Will Coronavirus Snowball Into A Pandemic? Some Optimistic It Can Be Avoided, But Others Aren’t So Sure
February 4, 2020
Morning Briefing
Scientists map out the potential paths the coronavirus outbreak could take. Many say that although it’s likely to escalate, it could operate like other seasonal pathogens and die out when the hot and humid summer months hit. In other news, despite the fact that experts say surgical face masks don’t do much to help healthy people, there’s been a global rush on them. And where did this virus come from? It’s looking like the culprit is bats.
Lawmakers To Call Hearing On U.S. Coronavirus Response, Urge HHS To Request Emergency Funding
February 20, 2020
Morning Briefing
The Senate Health Committee hearing is set for the first week of March and will focus on how to “prevent the potential spread of disease in the United States.” Meanwhile, President Donald Trump reiterates his confidence that China is “trying very hard” to properly handle the outbreak. And thousands of Americans voluntarily self-quarantine after possible exposure to the virus while abroad.
Coronavirus Is Killing More People More Quickly Than SARS With 97 Deaths Reported In A Single Day
February 10, 2020
Morning Briefing
The death toll from the coronavirus has now surpassed 900; the SARS outbreak killed 774 people after its emergence in southern China in 2002 and 2003. Offers of help from WHO and the CDC had languished for weeks, but on Sunday Cui Tiankai, the Chinese ambassador to the United States, said experts would be allowed into China “very soon.”
CDC Plans To Test Hundreds Of Thousands Of Americans To See How Much The Virus Has Actually Spread
May 19, 2020
Morning Briefing
Early studies have suggested the coronavirus is far more pervasive throughout the United States than current testing shows. In other news on tracking the spread: tracing jobs are on the rise, technical glitches thwart some states’ efforts, a debate over sharing data with law enforcement brews, and more.
Cuba Bets Big On An Old Antiviral As It Tries To Find Its Place Amid Global Treatment, Vaccine Race
May 14, 2020
Morning Briefing
The treatment has long been used internationally to treat dengue fever, cancer and hepatitis B and C. Studies during the SARS epidemic in 2003 suggested interferons might also be useful against coronaviruses. In other pharma news: patents, global remdesivir use, and hope from doctors.
Pence To Sign Off On All Coronavirus Messaging; White House Says Move Isn’t Intended To Muzzle Health Officials
February 28, 2020
Morning Briefing
President Donald Trump put Vice President Mike Pence in charge of the country’s coronavirus response. They’re looking to tighten control of the information being released about the outbreak after some early fumbling that led to mixed messages delivered to an edgy public. Meanwhile, Pence named Ambassador Debbie Birx as the “White House coronavirus response coordinator” — installing a czar-like figure under him to guide the administration’s response. And Pence continues to face scrutiny for his handling of an HIV outbreak when he was governor of Indiana.
Dems Launch Inquiry Into Administration’s Small-Business Aid Distribution After Watchdogs Sound Alarm
June 16, 2020
Morning Briefing
“The administration should release the names of all P.P.P. borrowers — as the S.B.A. routinely does for similar loan programs,” the lawmakers demanded after inspectors general warned Congress that previously unknown Trump administration legal decisions could substantially block their ability to oversee more than $1 trillion in spending related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Hospitals ‘Already Stretched To Capacity’ Shift Into Surge Mode But Many Warn Coronavirus Patients Will Still Overwhelm System
March 12, 2020
Morning Briefing
One of the top concerns for public health experts is how virus cases are likely to overwhelm hospitals, like is happening in Italy. Patients there are dying while waiting for treatment and doctors are forced to choose who to treat and who to let die. European health officials say Italy’s experience with its faltering health system is just a preview of things to come for other countries.
Coronavirus In The States: New York Cases Climb; North Carolina Officials Try To Stave Off Panic; New Jersey Might Have First Case
March 5, 2020
Morning Briefing
As the number of coronavirus cases reached 11 in New York, officials sought to reassure transit riders that it remains safe to travel. Media outlets look at how local and state officials are handling the outbreak as more states confirm cases.
Doctors Concerned Rural Health Care Will Be Affected By Trump’s Visa Freeze
June 24, 2020
Morning Briefing
“You need these H-1B physicians who are willing to go to Alabama, Georgia, you know, parts of the beltway that just don’t have enough doctors,” said Mahsa Khanbabai, an attorney with the American Immigration Lawyers Association. The health care worker exemption in the order only applies to people who are caring for COVID patients or doing research on the coronavirus.
One Of Good Things About Coronavirus Is That Most Cases Are Mild. But That’s What Could Make It A Pandemic.
February 28, 2020
Morning Briefing
Mild and asymptomatic cases make the virus harder to identify and then contain, unlike other outbreaks where the number of critical cases was high but allowed health workers to isolate patients. Meanwhile, in other news: a look at why the virus is spreading so quickly, a warning that warm weather might not slow it down, advice on how to prepare for an outbreak, an explainer on why patients who have a recurring case aren’t infectious any more, and more.
As Coronavirus Cases Rise In China, Researchers Forecast Outbreak Is Headed In Direction Of Global Pandemic
February 3, 2020
Morning Briefing
“It’s very, very transmissible, and it almost certainly is going to be a pandemic,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. “But will it be catastrophic? I don’t know.” Meanwhile, Dr. Mike Ryan, the head of the WHO’s Emergencies Program, says it’s not too late to try to contain the virus. In other news on the outbreak: first death outside China reported; criticism mounts against China’s response in the early days of the crisis; a look at the hospital China built in just 10 days; and more.
Health Officials, Doctors Scramble To Counter Coronavirus Misinformation That’s Spreading As Fast As Outbreak
February 3, 2020
Morning Briefing
As worries escalate, scared Americans are being inundated with a flood of false or misleading information about the virus. “It is much faster to make something up while waiting for information to come in,” says Johns Hopkins Associate Professor Mark Dredze. Meanwhile, scientists race to find out more about the virus, such as how it’s transmitted, how contagious it is, and whether an Ebola drug might work as a vaccine.
For An Aging Senate, Coronavirus Could Become Very Real Threat; Congressmen Self-Quarantine After CPAC Exposure
March 10, 2020
Morning Briefing
Anxiety on Capitol Hill mounted even as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) made it clear there was no plans as of yet to shut down the Capitol. Meanwhile, an increasing number of congressman–including those who were in contact with President Donald Trump–are self-quarantining themselves. Officials say Trump hasn’t been tested for the virus, but the situation is a stark reminder how quickly and easily anyone can become infected.
Amid Coronavirus Outbreak, Warren Unveils Infectious-Diseases Plan To Boost Funding For Public Health Programs
January 29, 2020
Morning Briefing
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a 2020 hopeful, would fully fund the CDC’s pandemic prevention and response programs with her plan. The proposal comes amid fears of a coronavirus outbreak.
Health Care Providers On Front Lines And Their Families Grapple With Grim Reality That They Might Get Infected
March 18, 2020
Morning Briefing
In the best of times, health care workers are exposed to a myriad of diseases and illnesses as par for the course. In this outbreak, with protective gear dwindling, many accept the reality that there’s a good chance they’ll get the coronavirus.
Report: 10-Year Recovery Costing Nearly 8 Trillion Is Expected For U.S. Economy
June 2, 2020
Morning Briefing
The estimate from the Congressional Budget Office is likely to be key to the continuing debate in the Senate over another coronavirus relief package, although Sen. Mitch McConnell has given little indication that the Senate would soon enter negotiations on another relief package. Economic relief news comes from California, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana, as well.
Protective Gear Shortages Endanger Health Workers On Front Lines: ‘Guard Your Mask With Your Life, Because It Is Your Life’
March 18, 2020
Morning Briefing
Health providers are among the most vulnerable workers to contract the coronavirus. But even as hospitals try to take measures to protect their staff during the crisis, shortages of masks and other protective gear threaten those efforts.
Hunt For A Holy Grail: Global Vaccine Race Fraught With Geopolitical Intrigue, Safety Concerns And Hope
May 4, 2020
Morning Briefing
The world’s scientists race to find a vaccine for the coronavirus, trying to compress a decade-long process into 10 months. While experts say safety concerns remain a top priority, there are other factors at play that could complicate it all — including the question over whether the winner will want to share.
In The Name Of Public Health, Patient Privacy Protections Are Being Upended. Will That Continue After This Crisis?
April 29, 2020
Morning Briefing
A desperate hunger for coronavirus data has many overriding privacy concerns usually in place to protect patients. Politico looks at the ways the outbreak could leave a lasting mark on what is considered acceptable. In other health tech news: virus apps, the psychology of Zoom and telehealth.
