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4. Political Cartoon: 'Going Viral?'

Kaiser Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Political Cartoon: 'Going Viral?'" by Bob Thaves and Tom Thaves.

Here's today's health policy haiku:

SHHH... IT'S A SURPRISE FOR THE CAPTAIN

Pence's announcement
of Grand Princess test results:
News to the captain!

- B Armstrong

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Summaries Of The News:

Global Health Watch

5. 'We're Past The Point Of Containment': As U.S. Cases Climb, Officials Warn Frail, Elderly To Take Extra Precautions

The U.S. has counted at least 539 cases across 34 states and has confirmed 22 deaths from the illness. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the newly confirmed cases showed signs of "community spread," meaning they couldn't be traced back to a single source and suggesting the outbreak is intensifying. But, Fauci said, "I don't think you want to have folks shutting down cities like in northern Italy. We are not at that level. That is a hot spot. Social distancing like in Seattle is the way to go."

The New York Times: In U.S., Cases Of Coronavirus Cross 500, And Deaths Rise To 22
The U.S. has counted at least 539 cases across 34 states — Connecticut reported its first case and Washington announced another patient being treated for coronavirus had died on Sunday — and the District of Columbia, and logged 22 deaths. Washington State, New York, California and Oregon have declared emergencies. A growing number of schools are shutting down across the country, raising concerns about the closings will affect learning, burden families and upend communities. (3/9)

Los Angeles Times: Coronavirus Outbreak: 'We're Past The Point Of Containment'
As a cruise ship with nearly 3,000 stranded travelers prepares to dock Monday in the Port of Oakland, top health officials warned that the country has entered a new stage in dealing with the deadly coronavirus — one in which containment is no longer possible. "We're past the point of containment," Dr. Scott Gottlieb, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration during the first two years of President Trump's administration, said on CBS' "Face the Nation." (Chabria, King, Campa and Wigglesworth, 3/8)

Politico: Health Officials Shift Tone On Coronavirus, Say Elderly And Sick At Risk
The government's top infectious disease expert on Sunday said that the coronavirus outbreak is getting worse and warned elderly and sick people to avoid traveling or circulating in crowds — a point later reinforced by new CDC guidance. The remarks from Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, signaled a change in tone from health officials representing the Trump administration, making it clear that the outbreak is past the point where it can be prevented from spreading or easily tracked. That contrasted with the more measured language from some Trump officials including Vice President Mike Pence. (Tahir and Ehley, 3/8)

The New York Times: Not His First Epidemic: Dr. Anthony Fauci Sticks To The Facts
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading expert on infectious diseases, is widely respected for his ability to explain science without talking down to his audience — and lately, for managing to correct the president's pronouncements without saying he is wrong. President Trump said that drug companies would make a coronavirus vaccine ready "soon." Dr. Fauci has repeatedly stepped up after the president to the lectern during televised briefings or at White House round tables to amend that timetable, giving a more accurate estimate of at least a year or 18 months. Mr. Trump said a "cure" might be possible. Dr. Fauci explained that antiviral drugs were being studied to see if they might make the illness less severe. (Grady, 3/8)

Los Angeles Times: Coronavirus Warnings Become More Urgent For The Elderly And Frail
As public health officials move to confront the coronavirus, they are targeting their most urgent messages to the elderly and frail who are at greatest risk from COVID-19. California officials have been urging that group to avoid large public gathering, travel and events. The Santa Clara city library is canceling all programs for the upcoming week, and most programs at the senior center. San Jose's senior meals program will transition to a boxed to-go pick-up format. (Lin, King and Tchekmedyian, 3/8)

The Hill: Surgeon General: You're Going To See More Cases Of Coronavirus, 'Doesn't Mean We Should Panic'
Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams said Sunday that Americans should not panic as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases increases across the country. "We've been saying this all along. Initially, we had a posture of containment so that we could give people time to prepare for where we are right now," Adams said on CNN's "State of the Union." "Now, we're shifting into a mitigation phase, which means we're helping communities understand, you're going to see more cases. Unfortunately, you're going to see more deaths, but that doesn't mean that we should panic." (Klar, 3/8)

The New York Times: U.S. Health Experts Say Stricter Measures Are Required To Limit Coronavirus's Spread
As the coronavirus gained a foothold in the United States, thousands of employees from Seattle to Silicon Valley were told to work from home. Public school districts in several states have shut down, universities are moving classes to online only, and even churches are limiting services or prayer meetings. A global health conference in Orlando, Fla., planned for Monday, which President Trump was supposed to address, will no longer happen. Off the California coast, another cruise ship with infected passengers is waiting for a place to dock. The State Department on Sunday advised Americans, especially those with underlying health conditions, not to travel on cruise ships. (Grady, 3/8)

The Wall Street Journal: Federal Agencies Prepare For Coronavirus Disruptions
Federal agencies are preparing to deploy emergency plans to maintain essential services—from directing air traffic to delivering mail and making Social Security payments—as the novel coronavirus epidemic widened and the nation's capital diagnosed its first case. Some agencies are canceling nonessential travel. All are planning for widespread absences and making provisions for working remotely. Some workers, like food-safety inspectors, won't have that option; the challenge will be keeping them safe and healthy. (Davidson, 3/8)

The Washington Post: As Fears Rise Of A Global Recession, The White House And Federal Reserve Are At Odds Over How To Help
As he concluded meetings in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 23, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell sent urgent emails to his staff about the coronavirus. The outbreak was escalating in South Korea, Italy and Iran, and the central bank needed to intensify its response to the economic shock. While Fed economists began to run through scenarios of what could go wrong, senior White House officials both privately and publicly maintained that there was virtually no reason for concern. On Feb. 25, as Powell began meeting with staff to prepare contingency plans, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said the U.S. had an almost "airtight" containment on the outbreak, a day after urging investors to "buy these dips" in the stock market. (Long and Stein, 3/8)

Bloomberg: Top Health Official Anthony Fauci Predicts 'Social Distancing' As Outbreak Continues
"Social distancing" will become more prevalent in the U.S. over the next three months as the nation attempts to tamp down the spread of the new coronavirus, Anthony Fauci said Sunday. "We're getting a better sense as the days go by" of the scope of the outbreak in the U.S., Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "Unfortunately, that better sense is not encouraging, because we're seeing community spread." (Dexheimer, 3/8)

6. Passengers From Quarantined Ship Prepare To Disembark; Government Warns Americans Against Taking Cruises

"We're making every effort to get them off the ship as safely and quickly as possible," said Dr. John Redd of HHS. Passengers have been quarantined after a previous traveler who had disembarked the ship later died from the coronavirus. Meanwhile, the State Department warns against taking cruises, a blanket advisory that shocked some experts.

The Associated Press: Officials Set To Receive Thousands From Ship Hit By Virus
Federal and state officials in California were preparing Monday to receive thousands of people from a cruise ship that has been idling off the coast of San Francisco with at least 21 people aboard infected with the coronavirus. Fences were being installed at an 11-acre site at the Port of Oakland, as authorities readied flights and buses to whisk the more than 2,000 passengers aboard the Grand Princess to military bases or their home countries for a 14-day quarantine. More than 3,500 on the ship hail from 54 countries. (Rodriguez and Weber, 3/9)

The Wall Street Journal: Efforts To Battle Coronavirus Escalate Around The Globe
"Nearly 1,000 passengers who are California residents will complete the mandatory quarantine at Travis Air Force Base and Miramar Naval Air Station, and residents of other states will complete the mandatory quarantine at Joint Base San Antonio Lackland in Texas or Dobbins Air Force Base in Georgia," the Department of Health and Human Services said in a Sunday statement. (Ansari, Wong and Ailworth, 3/8)

Reuters: Grand Princess Cruise Ship Passengers Bound For Coronavirus Quarantine In California, Elsewhere
Nearly all 1,100 crew members will remain on board the vessel, which will depart Oakland as soon as possible following removal of the passengers and sail for an as-yet undetermined location outside San Francisco Bay for the duration of their two-week quarantine, he said. Passengers requiring acute medical attention and hospitalization will be allowed off the ship first and taken to health care facilities elsewhere in California, as would a relatively limited number of crew expected to need immediate treatment, the governor said. (Gorman and Goldberg, 3/8)

Georgia Health News: 34 Georgia Passengers From Cruise Ship Heading To Dobbins Air Base
Gov. Brian Kemp said Sunday that 34 Georgia passengers from the coronavirus-stricken Grand Princess cruise ship, along with others on board, will be transferred to Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta on Monday. The ship has been held off the coast of California after 21 people onboard tested positive for the coronavirus, known as COVID-19. (Miller, 3/8)

The Hill: Cruise Liner Approved To Dock In Florida After Staff Tested For Coronavirus
A Regal Princess cruise liner was approved to dock in Florida on Sunday after two crew members were tested for possible coronavirus infection. The Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Sunday evening that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials had announced around 6:30 p.m. that the two crewmembers had tested negative, allowing hundreds of passengers and fellow crew to disembark after hours of waiting on board. (Bowden, 3/8)

Los Angeles Times: Stranded By Coronavirus, Cruise Passengers Eager To Land In Oakland
Stranded aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship stuck off the coast of San Francisco due to a coronavirus outbreak, Karen Spoon was getting frustrated. "I'm starting to feel the effects of cabin fever," she said Sunday. But detailed plans to get people off the boat at the Port of Oakland as early as Monday made Spoon, from Canada, and others feel more optimistic for the first time in days. (Chabria, 3/9)

Los Angeles Times: Grand Princess Finally About To Dock. Here's Why Officials Picked Oakland
Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a news conference in Oakland on Sunday that the disembarkation and transfer of passengers would take up to three days. But he warned that the situation was "fluid" and could take longer, in part because the port does not regularly deal with cruise ships, and tides and currents allowed only small windows of time to enter and leave. When finished, the Grand Princess would sail out of San Francisco Bay, he said, with the remaining 1,094 crew members — mostly foreign nationals — to be quarantined on board. (Chabria, King, Wigglesworth and Mozingo, 3/9)

The New York Times: State Dept. Tells Americans To Avoid Cruise Ships, Despite Trump's Misgivings
The State Department on Sunday advised Americans against traveling on cruise ships, warning that they presented a higher risk of coronavirus infection and made U.S. citizens vulnerable to possible international travel restrictions, including quarantines. The decision came after President Trump resisted requests from administration officials to publicly urge older travelers to avoid cruise ships and plane travel, saying he thought it would harm those industries, according to two people familiar with the discussions. (Weiland and Haberman, 3/8)

The Washington Post: U.S. State Department: Americans Should Avoid Cruises During Coronavirus Outbreak
Yet the news came as a shock to some industry experts, who expected additional precautions on ships rather than a blanket advisory against cruise travel. Previously, U.S. officials had only gone as far as saying that senior citizens and people with health conditions should avoid cruising. Vice President Mike Pence, who is heading up the Trump administration's response to the virus, met with industry leaders Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to determine "what more we can do together to protect the American people." (Shammas and Knowles, 3/8)

The Wall Street Journal: Health Officials Block Several Princess Cruises Ships
"It goes without saying that if you are elderly, if you have a pre-existing condition, you have issues of lung disease, heart disease, or you have other medical conditions, I would highly recommend—almost demand—that you not go on a cruise," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a Sunday news conference. (Ailworth and Paris, 3/9)

7. Series Of Glitches And Missed Opportunities Led To Disastrous Test Kit Shortage, Experts Say

The problems started in early February, at a CDC laboratory in Atlanta, and didn't improve from there. The Trump administration is fielding increasingly strident criticism about the missteps that experts say exacerbated the outbreak in the U.S. Meanwhile, Stanford University creates a coronavirus test in which results only take 24 hours to process.

The New York Times: Anyone Who Wants A Coronavirus Test Can Have One, Trump Says. Not Quite, Says His Administration.
The Trump administration on Saturday continued sending contradictory signals about its response to the coronavirus, as a top federal health official appeared to walk back President Trump's claim that "anyone who wants a test can get a test." The health and human services secretary, Alex M. Azar II, cautioned that only those who have gone through a doctor or medical professional can be approved for a test, a message that appeared to undercut Mr. Trump, who delivered his promise on Friday as he toured the Atlanta headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Weiland, 3/7)

The Washington Post: What Went Wrong With The Coronavirus Tests In The U.S.
Since Renee Schwartz developed shortness of breath and a severe cough two weeks ago, she has been trying desperately to get a coronavirus test. She has already been tested for the flu — she was negative — and other problems have been ruled out. But while her doctor thinks a test is warranted, she told Schwartz she does not have access to any tests. "I feel like crap," said Schwartz, 60, of North Hills, Calif. "I want to know, why can't I get this test?" (Johnson and McGinley, 3/7)

The New York Times: Coronavirus In N.Y.: Cuomo Attacks C.D.C. Over Delays In Testing
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo criticized the federal government on Sunday for delays in allowing private laboratories in New York State to test for the coronavirus. At a news conference, Mr. Cuomo also announced 16 new confirmed cases of the virus, bringing the total number in New York State to 106. But he said that the state would not know the full extent of the spread until it could do more testing. (Freytas-Tamura, 3/8)

Kaiser Health News: Pence Leaves Out Key Details About Health Coverage Of Coronavirus Testing
Amid ongoing concern about the new coronavirus, Vice President Mike Pence sought to assure Americans that their health insurance will cover the tests needed for diagnosis. "With regard to the cost, let me be very clear: HHS has designated the coronavirus test as an essential health benefit. That means, by definition, it's covered in the private health insurance of every American, as well as covered by Medicare and Medicaid." (Appleby, 3/6)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Surgeon General Predicts Rapid Rise In Testing For Coronavirus
Georgia's public health labs conducted 30 tests for the new coronavirus Thursday, and federal authorities are gearing up for a rapid expansion of the nation's testing capacity, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said during a press conference in Atlanta on Friday. Nationally, public and private labs combined are projected to be able to test over a million people by next week, Adams said. Health care providers who think that their patients need a test can now order one for their patients, he said. He did not provide instructions on how to do so. (Mariano, 3/6)

NPR: Drive-Through Coronavirus Tests For UW Medicine Workers
Employees of the University of Washington's UW Medicine system, can now get tested for coronavirus without leaving their cars. The system's medical center in northwest Seattle has turned a hospital garage lot into a drive-through clinic that can test a person every five minutes. They typically get results within a day or so. But the idea involves more than convenience. It's also about safety. (Hamilton, 3/8)

The Hill: Gates Foundation To Offer Coronavirus Testing Kits In Seattle Area
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will reportedly offer thousands of home testing kits for Seattle-area residents who suspect they may have a novel form of coronavirus. The Seattle Times reported that the kits will become available this week, with a lab funded by the foundation initially set to test hundreds of kits per day and the possibility of expanding that testing to thousands per day in the future. (Bowden, 3/8)

Sacramento Bee: Stanford University Develops A New Coronavirus Test
As the demand for coronavirus tests continues to climb, Stanford University has created its own. The test, created by a Stanford Health Care laboratory, is being used on Stanford Health Care and Stanford Children's Health patients "suspected of being infected with the respiratory virus," a news release from the university said. The lab started working on the test in January and confirmed "that the test meets the requirements to be a useful clinical tool" in February, according to the release. (Lin, 3/6)

Boston Globe: Mass. Insurers To Cover Full Cost Of Coronavirus Testing, Treatment
Health insurers in Massachusetts will cover the full cost of testing, counseling, treatment, and vaccination for the novel coronavirus, under new instructions from the state's division of insurance. That means there will be no co-payments for these services, and deductibles will not be applied to them. But the insurers can check to make sure they are paying only for medically necessary services. A vaccine has not been developed but this directive will apply when one becomes available. (Freyer, 3/7)

The Wall Street Journal: Canada's SARS Experience Helps Rapid Testing Response To Coronavirus
About a day after Chinese researchers published genetic information on the new coronavirus in mid-January, a Toronto laboratory ran its first diagnostic test on a suspected case. The result was negative. By early March, Canada, with a population the size of California, had completed close to 3,000 coronavirus tests. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, meanwhile, had run less than 500. Although U.S. testing expanded last week, local officials have complained that they still can't keep up with surging demand. (Mackrael, 3/8)

8. Current, Former Officials Decry Trump's No-Bad-News Atmosphere They Say Led To Bungled Response To Outbreak

President Donald Trump and his top health officials are facing increasing scrutiny over mixed messages and missteps in the early days of the outbreak that were often the result of Trump wanting to paint a rosier picture than experts were reporting.

The New York Times: Inside Trump Administration, Debate Raged Over What To Tell Public
After weeks of conflicting signals from the Trump administration about the coronavirus, the government's top health officials decided late last month that when President Trump returned from a trip to India, they would tell him they had to be more blunt about the dangers of the outbreak. If he approved, they would level with the public. But Dr. Nancy Messonnier, the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, got a day ahead of the plan. (Shear, Fink and Weiland, 3/8)

Politico: Trump's Mismanagement Helped Fuel Coronavirus Crisis
For six weeks behind the scenes, and now increasingly in public, Trump has undermined his administration's own efforts to fight the coronavirus outbreak — resisting attempts to plan for worst-case scenarios, overturning a public-health plan upon request from political allies and repeating only the warnings that he chose to hear. Members of Congress have grilled top officials like Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Disease Control Director Robert Redfield over the government's biggest mistake: failing to secure enough testing to head off a coronavirus outbreak in the United States. But many current and former Trump administration officials say the true management failure was Trump's. "It always ladders to the top," said one person helping advise the administration's response, who noted that Trump's aides discouraged Azar from briefing the president about the coronavirus threat back in January. "Trump's created an atmosphere where the judgment of his staff is that he shouldn't need to know these things." (Diamond, 3/7)

The Associated Press: Official: White House Didn't Want To Tell Seniors Not To Fly
The White House overruled health officials who wanted to recommend that elderly and physically fragile Americans be advised not to fly on commercial airlines because of the new coronavirus, a federal official told The Associated Press. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention submitted the plan as a way of trying to control the virus, but White House officials ordered the air travel recommendation be removed, said the official who had direct knowledge of the plan. Trump administration officials have since suggested certain people should consider not traveling, but have stopped short of the stronger guidance sought by the CDC. (3/7)

NBC News: Mixed White House Messaging On Coronavirus Sparks Internal Frustration
White House officials are growing increasingly frustrated at what they see as President Donald Trump's consistent bids to downplay the severity of the coronavirus outbreak, a tendency that has led to a clash in messaging with public health officials. Those mixed signals were on display Sunday as the top infectious disease doctor at the National Institutes of Health, Anthony Fauci, warned the elderly and medically vulnerable to avoid large crowds and long trips or cruises and Surgeon General Jerome Adams told the public to be prepared for more cases and deaths. (Pettypiece, Jackson and Alba, 3/8)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Trump Defends Administration's Coronavirus Approach In Atlanta Visit
President Donald Trump almost didn't make the trip to Atlanta to address his administration's response to the coronavirus. But when he arrived at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's main Atlanta campus, he didn't seem to want to leave. After initially scrapping the trip, the president gave an extended press conference at a lab in the CDC facility where he boasted about the agency's "fantastic work" and declared the nation ready for an outbreak that's shocked the U.S. economy and tested its health care infrastructure. (Bluestein, 3/6)

The New York Times: For Trump, Coronavirus Proves To Be An Enemy He Can't Tweet Away
Defending against criticism of his handling of the coronavirus, President Trump suggested the other day that he could hardly have been expected to be ready for such an unexpected crisis. "Who would have thought?" he asked during a visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the nerve center for the government's response to the outbreak. "Who would have thought we would even be having the subject?" (Baker, 3/8)

Politico: In Crisis, Trump Team Sees A Chance To Achieve Long-Sought Goals
In the depths of the 2008 economic downturn, incoming White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel uttered one of those controversial but honest lines that shook Washington: "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste." Now, facing another emerging crisis, the Trump White House appears to agree. President Donald Trump and his team are talking up the opportunity to finally achieve stricter border security, wider tax cuts and reduced reliance on Chinese manufacturing amid the spread of the coronavirus throughout the U.S. Some officials see it as a narrow opening to offset the political damage from the coronavirus outbreak and deliver — or at least, talk about — some of the president's longstanding promises. (Cook, 3/9)

The Hill: Trump: 'Fake News Media Is Doing Everything Possible To Make Us Look Bad' On Coronavirus Response
President Trump in an early morning tweet on Sunday accused the "Fake News Media" of attempting to "make us look bad" on the administration's coronavirus response. The president called the White House's plan to combat the growing outbreak in the U.S. "perfectly coordinated and fine tuned." "We moved VERY early to close borders to certain areas, which was a Godsend," he tweeted. "V.P. is doing a great job. The Fake News Media is doing everything possible to make us look bad. Sad!" (Coleman, 3/8)

9. Trump Once Blamed Vaccines For Autism, But Now In Face Of Coronavirus Outbreak He's Changed His Tune

President Donald Trump in the past has been an outspoken vaccine skeptic who has bragged about not getting a flu shot. Now, he's looking at it as a solution to the overwhelming crisis on his hands. Meanwhile, even if scientists develop a vaccine, they have to continuously out-think an ever evolving virus.

The New York Times: President Trump On Vaccines: From Skeptic To Cheerleader
President Trump has been promising the imminent arrival of a vaccine to halt the spread of the coronavirus, the novel germ that has sickened more than 100,000 people worldwide, killed more than 3,400 and is now spreading in the United States. Federal health officials have repeatedly pointed out that his timetable is off — that it will take at least a year — but his single-minded focus on warp-speed production of a new vaccine represents a striking philosophical shift. For years, Mr. Trump was an extreme vaccine skeptic who not only blamed childhood immunizations for autism — a position that scientists have forcefully repudiated — but once boasted he had never had a flu shot. (Hoffman, 3/9)

The CT Mirror: After The Outcry, A Search For Accommodation On Vaccines
In the polarized battle over vaccines, Gov. Ned Lamont thought he'd found common ground with Trisha Connelly, one of the mothers who laid siege to the Legislative Office Building last month, staying overnight to testify against legislation that would bar unvaccinated children from school in September. When Connelly first approached Lamont at a public event Feb. 26 at Eastern Connecticut State University, it seemed like she was asking the governor to back less restrictive rules for medical exemptions to vaccines. (Pazniokas, 3/9)

Stat: To Develop A Coronavirus Vaccine, Synthetic Biologists Try To Outdo Nature
Even as companies rush to develop and test vaccines against the new coronavirus, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Institutes of Health are betting that scientists can do even better than what's now in the pipeline. If, as seems quite possible, the Covid-19 virus becomes a permanent part of the world's microbial menagerie rather than being eradicated like the earlier SARS coronavirus, next-gen approaches will be needed to address shortcomings of even the most cutting-edge vaccines: They take years to develop and manufacture, they become obsolete if the virus evolves, and the immune response they produce is often weak. (Begley, 3/9)

10. Perpetually Under-Staffed Nursing Homes Across Country Brace For Virus That Hits Elderly Population Hard

As witnessed in a Washington state facility that's seen the majority of U.S. deaths, nursing homes are particularly vulnerable already to viruses. In particular, the coronavirus has an outsized effect on older patients. Experts, health staff, and loved ones are all worried about what that can mean for nursing homes across the country. Meanwhile, Washington state officials are considering taking over the facility at the center of the Seattle-area outbreak.

The Associated Press: Nursing Homes Face Unique Challenge With Coronavirus
From Miami to Seattle, nursing homes and other facilities for the elderly are stockpiling masks and thermometers, preparing for staff shortages and screening visitors to protect a particularly vulnerable population from the coronavirus. In China, where the outbreak began, the disease has been substantially deadlier for the elderly. In Italy, the epicenter of the virus outbreak in Europe, the more than 100 people who died were either elderly, sick with other complications, or both. (Kennedy and Gomez Licon, 3/8)

The Wall Street Journal: Nursing Homes Brace For Coronavirus Outbreak Amid Staffing Concerns
Nursing homes across the country are bracing themselves for further spread of the new coronavirus amid worries over shortages of staff to care for their vulnerable elderly residents. The risks were highlighted when a facility in Kirkland, Wash., emerged as the site of some of the earliest U.S. cases of infection and deaths linked to the virus. World-wide, many of those who have died from the virus are elderly. (Hayashi, 3/6)

The New York Times: How To Help Protect A Family Member In A Nursing Home
More than 10 people in the United States have died and over 200 have been sickened after contracting the coronavirus that continues to spread around the globe. The deaths have occurred in California and Washington State, including several residents at a nursing facility in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland. The death toll at a facility with a population vulnerable to disease and infection, and indications that the virus was spreading for weeks, raises difficult questions: Are nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the United States prepared for a serious public health threat? If you have a loved one in a facility, should you be concerned about their health and safety? And what, if anything, can you do? (Ortiz, 3/6)

The Wall Street Journal: Nursing Home At Center Of Washington Coronavirus Outbreak Target Of Criticism
Washington state officials are considering taking over a nursing home tied to 10 deaths in the Covid-19 outbreak after the facility's owners drew criticism from local officials and families for spotty and at times chaotic dissemination of information. At one point, a woman whose mother died at the facility this week of still-unknown causes said she was later contacted by a nursing-home staffer to say her mother was alive and well. Federally deployed doctors and nurses are expected to begin helping staff at the Life Care Center of Kirkland nursing home this weekend, augmenting an in-house staff that has been reduced by quarantines. (Koh, Kamp and Evans, 3/7)

The Wall Street Journal: Nursing Home In Washington State Calls For More Help In Coronavirus Outbreak
The Seattle-area nursing home at the epicenter of a fatal coronavirus outbreak called for more aid, as a federally deployed medical team arrived and deaths linked to the facility increased. Deaths tied to the outbreak at the Life Care Center of Kirkland, in Washington, increased to 14 Saturday, Public Health Seattle & King County reported. At least 19 people have died nationwide. The nursing home, which has faced criticism from public-health officials and residents' families, received some test kits to be used for residents and extra medical staff in recent days, but it needs more, Tim Killian, a facility spokesman, said at a briefing Saturday. (Evans and Kamp, 3/7)

The Washington Post: 'Germ-Fest' Party Preceded Deadly Nursing Home Outbreak
In the days before the Life Care Center nursing home became ground zero for coronavirus deaths in the U.S., there were few signs it was girding against an illness spreading rapidly around the world. Visitors came in as they always did, sometimes without signing in. Staffers had only recently begun wearing face masks, but the frail residents and those who came to see them were not asked to do so. And organized events went on as planned, including a purple-and-gold-festooned Mardi Gras party last week, where dozens of residents and visitors packed into a common room, passed plates of sausage, rice and king cake, and sang as a Dixieland band played "When the Saints Go Marching In." (Condon and Johnson, 3/6)

Modern Healthcare: Coronavirus Exposes Lax Practices For Infection Control
As coronavirus continues to spread across the U.S., experts say the outbreak is revealing the healthcare industry inability to control infections at its own facilities or protect employees. Twelve people have died from the virus as of Thursday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with nine linked to an outbreak within a single nursing home in suburban Seattle. On Wednesday, California reported its first COVID-19 death involving a patient who was being treated at a hospital near Sacramento, according to reports. (Johnson, 3/6)

11. The Show Goes On: Despite Warnings, High-Profile Closures, 2020 Hopefuls Persist With Campaigning

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said "in the best of all possible worlds" the three candidates should probably limit their travel and avoid crowds, "but right now, we're running as hard as we can." Vice President Joe Biden's team said the candidate will follow guidance from government officials, but there are no changes planned to his schedule. Meanwhile, election officials try to ensure a safe environment for primary voters.

The Associated Press: Despite Virus Risk, 2020 Hopefuls Keep Up Campaigns For Now
As the coronavirus hits more states, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders said Sunday his campaign is gauging when it may become necessary to cancel the large campaign rallies that public health experts say could be breeding grounds to spread the potentially deadly illness. "Obviously what is most important to us is to protect the health of the American people," Sanders said as he appeared in a series of TV interviews. "And what I will tell you, we are talking to public health officials all over this country." (3/8)

Politico: Sanders Doesn't Plan To Limit Rallies Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
He cited his three rallies on Saturday and said he's holding two more Sunday. "I've been working really, really hard," he said. "Look, this is the most consequential election in the modern history of the United States of America. Trump, in my view, is a president who is a liar, who is running a corrupt administration, who does not understand the Constitution of the United States, who thinks he's above the law. He has to be beaten." Sanders is 78, Biden is 77 and Trump 73. (Guida, 3/8)

The New York Times: Voting In The Time Of Coronavirus: Gloves, Rumors And Disinfectant
Elections are complicated events, involving massive amounts of paperwork, thorny issues of law and a widely scattered cast of poll workers and ballot counters. In Washington State, which is holding its 2020 primary on Tuesday, there is another matter that officials are having to consider this year. "How long does coronavirus last in saliva that is on an envelope?" asked Kim Wyman, the secretary of state in Washington, the state hardest hit by the virus so far. (Johnson and Robertson, 3/9)

12. In An Abundance Of Caution, 2 Members Of Congress To Self-Quarantine After Contact With Coronavirus Patient

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) said they are taking the precautions after crossing paths with the patient at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Some were worried that President Donald Trump, who attended the event, may have been exposed to the virus.

The Associated Press: 2 Members Of Congress Say They Met Man With Coronavirus
Two members of Congress, Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Paul Gosar, say they are isolating themselves after determining they had contact at a political conference in suburban Washington with a man who has tested positive for coronavirus. Cruz, R-Texas, said Sunday he had brief contact with the man at the Conservative Political Action Conference nearly two weeks ago and would spend the next few days at his home in Texas until a full 14 days had passed since their interaction. (3/9)

CBS News: Coronavirus News: Senator Ted Cruz "Briefly Interacted" With Person Who Tested Positive For COVID-19
Cruz, R-Texas, said Sunday he had brief contact with the person at the Conservative Political Action Conference nearly two weeks ago and would spend the next few days at his home in Texas until a full 14 days had passed since their interaction. Gosar, R-Ariz., said he had made contact with the person at CPAC and that he and three members of his senior staff were under self-quarantine. His office will be closed for the week, Gosar said in a tweet Sunday. (3/9)

The Wall Street Journal: Ted Cruz Isolates Himself After Potential Coronavirus Exposure
"I'm not experiencing any symptoms, and I feel fine and healthy," Mr. Cruz said in a statement. "Given that the interaction was 10 days ago, that the average incubation period is 5-6 days, that the interaction was for less than a minute, and that I have no current symptoms, the medical authorities have advised me that the odds of transmission from the other individual to me were extremely low." (Hughes, 3/8)

The Hill: Paul Gosar Says He's Under 'Self-Quarantine' After Interacting With Person At CPAC Who Now Has Coronavirus
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) said he and several of members of his senior staff are "officially under self-quarantine" after sustaining contact with a person at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) who has since been hospitalized with the novel form of coronavirus, or COVID-19. "I am announcing that I, along with 3 of my senior staff, are officially under self-quarantine after sustained contact at CPAC with a person who has since been hospitalized with the Wuhan Virus," he tweeted Sunday, referring to the disease after its place of origin, the Wuhan, China. (Folley, 3/8)

The New York Times: CPAC Attendee Has The Coronavirus, Officials Say
An attendee of a conservative conference where President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence spoke last week has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the event's organizer. The organizer, the American Conservative Union, which hosts the annual Conservative Political Action Conference outside Washington, D.C., said the attendee was exposed to the virus before the four-day event and tested positive for it on Saturday. (Levenson, 3/8)

The Washington Post: Coronavirus Case At CPAC Brings Outbreak Closer To Trump, Threatening To Upend His Routine Amid Reelection Bid
The handshake at CPAC put Trump just two degrees of separation away from the virus that he has sought to minimize as it has rocked financial markets and tested his leadership skills. While the White House has maintained that Trump was never in direct contact with the infected person and does not have any symptoms, the potential close call at a political event underscores how the outbreak threatens to upend the president's routine as he campaigns for reelection. (Olorunnipa, Dawsey and Eilperin, 3/8)

Politico: Coronavirus Hits Capitol Hill As 2 GOP Lawmakers 'Self-Quarantine'
Congressional leadership offices said there has been no change in the congressional schedule at this point, although numerous lawmakers are contacting party leaders with questions, concerns and suggestions for responding to the growing crisis. And with many lawmakers in the most endangered category for coronavirus exposure — individuals over age 60 who travel or attend public events — Congress may have a uniquely difficult time responding to the situation. (Dugyala and Bresnahan, 3/8)

WBUR: Capitol Hill Installs Precautions, Contingency Plans For Coronavirus Outbreak
There are fewer handshakes. Purell hand sanitizer dispensers are posted outside the Senate and House chambers. Staffers are preparing plans to work remotely if there's a sudden closure. Welcome to a post-coronavirus world for the U.S. Capitol as it weighs developments from the spreading outbreak against its daily operations. (Grisales, 3/8)

Elsewhere on Capitol Hill —

The Associated Press: Pelosi, Schumer: Trump Needs To Support Help For Outbreak
The two top Democratic leaders in Congress are calling on President Donald Trump to support a series of steps to help Americans deal with the coronavirus outbreak — from paid sick leave to widespread and free testing and other moves. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Sunday that Trump should put the health and safety of the public first and such steps should take priority over moves to help companies deal with financial losses — like tax cuts for corporations. (3/8)

The Hill: Schumer, Gillibrand Call For Less Federal Restrictions On Coronavirus Testing In New York
New York's Senate delegation consisting of Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) called on the federal government to work with state officials to allow coronavirus testing at more New York facilities. In a letter to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials, Schumer and Gillibrand also urged federal officials to approve the use of automated testing, which they said was among the steps necessary to stay ahead of the needs of New York's population. (Bowden, 3/8)

13. Worry Mounts For Health Workers On The Front Line As Outbreak Spreads

"It's just not sustainable to think that every time a health care worker is exposed they have to be quarantined for 14 days. We'd run out of health care workers," said Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. But many are worried that the very people who will be working round-the-clock to help coronavirus patients are among the most vulnerable population for becoming infected. Experts are also worried about airport screeners.

Modern Healthcare: Healthcare Workers Concerned For Safety As Coronavirus Cases Rise
Healthcare workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus outbreak are urging hospitals to work with them to reduce the risk of infections among employees as a way to ensure there are enough staffer to care for patients. A total of 14 people in the U.S. have died from COVID-19 as of Friday, according to reports. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports more than 200 coronavirus cases have been reported across 19 states. (Johnson, 3/6)

Kaiser Health News: Surging Health Care Worker Quarantines Raise Concerns As Coronavirus Spreads
As the U.S. battles to limit the spread of the highly contagious new coronavirus, the number of health care workers ordered to self-quarantine because of potential exposure to an infected patient is rising at an exponential pace. In Vacaville, California, alone, one case — the first documented instance of community transmission in the U.S. — left more than 200 hospital workers under quarantine and unable to work for weeks. Across California, dozens more health care workers have been ordered home because of possible contagion in response to more than 80 confirmed cases as of Sunday afternoon. (Gold, 3/9)

Reuters: Top U.S. Congressional Democrats Urge Worker Protections During Coronavirus Outbreak
The two top U.S. congressional Democrats urged President Donald Trump on Sunday to act quicker to protect workers affected by the deadly coronavirus, including free testing for the virus and paid sick leave for those under quarantine orders or caring for children kept home by school closures. "President Trump continues to manufacture needless chaos within his administration and it is hampering the government's response to the coronavirus outbreak," House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement. (3/8)

Reuters: U.S. Airport Screeners, Health Workers Plagued By Fear And Anger As Coronavirus Spreads
As coronavirus cases exploded across the world, federal medical workers tasked with screening incoming passengers at U.S. airports grew alarmed: Many were working without the most effective masks to protect them from getting sick themselves. Screeners with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked their supervisors this week to change official protocols and require stronger masks, according to an internal document reviewed by Reuters. (3/8)

14. The Fatality Rate Is Key To Addressing An Epidemic. But It's Also Hard To Get An Accurate Count In Middle Of Crisis.

While WHO placed the coronavirus fatality rate at 3.4%, many experts think it's much lower, closer to 1%. The problem is that it's hard to get an accurate tally, especially with a virus like COVID-19 where many patients present with just a mild cough. In other news: a look at how the most severe cases in China were treated; the perils of touching your face; comparisons to the 1918 flu pandemic; and more.

The New York Times: How Deadly Is Coronavirus? What We Know And What We Don't
"I think the 3.4 percent number is really a false number," Mr. Trump said in a Fox News interview. "Now, this is just my hunch, but based on a lot of conversations," he added, "I'd say the number is way under 1 percent." By definition, the case fatality rate is the number of deaths divided by the total number of confirmed cases, which appears to be what the W.H.O. did to arrive at its rate. Is 3.4 percent a misleading number? We spoke to a number of experts in epidemiology, and they all agreed that 1 percent was probably more realistic (the W.H.O. has also said the number would probably fall). But they also said evidence about the spread and severity of the disease was still too new and spotty to know for sure. (Bui, Sanger-Katz and Kliff, 3/7)

The Washington Post: U.S. Coronavirus Fatality Rate Could Be Lower Than Global Rate So Far
The question everyone is asking: Just how deadly is the novel coronavirus? As it spreads across the planet, researchers are desperate to understand the contagiousness and lethality of covid-19, a respiratory disease that has killed more than 3,400 people. Evidence is mounting that the disease is most likely to result in serious illness or death among the elderly and people with existing health problems. It has little effect on most children, for reasons unknown. (Achenbach and Werner, 3/6)

Los Angeles Times: Why Does The Fatality Rate For The New Coronavirus Keep Changing?
If 100 people become infected with the new coronavirus from China, how many will die? For weeks, it seemed that the answer was 2. Perhaps a little more, perhaps a little less. The calculation was made by comparing the total number of people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 to the number of people who died of it. As both of those numbers grew, the ratio was bound to shift. (Lin, 3/7)

The Wall Street Journal: How Many People Will Get Sick From The Coronavirus? Epidemiologists Model Answers
The coronavirus has so far infected more than 100,000 people around the world and killed almost 3,500 as of Friday. The question that scientists are scrambling to figure out is how far and fast it will spread and how deadly it could become. Hundreds of teams of epidemiologists, mathematicians and statisticians are scouring for data, dialing into conference calls and communicating on Slack channels to share information about the disease. They are pumping reams of data into computer models to refine predictions. The answers they generate will enable governments to better formulate policies to slow it down and let hospitals prepare for who might be coming through their doors—and when. (Belkin, 3/7)

The Washington Post: Coronavirus Continues Its Rapid Spread, Confounding Efforts By Global Leaders
Efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak showed signs of faltering during the weekend, as Washington, D.C., confirmed its first case Saturday, and Italian leaders announced a plan early Sunday to lock down an entire region including Venice and Milan after reporting 1,000 new cases in 24 hours. The virus's exact reach remains unknown. Late Saturday, the American Conservative Union announced an individual who attended the Conservative Political Action Conference less than two weeks ago had tested positive. President Trump, Vice President Pence and a number of other top White House officials had appeared at the four-day event in Maryland. (Itkowitz, Parker and Kim, 3/7)

ABC News: Early Mortality Rates For COVID-19 Are Likely Misleading, Experts Say
It's possible that COVID-19 isn't as fatal as most people think. And stockpiling hand sanitizer and masks could hurt people who are truly at risk: the elderly and those with weak immune systems. "Kids and adults have done extremely well in terms of recovery so far," said Dr. Jeremy Faust, an emergency medicine doctor at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "It's so critical that we do not waste resources among the young and healthy and that we really focus on the areas where this might really get out of control." (Amin, 3/9)

Stat: At Harvard Forum, Experts Warn Of 'Most Daunting Virus' In 50 Years
For a veteran epidemiologist, an authority on homeland security, and a global health reporter, the outbreak of the novel coronavirus is the type of emergency they had long anticipated. But now that it is here, the three experts said Friday, they still couldn't help but feel the monumentality of what they were watching unfold. "It's the most daunting virus that we've contended with in half a century or more," Michael Mina, an epidemiologist at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said at a panel discussion Friday at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. (Joseph, 3/7)

The Washington Post: ICU Patients With Coronavirus And Pneumonia Treated In Wuhan, China
The report is highly valuable, say clinicians in the United States and Europe, because it details the course of the disease in critically ill patients — that small but worrisome subset who end up in ICUs. The patients were treated at Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan, China, during the first month of the epidemic, from the end of December through January. The authors tracked the constellation of life-threatening symptoms, what drugs patients were given to try to combat the infection's assault on the lungs, how supplemental oxygen was administered, and the outcomes — whether patients survived or died in the ICU. (Booth, 3/7)

Stat: How Face-Touching Can Spread Viruses — And Why You Can't Help Yourself
With the outbreak of Covid-19, health care professionals are urging people to regularly refrain from touching their face. Is that too much to ask? There's no question it's easier said than done. According to a 2015 study in the American Journal of Infection Control, people touch their faces more than 20 times an hour on average. About 44 percent of the time, it involves contact with the eyes, nose, or mouth. (Zia, 3/9)

Bloomberg: Should You Wear Mask To Guard From Coronavirus? Experts Say This
Public health officials have been clear about it: There's no need for healthy people to go around wearing face masks to protect themselves from the novel coronavirus. That hasn't stopped a run on supplies, which has led to a shortage of face masks for medical personnel coping with the epidemic, who do need them. That news, in turn, has led many people to wonder why a mask that's vital for protecting a nurse or a doctor wouldn't help them too. Here's what's behind the confusion. (Lauerman, 3/6)

The New York Times: In 1918, It Wasn't The Coronavirus. It Was The Flu.
A virus makes its way around the globe causing sickness, death, and spreading panic. Avoid crowds, the public is advised. Wash your hands. Avoid spitting in public. "Are you following this coronavirus thing?" asked Robert Hicks, former director of the Mütter Museum, as he took a seat in an office tucked behind the rooms of antique display cases of anatomical specimens. "Some striking similarities to 1918." (Eblen, 3/8)

CBS News: The 1918 Flu Pandemic, A Cautionary Tale
If the outbreak of COVID-19 has a bullseye in the U.S., it's Washington State. Schools and universities closed, a gauge of alarm here. Seen in Seattle: a lot of masks. But not for the first time. Substitute Spanish flu for coronavirus, 1918 for 2020, and the headlines look familiar. Seattle seized by the Godzilla of modern pandemics. The 1918 flu killed 675,000 Americans; 50-100 million people died worldwide. "That's equivalent to 225 to 450 million people today," said John Barry, who wrote a history of the 1918 flu and is on the adjunct faculty of Tulane University. (3/8)

KQED: The 'Disease Detectives' Tracing The Spread Of The Coronavirus
The first known case of community-contracted Covid-19 in the United States was in Solano County last month. When someone does show symptoms, public health officials go through a lengthy process to figure out who they've had contact with. It's something these epidemiologists have trained for. But the sheer scale of this outbreak is what's new. Dr. Bela Matyas is one of these people tracing the path of the new coronavirus from Solano County. (Katayama, Venton, Guevarra and Montecillo, 3/9)

Boston Globe: What Exactly Is Self-Quarantine, Anyway?
A New Hampshire man who'd recently returned from Italy and had symptoms of the coronavirus had been told to quarantine himself, but instead attended an event on Feb. 28 at the Engine Room in White River Junction, Vt. A few days later, he tested positive for Covid-19 and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services issued an official order of isolation. (Greenberg, 3/6)

15. In Good Times Cost-Sharing Is Supposed To Encourage Smart Choices. During An Epidemic It Can Discourage Care.

When people have yet to meet their deductibles, the cost of getting tested during an epidemic could be discouraging. In other economic news linked to the coronavirus: how to keep calm when markets tumble; lost benefits for sick workers; the ripple effect of the outbreak; and more.

The New York Times: Coronavirus Highlights The Pitfalls Of Health Deductibles
Much of the care provided in the United States is unnecessary or too expensive. Cost sharing is one way to try to push patients to be more thoughtful consumers of medical care. The blunt way we use it, however, often does more harm than good. Cost sharing is a blanket term for things like deductibles, co-payments and co-insurance. If patients are spending money "out-of-pocket" — their own money — they might think harder about whether care is worth it. (Carroll, 3/9)

The Wall Street Journal: How To Keep Calm As Coronavirus Fears Turn Into Market Panic
Markets are usually driven by greed or fear. On mercifully rare occasions, they are driven by outright panic. Monday's price movements as Asian markets opened were one such occasion. The 30-year U.S. Treasury yield fell by around 0.4 percentage points as markets opened, which would be its third-largest single-day move in 35 years, surpassing the 0.35 point drop on Friday. The two days with larger declines were October 20, 1987, the day after the Black Monday crash, and November 20 2008, during one of the worst weeks in U.S. financial market history. (Bird, 3/9)

San Francisco Chronicle: California Employees Sidelined By Coronavirus May Get These Benefits
California employees who lose work because of the coronavirus may be eligible for a range of benefits including paid sick leave, paid family leave, unemployment insurance and state disability insurance. To inform employees and employers of their rights and responsibilities, the California Department of Industrial Relations and Employment Development Department have issued FAQs related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, for programs they administer. These benefits are generally available only to employees, not independent contractors. (Pender, 3/6)

Politico: America's Workers Face An Outbreak Of Uncertainty
Americans are going home — and creating an economic train wreck. The coronavirus outbreak has U.S. companies starting to shutter offices and send workers home through layoffs, furloughs or directives to telecommute until health risks from the spreading virus recede. (Noah, 3/9)

The Wall Street Journal: Can You Play Games With No Fans? Sports Brace For The Coronavirus Impact
The impact of coronavirus on the U.S. sports world switched from theory to reality late Sunday when organizers of a high-profile international tennis tournament in Indian Wells, Calif., said they would not hold this year's event because of a declared public health emergency in Riverside County, Calif. The sudden cancellation of the BNP Paribas Open, which was scheduled to begin on Monday, was the start of a week that could bring severe disruptions to the sports calendar as the U.S. considers more aggressive measures to mitigate the effects of the virus. (Cohen and Radnofsky, 3/8)

The New York Times: Coronavirus Puts A Wrinkle In Wedding Industry
JoAnn Gregoli, a 30-year veteran of wedding and event planning, has advice for couples with weddings on the horizon: don't cancel because of the coronavirus, but instead, postpone. "I've gone through the swine flu in Mexico, I've gone through the avian flu — this is uncharted waters," Ms. Gregoli said. With worldwide cases now surpassing 100,000, the New York-based planner has seen the panic begin to set in for wedding industry professionals whose businesses rely on dresses manufactured in China, or flights to destination ceremonies and honeymoons, or even organizing large groups of people. (Halleck, 3/6)

NPR: Where The U.S. Coronavirus Emergency Funding Is Headed
The coronavirus funding bill signed into law by the president Friday puts much more money toward treating and preventing the spread of COVID-19 than his administration requested from Congress last week. The Trump administration's initial request — in the form of a two-page letter to Congress on Feb. 24 — was for $1.25 billion in new funds, with additional money moved from other parts of the federal budget to get to a total of $2.5 billion. The amount authorized Friday is more than three times that. (Simmons-Duffin, 3/6)

The Washington Post: Health Agencies' Funding Cuts Challenge Coronavirus Response
Karen Koenemann wakes up at dawn, rubs the sleep out of her eyes and immediately starts tapping away on her iPhone from her bed. The anxious emails that began to sprinkle in a few weeks ago are now a daily deluge for the public health director for Pitkin County, Colo. Since the coronavirus reached U.S. soil, thousands of local health officials across the country have been working nonstop and scrambling to prepare. Pitkin County has not had a case, at least not yet, but Koenemann has helped businesses decide whether to cancel conferences, walked leaders through potential school closures, pored over response plans with the hospital in the county seat of Aspen. And it is exhausting. (Hawkins and Wan, 3/8)

16. Coronavirus Funding Bill Expands Medicare Telemedicine Options That May Last Far Longer Than Outbreak

In an effort to fight the coronavirus, Medicare is expanding its telemedicine options for seniors. But the outbreak could pave the way for broader acceptance of technology within the program.

The Associated Press: As Coronavirus Spreads, Medicare Gets Telemedicine Option
The coronavirus legislation signed by President Donald Trump on Friday would let Medicare expand the use of telemedicine in outbreak areas, potentially reducing infection risks for vulnerable seniors. Coverage of telemedicine is now limited primarily to residents of rural areas facing long road trips for treatment from specialists. The bill would allow the government to waive those restrictions to help deal with the public health emergency created by the coronavirus outbreak. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 3/6)

Modern Healthcare: New Telemedicine Strategies Help Hospitals Address COVID-19
When the first U.S. patient with COVID-19 sought medical care at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett (Wash.) in February, there were a host of concerns: providing high-quality care, keeping up-to-date on emerging information and reducing other patients' exposure to the virus, not to mention minimizing exposure among the hospital's own medical staff. Infection control is an area where telemedicine carts proved essential. The carts allowed workers roll video cameras and other telemedicine equipment into a patient's room so a physician could check in without physically being at the bedside. (Cohen, 3/6)

In other news on technology and the coronavirus —

Los Angeles Times: Coronavirus Means We Must Telecommute. We're Not Ready
On Thursday morning, as the number of new coronavirus cases in California climbed, crates of telecommunications equipment and prefabricated sound isolation booths started arriving at the Playa Vista headquarters of ICANN, the organization tasked with overseeing the deepest levels of the internet. ICANN, which stands for Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, was originally set to hold its March meeting in Cancún, where policy and tech wonks from around the world would convene to hammer out the minutiae of global internet governance. (Dean, 3/6)

The New York Times: Surge Of Virus Misinformation Stumps Facebook And Twitter
First, there were conspiratorial whispers on social media that the coronavirus had been cooked up in a secret government lab in China. Then there were bogus medicines: gels, liquids and powders that immunized against the virus. And then there were the false claims about governments and celebrities and racial unrest. Taiwan was covering up virus deaths, and the illness was spiraling out of control. Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder who now runs a philanthropic organization, was behind the spread of the virus. Italians were marching in the streets, accusing Chinese people of bringing the illness to their country. None of it was true. (Frenkel, Alba and Zhong, 3/8)

17. New York State Surpasses 100 Coronavirus Cases; D.C. Confirms First Patient; More States Declare Emergencies

A look at how states are working to contain the outbreak as their cases numbers climb.

The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Cases In New York State Rise To 105
The number of people across New York infected with coronavirus was 105, based on state and city tallies Sunday, as residents prepared for a new workweek full of caution about personal contact and staying home if they notice any concerning symptoms. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the new tally was up from 89 Saturday. He renewed his call for the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to approve automated testing for Covid-19—the disease caused by the virus—by private laboratories, including the Northwell Health site he used as a backdrop for a news conference. (Brody, 3/8)

The New York Times: Coronavirus In N.Y.C.: Disease Detectives
In just over a week, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in New York State has jumped to at least 106, with about 4,000 people being isolated in their homes as a precaution. And yesterday, Scarsdale, a suburb in Westchester County, shut its public schools until March 18 after a faculty member tested positive. Columbia University shut classes for two days. (Paybarah, 3/9)

The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Outbreak Stymies New York Budget Debate
Health-care providers had planned a major trip to the State Capitol on Wednesday to push lawmakers about why they shouldn't reduce Medicaid spending by $2.5 billion—a key issue in the state budget debate. But as the new coronavirus spread in New York, the gathering was canceled. The change shows how the coronavirus is crowding out public conversation on issues related to the state budget that is due April 1, at a time when lobbying in Albany normally reaches its crescendo. (Vielkind, 3/7)

The Baltimore Sun: Two More Positive Coronavirus Tests In Maryland, Including One In Harford County, Bring State's Total To Five
Two more Maryland residents tested positive for the novel coronavirus, bringing the state's total of confirmed cases to five, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Sunday. The two new patients are a Harford County woman in her 80s who is hospitalized and a Montgomery County man in his 60s who was "briefly hospitalized," according to a statement from Hogan's office. Both contracted the virus while traveling overseas, as did the three Montgomery County residents who were identified as having the coronavirus last week. (Wood, 3/8)

The Baltimore Sun: 'Never Seen Anything Like It': Maryland Shoppers Stock Up As The Coronavirus Spreads
Denise Cox knew she wanted to be prepared "just in case." The Highlandtown resident did all her COVID-19-related shopping a week ago at BJ's Wholesale Club in Canton. Saturday at Harris Teeter in Canton Crossing all she had to worry about was shopping for dinner. "I'm always prepared," she said as she retrieved a small bottle of hand sanitizer from her purse. She then rattled off her list of last week's purchases: four cases of bottled water, Clorox wipes, Lysol spray and bleach. "When I bought the bleach, corona was in my thoughts." (Williams IV, 3/9)

NPR: To Reduce Coronavirus Risk, U.S. Clergy Rethink Customs
Before she was the interim minister at the Central Christian Church of Austin, Janet Maykus was a chaplain in health care settings, a job that required training in infectious disease control. So when she heard reports of the coronavirus spreading in some U.S. communities, she knew it was time to overhaul religious practices at her church. Last Sunday, instead of offering Communion wine in a shared cup from which all congregants drink, Maykus' service did away with the wine altogether. Also gone for now is the practice of intinction, or dipping the consecrated bread or wafer in the wine. (Godoy and Farzan, 3/7)

The Associated Press: Officials Confirm First Coronavirus Case In Nation's Capital
A man in his 50s tested positive for coronavirus — the first presumptively confirmed case in the nation's capital — and another person who traveled through the city has also tested positive in Maryland, officials said. District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser said Saturday the man in the initial case started exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 in late February. He was admitted to a Washington hospital on Thursday and appeared to have no history of international travel and no close contacts to any other confirmed cases across the U.S., Bowser said. (Balsamo and Superville, 3/7)

CBS News: Rector Of Prominent Washington, D.C., Church Tests Positive For Coronavirus
The first person to test positive for coronavirus in Washington, D.C., is the prominent leader of a historic Episcopal church in Georgetown, the church said Sunday. The Reverend Timothy Cole, rector of Christ Church Georgetown, was diagnosed at the hospital Saturday night and is in stable condition, according to the Reverend Crystal Hardin, the assistant to the rector, who spoke at a press conference outside the church Sunday. (3/8)

The Washington Post: Maryland, Virginia, D.C. Coronavirus Cases: What You Need To Know
As the number of people confirmed to have the novel coronavirus climbs in Virginia, Maryland and the District, officials are trying to ease the confusion many residents feel about the spread of the virus and who should be tested. A story of a D.C. woman who had traveled through the Seoul airport and was unable to access a test for covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, circulated on social media over the weekend, drawing attention to testing criteria used in the District and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Portnoy, 3/8)

North Carolina Health News: NC Community Centers Prepare For COVID-19
As the state contends with its second coronavirus case, this one in Chatham County, North Carolina's community health centers are stepping up their outreach to some of the most vulnerable members of every community: the uninsured and medically fragile. By recent count, more than a million North Carolinians lacked health insurance. About a quarter of them — or just over 245,000 uninsured people — were seen at a community health center in 2018, according to the North Carolina Community Health Center Association. (Engel-Smith, 3/9)

CBS News: Senator Chris Murphy Says Government Has "No Concept Of The Scope" Of Coronavirus Spread
Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy lambasted the Trump administration for its handling of the coronavirus outbreak and said the federal government has "no concept" of the virus' spread due to a lack of extensive testing. Connecticut is one of the 33 states with confirmed cases of coronavirus, though Murphy believes there could be "hundreds if not thousands" of additional unknown cases in his home state. (Quinn, 3/8)

The CT Mirror: Wilton Resident Is State's First Confirmed Coronavirus Patient
A Wilton resident who traveled recently to California is the first Connecticut resident to be diagnosed with coronavirus, state officials said Sunday. The resident, a man who is 40 to 50 years old, is being treated at Danbury Hospital. The person "most likely became infected" with the virus during a recent trip to California, the governor's office said in a statement, and sought care shortly after returning to Connecticut. (Hamilton, 3/8)

The CT Mirror: Doctor Who Made Rounds At Bridgeport Hospital Has Tested Positive For COVID-19
A doctor who works in Connecticut and recently made rounds at Bridgeport Hospital has tested positive for the coronavirus, the governor announced Saturday. This is the second New York state resident who works in a Connecticut hospital to test positive for the virus, also known as COVID-19. State officials announced Friday night that an employee who works at both Danbury and Norwalk hospitals has tested positive for the coronavirus. (Carlesso, 3/7)

The Hill: Oregon Declares State Of Emergency Over Coronavirus Outbreak
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) declared a state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak as the number of confirmed cases in the state doubled to a total of 14, Brown announced Sunday. Brown authorized the state of emergency by verbal proclamation Saturday night around 8:14 p.m. and confirmed it in an executive order Sunday morning. (Klar, 3/8)

Idaho Statesman: Idaho Legislature Gives $2 Million Emergency Coronavirus Funds
The Idaho Legislature's budget committee has approved $2 million in emergency funding to help Idaho prepare and respond to a potential outbreak from the novel coronavirus. The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Friday approved Gov. Brad Little's request to transfer the money to his emergency fund for COVID-19, the coronavirus disease that began spreading in 2019. (Dutton, 3/6)

Georgia Health News: Confirmed Coronavirus Cases Now At 5 In Georgia
Georgia Public Health officials said Saturday that two new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the state — one in Fulton County and one in Cobb County. Testing on those two patients was done by the CDC prior to the Georgia Public Health Laboratory having the capacity to test for the coronavirus, known as COVID-19. That testing capability at the state lab started Thursday after weeks of delay when the CDC's initial test kits proved flawed. And state officials announced that the CDC has confirmed the positive test for the new coronavirus in a patient who was admitted to a Rome hospital this week. The original testing was done by the state lab, and the individual is hospitalized. (Miller, 3/7)

WBUR: Rhode Island Braces For Growing Number Of Coronavirus Cases
As Washington and California grapple with a number of coronavirus cases, Rhode Island has confirmed two people in the state have tested positive for COVID-19. Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo says there are 20 people who have been tested. One person diagnosed with the disease is recovering well at home, she says, while the other remains in the hospital. (Hobson, 3/6)

Bloomberg: Biogen Employees Test Positive For Covid-19 After Boston Meeting
Biogen Inc. said three employees have tested positive for the coronavirus after attending a meeting in Boston last week, while five others at the same meeting are presumed to have contracted the disease as state health officials await final confirmation. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based drugmaker said in a statement that a number of attendees reported varying degrees of flu-like symptoms after the meeting. (Lipschultz, Wu, and Gopal, 3/6)

Los Angeles Times: SXSW Is Canceled Due To Coronavirus... But For Some, It May Go On
Officials in the state capital declared a disaster late Friday due to fears of the coronavirus, essentially canceling the South by Southwest festival, but for some the show may still go on. Mayor Steve Adler declared the emergency shutdown Friday after consulting with local health officials concerned that the deadly illness could be spread to central Texas by attendees from the West Coast. (Hennessy-Fiske, 3/7)

Sacramento Bee: California Jails, Prisons On Alert For Coronavirus Spread
Hundreds of people confined to a single space every day. People — many with existing health problems — come and go, bringing untold illness and viruses inside. Scores of inmates and staff sharing chow halls and recreation yards, cell blocks and bathrooms.Jails and prisons are petri dishes. (Pohl, 3/6)

Sacramento Bee: Do CA Hospital Have Enough Supplies For Coronavirus Outbreak?
Emergency rooms would likely be swamped, overflowing into "surge tents" outside. Intensive care units might fill to capacity. Test kits and masks could run low. And medical personnel would almost certainly get overwhelmed. A coronavirus pandemic would strain California's ability to quickly and effectively contain the disease. Although the state has confirmed less than 100 cases and a single death from COVID-19, experts are worried the state's health care system couldn't keep up. (Sabalow, Kasler, Reese and Pohl, 3/7)

Sacramento Bee: Sacramento CA Schools Announce Coronavirus Exposure Link
At least two Sacramento City Unified schools announced to families and staff that school community members were potentially exposed to COVID-19 and were in self-quarantine. Both campuses had been deep cleaned. Community members at Leonardo da Vinci School and C.K. McClatchy High School were potentially exposed to the virus, according to statements sent out to families. (Morrar, 3/6)

San Francisco Chronicle: Coronavirus Testing Bottleneck Frustrates Bay Area Health Officials
Even with a flood of coronavirus testing kits that arrived in California this week, most parts of the state still don't have nearly enough resources to test everyone who needs it and determine how widespread the virus is, say public health officials and doctors. But relief may be on the way, with more public and private labs expected to come on line next week that could allow for testing of hundreds or even thousands of people a day in the Bay Area. (Allday and Ho, 3/6)

WBUR: Boston Homeless Shelters Taking Extra Steps To Prevent Coronavirus Spread
Homeless shelters are taking extra precautions to try to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. Pine Street Inn in Boston has hired an outside company to do deep sanitation — ramping up to have it done daily in addition to the normal shelter cleaning, according to Pine Street's president and executive director, Lyndia Downie. The organization has also installed portable hand-washing stations at its four shelters. (Joliocoeur, 3/6)

Detroit Free Press: If You Don't Follow Coronavirus Quarantine Orders, You Can Go To Jail
With the number of COVID-19 cases growing around the U.S. and the world, people who are suspected of having novel coronavirus and those with confirmed cases have been asked to self-quarantine, or isolate themselves at home for at least 14 days to avoid spreading the disease to others. But what happens if those people don't follow the advice of health officials? What if they decide to go to a party or the mall or out to dinner? (Shamus, 3/6)

Charlotte Gazette-Mail: WV Universities Focus On Coronavirus Prevention
Spring break is around the corner for many of West Virginia's colleges and universities, and as some students may be looking to travel abroad, administrators are preparing courses of action to prevent a potential spread of COVID-19 on campuses upon their return. So far in West Virginia, there have been no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, a respiratory illness spread from person-to-person contact. As of Saturday, West Virginia — through the Department of Health and Human Resources — is verified to test in state for the coronavirus instead of sending samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Coyne, 3/7)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Philly-Area Insurers Pledge Coronavirus Test Coverage
As the number of coronavirus cases in the United States grows and testing becomes more available, insurers and lawmakers are preparing for how to pay for testing without leaving patients with unexpected bills. Tests done by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state labs aren't being billed to patients. But as private labs, such as Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp, and academic medical centers begin offering tests developed by private partners, it's less clear who will foot the bill. (Gantz, 3/8)

18. China's Heavy-Handed Measures Seem To Be Working, But Can They Be Reproduced Outside A Communist Country?

China has a unique kind of control over its residents, taking authoritarian actions that seem to be having success against the outbreak. But in countries where the government has less power, will the measures work?

The New York Times: China May Be Beating The Coronavirus, At A Painful Cost
As the new coronavirus races around the world, tanking markets, cutting off global travel and suspending school for hundreds of millions of children, governments are desperate for ways to contain it. China, the place where it first appeared, says it has the answers. To the surprise of some, the country that concealed and mismanaged the initial outbreak appears to be bringing it under control, at least by its own official figures. The number of new cases reported has fallen dramatically in recent days even as infections are surging in other countries. The World Health Organization has praised Beijing's response. Officials reported only 99 new cases on Saturday, down from around 2,000 a day just weeks ago, and for the second day in a row, none were detected in Hubei Province outside of its capital, Wuhan, the center of the outbreak. (Qin, 3/8)

The Wall Street Journal: Democracy, Dictatorship, Disease: The West Takes Its Turn With Coronavirus
Western democracies confronting the spread of the novel coronavirus are facing a test with profound implications for their future: Will they fail where authoritarian China, which is touting itself as an alternative model for the world, is succeeding? Covid-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus, has already become the most consequential public-health crisis in generations, forcing lockdowns of entire regions, disrupting international travel and damaging the global economy—all of this just weeks since the disease has begun to spread outside China. (Trofimov, 3/8)

The Associated Press: China Turns To Propaganda To Right Image In Virus 'War'
As the rest of the world grapples with a burgeoning virus outbreak, China's ruling Communist Party has deployed its propaganda playbook to portray its leader as firmly in charge, leading an army of health workers in a "people's war" against the disease. The main evening news on state TV regularly shows President Xi Jinping and his underlings giving instructions on the outbreak or touring related facilities. Coverage then segues to doctors and nurses on the front lines, drawing on a tradition of upholding model workers and the importance of sacrifice on behalf of the people and the party. (Moritsugu, 3/9)

Meanwhile —

The New York Times: In Coronavirus Fight, China's Vulnerable Fall Through The Cracks
Lucifer Zhang, who is deaf and cannot speak, was able to get by on her $140 monthly stipend from the government. Then China locked down her home city, Wuhan, in late January to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Now she has to buy face masks and disinfectants. And since Wuhan residents aren't allowed out of their apartment compounds, Ms. Zhang, 32, and her mother, a retiree, can no longer scavenge the nearby markets for bargains. Groceries have to be ordered online and delivered, adding to prices that have already been driven up by scarcity. (Yuan, 3/9)

19. Global Watch: Italy's Unprecedented Lockdown; Global Cases Surge To 108,000; Outbreak Strains European Health Systems

Media outlets take a look at the global response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Washington Post: Italy Coronavirus Lockdown: Conte Government Restricts 16 Million
Italy on Sunday launched a complicated and urgent plan to restrict the movement of roughly 16 million people, a measure that unleashed confusion about how it could be enforced and whether it would be enough to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The plan to lock down large swaths of the north was the first major attempt by a democracy during the coronavirus crisis to radically halt the routines of daily life — an effort that will have significant impacts on civil liberties. But in the hours before and after the measure became law, people continued to stream out of the northern hubs of Milan and Venice on trains and planes for southern Italy or elsewhere in Europe. (Harlan and Pitrelli, 3/8)

The New York Times: Europe, With Eye On Italy Coronavirus Quarantine, Plans Next Moves
Italy's sweeping lockdown of its north reverberated through Europe on Sunday, fueling fears of similarly draconian measures from London to Berlin, as officials grappled with how to slow the rapid-fire spread of the coronavirus in several of the world's most open and democratic societies. No other European country has yet gone as far as hard-hit Italy. But with confirmed cases of the virus spiking to more than 1,000 in France and 900 in Germany, both countries moved to halt large public gatherings, as their leaders called emergency meetings to step up the response to the epidemic. (Landler, 3/9)

Reuters: Europe Told To Act Now As Coronavirus Locks Down North Italy And Markets Plunge
"We will not stop here," Conte told the daily La Repubblica. "We will use a massive shock therapy. To come out of this emergency we will use all human and economic resources." He said strict European Union borrowing limits should be loosened to allow more fiscal room for maneuver, and that the flexibility envisaged by the EU's budget rules should be used "in full". (Segreti and Pollina, 3/9)

CNN: COVID-19 Latest: Markets Tumble As Cases Grow In The US And Northern Italy Goes Into Lockdown
The number of cases of the novel coronavirus has risen to more than 108,000 globally, with at least 27,000 cases outside of China, as the economic trauma caused by the outbreak continues to impact global share markets... Markets tumbled overnight Sunday in the US, with Dow futures falling more than 1,000 points and the S&P 500 plunging as much as 5%, triggering a limit that prevents futures trading below that mark. The sell-off continued across Asia-Pacific, where both Australian and Japanese markets fell on Monday opening. (Griffiths, 3/9)

The Wall Street Journal: Confirmed Coronavirus Cases Outside China Tripled In Past Week
The world-wide death toll stood at 3,825—the bulk of it in China, especially in the central city of Wuhan, which first reported the pneumonia-causing virus in December. Italy has the second-highest number of deaths at 366, and the total number of confirmed infections in the Mediterranean country climbed to 7,375 over the weekend, almost catching up with South Korea's 7,478 cases. (Ping, 3/9)

The New York Times: Paid To Stay Home: Europe's Safety Net Could Ease Toll Of Coronavirus
Keeping your salary while caring for a quarantined child. Exercising the right to not work if you are afraid of getting ill. Sick-leave pay for up to six months. Europe is sometimes considered a home of overly generous social policies. But as countries around the world scramble to control the deadly coronavirus outbreak, some analysts say those social programs and protective labor rules could serve as a powerful vaccine against the virus's feared economic toll: recession. (Alderman, 3/7)

The Wall Street Journal: Growing Coronavirus Epidemic Is Straining Europe's Health-Care System
Doctors in European countries where the coronavirus has just begun to spread are warning that their health-care systems aren't prepared for an outbreak on the scale seen in China, South Korea or Italy. The Italian government on Sunday started to enforce a lockdown of some northern regions including the cities of Milan and Venice in a bid to curb contagion. Epidemiologists expect countries around Italy, the center of the outbreak in Europe, to reach similar levels of infections—in the thousands rather than the hundreds now—within weeks. (Pancevski, 3/8)

NBC News: 4 French MPs Hospitalized With Coronavirus; Large Public Gatherings Banned Nationwide
The French government banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people Sunday after three more people died and four members of the National Assembly were confirmed to have tested positive, authorities said.France last week banned gatherings of more than 5,000 people in confined spaces. The new restrictions expand the ban nationwide, Health Minister Olivier Véran said at a news conference, Reuters reported. (Johnson, 3/8)

Politico: France Bans Gatherings Of 1,000 People To Contain Coronavirus
The French government agreed to ban public events with 1,000 people or more as part of its efforts to stall the spread of the coronavirus, Health Minister Olivier Véran said Sunday. "All gatherings of more than 1,000 people are now prohibited," said Véran after a meeting of the national defense council. (Posaner, 3/8)

CNN: Global Coronavirus Cases Surpass 105,000
Announcing the new measures, Conte said: "There will be an obligation to avoid any movement of people who are either entering or leaving" the affected areas. "Even within the areas moving around will occur only for essential work or health reasons," he said, according to Reuters. (Regan, 3/8)

The Hill: US Walks Tightrope As Coronavirus Hits Adversaries
The spread of coronavirus around the globe is raising questions about how the United States should help its adversaries mitigate the disease. The Trump administration has sent a message to Iran, via the Swiss, offering to help with the disease, while also criticizing Tehran for suppressing information about its spread. Then there's North Korea. The hermit kingdom says it has seen no coronavirus cases, but news outlets with contacts on the ground report otherwise. (Kheel, 3/8)

Government Policy

20. Immigration Officials Set To Begin Taking DNA Samples From Migrants At Border For Federal Crime Database

News on immigration is also on comments made by HUD secretary Ben Carson about ''quite nice'' structures built at the border that could also be used for housing the homeless.

The Wall Street Journal: Trump Administration To Collect DNA From Immigrants Taken Into Custody
The Trump administration plans to begin taking DNA samples from migrants crossing the border or held in detention for use in a federal criminal database, a significant expansion of immigration laws that is certain to raise privacy concerns. The new rule, posted by the Justice Department on Friday and set to take effect in April, will require immigration officers to collect cheek swabs from what could amount to hundreds of thousands of unauthorized immigrants taken into federal custody each year, including migrants at the border and people asking for asylum. (Hackman, 3/6)

The Hill: Ben Carson Says Conditions For People Detained At The Border Are 'Quite Nice'
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson said in a soon-to-be-released episode of "Axios on HBO" that the conditions for people who are detained at the Mexico border are "quite nice." "A lot of the people who have been detained there have been put into sprung structures and tent cities are actually quite nice," Carson told Axios' Jonathan Swan. Axios released a preview of the piece that will air Sunday. (Johnson, 3/6)

Elections

21. Controversy Swirling Around His Brother's Health Care Dealings Could Be Pitfall For Joe Biden

Politico looks at allegations regarding James Biden's dealings in the health landscape. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump's campaign outlines its lines of attack against former Vice President Joe Biden.

Politico: James Biden's Healthcare Ventures Face A Growing Legal Morass
The Federal Bureau of Investigation raided a health care business linked to Joe Biden's brother in late January, seizing boxes of documents. The raid of an Americore Health hospital represented a deepening of the legal morass surrounding James Biden's recent venture into healthcare investing at a time when questions about the business dealings of Joe Biden's relatives, and their alleged connection to the former vice president's public service, continue to dog his presidential campaign. (Schreckinger, 3/9)

The Hill: Trump Campaign Attacks Biden On Trade, Health Care And Fitness For Office
President Trump's campaign on Sunday previewed the lines of attack it will take against former Vice President Joe Biden if he's the Democratic nominee, saying it will cast him as unfit for office while making the case that he's ideologically aligned with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the self-described democratic socialist... The Trump campaign also said Sunday that it would cast Biden's efforts to build on ObamaCare through a public option as tantamount to a government takeover of the health insurance industry. (Easley, 3/8)

Public Health And Education

22. 'I Want To Be An Ambassador Of Hope': Second Of Two Patients To Be Cured Of HIV Reveals His Identity

Known only as the "London Patient'' in scientific literature, Adam Castillejo wrestled going public when he was diagnosed free of HIV last March before finally deciding his story carried a powerful message of optimism.

The New York Times: The 'London Patient,' Cured Of H.I.V., Reveals His Identity
A year after the "London Patient" was introduced to the world as only the second person to be cured of H.I.V., he is stepping out of the shadows to reveal his identity: He is Adam Castillejo. Six feet tall and sturdy, with long, dark hair and an easy smile, Mr. Castillejo, 40, exudes good health and cheer. But his journey to the cure has been arduous and agonizing, involving nearly a decade of grueling treatments and moments of pure despair. He wrestled with whether and when to go public, given the attention and scrutiny that might follow. Ultimately, he said, he realized that his story carried a powerful message of optimism. "This is a unique position to be in, a unique and very humbling position," he said. "I want to be an ambassador of hope." (Mandavilli, 3/9)

The New York Times: The 'London Patient': Five Takeaways
Mr. Castillejo was found to have H.I.V. in 2003, when he was just 23. In the 1980s and '90s, a diagnosis of H.I.V. was seen as a death sentence, and that is how Mr. Castillejo received the news. "It was a very terrifying and traumatic experience to go through," he said. But as powerful antiretroviral drugs became available, he was able to keep his H.I.V. suppressed to undetectable levels and to live a healthy life, until 2011, when tests revealed he had cancer: Stage 4 lymphoma. (Mandavilli, 3/9)

23. Unsure If You Should Routinely Take Aspirin? Here's The Latest On What To Know About Health Benefits

The original wonder drug can be an important part of a daily medication routine for many people even though it has gotten plenty of bad publicity over the years for dangerous bleeding in the brain and gastrointestinal track, according to this New York Times story. More public health news is on warning labels on an asthma medication, autism, Juul's influence campaign, a CRISPR documentary, 3D housing for homeless, a rare recovery from childhood flu, and napping at work.

The New York Times: Aspirin, The Original Wonder Drug
Aspirin, the original wonder drug, has long been a go-to medicine for millions, a Jack-of-all trades remedy that is readily available and cheap. Championed for its ability to relieve pain, fever and inflammation, aspirin has been a staple in home medicine cabinets and first-aid kits for more than a century. Yet in recent years its reputation has been sullied by recognition of potentially serious side effects, especially dangerous bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract or the brain. Given aspirin's longevity and over-the-counter status, those risks are sometimes overlooked by consumers who take it with less care than is medically warranted. (Brody, 3/9)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: FDA Warns Singulair Asthma Meds Can Cause Suicidal Thoughts, Actions
The Food and Drug Administration announced this week boxes of montelukast will be required to have a prominent warning about the risk of neuropsychiatric events associated with the asthma and allergy medication montelukast. Montelukast is sold under the brand name Singulair and in generic form. The box warning "advises health care providers to avoid prescribing montelukast for patients with mild symptoms, particularly those with allergic rhinitis (hay fever)," the FDA said. (Clanton, 3/6)

The Associated Press: Juul Labs Sought To Court AGs As Teen Vaping Surged
It was a blunt warning about the dangers of youth vaping: Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announced late last month that his state had joined 38 others to investigate whether Juul Labs, the nation's largest electronic cigarette company, promoted and sold its nicotine-heavy products to teens. It was a moment Juul had worked to avoid. (3/9)

The Washington Post: CRISPR Gene Editing Examined In Human Nature Documentary
Should you be terrified or exhilarated at the prospect of a gene-editing tool fueling a modern-day scientific revolution? "Human Nature," a new film on the technology, braids the tool's promise and potential perils into a riveting double helix. The Dan Rather-produced doc, which was directed by Adam Bolt, focuses on CRISPR-Cas9, a technique that "programs" an enzyme to seek and find a specific position on DNA, then cut the molecule at the preferred location. Scientists can then add, delete or edit the DNA. (Blakemore, 3/8)

Kaiser Health News: Around The Corner: 3D Housing Designed For The Homeless And Needy Seniors
Tim Shea is counting the days until he can move into a new, 3D-printed house. Shea, 69, will be the first to live in one of six such rentals created by what some in the housing industry call a futuristic approach that could revolutionize home construction. Shea is among a growing number of seniors in America who have struggled to keep affordable housing. He has, at times, been homeless. He has arthritis and manages to get around with the aid of a walker. He said he looks forward to giving up the steep ramp he's had to negotiate when entering or exiting the RV he's called home. (Jayson, 3/9)

CNN: Iowa Girl Regains Eyesight After Losing Vision To Flu
An Iowa girl who lost her vision after almost dying from the flu has regained her eyesight, her mother said. Just weeks after leaving the hospital in January following her recovery from the flu, family members noticed that Jade DeLucia, 4, suddenly was walking by herself to the bathroom, without touching the walls. Testing it, family members asked her where her uncle was. Jade walked right to him."From there, it was almost an instant thing," Jade's mother, Amanda Phillips, told CNN. "She's doing really good." (Waldrop, 3/8)

CBS News: Napping – You Snooze, You Win!
CEO Brian Halligan admits it: He sleeps on the job. He typically takes naps in the afternoon after lunch, almost every day, for a half-hour. His naps even find a place on his calendar... But it may just be the most important half-hour of his day: "Some of my best ideas I've had are when I'm kind of falling in and falling out of sleep," he said. "And it's like that eureka! moment." (3/8)

State Watch

24. State Highlights: Oklahoma's Governor Takes Step To Expand Medicaid; Bill To Check Bottling Water Operations In Washington Is First To Fail

Media outlets report on news from Oklahoma, Washington, Michigan, Maine Texas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Kansas, and California.

The Oklahoman: Oklahoma Health Officials Begin Medicaid Expansion Process
The Stitt administration is moving forward with plans to expand Medicaid to cover more low-income Oklahomans on July 1. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority on Friday submitted paperwork to expand Medicaid to adults ages 19-64 whose income does not exceed 133% of the federal poverty level, which is $16,970 annually for an individual and $34,846 for a family of four. (Forman, 3/7)

Modern Healthcare: Oklahoma Governor Seeks Medicaid Expansion, Plans Block Grant Transition
The administration of Oklahoma's Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt has asked the CMS for approval to expand Medicaid to low-income adults under the Affordable Care Act as soon as July 1. Stitt told the Oklahoman newspaper Thursday that after submitting the state plan amendment, the state will follow up with the Trump administration to seek waivers to allow the state to impose premiums and work requirements on expansion enrollees under his proposed SoonerCare 2.0 plan. (Meyer, 3/6)

Stateline: Washington State Bottled Water Bill Fails, But Congress Scrutinizes Industry
A bill in Washington state to ban bottled water companies from tapping groundwater sources has died in a state House committee, stalling efforts to make the state the first in the nation to place such limits on the industry. But national scrutiny may be intensifying, as a congressional subcommittee has launched an investigation into the bottled water industry. (Brown, 3/6)

Dallas Morning News: Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Texas To Pay $10 Million Fine, Issue Refunds After State Finds Billing Mistakes
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas is agreeing to pay a $10 million fine and issue refunds to consumers after a state review found billing mistakes in the insurer's handling of out-of-network emergency claims. The Texas Department of Insurance announced the fine and restitution agreement Friday. Richardson-based Blue Cross will begin sending out notices to affected consumers by May 1. (O'Donnell, 3/6)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: New Senior Care Violations Surface As Georgia Debates Reform
The Georgia House sent a strong message that now is the time to protect the state's aging population when it overwhelmingly passed a senior care safety bill that would increase fines and require more staffing and training at assisted living and large personal care homes. With the Senate scheduled to take up the bill in the coming weeks, a question still hangs over the reform effort: How far is Georgia willing to go to demand higher standards and accountability from the care industry that serves thousands of seniors? (Teegardin and Schrade, 3/7)

Boston Globe: Scores Of Sex Offenders Worked As Personal Care Aides — Yet Mass. Did Not Require Background Checks
In 2018, more than 120 personal care attendants — paid by the state to help people with disabilities eat, dress, or use the bathroom — were registered sex offenders, a state watchdog found. Thousands more had open criminal cases. Some had even faced murder charges. Yet, state officials, who pay $1 billion to these workers each year, don't require background checks for them. In fact, the state's Medicaid program, known as MassHealth, has so little information about these 50,000 workers, it doesn't even know their names, according to a new report. (Stout and McCluskey, 3/8)

The Associated Press: Kansas GOP Leader's Medicaid Expansion Move Roils Statehouse
Jim Denning once symbolized what for Medicaid expansion supporters was wrong with the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature. Now, the Kansas Senate majority leader is an expansion champion who's under fire from some GOP lawmakers he's supposed to be leading for working with the state's Democratic governor. Denning recently faced criticism from Republicans for appearing at events with Gov. Laura Kelly to promote an expansion plan that she and Denning drafted. (Hanna, 3/7)

Los Angeles Times: Homeless Housing Tenants Say AIDS Healthcare Is 'Slumlord'
When the AIDS Healthcare Foundation began acquiring aging, single-occupancy hotels on skid row three years ago, its president, Michael Weinstein, lambasted L.A.'s handling of the homelessness crisis and boasted that he could house people at a fraction of the cost. Some questioned why the nonprofit powerhouse, which operates 64 outpatient healthcare centers and 48 pharmacies in 15 states, was jumping into housing at the same time it was tangling with the city over "mega-developments" near its Hollywood headquarters. Others welcomed a fresh approach to tackling the intractable homelessness and affordable housing crisis. (Holland, 3/8)

Editorials And Opinions

25. Different Takes: Pros, Cons Of Trump Administration's Response To Coronavirus; Why Isn't Everyone Who's Employed Allowed To Take A Paid Sick Day?

Editorial pages focus on issues surrounding the spread of coronavirus.

The Washington Post: Never Mind Trump. Coronavirus Shows Why Electing Competent State And Local Officials Is Vital.
For all the speculation about whether coronavirus will doom President Trump's reelection, voters motivated by the outbreak would do well to focus further down the ballot, on the state and local races that will determine who bears the lion's share of responsibility for the response. As the coronavirus spreads in communities, it will be mayors, county judges and school superintendents — not federal officials ― who make the tough calls about whether to declare a state of emergency or shutter public schools and other institutions. (Patrick Roberts, 3/8)

CNN: Coronavirus Crisis Exposes Limitations Of Trump's Alternate Reality
President Donald Trump's trusted method for winning his battles -- flinging disinformation, alternative facts and biting attacks at his enemies -- is being exposed by coronavirus, a rare force that is impervious to political pressure. Trump's efforts to construct an alternative reality in which the situation is under control were further undermined Monday after the total number of cases in the US soared past 550. His upbeat public rhetoric was also starkly at odds with increasingly dire warnings from inside his own administration about draconian steps that may need to be taken to combat the virus as it continues to spread. (Stephen Collinson, 3/9)

USA Today: Trump Owes Us Straight Talk On Coronavirus
We knew, at some point, that it would come to this. President Donald Trump, who has lied to the American people about every facet of his life — his education, his family, his mistresses, his money — is now asking us to believe him about a potential matter of life and death: the coronavirus. Trump says he's on top of it. But this time, it's not his life he's talking about, it's ours. Should we — and can we — believe him? I hope so. We're all Americans after all, and while I'm not a Trump fan, he's our president, and I wish him well in facing down this common threat. If he is able to contain it, with limited damage in terms of lives lost and economic disruption, I'll be the first to say thanks and give praise. Yet true to form, Trump has said things that are either misleading or flat out wrong. (Paul Brandus, 3/7)

Fox News: Trump's Coronavirus Response Could Be His Finest Hour
Democrats dreaming of their party winning the White House in November seem to be hoping that the president's coronavirus response will be his "Katrina moment" – a reference to the hurricane that hit New Orleans and the surrounding region in 2005 and sparked sharp criticism of President George W. Bush for problems with the federal disaster response. But Trump's opponents – including their left-wing media allies – don't realize that the president was made for this crisis. There is nothing he loves more, or is as good at, as taking personal charge of a crisis and bulldozing his way through the bureaucracy to a solution. (K.T. McFarland, 3/8)

CNN: Trump Serves Up Irresponsible And Dangerous Information On Coronavirus
On Sunday morning, Donald Trump took to Twitter to try to convince you that his administration's response to the coronavirus outbreak has been "perfectly coordinated and fine tuned." He then made it clear that if you think otherwise, it's all the fault of the "Fake News Media" which he claims "is doing everything possible to make us look bad." In reality, Trump looking "bad" over his handling of the deadly coronavirus outbreak is not the fault of the media. It's the fault of one person: Donald J. Trump. (Dean Obeidallah, 3/8)

Los Angeles Times: Why Aren't We Paying People With Coronavirus To Stay Home?
The rapid passage this week of an $8.3-billion emergency spending plan to fight the spread and severity of the coronavirus shows that Congress and the president are willing to set aside their petty partisanship in the face of the emerging health threat. That's reassuring. What's not is that they left out of the funding package an important tool to fight the spread of COVID-19: paying people with coronavirus symptoms to stay home from work. The dollars will go to vaccine and therapeutics development, protective equipment for healthcare workers, support for local public health departments and hospitals fighting outbreaks and help for global health efforts. But there's no earmark for payments for people who may contract the virus but can't afford to take a day off. (Mariel Garza, 3/6)

The Washington Post: The Coronavirus Outbreak Is Making Expertise Great Again
One of the leitmotifs of right-wing nationalism in the West is a profound rage against expertise. President Trump's campaign four years ago latched on to populist resentments toward the cadre of nominally liberal, technocratic elites predominant in government and other institutions of power and privilege. Former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon spoke grandiosely of "the destruction of the administrative state" and the supposed anti-national menace that lurked within it. Trump, who once proclaimed his "love" for "the poorly educated," has demonstrated repeatedly over three years of hiring and firing top officials that he values personal loyalty and sycophancy over subject-matter competence. (Ishaan Tharoor, 3/9)

The Hill: Paid Sick Leave Is A Public Health Policy
To curtail the spread of COVID-19, the message that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sharing with people who are sick but do not require hospitalization is: "stay home...isolate yourself." This is an easy suggestion to embrace those of us who can afford to stay home and do not have to worry about the impact of not working on receiving a paycheck. But for the millions of workers in this country without access to paid sick leave, a choice to work sick or don't work and don't get paid is no choice at all. There is no federal law requiring that workers receive paid sick leave. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, less than a dozen states and Washington D.C. provide paid sick leave. Some cities also provide paid sick leave to qualified individuals, but estimates are that 27 percent or 32 million private-sector workers in the U.S. are unable to take a single paid sick day. (Keshia M. Pollack, 3/8)

Los Angeles Times: In The Response To Coronavirus, There's No Room For Racism
In recent weeks, China has faced an unprecedented public health challenge. The novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has taken more than 3,000 lives and infected more than 80,000 people on the Chinese mainland.Confronted with the sudden outbreak of the previously unknown virus, the Chinese government, led by President Xi Jinping, moved ahead with the most comprehensive and rigorous public health effort ever mounted in response to an epidemic. Despite disruption to economic activities and personal life, the Chinese people came together to contain the spread of the virus. (Zhang Ping, 3/8)

The Wall Street Journal: 'Network Effects' Multiply A Viral Threat
''The coronavirus panic is dumb." I hesitate to disagree with Elon Musk, but here goes. The wrong way to think about the rapid spread around the world of the novel coronavirus, 2019-nCoV, and the disease it causes, Covid-19, is to say—as another smart and wealthy man put it to me last Monday—"Remember the H1N1-A virus of 2009? Neither do I. It infected a significant chunk of the globe, killed 20,000 U.S. citizens and we got over it pretty quickly." He might have added that 20,000 is less than half the number of Americans who died of influenza and pneumonia in 2017. (Niall Ferguson, 3/8)

The Washington Post: When An Emergency Room Suspected A Washington Post Reporter Had Coronavirus, Things Got Serious Fast
The snaking check-in line at the emergency room last Friday and the scores of sickly patients seeking comfort in the spartan lobby presaged a long, dreadful morning. Then something worse happened: I was taken back immediately, ahead of everyone on the gurneys, in the wheelchairs, on the floor and even those who appeared passed out in the chairs. No insurance papers were needed. "Mr. Dawsey, please come this way." (Josh Dawsey, 3/7)

The New York Times: The Best Response To The Coronavirus? Altruism, Not Panic
Are you fearful about catching the coronavirus? Are you anxious about whether you're properly prepared for its arrival? You're in good company.In the past few days, I've had more than a few patients call or email to ask me to double or even triple the dosage of their prescription antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication so that they could have a bigger supply on hand "just in case." Throughout the country, people are stockpiling food in anticipation of a shortage or a quarantine. (Richard A. Friedman, 3/8)

The Hill: Think This Coronavirus Crisis Is Bad? The Next Could Be Worse — If We Don't Act Now
The 2003 SARS, 2009 Avian Flu, and 2012 MERS epidemics should have provided us ample warning that an even more dangerous global pandemic loomed on the horizon. Although many leading experts then called for building much more robust national and global infrastructures in preparation for this eventuality, not nearly enough was done. Instead, populations in the United States and around the world came to see governance as a reality-television spectacle rather than as our most essential mechanism for ensuring our safety and security. As the coronavirus pandemic, today grows ever-more dangerous, we must not only rise to meet this crisis but also step up our efforts to prepare for even more dangerous pathogens — either naturally emerging or synthetically engineered — that are very likely to follow. (Jamie Metzl, 3/8)

Miami Herald: Coronavirus Might Be In Broward, And All The Health Department Can Say Is, 'Wash Your Hands?!"
There are two cases of presumptive coronavirus in our "back yard" — Broward County — and the best that county's health department can tell us is the ancient cautions to "wash your hands" and "don't touch your face?" Sorry, but Paula Thaqi's aggravatingly uninformative press briefing Saturday to discuss the two cases were practically a dereliction of duty. To be fair, her hands were tied, she said, by guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As questions from frustrated reporters were repeatedly rebuffed with Thaqi's response that she was following CDC rules, or that HIPPA rules prevented her from violating patients' privacy, she finally said, "We are providing the public with specific information," punting again and again to floridahealth.gov. (3/8)

26. Viewpoints: What Happens When AI Makes A Mistake In Health Care?; Rural Care Struggles With Loss Of Physicians, Clinics

Opinion writers weigh in on these health care issues and others.

Stat: Can An Artificial Intelligence Algorithm Be Sued For Malpractice?
The rapid entry of artificial intelligence is stretching the boundaries of medicine. It will also test the limits of the law. Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used in health care to flag abnormalities in head CT scans, cull actionable information from electronic health records, and help patients understand their symptoms. At some point, AI is bound to make a mistake that harms a patient. When that happens, who — or what — is liable? (Saurabh Jha, 3/9)

USA Today: Elderly In Rural America Struggle With Loss Of Health Care
FAIRFIELD, Washington — Drive 20 minutes south of Spokane and pine trees give way to rolling hills, which in fall are golden with remnants of the wheat harvest and in winter dusted with snow. This part of eastern Washington state is the beginning of the Palouse region. Its small farm towns once thrived but now struggle to offer essential services such as health care.For decades in Fairfield, residents received care from a doctor in a community clinic on Main Street. Alongside a post office, community center (which doubles as Town Hall), drug store, bank and library, a stucco building where the health clinic used to be sits vacant. (Arielle Dreher, 3/6)

Modern Healthcare: Reimbursement Benchmarks Will Exacerbate Surprise Billing Problem
For more than two years, emergency physicians have consistently supported federal legislation that protects patients from surprise bills without compromising access to care. However, setting a reimbursement benchmark based solely on what insurance companies choose to pay only serves their interests, not patients'. Insurance companies already have a long history of eroding or even outright denying coverage of emergency care. Rewarding them for that effort with such a benchmark will only enable them to drive their rates lower, resulting in even narrower networks and even more canceled contracts with higher quality physician groups. (William Jaquis, 3/6)

The New York Times: The Dangers Of Medicare For All
It may seem counterintuitive, but single-payer health care proposals like Medicare for All could very well destroy Medicare as we know it and jeopardize medical care for seniors. It's not just because single-payer systems like those in Britain and Canada hold down costs by limiting the availability of doctors and treatments, even for the most serious life-threatening diseases like cancer, brain tumors and heart disease. (Scott W. Atlas, 3/9)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Must Do Better On Health Care
Let's face it: Health care in Ohio is expensive and uncertain. While people with good jobs can access health insurance through employers, 3 million low-income residents of Ohio – 21% of our population – now rely on Medicaid for health care, vision and dental care, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization focusing on national health issues. And 12,000 more Ohio children under age 6 have no general health care coverage today compared with 2016 figures, says a 2019 study by Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. These children are missing out on basic pediatric and dental exams at ages that are crucial to long-term brain development and overall good health. (Kathy Wyenandt, 3/7)