Trump’s Xenophobic Label For Coronavirus Has Experts Worried About Hate Crimes, Escalated Tensions With China
March 18, 2020
Morning Briefing
President Donald Trump continues to use the term “Chinese virus” for the novel coronavirus that emerged out of China, despite criticism that it is offensive and could worsen hate crimes at an already dangerous time.
Beijing Is Tapping Its Traditional Propaganda Playbook, But Coronavirus Is Cracking Party’s Stronghold
February 26, 2020
Morning Briefing
The official messaging from China’s government is struggling to overcome the anger that’s been boiling up on social media about how the party’s leaders failed to handle the coronavirus outbreak. In other news out of China: new cases continue to drop, telemedicine comes in handy, medical workers are burning out, and more.
Sinclair Broadcasting Postpones Show Interview Blaming Fauci For Pandemic
July 27, 2020
Morning Briefing
The “America This Week” episode features medical researcher Judy Mikovits, who has claimed that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious-disease expert, helped manufacture the coronavirus and spread it to China. In other COVID-19 news, reports on the disparity in the effects on people with diabetes, how a San Francisco wedding spread the disease, how families are viewing trips to Disney World and other developments
All Patients Need Is A Doctor’s OK To Get Coronavirus Test. But Is There Enough To Go Around?
March 5, 2020
Morning Briefing
Some worry that a surge in coronavirus testing by people who have no real need may divert resources from seriously ill patients whose diagnosis is unknown, and wish the government hadn’t been so broad in giving doctors the final say in the testing.
In Los Angeles, Antibody Testing Suggests Coronavirus Cases Could Be 40 Times Higher Than Official Count
April 21, 2020
Morning Briefing
“We haven’t known the true extent of COVID-19 infections in our community because we have only tested people with symptoms and the availability of tests has been limited,” Neeraj Sood, a professor of public policy at USC and lead researcher on the study. The numbers back up what public health experts have been saying about the confirmed cases being only the tip of the iceberg.
Insurers Not On The Hook For Diagnostic COVID Tests Mandated By Employers, Administration Rules
June 24, 2020
Morning Briefing
Insurance companies have been anxious for guidance from the Trump administration on whether there would be patient cost-sharing responsibility for tests required by workplaces as employees return. Under the new guidance, such testing would not be covered under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Other medical and insurance marketplace developments are also in the news.
White House To Meet With Big Tech To Discuss Best Ways To Fight Coronavirus
March 11, 2020
Morning Briefing
Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Twitter are expected to participate in the meeting. Meanwhile, hospitals and doctors are being urged to fast-track their telemedicine plans.
Respiratory Disease Typically Fade Out In Summer, But Don’t Count On COVID-19 To Do So
June 11, 2020
Morning Briefing
There are positive signs–like the fact that coronavirus spreads far less easily in humid temperatures–that indicate the summer may help curb the pandemic. But it’s unlikely to mostly disappear like the flu and other respiratory illnesses. In other scientific news: ventilators, risk factors, rare symptoms in kids and more.
‘This Is Not A Time For Playing Politics’: Congress Scrambles To Pass Emergency Coronavirus Funding
February 28, 2020
Morning Briefing
Lawmakers discuss a spending package that would provide between $6 billion to $8 billion. They have about 10 working days to get a deal made before they’re set to leave town on a week-long recess.
CDC Fumbled Early Communication With Public Health Officials, Underestimated Coronavirus Threat, Emails Reveal
March 30, 2020
Morning Briefing
ProPublica and KHN have obtained emails that show missteps from the CDC and other agencies in the early, crucial days of the outbreak. What comes through clearly is confusion, as the CDC underestimated the threat from the virus and stumbled in communicating to local public health officials about what should be done.
‘Seriously People, Stop Buying Masks!’: The Shoulds And Shouldn’ts Of Preparing For Coronavirus Outbreak
March 2, 2020
Morning Briefing
Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams was the latest public health official to warn Americans not to buy masks to protect themselves against the coronavirus. But what should you be doing? Experts weigh in on that and other technical aspects of the virus–like how exactly it’s killing its victims.
Critics Say New COVID Reporting System Could Overwhelm Hospitals, Lead To Drug Shortages
July 16, 2020
Morning Briefing
The Trump administration announced this week that hospitals should now report data about coronavirus patients, supplies and bed capacity directly to the Department of Health and Human Services, rather than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In other health industry news, Georgia revised its request for changes to the insurance marketplace, and doctors and employers team up to offer a new health care payment model.
Nursing Home Staffers Helped Spread Coronavirus In Seattle When Working At Multiple Facilities
March 19, 2020
Morning Briefing
The CDC determines that Seattle-area nursing facility staff members who worked at more than one home likely transferred the virus to other elder care homes. In other news on how the industry is coping with the COVID-19 outbreak: nursing homes run low on protective equipment and Florida and Illinois facilities report more cases.
Many Labs Say They Can Process Far More Tests Than Ordered. Experts Blame A Disorganized System.
April 29, 2020
Morning Briefing
Increased testing is crucial to returning to a semblance of normalcy, but the U.S. has failed since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak to meet demand. Labs, however, say they have the capacity and they’re just not being used.
Global Health Watch: China Tries To Control Death Toll Narrative; Italy Starts Talking About How To Re-Open
April 6, 2020
Morning Briefing
China and Italy continue to cope with the fallout from massive coronavirus outbreaks, while experts look to Germany to examine how that nation has, so far, avoided one.
With Fate Of Coronavirus Vaccine Hanging In Balance, Trump Adopts Friendly Tone Toward Pharma
March 3, 2020
Morning Briefing
President Donald Trump met with pharma executives in a meeting that had once been billed as a scolding over high prices. But now that the industry is needed to help develop a vaccine for the emerging pandemic, Trump has taken a more congenial tone with the executives. Meanwhile, Stat takes a closer look at where everyone stands on developing coronavirus-related drugs and vaccines.
Before Outbreak, Not A Lot Of Scientists Were Studying Coronaviruses, Leaving Large Gaps In Knowledge
February 10, 2020
Morning Briefing
In the past, coronavirus outbreaks inspired a flurry of interest in the field that would then quickly die out. But that means that the research has been more reactionary, which can leave scientists floundering when faced with a crisis. Meanwhile, media outlets take a look at what we do (and don’t) know about the current strain of the coronavirus.
Not A Question Of If But When: CDC Warns Americans To Prepare For Disruptive Coronavirus Outbreak
February 26, 2020
Morning Briefing
Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said cities and towns should plan to take measures to brace for and then contain the spread of the virus, while everyday Americans should begin thinking about working from home. “We are asking the American public to work with us to prepare, in the expectation that this could be bad,” Messonnier said. The messaging seems at odds with WHO, which has continued to emphasize that countries can curb an outbreak. In other news from the United States: San Francisco declares a state of emergency, a U.S. soldier tests positive for the virus, racism continues to persist, and more.
‘Emotions Are Filters Through Which We See Facts’: Coronavirus Outbreak Pushes All Our Fear-Based Hot Buttons
March 5, 2020
Morning Briefing
For example, the coronavirus is new and unfamiliar, unlike the usual seasonal flu that kills a lot more people every year than coronavirus has, and seems hard to contain by the government health experts whose job it is to do just that. On top of that there’s no current vaccine or drug used to treat it. In other news: mortality rates, how to prepare, the 2 strains of COVID-19, face masks, fighting misinformation, and more.
Insurance Regulators Stepping In To Protect Patients From Eye-Popping Bills For Virus Tests
June 8, 2020
Morning Briefing
Although coronavirus tests are supposed to be free, lawmakers didn’t limit charges if the testing is done out of network — or prohibit labs or hospitals from billing patients if insurers refuse to pay their posted charges. In other news: a testing location directory, testing in the workplace and the need for a contact tracing army.
