PANDEMIC - COVID-19 Updates

"The CDC is warning of an ‘impending doom’ of COVID surges, deaths.  Is it warranted?" PBS NewsHour 3/29/2021

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SUMMARY:  President Joe Biden urged state and local officials Monday to keep or reinstate mask mandates amid some of the most urgent warnings yet about new COVID-19 surges.  Judy Woodruff talks to Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University, about the latest developments in the fight against the virus, which has killed almost 550,000 Americans.

 

 

"WHO report says COVID originated in bats, but critics claim the study was biased" PBS NewsHour 3/29/2021

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SUMMARY:  The PBS NewsHour has obtained a study by a group of independent researchers convened by the WHO to find the origins of COVID-19 in China.  As Nick Schifrin reports, the virus that caused the worst pandemic in a century most likely started in bats, and jumped to humans through an intermediate animal host.  The researchers call it a starting point, but their critics still say it doesn’t go far enough.

 

 

"Relative invisibility makes for uphill battle to get COVID vaccines for Americans with IDD" PBS NewsHour 3/31/2021

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SUMMARY:  People with intellectual and developmental disabilities [IDD] like Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and Autism often have underlying health conditions that make them more susceptible to COVID-19.  Plus, many receive care in group living facilities, putting them at further risk.  But despite the elevated risks for those with IDD, they face an uphill vaccination battle.  William Brangham reports.

Correction: This piece reported that only nine states and the District of Columbia report COVID-19 outcomes specifically for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities to the federal government.  In fact, these states and D.C. are the only jurisdictions to report this data publicly.  It’s unclear which states, if any, report this information directly to the federal government.

 

 

"Americans with disabilities, high-risk conditions struggle with vaccine eligibility" PBS NewsHour 4/1/2021

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SUMMARY:  Even as the U.S. sets records for daily COVID-19 vaccinations, disparities in availability persist.  We cover the stories of some medically vulnerable people, most of whom are still waiting for their shot.  And for more on the reasons behind the wait, William Brangham speaks to Jen Kates, the Senior Vice President and Director of Global Health and HIV Policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation.

 

 

"Honoring 5 phenomenal people who lost their lives to COVID-19" PBS NewsHour 4/2/2021

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SUMMARY:  As more than 550,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, we take a moment to remember five of the remarkable lives lost.

Correction: An earlier version of this story used audio of another elder in the Indian Peaks Band of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah speaking the traditional language while referencing Earnestine Jake Lehi.  That audio has now been replaced with audio of Earnestine speaking.  The NewsHour regrets the error.