their vaccinations in late 2020 and early 2021 may receive boosters as early as September. As a physician, I signed up for the Pfizer vaccines as soon as they became available at my hospital. Throughout the pandemic, I kept up with the development of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines and pored over the supporting research and list of side effects. I decided that my likelihood of contracting COVID-19 was much higher than suffering from a significant adverse effect from the vaccine. I took my second shot as scheduled in January. I worked through a throbbing headache the next day with Tylenol so that I could continue to admit patients to the hospital. (Yoo Jung Kim, 8/20)

USA Today: To COVID-19, There Are No Red States, No Blue States, Just The United States
If you were repulsed by the idea that Gov. Ron DeSantis “won" the pandemic, you might get perverse pleasure from watching his state of Florida continually set records for COVID-19 hospitalizations. Critics of Gov. Greg Abbott could get smug watching him catch the coronavirus as he wages war against any effort to mandate measures to contain pandemic across Texas. And who can do anything but shake a head as the 20,000 students forced to quarantine in Mississippi can’t persuade Gov. Tate Reeves to implement a statewide mask requirement? (Jason Sattler, 8/23)

Stat: 4 Measures Applied Together Can Limit Covid-19 Transmission In Schools
I live with someone who hasn’t been vaccinated against Covid-19. He’s my first-grader. Like all of his classmates and anyone under 12 years old, Davi can’t yet get one of the authorized vaccines. But as schools return to full-time in-person learning, they are doing so in the face of a rapidly rising fourth wave of the pandemic that is affecting mainly unvaccinated people. And because the prevailing Delta variant is so highly infectious, more young children are being diagnosed with Covid-19 than in the previous waves. Many parents and school administrators are faced with a dilemma of growing urgency: How do we ensure that kids are safe at school while still reaping the benefits of in-person learning? (Alicia Zhou, 8/23)

The Boston Globe: In Weighing Vaccine Mandates, Follow The Evidence, Not The Science 
In my career leading science centers in California, Alabama, and Massachusetts, I have generally found science to be common ground, something that brings people together in shared wonder and inspiration. I still believe this is the case, but heated disagreements about COVID-19 vaccines have ruptured this shared ground like an earthquake. In this polarized environment, how should leaders think through the decision on whether to mandate vaccinations? In recently announcing that the Museum of Science in Boston will mandate vaccinations for all staff and volunteers, I personally wrestled with this question. This is the common price of institutional leadership, and, in this case, the result of tension between the principles of science and public health. (Tim Ritchie, 8/23)

The Washington Post: Unvaccinated Covid Patients Are Straining Hospitals Like Mine, Where I Had To Turn A Cancer Patient Away 
The unvaccinated are killing people in ways they probably never imagined. As the delta variant spreads, hospitals in Florida, Alabama and other states have been filling with covid patients, almost all of them people who chose not to get vaccinated. As daily infections break records, intensive-care unit beds are scarce or nonexistent. But the surge has also affected non-covid patients, such as the Texas shooting victim who had to wait more than a week for surgery. Louisiana stroke victims who can’t get admitted to hospitals. And the cancer patient I recently had to turn away. (Nitesh N. Paryani, 8/21)

Modern Healthcare: Taking A Closer Look At Dementia In America 
In June, the Food and Drug Administration's controversial approval of Biogen's aducanumab (marketed as Aduhelm) for Alzheimer's disease stirred up more questions than answers. The biologic was granted accelerated approval despite major questions about its unclear clinical efficacy, safety/risk profile, and the near-unanimous dissenting opinion of the FDA's own advisory committee. Congressional investigations examining the relationship between the FDA and Biogen—including an inquiry by the inspector general—are underway. (Daniel R. George and Dr. Peter J. Whitehouse, 8/20)

Stat: Delay Of New Guidelines Is A Setback For Chronic Fatigue (ME/CFS) Patients
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), a British agency charged with developing clinical guidelines for medical conditions, was expected to release new recommendations on August 18 for the treatment of people with chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis, or ME/CFS. Instead, it abruptly delayed the move under pressure from powerful medical interests. (David Tuller and Steven Lubet, 8/22)

Kansas City Star: COVID Proves Social Conditions Determine Health, Well-Being 
In the past year, it has been heavily impressed upon Kansas Citians that one’s health is to a significant degree determined by factors beyond one’s control. The COVID-19 era is a key moment to further break down the reactionary notion that personal health choices are all that stands between an individual and optimal physical and mental well-being. It’s also broadened our understanding of how health is also a product of social conditions. (Garrett S. Griffin, 8/22)

Bloomberg: Kavanaugh Is The Last Hope For Abortion Rights And Roe V. Wade 
For the first time in 30 years — a legal generation — the Supreme Court is poised to revisit the law of abortion rights in a fundamental way. The last time, in 1992, amid expectations that Roe v. Wade might be reversed, the right to choose was saved by an unlikely coalition: Justices Anthony Kennedy and Sandra Day O’Connor, both President Ronald Reagan’s nominees, and David Souter, nominated by President George H.W. Bush, wrote a joint opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey that preserved the essential holding of Roe, which had made abortion a constitutional right in 1973. (Noah Feldman, 8/22)

Scientific American: The FDA Should Remove Its Restrictions On The 'Abortion Pill' Mifepristone 
The pandemic has shown us that it’s time to change the way we get health care and that essential health care, including abortion, has always been out of reach for far too many. As we look ahead to the future of care, the science is clear: medication abortion care is safe and effective, and it’s past time to remove the restrictions on it. Now, actions from the FDA and new research show us that removing the restrictions on medication abortion care has the potential to expand access for many people who need care. The July 2021 special issue of the journal Contraception focuses on the restrictions on medication abortion, mifepristone, including its impacts on safety and efficacy, access to abortion, and burdens on patients and providers. (Kelly Cleland, 8/21)

Stat: Stop The Failed Accountable Care Organization Experiment 
For the last half-century, Congress has endorsed essentially the same approach to cutting health care costs, an approach that came to be called “managed care” by the mid-1980s. Based on the assumption that U.S. health care costs are double those of other wealthy nations because doctors order services patients don’t need, the solution is to “manage” doctors and provide financial incentives that nudge them to cut services. (Kip Sullivan and James G. Kahn, 8/23)

The Conversation: Male Fertility Is Declining – Studies Show That Environmental Toxins Could Be A Reason 
In the U.S., nearly 1 in 8 couples struggles with infertility. Unfortunately, physicians like me who specialize in reproductive medicine are unable to determine the cause of male infertility around 30% to 50% of the time. There is almost nothing more disheartening than telling a couple “I don’t know” or “There’s nothing I can do to help.” Upon getting this news, couple after couple asks me questions that all follow a similar line of thinking. “What about his work, his cellphone, our laptops, all these plastics? Do you think they could have contributed to this?” (Ryan P. Smith, 8/22)