Grim Record: California Hits New Daily High, Surpassing 6,000 New COVID Cases
June 24, 2020
Morning Briefing
The state broke its record for the highest number of new coronavirus cases in a day, with more than 6,000 reported Monday. Over 2,000 of those came from Los Angeles County. Other California pandemic-related news is on hospitalizations, nursing homes, renters, and prisons as well.
Coronavirus Mostly Spreads Via Tight Social Clusters Which Scientists See As A Weakness To Be Exploited
March 23, 2020
Morning Briefing
Scientists say the way the illness is mostly spreading is through close contact between friends, family members and colleagues. That means if officials can get ahead of the outbreak, they can test and isolate and then perhaps hold off the worst of the spread. Meanwhile, despite a rising sense of urgency around the globe and governments’ directives to practice social distancing, there are some who still won’t listen.
Both Democrats And Republicans Upset With How Trump Administration Is Handling Coronavirus Threat
February 26, 2020
Morning Briefing
Administration officials fielded questions from more than a dozen senators for about an hour while HHS Secretary Alex Azar and acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf faced sharp interrogations at a pair of Senate budget hearings. And criticism didn’t just come from the Democrats. “It seems to me at the outset that this request for the money, the supplemental, is low-balling it, possibly, and you can’t afford to do that,” Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said of the Trump administration’s initial emergency funding request. Meanwhile, the White House is scrambling to control the negative messaging around the virus as stocks plunge on fears of an outbreak.
Deadly Storms In South A Harsh Reminder Of The Difficulties That Come With Dueling Catastrophes
April 14, 2020
Morning Briefing
Tornadoes and severe weather storms left dozens dead in southern states that have been braced for a surge of the coronavirus. The disaster response will be severely hampered by the pandemic that is already devouring resources and attention.
In An Abundance Of Caution, 2 Members Of Congress To Self-Quarantine After Contact With Coronavirus Patient
March 9, 2020
Morning Briefing
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) said they are taking the precautions after crossing paths with the patient at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Some were worried that President Donald Trump, who attended the event, may have been exposed to the virus.
States Work To Identify, Contain Any Possible Cases Of Coronavirus
January 28, 2020
Morning Briefing
News stories from across the country look at where patients are being monitored over concerns of infections.
Texas Cities – Confronting Mounting Case Counts – Worry About Hospitals’ Intensive Care Capacity
July 6, 2020
Morning Briefing
The state continues to report record highs in the number of hospitalizations, leading some officials to predict health systems could max out within the next two weeks. News outlets also report that Houston emergency room patients who have symptoms of the novel coronavirus are often sent home without being tested.
In Surprise Move, Senate Approves Extension Of Small Business Relief Program
July 1, 2020
Morning Briefing
The measure must still be approved by the House. With just hours left to go before the program was slated to end, senators agreed to give the Small Business Administration the ability to keep approving Paycheck Protection Program loans until Aug. 8. News outlets also detail the economic chaos caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
Deaths In Italy Surpass China’s Count
March 19, 2020
Morning Briefing
As of Thursday afternoon, Italy registered 41,035 diagnoses of the coronavirus and 3,405 deaths. Globally the total number of deaths climbed past 10,000.
WHO Temporarily Halts Anti-Malarial Drug Trial For Safety Review
May 26, 2020
Morning Briefing
Previous studies have found negative side effects of hydroxychloroquine while so far it has not been proven to be an effective coronavirus treatment. President Donald Trump pushed for doctors to prescribe the drug and said he was taking a regime himself as a preventive measure.
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.
States Scramble To Contain Outbreak As Coronavirus Cases In U.S. Sail Past 200
March 5, 2020
Morning Briefing
State officials across the country are asking thousands of residents to self-quarantine in a desperate hope of heading off an outbreak in the country. At least three states have declared emergencies to better ramp up their response efforts. Among the states that are confirming cases are California, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington and Texas.
‘Aggressive Measures’ In Place To Contain Coronavirus Cases In U.S., Officials Promise
February 4, 2020
Morning Briefing
Quarantines on military bases, travel restrictions, and other “aggressive” actions are among the efforts the United States government undertakes to ensure the coronavirus doesn’t spread within the country. So far there have only been 11 confirmed cases, but officials expect that number to increase. Meanwhile, HHS tells Congress it may need to transfer up to $136 million toward its battle against the virus.
Amid Coronavirus Upheaval, Biden Sweeps Tuesday’s Elections; Switching To Vote-By-Mail Not As Easy As It Sounds
March 18, 2020
Morning Briefing
Former Vice President Joe Biden emerged the presumptive nominee after victories on Tuesday. During his victory speech, Biden said of the outbreak, “This is the moment for each of us to see and believe the best in every one of us.” Meanwhile, there’s a growing call for voting to be switched from in-person to a mailed ballot, but there are risks involved with that system as well.
The End Of Handshakes? Epidemiologists Weigh In On Comfort Levels With Pre-Pandemic Behavior
June 8, 2020
Morning Briefing
Epidemiologists say they feel safe going to the doctors or going on an overnight trip within driving distance. But, on the whole, they don’t see going to weddings or concerts within the next year. In other public health news: life in retail during the coronavirus, workplace safety, anxiety and more.
WHO Declares Coronavirus Outbreak A Global Emergency, But Reiterates Confidence In Chinese Officials
January 31, 2020
Morning Briefing
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the declaration comes now because of fears that the coronavirus may reach countries with weak health care systems, where it could run amok. The virus has sickened thousands, mostly in China, and killed about 170.
Private Lab Announces Portable 5-Minute Coronavirus Test Amid Nationwide Shortages, Slow Results
March 30, 2020
Morning Briefing
Many experts have pointed to the United States’ inability to test properly as a crucial failure in containing the crisis and say fixing that flaw is a major part of being able to return to normalcy. Abbot Laboratories gained FDA-approval for its quick test that it says could help health workers rapidly identify those who are actually sick. Meanwhile, the FDA still hasn’t approved any at-home kits, so those currently being promoted are unauthorized. And KHN looks at why the results take so long to get.
Another Day, Another Brutal Battering For Wall Street, But Volatility Of The Market Goes Beyond Coronavirus
March 17, 2020
Morning Briefing
Traders who now rely heavily on algorithms are seeing the downside to computer-based decisions. Meanwhile, most experts say that it’s going to get much worse before it gets better.
China Continues Revising Coronavirus Counting Method, But Outbreak Seems To Be Stabilizing In Epicenter
February 20, 2020
Morning Briefing
The number of new cases in China once again declined in a trend that some see as hopeful. But experts have warned there could be a renewed increase in cases once China properly returns to work late this week or next.
Now Is Not The Time To Get Complacent, Experts Say As Coronavirus Cases Continue To Slow
February 19, 2020
Morning Briefing
The Chinese government’s daily tally of new COVID-19 infections and deaths from the virus has declined steadily since Feb. 12, and public health experts suggest that China’s aggressive measures to contain the epidemic are working. But global health leaders remain cautious.
