Thursday, September 30, 2021 | Kaiser Health News

NPR:
YouTube Issues Ban Against Videos That Spread Vaccine Misinformation

YouTube is cracking down on the spread of misinformation by banning misleading and inaccurate content about vaccines. The platform announced the change in a blog post Wednesday, explaining that its current community guidelines, which already prohibit the sharing of medical misinformation, have been extended to cover “currently administered” vaccines that have been proven safe by the World Health Organization and other health officials. The site had previously banned content containing false claims about COVID-19 vaccines under its COVID-19 misinformation policy. The change extends that policy to a far wider number of vaccines. (Pruitt-Young, 9/29)

The Wall Street Journal:
YouTube To Remove Videos Containing Vaccine Misinformation

YouTube said it would remove content that falsely alleges approved vaccines are dangerous and cause severe health effects, expanding the video platform’s efforts to curb Covid-19 misinformation to other vaccines. Examples of content that would be taken down include false claims that approved vaccines cause autism, cancer or infertility or that they don’t reduce transmission or contraction of diseases, the Alphabet Inc. division said Wednesday. (Sebastian, 9/29)

The Washington Post:
YouTube Is Banning Prominent Anti-Vaccine Activists And Blocking All Anti-Vaccine Content

YouTube is taking down several video channels associated with high-profile anti-vaccine activists including Joseph Mercola and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who experts say are partially responsible for helping seed the skepticism that’s contributed to slowing vaccination rates across the country. As part of a new set of policies aimed at cutting down on anti-vaccine content on the Google-owned site, YouTube will ban any videos that claim that commonly used vaccines approved by health authorities are ineffective or dangerous. The company previously blocked videos that made those claims about coronavirus vaccines, but not ones for other vaccines like those for measles or chickenpox. (De Vynck, 9/29)

Bloomberg:
Google Adds Context To Search Results To Combat Misinformation

Google will start adding details and context about topics and sources to search-engine results, a move to help U.S. users become more literate about the origins of online material and to combat misinformation. The Alphabet Inc. company will add descriptions about listed websites in its own words, reviews of sites from other parties, and information about topics from third-party sources, Google said during its Search On event Wednesday. These details will be findable in the existing “About This Result” panel, accessed by clicking the three dots beside search results. (Grant, 9/29)

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AP:
NV Expert: Misinformation Bigger Challenge Than Virus Itself

Newly confirmed COVID-19 cases have trended downward in Nevada since a summer peak in mid-July as vaccination rates improve. But misinformation about the effectiveness of masks and vaccines being spread by a vocal minority poses serious challenges to turning the tide on the resurgent pandemic, Washoe County’s health district officer warned Wednesday. “I would say that the misinformation is perhaps a greater challenge that we face than the COVID-19 virus,” Kevin Dick told reporters in Reno. “We have the vaccine. We can beat the COVID-19 virus. I’m not sure we can beat misinformation.” (Sonner, 9/29)

NBC News:
Teachers Grapple With Combating Misinformation In Age Of Pandemic

Teachers have been grappling with how to help students consume information during the pandemic as social media has allowed falsehoods to spread. (Silva, 9/29)

AP:
Misinformation Leads To Animosity Toward Health Care Workers

A constant barrage of misinformation has Idaho health care workers facing increased animosity from some patients and community members, officials say. It’s gotten so bad in northern Idaho that some Kootenai Health employees are scared to go to the grocery store if they haven’t changed out of their scrubs, said hospital spokeswoman Caiti Bobbitt on Tuesday. Some doctors and nurses at the Coeur d’Alene hospital have been accused of killing patients by grieving family members who don’t believe COVID-19 is real, Bobbitt said. Others have been the subject of hurtful rumors spread by people angry about the pandemic. “Our health care workers are almost feeling like Vietnam veterans, scared to go into the community after a shift,” Bobbitt said. (Boone, 9/29)

CNN:
Long Covid Is A Bigger Problem Than We Thought 

The long Covid problem might be bigger than we thought. A large study has revealed that one in three Covid-19 survivors have suffered symptoms three to six months after getting infected, with breathing problems, abdominal symptoms such as abdominal pain, change of bowel habit and diarrhoea, fatigue, pain, anxiety and depression among the most common issues reported. (Kottasova and Friend, 9/29)

Fox News:
Milder COVID-19 Infection Could Still Leave Brain With Lasting Impact: UK Study

Mild cases of COVID-19 could also leave a lasting impact on the human brain, according to a recent study. In August, researchers from England’s University of Oxford and the Imperial College of London wrote that brain imaging from the UK Biobank – including the data from more than 40,000 people in the United Kingdom, dating back to 2014 – showed differences in gray matter thickness between those who had been infected with COVID-19 and those who had not. (Musto, 9/29)

CIDRAP:
Two Studies Tie Long COVID-19 To Severe Initial Illness 

Two new studies, one in China and one in the United Kingdom, detail persistent COVID-19 symptoms months to a year after acute illness. Today, in JAMA Network Open, Chinese researchers describe “long COVID” symptoms of fatigue, sweating, chest tightness, anxiety, and muscle pain among 2,433 COVID-19 survivors released from one of two hospitals in Wuhan, China, from Feb 12 to Apr 10, 2020. (Van Beusekom, 9/29)

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CIDRAP:
Seven COVID-19 Symptoms Are More Predictive Of Illness, Study Says

Seven COVID-19 symptoms can maximize detection of COVID-19 in the community, according to a large study published in PLOS Medicine yesterday that looked at data from England’s REal-time Assessment of Community Transmission-1 (REACT-1) study. … By modeling COVID-19 positivity predictability on seven symptoms—loss or change of smell, loss or change of taste, fever, new persistent cough, chills, appetite loss, and muscle aches—the researchers found a 0.75 area under the curve (AUC) for rounds 2 through 7 and a 0.77 AUC for round 8. (9/29)

CIDRAP:
Diabetes Linked To Increased COVID-19 Hospitalization, Death

Type 1 diabetes in those over 40 years of age is linked with higher COVID-related hospitalization risk, while type 2 diabetes is associated with higher mortality in COVID-hospitalized patients, according to a study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism and data presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) annual meeting, respectively. (9/29)

The Wall Street Journal:
What Science Knows Now About The Risk Of Covid-19 Transmission On Planes 

As international travel begins opening up more, with the U.S. set to relax restrictions for vaccinated travelers from 33 countries in November, more travelers will dig into in-flight meals. A recent medical study by a group at the University of Greenwich in London finds a 59% higher risk of viral transmission during a one-hour meal service on a 12-hour trip compared with staying fully masked for the whole flight. (McCartney, 9/29)

The New York Times:
How Accurate Are At-Home Covid Tests? 

Demand for the tests has surged in recent months, as the highly infectious Delta variant has spread and schools and offices have reopened. “All the manufacturers are ramping up production, but right now they can be hard to find,” said Gigi Gronvall, a testing expert at Johns Hopkins University. Although rapid tests have their limitations, they are an important public health tool, experts said, particularly if you know how to use them. (9/29)

AP:
2nd Hospital In Alaska Begins Rationing Care

A second hospital in Alaska is beginning to ration health care as the state deals with a spike in coronavirus cases. Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corp. in Bethel announced the move Wednesday as it reported it is operating at capacity. Rationing of care had already been imposed by Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, which is the state’s largest hospital. (9/30)

AP:
Doctors: Pandemic Has Dire Effects On Idaho Kids, Babies

Idaho’s unchecked spread of the highly contagious delta variant is sending more kids and babies to hospitals with complications from COVID-19, state health care professionals said Wednesday. Major hospitals and health care clinics in southwestern Idaho are seeing more premature babies born to COVID-19-positive mothers, more children requiring hospitalization and more kids of all ages experiencing mental health problems because of the pandemic, several doctors from Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, St. Luke’s Health System, Primary Health Group and Mountain States Neonatology said during a news conference. (Boone, 9/29)

Bangor Daily News:
Breakthrough Hospitalizations A Reflection Of Maine’s High Vaccination Rate

An increasing number of fully vaccinated people in Maine with COVID-19 are filling ICU beds across the state. Yet those numbers are more representative of Maine’s high vaccination rate than the ineffectiveness of the vaccine, according to health officials. About 30 percent of those with the coronavirus being treated in the ICU at Northern Light’s 10 hospitals were vaccinated as of Tuesday morning. Four out of 13 patients on ventilators were also vaccinated — about 30 percent. While waning immunity could play a role, the far more significant reason for the number of vaccinated patients appears to be the numerical reality of Maine’s high vaccination rate, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Nirav Shah said Wednesday. Maine has the third highest rate of fully vaccinated people in the country, a factor that is undoubtedly leading to more hospitalized vaccinated people. (Marino Jr., 9/30)

Oklahoman:
As COVID Cases Slow, Oklahoma Still Struggles With ICU Beds, Leaders Say

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are coming down in Oklahoma after the state’s rapid, delta-variant fueled spike over the summer. On Tuesday, Oklahoma’s seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases reported was 1,690, down from a peak of just over 2,800 at the end of August. Hospitalizations, which had topped 1,500 in August, were still over 1,000 on Tuesday across the state. “I’m hopeful that our state will continue to see positive progress in our pandemic response,” Health Commissioner Dr. Lance Frye said in a statement Monday. “We are cautiously optimistic about this downward trend and are thankful for the hard work of Oklahomans across the state that got us here.” (Branham, 9/29)

CNN:
For The First Time Since June, The Number Of Projected Covid-19 Deaths In The US Is Decreasing 

For the first time since June, the rate of new Covid-19 deaths in the US is expected to decrease over the next four weeks, according to an ensemble forecast from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And for the third week in a row, Wednesday’s CDC forecast predicted that hospitalizations will decrease as well — a bit of hope as the more transmissible Delta variant continues to spread. (Holcombe, 9/30)

KHN:
Covid Is Killing Rural Americans At Twice The Rate Of Urbanites 

Rural Americans are dying of covid at more than twice the rate of their urban counterparts — a divide that health experts say is likely to widen as access to medical care shrinks for a population that tends to be older, sicker, heavier, poorer and less vaccinated. While the initial surge of covid-19 deaths skipped over much of rural America, where roughly 15% of Americans live, nonmetropolitan mortality rates quickly started to outpace those of metropolitan areas as the virus spread nationwide before vaccinations became available, according to data from the Rural Policy Research Institute. (Weber, 9/30)

In other news about the spread of the coronavirus —

AP:
Reopening Of ‘Aladdin’ On Broadway Halted By COVID-19 Cases

The hit Broadway show “Aladdin” was canceled Wednesday night when breakthrough COVID-19 cases were reported within the musical’s company, a day after the show reopened following some 18 months of being shuttered due to the pandemic. It was a worrying sign for Broadway’s recovery. “Through our rigorous testing protocols, breakthrough COVID-19 cases have been detected within the company of ‘Aladdin’ at the New Amsterdam Theatre,” the show announced on social media. “Because the wellness and safety of our guests, cast and crew are our top priority, tonight’s performance, Wednesday, Sept. 29 , is canceled.” (Kennedy, 9/30)

Philadelphia Inquirer:
At Last Minute, Pa. Lawmakers Vote To Extend Dozens Of COVID-19 Waivers

The Pennsylvania legislature unanimously voted Wednesday to extend dozens of regulatory waivers put into place last year to help health-care providers fight COVID-19. Without action, the waivers would have expired Thursday, potentially exacerbating ongoing staffing crises in hospitals and long-term care institutions, which are again facing rising COVID-19 cases. Health-care workers and their advocates had warned any lapse in the relaxed rules would have renewed administrative burdens and made fighting the ongoing pandemic more difficult. Wednesday’s action will keep the waivers in place until March 2022 while the legislature considers a number of bills that would make the regulatory suspensions permanent. Gov. Tom Wolf will sign the bill. (Ohl, 9/29)

Dallas Morning News:
Big Data, Big Impact: How Dallas Researchers And Providers Are Targeting Vaccines To Fight COVID

Big data is making a big difference in the fight against COVID-19 in Dallas, and the potential promise goes well beyond the pandemic. Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation, a nonprofit research and data analytics company, is helping providers target their outreach efforts to the most vulnerable residents. PCCI tracks real-time data on vaccinations and COVID-19 cases, and overlays it against underlying health conditions and socioeconomic factors. That creates “a vulnerability index” and other tools that allow officials to assess which areas face the greatest risks — not just at the ZIP code level but in areas as small as census blocks. (Schnurman, 9/29)

KHN:
A Covid Test Costing More Than A Tesla? It Happened In Texas

When covid-19 struck last year, Travis Warner’s company became busier than ever. He installs internet and video systems, and with people suddenly working from home, service calls surged. He and his employees took precautions like wearing masks and physically distancing, but visiting clients’ homes daily meant a high risk of covid exposure. “It was just like dodging bullets every week,” Warner said. (Pattani, 9/30)

AP:
Health Workers Once Saluted As Heroes Now Get Threats

More than a year after U.S. health care workers on the front lines against COVID-19 were saluted as heroes with nightly clapping from windows and balconies, some are being issued panic buttons in case of assault and ditching their scrubs before going out in public for fear of harassment. Across the country, doctors and nurses are dealing with hostility, threats and violence from patients angry over safety rules designed to keep the scourge from spreading. (Hollingsworth and Schulte, 9/30)

AP:
Families In Veterans Home COVID-19 Outbreak Demand Changes

Families of veterans who died in one of the deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks in a U.S. nursing home called Wednesday for changes in how Massachusetts oversees its veterans homes. Members of the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home Coalition said in a virtual hearing held by state lawmakers that Massachusetts’ two state-run facilities — the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke and the Soldiers’ Home in Chelsea — should be overseen by the state Department of Public Health, not the state Department of Veterans Services. (9/29)

The Washington Post:
In A Letter To The Editor, A Man Said His Relative ‘Is Past’ Covid And ‘Completely Immune.’ Then Came The Twist.

Over the years, Charles Chamberlain has fired off dozens of letters to the editor of his local newspaper, the Tampa Bay Times. The Spring Hill, Fla., man has pontificated on oil prices, Social Security and the influence of money in politics. He has railed against former president Donald Trump’s election-fraud lies and the ‘cold, calculating and cynical’ ethics of herd immunity. Chamberlain, 81, is no fan of Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who he believes has sacrificed public health for partisan politics amid a pandemic that has killed more than 54,000 Floridians. So when DeSantis appointed Joseph Ladapo — a controversial physician who has questioned the safety of the coronavirus vaccines — to serve as the state’s new surgeon general, Chamberlain was, naturally, peeved. (Lipscomb, 9/30)

The Charlotte Observer:
NC GOP Lawmaker Who Had COVID-19 Received ‘Nasty’ Messages

In a speech on the North Carolina House floor, a lawmaker who recovered from COVID-19 thanked supporters and blamed some Democrats for “vile and nasty” messages he received from people while he and his wife were sick. Rep. Keith Kidwell, a Chocowinity Republican and House deputy majority whip, made his first return to the House floor after being hospitalized in mid-August with COVID-19. (Vaughan, 9/29)

Also —

AP:
Woman Who Survived Spanish Flu, World War Succumbs To COVID

She lived a life of adventure that spanned two continents. She fell in love with a World War II fighter pilot, barely escaped Europe ahead of Benito Mussolini’s fascists, ground steel for the U.S. war effort and advocated for her disabled daughter in a far less enlightened time. She was, her daughter said, someone who didn’t make a habit of giving up. And then this month, at age 105, Primetta Giacopini’s life ended the way it began — in a pandemic. “I think my mother would have been around quite a bit longer” if she hadn’t contracted COVID,” her 61-year-old daughter, Dorene Giacopini, said. “She was a fighter. She had a hard life and her attitude always was … basically, all Americans who were not around for World War II were basically spoiled brats.” (Richmond, 9/30)

The Washington Post:
Covid-19 Memorial In D.C. Gives Americans A Place To Reconcile Their Loss

The messages are short. Succinct. Devastating. “Fly with the angels, Peggy.” “To my aunt, one of my favorite humans. We miss you.” “I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make you proud. Te amo grandpa.”“ Sue Kaye Ziemann fought and beat leukemia, but covid took her too soon.” Walking through the hundreds of thousands of white flags blanketing 20 acres of the National Mall to honor the Americans who have died of covid-19, visitors stop to write a few words of farewell on the flags themselves. They are goodbyes that many never had a chance to say in person. It is an intimate goodbye. And a national one. (Sanchez, 9/30)