The Friday Breeze
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes, who reads every little thing on well being care to compile our every day Morning Briefing, gives one of the best and most provocative tales for the weekend.
Happy Friday! Where yours really has parsed roughly four,346,276,986 coronavirus tales to convey you crucial ones — equivalent to the truth that 38% of Americans won’t buy Corona beer “under any circumstances” due to the outbreak; that apparently dog masks are now all the rage, even though well being professionals say even wholesome people don’t want them; and that for those who want of a cheat sheet on what facial hairstyles are formally known as you possibly can head over to the CDC for a nifty graphic. (The “walrus” is likely to be my favourite.)
More critically, right here’s what you want to know concerning the outbreak dominating world consideration, sending shares plunging and making a booming demand for hand sanitizer. I can inform you one widespread thread working via protection about specialists’ recommendation: Keep calm, carry on and wash your hands.
President Donald Trump cracked jokes about his germophobia and downplayed the severity of the coronavirus outbreak at a press convention this week, by which he put Vice President Mike Pence accountable for the nation’s coronavirus response. This raised rapid eyebrows, contemplating that beneath Pence’s watch Indiana weathered a significant HIV outbreak largely attributed to selections he made as governor.
By distinction, you will have the CDC’s Dr. Nancy Messonnier, who has change into a number one participant within the disaster, saying it’s not a query of if however when the coronavirus will sweep into the U.S. She additionally mentioned that she’s been speaking along with her youngsters about easy methods to put together and that “the disruption to everyday life might be severe.”
Not surprisingly, in any case that whiplash, the administration determined all data launched to the general public should first get the OK from Pence.
Politico: Coronavirus Gets a Trumpian Response
The New York Times: Pence Will Control All Coronavirus Messaging From Health Officials
The New York Times: What Has Mike Pence Done in Health?
The New York Times: C.D.C. Officials Warn of Coronavirus Outbreaks in the U.S.
Meanwhile, a brand new case out of California put a harsh highlight on the deep flaws of the CDC’s unique testing parameters. The affected person — who will be the first within the U.S. with no hyperlink to touring overseas — was within the hospital for greater than 10 days earlier than the CDC accepted a coronavirus check. The delay uncovered about 100 well being staff to the virus in addition to set again any makes an attempt to include folks she’d been in touch with.
If a whistleblower is to be believed, these testing missteps weren’t the one ones made by the federal government within the early days of the response: New allegations have come to gentle that HHS staff who have been despatched to assist with the U.S. evacuees weren’t given correct medical coaching or gear earlier than being uncovered to the sufferers.
Meanwhile, for a president who has tied his destiny to the well being of the inventory markets, the worldwide monetary turmoil is extra worrisome than ever.
Politico: Trump Faces ‘Black Swan’ Threat to the Economy and Reelection
One of the few good issues concerning the coronavirus is that the overwhelming majority of instances are delicate. However, that’s additionally one of many issues that may tip it right into a pandemic. For extra excessive diseases (like Ebola), it’s far simpler to isolate sufferers. But for these with signs which might be basically presenting as a gentle chilly, it’s more durable to include the unfold.
On that word, it’s laborious to inform simply how deadly the illness is (and anybody who tells you in any other case, query their motives). Because so many instances are delicate, some specialists say we’re seeing solely the tip of the iceberg, and the mortality price would drop if we had a greater sense of how many individuals are literally contaminated. Others argue that there’s no proof that officers don’t have an correct depend.
Right now, from what’s accessible, it appears the dying price outdoors the epicenter in China was zero.7%. That’s nonetheless soberingly excessive, but in addition a good distance away from SARS’ 10%.
The New York Times: Most Coronavirus Cases Are Mild. That’s Good and Bad News.
Stat: New China Coronavirus Data Buttress Fears About High Fatality Rate
As somebody who has little kiddos of their life (and who affectionately calls them Typhoid Marys), I can’t assist however embrace this story. Are youngsters harmless bystanders on this outbreak, getting contaminated if somebody brings the virus into their households? Or are they, in reality, a inhabitants that’s stealthily driving this epidemic, as they will do with the flu?
Stat: Key Question for Coronavirus Response: What’s Kids’ Role in Spreading It?
Globally, instances are climbing, with sufferers displaying up in Lithuania, the Netherlands, Iran, Kuwait, the United Kingdom … you get the gist. Although we’re probably not seeing it but in Latin or South American nations past a Brazilian affected person who had traveled to Italy, where cases skyrocketed 45% in one day.
In China, officers are tapping their tried-and-true propaganda playbook, however the anger that has boiled up over the federal government’s dealing with of the outbreak could also be cracking the occasion’s stronghold. Meanwhile, authorities, in an ongoing try and include the unfold, are providing folks greater than $1,400 to self-report if they’ve coronavirus signs.
The New York Times: Coronavirus Weakens China’s Powerful Propaganda Machine
Reuters: China City Offers $1,400 Reward for Virus Patients Who Report to Authorities
And South Korea will get a shoutout for implementing a really cool thought to create “drive-thru” testing for potential sufferers.
Reuters: South Korea Launches ‘Drive-Thru’ Coronavirus Testing Facilities As Demand Soars
Remember, there are lots extra tales have been these got here from. If you’re within the full scope of coronavirus protection, check out all our Morning Briefings from the week.
The Friday Breeze
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Believe it or not, there was different information this week! Democrats held a rowdy debate in South Carolina forward of Super Tuesday, the place Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) fielded the inevitable assaults that include being a front-runner. He was placed on the new spot about matters starting from the price of his “Medicare for All” plan to his previous stance on weapons.
Reuters: At Rowdy Debate, Democratic Rivals Warn Sanders Nomination Would Be ‘Catastrophe’
The New York Times: Fact-Checking the Democratic Debate in South Carolina
Sanders (after releasing a plan on how he was going to pay for his bold agenda) mentioned that “‘Medicare for All’ will lower health care costs in this country by $450 billion a year and save the lives of 68,000 people who would otherwise have died.” But specialists are skeptical of the findings.
KHN: Sanders Embraces New Study That Lowers ‘Medicare For All’s’ Cost, But Skepticism Abounds
A federal appeals court docket upheld a Trump administration ban on federally funded household planning facilities referring ladies for abortions, arguing that the rule is barely much less restrictive than a 1988 model upheld by the Supreme Court. What’s attention-grabbing to notice is that the court docket was the California-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the ninth Circuit. Trump has now named 10 judges to the ninth Circuit — greater than one-third of its lively judges — in contrast with seven appointed by President Barack Obama over eight years.
WBUR: Looking at Changes Happening Within the Nation’s Largest Federal Appeals Court
Beyond preventing for survival within the courts, abortion clinics are sometimes confronted with so many charges and sudden prices that they will face closure from their monetary burdens alone. Among these are: safety to guard employees and sufferers; airfare to get medical doctors to areas missing skilled physicians prepared to carry out abortions; greater charges for contractors involved about protesters and boycotts; extra stringent mortgage phrases; insurance coverage that may be canceled unexpectedly; and, for some clinic homeowners, authorized charges for defending the constitutionality of the process.
Bloomberg: Abortion Clinics Are the Most Challenging Small Business in America
Vocal opposition continues to pour in concerning the arcane Medicaid rule change that might scale back Medicaid spending by 6% to eight%, or $37 billion to $49 billion, a yr. The Trump administration says the change would enhance transparency and forestall abuses that allow states to attract down extra federal cash than they’re entitled to. But, to date, greater than four,200 organizations or people from each events are sounding alarm bells about it.
Stateline: Medical Groups Slam Trump Medicaid Rule
In the miscellaneous file for the week:
— The Sacklers, beneath fireplace over allegations about their function within the opioid disaster, turned to Mike Bloomberg to assist them handle their status. Will that hang-out him in his presidential bid?
— Are some folks proof against Alzheimer’s? Scientists finding out donated brains have recognized sufferers who’ve all of the markers for the debilitating illness however didn’t appear to have any signs when alive. The findings provide hope that the seemingly inherent safety may very well be replicated by a drug.
Stat: They Have ‘Alzheimer’s Brains’ But No Symptoms. Why?
— America is dealing with an post-mortem disaster: Large swaths of the nation don’t have a medical expert. Bodies are even having to be shipped throughout state strains if an post-mortem is required. At one level the issue was so dangerous that Oklahoma’s overloaded medical expert declined to carry out autopsies on folks over 40 who died of unexplained causes.
The New York Times: Piled Bodies, Overflowing Morgues: Inside America’s Autopsy Crisis
— Colorado is constant to maneuver ahead with plans for its public choice, this week unveiling reimbursement charges that officers say would preserve hospitals worthwhile beneath the system. Hospitals have been … uh … a little bit skeptical of these claims.
— In this terrifying story, a pupil died after calling 911 as a result of the responders couldn’t find him.
That’s it from me! Have an ideal weekend.
Brianna Labuskes: [email protected]”>[email protected], @brilabuskes
Related Topics Global Health Watch Abortion CDC Children’s Health Coronavirus Hospitals Opioids Trump Administration U.S. Congress Women’s Health src=”http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-Eight”>
