- KFF Health News Original Stories 4
- Can Ordinary COVID Patients Get the Trump Treatment? It’s OK to Ask
- Older COVID Patients Battle ‘Brain Fog,’ Weakness and Emotional Turmoil
- ‘No Mercy’ Chapter 4: So, 2 Nuns Step Off a Train in Kansas … A Hospital's Origin Story
- Fact Check: Progressive Group Highlights Trump, Tillis Weakness on Insulin Price Tags
- Political Cartoon: 'Along for the Ride?'
- Covid-19 2
- Rural Hospitals Flooding With COVID Cases In Fall's New Hot Spots
- 'Strong Recommendation' From CDC To Wear Masks On Planes, Trains, Buses
- Administration News 2
- Trump Makes It Personal With Fauci
- National Security Leaders Self-Isolate After Possible COVID Exposure
From KFF Health News - Latest Stories:
KFF Health News Original Stories
Can Ordinary COVID Patients Get the Trump Treatment? It’s OK to Ask
If you or a loved one has COVID-19, here’s what to consider before seeking experimental treatments. (JoNel Aleccia, 10/20)
Older COVID Patients Battle ‘Brain Fog,’ Weakness and Emotional Turmoil
Seniors tend to have more serious symptoms than younger coronavirus patients, including the aftereffects of hospital-based delirium. Doctors recommend physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and cognitive rehabilitation. (Judith Graham, 10/20)
‘No Mercy’ Chapter 4: So, 2 Nuns Step Off a Train in Kansas … A Hospital's Origin Story
Mercy Hospital and the people of Fort Scott, Kansas, have a long, tangled history. To understand what the town lost when the hospital shut its doors, we rewind the story to 1886. (Sarah Jane Tribble, 10/20)
Fact Check: Progressive Group Highlights Trump, Tillis Weakness on Insulin Price Tags
The progressive Change Now PAC launched a campaign ad, which also circulated on Facebook, criticizing President Donald Trump and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) for not “fighting” for people with diabetes who struggle with the high cost of insulin. (Aneri Pattani, 10/20)
Political Cartoon: 'Along for the Ride?'
KFF Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Political Cartoon: 'Along for the Ride?'" by Signe Wilkinson .
Here's today's health policy haiku:
I BEG TO DIFFER, MR. TRUMP
He's no "disaster" ...
Fauci guided the country
When you refused to
- Anonymous
If you have a health policy haiku to share, please Contact Us and let us know if we can include your name. Haikus follow the format of 5-7-5 syllables. We give extra brownie points if you link back to an original story.
Opinions expressed in haikus and cartoons are solely the author's and do not reflect the opinions of KFF Health News or KFF.
Summaries Of The News:
Rural Hospitals Flooding With COVID Cases In Fall's New Hot Spots
Many smaller and more remote medical centers are becoming overwhelmed as the outbreak's "third wave" starts to swamp rural communities. Nursing homes eye the trend warily, as well.
Stateline:
COVID-19 Patients Swamp Rural Hospitals
The nation’s pandemic hotspots have shifted to rural communities, overwhelming small hospitals that are running out of beds or lack the intensive care units for more than one or two seriously ill patients. And in much of the Midwest and Great Plains, hospital workers are catching the virus at home and in their communities, seriously reducing already slim benches of doctors, nurses and other professionals needed to keep rural hospitals running. (Vestal, 10/20)
Bloomberg:
A Troubling Rural Trend In America
Daily Covid-19 cases are continuing to climb as temperatures begin to dip across the U.S., students return to classrooms and more people stay indoors where the virus spreads easily. While far fewer people are ending up hospitalized with the illness than during the pandemic’s spring surge, many more deaths are expected to be added to almost 218,000 already reported nationally as cases spike, experts said. (Brown and Levin, 10/19)
Stat:
New Surge Of Covid-19 Cases Has States, Hospitals Scrambling Again
Here we go again. As hospitalizations for Covid-19 inch up around the country, some states are readying plans for field hospitals. Communities are delaying reopening plans and even imposing new measures, though some governors remain opposed to additional restrictions. Deaths — currently standing about 220,000 — have not surged again yet, but that might just be a matter of time. (Joseph, 10/20)
Modern Healthcare:
Nursing Homes Worry About Third Wave Of COVID-19 As U.S. Cases Rise
When nationwide case counts started climbing in late September, so too did cases in nursing homes, according to an analysis of data from CMS and Johns Hopkins by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living. Nursing homes cases had been falling since a peak of 10,125 cases the week of July 26. Deaths were highest at the beginning of the pandemic when there were 3,222 COVID-19-related deaths in nursing homes the week of May 31; however, death data for nursing homes isn't available for the weeks prior. (Christ, 1/19)
More on the fall resurgence —
CNN:
US Coronavirus: Covid-19 Cases Are Climbing In More Than Half Of US States And These Factors Helped Drive The Surge
Covid-19 numbers are once again climbing back up across the country, with more than half of US states reporting a rise in new infections in what experts say is the dreaded fall surge. And there's several factors that got the country here, one expert told CNN. Among them are college and school reopenings, Dr. Tom Inglesby, the director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told CNN Monday night. But that's not all. (Maxouris, 10/20)
Scientific American:
Debunking The False Claim That COVID Death Counts Are Inflated
A persistent falsehood has been circulating on social media: the number of COVID deaths is much lower than the official statistic of more than 218,000, and therefore the danger of the disease has been overblown. In August President Trump retweeted a post claiming that only 6 percent of these reported deaths were actually from COVID-19. (The tweet originated from a follower of the debunked conspiracy fantasy QAnon.) Twitter removed the post for containing false information, but fabrications such as these continue to spread. (Aschwanden, 10/20)
'Strong Recommendation' From CDC To Wear Masks On Planes, Trains, Buses
“Local transmission can grow quickly into interstate and international transmission when infected persons travel on public conveyances without wearing a mask and with others who are not wearing masks," the agency said in a statement Monday. In related news, a government watchdog will look into whether the Trump administration interfered at the CDC and FDA.
USA Today:
CDC Advises Booting Travelers Who Refuse To Wear Masks On Planes, Trains, Buses, Other Transportation
The Centers for Disease Control endorsed Monday what has already become a required practice around the country, recommending that anyone traveling on airlines, trains, subways, buses or other public transport wear a mask. If passengers don't comply, those who won't put on masks should be ordered to get off when possible, the CDC says in its interim guidance on the issue. Airlines or other transportation providers should, "at the earliest opportunity, disembark any person who refuses to comply." (Woodyard, 10/19)
The Washington Post:
CDC To Passengers And Workers: Wear A Mask When You Are On A Plane, Train, Bus Or Other Public Transit
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday strongly recommended in newly issued guidelines that all passengers and workers on planes, trains, buses and other public transportation wear masks to control the spread of the novel coronavirus. The guidance was issued following pressure from the airline industry and amid surging cases of the coronavirus and strong evidence on the effectiveness of masks in curbing transmission, according to CDC officials. (Sun, Laris and Aratani, 10/19)
In other developments related to the CDC —
Politico:
Government Watchdog Will Probe Trump Officials’ Interference At CDC, FDA
The government's independent watchdog will investigate whether Trump administration officials improperly interfered with the coronavirus response at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, Senate Democrats announced on Monday. The Democrats demanded the probe just over a week ago, citing reports from POLITICO and other outlets that detailed how political appointees sought to steer the science agencies' policies and communications to match with President Donald Trump's efforts to minimize the pandemic. (Diamond, 10/19)
USA Today:
GAO Will Investigate Trump Administration Influence Over FDA, CDC
Both agencies have been caught in political crossfire since the start of the pandemic, as preventative health measures such as mask-wearing, social distancing and the effectiveness of different drugs in combating the COVID-19 outbreak have become politicized. President Donald Trump and others in the administration have publicly contradicted health experts at both agencies on such issues, hurting the agencies' credibility. (Behrmann and Brown, 10/19)
Average Premiums Fall 2% On Federal ACA Marketplace
Federal officials say the cost of the benchmark plan will be down for the third year in a row when enrollment begins next month. Meanwhile, ProPublica looks at misleading social media ads for health insurance that isn't comprehensive.
CNN:
Obamacare Premiums Decline For 3rd Year In A Row As Trump Seeks To Take Down The Landmark Law
Even as the Trump administration seeks to kill the Affordable Care Act, it is taking credit for making it more attractive to consumers. The average premium for the benchmark plan will drop by 2% next year in the 36 states using the federal exchange, the third year in a row of declines, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Monday. Premiums have declined a total of 8% since 2018. (Luhby, 10/19)
Modern Healthcare:
HealthCare.Gov Premiums To Fall 2% In 2021
Health insurance premiums for benchmark Affordable Care Act exchange plans will decrease in 2021 for the third year in a row, and most shoppers will have more plan choices, CMS said Monday. The average premium for the benchmark health insurance plan on HealthCare.gov for a 27-year-old will decline by about 2% to $369 per month compared with plans sold this year. For a family of four, premiums will decrease 2% to $1,486, though most people shopping on the exchanges receive subsidies to help afford the premium costs. (Brady, 10/19)
In other news about insurance coverage —
ProPublica:
“Trumpcare” Does Not Exist. Nevertheless Facebook And Google Cash In On Misleading Ads For “Garbage” Health Insurance.
“Trumpcare” insurance will “finally fix healthcare,” said an advertisement on Facebook. A Google ad urged people to “Enroll in Trumpcare plans. Healthcare changes are coming.” The problem is, there’s no such thing as “Trumpcare.” Facebook and Google have promised to crack down on lies and misinformation about politics in the run-up to next month’s presidential election, but they have run tens of thousands of ads in the past year containing false claims about health insurance reform and plans. (Merrill and Allen, 10/20)
Houston Chronicle:
CHI St. Luke's To Terminate Contract With Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Texas, Affecting Thousands
CommonSpirit Health, the parent organization of several Texas-based health care providers including CHI St. Luke's, said it will terminate its contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas in a dispute over pricing. Thousands of patients would be unable to see CommonSpirit Health providers at in-network rates if an agreement to extend the contract is not in place by Dec. 16. (Wu, 10/19)
Detroit Free Press:
As Many As 1 Million Michiganders Lost Insurance: How To Get Covered
As many as 1 million Michiganders may have lost health insurance coverage in the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Monday, announcing a $1 million investment to help them get coverage. “Signing up for insurance can be a confusing process, but this funding will ensure people have access to local help and the resources they need to understand their options and get themselves and their families covered," Whitmer said in a statement. (Shamus, 10/19)
Healthline:
What You Can Do If You Lost Health Insurance During COVID-19
Losing a job with health insurance in the middle of a public health crisis is a difficult position for anyone to be in. Navigating the confusing world of healthcare in the United States is also a daunting proposition. However, there are a number of available options for those who are scrambling to find coverage for their families. (Gray, 10/18)
Also —
Stat:
Pharma Contributed To Attorneys General Who Want To Repeal The Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act has driven a huge boost in revenue for pharmaceutical companies — but ironically, $1.5 million in drug industry donations last election cycle were funneled to Republican state attorneys general who will soon make a case for repealing the law before the Supreme Court. In early 2018, a group of Republican state attorneys general filed a lawsuit seeking to repeal the ACA, which expanded prescription drug coverage for millions of people and in turn, helped drug makers rake in more revenue. (Silverman, 10/20)
Trump Makes It Personal With Fauci
President Donald Trump heightened the personal attacks on the country's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Joe Biden slammed the president for the criticism.
ABC News:
Trump Dismisses Pandemic, Rips Fauci As 'Disaster' In Campaign All-Staff Call
In a remarkable move with 15 days to go until Election Day, President Donald Trump on an all-staff campaign call Monday morning leveled his most aggressive attacks yet on Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert on the president’s own coronavirus task force, calling him a “disaster” while also outright dismissing the pandemic, saying Americans are “over COVID” as deaths near 220,000 in the United States and cases rise around the country. (Steakin, 10/19)
The Washington Post:
Trump Attacks 'Fauci And These Idiots' As Polls Show Him Trailing Biden
The president claimed that voters do not want to hear more from the country’s scientific leaders about the pandemic, responding angrily to a critical interview Sunday night with CBS’s “60 Minutes” by Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots,” Trump said in a call with his campaign staff Monday that was intended to instill confidence in his reelection bid two weeks before Election Day. He baselessly suggested that Fauci’s advice on how best to respond to the outbreak was so bad it would have led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands more people. (Scherer and Dawsey, 10/19)
Dr. Fauci, Joe Biden and others repond —
The Hill:
Fauci Quotes 'The Godfather' In Response To Latest Trump Attacks
Top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci brushed off new criticism from President Trump on Monday, quoting "The Godfather" in a radio interview. In an interview with Southern California AM radio station KNX1070, Fauci was asked to respond to Trump reportedly calling him "a disaster" during a campaign call earlier in the day. (Seipel, 10/19)
The Hill:
Biden Slams Trump For Calling Fauci A 'Disaster'
Former Vice President Joe Biden slammed President Trump on Monday for calling Anthony Fauci a “disaster” and dismissing public health experts, accusing the president of “waving a white flag” in the country’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic. “Coronavirus infections are spiking across the country, but President Trump decided to attack Dr. Fauci again today as a ‘disaster’ and call public health experts ‘idiots’ instead of laying out a plan to beat this virus or heeding their advice about how we can save lives and get our economy moving again,” Biden said in a statement. (Greenwood, 10/19)
Politico:
Trump Ties Fauci To Biden — To Biden's Delight
President Donald Trump and Joe Biden agree on one thing: The Democratic nominee trusts Anthony Fauci. Trump ridiculed Biden during a campaign rally on Monday afternoon in Prescott, Ariz., for saying he would heed the advice of scientific experts to combat the coronavirus even if it required ratcheting down certain economic activity. “You know, Biden wants to lock it down,” Trump said. “He wants to listen to Dr. Fauci. He wants to listen to Dr. Fauci.” “…yes,” Biden’s Twitter account quipped in response to the president’s line. The Biden campaign seemed gleeful to be linked with Fauci, who has continually rated as one of the most trusted voices in the country on Covid-19, according to numerous public opinion polls. (Niedzwiadek, 10/19)
The Hill:
GOP Health Committee Chairman Defends Fauci Amid Trump Criticism
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, defended Anthony Fauci on Monday after President Trump lashed out at the nation's top infectious disease expert. “Dr. Fauci is one of our country’s most distinguished public servants. ... If more Americans paid attention to his advice, we’d have fewer cases of COVID-19, and it would be safer to go back to school and back to work and out to eat," Alexander said in a statement. (Carney, 10/19)
National Security Leaders Self-Isolate After Possible COVID Exposure
CIA Director Gina Haspel, undersecretary of State for political affairs David Hale and national security adviser Robert O’Brien are among the officials who met with a Lebanese spymaster who has since tested positive for COVID-19, Politico reports.
Politico:
Senior U.S. Officials Self-Isolate After Meeting Lebanese Spymaster Who’s Positive For Covid
Several U.S. officials, including a senior figure at the State Department, are now self-isolating after meeting with a Lebanese spymaster who has tested positive for the coronavirus. David Hale, the undersecretary of State for political affairs; CIA Director Gina Haspel; and national security adviser Robert O’Brien were among the Americans who met with Lebanon’s Major Gen. Abbas Ibrahim during his recent visit to Washington, people familiar with the situation told POLITICO. (Toosi, 10/19)
In related news —
NBC News:
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany Says She's Recovered From Covid-19
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has recovered from Covid-19 after she tested positive for the virus earlier this month, she said in a tweet on Friday. “Blessed to be COVID clear!” she tweeted. McEnany was among more than a dozen White House staffers, Trump campaign aides, and members of Congress who tested positive for the virus this month. She tested positive shortly before a trip with the president and had no symptoms, she said in a statement at the time. (Clark, 10/16)
The Hill:
Senate Democrats Call For Ramped Up Capitol Coronavirus Testing
Senate Democrats are calling on congressional leadership to implement a comprehensive plan for coronavirus testing at the Capitol after a recent outbreak that included several lawmakers. Two dozen senators, spearheaded by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), sent a letter on Monday to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) saying that the environment within the Capitol "has created vulnerabilities" for those in the building every day. (Carney, 10/19)
Supreme Court Allows Extra Time For Mail Ballots To Arrive In Pennsylvania
The decision was a 4-to-4 tie upholding a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling that granted a three-day extension for mail-in ballots to arrive and be counted, as long as they are postmarked by Nov. 3.
The Wall Street Journal:
Supreme Court Allows Extension For Mail-In Ballots In Pennsylvania
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to disturb a ruling by Pennsylvania’s highest court that extended the battleground state’s deadline for accepting mail-in ballots, a win for Democrats that gives voters more time to navigate postal delays and avoid in-person voting. Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court’s three liberal members to leave intact a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision extending by three days the time for receipt of absentee ballots and allowing those with illegible postmarks to be counted if received by the deadline. (Bravin and Kendall, 10/19)
NPR:
Supreme Court Rules Pennsylvania Can Count Ballots Received After Election Day
The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that election officials in Pennsylvania can count absentee ballots received as late as the Friday after Election Day so long as they are postmarked by Nov. 3. The court declined without comment to take up one of the highest-profile election law cases in the final stretch before Election Day. Pennsylvania Republicans had sought to block the counting of late-arriving ballots, which the state's Supreme Court had approved last month. (Fessler, 10/19)
The New York Times:
Deadlocked Supreme Court Allows Extra Time For Some Pennsylvania Ballots
Neither side gave reasons. The result suggested that Judge Amy Coney Barrett, whom President Trump nominated to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg after her death last month, could play a decisive role in election disputes. Judge Barrett is expected to be confirmed next week. (Liptak, 10/19)
In related developments on early and mail-in voting —
Politico:
Florida Shatters Opening Day Record For Early Voting
Florida shattered its opening day record for in-person early voting Monday, with at least 350,000 people casting ballots and election officials continuing to count statewide late into the night. The trend continues a record-setting pace in the battleground state that is viewed as a must-win for President Donald Trump. Voting by mail, which started earlier this month, racked up more than 2.5 million ballots headed into Monday, more than double the 1.2 million during the same timeframe in 2016. (Dixon, 10/19)
The Washington Post:
California Ballot Box Burns In Arson Attempt, Officials Say
Outside a public library in Baldwin Park, Calif., the smoke streaming from the intentional fire set inside an official ballot collection box made the deposit slot look like a chimney. Firefighters first tried to pry the sides of the metal container open with a crowbar and an ax. After a few minutes, they pulled out a saw and began cutting through the frame. As a sheet of metal finally fell away from the box, a thick cloud of smoke billowed out. “We’re going to save as many ballots as we can,” a firefighter said in a live stream of the incident posted to Facebook Sunday night. (Shepherd, 10/20)
Democrats, Hoping For Election Sweep, Eye Big Increases In Health Spending
Although supports have pent-up demand for many projects, health care is among the top issues that Democrats say they will seek to reinforce if they take the White House and the Senate in the Nov. 3 election. Political coverage also includes reports on inaccuracies in Trump's stump speeches, social media ads on insulin pricing and a California initiative on contract workers.
Politico:
Democrats Prepare Sweeping Budget Plans If They Win In November
Democrats are eyeing aggressive budget and spending plans if they sweep in November, aiming to deploy every fiscal tool at their disposal to deliver major investments in infrastructure, clean energy, child care and more. ... It’s also possible that Democrats would turn to reconciliation for a massive health care expansion if the Supreme Court strikes down the Affordable Care Act, said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), a senior appropriator. ... Democratic leaders have signaled their first priority would be another multi-trillion-dollar coronavirus relief package if Congress and the Trump administration can’t reach a deal by early next year. (Emma, 10/19)
PolitiFact:
Donald Trump’s Long, False List Of Things Joe Biden Would Ban, Abolish Or Destroy
According to President Donald Trump’s storyline, Joe Biden and his allies want to ban or destroy many things that matter to Americans, like health care protections, the Second Amendment and churches. ... As part of our 2020 election coverage, PolitiFact has been monitoring and fact-checking Trump’s claims like these on Twitter, at campaign rallies, at White House events and during media interviews. And we’ve noticed a pattern: His claims about things Biden and Democrats want to eliminate are routinely inaccurate, misleading, oversimplified or exaggerated. (We’ve also been fact-checking Biden.) Here’s a rundown of more than a dozen things Trump commonly — and falsely — says Biden wants to ban, abolish or destroy, along with the facts. (Valverde, 10/19)
In other election news —
The Hill:
Rally Crowd Chants 'Superman' After Trump Talks Coronavirus Recovery
The crowd at a Trump campaign rally in Arizona erupted into chants of "Superman" on Monday after President Trump recounted feeling like the superhero upon recovering from his coronavirus diagnosis. "People are pandemic'd-out. You know that? They're pandemic'd-out. That's why it's so great what your governor has done. He's opened up your state," Trump said at the rally. "I'm here. And now I'm immune. I can jump into this audience and kiss every man and woman. I'm immune." (Seipel, 10/19)
KHN and Politifact:
Progressive Group Highlights Trump, Tillis Weakness On Insulin Price Tags
During the first presidential debate of 2020, President Donald Trump touted his efforts to curb skyrocketing drug prices and declared that insulin is now “so cheap, it’s like water.” The response on social media was swift, and divided, with some people sharing pharmacy bills showing thousands of dollars they’d spent on insulin, while others boasted of newfound savings. The next day, a self-described progressive political action committee called Change Now jumped into the fray by releasing an ad that circulated on Facebook attacking Trump and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on this issue. (Pattani, 10/20)
KQED:
How California Propositions Could Affect The Food Industry
This year’s elections feature old and new issues that are breaking spending records. It’s fair to say that each candidate and measure this election will affect the food world at individual and industry levels. Some statewide propositions in particular, like Proposition 22, California’s costliest ballot campaign to date at nearly $190 million ... spent, explicitly affect the food industry. If it passes, Proposition 22 would exempt companies from classifying their labor force including delivery drivers and grocery shoppers as employees and instead leave them as contractors. (Gebreyesus, 10/16)
Signs Of Progress But No Stimulus Deal Yet Between House Dems, White House
On Sunday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi set a Tuesday night deadline for any deal. In related news of the economic strain around the nation, more than 6 million households couldn't make their rent or mortgage payments in September.
The Washington Post:
Pelosi, White House Remain At Odds In Coronavirus Stimulus Talks
House Democrats and the Trump administration remained far apart Monday in economic relief negotiations, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said there were signs of progress in the ongoing talks. “We have finally in the last 24 hours...come to a place where they are willing to address the crisis, the coronavirus, to crush the virus,” Pelosi said Monday evening in an appearance on MSNBC. She said the Trump administration had agreed to language the Democrats demanded relating to addressing racial disparities in the virus’s impact. (Werner and Stein, 10/19)
The Hill:
Sides Tiptoe Toward A COVID-19 Deal, But Breakthrough Appears Distant
Party leaders racing for an elusive deal on a coronavirus stimulus package claimed more progress on Monday, but the slow, incremental headway appeared far short of the breakthrough needed to get more emergency relief to President Trump's desk before Election Day. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the principal negotiators, spoke by phone for almost an hour Monday afternoon, when "they continued to narrow their differences" on policy specifics, according to Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill. (Lillis, 10/19)
In related news about COVID's economic toll —
USA Today:
More Than 6M Households Missed Their Rent Or Mortgage Payment In September
Persistent layoffs are slowing momentum in the labor market, which bodes poorly for the broader U.S. recovery as millions of out-of-work Americans delay their mortgage and rent payments. More than 6 million households failed to make their rent or mortgage payments in September, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's Research Institute for Housing America, a sign that the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic is weighing on jobless Americans as Congress stalls on relief measures. (Menton, 10/17)
Moderna Expects COVID Vaccine Approval in December
Moderna's CEO added an "if" to the announcement: if the company gets positive results in November from a large clinical trial. In other vaccine news, states are scrambling to find money to pay for vaccine distribution.
The Wall Street Journal:
Moderna CEO Expects Covid-19 Vaccine Interim Results In November
Moderna Inc. Chief Executive Stéphane Bancel said the federal government could authorize emergency use of the company’s experimental Covid-19 vaccine in December, if the company gets positive interim results in November from a large clinical trial. Mr. Bancel, speaking during The Wall Street Journal’s annual Tech Live conference Monday, said if sufficient interim results from the study takes longer to get, government authorization of the vaccine may not occur until early next year. (Loftus, 10/19)
Stat:
Why An FDA Advisory Panel's Meeting On Covid-19 Vaccines Matters
For those closely watching the development of Covid-19 vaccines, Thursday is a crucial date. Nothing extraordinary is expected to happen when a committee of outside experts — known as the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, or VRBPAC — meets for the first time to consider Covid-19 vaccines. But the very convening of the meeting is a reassuring sign that the Food and Drug Administration, which relies on VRBPAC for advice, plans to do what it usually does: Make decisions based not on political timetables but on data that show whether new vaccines are safe and effective. (Branswell, 10/20)
CNN:
US Coronavirus: States File Their Vaccine Plans To CDC Without Plans To Pay For Them, State Health Officials Say
States still have no idea how they're going to pay for coronavirus vaccine distribution, despite filing plans last week, state officials said Monday. Friday was the deadline for states to submit their plans to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but they still don't have the needed federal money to help carry them out, officials said. (Holcombe and Vera, 10/19)
AP:
California Won't Allow Virus Vaccines Without State Approval
California won’t allow any distribution of coronavirus vaccines in the nation’s most populous state until it is reviewed by the state’s own panel of experts, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday. Vaccinations for the pandemic “will move at the speed of trust,” said Newsom, a Democrat, and the state wants its own independent review no matter who wins the presidential election next month. (Thompson, 10/20)
Also —
Modern Healthcare:
Drones Delivering Vaccines From Merck Facility To Vidant Health
Vidant Health Tuesday said it's part of a new pilot program to deliver vaccines directly from a manufacturer to one of its facilities via drone. The pilot, launched with drone delivery company Volansi, delivers vaccines for such disease as the measles, mumps and rubella—or MMR—from a Merck & Co. manufacturing facility in rural Wilson, N.C., to a Vidant Health clinic in the same city. The program uses drones from Volansi that can carry 10 pounds of cargo for up to 50 miles. (Cohen, 10/20)
The Atlantic:
What A Successful Vaccine Trial Looks Like
Before COVID-19 upended our lives, clinical vaccine trials typically made news only when they were done—when scientists could definitively say, Yes, this one works or No, it doesn’t. These days, every step of the COVID-19 vaccine-development process comes under intense public scrutiny: This vaccine works in monkeys! It’s safe in the 45 people who have gotten it! The entire trial is on pause because one participant got sick, but we don’t know yet whether the person got a vaccine or a placebo! (Zhang, 10/19)
UK To Infect Healthy Volunteers In Risky Approach To Speed Up Vaccine Development
Imperial College London researchers developing a government-funded COVID-19 vaccine will start human challenge testing -- a controversial method that deliberately exposes people to a virus.
AP:
UK To Infect Healthy Volunteers To Speed Up Vaccine Efforts
U.K. researchers are preparing to begin a controversial experiment that will infect healthy volunteers with the new coronavirus to study the disease in hopes of speeding up development of a vaccine. The approach, called a challenge study, is risky but proponents say it may produce results faster than standard research, which waits to see if volunteers who have been given an experimental treatment get sick. Imperial College London said Tuesday that the study, involving healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 30, would be conducted in partnership with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and hVivo, a company that has experience conducting testing. (10/20)
The Washington Post:
Britain To Infect Healthy Volunteers With Coronavirus In Vaccine Challenge Trials
The research, led by scientists at Imperial College London and funded by the British government, is a gutsy gambit, given that people will be submitting themselves to a deadly virus with no surefire treatment. The United States is moving more cautiously, with leading government researchers saying human challenge trials might be too risky or unnecessary. But the British scientists say the potential payoff is massive — that accelerating vaccine development by even three months could save hundreds of thousands of lives globally. (Booth and Johnson, 10/20)
In other global vaccine developments —
Reuters:
Sinopharm Says May Be Able To Make Over 1 Billion Coronavirus Vaccine Doses In 2021
China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm), one of several Chinese firms developing coronavirus vaccines, said it may have the capacity to produce more than 1 billion doses in 2021, Chairman Liu Jingzhen said on Tuesday. About 60,000 people have received Chinese coronavirus vaccine candidates during Phase III clinical trials, with no serious side effects reported so far, Tian Baoguo, an official at China’s Ministry of Science and Technology, said at the same government media briefing. (10/20)
AP:
Vaccine Storage Issues Could Leave 3B People Without Access
The chain breaks here, in a tiny medical clinic in Burkina Faso that went nearly a year without a working refrigerator. From factory to syringe, the world’s most promising coronavirus vaccine candidates need non-stop sterile refrigeration to stay potent and safe. But despite enormous strides in equipping developing countries to maintain the vaccine “cold chain,” nearly 3 billion of the world’s 7.8 billion people live where temperature-controlled storage is insufficient for an immunization campaign to bring COVID-19 under control. The result: Poor people around the world who were among the hardest hit by the virus pandemic are also likely to be the last to recover from it. (Hinnant and Mednick, 10/19)
The Hill:
UNICEF Is Stockpiling Syringes Ahead Of A COVID-19 Vaccine
The United Nations children's agency UNICEF is stockpiling hundreds of millions of syringes in anticipation of a coronavirus vaccine to make sure there is enough global supply, the organization announced Monday. UNICEF said initially it will stockpile 520 million syringes in its warehouses, part of a larger plan to have 1 billion syringes by 2021. The goal is to guarantee initial supply and help ensure that syringes arrive in countries before the COVID-19 vaccine does. (Weixel, 10/19)
Fortune:
World's COVID Vaccine Testing Ground Calls China Candidate Safest, Most-Promising
Brazil is one of the world’s top COVID-19 vaccine testing grounds. Now, officials there say that CoronaVac, the experimental COVID-19 vaccine from Chinese developer Sinovac, is the safest of the coronavirus immunizations evaluated in the country so far. “The first results of the clinical study conducted in Brazil prove that among all the vaccines tested in the country, CoronaVac is the safest, the one with the best and most promising rates,” São Paulo Governor João Doria told reporters in Brazil on Monday. (McGregor, 10/20)
The Guardian:
India At Heart Of Global Efforts To Produce Covid Vaccine
As the largest global supplier of drugs and producer of 60% of the world’s vaccines, India has long been known as the “pharmacy of the world”. Now, as the frenzied hunt for a Covid-19 vaccine gathers momentum, the country is playing an increasingly strategic and central role in the development, manufacturing – and, crucially, possible future distribution – of several possible Covid shots. (Ellis-Petersen, 10/20)
Science:
Could Certain COVID-19 Vaccines Leave People More Vulnerable To The AIDS Virus?
Certain COVID-19 vaccine candidates could increase susceptibility to HIV, warns a group of researchers who in 2007 learned that an experimental HIV vaccine had raised in some people the risk for infection with the AIDS virus. These concerns have percolated in the background of the race for a vaccine to stem the coronavirus pandemic, but now the researchers have gone public with a “cautionary tale,” in part because trials of those candidates may soon begin in locales that have pronounced HIV epidemics, such as South Africa. (Cohen, 10/19)
3 Digits To Remember In A Mental Health Crisis: Law Creates 988 Hotline
The Federal Communications Commission aims to have the hotline operational by July 2022. In related news, suicides among U.S. troops are rising and the pandemic continues to impact Americans' mental health.
NPR:
New Law Creates 988 Hotline For Mental Health Emergencies
President Trump has signed into law a bipartisan bill to create a three-digit number for mental health emergencies. The Federal Communications Commission had already picked 988 as the number for this hotline and aims to have it up and running by July 2022. The new law paves the way to make that a reality. "We are thrilled, because this is a game changer," says Robert Gebbia, CEO of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. (Chatterjee, 10/19)
Boston.com:
Trump Signs Seth Moulton Bill To Make 988 National Suicide Hotline Number
Across the United States, 911 is the number to call in the case of emergencies, 211 is the number for local community services, and 511 is the number for transportation information. Now, under a bill co-written by Rep. Seth Moulton and signed into law Saturday by President Donald Trump, Americans will have a new three-digit hotline, 988, to call if they have questions or concerns about the mental health of a loved one — or their own. ... The Salem congressman, who disclosed struggling with post-traumatic stress after his combat experience in the Iraq War and made mental health a focus point of his short-lived 2020 presidential campaign, called the new law “a win for every American who has been affected by a mental illness.” (DeCosta-Klipa, 10/19)
Military Times:
Plans For Vets Suicide Prevention Training, New Three-Digit Emergency Mental Health Crisis Line Signed Into Law
President Donald Trump on Saturday signed into law a pair of bills designed to help prevent veterans suicide, including a measure to establish a new three-digit national crisis line similar to 911 for mental health emergencies. Both measures had received significant support from veterans groups in recent months, and passed through Congress without significant objection. In a statement Saturday night, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie praised the moves as key improvements in efforts to better reach veterans in times of emotional or mental instability. “People in distress and in need of timely care should face the fewest obstacles possible to get help,” he said. “The bill President Trump signed today will soon make it easier for those at risk to be quickly connected to a trained responder and will help save lives.” (10/19)
In related news —
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Suicides Rising Among U.S. Service Members
The number of U.S. troops who took their own lives reached 260 in the first half of this year, a nearly 4% increase from the same period last year when 251 suicides were recorded in the military, according to a recently released report. The Defense Suicide Prevention Office report does not provide statistics for military bases, several of which are located in Georgia. But between January and June, suicides among reservists totaled 44, up from 37 during the same time frame last year. Suicides among active-duty troops increased to 170 from 163. They dropped to 46 from 51 in the National Guard. (Redmon, 10/19)
CNN:
Covid-19 Pandemic Leaves Those With Mental Illness In Fear
For Shelby Rowe, a bead artist and mother of three adult children, the most difficult day of the coronavirus pandemic came in August. It was the day her son, Trevor, was rushed to the hospital. He was already battling Covid-19, and on that day, he was having difficulty breathing. "That fear that I could lose my child and not be able to visit him, that definitely affected my mental health," Rowe said. "The pandemic has brought a lot more uncertainty and fear and given me more anxiety than I think I've ever experienced." (Howard, 10/12)
Study Suggests Sick Leave Law Helps Reduce COVID Spread
The research in Health Affairs examined whether emergency sick-leave provisions provided in a coronavirus relief bill cut the number of reported new COVID-19 cases. News outlets also look at treatment options for the virus.
CIDRAP:
US Emergency Sick Leave Act Tied To Reduced COVID-19 Cases
The emergency sick leave provision of the March 18 bipartisan Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) appears to have reduced the spread of the virus. A Health Affairs study yesterday found that states where workers could get up to 2 weeks of paid sick leave showed 417 fewer confirmed cases per day, or an average of 1 prevented case per day per 1,300 workers. The lack of universal access to paid sick leave in the United States makes it an outlier among nations in Europe and the Americas. Twenty-seven percent of all US workers and more than half of food and accommodation industry workers are ineligible for paid sick leave. The emergency sick leave provision of the FFCRA is estimated to provide paid sick leave benefits to roughly half of the US workforce. (10/16)
AP:
What Are The Treatment Options For COVID-19?
What are the treatment options for COVID-19? There are several, and which one is best depends on how sick someone is. For example, steroids such as dexamethasone can lower the risk of dying for severely ill patients. But they may do the opposite for those who are only mildly ill. (10/20)
KHN:
Can Ordinary COVID Patients Get The Trump Treatment? It’s OK To Ask
When Terry Mutter woke up with a headache and sore muscles on a recent Wednesday, the competitive weightlifter chalked it up to a hard workout. By that evening, though, he had a fever of 101 degrees and was clearly ill. “I felt like I had been hit by a truck,” recalled Mutter, who lives near Seattle. The next day he was diagnosed with COVID-19. By Saturday, the 58-year-old was enrolled in a clinical trial for the same antibody cocktail that President Donald Trump claimed was responsible for his coronavirus “cure.” (Aleccia, 10/20)
KHN:
Older COVID Patients Battle ‘Brain Fog,’ Weakness And Emotional Turmoil
“Lord, give me back my memory.” For months, as Marilyn Walters has struggled to recover from COVID-19, she has repeated this prayer day and night. Like other older adults who’ve become critically ill from the coronavirus, Walters, 65, describes what she calls “brain fog” — difficulty putting thoughts together, problems with concentration, the inability to remember what happened a short time before. (Graham, 10/20)
NBC News:
Texas Woman Died Of Coronavirus 'On The Jetway' On Flight From Arizona
A Texas woman in her 30s died of Covid-19 while flying home from Arizona this summer, officials said Monday. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth that the woman died in July, but that officials just learned of her official cause of death. ... The woman, who was from the Dallas suburb of Garland, had underlying health conditions, according to a Dallas County news release. Additional information about her was not immediately available. (Stelloh, 10/19)
In other public health news —
The New York Times:
Doctors May Have Found Secretive New Organs In The Center Of Your Head
After millenniums of careful slicing and dicing, it might seem as though scientists have figured out human anatomy. A few dozen organs, a couple hundred bones and connective tissue to tie it all together. But despite centuries of scrutiny, the body is still capable of surprising scientists. A team of researchers in the Netherlands has discovered what may be a set of previously unidentified organs: a pair of large salivary glands, lurking in the nook where the nasal cavity meets the throat. If the findings are confirmed, this hidden wellspring of spit could mark the first identification of its kind in about three centuries. (Wu, 10/19)
NPR:
Study: Plastic Baby Bottles Shed Microplastics When Heated. Should You Worry?
Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastic, often too small for the eye to see. They're created as plastic degrades. And they're everywhere. They're in oceans, thanks to plastic garbage. They're in fish. They find their way into the water we drink in various ways, from surface runoff and wastewater effluent to particles deposited from the atmosphere. And they're released in huge quantities from plastic baby bottles when they're used to prepare formula according to standard guidelines, a new study in the journal Nature Food finds. (Godoy, 10/19)
And in celebrity news —
USA Today:
Jeff Bridges Diagnosed With Lymphoma: 'The Prognosis Is Good'
Jeff Bridges is sharing a health update. The Oscar winner revealed on Twitter Monday that he's been diagnosed with lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system, according to Mayo Clinic." As the Dude would say.. New S**T has come to light," wrote Bridges, referencing his 1998 cult classic "The Big Lebowski." "Although it is a serious disease, I feel fortunate that I have a great team of doctors and the prognosis is good." (Henderson, 10/19)
For Hospitals, Normal Is A Long Way Off
With COVID cases once again surging, hospitals don't expect to be back to normal until 2022. In other industry news, private equity-backed dermatology groups got COVID relief funds, and Cardinal Health shareholders are urged to void a huge bonus for the CEO.
Modern Healthcare:
Pre-Pandemic 'Normal' Not Expected Until 2022, Hospital Execs Say
All of the health systems that responded to a recent survey expect it will be at least 2022 before their operations return to anything resembling a pre-pandemic "normal." Kaufman Hall's survey included 64 mostly hospital and health system respondents. Nearly three-quarters of respondents said they were moderately or extremely concerned about the financial viability of their organizations in the absence of an effective COVID-19 vaccine or treatment. (Bannow, 10/19)
PBS NewsHour:
For Caregivers, A Difficult Job Becomes Nearly Impossible During The Pandemic
There are more than 50 million caregivers in the United States, from in-home providers to family volunteers. For these essential workers, the pandemic has represented a crisis on a different scale. We hear some of their stories about what the past few months have been like, and Dr. Jennifer Olsen, executive director of The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss. (Woodruff and Norris, 10/19)
Modern Healthcare:
Nursing Homes Worry About Third Wave Of COVID-19 As U.S. Cases Rise
When nationwide case counts started climbing in late September, so too did cases in nursing homes, according to an analysis of data from CMS and Johns Hopkins by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living. Nursing homes cases had been falling since a peak of 10,125 cases the week of July 26. Deaths were highest at the beginning of the pandemic when there were 3,222 COVID-19-related deaths in nursing homes the week of May 31; however, death data for nursing homes isn't available for the weeks prior. (Christ, 1/19)
KHN:
‘No Mercy’ Chapter 4: So, 2 Nuns Step Off A Train In Kansas … A Hospital’s Origin Story
Ever since Mercy Hospital went “corporate,” things just haven’t been the same — that’s what lots of locals in Fort Scott, Kansas, said when the Mercy health system shuttered the only hospital in town. It’s been years since Catholic nuns led Mercy Hospital Fort Scott, but town historian Fred Campbell is wistful for his boyhood in the 1940s when sisters in habits walked the hallways. (Tribble, 10/20)
In financial news —
Modern Healthcare:
Private Equity-Backed Dermatology Groups Got COVID-19 Small-Business Loans
The complex business structures of some private equity-backed dermatology groups allowed them to receive millions in COVID-19 funds intended for small businesses, federal disclosures reveal. Lawmakers and regulators structured the Paycheck Protection Program so that most private equity-owned businesses would not qualify. Only companies with 500 employees or fewer are eligible for the program, which offers loan forgiveness if the loans are spent on qualifying expenses. (Cohrs, 10/19)
Stat:
State Treasurers Urge Cardinal Health Shareholders To Reject CEO Bonus
Two state treasurers are urging Cardinal Health (CAH) shareholders to reject a hefty, $2.5 million bonus for the chief executive officer, citing his long-standing tenure at the wholesaler and its role in fomenting the opioid crisis. In a regulatory filing, the treasurers argued that Cardinal appeared to have “persistently failed” to ensure safe and secure distribution of controlled substances, and that rewarding chief executive officer Michael Kaufman would risk shareholder value and have negative implications for society as a whole. (Silverman, 10/19)
AP:
Lakes Region General Hospital Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
A New Hampshire hospital moved to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday. Lakes Region General Hospital has begun the legal and regulatory process of filing Chapter 11 and has received an offer from Concord Hospital to potentially acquire hospital assets, WMUR-TV reported. Concord Hospital could acquire Lakes Region General Hospital, Franklin Regional Hospital and all other outpatient care locations. (10/19)
Modern Healthcare:
Judge In Sutter Health Lawsuit OKs New Monitor Selection Plan
The judge in the antitrust lawsuit against Sutter Health green-lighted a revised plan Monday for picking a monitor to oversee the health system's compliance with price controls and other terms of its settlement. Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter and California's Attorney General, a plaintiff in the case, now have until March 2021 to find the right person for the crucial job, which could last up to 13 years. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo rejected the parties' initial monitor proposal because they had only interviewed white male candidates, and directed them to come up with a new plan. (Bannow, 10/19)
Kodak Says It Will Make Drug Ingredients Despite Loan Snafu
In July, the company struck a $765 million deal with the federal government. However, it was put on hold after the Securities and Exchange Commission announced a probe into the handling of the deal.
The Wall Street Journal:
Kodak To Push Forward On Making Drug Ingredients Despite U.S. Loan Troubles
Eastman Kodak Co. Chief Executive Jim Continenza defended his company’s handling of a halted U.S. loan and said Kodak would continue to move ahead in making drug ingredients regardless of whether it receives government assistance. Mr. Continenza’s comments, at the WSJ Tech Live conference on Monday, follow a tumultuous period for the one-time photo giant. In July, the company struck a $765 million deal with the U.S. government to produce drug ingredients, only to have its plans promptly unravel. (Levy, 10/19)
NPR:
A Big Alzheimer's Drug Study Is Proceeding Cautiously, Despite The Pandemic
Medical research was an early casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic. After cases began emerging worldwide, thousands of clinical trials unrelated to COVID-19 were paused or canceled amid fears that participants would be infected. But now, some researchers are finding ways to carry on in spite of the coronavirus. "It's been a struggle of course," says Joshua Grill, who directs the Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders at the University of California, Irvine. "But I think there's an imperative for us to find ways to move forward." (Hamilton, 10/20)
Stat:
CBC Group Sets Up AffaMed, EverInsight Merger, Eyes IPO
With Everest Medicines’ $451 million listing now in the rear-view mirror, health care-focused CBC Group is paving the way for another portfolio company to IPO. But, first, a merger. AffaMed Therapeutics announced last week that it is merging with EverInsight Therapeutics, another biopharmaceutical company. Both firms were founded by CBC, formerly known as C-Bridge Capital. (Chan, 10/20)
Also —
FiercePharma:
Antimicrobial Posters: In-Office Content Provider Gives Ad Boards A COVID-19-Safe Refresh
While many healthcare professionals enjoy the camaraderie of office lunchrooms, they probably don’t want extra contagions with their sandwich. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. So Physician’s Weekly, the veteran editorial and pharma advertising newsletter-like wallboard provider, decided to take an extra step to make sure its posters were safe. It contracted with a coatings specialist and, beginning in September, added antimicrobial surfaces to all its posters in 23,000 locations. (Bulik, 10/19)
COVID-19 Outbreak At Kansas Nursing Home Claims 10 Residents' Lives
All 62 residents of the Andbe Home in Norton, Kansas, tested positive for the virus. News from around the country also comes from Vermont, New Jersey, Oregon, Michigan and New York.
AP:
10 Residents Dead Amid Virus Outbreak At Kansas Nursing Home
A coronavirus outbreak has killed 10 residents in a nursing home in a northwestern Kansas county that proportionally already had the nation’s largest increase in cases over two weeks. The health department in Norton County reported Monday night that all 62 residents and an unspecified number of employees at the Andbe Home in Norton had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The agency also said one Andbe Home resident was hospitalized, while the remaining 51 were being treated at the home. (Hanna, 10/20)
AP:
Virus Outbreak Linked To Hockey Rink Grows To 30 Cases
The outbreak of people infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 traced to a Montpelier hockey rink has expanded to 30, the Vermont Health Department said Monday. The cases are linked to adult and youth hockey leagues and an adult broomball league at the Central Vermont Memorial Civic Center. (10/19)
The New York Times:
Virus Cases Spike In New Jersey, Threatening ‘Lurch Backward’
Coronavirus cases in New Jersey, an early epicenter of the pandemic, are on the rise again, doubling over the last month to an average of more than 900 new positive tests a day, a worrisome reversal of fortune for a state that had driven transmission rates to some of the nation’s lowest levels. After an outbreak several weeks ago in a heavily Orthodox Jewish town near the Jersey Shore, cases are now rising in counties across the state, driven, officials say, by indoor gatherings. (Tully and Gold, 10/19)
AP:
Oregon Mask Requirements Expanded As COVID Cases Rise
As the total number of COVID-19 cases in Oregon nears 40,000 people, health officials announced Monday that face-covering requirements are once again being expanded to include all private and public work spaces, outdoor markets and colleges. The Oregon Health Authority reported 266 new and presumptive COVID-19 cases Monday and eight deaths. The numbers bring the state’s case tally to 39,794. The death toll is 627. (Cline, 10/19)
In other news from the states —
The New York Times:
Michigan Woman Found Alive At Funeral Home Dies 8 Weeks Later
A young Michigan woman who was pronounced dead in August, only to be found alive at a funeral home hours later, has died, her family’s lawyer said. The woman, Timesha Beauchamp, 20, died on Sunday at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit after about eight weeks in a coma, said Geoffrey Fieger, the lawyer. (de Leon, 10/19)
ABC News:
Some NYC Students Randomly Tested For COVID-19 Without Parents' Consent
A number of students in one New York City borough have been randomly tested for COVID-19 despite the schools not receiving consent from their parents to do so. The New York City Department of Education has only received about 72,000 -- or 20% -- of the consent forms that were sent out for children returning to the classroom at the beginning of the school year, ABC New York station WABC reported. (Jacobo, 10/19)
US Border With Mexico And Canada Closed Until Nov. 21
The extension of the border closure was in response to rising COVID-19 cases. International news also highlights a top Palestinian leader in critical condition with the virus; child labor in the cocoa industry; and the Quebec town of Asbestos is renamed.
The Hill:
US Extends Mexico, Canada Border Closures
The Department of Homeland Security announced Monday that borders with Mexico and Canada will remain closed to all nonessential travel until Nov. 21 in response to spiking COVID-19 cases. “We are working closely with Mexico & Canada to identify safe criteria to ease the restrictions in the future & support our border communities,” acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said on Twitter. (Polus, 10/19)
The Washington Post:
Key Palestinian Official In Critical Condition With Covid-19
Saeb Erekat, a top Palestinian leader who tested positive for the novel coronavirus this month, was placed on a ventilator Monday and is in critical condition at an Israeli hospital, the facility said in a statement. Erekat, well known to diplomats as the Palestinians’ chief negotiator and the leader most frequently quoted by Western media, was rushed from his West Bank home to a hospital in Tel Aviv on Sunday, then transferred to Jerusalem’s Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center. (Hendrix, 10/19)
The Washington Post:
Child Labor On The Rise In Cocoa Industry Despite Years Of Company Promises To Stop It, Report Finds
The world’s chocolate companies depend on cocoa produced with the aid of more than 1 million West African child laborers, according to a new report sponsored by the Labor Department. The findings represent a remarkable failure by leading chocolate companies to fulfill a long-standing promise to eradicate the practice from their supply chains. Under pressure from Congress in 2001, some of the world’s largest chocolatiers — including Nestlé, Hershey and Mars — pledged to eradicate “the worst forms of child labor” from their sources in West Africa, the world’s most important supply. Since then, however, the firms have missed deadlines to eliminate child labor in 2005, 2008 and 2010. (Whoriskey, 10/19)
The Washington Post:
‘Asbestos’ No More: Canadian Town Opts For Less Carcinogenic Name
After years of local debate and international ridicule, the Quebec town of Asbestos has finally relented. The community of 7,000 people some 100 miles east of Montreal, heretofore named for the deadly mineral that was for more than a century the lifeblood of the local economy, will henceforth be known as Val-des-Sources. That’s Valley of the Springs, more or less. (Coletta, 10/19)
Perspectives: Dangers Of 'Herd Immunity' Strategy; Battling COVID Fatigue; Safe Vaccine Needed
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic topics and others.
Fox News:
Protect Vulnerable, Let Virus Spread To The Young? Why It's A Terrible Plan
There’s a mistaken and dangerous idea spreading like a virus – that we can let COVID spread among young, healthy people as long as we protect the vulnerable.The idea is appealing but it would backfire. In fact, following this advice would lead to more Americans being killed by COVID than were killed in all the wars of the 20th Century. (Ex-CDC Chief Tom Frieden, 10/19)
The New York Times:
What Fans Of ‘Herd Immunity’ Don’t Tell You
So the idea of returning to something akin to normal — releasing everyone from a kind of jail — is attractive, even seductive. It becomes less seductive when one examines three enormously important omissions in the declaration. First, it makes no mention of harm to infected people in low-risk groups, yet many people recover very slowly. More serious, a significant number, including those with no symptoms, suffer damage to their heart and lungs. One recent study of 100 recovered adults found that 78 of them showed signs of heart damage. We have no idea whether this damage will cut years from their lives or affect their quality of life. (John M. Barry, 10/19)
USA Today:
COVID Doctor: Herd Immunity Rests On Naive And Faulty Logic. In Practice, People Will Die.
Winter is coming and we are headed towards the feared intersection of COVID-19 and flu season. Yet already the coronavirus is surging across the world and the United States, the global leader in number of coronavirus deaths, is moving closer to a quarter-million fatalities. Our medical system could be overwhelmed if hospitalizations increase. This is why I am concerned about the reports that some officials and policymakers in the White House are considering “herd immunity” as a strategy to combat the pandemic. This is dangerous, callous and flawed thinking. (Dr. Thomas Ken Lew, 10/20)
The Washington Post:
Of Course We’re Tired Of The Coronavirus, Mr. President. Wishful Thinking Won’t Make It Go Away.
Of course we are tired of covid. More than 8 million Americans have been infected by the novel coronavirus and at least 219,000 have died, more than in any other country. Some number of those deaths can be attributed to Mr. Trump’s adoption of wishful thinking as policy. He has resisted a national testing plan and a national public health strategy, and he continually encourages reckless behavior and mocks prudence. The result is more unemployment, more illness, more misery. (10/19)
CNN:
Trump Closes His Campaign By Insulting Fauci For Telling The Truth
President Donald Trump's election endgame argument, far from bristling with new solutions to a pandemic that has killed 220,000 Americans, on Monday devolved into a campaign of insults against Dr. Anthony Fauci -- for telling the truth about the disease. Trump ridiculed Fauci as a "disaster" and an "idiot" who has been around for "500 years" -- trashing one of the nation's best hopes of easing the pandemic along with his recommendations to quell an alarming Covid-19 surge. (Stephen Collinson, 10/20)
Scientific American:
America's Last Line Of Defense For A Safe Vaccine
When the Food and Drug Administration ran into White House resistance to its proposed vaccine safety standards in early October, the agency took a bold step: It published the guidance on its Web site. The public could now see what vaccine manufacturers and the FDA’s own independent advisory panel would require to ensure a longer, scientifically rigorous process. (Julie Morita and Edward Belongia, 10/19)
The Washington Post:
Another Stimulus Package Is Inevitable. Here’s What It Should Look Like.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are reportedly locked in talks about another round of pandemic-related economic relief. The economy’s continuing weakness means that another stimulus bill is inevitable, whether it arrives before or after the election. That means it’s crucial for policymakers of both parties to understand the uniqueness of this recession, and how that means a relief package must be crafted differently from traditional models if it is to have the most impact. (Henry Olsen, 10/19)
CNN:
Trump's Campaigning Stoops To New Lows As Covid Cases Spike
President Donald Trump and the pandemic he is supposed to be fighting are running out of control with the two weeks until Election Day shaping up as among the most ugly and divisive periods ever ahead of a presidential vote. He's on a fresh collision course with Dr. Anthony Fauci, who's publicly questioning why Trump thinks mask wearing is weak after a wild weekend that saw the President, who's trailing former Vice President Joe Biden in the polls and still playing to his base, pack swing state rallies that flouted his government's Covid-19 protocols. (Stephen Collinson, 10/19)
USA Today:
COVID And Loneliness: Isolation Can Kill People, Especially Seniors
Recent analysis of federal data suggests that isolation has contributed to 13,200 excess dementia deaths since the pandemic’s start. To prevent COVID outbreaks, nursing homes have curtailed family visits and social activities, such as group classes and shared meals, that help stimulate the mind and blunt dementia’s ravages. (Stacy Torres, 10/20)
Viewpoints: Obamacare's Future; Supreme Court Impact On Health Care; And Medicare
Editorial pages focus on these public health issues and more.
National Review:
Obamacare’s Illusion Of Preexisting Condition Protections
President Trump’s recent executive order laying out his “America-First Healthcare Plan” makes clear his continued commitment to the long-standing, bipartisan consensus that we should protect people with preexisting conditions. Unfortunately, the previous administration’s attempt to make good on that consensus — Obamacare — has failed to deliver on its promises. (CMS Administrator Seema Verna, 10/19)
CNN:
Judge Barrett's View Of Obamacare Stirs Fear Among Disabled Americans
As I watched the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Judge Amy Coney Barrett last week, I couldn't help but think how much her confirmation would hurt families like hers and mine. Nobody questions that Judge Barrett loves her family, but it is a simple fact that whether she is promoted to the Supreme Court or not, she will have a level of guaranteed health care for life that many if not most disabled people can only dream of -- especially if the Affordable Care Act is repealed. (Rebecca Cokley, 10/19)
Fox News:
ObamaCare And The Supreme Court -- Can The Government Force Us To Eat Broccoli?
Wait a minute. Didn’t the Supreme Court already uphold ObamaCare in 2012? Yes, it did. So why is the constitutionality of this legislation back before the Supreme Court?Here is the backstory. (Andrew P. Napolitano, 10/19)
USA Today:
Breaking My Silence: My Family Needed Me. I Had To Survive, So I Had An Abortion.
I did not intend to write this story, but our present moment, with the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court and the challenges almost certain to follow in regard to Roe v. Wade and the Affordable Care Act, have led me to break my silence. In the fall of 1993, I had an abortion. My husband went with me to the hospital. My parents met us there. They circled me in the curtained room of the pre-operative area. My 12-year-old son was at his middle school. Like many children that age, he was having a hard time of it. (Elaine Neil Orr, 10/20)
The Washington Post:
Judge Amy Coney Barrett And The Future Of Physician-Assisted Suicide
Other issues created more controversy during her confirmation hearings, but one of the insufficiently appreciated effects of Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s elevation to the Supreme Court could be to fortify existing high court doctrine on physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, specifically a 23-year-old precedent denying that terminally ill patients have a constitutional right to either one. (Charles Lane, 10/19)
Stat:
Medicare Must Speed Coverage For Breakthrough Digital Therapeutics
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued a draft rule that could dramatically improve access to evidence-based treatments that can be delivered virtually. But it won’t unless CMS makes another seemingly simple change regarding benefit categories.Covid-19 has killed more than 180,000 Medicare beneficiaries to date, representing about 80% of all Covid-19 deaths in the U.S. That means there’s a pressing need for safe and effective socially distanced digital therapeutics. (Andre Ostrovsky, 10/19)
Cincinnati Enquirer:
Policymakers Need To Keep Health Care Costs In Check
Nowhere are the stresses of the pandemic on Kentucky more apparent than in the health care delivery system. Our state has seen the largest jump in Medicaid enrollment in the nation. Between February and August, Medicaid rolls swelled 17.2%, with more than 226,000 new enrollees. Now, one in three Kentuckians are Medicaid beneficiaries. (Stephanie Stumbo, 10/19)
Stat:
Use Cell Phone Numbers To Match Patients With Their Health Records
When the U.S. House of Representatives voted in August to overturn a ban on using federal funds to establish a national patient identifier — a unique health ID number for every U.S. resident — the move was widely lauded by health care groups. A national patient identifier could be the unambiguous thread that would tie all medical records across all health care organizations to the correct person. It would provide the basis for improved care coordination and enhanced patient safety by ensuring that physicians have access to comprehensive medical data at the point of care. (Mark Larow, 10/20)
The Washington Post:
My Elderly Father Spent 36 Hours Searching For Urgent Hospital Care. It Was Entirely Preventable.
Covid-19 recently became more than an abstraction for my father. He wasn’t diagnosed with the disease, but he did spend several days crisscrossing central Wisconsin in search of a hospital bed and a doctor to provide the urgent care he needed. (Signe Jorgenson, 10/19)
Scientific American:
Helping Alzheimer's Patients Bring Back Memories
People of all ages have moments when it feels like we’re on the edge of recalling something but can’t quite do it—where we parked our car or left our phone, for example, or what name goes with that familiar face. It’s extremely frustrating in the moment, but for most of us, we can usually remember if we try. For patients with Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and many other dementia-causing diseases, however, memory loss is much more profound. (Dheeraj Roy, 10/19)
Washington Times:
Stop The Presses: According To Latest Studies, We Are All Going To Die
Here’s the bad news: According to the latest study, we are all going to die. Worse, it is for the most part sooner than expected. I’m not talking about COVID-19. Published studies caution coffee causes cancer; buttered popcorn increases risks of Alzheimer’s disease; and soda raises the probability of premature death. It seems like an entire industry exists to support the warnings that “everything will kill you” sooner than expected. (Richard Berman, 10/19)