Iowa news
Iowa’s ‘certificate of need’ law hampers health care access
University of Iowa Health Care recently prevailed in its spat against state regulators and neighboring hospitals. After years of planning and an initial rejection, a UIHC expansion in North Liberty finally earned a state panel’s approval this past week. A public university operating the state’s largest hospital is hardly a sympathetic victim of the regulatory state, but UI’s plight gets at a more basic question — why do we let competitors stand in the way of health center expansions? (The Gazette)
Iowans will continue to battle COVID-19 for the foreseeable future, Gov. Kim Reynolds conceded, telling residents they already have all the tools they need to manage the virus. “COVID isn’t going away,” she said at a news conference at the Iowa Capitol, urging Iowans to get vaccinated. In recognition of that reality, Iowa will increase the frequency of its online COVID-19 dashboard updates from once a week to three times a week and include the percentage of hospitalized people who are unvaccinated. (Des Moines Register)
14 Iowa nursing homes now in outbreak status, state says
There were at least 14 Iowa nursing homes with COVID-19 outbreaks last week, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health, and the total number of infections associated with those outbreaks stands at 98. Just three weeks ago, there were only two Iowa nursing homes in outbreak status. Although state officials do not provide separate counts for residents and staff, federal data on infections and vaccine acceptance in care facilities suggests that most infected are care facility workers, not residents. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
National news
Number of adults who oppose COVID-19 vaccine at new low, poll finds
The number of Americans strongly opposed to getting a COVID-19 vaccine is at the lowest level seen since the vaccines were released, according to latest findings from the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index. Each week since March 2020, Axios/Ipsos has polled a nationally representative group of US adults about the pandemic. The latest iteration included 1,071 adults polled from Aug. 27-30. Only 20% of Americans said they are not likely to get the vaccine, representing the lowest figure since the survey’s creation. This figure peaked at 63% last September. (Becker’s Hospital Review)
Kids account for more than 20% of weekly cases
Kids accounted for more than one-fifth of total COVID-19 cases in the US for the week ending Aug. 26, according to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association. Last week, children made up 22.4% of the reported cases. That’s higher than the total average of child cases during the pandemic, which is 14.8% of total cumulative cases. The report also noted there was a 9% increase in the cumulative number of child cases from Aug. 12 to Aug. 26. (USA Today)
Federal health officials urge White House to push back booster timeline
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, and acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, MD, recommended the US delay its COVID-19 booster rollout. The recommendation was made because the FDA needs more time to collect and review the data on COVID-19 booster’s safety and efficacy. On Aug. 18, the US said it is prepared to offer booster shots for Americans who received two doses of Pfizer or Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine beginning the week of Sept. 20 and starting eight months after someone’s second dose. The country will likely offer booster shots for fully vaccinated Americans six months after their last COVID-19 vaccine was administered, instead of the eight-month gap that had been previously announced. (Becker’s Hospital Review)