CNN: US Hits Highest 7-Day Average Of Coronavirus Cases Since The Pandemic Began
The latest surge of Covid-19 infections has pushed the seven-day average of new daily cases to heights not seen since the pandemic began. The seven-day average of new cases hit 68,767 on Sunday, topping the previous peak of 67,293 reported on July 22. The two highest single days of new cases were Friday and Saturday, with more than 83,000 new cases added each day. Health experts say the resurgence of cases that they had warned would strike in the fall and winter is here, and that it could be the worst the US has seen so far. (Holcombe, 10/26)

Time: The U.S. Just Set A New Daily Record For COVID-19 Cases
Just days before a momentous and unpredictable Presidential election, the United States has reached a new record high in the number of daily COVID-19 infections, surpassing the peak in mid-July during the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic’s domestic toll. As of Oct. 24, there was a weekly average of 23.0 infections per 100,000 residents, up from 20.5 on July 19 and ticking rapidly upward. The country also set a new single-day record on Oct. 23 with 83,757 new cases. (Wilson, 10/25)

ABC News: As Cases Increase, US Coronavirus Deaths Surpass 225,000
The U.S. death toll from the novel coronavirus passed another grim milestone Sunday as the number of cases crossed the 225,000 mark. The Center for Systems, Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University reported there were 225,111 COVID-19 related deaths across the country as of Sunday afternoon. (Pereira, 10/25)

The Washington Post: New Wave Of Coronavirus Cases, Hospitalizations Strains Health Systems
With coronavirus hospitalizations surging in much of the United States and daily cases hitting all-time highs, the pandemic is putting new strain on local health systems, prompting plans for makeshift medical centers and new talk of rationing care. In Texas, authorities are scrambling to shore up resources in El Paso, where intensive care units hit full capacity on Saturday and where covid-19 hospitalizations have nearly quadrupled to almost 800 in less than three weeks. In Utah, the state hospital association warned that if current trends hold, it will soon have to ask the governor to invoke “crisis standards of care” — a triage system that, for example, favors younger patients. (Knowles and Dupree, 10/25)

AP: Fear And Anxiety Spike In Virus Hot Spots Across US
Preslie Paur breaks down in tears when she thinks of her state’s refusal to mandate face masks. The South Salt Lake City, Utah, woman can’t work at her special education job due to an autoimmune disease. Her husband, also a special ed teacher, recently quit because his school district would not allow him to work remotely to protect her and their 5-year-old son, who has asthma. “I feel forgotten,” Paur said. “We’re living in a world we no longer fit in. We did everything right. We went to college, we got jobs, we tried to give back to our community, and now our community is not giving back to us. And I’m very scared.” (Ramer and Sainz, 10/25)

How the states are faring —

The Washington Post: El Paso Imposes Curfew After ICU Beds Reach Capacity
The dreaded cold-weather surge of coronavirus infections is beginning to overwhelm health-care providers in some areas of the country, prompting a return to stay-at-home restrictions and the construction of makeshift field hospitals. El Paso imposed a new curfew on residents Sunday after intensive care units reached full capacity, while Utah’s hospital association warned that it would soon have to begin rationing care if current trends do not improve. (Noori Farzan, 10/26)

The Oklahoman: Mayor Says Personal Decisions Matter As OKC-Area COVID-19 Hospitalizations Peak, Triggering State 'surge' Plan
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt says personal decisions matter as the metro area experiences a critical surge in COVID-19 illnesses. The state increased the OKC metro to a "Tier 2" alert Friday, triggered by three consecutive days of COVID-19 patients making up more than 15% of the patients in area hospitals. "Over 300 of our friends and neighbors in the Oklahoma City metro are currently in the hospital for COVID-19," Holt said by text. (Crum, 10/23)

The Hill: New York Surpasses Half A Million COVID-19 Cases 
New York has reported more than half a million COVID-19 cases, becoming the fourth state in the U.S. to pass the bleak milestone after California, Florida and Texas. Reuters reported that New York has had 80 percent more cases in the last month than the preceding month and recorded over 2,000 in a single day twice recently. However, these numbers are far from the state’s record on April 10 when 12,847 cases were recorded. (Choi, 10/25)

The Hill: How California Turned The Corner On COVID-19 
While COVID-19 infections spike uncontrollably across the country, California has turned the corner. After a brutal summer as one of the worst coronavirus hot spots, the most populous state in the country is once again being touted as a success story. (Weixel, 10/24)

CNN: White House Chief Of Staff Mark Meadows: 'We Are Not Going To Control The Pandemic'
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Sunday that the US is "not going to control" the coronavirus pandemic, as cases surge across the country and nearly 225,000 Americans have died from the virus. "We are not going to control the pandemic. We are going to control the fact that we get vaccines, therapeutics and other mitigation areas," Meadows told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union." (Cole, 10/25)

Politico: ‘We’re Not Going To Control The Pandemic’: White House Chief’s Comments Undermine Trump’s Message 
Yet President Donald Trump — who continues to insist that the country is “rounding the corner” despite a new surge in cases — is campaigning in New Hampshire and Maine on Sunday before returning to the White House to co-host a Halloween event with first lady Melania Trump. Vice President Mike Pence will also continue to campaign instead of quarantine, after a top staffer tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday (McCaskill, 10/25)

The Washington Post: White House Signals Defeat In Pandemic As Coronavirus Outbreak Roils Pence's Office 
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, who regularly wears a mask on the campaign trail and strictly adheres to social distancing guidelines, sought to capitalize on the remark. “This wasn’t a slip by Meadows; it was a candid acknowledgment of what President Trump’s strategy has clearly been from the beginning of this crisis: to wave the white flag of defeat and hope that by ignoring it, the virus would simply go away,” Biden said in a statement. “It hasn’t, and it won’t.” (Rucker, Dawsey and Wang, 10/25)

In related news —

The Hill: Biden: Meadows Coronavirus Remark A 'Candid Acknowledgement' Of Trump Strategy 'To Wave The White Flag' 
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden slammed White House chief of staff Mark Meadows’s remarks Sunday that the U.S. is “not going to control the pandemic.” Biden labeled Meadows’s comments as a “candid acknowledgement” of President Trump’s strategy “to wave the white flag” in a statement released Sunday. (Coleman, 10/25)

The Hill: Murphy Says US Would Be 'Better Off' If Trump Admin 'Did Nothing' On Coronavirus
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said the American people would be better off if President Trump and members of his administration did nothing to try and slow the spread of coronavirus across the country. "At this point, we would be better off if the Trump Administration just did NOTHING on #COVID19," Murphy said in a tweet Sunday. "The nation would be safer if the whole White House stayed in bed all day." (Mastrangelo, 10/25)

The Wall Street Journal: Pence’s Chief Of Staff And Other Key Aides Test Positive For Coronavirus 
At least five people close to Vice President Mike Pence, including his chief of staff and a top campaign adviser, have tested positive for Covid-19, but with just days left until Election Day, President Trump’s running mate will maintain a busy campaign schedule. Mr. Pence, the head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, has been in close contact with his chief of staff Marc Short, who tested positive on Saturday, the vice president’s spokesman Devin O’Malley said. (Bender, Toy and Hernandez, 10/25)

NPR: Marc Short, Pence Chief Of Staff, Tests Positive For Coronavirus 
But Pence — who is considered to have had close contact with his most senior adviser — decided to "maintain his schedule in accordance with the CDC guidelines for essential personnel," O'Malley said in a statement, noting that Pence had consulted with White House physicians. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines for essential workers who have had close contact with an infected person include wearing a mask for 14 days "at all times while in the workplace." (Bowman, Keith, Ordonez and Sprunt, 10/25)

The Hill: Pence Travel Questioned After Aides Test Positive 
[White House] chief of staff [Mark Meadows] stressed that Pence is “wearing a mask, socially distancing and when he goes up to speak he will take the mask off, put it back on.” The vice president was not wearing a mask while speaking at a rally in Tallahassee, Fla. on Saturday. (Coleman, 10/25)

In related news —

Axios: Ex-FDA Chief: Pence Campaigning After COVID Exposure Puts Others At Risk 
Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb said "the short answer is yes" when asked whether Vice President Mike Pence is putting others at risk by continuing to campaign after several aides tested positive for COVID-19, stressing that the White House needs to be "very explicit about the risks that they're taking." (10/25)

AP: Health Experts Question Pence Campaigning As Essential Work
Health policy specialists questioned White House officials’ claim that federal rules on essential workers allow Vice President Mike Pence to continue to campaign and not quarantine himself after being exposed to the coronavirus. Campaigning is not an official duty that might fall under the guidelines meant to ensure that police, first responders and key transportation and food workers can still perform jobs that cannot be done remotely, the health experts said. (Marchione, 10/25)

The New York Times: Infection Of Pence Aides Raises New Questions About Trump’s Virus Response 
“Covid, Covid. Covid, Covid, Covid, Covid,” President Trump groused at a rally in North Carolina on Saturday, expressing dismay that the deadly coronavirus pandemic had come to dominate the final days of his struggling re-election campaign. He made up a scenario: “A plane goes down, 500 people dead, they don’t talk about it. ‘Covid, Covid, Covid, Covid.’” But just seven hours later, the White House made its own Covid headlines when officials acknowledged that another coronavirus outbreak had struck the White House, infecting Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff and four other top aides — and raising new questions about the Trump administration’s cavalier approach to the worst health crisis in a century. (Shear, Karni, Haberman and Gay Stolberg, 10/25)

CNN: US Coronavirus: US Should Consider National Mask Mandate For The Winter, Former FDA Commissioner Writes In Op-Ed 
As the US reports its second-highest day of new Covid-19 cases amid the continuing fall surge, a former commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration says it may be time for a national mask mandate. In an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, Dr. Scott Gottlieb wrote the mandate could be "limited and temporary." "A mandate can be expressly limited to the next two months," Gottlieb wrote, adding that it's easier to wear a mask in the winter than the summer. "The inconvenience would allow the country to preserve health-care capacity and keep more schools and businesses open." (Vera, Holcombe, Maxouris and Sanchez, 10/25)

CBS News: Gottlieb Warns Of "Dangerous Tipping Point" As Virus Spread Accelerates 
With the number of coronavirus cases rising from coast to coast and hospitalizations increasing in more than three dozen states, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former head of the Food and Drug Administration, warned the nation is "at a dangerous tipping point" with infections expected to continue growing. In an interview with "Face the Nation" on Sunday, Gottlieb was pressed about the trajectory of the coronavirus pandemic as the nation braces for the winter months. (Quinn and Tillett, 10/25)

The Hill: Fauci Says US May Want To Mandate Masks Amid COVID-19 Surges 
Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said on Friday that the U.S. may want to mandate face coverings amid the latest surge of coronavirus cases. In a CNN interview on Friday, Fauci was asked if he thought Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s plan to fight for mandates on mask-wearing across the country would be helpful. Fauci told CNN’s Erin Burnett that it would be a “great idea” to have everybody wearing masks uniformly. He also responded to criticism that mandates on masks would be difficult to enforce. (Williams, 10/24)

Stat: Study: Universal Mask Use Could Save 130,000 Lives By February
Back in April, President Trump picked out a single computer model of coronavirus spread as his oracle of choice. Unsurprisingly, that simulation initially had rosier estimates than other algorithms, projecting many fewer Covid-19 deaths — and its unconventional calculations and fluctuating estimates drew sharp criticism from epidemiologists. But the statisticians behind it have since changed their methods, and their new numbers, published Friday, bolster what scientists have long been saying: That doing away with social distancing measures could entail vast numbers of deaths, and that widespread mask-wearing in public could save tens of thousands of lives. (Boodman, 10/23)

And bad news for Santa Claus —

The Wall Street Journal: Health Agency Halts Coronavirus Ad Campaign, Leaving Santa Claus In The Cold 
A federal health agency halted a public-service coronavirus advertising campaign funded by $250 million in taxpayer money after it offered a special vaccine deal to an unusual set of essential workers: Santa Claus performers. As part of the plan, a top Trump administration official wanted the Santa performers to promote the benefits of a Covid-19 vaccination and, in exchange, offered them early vaccine access ahead of the general public, according to audio recordings. Those who perform as Mrs. Claus and elves also would have been included. The Department of Health and Human Services said Friday the Santa plan would be scrapped. (Wernau, Grimaldo and Armour, 10/25)

The Hill: Biden Calls For Sevenfold Increase In Testing As He Details COVID-19 Plan 
Democratic nominee Joe Biden on Friday called for a sevenfold increase in the country’s testing, as he laid out further plans for fighting the pandemic in a speech taking aim at President Trump. Biden is making the worsening pandemic a central theme in the closing days of the election, after hammering Trump on it throughout the campaign. He followed up Thursday night’s debate with a speech on the coronavirus response in Delaware on Friday. (Sullivan, 10/23)

Politico: Trump Pitches An Alternate Reality As Coronavirus Troubles Deepen
President Donald Trump is heading into the final nine days of the 2020 election with a new nationwide explosion in coronavirus cases and a second outbreak in the top ranks of his own White House — all while he tries to sell an alternate reality to voters. ... “We are coming around, we’re rounding the turn, we have the vaccines, we have everything,” Trump said at a rally in Londonderry, N.H., on Sunday. “Even without the vaccines, we’re rounding the turn. It’s going to be over.” (Kumar and Cook, 10/25)

The Guardian: 'The System Is Broken': Americans Cast Their Vote For Better Healthcare
With the US election just over a week away, Hamrin is one of millions of Americans who’s been heading to the polls this fall with healthcare and drug prices as their top voting issue. The United States’ massive, largely private and very expensive health industry has ranked as a top voter concern for years, and helped drive Democrats to victory in the midterm elections of 2018, when the party took control of the House of Representatives. (Glenza, 10/26)

Fast Company: Biden And Trump Have Wildly Different Visions For Healthcare
While President Trump and former vice president Biden hardly talked about their healthcare policy at their two debates, both have a distinct vision for how healthcare in the U.S. should change. The two candidates are about as far apart as they can get on the subject. Below is a primer on their plans for healthcare policy, COVID-19, and the opioid crisis. (Reader, 10/24)

Kaiser Health News and Politifact: Arguing To Undo The ACA. Harming Medicare. Do They Go Hand In Hand?
A Biden campaign ad out this month attacks President Donald Trump for pushing to slash Medicare benefits. A campaign spokesperson said the claim comes from the administration’s support for a legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act that seeks to nullify the entire law. (Stapleton, 10/23)

In updates on mail-in voting —

Reuters: Trump Asks Supreme Court To Block Deadline Extension For North Carolina Ballot
President Donald Trump’s campaign again asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Sunday to block North Carolina’s plan for counting absentee ballots that arrive after the Nov. 3 Election Day, the latest legal tussle in a wide-ranging fight over mail-in voting. The campaign initially filed the application on Thursday after a U.S. federal appeals court decision last week left in place North Carolina’s plan, dealing a setback to Trump’s re-election campaign. (10/25)

The Washington Post: As Elections Officials Process Voters' Mail-In Ballots, Some Envelopes Contain Surprises 
Elections office staffers prepared rigorously for the expected surge in mail-in and drop-off voting this fall: They renewed their training, learned the new rules, got masks and protective gear ready and adjusted their working hours. But they were not prepared for the thank-you notes. Tucked into the return envelopes with some ballots were handwritten missives from voters in Fairfax and Loudoun counties: “Thank you for what you do.” “Thanks for making my vote count.” A Halloween sticker or two also appeared. (Sullivan, 10/25)

Also —

NPR: Election Stress Getting To You? 4 Ways To Keep Calm
With Election Day just around the corner, many Americans are on edge. Nearly 70% of respondents said the elections are a significant source of stress, according to a survey out this month from the American Psychological Association. The survey also found that a majority — 77% — are worried about the country's future, says Vaile Wright, senior director of health care innovation at the American Psychological Association. "Seventy-one percent said that this is the lowest point in our nation's history that they can remember." (Chatterjee, 10/26)

The Washington Post: From Coronavirus To Race To The Economy, Wisconsin Is A Microcosm Of The Forces Roiling America 
Four years ago, the Wisconsin state fairgrounds were a scene of celebration. The nation’s newly elected president, Donald Trump, stood amid red-bauble-bedecked Christmas trees and regaled thousands of supporters with tales from the night Wisconsin propelled his improbable victory. Today, the grounds are host to a field hospital for treating coronavirus patients, row-upon-row of stark white beds to accommodate overflow from the state’s beleaguered medical centers. (Witte, 10/25)

New Jersey, Arizona, South Dakota and Montana consider marijuana sales —

AP: Election Could Stoke US Marijuana Market, Sway Congress
Voters in four states from different regions of the country could embrace broad legal marijuana sales on Election Day, and a sweep would highlight how public acceptance of cannabis is cutting across geography, demographics and the nation’s deep political divide. The Nov. 3 contests in New Jersey, Arizona, South Dakota and Montana will shape policies in those states while the battle for control of Congress and the White House could determine whether marijuana remains illegal at the federal level. (Blood, 10/25)

Californians weigh stem cell research and dialysis —

Stat: Can California Afford Stem Cell Research? Voters Are Set To Decide 
This Election Day, California voters are being asked to replenish funding for the state’s ambitious stem cell research program, with a well-financed campaign that’s making heady promises about curing diabetes, paralysis, cancer, and Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Backers of Proposition 14 also cast it as a job-creation measure, arguing the money it raises will boost the state economy by cementing the Golden State’s place as a leading incubator of successful biotech startups. But opponents say that amid the Covid-19 pandemic and wildfires, California has far more pressing needs. (McFarling, 10/26)

KHN: DeJa Vu For California Voters On Dialysis 
The survival of California’s dialysis clinics is in the hands of its voters this November. Sound familiar? Voters heard the same dire campaign claim two years ago, when the dialysis industry spent a record $111 million to defeat a statewide ballot measure that would have limited clinic revenues. (Young, 10/26)

Colorado and Louisiana rethink abortion limits —

The Hill: Ballot Initiatives In Colorado, Louisiana Could Restrict Abortion Access 
Abortion rights supporters and opponents have said the issue is on the ballot this November with the battle between President Trump, who considers himself "pro-life," and Joe Biden, who says he is "pro-choice." But abortion is literally on the ballot in two states where voters will decide whether to support initiatives that could restrict access to the procedure. (Hellmann, 10/24)

KHN: Colorado Initiative Would Further Limit Access In Middle America’s ‘Abortion Desert’ 
Colorado voters are deciding a ballot question that seeks to limit how far into pregnancy an abortion can be legally performed. While the measure would change the law only in Colorado, it would resonate throughout the Rocky Mountain states and Midwest amid an intensifying national fight, fueled by a Supreme Court vacancy, over the future of abortion. In 1967 — six years before the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision protected the right to an abortion in the U.S. — Colorado became the first state to pass a law widening access to legal abortion. More than 50 years later, it remains one of just seven states without gestational limits on the procedure, making Colorado one of the few options for people nationwide who need abortions later in pregnancy. (Blossom, 10/26)

AP: Democrats Ask Pence To Skip Barrett Vote Over COVID-19 Risk
A deeply torn Senate is set to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, Republicans overpowering Democratic opposition and institutional norms to secure President Donald Trump’s nominee the week before Election Day. Barrett’s confirmation Monday was hardly in doubt as Senate Republicans seized the opportunity to install a third Trump justice, securing a conservative court majority for the foreseeable future. With no real power to stop the vote, Democrats argued into the night Sunday that the winner of the Nov. 3 election should be the one to choose the nominee to fill the vacancy left by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. (Mascaro, 10/26)

Politico: Barrett Clears Pivotal Senate Hurdle Ahead Of Monday Confirmation Vote
The Senate cleared a key procedural hurdle Sunday for Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination for the Supreme Court, bringing the 48-year-old judge one step closer to confirmation to the high court. In a 51-48 vote, the Senate kicked off 30 hours of debate on Barrett’s nomination, setting up a final confirmation vote for Monday evening, just eight days before the Nov. 3 election. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), the Democratic vice presidential nominee, wasn’t present for the vote. The Senate is expected to remain in session overnight into Monday. (Levine and Desiderio, 10/25)

The Washington Post: Barrett Nomination Clears Senate Hurdle, On Course To Confirmation To Supreme Court 
“We made an important contribution to the future of this country,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Sunday, praising Barrett as a “stellar nominee” in every respect. “A lot of what we’ve done over the last four years will be undone sooner or later by the next election. They won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come.” ... Democrats, powerless to stop her confirmation, have cast the process as a power grab by Republicans eager to rush the nomination days ahead of the election. They repeatedly warned that Barrett is a threat to health care for millions of Americans, abortion rights and gay rights. (Min Kim, 10/25)

Also —

The Hill: Schumer Warns Of COVID-19 Danger Posed By Pence On Senate Floor 
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is warning colleagues to spend as little time on the Senate floor as possible after members of Vice President Pence’s staff and Senate GOP aides tested positive for COVID-19. Schumer is sounding the alarm ahead of a final up-or-down vote on Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, over which Pence, who is the president of the Senate, is expected to preside in the chamber. That vote is expected Monday evening. (Bolton, 10/25)

NPR: A Federal Coronavirus Vaccine Contract Released At Last, But Redactions Obscure Terms
Late Friday, the Department of Health and Human Services released its August contract with Moderna. ... While the publicly posted Moderna contract includes previously unknown details, extensive redactions leave the public in the dark about some of the company's obligations as well as the extent of protections for taxpayers. It's 53 pages long, but only 14 of them are free of redactions. (Lupkin, 10/24)

Stat: FDA Shows Concern Over Emergency Authorization Of Covid-19 Vaccines
There are serious signs the Food and Drug Administration is getting cold feet over the notion of issuing emergency use authorizations to allow for the widespread early deployment of Covid-19 vaccines. Instead, it appears the agency may be exploring the idea of using expanded access — a more limited program that is typically used for investigational drugs — in the early days of Covid vaccine rollouts. (Branswell, 10/23)

CNN: Fauci Says Findings On A Potential Coronavirus Vaccine Are Expected By Early December
Experts will know by early December whether a potential coronavirus vaccine is safe and effective, but widespread availability will probably not happen until next year, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday. (Bashir, 10/25)

In related COVID vaccine news —

CNBC: AstraZeneca: Our Coronavirus Vaccine Triggers Adult Immune Response
British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca on Monday said its potential Covid-19 vaccine has produced a similar immune response in older and younger adults. AstraZeneca, which is developing its potential Covid-19 vaccine in collaboration with the University of Oxford, said adverse responses to the vaccine among the elderly were also found to be lower. (Meredith, 10/26)

Stat: Covid-19 Vaccine Trials From AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson To Restart
Two major studies of vaccines against Covid-19, both paused because of potential safety concerns, are set to restart, the companies running them said Friday. “The restart of clinical trials across the world is great news as it allows us to continue our efforts to develop this vaccine to help defeat this terrible pandemic,” Pascal Soriot, AstraZeneca’s CEO, said in a statement. “We should be reassured by the care taken by independent regulators to protect the public and ensure the vaccine is safe before it is approved for use.” (Herper, 10/23)

The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 Vaccine Rollout Calls For Supply-Chain Collaboration, Logistics Chief Says
Capacity-strained shipping networks should be able to manage the rush to distribute Covid-19 vaccines if governments, logistics providers and pharmaceutical companies coordinate their efforts, the head of a top global logistics operator says. (Smith, 10/26)

Also —

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: CDC To Launch Cell Phone-Based After-Vaccine Tracker For COVID-19
The COVID-19 vaccine is not yet available, but once it arrives in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to follow up on the health of those who receive it with a new program called V-SAFE. According to a September CDC presentation, V-SAFE, or vaccine safety assessment for essential workers, is “a smartphone-based text-to-web survey, and email-to-web survey active surveillance program for early vaccine recipients.” (Willis, 10/23)

Stat: Why Approval Of Remdesivir To Treat Covid-19 Obscures Scientific Failures
Late Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration gave full approval to remdesivir, Gilead Sciences’ treatment for Covid-19. The news came just a week after a large study conducted by the World Health Organization failed to show that the drug had any benefit on mortality. The approval was largely based on an earlier study, conducted by National Institutes of Health, which showed the drug helps patients recover more quickly, as well as two other studies conducted by Gilead. (Herper and Feuerstein, 10/23)

The Salt Lake Tribune: Utah’s Hospitals Prepare To Ration Care As A Record Number Of Coronavirus Patients Flood Their ICUs 
With new coronavirus cases shattering records on a daily basis, Utah’s hospitals are expected to begin rationing care in a week or two. That’s the prediction of Greg Bell, president of the Utah Hospital Association, who said administrators of the state’s hospitals confronted Gov. Gary Herbert on Thursday with a grim list: Criteria they propose doctors should use if they are forced to decide which patients can stay in overcrowded intensive care units. (Alberty and Means, 10/25)

The Salt Lake Tribune: Health Workers Say They’re Near The Brink As Utah Reports Another Single-Day COVID-19 Record 
Utah saw another 1,960 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday — a new single-day record that had health officials and elected leaders pleading with the public to take the pandemic seriously and make personal sacrifices. “Utah, do you hear these alarms that are blaring at us? This is a crisis,” Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said at a news conference. (Larsen and Means, 10/24)

In other COVID-related health industry news —

WBUR: Palpable Anxiety For Health Care Workers As COVID-19 Cases Rise In Massachusetts 
[Ben] Podsiadlo, the director of clinical integration at Armstrong Ambulance Service, says emergency responders are ready for whatever comes. But there are widespread concerns about burn-out among health care workers, depression, and about more drinking and drug use to numb the rising tensions. The stress appears to be fueled by both the lingering physical and mental impact of the spring surge, as well as looming fears about what’s ahead. (Bebinger, 10/26)

Crain's Detroit Business: Hospitals Say They're Better Prepared With PPE Than Spring, But Supply Chain Uncertain
Eight-hospital Beaumont Health, which treated more COVID-19 patients than any hospital in Michigan, is on its way to stocking personal protective equipment in its warehouses for up to 90 days in preparation for a second surge of the pandemic. That's what the Southfield-based system estimates is needed to care for 1,200 hospitalized patients, the number of people the system cared for during the pandemic's peak in early April. (Greene, 10/25)

Modern Healthcare: PPP Loans Add Costs, Delays To Healthcare M&A
Healthcare organizations that received Paycheck Protection Program funding are running into snags in their merger and acquisition talks, experts said. The Small Business Administration-backed loans have drawn out some transactions when a borrower sells or transfers at least 20% of its stock or half its assets and has to get approval from the lender and/or the SBA, which has increased expenses. It could also derail deals. (Kacik, 10/23)

The Hill: Hospitals Brace For More Cyberattacks As Coronavirus Cases Rise 
Hospitals and health care institutions preparing for a fall wave of coronavirus cases are bracing for more cyberattacks after hackers seeking to take advantage of the pandemic launched several successful attacks this year that severely disrupted patient services. The attacks have been widespread around the world, hitting health care groups during the worst public health crisis in a century. Experts say the attacks have involved both cyber criminal groups and nation states looking to target COVID-19 research and sow chaos. (Miller, 10/26)

Modern Healthcare: Medical Licensing Reform Sought To Support Telehealth Growth, Help Fight Pandemics
State medical licensure has been a historical barrier to clinicians practicing across state lines. But the COVID-19 pandemic unearthed what some see as a need to reform licensure rules to ease the adoption and proliferation of telehealth. During the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Trump administration suspended rules requiring physicians to be licensed where a patient is located in order to bill Medicare and Medicaid for medical services. (Brady, 10/24)

Also —

Modern Healthcare: Most Providers Still Don't Universally Screen For Social Needs
Healthcare providers are increasingly asking patients about whether they have enough food to eat or a safe place to live as the recognize that social factors contribute to poorer health outcomes, but there are still ways patients slip through the cracks. A 2019 survey of more than 750 hospitals and more than 700 physician practices across the U.S. from June 2017 through August 2018 found the majority of those providers screened for at least one social need. (Johnson, 10/23)

Modern Healthcare: New HRAs Could Cost Low-Income People Their ACA Subsidies
Low-income workers who buy health insurance through individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements could give up Affordable Care Act premium subsidies or lose eligibility for free or low-cost coverage, according to a report by the not-for-profit United Hospital Fund on Friday. (Brady, 10/23)

Live Science: Superbug May Be Spreading In Hospitals Overrun With COVID-19 
As COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to surge around the world, another dangerous infection may also be sickening patients: a drug-resistant superbug called Candida auris, National Geographic reported. The superbug is a yeast that can infect the ears and open wounds, and it can also enter the bloodstream to trigger severe infection throughout the body, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The yeast clings to surfaces and spreads easily in health care settings, especially among patients with catheters or other tubes that enter their bodies. (Lanese, 10/24)

The New York Times: Why False Positives Merit Concern, Too
In the high-stakes world of coronavirus testing, one mistake has taken center stage: the dreaded false negative, wherein a test mistakenly deems an infected person to be virus-free. These troublesome results, experts have said, can deprive a person of treatment and embolden them to mingle with others, hastening the spread of disease. (Wu, 10/25)

In other science and research news —

The Washington Post: Tuberculosis Is A Major Worldwide Threat And The Pandemic Could Make It Worse, WHO Says
In 2019 alone, an estimated 10 million people worldwide got tuberculosis, a deadly bacterial disease that usually affects the lungs. An estimated quarter of the world’s population has a TB infection. Most aren’t actively sick — yet. People with TB have about a 5 to 15 percent risk of getting ill. Still, the highly contagious disease was one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide last year and is the leading infectious killer worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, the United Nations’ public health agency. (Blakemore, 10/24)

The Washington Post: ‘This Is Not A Miss America Contest’: Sexism In Science, Research Is Challenged
In any other year, Londyn Robinson would have interviewed for her medical residency in person. Instead, an Internet search for tips on how to put her best foot forward online resulted in posting a photo of herself in a bikini top and shorts and setting off an uproar over sexism in science. With the high-pressure interviews online because of the coronavirus, Robinson, a 26-year-old medical student at the University of Minnesota, went looking for tips on social media etiquette for medical students as part of her preparation. (Blakemore, 10/24)

In obituaries —

The Washington Post: J. Michael Lane, Epidemiologist Who Helped Conquer Smallpox, Dies At 84 
J. Michael Lane, an epidemiologist who helped see to its end the global campaign to eradicate smallpox, a disease that killed hundreds of millions of people over centuries before it was vanquished in one of the most celebrated feats in the history of medicine, died Oct. 21 at his home in Atlanta. He was 84.The cause was colon cancer, said his wife, Lila Summer Lane. Dr. Lane, the last director of the smallpox eradication bureau at what is now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, was one of the “disease detectives” who stalked the smallpox virus around the globe until the last naturally occurring case was identified in Somalia in 1977.(Langer, 10/23)

Stat: Bayer To Buy Gene Therapy Company AskBio For As Much As $4 Billion
Bayer, the German drug and agriculture conglomerate, is purchasing an under-the-rader gene therapy firm for as much as $4 billion. The firm, Asklepios Biopharmaceutical, is widely known as AskBio and has existed for 20 years as the vehicle for commercializing the work of its chief scientific officer, Richard Jude Samulski, one of gene therapy’s pioneers. AskBio, based in Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, was founded in 2001 based on technology Samulski started working on as a graduate student. (Herper, 10/26)

In other biotech developments —

Boston Globe: Foghorn Therapeutics Raises $120 Million In IPO
Stock in Foghorn Therapeutics Inc. was up about 14 percent Friday morning in its first day of trading on the Nasdaq exchange, after the Cambridge biotech startup raised $120 million in its initial public offering. The biotech on Thursday said it would offer 7.5 million shares at $16 apiece, the midpoint of its expected range of $15 to $17. The stock is trading under the ticker FHTX. (Gardizy, 10/23)

Stat: Why Biotech Is Betting Big On SPACs This Year
If you thumb through the financial press or flipped on CNBC over the past nine months or so, you probably noticed that the world is suddenly overrun with SPACs. A SPAC, or a special purpose acquisition company, is an old financial tool used by private companies to go public without retaining all the lawyers and bankers one needs to execute a traditional IPO. (Garde and Feuerstein, 10/23)

Stat: Digital Health Leaders Weigh In On The Biggest Barriers Facing The Industry
Spurred on by a global pandemic, the digital health industry is facing a crucial test: Can its trendy tools become a new health care norm? STAT sat down for a virtual conversation with eight of the biggest names in digital health — including leaders at Lyft, Virta Health, and One Medical — to talk about the obstacles standing in the way of the shift and what can be done to address them. (Brodwin, 10/26)

Stat: What Patients Want The FDA To Consider About The Role Of AI In Medicine
Federal regulators have cleared dozens of AI products used in health care, which might give the impression that the Food and Drug Administration has a firm handle on a technology that is already changing how patients are treated. But a meeting on AI regulation last week told a different story. The agency is still grappling with fundamental questions about algorithmic bias, data transparency, and how to ensure that patients benefit equally from AI’s rapid progress in medicine. (Ross, 10/26)

KHN: Verily’s COVID Testing Program Halted In San Francisco And Oakland 
Amid fanfare in March, California officials celebrated the launch of a multimillion-dollar contract with Verily — Google’s health-focused sister company — that they said would vastly expand COVID testing among the state’s impoverished and underserved communities. But seven months later, San Francisco and Alameda counties — two of the state’s most populous — have severed ties with the company’s testing sites amid concerns about patients’ data privacy and complaints that funding intended to boost testing in low-income Black and Latino neighborhoods instead was benefiting higher-income residents in other communities. (Gold and Pradhan, 10/26)

In pharmaceutical news —

Stat: Mirati Results Set New Response Bar For KRAS-Blocking Lung Cancer Drugs
A pill from Mirati Therapeutics designed to block the cancer protein called KRAS shrank tumors in 45% of patients with advanced lung cancer, according to pooled results from two clinical trials presented Sunday. The tumor response to the Mirati drug, called adagrasib, is still preliminary, yet it’s also the best and most encouraging data reported so far for an emerging class of treatments that block a cancer target once thought to be “undruggable.” (Feuerstein, 10/25)

Stat: ‘Where Is Rudy?’: Giuliani’s Checkered Track Record As A Pharma Consultant
Where is Rudy? That’s what a top executive at Ranbaxy Laboratories wanted to know in September 2008, one month after the former New York City mayor — and now President Trump’s personal lawyer — had been paid a $1 million fee (see this, too) to help the wayward drug maker escape a huge jam. (Silverman, 10/26)

NPR: Thanksgiving In The Time Of COVID-19: Is It Safe To Celebrate With Family?
It's time to gather the family together for the talk. Not that talk — the talk about what to do for Thanksgiving this year as the pandemic rolls on. It has been months since many of us have seen extended family — we're longing to check in on aging parents, to see old friends from back home, etc. But even though Thanksgiving often conjures up pictures of big happy reunions, how safe is it to make them a reality? (Fulton, 10/24)

The Washington Post: As Holidays Near, The Coronavirus Is Spreading Rapidly, Putting Families In A Quandary About Celebrations And Travel 
The anticipated surge in interstate travel, family gatherings and indoor socializing is expected to facilitate the spread of covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. This isn’t like the run-up to Memorial Day or Independence Day: Barbecues outdoors, or pool parties, aren’t on the itinerary of many people. The fall and winter holidays are homey by nature. Respiratory viruses thrive in dry, warm indoor conditions in which people crowd together. The statistical peak of flu season typically comes close on the heels of Christmas and New Year’s. Colder weather is already driving people indoors. (Achenbach, 10/25)

Also —

CIDRAP: US Toddler Vaccine Rates Steady, But Lack Of Insurance Plays Role 
More than 90% of children 2 years and younger who were born in 2016 and 2017 received the recommended measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR); poliovirus; hepatitis B (hepB); and varicella vaccines, according to a report today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (McLernon, 10/23)

The Hill: Fox News President, Top Anchors Advised To Quarantine After Coronavirus Exposure: Report 
Numerous Fox News personalities including anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, as well as network president Jay Wallace, were reportedly advised to quarantine following their exposure last week to a person who tested positive Sunday for COVID-19. The New York Times reported that the other personalities at the network advised to quarantine included two co-hosts of "The Five," Juan Williams and Dana Perino. (Bowden, 10/25)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Report: Women At Immigration Detention Center Pressured Into Unneeded Surgeries
Women held in a South Georgia immigration detention center were referred to a gynecologist for problems unrelated to their reproductive health and were pressured to undergo unnecessary surgeries, according to a group of medical experts reviewing their complaints. The five-page report says the gynecologist who performed the procedures did not inform the patients of risks, benefits or alternatives before operating. (Redmon and Judd, 10/23)

In news from the South —

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Sweeping Provisions Of The ACA On The Table As High Court Hears Case
Like millions of Georgians, the Rev. Jill Henning has health insurance through her job and doesn’t shop the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace. But her job’s plan gave her the cancer screening that saved her life for free because the ACA required it. The ACA, also known as Obamacare, is best known for the health insurance exchange marketplace where individuals can buy subsidized plans. And when it comes before the U.S. Supreme Court Nov. 10, that will be on the table. So will countless other changes that altered far corners of the U.S. health care system. (Hart, 10/23)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: 50,000 Children In Louisiana Are Without Health Insurance, The Largest Increase In A Decade 
Roughly 11,000 children in Louisiana lost their health insurance last year, the largest single-year drop in over a decade and an alarming reversal of years of progress getting kids covered. About 50,000 children, or 4.4% of children in Louisiana, were uninsured in the state in 2019, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data by the Louisiana Budget Project, compared to 39,000 children who lacked health insurance in 2018. In 2016, the number of uninsured children was even lower, at 36,000. (Woodruff, 10/25)

AP: Attorney Will Evaluate Mississippi Mental Health Services
A special assistant attorney general in Mississippi has been appointed to a new role in state government as the coordinator of mental health accessibility. William Rosamond will evaluate the quality of mental health care to possibly change services offered in some counties. Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration executive director Liz Welch recently appointed him to the role, the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reported. (10/25)

KHN: Florida Fails To Attract Bidders For Canada Drug Importation Program 
Florida’s plan to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada — designed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and endorsed by President Donald Trump — has tasted its first bitter pill. No private firms bid on Florida’s $30 million contract to set up and operate a drug importation program. Bids were due at the end of September. The setback is likely to delay by at least several months Florida’s effort to become the first state to import drugs. (Galewitz, 10/26)

In news from the East —

Burlington Free Press: Vermont Front-Line Workers Can Apply For 2nd Round Of Hazard Pay
Vermonters who served as front-line workers during the the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring may be able to apply for a second round of hazard pay, Gov. Phil Scott's office announced this week. There will be $22.5 million available to eligible workers, who will receive either $1,200 or $2,000, depending on the number of hours they worked and other eligibility criteria, Scott's office said. Employers can begin applying online on Oct. 28 to identify workers who may be eligible for the payments. (Murray, 10/23)

Boston Globe: COVID-19 Outbreak At Chelmsford Nursing Facility Leaves 5 Dead; State Rapid-Response Team In Place Since Oct. 9 
Five residents of a Chelmsford nursing home have died since Oct. 15 in connection with a COVID-19 outbreak, and dozens more residents and employees have been infected, according to a town official and the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services. Sue Rosa, director of public health in Chelmsfored, confirmed that 47 residents and 17 staff members at Sunny Acres Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center have tested positive for the coronavirus that has infected nearly 145,000 residents in Massachusetts. (Ellement and Sennott, 10/24)

KHN: North Carolina Treasurer Took On The Hospitals. Now He’s Paying Political Price. 
Cartel is a term frequently associated with illegal narcotics syndicates. In North Carolina, it has become the favored word of State Treasurer Dale Folwell to describe the state’s hospital industry, the antagonist in his quest to lower health care prices for state employees. The treasurer manages the state employees’ health plan, which insures about 727,000 teachers, police officers, current and retired state workers and dependents. Folwell, a Republican, has tried to persuade hospitals to accept lower payments, but he has struggled to discover the existing rates the plan pays each hospital. (Rau, 10/26)

In news from the Midwest and West —

Detroit Free Press: Majority Of Michigan Workplace Deaths In 2020 Caused By Coronavirus
A majority of Michigan’s workplace deaths in 2020 are now linked to the coronavirus, according to numbers released Friday by the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The latest data, while preliminary, shows that 19 of the 37 workplace deaths since January are attributed to COVID-19, after the pandemic hit Michigan in March. (Egan, 10/23)

Missouri Independent: Missouri Health Department Illegally Concealed Documents, Lawsuit Says
A Missouri family that sued after being denied a medical marijuana license is alleging the state department of health and Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office illegally concealed documents and violated open records laws in order to undercut their lawsuit. (Hancock, 10/23)

KHN: COVID Spikes Exacerbate Health Worker Shortages In Rocky Mountains, Great Plains
COVID-19 cases are surging in rural places across the Mountain States and Midwest, and when it hits health care workers, ready reinforcements aren’t easy to find. In Montana, pandemic-induced staffing shortages have shuttered a clinic in the state’s capital, led a northwestern regional hospital to ask employees exposed to COVID-19 to continue to work and emptied a health department 400 miles to the east. (Houghton, 10/26)

AP: Feeding Houston's Hungry: 1M Pounds Of Food Daily For Needy
In car lines that can stretch half a mile, (0.8 kilometers), workers who lost jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic and other needy people receive staggering amounts of food distributed by the Houston Food Bank. On some days, the hundreds of sites supplied by the country’s largest food bank collectively get 1 million pounds. Among the ranks of recipients is unemployed construction worker Herman Henton, whose wife is a home improvement store worker and now the sole breadwinner for their family of five. They tried to get food stamps but were told they only qualified for $25 of federal food assistance monthly. (Snow and Mone, 10/26)

The Washington Post: Italy Imposes Harshest Coronavirus Restrictions Since Spring Lockdown As Second Wave Sweeps Europe
Italy became the latest European country to announce new restrictions to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus on Sunday as countries across the continent continue to report surging infections. France on Sunday announced more than 50,000 new infections, a new record for the fourth day running. Germany, widely lauded for its initial handling of the virus, reported a surge of its own. The number of coronavirus cases in Poland has doubled in less than three weeks. And Spain has also imposed new restrictions. The World Health Organization reported new daily case records worldwide three days in a row last week, with new infections reaching more than 465,000 on Saturday. Almost half of those cases were in the organization’s Europe region. (Mellen, 10/25)

AP: Mexico Reported 193,170 "Excess Deaths" Through Sept 26
Mexican health authorities acknowledged Sunday that the country’s true death toll from the coronavirus pandemic is far higher than thought, saying there were 193,170 “excess” deaths in the year up to Sept. 26, with 139,153 of those judged to be attributable to COVID-19.That is about 50,000 more deaths than Mexico’s official, test-confirmed death toll of about 89,000, and about 56% higher than the previous estimate of 103,882 pandemic deaths. (10/26)

CIDRAP: A Summer Flight To Ireland Led To A 59-Person COVID Outbreak
Despite implementing safety precautions, one summer flight into Ireland led to a 59-person outbreak in six of the country's eight health regions. Tests eventually confirmed that 13 (26.5%) of the original 49 passengers were positive for SARS-CoV-2, with the other 46 infected via contact with infected passengers. In the Eurosurveillance study, researchers looked at four separate passenger groups, analyzing travel itineraries and their interactions with each other, including how close they sat together on the plane. Genome sequencing indicated a single source of COVID-19 spread the disease among the passengers, who came from elsewhere in Europe and two other, unspecified, continents. (10/23)

AP: UK Doctors Demand Free Meals For Kids As COVID Fuels Hunger
Pediatricians are urging the British government to reverse course and provide free meals for poor children during school holidays as the COVID-19 pandemic pushes more families into poverty. Some 2,200 members of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health have written an open letter to Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson, saying they were shocked by his “refusal″ to back down on the issue. The House of Commons last week rejected legislation that would have provided free meals during all school holidays from October through the Easter break. (Kirka, 10/25)

In other global news —

Reuters: South Korean Authorities Stick To Flu Vaccine Plan After Deaths Rise To 48 
The number of South Koreans who have died after getting flu shots has risen to 48, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said on Saturday, adding that the vaccines would continue to reduce the chance of having simultaneous epidemics. The health authorities said they found no direct link between the deaths and the shots. They plan to carry on with the state-run vaccination programme to try to avoid having to fight both the flu and the coronavirus over the coming winter. (10/24)

AP: Finland Shocked By Therapy Center Hacking, Client Blackmail
Finland’s interior minister summoned key Cabinet members into an emergency meeting Sunday after hundreds — and possibly thousands — of patient records at a private Finnish psychotherapy center were accessed by a hacker or hackers now demanding ransoms. Finnish Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo tweeted that authorities would “provide speedy crisis help to victims” of the security breach at the Vastaamo psychotherapy center, an incident she called “shocking and very serious.” (Tanner, 10/26)

The Wall Street Journal: Winter Is Coming: Time For A Mask Mandate 
France set a record for Covid-19 infections this weekend, and Italy has announced new restrictions, such as closing bars and restaurants at 6 p.m. The feared fall coronavirus surge has arrived in Europe and also in the U.S., where cases continue to rise. It’s time to consider a limited and temporary national mask mandate. Consider hospitalizations, which reached 42,000 on Saturday, up from 30,000 a month ago. This increase comes even as hospital admission criteria have become more stringent, with more patients managed at home. It’s true that more testing reveals more cases. But most tests are done because people have Covid symptoms or come into contact with someone who is sick. Total hospitalizations, which are on pace to eclipse totals from the spring, are an objective measure of a rampant epidemic. (Former FDA chief Scott Gottlieb, 10/25)

Boston Globe: Drive? Fly? Stay Home? The Hard Decisions Behind Pandemic Holiday Gatherings
This year, the nation’s top infectious disease specialist, directly contradicting the crooner’s sweet sentiment, told people to avoid travel — much to the disappointment of millions of Americans who are both suffering from COVID-19 fatigue and desperately missing relatives they haven’t seen in months. But with the number of coronavirus cases rising steeply as the long-predicted fall surge arrives with a vengeance, many doctors are warning that even the most careful travelers should step back a moment before finalizing plans. (Christopher Muther, 10/24)

Bloomberg: Covid-Safe Tips For Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah And Christmas 
The bad news about the upcoming holiday season is that traditional meals and parties — involving indoor settings, poor ventilation, and prolonged, close contact — are the biggest risk factors for spreading Covid-19. The good news is that there are still plenty of reduced-risk activities for family and friends, according to an informal survey of epidemiologists and other experts. The favored modifications for holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas are limiting group size and attempting to take things outdoors. Epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch of Harvard said his family usually has a big Thanksgiving dinner for 16, but this year it’s just the four people in his nuclear family. (Faye Flam, 10/24)

Fox News: Halloween 2020 – It's Government Overreach That Is Really Spooky This Year
If you had told parents living in Los Angeles back in March, that we would still be under lockdown seven months later and that our children would not be permitted to freely trick-or-treat on Halloween we would have started our own peaceful playground protests. As a mother of two small children, I have seen firsthand how my kids have been uniquely impacted by the extended confinement. Their routines were disrupted without warning and they've experienced broken promises of when life as they knew it would resume based on moving targets set by local officials. If you are a parent in L.A. County, you still cannot take your kids to indoor church services, concerts, fairs, inside a restaurant, or in-person public school.  (Allison Weisenberger, 10/25)

The Wall Street Journal: Epidemiologists Stray From The Covid Herd
The Covid rebels make an unlikely pair. Jay Bhattacharya was born in Kolkata, an Indian city that pulsates with people. Martin Kulldorff is from Umeå, Sweden, population 90,000. Yet they have much in common. “I almost view Martin like a brother,” says the talkative Dr. Bhattacharya, 52, who moved to the U.S. with his Bengali parents when he was 4. “I mean, we complete each other’s sentences, as you can see.” The feeling is “mutual,” confirms the more phlegmatic Mr. Kulldorff, 58.Dr. Bhattacharya, a physician and economist, and Mr. Kulldorf, a biostatistician—who study epidemiology at the medical schools at Stanford and Harvard, respectively—are, in the eyes of their critics, dangerous contrarians for opposing Covid-19 lockdowns. (Tunku Varadarajan, 10/23)

Detroit Free Press: Pandemic Exasperates Mental Health And Substance Abuse Issues
It should come as no surprise to anyone that mental health and substance abuse issues are escalating during the coronavirus pandemic.  What may come as a surprise is the extent of this problem and that we are likely to see the number of individuals with mental health and substance use problems reach epidemic levels. Compounding this growing problem is a lack of resources and a shortage of professionals who are needed to assist. (Susan Kozak, 10/25)

Des Moines Register: COVID-19 Is Killing More Iowans Than Car Crashes, Breast Cancer, Suicide
Iowa has twice as many new coronavirus infections as the national average. This state is suffering “many preventable deaths” from COVID-19. When compared with other states, Iowa as a whole is considered a "red zone" for infections. These are the facts, according to recent White House task force reports. On Wednesday, the state reported a record high daily death count of 31 people. So what the heck is wrong with Iowa? The governor refuses to issue a mask mandate, even though public health experts recommend face coverings. The White House task force has repeatedly called on the state to require them, but Reynolds won't. (10/25)

Bloomberg: Chinese Vaccine For Covid-19? Trump Should Agree To Test In U.S.
Critics of President Donald Trump’s trade war with China stress that it has led to higher consumer prices, costly bailouts for American farmers and mutual hard feelings. All these points are right as far as they go, but they don’t go far enough. The biggest cost of the trade war — measured in lives lost, lingering business uncertainty and a longer economic downturn — is the lack of cooperation between the U.S. and China on vaccines and other biomedical advances. (Tyler Cowan, 10/25)

Los Angeles Times: A COVID-19 Vaccine Is Coming. Let's Not Fumble It
Sometime in the next few months we are likely to enter the era of COVID-19 vaccines. With billions of dollars poured into the multiagency federal effort Operation Warp Speed and positive signs coming from clinical trials, the odds seem high that one or more safe and relatively effective vaccines will be ready soon. But getting ready and getting people immunized are two different things. (Bob Kocher and Dana Gold, 10/25) 

Stat: Needed: A National Coalition To Coordinate Covid-19 Clinical Trials 
After President Trump was diagnosed with Covid-19, the nation watched intently as he received experimental treatments to combat the virus. Some of these therapies are the result of published clinical trials; others are under so-called compassionate use — as-yet unapproved treatments that are employed when nothing else is available. The time has clearly come for a national coalition to coordinate hypothesis-driven clinical research trials to give the medical community the evidence it needs to safely and effectively treat and prevent Covid-19. (Gianrico Farrugia, Tom Mihaljevic and Andrew D. Badley, 10/26)

The Wall Street Journal: Democrats Want Medicaid For The Wealthy
While the coronavirus pandemic has predictably increased Medicaid enrollment, this development is being used to hide how the wealthy can take advantage of the system under Democratic expansion of health care. Many people are losing income or employer-based health coverage due to Covid-related closures, but a recent report by the Congressional Budget Office shows how enrollment will also rise because ineligible individuals remain on Medicaid—a trend Democrats want to perpetuate. A coronavirus relief bill signed by President Trump on March 18 included a 6.2% increase in states’ Medicaid matching rates for the duration of the pandemic. But the additional dollars came with a big catch: States can terminate Medicaid enrollment during the public health emergency only if “the individual requests a voluntary termination of eligibility” or moves out of state. No increase in income or assets, no matter how great, permits a state to disenroll someone from Medicaid. (Chris Jacobs, 10/25)

The Hill: On Health Care, Voters In 2020 Face An Easy Choice 
American voters face a decision this election season between starkly different policies on nearly every issue. But, on one issue in particular, that choice could not be more stark. When it comes to ensuring access to affordable health care, voters are being asked to select between those who wish to protect and expand that access and those who want to dismantle it. (House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, 10/26)

The Hill: In 2020, The Future Of Health Care Is On Your Ballot 
America’s health care system is at the root of every political question — from the coronavirus response and the economy to our national security. Without access to quality and affordable health care, Americans cannot succeed. While then-candidate Donald Trump was mounting his historic presidential campaign in 2016, I was practicing medicine and caring for patients in central Pennsylvania, working in our nation’s broken health care system and fighting every day for my patients. Four years later, much has changed — both in my own life and in our nation; and yet, health care remains the paramount issue in this election. (Rep. John Joyce, 10/26)

Modern Healthcare: Telehealth Expansion Has Been Transformational; Payment Changes Should Be Made Permanent
Telehealth became an instant necessity amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With its newfound prominence, it is catapulting American healthcare forward in ways that make care more accessible, adaptable and affordable— all to the benefit of patients. Yet the federal government’s approval of telehealth use and payment was only made on an emergency basis. It should become permanent, as the benefits of telehealth are profound, far-reaching and transformational. And health systems must make it as easy as possible for patients to utilize. (Marc Harrison, 10/24)

The Hill: During Pandemic, 'Telehealth' Emerging As Important Lifeline To Connect Patients With Caregivers 
When the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States early this year, it sent shockwaves across our economy and pushed many of the nation’s public health systems to the brink. Frontline health care workers, hospitals and patients suddenly were forced to confront a silent, deadly, fast-moving virus with no known cure and no vaccine. (Sen. Tina Smith, 10/26)

WBUR: 545 Children May Never See Their Parents Again. That Symbolizes Everything Wrong With Our Country
This week, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children held its annual Pediatric Global Health Summit. The keynote speaker, Dr. Pamela McPherson, is a pediatric psychiatrist, mental health expert for the Department of Homeland Security, and renowned whistleblower. In July 2018, amidst the public outcry against the government’s family separation policy, she and colleague Dr. Scott Allen exposed the severe physical and psychological effects that detention was having on immigrant children, effects they knew would be magnified when children were taken from their families. (Katie Peeler, 10/23)

The Hill: There's No Universal Phone Number For Americans Struggling With Their Mental Health, But There Should Be 
In October of 2019, I convened a roundtable of fellow gun violence survivors and members of Congress to discuss our respective experiences and share ideas and resources that could help others struggling with similar tragedies. As a survivor of gun violence myself, having lost my father at the age of 24, I knew firsthand the mental toll and anguish that other survivors were feeling. (Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, 10/26)