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COVID-19: FDA Took Steps to Help Make Tests Available, Policy for Future Public Health Emergencies Needed, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "Diagnostic testing for COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] is critical to tracking the virus, informing treatment, and suppressing transmission. However, because COVID-19 is caused by a novel virus, no test existed at the beginning of the pandemic. Typically, medical devices, such as diagnostic tests, must be approved or cleared by FDA [Food and Drug Administration] before they can be offered. However, FDA's EUA [emergency use authorization] authority requires a lower level of evidence than the effectiveness standard normally required for FDA product approval; therefore, it can help tests become available in a shorter amount of time. Test developers submit EUA requests to FDA that include data on a test's performance, and FDA reviews the data to determine whether to grant an EUA. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review FDA's oversight of tests for COVID-19. This report examines, among other things, 1) the actions FDA took to help make COVID-19 tests available for use, 2) the number of tests FDA authorized and those for which it exercised enforcement discretion, and 3) FDA's monitoring of these tests after they were available for use. GAO reviewed agency documentation, and interviewed FDA and associations that represent test developers. [...] GAO recommends that FDA develop a policy for the use of enforcement discretion regarding unauthorized tests in future public health emergencies. This policy should include the conditions under which FDA would begin and end the use of such discretion. The Department of Health and Human Services concurred with our recommendation."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-05
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Impact of COVID-19 on the Rural Health Care Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities
From the Executive Summary: "Before the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic began, hospital closures were increasing in rural communities across the nation: 116 rural hospitals closed between 2010 and 2019. Over the past two years, federal relief has helped stabilize facilities, and the pace of closures slowed. However, this assistance was temporary, and rural hospitals continue to struggle financially and to recruit and retain nurses and other health care employees. Against this backdrop, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) conducted a series of interviews over the last year with rural hospital leaders from eight states-- Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming--as well as with health policy experts from federal and state government, national organizations, provider organizations, and academia. The goal was to gain on-the-ground insights into today's rural health care landscape, where the population is older, sicker, and less likely to be insured or seek preventive services than in urban areas."
Bipartisan Policy Center
2022-05
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Public Health's Use of Digital Tools During COVID-19
From the Document: "This brief describes decision-making amongst health agency leaders and their informatics staff as they selected and implemented digital resources to support COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic response. We also describe 'ASTHO's [Association of State and Territorial Health Officials] COVID-19 Technology & Digital Tools Inventory' as a supplement health agency leaders used in decision-making."
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (U.S.)
2022-05
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Private Health Insurance: Limited Data Hinders Understanding of Short-Term Plans' Role and Value During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Millions of Americans who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic also lost their ESI [employer-sponsored insurance]. Short-term plan insurance was one option for these consumers. However, these plans can be significantly different from other health coverage options for those losing ESI. Therefore, it is important to understand the role they play in the market and for individual consumers. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was responsible under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act for monitoring the federal government's pandemic response. In this report, GAO describes what is known about short-term plans and the role that they might play for individuals who lost ESI during the pandemic. Stakeholder views of the value of short-term plans in meeting consumer needs are also discussed. GAO conducted a literature search and review of studies on short-term plans and conducted interviews with national organizations such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. GAO also interviewed seven policy researchers selected to include diverse policy perspectives and stakeholders. This included (1) officials from six state insurance departments selected to represent different levels and types of regulation, and (2) representatives from four organizations that sell short-term plans."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-05
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Youth Incarceration During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Family Insights
From the Method: "On September 23, 2021, a diverse group of parents came together from across the United States to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic on their justice-involved children. They shared their experiences and critical insights into the realities of the youth justice system during the pandemic, as well as recommendations for improving policy and practice. While the session was broadly framed, many of the participants shared the experience of having a child incarcerated during the pandemic which focused the conversation on that topic. This document summarizes key findings from the discussion and recommendations for state and local policymakers who want to create safer, healthier environments for justice-involved youth and promote better outcomes for young people, their families, and their communities."
Center for Children's Law and Policy; Justice for Families; Justice Policy Institute . . .
Bocanegra, Jeannette; Badeau, Susan; Harvell, Samantha
2022-05
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International Family Planning Assistance: USAID Has Faced Implementation Challenges Related to U.S. Policy and COVID-19, Accessible Version, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "According to USAID [U.S. Agency for International Development], the U.S. is the largest donor of bilateral FP/RH [family planning and reproductive health] assistance to increase opportunities for voluntary healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies. This assistance also contributes to several other positive development outcomes, including reducing maternal and child mortality and HIV transmission, according to USAID. However, in a 2020 report, GAO [Government Accountability Office] identified instances in which FP/RH implementing partners declined the PLGHA [Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance] terms and conditions and, as a result, stopped receiving planned funding that was not yet obligated under their awards. In addition, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Population Fund warned that the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic could severely disrupt access to FP/RH services for millions of women. GAO was asked to review USAID's international FP/RH assistance. This report describes (1) the FP/RH assistance USAID provided in fiscal years 2018 through 2020, (2) the PLGHA policy's effects on the implementation of FP/RH assistance as well as actions USAID and its implementing partners reported taking to mitigate adverse effects, and (3) implementation challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as steps USAID and its implementing partners took to address them. GAO analyzed USAID funding data. GAO also reviewed USAID and implementing partner documents for FP/RH assistance in Senegal and Uganda and in the West Africa region, through USAID's West Africa Regional Program. In addition, GAO interviewed USAID officials, implementing partners, and other donors and reviewed studies of family planning assistance."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-05
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Winning the Web: How Beijing Exploits Search Results to Shape Views of Xinjiang and COVID-19
From the Executive Summary: "As the war in Ukraine unfolds, Russian propaganda about the conflict has gotten a boost from a friendly source: government officials and state media out of Beijing. In multiple languages and regions around the world, China's 'wolf warrior' diplomats and state media routinely amplify Kremlin conspiracy theories rationalizing President Vladimir Putin's invasion, and undermining the credibility and appeal of the United States, NATO, and independent media -- even as China declines to endorse the Kremlin's adventurism wholesale. This spring, for example, China's messengers promoted the baseless Russian claim that the United States has been supporting a biological weapons program in Ukraine -- at times, more aggressively than Russia itself. Because Russian state media have been deamplified or banned by multiple Western social media platforms, Beijing's messaging could play an outsized role in channeling Kremlin talking points to audiences around the world. These narratives do not just spread on social media. Beijing's state-funded publishers have considerable success in a domain that has received comparatively little attention: search results. For months, our team has been tracking how China has exploited search engine results on Xinjiang and COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], two subjects that are geopolitically salient to Beijing -- Xinjiang, because the Chinese government seeks to push back on condemnation of its rights record; COVID-19, because it seeks to deflect criticism for its early mishandling of the pandemic. In both cases, Beijing is quite focused on positioning itself as a responsible global leader and softening perceptions to the contrary. To evaluate these concerns, we compiled daily data over a 120-day period on 12 terms related to Xinjiang and COVID-19 from five different sources: (1) Google Search; (2) Google News; (3) Bing Search; (4) Bing News; and (5) YouTube."
Brookings Institution. Foreign Policy; German Marshall Fund of the United States. Alliance for Securing Democracy
Brandt, Jessica; Schafer, Bret; Aghekyan, Elen . . .
2022-05
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Two Years into the Pandemic, Charitable Food Remains a Key Resource for One in Six Adults: Findings from the December 2021 Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey
From the Document: "Despite federal stopgap policies and a substantial charitable food response to mitigate the effects of food insecurity during the pandemic, hunger remains a reality for many across the US struggling to make ends meet. Although charitable resources, such as food banks, were highly visible in the early months of the pandemic, they continue to be a crucial resource for families two years later. We analyze data from the December 2021 round of the Urban Institute's Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey (WBNS), a nationally representative survey of more than 8,000 adults ages 18 to 64, and compare those data to results from the December 2019 and December 2020 rounds to examine the trend in free-grocery or free-meal use. We also examine the characteristics and circumstances of people who sought charitable food during 2021, and we ask people who reported they had not used charitable food if they knew how to find these resources in their community and how comfortable they would be seeking this assistance."
Urban Institute; Income and Benefits Policy Center
Gupta, Poonam; Salas, Julio; Waxman, Elaine
2022-05
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Pain in the Nation 2022: The Epidemics of Alcohol, Drug, and Suicide Deaths
From the Introduction: "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] has intensified the nation's troubling long-term trends for alcohol, drug, and suicide deaths. [...] Five years ago, Trust for America's Health and Well Being Trust started the Pain in the Nation report series to examine the alcohol, drug, and suicide crises in the United States and called for a comprehensive National Resilience Strategy. [...] The first Pain in the Nation report projected that, if mortality trends held steady, drug-induced deaths would reach 28.4 deaths per 100,000 people in 2025. In reality, that projection was low and was reached by 2020--within half the time expected. Despite the various federal and state programs and policies implemented, they have not slowed the trends, and likely were insufficient--especially considering that the worldwide pandemic further exacerbated existing problems. The latest provisional data show fatal overdoses exceeding 100,000 Americans annually, driven by a significant rise in synthetic opioid and psychostimulant overdoses. Policymakers, health officials, and all Americans must recognize the shortcomings of existing policy efforts to address the ever-changing and escalating drug overdose crisis and also consider how to make progress in the years ahead. This brief includes three sections: (1) a look back at the past two decades of the drug overdose crisis and a reconsideration of policy priorities; (2) a review of the latest mortality trends from alcohol, drugs, and suicide; and (3) an outline of key policy solutions and recommendations to stem and reverse these trends."
Trust for America's Health; Well Being Trust
Warren, Molly
2022-05
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, April 29, 2022
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This issue of MMWR contains the following: "Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy and Mortality at Delivery Hospitalization -- United States, 2017-2019"; "Public Health Actions to Control Measles Among Afghan Evacuees During Operation Allies Welcome -- United States, September-November 2021"; "Provisional Mortality Data -- United States, 2021"; "Provisional COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Age-Adjusted Death Rates, by Race and Ethnicity -- United States, 2020-2021"; "Seroprevalence of Infection-Induced SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] Antibodies -- United States, September 2021-February 2022"; "Notes from the Field: Response to Measles Among Persons Evacuated from Afghanistan -- Joint Base McGuire-DixLakehurst, New Jersey, August-October 2021"; and "QuickStats: Percentage of Currently Employed Adults Aged ≥18 Years Who Had Paid Sick Leave Benefits at Last Week's Job or Business, by Region -- National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2019 and 2020." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-04-29
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Long COVID: Over 200 Symptoms, and a Search for Guidance
From the Document: "Long COVID [coronavirus disease] poses a conundrum for physicians and researchers alike. Representing a wide range of new, returning or ongoing health problems that arise about a month after initial infection, it can affect 20% to 30% of patients after recovery from even mild illnesses and about half of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] patients who required hospitalization. More than 200 symptoms associate with long COVID, but no universal clinical case definition exists. Long-haulers often don't know what to do about their lingering symptoms, which can include fatigue, shortness of breath, memory impediments, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Many different organ systems are involved, said Akiko Iwasaki, PhD, professor of immunobiology at Yale University and a principal investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute."
American Medical Association
Lubell, Jennifer
2022-04-29
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Living with Covid Doesn't Mean Ignoring it
From the Introduction: "Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], the war in Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis have together created a volatile environment of widespread economic anxiety; people are rightly worried about the future. This, combined with a lack of appetite to bolster investment in our world-class testing and sequencing systems, has seen Covid move from a health to an economic problem. The government has put in place many of the right measures in its response to Covid, most notably the world-leading vaccination programme that has saved over 100,000 lives. However, over the past two years the overall response to the pandemic has been dogged by a repeated lack of clear, quick strategic planning, and is again in limbo without a comprehensive plan to manage the next phase safely. Management of Covid now relies largely on repeat vaccinations, while the main tools at our disposal - tests and treatments - are being scaled back. This is a vaccines-only rather than vaccines-'plus' approach."
Tony Blair Institute for Global Change
Bradshaw, Adam; Browne, James; Dowlen, Henry . . .
2022-04-29
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Analysis of Firearm Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the US
From the Introduction: "In the US, more than 500 000 deaths were directly attributable to COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] in the first year of the pandemic. The pandemic and the concomitant public health response profoundly affected nearly every aspect of people's lives. The impacts on health and well-being of work and school closures and other social distancing measures are only starting to be quantified, and emerging evidence suggests that pandemic restrictions may have had substantial detrimental effects on population mental health. Worsening economic conditions, psychological strain, and trauma associated with the pandemic, combined with an increase in firearm sales, could potentially increase the risk of firearm violence in association with the pandemic, thus exacerbating another major public health crisis in the US. [...] [W]e sought to quantify the change in firearm violence associated with the COVID-19 pandemic by examining nearly 300 000 firearm-related incidents occurring between January 1, 2016, and February 28, 2021, across all 50 US states and the District of Columbia."
JAMA Network
Sun, Shengzhi; Cao, Wangnan; Ge, Yang . . .
2022-04-28
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Recession Remedies: Lessons Learned from the U.S. Economic Policy Response to COVID-19
From the Webpage: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic posed an extraordinary threat to lives and livelihoods. In the United States, the pandemic triggered a sharp downturn. Yet, the ensuing economic recovery was faster and stronger than nearly any forecaster anticipated due in part to the swift, aggressive, sustained, and creative response of U.S. fiscal and monetary policy. But when the next recession arrives, it most likely won't be triggered by a pandemic. Recession Remedies examines and evaluates the breadth of the economic-policy response to COVID-19. Chapters address unemployment insurance, Economic Impact Payments, loans and grants to businesses, assistance to renters and mortgage holders, aid to state and local governments, policies that targeted children, Federal Reserve policy, and the use of nontraditional data to monitor the economy and guide policy. These chapters provide evidence and lessons to apply to the next recession."
Brookings Institution
Edelberg, Wendy; Sheiner, Louise; Wessel, David
2022-04-27
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Unemployment Insurance: Program Integrity and Fraud Concerns Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic Response [April 27, 2022]
From the Document: "The federal-state Unemployment Insurance (UI) system has faced long-standing program integrity challenges. The enhanced and expanded UI benefits created in response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic exacerbated some of these challenges and introduced new considerations related to improper payments and fraud. This report defines key concepts related to UI program integrity, including fraud; addresses what is known about the scope of COVID-19 UI program integrity and fraud at this time; summarizes challenges related to UI program integrity, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic; and synthesizes existing policy proposals and introduced legislation to address UI program integrity generally and fraud specifically."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Isaacs, Katelin P., 1980-; Whittaker, Julie M.
2022-04-27
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Cross-Sectional Study of Factors Associated with COVID-19 Testing Among People Who Inject Drugs: Missed Opportunities for Reaching Those Most at Risk
From the Abstract: "People who inject drugs (PWID) are vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] infection. We examined correlates of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] testing among PWID in the U.S.-Mexico border region and described encounters with services representing potential opportunities (i.e., 'touchpoints') where COVID-19 testing could have been offered. [...] We identified several factors independently associated with COVID-19 testing and multiple touchpoints where COVID-19 testing could be scaled up for PWID, such as SUD [substance use disorder] treatment programs and syringe service programs. Integrated health services are needed to improve access to rapid, free COVID-19 testing in this vulnerable population."
Springer Nature (Firm)
Yeager, Samantha; Abramovitz, Daniela; Harvey-Vera, Alicia Yolanda . . .
2022-04-27
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Design of a Vaccine Passport Validation System Using Blockchain-Based Architecture: Development Study
From the Abstract: "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] is an ongoing global pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2]. As of June 2021, 5 emergency vaccines were available for COVID-19 prevention, and with the improvement of vaccination rates and the resumption of activities in each country, verification of vaccination has become an important issue. Currently, in most areas, vaccination and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results are certified and validated on paper. This leads to the problem of counterfeit documents. Therefore, a global vaccination record is needed. [...] The main objective of this study is to design a vaccine passport (VP) validation system based on a general blockchain architecture for international use in a simulated environment. With decentralized characteristics, the system is expected to have the advantages of low cost, high interoperability, effectiveness, security, and verifiability through blockchain architecture." This article was originally published on the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) Public Health and Surveillance website: [https://publichealth.jmir.org/2022/4/e32411].
JMIR Publications
Lee, Hsiu An; Wu, Wei-Chen; Kung, Hsin-Hua . . .
2022-04-26
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, April 22, 2022
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This issue of MMWR contains the following: "Vaccination Coverage with Selected Vaccines and Exemption Rates Among Children in Kindergarten -- United States, 2020-21 School Year"; "Poisoning Associated with Consumption of a Homemade Medicinal Liquor -- Chongqing, China, 2018"; "Hospitalizations of Children Aged 5-11 Years with Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] -- COVID-NET, [Coronavirus Disease 2019-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network] 14 States, March 2020-February 2022"; and "QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged 18-64 Years Who Had a Dental Visit in the Past 12 Months, by Dental Insurance and Year -- National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2019-2020." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-04-22
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MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, April 22, 2022: Provisional Mortality Data -- United States, 2021
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This Early Release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Provisional Mortality Data -- United States, 2021." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from MMWR can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-04-22
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MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, April 22, 2022: Provisional COVID-19 Age-Adjusted Death Rates, by Race and Ethnicity -- United States, 2020-2021
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This Early Release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Provisional COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Age-Adjusted Death Rates, by Race and Ethnicity -- United States, 2020-2021." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from MMWR can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-04-22
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Violations of ICE Detention Standards at South Texas ICE Processing Center
From the Document: "During our unannounced inspection of South Texas in Pearsall, Texas, we identified violations of ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement ] detention standards that compromised the health, safety, and rights of detainees. South Texas complied with standards for legal services, the voluntary work program, and detainee classification and provided sufficient medical care to detainees. However, we found that South Texas did not meet standards for grievances, segregation, COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] response, or communications with detainees. Specifically, the facility was late responding to grievances and did not document grievance resolutions. Grievances included complaints about mistreatment by staff, some of which the facility substantiated. Also, South Texas did not consistently provide required services for detainees in segregation, including access to legal materials and razors; nor were we able to confirm the facility consistently provided access to legal calls, mail, commissary, and linen exchange due to missing documentation of these activities in facility records. In addressing COVID-19, South Texas did not consistently enforce precautions including use of masks and social distancing but did begin providing COVID-19 vaccinations to detainees through partnerships with local governments. Further, ICE and the facility did not consistently respond to detainee requests in a timely manner and ICE did not log requests sent by detainees using paper forms. Finally, we determined the diminished detainee population at South Texas resulted in ICE paying roughly $18 million for unused bed space for a 1-year period under a guaranteed minimum contract."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
2022-04-22
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Long COVID and the Labor Market
From the Document: "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates [hyperlink] that between February 2020 and September 2021 nearly 147 million Americans contracted COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], with a little over 100 million of those cases presenting in working-age adults. 'Multiple studies--including recent 'analysis' from researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles--have found that roughly 30 percent of those infected with COVID-19 experience some long COVID symptoms, again with no correlation to severity of the initial illness.' A January report [hyperlink] from the Brookings Institution pulls this all together, concluding that roughly 30 million working-age Americans have likely experienced long COVID, and further points to multiple studies finding that between 23-28 percent of long COVID patients reported being out of work because of their symptoms. 'All told, the report concludes that between 1.04-1.26 million people could be out of work at any given point because of long COVID.' [...] 'Given the uncertainty around long COVID, it's hard to make any emphatic claims, but it is likely that persistent long COVID is having an impact on labor market participation, and potentially a large one.'"
American Action Forum
Holt, Christopher
2022-04-22
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COVID States Project: A 50-State COVID-19 Survey, Report #85: Unvaccinated Older Americans
From the Document: "In this report, we examine how many older Americans are unvaccinated against COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], and who these unvaccinated individuals are. The risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 is far higher for older adults, making vaccination particularly critical in reducing the impact of the pandemic. [...] Who are the older Americans who are unvaccinated? This is one of the key questions in terms of the future trajectory of serious illnesses and deaths from COVID [coronavirus disease]. Vaccines were approved first for this age group, and public health efforts have stressed their importance in reducing risk in this group. Age is strongly related to vulnerability to COVID infections, where 75% of deaths [hyperlink] from COVID are individuals who were 65 and older, versus a population share of 16.5%. Vaccinations have shown great efficacy at reducing mortality from COVID infection for all ages, including older individuals, by 90+% [hyperlink]. Thus, vaccinating older Americans has been the single intervention with the most promise of reducing mortality. Here we ask, first, how many older Americans remain unvaccinated? And who are the older Americans who remain unvaccinated?"
Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.); Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy; Harvard Medical School . . .
Lazer, David; Uslu, Ata A.; Guo, Zhen . . .
2022-04-22
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COVID States Project: A 50-State COVID-19 Survey, Report #86: Misperceptions About the War in Ukraine and COVID-19 Vaccines
From the Document: "For the past two years, the United States has endured what the World Health Organization has termed an infodemic [hyperlink] of misinformation involving COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] in general [hyperlink], and the COVID-19 vaccination [hyperlink] in particular. We reviewed the current breadth and depth of the COVID [coronavirus disease] misinformation problem in a recent report [#82] [hyperlink]. In that report (based on our January 2022 survey), we found that about one in six respondents (16%) believed at least one out of four false claims about COVID-19 vaccines, while a little over 1/3 (37%) were unsure about at least one false claim. As we discuss below, those percentages have remained stable in our latest survey. [...] In this report, we review the extent of Americans' acceptance of false claims about COVID-19 and the conflict in Ukraine. We investigate the demographic and partisan correlates of believing false claims about Ukraine and the COVID19 vaccine, as well as the confluence of these two overlapping misinformation crises. In particular, we explore whether and to what extent acceptance of COVID-19 misinformation is associated with accepting misinformation relating to the current conflict in Ukraine. Are people who are inclined to believe false claims about COVID-19 more likely to also believe false claims about the conflict in Ukraine?" The previous report can be found at [https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=868069].
Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.); Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy; Harvard Medical School . . .
Baum, Matthew A., 1965-; Ognyanova, Katherine; Lazer, David . . .
2022-04-22
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COVID States Project: A 50-State COVID-19 Survey, Report #84: COVID-19 Deaths and Depression
From the Document: "The number of deaths associated with COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] in the United States is approaching the grim milestone of 1 million people [hyperlink], or around 1 in 330 people. In many communities, this number is far higher. The magnitude of these losses--and their impact on the survivors--can be difficult to comprehend. A recent White House memorandum [hyperlink] acknowledges this impact as a key consideration as the nation seeks to recover: 'Each soul is irreplaceable, and the families and communities left behind are still reeling from profound loss.' To better understand this impact, the COVID-19 States Project surveyed 22,234 adults from all 50 U.S. States and the District of Columbia in March 2022. For 18,103, we asked whether they knew anyone who died of COVID-19, and whether they were family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, or acquaintances. To understand the emotional impact of these losses, we also asked about symptoms of depression using a 9-item questionnaire (the Patient Health Questionnaire [hyperlink]) commonly used to identify major depression in primary care settings. In prior waves, we found that rates of depression in the U.S. were 3-4 times greater than the roughly 8% in adults [hyperlink] seen prior to COVID-19."
Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.); Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy; Harvard Medical School . . .
Perlis, Roy H.; Green, Jon; Guo, Zhen . . .
2022-04-21
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COVID-19 Pandemic Pinches Finances of America's Lower- and Middle-Income Families
From the Document: "This report analyzes data from the Annual Social and Economic Supplements [hyperlink] (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey [hyperlink] (CPS) to study the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the financial wellbeing of U.S. households in the middle class and in lower- and upper-income tiers. The latest available survey data, from March 2021, records the household income and work experience of adults in 2020, the first year of the pandemic. The CPS is the U.S. government's official source for monthly estimates of unemployment [hyperlink] and the ASEC, conducted in March each year, is the official source for its estimates of income and poverty [hyperlink]. In this report, the ASEC files were also matched from one year to the next to examine the annual movement of adults across income tiers over the period from 2000 to 2021."
Pew Research Center
Kochhar, Rakesh, 1955-; Sechopoulos, Stella
2022-04-20
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MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, April 19, 2022: Hospitalizations of Children Aged 5-11 Years with Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 -- COVID-NET, 14 States, March 2020-February 2022
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This Early Release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Hospitalizations of Children Aged 5-11 Years with Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] -- COVID-NET [COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network], 14 States, March 2020-February 2022." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from MMWR can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-04-19
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K-12 Education: An Estimated 1.1 Million Teachers Nationwide Had at Least One Student Who Never Showed Up for Class in the 2020-21 School Year [Reissued with Revisions on Apr. 19, 2022]
From the Document: "As the COVID-19 [Coronavirus Disease 2019] pandemic continues to reverberate across the nation, for millions of students, educators, and families, the current school year is rife with challenges. The long-term impact of the disruptions of the last 2 years on student enrollment and attendance remains to be seen, particularly for students with whom schools have lost contact. As we previously reported, even though many schools provided students with computers and internet access to participate in virtual instruction, many students faced difficulties staying engaged in school or disappeared from school altogether. While the issue of students not showing up at all during the pandemic is of grave significance, little is known about the obstacles these students face or the types of schools they come from. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to report on its ongoing monitoring and oversight efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this report, we provide information on (1) how widespread was the issue of K-12 public school students not showing up for class all year in school year 2020-21, (2) obstacles these students faced in showing up, and (3) the characteristics of the schools these students were registered to attend."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-04-19
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Fact Sheet: Preserving Agricultural Trade, Access to Communication, and Other Support to Those Impacted by Russia's War Against Ukraine
From the Document: "In response to Russia's unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine, the United States, international partners, and allies have imposed unprecedented economic costs on the Government of the Russian Federation and its supporters. The U.S. Department of the Treasury's (Treasury) Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is issuing this Fact Sheet to make clear that U.S. sanctions issued in response to Russia's further invasion of Ukraine do not stand in the way of, agricultural and medical exports, nongovernmental organization (NGO) activities, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) relief, the free flow of information, humanitarian assistance, and other support to people impacted by Russia's war. Beyond its toll on human life, Russia's war against Ukraine is causing significant harm in the region and the rest of the world. Russian President Vladimir Putin's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is driving food and energy costs higher for people around the world. His actions have disrupted supply chains of agricultural commodities, destroyed agricultural and transportation infrastructure in Ukraine, and put millions at increased risk of food insecurity. Treasury is deeply concerned about the risks to global food supplies and food prices at a time when many emerging market and developing countries are still struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Treasury is working to address food security risks, including bolstering social safety nets for the most vulnerable people; unlocking trade finance to smooth disrupted supply chains for food and critical supplies; strengthening countries' domestic food production; and addressing the macroeconomic impacts of the crisis on the most affected countries."
United States. Department of the Treasury
2022-04-19
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COVID-19: Potential Implications for International Security Environment-- Overview of Issues and Further Reading for Congress [Updated April 19, 2022]
From the Document: "Some observers argue the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic could be a world-changing event with potentially profound and long-lasting implications for the international security environment. Other observers are more skeptical that the pandemic will have such effects. In reports issued in March and April 2021, the U.S. intelligence community provided assessments of the potential impact of the pandemic on the international security environment. Observers who discuss whether the pandemic will be world-changing for the international security environment have focused on several areas of potential change[.]"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2022-04-19
